scholarly journals Detection of malaria parasites in samples from returning US travelers using the Alethia® Malaria Plus LAMP assay

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dragan Ljolje ◽  
Rispah Abdallah ◽  
Naomi W. Lucchi
Keyword(s):  
Lamp Assay ◽  
State Level ◽  
High Sensitivity ◽  
The United States ◽  
Clinical Samples ◽  
Reference Test ◽  
Malaria Parasites ◽  
Kappa Score ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Expert Microscopy

Abstract Objective In this study, the performance of a commercially available malaria LAMP assay (Alethia® Malaria Plus LAMP) was evaluated using retrospective clinical samples obtained from travelers returning to the United States of America (USA). Recently, several laboratories in non-malaria endemic countries evaluated the use of the loop mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assays for the diagnosis of imported malaria cases. These tests are simpler than polymerase-chain reaction (PCR)-based assays and were shown to have high sensitivity. Much of malaria diagnoses in the USA, is undertaken at the state level using mainly microscopy and rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs). However, molecular tools offer greater sensitivity over microscopy and RDTs. A reliable, easy to perform molecular assay can provide a test of choice for the accurate detection of malaria parasites in places where expert microscopy is lacking and/or for the detection of low-parasite density infections. Results The Alethia® Malaria Plus LAMP assay was easy to use, had similar test performances as the real-time PCR reference test and results were obtained faster (within 1 h) than the reference test. The sensitivity of the assay was 100% with a kappa score of 1 when compared to the reference PET-PCR assay.

scholarly journals Isothermal Recombinase Polymerase Amplification-lateral Flow Detection of SARS-CoV-2, the Etiological Agent of COVID-19

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas R Shelite ◽  
Ashanti C Uscanga-Palomeque ◽  
Alejandro Castellanos ◽  
Peter C Melby ◽  
Bruno L Travi
Keyword(s):  
Rapid Detection ◽  
Limit Of Detection ◽  
Point Of Care ◽  
The United States ◽  
Lateral Flow ◽  
Recombinase Polymerase Amplification ◽  
N Gene ◽  
Clinical Samples ◽  
Reference Test ◽  
Delay In Diagnosis

Abstract The rapid detection of novel pathogens necessitates the development of easy-to-use diagnostic tests that can be readily adapted and utilized in both clinical laboratories and field settings. In December of 2019, novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2 (2019-nCoV), was isolated from a cluster of pneumonia patients in the Chinese city of Wuhan. The virus rapidly spread throughout the world and the first fatal cases of COVID-19 in the United States occurred in late February. The lack of testing and delay in diagnosis has facilitated the spread of this novel virus. Development of point-of-care diagnostic assays that can be performed in rural or decentralized health care centers to expand testing capacity is needed. We developed a qualitative test based on recombinase-polymerase-amplification coupled with lateral flow reading (RPA-LF) for rapid detection of SARS-CoV-2. The RPA-LF detected SARS-CoV-2 with a limit of detection of 35.4 viral nucleocapsid (N) gene copies/µL. Additionally, the RPA-LF was able to detect 0.25-2.5 copies/µL of SARS-CoV-2 N gene containing plasmid. We evaluated 37 clinical samples using CDC’s N3, N1 and N2 RT-real-time PCR assays for SARS-CoV-2 as reference test. We found a 100% concordance between RPA-LF and RT-qPCR reference test as determined by 18/18 positive and 19/19 negative samples. All positive samples had Ct values between 19-37 by RT-qPCR. The RPA-LF primers and probe did not cross react with other relevant betacoronaviruses such as SARS and MERS. This is the first isothermal amplification test paired with lateral flow developed for qualitative detection of COVID-19 allowing rapid viral detection and with prospective applicability in resource limited and decentralized laboratories.

scholarly journals RELIGIOUS COURTS IN THE USA AND CANADA: TYPES, MAIN FUNCTIONS AND INTERACTION WITH THE SECULAR STATE

2020 ◽  
pp. 88-96
Author(s):  
ILSHAT A. MUKHAMETZARIPOV ◽  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Family Relations ◽  
State Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
Orthodox Church ◽  
Church Courts ◽  
Protestant Churches ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Legislative Framework ◽  
Religious Courts

