EPIDEMIOLOGIC ANALYSIS OF RISK FACTORS FOR LOCAL DISAPPEARANCES OF NATIVE RANID FROGS IN ARIZONA

This study used epidemiologic case-control methodology to examine habitat and environmental factors contributing to amphibian declines in Arizona. Risk factors were compared between sites where frogs disappeared (cases) and persisted (controls) using univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses. Thirty-six percent (117/324) of all sites became cases during the study period. Elevation, non-native predators, hydrologic characteristics, aspect, and effects of nearby sites were significantly associated with frog persistence or disappearance. In the final multivariable model, risk for disappearance increased with increasing elevation (OR=2.7 for every 500 meters, P<0.01). Sites where disappearances occurred were 4.3 times more likely to have other nearby sites that also experienced disappearances (P<0.01), while having an extant population nearby decreased risk of disappearance by 85% (OR=0.15, P<0.01). Sites experiencing disappearances were 2.6 times more likely to have crayfish than control sites (P=0.04). Identification of risk factors associated with frog disappearances will guide future research and conservation efforts

Detection of Mycobacterium bovis in nasal swabs from communal goats (Capra hircus) in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Animal tuberculosis, caused by Mycobacterium bovis, presents a significant threat to both livestock industries and public health. Mycobacterium bovis tests rely on detecting antigen specific immune responses, which can be influenced by exposure to non-tuberculous mycobacteria, test technique, and duration and severity of infection. Despite advancements in direct M. bovis detection, mycobacterial culture remains the primary diagnostic standard. Recent efforts have explored culture-independent PCR-based methods for identifying mycobacterial DNA in respiratory samples. This study aimed to detect M. bovis in nasal swabs from goats (Capra hircus) cohabiting with M. bovis-infected cattle in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Nasal swabs were collected from 137 communal goats exposed to M. bovis-positive cattle and 20 goats from a commercial dairy herd without M. bovis history. Swabs were divided into three aliquots for analysis. The first underwent GeneXpert® MTB/RIF Ultra assay (Ultra) screening. DNA from the second underwent mycobacterial genus-specific PCR and Sanger sequencing, while the third underwent mycobacterial culture followed by PCR and sequencing. Deep sequencing identified M. bovis DNA in selected Ultra-positive swabs, confirmed by region-of-difference (RD) PCR. Despite no other evidence of M. bovis infection, viable M. bovis was cultured from three communal goat swabs, confirmed by PCR and sequencing. Deep sequencing of DNA directly from swabs identified M. bovis in the same culture-positive swabs and eight additional communal goats. No M. bovis was found in commercial dairy goats, but various NTM species were detected. This highlights the risk of M. bovis exposure or infection in goats sharing pastures with infected cattle. Rapid Ultra screening shows promise for selecting goats for further M. bovis testing. These techniques may enhance M. bovis detection in paucibacillary samples and serve as valuable research tools

Subnormal vitamin B12 concentrations and anaemia in older people: a systematic review

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Pernicious anaemia is undeniably associated with vitamin B12 deficiency, but the association between subnormal vitamin B12 concentrations and anaemia in older people is unclear. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the association between subnormal vitamin B12 concentrations and anaemia in older people.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Clinical queries for aetiology and treatment in bibliographic databases (PubMed [01/1949-10/2009]; EMBASE [01/1980-10/2009]) were used. Reference lists were checked for additional relevant studies. Observational studies (≥50 participants) and randomized placebo-controlled intervention trials (RCTs) were considered.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>25 studies met the inclusion criteria. Twenty-one observational cross-sectional studies (total number of participants n = 16185) showed inconsistent results. In one longitudinal observational study, low vitamin B12 concentrations were not associated with an increased risk of anaemia (total n = 423). The 3 RCTs (total n = 210) were well-designed and showed no effect of vitamin B12 supplementation on haemoglobin concentrations during follow-up in subjects with subnormal vitamin B12 concentrations at the start of the study. Due to large clinical and methodological heterogeneity, statistical pooling of data was not performed.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Evidence of a positive association between a subnormal serum vitamin B12 concentration and anaemia in older people is limited and inconclusive. Further well-designed studies are needed to determine whether subnormal vitamin B12 is a risk factor for anaemia in older people.</p

