Tardigrades from Fayette County, Georgia

Only three species from the phylum Tardigrada have been reported in Georgia. Samples of leaf litter and cryptogams collected in 2003 in Fayette County, Georgia, were examined for the presence of tardigrades. Diphascon (Diphascon) pinque, Macrobiotus coronatus, Macrobiotus harmsworthii, Macrobiotus hibiscus, Macrobiotus richtersi, Minibiotus furcatus, Minibiotus intermedius, Isohypsibius nodosus, and Milnesium tardigradum were present in the samples. All nine are additions to the fauna of Georgia

A Contribution to the Tardigrade Fauna of Georgia, USA

Tardigrada (water bears) is a phylum of microscopic animals commonly found in mosses, lichens, leaf litter, and freshwater. There are no published records of marine tardigrades from Georgia. Twelve species have been reported from four counties in the state of Georgia, USA. Eighteen species of water bear were present in lichen, moss, and leaf litter samples from eight additional counties in northern and central Georgia. Ten species – Pseudechiniscus suillus, Milnesium bohleberi, Hypsibius convergens, Astatumen trinacriae, Macrobiotus anemone, Macrobiotus cf. echinogenitus, Macrobiotus cf. islandicus, Macrobiotus spectabilis, Paramacrobiotus cf. areolatus, and Paramacrobiotus tonollii – are new to the fauna of Georgia

Water bears in the Anthropocene: a comparison of urban and woodland tardigrade (Phylum Tardigrada) communities in Southwestern Louisiana, USA

Humans have had such a profound effect on global ecosystems, including biodiversity, that <em>Anthropocene</em> is being increasingly used as a chronological term to mark the period of greatest human impact. No areas show the effect of human impact on the environment more than cities, which often have novel combinations of species in unique communities. Tardigrades (<em>Phylum Tardigrada</em>) have often been collected in cities, but studies dedicated to urban tardigrade biodiversity are few, and those comparing urban diversity with nearby rural or natural sites even fewer. In this paper we compare the diversity and abundance of tardigrade species in Lake Charles with a nearby forested nonurban site, Sam Houston Jones State Park (SHJSP). Although tardigrade density did not differ significantly between Lake Charles and SHJSP, species richness and diversity were greater in SHJSP (17 species, H1=3.01) than in Lake Charles (8 species, H1=1.30). All but one species found in Lake Charles also occurred in SHJSP. The number of species found in Lake Charles lies within the range (5-10) found in previous urban surveys. All tardigrade studies comparing urban with nearby nonurban habitats have found lower species richness in cities

Tardigrada of Michigan, Northern USA, With the Description of Minibiotus jonesorum SP. N. (Eutardigrada: Macrobiotidae)

Samples of moss, lichens, liverworts and leaf litter collected in the Lower and Upper Peninsulas of the state of Michigan, USA, contained 28 species of water bears (phylum Tardigrada). Eighteen species were considered cosmopolitan, widely distributed in several biogeographical regions. One species, Minibiotus jonesorum sp. n., is described and illustrated. This new species is characterized by having ten transverse bands of polygonal pores that increase in size from anterior to posterior, three macroplacoids that increase in size from anterior to posterior and by lacking a microplacoid or leg granulation. The medial and posterior pores of M. jonesorum sp. n. are polygonal and much larger than the trefoil pores of M. furcatus, the most similar species in the genus

A multi-country analysis of COVID-19 hospitalizations by vaccination status

Background: Individuals vaccinated against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), when infected, can still develop disease&nbsp;that requires hospitalization. It remains unclear whether these patients differ from hospitalized unvaccinated patients with regard to presentation, coexisting comorbidities, and outcomes. Methods: Here, we use data from an international consortium to study this&nbsp;question and assess whether differences between these groups are&nbsp;context specific. Data from 83,163 hospitalized COVID-19 patients (34,843 vaccinated, 48,320 unvaccinated) from 38 countries were analyzed. Findings: While typical symptoms were more often reported in unvaccinated patients, comorbidities, including some associated with worse prognosis in previous studies, were more common in vaccinated patients. Considerable between-country variation in both in-hospital fatality risk and vaccinated-versus-unvaccinated difference in this outcome was observed. Conclusions: These findings will inform allocation of healthcare resources in future surges as well as design of longer-term international studies to characterize changes in clinical profile of hospitalized COVID-19 patients related to vaccination history. Funding: This work was made possible by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and Wellcome (215091/Z/18/Z, 222410/Z/21/Z, 225288/Z/22/Z, and 220757/Z/20/Z); the Bill&nbsp;&amp; Melinda Gates&nbsp;Foundation (OPP1209135); and the philanthropic support of the donors&nbsp;to the University of Oxford's COVID-19 Research Response Fund (0009109). Additional funders are listed in the "acknowledgments" section