International Study to Evaluate PCR Methods for Detection of Trypanosoma cruzi DNA in Blood Samples from Chagas Disease Patients

A century after its discovery, Chagas disease, caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, still represents a major neglected tropical threat. Accurate diagnostics tools as well as surrogate markers of parasitological response to treatment are research priorities in the field. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has been proposed as a sensitive laboratory tool for detection of T. cruzi infection and monitoring of parasitological treatment outcome. However, high variation in accuracy and lack of international quality controls has precluded reliable applications in the clinical practice and comparisons of data among cohorts and geographical regions. In an effort towards harmonization of PCR strategies, 26 expert laboratories from 16 countries evaluated their current PCR procedures against sets of control samples, composed by serial dilutions of T.cruzi DNA from culture stocks belonging to different lineages, human blood spiked with parasite cells and blood samples from Chagas disease patients. A high variability in sensitivities and specificities was found among the 48 reported PCR tests. Out of them, four tests with best performance were selected and further evaluated. This study represents a crucial first step towards device of a standardized operative procedure for T. cruzi PCR

International study to evaluate PCR methods for detection of Trypanosoma cruzi DNA in blood samples from Chagas disease patients

A century after its discovery, Chagas disease, caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, still represents a major neglected tropical threat. Accurate diagnostics tools as well as surrogate markers of parasitological response to treatment are research priorities in the field. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has been proposed as a sensitive laboratory tool for detection of T. cruzi infection and monitoring of parasitological treatment outcome. However, high variation in accuracy and lack of international quality controls has precluded reliable applications in the clinical practice and comparisons of data among cohorts and geographical regions. In an effort towards harmonization of PCR strategies, 26 expert laboratories from 16 countries evaluated their current PCR procedures against sets of control samples, composed by serial dilutions of T.cruzi DNA from culture stocks belonging to different lineages, human blood spiked with parasite cells and blood samples from Chagas disease patients. A high variability in sensitivities and specificities was found among the 48 reported PCR tests. Out of them, four tests with best performance were selected and further evaluated. This study represents a crucial first step towards device of a standardized operative procedure for T. cruzi PCR.Fil: Schijman, Alejandro G. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular (INGEBI-CONICET). Laboratorio de Biología Molecular de la Enfermedad de Chagas (LabMECh); Argentina.Fil: Bisio, Margarita. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular (INGEBI-CONICET). Laboratorio de Biología Molecular de la Enfermedad de Chagas (LabMECh); Argentina.Fil: Orellana, Liliana. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Instituto de Cálculo; Argentina.Fil: Sued, Mariela. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Instituto de Cálculo; Argentina.Fil: Duffy, Tomás. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular (INGEBI-CONICET). Laboratorio de Biología Molecular de la Enfermedad de Chagas (LabMECh); Argentina.Fil: Mejia Jaramillo, Ana M. Universidad de Antioquia. Grupo Chagas; Colombia.Fil: Cura, Carolina. