Endemic prevalence of hepatitis B and C in Mongolia: A nationwide survey amongst Mongolian adults.

In this study, a representative group of Mongolian adults was tested for hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV). Screening was conducted at 17 different locations on a randomly sampled group, representing the Mongolian adult population. A total of 1158 adults, 500 (43.1%) men and 659 (56.9%) women were included. The prevalence estimates of HBV and HCV amongst the general Mongolian adult population were found to be 11.1%±1% (SE) and 8.5%±0.7% or 207 418 and 160 228 cases, respectively. For HCV, the majority of cases are concentrated in older age groups with a prevalence of 25.8% amongst those aged 50 years and above, whilst the prevalence of HBV does not vary significantly amongst age groups. For both, HBV and HCV, the data indicate a higher risk of infection and a higher mortality because of the hepatitis amongst men than amongst women. This study represents the first nationwide estimate of the prevalence of HBV in Mongolia and also considered the first for HCV since 2005 and confirm the position of Mongolia as one of the hot-spots of chronic hepatitis infection in the world with about 19.4% of the adult population being infected with either HBV or HCV.

Historical epidemiology of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in select countries - volume 2.

Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a leading cause of liver related morbidity and mortality. In many countries, there is a lack of comprehensive epidemiological data that are crucial in implementing disease control measures as new treatment options become available. Published literature, unpublished data and expert consensus were used to determine key parameters, including prevalence, viremia, genotype and the number of patients diagnosed and treated. In this study of 15 countries, viremic prevalence ranged from 0.13% in the Netherlands to 2.91% in Russia. The largest viremic populations were in India (8 666 000 cases) and Russia (4 162 000 cases). In most countries, males had a higher rate of infections, likely due to higher rates of injection drug use (IDU). Estimates characterizing the infected population are critical to focus screening and treatment efforts as new therapeutic options become available.

Strategies to manage hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection disease burden - volume 2.

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) epidemic was forecasted through 2030 for 15 countries, and the relative impact of two scenarios was considered: (i) increased treatment efficacy while holding the treated population constant and (ii) increased treatment efficacy and increased annual treated population. Increasing levels of diagnosis and treatment, in combination with improved treatment efficacy, were critical for achieving substantial reductions in disease burden. In most countries, the annual treated population had to increase several fold to achieve the largest reductions in HCV-related morbidity and mortality. This suggests that increased capacity for screening and treatment will be critical in many countries. Birth cohort screening is a helpful tool for maximizing resources. In most of the studied countries, the majority of patients were born between 1945 and 1985.

The present and future disease burden of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections with today's treatment paradigm - volume 2.

Morbidity and mortality attributable to chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection are increasing in many countries as the infected population ages. Models were developed for 15 countries to quantify and characterize the viremic population, as well as estimate the number of new infections and HCV related deaths from 2013 to 2030. Expert consensus was used to determine current treatment levels and outcomes in each country. In most countries, viremic prevalence has already peaked. In every country studied, prevalence begins to decline before 2030, when current treatment levels were held constant. In contrast, cases of advanced liver disease and liver related deaths will continue to increase through 2030 in most countries. The current treatment paradigm is inadequate if large reductions in HCV related morbidity and mortality are to be achieved.

BioCARS: a synchrotron resource for time-resolved X-ray science.

BioCARS, a NIH-supported national user facility for macromolecular time-resolved X-ray crystallography at the Advanced Photon Source (APS), has recently completed commissioning of an upgraded undulator-based beamline optimized for single-shot laser-pump X-ray-probe measurements with time resolution as short as 100 ps. The source consists of two in-line undulators with periods of 23 and 27 mm that together provide high-flux pink-beam capability at 12 keV as well as first-harmonic coverage from 6.8 to 19 keV. A high-heat-load chopper reduces the average power load on downstream components, thereby preserving the surface figure of a Kirkpatrick-Baez mirror system capable of focusing the X-ray beam to a spot size of 90 µm horizontal by 20 µm vertical. A high-speed chopper isolates single X-ray pulses at 1 kHz in both hybrid and 24-bunch modes of the APS storage ring. In hybrid mode each isolated X-ray pulse delivers up to ~4 × 10(10) photons to the sample, thereby achieving a time-averaged flux approaching that of fourth-generation X-FEL sources. A new high-power picosecond laser system delivers pulses tunable over the wavelength range 450-2000 nm. These pulses are synchronized to the storage-ring RF clock with long-term stability better than 10 ps RMS. Monochromatic experimental capability with Biosafety Level 3 certification has been retained.

Effects of social isolation rearing on the limbic brain: a combined behavioral and magnetic resonance imaging volumetry study in rats.

Rearing rats in social isolation from weaning induces robust behavioral and neurobiological alterations resembling some of the core symptoms of schizophrenia, such as reduction in prepulse inhibition of acoustic startle (PPI) and locomotor hyperactivity in a novel arena. The aim of this study was to investigate whether social isolation rearing induces volumetric remodeling of the limbic system, and to probe for anatomical structure-behavioral interrelations. Isolation- (n=8) and group-reared (n=8) rats were examined by magnetic resonance (MR) volumetry using high-resolution T2-weighted imaging at 7 T. Volumes of medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), retrosplenial cortex (RSC) and hippocampal formation were compared between groups and with behavioral measures, i.e. PPI and locomotor activity in a novel arena. Isolation rearing induced locomotor hyperactivity and impaired PPI compared with group-housed rats. The right mPFC was significantly reduced (5.4%) in isolation-reared compared with group-reared rats, with a similar trend on the left side (5.2%). mPFC volumes changes were unrelated to behavioral abnormalities. No significant volume changes were observed in ACC, RSC or hippocampal formation. Hippocampal volumes were associated with the magnitude of PPI response in control but not in isolation-reared rats. Rearing rats in social isolation induced remodeling of the limbic brain with selective prefrontal cortex volume loss. In addition, a dissociation of the interrelation between hippocampal volume and PPI was noted in the isolation-reared rats. Taken together, limbic morphometry is sensitive to the effects of social isolation rearing but did not reveal direct brain-behavior interrelations, calling for more detailed circuitry analysis.