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Background: Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia is increasingly diagnosed with highly sensitive PCR diagnostics in immunocompromised, HIV-negative individuals. We assessed the performance of our in-house quantitative PCR with the aim to optimise interpretation. Methods: Retrospective audit of all positive P. jirovecii qPCRs on induced sputum or BAL fluid at a single centre from 2012 to 2023. Medical and laboratory records were analysed and people with HIV were excluded. Cases were categorised as colonisation, high-probability PCP or uncertain PCP infection against a clinical gold standard incorporating clinico-radiological data. Quantitative PCR assay targeting the 5s gene was utilised throughout the time period. Results: Of the 82 positive qPCRs, 28 were categorised as high-probability PCP infection, 30 as uncertain PCP and 24 as colonisation. There was a significant difference in qPCR values stratified by clinical category but not respiratory sample type. Current assay performance with a cutoff of 2.5 × 105 copies/mL had a sensitivity of 50% (95% CI, 30.65–69.35%) and specificity of 83.33% (95% CI, 62.62–95.26%). Youden Index calculated at 6.5 × 104 copies/mL had a sensitivity of 75% (56.64–87.32%, 95% CI) and specificity of 66.67% (46.71–82.03%, 95% CI). High and low cutoffs were explored. Significant variables associated with infection were age > 70 years old, the presence of fever, hypoxia or ground glass changes. Conclusions: A single qPCR cutoff cannot reliably determine P. jirovecii infection from colonisation. Low and high cutoffs are useful, however, a large "possible infection" cohort will remain where interpretation of clinic-radiological factors remains essential. Standardisation of assays with prospective validation in specific immunocompromised groups will allow greater generalisability and allow large-scale prospective assay validation to be performed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The spread of SARS-CoV-2 cannot be well monitored and understood in areas without capacity for effective disease surveillance. Countries with a young population will have disproportionately large numbers of asymptomatic or pauci-symptomatic infections, further hindering detection of infection. Sero-surveillance on a country-wide scale by trained medical professionals may be limited in a resource-limited setting such as Mali. Novel ways of broadly sampling the human population in a non-invasive method would allow for large-scale surveillance at a reduced cost. Approach: Here we evaluate the collection of naturally blood-fed mosquitoes to test for human anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in the laboratory and at five field locations in Mali. Results: Immunoglobulin-G antibodies to multiple SARS-CoV-2 antigens were readily detected in mosquito bloodmeals by bead-based immunoassay through at least 10 h after feeding [mean sensitivity of 0.92 (95% CI 0.78-1) and mean specificity of 0.98 (95% CI 0.88-1)], indicating that most blood-fed mosquitoes collected indoors during early morning hours (and likely to have fed the previous night) are viable samples for analysis. We found that reactivity to four SARS-CoV-2 antigens rose during the pandemic from pre-pandemic levels. The crude seropositivity of blood sampled via mosquitoes was 6.3% in October and November 2020 across all sites, and increased to 25.1% overall by February 2021, with the most urban site reaching 46.7%, consistent with independent venous blood-based sero-surveillance estimates. Conclusions: We have demonstrated that using mosquito bloodmeals, countrywide sero-surveillance of human diseases (both vector-borne and non-vectorborne) is possible in areas where human-biting mosquitoes are common, offering an informative, cost-effective, and non-invasive sampling option. