Isolation-by-Distance Gene Flow Among Vermilion Snapper (Rhomboplites aurorubens Cuvier, 1829

Using 12 microsatellite DNA markers, spatial patterns in genetic variation were investigated for 618 specimens of vermilion snapper (Rhomboplites aurorubens). Specimens were obtained from nine collection areas within coastal U.S. waters of the southeastern Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. Allelic counts ranged from 3 to 29; sample gene diversities ranged from 0.08 to 0.941. Departures from Hardy-Weinberg expectations were observed at one locus in two samples. In both cases, heterozygote deficiencies accounted for the significant test result. Because sample FIs values were also significantly positive for this locus, it was excluded from further analysis. In tests for allele frequency heterogeneity, no differences were observed between any sample pair at any locus or over all loci. For some analyses, collection areas were partitioned into four regional groups (Atlantic, eastern gulf, northern gulf, and western gulf). Small but statistically significant allele frequencies differences were observed between the Atlantic group and the northern, eastern, and western gulf groups. However, fixation-index, AMOVA, and Bayesian analyses were consistent with a null hypothesis that all specimens belonged to a single, panmictic population. Significant patterns of isolation-by-distance gene flow emerged from the Mantel testing and spatial autocorrelation analyses (SAC), both within the gulf and over the tested Atlantic-gulf range. In the overall SAC analysis, the mean r-intercept value, which reflects the maximum scale of genetically effective dispersal, was 1,085 km. From these results, it may be inferred that the population dynamics of vermilion snapper in the western Gulf will be independent of those in the eastern Gulf

Psychological Needs and Resources of the Staff in a Pediatric Neurosurgery Ward: A Phenomenological-Hermeneutic Study

Brain tumors are a common form of solid tumors in children and, unfortunately, they are characterized by a very uncertain prognosis. The treatment of this pathology often includes one or more very invasive surgical procedures, quite often in the very first steps of the treatment. Cases of brain tumors in children represent one of the greatest challenges for health care professionals in the domain of pediatric neurosurgery. This is clearly due to the complexity of the therapeutic plan, but also to the nature of the bond that is established between the child, the parents, and the members of the staff during the often-dramatic initial phase of the illness. In this phenomenological-hermeneutic study, we explore both the emotional and organizational needs, as well as the available professional and personal resources of the staff in the Neurosurgery ward of the Meyer Children’s Hospital in Florence (Italy). The ward staff, composed of 7 surgeons, a pediatric neuro-oncologist, 12 nurses, and 4 auxiliary health care professionals, underwent in-depth interviews that were recorded (with the consensus of the participants). The recordings were then transcribed and submitted to content analysis according to COREQ standards. A complex picture of emotional as well as organizational demands emerged from the data. Shared experiences were pointed out, together with more specific and idiosyncratic contents characteristic of different professional roles. The focus of the present paper was twofold, first, we considered the needs that are overtly expressed by the staff, and then we discussed the main sources of their motivational drives. We found that the latter is mainly found in the quality of the therapeutic bond that is established with the children and the family members, together with the deep interest in one’s own professional activity and the effective complementarity and integration of the personal and professional qualities of the staff members within the multidisciplinary caring group

Phylogenetic Relationships Among Four Western Atlantic Cynoscion Species Based on DNA Sequences From 11 Nuclear Introns, Two Mitochondrial Genes, and Genotypes From 32 Microsatellite Markers

Four species of Cynoscion occur in the waters off the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of North America, where they are targeted by commercial and recreational fisheries. Previous studies have not resolved the phylogenetic relationships of the four species, largely due to uncertainty as to whether the spotted seatrout, Cynoscion nebulosus, or silver seatrout, Cynoscion nothus, is the most divergent member of the North American assemblage. This study used DNA sequences from the nuclear and mitochondrial genes and multilocus genotypes from microsatellite markers to infer relationships among these species. Together, these three techniques strongly suggest that the weakfish, Cynoscion regalis, and the sand seatrout, Cynoscion arenarius, are the most closely related species, and that C. nothus is the most divergent from all the others

Development of microsatellite markers for Permit (Trachinotus falcatus), cross-amplification in Florida Pompano (T. carolinus) and Palometa (T. goodei), and species delineation using microsatellite markers

Three of the 20 species in the genus Trachinotus, in the jack family, Carangidae, are found in Florida waters. These are Florida Pompano (T. carolinus), Permit (T. falcatus), and Palometa (T. goodei). Florida Pompano is a coastal pelagic species found in estuarine and marine waters; it spawns in multiple batches in offshore waters. Permit is the largest and longest lived of the three species and also spawns offshore in multiple batches, near reefs. As adults, Permit can be found nearshore and offshore and are often associated with reefs, but as juveniles they are common estuarine inhabitants. Palometa is a marine species, similar in size to Florida Pompano, and has the widest latitudinal distribution of the three species. Palometa spawn in offshore waters throughout the year with two peaks of activity. All three species support commercial or recreational fisheries on both the Gulf of Mexico coast and Atlantic coast of Florida. Very little has been done to evaluate movement patterns of Trachinotus species. Based on a few tagging studies, it appears that Pompano do not travel far from coastal waters. The only preliminary investigation of genetic stock structure for the Florida Pompano population from Tampa Bay, FL, and Puerto Rico was based on microsatellite markers developed for the Pompano. The report’s key conclusion was that Pompano from Puerto Rico and from Florida belong to two highly distinct genetic stocks. This study was conducted to re-examine, using different microsatellite markers, the genetic status of Pompano stocks in Florida and Puerto Rico. The objectives of this study, therefore, were the following: 1) to develop microsatellite markers for Permit; 2) to cross-amplify the markers in Pompano and Palometa; and 3) to use these markers to confirm the status of Puerto Rico Pompano as a novel genetic stock using the methods of Bayesian population assignment, phylogenetic clustering, and factorial correspondence analysis. ... Three methods were used to investigate the relationship among the taxa using the microsatellite genotype data obtained from the samples. The results from the three analytical methods, based on Bayesian population assignment tests, phylogenetic clustering, and factorial correspondence analysis of genetic relationships among the four Trachinotus samples, showed that Florida and Puerto Rico Pompano samples belong to two highly distinct gene pools. But other multiple molecular tools, particularly nuclear-DNA sequences from many introns, and nonmolecular tools, such as morphological and meristic data, should be used together to determine species-level categorical designation for the Puerto Rico Pompano

