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To the Editor: Human diphyllobothriosis associated with the Pacific broad tapeworm Adenocephalus pacificus (syn. Diphyllobothrium pacificum) is a reemerging, global parasitic disease (1). Infection with the adult tapeworm occurs widely [...]

Parasite richness and prevalence in wild animals can be used as indicators of population and ecosystem health. In this study, the gastrointestinal parasites of ursine colobus monkeys (Colobus vellerosus) at the Boabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary (BFMS), Ghana, were investigated. BFMS is a sacred grove where monkeys and humans have long lived in relatively peaceful proximity. Fecal samples (n = 109) were collected opportunistically from >27 adult and subadult males in six bisexual groups and one all-male band from July 2004 to August 2005. Using fecal floatation, we detected three protozoans (two Entamoeba sp., Isospora sp.), five nematodes (Ascaris sp., Enterobius sp., Trichuris sp., two strongyle sp.), and one digenean trematode. Using fluorescein labeled antibodies, we detected an additional protozoan (Giardia sp.), and with PCR techniques, we characterized this as G. duodenalis Assemblage B and also identified a protistan (Blastocystis sp., subtype 2). The most prevalent parasite species were G. duodenalis and Trichuris sp. Parasites were more prevalent in the long wet season than the long dry. Parasite prevalence did not vary by age, and average parasite richness did not differ by rank for males whose status remained unchanged. However, males that changed rank tended to show higher average parasite richness when they were lower ranked. Individuals that spent more time near human settlements had a higher prevalence of Isospora sp. that morphologically resembled the human species/. belli. The presence of this parasite and G. duodenalis Assemblage B indicates possible anthropozoonotic and/or zoonotic transmission between humans and colobus monkeys at this site. KEY WORDS parasite; black-and-white colobus monkeys; anthropozoonosis DOI 10.1002/ajpa.21098

Current antipsychotics provide symptomatic relief for patients suffering from schizophrenia and related psychoses; however, their effectiveness is variable and many patients discontinue treatment due to side effects. Although the etiology of schizophrenia is still unclear, a leading hypothesis implicates an imbalanced dopaminergic system. Muscarinic acetylcholine (ACh) receptors regulate dopamine levels in key areas of the brain involved in psychosis, with the [M.sub.4] subtype emerging as a key regulator of dopaminergic hyperactivity. Unfortunately, no selective small molecule tools exist to provide pharmacological validation of this hypothesis. Here, we describe the discovery of a small molecule modulator, LY2033298, that is highly selective for human [M.sub.4] receptors by virtue of targeting an allosteric site on this receptor. Pharmacological assays confirmed the selectivity of LY2033298 for the [M.sub.4] receptor and revealed the highest degree of positive allosteric enhancement of ACh potency thus far identified. Radioligand binding assays also show this compound to directly potentiate agonist binding while having minimal effects on antagonist binding. Mutational analysis identified a key amino acid ([D.sup.432]) in the third extracellular loop of the human [M.sub.4] receptor to be critical for selectivity and agonist potentiation by LY2033298. Importantly, LY2033298 was active in animal models predictive of clinical antipsychotic drug efficacy indicating its potential use as a firstin-class, selective, allosteric muscarinic antipsychotic agent. cholinergic | GPCR | cooperativity

Abstract: An overview is presented of laser spectroscopy experiments with cold, trapped, highly charged ions, which will be performed at the HITRAP facility at GSI in Darmstadt (Germany). These high-resolution [...]

Biometry and growth of three piddock species Pholas dactylus, Barnea candida and B. parva, from chalk and clay substrata were investigated between 1999 and 2000 at five low shore locations along the south coast of England. Piddock burrow shape was significantly different (P < 0.01) amongst the locations. Burrows at Lyme Regis showed the largest (height/maximum diameter) ratio (4.86 [+ or -] 2.00) whilst those at Compton the lowest (3.73 [+ or -] 1.62). Using the method of Bhattacharya, the population structure of P. dactylus, B. candida and B. parva was separated into eight, three and five modal size classes, respectively. Age and shell growth were determined from the number and spacing, respectively, of annual growth lines present in acetate peel replicas of shell sections. The von Bertalanffy growth (VBG) equation fitted the size at age data obtained for P. dactylus and B. candida ([L.sub.[infinity]] and K were 79.3 [+ or -] 13.8 mm and 0.0011 [+ or -] 0.22 and 29.6 [+ or -] 1.5 mm and 1.17 [+ or -] 0.47, respectively) whilst the size at age data for B. parva were linearly related and did not fit the assumptions of the VBG equation. Male and female gonads were mature and piddocks competent to spawn between June and September 1999, with settlement of juveniles observed between November 1999 and February 2000. A significant relationship between burrow aperture diameter and age of the occupant piddock was established for the three species. Burrow morphology and spatial distribution of burrows were influenced by substratum hardness and population density. Based on estimates at Lyme Regis, piddocks are capable of removing up to 41% of the shore substratum to a depth of 85 mm over their lifespan (12 years), significantly compromising the structural stability of the soft rock shores they inhabit and contributing to bioerosion., Introduction Bivalve piddocks are one of the most characteristic faunal groups inhabiting lower soft rock shores, such as those comprised of limestone, chalk, sandstone, slate or stiff clay (Harvey et [...]

