Scientific publishing in non industrialized countries: a pilot wireless internet project for Africa

There is general agreement that the internet is the major means of future scientific communication and education. However not everybody appreciates that the development of electronic communication in industrialized societies is not matched, even to a small extent, in developing countries. Several new technologies offer the potential for developing countries to provide connectivity. Terrestrial wireless and satellite technologies offer many advantages in that they do not require installation of wire-line networks. Satellite facilities can also be installed where communication is needed, even in remote and isolated areas, rather than waiting for terrestrial networks to be extended from the cities.     

Malnutrition and vaccination in developing countries

Malnutrition contributes to an estimated 45% of deaths among children under 5 years of age in developing countries, predominantly due to infections. Malnourished children therefore stand to benefit hugely from vaccination, but malnutrition has been described as the most common immunodeficiency globally, suggesting that they may not be able to respond effectively to vaccines. The immunology of malnutrition remains poorly characterized, but is associated with impairments in mucosal barrier integrity, and innate and adaptive immune dysfunction. Despite this, the majority of malnourished children can mount a protective immune response following vaccination, although the timing, quality and duration of responses may be impaired. This paper reviews the evidence for vaccine immunogenicity in malnourished children, discusses the importance of vaccination in prevention of malnutrition and highlights evidence gaps in our current knowledge.     

Prevention of diabetes complications in developing countries: time to intensify self-management education

The IDF report has indicated that about 80% of four million diabetes-related deaths that occur every year comes from the developing world. The IDF report suggests the need to focus more on preventing diabetes complications in poor countries. Thus, considering the economic constraints in combating the explosion of diabetes complications in the developing regions of the world, it appears that exploring culturally adaptable educational intervention programmes for specific regions would be the appropriate strategy. We believe that diabetes-related deaths could be reduced in developing countries through intensified diabetes self-management education.     

霍乱弧菌检测技术研究进展

随着社会的发展,公共卫生及水体质量已得到明显提升,但到目前为止在发展中国家由霍乱疫情导致的死亡率依旧非常高,而霍乱弧菌即为霍乱疫情爆发的病原菌,且霍乱在我国被列为甲类传染病。目前国内外针对霍乱弧菌已经建立了多种有效的检测技术,对控制霍乱暴发作用显著。本文综述了近年来霍乱弧菌检测技术研究新进展,包括微生物学、免疫学、分子生物学等较成熟的检测方法,生物传感器、快速检测技术等新兴检测方法,并总结各种技术优缺点,展望未来霍乱弧菌检测的市场需求。     

A modified vaccinia Ankara virus (MVA) vaccine expressing African horse sickness virus (AHSV) VP2 protects against AHSV challenge in an IFNAR -/- mouse model

African horse sickness (AHS) is a lethal viral disease of equids, which is transmitted by Culicoides midges that become infected after biting a viraemic host. The use of live attenuated vaccines has been vital for the control of this disease in endemic regions. However, there are safety concerns over their use in non-endemic countries. Research efforts over the last two decades have therefore focused on developing alternative vaccines based on recombinant baculovirus or live viral vectors expressing structural components of the AHS virion. However, ethical and financial considerations, relating to the use of infected horses in high biosecurity installations, have made progress very slow. We have therefore assessed the potential of an experimental mouse-model for AHSV infection for vaccine and immunology research. We initially characterised AHSV infection in this model, then tested the protective efficacy of a recombinant vaccine based on modified vaccinia Ankara expressing AHS-4 VP2 (MVA-VP2).     

Aspects of the political economy of development and synthetic biology

What implications might synthetic biology’s potential as a wholly new method of production have for the world economy, particularly developing countries? Theories of political economy predict that synthetic biology can shift terms of trade and displace producers in developing countries. Governments, however, retain the ability to mitigate negative changes through social safety nets and to foster adaptation to some changes through research, education and investment. We consider the effects the synthetic production of otherwise naturally derived molecules are likely to have on trade and investment, particularly in developing countries. Both rubber in Malaysia and indigo dyes in India provide historical examples of natural molecules that faced market dislocations from synthetic competitors. Natural rubber was able to maintain significant market share, while natural indigo vanished from world markets. These cases demonstrate the two extremes of the impact synthetic biology might have on naturally derived products. If developing countries can cushion the pain of technological changes by providing producers support as they retool or exit, the harmful effects of synthetic biology can be mitigated while its benefits can still be captured.     

