Lykkegaardboyer4621

Cephalopods represent an important pathway for mercury transfer through food webs. Due to the general difficulties in capturing oceanic squid, beaks found in the diet of top predators can be used to study their life-cycles and ecological role. Using upper beaks of the giant warty squid Moroteuthopsis longimana (major prey in the Southern Ocean), we describe a method to assess mercury concentrations along the life of cephalopods through the segmentary analysis of beak sections (i.e. tip of the rostrum and subsections along the hood). Distinct total mercury concentrations in the different subsections support that beaks can be used to study mercury levels in different periods of cephalopods' life-cycle. Mercury values in the anterior (1.3-7.9 μg kg-1 dw) and posterior (7.8-12.5 μg kg-1 dw) subsections of the hood reflect juvenile and adult stages, respectively. Furthermore, these results confirm that mercury bioaccumulates continuously throughout the individuals' life, with adults doubling their mercury concentrations to juveniles.Within the framework of the international project DAIMON (Decision Aid for Marine Munitions), the impact of dumped chemical munitions on fish health was investigated. The Skagerrak Straight (North Sea, at 600 m depth) contains munitions with chemical warfare agents (CWA), scuttled after the end of World War II. Studies of liver histopathology in Atlantic hagfish (Myxine glutinosa) were carried out at three sampling sites at a wreck with CWA in the Skagerrak (n = 82), a Skagerrak reference site considered to be free of CWA (n = 14) and at a reference site in the northern North Sea outside the Skagerrak (n = 17). Liver lesions were diagnosed and categorized according to standardized ICES and BEQUALM protocols and OSPAR guidelines. Non-specific liver lesions were found in 87.6% of 113 hagfish examined. The prevalence of pre-neoplastic lesions was 7.1% and of neoplastic lesions 6.2%. There was no statistically significant difference in prevalence between hagfish samples from the wreck site and from the reference site near the wrecks. However, at the reference site in the northern North Sea, the prevalence of non-specific lesions was low and neither pre-neoplastic nor neoplastic lesions were observed.Fluorescence measurements of the marine flatworm Macrostomum lignano were performed during exposure to the explosive TNT and its main derivatives 2-ADNT and 4-ADNT, using calcein AM, the acetoxymethylester of calcein, and the autofluorescence of its food (diatoms). Lethality was found to depend on temperature and exposure time. After 12 days of exposure to a concentration of 33,3 mg/L 2-ADNT and 4-ADNT, the lethality at 30 °C (100%) was strongly increased compared to 21 °C (~60%). First deaths were observed after four days of exposure. Using lower concentrations (≤3,33 mg/L) of all three compounds, the activity of ABC transporters (ATP binding cassette transporter) was determined using calcein as reporter dye. Worms exposed to toxicants for 72 h showed a significant upregulation of ABC transporter activity during exposure to 3,33 mg/L 2-ADNT and 4-ADNT, and 3 mg/L TNT demonstrating the efficacy of this cellular first line defense. A distinct behavioral defense of the worms decreased the uptake of 2-ADNT and 4-ADNT (0,033 mg/L) as they reduced feeding shown by diminished autofluorescence of algae in the gut.Instrumented fixation of the C1-C2 motion segment is a standard surgical technique to stabilise that spinal segment. Instability at C1-C2 can arise from a number of conditions. Fixation of the C1 lateral mass usually involves dissection and exposure of the C2 nerve root and the posterior wall of the C2 lateral mass which can result in significant bleeding from the venous plexus. Whilst image guidance is increasing in accessibility, there are few public hospitals in Australia that have access to this technology. The authors describe their technique for insertion of a C1 lateral mass screw over a threaded K-wire to avoid extensive dissection of the C2 nerve root, reducing the risk of significant haemorrhage from the epidural venous plexus during the procedure. A retrospective analysis was undertaken on 18 consecutive patients who underwent C1-C2 instrumented fixation using this technique. Indications for C1-C2 instrumented fixation included traumatic injury (10 patients), failure of non-operative management of odontoid fractures (5 patients), pathological fractures of C2 (2 patients) and inflammatory conditions (1 patient). All patients underwent successful C1-C2 stabilisation using this technique. Blood loss did not exceed 400mls in any patient. There were no vertebral artery injuries and no patient experienced a neurological deterioration. The authors propose that their technique for insertion of a C1 lateral mass screw over a threaded K-wire is safe and effective with a low risk of neurological or vertebral artery injury. The technique may be considered as a slight modification of the Harm's procedure to reduce disturbance of the adjacent venous plexus and thereby reduction in intraoperative bleeding and operative time.Migraine headache is a common condition with an estimated lifetime prevalence of greater than 20%. While it is a well-established risk factor for cardiovascular disease and ischemic stroke, its association with subarachnoid hemorrhage is largely unexplored. We sought to compare the incidence of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage in a cohort of migraine patients with a cohort of patients with tension headache. A cohort comparison study utilizing the MarketScan insurance claims database compared patients diagnosed with migraine who were undergoing treatment with abortive or prophylactic pharmacotherapy (treatment cohort) and patients diagnosed with tension headache who had never been diagnosed with a migraine and who were naïve to migraine pharmacotherapy (control cohort). Patients with major pre-existing risk factors for aSAH were excluded from the study, and minor risk factors such as smoking status and hypertension were accounted for using coarsened exact matching (CEM) and subsequent cox proportional-hazards (CPH) regression. More than 679,000 patients (~125,000 treatment and ~ 550,000 control) with an average follow-up of more than three years were analyzed for aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. CPH regression on matched data showed that treated migraine patients had a significantly lower hazard of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage compared with tension headache patients (HR = 0.40, 95% CI 0.19 - 0.86, p = 0.02). This large cohort comparison study, analyzing more than 679,000 patients, demonstrated that migraine patients undergoing pharmacologic treatment had a lower hazard of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage than patients diagnosed with tension headaches. Future work specifically focusing on migraine medications may identify the mechanisms underlying this association.

