\u3ci\u3eLeucon (Crymoleucon) rossi\u3c/i\u3e, a New Species (Crustacea: Cumacea: Leuconidae) From the Shelf Waters of the Ross Sea (Antarctica), With a Key to the Genus \u3ci\u3eLeucon\u3c/i\u3e South of 60°S

A new leuconid cumacean, Leucon (Crymoleucon) rossi n. sp., is described from depths of 84 to 458 m in the Ross Sea off the Victoria Land coast. Leucon rossi n. sp. is distinguished from other members of the genus by a combination of characters including 1) a blunt, horizontally directed pseudorostrum) Without a distinctly protruding siphon; 2) strongly developed antennal notch; 3) entire dorsomedian margin of carapace appearing serrate, armed with 14 to 19 anteriorly Curved spines in female (up to 21 in subadult males); 4) a small, but distinct, spine behind the frontal lobe; and 5) the uropodal peduncle slightly shorter than the exopod. After Leucon antarcticus Zimmer, 1907, L. rossi was the second most frequently Occurring cumacean in the samples collected off Victoria Land. Statistical analyses showed significant differences in the proportion of carapace length and height of adult (all incubating in the present Study) and immature females compared to immature males; no adult males were available for study

Opioid-induced constipation in intensive care patients: relief in sight?

Constipation is the most common gastrointestinal complication associated with opioid therapy in chronic pain patients, and also frequently occurs in sedated intensive care unit patients. Conventional therapy may not provide sufficient relief from constipation, which can be severe enough to limit opioid use or the dose. In a recent study on terminally ill patients suffering from laxative-resistant opioid-induced constipation, Thomas and colleagues demonstrated subcutaneous methylnaltrexone to rapidly induce defecation. This appealing result might also have favourable prospects for intensive care patients, as their outcome is often codetermined by recovery of bowel functioning

Legal Consequences of Apologizing

This article discusses the legal consequences of saying you are sorry, whether as an apology or an expression of sympathy. It discusses questions such as whether an apology is understood to be an admission of guilt, whether an apology fulfills any elements of a tort, how an apology can be useful for avoiding litigation, how an expression of sympathy should be worded to minimize the possibility that it could be misunderstood to be an admission of guilt, and why someone who is guilty of some error should apologize without concern that this would make their situation worse. It analyzes various apologies in the context of medical malpractice, attorney discipline, and correcting mistakes at trial

Heparinase selectively sheds heparan sulphate from the endothelial glycocalyx

A healthy vascular endothelium is coated by the endothelial glycocalyx. Its main constituents are transmembrane syndecans and bound heparan sulphates. This structure maintains the physiological endothelial permeability barrier and prevents leukocyte and platelet adhesion, thereby mitigating inflammation and tissue oedema. Heparinase, a bacteria] analogue to heparanase, is known to attack the glycocalyx. However, the exact extent and specificity of degradation is unresolved. We show by electron microscopy, immunohistological staining and quantitative measurements of the constituent parts, that heparinase selectively sheds heparan sulphate from the glycocalyx, but not the synclecans

Influence of hydroxyethyl starch (6% HES 130/0.4) administration on hematology and clinical chemistry parameters

Background: The chemical inertness of hydroxyethyl starch (HES) might cause interferences of the colloid with a variety of laboratory tests. We aimed to evaluate potential influences of HES 130/0.4, the newest HES type, on several common hematology and clinical chemistry parameters. Methods and results: A convenient sample of 25 patients scheduled for rheological therapy with 500 mL 6% HES 130/0.4 was evaluated. Blood samples were drawn before and after colloid application. Comparing pre- and post-infusion values of a battery of laboratory tests (i.e., hematology and hemostasis parameters, electrolytes, enzymes, kidney and metabolic parameters, lipids, etc.) in time course, a median difference greater than the reference change value for a specific parameter was considered clinically relevant. Among all parameters tested, only serum amylase activity displayed a clinically relevant difference between pre- and post-infusion values (median increase of 85% due to HES administration). By applying in vitro experiments, we demonstrated that serum amylase values obtained in the samples diluted in a 1:1 ratio with HES 130/0.4 and in samples diluted in a 1:1 ratio with 0.9% NaCl displayed a negligible median difference of 3%. Conclusions: The in vivo effect of HES 130/0.4 administration on serum amylase activity observed in our study was pharmacological (real) in nature. With the exception of the influence of HES 130/0.4 on amylase activity, the effects of HES 130/0.4 on other parameters tested in this study can be interpreted as having no clinical relevance

