Matching oceanography and genetics at the basin scale. Seascape connectivity of the Mediterranean shore crab in the Adriatic Sea.

Investigating the interactions between the physical environment and early life history is crucial to understand the mechanisms that shape the genetic structure of marine populations. Here, we assessed the genetic differentiation in a species with larval dispersal, the Mediterranean shore crab (Carcinus aestuarii) in the Adriatic Sea (central Mediterranean), and we investigated the role of oceanic circulation in shaping population structure. To this end, we screened 11 polymorphic microsatellite loci from 431 individuals collected at eight different sites. We found a weak, yet significant, genetic structure into three major clusters: a northern Adriatic group, a central Adriatic group and one group including samples from southern Adriatic and Ionian seas. Genetic analyses were compared, under a seascape genetics approach, with estimates of potential larval connectivity obtained with a coupled physical-biological model that integrates a water circulation model and a description of biological traits affecting dispersal. The cross-validation of the results of the two approaches supported the view that genetic differentiation reflects an oceanographic subdivision of the Adriatic Sea into three subbasins, with circulation patterns allowing the exchange of larvae through permanent connections linking north Adriatic sites and ephemeral connections like those linking the central Adriatic with northern and southern locations.

A simplified method to estimate body growth parameters of the European eel Anguilla anguilla.

A simple approach is proposed to fit a body growth model for the European eel Anguilla anguilla to data-poor case studies. The model is a modified von Bertalanffy curve allowing for delayed sex determination and sexual dimorphism. The proposed procedure provides preliminary estimates of model parameters on the basis of average age and body length of silver eels.

Size selectivity of fyke nets for European eel Anguilla anguilla.

Size selectivity of fyke nets for European eels Anguilla anguilla was investigated by reviewing the results of published experimental studies. A general size selectivity model was then derived that can be easily incorporated into demographic models to simulate population dynamics, assess and monitor abundance and length structure of eel stocks and forecast the consequences of different management options.

Analysis of cyclazocine in plasma.

The analysis of plasma cyclazocine by two methods is described. The radioimmunoassay employed a 125I-labeled radioligand, rabbit antiserum, and sepration of bound from free cyclazocine with a second antibody. The radioimmunoassay was specific for cyclazocine and had a detection limit of approximately 20 pg/ml. The GLC method employed a mass spectrometer as the detector and had a detection limit of approximately 109 pg/ml. Both techniques had acceptable accuracy and precision when used to quantitate cyclazocine in dog and human plasma. The methods were used successfully to quantitate cyclazocine from beagle hounds receiving 0.5 mg of 3H-cylazocine/kg iv. The decline in plasma cyclazocine fitted a two-compartment body model with a mean plasma clearance rate of 39.2 liters/hr.

[Treatment of chronic cardiac failure with cadralazine. Short- and medium-term results]. / Traitement de l'insuffisance cardiaque chronique sévère par la cadralazine. Résultats à court et à moyen terme.

The clinical and haemodynamic effects of a single oral dose of cadralazine were studied in 22 patients with an average age of 64 years presenting with severe chronic cardiac failure. Haemodynamic monitoring during the first 24 hours after oral administration of 30 mg of cadralazine showed a peak increase at the 8th hour of the cardiac index (+ 64 p. 100, p less than 0.001), the systolic index (+ 45 p. 100, p less than 0.001) and the left ventricular work (+ 52 p. 100, p less than 0.001) whilst the systemic and pulmonary arterial resistances decreased by 40 p. 100 (p less than 0.0001) and 30 p. 100 (p less than 0.01) respectively. There was no significant change in heart rate or diastolic pulmonary arterial pressures. The haemodynamic improvement was maintained at the 24th hour (cardiac index + 35 p. 100, p less than 0.01 and systemic arterial resistances - 20 p. 100). These results were confirmed at one month. There were few side effects, none of which necessitated withdrawal of the drug. This study shows the efficacy of a single 30 mg daily dose of cadralazine, an arterial vasodilator, in patients with severe cardiac failure. The treatment was well tolerated over the one month study period.

