Investigating the infection dynamics and molecular detection of Cryptosporidium in Buffaloes in Sylhet, Bangladesh.

Cryptosporidiosis, a zoonotic infection impacting both livestock and humans, is inadequately understood in terms of its prevalence and transmission dynamics involving buffaloes in Bangladesh. This research, conducted in the Sylhet division, aimed to explore the prevalence and potential risk factors influencing Cryptosporidium spp. in the faecal samples of 392 buffaloes. Detection of the parasite utilized modified Ziehl-Neelsen staining, with molecular identification achieved through nested PCR (nPCR). The comprehensive analysis revealed 9.18% (36/392) prevalence at the individual animal level and 40.48% (17/42) at the herd level. Age-based analysis revealed fluctuating infection rates of Cryptosporidium spp. in buffaloes across distinct age brackets, with rates of 22.61% in those aged 0-6 months, 5.00% in those aged 6-12 months, and 1.03% in those aged 12-18 months. Diarrheic buffaloes showed a significantly (p < 0.001) higher infection rate (26.67%; 28/105) compared to non-diarrheic buffaloes (2.79%; 8/287). In risk factor analysis, binary logistic regression revealed that buffaloes aged 0-6 months were experiencing a likelihood that is 14.84 times higher to be affected by Cryptosporidium in contrast to their older counterparts (OR = 14.85; p = 0.02). Additionally, diarrhoeic buffaloes were found to be more susceptible to Cryptosporidium compared to healthy buffaloes (OR = 17.50; p < 0.001). A higher stocking density was associated with an increased likelihood of infection in buffaloes (OR = 11.20; p = 0.01). The results of this study emphasize the necessity for targeted interventions, considering factors like diarrheic condition and stocking density, to effectively manage and control cryptosporidiosis in Bangladesh.

High positivity rate of caprine arthritis encephalitis virus in Luzon, the Philippines revealed by nested-polymerase chain reaction assay.

Caprine arthritis encephalitis (CAE) is a worldwide economically important disease of small ruminants particularly goats. CAE has been considered to be an emerging/re-emerging disease of goats and a notifiable disease in the Philippines. In this study, a nested-PCR method to detect CAE virus (CAEv) infection was conducted between January 2021 to December 2022. A total of 1334 goat blood samples were collected from 24 goat farms throughout Luzon, the Philippines. The over-all prevalence rate was 31.41% (419/1334) in goats and 91.67% (22/24) of goat farms. These results showed high positivity rate of CAEv and the disease may be widespread in Luzon, the Philippines.

Epidemiological assessment of Anaplasma marginale, Babesia bigemina, and Babesia bovis infections in Colombian creole cattle breeds: A molecular survey in northeastern Colombia.

Anaplasmosis and babesiosis are globally distributed arthropod-borne diseases known for causing substantial economic losses due to their high morbidity and mortality rates. This study aims to assess the frequency and epidemiological features associated with the infection of Anaplasma marginale, Babesia bigemina, and Babesia bovis in three Creole cattle breeds (Chino Santandereano (Chino), Casanareño (CAS), and Sanmartinero (SM)) in northeastern Colombia. Between June 2019 and March 2020, a total of 252 Creole cattle were sampled, with Chino, CAS, and SM accounting for 42.8%, 29.5%, and 29.5% of the samples, respectively. Blood samples were subjected to molecular analysis to detect the DNA of A. marginale, B. bigemina, and B. bovis, using species-specific primers. Additionally, Packed Cell Volume (PCV), total serum proteins, and body condition were evaluated. Molecular analyses revealed the presence of B. bigemina, A. marginale, and B. bovis in 83.7% (211/252; 95% CI = 79.1%-88.3%), 59.9% (151/252; 95% CI = 53.8%-66.1%), and 40.9% (103/252; 95% CI = 34.7%-46.9%) of the samples, respectively, with 69% (174/252; 95% CI = 57.8%-80.3%) exhibiting coinfections. Notably, in infected animals, no significant alterations in PCV, total serum proteins, or body condition were observed. Multivariate analyses indicated a statistically significant association between the frequency of A. marginale infection and the breed and season, with a higher frequency in SM during the rainy season (P < 0.05). To our knowledge, this is the first molecular survey that evaluates multiple arthropod-borne pathogens in Colombian Creole breeds. The results revel a high frequency of B. bigemina and A. marginale infections, coupled with a notable frequency of coinfections, all without significant alteration in the PCV, total serum proteins and body conditions. Our findings enhance the understanding of the epidemiological aspects of arthropod-borne pathogens in Colombian Creole breed and contribute to the improvement of sanitary programs for these animals.

