Rare Decay of the Top t->c l lbar and Single Top Production at International Linear Collider

We perform a complete and detailed analysis of the flavor changing neutral current rare top quark decays t-> cl+l- and t->c nu_i bar nu_i at one-loop level in the Standard Model, Two Higgs Doublet Models (I and II) and in MSSM. The branching ratios are very small in all models, O(10^-14), except for the case of the unconstrained MSSM, where they can reach O(10^-6) for e+e- and nu_i bar nu_i, and O(10^-5) for tau+ tau-. This branching ratio is comparable to the ones for t-> c V, cH. We also study the production rates of single top and the forward-backward asymmetry in e+e- -> t cbar and comment on the observability of such a signal at the International Linear Collider.Comment: 32 pages and 18 figures, minor clarification in the text, references added. To be published in Phys. Rev.

A Hybrid System For Pandemic Evolution Prediction

The areas of data science and data engineering have experienced strong advances in recent years. This has had a particular impact in areas such as healthcare, where, as a result of the pandemic caused by the COVID-19 virus, technological development has accelerated. This has led to a need to produce solutions that enable the collection, integration and efficient use of information for decision making scenarios. This is evidenced by the proliferation of monitoring, data collection, analysis, and prediction systems aimed at controlling the pandemic. This article proposes a hybrid model that combines the dynamics of epidemiological processes with the predictive capabilities of artificial neural networks to go beyond the prediction of the first ones. In addition, the system allows for the introduction of additional information through an expert system, thus allowing the incorporation of additional hypotheses on the adoption of containment measures./n/n/n/n/n/

Proyecto de sensibilización y visualización de las personas afectadas por la enfermedad de Chagas: encuestas, spots y un largo camino por delante

Según estimaciones de la Organización Mundial de la Salud, actualmente existen -al menos8 millones de personas infectadas con el parásito que causa la enfermedad de Chagas (el Trypanosoma cruzi). La mayor parte de estas personas se encuentra desde Estados Unidos hasta Argentina y Chile (WHO, 2013; 2010), principalmente en los 21 países de Latinoamérica incluidos en la zona considerada tradicionalmente endémica. La infección por T. cruzi se transmite principalmente por vía vectorial, a través de insectos conocidos como “vinchucas”, “chinches”, “barbeiros”, “chipos”, entre otros nombres, dependiendo de la región. Este parásito también puede transmitirse por transfusiones de sangre o trasplantes de algunos órganos de donantes infectados; por vía congénita, durante el embarazo o el parto de mujeres infectadas; o a través de la ingestión de bebidas o alimentos contaminados con deyecciones de vinchucas infectadas. Se estima que una tercera parte de las personas que presentan serología positiva para Chagas desarrollará la enfermedad propiamente dicha a partir de afectaciones cardiacas, digestivas (habitualmente con dilatación del esófago y/o del colon), neurológicas o mixtas; 20 ó 30 años después de haberse infectado.Instituto de Física de Líquidos y Sistemas Biológico

A Hybrid System For Pandemic Evolution Prediction

The areas of data science and data engineering have experienced strong advances in recent years. This has had a particular impact in areas such as healthcare, where, as a result of the pandemic caused by the COVID-19 virus, technological development has accelerated. This has led to a need to produce solutions that enable the collection, integration and efficient use of information for decision making scenarios. This is evidenced by the proliferation of monitoring, data collection, analysis, and prediction systems aimed at controlling the pandemic. This article proposes a hybrid model that combines the dynamics of epidemiological processes with the predictive capabilities of artificial neural networks to go beyond the prediction of the first ones. In addition, the system allows for the introduction of additional information through an expert system, thus allowing the incorporation of additional hypotheses on the adoption of containment measures

Desarrollo de un suero equino hiperinmune para el tratamiento de COVID-19 en Argentina

