Severe Ehrlichia chaffeensis Infection in a Lung Transplant Recipient: A Review of Ehrlichiosis in the Immunocompromised Patient

We describe a case of human ehrlichiosis in a lung transplant recipient and review published reports on ehrlichiosis in immunocompromised patients. Despite early therapy with doxycycline, our patient had unusually severe illness with features of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura. Of 23 reported cases of ehrlichiosis in immunocompromised patients, organ failure occurred in all patients and 6 (25%) died

Hydrographic and nutrient data from R/V Knorr cruise 73, leg 2 : February to March, 1978 : off the coast of Peru

In February and March of 1978 a major cruise was undertaken on the R/V KNORR off the Peruvian coast near 15°S in order to investigate the organic biogeochemical processes associated with upwelling areas. The purpose of this report is to collate the large amount of hydrographic, nutrient, and plankton data generated from various investigators on this cruise and use the report as a standard for the cruise participants. Data for temperature, salinity, oxygen, nitrate, nitrite, ammonium, phosphate, silicate, chlorophyll a, productivity indices, and carbon fixation rates are given.Prepared for the National Science Foundation under Grant OCE 77-26084, for the Office of Naval Research under Contract N00014-74-C-0262 ER 083-004 and for the NOAA Office of Sea Grant under Grants 04-7-158-44034 and 04-8-MO1-79 to the University of New Hampshire/University of Maine Cooperative Institutional Sea Grant Proqram

Proceedings, Pot Chrysanthemum School, 1971

Space management / Robert W. Langhans -- Soils / D. C. Kiplinger -- Nutrition / George L. Staby -- Temperature and photoperiod / Joseph W. Love -- Automated short day control -- R. A. Aldrich -- Growth regulators / James B. Shanks -- Programming for insect-free pot mums / Richard K. Lindquist -- Programming for disease-free pot mums / Lester P. Nichols and Paul E. Nelson -- Where you go wrong / Harry K. Tayam

Population studies of sporadic cerebral amyloid angiopathy and dementia: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Deposition of amyloid-beta (Abeta) in vessel walls of the brain as cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) could be a major factor in the pathogenesis of dementia. Here we investigate the relationship between dementia and the prevalence of CAA in older populations. We searched the literature for prospective population-based epidemiological clinicopathological studies, free of the biases of other sampling techniques, which were used as a comparison. METHODS: To identify population-based studies assessing CAA and dementia, a previous systematic review of population-based clinicopathological studies of ageing and dementia was employed. To identify selected-sample studies, PsychInfo (1806-April Week 3 2008), OVID MEDLINE (1950-April Week 2 2008) and Pubmed (searched 21 April 2008) databases were searched using the term "amyloid angiopathy". These databases were also employed to search for any population-based studies not included in the previous systematic review. Studies were included if they reported the prevalence of CAA relative to a dementia classification (clinical or neuropathological). RESULTS: Four population-based studies were identified. They showed that on average 55-59% of those with dementia displayed CAA (of any severity) compared to 28-38% of the non-demented. 37-43% of the demented displayed severe CAA in contrast to 7-24% of the non-demented. There was no overlap in the range of these averages and they were less variable and lower than those reported in 38 selected sample studies (demented v non-demented: 32-100 v 0-77% regardless of severity; 0-50 v 0-11% for severe only). CONCLUSION: CAA prevalence in populations is consistently higher in the demented as compared to the non-demented. This supports a significant role for CAA in the pathogenesis of dementia

