Trypanosomes are monophyletic: evidence from genes for glyceraldehyde phosphate dehydrogenase and small subunit ribosomal RNA.

The genomes of Trypanosoma brucei, Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania major have been sequenced, but the phylogenetic relationships of these three protozoa remain uncertain. We have constructed trypanosomatid phylogenies based on genes for glycosomal glyceraldehyde phosphate dehydrogenase (gGAPDH) and small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA). Trees based on gGAPDH nucleotide and amino acid sequences (51 taxa) robustly support monophyly of genus Trypanosoma, which is revealed to be a relatively late-evolving lineage of the family Trypanosomatidae. Other trypanosomatids, including genus Leishmania, branch paraphyletically at the base of the trypanosome clade. On the other hand, analysis of the SSU rRNA gene data produced equivocal results, as trees either robustly support or reject monophyly depending on the range of taxa included in the alignment. We conclude that the SSU rRNA gene is not a reliable marker for inferring deep level trypanosome phylogeny. The gGAPDH results support the hypothesis that trypanosomes evolved from an ancestral insect parasite, which adapted to a vertebrate/insect transmission cycle. This implies that the switch from terrestrial insect to aquatic leech vectors for fish and some amphibian trypanosomes was secondary. We conclude that the three sequenced pathogens, T. brucei, T. cruzi and L. major, are only distantly related and have distinct evolutionary histories

Antimicrobial stewardship practices in Virginia

The Society of Healthcare Epidemiology of America, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the President\u27s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology recognize the need to combat antimicrobial resistance through the promotion of antimicrobial stewardship programs. Health care facilities in Virginia were surveyed using a 23-item survey focused on facility characteristics and antimicrobial stewardship strategies. Antimicrobial stewardship activities were highly variable and many are missing key personnel and resources

Geomorphology of the middle Mississippi River

DBS-SAS-MAS 9.Includes bibliographical references (pages 79-80).Prepared for U.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station, Corps of Engineers, Vicksburg, Mississippi under Contract No. DACW39-73-C- 0026 by Engineering Research Center, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado.January 1974.Sponsored by U.S. Army Engineer District, St. Louis

Flood protection at culvert outlets

CER69-70DBS-MAS-FJW4.Includes bibliographical references (pages 59-60).Prepared for Wyoming State Highway Department, Planning and Research Division in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Bureau of Public Roads.In this study several classes of information concerning flood protection at culvert outlets are presented. The information is related to the flow conditions at culvert outfalls and to the hydraulics of rigid basins and outlet basins stabilized with rock riprap. In addition, the characteristics of high tailwater and non-scouring, low tailwater basins are covered. In this report it is intended that a hydraulic engineer can take the information contained in the text, examples, illustrations, and figures and apply it toward the design of an energy dissipator of maximum effectiveness. The data on which the report is based were gathered mostly during an experimental program at Colorado State University. In some cases, adequate data were available from other sources. Where such information was needed, it was incorporated into the report

Utility of surveillance blood cultures in patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

Background Surveillance blood cultures are often obtained in hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) patients for detection of bloodstream infection. The major aims of this retrospective cohort study were to determine the utility of the practice of obtaining surveillance blood cultures from asymptomatic patients during the first 100 post-transplant days and to determine if obtaining more than one positive blood culture helps in the diagnosis of bloodstream infection. Methods We conducted a 17-month retrospective analysis of all blood cultures obtained for patients admitted to the hospital for HSCT from January 2010 to June 2011. Each patient’s clinical course, vital signs, diagnostic testing, treatment, and response to treatment were reviewed. The association between number of positive blood cultures and the final diagnosis was analyzed. Results Blood culture results for 205 patients were reviewed. Cultures obtained when symptoms of infection were present (clinical cultures) accounted for 1,033 culture sets, whereas 2,474 culture sets were classified as surveillance cultures (no symptoms of infection were present). The total number of positive blood cultures was 185 sets (5.3% of cultures obtained) and accounted for 84 positive culture episodes. Incidence of infection in autologous, related allogeneic and unrelated allogeneic transplants was 8.3%, 20.0%, and 28.6% respectively. Coagulase-negative staphylococci were the most common organisms isolated. Based on our application of predefined criteria there were 29 infections and 55 episodes of positive blood cultures that were not infections. None of the patients who developed infection were diagnosed by surveillance blood cultures. None of the uninfected patients with positive blood cultures showed any clinical changes after receiving antibiotics. There was a significant difference between the incidence of BSI in the first and second 50-day periods post-HSCT. There was no association between the number of positive blood cultures and the final diagnosis. Conclusion Surveillance blood cultures in patients who have undergone HSCT do not identify bloodstream infections. The number of positive blood cultures was not helpful in determining which patients had infection. Patients are at higher risk of infection in the first 50 days post-transplant period