Breast-feeding pattern in an urban Nigerian community

This paper examines the pattern of breastfeeding among women still in their prime childbearing ages (15-35 years) in Ilorin, the capital city of Kwara state in Nigeria. While breastfeeding is still a common practice among urban women, there is wide variation in the duration of breastfeeding depending on the socioeconomic characteristics of the mothers. Mother's education and father's education have very strong negative associations with duration of breastfeeding. Use of contraception also has a significant independent but negative effect on breastfeeding duration. Christians continue breastfeeding for shorter periods than Muslims. The introduction of supplementary feedings to the infant occurs in this population much earlier than is recommended by various authorities. Decline in breastfeeding practice may have deleterious effects on the health and survival of children in developing countries and may also lead to higher fertility and more rapid population growth. The high morbidity and mortality among artificially fed infants in many developing countries can be attributed to improper preparation as well as contamination of infant formula and other foods.     

Demographic shifts and medical training

The rapid aging of populations in developing countries as compared to those in the developed world has implications for medical training in these places. Moreover, the growing globalization of employment for many health professionals means that demographic shifts have implications for the training of health professionals worldwide such that curriculums in developing countries may not meet the needs of those who practice in industrialized countries. Chronic and degenerative diseases as well as problems of multiple pathology are likely to increase with an aging population. Consequently, multiple pathology makes current medical training so likely to lead to inappropriate and poor quality of care. In addition, increasing subspecialization in medicine provides doctors who are unable to deal with the complexity of multiple pathology. Undergraduate medical education reforms are also forcing specific training in geriatric medicine out of the curriculums.     

Interprofessional Education for Whom? — Challenges and Lessons Learned from Its Implementation in Developed Countries and Their Application to Developing Countries: A Systematic Review

Background

Evidence is available on the potential efficacy of interprofessional education (IPE) to foster interprofessional cooperation, improve professional satisfaction, and improve patient care. While the intention of the World Health Organization (WHO) is to implement IPE in all countries, evidence comes from developed countries about its efficiency, challenges, and barriers to planning and implementing IPE. We therefore conducted this review to examine challenges of implementing IPE to suggest possible pathways to overcome the anticipated challenges in developing countries.

Methods

We searched for literatures on IPE in PubMed/MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and ERIC databases. We examined challenges or barriers and initiatives to overcome them so as to suggest methods to solve the anticipated challenges in developing countries. We could not conduct a meta-analysis because of the qualitative nature of the research question and the data; instead we conducted a meta-narrative of evidence.

Results

A total of 40 out of 2,146 articles were eligible for analyses in the current review. Only two articles were available from developing countries. Despite the known benefits of IPE, a total of ten challenges or barriers were common based on the retrieved evidence. They included curriculum, leadership, resources, stereotypes and attitudes, variety of students, IPE concept, teaching, enthusiasm, professional jargons, and accreditation. Out of ten, three had already been reported in developing countries: IPE curriculum, resource limitations, and stereotypes.

Conclusion

This study found ten important challenges on implementing IPE. They are curriculum, leadership, resources, stereotypes, students'' diversity, IPE concept, teaching, enthusiasm, professional jargons, and accreditation. Although only three of them are already experienced in developing countries, the remaining seven are potentially important for developing countries, too. By knowing these challenges and barriers in advance, those who implement IPE programs in developing countries will be much more prepared, and can enhance the program''s potential success.     

Pneumococcus: the sugar-coated bacteria.