The Prevalence, Seroprevalence, and Risk Factors of Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus in Dogs in Lithuania, a Highly Endemic State.

The rising awareness and increasing number of case reports of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) in dogs indicate that the virus might be an important tick-borne pathogen in dogs, especially in endemic areas. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence rate of TBEV RNA and TBEV-specific antibodies in clinical samples of dogs living in a highly endemic region of Lithuania and to evaluate the main risk factors for severe disease course and death. The blood samples (n = 473) of dogs were collected in two veterinary clinics in central Lithuania. Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) RNA was detected in 18.6% (88/473; CI 95% 15.2-22.4) and TBEV-specific antibodies were found in 21.6% (102/473; CI 95% 17.9-25.6) of dog blood serum samples after confirmation with a virus neutralization test. The death/euthanasia rate was 18.2% (16/88; CI 95% 10.8-27.8) in PCR-positive dogs. Male dogs were more likely to develop neurological symptoms (p = 0.008). Older dogs (p = 0.003), dogs with the presence of neurological symptoms (p = 0.003), and dogs with the presence of TBEV-specific antibodies (p = 0.024) were more likely to experience worse outcomes of the disease. The results of the present study demonstrate that TBEV is a common and clinically important pathogen in dogs in such endemic countries as Lithuania.

First report of Giardia duodenalis in pet rabbits in Brazil.

Giardia duodenalis is a flagellate protozoan that multiplies in the small intestine of a wide variety of hosts, animals and humans. It has a worldwide distribution, however it is considered a neglected disease by the World Health Organization (WHO). Nowadays, rabbits are being chosen as pets, especially by children. There are already reports of the occurrence of G. duodenalis in rabbits from other countries, but research has not been carried out in Brazil yet. Thus, the objective of our work was to verify the occurrence and molecularly characterize G. duodenalis that affect pet rabbits, through the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in the northwest region of the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Fecal samples from 100 rabbits were collected, which later underwent a process of DNA extraction and amplification by nested-PCR (nPCR), using the SSU rRNA gene, and ß-giardin (bg), glutamate dehydrogenase (gdh) and triosephosphate isomerase (tpi) to determine the assemblage. A questionnaire was answered by the owners with information about gender, age, deworming, diarrhea, water source, food, place of residence and contact with other animals. From those samples, 40 were positive for G. duodenalis. Good quality of the SSU rRNA gene by nPCR were obtained from two samples. For the first time, we report the occurrence of G. duodenalis assemblage A on pet rabbits in Brazil.

Correlation of Serum Asprosin Levels With Normalized Protein Catabolic Rate in Patients Receiving Peritoneal Dialysis Treatment.

Background Peritoneal dialysis patients are malnourished due to loss of protein in the dialysate and inadequate dialysis, although they take additional calories every day during treatment. Many parameters are used to assess nutritional status, with normalized protein catabolic rate (nPCR) being one of the most common. Asprosin, a novel adipokine secreted by adipose tissue, peaks during fasting and induces hepatic glucose release through the activation of the G-protein-cAMP-PKA pathway, which has been indicated to have a curative effect on chronic inflammation. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between asprosin levels and nutritional parameters in patients receiving peritoneal dialysis treatment as well as to investigate the applicability of more practical tests. Methodology A total of 70 peritoneal dialysis patients, 35 female (59%) and 24 male (41%), were included in the study. The mean age of the patients was 53 ± 14 years (range = 18-80 years), and the median peritoneal dialysis duration was 31.5 months (range = 20-56.2 months). The most common etiologic cause was hypertension (37%). Patients over 18 years of age who had been receiving peritoneal dialysis treatment for at least 24 months were included in the study. The correlation between patients' nPCR levels and serum asprosin, body mass index, and lipids was evaluated. Results The correlation between the level of nPCR and the serum asprosin level, body mass index, and lipids was evaluated. Patients with nPCR <0.815 were considered malnourished, and factors affecting malnutrition were determined by univariate analysis. Among the factors affecting malnutrition according to univariate analysis, those with p-value <0.05 were analyzed by multivariate analysis. Low asprosin level was one of the independent factors affecting malnutrition in patients (Exp(B) = 0.944, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.896-0.994). Other independent factors affecting malnutrition were Kt/V (Exp(B) = 0.018, 95% CI = 0.001-0.550) and residual renal function (Exp(B) = -0.004, 95% CI = 0.993-0.999). Conclusions There is a need for more accessible tests and reliable parameters to evaluate dialysis and nutritional deficiency in peritoneal dialysis patients. One possible hormone that could serve as a guide is asprosin.