Relación filogenética de los Cumacea (Crustacea: Peracarida) y variabilidad genética de dos especies antárticas de la familia Leuconidae

Phylogenetic hypotheses for the peracarid order Cumacea are scarce and have not provided a solution to the full extent. In the present study, a fragment of the mitochondrial 16S rDNA was used to erect a phylogenetic hypothesis for three cumacean families, Diastylidae, Bodotriidae and Leuconidae, along with intra-family relationships of the latter. The Cumacea resolved monophyletic with tanaids and isopods as outgroup taxa. The Diastylidae were the only family with good support for monophyly. The genus Leucon resolved paraphyletic, whereas the subgenus Crymoleucon was monophyletic. Furthermore, the genetic structure was analysed for two leuconid species, Leucon antarcticus Zimmer, 1907 and L. intermedius Mühlenhardt-Siegel, 1996, from the Weddell Sea and the Ross Sea. The two species showed different patterns of intraspecific genetic variability. In contrast to L. intermedius, a bimodal distribution of pairwise genetic distances was observed for L. antarcticus, which is correlated with geographical and depth distributions between the Ross Sea and the Weddell Sea. Although a clear evaluation of cryptic speciation in these species requires additional work on more specimens from more geographic regions and broader depth ranges, differences shown in the sequences of 16S rDNA can only be explained by genetic separation of populations between the Weddell Sea and the Ross Sea for an extended period of time.Las hipótesis filogenéticas para los peracáridos del orden Cumacea son escasas y no han proporcionado una solución definitiva. En el presente estudio se utilizó un fragmento del rDNA 16S mitocondrial para formular una hipótesis filogenética para tres familias de cumáceos, Diastylidae, Bodotriidae y Leuconidae. Además se han analizado las relaciones intrafamiliares de esta última. Los cumáceos es un grupo monofilético con tanaidáceos e isópodos como taxones externos. De las tres familias analizadas, los Diastylidae fueron la única con buen apoyo para la monofilia. El género Leucon se resolvió parafilético mientras que el subgénero Crymoleucon fue monofilético. Además, se analizó la estructura genética de dos especies de leucónidos Leucon antarcticus Zimmer, 1907 y L. intermedius Mühlenhardt-Siegel, 1996 del mar de Weddell y el mar de Ross respectivamente. Ambas especies mostraron diferentes patrones de variabilidad genética intraespecífica. A diferencia de L. intermedius, para L. antarcticus se observó una distribución bimodal del mismatch distribution, que se correlaciona con las distribuciones geográficas y de profundidad entre el mar de Ross y el mar de Weddell. Aunque una evaluación clara de la especiación críptica en estas especies requiere trabajo adicional con más especímenes de más regiones geográficas y rangos de profundidad más amplios, las diferencias que se muestran en las secuencias del rDNA 16S solo pueden explicarse por la separación genética de poblaciones entre el mar de Weddell y el mar de Ross durante un período de tiempo prolongad

Perspectives in Microvascular Fluid Handling: Does the Distribution of Coagulation Factors in Human Myocardium Comply with Plasma Extravasation in Venular Coronary Segments?

Background: Heterogeneity of vascular permeability has been suggested for the coronary system. Whereas arteriolar and capillary segments are tight, plasma proteins pass readily into the interstitial space at venular sites. Fittingly, lymphatic fluid is able to coagulate. However, heart tissue contains high concentrations of tissue factor, presumably enabling bleeding to be stopped immediately in this vital organ. The distribution of pro- and anti-coagulatively active factors in human heart tissue has now been determined in relation to the types of microvessels. Methods and Results: Samples of healthy explanted hearts and dilated cardiomyopathic hearts were immunohistochemically stained. Albumin was found throughout the interstitial space. Tissue factor was packed tightly around arterioles and capillaries, whereas the tissue surrounding venules and small veins was practically free of this starter of coagulation. Thrombomodulin was present at the luminal surface of all vessel segments and especially at venular endothelial cell junctions. Its product, the anticoagulant protein C, appeared only at discrete extravascular sites, mainly next to capillaries. These distribution patterns were basically identical in the healthy and diseased hearts, suggesting a general principle. Conclusions: Venular extravasation of plasma proteins probably would not bring prothrombin into intimate contact with tissue factor, avoiding interstitial coagulation in the absence of injury. Generation of activated protein C via thrombomodulin is favored in the vicinity of venular gaps, should thrombin occur inside coronary vessels. This regionalization of distribution supports the proposed physiological heterogeneity of the vascular barrier and complies with the passage of plasma proteins into the lymphatic system of the heart. Copyright (C) 2010 S. Karger AG, Base