Determinants of Aortic Stiffness: 16-Year Follow-Up of the Whitehall II Study

Aortic stiffness is a strong predictor of cardiovascular disease endpoints. Cross-sectional studies have shown associations of various cardiovascular risk factors with aortic pulse wave velocity, a measure of aortic stiffness, but the long-term impact of these factors on aortic stiffness is unknown.In 3,769 men and women from the Whitehall II cohort, a wide range of traditional and novel cardiovascular risk factors were determined at baseline (1991-1993) and aortic pulse wave velocity was measured at follow-up (2007-2009). The prospective associations between each baseline risk factor and aortic pulse wave velocity at follow-up were assessed through sex stratified linear regression analysis adjusted for relevant confounders. Missing data on baseline determinants were imputed using the Multivariate Imputation by Chained Equations.Among men, the strongest predictors were waist circumference, waist-hip ratio, heart rate and interleukin 1 receptor antagonist, and among women, adiponectin, triglycerides, pulse pressure and waist-hip ratio. The impact of 10 centimeter increase in waist circumference on aortic pulse wave velocity was twice as large for men compared with women (men: 0.40 m/s (95%-CI: 0.24;0.56); women: 0.17 m/s (95%-CI: -0.01;0.35)), whereas the opposite was true for the impact of a two-fold increase in adiponectin (men: -0.30 m/s (95%-CI: -0.51;-0.10); women: 0.61 m/s (95%-CI: -0.86;-0.35)).In this large prospective study, central obesity was a strong predictor of aortic stiffness. Additionally, heart rate in men and adiponectin in women predicted aortic pulse wave velocity suggesting that strategies to prevent aortic stiffening should be focused differently by sex

The genetic architecture of the human cerebral cortex

The cerebral cortex underlies our complex cognitive capabilities, yet little is known about the specific genetic loci that influence human cortical structure. To identify genetic variants that affect cortical structure, we conducted a genome-wide association meta-analysis of brain magnetic resonance imaging data from 51,665 individuals. We analyzed the surface area and average thickness of the whole cortex and 34 regions with known functional specializations. We identified 199 significant loci and found significant enrichment for loci influencing total surface area within regulatory elements that are active during prenatal cortical development, supporting the radial unit hypothesis. Loci that affect regional surface area cluster near genes in Wnt signaling pathways, which influence progenitor expansion and areal identity. Variation in cortical structure is genetically correlated with cognitive function, Parkinson's disease, insomnia, depression, neuroticism, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

ICAR: endoscopic skull‐base surgery

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The epidemiology of avian mycobacteriosis: Using social network analysis to uncover patterns of disease transmission

Background: Transmission of avian mycobacteriosis is generally considered a contagious process, but is not well understood and environmental sources may be important. The large, dynamic population of birds at San Diego Zoo Global (SDZG) with complete population ascertainment over a 22-year period offered an opportunity to use social network analysis to understand disease epidemiology and test for patterns of contagion.Objectives: Study one evaluated the social network structure of birds for evidence of a contagious process. Study two examined patterns of genetic similarities using whole genome sequencing (WGS) along pathways of network connectivity. Study three examined whether network connectivity predicts future disease. Methods: Study one identified cases of mycobacteriosis and constructed a social network from enclosure histories (n=16,430) in the SDZG population. Stratification of network edges by spatial and temporal characteristics tested for contagion and other drivers of disease in directly- and indirectly-connected birds. Study two characterized mycobacteria isolated from 124/275 cases. For the subset with WGS (n=97), the probability of having similar genotypes given connectivity was estimated and significance determined from random permutation tests. Study three used longitudinal, mixed-effects logistic regression to evaluate the association between network exposure and mycobacteriosis development. Results: Study one: Disease clustered significantly among directly- and indirectly-connected birds. The RR of disease given exposure to 2° contacts never housed in the same enclosure was 1.31 (p=0.004), providing strong evidence that a contagious process is present, because the association persisted when common environmental exposure was removed. Study two: Mycobacterium avium avium (MAA) and M. genavense were the most common species. The WGS showed genotypes of MAA were significantly related along paths of network connectivity; however, no significant patterns were identified for M. genavense. Study three: Results showed significant associations between direct (OR=2.15) and indirect (OR=1.56) exposure to positive birds (compared to no exposure) and mycobacteriosis. Risk-stratified models provided estimates with further characterization of exposure; not all findings were robust to model variation.Conclusion: Social network analysis was a powerful method for evaluating complex contact patterns and mycobacteriosis. The data strongly support a contagious process, show low transmissibility, and provide new information on disease epidemiology

Spatiotemporal network structure among "friends of friends" reveals contagious disease process.

Disease transmission can be identified in a social network from the structural patterns of contact. However, it is difficult to separate contagious processes from those driven by homophily, and multiple pathways of transmission or inexact information on the timing of infection can obscure the detection of true transmission events. Here, we analyze the dynamic social network of a large, and near-complete population of 16,430 zoo birds tracked daily over 22 years to test a novel "friends-of-friends" strategy for detecting contagion in a social network. The results show that cases of avian mycobacteriosis were significantly clustered among pairs of birds that had been in direct contact. However, since these clusters might result due to correlated traits or a shared environment, we also analyzed pairs of birds that had never been in direct contact but were indirectly connected in the network via other birds. The disease was also significantly clustered among these friends of friends and a reverse-time placebo test shows that homophily could not be causing the clustering. These results provide empirical evidence that at least some avian mycobacteriosis infections are transmitted between birds, and provide new methods for detecting contagious processes in large-scale global network structures with indirect contacts, even when transmission pathways, timing of cases, or etiologic agents are unknown