Rising Incidence of Non-Cardia Gastric Cancer among Young Women in the United States, 2000-2018: A Time-Trend Analysis Using the USCS Database.

INTRODUCTION: Although the global incidence of non-cardia gastric cancer (NCGC) is decreasing, there are limited data on sex-specific incidence in the United States. This study aimed to investigate time trends of NCGC from the SEER database to externally validate findings in a SEER-independent national database, and to further assess trends among subpopulations. METHODS: Age-adjusted incidence rates of NCGC were obtained from the SEER database from 2000 to 2018. We used joinpoint models to calculate average annual percentage change (AAPC) to determine sex-specific trends among older (≥55 years) and younger adults (15-54 years). Using the same methodology, findings were then externally validated using SEER-independent data from the National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR). Stratified analyses by race, histopathology, and staging at diagnosis were also conducted in younger adults. RESULTS: Overall, there were 169,828 diagnoses of NCGC from both independent databases during the period 2000-2018. In SEER, among those <55 years, incidence increased at a higher rate in women (AAPC = 3.22%, p < 0.01) than men (AAPC = 1.51%, p = 0.03), with non-parallel trends (p = 0.02), while a decreasing trend was seen in both men (AAPC = -2.16%, p < 0.01) and women (AAPC = -1.37%, p < 0.01) of the ≥55 years group. Validation analysis of the SEER-independent NPCR database from 2001 to 2018 showed similar findings. Further stratified analyses showed that incidence is disproportionately increasing in young non-Hispanic White women [AAPC = 2.28%, p < 0.01] while remaining stable in their counterpart men [AAPC = 0.58%, p = 0.24] with non-parallel trends (p = 0.04). This pattern was not observed in other race groups. CONCLUSION: NCGC incidence has been increasing at a greater rate in younger women compared to counterpart men. This disproportionate increase was mainly seen in young non-Hispanic White women. Future studies should investigate the etiologies of these trends.

Evaluation of Molecular Methods to Identify Chagas Disease and Leishmaniasis in Blood Donation Candidates in Two Brazilian Centers.

In Brazil, blood donation is regulated by the Brazilian Ministry of Health, and all States follow the same protocol for clinical and laboratory screening. Brazil is an endemic country for Chagas disease (CD), caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, and for leishmaniasis, caused by a species of Leishmania spp. Screening for leishmaniosis is not routinely performed by blood banks. Given the antigenic similarity between T. cruzi and Leishmania spp., cross-reactions in serological tests can occur, and inconclusive results for CD have been found. The objective of this study was to apply molecular techniques, e.g., nPCR, PCR, and qPCR, to clarify cases of blood donation candidates with non-negative serology for CD and to analyze the difference between the melting temperature during real-time PCR using SYBR Green. Thirty-seven cases that showed non-negative results for CD using chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay (CMIA) tests from blood banks in Campo Grande, MS, and Campinas, SP, were analyzed. In the serum samples, 35 samples were evaluated by ELISA, and 24.3% (9/35) showed positive results for CD. nPCR was able to detect 12 positive results in 35 samples (34.28%). qPCR for T. cruzi was quantifiable in the samples that showed a value ≥0.002 par eq/mL (parasite equivalents per milliliter), and in 35 samples, 11 (31.42%) were positive. Of all evaluated samples using the described tests (CMIA, ELISA, nPCR, and qPCR), 18 (48.6%) were positive for CD. For MCA by qPCR, the melting temperature was 82.06 °C ± 0.46 for T. cruzi and 81.9 °C ± 0.24 for Leishmania infantum. The Mann-Whitney test showed a significant value of p < 0.0001. However, the differentiation between T. cruzi and L. infantum could not be considered due to temperature overlap. For leishmaniasis, of the 35 samples with non-negative serology for CD tested by the indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT), only one sample (2.85%) was positive (1:80). The PCR for Leishmania spp. was performed on 36 blood samples from donation candidates, and all were negative. qPCR for L. infantum showed 37 negative results for the 37 analyzed samples. The data presented here show the importance of performing two different tests in CD screening at blood banks. Molecular tests should be used for confirmation, thereby improving the blood donation system.

