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Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical

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2014

Gold nanoprobes for multi loci assessment of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis

Here we extend the Au-nanoprobe approach towards discriminating specific mutations within inhA and rpoB genes in PCR amplified DNA from isolates. Using a multiplex PCR reaction for these two genes, it is possible to assess both loci in parallel, and extend the potential of the Au-nanoprobe method to MDRTB molecular characterization with special application in the most frequent Portuguese genotypes.
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Plants used in traditional medicine: extracts and secondary metabolites exhibiting antileishmanial activity

Plants and their extracts have been used traditionally against different pathologies, and in some poor regions they are the only therapeutic source for treatments. Moreover, the identification of specific active secondary metabolites can be account for amelioration of clinical status of suffering individual.
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Angola’s 2013 dengue outbreak: clinical, laboratory and molecular analyses of cases from four Portuguese institutions

Dengue virus (DENV) is the arbovirus with the widest impact on human health. In Africa in general, and in Angola in particular, the epidemiology and public health impact of DENV is far from clear. However, rapid population growth, unplanned urbanization, increased international travel, and the presence of virus major vector (Aedes aegypti) in the country suggest that DENV transmission may occur.
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Dengue virus serotype 4 and chikungunya virus coinfection in a traveller returning from Luanda, Angola

concurrent dengue virus serotype 4 and chikungunya virus infection was detected in a woman in her early 50s returning to Portugal from Luanda, Angola, in January 2014. The clinical, laboratory and molecular findings, involving phylogenetic analyses of partial viral genomic sequences amplified by RT-PCR, are described.
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HIV-Related Discrimination in European Health Care Settings

This cross-sectional European study assessed self-reported HIV-related discrimination and its associated factors in health care settings. Socio-demographics, health status, support needs relating to sexual and reproductive health (SRH), and self-reported HIV-related discrimination were measured using an anonymous survey in a sample of 1549 people living with HIV from 14 countries.
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Strengthening the perception-assessment tools for dengue prevention: a cross-sectional survey in a temperate region (Madeira, Portugal)

Community participation is mandatory in the prevention of Dengue outbreaks. Taking public views into account is crucial to guide more effective planning and quicker community participation in preventing campaigns. This study aims to assess community perceptions of Madeira population in order to explore their involvement in the A. aegypti’s control and reinforce health-educational planning.
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Impact of a training course on the quality of malaria diagnosis by microscopy in Angola

This study was implemented in laboratories from three hospitals in different provinces of Angola: Bengo, Benguela and Luanda. In each laboratory samples were collected before and after the training course (slide with thin and thick blood smears, a dried blood spot and a form).
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Clinical and virological response to antiretroviral drugs among HIV patients on first-line treatment in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania

In Tanzania, the follow-up on antiretroviral therapy (ART) response is based on clinical outcomes. We investigated virological response and ARV resistance mutations in relation to clinical response in ARV-treated patients.
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Where does fear lead us: antiretroviral treatment adherence in Maputo

This research aims to deepen knowledge on the role of fear on ART adherence of patients who live in Maputo district in Mozambique, including differences on age, gender and schooling level, on their previous knowledge about HIV and ART and on the impact of the discrimination experiences on the ART adherence.
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