\u3ci\u3eCarcinonemertes conanobrieni\u3c/i\u3e - A Nemertean Parasite Infecting the Caribbean Spiny Lobster, \u3ci\u3ePanulirus argus\u3c/i\u3e. Species Description, Host-Use, and Effect on Host Reproductive Health

Marine ecosystems are one of the world’s most heavily used and valuable natural systems. However, over the past decades, they have seen changes in the oceans’ pH, temperature, salinity, and other abiotic factors - all of which appear to have impacted the health of these systems, and there seems to be a global trend indicating that diseases in marine environments are emerging at an increased rate. Infection by a disease can result in a variety of negative effects on the health of a host, all of which are especially relevant in instances where commercially important hosts are infected. Disease can lead to changes in growth, longevity, reproduction, embryo survival, and marketability of a host. One ecologically and commercially important species that appears to have been impacted by this trend of increased disease emergence is the Caribbean spiny lobster, Panulirus argus. Panulirus argus plays host to a number of previously described and newly emergent pathogens. However, here, a new species of nemertean worm belonging to the genus Carcinonemertes is described from egg masses of P. argus from the Florida Keys, Florida, USA. Though P. argus ranges throughout the Caribbean, this worm has thus far only been observed infecting gravid female lobsters in the Florida Keys. This is the first species of Carcinonemertes reported to infect P. argus or any other lobster species in the greater Caribbean and western Atlantic Ocean. To determine the host use, infection prevalence, and infection intensity of this new parasite on P. argus, male, non-gravid female, and gravid female lobsters were captured along the Florida Key reef tract from and examined for infection. Furthermore, infected gravid females were also used in estimating the impact that infection by this nemertean had on three levels of reproductive performance (reproductive output, fecundity, and brood mortality)

Characteristics of persons 60 years of age and older in Linn County, Iowa

Early in 1957, 695 persons 60 years of age or older were interviewed in Linn County, Iowa. This group was randomly selected from the population of such persons residing in the county. In attempting to draw generalizations for the population of senior persons of Linn County from the survey, the following comments appear appropriate. The majority of this age group were well adjusted, considering themselves a part of the community and expressing little desire to change their present mode of life. A majority preferred to live in their own homes in their present community rather than in homes or accommodations restricted to aged persons. Not surprisingly, if persons were asked to describe the type of accommodations they would consider the most desirable for the age group, they described arrangements similar to their present living arrangements.https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/specialreports/1026/thumbnail.jp

Passive Retention/Expulsion Methods for Subcritical Storage of Cryogens

Development of passive retention/expulsion system for subcritical storage of cryogenic material during low gravity situation