G. Playford

Impact of Treatment Strategy on Outcomes in Patients with Candidemia and Other Forms of Invasive Candidiasis: A Patient-Level Quantitative Review of Randomized Trials

BACKGROUND Invasive candidiasis (IC) is an important healthcare-related infection, with increasing incidence and a crude mortality exceeding 50%. Numerous treatment options are available yet comparative studies have not identified optimal therapy. METHODS We conducted an individual patient-level quantitative review of randomized trials for treatment of IC and to assess the impact of host-, organism-, and treatment-related factors on mortality and clinical cure. Studies were identified by searching computerized databases and queries of experts in the field for randomized trials comparing the effect of ≥2 antifungals for treatment of IC. Univariate and multivariable analyses were performed to determine factors associated with patient outcomes. RESULTS Data from 1915 patients were obtained from 7 trials. Overall mortality among patients in the entire data set was 31.4%, and the rate of treatment success was 67.4%. Logistic regression analysis for the aggregate data set identified increasing age (odds ratio [OR], 1.01; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.00-1.02; P = .02), the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score (OR, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.08-1.14; P = .0001), use of immunosuppressive therapy (OR, 1.69; 95% CI, 1.18-2.44; P = .001), and infection with Candida tropicalis (OR, 1.64; 95% CI, 1.11-2.39; P = .01) as predictors of mortality. Conversely, removal of a central venous catheter (CVC) (OR, 0.50; 95% CI, .35-.72; P = .0001) and treatment with an echinocandin antifungal (OR, 0.65; 95% CI, .45-.94; P = .02) were associated with decreased mortality. Similar findings were observed for the clinical success end point. CONCLUSIONS Two treatment-related factors were associated with improved survival and greater clinical success: use of an echinocandin and removal of the CVC.

Ordovician acritarchs from the Canning Basin, Western Australia

Core samples from four marine Ordovician sections in the Canning Basin, Western Australia, have yielded an acritarch assemblage of moderate abundance and diversity and of varying preservation. The bulk of the palynologically productive samples represents the Goldwyer Formation and the remainder is from the conformably succeeding or laterally contiguous Nita Formation; these units have previously been regarded as datable within the late Arenigian to Llanvirnian (or ?Llandeilian) interval; i.e., late Early to Middle Ordovician. Newly instituted acritarch taxa comprise one new genus, Dasydorus, and 16 species, viz. Ammonidium aduncum, A. furtivum, A. macilentum, Baltisphaerosum pugiatum, B. variocavatum, Buedingiisphaeridium disgregum, Cymatiosphaera notialis, Dasydorus cirritus (type species), Elektoriskos pilulifera, Gorgonisphaeridium miculum, Lophosphaeridium aequicuspidatum, L. disparipelliculum, Micrhystridium goldwyerense, Multiplicisphaeridium acaciaense, Petaloferidium comptum, and Solisphaeridium c...

Plant microfossils from Triassic sediments near Poatina, Tasmania

Abstract A detailed account is given of plant microfossils recovered from shales and siltstones that represent three of the four Triassic formations developed in the vicinity of Poatina, north‐central Tasmania. The microfloral assemblages comprise 44 species of spores and pollen grains, of which nine species are described as new. The diagnosis of Lundbladispora Balme is emended. Comparison with existing records of Australian and overseas Triassic microfloras indicates that at least the greater part of the Triassic is represented in the Poatina sequence, which has itself been regarded as the most complete development of the System in Tasmania. This work serves to emphasize the unique and potential value of palynology in the resolution of difficulties of correlation within the Tasmanian Triassic.

Spores from a Carboniferous section in the Hunter Valley, New South Wales

Abstract In this initial systematic study of Carboniferous spores from New South Wales, Australia, fifteen species (all but one of them new) are formally described and are distributed among eight established genera and two new genera (Rattiganispora, a distally annulate trilete form, and Psomospora, an inaperturate or proximally hilate form). The species were selected as being the most characteristic and distinctive forms found in the Italia Road Formation at its well‐exposed type section in the Hunter Valley, east‐central New South Wales. The formation is a cyclical non‐marine unit, over 300 metres (1,000 ft) thick, consisting of lithic arenites together with carbonaceous shales, claystones, and siltstones; its age is regarded as West‐phalian‐Stephanian. The microfiora is compared with those known from sediments of similar age elsewhere and its place in the Australian Palaeozoic palynostratigraphic record is discussed. New specific institutions are as follows: Punctatisporites lucidulus, P. sub‐tritus, V...