Refractive Status and Vision Profile: evaluation of psychometric properties and comparison of Rasch and summated Likert-scaling. [Post-print]

The psychometric properties of the Refractive Status and Vision Profile (RSVP) questionnaire were evaluated using Rasch analysis. Ninety-one myopic patients from a refractive surgery clinic and general optometric practice completed the RSVP. Rasch analysis of the RSVP ordinal data was performed to examine for unidimensionality and item reduction. The traditional Likert-scoring system was compared with a Rasch-scored RSVP and a reduced item Rasch-scored RSVP. Rasch analysis of the original RSVP showed poor targeting of item difficulty to patient quality of life, items with a ceiling effect and underutilized response categories. Combining the underutilized response scales and removal of redundant and misfitting items improved the internal consistency and targeting of the RSVP, and the reduced 20-item Rasch scored RSVP showed greater relative precision over standard Likert scoring in discriminating between the two subject groups. A Rasch scaled quality of life questionnaire is recommended for use in refractive outcomes research

National Park Service Visitation and Search Behavior: An Update to 2010

Abstract This purpose of this paper was to examine and update recent findings that proposes that national park visitation is on the decline and to propose other methods for examining the interest in national parks through online searches related to travel intentions. Data from a large, national syndicated secondary dataset were examined by individual participation data collected on an annual basis over the period of 2000-2010. In addition, inquiry data from Google Insights™ for vacation travel to national and state parks was also used as a proxy measure to determine if interest had declined. While there was evidence of some decline in visitation to national parks from 2000-2010, most of the decline was limited to the period of 2000-2004; however, there was also a rebound in interest from 2004 through 2010 with the exception of 2008. The decline does not appear to be dramatic. The decline is not related to a decrease in the market size of individuals interested in national parks but rather a volume issue. The volume issue suggests that the base market of people interested in national parks still exists, but the base market is making fewer visits per visitor to national parks. Additional insights into visitation based on media use (e.g., watching tv and internet use) based on volume segments were explored. There was some indication of decline of interest in visiting national parks during vacation travel through the analysis of Google Insights™ search behavior; however, this decline has been cyclical, not overly dramatic, and appears to reflect the changes in visitation noted here through the national syndicated dataset findings. Interest may also have shifted to other outdoor pursuits and interests via an increase in more choices. Interest in state parks appeared to also be seasonal; but no dramatic decline in the interest in state parks was noted based on Internet searches and Google Insights™ analysis

Disrupted Maturation of the Microbiota and Metabolome among Extremely Preterm Infants with Postnatal Growth Failure

Growth failure during infancy is a major global problem that has adverse effects on long-term health and neurodevelopment. Preterm infants are disproportionately affected by growth failure and its effects. Herein we found that extremely preterm infants with postnatal growth failure have disrupted maturation of the intestinal microbiota, characterized by persistently low diversity, dominance of pathogenic bacteria within the Enterobacteriaceae family, and a paucity of strictly anaerobic taxa including Veillonella relative to infants with appropriate postnatal growth. Metabolomic profiling of infants with growth failure demonstrated elevated serum acylcarnitines, fatty acids, and other byproducts of lipolysis and fatty acid oxidation. Machine learning algorithms for normal maturation of the microbiota and metabolome among infants with appropriate growth revealed a pattern of delayed maturation of the microbiota and metabolome among infants with growth failure. Collectively, we identified novel microbial and metabolic features of growth failure in preterm infants and potentially modifiable targets for intervention