Evaluation of the susceptibility of pathogenic Candida species to fluconazole. Fluconazole Global Susceptibility Study Group.

A fluconazole 25 microg disk diffusion test was used to test 2230 consecutively isolated Candida strains from 42 different hospital laboratories in 23 countries. Ninety seven percent of 1634 Candida albicans isolates and 83.4% of 596 non-Candida albicans isolates were susceptible to fluconazole, applying the proposed breakpoints (> or = 26 mm for susceptible strains and 18-25 mm for dose-dependent susceptible strains). This is the first hospital laboratory study to evaluate a large number and wide range of sequential Candida isolates from patients with all types of hospital infections. The fluconazole disk diffusion test appears to be a low-cost, reproducible, and accurate means of assessing the in vitro susceptibility of Candida isolates.

Chromosome localization of microsatellite markers in the shrews of the Sorex araneus group.

The extremely high rate of karyotypic evolution that characterizes the shrews of the Sorex araneus group makes this group an exceptionally interesting model for population genetics and evolutionary studies. Here, we attempted to map 46 microsatellite markers at the chromosome arm level using flow-sorted chromosomes from three karyotypically different taxa of the Sorex araneus group (S. granarius and the chromosome races Cordon and Novosibirsk of S. araneus). The most likely localizations were provided for 35 markers, among which 25 were each unambiguously mapped to a single locus on the corresponding chromosomes in the three taxa, covering the three sexual chromosomes (XY1Y2) and nine of the 18 autosomal arms of the S. araneus group. The results provide further evidence for a high degree of conservation in genome organization in the S. araneus group despite the presence of numerous Robertsonian rearrangements. These markers can therefore be used to compare the genetic structure among taxa of the S. araneus group at the chromosome level and to study the role of chromosomal rearrangements in the genetic diversification and speciation process of this group.

State of Iowa Systematic Study for the State Correctional System, The Durrant Group, Inc.

Operations lead evaluation to determine future opportunities for best practices in Treatment, Operations, Classification, and Programs; ultimately leading evaluations toward the appropriate utilization and application of new and existing infrastructure.

Realizations of Poincar group induced by second order differential systems. Non interaction theorem

A generalization of the predictive relativistic mechanics is studied where the initial conditions are taken on a general hypersurface of M4. The induced realizations of the Poincar group are obtained. The same procedure is used for the Galileo group. Noninteraction theorems are derived for both groups.

Genomewide association study of atazanavir pharmacokinetics and hyperbilirubinemia in AIDS Clinical Trials Group protocol A5202.

BACKGROUND: Atazanavir-associated hyperbilirubinemia can cause premature discontinuation of atazanavir and avoidance of its initial prescription. We used genomewide genotyping and clinical data to characterize determinants of atazanavir pharmacokinetics and hyperbilirubinemia in AIDS Clinical Trials Group protocol A5202. METHODS: Plasma atazanavir pharmacokinetics and indirect bilirubin concentrations were characterized in HIV-1-infected patients randomized to atazanavir/ritonavir-containing regimens. A subset had genomewide genotype data available. RESULTS: Genomewide assay data were available from 542 participants, of whom 475 also had data on estimated atazanavir clearance and relevant covariates available. Peak bilirubin concentration and relevant covariates were available for 443 participants. By multivariate analysis, higher peak on-treatment bilirubin levels were found to be associated with the UGT1A1 rs887829 T allele (P=6.4×10), higher baseline hemoglobin levels (P=4.9×10), higher baseline bilirubin levels (P=6.7×10), and slower plasma atazanavir clearance (P=8.6×10). For peak bilirubin levels greater than 3.0 mg/dl, the positive predictive value of a baseline bilirubin level of 0.5 mg/dl or higher with hemoglobin concentrations of 14 g/dl or higher was 0.51, which increased to 0.85 with rs887829 TT homozygosity. For peak bilirubin levels of 3.0 mg/dl or lower, the positive predictive value of a baseline bilirubin level less than 0.5 mg/dl with a hemoglobin concentration less than 14 g/dl was 0.91, which increased to 0.96 with rs887829 CC homozygosity. No polymorphism predicted atazanavir pharmacokinetics at genomewide significance. CONCLUSION: Atazanavir-associated hyperbilirubinemia is best predicted by considering UGT1A1 genotype, baseline bilirubin level, and baseline hemoglobin level in combination. Use of ritonavir as a pharmacokinetic enhancer may have abrogated genetic associations with atazanavir pharmacokinetics.

Nursing Facility Accountability Measure Work group Membership List, March 19, 2009

Recognize facilities that provide quality of life and appropriate access to medical assistance program beneficiaries in a cost-effective manner. Each measure is intended to represent nursing facility characteristics in each of the four domains.

Audit report on the Honey Creek Resort Operations Account maintained by Central Group Management, LLC for the year ended June 30, 2012

Audit report on the Honey Creek Resort Operations Account maintained by Central Group Management, LLC for the year ended June 30, 2012

Chemisorption of group-III metals on the Si(111) and Ge(111) surfaces: An ab initio study

Chemisorption of group-III metal adatoms on Si(111) and Ge(111) has been studied through the ab initio Hartree-Fock method including nonempirical pseudopotentials and using cluster models to simulate the surface. Three different high-symmetry sites (atop, eclipsed, and open) have been considered by using X4H9, X4H7, and X6H9 (X=Si,Ge) cluster models. In a first step, ideal surface geometries have been used. Metal-induced reconstruction upon chemisorption has also been taken into account. Equilibrium distances, binding energies, and vibrational frequencies have been obtained and compared with available experimental data. From binding-energy considerations, the atop and eclipsed sites seem to be the most favorable ones and thus a coadsorption picture may be suggested. Group-III metals exhibit a similar behavior and the same is true for Si(111) and Ge(111) surfaces when chemisorption is considered.

Behavioural species discrimination in red wood ants (Formica rufa group)

The Formica rufa group (red wood ants) currently includes six species. Nevertheless, during previous work based on molecular markers, we showed the existence of one population morphologically identified as F. lugubris, but genetically different from all other analysed populations of this species. This population could represent a cryptic species within the Swiss National Park and has been provisionally named Formica lugubris-A2. To verify our hypothesis, we conducted a behavioural test based on the ability of ants to recognize pupae of their own species when compared to those of another species. The three red wood ant species present in the Swiss National Park (F. lugubris, F. paralugubris and F. aquilonia) and the F. lugubris-A2 population were used in our study. Results indicate that the F. lugubris-A2 population differs from other F. lugubris and from all other species in the behaviour of its workers and in the way its pupae are discriminated by other species. This is in accordance with the genetic data and strengthens our hypothesis on the existence of a new cryptic red wood ant species within the Swiss National Park.