Acute respiratory muscle unloading improves time-to-exhaustion during moderate- and heavy-intensity cycling in obese adolescent males

Obesity significantly impairs breathing during exercise. The aim was to determine, in male obese adolescents (OB), the effects of acute respiratory muscle unloading, obtained by switching the inspired gas from ambient air (AIR) to a normoxic helium + oxygen gas mixture (HeO2) (AIR \u2192 HeO2) during moderate [below gas exchange threshold (GET)] and heavy [above GET] constant work rate cycling. Ten OB [age 16.0 \ub1 2.0\ua0years (mean \ub1 SD); body mass index (BMI) 38.9 \ub1 6.1\ua0kg/m2] and ten normal-weight age-matched controls (CTRL) inspired AIR for the entire exercise task, or underwent AIR \u2192 HeO2 when they were approaching volitional exhaustion. In OB time to exhaustion (TTE) significantly increased in AIR \u2192 HeO2 vs. AIR during moderate [1524 \ub1 480\ua0s vs. 1308 \ub1 408 (P = 0.024)] and during heavy [570 \ub1 306\ua0s vs. 408 \ub1 150 (P = 0.0154)] exercise. During moderate exercise all CTRL completed the 40-min task. During heavy exercise no significant differences were observed in CTRL for TTE (582 \ub1 348\ua0s [AIR \u2192 HeO2] vs. 588 \ub1 252 [AIR]). In OB, but not in CTRL, acute unloading of respiratory muscles increased TTE during both moderate- and heavy-exercise. In OB, but not in CTRL, respiratory factors limit exercise tolerance during both moderate and heavy exercise

Mammalian sialidase Neu3 overexpression in Cos-7 cells causes a drastic decrease of ndv-cell fusion and virus infectivity

The paramyxovirus Newcastle Disease Virus (NDV) binds to sialic acid-containing glycoconjugates, sialoglycoproteins and sialoglycolipids (gangliosides) of host cell plasma membrane through its hemagglutinin-neuraminidase (sialidase) HN glycoprotein. We hypothesized that the modifications of the cell surface ganglioside pattern determined by over-expression of the mammalian plasma-membrane associated, ganglioside specific, sialidase NEU3 would affect the virus-host cell interactions. Using COS7 cells as a model system, we observed that over-expression of the murine MmNEU3 did not affect NDV binding but caused a marked reduction in NDV infection and virus propagation through cell-cell fusion. Moreover, since GD1a was greatly reduced in COS7 cells following NEU3-over-expression, we added [(3)H]-labelled GD1a to COS7 cells under conditions that block intralysosomal metabolic processing, and we observed a marked increase of GD1a cleavage to GM1 during NDV infection, indicating a direct involvement of the virus sialidase and host cell GD1a in NDV infectivity. Therefore, the decrease of GD1a in COS7 cell membrane upon MmNEU3 over-expression is likely to be instrumental to NDV reduced infection. Evidence was also provided for the preferential association of NDV-HN at 4 degrees C to detergent resistant microdomains (DRMs) of COS7 cells plasma membranes

Safety and feasibility of thullium laser transurethral resection of prostate for the treatment of benign prostatic enlargement in overweight patients

Objective: We aimed to determine safety and feasibility of thulium laser transurethral vapoenucleation of prostate (ThuVEP) for treatment of obese patients affected by benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Methods: We retrospectively analysed data of 452 patients with BPH who underwent ThuVEP from February 2012 to March 2016 in a single center. Patients were divided into three groups according to body mass index (BMI, kg/m2): Normal weight (18.5 64 BMI < 25; Group A), overweight (25 64 BMI < 30; Group B) and obese (BMI 65 30; Group C), for a total of 412 patients evaluable for this study. Preoperative total serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA), digital rectal examination of the prostate, transrectal ultrasound (TRUS), renal ultrasound, urine culture, uroflowmetry, International Prostate Symptoms Score (IPSS), and Quality of Life (QoL) score were analyzed. Post-operative complications, hospital stay and days of catheterization, questionnaires and uroflowmetry at 1 and 3 months after surgery were evaluated. Preoperative data, surgical outcomes, complication rate and clinical outcomes were compared between groups. Results: The median age of patients was 69 years (Interquartile Range [IQR 10]). The preoperative median IPSS among groups was 19 (IQR 8.75), 20 (IQR 10), and 18 (IQR 10) respectively. At 1 and 3 months of follow-up, this value was 8 (IQR 7), 8 (IQR 4), 7 (IQR 5) and 5 (IQR 6.25), 5 (IQR 6), 6 (IQR 5), respectively (all p between groups > 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference among three groups as for hospital stay and days of catheterization (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Our results showed that ThuVEP was safe and feasible even in overweight patients with substantially enlarged prostate