Effects of body temperature on righting performance of native and invasive freshwater turtles: consequences for competition.

Righting behavior of aquatic turtles might be subject to coadaptation pressures between preferred basking temperature and locomotion, given that it is mainly performed on land and may critically determine the survival of turtles. We analyzed the effect of body temperature (T(b)) on righting performance of two species of freshwater turtles, the endangered native Spanish terrapin (Mauremys leprosa), and the red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta elegans), an introduced invasive species that is displacing native turtles in the Iberian Peninsula. Interspecific differences in morphology, basking requirements and behavioral responses have been found between Spanish terrapins and introduced sliders. Therefore, we hypothesized that T(b) might differentially affect righting behavior of these two turtle species. We found a clear effect of T(b) on righting response of both M. leprosa and T. scripta, with the performance enhanced at the preferred basking temperature of each turtle species. These results suggest that righting might be coadapted to preferred basking temperature in freshwater turtles. Also, M. leprosa required longer times to right on average than T. scripta, which denotes a higher efficiency of introduced sliders at righting performance. These interspecific behavioral asymmetries in righting performance between native and exotic turtles might contribute to the greater competitive ability of introduced T. scripta, favoring the expansion of exotic sliders in the new environments in which they are introduced, in detriment to native Spanish terrapins.

Oesophageal temperature monitoring and incidence of oesophageal lesions after pulmonary vein isolation using a remote robotic navigation system.

AIMS: Oesophageal lesions (EL), a potential complication after pulmonary vein isolation (PVI), have been described recently. A new remote robotic navigation system (RNS; Hansen Medical) provides enhanced catheter stability along with more effective lesion placement. The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate temperature monitoring and incidence of EL when using RNS with an irrigated tip radiofrequency catheter for PVI. METHODS AND RESULTS: Circumferential PVI using RNS was performed in 73 patients (pts) with paroxysmal (n = 46, 63%) and persistent atrial fibrillation. An oesophageal temperature probe was placed in 58 (79.5%) pts and was integrated in the 3D-map (NavX). Power was limited to 25 W at the posterior wall, and in the case of an increase in temperature power was limited to 20 W. Endoscopy was performed in 42 pts within 24 h after PVI. In 44 of 58 (75.9%) pts, a significant rise in temperature (>39 degrees C) was observed. In 6 of 42 (14.3%) pts, an EL was found during endoscopy. In patients with EL, the body mass index (BMI) was significantly lower than in pts without EL (24.1 +/- 2.0 vs. 29.0 +/- 5.8, P = 0.047). The BMI of all patients with EL was <26, whereas all patients without EL had a BMI above 26. The EL showed brisk healing after re-endoscopy within 2 weeks in all pts. CONCLUSION: In patients undergoing PVI using the RNS, the incidence of EL is 14.3% when using power settings comparable to settings used in manual ablation. Patients with lower BMI (<26) are at higher risk for EL.

Exploiting the igloo principle and greenhouse effect to regulate humidity and temperature.

BACKGROUND: Toxic epidermal necrolysis can be fatal and nursing care with careful monitoring of temperature and humidity can improve survival rate. We adapted the greenhouse and igloo principle using a common hood to monitor the temperature and humidity. METHODS: A small heater with a regulator was placed in a mini hood and temperature was recorded inside the uncovered hood and hood covered with green cloth and aluminium foil separately. The regular hood was placed over a volunteer and the temperature was measured inside the open hood and hood covered with green cloth and aluminium foil separately. The relative humidity was also monitored using Zeal mercury dry--wet bulb hygrometer. RESULTS: Temperature increase was most marked in the foil-covered hood followed by cloth-covered hood, both with the heater and the volunteer. Similarly, in the volunteer study, the humidity was best maintained inside the aluminium foil-covered hood. CONCLUSION: We recommend the use of regular hood with suitable cover to monitor the humidity and temperature of patients with toxic epidermal necrolysis.

Correlation of oral surface temperatures and the lesions of leprosy.

A short review of the literature on the optimum temperature for the growth of Mycobacterium leprae is followed by a report of an investigation into the correlation of oral surface temperatures with oral leprous lesions. It is concluded that the oral lesions of leprosy occur more frequently in areas of the mouth with a lower surface temperature.