Complex entropy based encryption and decryption technique for securing medical images.

During medical picture transmission, the most pressing concern is security. Medical images must be encrypted since they are extremely sensitive. Watermarking, digital fingerprinting/signature, and encoding are some of the available image security techniques. Images and movies, for example, must be highly encrypted and decoded without losing any content information. Medical photos, for example, require extra protection, and protecting medical images is a critical issue when medical images and related patient information are transferred over public networks. This research work proposes a visual encryption strategy to secure medical pictures before being transmitted or stored in the cloud. This technique makes such pictures of unauthorized people unavailable and also maintains confidentiality, a prime safety requirement. The process made use of a pixel shuffling-based encryption technique and a secret key created from the image. In this research, we encrypted the medical image using modified Arnold Map Encryption and generated secret key values. Therefore, the image is encrypted, and henceforth it is decrypted as well. So this work gave us the encrypted image and decrypted image/original image as well. The modified Arnold Map Encryption tries to add more randomness, thus increasing the entropy of the image and thus makes it harder to decrypt. The modified Arnold Map Encryption is also compared to other algorithms such as Hyper Chaotic, Secure Hash Algorithm-13 (SHA-13), Ten Logistic Maps, Bakers Map, HenonMap, Cross Chaos Map, and 2D Logistic Map and shows better results in terms of encryption speed and Number of Pixel Change Rate (NPCR) value.

An Effective Color Image Encryption Based on Henon Map, Tent Chaotic Map, and Orthogonal Matrices.

In the last decade, the communication of images through the internet has increased. Due to the growing demands for data transfer through images, protection of data and safe communication is very important. For this purpose, many encryption techniques have been designed and developed. New and secured encryption schemes based on chaos theory have introduced methods for secure as well as fast communication. A modified image encryption process is proposed in this work with chaotic maps and orthogonal matrix in Hill cipher. Image encryption involves three phases. In the first phase, a chaotic Henon map is used for permuting the digital image. In the second phase, a Hill cipher is used whose encryption key is generated by an orthogonal matrix which further is produced from the equation of the plane. In the third phase, a sequence is generated by a chaotic tent map which is later XORed. Chaotic maps play an important role in the encryption process. To deal with the issues of fast and highly secured image processing, the prominent properties of non-periodical movement and non-convergence of chaotic theory play an important role. The proposed scheme is resistant to different attacks on the cipher image. Different tests have been applied to evaluate the proposed technique. The results of the tests such as key space analysis, key sensitivity analysis, and information entropy, histogram correlation of the adjacent pixels, number of pixel change rate (NPCR), peak signal to noise ratio (PSNR), and unified average changing intensity (UCAI) showed that our proposed scheme is an efficient encryption technique. The proposed approach is also compared with some state-of-the-art image encryption techniques. In the view of statistical analysis, we claim that our proposed encryption algorithm is secured.

Molecular investigation of Babesia caballi in horses from the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Epidemiological aspects associated with the infection.

