Grid tool integration within the eMinerals Project

In this article we describe the eMinerals mini grid, which is now running in production mode. Thisis an integration of both compute and data components, the former build upon Condor, PBS and thefunctionality of Globus v2, and the latter being based on the combined use of the Storage ResourceBroker and the CCLRC data portal. We describe how we have integrated the middleware components,and the different facilities provided to the users for submitting jobs within such an environment. We willalso describe additional functionality we found it necessary to provide ourselves

Is drinking water a risk factor for endemic cryptosporidiosis? A case-control study in the immunocompetent general population of the San Francisco Bay Area

BACKGROUND: Cryptosporidiosis, caused by Cryptosporidium, is an enteric illness that has received much attention as an infection of immunocompromised persons as well as in community outbreaks (frequently waterborne). There are, however, no studies of the risk factors for sporadic community-acquired cryptosporidiosis in the immunocompetent US population. We undertook a case-control study in the San Francisco Bay Area as part of a national study sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to ascertain the major routes of transmission for endemic cryptosporidiosis, with an emphasis on evaluating risk from drinking water. METHODS: Cases were recruited from a population-based, active surveillance system and age-matched controls were recruited using sequential random-digit dialing. Cases (n = 26) and controls (n = 62) were interviewed by telephone using a standardized questionnaire that included information about the following exposures: drinking water, recreational water, food items, travel, animal contact, and person-to-person fecal contact, and (for adults) sexual practices. RESULTS: In multivariate conditional logistic regression analyses no significant association with drinking water was detected. The major risk factor for cryptosporidiosis in the San Francisco Bay Area was travel to another country (matched odds ratio [95% confidence interval]: 24.1 [2.6, 220]). CONCLUSION: The results of this study do not support the hypothesis that drinking water is an independent risk factor for cryptosporidiosis among the immunocompetent population. These findings should be used to design larger studies of endemic cryptosporidiosis to elucidate the precise mechanisms of transmission, whether waterborne or other

Parenteral nutrition in emergency surgery: a multicentre cross-sectional study

Background Emergency general surgical patients are inherently at high risk of malnutrition. Early decision-making with implementation is fundamental to patient recovery. For many patients, parenteral nutrition (PN) is the only feeding option available. The present study assessed the timing and outcomes of this decision-making process. Methods A sample of at least 10 consecutive adult patients admitted as a general surgical emergency to eight UK hospitals over 1 year who had received PN was identified. Patient demographics, basic descriptors and nutritional data were captured. Process measures regarding dates decisions were made or activities completed were extracted from records, as were outcome measures including PN complications. Six time frames examining the process of PN delivery were analysed. Associations between categorical and binary variables were investigated with a chi-squared test with significance determined as p < 0.05. Results In total, 125 patients were included. Intestinal obstruction was the most common diagnosis with 59% of all patients deemed high risk on nutritional assessment at admission. Median time to decision for PN was 5 days following admission (n = 122, interquartile range = 7). Patients received PN for a mean of 11 days. Eighty-five percent of patients developed a complication, with a phosphate abnormality being the most commonly reported (54%). Only altered blood glucose levels appeared to correlate with a delay in starting PN (p < 0.01). Conclusions The present study shows there are delays in the decision to use PN in the acutely ill surgical patient. Once initiated, the pathway is relatively short. There are high rates of electrolyte abnormalities in this population

Recovering Dietary Information from Extant and Extinct Primates Using Plant Microremains

When reconstructing the diets of primates, researchers often rely on several well established methods, such as direct observation, studies of discarded plant parts, and analysis of macrobotanical remains in fecal matter. Most of these studies can be performed only on living primate groups, however, and the diets of extinct, subfossil, and fossil groups are known only from proxy methods. Plant microremains, tiny plant structures with distinctive morphologies, can record the exact plant foods that an individual consumed. They can be recovered from recently deceased and fossil primate samples, and can also be used to supplement traditional dietary analyses in living groups. Here I briefly introduce plant microremains, provide examples of how they have been successfully used to reconstruct the diets of humans and other species, and describe methods for their application in studies of primate dietary ecology