Sponge white patch disease affecting the Caribbean sponge Amphimedon compressa.

We report on a novel sponge disease, hereafter termed 'sponge white patch' (SWP), affecting the Caribbean sponge species Amphimedon compressa. SWP is characterized by distinctive white patches of variable size that are found irregularly on the branches of diseased sponges. Nearly 20% of the population of A. compressa at Dry Rocks Reef, Florida, USA, showed symptoms of SWP at the time of investigation (November 2007-July 2010). Approximately 21% of the biomass of SWP individuals was bleached, as determined by volume displacement. Scanning electron microscopy analysis showed severe degradation of bleached tissues. Transmission electron microscopy of the same tissues revealed the presence of a spongin-boring bacterial morphotype that had previously been implicated in sponge disease (Webster et al. 2002; Mar Ecol Prog Ser 232:305-309). This particular morphotype was identified in 8 of 9 diseased A. compressa individuals investigated in this study. A close relative of the aforementioned disease-causing alphaproteobacterium was also isolated from bleached tissues of A. compressa. However, whether the spongin-boring bacteria are true pathogens or merely opportunistic colonizers remains to be investigated. Molecular fingerprinting by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) demonstrated a distinct shift from the microbiota of healthy A. compressa to a heterogeneous mixture of environmental bacteria, including several phylotypes previously implicated in sponge stress or coral disease. Nevertheless, tissue transplantation experiments conducted in the field failed to demonstrate infectivity from diseased to healthy sponges, leaving the cause of SWP in A. compressa to be identified.

Hydrodynamic facilitation of gregarious settlement of a reef-building tube worm.

Experiments testing the effects of hydrodynamic processes and chemical cues on substrate selection were conducted with larvae of the marine tube worm Phragmatopoma lapidosa californica. In flume experiments, larvae were presented an array of sand treatments, including two substrates previously shown to induce metamorphosis in this species, under fast and slow flow regimes. Larvae preferentially metamorphosed on the inductive substrates in both flows. Delivery to the array was higher in fast flow because larvae tumbled along the bottom, whereas in slow flow, larvae were observed swimming in the water column. Thus, in addition to chemical cues, behavioral responses to flow conditions may play an important role in larval recruitment to the benthos.

Foundations of gregariousness: a dispersal polymorphism among the planktonic larvae of a marine invertebrate.

Theory predicts that selection should favor genotypes that can vary their tendency to disperse in habitats that are spatially or temporally variable or those that remain near their carrying capacity. Although many marine habitats appear to fit these criteria, confirmed examples of dispersal polymorphism among marine invertebrates are exceedingly rare. Competent larvae of the gregarious tubeworm, Hydroides dianthus, settle specifically in response to living conspecific worms, but a small proportion of each spawn settle nonspecifically on uninhabited substrata concurrently with their gregarious siblings. Here, using a parental half-sib analysis, we show that the proportion of a spawn settling in response to uninhabited biofilm is highly heritable. When estimated as a continuous trait based on a one-way ANOVA, heritability is estimated to be 0.83 +/- 0.31. When founder production was analyzed as a threshold trait, heritability was estimated to be 0.68 +/- 0.10 based on the breeding design experiment and 0.65 +/- 0.09 based on the artificial selection experiments. Realized heritability based on the selection experiments was considerably lower, however (0.17 per generation and 0.02 cumulative). Artificial selection was ineffectual at sequentially increasing the proportion of founder larvae among inbred family lines, but after three generations of selection, the proportion of larvae settling in response to biofilm was significantly higher among inbred lines than among the field-collected parents. The obligate planktonic larval stage common among so many marine invertebrates is thought to preclude the evolution of dispersal polymorphisms in these animals. Theoretical expectations of variable dispersal may instead be realized through individual behavioral differences resulting in differential transport or settlement preference, but this possibility remains largely unexplored among marine invertebrates.

Alveolar macrophages of children suffering from recurrent infections of respiratory tract are less efficient in eliminating apoptotic neutrophils.