The epidemiological aspects of Babesia caballi infection were evaluated in 516 horse samples from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The presence and infestation level of ticks on horses, breed conditions, and animal management were evaluated on each farm through an epidemiological questionnaire. The gene that codes for rhoptry-associated protein-1 (RAP-1) of B. caballi was amplified by nested PCR (nPCR). Among the horses sampled, 17.2% (n = 89/516) presented B. caballi DNA. The characterized samples showed 99-100% similarity with other isolates of B. caballi based on the RAP-1 gene, available in GenBank. In the final logistic regression model, the variables associated with B. caballi infection in horses were as follows: age below two years (OR = 3.33; IC = 1.7-6.5), farms located in low altitudes (OR = 3.52; IC = 1.7-7.3) and Dermacentor nitens infestation (OR = 1.91; IC = 1.1-3.4). Furthermore, a high level of D. nitens infestation in horses was also a factor associated with positivity for B. caballi (OR = 2.11; IC = 1.25-3.54). In summary, young horses bred in low altitude regions characterized with high temperatures, and infested by D. nitens, mainly with a higher level of infestation, are more likely to be infected by B. caballi. This epidemiological study provides statical evidence that the D. nitens tick play a role as the biological vector of B. caballi in the studied region.

Development and field evaluation of a nested polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (nPCR-RFLP) analysis to identify A. marginale-infected and A. centrale-vaccinated cattle.

A nested polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (nPCR-RFLP) assay based on the amplification of the Anaplasma spp. highly conserved msp5 gene and posterior digestion with HindIII endonuclease was developed and evaluated in field samples. Results were compared using an nPCR specific for Anaplasma marginale (nPCR-Am) based on the msp1ß gene and an nPCR specific for A. centrale (nPCR-Ac) based on the msp2 operon (msp2-o) gene. Amplicons dilutions of msp1ß and msp5 of A. marginale and msp2-o and msp5 of A. centrale and dilutions of parasited erythrocytes (PE) with A. marginale and A. centrale were used to determine the detection limits. The results were 20 DNA copies/reaction and 30 PE for A. marginale and A. centrale by nPCR-RLFP and nPCR-Am/Ac. A mix of msp5-Am and msp5-Ac was used to evaluate the interference of msp5 from one species for the detection of the other. Co-amplification of the DNA from both species was observed up to a 1:7 ratio of one species to the other. Field samples positive for Anaplasma spp. antibodies (n = 260) from 32 herds were evaluated. Strength of agreement between results by nPCR-RFLP and nPCR-Am or nPCR-Ac was 78% (κ = 0.44) and 94% (κ = 0.85), respectively. Thirty-four samples were positive for A. marginale by nPCR-RFLP but negative by nPCR-Am. msp1ß amplicons of 10 samples from 5 herds with discrepancies between nPCR-Am and nPCR-RFLP results were cloned and sequenced. The analysis of the msp1ß sequence showed several mutations in the target region of the internal forward primer that would explain the failure in the amplification. Only 10 of the 20 coinfections identified by nPCR-Ac/nPCR-Am were detected by nPCR-RFLP. nPCR-RFLP is a sensitive, low-cost and accessible molecular method for low-complexity laboratories. More studies are needed to establish in which circumstances coinfections can be underestimated.

International interlaboratory validation of a nested PCR for molecular detection of Babesia bovis and Babesia bigemina, causative agents of bovine babesiosis.

Babesia bovis and B. bigemina are tick-transmitted parasites causing bovine babesiosis, characterized by significant morbidity and mortality leading to economic losses to the livestock industry in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. Animals that recover from acute infection remain carriers with low parasitemia acting as a source of transmission, and often escape detection. An improved diagnosis of a B. bovis and/or B. bigemina infection of carrier animals is enabled by the availability of detection methods with high sensitivity. To this end, two nested PCR assays targeting the cytochrome b (cytb) genes of B. bovis and B. bigemina (cytb-nPCR), have been recently developed and an increased sensitivity with respect to reference protocols has been shown (Romero-Salas et al., 2016). In this study, the specificity against a panel of hemoparasites that potentially co-occur with B. bovis and B. bigemina was demonstrated to ensure applicability of the cytb-nPCR assays in a wide range of regions where bovine babesiosis is endemic. Furthermore, we compared both reported cytb-nPCR assays with reference nPCR and qPCR protocols for (i) their capability to detect carrier animals in the field, and (ii) their reproducibility when performed in different laboratories by independent operators. We show that, in a panel of bovine field samples (n = 100), the cytb-nPCR assays detected a considerably higher number of 25% B. bovis and 61% B. bigemina-positive animals compared to 7% and 20% B. bovis and 55% and 49% B. bigemina-positive animals when tested by reference nPCR and qPCR protocols, respectively. Cytb-nPCRs were also found superior in the detection of carrier animals when field samples from Africa were analyzed. In addition, both the B. bovis and B. bigemina cytb-nPCR assays were independently validated in a single blinded study in three laboratories. Importantly, no significant differences in the number/percentage of infected animals was observed using cytb-nPCR assays. In summary, the cytb-nPCR assays detected a considerably higher number of chronically infected B. bovis and B. bigemina carrier animals compared to reference nPCR and qPCR protocols, when applied in different epidemiological field situations. Furthermore, a high reproducibility between laboratories could be demonstrated.

