Upper Cretaceous Sediment in Montana

Cretaceous sediments in Montana record events during a period of unusual geologic interest. After a long period of extensive submergence of the area during Jurassic time, came a period of varying continental and marine deposition with consequent variations in the types of sediments laid down. A study of these variations, their extent, and their cause has been the primary object of this thesis

Three New Species of Tursiocola (Bacillariophyta) from the Skin of the West Indian Manatee (Trichechus manatus)

Three new species of Tursiocola are described from the skin of the West Indian manatee bringing the total number of known species in the genus to seven. The range of morphological diversity within the genus is greatly expanded. The number of poroid rows on the copulae is no longer a valid characteristic for the separation of Tursiocola from the ceticolous genus Epiphalaina. The presence of a butterfly-like structure in the central area of the former is at present the best criterion for separating the 2 genera. The 3 new Tursiocola species accounted for nearly 90% of all diatom valves on the manatee skin. No other diatom taxa previously described as new from the skin of cetaceans were present on the manatee

Tursiocola denysii sp. nov. (Bacillariophyta) from the neck skin of Loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta)

Tursiocola denysii sp. nov. is described from the dorsal neck skin of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta), bringing the total number of known species in the genus Tursiocola to eight. A gradient of striae density on the valve face, the low length: width ratio of the valves, radiate striae at mid-valve, and a second partial row of pores on the valvocopulae are characteristics that expand the range of morphological diversity within the genus. The different morphology of the pars interior and the pars exterior of the valvocopula is described for the first time in the genus. T. denysii accounted for up to ca. 40% of all diatom valves on the skin of loggerhead turtles. This is the first report of a new epizoic diatom species from the skin of loggerhead sea turtles

Medlinella amphoroidea gen. et sp. nov. (Bacillariophyta) from the neck skin of Loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta)

Medlinella amphoroidea gen. et sp. nov. is described from the dorsal neck skin of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta). The presence of girdle septa, multiple copulae, and the marine epizoic habitat of Medlinella amphoroidea are characteristic features shared with many species in the similar Tripterion, Chelonicola, and Poulinea genera. The semi-lanceolate valve shape, the asymmetric valve face with distinct dorsal and ventral striae, and the volate pore occlusions distinguish Medlinella from these genera. Medlinella amphoroidea accounted for up to 50% of all diatom valves on the skin of examined loggerhead turtles. Examination of the type slides of Tripterion kalamensis and T. philoderma for comparative purposes revealed morphological features that were either insufficiently or incorrectly described in the original publications. Our observations confirm that T. philoderma lacks septa and therefore does not conform to the genus description of Tripterion. The description of cingulum structure in Tripterion kalamensis is amended to identify multiple porose copulae that are open at one end. While the description of Medlinella creates another monotypic genus within a group of similar marine epizoic genera, we feel the novel character state (volate occlusions) present in this taxon is significant. Clearly, however, further phylogenetic analysis of morphological, or the development of molecular characters in the group of similar genera is required

Acute hepatitis in three patients with systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis taking interleukin-1 receptor antagonist

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Purpose</p> <p>We investigated the etiology of acute hepatitis in three children with systemic Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (sJIA) taking Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL1RA).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Laboratory and clinical data for three children with sJIA diagnosed at ages 13 months to 8 years who developed acute hepatitis during treatment with IL1RA were reviewed for evidence of sJIA flare, infection, macrophage activation syndrome (MAS), malignancy, and drug reaction.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In all patients, hepatitis persisted despite cessation of known hepatotoxic drugs and in absence of known infectious triggers, until discontinuation of IL1RA. Liver biopsies had mixed inflammatory infiltrates with associated hepatocellular injury suggestive of an exogenous trigger. At the time of hepatitis, laboratory data and liver biopsies were not characteristic of MAS. In two patients, transaminitis resolved within one week of discontinuing IL1RA, the third improved dramatically in one month.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Although sJIA symptoms improved significantly on IL1RA, it appeared that IL1RA contributed to the development of acute hepatitis. Hepatitis possibly occurred as a result of an altered immune response to a typical childhood infection while on IL1RA. Alternatively, hepatitis could have represented an atypical presentation of MAS in patients with sJIA taking IL1RA. Further investigation is warranted to determine how anti-IL1 therapies alter immune responsiveness to exogenous triggers in patients with immune dysfunction such as sJIA. Our patients suggest that close monitoring for hepatic and other toxicities is indicated when treating with IL1RA.</p