The study of Streptococcus pneumoniae (the pneumococcus) had been a central issue in medicine for many decades until the use of antibiotics became generalized. Many fundamental contributions to the history of microbiology should credit this bacterium: the capsular precipitin reaction, the major role this reaction plays in the development of immunology through the identification of polysaccharides as antigens, and, mainly, the demonstration, by genetic transformation, that genes are composed of DNA-the finding from the study of bacteria that has had the greatest impact on biology. Currently, pneumococcus is the most common etiologic agent in acute otitis media, sinusitis, and pneumonia requiring the hospitalization of adults. Moreover, meningitis is the leading cause of death among children in developing countries. Here I discuss the contributions that led to the explosion of knowledge about pneumococcus and also report some of the contributions of our group to the understanding of the molecular basis of three important virulence factors: lytic enzymes, pneumococcal phages, and the genes coding for capsular polysaccharides.     

Training zoo biology in tropical countries: A report on a method and progress

In 1987 the National Zoological Park inaugurated a Zoo Biology training program for developing country zoos, particularly those in the tropics where the threats to biological diversity are greatest. The program last 2 to 4 weeks, is targeted to mid-level zoo managers, and aspires to improve the care and management of wildlife in zoos through in situ training. A host zoo in the foreign country is responsible for selecting and inviting trainees from other zoos in the country or region. Training activities include daily lectures, demonstrations, quizzes, problem solving exercises, and class projects. In addition, the class participates in creating an animal inventory for the host zoo, and endemic species are identified for studbook compilation and captive propagation projects. Most mid-level zoo managers in tropical developing countries are college-educated men in their thirties, and have on average less than 10 years of zoo experience. We evaluate our program, and discuss the problems confronting tropical zoos in the developing world. Finally, we suggest ways that zoos in developed countries can influence tropical conservation through training and education.     

Development and application of synthetic peptides as vaccines

Vaccination against bacterial and viral diseases has been one of the major achievements in medicine and immunology since the beginning of this century. Extensive vaccination programs have been able to control or, in the case of smallpox, virtually wipe out some of the most dangerous infectious diseases e.g. poliomyelitis, measles, whooping cough, diphtheria and tetanus. However, as this success has been limited mainly to the developed, affluent countries, infectious diseases still remain the worlds largest health problem. Furthermore, vaccines against human parasites are non-existent. Recent advances in immunology and molecular biology including recombinant DNA technology have provided the basis for new approaches to vaccine development.     

对比法国谈我国医学教育模式

目的：通过与法国医学教育模式的比较,发现我国医学教育的问题并寻找合适的解决方法。方法：通过查阅资料、问卷调查、个别采访及集体讨论等,分析和探讨我国医学教育现状及面临的问题,借鉴法国医学教育模式,探讨解决我国医学教育面临问题的策略。结果：尽管我国医学教育在不断的探索道路中发展,但与发达国家相比仍然存在差距,这需要我们国家政府和全体公民齐心协力,使我们的医学教育更加完善。结论：我国的医学教育模式有待改进,医学教育必须在政府适当的宏观调控和政策引导下日趋完善。     

Tropical Vacation for Paediatricians

The purpose of two weeks spent in a developing country at relatively low cost (£145 each) was to have an enjoyable holiday while seeing something of the child health, culture, and economy of the country. Its deeper significance was to attract some participants to giving time and support to developing countries while making their teaching in Britain more relevant both to the native British student and to visitors from developing countries. There was no preaching. It was a “look, see, think” operation. Ghana was selected because of its friendliness, enthusiasm for the project, and helpful co-operation given in initial planning. The experience was judged successful by most and possibly by all. The friendly contacts established with very able Ghanaian colleagues may be mutually helpful in the field of medical education.     

