Predictors of Compliance with the Food Safety and Inspection Service\u27s Listeria Rule, 2012-2015

Since 1987, the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has implemented a zero-tolerance policy for Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) in ready-to-eat (RTE) meat and poultry products, which culminated with the implementation of the Listeria rule in 2003. While researchers have extensively examined human listeriosis and its causative agent, Lm, there remained a significant gap in the current literature regarding how, singly or in combination, establishment size, RTE product type, Listeria alternative used, and FSIS district of production predict compliance with the Listeria rule. Therefore, the purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate the relationship between establishment size, RTE product type, Listeria alternative used, FSIS district of production, and compliance with the Listeria rule. The deterrence theory was used to explain the relationships and associations between variables. Archival Lm sampling data collected between 2012 and 2015 by FSIS was used to analyze the relationships. Chi-square tests showed no significant statistical relationship between establishment size, Listeria alternative used, FSIS district, and compliance, but they did show a significant association between compliance, RTE salt-cured products, and fully cooked products. Additionally, logistic regression analysis showed that the odds of an Lm-positive sample was higher for salt-cured products than for fully-cooked products. This study\u27s findings indicate the need for a reevaluation of FSIS Listeria prevention policy, with a focus on salt-cured products. These results can influence positive social change if used in a targeted public health outreach/education program that focuses on the food safety risks associated with salt-cured products

Evolution of the Ace-1 and Gste2 Mutations and Their Potential Impact on the Use of Carbamate and Organophosphates in IRS for Controlling Anopheles gambiae s.l., the Major Malaria Mosquito in Senegal

Widespread of insecticide resistance amongst the species of the Anopheles gambiae complex continues to threaten vector control in Senegal. In this study, we investigated the presence and evolution of the Ace-1 and Gste2 resistance genes in natural populations of Anopheles gambiae s.l., the main malaria vector in Senegal. Using historical samples collected from ten sentinel health districts, this study focused on three different years (2013, 2017, and 2018) marking the periods of shift between the main public health insecticides families (pyrethroids, carbamates, organophosphates) used in IRS to track back the evolutionary history of the resistance mutations on the Ace-1 and Gste2 loci. The results revealed the presence of four members of the Anopheles gambiae complex, with the predominance of An. arabiensis followed by An. gambiae, An. coluzzii, and An. gambiae-coluzzii hybrids. The Ace-1 mutation was only detected in An. gambiae and An. gambiae-coluzzii hybrids at low frequencies varying between 0.006 and 0.02, while the Gste2 mutation was found in all the species with a frequency ranging between 0.02 and 0.25. The Ace-1 and Gste2 genes were highly diversified with twenty-two and thirty-one different haplotypes, respectively. The neutrality tests on each gene indicated a negative Tajima's D, suggesting the abundance of rare alleles. The presence and spread of the Ace-1 and Gste2 resistance mutations represent a serious threat to of the effectiveness and the sustainability of IRS-based interventions using carbamates or organophosphates to manage the widespread pyrethroids resistance in Senegal. These data are of the highest importance to support the NMCP for evidence-based vector control interventions selection and targeting

Divergence Measures Estimation and Its Asymptotic Normality Theory Using Wavelets Empirical Processes I

We deal with the normality asymptotic theory of empirical divergences measures based on wavelets in a series of three papers. In this first paper, we provide the asymptotic theory of the general of ϕ-divergences measures, which includes the most common divergence measures : Renyi and Tsallis families and the Kullback-Leibler measures. Instead of using the Parzen nonparametric estimators of the probability density functions whose discrepancy is estimated, we use the wavelets approach and the geometry of Besov spaces. One-sided and two-sided statistical tests are derived. This paper is devoted to the foundations the general asymptotic theory and the exposition of the mains theoretical tools concerning the ϕ-forms, while proofs and next detailed and applied results will be given in the two subsequent papers which deal important key divergence measures and symmetrized estimators

Divergence measures estimation and its asymptotic normality theory using wavelets empirical processes II

