Search

variety of techniques have been used to monitor platypus populations to assess the impacts of the threats they face, but each technique has limitations. In this study we investigated the novel use of in-stream microchip readers, to remotely monitor the movements of microchipped wild platypuses. Over 13 months, we recorded movements of 18 microchipped individuals past nine fixed locations in the Inglis Catchment in northwest Tasmania, using three units of which all were capable of detecting Trovan® unique microchips and two were additionally capable of detecting ISO microchips. Each site was monitored one or two times, for durations of 8-39 days. We undertook direction of movement investigations during two monitoring periods, by placing the antennas from two systems in the same creek within 3 m of each other. In a total of 264 days of monitoring, 528 platypus observations were made from 18 individual platypuses, consisting of 13 of 18 (72%) platypuses captured at the monitoring sites within 16 months prior to monitoring, two platypuses captured at other sites in the same time period, and three of seven (43%) individuals microchipped 3-5 years previously. This number of platypus observations, in combination with the stable number of platypuses observed per day, the range of movement behaviours recorded and the results of the direction of movement investigations, indicates that at appropriate sites, in-stream microchip readers are an effective method of monitoring the movements and survivorship of microchipped wild platypuses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A variety of techniques have been used to monitor platypus populations to assess the impacts of the threats they face, but each technique has limitations. In this study we investigated the novel use of in-stream microchip readers, to remotely monitor the movements of microchipped wild platypuses. Over 13 months, we recorded movements of 18 microchipped individuals past nine fixed locations in the Inglis Catchment in northwest Tasmania, using three units of which all were capable of detecting Trovan® unique microchips and two were additionally capable of detecting ISO microchips. Each site was monitored one or two times, for durations of 8-39 days. We undertook direction of movement investigations during two monitoring periods, by placing the antennas from two systems in the same creek within 3 m of each other. In a total of 264 days of monitoring, 528 platypus observations were made from 18 individual platypuses, consisting of 13 of 18 (72%) platypuses captured at the monitoring sites within 16 months prior to monitoring, two platypuses captured at other sites in the same time period, and three of seven (43%) individuals microchipped 3-5 years previously. This number of platypus observations, in combination with the stable number of platypuses observed per day, the range of movement behaviours recorded and the results of the direction of movement investigations, indicates that at appropriate sites, in-stream microchip readers are an effective method of monitoring the movements and survivorship of microchipped wild platypuses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To investigate the distribution and prevalence of mucormycosis in platypus ( Ornithorhynchus anatinus) from the Inglis, Emu and Black-Detention catchment areas in north-west Tasmania. Procedure A field study was performed and resulted in the examination of 44 wild platypuses; in addition, one dead platypus and two live platypuses were examined after they were independently submitted to a local veterinary clinic. Results No cases of mucormycosis were conclusively diagnosed. One platypus with signs consistent with those previously described in cases of mucormycosis was captured in the Emu River catchment. However, laboratory tests did not provide a definitive diagnosis for the lesion. Two platypuses from the Inglis catchment area had signs very similar to those previously described in cases of mucormycosis, but laboratory tests found Corynebacterium ulcerans to be the likely cause of the cutaneous ulcers on one of these platypuses and an unidentified fungal agent to be the cause of a cutaneous nodule in the other. Conclusions These findings do not prove that mucormycosis is absent from the populations studied. However, they may indicate that the prevalence of disease is low. The possibility that Mucor amphibiorum is present in a subclinical form in platypuses, or infecting another reservoir, is not excluded. The findings also suggest that caution should be exercised when diagnosing mucormycosis based on clinical findings alone and raise the possibility that some cases may have been incorrectly diagnosed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The studies the morphology, pathology, and prevalence of Klossiella quimrensis (Apicomplexa) by researchers in Western Australia. The researchers diagnosed klossiellosis by histology of renal tissue collected during necropsy of 20 Perameles bougainville. It was found out that the infection is indirectly associated with mild multifocal interstitial lymphocystic nephritis and is likely to be only minimally pathogenic in otherwise healthy individuals.