Acritarchs and Spores from the Upper Devonian Lime Creek Formation, Iowa, U.S.A.

A well-preserved acritarch and spore assemblage is described from an 18.3 m section of the Upper Devonian (upper Frasnian, Palmatolepis gigas conodont zone) Juniper Hill and Cerro Gordo members of the Lime Creek Formation, Floyd County, Iowa, USA. The palynomorph assemblage comprises 23 genera and 43 species of acritarchs, and 12 genera and 12 species of spores. We propose two new acritarch genera, Centrasphaeridium and Pratulasphaera; nine new acritarch species; and two new spore species. In addition, one new combination, Dictyotidium craticulum (=Cymatiosphaera craticula Wicander and Loeblich 1977) is proposed. The palynomorph assemblage indicates a nearshore, normal marine environment, consistent with the interpretation provided by the associated shelly fauna. Comparison with other Frasnian palynomorph assemblages indicates similarity mostly in terms of long-ranging and cosmopolitan acritarch species while of the 12 miospore species present, only Geminospora lemurata and Laiphospora membrana have been previously reported.-Authors

Palynological reconnaissance of the Lower Carboniferous of Spitsbergen.

Microspores are described from three representative rock samples from the Billefjorden sandstones of the lower Carboniferous of central Vestspitsbergen. The age of this series is considered to range from Tournaisian to at least Visean and perhaps Namurian. One new genus, Velosporites, and thirteen new species are erected. Several species are shown to resemble previously described Russian, Canadian and Scottish types.

Late Devonian acritarchs from the Gneudna Formation in the western Carnarvon Basin, Western Australia

Organic-walled remains of marine microphytoplankton (acritarchs) are the predominant palynoftoral elements of sub-surface sediments belonging to the Gneudna Formation in the Carnarvon Basin of Western Australia. This study is based upon cored sections of the lower part of the formation as developed typically in the Merlinleigh Sub-basin of the eastern Carnarvon Basin. The acritarch palynoftora is abundant, diverse, and well-preserved; there are fifty-six species, only a small proportion of which are identifiable with previously described species. These latter suggest a Frasnian age for the Gneudna Formation, in agreement with the consolidated faunal evidence. The acritarch species are distributed among thirty-six genera, seven of which are newly instituted herein, viz. Alocomurus, Del/%soma, Gneudnaella, HislOpalla, Loma/olopas, Papulogaba/a, and Somphophragma. The following species are formally described and named as new: Alocomurus compac/us (type species), Cymatiosphaera spicigera, C. sub/rita, Del/%soma in/onsum (type species), Dic/yo/idium confragum, D. granula/um, D. prola/um, D. /orosum, Elek/oriskos /enuis, Evillia geome/rica, Florisphaeridium micidum, Gneudnaella psi/a/a (type species), Gorgonisphaeridium abs/rusum, G. carnarvonense, G. condensum, G. discissum, G. vesculum, Helosphaeridium gulla/um, H. microclava/um, His/opalla capillosa (type species), Loma/olopas cellulosa (type species), Lophosphaeridium deminu/um, L. segregum, Melikeriopalla venulosa, Navifusa exi/is, Papulogaba/a annula/a (type species), Rugale/es vie/us, Saharidia lusca, Solisphaeridium inaffec/um, Somphophragma miscellum (type species), Synsphaeridium ca/enarium, Tunisphaeridium flaccidum, and Veryhachium colemanii.

