Peak In May Research Articles

Increasing frequency of feline cytauxzoonosis cases diagnosed in western Kentucky from 2001 to 2011

Feline cytauxzoonosis is a rapidly progressing and usually fatal disease in domestic cats caused by the tick-borne pathogen, Cytauxzoon felis. The primary reservoir host for this protozoan parasite is the bobcat (Lynx rufus). In this retrospective study, we have examined the positive cases of feline cytauxzoonosis identified at Murray State University's Breathitt Veterinary Center, a regional diagnostic facility located in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, between January 2001 and December 2011. Center records reveal that there has been an increase in the rate of diagnosis of domestic feline infection with C. felis over that 10-year span with the majority of cases (75%) occurring between 2006 and 2011. The infection was diagnosed from March through October and showed a single peak in May, corresponding well with the questing period for the lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum, a known vector of C. felis.

Epidemic situation and surveillance on SFTS in China, 2011-2012

To analyze the data of surveillance on severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS), from 2011 to 2012 in China. Descriptive methods were conducted to analyze the surveillance data from 2011 to 2012 which were collected from the internet-based National Notifiable Disease Reporting System. From 2011 to 2012, a total of 1229 SFTS cases and 107 deaths were reported in China with the average annual incidence rate of 0. 046/100 000 and case fatality rate of 8.7%. Compared to 2011, morbidity of 2012 has increased by 23.5% and mortality has decreased by 32%. 16 provinces reported SFTS cases. More cases occurred in spring and summer seasons,with the peak in May to July, during this period, 69% of the total cases were reported. The ages of the patients ranged from 1 to 85 years, 44.2% of total case was 55 to 70 years old, there were no differences in sex. Of all the cases 86. 8% was farmer. Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome in widely distributed in China, especially in the central and eastern regions, the incidence has obvious seasonal. Surveillance and immigration quarantine should be strengthened.

Some Aspects of Ecology of the Common Chameleon, Chamaeleo chamaeleon musae (Squamata: Chameleonidae) in Northern Sinai, Egypt

Morphometric measurements and aspects of the ecology of Chamaeleo chamaeleon musae were studied in Northern Sinai. There were no significant sexual differences in body size, tail index, casque height and head shape characters for adult C. c. musae . Chameleons were mostly encountered during spring and summer and with a peak in May. Chameleons were most active from 09:00 to 11:00 a.m., and were found roosting on trees during the night. Juveniles were occasionally seen on trees in higher positions than adults. Chameleons fed upon a wide variety of food including insects, arachnids and plant material, assuming both sit-and-wait and active foraging strategies; there was no differences in food items seasonally and no difference in prey size existed between sexes. The reproduction of chameleons occurs from July to December. Females with oviductal eggs were collected from August to November and females produced a single clutch per year. Oviductal eggs in each oviduct were either equal or unequal to each other in number. The smallest gravid female measured 89 mm snout-vent length. The testis size increased to a maximum in summer, but declined gradually in autumn. The smallest male with markedly enlarged testes was 75 mm SVL and was collected in June.

English

  Leaf phenology tree species of dry deciduous and evergreen forests of Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary (13°25’ and 13°50’ N, 75°15’ and 75°50’ E) was studied during June 2004 to May 2006. Leaf fall starts in September and with a peak in December and January. Leaf initiation starts in February and with a peak in April before monsoon, while leaf expansion starts in February with a peak in May and July during monsoon in dry deciduous forest. In evergreen forest, leaf falling and leaf initiation was observed in one or the other species with a peak in January to February, leaf expansion too observed throughout the year with a peak in January and April before monsoon. Varying leaf phenology of these forest types is dependent on a regional rainfall pattern.   Key words: Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary, dry deciduous forest, evergreen forest, leaf phenology, seasonality.

Observations of Black Carbon characteristics and radiative forcing over a Global Atmosphere Watch supersite in Korea

