Chagas disease: Historic perspective.

This review is a perspective on the history of Chagas disease, and it adopts a novel approach from literary studies, historical documents and the science and epidemiology of the nature of the disease. From this analysis, comes the review's working definition of the Contact Zone (CZ): "the space in which geographically and historically separated people come into contact with each other and establish long-lasting relationships, which usually involve coercive conditions, radical inequality and intolerable conflict." In the Patient-Physician CZ, we verified the triple transition phenomena: the American trypanosomiasis shifted from a rural, acute, and vectorial transmitted disease to an urban, chronic and non-vectorial disease. In the Academic CZ, we describe the original disagreements which denied the existence of the disease and the current controversies about pathogenic mechanisms and etiological treatment. From the News from Latin America, and in the Original CZ, we will review the evolution of different forms of transmission. As in any good story, research across broad disciplines is necessary to reveal historical perspectives, scientific approaches, and the epidemiology of the disease, which has a prequel of 9000 years and an open ending: thus, we explore across the Global CZ, with its multiple and unexpected actors.

The Emergence and Challenging Growth of the Bio-Ethanol Innovation System in Taiwan (1949-2015).

This study explores the bio-ethanol innovation system in Taiwan from the perspective of a technology innovation system (TIS). Taiwan is a newly industrialized country and is not currently a main producer of bio-ethanol. This study analyzes the evolution of bio-ethanol innovation system in Taiwan and places a particular emphasis on challenges that present policies face in the context of potential long-term bio-ethanol development. Through an evaluation of the consistency of the present research, technology, development and innovation (RTDI) policies as well as the influence of these policies on the functional dynamics of bio-ethanol innovation system, mechanisms prohibiting the system from flourishing are determined. It is suggested that the production of bio-ethanol in Taiwan would be achieved if the government: (1) fixes long-term targets for both domestic bio-ethanol development and emission reduction; and (2) comprehensively designs a set of interrelated RTDI policies in accordance with the functional pattern of the bio-ethanol innovation system and consistently implements these policies. If such measures were implemented, it is considered that the bio-ethanol innovation system in Taiwan would flourish.

Biopharmaceutical Innovation System in China: System Evolution and Policy Transitions (Pre-1990s-2010s).

BACKGROUND: This article sets up the initial discussion of the evolution of biopharmaceutical innovation in China through the perspective of sectoral innovation system (SIS). METHODS: Two data sources including archival documentary data and field interviews were used in this study. Archival documentary data was collected from China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI). In addition, industrial practitioners and leading researchers in academia were interviewed. RESULTS: Biopharmaceutical in China was established through international knowledge transfer. The firms played more active role in commercializing biopharmaceutical in China though universities and research institutes were starting to interact with local firms and make contribution to biopharmaceutical industrialization. The transition of the Chinese government's policies continuously shapes the evolution of biopharmaceutical sector. Policies have been dramatic changes before and after 1980s to encourage developing biopharmaceutical as a competitive industry for China. CONCLUSION: A SIS for biopharmaceutical has been shaped in China. However, currently biopharmaceutical is still a small sector in China, and for the further growth of the industry more synthetic policies should be implemented. Not only the policy supports towards the research and innovation of biopharmaceuticals in the early stage of development should be attended, but also commercialization of biopharmaceutical products in the later stage of sales.

Suitability of the traditional microbial indicators and their enumerating methods in the assessment of fecal pollution of subtropical freshwater environments.

Twenty-four freshwater sampling sites (11 river water, 6 spring water, and 7 groundwater) were selected from 4 sampling areas located in the northern and central parts of Taiwan. A total of 125 water samples were collected during a 5-month sampling period, and the numbers of total heterotrophic bacteria, total coliforms, fecal coliforms, enterococci, Aeromonas hydrophila, and Salmonella spp. were enumerated. Besides the traditional membrane filtration method, total coliforms and Escherichia coli were also simultaneously enumerated using the Colilert (Quanti-Tray/2000) method. On average, 94% and 80% of the water samples assessed with the Colilert method had equal or higher total coliform and E. coli counts, respectively, as compared with the membrane filtration method. Furthermore, when m-FC agar was used to enumerate fecal coliforms, 18% of the samples failed to yield the typical bluish colonies, while E. coli were counted in the same samples using the Colilert method. The data indicate that the m-FC agar culture method is inadequate for the enumeration of fecal coliforms in subtropical water samples. Significant correlations were observed between the total number of bacteria and various indicator bacteria in river water samples, but no such correlations were found for groundwater and spring water. This finding suggested that the river water was polluted by anthropogenic sources. The counts of total coliforms, E. coli, and other indicator bacteria were significantly correlated in all river water samples, while in groundwater and spring water, significant (p<0.01) correlation was only observed with enterococcal counts. The presence of total coliforms/E. coli generally implies the presence of fecal pollution possibly including pathogenic enteric bacteria. However, no Salmonella spp. were detected in any of the 107 water samples analyzed. The results of this study suggest that the use of these commonly employed microbial indicators for assessing subtropical water quality, especially in a pristine body of water (ie, mountain spring and groundwater), is highly questionable.