Racial Disparities and Sex Differences in Early- and Late-Onset Colorectal Cancer Incidence, 2001-2018.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence rates have increased in younger individuals worldwide. We examined the most recent early- and late-onset CRC rates for the US. METHODS: Age-standardized incidence rates (ASIR, per 100,000) of CRC were calculated using the US Cancer Statistics Database's high-quality population-based cancer registry data from the entire US population. Results were cross-classified by age (20-49 [early-onset] and 50-74 years [late-onset]), race/ethnicity (non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, Hispanic, American Indian/Alaskan Native, Asian/Pacific Islander), sex, anatomic location (proximal, distal, rectal), and histology (adenocarcinoma, neuroendocrine). RESULTS: During 2001 through 2018, early-onset CRC rates significantly increased among American Indians/Alaskan Natives, Hispanics, and Whites. Compared to Whites, early-onset CRC rates are now 21% higher in American Indians/Alaskan Natives and 6% higher in Blacks. Rates of early-onset colorectal neuroendocrine tumors have increased in Whites, Blacks, and Hispanics; early-onset colorectal neuroendocrine tumor rates are 2-times higher in Blacks compared to Whites. Late-onset colorectal adenocarcinoma rates are decreasing, while late-onset colorectal neuroendocrine tumor rates are increasing, in all racial/ethnic groups. Late-onset CRC rates remain 29% higher in Blacks and 15% higher in American Indians/Alaskan Natives compared to Whites. Overall, CRC incidence was higher in men than women, but incidence of early-onset distal colon cancer was higher in women. CONCLUSIONS: The early-onset CRC disparity between Blacks and Whites has decreased, due to increasing rates in Whites-rates in Blacks have remained stable. However, rates of colorectal neuroendocrine tumors are increasing in Blacks. Blacks and American Indians/Alaskan Natives have the highest rates of both early- and late-onset CRC. IMPACT: Ongoing prevention efforts must ensure access to and uptake of CRC screening for Blacks and American Indians/Alaskan Natives.

Nucleic acid amplification techniques for the detection of Schistosoma mansoni infection in humans and the intermediate snail host: a structured review and meta-analysis of diagnostic accuracy.

BACKGROUND: Schistosomiasis is a parasitic disease caused by hematodes of genus Schistosoma. This review evaluated the available nucleic acid amplification techniques for diagnosing S. mansoni infections in humans, intermediate host snails, and presumed rodent reservoirs. METHODS: Sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), and 95% CI were calculated based on available literature. The potential of PCR, nPCR, PCR-ELISA, qPCR, and LAMP was compared for diagnosing S. mansoni infections. RESULTS: A total of 546 published records were identified. Quality assessment by QUADAS-2 revealed an uncertain risk in most studies, and 21 references were included in the final. For human samples, the four nucleic acid amplification techniques showed an overall sensitivity of 89.79% (95% CI: 83.92%-93.67%), specificity of 87.70% (95% CI: 72.60%-95.05%), and DOR of 37.73 (95% CI: 21.79-65.33). LAMP showed the highest sensitivity, followed by PCR-ELISA, PCR, and qPCR, while this order was almost reversed for specificity; qPCR had the highest AUC. For rodent samples, qPCR showed modest sensitivity (68.75%, 95% CI: 43.32%-86.36%) and high specificity (92.45%, 95% CI: 19.94%-99.83%). For snail samples, PCR and nPCR assays showed high sensitivity of 90.06% (95% CI: 84.39%-93.82%) and specificity of 85.51% (95% CI: 54.39%-96.69%). CONCLUSION: Nucleic acid amplification techniques had high diagnostic potential for identifying S. mansoni infections in humans.

