Abstract Background In December 2015, the men who have sex with men (MSM) deferral was reduced to 12 months in the United States. We compared human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and hepatitis B virus (HBV) incidence and residual risk before and after this policy change using data from >50% of the US blood supply. Study Design and Methods Three estimation intervals from the Transfusion‐Transmissible Infections Monitoring System were compared: 15‐months pre‐ and two consecutive, nonoverlapping 15‐month post‐MSM deferral implementation. Repeat, first‐time, and weighted all‐donor incidences were estimated. Residual risk was calculated for all incidence estimates using the incidence/window‐period method. Results HIV repeat donor incidence was 1.57 per 100 000 person‐years (phtpy) in the second 15‐month post change and not significantly different from pre‐MSM incidence of 2.19 phtpy. Similar values were seen for HCV (1.49 phtpy vs 1.46 phtpy) and HBV (1.14 phtpy vs 0.97 phtpy). In some cases, higher estimated incidence, but without significant change from pre‐MSM to the second post change period occurred for males and first‐time donors (eg, first‐time donors, second post change period: 6.12 phtpy HIV, 6.41 phtpy HCV and 5.34 phtpy HBV). Estimated per donation residual risk was 1:1.6 million for HIV, 1:2.0 million for HCV and 1:1.0 million for HBV based on weighted incidence for all donors. Conclusions Repeat, first‐time, and overall donor incidence did not vary significantly comparing pre‐MSM to either of the post‐MSM estimation intervals. Residual risk estimates vary by study, but all yield residual risks in the United States of ≤1 per million, and thus far have not shown increasing risk with the 12‐month MSM policy change.
ABSTRACT. Macroinvertebrate communities were compared in dredged and undredgedareas of the St. Lawrence near Cape Vincent, N.Y., by sampling with a Ponar dredgein 3 seasons. No significant differences existed in numbers of Gammarus spp. and speciesof Oligochaeta between dredged and undredged areas. The chironomids Pseudochironomusand Stictochironomus spp. were significantly less abundant and Clinotanypus wassignificantly more abundant at previously dredged sites. Among mollusks, Bithyniatentaculata and Sphaerium corneum were found in significantly greater densities atundredged stations. Total macroinvertebrate abundance was greater in undredged areas.The differences in total abundance of invertebrates and abundance of individual speciesin dredged and undredged areas appear to be related to the presence of gyttja-type sediments caused by breakwater construction and dredging operations at least40 years ago.OHIOJ. SCI. 82(4): 165, 1982INTRODUCTIONDredging of sediments to deepen riverchannels has many short-term and long-term effects. Short-term changes producedby dredging include bottom disruption,increased turbidity, reduced oxygen avail-ability in the water column, altered waterchemistry and possible release of toxicwastes from the sediments (Sherk 1971).Although these short-term changes oftenresult in morbidity or mortality oforganisms (Loosanoff 1961, Odum andWilson 1962), the overall impact on a com-munity has often been considered minorbecause of the relatively small areas directly
Using video traps, we tested the commonly held view that Mink, Neovison vison, are mostly nocturnal. We compared Mink passages during daylight and darkness in two habitats. Mink were significantly more nocturnal in uplands with streams and significantly more diurnal in wetlands. Assuming that uplands have a higher proportion of terrestrial prey active at night and wetlands have a higher proportion of aquatic prey, the observed difference in activity periods may be related to the difficulty of seeing aquatic prey at night and suggests a dynamic interaction between food visibility and diel activity in Mink.