This paper provides an account of observed variations in Black carbon (BC) mass concentrations and BC induced radiative forcing for the first time over a background Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) site, Anmyeon in South Korea. BC concentrations were continuously measured over the site during January 2003–December 2004 periods using an Aethalometer. BC showed higher concentrations during 2003 in majority of the months (except in January, August and October). BC found to be showing higher concentrations in September 2003, with values reaching up to 3μgm−3 over the site. It also showed higher peaks in May and December in 2003. BC values were found to be comparatively less during wet season (July–August; especially august), which could be associated with the rainout and washout associated with the Changma season (summer monsoon). Optical Properties of Aerosols and Clouds (OPAC) model in combination with a radiative transfer model (SBDART) were used to estimate aerosol radiative forcing separately for composite aerosols (total aerosols) and solely for BC aerosols using chemical composition data sets of Total Suspended Particulates (TSP) and BC. The atmospheric forcing for composite aerosols found to be +14.9 to +25.9Wm−2 during spring, +13.4 to +20.4Wm−2 in summer, +12.9 to +19.1Wm−2 in autumn and +16 to +18.2Wm−2 during winter,respectively. The respective BC atmospheric forcings were +8.1 to +11.8Wm−2, +8.4 to +11.1Wm−2, +8.7 to +11.4Wm−2 and +8.8 to +11.7Wm−2 during spring, summer, autumn and winter. The study suggests that BC induced atmospheric forcing can contribute up to 88% of total aerosol induced atmospheric warming.

Asymmetric response of the South China Sea SST to El Niño and La Niña

The interannual variability of the sea surface temperature (SST) in the South China Sea (SCS) is investigated according to its relationship with El Nino/La Nina (EN/LN) using monthly products from ICOADS. The SCS SST bears two peaks associated with EN/LN and shows the asymmetric features. Coinciding with the mature phase of EN/LN, the first SST warming/cooling peaks in December(0)-February(1) (DJF(1)) and centers in the southern part. The major difference is in the amplitude associated with the strength of EN/LN. However, the SCS SST anomaly shows distinct difference after the mature phase of EN/LN. The EN SST warming develops a mid-summer peak in June-August(1) (JJA(1)) and persists up to September-October(1), with the same amplitude of the first warming peak. Whereas the LN SST cooling peaks in May(1), it decays slowly until the end of the year, with amplitude much weaker. Comparing with SST and atmospheric circulations, the weak response and early termination of the second cooling is due to the failure of the cyclonic wind anomalies to develop in the northwest Pacific during JJA(1).

Which processes drive fine root elongation in a natural mountain forest ecosystem?

Background: Quantifying the dynamics of root growth is vital when characterising the role of vegetation in carbon cycling. Aims: We examined the temporal dynamics of root growth and responses to spatial (altitude, forest patchiness and soil depth) and biological factors (root diameter and root topology) in mid-montane and upper montane coniferous forest ecosystems. Methods: Using rhizotrons, two indicators were investigated: occurrence, i.e. the proportion of roots which had elongated since the previous measurement of root elongation (%), and daily root elongation speed (mm d−1) once the elongation occurred. Results: Spatial factors had a limited effect on root growth. Roots in the same diameter class possessed different elongation speeds and this was related to topological ranking, reflecting a disparity in physiological activity. Temporally, the occurrence of root elongation reached a peak in May–October (up to 90%) and sharply dropped after October 2010. The maximum root elongation speed (mean: 3.0 mm d−1) was measured in July–August. Root growth was the most inactive in February 2011 but some roots still exhibited positive elongation speeds (mean: 0.5 mm d−1). Occurrence and speed of elongation reacted differently with regard to environmental and biological factors. Conclusions: Temporal and biological factors contributed more towards explaining the variability of root growth than spatial factors. In future studies, both occurrence and speed of elongation should be used to characterise root growth.

Reproductive biology of the annular seabream, Diplodus annularis (Linnaeus, 1758), in the Gulf of Gabes (Central Mediterranean)

Summary Annular seabream, Diplodus annularis (Linnaeus, 1758), were caught off the coast of the Gulf of Gabes (Southern Tunisia, Central Mediterranean) between April 2008 and March 2010 by commercial catches. With a total 2066 specimens the fish ranged in size from 7.7 cm to 18.5 cm total length and from 7.5 g to 123.3 g in weight. Changes in biological parameters (weight, length, gonadosomatic index, hepatosomatic index and condition factor) were examined in order to provide information on the spawning period and reproductive cycle in the gulf. Overall sex ratio was 1 : 1.52 in favour of females. The reproductive season extends from March to June, with a spawning activity peak in May. Total length at sexual maturity was 10.5 ± 0.22 cm (males) and 10.6 ± 0.3 cm (females). The results of this study could help to establish a recommended minimum capture size.

Validating climate models for computing evapotranspiration in hydrologic studies: how relevant are climate model simulations over Florida?