Effect of temperature on oxygen stores during aerobic diving in the freshwater turtle Mauremys caspica leprosa.

Oxygen stores available for aerobic diving were studied in the freshwater turtle (Mauremys caspica leprosa) at three constant body temperatures (15 degrees, 25 degrees, and 35 degrees C) and during the thermal transient (30 degrees-15 degrees C) induced by immersion in cold water. The term "aerobic dive limit" has been defined as the maximal duration of the dive before lactate increases. This increase occurs when a critical PO2 value is reached, and it is well characterized at lung level by a sharp increase in the lung apnoeic respiratory quotient. Kinetic analysis of lung gas composition during forced dives at fixed body temperature shows that critical PO2 values rise with temperature and that the postventilatory PO2 at the beginning of a dive decreases, so that the two temperature-dependent factors lead to a significant decrease with temperature in the lung O2 stores available for aerobic diving. During dives with transient body cooling, a natural condition in M. caspica leprosa, temperature equilibration occurs fast enough to expand aerobic scope by bearing the critical PO2 to the same value obtained at a fixed temperature of 15 degrees C. These dives are characterized by reversed CO2 transport (from lung to tissues) and therefore by negative values of the lung respiratory quotient; a decrease in temperature increases CO2 capacitance of tissues, resulting in a fall in PCO2 at constant CO2 content. Because this does not occur in the gas phase, PCO2 difference can lead to diffusion in the direction opposite from normal. This pattern may favour lung-to-tissue O2 transfer, through the Bohr effect. Therefore, the aerobic dive limit is reduced at high temperature not only through a metabolic rate effect but also through a marked decrease in the available O2 stores; fast body cooling (30 degrees-15 degrees C) associated with immersion in cold water extends the O2 stores available for aerobic diving to a level similar to that of immersions at constant body temperatures that are in equilibrium with water temperature.

Development of ultrasonic vocalization responses in genetically heterogeneous National Institute of Health (N:NIH) rats. I. Influence of age, testing experience, and associated factors.

The N:NIH strain of rats was developed by the National Institutes of Health to provide a maximally heterogeneous population as a base for selective breeding (Hansen & Spuhler, 1984). Using the N:NIH strain, this laboratory will selectively breed adult animals that exhibited extremes of high or low ultrasonic vocalization (USV) rates as infants. Because nothing was known about USV in N:NIH rats, we characterized the development of isolation-induced USV in the first generation of this strain born in our laboratory. In a longitudinal/cross-sectional study of pups tested at 3, 10, 15, and 18 days postnatally, N:NIH pups emitted their highest rates of USV at 3-4 days postnatally and calling remained high for 10 days before declining. USV rates were found to be a relatively environmentally stable behavioral trait in that repeated testing did not significantly affect the calling rates of either individuals or litters, and only at 3 days postnatal age did naturally occurring ambient temperature variations (6 degrees C range) significantly affect USV responses. Individual differences in USV responses emerged by 10 days of age that were not simply correlations of body weight or rectal temperature, and pups at that age showed isolation calling rates that were highly predictive of their response levels 5 days later.

A técnica de estudo de conduçäo nervosa no tatu / Nerve conduction study technique in the armadillo

Os autores apresentam uma técnica para realizar estudo de conduçao nervosa em tatus (D. novemcinctus) e sugerem que 66.17 m/s poderia ser a média da velocidade de conduçao normal para o nervo ciático, um parâmetro que pode ser usado para a avaliaçao do sistema nervoso periférico nesse animal, considerando-se a sua escolha como modelo experimental na hanseníase, e mesmo em outras neuropatias periféricas.

Palmo-plantar lesions in paucibacillary leprosy--unusual clinical expressions.

Paucibacillary leprosy of the palmo-plantar skin is regarded as unusual. Three cases of Paucibacillary leprosy with such lesions are discussed and the relevent literature reviewed.

The effect of body temperature and cell-mediated immunity on the growth of Mycobacterium marinum and Mycobacterium leprae in mice.

