Facteurs associés à la Fièvre de la vallée du Rift dans le District sanitaire de Tchintabaraden, région de Tahoua (Niger), 2016: Étude cas-témoins

Introduction: La fièvre de la vallée du Rift (FVR) est une maladie virale aiguë et fébrile. En septembre 2016, le ministre de la Santé publique du Niger a notifié six cas humains et trois cas animaux à Tchintabaraden. Nous avons mené une étude afin d’identifier les facteurs de risque de la maladie. Méthodes : Une étude cas-témoins non appariée a été conduite. Les cas étaient les patients atteints de FVR (présence d'anticorps IgM anti-FVR par ELISA ou RT-PCR) et vivant à Tchintabaraden entre le 2 août et le 31 octobre 2016. Un témoin était une personne vivant à Tchintabaraden sans symptômes de FVR au moment de l'étude. Nous avons recruté deux témoins pour un cas. Résultats : Au total, 84 cas ont été comparés à 168 témoins. L'âge médian des cas était de 17 ans (IQR [2 ans-80 ans]) et l'âge médian des témoins était de 35 ans (IQR 5 ans-74 ans). En analyse multivariée, les facteurs associés à la FVR étaient les suivants : consommation de fromage provenant de l'animal malade (ORa=3,77 ; IC 95% [1,63-8,73]) ; consommation de viande provenant du lait de l'animal malade (ORa=2,92 ; IC 95% [1,04-8,73]) et contact avec l'animal malade (ORa=2,71 ; IC 95% [1,24-5,89]). Conclusion : La consommation de lait, de produits laitiers et de viande d'animaux malades ont été les facteurs de risque de la maladie pendant cette épidémie de FVR au Niger. Nous recommandons la sensibilisation des communautés sur la consommation de produits provenant d'animaux malades. Background: Rift Valley Fever (RVF) is an acute, febrile viral disease. In September 2016, Niger Minister of Public Health notified six human and three animal cases in Tchintabaraden. We conducted a study to identify risk factors of disease. Methods: An unmatched case-control study was conducted. Cases were patients with RVF (Presence of anti-RVF IgM antibodies by ELISA or RT-PCR) and living in Tchintabaraden between August, 2nd and October 31st, 2016. A control was a person living in Tchintabaraden without RVF symptoms at time of the study. We recruited two controls for one case. Results: A total of 84 cases were compared to 168 controls. Median age of cases was 17 years (IQR [2 years-80years]) and median age of controls was 35 years (IQR 5 years-74 years). In Multivariate analysis, the factors associated with RVF were: consumption of cheese from the sick animal (ORa=3,77; IC 95% [1,63-8,73]); consumption of meat from the sick animals milk (ORa=2,92; IC 95% [1,04-8,73]) and contact with sick animal (ORa=2,71; IC 95% [1,24-5,89]). Conclusion: Consumption of milk, dairy products and meat from sick animals were the risk factors for the disease during this RVF epidemic in Niger. We recommend sensitization of communities on the consumption of products from sick animals

Prévalence et facteurs associés aux accidents domestiques chez les enfants de 0 à 59 mois à Bamako (Mali) en 2017: Prevalence and factors associated with domestic accidents among children aged 0-59 months in Bamako, Mali in 2017