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Plasmodium vivax has been proposed to infect and replicate in the human spleen and bone marrow. Compared to Plasmodium falciparum, which is known to undergo microvascular tissue sequestration, little is known about the behavior of P. vivax outside of the circulating compartment. This may be due in part to difficulties in studying parasite location and activity in life. Methods and findings To identify organ-specific changes during the early stages of P. vivax infection, we performed 18-F fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MRI) at baseline and just prior to onset of clinical illness in P. vivax experimentally induced blood-stage malaria (IBSM) and compared findings to P. falciparum IBSM. Seven healthy, malaria-naive participants were enrolled from 3 IBSM trials: NCT02867059, ACTRN12616000174482, and ACTRN12619001085167. Imaging took place between 2016 and 2019 at the Herston Imaging Research Facility, Australia. Postinoculation imaging was performed after a median of 9 days in both species (n = 3 P. vivax; n = 4 P. falciparum). All participants were aged between 19 and 23 years, and 6/7 were male. Splenic volume (P. vivax: +28.8% [confidence interval (CI) +10.3% to +57.3%], P. falciparum: +22.9 [CI -15.3% to +61.1%]) and radiotracer uptake (P. vivax: +15.5% [CI -0.7% to +31.7%], P. falciparum: +5.5% [CI +1.4% to +9.6%]) increased following infection with each species, but more so in P. vivax infection (volume: p = 0.72, radiotracer uptake: p = 0.036). There was no change in FDG uptake in the bone marrow (P. vivax: +4.6% [CI -15.9% to +25.0%], P. falciparum: +3.2% [CI -3.2% to +9.6%]) or liver (P. vivax: +6.2% [CI -8.7% to +21.1%], P. falciparum: -1.4% [CI -4.6% to +1.8%]) following infection with either species. In participants with P. vivax, hemoglobin, hematocrit, and platelet count decreased from baseline at the time of postinoculation imaging. Decrements in hemoglobin and hematocrit were significantly greater in participants with P. vivax infection compared to P. falciparum. The main limitations of this study are the small sample size and the inability of this tracer to differentiate between host and parasite metabolic activity. Conclusions PET/MRI indicated greater splenic tropism and metabolic activity in early P. vivax infection compared to P. falciparum, supporting the hypothesis of splenic accumulation of P. vivax very early in infection. The absence of uptake in the bone marrow and liver suggests that, at least in early infection, these tissues do not harbor a large parasite biomass or do not provoke a prominent metabolic response. PET/MRI is a safe and noninvasive method to evaluate infection-associated organ changes in morphology and glucose metabolism., Author(s): John Woodford 1,2,*, Ashley Gillman 3, Peter Jenvey 4, Jennie Roberts 4, Stephen Woolley 1,5, Bridget E. Barber 1,6, Melissa Fernandez 1, Stephen Rose 3, Paul Thomas 7, Nicholas [...]

Kansas City Lightning: The Rise and Times of Charlie Parker, by Stanley Crouch. New York: HarperCollins, 2013. $27.99 hardback. 365 pages. Reviewed by John Woodford. This masterwork by Stanley Crouch [...]

Malaria has been hypothesized as a factor that may have reduced the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic in sub-Saharan Africa. To evaluate the effect of recent malaria on COVID-19 we assessed a subgroup of individuals participating in a longitudinal cohort COVID-19 serosurvey that were also undergoing intensive malaria monitoring as part of antimalarial vaccine trials during the 2020 transmission season in Mali. These communities experienced a high incidence of primarily asymptomatic or mild COVID-19 during 2020 and 2021. In 1314 individuals, 711 were parasitemic during the 2020 malaria transmission season; 442 were symptomatic with clinical malaria and 269 had asymptomatic infection. Presence of parasitemia was not associated with new COVID-19 seroconversion (29.7% (211/711) vs. 30.0% (181/603), p=0.9038) or with rates of reported symptomatic seroconversion during the malaria transmission season. In the subsequent dry season, prior parasitemia was not associated with new COVID-19 seroconversion (30.2% (133/441) vs. 31.2% (108/346), p=0.7499), with symptomatic seroconversion, or with reversion from seropositive to seronegative (prior parasitemia: 36.2% (64/177) vs. no parasitemia: 30.1% (37/119), p = 0.3842). After excluding participants with asymptomatic infection, clinical malaria was also not associated with COVID-19 serostatus or symptomatic seroconversion when compared to participants with no parasitemia during the monitoring period. In communities with intense seasonal malaria and a high incidence of asymptomatic or mild COVID-19, we did not demonstrate a relationship between recent malaria and subsequent response to COVID-19. Lifetime exposure, rather than recent infection, may be responsible for any effect of malaria on COVID-19 severity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Black Cultural Front: Black Writers and Artists of the Depression Generation, by Brian Dolinar. Jackson: University of Mississippi Press, 2012. $60 hardcover; $34 Amazon online. Reviewed by John Woodford. [...]

