How Ponto-Caspian invaders affect local parasite communities of native fish.

Invasive species are a major threat to ecosystems worldwide. Their effects are versatile and mostly well studied. However, not much is known about the impact of invasion on native parasite communities, although parasites are usually important response variables for ecosystem health. To improve the knowledge on how native fish parasite communities and their dynamics are affected by invasive species and how these processes change local host-parasite interactions over time, we studied different host-parasite systems in four German rivers. Three of these rivers (Rhine, Ems, and Elbe) are heavily invaded by different Ponto-Caspian species such as the amphipod Dikerogammarus villosus and various gobiids such as Neogobius melanostomus and Ponticola kessleri that serve as potential hosts for different local parasite species, while the fourth river (Schwentine) was free of any Ponto-Caspian invaders. Due to the lack of additional uninvaded river systems, literature data on parasite communities before invasion were compared with the post invasion status for the rivers Rhine and Elbe. The results showed differences among the parasite communities of different host species from the three invaded rivers when compared to the Schwentine River. Among the local internal parasite communities, especially the acanthocephalan Pomphorhynchus laevis and the nematode Raphidascaris acus have to be considered as key species associated with invasions from the Ponto-Caspian region. As the examined invasive Ponto-Caspian fish species serves as suitable host for both parasite species, the increases in their infection rates in native fish species are examples of parasite spill back (R. acus) and spill over (P. laevis, at least in the river Rhine). These results were further supported by the analysis of literature data on parasite communities of the past 20 years. Consequences for local parasite communities range from decreased prevalence of native parasites towards an extinction of entire parasite species.

Multi-gene phylogeny of jacks and pompanos (Carangidae), including placement of monotypic vadigo Campogramma glaycos.

In this study, the phylogenetic trees of jacks and pompanos (Carangidae), an ecologically and morphologically diverse, globally distributed fish family, are inferred from a complete, concatenated data set of two mitochondrial (cytochrome c oxidase I, cytochrome b) loci and one nuclear (myosin heavy chain 6) locus. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian inferences are largely congruent and show a clear separation of Carangidae into the four subfamilies: Scomberoidinae, Trachinotinae, Naucratinae and Caranginae. The inclusion of the carangid sister lineages Coryphaenidae (dolphinfishes) and Rachycentridae (cobia), however, render Carangidae paraphyletic. The phylogenetic trees also show with high statistical support that the monotypic vadigo Campogramma glaycos is the sister to all other species within the Naucratinae.

Fipronil and two of its transformation products in water and European eel from the river Elbe.

Fipronil is an insecticide which, based on its mode of action, is intended to be predominantly toxic towards insects. Fipronil bioaccumulates and some of its transformation products were reported to be similar or even more stable in the environment and to show an enhanced toxicity against non-target organisms compared to the parent compound. The current study investigated the occurrence of Fipronil and two of its transformation products, Fipronil-desulfinyl and Fipronil-sulfone, in water as well as muscle and liver samples of eels from the river Elbe (Germany). In water samples total concentrations of FIP, FIP-d and FIP-s ranged between 0.5-1.6ngL(-1) with FIP being the main component in all water samples followed by FIP-s and FIP-d. In contrast, FIP-s was the main component in muscle and liver tissues of eels with concentrations of 4.05±3.73ngg(-1) ww and 19.91±9.96ngg(-1) ww, respectively. Using a physiologically based toxicokinetic (PBTK) model for moderately hydrophobic organic chemicals, the different distributions of FIP, FIP-d and FIP-s in water and related tissue samples could be attributed to metabolic processes of eels. The measured concentrations in water of all analytes and their fractional distribution did not reflect the assumed seasonal application of FIP and it seems that the water was constantly contaminated with FIP, FIP-d and FIP-s.

Efficacy of trospium chloride in patients with detrusor instability: a placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind, multicentre clinical trial.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the efficacy and safety of trospium chloride (TCl, 20 mg twice daily) in the treatment of detrusor instability, compared with placebo. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In all, 208 patients were allocated at random to either TCl or placebo in a double-blind clinical study; the patients were treated for 3 weeks. Urodynamic values were measured at the beginning and end of the treatment period. Adverse events were recorded on patient diary cards. A confirmatory adaptive procedure with one planned interim analysis was used to evaluate efficacy. RESULTS: Trospium chloride produced significant improvements in maximum cystometric bladder capacity (median treatment effect 22.0 mL, mean 37.3 mL, one-sided P = 0. 0054) and urinary volume at first unstable contraction (median treatment effect 45.0 mL, mean 63.6 mL, one-sided P = 0.0015). The patients' assessment of efficacy showed significantly greater clinical improvement in the TCl group than in the placebo group (two-sided P = 0.0047). Furthermore, TCl was well tolerated, with similar frequencies of adverse events reported in both groups (68% in the TCl and 62% in the placebo group). CONCLUSION: Trospium chloride (20 mg twice daily) is an effective and safe option for the treatment of detrusor instability.

Ultrasound biomicroscopy in refractive surgery.

The need for improved methods of assessing corneal topography arose from the advent of refractive surgery. Ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) is a high-resolution technique that uses high-frequency transducers to evaluate the cornea. We conducted a pilot study to assess the cornea after refractive surgery using UBM. Six patients who had prior epikeratophakia, radial keratotomy, or photorefractive keratectomy were examined with a 50 MHz transducer. Ultrasound biomicroscopy provided a striking image of the epigraft after epikeratophakia. Imaging after radial keratotomy and photorefractive keratectomy was less helpful. However, the corneal refractive power computed from the UBM data for the photorefractive keratectomy was close to the optical keratometry values. The study indicates UBM has some applications in analyzing the cornea after refractive surgery.