In Ba et al.(2017), a general normal asymptotic theory for divergence measures estimators has been provided. These estimators are constructed from the wavelets empirical process and concerned the general Ø-divergence measures. In this paper, we first extend the aforementioned results to symmetrized forms of divergence measures. Second, the Tsallis and Renyi divergence measures as well as the Kullback-Leibler measures are investigated in details. The question of the applicability of the results, based on the boundedness assumption is also dealt, leading to future packages.Keywords: Divergence measures estimation; Asymptotic normality; Wavelet theory; wavelets empirical processes; Besov spacesAMS 2010 Mathematics Subject Classification : 62G05; 62G20; 62G0

Benefits from Using Very Thin Channel Layer for TFTs

It is known from many published data on amorphous or polycrystalline silicon and on metal oxides based Thin Film Transistors (TFTs) that their electrical parameters improve when decreasing the thickness of the channel layer. The origin of this improvement is discussed here through electrostatic arguments only. In particular, it is shown that the behavior of the subthreshold swing with the thickness does not depend on the type of materials. The material and its electrical defects determine only the importance of the improvement but not the trend towards better electrical parameters. Meanwhile, in general, the electrical stability under gate stress enhances too. The improved stability is explained by the reduced electronic charge inside the channel layer, leading to a lower injection of electrons in the gate insulator

Insecticide resistance in Anopheles arabiensis populations from Dakar and its suburbs: role of target site and metabolic resistance mechanisms

Abstract Background Urban malaria is an increasing concern in most of the sub-Saharan Africa countries. In Dakar, the capital city of Senegal, the malaria epidemiology has been complicated by recurrent flooding since 2005. The main vector control measure for malaria prevention in Dakar is the community use of long-lasting insecticide-treated nets. However, the increase of insecticide resistance reported in this area needs to be better understood for suitable resistance management. This study reports the situation of insecticide resistance and underlying mechanisms in Anopheles arabiensis populations from Dakar and its suburbs. Results All the populations tested showed resistance to almost all insecticides except organophosphates families, which remain the only lethal molecules. Piperonil butoxide (PBO) and ethacrinic acid (EA) the two synergists used, have respectively and significantly restored the susceptibility to DDT and permethrin of Anopheles population. Molecular identification of specimens revealed the presence of An. arabiensis only. Kdr genotyping showed the presence of the L1014F mutation (kdr-West) as well as L1014S (kdr-East). This L1014S mutation was found at very high frequencies (89.53%) in almost all districts surveyed, and in association with the L1014F (10.24%). Conclusion Results showed the contribution of both target-site and metabolic mechanisms in conferring pyrethroid resistance to An. arabiensis from the flooded areas of Dakar suburbs. These data, although preliminary, stress the need for close monitoring of the urban An. arabiensis populations for a suitable insecticide resistance management system to preserve core insecticide-based vector control tools in this flooded area

Safety of clozapine use during pregnancy: Analysis of international pharmacovigilance data

PURPOSE: Safety data on clozapine use during pregnancy are limited. The aim of this study was to determine disproportionality in case safety reports on adverse pregnancy outcomes between clozapine and other antipsychotics (OAP) used during pregnancy. METHODS: We included all reports of suspected adverse drug reactions (ADRs) to antipsychotics registered in the World Health Organization global individual case safety report (ICSR) database (VigiBase) in children younger than 2 years and women aged 12-45 years. A case/non-case approach was used to evaluate the association between several pregnancy-related ADRs and clozapine exposure during pregnancy, using 2×2 contingency tables to investigate disproportionality and Standard MedDRA Queries to select cases. Clozapine exposure was defined as all ICSR-ADR combinations with clozapine as (one of) the suspected drug(s). Non-exposure was defined as all ICSR-ADR combinations with OAP as (one of) the suspected drug(s). RESULTS: We identified 42 236 unique ICSR-ADR combinations related with clozapine exposure and 170 710 with OAP exposure. Of these, 494 and 4645 ICSR-ADR combinations involved adverse pregnancy outcomes related with clozapine exposure and OAP exposure respectively. Overall, no signal of disproportionate reporting associating clozapine with the studied adverse pregnancy outcomes was found compared with OAP exposure. CONCLUSION: Based on global pharmacovigilance data, we did not find any evidence that clozapine is less safe during pregnancy than OAP. Although this is not automatically equivalent to the relative safety of clozapine during pregnancy, these findings add to the convergence of proofs to allow final conclusions and decisions regarding the treatment of pregnant women with clozapine