La enfermedad denominada COVID-19 es causada por el coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 y es actualmente considerada una pandemia a nivel global. El desarrollo de vacunas es sin duda la mejor estrategia a largo plazo, pero debido a la emergencia sanitaria, existe una necesidad urgente de encontrar soluciones rápidas y efectivas para el tratamiento de la enfermedad. Hasta la fecha, el uso de plasma de convalecientes es la única inmunoterapia disponible para pacientes hospitalizados con COVID-19. El uso de anticuerpos policlonales equinos (EpAbs) es otra alternativa terapéutica interesante. La nueva generación de EpAbs incluyen el procesamiento y purificación de los mismos y la obtención de fragmentos F(ab’)2 con alta pureza y un excelente perfil de seguridad en humanos. Los EpAbs son fáciles de producir, lo cual permite el desarrollo rápido y la elaboración a gran escala de un producto terapéutico. En este trabajo mostramos el desarrollo de un suero terapéutico obtenido luego de la inmunización de caballos utilizando el receptor-binding domain de la glicoproteína Spike del virus. Nuestro producto mostró ser alrededor de 50 veces más potente en ensayos de seroneutralización in vitro que el promedio de los plasmas de convalecientes. Estos resultados nos permitirían testear la seguridad y eficacia de nuestro producto en ensayos clínicos de fase 2/3 a realizarse a partir de julio de 2020 en la zona metropolitana de Buenos Aires, Argentina.The disease named COVID-19, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, is currently generating a global pandemic. Vaccine development is no doubt the best long-term immunological approach, but in the current epidemiologic and health emergency there is a need for rapid and effective solutions. Convalescent plasma is the only antibody-based therapy available for COVID-19 patients to date. Equine polyclonal antibodies (EpAbs) put forward a sound alternative. The new generation of processed and purified EpAbs containing highly purified F(ab’)2 fragments demonstrated to be safe and well tolerated. EpAbs are easy to manufacture allowing a fast development and scaling up for a treatment. Based on these ideas, we present a new therapeutic product obtained after immunization of horses with the receptor-binding domain of the viral Spike glycoprotein. Our product shows around 50 times more potency in in vitro seroneutralization assays than the average of convalescent plasma. This result may allow us to test the safety and efficacy of this product in a phase 2/3 clinical trial to be conducted in July 2020 in the metropolitan area of Buenos Aires, Argentina.Fil: Zylberman, Vanesa. Inmunova; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Sanguineti, Santiago. Inmunova; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Pontoriero, Andrea. Dirección Nacional de Instituto de Investigación. Administración Nacional de Laboratorio e Instituto de Salud "Dr. C. G. Malbrán"; ArgentinaFil: Higa, Sandra V.. Instituto Biológico Argentino S.A.I.C.; ArgentinaFil: Cerutti, Maria Laura. Universidad Nacional de San Martín. Centro de Rediseño e Ingeniería de Proteínas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Morrone Seijo, Susana María. Inmunova; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Pardo, Romina Paola. Inmunova; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Muñoz, Luciana. Inmunova; ArgentinaFil: Acuña Intieri, María Eugenia. Universidad Nacional de San Martín. Centro de Rediseño e Ingeniería de Proteínas; ArgentinaFil: Alzogaray, Vanina Andrea. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires. Fundación Instituto Leloir. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Avaro, Martín M.. Dirección Nacional de Instituto de Investigación. Administración Nacional de Laboratorio e Instituto de Salud "Dr. C. G. Malbrán"; ArgentinaFil: Benedetti, Estefanía. Dirección Nacional de Instituto de Investigación. Administración Nacional de Laboratorio e Instituto de Salud "Dr. C. G. Malbrán"; ArgentinaFil: Berguer, Paula Mercedes. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires. Fundación Instituto Leloir. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Bocanera, Laura. mAbxience; ArgentinaFil: Bukata, Lucas. Inmunova; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Bustelo, Marina S.. Inmunova; ArgentinaFil: Campos, Ana M.. Dirección Nacional de Instituto de Investigación. Administración Nacional de Laboratorio e Instituto de Salud "Dr. C. G. Malbrán"; ArgentinaFil: Colonna, Mariana. Inmunova; ArgentinaFil: Correa, Elisa. mAbxience; ArgentinaFil: Cragnaz, Lucí­a. mAbxience; ArgentinaFil: Dattero, María E.. Dirección Nacional de Instituto de Investigación. Administración Nacional de Laboratorio e Instituto de Salud "Dr. C. G. Malbrán"; ArgentinaFil: Dellafiore, María Andrea. mAbxience; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Foscaldi, Sabrina Andrea. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires. Fundación Instituto Leloir. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: González, Joaquí­n V.. Inmunova; ArgentinaFil: Guerra, Luciano Lucas. mAbxience; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Klinke, Sebastian. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires. Fundación Instituto Leloir. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Labanda, María Soledad. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires. Fundación Instituto Leloir. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Lauché, Constanza Elena. Inmunova; ArgentinaFil: López, Juan C.. Instituto Biológico Argentino S.A.I.C.; ArgentinaFil: Martínez, Anabela M.. Instituto Biológico Argentino S.A.I.C.; ArgentinaFil: Otero, Lisandro Horacio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires. Fundación Instituto Leloir. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Peyric, Elías H.. Instituto Biológico Argentino S.A.I.C.; ArgentinaFil: Ponziani, Pablo F.. Instituto Biológico Argentino S.A.I.C.; ArgentinaFil: Ramondino, Romina. Inmunova; ArgentinaFil: Rinaldi, Jimena Julieta. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires. Fundación Instituto Leloir. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Rodrí­guez, Santiago. mAbxience; ArgentinaFil: Russo, Javier E.. Instituto Biológico Argentino S.A.I.C.; ArgentinaFil: Russo, Mara Laura. Dirección Nacional de Instituto de Investigación. Administración Nacional de Laboratorio e Instituto de Salud "Dr. C. G. Malbrán"; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Saavedra, Soledad Lorena. Instituto Biológico Argentino S.A.I.C.; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Seigelchifer, Mauricio. mAbxience; ArgentinaFil: Sosa, Santiago. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires. Fundación Instituto Leloir. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Vilariño, Claudio. Universidad Nacional de San Martín. Centro de Rediseño e Ingeniería de Proteínas; ArgentinaFil: López Biscayart, Patricia. Instituto Biológico Argentino S.A.I.C.; ArgentinaFil: Corley, Esteban. mAbxience; ArgentinaFil: Spatz, Linus. Inmunova; ArgentinaFil: Baumeister, Elsa. Dirección Nacional de Instituto de Investigación. Administración Nacional de Laboratorio e Instituto de Salud "Dr. C. G. Malbrán"; ArgentinaFil: Goldbaum, Fernando Alberto. Universidad Nacional de San Martín. Centro de Rediseño e Ingeniería de Proteínas; Argentina. Inmunova; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires. Fundación Instituto Leloir. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires; Argentin