Delivery of Dark Material to Vesta via Carbonaceous Chondritic Impacts

NASA's Dawn spacecraft observations of asteroid (4) Vesta reveal a surface with the highest albedo and color variation of any asteroid we have observed so far. Terrains rich in low albedo dark material (DM) have been identified using Dawn Framing Camera (FC) 0.75 {\mu}m filter images in several geologic settings: associated with impact craters (in the ejecta blanket material and/or on the crater walls and rims); as flow-like deposits or rays commonly associated with topographic highs; and as dark spots (likely secondary impacts) nearby impact craters. This DM could be a relic of ancient volcanic activity or exogenic in origin. We report that the majority of the spectra of DM are similar to carbonaceous chondrite meteorites mixed with materials indigenous to Vesta. Using high-resolution seven color images we compared DM color properties (albedo, band depth) with laboratory measurements of possible analog materials. Band depth and albedo of DM are identical to those of carbonaceous chondrite xenolith-rich howardite Mt. Pratt (PRA) 04401. Laboratory mixtures of Murchison CM2 carbonaceous chondrite and basaltic eucrite Millbillillie also show band depth and albedo affinity to DM. Modeling of carbonaceous chondrite abundance in DM (1-6 vol%) is consistent with howardite meteorites. We find no evidence for large-scale volcanism (exposed dikes/pyroclastic falls) as the source of DM. Our modeling efforts using impact crater scaling laws and numerical models of ejecta reaccretion suggest the delivery and emplacement of this DM on Vesta during the formation of the ~400 km Veneneia basin by a low-velocity (<2 km/sec) carbonaceous impactor. This discovery is important because it strengthens the long-held idea that primitive bodies are the source of carbon and probably volatiles in the early Solar System.Comment: Icarus (Accepted) Pages: 58 Figures: 15 Tables:

Study Design and Cohort Comparability in a Study of Major Cardiovascular Events in New Users of Prucalopride Versus Polyethylene Glycol 3350

INTRODUCTION: Given prior safety experience with other 5-HT4 agonists for chronic constipation, an observational, population-based cohort study in five data sources from Germany, Sweden, and the UK was conducted to evaluate the cardiovascular safety of prucalopride. OBJECTIVES: Our objective is to describe the methods and resulting comparability of cohorts in a multi-database, multinational study of prucalopride initiators and polyethylene glycol 3350 (PEG) initiators following a harmonized protocol. METHODS: Prucalopride initiators were matched on age, sex, and index date to PEG initiators (1:5 ratio). Study exposures, cardiovascular risk factors, and other covariates were identified from healthcare utilization codes harmonized across databases. Cardiovascular outcomes were identified using database-specific algorithms based on diagnosis codes. The propensity score (PS) in each database was estimated using logistic regression, with prucalopride versus PEG as the outcome and including clinically relevant variables associated with major adverse cardiovascular events. RESULTS: In total, 12,030 prucalopride initiators and 59,985 PEG initiators were identified. After matching and trimming, cohorts from the UK and Sweden were well-balanced for cardiovascular risk factors and cancer. However, in Germany, PEG initiators remained older and sicker than prucalopride initiators. The prevalence of these characteristics also differed from those in the UK and Sweden. The pooled analyses included only data from the UK and Sweden. CONCLUSIONS: Matching, trimming, and PS stratification yielded comparable cohorts in four of five data sources. Use of these methods could not achieve balance for key covariates within the German cohort, likely due to reimbursement differences in Germany

Cardiovascular Safety of Prucalopride in Patients with Chronic Constipation:A Multinational Population-Based Cohort Study

INTRODUCTION: The serotonin 5-HT4 receptor agonist prucalopride is approved in the European Union for the treatment of chronic constipation. This offered the unique opportunity to include real-world observational data on cardiovascular safety in the new drug application for approval of prucalopride in the USA. METHODS: This observational population-based cohort study (EUPAS9200) conducted in five data sources (three in the UK, one in Sweden, and one in Germany [which was subsequently excluded from the pooled analyses]) aimed to estimate the pooled adjusted incidence rate ratio for major adverse cardiovascular events (defined as hospitalization for non-fatal acute myocardial infarction or stroke, and in-hospital cardiovascular death) in adult initiators of prucalopride compared with initiators of polyethylene glycol 3350 (PEG) following a common protocol. Standardized incidence rates and incidence rate ratios of major adverse cardiovascular events were derived using propensity score stratification. Sensitivity analyses explored the impact of exposure definition, outcome categories, interim cancer, and unmeasured confounding. RESULTS: The pooled analyses included 5715 initiators of prucalopride and 29,372 initiators of PEG. Average duration of use was 175 days for prucalopride and 82 days for PEG. The pooled standardized incidence rate per 1000 person-years (95% confidence interval) of major adverse cardiovascular events was 6.57 (3.90–10.39) for patients initiating prucalopride and 10.24 (6.97–14.13) for PEG. The pooled adjusted incidence rate ratio for major adverse cardiovascular events was 0.64 (95% confidence interval 0.36–1.14). Results remained consistent in various sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSIONS: The pooled incidence rate ratio estimate was consistent with no indication of an increased risk above the pre-specified safety threshold of 3.00 for major adverse cardiovascular events in patients with chronic constipation using prucalopride as compared with PEG