Epidemiology and impact of colonization by multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria on bloodstream infections in early phase of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

Objective. To study epidemiology and impact of colonization by multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (MDRGNB) on bloodstream infections (BSI) during allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). Materials and Methods. The retrospective study included 288 patients received the first allo-HSCT between 2018 and 2019. The median age was 32 (18–66) years, male – 53% (n = 152). The majority of patients had acute leukemia – 62% (n = 178) and received transplant from matched unrelated – 42% (n = 120) or haploidentical donor – 26% (n = 75). Relapse of underlying disease at the moment of all-HSCT was registered in 23% (n = 66) of patients. Results. Colonization of non-sterile sites before allo-HSCT by at least one MDRGNB was detected in 28% (n = 64). In most cases resistance is due to extended spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL) – 86% (n = 55), while carbapenemases in combination with ESBL were detected in 14% (n = 9) of patients. After allo-HSCT the colonization was significantly higher than before transplantation (n = 161, 56%, p = 0.001), mainly due to carbapenemase- and ESBL-producing bacteria – 73% (n = 118) (p = 0.001). BSI in the early period after transplantation developed in 26% (n = 76), and in 56% (n = 43) was caused by MDRGNB. The etiology of BSI included K. pneumoniae – 51% in mostly cases. The etiology of BSI was the same bacteria that colonized non-sterile sites 2 weeks before the detection bacteria in bloodstream in 69% (n = 30) patients. Colonization by MDRGNB was associated with the development of BSI (p < 0.0001). The 100-day overall survival (OS) after all-HSCT was significantly lower in patients with colonization of non-sterile sites by MDRGNB compared with patients without colonization (60.6% vs 88.2%, p = 0.001). Conclusions. Colonization of MDRGNB after allo-HSCT reached 56%. K. pneumoniae was predominant etiology in both colonization and bloodstream infections. Colonization by MDRGNB was associated with the development of BSI and decreased OS after allo-HSCT

On the global Lyapunov reducibility of two-dimensional linear systems with locally integrable coefficients

We show that if a two-dimensional linear nonstationary control system with locally integrable and integrally bounded coefficients is uniformly completely controllable, then the corresponding linear differential system closed with a measurable bounded control linear in the state variables has the property of global Lyapunov reducibility

Performance of the CMS Level-1 trigger in proton-proton collisions at √s = 13 TeV

At the start of Run 2 in 2015, the LHC delivered proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13\TeV. During Run 2 (years 2015–2018) the LHC eventually reached a luminosity of 2.1× 10$^{34}$ cm$^{-2}$s$^{-1}$, almost three times that reached during Run 1 (2009–2013) and a factor of two larger than the LHC design value, leading to events with up to a mean of about 50 simultaneous inelastic proton-proton collisions per bunch crossing (pileup). The CMS Level-1 trigger was upgraded prior to 2016 to improve the selection of physics events in the challenging conditions posed by the second run of the LHC. This paper describes the performance of the CMS Level-1 trigger upgrade during the data taking period of 2016–2018. The upgraded trigger implements pattern recognition and boosted decision tree regression techniques for muon reconstruction, includes pileup subtraction for jets and energy sums, and incorporates pileup-dependent isolation requirements for electrons and tau leptons. In addition, the new trigger calculates high-level quantities such as the invariant mass of pairs of reconstructed particles. The upgrade reduces the trigger rate from background processes and improves the trigger efficiency for a wide variety of physics signals

The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Africa: Insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance

INTRODUCTION Investment in Africa over the past year with regard to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequencing has led to a massive increase in the number of sequences, which, to date, exceeds 100,000 sequences generated to track the pandemic on the continent. These sequences have profoundly affected how public health officials in Africa have navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. RATIONALE We demonstrate how the first 100,000 SARS-CoV-2 sequences from Africa have helped monitor the epidemic on the continent, how genomic surveillance expanded over the course of the pandemic, and how we adapted our sequencing methods to deal with an evolving virus. Finally, we also examine how viral lineages have spread across the continent in a phylogeographic framework to gain insights into the underlying temporal and spatial transmission dynamics for several variants of concern (VOCs). RESULTS Our results indicate that the number of countries in Africa that can sequence the virus within their own borders is growing and that this is coupled with a shorter turnaround time from the time of sampling to sequence submission. Ongoing evolution necessitated the continual updating of primer sets, and, as a result, eight primer sets were designed in tandem with viral evolution and used to ensure effective sequencing of the virus. The pandemic unfolded through multiple waves of infection that were each driven by distinct genetic lineages, with B.1-like ancestral strains associated with the first pandemic wave of infections in 2020. Successive waves on the continent were fueled by different VOCs, with Alpha and Beta cocirculating in distinct spatial patterns during the second wave and Delta and Omicron affecting the whole continent during the third and fourth waves, respectively. Phylogeographic reconstruction points toward distinct differences in viral importation and exportation patterns associated with the Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants and subvariants, when considering both Africa versus the rest of the world and viral dissemination within the continent. Our epidemiological and phylogenetic inferences therefore underscore the heterogeneous nature of the pandemic on the continent and highlight key insights and challenges, for instance, recognizing the limitations of low testing proportions. We also highlight the early warning capacity that genomic surveillance in Africa has had for the rest of the world with the detection of new lineages and variants, the most recent being the characterization of various Omicron subvariants. CONCLUSION Sustained investment for diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve. This is important not only to help combat SARS-CoV-2 on the continent but also because it can be used as a platform to help address the many emerging and reemerging infectious disease threats in Africa. In particular, capacity building for local sequencing within countries or within the continent should be prioritized because this is generally associated with shorter turnaround times, providing the most benefit to local public health authorities tasked with pandemic response and mitigation and allowing for the fastest reaction to localized outbreaks. These investments are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response and will serve the health of the continent well into the 21st century