A non-stationary climate requires a new paradigm in the current practice of using past observations for future planning. Next to precipitation, evapotranspiration is the most important variable in water budgets of regions such as Florida, the location of this study. Dynamical simulations using Regional Climate Models (RCMs) provide all the variables necessary to compute potential or reference crop evapotranspiration (RET) for hydrologic modeling under climate change scenarios. Data sets for the variables necessary to compute RET using the Penman–Monteith model were obtained from RCMs provided by the North American Regional Climate Change Assessment Program to evaluate their skills in estimating RET during the late twentieth century simulations. Comparison of RET values simulated from RCMs with those computed from a high-resolution weather-monitoring network and satellite data show significant biases in spatial patterns and seasonality. In particular, seasonal patterns of RET computed from RCMs show a phase shift with peak values occurring during mid-summer months, whereas observed data show earlier peaks in May and June. The phase shift reflects similar behavior in model predictions of incoming solar radiation. In addition, relative humidity values estimated from RCMs are significantly higher than observed values and the wind speed estimates from many RCMs have a significant bias during dry season months. Further improvements to RCMs may be needed before they can be used effectively for hydrologic modeling under future climate change scenarios.

Expression and localization of the vascular endothelial growth factor and changes of microvessel density during hair follicle development of Liaoning cashmere goats

Vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGFs) play important roles in neovascularization, tissue development, and angiogenesis. In this study, changes in VEGF expression patterns and microvessel density (MVD), and their correlations, were investigated during hair follicle development in epidermal appendages of Liaoning cashmere goats. Polyclonal antibodies to VEGF and microvessels were used for monthly immunohistochemical examinations of normal skin specimens from adult female goats for one year. VEGF was expressed in the hair bulb of primary and secondary hair follicles, the outer and inner root sheaths, sebaceous glands (ductal and secretory portions), eccrine sweat glands (ductal and secretory portions), and the epidermis. Abundant expression of VEGF was observed in the follicular basement membrane zone surrounding the bulb matrix and in ductal and secretory portions of eccrine sweat glands. The change in VEGFs in primary hair follicles showed a bimodal pattern, with the first peak observed from March to May, and the second in August. Maximal expression in secondary hair follicles occurred in May and August. Therefore, VEGF expression in primary and secondary hair follicles is synchronized throughout the year, and is correlated to hair development. In the later telogen and anagen phases, VEGF expression was higher in the secondary, compared to the primary, hair follicle. Changes in MVD also showed a bimodal pattern with peaks in May and August. VEGF expression and MVD showed moderate and strongly positive correlation in the primary and secondary hair follicles, respectively. Therefore, MVD and VEGF are closely related to the processes involved in hair cycle regulation.

