Risk of Dengue Incidence in Children and Adolescents in Zulia, Venezuela, using a Negative Binomial Generalized Linear Mixed Model

Introduction: Dengue is the most important arboviral disease. Its incidence has increased 30-fold over the last 50 years, causing global concerns. Studies have showed children to be the most vulnerable. Methods: Observational study using dengue cases from Zulia state, Venezuela, modelling through a Negative Binomial Generalized Linear Mixed Model (GLMM) accounting for heterogeneity in the variance via a hierarchical Bayesian framework, was done. We assessed risk factors such as age and sex. The Bayesian framework enabled the estimation of Relative Risk (RR) and a Binomial regression was run using the WinBUGS software. Results: During 2002-2008, there were 49,330 cases of dengue in Zulia state, Venezuela. Most of them (18.71%) in 2007. The model revealed that children aged from 5 to 14 y-old had 1.59-higher risk (95%CI 1.41-1.79) compared with those aged from 0-4 y-old. Those aged 25-44 years old and ≥45, have significantly less RR than the baseline category, RR 0.5228 (95%CI 0.46-0.59) and 0.3069 (95%CI 0.27-0.34). Conclusions: The findings confirmed that groups most at risk were children aged 5 to 14 years. Modelling and predicting dengue epidemiology are still a need in multiple countries, especially those at risk of newer epidemics, as is the case of Zulia and Venezuela

Risk of Dengue Incidence in Children and Adolescents in Zulia, Venezuela, using a Negative Binomial Generalized Linear Mixed Model

Introduction: Dengue is the most important arboviral disease. Its incidence has increased 30-fold over the last 50 years, causing global concerns. Studies have showed children to be the most vulnerable. Methods: Observational study using dengue cases from Zulia state, Venezuela, modelling through a Negative Binomial Generalized Linear Mixed Model (GLMM) accounting for heterogeneity in the variance via a hierarchical Bayesian framework, was done. We assessed risk factors such as age and sex. The Bayesian framework enabled the estimation of Relative Risk (RR) and a Binomial regression was run using the WinBUGS software. Results: During 2002-2008, there were 49,330 cases of dengue in Zulia state, Venezuela. Most of them (18.71%) in 2007. The model revealed that children aged from 5 to 14 y-old had 1.59-higher risk (95%CI 1.41-1.79) compared with those aged from 0-4 y-old. Those aged 25-44 years old and ≥45, have significantly less RR than the baseline category, RR 0.5228 (95%CI 0.46-0.59) and 0.3069 (95%CI 0.27-0.34). Conclusions: The findings confirmed that groups most at risk were children aged 5 to 14 years. Modelling and predicting dengue epidemiology are still a need in multiple countries, especially those at risk of newer epidemics, as is the case of Zulia and Venezuela

Lyman break and ultraviolet-selected galaxies at z ~ 1 - II. PACS 100μm/160μm FIR detections