Proterozoic and Paleozoic palynology of Antarctica: a review

This chapter provides a summary account of the occurrence and significance of spores, pollen grains, and other palynomorphs that have been recorded from pre-Mesozoic Antarctic sequences ranging in age from Proterozoic (possibly Riphean) to Permian. Occurrences of Paleozoic palynomorphs recycled into younger materials, especially seafloor glacial sediments of the Antarctic continental shelf, are also reviewed. Palynological research on Antarctic pre-Mesozoic palynofloras began some three decades ago and has been directed toward four main ends: (1) stratigraphie correlation and dating of the host sediments that are often devoid of other fossils or at least of age-diagnostic forms; (2) elucidation of the past vegetational and climatic history of the continent; (3) especially for the late Paleozoic, assessment of the extent of floristic similarity with sequences of other southern landmasses to help establish predrift plate juxtapositions within Gondwana; and (4) where encountered as recycled components, allowing inferences to be made concerning the geographic position, age, and metamorphic/ maturation level of the (often now hidden) rock sequences from which they derived as erosion products. How far these objectives have presently been realized will be evident from the geochronologically arranged text that follows.

Chitinozoa from Lower Ordovician strata of the Georgina Basin, Queensland (Australia)

A chitinozoan faunule is reported from a shallow-marineLower Ordovician sequence in the subsurface of the southeastern Georgina Basin, Queensland (Australia). From the sampled corehole (GSQ Mount Whelan 2), material of the upper Kelly Creek Formation proved barren of chitinozoans, but samples representative of the overlying Coolibah and lower Nora Formations yielded generally well preserved, compressed specimens. The upper Coolibah and Nora samples proved especially prolific, though as a whole the chitinozoan assemblage is of fairly low diversity (seven species/three genera recognizable). One new species, Belonechitina noraensis, is formally established. The morphological simplicity of the chitinozoans compares closely with those described from approximately age equivalent strata of Quebec and Spitsbergen; but contrasts with more complexly structured forms characteristic of European and North African deposits. The presence of such species as Conochitina ordinaria Achab, C. pervulgata (Umnova), and Lagenochitina combazi Finger are consonant with the late Early Ordovician (Arenigian) dating of the host strata as adduced previously on other palaeozoological grounds.

The upper Paleozoic miospore genus Spelaeotriletes Neves and Owens, 1966, and constituent Gondwanan species

The upper Paleozoic miospore genus Spelaeotriletes Neves and Owens, 1966 is reviewed as a morpho-taxonomic entity and vis-a-vis other similarly constructed (pseudosaccate) genera — Geminospora Balme, 1962, Grandispora Hoffmeister, Staplin, and Malloy, 1955, Rhabdosporites Richardson, 1960, and Retispora Staplin, 1960. Detailed studies of numerous, mainly topotype specimens of Spelaeotriletes ybertii (Marques-Toigo, 1970) Playford and Powis, 1979 from the Lower Permian of Uruguay result in its re-diagnosis, in conjunction with a survey of its exclusively Gondwanan occurrences, particularly in South American strata extending from the Upper Carboniferous (Westphalian) into the Lower Permian, and also in Australian strata of approximately equivalent age. The characteristics of other species of Spelaeotriletes reported from upper Paleozoic deposits of Gondwana are discussed, as are their temporal representations in various broad regions of the supercontinent (South America, North Africa, Australia). These species include two, perhaps three, that, like Spelaeotriletes triangulus/arenaceus, are known also from Euramerica — S. balteatus (Playford, 1963) Higgs, 1996, S. pretiosus (Playford, 1964) Utting, 1987, and possibly S. owensii Loboziak and Alpern, 1978. Other species, such as S. benghaziensis Loboziak and Clayton, 1988, S. giganteus Loboziak and Clayton, 1988, and S. vibrissus Playford and Satterthwait, 1988, have, on present knowledge, exclusively Gondwanan occurrences. S. queenslandensis Jones and Truswell, 1992, known only from Upper Carboniferous strata of northeastern Australia, is formally reassigned on sculptural grounds to Grandispora. Not unexpectedly in a paleogeographic perspective, North Africa and South America are more closely allied with each other than with Australia in terms of shared species of Spelaeotriletes.