Muscle weakness related to myasthenia gravis (MG) limits the daily functioning of patients. MG patients often experience subjective symptoms including psychiatric disorders, fatigue, and reduction in self-efficacy. All of which ultimately influence their life. The relationship between the subjective symptoms and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) has never been systematically explored among MG patients.

This study aimed to evaluate the HRQoL of patients with MG in China, and to assess the impact of potential predictors of HRQoL.

This was a cross-sectional observational study in patients with confirmed diagnosis of MG. Patients with MG were assessed using the 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) questionnaire, Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), and Self-Efficacy for Managing Chronic Disease 6 items scale (SES6G). D-Cycloserine Disease severity was evaluated by two specialists at the same time.

Patients had significantly lower mean SF-36 scores fRQoL of patients with MG was related not only to the gender, severity of disease, and unemployment but also to the subjective experience including depressive and anxiety disorders, fatigue, and self-efficacy. In the course of treatment, the evaluation of HRQoL should be included in the routine assessment of patients with MG. Psychosocial treatment, social support, and health education should be advocated.Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) can be associated with various neurological manifestations including acute strokes. Hyper acute diagnosis and treatment are key factors which decrease mortality and morbidity in stroke patients. The COVID-19 pandemic has introduced a great strain on the healthcare system, and as a result clinicians are facing several barriers in diagnosing and treating strokes. Delayed presentation of strokes is a problem as some in the general population defer the decision to seek immediate medical attention fearing contracting the virus. Also playing a role is the paucity of healthcare professionals available during a pandemic. Recent literature demonstrates the association of acute strokes in young patients with COVID-19. Lack of clear pathophysiology of the neurological manifestations from COVID-19 intensifies the problem. A thorough examination of the intensive care unit patient has always been a challenge owing to several factors including use of sedatives, sepsis, uremia, and encephalopathy secondary to medications. Locked-In Syndrome (LIS) secondary to stroke is much more challenging to diagnose as patients are unable to communicate or elicit any motor functions apart from certain ocular movements. We present the case of a 25 year old patient with no known history of coagulopathy, but had developed COVID-19 cytokine storm which culminated in LIS secondary to pontine strokes.

Primary central nervous system T-cell lymphoma (PCNSTCL) is a rare neoplasm with few data regarding its common features and survival characteristics.

To explore the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results 18 (SEER 18) database to determine the epidemiology of PCNSTCL.

The SEER 18 registry database was queried to identify patients diagnosed with PCNSTCL from 1973 to 2014 and extract their information. Age-specific rates and Kaplan-Meier overall survival (OS) were calculated. A Cox proportional hazards model was applied to investigate relationships between various demographic/treatment variables and OS.

The age-specific incidence rates were higher in the older population (≥60years). Among 59 PCNSTCL cases from the SEER 18, the mean age at presentation was 55.8years (SD, ±17.95), with a male predominance (1.361.00). The median follow-up was 8months, and the median OS was 8months (SE, ±4.162). The 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS was 46.3% [95% CI, 33.4%-59.2%], 32.8% [20.3%-45.3%], and 32.8% [20.3%-45.3%], respectively. Seventeen of the 59 patients survived at last follow-up. Patients<60years had a greater 3-year OS compared with patients≥60years (52.6% [33.6%-71.6%] vs 13.9% [1.4%-26.4%]. Multivariate analysis has demonstrated that only age at diagnosis (≥60/<60years) exhibited a significant relationship with OS (HR, 3.495 [1.688-7.235];p=0.001). Sex (female/male) was observed to have a doubted trend towards significance (HR, 0.487 [0.231-1.030]; p=0.060).

PCNSTCL is generally of poor prognosis but younger age at diagnosis (<60years) predicts a better prognosis.

PCNSTCL is generally of poor prognosis but younger age at diagnosis ( less then 60 years) predicts a better prognosis.