Maternal demographic, situational and psychosocial factors and their relationship to enrollment in prenatal care: a review of the literature.

Whether or not a woman enrolls in prenatal care in a timely fashion is a major predictor of pregnancy outcome. In this review, we consider maternal demographic, situational and psychosocial factors which have been studied with relation to enrollment in prenatal care. Paying increased attention to some situational barriers such as problems with child care or transportation, and a number of psychosocial factors such as unplanned pregnancy and negative feelings about medical care, holds promise in achieving improved utilization of prenatal care.

Seeking safe passage: utilizing health care during pregnancy.

This grounded theory study was conducted to explore how women utilize health care during pregnancy. The 27 women who were interviewed had sought prenatal care early, late or not at all. Transcriptions from the interviews were subjected to constant comparative analysis. The major concern of the women was seeking safe passage through pregnancy and childbirth. Processes used to achieve safe passage were searching for care, consulting, transferring, waiting, contingency planning and self-care. Discussed in this paper is the role that choice plays in utilizing care and transferring some elements of prenatal care to women to manage themselves.

Adolescent mothers' successful participation in a well-baby care program.

Previous research suggests that adolescent mothers and their infants may benefit from participation in specialized well-baby care programs. Yet the literature has not addressed the issue of predictive factors related to continued program participation. In a retrospective study, stepwise multiple regression analyses were used to explore this issue in 61 mothers from one well-baby program. The results were partially cross-validated using 59 other mothers. Mothers ranged in age from 13 to 17 years. Most were Black, single, and receiving public assistance. Twenty-two percent of the variance in the number of routine clinic visits made and 34% of the variance in the number of visits made for specific health problems were accounted for by the predictive equations. Cross-validation supported these results, with the most significant predictive variable for both measures of program participation being inconsistent appointment keeping.

Computer simulation modeling of abnormal behavior: a program approach.

A need for modeling abnormal behavior on a comprehensive, systematic basis exists. Computer modeling and simulation tools offer especially good opportunities to establish such a program of studies. Issues concern deciding which modeling tools to use, how to relate models to behavioral data, what level of modeling to employ, and how to articulate theory to facilitate such modeling. Four levels or types of modeling, two qualitative and two quantitative, are identified. Their properties are examined and interrelated to include illustrative applications to the study of abnormal behavior, with an emphasis on schizophrenia.

Relationships among intravaginal pressure, orgasmic function, parity factors, and urinary leakage.

Women's ability to contract pelvic musculature voluntarily was related to reports of ability to have orgasm, parity, and urinary leakage problems. Data collected from 92 women presenting for routine pelvic examinations provided no evidence of a general relationship between strength of voluntary pelvic muscle contractions and orgasmic function. There were negative relationships between strength of voluntary pelvic muscle contractions and parity, weight of the largest baby, and a woman's age.

Intravaginal pressure assessed by the Kegel perineometer.

A first attempt was made to provide norms for intravaginal pressure in normal women measured by the Kegel perineometer. Data obtained from 78 white females and 64 black females indicate that resting pressure approximates 5 mm Hg and pressure with appropriate pelvic musculature contracted reaches an average of 15 mm Hg. The difference between resting and contracted pressures is unrelated to the former. There is a moderate negative correlation between number of vaginal births and contracted pressure in the white sample.

Ultrasonic backscatter from human liver tissue: its dependence on frequency and protein/lipid composition.

Ultrasonic volume backscatter by postmortem human liver was investigated in the 1 to 5 MHz frequency range. Representative values of the backscatter coefficient, its range, and frequency dependence were determined. The backscatter level correlated significantly with protein content in normal livers and with lipid content in abnormal fatty livers. The latter suggests the possible development of a simple, noninvasive, quantitative test for fatty infiltration of the liver.

A pilot study of the short-term psychotropic effects of GPA 2640.

Thirty-two anxious nonpsychotic inpatients participated in a four-day, double-blind repeat crossover study of a new drug, GPA 2640, and placebo. Each treatment period lasted for one day, and the study lasted for four days. Twenty patients completed the study, and 28 completed two or three days. The doses were individually adjusted and mostly ranged between 1100 and 1300 mg daily. Several valid observer-rating and self-rating scales were used. There was a slight trend for GPA 2640 to yield somewhat lower anxiety scores on drug days than on placebo days, but none of the differences between rating and self-rating scores reached a significant level. A few patients reported a marked improvement in mood after two to four days, but the significance of this finding cannot be evaluated from this design. Two patients developed temporary paranoid delusions which may have been drug related. Two patients had raised SGOT levels after the study. There were no significant differences in vital signs between drug days and placebo days. The results signify that the drug has no immediate antianxiety effects (such as have been demonstrated with benzodiazepines in two previous studies utilizing the same design). This does not preclude the possibility of delayed anxiolytic effects or of other delayed psychotropic effects such as can be observed with antipsychotic drugs or antidepressants.

Exposure of eggs to ultrasound during incubation and its effect on hatchability and growth.

An experiment was undertaken to study the effect of exposing incubating embryos to short ultrasonic pulses across the intact egg shell. Three minute exposures to 2.25 MHz. pulses, average incident intensity equals 28.6 mW./cm.2, failed to show any effect on embryonic mutation, hatchability, sex ratio, or body weight. On the average the ultrasonic absorption of the egg shells ranged from 26 dB./mm. at 0.6 MHz. to 100 dB./mm. at 2.25 MHz. The transmitted power incident on the blastodisc, consisting mainly of spectrum components below 1.0 MHz., was estimated at congruent to 1% of the incident power.