Ecological parameters of Lamproglena hoi (Copepoda: Lernaeidae) infection on the Bushveld smallscale yellowfish, Labeobarbus polylepis (Boulenger, 1907)

This study describes the distribution and aspects of the ecology of Lamproglena hoi. Bushveld smallscale yellowfish, Labeobarbus polylepis (Boulenger, 1907) were collected during June 2006 from the Phongolo and Assegaai rivers, March 2005 and October 2006 from the Elands River, and January 2007 and June 2008 from the Komati River in Mpumalanga, South Africa and examined for the presence of parasites. Lamproglena hoi specimens were collected from the gill filaments of the host. Specimens were fixed with warm AFA (alcohol-formaldehyde-acetic acid) and preserved in 70 % ethanol. The identification of parasites took place in the laboratories of the University of Johannesburg. Twenty-five copepods (prevalence 21 %, mean intensity = 4.17, abundance = 0.86) were collected on 29 fish in the Phongolo River and 46 copepods (prevalence 40 %, mean intensity = 3.83, abundance = 1.53) were collected on 30 fish in the Assegaai River. One hundred and sixty eight copepods (prevalence 52 %, mean intensity = 12.92, abundance = 6.72) were collected on 25 fish in 2005, and 527 copepods (prevalence 95 %, mean intensity = 27.74, abundance = 26.35) were collected on 20 fish in the Elands River. One hundred and sixteen copepods (prevalence 75 %, mean intensity = 7.73, abundance = 5.80) were collected on 20 fish in 2007, and 273 copepods (prevalence 63 %, mean intensity = 16.06, abundance = 10.11) were collected on 27 fish in 2008 in the Komati River. Labeobarbus polylepis from these four rivers was found to have a relatively high L. hoi infection. Inseminated L. hoi females (immature) attach to the host in winter and their ovaries become conspicuous (mature). In spring fertilized eggs are stored in egg sacs hanging from the body (gravid), indicating that fertilized eggs start to hatch in spring and continued hatching into summer. Parasites prefer the median part of the second gill arch for attachment. No correlation exists between the number of parasites recorded on the gills and the sizes (total lengths) of yellowfish sampled.

Ecological parameters of Lamproglena hoi (Copepoda: Lernaeidae) infection on the Bushveld smallscale yellowfish, Labeobarbus polylepis (Boulenger, 1907)

This study describes the distribution and aspects of the ecology of Lamproglena hoi. Bushveld small-scale yellowfish, Labeobarbus polylepis (Boulenger, 1907) were collected during June 2006 from the Phongolo and Assegaai rivers, March 2005 and October 2006 from the Elands River, and January 2007 and June 2008 from the Komati River in Mpumalanga, South Africa and examined for the presence of parasites. Lamproglena hoi specimens were collected from the gill filaments of the host. Specimens were fixed with warm AFA (alcohol-formaldehyde-acetic acid) and preserved in 70% ethanol. The identification of parasites took place in the laboratories of the University of Johannesburg. Twenty-five copepods (prevalence 21%, mean intensity = 4.17, abundance = 0.86) were collected on 29 fish in the Phongolo River and 46 copepods (prevalence 40%, mean intensity = 3.83, abundance = 1.53) were collected on 30 fish in the Assegaai River. One hundred and sixty eight copepods (prevalence 52%, mean intensity = 12.92, abundance = 6.72) were collected on 25 fish in 2005, and 527 copepods (prevalence 95%, mean intensity = 27.74, abundance = 26.35) were collected on 20 fish in the Elands River. One hundred and sixteen copepods (prevalence 75%, mean intensity = 7.73, abundance = 5.80) were collected on 20 fish in 2007, and 273 copepods (prevalence 63%, mean intensity = 16.06, abundance = 10.11) were collected on 27 fish in 2008 in the Komati River. Labeobarbus polylepis from these four rivers was found to have a relatively high L. hoi infection. Inseminated L. hoi females (immature) attach to the host in winter and their ovaries become conspicuous (mature). In spring fertilized eggs are stored in egg sacs hanging from the body (gravid), indicating that fertilized eggs start to hatch in spring and continued hatching into summer. Parasites prefer the median part of the second gill arch for attachment. No correlation exists between the number of parasites recorded on the gills and the sizes (total lengths) of yellowfish sampled.

A frame-based representation for a bedside ventilator weaning protocol

We describe the use of a frame-based knowledge representation to construct an adequately-explicit bedside clinical decision support application for ventilator weaning. The application consists of a data entry form, a knowledge base, an inference engine, and a patient database. The knowledge base contains database queries, a data dictionary, and decision frames. A frame consists of a title, a list of findings necessary to make a decision or carry out an action, and a logic or mathematical statement to determine its output. Frames for knowledge representation are advantageous because they can be created, visualized, and conceptualized as self-contained entities that correspond to accepted medical constructs. They facilitate knowledge engineering and provide understandable explanations of protocol outputs for clinicians. Our frames are elements of a hierarchical decision process. In addition to running diagnostic and therapeutic logic, frames can run database queries, make changes to the user interface, and modify computer variables.