Molecular characterization of Leishmania species from stray dogs and human patients in Saudi Arabia.

Leishmania major and Leishmania tropica cause cutaneous leishmaniasis in humans and dogs in several parts of the world, with a large number of cases recorded in the Middle East. However, when they occur in sympatry, the role of each species of Leishmania in the epidemiology of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is not clear. To assess the frequency and to identify the species of Leishmania that infect humans and stray dogs in Riyadh and Al-Qaseem (Saudi Arabia), 311 stray dogs and 27 human patients who were suspected for Leishmania infection were examined for CL by a nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR). Seven (25.9%) out of 27 human patients scored positive for Leishmania spp. (i.e., L. major in five patients from Riyadh and L. tropica in two patients from Al-Qaseem). Out of 311 dogs, five (1.6%) were infected by L. tropica. Data herein presented demonstrate the occurrence of L. tropica in dogs and humans in Saudi Arabia, as well as the occurrence of L. major in humans.

Geospatial analysis of multiple cancers in individuals in the US, 2004-2014.

BACKGROUND: There is a projected rapid increase in cancer survivors in the US population, from 15.5 million in 2016 to 26.1 million by 2040. Improvements in treatment and detection have led to increased survival, however, there is now a risk of developing new cancers as a result of environment toxins, behavioral risk factors, genetic predisposition, and late-term effects of radiation and chemotherapeutic treatments. This study takes a geospatial approach to examining the place of occurrence of multiple cancers originating in the population of four screenable cancers-female breast, colorectal, prostate, and cervical cancers-among the US population. METHODS: During 2004-2014, 6,523,532 primary cancer patients with one of these four screenable cancers were examined, and subsequent primary cancers (multiple cancers of any type) were noted. Individual level analyses estimated the odds of diagnosis with multiple cancers controlling for age, sex, and race-ethnicity. Change in effects on odds of multiple cancer diagnoses with age, sex, and race-ethnicity were evaluated controlling separately for late-stage diagnosis of the primary cancer or each primary cancer diagnosis type. County-level spatial cluster analysis was employed to identify and visualize higher than average multiple cancer rates. RESULTS: Over half of the study population were female and almost 30% of the study population were diagnosed at late-stage for their first cancer. Multiple occurrences of all cancers increased during the time period for patients with initial breast or colorectal cancers. Among BC primary cancer cases, subsequent multiple cancers were mostly new breast cancers. By contrast, for CRC primary cancer cases, subsequent multiple cancers were about equally likely to be new CRC cases or other cancer types. Sex, age and race-ethnicity were all significantly associated with multiple cancers. In the model controlling for CRC as the primary type, the age and race-ethnicity effects were somewhat different than for all the other models. Thus, there was something distinctly different about the multiple cancer incidence among patients with CRC as their primary cancer as compared to patients with BC, CVC, or PC primaries. In subsequent analyses by county, there were distinct geospatial patterns in multiple cancer rates with most high-rate clusters occurring in the north- and mid-west US. CONCLUSIONS: There were distinct individual level and geospatial disparities in multiple cancer diagnoses for the study population of all primary breast, colorectal, cervical, or prostate cancer patients during the decade studied. It is importance to emphasize continued screening for cancer survivors and research on personal and environmental drivers of multiple primary cancers.

