Temperature Effect on the Development of Tropical Dragonfly Eggs.

Physiological constraints in insects are related to several large-scale processes such as species distribution and thermal adaptation. Here, we fill an important gap in ecophysiology knowledge by accessing the relationship between temperature and embrionary development time in four dragonfly species. We evaluated two questions (1) what is the effect of temperature on the development time of Odonata eggs, and (2) considering a degree-day relationship, could a simple linear model describe the dependence of embrionary development time on temperature or it is better described by a more complex non-linear relation. Egg development time of Erythrodiplax fusca (Rambur), Micrathyria hesperis Ris, Perithemis mooma Kirby, and Miathyria simplex (Rambur) (Odonata: Libellulidae) were evaluated. We put the eggs at different temperatures (15, 20, 25, and 30°C) and counted the number of hatched larvae daily. A nonlinear response of the development to the temperature was found, differing from the expected pattern for standard degree-day analysis. Furthermore, we observed that there is a similar process in the development time and hatching synchronization between species, with all species presenting faster egg development at high temperatures. Species-specific differences are more evident at lower temperatures (15°C), with no egg development in M. simplex. Only E. fusca was relatively insensitive to temperature changes with similar hatching rates in all treatments.

Surpass Flow Diverter for Treatment of Posterior Circulation Aneurysms.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Flow diverters for the treatment of posterior circulation aneurysms remain controversial. We aimed to identify factors contributing to outcome measures in patients treated with the Surpass flow diverter for aneurysms in this location. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted an observational study of 53 patients who underwent flow-diverter treatment for posterior circulation aneurysms at 15 centers. Key outcome measures were mortality, complete aneurysm occlusion, and modified Rankin Scale score at follow-up. RESULTS: At follow-up (median, 11.3 months; interquartile range, 5.9-12.7 months), 9 patients had died, resulting in an all-cause mortality rate of 17.3% (95% CI, 7%-27.6%); 7 deaths (14%) were directly related to the procedure and none occurred in patients with a baseline mRS score of zero. After adjusting for covariates, a baseline mRS of 3-5 was more significantly (P = .003) associated with a higher hazard ratio for death than a baseline mRS of 0-2 (hazard ratio, 17.11; 95% CI, 2.69-109.02). After adjusting for follow-up duration, a 1-point increase in the baseline mRS was significantly (P < .001) associated with higher values of mRS at follow-up (odds ratio, 2.93; 95% CI, 1.79-4.79). Follow-up angiography in 44 patients (median, 11.3 months; interquartile range, 5.9-12.7 months) showed complete aneurysm occlusion in 29 (66%; 95% CI, 50.1%-79.5%). CONCLUSIONS: Clinical results of flow-diverter treatment of posterior circulation aneurysms depend very much on patient selection. In this study, poorer outcomes were related to the treatment of aneurysms in patients with higher baseline mRS scores. Angiographic results showed a high occlusion rate for this subset of complex aneurysms.

Florfenicol residues in rainbow trout after oral dosing in recirculating and flow-through culture systems.

Aquaflor is a feed premix for fish containing the broad spectrum antibacterial agent florfenicol (FFC) incorporated at a ratio of 50% (w/w). To enhance the effectiveness of FFC for salmonids infected with certain isolates of Flavobacterium psychrophilum causing cold water disease, the FFC dose must be increased from the standard 10 mg·kg⁻¹ body weight (BW)·d⁻¹ for 10 consecutive days. A residue depletion study was conducted to determine whether FFC residues remaining in the fillet tissue after treating fish at an increased dose would be safe for human consumption. Groups of Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss (total n = 144; weight range, 126-617 g) were treated with FFC at 20 mg·kg⁻¹ BW·d⁻¹ for 10 d in a flow-through system (FTS) and a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) each with a water temperature of ∼13°C. The two-tank RAS included a nontreated tank containing 77 fish. Fish were taken from each tank (treated tank, n = 16; nontreated tank, n = 8) at 6, 12, 24, 48, 72, 120, 240, 360, and 480 h posttreatment. Florfenicol amine (FFA) concentrations (the FFC marker residue) in skin-on fillets from treated fish were greatest at 12 h posttreatment (11.58 µg/g) in the RAS and were greatest at 6 h posttreatment (11.09 µg/g) in the FTS. The half-lives for FFA in skin-on fillets from the RAS and FTS were 20.3 and 19.7 h, respectively. Assimilation of FFC residues in the fillets of nontreated fish sharing the RAS with FFC-treated fish was minimal. Florfenicol water concentrations peaked in the RAS-treated tank and nontreated tanks at 10 h (453 µg/L) and 11 h (442 µg/L) posttreatment, respectively. Monitoring of nitrite concentrations throughout the study indicated the nitrogen oxidation efficiency of the RAS biofilter was minimally impacted by the FFC treatment.

Comparison of different doses of antigen for intradermal administration in pigs: the Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae model.

The intensity of antibody responses and level of protection against challenge infection induced by Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (APP) were compared in piglets vaccinated intramuscularly with different vaccination doses of a subunit vaccine. Secondary antibody responses to APP exotoxins induced by the intradermally administered diluted vaccines did not differ from those induced by undiluted vaccines administered either intradermally or intramuscularly. The level of protection measured by the clinical course of challenge infection to the extent of lung lesions was significantly higher in animals vaccinated with a three-time diluted vaccine in comparison with animals that were administered intramuscularly or intradermally with the most concentrated or the most diluted vaccines.