Biological risks to food crops fertilized with Ecosan sludge

This paper presents the microbial effects of using Ecosan sludge in agriculture. Sludge from KwaZulu Natal in South Africa having a helminth ova content of around 30 HO/gTS, faecal coliforms of 10(6) CFU/gTS, faecal streptococi of 10(6) CFU/gTS and Salmonella spp. of 10(5) CFU/gTS were applied to soils to grow carrots and spinach at different rates. Results showed that helminth ova content in crops was always greater in leaves than in stems, with a content varying from 2 to 15 HO/gTS for spinach and sludge application rates of sludge of 0-37.5 ton/ha and from 2-8 HO/gTS in carrots crops for sludge application rates varying from 0 to35 ton/ha. Health risks resulting from crop consumption were calculated using the beta-poisson and the single-hit exponential models for Salmonella and helminths eggs, respectively. For Salmonella, no risks were found when consuming carrots for all the sludge rates studied while for spinach, risks were high but results were not deemed conclusive due to the technical methods used to measure bacteria. Concerning helminths, it was found that the morbidity rate will increase by 9% for the higher sludge application rates. To increase regional risks by 1% the egg content in crops needs to be less than 0.2 HO/gTS.

An in vitro study of antimicrobial activity and efficacy of iodine-generating hydrogel dressings

OBJECTIVE

To determine the antimicrobial activity and efficacy of different formulations of novel bioxygenating hydrogel dressings (which deliver both iodine and oxygen into the wound) against various target organisms by means of an in vitro test system that more effectively mimics the conditions encountered when dressings are in contact with wounds.

METHOD

Three bioxygenating hydrogels were tested: Oxyzyme, which releases low levels of iodine into the wound, and Iodozyme 402 and Iodozyme 401, which release higher levels of iodine, with Iodozyme 402 releasing twice the amount of 401. Cellulose filter disks (n = 32) were inoculated with indicator species and placed equidistant from each other as a matrix onto agar test beds. Cut squares of control or test dressings were placed on top of each disk. Kill curves were constructed from determinations of the numbers of survivors (log cfu per disk) over time by removing disk samples at various time points.

RESULTS

Significant differences (p < 0.05) were observed between the controls and test samples. The order of sensitivity for Oxyzyme was Fusobacterium nucleatum, Bacteroides fragilis, Propionibacterium acnes, Staphylococcus epidermidis, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Candida albicans and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The order of efficacy of the three hydrogel dressings (Iodozyme 402, followed by Iodozyme 401 and then Oxyzyme) was the same regardless of the target species.

CONCLUSION

The novel hydrogel skin surface wound dressings are broad-spectrum in activity, encompassing antibiotic-resistant organisms, anaerobes and yeasts; their antimicrobial function appears to be rapidly effective.

Using Ecosan sludge for crop production

This paper presents the microbial risks associated with the reuse of Ecosan sludge in agriculture. Sludge from KwaZulu Natal Province in South Africa with a helminth ova content of 30 HO/g TS, faecal coliforms of 10(6) CFU/g TS, faecal streptococci of 10(6) CFU/g TS and Salmonella spp. of 10(5) CFU/g TS was used for this purpose. Applying different rates of sludge to spinach and carrots resulted in an increase in bacterial and helminth ova counts in crops as the quantity of sludge increased. The helminth ova content in crops was always greater in leaves than in stems, with a content varying from 2 to 15 HO/g TS for spinach with sludge application rates of 0-37.5 ton/ha and from 2-8 HO/g TS for carrot crops with sludge application rates varying from 0-35 ton/ha. Nevertheless, viability in crops was 20-25%, reducing the risk of disease. Consequently, the development of an Ecosan sludge revalorisation standard is considered important. Some recommendations are made taking into account the characteristics of the sludge as well as conditions in rural areas.

Nodular regenerative hyperplasia of the liver and coeliac disease: potential role of IgA anticardiolipin antibody

Nodular regenerative hyperplasia (NRH) of the liver is a rare disorder that is often associated with connective tissue disorders, haematological malignancy, or drugs, and is a cause of non-cirrhotic portal hypertension. We describe two cases of NRH in individuals with adult coeliac disease and IgA anticardiolipin antibodies. We discuss the potential impact of this observation on the understanding of the pathogenesis of NRH.

Oesophageal cancer and cachexia: the effect of short-term treatment with thalidomide on weight loss and lean body mass

BACKGROUND

Cachexia is common in patients with advanced cancer and has a direct impact on well-being and mortality.