Introduction : Dans le monde, 90% des traumatismes chez les enfants se produisent domicile ou à proximité. L’objectif de cette étude était de déterminer la prévalence et d’identifier les facteurs associes des accidents domestiques chez les enfants de moins de 0 à 59 mois à Bamako en 2017. Méthodes : Une étude transversale descriptive et analytique a été conduite du 1er février au 31 mars 2017 e Bamako. Un sondage en grappe a été réalisé. Les mères ou tuteurs d’enfants ont été interviewés au moyen d’un questionnaire. Une fiche d’observation des domiciles a aussi été utilisée. Résultats : Au total, 630 enfants de 0 à 59 mois ont été inclus dans l’étude. Leur âge médian était de 24 mois (Intervalle interquartile (14 mois a 36 mois)) et le ratio femmes/hommes de 1,01. La prévalence des accidents domestiques était de 11,2% (Intervalle de confiance a 95% (9,03-13,98)). Les types d’accidents étaient les brulures, chutes, morsures, intoxications, étouffements et noyades. En analyse multivariée, les caractéristiques sociodémographiques des enfants associes aux accidents domestiques étaient : l’âge ≥ 24 mois (ORa = 1,90; p = 0,02) et le sexe masculin (ORa = 1,97; p = 0,01). Conclusion : La prévalence des accidents domestiques était de 11,2% chez les enfants de 0 à 59 mois à Bamako. Les accidents domestiques survenaient très souvent chez les garçons de 24 mois et plus. La surveillance domestique des garçons de 24 à 59 mois devrait être renforcée a Bamako. Introduction: Worldwide, 90% of childhood injuries occur in or near the home. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and identify associated factors of home accidents in children under 0-59 months in Bamako in 2017. Methods: A descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study was conducted from 1 February to 31 March 2017 in Bamako. A cluster survey was conducted. Mothers or guardians of children were interviewed using a questionnaire. A home observation form was also used. Results: A total of 630 children aged 0-59 months were included in the study. Their median age was 24 months (interquartile range (14 months-36 months)) and the sex ratio female/male was 1.01. The prevalence of domestic accidents was 11.2% (95% confidence interval (9.03-13.98)). The types of accidents were burns, falls, bites, poisoning, choking and drowning. In multivariate analysis, the socio-demographic characteristics of children associated with domestic accidents were: age ≥ 24 months (ORa = 1.90; p = 0.02) and male gender (ORa = 1.97; p = 0.01). Conclusion: The prevalence of domestic accidents was 11.2% among children aged 0-59 months in Bamako. Domestic accidents occurred most frequently in boys aged 24 months and over. Domestic surveillance of boys aged 24-59 months should be reinforced in Bamako. &nbsp

An elaborated feeding cycle model for reductions in vectorial capacity of night-biting mosquitoes by insecticide-treated nets

BACKGROUND: Insecticide Treated Nets (ITNs) are an important tool for malaria control. ITNs are effective because they work on several parts of the mosquito feeding cycle, including both adult killing and repelling effects. METHODS: Using an elaborated description of the classic feeding cycle model, simple formulas have been derived to describe how ITNs change mosquito behaviour and the intensity of malaria transmission, as summarized by vectorial capacity and EIR. The predicted changes are illustrated as a function of the frequency of ITN use for four different vector populations using parameter estimates from the literature. RESULTS: The model demonstrates that ITNs simultaneously reduce mosquitoes' lifespans, lengthen the feeding cycle, and by discouraging human biting divert more bites onto non-human hosts. ITNs can substantially reduce vectorial capacity through small changes to all of these quantities. The total reductions in vectorial capacity differ, moreover, depending on baseline behavior in the absence of ITNs. Reductions in lifespan and vectorial capacity are strongest for vector species with high baseline survival. Anthropophilic and zoophilic species are affected differently by ITNs; the feeding cycle is lengthened more for anthrophilic species, and the proportion of bites that are diverted onto non-human hosts is higher for zoophilic species. CONCLUSION: This model suggests that the efficacy of ITNs should be measured as a total reduction in transmission intensity, and that the quantitative effects will differ by species and by transmission intensity. At very high rates of ITN use, ITNs can generate large reductions in transmission intensity that could provide very large reductions in transmission intensity, and effective malaria control in some areas, especially when used in combination with other control measures. At high EIR, ITNs will probably not substantially reduce the parasite rate, but when transmission intensity is low, reductions in vectorial capacity combine with reductions in the parasite rate to generate very large reductions in EIR

Quantum state preparation and macroscopic entanglement in gravitational-wave detectors

Long-baseline laser-interferometer gravitational-wave detectors are operating at a factor of 10 (in amplitude) above the standard quantum limit (SQL) within a broad frequency band. Such a low classical noise budget has already allowed the creation of a controlled 2.7 kg macroscopic oscillator with an effective eigenfrequency of 150 Hz and an occupation number of 200. This result, along with the prospect for further improvements, heralds the new possibility of experimentally probing macroscopic quantum mechanics (MQM) - quantum mechanical behavior of objects in the realm of everyday experience - using gravitational-wave detectors. In this paper, we provide the mathematical foundation for the first step of a MQM experiment: the preparation of a macroscopic test mass into a nearly minimum-Heisenberg-limited Gaussian quantum state, which is possible if the interferometer's classical noise beats the SQL in a broad frequency band. Our formalism, based on Wiener filtering, allows a straightforward conversion from the classical noise budget of a laser interferometer, in terms of noise spectra, into the strategy for quantum state preparation, and the quality of the prepared state. Using this formalism, we consider how Gaussian entanglement can be built among two macroscopic test masses, and the performance of the planned Advanced LIGO interferometers in quantum-state preparation