As earlier detection of prostate cancer increases because of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing, appropriate use for watchful waiting warrants re-evaluation. We have drawn together the significant watchful waiting literature and used it to evaluate the use of watchful waiting in the PSA era. We conducted literature searches for studies examining outcomes of watchful waiting and examined new literature emerging about the use of PSA for the follow-up of watchful waiting patients. Watchful waiting has the potential to play an increasingly important role in prostate cancer as less advanced disease is detected and methods are refined for identifying low-risk patients.Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases (2006) 9, 25–29. doi:10.1038/sj.pcan.4500857; published online 10 January 2006 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calcium entry into myocytes drives contraction of the embryonic heart. To prepare for the next contraction, myocytes must extrude calcium from intracellular space via the Na+/Ca2+ exchanger (NCX1) or sequester it into the sarcoplasmic reticulum, via the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase2 (SERCA2). In mammals, defective calcium extrusion correlates with increased intracellular calcium levels and may be relevant to heart failure and sarcoplasmic dysfunction in adults. We report here that mutation of the cardiac-specific NCX1 (NCX1h) gene causes embryonic lethal cardiac arrhythmia in zebrafish tremblor (tre) embryos. The tre ventricle is nearly silent, whereas the atrium manifests a variety of arrhythmias including fibrillation. Calcium extrusion defects in tre mutants correlate with severe disruptions in sarcomere assembly, whereas mutations in the L-type calcium channel that abort calcium entry do not produce this phenotype. Knockdown of SERCA2 activity by morpholino-mediated translational inhibition or pharmacological inhibition causes embryonic lethality due to defects in cardiac contractility and morphology but, in contrast to tre mutation, does not produce arrhythmia. Analysis of intracellular calcium levels indicates that homozygous tre embryos develop calcium overload, which may contribute to the degeneration of cardiac function in this mutant. Thus, the inhibition of NCX1h versus SERCA2 activity differentially affects the pathophysiology of rhythm in the developing heart and suggests that relative levels of NCX1 and SERCA2 function are essential for normal development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A test for the lymphokine eosinophil stimulation promoter (ESP) has been adapted to the study of Trichinella spiralis infections in mice and has been used as an aid in the diagnosis of trichinosis in a patient. With use of soluble antigen extracted from T. spiralis larvae and peritoneal exudate cells rich in eosinophils obtained from mice with trichinosis of four weeks' duration, a dose-response curve was constructed and analyzed. The soluble larval antigens greatly enhanced the migration of eosinophils from the mice with trichinosis but had no effect on the eosinophils from mice with schistosomiasis, nor did soluble schistosome egg antigens have any effect on the cells from mice with trichinosis. On two occasions peripheral white blood cells from a patient with presumed T. spiralis infection gave strongly positive results in ESP tests on stimulation with soluble larval antigen, but the cells did not respond significantly to soluble schistosome egg antigen; the result in the ESP test was positive before the patient's serum produced a weakly positive agglutination response. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The present investigations of the recently discovered lymphokine eosinophil stimulation promoter have (1) shown that the assay system is highly sensitive and reproducible via the establishment of dose-response curves and their statistical analysis, (2) demonstrated that the direct assay is specific with use of eosinophilrich peritoneal exudate cells obtained from mice with either schistosomiasis or trichinosis, (3) demonstrated that the indirect test with splenic lymphocytes is specific with use of both the above method and radioisotope-labeled antigens, and (4) provided information on the roles of eosinophils and mononuclear cells via purification, reconstitution, and the use of antiserum to eosinophils. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Schistosomiasis mansoni and japonica, helminth infections involving the livers of 100 million people, are among the 'great neglected diseases of mankind' on the basis both of their prevalence and the relative lack of interest shown in them by clinicians and biomedical investigators. Schistosomiasis is not only an interesting disease in itself but has the added advantage of providing unique human and animal models of hepatic pathophysiology, immunopathogenesis, and collagen metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The interaction of the intestinal phases of Giardia muris and Trichinella spiralis was investigated in Swiss albino mice. Intraoesophageal inoculation of G. muris cysts seven days before, or seven days after, similar inoculation of T. spiralis larvae resulted in significant reduction in the numbers of Giardia trophozoites in small bowel and Giardia cysts in stools. This effect was not observed when G. muris cysts were administered after resolution of the intestinal phase of trichinosis. Giardiasis had no effect on trichinosis as assessed by numbers of adult worms in small bowel and larvae in skeletal muscles. Studies of small bowel morphology showed that the intestinal phase of trichinosis was associated with increased numbers of inflammatory cells in the lamina propria, a significant increase in Paneth cells in crypts, and a marked reduction in the villus:crypt ratio of jejunum. These observations suggest that the intestinal phase of trichinosis induced environmental changes in small bowel, perhaps related to inflammation, which resulted in suppression of proliferation of Giardia trophozoites. