Early Cambrian sponge spicules from the Cerro Clemente and Cerro Rajón, Sonora, México

Acid maceration and thin section analysis of archaeocyathan limestones of the Cerro Clemente and Cerro Rajón, Sonora, México, have yielded some of the most ancient sponge fossils reported from the North American Cordillera. The sponge fossils are from Unit 3 of the Puerto Blanco Formation. The fossils include one of the earliest known specimens of Kiwetinokia WALCOTT. These new data indicate that diverse archaeocyaths and sponges occur in close association within Lower Cambrian limestones of Sonora. The new specimen of Kiwetinokia sp. provides evidence that geometrically complex spicules in Cambrian sponges evolved by the fusion of simpler spicule types. These are among the earliest sponges known to have lived in reef habitats

Mechanisms of A-V Block

Determination of the varieties of A-V block is predicated on the precise identification of the site(s) of conduction delay as prognosis, and therapy must follow on this basis. Further electrophysiologic and pharmacologic studies will undoubtedly reveal other mechanisms on the nature of A-V transmission

Early Cambrian Appalachian Archaeocyaths: Further Age Constraints from the Fauna of New Jersey and Virginia, U.S.A.

New data allow us to correlate the Early Cambrian archaeocyathan faunas of the Appalachian (eastern)and Cordilleran (western) faunal provinces of Laurentia. The precise relationships of fossil assemblages between these provinces have hitherto been controversial, with the correlation of the Elliptocephala asaphoides Fauna posing particular problems. New and revised data (including the new taxa Sekwicyathus tillmani nov. sp. Debrenne & A. Zhuravlev and Archaeosycon balsami nov. sp. Debrenne & A. Zhuravlev on archaeocyathan assemblages from the Appalachians New Jersey and Virginia allow correlation of these assemblages to the middle Bonnia-Olenellus Zone of the Pacific Laurentia (Late Botoman) and the Elliptocephala asaphoides Fauna with the middle-upper Bonnia-Olenellus Zone (Late Botoman-Early Toyonian). The Appalachian archaeocyathan assemblages are not endemic but originated from archaeocyaths of the Pacific Region in or near the Middle Botoman; then, during the Middle Botoman-Late Botoman, they migrated northward along the Appalachian margin of Laurentia (in term of modern coordinates). We discuss here the development and the extent of influence of the Hawke Bay regressive event, and the pattern of archaeocyathan migration as the Appalachian margin of Laurentia drifted northward into equatorial latitudes

Myopericytoma of low grade malignancy in the oral cavity

Myopericytoma (MPC) of the oral cavity is extremely rare. Herein reported is a case of MPC of low grade malignancy in the oral cavity. A 61-year-old man noticed a tumor of the cheek mucosa, and admitted to our hospital. Oral examination revealed a reddish elevated tumor of the cheek mucosa. Tumorectomy with wide margins was performed. The clinical diagnosis was pyogenic granuloma. Grossly, the tumor was reddish, and measured 1×1×1 cm. Microscopically, oval to spindle tumor cells with hyperchromatic vesicular nuclei and many vasculatures were seen. The tumor cells were contiguous and mixed with endothelial cells in many blood vessels, thus resembling pericytes. Mitotic figures were scattered. The surgical margins were negative for tumor cells. Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells were positive for vimentin, α-smooth muscle actin and p53. The Ki67 labeling was 40%. The tumor cells were negative for cytokeratins (AE1/3 and CAM5.2), CD31, CD34, S100 protein, HMB45, CD10, vimentin, desmin, and factor VIII-related antigen. The endothelium of the vessels were positive for vimentin, CD31, CD34 and factor VIII-related antigen, but negative for α-smooth muscle actin, p53, cytokeratins (AE1/3 and CAM5.2), S100 protein, HMB45, CD10, vimentin, and desmin. The Ki67 labeling was 5%. Because the pericytoid tumor cells showed α-smooth muscle actin and negative for endothelial markers, MPC was diagnosed. In addition, because there was some atypia and mitotic figures were scatters and also because the tumor cells were positive for p53 and Ki67 labeling was high, a pathological diagnosis of MPC with low grade malignancy was made. No recurrence was observed, and the patient is now free from tumor 6 months after the operation

Syndromic surveillance to assess the potential public health impact of the Icelandic volcanic ash plume across the United Kingdom, April 2010

The Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland erupted on 14 April 2010 emitting a volcanic ash plume that spread across the United Kingdom and mainland Europe. The Health Protection Agency and Health Protection Scotland used existing syndromic surveillance systems to monitor community health during the incident: there were no particularly unusual increases in any of the monitored conditions. This incident has again demonstrated the use of syndromic surveillance systems for monitoring community health in real time

The comparative clinical course of pregnant and non-pregnant women hospitalised with influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 infection

Introduction: The Influenza Clinical Information Network (FLU-CIN) was established to gather detailed clinical and epidemiological information about patients with laboratory confirmed A(H1N1)pdm09 infection in UK hospitals. This report focuses on the clinical course and outcomes of infection in pregnancy.Methods: A standardised data extraction form was used to obtain detailed clinical information from hospital case notes and electronic records, for patients with PCR-confirmed A(H1N1)pdm09 infection admitted to 13 sentinel hospitals in five clinical 'hubs' and a further 62 non-sentinel hospitals, between 11th May 2009 and 31st January 2010.Outcomes were compared for pregnant and non-pregnant women aged 15-44 years, using univariate and multivariable techniques.Results: Of the 395 women aged 15-44 years, 82 (21%) were pregnant; 73 (89%) in the second or third trimester. Pregnant women were significantly less likely to exhibit severe respiratory distress at initial assessment (OR?=?0.49 (95% CI: 0.30-0.82)), require supplemental oxygen on admission (OR?=?0.40 (95% CI: 0.20-0.80)), or have underlying co-morbidities (p-trend <0.001). However, they were equally likely to be admitted to high dependency (Level 2) or intensive care (Level 3) and/or to die, after adjustment for potential confounders (adj. OR?=?0.93 (95% CI: 0.46-1.92). Of 11 pregnant women needing Level 2/3 care, 10 required mechanical ventilation and three died.Conclusions: Since the expected prevalence of pregnancy in the source population was 6%, our data suggest that pregnancy greatly increased the likelihood of hospital admission with A(H1N1)pdm09. Pregnant women were less likely than non-pregnant women to have respiratory distress on admission, but severe outcomes were equally likely in both groups