During bacterial infections of the respiratory tract, neutrophils (PMN) are recruited to the lung by various mechanisms, including production of interleukin-8 (IL-8) by alveolar macrophages (AM). After fulfilling their defense function, PMN become apoptotic and have to be disposed of by AM to prevent local damage to the lung tissue by oxygen species and proteolytic enzymes. We measured the levels of IL-8 in the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and the ability of AM to engulf senescent PMN in a groups of children with and without recurrent infections of the respiratory tract. The IL-8 level was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The phagocytosis of apoptotic neutrophils was evaluated microscopically by the presence of myeloperoxidase positive material in AM before and after 1 h of incubation with senescent PMN. The data show that children suffering from recurrent infections have increased IL-8 in BAL and that their AM have a lower ability to engulf apoptotic PMN in vitro. Furthermore, the proportion of annexin V-binding cells was higher in BAL of children with recurrent infections of the respiratory tract than in normal controls.

Bronchoalveolar lavage in children with chronic diffuse parenchymal lung disease.

The aim of the present study was to compare cellular and noncellular components of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BAL) in a group of children with a diagnosis of chronic diffuse parenchymal lung disease (cDPLD) and a group of children without parenchymal lung disease undergoing BAL for various clinical indications (control group). We evaluated cellular and non-cellular components (total proteins, albumin, hyaluronic acid, and fibronectin) in BAL fluid from 14 children (7 boys and 7 girls; mean age 9.2 years, range 5 months to 18.4 years) fulfilling the clinical and radiological diagnosis of chronic cDPLD, and in 19 controls without evidence of lung disease. The 14 patients were assigned to two study groups: early-stage cDPLD (6 patients; age range 5 months to 5.2 years; duration of illness, 5-7 months) and long-standing cDPLD (8 patients; age range 9.6-18.4 years; duration of illness, 1.2-17.6 years). Ninety-three percent of the patients with cDPLD had at least two BAL constituents outside normal limits, with high numbers of cells, including all types of alveolar cells, but especially lymphocytes and foamy macrophages. These findings indicate a mixed, predominantly lymphocytic alveolitis. Our patients also had a significant increase in two noncellular BAL components, namely fibronectin and hyaluronic acid. BAL samples from children with long-standing cDPLD contained increased numbers of lymphocytes, whereas samples from children with early-stage cDPLD contained increased percentages and numbers of foamy macrophages and increased concentrations of fibronectin, hyaluronic acid, and albumin. In conclusion, we clearly identified an abnormal BAL profile in our group of cDPLD patients. Moreover, BAL findings differentiated younger cDPLD patients in the early stages of their illness from old patients with long-standing disease.

[Clinical significance of the determination of oxidation and acetylation phenotype in patients with multiple sclerosis]. / Kliniczne znaczenie badania fenotypu oksydacji i acetylacji u chorych na stwardnienie rozsiane.

Genetically determined individual differences in the ability of oxidation and acetylation of certain drugs have raised in recent years a considerable interest in view of their clinical importance. The purpose of the study was finding out of a possible difference in the ability to oxidized sparteine and to acetylate sulfamidine as model drugs between patients with multiple sclerosis and healthy control volunteers. The study was carried out in 23 patients with MS. The control group comprised 160 healthy subjects for comparison of oxidation phenotype. The results of determination of acetylation phenotype were obtained in 45 healthy controls. The study showed that in 160 controls 146 were extensive (rapid) metabolizers (91.3%) and 14 were weak (slow) metabolizers of sparteine (8.7%). In the group of MS patients 21 were extensive metabolizers (91.3%) and 2 were weak metabolizers (8.7%). The determination of acetylation phenotype in 45 controls showed 51% of rapid acetylation (23 subjects) and 49% of slow acetylation (22.

[Placental lactogen level and activity of oxytocinase, beta-glucuronidase and thermostable alkaline phosphatase isoenzyme in blood serum of women with ectopic pregnancy]. / Poziom laktogenu lozyskowego oraz aktywnosc oksytocynazy, beta-glukuronidazy i termostabilnego izoenzymu fosfatazy alkalicznej w surowicy krwi kobiet z ciaza ektopowa.