The article reveals the current situation around religious courts, arbitrations and mediation institutions in the states of North America, analyzes their structure, main functions and activities. Catholic and Orthodox church courts, courts and mediation institutions in Protestant churches and denominations, rabbinical and Sharia courts, conflict resolution bodies of Buddhists, Hindus, Mormons, Scientologists are active in the United States. Generally, US authorities do not interfere in their activities if there are no violations of the rights and freedoms of citizens, but sometimes at the state level (Arizona, Wyoming, Indiana, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas) the use of religious norms in arbitration courts is prohibited. A similar situation has occurred in Canada, where official religious courts operate legally, but in the provinces of Ontario and Quebec the activity of religious courts in the field of family relations was limited (in many respects due to fears of the formation of a parallel “Sharia justice”) The opinions of North American researchers on this issue are divided: some consider the activities of religious courts as a violation of the principle of secularism and think it necessary to ban their activities, others regard them as the realization of religious freedoms and advocate their preservation in the legislative framework...

scholarly journals Isothermal Recombinase Polymerase Amplification-lateral Flow Detection of SARS-CoV-2, the Etiological Agent of COVID-19

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas R Shelite ◽  
Ashanti C Uscanga-Palomeque ◽  
Alejandro Castellanos ◽  
Peter C Melby ◽  
Bruno L Travi
Keyword(s):  
Rapid Detection ◽  
Limit Of Detection ◽  
Point Of Care ◽  
The United States ◽  
Lateral Flow ◽  
Recombinase Polymerase Amplification ◽  
N Gene ◽  
Clinical Samples ◽  
Reference Test ◽  
Delay In Diagnosis

Abstract The rapid detection of novel pathogens necessitates the development of easy-to-use diagnostic tests that can be readily adapted and utilized in both clinical laboratories and field settings. In December of 2019, novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2 (2019-nCoV), was isolated from a cluster of pneumonia patients in the Chinese city of Wuhan. The virus rapidly spread throughout the world and the first fatal cases of COVID-19 in the United States occurred in late February. The lack of testing and delay in diagnosis has facilitated the spread of this novel virus. Development of point-of-care diagnostic assays that can be performed in rural or decentralized health care centers to expand testing capacity is needed. We developed a qualitative test based on recombinase-polymerase-amplification coupled with lateral flow reading (RPA-LF) for rapid detection of SARS-CoV-2. The RPA-LF detected SARS-CoV-2 with a limit of detection of 35.4 viral nucleocapsid (N) gene copies/µL. Additionally, the RPA-LF was able to detect 0.25-2.5 copies/µL of SARS-CoV-2 N gene containing plasmid. We evaluated 37 clinical samples using CDC’s N3, N1 and N2 RT-real-time PCR assays for SARS-CoV-2 as reference test. We found a 100% concordance between RPA-LF and RT-qPCR reference test as determined by 18/18 positive and 19/19 negative samples. All positive samples had Ct values between 19-37 by RT-qPCR. The RPA-LF primers and probe did not cross react with other relevant betacoronaviruses such as SARS and MERS. This is the first isothermal amplification test paired with lateral flow developed for qualitative detection of COVID-19 allowing rapid viral detection and with prospective applicability in resource limited and decentralized laboratories.

scholarly journals Development of A Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) Assay for Detection of Relapsing Fever Borreliae

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Faezeh Houmansadr ◽  
Mohammad Soleimani ◽  
Saied Reza Naddaf
Keyword(s):  
Nested Pcr ◽  
Extraction Procedure ◽  
Lamp Assay ◽  
High Sensitivity ◽  
Dried Blood Spots ◽  
Negative Control ◽  
Isothermal Amplification ◽  
Clinical Samples ◽  
Relapsing Fever ◽  
Loop Mediated Isothermal Amplification