The epidemiology and detectability of asymptomatic plasmodium vivax and plasmodium falciparum infections in low, moderate and high transmission settings in Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: As countries move to malaria elimination, detecting and targeting asymptomatic malaria infections might be needed. Here, the epidemiology and detectability of asymptomatic Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax infections were investigated in different transmission settings in Ethiopia. METHOD: A total of 1093 dried blood spot (DBS) samples were collected from afebrile and apparently healthy individuals across ten study sites in Ethiopia from 2016 to 2020. Of these, 862 were from community and 231 from school based cross-sectional surveys. Malaria infection status was determined by microscopy or rapid diagnostics tests (RDT) and 18S rRNA-based nested PCR (nPCR). The annual parasite index (API) was used to classify endemicity as low (API > 0 and < 5), moderate (API ≥ 5 and < 100) and high transmission (API ≥ 100) and detectability of infections was assessed in these settings. RESULTS: In community surveys, the overall prevalence of asymptomatic Plasmodium infections by microscopy/RDT, nPCR and all methods combined was 12.2% (105/860), 21.6% (183/846) and 24.1% (208/862), respectively. The proportion of nPCR positive infections that was detectable by microscopy/RDT was 48.7% (73/150) for P. falciparum and 4.6% (2/44) for P. vivax. Compared to low transmission settings, the likelihood of detecting infections by microscopy/RDT was increased in moderate (Adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 3.4; 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.6-7.2, P = 0.002) and high endemic settings (AOR = 5.1; 95% CI 2.6-9.9, P < 0.001). After adjustment for site and correlation between observations from the same survey, the likelihood of detecting asymptomatic infections by microscopy/RDT (AOR per year increase = 0.95, 95% CI 0.9-1.0, P = 0.013) declined with age. CONCLUSIONS: Conventional diagnostics missed nearly half of the asymptomatic Plasmodium reservoir detected by nPCR. The detectability of infections was particularly low in older age groups and low transmission settings. These findings highlight the need for sensitive diagnostic tools to detect the entire parasite reservoir and potential infection transmitters.

Image Encryption Method Using New Concept of Compound Blood Transfusion Rule with Multiple Chaotic Maps.

INTRODUCTION: With the advancement in internet technology, a large amount of information in the form of data and image is transferred from one end to the other. The information may be military, defense, medical, etc. which should be kept confidential by providing security. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this article will be to provide security to the image. This is achieved by applying the image encryption method which converts the original information into an unreadable format. METHODS: This work explores an efficient way of image encryption using a chaotic logistic function. A set of two chaotic logistic functions and 256 bit long external secret key are employed to enhance the security in the encrypted images. The initial condition of first logistic function has been obtained by providing the suitable weights to all bits of the secret key. The initial condition of second logistic function has been derived from the first chaotic logistic function. In this proposed algorithm, ten different operations are used to encrypt the pixel of an image. The outcome of the second logistic map decides the operation to be used in the encryption of the particular image pixel. RESULTS: Various statistical parameters like NPCR, UACI and information entropy were calculated. CONCLUSION: Results show that the proposed algorithm provides an image encryption method with better security and efficiency for all real-time applications such as medical images.

Limb-salvage surgery offers better five-year survival rate than amputation in patients with limb osteosarcoma treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy. A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Osteosarcoma is the most common primary bone sarcoma. Currently, the main treatment option for high-grade osteosarcomas is neoadjuvant chemotherapy, followed by surgical resection of the lesion and adjuvant chemotherapy. Limb salvage surgery (LSS) and amputation are the main surgical techniques; however, controversy still exists concerning the best surgical method. Our meta-analysis compared the effectiveness of LSS and amputation combined with neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with limb osteosarcoma, in terms of 5-year overall survival (OS), 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) and local recurrence rate. METHODS: Following the established methodology of PRISMA guidelines, a literature search was conducted in PubMed, Cochrane, Google Scholar from 1975 until January 2020. Two independent reviewers evaluated the study quality based on the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. Odds ratio and 95% confidence interval of the OS, DFS and local recurrence rate were calculated. RESULTS: Thirteen studies were finally included with a total of 2884 patients; 1986 patients undergone LSS and 898 amputations. Five-year overall survival was almost 2-fold in patients treated with LSS than those treated with amputation (OR: 1.99; 95% CI: 1.35-2.93; I2 = 74%, p < 0.001). No difference was found in 5-year DFS between LSS patients and amputees (OR: 1.24; 95% CI: 0.55-2.79; I2 = 67%, p = 0.01). The odds of local recurrence was numerically higher in LSS compared to amputation but not statistically significant (OR: 2.29; 95% CI: 0.95-5.53; I2 = 47%, p = 0.05). However, the included studies did not clearly define differences in the stages of patients of the two groups. CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrated that in patients with limb osteosarcoma treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy, LSS is associated with a higher 5-year overall survival and the odds of local recurrence may be increased but these results should be interpreted with caution due to high heterogeneity.