Bayesian reconstruction of Mycobacterium tuberculosis transmission networks in a high incidence area over two decades in Malawi reveals associated risk factors and genomic variants.

Understanding host and pathogen factors that influence tuberculosis (TB) transmission can inform strategies to eliminate the spread of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). Determining transmission links between cases of TB is complicated by a long and variable latency period and undiagnosed cases, although methods are improving through the application of probabilistic modelling and whole-genome sequence analysis. Using a large dataset of 1857 whole-genome sequences and comprehensive metadata from Karonga District, Malawi, over 19 years, we reconstructed Mtb transmission networks using a two-step Bayesian approach that identified likely infector and recipient cases, whilst robustly allowing for incomplete case sampling. We investigated demographic and pathogen genomic variation associated with transmission and clustering in our networks. We found that whilst there was a significant decrease in the proportion of infectors over time, we found higher transmissibility and large transmission clusters for lineage 2 (Beijing) strains. By performing evolutionary convergence testing (phyC) and genome-wide association analysis (GWAS) on transmitting versus non-transmitting cases, we identified six loci, PPE54, accD2, PE_PGRS62, rplI, Rv3751 and Rv2077c, that were associated with transmission. This study provides a framework for reconstructing large-scale Mtb transmission networks. We have highlighted potential host and pathogen characteristics that were linked to increased transmission in a high-burden setting and identified genomic variants that, with validation, could inform further studies into transmissibility and TB eradication

Abstract verification and debugging of constraint logic programs

The technique of Abstract Interpretation [13] has allowed the development of sophisticated program analyses which are provably correct and practical. The semantic approximations produced by such analyses have been traditionally applied to optimization during program compilation. However, recently, novel and promising applications of semantic approximations have been proposed in the more general context of program verification and debugging [3],[10],[7]

Evaluation of bone mineral with dexa in youth soccer players

El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar la densidad mineral ósea (DMO) y el contenido mineral óseo (CMO) de los segmentos corporales durante un periodo de entrenamiento de seis meses. Se evaluaron a 41 futbolistas juveniles profesionales en dos momentos, una al comienzo (TI) y otra al final (TF) de la intervención con el equipo de absorciometría dual de rayos X (DEXA). Se lograron aumentos significativos en la DMO en los segmentos corporales de la cadera, columna lumbar, triangulo de Ward, tronco y del cuerpo total (p<0.05). También se obtuvo un incremento significativo del CMO en la cadera, columna lumbar, pierna, tronco y costillas (p<0.05). El entrenamiento de futbol fortaleció el CMO y la DMO del hueso de la extremidad inferior y de la caja torácica, con lo cual el fútbol podría ser una actividad útil para la mejorar la mineralización y fortalecimiento del hueso, para prevenir lesiones y fracturasThe objective of this study was to assess bone mineral density (BMD) and bone mineral content (BMC) of body segments for a six months training period. 41 professional youth players were evaluated in two moments, one at the beginning (TI) and another at the end (TF) of the intervention with the dual energy x-ray absorptiometry equipment (DEXA). Significant increases in BMD were achieved in the body segments of the hip, lumbar spine, ward triangle, trunk and total body (p <0.05). There was also a significant increase in BMC in the hip, lumbar spine, leg, trunk and ribs (p <0.05). Soccer training strengthened the BMC and BMD of the lower limb bone and the rib cage, which could be a useful activity to improve bone mineralization and strengthening, to prevent injuries and fracture

Risk factors and outcomes of contrast-induced nephropathy in hospitalised South Africans

Background. Despite ranking third as a cause of hospital-acquired acute kidney injury (AKI), iatrogenic contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) impacts significantly on morbidity and mortality and is associated with high hospital costs. In  sub-Saharan Africa, the rates and risk factors for CIN and patient outcomes remain unexplored.Methods. We conducted a prospective observational study at the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, South Africa, from 1 July 2014 to 30 July 2015. Hospitalised patients undergoing computed tomography scan contrast media administration and angiography were consecutively recruited to the study and followed up for development of AKI. CIN was defined as an increase in serum creatinine &gt;25% or an absolute increase of &gt;44 μmol/L from baseline at 48 - 72 hours post exposure to contrast media. Outcome variables were the occurrence of CIN, length of hospitalisation and in-hospital mortality.Results. We recruited 371 hospitalised patients with a mean (standard deviation) age of 49.3 (15.9). The rates of CIN, assessed using an absolute or relative increase in serum creatinine from baseline, were 4.6% and 16.4%, respectively. Anaemia was an independent predictor for the development of CIN (risk ratio (RR) 1.71, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01 - 2.87; p=0.04). The median serum  albumin was 34 g/L (interquartile range (IQR) 29 - 39.5) and 38 g/L (IQR 31 - 42) in the CIN and control groups, respectively (p=0.01), and showed a significant trend for CIN development (RR 1.68, 95% CI 0.96 - 2.92; p=0.06). Mortality was  significantly increased in the CIN group (22.4% v. 6.8%; p&lt;0.001), and CIN  together with anaemia increased mortality twofold (RR 2.39, 95% CI 1.20 - 4.75; p=0.01) and threefold (RR 3.32, 95% CI 1.48 - 7.43; p=0.003), respectively.Conclusions. CIN has a relatively high incidence in sub-Saharan Africa and predicts poorer clinical outcomes. The presence of CIN and anaemia positively predicted mortality. Caution should be exercised in patients with hypoalbuminaemia and anaemia undergoing contrast media administration