Evidence is presented that the high susceptibility of armadillos to infection with Mycobacterium leprae cannot be explained solely in terms of body temperature because mutant mice maintained with a body temperature similar to that of armadillos do not become heavily infected with M. leprae. The depression of cell-mediated immunity accompanying the low body temperature is not sufficient to produce an overwhelming infection. The results obtained with M. marinum suggest that whereas lack of cell-mediated immunity or a low body temperature result in a moderately enhanced infection in the mouse a combination of both of these factors is required to produce an overwhelming infection involving the internal organs.

Study of evolution of nerve damage in leprosy. Part III--Sciatic nerve lesions in mice inoculated with M. leprae with nerve conduction velocity correlates.

Non-immunosuppressed Swiss mice inoculated with 5000 M. leprae in each hind foot pad were subjected to nerve conduction velocity studies followed by light and electron microscopy and fibre tease of both sciatic nerves at sequential time intervals from the 4th to the 24th month. The conduction velocity was standardized for basal temperature of 35 degrees C and uninoculated mice were used as controls. Progressive changes were noted in conduction velocity from the 6th post inoculation month and correlated with the ultrastructural changes which were first observed at the 4th month. Fibre teasing showed predominent segmental demyelination.

The paranasal sinuses in lepromatous leprosy.

During the course of a larger study of patients with treated lepromatous leprosy attending a hospital in South India, sixteen patients with untreated disease presented with symptoms suggesting both intranasal and sinus involvement. Radiological abnormalities of the sinus were recorded in all sixteen patients and the results have been published separately. This paper describes the clinical and bacteriological findings, together with the results of histopathological examination of biopsies of sinus mucosa in two patients, in both of whom there was a histiocytic infiltrate, with acid-fast bacilli. In one of these biopsies, bacilli in the lamina propria were numerous; globi were common, and 20% of free-standing organisms were solid-staining. The significance of these findings is discussed with emphasis on the value of a full ear, nose and throat examination in all cases of leprosy, especially those with the lepromatous form. In this type of leprosy the upper respiratory tract tissues are clearly of importance for the lodgement and of multiplication of bacilli; it is possible that the paranasal air sinuses, with their large surface area, may contribute to the numbers of bacilli which are disseminated from the nose into the environment.

The paranasal sinuses in lepromatous leprosy

During the course of a larger study of patients with treated lepromatous leprosy attending a hospital in South India, sixteen patients with untreated disease presented with symptoms suggesting both intranasal and sinus involvement. Radiological abnormalities of the sinus were recorded in all sixteen patients and the results have been published separately. This paper describes the clinical and bacteriological findings, together with the results of histopathological examination of biopsies of sinus mucosa in two patients, in both of whom there was a histiocytic infiltrate, with acid-fast bacilli. In one of these biopsies, bacilli in the lamina propria were numerous; globi were common, and 20% of free-standing organisms were solid-staining. The significance of these findings is discussed with emphasis on the value of a full ear, nose and throat examination in all cases of leprosy, especially those with the lepromatous form. In this type of leprosy the upper respiratory tract tissues are clearly of importance for the lodgement and of multiplication of bacilli; it is possible that the paranasal air sinuses, with their large surface area, may contribute to the numbers of bacilli which are disseminated from the nose into the environment.

Temperature assessment of the insensitive foot.

Temperature assessment has proven valuable in detecting areas of inflammation in the insensitive limb. Monitoring the inflammatory response to the stresses of footwear and walking has worked as a "pain substitute." In conjunction with other evaluation methods, the results of temperature assessment can be used to reduce the incidence of injury and ulceration in the insensitive foot. A review of principles and methods, a presentation of a case study, and a discussion will elaborate upon the concepts of temperature assessment.

Intra-oral temperatures in man with special reference to involvement of the central incisors and premaxillary alveolar process in lepromatous leprosy.

The predilection of lepromatous leprosy for body sites substantially below core temperature is well known, and within the oral cavity the premaxillary alveolar process and upper central incisor teeth are especially affected. In this study, intra-oral temperatures were recorded by means of a series of thermistor probes applied to the teeth and labial surfaces of the gums of normal subjects. The temperature distribution established showed a close correlation with the known pattern of involvement of teeth and supporting structures derived from clinical, pathological and archeological data. Relatively low temperature of the premaxillary alveolar process was demonstrated, a factor which may be of prime importance for the localization of disease in this region, as it is for other tissues in the lepromatous patient.