Estimated annual economic impacts from harmful algal blooms (HABs) in the United States

Blooms of toxic or harmful microalgae, commonly called "red tides," represent a significant and expanding threat to human health and fisheries resources throughout the United States and the world. Ecological, aesthetic, and public health impacts include: mass mortalities of wild and farmed fish and shellfish, human intoxication and death from the consumption of contaminated shellfish or fish, alterations of marine food webs through adverse effects on larvae and other life history stages of commercial fish species, the noxious smell and appearance of algae accumulated in nearshore waters or deposited on beaches, and mass mortalities of marine mammals, seabirds, and other animals. In this report, we provide an estimate of the economic impacts of HABs in the United States from events where such impacts were measurable with a fair degree of confidence during the interval 1987-92. The total economic impact averaged $49 million per year, with public health impacts representing the largest component (45 percent). Commercial fisheries impacts were the next largest (37 percent of the total), while recreation/tourism accounted for 13 percent, and monitoring/management impacts 4 percent. These estimates are highly conservative, as many economic costs or impacts from HABs could not be estimated.Funding was provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration under Grants No. NA46RG0470 and NA90AA-D-SG480, the National Science Foundation under Grant No. OCE-9321244, and the Johnson Endowment of the Marine Policy Center

DECREASE IN THE BODY MASS OF WILD RINGTAILED LEMURS AT BERENTY RESERVE IN MADAGASCAR WITH ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES

We measured the body mass of 76 (in 2006) and 73 (in 2011) wild ringtailed lemurs (Lemur catta) inhabiting the Berenty Reserve in Madagascar. Compared with the data recorded in 1999 (Koyama et al., 2008), the mean body mass of the adults had decreased significantly. In 2006, the adult females had decreased from 2.27 kg to 1.98 kg, and the adult males from 2.22 kg to 2.03 kg. In 2011, the body mass of both adult males and females was still 1.99 kg. In 2011, the group variations in body mass may have expanded. No sexual difference was observed in body mass, similar to the data from 1999. Despite their reduced body mass, adult females maintained a high birth rate (73.0% annually), but infant mortality was very high (86.2%) from 2006 to 2011. We discuss these phenomena with reference to environmental changes in this reserve

Hepatic and lung methotrexate-associated polymorphic lymphoproliferative disorders arising during postoperative follow-up of renal cell carcinoma: a case report

Abstract Introduction Methotrexate induces lymphoproliferative disorders on rare occasions; however, its pathogenesis remains unknown. A clinical diagnosis based on imaging studies alone is often difficult. Case presentation A 57-year-old Japanese woman was referred to our department for the evaluation of multiple lung and hepatic nodules that developed during methotrexate treatment for rheumatoid arthritis. Since she had a history of nephrectomy for localized renal cell carcinoma, multiple lung and hepatic metastases were initially considered. However, pathological diagnosis of the lung nodules (needle biopsy) revealed methotrexate-associated polymorphic-type lymphoproliferative disorders. After methotrexate discontinuation, continuous smooth shrinkage of the lung and liver lymphoproliferative disorders was observed. Conclusion Methotrexate-associated lymphoproliferative disorders should be considered in the event of newly appearing neoplastic lesions, even during follow-up for renal cell carcinoma, if methotrexate is being administered