Gulf of Mexico blue hole harbors high levels of novel microbial lineages.

Exploration of oxygen-depleted marine environments has consistently revealed novel microbial taxa and metabolic capabilities that expand our understanding of microbial evolution and ecology. Marine blue holes are shallow karst formations characterized by low oxygen and high organic matter content. They are logistically challenging to sample, and thus our understanding of their biogeochemistry and microbial ecology is limited.

Comparative genomics of an IncA/C multidrug resistance plasmid from Escherichia coli and Klebsiella isolates from intensive care unit patients and the utility of whole-genome sequencing in health care settings.

The IncA/C plasmids have been implicated for their role in the dissemination of β-lactamases, including gene variants that confer resistance to expanded-spectrum cephalosporins, which are often the treatment of last resort against multidrug-resistant, hospital-associated pathogens. A bla(FOX-5) gene was detected in 14 Escherichia coli and 16 Klebsiella isolates that were cultured from perianal swabs of patients admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) of the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) in Baltimore, MD, over a span of 3 years. Four of the FOX-encoding isolates were obtained from subsequent samples of patients that were initially negative for an AmpC β-lactamase upon admission to the ICU, suggesting that the AmpC β-lactamase-encoding plasmid was acquired while the patient was in the ICU.

Glyconutrients and perception, cognition, and memory.

Neuropsychological tests were administered to 62 college students to assess the influence of glyconutrients on perception, cognition and memory in two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, counterbalanced studies. Participants were given both a glyconutritional supplement and a control substance prior to testing. In Exp.

Predicting the risk of Lyme disease: habitat suitability for Ixodes scapularis in the north central United States.

The distribution and abundance of Ixodes scapularis were studied in Wisconsin, northern Illinois, and portions of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan by inspecting small mammals for ticks and by collecting questing ticks at 138 locations in state parks and natural areas. Environmental data were gathered at a local level (i.e.