IRAS observations of AGN candidates at low flux levels

IRAS additional observations were used to obtain a sample of point sources at much fainter flux levels than hitherto available through the IRAS Point Source Catalogue. This sample is being used to compile an incomplete but representative catalogue of faint IRAS candidate Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs) and to study the evolution of the infrared bright galaxies. Ground based follow up observations (optical spectroscopy) are mainly hampered by identification confusion

An isolated epizootic of hemorrhagic-like fever in cats caused by a novel and highly virulent strain of feline calicivirus.

An isolated epizootic of a highly fatal feline calicivirus (FCV) infection, manifested in its severest form by a systemic hemorrhagic-like fever, occurred over a 1-month period among six cats owned by two different employees and a client of a private veterinary practice. The infection may have started with an unowned shelter kitten that was hospitalized during this same period for a severe atypical upper respiratory infection. The causative agent was isolated from blood and nasal swabs from two cats; the electron microscopic appearance was typical for FCV and capsid gene sequencing showed it to be genetically similar to other less pathogenic field strains. An identical disease syndrome was recreated in laboratory cats through oral inoculation with tissue culture grown virus. During the course of transmission studies in experimental cats, the agent was inadvertently spread by caretakers to an adjoining room containing a group of four normal adult cats. One of the four older cats was found dead and a second was moribund within 48-72h in spite of symptomatic treatment; lesions in these animals were similar to those of the field cats but with the added feature of severe pancreatitis. The mortality in field cats, deliberately infected laboratory cats, and inadvertently infected laboratory cats ranged from 33-50%. This new isolate of calicivirus, named FCV-Ari, was neutralized at negligible to low titer by antiserum against the universal FCV-F9 vaccine strain. Cats orally immunized with FCV-F9, and then challenge-exposed shortly thereafter with FCV-Ari, developed a milder self-limiting form of disease, indicating partial protection. However, all of the field cats, including the three that died, had been previously immunized with parenteral FCV-F9 vaccine. FCV-Ari caused a disease that was reminiscent of Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease, a highly fatal calicivirus infection of older rabbits

An Atlas of Warm AGN and Starbursts from the IRAS Deep Fields

We present 180 AGN candidates based on color selection from the IRAS slow-scan deep observations, with color criteria broadened from the initial Point-Source Catalog samples to include similar objects with redshifts up to z=1 and allowing for two-band detections. Spectroscopic identifications have been obtained for 80 (44%); some additional ones are secure based on radio detections or optical morphology, although yet unobserved spectroscopically. These spectroscopic identifications include 13 Sy 1 galaxies, 17 Sy 2 Seyferts, 29 starbursts, 7 LINER systems, and 13 emission-line galaxies so heavily reddened as to remain of ambiguous classification. The optical magnitudes range from R=12.0-20.5; counts suggest that incompleteness is important fainter than R=15.5. Redshifts extend to z=0.51, with a significant part of the sample at z>0.2. The sample includes slightly more AGN than star-forming systems among those where the spectra contain enough diagnostic feature to make the distinction. The active nuclei include several broad-line objects with strong Fe II emission, and composite objects with the absorption-line signatures of fading starbursts. These AGN with warm far-IR colors have little overlap with the "red AGN" identified with 2MASS; only a single Sy 1 was detected by 2MASS with J-K > 2. Some reliable IRAS detections have either very faint optical counterparts or only absorption-line galaxies, potentially being deeply obscured AGN. The IRAS detections include a newly identified symbiotic star, and several possible examples of the "Vega phenomenon", including dwarfs as cool as type K. Appendices detail these candidate stars, and the optical-identification content of a particularly deep set of high-latitude IRAS scans (probing the limits of optical identification from IRAS data alone).Comment: ApJ Suppl, in press. Figures converted to JPEG/GIF for better compression; PDF with full-resolution figures available before publication at http://www.astr.ua.edu/keel/aoagn.pd

Current treatment for anorexia nervosa: efficacy, safety, and adherence

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a serious psychiatric illness associated with significant medical and psychiatric morbidity, psychosocial impairment, increased risk of death, and chronicity. Given the severity of the disorder, the establishment of safe and effective treatments is necessary. Several treatments have been tried in AN, but few favorable results have emerged. This paper reviews randomized controlled trials in AN, and provides a synthesis of existing data regarding the efficacy, safety, and adherence associated with pharmacologic and psychological interventions. Randomized controlled trials for the treatment of AN published in peer-reviewed journals were identified by electronic and manual searches. Overall, pharmacotherapy has limited benefits in the treatment of AN, with some promising preliminary findings associated with olanzapine, an antipsychotic agent. No single psychological intervention has demonstrated clear superiority in treating adults with AN. In adolescents with AN, the evidence base is strongest for the use of family therapy over alternative individual psychotherapies. Results highlight challenges in both treating individuals with AN and in studying the effects of those treatments, and further emphasize the importance of continued efforts to develop novel interventions. Treatment trials currently underway and areas for future research are discussed

Hemotropic mycoplasmas in little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus).