Risk factors and outcomes of sepsis-associated acute kidney injury in intensive care units in Johannesburg, South Africa

Background. Sepsis-associated acute kidney injury (SA-AKI) has been shown to be a significant contributor to morbidity and mortality in both children and adults with critical illness. In sub-Saharan Africa, there is a lack of information on factors associated with development of SA-AKI and outcomes after intensive care unit (ICU) admission. Objectives. To assess the rate of SA-AKI, factors associated with its development, and predictors of mortality at 90 days in critically ill patients admitted to the ICU with sepsis. Methods. This was a prospective observational study conducted at two of the biggest teaching hospitals in Johannesburg, South Africa, from 15 February 2016 to 15 February 2020. The study included consecutive patients with confirmed sepsis who were admitted to the ICU within 24 hours of admission to hospital. The primary outcome of the study was development of SA-AKI (defined according to Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcome (KDIGO) criteria), and secondary outcomes were risk factors for SA-AKI and predictors of mortality at 90 days. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was employed to determine the factors associated with SA-AKI and 90-day mortality. Results. In total, 327 critically ill patients with sepsis admitted to the ICUs were included in the study. The median (interquartile range) age was 39 (30 - 52) years, and 185 patients (56.6%) developed SA-AKI. Of these patients, blacks and whites comprised 91.0% and 6.1%, respectively, and the prevalent comorbidities were HIV/AIDS (19.3%), hypertension (14.2%) and diabetes mellitus (10.1%). Patients with SA-AKI were likely to be older and of male gender, and to have cardiovascular disease, malignancies, hypotension and a low serum albumin level. In multivariate analysis, the predictors of SA-AKI were age ≥55 years (odds ratio (OR) 2.43; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.27 - 4.65), inotropic support (OR 3.61; 95% CI 2.18 - 5.96) and a low serum albumin level (OR 2.93; 95% CI 1.40 - 6.13). SA-AKI and need for inotropic support were respectively associated with 1.9-fold and 1.7-fold increased mortality at 90 days after ICU admission. Conclusion. SA-AKI was found to be frequent in this study in two tertiary hospital ICUs in Johannesburg, and the need for inotropic support predicted mortality after ICU admission

Efecto de la asociación patilla (Citrullus lanatus) con maíz (Zea mays) sobre la población y el daño causado por tres insectos plaga y el rendimiento de estos cultivos en la Ciénaga Grande de Lorica, Córdoba.

Maíz-Zea may

An overview of the ciao multiparadigm language and program development environment and its design philosophy

We describe some of the novel aspects and motivations behind the design and implementation of the Ciao multiparadigm programming system. An important aspect of Ciao is that it provides the programmer with a large number of useful features from different programming paradigms and styles, and that the use of each of these features can be turned on and off at will for each program module. Thus, a given module may be using e.g. higher order functions and constraints, while another module may be using objects, predicates, and concurrency. Furthermore, the language is designed to be extensible in a simple and modular way. Another important aspect of Ciao is its programming environment, which provides a powerful preprocessor (with an associated assertion language) capable of statically finding non-trivial bugs, verifying that programs comply with specifications, and performing many types of program optimizations. Such optimizations produce code that is highly competitive with other dynamic languages or, when the highest levéis of optimization are used, even that of static languages, all while retaining the interactive development environment of a dynamic language. The environment also includes a powerful auto-documenter. The paper provides an informal overview of the language and program development environment. It aims at illustrating the design philosophy rather than at being exhaustive, which would be impossible in the format of a paper, pointing instead to the existing literature on the system

A CO Funnel in the Galactic Centre: Molecular Counterpart of the Northern Galactic Chimney?

We report the discovery of a velocity coherent, funnel shaped ^13CO emission feature in the Galactic centre (GC) using data from the SEDIGISM survey. The molecular cloud appears as a low velocity structure (V_LSR=[-3.5, +3.5] km/s) with an angular extent of 0.95{\deg} x 1{\deg}, extending toward positive Galactic latitudes. The structure is offset from Sgr A* toward negative Galactic longitudes and spatially and morphologically correlates well with the northern lobe of the 430 pc radio bubble, believed to be the radio counterpart of the multiwavelength GC chimney. Spectral line observations in the frequency range of 85-116 GHz have been carried out using the IRAM 30 metre telescope toward 12 positions along the funnel-shaped emission. We examine the ^12C/^13C isotopic ratios using various molecules and their isotopologues. The mean ^12C/^13C isotope ratio (30.6+-2.9) is consistent with the structure located within inner 3 kpc of the Galaxy and possibly in the GC. The velocity of the molecular funnel is consistent with previous radio recombination line measurements of the northern lobe of radio bubble. Our multiwavelength analysis suggests that the funnel shaped structure extending over 100 pc above the Galactic plane is the molecular counterpart of the northern GC chimney.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A Letter