In this report we describe findings that imply dysregulation of several fibroblast growth factor (FGF) system transcripts in frontal cortical regions of brains from human subjects with major depressive disorder (MDD). This altered gene expression was discovered by microarray analysis of frontal cortical tissue from MDD, bipolar, and nonpsychiatric control subjects and was verified by quantitative real-time PCR analysis and, importantly, in a separate cohort of MDD subjects. Furthermore, we show, through a separate analysis of specific serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI)-treated and non-SSRI-treated MDD subjects that the observed changes in expression of FGF transcripts are not secondary to drug treatment. Rather, changes in specific FGF transcripts are attenuated by SSRIs and may thus be partially responsible for the mechanism of action of these drugs. We also make available the gene-expression profile of all of the other growth factors and growth factor receptors detected in these postmortem samples.

Patella vulgata is one of the most common limpet species on rocky shores throughout the northeastern Atlantic. Foraging activity of this species has been described during various different diel and tidal phases and several factors have been suggested that might influence the timing of its activity. Among these, inclination of rock surfaces seems to have a clear role, with limpets on horizontal rocks being active during daylight at high water, while limpets on vertical rocks were active during night-time low water. However, by comparing the results of previous investigations it is difficult to separate clearly the effect of any single factor from the effects of their interactions. In the present paper we investigated the simultaneous influence of height on the shore, slope of rock surface and date of sampling (August September and March-April) on the behaviour of a population of P. vulgata on the Isle of Man (UK). The study was carried out using modern telemetric methods, allowing the activity patterns of limpets to be recorded for long periods of time. The results showed that limpets concentrated their activity during two distinct temporal windows--daytime tide-in and night-time tide-out--while no significant activity was observed during daytime tide-out or night-time tide-in. The observed behaviour appeared to be driven by complex interactions among the three factors examined, and the influence of rock slope alone was not so strong as to override the effect of other factors completely. In addition, a key finding of this study was the conspicuous variability in the individual behaviour of P. vulgata. The greatest level of variability was observed in limpets on vertical surfaces on the upper shore, which showed an extreme switch in behavioural patterns, according to date of sampling (daylight/tide-in foraging during the spring and night-time/tide-out foraging during late summer). In addition, individuals apparently sharing the same set of conditions (inclination, height on the shore and sampling date) differed in their behaviour, and a given behavioural pattern was not always shared by all individuals from a given group. Finally, variability was also observed at the 'intra-individual' level since the same individual could be active during different tidal and diel phases. In conclusion, although the existence of endogenous rhythms has previously been demonstrated in this species, our data clearly show that P. vulgata was able to modulate its behavioural patterns in relation to a variety of exogenous determinants.

Epilithic biofilms play a key role in marine ecosystems. They also provide a tractable system to investigate the relative roles of environmental stressors, bottom-up physicochemical factors and top-down biological control in regulating communities. Patterns of photosynthetic microbial biomass were recorded over a four-year period at several tidal levels on shores in the Isle of Man. Photosynthetic biomass and the abundance of diatoms were consistently greater during winter than summer. Biomass was negatively correlated with insolation stress and air temperature, but was not correlated with grazing intensity, dissolved nutrients, sea temperature, or planktonic chlorophyll. Field experiments confirmed that reducing insolation stress led to substantial increases in photosynthetic biomass, predominantly of diatoms and macroalgal germlings. Reducing grazing intensity also led to considerable increases in photosynthetic biomass, but reducing desiccation stress or increasing nutrient availability had no effect. Although grazing can regulate microalgal biomass, seasonal patterns of grazing activity were driven by temperature and were decoupled from photosynthetic biomass. Our study demonstrates the importance of physiological stresses for the direct and indirect regulation of the balance between primary producers and consumers. Based on these findings, we present a model that combines the roles of stressors together with bottom-up forcing and top-down regulation in controlling communities on wave-exposed shores. Key words: biofilm; biological interactions; bottom-up effects; Fucus; grazer; lateral modifiers; microalgae; microphytobenthos; stressors; top-down effects.