Bartonellaspp. Infection Rate andB. grahamiiin Ticks

To the Editor: Bacteria of the genus Bartonella are transmitted by arthropods and are often implicated in human disease. Even though ticks are known to transmit a variety of pathogens, vector competences for transmission of Bartonella spp. by ticks were speculative (1) until recently, when in vivo transmission of B. birtlesii by Ixodes ricinus ticks was demonstrated in mice (2). This finding suggests that this tick species, which is common in Europe, may also transmit zoonotic Bartonella spp. Evidence of possible tick transmission of bartonellae to humans under natural conditions was provided by Eskow et al. (3) and Angelakis et al. (4), who identified Bartonella spp. in tissue samples of patients who were recently bitten by ticks. We determined the prevalence of Bartonella spp. in questing I. ricinus ticks in the city of Hanover, Germany, which is nicknamed The Green Metropolis and was selected the German Capital of Biodiversity in 2011. During April–October 2010, we collected 2,100 questing ticks, consisting of 372 adults (177 female and 195 male), 1,698 nymphs, and 30 larvae, from 10 recreation areas in Hanover. Tick DNA was extracted by using the NucleoSpin 8 Blood kit (Macherey-Nagel, Duren, Germany). Plasmid DNA constructed from B. henselae reference strain ATCC49793 containing the 249-bp target sequence of the gltA gene was used as positive control. Bartonella spp. in ticks was detected by quantitative PCR (qPCR) by using the Mx3005 Multiplex Quantitative PCR System (Stratagene, Heidelberg, Germany) according to the protocol described by Mietze et al. (5), with minor modifications. Samples positive by qPCR were verified by gel electrophoresis. Bartonella species were differentiated by sequencing (Eurofins MWG Operon, Ebersberg, Germany), and obtained sequences underwent BLAST (http://blast.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Blast.cgi) comparison to published sequences. On the basis of the amplicon-specific melting temperature and DNA bands representing the specific size of 249-bp after gel electrophoresis, results of qPCR showed 100 (4.76%) infected I. ricinus ticks (Table). Positive results did not vary by developmental tick stages; 4.84% (18/372) adult ticks (5.08% [9/177] female and 4.62% [9/195] male), 4.71% (80/1,698) nymphs, and 6.67% (2/30) larvae were infected (Table). Because Bartonella spp. do not seem to be transmitted transovarially (6), it is likely that larvae had interrupted blood meals and thus did not take up enough blood to develop into the nymphal stage. Table Seasonal distribution of Ixodes ricinus ticks infected with Bartonella spp., Hanover, Germany, 2010* Seasonal changes in Bartonella spp. infection rates resulted in a higher peak in May (38/300 [12.67%]) than in the other months (Table). For sampling locations, infection rates for grassy sampling location 6 (4/210 [1.90%] infected ticks) differed significantly (Bonferroni-Holm adjusted p<0.001; *<0.0011) from that of densely wooded sampling location 9 (22/210 [10.48%] infected ticks). Sequencing of the gltA fragment resulted in Bartonella species identification for 56/100 positive samples; 52 of these samples (from 38 nymphs, 13 adults, and 1 larva) were identified as infected with B. henselae. In 51 samples (92.86%), maximum identity with the BLAST top hit sequence was 99% because of nucleotide substitutions in position 198 (T→C) and in position 136 (A→G) of the 249-bp fragment. The remaining sample showed 100% identity with B. henselae strains Brazil-1 and 45-00249 (GenBank accession nos. {type:entrez-nucleotide,attrs:{text:HQ012580,term_id:315936241,term_text:HQ012580}}HQ012580 and {type:entrez-nucleotide,attrs:{text:GQ225709,term_id:254030271,term_text:GQ225709}}GQ225709). Four of the 56 successfully sequenced samples (7.14%; all samples from nymphs) showed the sequence pattern of B. grahamii. One sample revealed 100% identity with B. grahamii (GenBank accession no. {type:entrez-nucleotide,attrs:{text:EU014266,term_id:154200082,term_text:EU014266}}EU014266); the remaining 3 samples showed an identity of 98% with the B. grahamii strain Hokkaido-1 (GenBank accession no. {type:entrez-nucleotide,attrs:{text:AB426652,term_id:169658959,term_text:AB426652}}AB426652) and 99% (T→C in position 93) with a sequence described as B. grahamii–like (GenBank accession no. {type:entrez-nucleotide,attrs:{text:AY435122,term_id:38731653,term_text:AY435122}}AY435122). Sequences obtained in this study (deposited in GenBank under accession nos. {type:entrez-nucleotide,attrs:{text:JQ770304,term_id:383930756,term_text:JQ770304}}JQ770304 and {type:entrez-nucleotide,attrs:{text:JK758018,term_id:380035082,term_text:JK758018}}JK758018) support the genetic variability of Bartonella spp., as demonstrated by others (5,7,8). It remains unclear whether ticks are involved in transmission of pathogenic Bartonella spp. to humans under natural conditions. However, the total prevalence rate of 4.76% (100/2,100) questing I. ricinus ticks infected with B. henselae and B. grahamii highlights the need for public awareness and draws attention to the possibility of an infection with zoonotic Bartonella spp. after a tick bite (3,4). B. henselae, the predominantly identified species, has been associated with cat scratch disease, peliosis hepatis, and bacillary angiomatosis in humans. Eskow et al. (3) also connected chronic symptoms of Lyme disease to co-infections with Borrelia burgdorferi and B. henselae. B. grahamii has been associated with neuroretinitis and ocular artery thrombosis in humans (9,10). The potential risk for zoonotic Bartonella spp. infection in urban recreation areas should not be underestimated.