CONTEMPORARY METHODS OF TEACHING MODERN YOUTH (IN THE CONTEXT OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING

Statement of the problem. Modern society is gradually changing its attitude to the process of education and the formation of competencies necessary for the future employment of the individual. Education of young people today should be different from what it was 50, 30 or even 20 years ago. Technological development has changed the equipment of classrooms. Political and economic events influence the formation of a new generation of students. Their interests and ways of obtaining information differ from the motivation and leading channels of perception of older generations. The task of the researcher is to identify the peculiarities of reality perception for representatives of Generation Z, as well as possible methods and techniques of teaching modern youth of the present and future, which are able to support and strengthen interest to the subject in particular and to the educational process in general. Results. The author offers a selection of techniques that take into account the special characteristics of modern youth and can improve the effectiveness of the learning process. These include the principle of gamification of education, the method of blended learning, a meta-subject approach, learning using a problem situation and a role-playing game. The article provides specific examples of their implementation. Conclusion. Despite the presence of characteristics that favorably distinguish them from previous generations, modern young people need reasonable control by the teacher, who acts as a facilitator of students' abilities and skills, coordinates educational activities and contributes to increasing motivation to the learning process

ПОЧЕМУ НЕ СЛЫШЕН ГОЛОС СОВРЕМЕННОЙ МОЛОДЕЖИ?

The present study considers the problem of the lack of self-presentation and public speaking skills among today's youth. The article presents possible social and anthropological reasons for low motivation to studies. Development of soft skills, increase in the share of students' speech activity, joint work on projects are named among the possible ways to solve this problem.Представленное исследование изучает проблему отсутствия навыков самопрезентации и публичных выступлений у современной молодежи. В статье приводятся возможные социальные и антропологические причины низкой мотивации к учебе. Среди возможных путей решения данной проблемы названы: развитие soft skills, увеличение доли речевой деятельности студентов, совместная работа над проектами

ВЛИЯНИЕ ПОПУЛЯРИЗАЦИИ КОМПЬЮТЕРНЫХ ТЕХНОЛОГИЙ НА ЧИТАТЕЛЬСКУЮ ГРАМОТНОСТЬ СОВРЕМЕННОГО ОБЩЕСТВА

The process of global computerization and the worldwide spread of the Internet have caused a decline in reading literacy among modern youth. The article describes some features of selecting and processing information typical for representatives of Generation Z. It emphasizes the need for research within the framework of the International Program for Education Quality Assessment (PISA).Глобальная компьютеризация общества и всемирное распространение сети интернет стали причиной ухудшения показателей читательской грамотности у современной молодежи. В статье описываются некоторые особенности процесса подбора и обработки информации у представителей поколения Z и необходимость проведения исследований в рамках Международной программы по оценке качества обучения PISA

АКТУАЛЬНЫЕ МЕТОДЫ ОБУЧЕНИЯ СОВРЕМЕННОЙ МОЛОДЁЖИ (НА ПРИМЕРЕ АНГЛИЙСКОГО ЯЗЫКА)

Statement of the problem. Modern society is gradually changing its attitude to the process of education and the formation of competencies necessary for the future employment of the individual. Education of young people today should be different from what it was 50, 30 or even 20 years ago. Technological development has changed the equipment of classrooms. Political and economic events influence the formation of a new generation of students. Their interests and ways of obtaining information differ from the motivation and leading channels of perception of older generations. The task of the researcher is to identify the peculiarities of reality perception for representatives of Generation Z, as well as possible methods and techniques of teaching modern youth of the present and future, which are able to support and strengthen interest to the subject in particular and to the educational process in general. Results. The author offers a selection of techniques that take into account the special characteristics of modern youth and can improve the effectiveness of the learning process. These include the principle of gamification of education, the method of blended learning, a meta-subject approach, learning using a problem situation and a role-playing game. The article provides specific examples of their implementation. Conclusion. Despite the presence of characteristics that favorably distinguish them from previous generations, modern young people need reasonable control by the teacher, who acts as a facilitator of students’ abilities and skills, coordinates educational activities and contributes to increasing motivation to the learning process.Постановка задачи. Современное общество постепенно меняет свое отношение к процессу образования и формирования компетенций, необходимых для будущего трудоустройства индивидуума. Обучать молодёжь сегодня следует иначе, чем это было возможно 50, 30 и даже 20 лет назад. Технологическое развитие изменило оборудование учебных аудиторий. Политические и экономические события влияют на формирование нового поколения учеников и студентов. Их интересы и способы получения информации отличаются от мотивации и ведущих каналов восприятия старших поколений. Задача исследователя состоит в том, чтобы выявить особенности восприятия действительности для представителей Поколения Z, а также возможные методы и приёмы обучения современной молодёжи настоящего и будущего, способные поддержать и усилить интерес к предмету в частности и к образовательному процессу в целом. Результаты. Автор предлагает подборку методик, которые учитывают особенные характеристики современной молодежи и способны повысить результативность процесса обучения. К ним относится принцип геймификации образования, приём смешанного обучения, метапредметный подход, обучение с использованием проблемной ситуации и ролевой игры. В статье приводятся конкретные примеры их реализации. Выводы. Несмотря на наличие характеристик, выгодно отличающих их от предыдущих поколений, современная молодёжь нуждается в разумном контроле со стороны учителя, который выступает в роли координатора учебной деятельности и способствует повышению мотивационного фона к процессу обучения