Larra bicolor Fabricius (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae): its distribution throughout Florida

We document the presence of Larra bicolor Fabricius (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae) in 46 of Florida's 67 counties. The species is represented by two stocks. The first (released in 1981) originated in Pará, Brazil, but was obtained from Puerto Rico, and became established in Broward County in southern Florida. The second (released in 1988) originated in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, and became established in Alachua County in northern Florida. The Bolivian stock, aided by additional satellite releases from Alachua County, is now widely distributed. The species probably occupies all counties in central and northern Florida, but may yet be absent from some southern counties. Introduction was made for classical biological control of invasive mole crickets

Effectiveness of neuronavigation in resecting solitary intracerebral contrast-enhancing tumors:A randomized controlled trial

Object: The goal of this study was to assess the impact of neuronavigation on the cytoreductive treatment of solitary contrast-enhancing intracerebral tumors and outcomes of this treatment in cases in which neuronavigation was preoperatively judged to be redundant.Methods: The authors conducted a prospective randomized study in which 45 patients, each harboring a solitary contrast-enhancing intracerebral tumor, were randomized for surgery with or without neuronavigation. Peri- and postoperative parameters under investigation included the following: duration of the procedure; surgeon's estimate of the usefulness of neuronavigation; quantification of the extent of resection, determined using magnetic resonance imaging; and the postoperative course, as evaluated by neurological examinations, the patient's quality-of-life self-assessment, application of the Barthel index and the Karnofsky Performance Scale score, and the patient's time of death. The mean amount of residual tumor tissue was 28.9% for standard surgery (SS) and 13.8% for surgery involving neuronavigation (SN). The corresponding mean amounts of residual contrast-enhancing tumor tissue were 29.2 and 24.4%, respectively. These differences were not significant. Gross-total removal (GTR) was achieved in five patients who underwent SS and in three who underwent SN. Median survival was significantly shorter in the SN group (5.6 months compared with 9 months, unadjusted hazard ratio = 1.6); however, this difference may be attributable to the coincidental early death of three patients in the SN group. No discernible important effect on the patients' 3-month postoperative course was identified.Conclusions: There is no rationale for the routine use of neuronavigation to improve the extent of tumor resection and prognosis in patients harboring a solitary enhancing intracerebral lesion when neuronavigation is not already deemed advantageous because of the size or location of the lesion.</p

The nuclear pattern and the fiber connections of certain non-cortical areas of the telencephalon of the mink (mustela vison)

No Abstract.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/49944/1/900830205_ftp.pd

Visual and Electrosensory Circuits of the Diencephalon in Mormyrids

Mormyrids are one of two groups of teleost fishes known to have evolved electroreception, and the concomitant neuroanatomical changes have confounded the interpretation of many of their brain areas in a comparative context, e.g., the diencephalon, where different sensory systems are processed and relayed. Recently, cerebellar and retinal connections of the diencephalon in mormyrids were reported. The present study reports on the telencephalic and tectal connections, specifically in Gnathonemus petersii, as these data are critical for an accurate interpretation of diencephalic nuclei in teleosts. Injections of horseradish peroxidase into the telencephalon retrogradely labeled neurons ipsilaterally in various thalamic, preglomerular, and tuberal nuclei, the nucleus of the locus coeruleus (also contralaterally), the superior raphe, and portions of the nucleus lateralis valvulae. Telencephalic injections anterogradely labeled the dorsal preglomerular and the dorsal tegmental nuclei bilaterally. Injections into the optic tectum retrogradely labeled neurons bilaterally in the central zone of area dorsalis telencephali and ipsilaterally in the torus longitudinalis, various thalamic, pretectal, and tegmental nuclei, some nuclei in the torus semicircularis, the nucleus of the locus coeruleus, the nucleus isthmi and the superior reticular formation, basal cells in the ipsilateral valvula cerebelli, and eurydendroid cells in the contralateral lobe C4 of the corpus cerebelli. Weaker contralateral projections were also observed to arise from the ventromedial thalamus and various pretectal and tegmental nuclei, and from the locus coeruleus and superior reticular formation. Tectal injections anterogradely labeled various pretectal nuclei bilaterally, as well as ipsilaterally the dorsal preglomerular and dorsal posterior thalamic nuclei, some nuclei in the torus semicircularis, the dorsal tegmental nucleus, nucleus isthmi, and, again bilaterally, the superior reticular formation. A comparison of retinal, cerebellar, tectal, and telencephalic connections in Gnathonemus with those in nonelectrosensory teleosts reveals several points: (1 the visual area of the diencephalon is highly reduced in Gnathonemus, (2) the interconnections between the preglomerular area and telencephalon in Gnathonemus are unusually well developed compared to those in other teleosts, and (3) two of the three corpopetal diencephalic nuclei are homologues of the central and dorsal periventricular pretectum in other teleosts. The third is a subdivision of the preglomerular area, rather than an accessory optic or pretectal nucleus, and is related to electroreception. The preglomerulo-cerebellar connections in Gnathonemus are therefore interpreted as uniquely derived characters for mormyrids