Background The extent of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) exposure and transmission in Mali and the surrounding region is not well understood. We aimed to estimate the cumulative incidence of SARS-CoV-2 in 3 communities and understand factors associated with infection. Methods Between July 2020 and January 2021, we collected blood samples and demographic, social, medical, and self-reported symptoms information from residents aged 6 months and older over 2 study visits. SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were measured using a highly specific 2-antigen enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay optimized for use in Mali. We calculated cumulative adjusted seroprevalence for each community and evaluated factors associated with serostatus at each visit by univariate and multivariate analysis. Results Overall, 94.8% (2533/2672) of participants completed both study visits. A total of 31.3% (837/2672) were aged <10 years, 27.6% (737/2672) were aged 10–17 years, and 41.1% (1098/2572) were aged ≥18 years. The cumulative SARS-CoV-2 exposure rate was 58.5% (95% confidence interval, 47.5–69.4). This varied between sites and was 73.4% in the urban community of Sotuba, 53.2% in the rural town of Bancoumana, and 37.1% in the rural village of Donéguébougou. Study site and increased age were associated with serostatus at both study visits. There was minimal difference in reported symptoms based on serostatus. Conclusions The true extent of SARS-CoV-2 exposure in Mali is greater than previously reported and may now approach hypothetical "herd immunity" in urban areas. The epidemiology of the pandemic in the region may be primarily subclinical and within background illness rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: False positivity may hinder the utility of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) serological tests in sub-Saharan Africa.Methods: From 312 Malian samples collected before 2020, we measured antibodies to the commonly tested SARS-CoV-2 antigens and 4 other betacoronaviruses by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In a subset of samples, we assessed antibodies to a panel of Plasmodium falciparum antigens by suspension bead array and functional antiviral activity by SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus neutralization assay. We then evaluated the performance of an ELISA using SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and receptor-binding domain developed in the United States using Malian positive and negative control samples. To optimize test performance, we compared single- and 2-antigen approaches using existing assay cutoffs and population-specific cutoffs.Results: Background reactivity to SARS-CoV-2 antigens was common in prepandemic Malian samples. The SARS-CoV-2 reactivity varied between communities, increased with age, and correlated negligibly/weakly with other betacoronavirus and P falciparum antibodies. No prepandemic samples demonstrated functional activity. Regardless of the cutoffs applied, test specificity improved using a 2-antigen approach. Test performance was optimal using a 2-antigen assay with population-specific cutoffs (sensitivity, 73.9% [95% confidence interval {CI}, 51.6-89.8]; specificity, 99.4% [95% CI, 97.7-99.9]).Conclusions: We have addressed the problem of SARS-CoV-2 seroassay performance in Africa by using a 2-antigen assay with cutoffs defined by performance in the target population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background MMV390048 is the first Plasmodium phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase inhibitor to reach clinical development as a new antimalarial. We aimed to characterize the safety, pharmacokinetics, and antimalarial activity of a tablet formulation of MMV390048. Methods A 2-part, phase 1 trial was conducted in healthy adults. Part 1 was a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, single ascending dose study consisting of 3 cohorts (40, 80, 120 mg MMV390048). Part 2 was an open-label volunteer infection study using the Plasmodium falciparum induced blood-stage malaria model consisting of 2 cohorts (40 mg and 80 mg MMV390048). Results Twenty four subjects were enrolled in part 1 (n = 8 per cohort, randomized 3:1 MMV390048:placebo) and 15 subjects were enrolled in part 2 (40 mg [n = 7] and 80 mg [n = 8] cohorts). One subject was withdrawn from part 2 (80 mg cohort) before dosing and was not included in analyses. No serious or severe adverse events were attributed to MMV390048. The rate of parasite clearance was