Triumvirate nursing for personality disordered patients: crossing the boundaries safely.

As the issue of the treatment and effective management of personality disordered patients comes under close scrutiny in the wake of the Fallon Inquiry, we offer a brief overview of the nature of the challenges involved in nursing this difficult group of patients. Traditional methods of setting limits and defining boundaries are no longer convincing amidst the allegations of multidisciplinary staff being culpable, at one level or another, for their contribution in this tragic inquiry. In this paper we offer a strategic mechanism of constructing nursing care for this difficult group of patients and provide a framework for crossing boundaries safely through a multidisciplinary framework. We term this triumvirate nursing. Nursing management of those patients considered to have personality disorders is traditionally very difficult. This difficulty, in part, stems from the inability of nurses to strategically develop therapeutic relationships in a safe manner. Crossing boundaries is a necessary part of therapeutic exploration and relationship building; triumvirate nursing offers a safe mechanism for undertaking this. Creative thinking is a necessary part of the future development of the nursing management of these disorders.

[MRI of uterine leiomyosarcoma. Apropos of 2 cases]. / IRM des léiomyosarcomes utérins. A propos de 2 cas.

Prognosis is poor for uterine leiomyosarcomas. Diagnosis is often an unexpected pathology discovery after hysterectomy for fibroma. Prognosis depends on the degree of locoregional extension and thus on early diagnosis. Echography and computed tomography scan are note very specific. There is little literature on imagining studies, and particularly on MRI in this pathology. Yet MRI, especially the T2 weighted sequences, is quite interesting for evaluating tumour extension in the uterus. It can be used whenever an abnormal increase in size is observed during the per- or postmenopausal period in a women with a fibroma. We report two cases of uterine leiomyosarcoma explored by MRI and review the literature.

[Pelvic gynecological cancers. Is hepatic echography useful?]. / Cancers gynécologiques pelviens. L'échographie hépatique est-elle utile?

An examination of liver echographies performed over an 11 year period in 2,335 female patients with pelvic gynaecology cancers revealed that the incidence of benign lesions (96 cases) was greater than the number of metastases discovered (79 cases). Regular hepatic echography in cancers of the uterus leads to a median survival of 4 months. Hepatic echography can be useful for the detection of benign lesions in cases of cancer of the uterus and for the detection of benign or malignant lesions in cases of cancer of the ovary. Routine post-therapeutic hepatic echography is only useful in cancer of the cervix. For cancer of the ovary, abdomino-pelvic computed tomography should be performed; liver tests are sufficient in cases of cancer of the endometrium.

[Ultrasound-guided cytopuncture of impalpable solid breast lesions]. / Cytoponction échoguidée des lésions mammaires solides impalpables.

We performed 64 echo-guided fine needle (21 G) biopsies of solid unpalpable breast lesions in 58 patients. There was a correlation with cytohistological results in 34 cases (53%): 24 cancers (69% of the biopsied carcinomas) and 10 benign lesions (35% of the benign lesions biopsied). There were 4 false negatives, 7 false positives and biopsy did not contribute to diagnosis in 20 cases (31%). Diagnosis was made in all cases on the combined evidence from mammography, echography and cytology. These results emphasize the problems involved in cytodiagnosis: determining the localization of small lesions, nature of the biopsied lesions (role of existing fibrosis and low cell population in the non-diagnostic biopsies), reading the histological slide.

[Gastric leiomyosarcoma. Ultrasonographic endoscopy and MRI]. / Léiomyosarcome gastrique. Echoendoscopie et IRM.

Leiomyosarcoma of the stomach is an unfrequent tumor, for which the prognosis is better than for cancer of the stomach. Its development is often subserosal, thus explaining its clinical latency and its large volume at the time of diagnosis. While many publications report about the merits of conventional imaging for this type of pathology, few authors have considered ultrasonographic endoscopy, and even fewer magnetic resonance imaging. The authors present one case for which these two recent techniques were implemented, as well as a review of the literature.