Searching for a Stochastic Background of Gravitational Waves with LIGO

The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) has performed the fourth science run, S4, with significantly improved interferometer sensitivities with respect to previous runs. Using data acquired during this science run, we place a limit on the amplitude of a stochastic background of gravitational waves. For a frequency independent spectrum, the new limit is $\Omega_{\rm GW} < 6.5 \times 10^{-5}$. This is currently the most sensitive result in the frequency range 51-150 Hz, with a factor of 13 improvement over the previous LIGO result. We discuss complementarity of the new result with other constraints on a stochastic background of gravitational waves, and we investigate implications of the new result for different models of this background.Comment: 37 pages, 16 figure

Meta-analysis of 49 549 individuals imputed with the 1000 Genomes Project reveals an exonic damaging variant in ANGPTL4 determining fasting TG levels

So far, more than 170 loci have been associated with circulating lipid levels through genome-wide association studies (GWAS). These associations are largely driven by common variants, their function is often not known, and many are likely to be markers for the causal variants. In this study we aimed to identify more new rare and low-frequency functional variants associated with circulating lipid levels

Genome-wide meta-analysis of 241,258 adults accounting for smoking behaviour identifies novel loci for obesity traits

Few genome-wide association studies (GWAS) account for environmental exposures, like smoking, potentially impacting the overall trait variance when investigating the genetic contribution to obesity-related traits. Here, we use GWAS data from 51,080 current smokers and 190,178 nonsmokers (87% European descent) to identify loci influencing BMI and central adiposity, measured as waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio both adjusted for BMI. We identify 23 novel genetic loci, and 9 loci with convincing evidence of gene-smoking interaction (GxSMK) on obesity-related traits. We show consistent direction of effect for all identified loci and significance for 18 novel and for 5 interaction loci in an independent study sample. These loci highlight novel biological functions, including response to oxidative stress, addictive behaviour, and regulatory functions emphasizing the importance of accounting for environment in genetic analyses. Our results suggest that tobacco smoking may alter the genetic susceptibility to overall adiposity and body fat distribution.Peer reviewe

Association of genetic variation with systolic and diastolic blood pressure among African Americans: the Candidate Gene Association Resource study

The prevalence of hypertension in African Americans (AAs) is higher than in other US groups; yet, few have performed genome-wide association studies (GWASs) in AA. Among people of European descent, GWASs have identified genetic variants at 13 loci that are associated with blood pressure. It is unknown if these variants confer susceptibility in people of African ancestry. Here, we examined genome-wide and candidate gene associations with systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) using the Candidate Gene Association Resource (CARe) consortium consisting of 8591 AAs. Genotypes included genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data utilizing the Affymetrix 6.0 array with imputation to 2.5 million HapMap SNPs and candidate gene SNP data utilizing a 50K cardiovascular gene-centric array (ITMAT-Broad-CARe [IBC] array). For Affymetrix data, the strongest signal for DBP was rs10474346 (P= 3.6 × 10−8) located near GPR98 and ARRDC3. For SBP, the strongest signal was rs2258119 in C21orf91 (P= 4.7 × 10−8). The top IBC association for SBP was rs2012318 (P= 6.4 × 10−6) near SLC25A42 and for DBP was rs2523586 (P= 1.3 × 10−6) near HLA-B. None of the top variants replicated in additional AA (n = 11 882) or European-American (n = 69 899) cohorts. We replicated previously reported European-American blood pressure SNPs in our AA samples (SH2B3, P= 0.009; TBX3-TBX5, P= 0.03; and CSK-ULK3, P= 0.0004). These genetic loci represent the best evidence of genetic influences on SBP and DBP in AAs to date. More broadly, this work supports that notion that blood pressure among AAs is a trait with genetic underpinnings but also with significant complexit