Biology of Stonecat, Noturus flavus (Siluriformes: Ictaluridae), in Central Illinois and Missouri Streams, and Comparisons with Great Lakes Populations and Congeners

Author Institution: Department of Zoology and The Florida State Museum, University of Florida ; Department of Zoology, Southern Illinois University at CarbondaleAspects of the general biology of the stonecat, Noturusflavus, were analyzed from 261 preserved specimens from Illinois and Missouri streams. Individuals ranged in age from one to 62 mo. The largest specimens examined were a 180-mm SL male and a 165-mm SL female. Females were mature at 3-4 yr and a mean SL of 119.4 mm. Mature oocytes, produced seasonally, ranged from 189 to570(x = 377.8; N = 12) per female. Seven nests, each containing a clutch of embryos or larvae and guarded by a male, were found under large, flat rocks in pools and riffles. All nest-guarding males were 3 yr old and ranged from 87 to 105 mm SL (x = 94.8). Nests were observed in early July at water temperatures of 27 to 29°C. Clutch sizes ranged from 104 to 306+; embryos were spherical, opaque white or light yellow, and ranged in diameter from 2.6 to 4.0 mm (x = 3.4 mm; N = 40). At hatching, mesolarvae ranged from 6.7 to 7.5 mm TL; development was similar to that described for other ictalurids. Stomachs of adults contained a variety of benthic organisms, primarily aquatic larval insects and decapod crustaceans

Occurrence, Growth, and Food Habits of the Spotted Hake, Urophycis regia, in the Cape Fear Estuary and Adjacent Atlantic Ocean, North Carolina

From 1973 to 1978, 62,867 Urophycis regia were collected from the Cape Fear Estuary, North Carolina, and the adjacent Atlantic Ocean. Most fish were young-of-the-year (25-225 mm SL), but a few age-l individuals (230-295 mm) were present in the estuary from January to June. They moved offshore or northward when water temperatures warmed above 22°C. Average monthly growth increments varied from 12 to 26 mm SL; the greatest increase in length was 92 mm from January to June 1977. Length-weight regressions for the 6-year study period were similar. Important food items were crustaceans (largely mysid shrimp and decapods) and fishes (clupeid and sciaenid larvae). The abundance of U. regia in inshore waters and the relatively large size it reaches suggests that marketing needs to be explored

Aspects of the Life History of the Tadpole Madtom, Noturus gyrinus (Siluriformes: Ictaluridae), in Southern Illinois

Author Institution: Department of Zoology, Southern Illinois University at CarbondaleAspects of the life history of Noturus gyrinus were studied from collections and observations made at Dutchman Creek, Johnson County, Illinois, between 25 October 1982 and 21 April 1984, and from specimens collected from Silver and Sugar creeks, Clinton, Madison, and St. Clair counties, Illinois, in July and August, 1982. N. gyrinus grew in length at a decreasing rate and in weight at a nearly constant rate for at least three (females) or four years (males). The largest individuals observed were a 97.5-mm standard length (SL) male and a 78.1-mm SL female. Mean annual SL was not significantly different between sexes except that males were both longer and heavier than females at age 3 + . There were 4.5 times as many males as females at age 3+, although the overall sex ratio was nearly 1:1 in the total sample. Only 29% survived past their first year; 90.5% did not live past their second year. Individuals (78%) usually matured in two years (sexes combined), although about 5% of males and 17% of females matured in one year. Mature males were 55-mm SL or longer, and mature females 48-mm or longer at one year. Mature females examined for the presence of eggs ranged from 52.6 to 78.9-mm SL, and contained 48 to 323 (x = 151.3) mature ova. Lengths and weights of mature females 'were both significant (P < 0.05) predictors of the numbers of mature ova. Dipteran larvae (chironomids) and small crustaceans (mainly isopods) constituted the major portion of the annual diet of all size classes. Gut contents of five species of piscivorous fish were examined; no evidence of predation on N. gyrinus was found

Reassessment of the Illinois Ranges of the Bigeye Chub, Hybopsis amblops, and the Pallid Shiner, Notropis amnis

Author Institution: Department of Zoology, Southern Illinois University at CarbondaleExamination of all extant Illinois specimens deposited in museum collections revealed that the Illinois ranges of the bigeye chub, Hybopsis amblops, and pallid shiner, Notropis amnis, were confounded by previous workers. The bigeye chub is now known to have been restricted historically to tributaries of the upper Wabash and Kaskaskia river systems. Recent efforts (1986-1987) to discover extant populations of the species in Illinois were unsuccessful. Thus, it is either extirpated or exists in very low numbers in the state. The pallid shiner is now or was known to occur in the Mississippi River proper, and the Illinois, Kaskaskia, Big Muddy, Saline, and lower Wabash river systems. The species is consistently taken in the Kankakee River and occasionally in the Mississippi River adjacent to Rock Island County, Illinois. In Illinois, the bigeye chub is recognized as endangered; the pallid shiner is recommended for state recognition as endangered

Maturation and Reproduction of Shovelnose Sturgeon in the Middle Mississippi River