The lack of literature data dealing with placental lactogen concentration as well as with the other biochemical parameters in blood serum in women with ectopic pregnancy was the reason we turned to that problem. In eight patients with ectopic pregnancy there was determined placental lactogen level and oxytocinase activity as well as the activity of beta-glucuronidase and thermostable alkali phosphatase isoenzyme in blood serum. The results obtained were compared to the concentration of those parameters in blood serum in women with ectopic pregnancy and to those of not pregnant women. It was stated that in women with ectopic pregnancy there was produced placental lactogen and its concentration in blood serum was lower (about 30 percent) than that in women with ectopic pregnancy. Similarly, mean value of oxytocinase activity in women with ectopic pregnancy was twice lower in comparison to that of ectopic pregnancy, while beta-glucuronidase activity was twice higher when compared to that of ectopic pregnancy values. Placental alkali phosphatase isoenzyme activity was similar in both groups of pregnant women.

[Broncho-pulmonary complications due to aspiration of foreign bodies by children]. / Powiklania oskrzelowo-plucne w wyniku aspiracji cial obcych u dzieci.

The paper describes 239 children with bronchopulmonary disease due to foreign body (f.b.) aspiration treated in our center during between 1980-1992. Twenty-eight percent of the cases had been referred to hospital without any suspicion of f.b. aspiration. Almost half of the children (49.7%) were below the age of 2 years. Boys were affected more often (61.5%) than girls. In 61.1% the cases the f.b. had been aspirated into the right bronchial tree. Pieces of nuts were the most common f.b. - 35.1%. The most common chest X-ray symptoms were disturbances of bronchial patency (74.1%). Non-metalic, but potential shadowing f.b. like bones and teeth gave the clear signs only in 17.6% of the cases. After f.b. aspiration chronic irreversible lesions such as bronchiectasis and lung fibrosis were observed in 18.8% of the children. The prevalence of bronchiectasis was proportional to the duration of deposition. If the f.b. had been removed within the first month after aspiration we observed no complications. After aspiration of ears of grain, bronchiectasis was present in 80% of cases. Aspiration of f.b. into the left bronchial tree very often caused ventilation disturbations. Such cases were diagnosed and treated earlier than cases of right side f.b. aspirations. As a consequence bronchiectasis in the left lung was observed 2.7 less frequently.

Incorporation of sol-gel bioactive glass into PLGA improves mechanical properties and bioactivity of composite scaffolds and results in their osteoinductive properties.

In this study, 3D porous bioactive composite scaffolds were produced and evaluated for their physico-chemical and biological properties. Polymer poly-L-lactide-co-glycolide (PLGA) matrix scaffolds were modified with sol-gel-derived bioactive glasses (SBGs) of CaO-SiO2-P2O5 systems. We hypothesized that SBG incorporation into PLGA matrix would improve the chemical and biological activity of composite materials as well as their mechanical properties. We applied two bioactive glasses, designated as S2 or A2, differing in the content of SiO2 and CaO (i.e. 80 mol% SiO2, 16 mol% CaO for S2 and 40 mol% SiO2, 52 mol% CaO for A2). The composites were characterized for their porosity, bioactivity, microstructure and mechanical properties. The osteoinductive properties of these composites were evaluated in human bone marrow stromal cell (hBMSC) cultures grown in either standard growth medium or treated with recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2) or dexamethasone (Dex). After incubation in simulated body fluid, calcium phosphate precipitates formed inside the pores of both A2-PLGA and S2-PLGA scaffolds. The compressive strength of the latter was increased slightly compared to PLGA. Both composites promoted superior hBMSC attachment to the material surface and stimulated the expression of several osteogenic markers in hBMSC compared to cells grown on unmodified PLGA. There were also marked differences in the response of hBMSC to composite scaffolds, depending on chemical compositions of the scaffolds and culture treatments. Compared to silica-rich S2-PLGA, hBMSC grown on calcium-rich A2-PLGA were overall less responsive to rhBMP-2 or Dex and the osteoinductive properties of these A2-PLGA scaffolds seemed partially dependent on their ability to induce BMP signaling in untreated hBMSC. Thus, beyond the ability of currently studied composites to enhance hBMSC osteogenesis, it may become possible to modulate the osteogenic response of hBMSC, depending on the chemistry of SBGs incorporated into polymer matrix.

