Management of vesicoureteral reflux

Four cases of vesicoureteral reflux are discussed by prominent pediatric urologists. The condition can range from minimal reflux into the distal ureter to massive reflux causing tortuosity of the ureter and hydronephrosis. Treatment options range from medical management to tapering of the ureter with reimplantation. The cross-trigonal technique is popular among pediatric urologists, and the Politano-Leadbetter technique is a very successful technique that has stood the test of time. The extravesical approach to ureteral reimplantation reduces morbidity, shortens hospital stays, reduces medical costs, and maintains the high success rates of the intravesical techniques. Subureteric injection of bulking agents to correct the reflux holds promise as an alternative to open surgery, but presents the challenge of identifying the ideal bulking agent.     

Substituted 4-[4-(dimethylamino)styryl]pyridinium salt as a fluorescent probe for cell microviscosity

In aqueous solution, 4-[4-(dimethylamino)styryl]pyridine (DMASP) derivatives displayed dual fluorescence, in which excitation at either 469 or 360 nm produced an emission band near 600 nm. Increasing the viscosity of the environment intensified the fluorescence emission obtained at the longer wavelength of excitation, whereas the emission at the lower wavelength of excitation showed little change in intensity. Thus, using the ratio of the 600 nm emission obtained by exciting at 469 nm to that obtained with 360 nm excitation, it is possible to obtain a value related to the local viscosity that does not depend on the system parameters. The fluorescence emission of the dye in aqueous solution, as well as in living cells, is well suited for use with visible fluorescence spectroscopy. The N-carboxymethyl butyl ester DMASP derivative (1) was found to be irreversibly loaded into living smooth muscle cells, presumably because it is hydrolyzed by cellular esterases, transforming it into a membrane-impermeable fluorescent carboxylate DMASP derivative. (2) After calibrating 2 against glycerol/water and sucrose/water mixtures of known viscosity, the fluorescence ratio generated from cultured smooth muscle cells in dual-excitation mode gave an average intracellular viscosity of 4.5 cP. This value corresponds to those reported in the literature.     

Cage toys reduce abnormal behavior in individually housed pigtail macaques

As part of a behavioral intervention program that identifies and treats individual nonhuman primates exhibiting abnormal behavior, five individually housed pigtail macaques (Macaca nemestrina) were provided with multiple cage toys in an effort to reduce high levels of abnormal behavior. Ten 30-min observations of each subject were conducted during the baseline condition and again after novel toys were presented, both loose inside the cage and attached to the outside of the cage. The new toys were used during 27% of the observation time. Kong Toys were used most consistently by the macaques during the 5-week observation period. Significant decreases in abnormal behavior and cage-directed behavior, as well as significantly increased enrichment use, were evident after the toys were added. Several of the toys were destroyed quickly, and individual differences were evident in the levels of enrichment use and abnormal behavior. Providing multiple manipulable toys as enrichment for pigtail macaques was effective in reducing abnormal behavior and was an important part of an environmental enrichment program for monkeys who could not be housed socially.     

Effect of whitefly parasitoids on the cuticular lipid composition of Bemisia argentifolii (Homoptera: aleyrodidae) nymphs

Experiments were conducted to determine the effects of whitefly parasitoids on the cuticular lipid composition of the silverleaf whitefly, Bemisia argentifolii Bellows and Perring [=sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius), Biotype B] nymphs. The cuticular lipids of B. argentifolii nymphs that had been attacked by parasitic wasps, either Eretmocerus mundus Mercet or Encarsia pergandiella Howard, were characterized by capillary gas chromatography and CGC-mass spectrometry and the results compared with the cuticular lipids of unparasitized nymphs. Previous studies with B. argentifolii nymphs had shown that wax esters were the major components of the cuticular lipids with lesser amounts of hydrocarbons, long-chain aldehydes, and long-chain alcohols. No appreciable changes in lipid composition were observed for the cuticular lipids of E. pergandiella-parasitized nymphs as compared to unparasitized controls. However, the cuticular lipids from nymphs parasitized by E. mundus contained measurable quantities of two additional components in their hydrocarbon fraction. Analyses and comparisons with an authentic standard indicated that the two hydrocarbons were the even-numbered chain length methyl-branched alkanes, 2-methyltriacontane and 2-methyldotriacontane. The occurrences and possible functions of 2-methylalkanes as cuticular lipid components of insects are discussed and specifically, in regard to host recognition, acceptance, and discrimination by parasitoids. Published 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Rodent foraging is affected by indirect, but not by direct, cues of predation risk

We used foraging trays to determine whether oldfield mice, Peromyscuspolionotus, altered foraging in response to direct cues of predationrisk (urine of native and nonnative predators) and indirectcues of predation risk (foraging microhabitat, precipitation,and moon illumination). The proportion of seeds remaining ineach tray (a measure of the giving-up density [GUD]) was usedto measure risk perceived by mice. Mice did not alter theirGUD when presented with cues of native predators (bobcats, Lynxrufus, and red foxes, Vulpes vulpes), recently introduced predators(coyotes, Canis latrans), nonnative predators (ocelots, Leoparduspardalis), a native herbivore (white-tailed deer, Odocoileusvirginianus), or a water control. Rather, GUD was related tomicrohabitat: rodents removed more seeds from foraging trayssheltered beneath vegetative cover compared with exposed traysoutside of cover. Rodents also removed more seeds during nightswith precipitation and when moon illumination was low. Our resultssuggest that P. polionotus used indirect cues rather than directcues to assess risk of vertebrate predation. Indirect cues maybe more reliable than are direct scent cues for estimating riskfrom multiple vertebrate predators that present the most riskin open environments.     

Microbiological quality of blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) in Nunavik, Quebec: a pilot study

This pilot study was aimed at documenting the presence of fecal indicators and enteric pathogens in blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) from 6 communities in Nunavik, Quebec. One to four 2?kg samples of mussels were collected at low tide in each community. Samples were investigated by enumeration methods for the fecal indicators enterococci, Escherichia coli, F-specific coliphages, Clostridium perfringens, and by molecular identification for the pathogens norovirus, Salmonella spp., Campylobacter jejuni, Campylobacter coli, and Campylobacter lari, verocytotoxin-producing E.?coli (particularly serovar O157:H7), Shigella spp., and Yersinia enterocolitica. In 5 communities, the presence of Giardia duodenalis and Cryptosporidium spp. was also tested by microscopy and molecular methods and that of Toxoplasma gondii was tested by molecular methods. Apart from small quantities of Clostridium perfringens in 2 samples, no bacterial or viral pathogens were detected in the mussels. Toxoplasma gondii was also not detected. However, G.?duodenalis and Cryptosporidium spp. were present in 18% and 73% of the samples investigated for these pathogens, respectively. When considering the indicators and the viral and bacterial pathogens investigated, the mussels examined were of good microbiological quality, but considering the presence of potentially zoonotic protozoa, it should be recommended that consumers cook the molluscs well before eating them.     

The discovery of a new class of large-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channel opener targeted for overactive bladder: synthesis and structure-activity relationships of 2-amino-4-azaindoles

2-Amino-4-azaindoles have been identified as a structurally novel class of BK(Ca) channel openers. Their synthesis from 2-chloro-3-nitropyridine is described together with their in vitro properties assessed by 86Rb(+) efflux and whole-cell patch-clamp assays using HEK293 cells stably transfected with the BK(Ca) alpha subunit. In vitro functional characterization of BK(Ca) channel opening activity was also assessed by measurement of relaxation of smooth muscle tissue strips obtained from Landrace pig bladders. The preliminary SAR data indicate the importance of steric bulk around the 2-amino substituent.