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular (INGEBI-CONICET). Laboratorio de Biología Molecular de la Enfermedad de Chagas (LabMECh); Argentina.Fil: Auter, Frederic. French Blood Services; Francia.Fil: Veron, Vincent. Universidad de Parasitología. Laboratorio Hospitalario; Guayana Francesa.Fil: Qvarnstrom, Yvonne. Centers for Disease Control. Department of Parasitic Diseases; Estados Unidos.Fil: Deborggraeve, Stijn. Institute of Tropical Medicine; Bélgica.Fil: Hijar, Gisely. Instituto Nacional de Salud; Perú.Fil: Zulantay, Inés. Facultad de Medicina; Chile.Fil: Lucero, Raúl Horacio. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste; Argentina.Fil: Velázquez, Elsa. ANLIS Dr.C.G.Malbrán. Instituto Nacional de Parasitología Dr. Mario Fatala Chaben; Argentina.Fil: Tellez, Tatiana. Universidad Mayor de San Simon. Centro Universitario de Medicina Tropical; Bolivia.Fil: Sanchez Leon, Zunilda. Universidad Nacional de Asunción. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud; Paraguay.Fil: Galvão, Lucia. Faculdade de Farmácia; Brasil.Fil: Nolder, Debbie. Hospital for Tropical Diseases. London School of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene Department of Clinical Parasitology; Reino Unido.Fil: Monje Rumi, María. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Laboratorio de Patología Experimental; Argentina.Fil: Levi, José E. Hospital Sirio Libanês. Blood Bank; Brasil.Fil: Ramirez, Juan D. Universidad de los Andes. Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Tropical; Colombia.Fil: Zorrilla, Pilar. Instituto Pasteur; Uruguay.Fil: Flores, María. Instituto de Salud Carlos III. Centro de Mahahonda; España.Fil: Jercic, Maria I. Instituto Nacional De Salud. Sección Parasitología; Chile.Fil: Crisante, Gladys. Universidad de los Andes. Centro de Investigaciones Parasitológicas J.F. Torrealba; Venezuela.Fil: Añez, Néstor. Universidad de los Andes. Centro de Investigaciones Parasitológicas J.F. Torrealba; Venezuela.Fil: De Castro, Ana M. Universidade Federal de Goiás. Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública (IPTSP); Brasil.Fil: Gonzalez, Clara I. Universidad Industrial de Santander. Grupo de Inmunología y Epidemiología Molecular (GIEM); Colombia.Fil: Acosta Viana, Karla. Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán. Departamento de Biomedicina de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Parasitarias Laboratorio de Biología Celular; México.Fil: Yachelini, Pedro. Universidad Católica de Santiago del Estero. Instituto de Biomedicina; Argentina.Fil: Torrico, Faustino. Universidad Mayor de San Simon. Centro Universitario de Medicina Tropical; Bolivia.Fil: Robello, Carlos. Instituto Pasteur; Uruguay.Fil: Diosque, Patricio. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Laboratorio de Patología Experimental; Argentina.Fil: Triana Chavez, Omar. Universidad de Antioquia. Grupo Chagas; Colombia.Fil: Aznar, Christine. Universidad de Parasitología. Laboratorio Hospitalario; Guayana Francesa.Fil: Russomando, Graciela. Universidad Nacional de Asunción. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud; Paraguay.Fil: Büscher, Philippe. Institute of Tropical Medicine; Bélgica.Fil: Assal, Azzedine. French Blood Services; Francia.Fil: Guhl, Felipe. Universidad de los Andes. Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Tropical; Colombia.Fil: Sosa Estani, Sergio. ANLIS Dr.C.G.Malbrán. Centro Nacional de Diagnóstico e Investigación en Endemo-Epidemias; Argentina.Fil: DaSilva, Alexandre. Centers for Disease Control. Department of Parasitic Diseases; Estados Unidos.Fil: Britto, Constança. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz/FIOCRUZ. Laboratório de Biologia Molecular e Doenças Endêmicas; Brasil.Fil: Luquetti, Alejandro. Laboratório de Pesquisa de Doença de Chagas; Brasil.Fil: Ladzins, Janis. World Health Organization (WHO). Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR); Suiza

Chronic Oral Anticoagulation Therapy and Prognosis of Patients Admitted to Hospital for COVID-19: Insights from the HOPE COVID-19 Registry