Unravelling the population structure and transmission patterns of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Mozambique, a high TB/HIV burden country

Genomic studies of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) might shed light on the dynamics of its transmission, especially in high-burden settings, where recent outbreaks are embedded in the complex natural history of the disease. We applied Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) to characterize the local population of MTBC, unravel potential transmission links and evaluate associations with host and pathogen factors. Methods A one-year prospective study was conducted in Mozambique, a high HIV/TB burden country. WGS was applied to 295 positive cultures. We combined phylogenetic, geographical and clustering analysis, and investigated associations between risk factors of transmission. Findings A significant high proportion of strains were in recent transmission (45.5%). We fully characterized MTBC isolates by using phylogenetic approaches and dating evaluation. We found two likely endemic clades, comprised of 67 strains, belonging to L1.2, dating from the late XIX century and associated with recent spread among PLHIV. Interpretation Our results unveil the population structure of MTBC in our setting. The clustering analysis revealed an unexpected pattern of spread and high rates of progression, suggesting the failure of control measures. The long-term presence of local strains in Mozambique, which were responsible for large transmission among HIV/TB coinfected patients, hint at possible coevolution with sympatric host populations and challenge the role of HIV in TB transmission.Ministry of Enterprise and Knowledge (Government of Catalonia & European Social Fund, AGAUR fellowship); European Research Council (ERC) European Union’s Horizon 2020.N

Height and body-mass index trajectories of school-aged children and adolescents from 1985 to 2019 in 200 countries and territories: a pooled analysis of 2181 population-based studies with 65 million participants