无脊椎动物的比较发育免疫(英文)

高等动物是由低等动物经过一个漫长的历程逐渐进化来的,其免疫机制也是伴随这一过程逐渐发展和完善起来的。免疫的进化不能象身体结构的进化一样可被化石记录下来;只能通过对现存动物的免疫机制、免疫组织及器官的个体发育和系统发育进行比较研究来搞清。近年来比较免疫学有了突飞猛进的发展,涉及的动物也越来越广泛,本文就已掌握的资料;对无脊椎动物的免疫机制、免疫组织及器官的个体发育和系统发育进行了比较和综述,从中可以看出,免疫机制普遍存在于无脊椎动物中,其免疫主要以吞噬作用、凝集作用和抗菌作用为主;免疫特异性较弱,细胞免疫的特异性远较体液免疫的特异性程度高;在较低等的腔肠动物就已出现了免疫记忆和移植排斥反应,并且在其后的无脊椎动物中广泛存在;凝集素广泛存在于无脊椎动物中,很可能在免疫识别甚至免疫记忆中扮演重要角色;无脊椎动物的免疫是随进化而逐渐加强的。     

翻转课堂在免疫学教学中的探索与实践

近年来翻转课堂作为以学生为主体、教师为主导的教学方式逐渐被应用于大学本科教学。本文介绍了翻转课堂在"免疫学"教学中的探索与实践,包括课程内容设计、知识点提取、课前自主学习资源的制作与发布、高效课堂教学活动设计与实施、评价方式及教学反思等六方面内容。翻转课堂的教学模式实现了教学由"单向传授"向"双向互动"、"被动学习"向"自主探索"的转变,学生不仅掌握了免疫学的基础知识,而且自主学习能力得以提升。     

Recommendations for school-going students post CoVid-19 in Bangladesh

The CoVid-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 has taken more lives than any other pandemic so far, with non-pharmacological interventions such as lockdown, school closures, and travel bans, especially social distance, abounding around the world. With limited resources, these interventions pose the ultimate challenge to the education system in developing countries like Bangladesh, especially in providing uninterrupted education for all children in rural areas, where a significant number of students are enrolled in this area. However, the initiative to close schools for an extended period has affected children physically, emotionally, socially, and in various ways. Noteworthy, it demands to reopen to protect the future of children. Schools have reopened in many countries around the world. It is of interest to document recommendations for school-going students post CoVid-19 in Bangladesh using evidence-based data, information, and knowledge. We document such data in the context of Bangladesh to take such policy initiatives.     

新型兽用疫苗的研究进展

新型兽用疫苗是免疫学和病毒学的研究热点,主要包括亚单位疫苗、基因工程缺失苗、重组病毒活载体疫苗和基因疫苗。上前已经被广泛的应用于研究和疫病的防治上。最近的疫苗发展方向集中于在基因疫苗上。高效、安全、稳定、成本低是疫苗开发的重点。本文介绍了新型疫苗的现状,以及今后发展的趋势和策略。     

US IRBs confronting research in the developing world

Increasingly, US‐sponsored research is carried out in developing countries, but how US Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) approach the challenges they then face is unclear. METHODS: I conducted in‐depth interviews of about 2 hours each, with 46 IRB chairs, directors, administrators and members. I contacted the leadership of 60 IRBs in the United States (US) (every fourth one in the list of the top 240 institutions by National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding), and interviewed IRB leaders from 34 (55%). RESULTS: US IRBs face ethical and logistical challenges in interpreting and applying principles and regulations in developing countries, given economic and health disparities, and limited contextual knowledge. These IRBs perceive wide variations in developing world IRBs/RECs' quality, resources and training; and health systems in some countries may have long‐standing practices of corruption. These US IRBs often know little of local contexts, regulations and standards of care, and struggle with understandings of other cultures' differing views of autonomy, and risks and benefits of daily life. US IRBs thus face difficult decisions, including how to interpret principles, how much to pay subjects and how much sustainability to require from researchers. IRB responses and solutions include trying to maintain higher standards for developing world research, obtain cultural expertise, build IRB infrastructure abroad, communicate with foreign IRBs, and ‘negotiate’ for maximum benefits for participants and fearing ‘worst‐case scenarios’. CONCLUSIONS: US and foreign IRBs confront a series of tensions and dilemmas in reviewing developing world research. These data have important implications for increased education of IRBs/RECs and researchers in the US and abroad, and for research and practice.