Standardized framework for evaluating costs of active case-finding programs: An analysis of two programs in Cambodia and Tajikistan.

Introduction: Over the years, technological and process innovations enabled active case finding (ACF) programs to expand their capacities and scope to have evolved to close gaps in missing TB patients globally. However, with increased ACF program's operational complexity and a need for significant resource commitments, a comprehensive, transparent, and standardized approach in evaluating costs of ACF programs is needed to properly determine costs and value of ACF programs.

Methods: Based on reviews of program activity and financial reports, multiple interviews with program managers of two TB REACH funded ACF programs deployed in Cambodia and Tajikistan, we first identified common program components, which formed the basis of the cost data collection, analysis, reporting framework.

The Burden of Serious Fungal Infections in Tajikistan.

Tajikistan is a low-income country in Middle Asia with a population of 8.9 million people. Five percent of the population lives on less than 1.

External Quality Assessment of Sputum Smear Microscopy in Tuberculosis Laboratories in Sughd, Tajikistan.

Introduction: Tajikistan has a laboratory network with three levels of tuberculosis (TB) laboratories. The external quality assessment (EQA) of sputum smear microscopy was implemented in 2007. The objective of this study was to evaluate the EQA system and identify potential performance improvement strategies in TB microscopic laboratories in Sughd, Tajikistan.

TB case detection in Tajikistan - analysis of existing obstacles.

Background: Tajikistan National TB Control Program.

Objective: (1) To identify the main obstacles to increasing TB Detection in Tajikistan. (2) To identify interventions that improve TB detection.

Intracoronary Infusion of Autologous CD133(+) Cells in Myocardial Infarction and Tracing by Tc99m MIBI Scintigraphy of the Heart Areas Involved in Cell Homing.

CD133 mesenchymal cells were enriched using magnetic microbead anti-CD133 antibody from bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMNCs). Flow cytometry and immunocytochemistry analysis using specific antibodies revealed that these cells were essentially 89 ± 4% CD133(+) and 8 ± 5% CD34(+). CD133(+)/CD34(+) BMMNCs secrete important bioactive proteins such as cardiotrophin-1, angiogenic and neurogenic factors, morphogenetic proteins, and proinflammatory and remodeling factors in vitro.