AIM

To test the hypothesis that thalidomide can promote weight gain and lean body mass in patients with advanced oesophageal cancer.

METHODS

In an open-label study, 11 patients with non-obstructing and inoperable oesophageal cancer were established on an isocaloric diet for 2 weeks, followed by 2 weeks on thalidomide, 200 mg daily. The primary end-points were weight change and lean body mass. Secondary end-points were quality of life and changes in resting energy expenditure.

RESULTS

Ten patients completed the study protocol. The average caloric intake remained the same throughout the study period in all patients. Nine of 10 patients (95% confidence interval, 0.60, 0.98) lost weight on diet alone. The mean weight gain on thalidomide in the following 2 weeks was 1.29 kg (median, 1.25 kg). A similar trend was shown in the lean body mass. Eight of nine patients (95% confidence interval, 0.57, 0.98) initially lost lean body mass on diet alone (missing data in one patient). The mean gain in lean body mass on thalidomide in the following 2 weeks was 1.75 kg (median, 1.33 kg).

CONCLUSIONS

Thalidomide treatment appeared to reverse the loss of weight and lean body mass over the 2-week trial period.

Contraceptive devices and the medical devices directive

The Medical Devices Agency (MDA), an executive agency of the Department of Health, has responsibility for the safety of medical devices within the UK. The MDA is responsible for enforcing the European Medical Devices Directive (MDD) within the UK. Contraceptive devices such as copper-containing IUDs and condoms are regulated by the MDD, and this brief report is an introduction to it.

Production and perception of "verbosity" in younger and older adults

Older adults produced more off-topic speech (OTS) than younger adults during autobiographical interviews in previous studies, a finding attributed to age-related deficits in inhibiting irrelevant information. In this study, older adults produced more OTS than younger adults for autobiographical topics, but not for picture descriptions. A 2nd sample of younger and older participants rated older adults' story quality more positively than that of younger adults, a problematic finding for the inhibitory deficit explanation. Rater age affected ratings of how focused the speech was on the topic, suggesting age differences in criteria for OTS. These findings are consistent with the Pragmatic Change hypothesis, which maintains that older adults adopt communicative goals that emphasize the significance of life experiences rather than conciseness in their personal narratives.

Production and perception of "verbosity" in younger and older adults

Older adults produced more off-topic speech (OTS) than younger adults during autobiographical interviews in previous studies, a finding attributed to age-related deficits in inhibiting irrelevant information. In this study, older adults produced more OTS than younger adults for autobiographical topics, but not for picture descriptions. A 2nd sample of younger and older participants rated older adults' story quality more positively than that of younger adults, a problematic finding for the inhibitory deficit explanation. Rater age affected ratings of how focused the speech was on the topic, suggesting age differences in criteria for OTS. These findings are consistent with the Pragmatic Change hypothesis, which maintains that older adults adopt communicative goals that emphasize the significance of life experiences rather than conciseness in their personal narratives.

Stereological estimates of nuclear number in human ventricular cardiomyocytes before and after birth obtained using physical disectors

Design-based stereology is employed to estimate total numbers of myocyte nuclei and mean myocyte volume per nucleus in ventricles of fetal and early postnatal human hearts. Organs were collected postmortem from subjects varying in age from 16 gestational wk to 40 postnatal wk. Numbers of myocyte nuclei per unit volume of ventricle were estimated using physical disectors (parallel pairs of sections). Absolute numbers were calculated by multiplying nuclear packing densities by ventricular volumes estimated from ventricular mass and tissue density. Volumes per nucleus were obtained via estimates of the combined volumes of all myocytes (or of the myocardium as a whole) and the numbers of myocyte nuclei. The findings showed that numbers of myocyte nuclei increase linearly from 16 wk towards term. They were also consistent with the notion that hyperplasia ceases abruptly at birth or soon afterwards. The net rate of production of myocyte nuclei was about 38 x 10(7)/wk (2.3 million nuclei/h). The total volume of myocytes continued to expand in the same way from 16 wk to at least 35 wk of gestation. Published studies on the incidence of binucleate myocytes during early postnatal growth of the ventricles of rats suggest that the volume of a myocyte doubles prior to nuclear division. Prenatal growth in the human heart is consistent with this mechanism. Myocardial hypertrophy after birth must occur by cellular hypertrophy without karyokinesis.