Background: This study aimed to develop a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay for the rapid detec­tion of tick-borne relapsing fever in resource-limited areas. Methods: A set of six primers were designed based on the conserved regions of the Glycerophosphodiester phos­phodiesterase (glpQ) gene of Borrelia species. For sensitivity assay, serial dilutions of a recombinant plasmid contain­ing a 219bp sequence of the glpQ were prepared and used as the template DNA. The LAMP reactions containing the six primers and the reagents required for amplification were incubated at 60–65 °C for 60min in a Loopamp real-time tur­bidimeter. For the specificity test, DNA from 14 other bacteria were included in the assays, and double-distilled water was used as the negative control. Also, DNA from dried blood spots (DBSs) of spirochetemic mice, and blood samples from relapsing fever-suspected patients were examined by the LAMP along a Borrelia-specific nested PCR that targets the rrs-rrl-IGS region. Results: The LAMP detected as low as 90glpQ copies in reactions. The primers reacted with DNA from DBS of spi­rochetemic mice showing spirochete concentrations of ≤ one per a 1000X microscopic field. In clinical samples, the LAMP assay showed a higher sensitivity compared to nested-PCR. The LAMP specificity was 100%, as the primers did not react with other bacteria DNA. Conclusion: The high sensitivity and specificity of the test, along with the simplicity of the DNA extraction procedure, make the LAMP a reliable and adaptable tool for the diagnosis of tick-borne relapsing fever in rural endemic areas.  

Evidence for a Positive Ecological Correlation of Regional Intelligence and Suicide Mortality in the United States during the Early 20th Century

2007 ◽  
Vol 105 (2) ◽  
pp. 391-402 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Voracek
Keyword(s):  
20Th Century ◽  
State Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
Ethnic Composition ◽  
Suicide Mortality ◽  
Early 20Th Century ◽  
Ecological Group ◽  
Suicide Rates ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Ecological Correlation

Several contemporary cross-national and intranational geographic studies have reported positive ecological (group-level) associations of intelligence and suicide mortality. These findings are consistent with facts from suicide research and with an evolutionary view of suicidal behavior. The present research extended these accounts cross-temporally. Analysis of E. L. Thorndike's state-level personal quality scores and standardized birth rates of eminent persons, taken as proxy variables for regional intelligence, along with historical state suicide rates (1913–1924 and 1928–1932) showed that intelligence and suicide mortality across the USA were already clearly positively related during the early 20th century, suggesting time stability of the effect. Within the USA, the effect is possibly due to state differences in the ethnic composition, which correspond to both suicide rates and intelligence proxies. It is argued that the most parsimonious interpretation of these ecological findings remains that they indeed reflect individual-level effects, that a positive link between intelligence and suicide is entirely compatible with positive overall links between intelligence and health and longevity, and that the ultimate explanative background for the positive link between intelligence and suicide may be provided through the framework of Rushton's differential K theory.

scholarly journals ПІДГОТОВКА ФАХІВЦІВ АГАРНОЇ ГАЛУЗІ В УКРАЇНІ ТА США: ПОРІВНЯЛЬНИЙ АСПЕКТ

2020 ◽  
pp. 263-273
Author(s):  
Наталія Олійник ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Research Training ◽  
State Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
World Market ◽  
Scientific Development ◽  
Important Place ◽  
Research Activities ◽  
The Us ◽  
The Usa

The main problems of personnel training in Ukraine and the USA are considered in the article. It is noted that considerable attention is paid to the scientific staff of the agricultural universities. The purpose of this article is to identify the main components of training future professionals in the US agrarian industry. The objectives are to identify the main factors influencing the identification of the major components of training of future specialists in the agrarian industry in the United States, and to identify key areas for improving the research training of future farmers. It is noted that research activities play an important place in American education institutions; they are aimed at improving the work of agribusiness and gaining a leading position in the world market of production and sale of agricultural products. Students can independently pursue a scientific specialization and obtain a certificate of the right to engage in scientific activities after graduation from the US agricultural institutions. The program of training future specialists in agriculture provides studying of mandatory disciplines and additional ones, special scientific courses. The main requirements for a young specialist include the ability to work both independently and in a team, communication skills; knowledge of management and economics; free computer skills to process materials and control biological and chemical processes in their projects. The main areas of work contributing to the development of the US agricultural sector and highlighting the main pressing issues of scientific development of Ukraine are support for universities and their projects at the state level, updating the material and technical base of universities, international cooperation between universities, research and development funding and support for young scientists.

scholarly journals Impact of COVID-19 on excess mortality, life expectancy, and years of life lost in the United States

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (9) ◽  
pp. e0256835
Author(s):  
Eunice Y. S. Chan ◽  
Davy Cheng ◽  
Janet Martin
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Life Expectancy ◽  
Indirect Effects ◽  
State Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
Years Of Life Lost ◽  
The Usa ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Historical Life ◽  
Excess Deaths