[Comparative imaging of cancers of the tongue]. / Imagerie comparative des cancers de la langue.

In a comparative study of 18 cases of tongue cancer examined with ultrasonography, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the authors assess the advantages and disadvantages of each technique. MRI seems to be more effective for the detection of small lesions, the examination of the mobile part of the tongue, in case of dental artifacts, for the study of regional extension and to screen recurrence. CT retains its indications for large tumors in patients who are in a poor general condition, tired, and cannot stand lengthy examinations. Ultrasonography remains the first-intention examination in all cases because of its indisputable superiority for lymph node examination.

[X-ray computed tomography of duodenal lipoma]. / Scanographie des lipomes duodénaux.

Duodenal lipoma is a rare, often asymptomatic tumor; the circumstances of its discovery have become more frequent as CT examinations are more commonly performed. The merits of a CT examination for this condition is to allow both a positive diagnosis and the follow-up of these fatty tumors which have very few clinical expressions, thus avoiding complementary examinations or even useless laparotomies. The authors describe three cases of incidental discovery of duodenal lipomas.

Concurrent review of the duration of antimicrobial prophylaxis in surgery.

The administration of prophylactic antibiotics in surgery is appropriate for many patients. Data have shown extending the duration of prophylaxis beyond 48 hours does not lower the rate of postoperative-infection. The purpose of this project was to concurrently assess the duration of prophylactic antibiotic use. A total of 95 patients were monitored over 3 weeks. Eighty patients (84.2%) received antimicrobial therapy. In 23 of these patients (28.75%) the duration of antibiotic administration was longer than 2 days without clinical or microbiological evidence of infection. In 5 other patients only postoperative antibiotics were prescribed. The cost difference between the actual duration of antibiotic administration and 2 days of the same regimen was +1,364.58. Extrapolating for one year, it can be estimated that antibiotic costs could be reduced about +23,600. Pharmacists can focus on the duration of antibiotic prophylaxis as a cost containment measure.

The use of anabolic-androgenic steroids by Canadian students.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of use of anabolic-androgenic steroids and other presumed performance-enhancing drugs and the associated knowledge, attitudes, and behavior of school-aged Canadians. DESIGN: A national survey was conducted using a self-report questionnaire distributed randomly to schools within each of five Canadian regions. SETTING: Canada. SUBJECTS: The subjects were 16,119 Canadian students, in the sixth grade and above, from 107 schools drawn randomly from five Canadian regions. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: The number of students reporting the use of anabolic-androgenic steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs in the year before the survey, the nature of such drug-taking activities, and the attitudes underlying the decision to take anabolic-androgenic steroids. RESULTS: More than 83,000 young Canadians (2.8% of the respondents) are estimated to have used anabolic-androgenic steroids in the year before the survey. Of those taking such drugs, 29.4% reported that they injected them; of the latter group, 29.2% reported sharing needles in the course of injecting anabolic-androgenic steroids. Significant numbers of respondents reported using other substances (caffeine, 27%; extra protein, 27%; alcohol, 8.6%; painkillers, 9%; stimulants, 3.1%; "doping methods," 2.3%; beta-blockers, 1%) in attempts to improve sport performance. CONCLUSIONS: The use of anabolic-androgenic steroids is more widespread than may have been assumed and is often accompanied by high-risk needle-sharing. Anabolic-androgenic steroid use is often intended to alter body build as opposed to accentuating sport performance. Many young Canadians use a variety of other substances in attempts to improve sport performance. Drug-taking of this kind represents a special challenge for educators, health professionals, and sport authorities.

Very high frequency (13 MHz) ultrasonographic examination of the normal neck: detection of normal lymph nodes and thyroid nodules.