A stereological method for estimating the total number of ventricular myocyte nuclei in fetal and postnatal hearts

An experimental protocol is presented for obtaining efficient estimates of the total numbers of myocyte nuclei in the ventricles of human hearts from archival collections. Hearts were collected postmortem from fetuses at 31-42 weeks of gestation and infants at 7 days-9 months postnatal age. Ventricles from normal and abnormal subjects were examined. Numbers of myocyte nuclei per unit volume of myocardium were estimated separately for left and right ventricles using a design-based stereological device, the physical disector (parallel pairs of sections). Absolute numbers were calculated by multiplying nuclear packing densities by myocardial volume. The latter was estimated from ventricular mass and the percentage of ventricle occupied by myocardium. The findings, albeit preliminary, suggest that (1) myocyte number may rise during the last trimester of gestation, (2) postnatal ventricular growth is probably hypertrophic and/or interstitial rather than hyperplastic and (3) whilst absolute numbers are greater in the left ventricle, the pattern of growth is similar in both ventricles. Nuclear numbers found in 2 abnormal hearts (1 from a case of sudden infant death) tended to be lower than normal.

From guidelines to decision support in the management of asthma

Asthma is a common chronic disease of the lungs caused by inflammation of the airways affecting 6-7% of the population. Asthma is becoming commoner and there is evidence of under-diagnosis and poor management. Guidelines have been developed aimed at improving quality of care and in reducing social costs of asthma. The paper discusses an approach to implementing guidelines through decision-support system in primary care, based on methods developed in the AIM GAMES-II project. We also describe a prototype system that has been developed and a programme of clinical evaluation.

Roles of insulin resistance and beta-cell dysfunction in the pathogenesis of glucose intolerance in cystic fibrosis

The roles of insulin deficiency and insulin resistance in the pathogenesis of glucose intolerance in cystic fibrosis (CF) were evaluated in eight patients (aged 16.5 +/- 1.9 yr), four with normal glucose tolerance (NGT) and four with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), and in seven healthy control (CN) subjects. First and second phase insulin secretions were evaluated during a hyperglycemic clamp. Hepatic glucose production (HGP) and insulin-stimulated glucose disposal were measured using [6,6-2H2]glucose and a stepwise hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp. First and second phase insulin levels were significantly lower in both groups of CF patients compared with control values. There was an inverse relationship between glycohemoglobin level and first phase insulin (r = -0.81; P = 0.015) and second phase insulin (r = -0.97; P < 0.001). During the hyperglycemic clamp, the insulin sensitivity index was lower in CF-IGT, but not CF-NGT, compared with control values (6.66 +/- 1.79, 12.82 +/- 1.61, and 13.02 +/- 1.78 mumol/kg.min/pmol.L, respectively; P < 0.05). Basal HGP and fasting plasma glucose were higher in CF vs. CN [24.8 +/- 2.9 vs. 16.9 +/- 1.4 mumol/kg.min (P = 0.036) and 5.8 +/- 0.2 vs. 5.4 +/- 0.1 mmol/L (P = 0.035), respectively]. During the hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp, insulin-stimulated glucose disposal was significantly lower in CF-IGT (45.68 +/- 4.87 mumol/kg.min) vs. CF-NGT (78.99 +/- 1.34 mumol/kg.min) and CN (71.74 +/- 6.88 mumol/kg.min). Insulin sensitivity was lower in CF-IGT vs. CF-NGT (7.04 +/- 0.86 and 14.38 +/- 0.84 mumol/kg.min/pmol.L; P < 0.05). We conclude that 1) glycohemoglobin is a strong correlate of insulin deficiency in CF; and 2) glucose intolerance in this group of CF patients occurred as a consequence of concomitant insulin deficiency and insulin resistance.

The relationship of physical fitness to lipid and lipoprotein(a) levels in adolescents with IDDM

OBJECTIVE--Increased physical activity and physical fitness are recommended therapeutic modalities in addition to insulin and diet in the management of children with IDDM. The aim of this study was to assess the fitness levels of adolescents with IDDM compared with healthy control subjects and to evaluate the relationship between physical fitness and metabolic control. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS--We studied 59 patients with IDDM, 28 boys and 31 girls, age 15.6 +/- 2.5 yr, duration of diabetes 7.6 +/- 3.5 yr, HbA1 10.6 +/- 2.1% (mean +/- SD), and compared them with 18 healthy, nondiabetic control subjects, 9 boys and 9 girls, matched for age, BMI, and Tanner stage. Physical fitness was measured by VO2max during progressive bicycle ergometry. HbA1 was used to determine glycemic control. Lipid profile included fasting total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, Lp(a), and TG levels. RESULTS--Patients with IDDM had lower VO2max levels than control subjects (33.7 +/- 7.0 vs. 41.0 +/- 10.4 ml.kg-1.min-1, P = 0.001). Males with IDDM had lower VO2max than male control subjects, but diabetic and control females showed no difference. In IDDM patients, VO2max correlated inversely with HbA1, insulin dose, cholesterol, LDL, TGs, and Lp(a), but did not correlate with HDL, which correlated inversely with BMI. CONCLUSIONS--We conclude that the state of physical fitness is an important correlate of lipid levels and Lp(a) in adolescents with IDDM. We speculate that higher physical fitness levels in adolescents with IDDM may decrease the risk of CVD through modulating lipid levels.