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The importance of humanities in general education is generally acknowledged. With respect to premedical education, a major impediment has been the belief that gaining admittance to medical school is exceedingly difficult and, therefore, a student must major in the sciences. In compensation, the humanities have been introduced in medical schools either through compressed 6-year programs or as curricular or extracurricular options. Studies have shown, however, that approximately 50% of all applicants are admitted to medical schools and that the relatively small proportion of students who have majored in the humanities do somewhat better than average. With respect to medical schools, results of an examination of programs throughout the country suggest that strong extracurricular rather than curricular programs should be developed for the humanities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intensity of infection with Schistosoma haematobium (worm burden) can be approximated by quantifying the number of parasite eggs excreted in the urine. A new method of egg counting has been developed in which urine samples are passed through transparent Nuclepore filters (Nuclepore Corp., Pleasanton, Calif.). The method requires no staining, is rapid, and can be performed in the field. It has previously been reported, however, that there is a significant daily fluctuation in output of eggs in the urine of patients with schistosomiasis haematobia. In the present study, daily urine samples were obtained on each of the 10 school days during a 12-day period from 121 schoolchildren in Coast Province, Kenya (total, 10 samples per child). In terms of detecting infection, it was of interest that egg counts of 0 were very rarely recorded for subjects whose mean egg counts were >20/10 ml of urine. When the patients were classified into one of four groups, according to egg count <1, 1–100, 101–400, >400), the proportion correctly classified based on a single urine specimen was 75%; this proportion rose to 78% when the classification was based on two specimens and to 83% with three specimens. Most of the urine specimens that were misclassified belonged in an adjacent group. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Aspects of the pathogenesis of cerebral schistosomiasis have been elucidated. Arterial embolization alone, by either worms or eggs, does not appear to be likely as a major cause of the disease. When large numbers of eggs enter the brain, sensitization may play a role in the occurrence of neurological signs. These studies support but do not prove the theory that worms in the cerebral veins lay eggs that then cause the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immunoglobulins (IgG; IgM, IgA, IgD, and IgE) in serum were measured in three age groups of Negroid people: 5–9 years, 10–14 years, and adult in St. Lucia and St. Vincent and 10–14 years in Cleveland. The St. Lucians and St. Vincentians are comparable populations of Caribbean islands 30 miles apart. All the St. Lucians in the study were infected with schistosomiasis and many had other intestinal parasites; none from St. Vincent had schistosomiasis but many had intestinal parasites. Those in Cleveland had neither schistosomiasis nor any intestinal helminthic infections. The St. Lucians had a significantly higher level of IgG in all age groups and a higher level of IgM in the age group 5–9 years; both of these differences have been reported in other populations but without adequately matched control groups. There were no striking differences in the mean concentrations of IgA and IgD. IgE levels were markedly higher in both island groups than in the Cleveland group, but since the mean values were similar for younger and older children, this difference cannot be attributed primarily to schistosomiasis. The mean IgE level of the St. Lucian adults was more than fivefold higher than that of the St. Vincentians; this difference might be attributable to schistosomiasis. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Mice that had a light, chronic infection with Schistosoma mansoni were superinfected by the intravenous and oral routes with Salmonella enteritidis or Listeria monocytogenes, and the course of infection was monitored by observation of the growth of the organisms in vivo, as well as by compilation of data on mortality. No increase in resistance was shown against the intravenously injected Salmonella. Despite extensive pathologic changes in the organs of mice infected with schistosomes, bacteria were cleared normally. Orally administered salmonellae eventually caused a more severe systemic infection with a rapid rise in counts in organs. Schistosome-infected mice, periodically challenged with Listeria, displayed an increased nonspecific resistance at two and eight weeks after the initiation of the helminthic infection, and a phase of decreased resistance late in the course of the schistosomiasis. The periods of increased resistance are probably the result of stimulation of the reticuloendothelial system by soluble schistosomal antigens that are known to be released at these times. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Determination of the efficacy of mass treatment of schistosomiasis is usually based on the rate of cure. However, schistosomes do not multiply in the human host, disease tends to cluster in the small proportion of individuals with heavy infections, and reinfection continually occurs in endemic areas. Thus drastic reduction in worm burdens can be a reasonable goal for mass treatment campaigns. The standard dose and regimen of metrifonate for the treatment of schistosomiasis haematobia is 7.5 mg/kg administered in three doses two weeks apart. This treatment results in a cure rate of ∼50% and a reduction in egg output of 94.5%. In the present study, 72 infected children with egg counts before treatment that averaged from 0.1 to 2,334/10 ml of urine were treated with a single oral dose of 10 mg of metrifonate/kg: the cure rate was 22%, and the reduction in egg output was 96.5%. No side effects were recorded. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The Western Barred Bandicoot (WBB) is a highly endangered marsupial, only existing in the wild in Western Australia. Conservation efforts using captive breeding programmes to prevent the extinction of the WBB are being hampered by a progressively debilitating, wart-like syndrome in captive and wild WBB. Multicentric proliferative lesions have been observed predominately over the face and feet of captive and wild populations of WBB. Introduction of apparently healthy, wild WBB into captive colonies of WBB affected with the skin lesions has been associated with the subsequent development of the skin lesions in the introduced bandicoots. Grossly and histologically, the smaller skin lesions resemble papillomas, whereas the larger lesions demonstrate malignant transformation into carcinomas. Chlamydial organisms have been detected in association with the lesions; however, their role in the pathogenesis of the lesions is unknown. Rarely, large intranuclear inclusion bodies have been observed in proliferative epithelium under light microscopy, suggesting a viral aetiology. Papilloma, polyoma and herpes viruses have all been reported in association with neoplastic transformation of cutaneous epithelial structures in a variety of vertebrate species. Preliminary examination of skin lesions from five WBB has utilized light microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, indirect immunohistochemistry for papillomavirus, and PCR tests for murine polyoma virus, human papilloma virus and conserved herpes virus sequences. None of these tests has definitively identified an aetiological agent. Further research is being undertaken using degenerate PCR primers targeting highly conserved regions of genes from papilloma, polyoma and herpes viruses to further investigate the possibility of a viral aetiology. Funding: Self-funded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]