2 results
5 - On the Emerging Codes for Chemical Evolution
- from Part II - Bio from Bit
-
- By Jillian E. Smith-Carpenter, East Stroudsburg University, Sha Li, Wuhan University, Jay T. Goodwin, University of Chicago, Anil K. Mehta, Yale University, David G. Lynn, Columbia University
- Edited by Sara Imari Walker, Arizona State University, Paul C. W. Davies, Arizona State University, George F. R. Ellis, University of Cape Town
-
- Book:
- From Matter to Life
- Published online:
- 02 March 2017
- Print publication:
- 23 February 2017, pp 97-113
-
- Chapter
- Export citation
-
Summary
Life has been described as information flowing in molecular streams (Dawkins, 1996).Our growing understanding of the impact of horizontal gene transfer on evolutionary dynamics reinforces this fluid-like flow of molecular information (Joyce, 2002). The diversity of nucleic acid sequences, those known and yet to be characterized across Earth's varied environments, along with the vast repertoire of catalytic and structural proteins, presents as more of a dynamic molecular river than a tree of life. These informational biopolymers function as a mutualistic union so universal as to have been termed the Central Dogma (Crick, 1958). It is the distinct folding dynamics-the digital-like base pairing dominating nucleic acids, and the environmentally responsive and diverse range of analog-like interactions dictating protein folding (Goodwin et al., 2012)-that provides the basis for the mutualism. The intertwined functioning of these analog and digital forms of information (Goodwin et al., 2012) unified within diverse chemical networks is heralded as the Darwinian threshold of cellular life (Woese, 2002).
The discovery of prion diseases (Chien et al., 2004; Jablonka and Raz, 2009; Paravastu et al., 2008) introduced the paradigm of protein templates that propagate conformational information, suggesting a new context for Darwinian evolution. When taking both protein and nucleic acid moelcular evolution into consideration (Cairns- Smith, 1966; Joyce, 2002), the conceptual framework for chemical evolution can be generalized into three orthogonal dimensions as shown in Figure 5.1 (Goodwin et al., 2014). The 1st dimension manifests structural order through covalent polymerization reactions and includes chain length, sequence, and linkage chemistry inherent to a dynamic chemical network. The 2nd dimension extends the order in dynamic conformational networks through noncovalent interactions of the polymers. This dimension includes intramolecular and intermolecular forces, from macromolecular folding to supramolecular assembly to multicomponent quaternary structure. Folding in this 2nd dimension certainly depends on the primary polymer sequence, and the folding/assembly diversity yields an additional set of environmentally constrained supramolecular folding codes. For example, double-stranded DNA assemblies are dominated by the rules of complementary base pairing, while the self-propagating conformations of prions are based on additional noncovalent, environmentally-dependent interactions.
Device-Associated Infection Rates in 20 Cities of India, Data Summary for 2004–2013: Findings of the International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium
- Yatin Mehta, Namita Jaggi, Victor Daniel Rosenthal, Maithili Kavathekar, Asmita Sakle, Nita Munshi, Murali Chakravarthy, Subhash Kumar Todi, Narinder Saini, Camilla Rodrigues, Karthikeya Varma, Rekha Dubey, Mohammad Mukhit Kazi, F. E. Udwadia, Sheila Nainan Myatra, Sweta Shah, Arpita Dwivedy, Anil Karlekar, Sanjeev Singh, Nagamani Sen, Kashmira Limaye-Joshi, Bala Ramachandran, Suneeta Sahu, Nirav Pandya, Purva Mathur, Samir Sahu, Suman P. Singh, Anil Kumar Bilolikar, Siva Kumar, Preeti Mehta, Vikram Padbidri, N. Gita, Saroj K. Patnaik, Thara Francis, Anup R. Warrier, S. Muralidharan, Pravin Kumar Nair, Vaibhavi R. Subhedar, Ramachadran Gopinath, Afzal Azim, Sanjeev Sood
-
- Journal:
- Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology / Volume 37 / Issue 2 / February 2016
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 26 November 2015, pp. 172-181
- Print publication:
- February 2016
-
- Article
- Export citation
-
OBJECTIVE
To report the International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium surveillance data from 40 hospitals (20 cities) in India 2004–2013.
METHODSSurveillance using US National Healthcare Safety Network’s criteria and definitions, and International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium methodology.
RESULTSWe collected data from 236,700 ICU patients for 970,713 bed-days
Pooled device-associated healthcare-associated infection rates for adult and pediatric ICUs were 5.1 central line–associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs)/1,000 central line–days, 9.4 cases of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAPs)/1,000 mechanical ventilator–days, and 2.1 catheter-associated urinary tract infections/1,000 urinary catheter–days
In neonatal ICUs (NICUs) pooled rates were 36.2 CLABSIs/1,000 central line–days and 1.9 VAPs/1,000 mechanical ventilator–days
Extra length of stay in adult and pediatric ICUs was 9.5 for CLABSI, 9.1 for VAP, and 10.0 for catheter-associated urinary tract infections. Extra length of stay in NICUs was 14.7 for CLABSI and 38.7 for VAP
Crude extra mortality was 16.3% for CLABSI, 22.7% for VAP, and 6.6% for catheter-associated urinary tract infections in adult and pediatric ICUs, and 1.2% for CLABSI and 8.3% for VAP in NICUs
Pooled device use ratios were 0.21 for mechanical ventilator, 0.39 for central line, and 0.53 for urinary catheter in adult and pediatric ICUs; and 0.07 for mechanical ventilator and 0.06 for central line in NICUs.
CONCLUSIONSDespite a lower device use ratio in our ICUs, our device-associated healthcare-associated infection rates are higher than National Healthcare Safety Network, but lower than International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium Report.
Infect. Control Hosp. Epidemiol. 2016;37(2):172–181