Natural history of spheno-orbital meningiomas

To investigate the natural history and the growth rate of spheno-orbital meningiomas (SOMs). Ninety patients with a diagnosis of SOM were included, and patient charts and imaging were evaluated. In a subset of 32 patients, volumetric studies were performed. The median follow-up for the entire group was 4 years (range, 1-15); the mean age was 47.8 (range, 26-93) years; 94% of the patients were female. The most common clinical signs and symptoms were proptosis (93%), visual deterioration (65%), retro-bulbar pain (23%) and diplopia (6%). In 35% of patients in this series, no visual deterioration occurred, and in 30% only mild proptosis was present. The median annual growth rate of the SOMs in the subset of 32 patients was 0.3 cm³/year (range, 0.03-1.8 cm³/year). We assessed a trend for more rapid tumour growth in younger patients and found the initial volume of the tumour (rho = 0.63) and of the soft tissue component (rho = 074) to be significantly related to the growth rate. SOMs are slow-growing tumours that cause primarily proptosis and visual deterioration. In a significant number of patients, these tumours cause minimal discomfort and symptomatology. Therefore, in the absence of risk factors, we advocate a "wait and see" policy. For patients with large SOMs or with a large soft tissue component at first visit or with fast growing SOMs (>1cm³/year), a follow-up examination every 6 months is indicate

Effectiveness of Internet-Based Cognitive Behavior Therapy (Fatigue in Teenagers on the Internet) for Adolescents With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in Routine Clinical Care: Observational Study

BACKGROUND: Internet-based cognitive behavior therapy (I-CBT) for adolescents with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) has been shown to be effective in a randomized controlled trial (RCT; Fatigue in Teenagers on the Internet [FITNET]). FITNET can cause a significant reduction in fatigue and disability. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate whether FITNET treatment implemented in routine clinical care (IMP-FITNET) was as effective, using the outcomes of the FITNET RCT as the benchmark. METHODS: Outcomes of CFS/ME adolescents who started IMP-FITNET between October 2012 and March 2018 as part of routine clinical care were compared to the outcomes in the FITNET RCT. The primary outcome was fatigue severity assessed posttreatment. The secondary outcomes were self-reported physical functioning, school attendance, and recovery rates. Clinically relevant deterioration was assessed posttreatment, and for this outcome, a face-to-face CBT trial was used as the benchmark. The attitude of therapists toward the usability of IMP-FITNET was assessed through semistructured interviews. The number of face-to-face consultations during IMP-FITNET was registered. RESULTS: Of the 384 referred adolescents with CFS/ME, 244 (63.5%) started IMP-FITNET, 84 (21.9%) started face-to-face CBT, and 56 (14.6%) were not eligible for CBT. Posttreatment scores for fatigue severity (mean 26.0, SD 13.8), physical functioning (mean 88.2, SD 15.0), and full school attendance (mean 84.3, SD 26.5) fell within the 95% CIs of the FITNET RCT. Deterioration of fatigue and physical functioning after IMP-FITNET was observed at rates of 1.2% (n=3) and 4.1% (n=10), respectively, which is comparable to a waiting list condition (fatigue: 1.2% vs 5.7%, χ21=3.5, P=.06; physical functioning: 4.1% vs 11.4%, χ21=3.3, P=.07). Moreover, 41 (16.8%) IMP-FITNET patients made use of face-to-face consultations. CONCLUSIONS: IMP-FITNET is an effective and safe treatment for adolescents with CFS/ME in routine clinical care

Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopic Changes of the Primary Motor Cortex and Supplementary Motor Area in Hemiparetic Patients with Corticospinal Tract Injury due to Deep Intracerebral Hematoma

This study was conducted to investigate the metabolic changes in the motor and motor association cortices following axonal injury in the internal capsule that was caused by deep intracerebral hematoma. Using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H MRS), the authors studied the primary motor cortices (M-1) and sup-plementary motor areas (SMA) of 9 hemiparetic patients with documentable hemi-paresis of varying severity, and we studied 10 normal volunteers as controls. To measure the M-1 and SMA biochemical changes, 4 separate single volumes of inter-est(VOIs) were located bilaterally in the affected and unaffected hemisphere (AH and UH). 1H MRS provided a neuronal and axonal viability index by measuring levels of N-acetylaspartate (NAA) and creatine/phosphocreatine (Cr). The M-1/SMA NAA/Cr ratios of the AH and UH in patients, and the AH and normal volunteers were com-pared. The NAA/Cr ratios of the M-1 and SMA in AH, and the SMA in UH were sig-nificantly lower than those of normal volunteers. These 1H MRS findings indicate that axonal injury in the descending motor pathway at the level of internal capsule could induce metabolic changes in the higher centers of the motor pathway