Detection of leptospiral antibodies and DNA in freshwater fish

Leptospirosis is an important zoonotic disease that is maintained in populations due to chronic kidney infection of reservoir mammals. Previous work from our lab has identified rodents, voles, shrews, chipmunks and several species of amphibians and reptiles as hosts of Leptospira spp. in the Cumberland Gap Region of Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia. The aim of this study was to determine if fish contribute to the maintenance of the pathogen in the aquatic environment. Fish (n = 238), belonging to 19 genera, were collected from seven different locations in the Powell River in East Tennessee. Fish kidneys were harvested and screened for leptospiral DNA using a TaqMan quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay that targets pathogenic Leptospira spp. Blood samples were collected for measuring leptospiral antibodies using microscopic agglutination test (MAT). Of the 238 fish screened, 11 were positive by either qPCR or MAT (4.62%; 95% CI: 2.33–8.12). Of these 3 (3/238; 1.26%; 95% CI: 0.26–3.64) were positive by qPCR and 8 (8/237; 3.38%; 95% CI: 1.47–6.54) were found to have antibodies to at least one leptospiral serovar by MAT. This is the first report of leptospiral DNA detection in fish kidneys, providing insights on the potential role of fish in the epidemiology of leptospirosis in the region

Regional Practice Variation and Outcomes in the Standard Versus Accelerated Initiation of Renal Replacement Therapy in Acute Kidney Injury (STARRT-AKI) Trial: A Post Hoc Secondary Analysis

OBJECTIVES: Among patients with severe acute kidney injury (AKI) admitted to the ICU in high-income countries, regional practice variations for fluid balance (FB) management, timing, and choice of renal replacement therapy (RRT) modality may be significant. DESIGN: Secondary post hoc analysis of the STandard vs. Accelerated initiation of Renal Replacement Therapy in Acute Kidney Injury (STARRT-AKI) trial (ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT02568722). SETTING: One hundred-fifty-three ICUs in 13 countries. PATIENTS: Altogether 2693 critically ill patients with AKI, of whom 994 were North American, 1143 European, and 556 from Australia and New Zealand (ANZ). INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Total mean FB to a maximum of 14 days was +7199 mL in North America, +5641 mL in Europe, and +2211 mL in ANZ (p < 0.001). The median time to RRT initiation among patients allocated to the standard strategy was longest in Europe compared with North America and ANZ (p < 0.001; p < 0.001). Continuous RRT was the initial RRT modality in 60.8% of patients in North America and 56.8% of patients in Europe, compared with 96.4% of patients in ANZ (p < 0.001). After adjustment for predefined baseline characteristics, compared with North American and European patients, those in ANZ were more likely to survive to ICU (p < 0.001) and hospital discharge (p < 0.001) and to 90 days (for ANZ vs. Europe: risk difference [RD], -11.3%; 95% CI, -17.7% to -4.8%; p < 0.001 and for ANZ vs. North America: RD, -10.3%; 95% CI, -17.5% to -3.1%; p = 0.007). CONCLUSIONS: Among STARRT-AKI trial centers, significant regional practice variation exists regarding FB, timing of initiation of RRT, and initial use of continuous RRT. After adjustment, such practice variation was associated with lower ICU and hospital stay and 90-day mortality among ANZ patients compared with other regions

Data from: Directional selection for flowering time leads to adaptive evolution in Raphanus raphanistrum (Wild radish)

Herbicides have been the primary tool for controlling large populations of yield depleting weeds from agro-ecosystems, resulting in the evolution of widespread herbicide resistance. In response, nonherbicidal techniques have been developed which intercept weed seeds at harvest before they enter the soil seed bank. However, the efficiency of these techniques allows an intense selection for any trait that enables weeds to evade collection, with early-flowering ecotypes considered likely to result in early seed shedding. Using a field-collected wild radish population, five recurrent generations were selected for early maturity and three generations for late maturity. Phenology associated with flowering time and growth traits were measured. Our results demonstrate the adaptive capacity of wild radish to halve its time to flowering following five generations of early-flowering selection. Early-maturing phenotypes had reduced height and biomass at maturity, leading to less competitive, more prostrate growth forms. Following three generations of late-flowering selection, wild radish doubled its time to flowering time leading to increased biomass and flowering height at maturity. This study demonstrates the potential for the rapid evolution in growth traits in response to highly effective seed collection techniques that imposed a selection on weed populations within agro-ecosystems at harvest