Shovelnose sturgeon Scaphirhynchus platorynchus in the middle Mississippi River provide one of the last commercially viable sturgeon fisheries in the world, yet their maturation and reproduction have not been linked. During 2005 and 2006, we sampled adult and age-0 shovelnose sturgeon to link age at maturation, the timing and periodicity of spawning, age-0 sturgeon production, and the resulting age-0 growth rates. Age at maturity was later than previous estimates, the minimum age of first maturation being 8 years for males and 9 years for females. Total egg count was slightly lower than previously reported (mean = 29,573 per female; SE = 2,472). Males and females typically spawned every 2 and 3 years, respectively. Peaks in mature fish coincided with rising river stages and water temperatures at which shovelnose sturgeon probably spawn. Peaks in spent adults followed. Age-0 shovelnose sturgeon occurred during June and July 2005 and May and June 2006, confirming successful spawning. Age-0 sturgeon grew between 0.69 and 1.69 mm total length/d; four distinct weekly cohorts occurred each year. During fall 2006, females contained ripe eggs, males were milting, and a single age-0 sturgeon (total length = 55 mm) was captured, suggesting that shovelnose sturgeon spawn during fall as well as spring. Management must consider the protracted nature of spawning within seasons as well as differences in spawning activity between seasons

Clinical and cost-effectiveness of internal limiting membrane peeling for patients with idiopathic full thickness macular hole. Protocol for a Randomised Controlled Trial : FILMS (Full-thickness macular hole and Internal Limiting Membrane peeling Study)

Background: A full-thickness macular hole (FTMH) is a common retinal condition associated with impaired vision. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) have demonstrated that surgery, by means of pars plana vitrectomy and post-operative intraocular tamponade with gas, is effective for stage 2, 3 and 4 FTMH. Internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling has been introduced as an additional surgical manoeuvre to increase the success of the surgery; i.e. increase rates of hole closure and visual improvement. However, little robust evidence exists supporting the superiority of ILM peeling compared with no-peeling techniques. The purpose of FILMS (Fullthickness macular hole and Internal Limiting Membrane peeling Study) is to determine whether ILM peeling improves the visual function, the anatomical closure of FTMH, and the quality of life of patients affected by this disorder, and the cost-effectiveness of the surgery. Methods/Design: Patients with stage 2–3 idiopathic FTMH of less or equal than 18 months duration (based on symptoms reported by the participant) and with a visual acuity ≤ 20/40 in the study eye will be enrolled in this FILMS from eight sites across the UK and Ireland. Participants will be randomised to receive combined cataract surgery (phacoemulsification and intraocular lens implantation) and pars plana vitrectomy with postoperative intraocular tamponade with gas, with or without ILM peeling. The primary outcome is distance visual acuity at 6 months. Secondary outcomes include distance visual acuity at 3 and 24 months, near visual acuity at 3, 6, and 24 months, contrast sensitivity at 6 months, reading speed at 6 months, anatomical closure of the macular hole at each time point (1, 3, 6, and 24 months), health related quality of life (HRQOL) at six months, costs to the health service and the participant, incremental costs per quality adjusted life year (QALY) and adverse events. Discussion: FILMS will provide high quality evidence on the role of ILM peeling in FTMH surgery. Trial registration: This trial is registered with Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN number 33175422 and Clinical Trials.gov identifier NCT00286507.Chief Scientist Office, Scotland (project ref no CZH/4/235), NHS GrampianPeer reviewedPublisher PD

Uncertainty in On-The-Fly Epidemic Fitting

Abstract. The modern world features a plethora of social, technolog-ical and biological epidemic phenomena. These epidemics now spread at unprecedented rates thanks to advances in industrialisation, trans-port and telecommunications. Effective real-time decision making and management of modern epidemic outbreaks depends on the two factors: the ability to determine epidemic parameters as the epidemic unfolds, and the ability to characterise rigorously the uncertainties inherent in these parameters. This paper presents a generic maximum-likelihood-based methodology for online epidemic fitting of SIR models from a single trace which yields confidence intervals on parameter values. The method is fully automated and avoids the laborious manual efforts tra-ditionally deployed in the modelling of biological epidemics. We present case studies based on both synthetic and real data

Population-based prevalence survey of follicular trachoma and trachomatous trichiasis in the Casamance region of Senegal.

BACKGROUND: Trachoma, caused by ocular infection with Chlamydia trachomatis, is the leading infectious cause of blindness worldwide. We conducted the first population-based trachoma prevalence survey in the Casamance region of Senegal to enable the Senegalese National Eye Care Programme (NECP) to plan its trachoma control activities. The World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines state that any individual with trachomatous trichiasis (TT) should be offered surgery, but that surgery should be prioritised where the prevalence is >0.1%, and that districts and communities with a trachomatous inflammation, follicular (TF) prevalence of ≥10% in 1-9 year-olds should receive mass antibiotic treatment annually for a minimum of three years, along with hygiene promotion and environmental improvement, before re-assessing the prevalence to determine whether treatment can be discontinued (when TF prevalence in 1-9 year-olds falls 1% in all districts. CONCLUSION: With a prevalence <5%, TF does not appear to be a significant public health problem in this region. However, TF monitoring and surveillance at sub-district level will be required to ensure that elimination targets are sustained and that TF does not re-emerge as a public health problem. TT surgery remains the priority for trachoma elimination efforts in the region, with an estimated 1819 TT surgeries to conduct