BackgroundMost evidence regarding anticoagulation and COVID-19 refers to the hospitalization setting, but the role of oral anticoagulation (OAC) before hospital admission has not been well explored. We compared clinical outcomes and short-term prognosis between patients with and without prior OAC therapy who were hospitalized for COVID-19.MethodsAnalysis of the whole cohort of the HOPE COVID-19 Registry which included patients discharged (deceased or alive) after hospital admission for COVID-19 in 9 countries. All-cause mortality was the primary endpoint. Study outcomes were compared after adjusting variables using propensity score matching (PSM) analyses.Results7698 patients were suitable for the present analysis (675 (8.8%) on OAC at admission: 427 (5.6%) on VKAs and 248 (3.2%) on DOACs). After PSM, 1276 patients were analyzed (638 with OAC; 638 without OAC), without significant differences regarding the risk of thromboembolic events (OR 1.11, 95% CI 0.59-2.08). The risk of clinically relevant bleeding (OR 3.04, 95% CI 1.92-4.83), as well as the risk of mortality (HR 1.22, 95% CI 1.01-1.47; log-rank p value = 0.041), was significantly increased in previous OAC users. Amongst patients on prior OAC only, there were no differences in the risk of clinically relevant bleeding, thromboembolic events, or mortality when comparing previous VKA or DOAC users, after PSM.ConclusionHospitalized COVID-19 patients on prior OAC therapy had a higher risk of mortality and worse clinical outcomes compared to patients without prior OAC therapy, even after adjusting for comorbidities using a PSM. There were no differences in clinical outcomes in patients previously taking VKAs or DOACs. This trial is registered with NCT04334291/EUPAS34399

Optimasi Portofolio Resiko Menggunakan Model Markowitz MVO Dikaitkan dengan Keterbatasan Manusia dalam Memprediksi Masa Depan dalam Perspektif Al-Qur`an

Risk portfolio on modern finance has become increasingly technical, requiring the use of sophisticated mathematical tools in both research and practice. Since companies cannot insure themselves completely against risk, as human incompetence in predicting the future precisely that written in Al-Quran surah Luqman verse 34, they have to manage it to yield an optimal portfolio. The objective here is to minimize the variance among all portfolios, or alternatively, to maximize expected return among all portfolios that has at least a certain expected return. Furthermore, this study focuses on optimizing risk portfolio so called Markowitz MVO (Mean-Variance Optimization). Some theoretical frameworks for analysis are arithmetic mean, geometric mean, variance, covariance, linear programming, and quadratic programming. Moreover, finding a minimum variance portfolio produces a convex quadratic programming, that is minimizing the objective function ðð¥with constraintsð ð 𥠥 ðandð´ð¥ = ð. The outcome of this research is the solution of optimal risk portofolio in some investments that could be finished smoothly using MATLAB R2007b software together with its graphic analysis

Hyperoxemia and excess oxygen use in early acute respiratory distress syndrome : Insights from the LUNG SAFE study

Publisher Copyright: © 2020 The Author(s). Copyright: Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.Background: Concerns exist regarding the prevalence and impact of unnecessary oxygen use in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). We examined this issue in patients with ARDS enrolled in the Large observational study to UNderstand the Global impact of Severe Acute respiratory FailurE (LUNG SAFE) study. Methods: In this secondary analysis of the LUNG SAFE study, we wished to determine the prevalence and the outcomes associated with hyperoxemia on day 1, sustained hyperoxemia, and excessive oxygen use in patients with early ARDS. Patients who fulfilled criteria of ARDS on day 1 and day 2 of acute hypoxemic respiratory failure were categorized based on the presence of hyperoxemia (PaO2 > 100 mmHg) on day 1, sustained (i.e., present on day 1 and day 2) hyperoxemia, or excessive oxygen use (FIO2 ≥ 0.60 during hyperoxemia). Results: Of 2005 patients that met the inclusion criteria, 131 (6.5%) were hypoxemic (PaO2 < 55 mmHg), 607 (30%) had hyperoxemia on day 1, and 250 (12%) had sustained hyperoxemia. Excess FIO2 use occurred in 400 (66%) out of 607 patients with hyperoxemia. Excess FIO2 use decreased from day 1 to day 2 of ARDS, with most hyperoxemic patients on day 2 receiving relatively low FIO2. Multivariate analyses found no independent relationship between day 1 hyperoxemia, sustained hyperoxemia, or excess FIO2 use and adverse clinical outcomes. Mortality was 42% in patients with excess FIO2 use, compared to 39% in a propensity-matched sample of normoxemic (PaO2 55-100 mmHg) patients (P = 0.47). Conclusions: Hyperoxemia and excess oxygen use are both prevalent in early ARDS but are most often non-sustained. No relationship was found between hyperoxemia or excessive oxygen use and patient outcome in this cohort. Trial registration: LUNG-SAFE is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02010073publishersversionPeer reviewe