Summary Background Comparable global data on health and nutrition of school-aged children and adolescents are scarce. We aimed to estimate age trajectories and time trends in mean height and mean body-mass index (BMI), which measures weight gain beyond what is expected from height gain, for school-aged children and adolescents. Methods For this pooled analysis, we used a database of cardiometabolic risk factors collated by the Non-Communicable Disease Risk Factor Collaboration. We applied a Bayesian hierarchical model to estimate trends from 1985 to 2019 in mean height and mean BMI in 1-year age groups for ages 5–19 years. The model allowed for non-linear changes over time in mean height and mean BMI and for non-linear changes with age of children and adolescents, including periods of rapid growth during adolescence. Findings We pooled data from 2181 population-based studies, with measurements of height and weight in 65 million participants in 200 countries and territories. In 2019, we estimated a difference of 20 cm or higher in mean height of 19-year-old adolescents between countries with the tallest populations (the Netherlands, Montenegro, Estonia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina for boys; and the Netherlands, Montenegro, Denmark, and Iceland for girls) and those with the shortest populations (Timor-Leste, Laos, Solomon Islands, and Papua New Guinea for boys; and Guatemala, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Timor-Leste for girls). In the same year, the difference between the highest mean BMI (in Pacific island countries, Kuwait, Bahrain, The Bahamas, Chile, the USA, and New Zealand for both boys and girls and in South Africa for girls) and lowest mean BMI (in India, Bangladesh, Timor-Leste, Ethiopia, and Chad for boys and girls; and in Japan and Romania for girls) was approximately 9–10 kg/m2. In some countries, children aged 5 years started with healthier height or BMI than the global median and, in some cases, as healthy as the best performing countries, but they became progressively less healthy compared with their comparators as they grew older by not growing as tall (eg, boys in Austria and Barbados, and girls in Belgium and Puerto Rico) or gaining too much weight for their height (eg, girls and boys in Kuwait, Bahrain, Fiji, Jamaica, and Mexico; and girls in South Africa and New Zealand). In other countries, growing children overtook the height of their comparators (eg, Latvia, Czech Republic, Morocco, and Iran) or curbed their weight gain (eg, Italy, France, and Croatia) in late childhood and adolescence. When changes in both height and BMI were considered, girls in South Korea, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and some central Asian countries (eg, Armenia and Azerbaijan), and boys in central and western Europe (eg, Portugal, Denmark, Poland, and Montenegro) had the healthiest changes in anthropometric status over the past 3·5 decades because, compared with children and adolescents in other countries, they had a much larger gain in height than they did in BMI. The unhealthiest changes—gaining too little height, too much weight for their height compared with children in other countries, or both—occurred in many countries in sub-Saharan Africa, New Zealand, and the USA for boys and girls; in Malaysia and some Pacific island nations for boys; and in Mexico for girls. Interpretation The height and BMI trajectories over age and time of school-aged children and adolescents are highly variable across countries, which indicates heterogeneous nutritional quality and lifelong health advantages and risks

Design and baseline characteristics of the finerenone in reducing cardiovascular mortality and morbidity in diabetic kidney disease trial

Background: Among people with diabetes, those with kidney disease have exceptionally high rates of cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality and progression of their underlying kidney disease. Finerenone is a novel, nonsteroidal, selective mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist that has shown to reduce albuminuria in type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) while revealing only a low risk of hyperkalemia. However, the effect of finerenone on CV and renal outcomes has not yet been investigated in long-term trials. Patients and Methods: The Finerenone in Reducing CV Mortality and Morbidity in Diabetic Kidney Disease (FIGARO-DKD) trial aims to assess the efficacy and safety of finerenone compared to placebo at reducing clinically important CV and renal outcomes in T2D patients with CKD. FIGARO-DKD is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, event-driven trial running in 47 countries with an expected duration of approximately 6 years. FIGARO-DKD randomized 7,437 patients with an estimated glomerular filtration rate >= 25 mL/min/1.73 m(2) and albuminuria (urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio >= 30 to <= 5,000 mg/g). The study has at least 90% power to detect a 20% reduction in the risk of the primary outcome (overall two-sided significance level alpha = 0.05), the composite of time to first occurrence of CV death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, or hospitalization for heart failure. Conclusions: FIGARO-DKD will determine whether an optimally treated cohort of T2D patients with CKD at high risk of CV and renal events will experience cardiorenal benefits with the addition of finerenone to their treatment regimen. Trial Registration: EudraCT number: 2015-000950-39; ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02545049

Heterogeneous contributions of change in population distribution of body mass index to change in obesity and underweight NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC)

From 1985 to 2016, the prevalence of underweight decreased, and that of obesity and severe obesity increased, in most regions, with significant variation in the magnitude of these changes across regions. We investigated how much change in mean body mass index (BMI) explains changes in the prevalence of underweight, obesity, and severe obesity in different regions using data from 2896 population-based studies with 187 million participants. Changes in the prevalence of underweight and total obesity, and to a lesser extent severe obesity, are largely driven by shifts in the distribution of BMI, with smaller contributions from changes in the shape of the distribution. In East and Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, the underweight tail of the BMI distribution was left behind as the distribution shifted. There is a need for policies that address all forms of malnutrition by making healthy foods accessible and affordable, while restricting unhealthy foods through fiscal and regulatory restrictions