Very high frequency (13 MHz) ultrasonographic examination of the neck successfully visualized one or more normal lymph nodes (weakly echoic oval structures with an echoic central hilum) in 67.6% of 1000 healthy volunteers. Efficacy was not related to recent ear, nose, and throat infection, sex, or age. The longitudinal-transverse diameter ratio was greater than or equal to 2 in 86.2% of cases. No signal was detected with color Doppler imaging. One or more thyroid nodules were also identified in 34.7% of the subjects: the frequency was 44% in women and 42% in subjects over 50 years of age.

The disposition of quinfamide in the rat.

The disposition of quinfamide 1-(dichloroacetyl)-6-(2-furoyloxy)-1, 2, 3, 4-tetrahydroquinoline, an enteric anti-amoebic agent, was studied in the rat. A peak blood level equivalent to 2.3 micrograms/ml of quinfamide was observed at 7 hr following a 20 mg/kg oral dose. Urinary recovery of radioactivity was much higher (84%) following intravenous than oral (48%) administration. Drug levels, in all of the tissues examined. were low. The major pathways of quinfamide metabolism in the rat involve hydrolysis of one or both ester groups, acetylation of the de-acylated product to 1-acetyl-1, 2, 3, 4-tetrahydro-6-quinolinol, oxidation of this to the 1-glycolyl metabolite, and aromatization to 6-hydroxyquinoline.

Metabolism of amrinone in animals.

The biotransformation of 14C-amrinone was studied in rats, dogs, and monkeys by automated gradient high-performance liquid chromatography. The major pathways of metabolism elucidated are: A) glucuronidation at the primary amino nitrogen atom and/or the enolized oxygen atom of the pyridone ring; B) addition of glutathione at the pyridone 2-position and ultimate hydrolysis of this compound to the 2-S-cysteinyl metabolite; C) formation of the primary amino N-acetyl derivative and subsequent oxidation of this to the corresponding N-glycolate. In each species studied, urine was the primary route of elimination and unchanged amrinone was the major urinary excretion product, the other known pathways being: rat, A and C; dog, A and B; monkey, A.

Disposition of trilostane in the rat and monkey.

The metabolism of trilostane, a novel inhibitor of adrenal steroidogenesis, was studied in the rat and monkey. In the rat, a peak blood level, equivalent to 2 microgram/ml of trilostane, was observed following a 25 mg/kg oral dose; excretion was mainly via the feces. In the monkey, the peak plasma level, equivalent to 15 microgram/ml, was observed 2 hr after a 20 mg/kg oral dose; elimination of radioactivity was predominantly in the urine. The five major metabolites of trilostane in monkey urine have been isolated and partially characterized. The primary metabolic pathways involved hydroxylation and glucuronide formation.

Absorption and disposition of N-(1, 1-dimethylethyl)-N'-[2-(4-pyridinyl)-4-pyrimidinyl]urea in rats and dogs.

N-(1, 1-Dimethylethyl)-N'-[2-(4-pyridinyl)-4-pyrimidinyl]urea, Win 40, 882, was eliminated from the blood stream of dogs by two apparent first-order processes with alpha- and beta-phase half-lives of 0.2 hr and 1.4 hr, respectively. Radioactivity of the administered dose was excreted by rats in the feces and via the kidneys; about 40-45% of the dose was recovered in the feces, with the remainder in the urine, over a six day period. One of the terminal methyl groups of the tert-butyl moiety of Win 40,882 is sequentially oxidized by the rat to the alcohol, aldehyde and carboxylic acid. In addition, some of the aldehyde was further metabolized to generate two different monohydroxylated aldehydic metabolites; these hydroxyaldehydes accounted for less than 10% of the dose administered. An unusual metabolic pattern was noted in the excretion of Win 40,882. Over 30% of the urinary metabolites contained the carboxaldehyde function; only8% of the urinary radioactivity was represented by the further oxidation of the aldehyde group to generate the carboxylic acid.