This paper quantifies the net impact (direct and indirect effects) of the pandemic on the United States population in 2020 using three metrics: excess deaths, life expectancy, and total years of life lost. The findings indicate there were 375,235 excess deaths, with 83% attributable to direct, and 17% attributable to indirect effects of COVID-19. The decrease in life expectancy was 1.67 years, translating to a reversion of 14 years in historical life expectancy gains. Total years of life lost in 2020 was 7,362,555 across the USA (73% directly attributable, 27% indirectly attributable to COVID-19), with considerable heterogeneity at the individual state level.

scholarly journals Patchwork of contrasting medication cultures across the USA

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel D. Melamed ◽  
Andrey Rzhetsky
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Drug Prescription ◽  
Health Spending ◽  
State Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
Best Practice Guidelines ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Prescription Rates ◽  
Receive Treatment

AbstractHealth care in the United States is markedly heterogeneous, with large disparities in treatment choices and health spending. Drug prescription is one major component of health care—reflecting the accuracy of diagnosis, the adherence to evidence-based guidelines, susceptibility to drug marketing, and regulatory factors. Using medical claims data covering nearly half of the USA population, we have developed a framework to compare prescription rates of 600 popular drugs in 2,334 counties. Our approach uncovers geographically separated sub-Americas, where patients receive treatment for different diseases, and where physicians choose different drugs for the same disease. The geographical variation suggests influences of racial composition, state-level health care laws, and wealth. Some regions consistently prefer more expensive drugs, even when they have not been proven more efficacious than cheaper alternatives. Our study underlines the benefit of aggregating massive information on medical practice into a summarized and actionable form. We hope that our methodology and conclusions will guide policy measures for aligning prescriptions with best-practice guidelines.

Consumer sentiment and house prices: asymmetric evidence from state-level data in the United States

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohsen Bahmani-Oskooee ◽  
Hesam Ghodsi ◽  
Muris Hadzic
Keyword(s):  
House Prices ◽  
State Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
Symmetric Model ◽  
Consumer Sentiment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Asymmetric Effects ◽  
Level Data ◽  
The Usa ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to assess and compare the symmetric and asymmetric effects of consumer sentiment on house prices in each state of the USA. This is the first study that uses state-level data. Design/methodology/approach Both linear and nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag approaches are used to assess the asymmetric effects of consumer sentiment on house prices in each state of the USA. Findings When the authors estimated a linear symmetric model, this paper found short-run effects of consumer sentiment on house prices in 34 states that lasted into the long-run in only 13 states. The comparable numbers by estimating a nonlinear asymmetric model were 47 and 22, respectively. The increase in the number of states where consumer sentiment affects house prices was attributed to the nonlinear adjustments of consumer sentiment. Originality/value The authors deviate from previous research and assess the impact of consumer sentiment on house prices by using data from each state of the USA. The authors also deviate from previous research by demonstrating that the effects could be asymmetric. No study has done this at the state-level.

scholarly journals The Evolution of Racehorse Clusters in the United States: Geographic Analysis and Implications for Sustainable Agricultural Development

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 494
Author(s):  
Paul D. Gottlieb ◽  
Jennifer R. Weinert ◽  
Elizabeth Dobis ◽  
Karyn Malinowski
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Development ◽  
Local Development ◽  
State Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
Interesting Case ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Bottom Line ◽  
Knowledge Industry ◽  
The Usa ◽  
National Decline

Sustainability is frequently defined as the need to place equal emphasis on three societal goals: economic prosperity, environment, and social equity. This “triple bottom line” (TBL) framework is embraced by practitioners in both corporate and government settings. Within agriculture, the horse-racing industry and its breeding component are an interesting case study for the TBL approach to local development. The sector is to some extent a “knowledge industry”, agglomerating in relatively few regions worldwide. In the USA, choices made by breeders or owners are likely affected by sudden changes in specific state policies, especially those related to gambling. Both of these unusual conditions—for agriculture at least—have been playing out against a background of national decline in the number of registered racehorse breeding stock. This study traces changes, between 1995 and 2017, in the geographic distribution of registered Thoroughbred and Standardbred stallions. We find that isolated, scattered registered stallions have largely disappeared, strengthening one or more core states (or counties) that had an initially high percentage of stallions. The gainers and losers among previously core regions appear to be heavily influenced by state-level policies. It follows that such policies can influence the conservation of agricultural landscapes as well as racing revenues.

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