BackgroundHemotropic mycoplasmas are epicellular erythrocytic bacteria that can cause infectious anemia in some mammalian species. Worldwide, hemotropic mycoplasmas are emerging or re-emerging zoonotic pathogens potentially causing serious and significant health problems in wildlife. The objective of this study was to determine the molecular prevalence of hemotropic Mycoplasma species in little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) with and without Pseudogymnoascus (Geomyces) destrucans, the causative agent of white nose syndrome (WNS) that causes significant mortality events in bats.MethodsIn order to establish the prevalence of hemotropic Mycoplasma species in a population of 68 little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) with (n = 53) and without (n = 15) white-nose syndrome (WNS), PCR was performed targeting the 16S rRNA gene.ResultsThe overall prevalence of hemotropic Mycoplasmas in bats was 47%, with similar (p = 0.5725) prevalence between bats with WNS (49%) and without WNS (40%). 16S rDNA sequence analysis (~1,200 bp) supports the presence of a novel hemotropic Mycoplasma species with 91.75% sequence homology with Mycoplasma haemomuris. No differences were found in gene sequences generated from WNS and non-WNS animals.ConclusionsGene sequences generated from WNS and non-WNS animals suggest that little brown bats could serve as a natural reservoir for this potentially novel Mycoplasma species. Currently, there is minimal information about the prevalence, host-specificity, or the route of transmission of hemotropic Mycoplasma spp. among bats. Finally, the potential role of hemotropic Mycoplasma spp. as co-factors in the development of disease manifestations in bats, including WNS in Myotis lucifugus, remains to be elucidated

Long-term outcome after traumatic anterior dislocation of the hip

Introduction: Traumatic anterior dislocation of the hip joint is rare. Additional injuries to the hip due to dislocation are even more infrequent. Outcome is limited by osteoarthritic joint degeneration or the occurrence of avascular necrosis of the femoral head. Method: Anterior hip dislocation occurred in ten of 100 patients with traumatic hip dislocations (8 men, mean age: 43, 22-62years) at two major trauma centres, between January 2001 and December 2008. Four patients had impaction fractures of the femoral head and three patients had fractures of the anterior acetabular wall. One patient presented with an open dislocation. In three of the ten patients surgical treatment was necessary. Results: Nine patients were evaluated retrospectively at a follow-up of 4.8±2.3years (mean±SD). The mean scores were 88±19 (Harris Hip-Score), 15±23 (WOMAC-Score), level 6 (UCLA-Score). Four cases presented with only fair clinical or radiological results according to Epstein. AVN with collapse of the femoral head was observed in one. Conclusion: Traumatic anterior hip dislocations presented in six of the ten cases with additional injuries to the hip. Surgical treatment in cases with deep impaction fractures of the femoral head or with large fragments of the acetabulum may improve the outcom

Induced star formation in interacting galaxies

Measurements of H alpha emission line fluxes and FIR fluxes in approx. 100 interacting spirals were used to investigate the effects of close tidal interactions on the disk and nuclear star formation rates in galaxies. Two samples of interacting spirals were studied, a complete sample of close pairs, and a set of strongly perturbed systems from the Arp atlas. Both the integrated H alpha luminosities and FIR luminosities are enhanced in the interacting galaxies, indicating that the encounters indeed trigger massive star formation in many cases. The response of individual galaxies is highly variable, however. A majority of the interacting spirals exhibit normal star formation rates, while a small fraction are undergoing bursts with luminosities which are rarely, if ever, observed in noninteracting systems. Virtually all of the latter are in the Arp sample, indicating that the Arp atlas is heavily biased to the most active star forming systems

Rationales for the Bernese approaches in acetabular surgery

Purpose: To present two new approaches to acetabular surgery that were established in Berne, and which aim at enhanced visualization and anatomical reconstruction of acetabular fractures. Method: The trochanteric flip osteotomy allows for surgical hip dislocation, and was introduced as a posterior approach for acetabular fracture management involving the posterior column and wall. For acetabular fractures predominantly involving the anterior column and the quadrilateral plate, the Pararectus approach is described. Results: Full exposure of the hip joint, as provided by the trochanteric flip osteotomy, facilitates anatomical reduction of acetabular or femoral head fractures and safe positioning of the anterior column screw in transverse or T-shaped fractures. Additionally, the approach enables osteochondral transplantation as a salvage procedure for severe chondral femoral head damage and osteoplasty of an associated inadequate offset at the femoral head-neck junction. The Pararectus approach allows anatomical restoration with minimal access morbidity, and combines advantages of the ilioinguinal and modified Stoppa approaches. Conclusions: Utilization of the trochanteric flip osteotomy eases visualization of the superior aspect of the acetabulum, and enables the evaluation and treatment of chondral lesions of the femoral head or acetabulum and labral tears. Displaced fractures of the anterior column with a medialized quadrilateral plate can be addressed successfully through the Pararectus approach, in which surgical access is associated with minimal morbidity. However, long-term results following the two presented Bernese approaches are needed to confirm that in the treatment of complex acetabular fractures the rate of poor results in almost one-third of all cases (as currently yielded using traditional approaches) might be reduced by the utilization of the presented novel approache