Measurement of the top quark forward-backward production asymmetry and the anomalous chromoelectric and chromomagnetic moments in pp collisions at √s = 13 TeV

Abstract The parton-level top quark (t) forward-backward asymmetry and the anomalous chromoelectric (d̂ t) and chromomagnetic (μ̂ t) moments have been measured using LHC pp collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, collected in the CMS detector in a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb−1. The linearized variable AFB(1) is used to approximate the asymmetry. Candidate t t ¯ events decaying to a muon or electron and jets in final states with low and high Lorentz boosts are selected and reconstructed using a fit of the kinematic distributions of the decay products to those expected for t t ¯ final states. The values found for the parameters are AFB(1)=0.048−0.087+0.095(stat)−0.029+0.020(syst),μ̂t=−0.024−0.009+0.013(stat)−0.011+0.016(syst), and a limit is placed on the magnitude of | d̂ t| &lt; 0.03 at 95% confidence level. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

An embedding technique to determine ττ backgrounds in proton-proton collision data

An embedding technique is presented to estimate standard model tau tau backgrounds from data with minimal simulation input. In the data, the muons are removed from reconstructed mu mu events and replaced with simulated tau leptons with the same kinematic properties. In this way, a set of hybrid events is obtained that does not rely on simulation except for the decay of the tau leptons. The challenges in describing the underlying event or the production of associated jets in the simulation are avoided. The technique described in this paper was developed for CMS. Its validation and the inherent uncertainties are also discussed. The demonstration of the performance of the technique is based on a sample of proton-proton collisions collected by CMS in 2017 at root s = 13 TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 41.5 fb(-1).Peer reviewe

Measurement of t(t)over-bar normalised multi-differential cross sections in pp collisions at root s=13 TeV, and simultaneous determination of the strong coupling strength, top quark pole mass, and parton distribution functions

Peer reviewe

Search for heavy resonances decaying to two Higgs bosons in final states containing four b quarks

A search is presented for narrow heavy resonances X decaying into pairs of Higgs bosons (H) in proton-proton collisions collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC at root s = 8 TeV. The data correspond to an integrated luminosity of 19.7 fb(-1). The search considers HH resonances with masses between 1 and 3 TeV, having final states of two b quark pairs. Each Higgs boson is produced with large momentum, and the hadronization products of the pair of b quarks can usually be reconstructed as single large jets. The background from multijet and t (t) over bar events is significantly reduced by applying requirements related to the flavor of the jet, its mass, and its substructure. The signal would be identified as a peak on top of the dijet invariant mass spectrum of the remaining background events. No evidence is observed for such a signal. Upper limits obtained at 95 confidence level for the product of the production cross section and branching fraction sigma(gg -> X) B(X -> HH -> b (b) over barb (b) over bar) range from 10 to 1.5 fb for the mass of X from 1.15 to 2.0 TeV, significantly extending previous searches. For a warped extra dimension theory with amass scale Lambda(R) = 1 TeV, the data exclude radion scalar masses between 1.15 and 1.55 TeV

Measurement of b jet shapes in proton-proton collisions at root s=5.02 TeV

We present the first study of charged-hadron production associated with jets originating from b quarks in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 5.02 TeV. The data sample used in this study was collected with the CMS detector at the CERN LHC and corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 27.4 pb(-1). To characterize the jet substructure, the differential jet shapes, defined as the normalized transverse momentum distribution of charged hadrons as a function of angular distance from the jet axis, are measured for b jets. In addition to the jet shapes, the per-jet yields of charged particles associated with b jets are also quantified, again as a function of the angular distance with respect to the jet axis. Extracted jet shape and particle yield distributions for b jets are compared with results for inclusive jets, as well as with the predictions from the pythia and herwig++ event generators.Peer reviewe