Determination of 3-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol and 3-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol glucuronide in edible fillet tissue of rainbow trout and channel catfish by solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography.

3-Trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol (TFM) is a pesticide used for the selective control of sea lampreys (Petromyzon marinus) in stream and river tributaries of the Great Lakes. To determine concentrations of TFM and TFM glucuronide in the edible fillet tissue of fish during sea lamprey control treatments, an analytical method was developed to determine the concentrations of these residues in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss; RBT) and channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatis; CCF). Homogenized fillets were extracted with methanol-water (80 + 20). TFM and TFM glucuronide were isolated from coextractives by C18 solid-phase extraction. TFM glucuronide was hydrolyzed to TFM by the addition of beta-glucuronidase to the TFM glucuronide extract. The extracts were analyzed separately by liquid chromatography with UV-visible detection. Recoveries from TFM-fortified CCF and RBT tissues were 84.1 and 96.1%, respectively. The method detection limits (MDLs) are 2.4 ng/g for TFM-fortified tissues of CCF and 3 ng/g for those of RBT. Recoveries were 78.8 and 77% from TFM glucuronide-fortified CCF and RBT tissues, respectively. The MDLs for TFM glucuronide-fortified tissues are 3.5 and 6.9 ng/g for CCF and RBT, respectively.

Liquid chromatographic determination of benzocaine and N-acetylbenzocaine in the edible fillet tissue from rainbow trout.

A method was developed for determining benzocaine and N-acetylbenzocaine concentrations in fillet tissue of rainbow trout. The method involves extracting the analytes with acetonitrile, removing lipids or hydrophobic compounds from the extract with hexane, and providing additional clean-up with solid-phase extraction techniques. Analyte concentrations are determined using reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic techniques with an isocratic mobile phase and UV detection. The accuracy (range, 92 to 121%), precision (R.S.D., < 14%), and sensitivity (method quantitation limit, < 24 ng/g) for each analyte indicate the usefulness of this method for studies characterizing the depletion of benzocaine residues from fish exposed to benzocaine.

Determination of benzocaine in rainbow trout plasma.

A liquid chromatographic method is described for analysis of benzocaine (BZ), a proposed fish anesthetic, in rainbow trout plasma. Mean recoveries of BZ from plasma samples fortified at 44-10 100 ng/mL were 96-100%. The method detection limit is 10 ng/mL, and the limit of quantitation is 37 ng/mL. Acetylation of BZ occurs in whole blood after storage at room temperature (i.e., 21 degrees C) for 10 min. However, no acetylation of BZ was detected in plasma samples held at room temperature for 4 h. Mean method precision for plasma samples with incurred BZ residue is similar to that for fortified samples in the same concentration range (relative standard deviations of 0.9 and 1.2%, respectively).

Comparison of labeled MIBG and somatostatin analogs in imaging neuroendocrine tumors.

In 10 patients with histologically proven neuroendocrine tumors (4 carcinoids, 4 pheochromocytomas, 1 medullary thyroid cancer and 1 Merkel tumor) the results of radiolabeled metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) and somatostatin analogs were compared. A total of 24 tumor lesions was detected on standard imaging studies. MIBG scintigraphy correctly localized 12 (50%) of these lesions which were observed in 5 patients (4 with pheochromocytoma and 1 with carcinoid tumor). Scintigraphy using labeled somatostatin analogs correctly localized 21 (87%) lesions which occurred in 8 patients (4 with carcinoid, 2 with pheochromocytoma, 1 with medullary thyroid cancer and 1 with Merkel tumor). Concordant scintigraphic results were obtained in 1 patient with carcinoid and 2 with pheochromocytoma. In conclusion, although this series was limited, our results suggest that MIBG is more accurate than somatostatin analogs in imaging pheochromocytoma. Conversely, somatostatin analogs are more accurate than MIBG in detecting other neuroendocrine tumors such as carcinoids.

Detecting deep venous thrombosis with technetium-99m-labeled synthetic peptide P280.

UNLABELLED: Scintigraphy, using small, thrombus-avid, synthetic peptides labeled with gamma-emitting nuclides is an innovative approach to the noninvasive detection of acute deep venous thrombosis (DVT). The goal of this study was to evaluate clinically 99mTc-P280 for imaging DVT. The peptide P280 is a 26 amino acid dimer that binds with high affinity to the GPIIb/IIIa receptor expressed on activated platelets and can be labeled with 99mTc. METHODS: Scintigraphy with 99mTc-P280 (10-22 mCi) was performed in nine patients with clinical suspicion and diagnostic evidence of DVT. Planar and tomographic images of the legs, abdomen/pelvis, chest and head were obtained immediately, 1, 2, 4 and 24 hr after injection. RESULTS: No adverse effects were noted after 99mTc-P280 administration in any patient. Positive visualization of thrombi occurred in eight of nine cases with confirmed DVT within 1 hr of tracer injection. The majority of the patients had recent onset of DVT symptoms (less than 3 wk), while the only negative case was diagnosed 42 days earlier and was likely related to an accident 7 mo earlier. Thrombi-to-background ratios were essentially constant over the study. Technetium-99m-P280 accumulation was also discernible in two patients with pulmonary embolism, while in a third patient the radiotracer concentrated in a cerebellar hemangioblastoma. CONCLUSION: These human studies indicate that 99mTc-P280 is a potentially safe and sensitive procedure for diagnosing DVT and pulmonary embolism. It also may have substantial utility in monitoring active venous thrombosis.