In this work, we report the Photodetector Array Camera and Spectrometer (PACS) 100 μm/160 μm detections of a sample of 42 GALEX-selected and far-infrared (FIR)-detected Lyman break galaxies (LBGs) at z ~ 1 located in the Cosmic Evolution Survey (COSMOS) field and analyse their ultraviolet (UV) to FIR properties. The detection of these LBGs in the FIR indicates that they have a dust content high enough so that its emission can be directly detected. According to a spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting with stellar population templates to their UV-to-near-IR observed photometry, PACS-detected LBGs tend to be bigger (Reff ~ 4.1 kpc), more massive [log (M*/M⊙) ~ 10.7], dustier [Es(B - V) ~ 0.40], redder in the UV continuum (β ~ -0.60) and UV-brighter [log (LUV/L⊙) ~ 10.1] than PACSundetected LBGs. PACS-detected LBGs at z ~ 1 are mostly disc-like galaxies and are located over the green valley and red sequence of the colour-magnitude diagram of galaxies at their redshift. By using their UV and IR emission, we find that PACS-detected LBGs tend to be less dusty and have slightly higher total star formation rates (SFRs) than other PACS-detected UV-selected galaxies within the same redshift range. As a consequence of the selection effect due to the depth of the FIR observations employed, all our PACS-detected LBGs have total IR luminosities, LIR, higher than 1011 L⊙ and thus are luminous IR galaxies. However, none of the PACS-detected LBGs are in the ultra-luminous IR galaxy (ULIRG) regime, LIR =1012 L⊙, where the FIR observations are complete. The finding of ULIRGs-LBGs at higher redshifts (z ~ 3) suggests an evolution of the FIR emission of LBGs with cosmic time. In an IRX-β diagram, PACS-detected LBGs at z~1 tend to be located around the relation for local starburst similarly to other UV-selected PACS-detected galaxies at the same redshift. Consequently, the dust-correction factors obtained with theirUVcontinuum slope allowus to determine their total SFR, unlike at higher redshifts. However, the dust attenuation derived from UV to NIR SED fitting overestimates the total SFR for most of our PACS-detected LBGs in an age-dependent way: the overestimation factor is higher in younger galaxies. This is likely due to the typical degeneracy between dust attenuation and age in the SED fitting with synthetic templates and highlights the importance of the FIR measurements in the analysis of star-forming galaxies at intermediate redshifts.Generalitat Valenciana PROMETEO-2008/132NASA Office of Space Science NNX09AF08GEuropean Southern Observatory LP175.A-0839Junta de Andalucía TIC-114, P08-TIC-03531Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad AYA2011- 29517-C03-01, AYA2010-22111-C03-02, AYA2010-1516

BACTERIAL TRANSLOCATION: MICROBIOTA-INTESTINE-LUNG AXIS AND PRO-INFLAMMATORY STATUS IN THE SEVERITY OF COVID-19

Although severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus – 2 (SARS-CoV-2), causing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, is primarily associated with a respiratory infection, it has also been linked to multisystem involvement that includes the digestive tract. Gastrointestinal (GI) manifestations are common in patients with COVID-19 due to the high viral load lodged in the small intestine's mucosa. As a result, it causes an increase in the permeability of the intestinal barrier that favours the passage and translocation of bacteria, from the lumen of the intestine, towards the internal environment, with the appearance of sepsis, with evidence that SARS-CoV-2 has been found in faeces. This article highlights epidemiology, clinical symptoms, and mechanisms related to manifestations of disease in the GI tract and its pathogenesis in patients with COVID-19. It highlights bacterial translocation and COVID-19, mechanisms that control bacterial translocation, intestinal infection and feco-oral transmission, defense mechanisms against microbial invasion, role of microbiota/microbiome and implications of their dysbiosis and alterations during SARS-CoV-2 infection, and lastly protective health benefits by improving dietary habits with nutritional foods approaches amid the ongoing pandemic. Increasing evidence indicates that bacterial translocation appears due to the high viral load of COVID-19 in the mucosa of the GI tract, and the intestinal microbiota contributes to the COVID-19 course owing to their bidirectional relationship with the immune system and lungs. Dysbiosis in gut microbiota leads to increased gut permeability thus predisposing to secondary infection and multiple organ dysfunction. Disruption of intestinal barrier integrity due to dysbiosis may cause translocation of SARS-CoV-2 from lungs into the intestinal lumen via the circulatory and lymphatic system, initiating severe clinical presentation of the infection. A thorough understanding of the key role of gut microbiota, gastrointestinal symptoms, and pathology along with immunomodulatory approaches would help in alleviating morbidity and mortality during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic

Galaxy clusters and groups in the ALHAMBRA Survey

We present a catalogue of 348 galaxy clusters and groups with $0.2<z<1.2$ selected in the 2.78 $deg^2$ ALHAMBRA Survey. The high precision of our photometric redshifts, close to $1\%$, and the wide spread of the seven ALHAMBRA pointings ensure that this catalogue has better mass sensitivity and is less affected by cosmic variance than comparable samples. The detection has been carried out with the Bayesian Cluster Finder (BCF), whose performance has been checked in ALHAMBRA-like light-cone mock catalogues. Great care has been taken to ensure that the observable properties of the mocks photometry accurately correspond to those of real catalogues. From our simulations, we expect to detect galaxy clusters and groups with both $70\%$ completeness and purity down to dark matter halo masses of $M_h\sim3\times10^{13}\rm M_{\odot}$ for $z<0.85$. Cluster redshifts are expected to be recovered with $\sim0.6\%$ precision for $z<1$. We also expect to measure cluster masses with $\sigma_{M_h|M^*_{CL}}\sim0.25-0.35\, dex$ precision down to $\sim3\times10^{13}\rm M_{\odot}$, masses which are $50\%$ smaller than those reached by similar work. We have compared these detections with previous optical, spectroscopic and X-rays work, finding an excellent agreement with the rates reported from the simulations. We have also explored the overall properties of these detections such as the presence of a colour-magnitude relation, the evolution of the photometric blue fraction and the clustering of these sources in the different ALHAMBRA fields. Despite the small numbers, we observe tentative evidence that, for a fixed stellar mass, the environment is playing a crucial role at lower redshifts (z$<$0.5).Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS. Catalogues and figures available online and under the following link: http://bascaso.net46.net/ALHAMBRA_clusters.htm

Preplant 1,3-D treatments test well for perennial crop nurseries, but challenges remain

Preplant fumigation with methyl bromide commonly is used in open-field perennial crop nurseries in California for control of plant-parasitic nematodes, pathogens and weeds. Because this fumigant is being phased out, alternatives are needed to ensure the productivity of the perennial crop nursery industry as well as the ornamental, orchard and vineyard production systems that depend on clean planting stock. As part of the USDA Area-Wide Pest Management Program for Integrated Methyl Bromide Alternatives, several perennial crop nursery projects were conducted in California from 2007 to 2011 to test and demonstrate registered alternative fumigants and application techniques that maximize performance and minimize environmental impacts. The project was designed to evaluate shank application and soil surface sealing methods intended to reduce aboveground emission and improve soil performance of 1,3-dichloropropene, a leading methyl bromide alternative for nurseries. In these garden rose and tree nursery experiments, 1,3-dichloropropene treatments performed well regardless of application techniques. In this article, we highlight recent research and discuss the significance and remaining challenges for adoption of methyl bromide alternatives in this unique nursery stock production system

Síndrome de Fiebre Severa con Trombocitopenia como Problema de Salud Pública Emergente

La trombocitopenia, como la fiebre y la anemia, son signos que en todos los casos debe aclararse su etiología, estos en su mayoría, suelen estar asociados a enfermedades infecciosas, especialmente tropicales y zoonóticas. La primera se presenta por falta de producción o por aumento en la destrucción de las plaquetas. Las plaquetas son células extremadamente importantes para los organismos vertebrados, pues son ellas las que previenen e interrumpen las hemorragias, actuando en la formación de coágulos y participando en la coagulación sanguínea. En años pasados se ha descrito un síndrome, de etiología viral, que recibe el nombre de Síndrome de Trombocitopenia con Fiebre Severa (SFTS). El Síndrome de Trombocitopenia con Fiebre Severa es una enfermedad infecciosa transmitida por garrapatas (arbovirus), con una alta tasa de letalidad

Síndrome de Fiebre Severa con Trombocitopenia como Problema de Salud Pública Emergente

La trombocitopenia, como la fiebre y la anemia, son signos que en todos los casos debe aclararse su etiología, estos en su mayoría, suelen estar asociados a enfermedades infecciosas, especialmente tropicales y zoonóticas. La primera se presenta por falta de producción o por aumento en la destrucción de las plaquetas. Las plaquetas son células extremadamente importantes para los organismos vertebrados, pues son ellas las que previenen e interrumpen las hemorragias, actuando en la formación de coágulos y participando en la coagulación sanguínea. En años pasados se ha descrito un síndrome, de etiología viral, que recibe el nombre de Síndrome de Trombocitopenia con Fiebre Severa (SFTS). El Síndrome de Trombocitopenia con Fiebre Severa es una enfermedad infecciosa transmitida por garrapatas (arbovirus), con una alta tasa de letalidad