The effects of atrazine on Zostera marina in the Chesapeake Bay, Virginia

This project was designed to assess the effects of agricultural herbicides on submerged aquatic vegetation in the lower Chesapeake Bay. Atrazine was selected for testing because it is the most widely utilized herbicide in the Bay region. Zostera marina was the submerged vegetation studied. The project began with two surveys. The first survey, conducted in 1979, covered forty eight stations throughout the Virginia portion of the Chesapeake Bay. The survey was designed to indicate typical atrazine loading for the lower Bay. A second survey in 1980 was limited to the Severn River, and was intended to indicate the duration of peak atrazine loading. Information generated in the two surveys was ctilized tn design dosing experiments

Neurodevelopmental risk factors in schizophrenia

The authors review environmental and neurodevelopmental risk factors for schizophrenic disorders, with emphasis on minor physical anomalies, particularly craniofacial anomalies and dermatoglyphic variations. The high prevalence of these anomalies among schizophrenic subjects supports the neurodevelopmental theory of the etiology of schizophrenia, since they suggest either genetically or epigenetically controlled faulty embryonic development of structures of ectodermal origin like brain and skin. This may disturb neurodevelopment that in turn may cause these subjects to be at increased risk for the development of schizophrenia and related disorders. The precise confirmation of this theory, at least in some cases, will provide further understanding of these illnesses, allowing easy and inexpensive identification of subjects at risk and providing guidelines for the development of new pharmacological interventions for early treatment and even for primary prevention of the illness