Age-Gender Influence on the Rate-Corrected QT Interval and the QT-Heart Rate Relation in Families With Genotypically Characterized Long QT Syndrome

AbstractObjectives. We sought to analyze age-gender differences in the rate-corrected QT (QTc) interval in the presence of a QT-prolonging gene.Background. Compared with men, women exhibit a longer QTc interval and an increased propensity toward torsade de pointes. In normal subjects, the QTc gender difference reflects QTc interval shortening in men during adolescence.Methods. QTc intervals were analyzed according to age (<16 or ≥16 years) and gender in 460 genotyped blood relatives from families with long QT syndrome linked to chromosome 11p (KVLQT1; n = 199), 7q (HERG; n = 208) or 3p (SCN5A; n = 53).Results. The mean QTc interval in genotype-negative blood relatives (n = 240) was shortest in men, but similar among women, boys and girls. For genotype-positive blood relatives, men exhibited the shortest mean QTc interval in chromosome 7q- and 11p-linked blood relatives (n = 194), but not in the smaller 3p-linked group (n = 26). Among pooled 7q- and 11p-linked blood relatives, multiple regression analysis identified both genotype (p < 0.001) and age-gender group (men vs. women/children; p < 0.001) as significant predictors of the QTc interval; and heart rate (p < 0.001), genotype (p < 0.001) and age-gender group (p = 0.01) as significant predictors of the absolute QT interval. A shorter mean QT interval in men was most evident for heart rates <60 beats/min.Conclusions. In familial long QT syndrome linked to either chromosome 7q or 11p, men exhibit shorter mean QTc values than both women and children, for both genotype-positive and -negative blood relatives. Thus, adult gender differences in propensity toward torsade de pointes may reflect the relatively greater presence in men of a factor that blunts QT prolongation responses, especially at slow heart rates.(J Am Coll Cardiol 1997;29:93–9)

PatientExploreR: an extensible application for dynamic visualization of patient clinical history from electronic health records in the OMOP common data model.

MotivationElectronic health records (EHRs) are quickly becoming omnipresent in healthcare, but interoperability issues and technical demands limit their use for biomedical and clinical research. Interactive and flexible software that interfaces directly with EHR data structured around a common data model (CDM) could accelerate more EHR-based research by making the data more accessible to researchers who lack computational expertise and/or domain knowledge.ResultsWe present PatientExploreR, an extensible application built on the R/Shiny framework that interfaces with a relational database of EHR data in the Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership CDM format. PatientExploreR produces patient-level interactive and dynamic reports and facilitates visualization of clinical data without any programming required. It allows researchers to easily construct and export patient cohorts from the EHR for analysis with other software. This application could enable easier exploration of patient-level data for physicians and researchers. PatientExploreR can incorporate EHR data from any institution that employs the CDM for users with approved access. The software code is free and open source under the MIT license, enabling institutions to install and users to expand and modify the application for their own purposes.Availability and implementationPatientExploreR can be freely obtained from GitHub: https://github.com/BenGlicksberg/PatientExploreR. We provide instructions for how researchers with approved access to their institutional EHR can use this package. We also release an open sandbox server of synthesized patient data for users without EHR access to explore: http://patientexplorer.ucsf.edu.Supplementary informationSupplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online

Infant Botulism

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/66984/2/10.1177_000992289303201105.pd

Microspatial variability in community structure and photophysiology of calcified macroalgal microbiomes revealed by coupling of hyperspectral and high-resolution fluorescence imaging

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