Nonattendance at outpatient endoscopy.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS: Nonattendance at outpatient endoscopy leads to inefficiency and delay in diagnosis. We aimed to identify factors associated with failure to attend outpatient gastroscopy and colonoscopy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We carried out a retrospective audit of nonattendance at outpatient endoscopy over a 12-month period at our tertiary hospital endoscopy unit. Attending patients on the same endoscopy list were used as controls. Patient charts and referral letters were reviewed. The information collected included referral source, time between referral and procedure, indication and type of procedure, reason for nonattendance and history of previous endoscopy. Following the audit a trial of telephone reminders was implemented over a 3-month period. RESULTS: From 2157 outpatient procedures that were scheduled, 263 nonattendees (12.2 %) were identified with 261 controls. Of the nonattendees, 109 (41 %) did not attend for colonoscopy, 121 (46 %) did not attend for gastroscopy and 33 (13 %) failed to turn up for combined procedures. Monday was the most common day of the week for nonattendance (40 % of nonattenders). Nonattendees were younger (46 +/- 14 vs. 55 +/- 16, P < 0.001), less likely to be referred from a gastroenterologist ( P < 0.001) or private practice ( P = 0.02) and more likely to be referred from the emergency department ( P = 0.007). Subsequent to this, a 3-month period of telephone reminder reduced nonattendance rates from 12.2 % to 9 % ( P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Younger patients scheduled for outpatient endoscopy on Mondays who are not referred by a gastroenterologist or private physician are more likely not to attend. These patients should be targeted for interventions designed to increase attendance. Telephone reminders have a modest effect on reducing nonattendance rates.

New antifeedant triterpene glycosides from the Caribbean sponge Erylus formosus.

Two groups of antifeedant triterpene glycosides were identified from the Caribbean sponge Erylus formosus. The structure of formoside B, a novel N-acetyl amino derivative of the known penasterol tetrasaccharide formoside, was elucidated using NMR and mass spectral data. Four triterpene hexasaccharides and two triterpene trisaccharides, characterized by a 31-carbon aglycone, proved difficult to isolate and therefore only the structure of their aglycone was determined. Gas chromatographic analysis of derivatized saccharides from these mixtures established the carbohydrate content of these compounds. All of the triterpene glycosides isolated contributed to the chemical defenses of this sponge, although with differing activities.

Amphitoxin, a new high molecular weight antifeedant pyridinium salt from the Caribbean sponge Amphimedon compressa.

A new polymeric pyridinium alkaloid named amphitoxin [2] has been isolated from Amphimedon compressa, and its structure determined by spectroscopic analysis. In laboratory feeding experiments, crude extracts and purified amphitoxin [2] from A. compressa at lower than natural concentration levels effectively deterred feeding of a generalist predatory Caribbean reef fish, Thalassoma bifasciatum.

The Kartagener syndrome--an electron microscopic studies of biopsied mucosa.

We studied 43 tissue samples taken from patients (16 male and 27 women) with clinical diagnosis of Kartagener's syndrome. The specimens were fixed and prepared for transmission electron microscopy. After preliminary light microscopic examination 23 cases were qualified for ultrastructural studies. We found abnormal number of cilia on the bronchial mucosa cells. The ciliary structure was abnormal. In several cases we observed lack of inner and/or outer dynein arms, abnormal location of central microtubules, and abnormal number of microtubular doublets. Other findings were as follows: replacement of ciliated cells by goblet ones, mucosal edema and inflammatory infiltrate.