greater in subjects administered 80 mg compared to those administered 40 mg (clearance half-life 5.5 hours [95% confidence interval {CI}, 5.2–6.0 hours] vs 6.4 hours [95% CI, 6.0–6.9 hours]; P  = .005). Pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic modeling estimated a minimum inhibitory concentration of 83 ng/mL and a minimal parasiticidal concentration that would achieve 90% of the maximum effect of 238 ng/mL, and predicted that a single 120-mg dose would achieve an adequate clinical and parasitological response with 92% certainty. Conclusions The safety, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of MMV390048 support its further development as a partner drug of a single-dose combination therapy for malaria. Clinical Trials Registration NCT02783820 (part 1); NCT02783833 (part 2). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Plasmodium malariae is considered a minor malaria parasite, although its global disease burden is underappreciated. The aim of this study was to develop an induced blood-stage malaria (IBSM) model of P. malariae to study parasite biology, diagnostic assays, and treatment.Methods: This clinical trial involved 2 healthy subjects who were intravenously inoculated with cryopreserved P. malariae-infected erythrocytes. Subjects were treated with artemether-lumefantrine after development of clinical symptoms. Prior to antimalarial therapy, mosquito-feeding assays were performed to investigate transmission, and blood samples were collected for rapid diagnostic testing and parasite transcription profiling. Serial blood samples were collected for biomarker analysis.Results: Both subjects experienced symptoms and signs typical of early malaria. Parasitemia was detected 7 days after inoculation, and parasite concentrations increased until antimalarial treatment was initiated 25 and 21 days after inoculation for subjects 1 and 2 respectively (peak parasitemia levels, 174 182 and 50 291 parasites/mL, respectively). The parasite clearance half-life following artemether-lumefantrine treatment was 6.7 hours. Mosquito transmission was observed for 1 subject, while in vivo parasite transcription and biomarkers were successfully profiled.Conclusions: An IBSM model of P. malariae has been successfully developed and may be used to study the biology of, diagnostic testing for, and treatment of this neglected malaria species.Clinical Trials Registration: ACTRN12617000048381. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

“Near-frictionless carbon,” a form of amorphous hydrogenated diamondlike carbon developed at Argonne National Laboratory, has been investigated by neutron and x-ray reflectivity under ambient conditions, in vacuum, and at elevated temperature. A series of films was made with different ratios of hydrogen to carbon in the plasma; the deuterated counterparts were also synthesized. The details of scattering length density profiles, thickness, and surface and interfacial roughness of the films were obtained from neutron and x-ray reflectivity profiles. This allowed us to calculate the mass density and hydrogen composition of the bulk carbon film, leading to insight into the frictional properties. From the analysis we found that the magnitude of the scattering length density of the top surface layer was greatly affected by the experimental atmosphere in which the films were contained although the trend with hydrogen in the plasma remained the same. All samples were fitted with a three-layer model in addition to the substrate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A form of hydrogenated diamond-like-carbon, “near-frictionless carbon,” developed at Argonne National Laboratory has been studied by several spectroscopic techniques to determine the hydrogen content and carbon bonding within the film. The techniques used include hydrogen forward scattering, ultraviolet Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, near-edge x-ray absorption fine structure, and fluctuation microscopy. These complementary techniques reveal the different types of carbon bonding, such as sp2 and sp3, the medium-range order in the film, and its composition. © 2004 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The NIST watt balance experiment is being completely rebuilt after its 1998 determination of the Planck constant. That measurement yielded a result with an approximately 1 X [10.sup.-7] relative standard […]

Dear Laura, As you know, Bob--I often called him Roberto and he dubbed me Juan--was a very dear, dear friend of long standing. I'll miss him forever. We had so [...]