Seasonal variations in the incidence of pine wilt and infestation by its vector, Monochamus alternatus, near the northern limit of the disease in Japan

During the last few decades, pine wilt disease has spread to cool-climate regions in Japan and, more recently, the potential risk of it spreading into the European midwest has also become a concern. In a coastal pine stand (84.7 ha) in Akita, near the northern limit of pine wilt disease in Japan, we investigated seasonal variations in the incidence of damage caused by the disease to trees and oviposition by the disease's insect vector, Monochamus alternatus, during a two-year period. Foliage discoloration occurred throughout each year, and its seasonal variation showed a bimodal pattern in Pinus thunbergii (a higher peak in May–June and a smaller peak in October) and a clear peak in June in P. densiflora, which differed from the patterns in seasonal variation seen for warm-climate regions. Oviposition scars by M. alternatus were found in 40–45% of the trees damaged each year. The percentage of trees that had oviposition scars was higher in P. thunbergii than in P. densiflora. This appeared to reflect the difference in seasonal discoloration pattern between the two species. Analysis of the oviposition risk showed that trees that exhibited discoloration starting between July and October had a significantly higher risk or significantly higher oviposition scar densities, particularly for those that became discolored between August and September (2.5–14.6-fold higher risk than during other months). Oviposition scar densities per damaged tree were similar within the period of higher oviposition risk. Considering both oviposition risks and scar densities, we concluded that trees with discoloration that become apparent between July and October are important targets for preventing the spread of pine wilt disease in Akita.

Understanding Simulated Extreme Precipitation Events in Madison, Wisconsin, and the Role of Moisture Flux Convergence during the Late Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries*

AbstractUnderstanding extreme precipitation events in the current and future climate system is an important aspect of climate change for adaptation and mitigation purposes. The current study investigates extreme precipitation events over Madison, Wisconsin, during the late twentieth and late twenty-first centuries using 18 coupled ocean–atmosphere general circulation models that participated in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP3). An increase of ~10% is found in the multimodel average of annual precipitation received in Madison by the end of the twenty-first century, with the largest increases projected to occur during winter [December–February (DJF)] and spring [March–May (MAM)]. It is also found that the observed seasonal cycle of precipitation in Madison is not accurately captured by the models. The multimodel average shows a strong seasonal peak in May, whereas observations peak during midsummer. Model simulations also do not accurately capture the annual cycle of extreme precipitation events in Madison, which also peak in summer. Instead, the timing of model-simulated extreme events exhibits a bimodal distribution that peaks during spring and fall. However, spatial composites of average daily precipitation simulated by GCMs during Madison’s wettest 1% of precipitation events during the twentieth century strongly resemble the spatial pattern produced in observations. The role of specific humidity and vertically integrated moisture flux convergence (MFC) during extreme precipitation events in Madison is investigated in twentieth- and twenty-first-century simulations. Spatial composites of MFC during the wettest 1% of days during the twentieth-century simulations agree well with results from the North American Regional Reanalysis dataset (NARR), suggesting that synoptic-scale dynamics are vital to extreme precipitation events.

A tropospheric ozone maximum over the equatorial Southern Indian Ocean

Abstract. We examine the distribution of tropical tropospheric ozone (O3) from the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) and the Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES) by using a global three-dimensional model of tropospheric chemistry (GEOS-Chem). MLS and TES observations of tropospheric O3 during 2005 to 2009 reveal a distinct, persistent O3 maximum, both in mixing ratio and tropospheric column, in May over the Equatorial Southern Indian Ocean (ESIO). The maximum is most pronounced in 2006 and 2008 and less evident in the other three years. This feature is also consistent with the total column O3 observations from the Ozone Mapping Instrument (OMI) and the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS). Model results reproduce the observed May O3 maximum and the associated interannual variability. The origin of the maximum reflects a complex interplay of chemical and dynamic factors. The O3 maximum is dominated by the O3 production driven by lightning nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions, which accounts for 62% of the tropospheric column O3 in May 2006. We find the contribution from biomass burning, soil, anthropogenic and biogenic sources to the O3 maximum are rather small. The O3 productions in the lightning outflow from Central Africa and South America both peak in May and are directly responsible for the O3 maximum over the western ESIO. The lightning outflow from Equatorial Asia dominates over the eastern ESIO. The interannual variability of the O3 maximum is driven largely by the anomalous anti-cyclones over the southern Indian Ocean in May 2006 and 2008. The lightning outflow from Central Africa and South America is effectively entrained by the anti-cyclones followed by northward transport to the ESIO.

Age, growth and mortality of scaldfish (Arnoglossus laternaWalbaum, 1792) from the Adriatic Sea

Summary The population dynamics parameters of scaldfish, Arnoglossus laterna, from the Adriatic Sea were studied. Specimens ranging from 4.5 to 17.1 cm in total length were collected from commercial bottom-trawl catches (2000–2006). Spawning from April through the end of August with a peak in May, A. laterna is one of the non-target species usually present in mixed bottom trawl catches. The overall male to female ratio was 1.00 : 0.61. The oldest individual was 6 years of age. Length–weight relationships showed positive allometric growth (b = 3.36 for males and b = 3.39 for females). Parameters of the von Bertalanffy growth equation were: L∞ = 17.3 cm; K = 0.258 per year; t0 = −1.0026 year; R2 = 0.925. The relatively low value of total mortality (Z = 0.90) and relatively high value of constant rate of natural mortality (M = 0.64) was estimated. Presumed calculated fishing mortality (F = 0.26) and the consequently estimated exploitation ratio (E = 0.29) indicated no danger of an over-exploitation of this species in the study area at the current level of fishing pressure. The low T max and correspondingly high M suggest that this small benthic predator plays an important role in the Adriatic ecosystem as a prey species for large benthic predators. However, the estimates include uncertainties and require further confirmation, especially with regard to natural mortality.

Seasonal variation of airborne pollen grains in the atmosphere of Zarqa area, Jordan

Airborne pollen grains are responsible for pollinosis in susceptible people. This study provides aerobiological baseline information about Zarqa area, Jordan, for the first time using the Burkard seven-day volumetric spore trap. The study period was from December 2008 to November 2009. Pollen grains were found to be belonging to 51 flowering plant families in addition to a group of fern spores. The highest abundance was attributed to Oleaceae (20 %) followed by Euphorbiaceae (14.4 %), Poaceae (10 %), Pinaceae (7.11 %), Fabaceae (6.94 %), Asteraceae (5.17 %), Brassicaceae (3.6 %), Rosaceae (3.3 %), Solanaceae (3.07 %), Mytraceae (2.2 %), 22.61 % corresponded to other families, and 0.35 % for fern spores, and 1.6 % was attributed to unknowns. May was the month of maximum pollen grains with a total count of 7,779, while November was the month of the least total count (128 pollen grains). Oleaceae showed a sharp peak in May, while Euphorbiaceae did not show a clear peak. A sharp peak of Pinaceae occurred in April; however, Fabaceae, Asteraceae, and Brassicaeae peaked between March and May. In December, February and/or March, monthly indices of total pollen counts showed positive correlations with maximum temperature and wind speed and negative correlations with rainfall and relative humidity. From March to June, the airborne pollen count was significantly greater in the air during day hours than night hours. However, the results were reversed from July to October. Monthly indices for total pollen taxa and pollen grains of the most abundant species were provided for the first time in Zarqa to help researchers and allergy specialists to conduct further research and/or to do better diagnosis for pollinosis in susceptible people.

Scrub Typhus without Eruption

A 72-year-old woman presented with a chief complaint of fever for 5 days. Her blood pressure was 120/70 mmHg, and her body temperature was 38°C (axillary). Physical examination showed that her chest was clear, and her liver and spleen were not palpable. No skin rash was observed, but an eschar on her chest was discovered (Figure 1). Routine laboratory tests revealed normal leukocyte and platelet counts, elevated C-reactive protein level (10.2 mg/dL), and elevated aspartate aminotransferase (AST) 285 U/L and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) 185 U/L. Orientia tsutsugamushi infection was confirmed by indirect immunofluorescent antibody test. Immunoglobulin (Ig) M/IgG titers of Kato, Karp, and Gilliam strains were 80/160, 160/160, and 40/80, respectively. Figure 1. An eschar over her left upper chest was a clue to diagnose scrub typhus without skin rash. She was successfully treated with minocycline. Scrub typhus is often acquired during outdoor work such as farming, forestry, collecting edible wild plants, and recreation. About 400 cases of scrub typhus were reported annually in recent years in Japan. The largest number of cases was in Kyushu followed by Tohoku-Hokuriku and Kanto areas. There were two peaks of incidence of scrub typhus in Japan, a large peak in November and a small peak in May. Males and females were almost equally affected. The peak incidence was in the age group of 70–74 years.1 As a result of population aging in this country, young people move to cities for work, and elderly people, spending more time in outdoor activities than other age groups, may be more likely to be exposed to infected mites. Fever, skin rash, and eschar are three major clinical symptoms of scrub typhus. Individuals of Caucasian and Japanese ancestry are more likely to develop a rash compared with other racial groups, like Southeast Asians, who contract the disease.2 However, it is imperative to find evidence of an eschar to diagnose this condition. Empiric antimicrobial treatment, usually a tetracycline class antibiotic, will produce rapid amelioration of the clinical symptoms of scrub typhus and may also prevent fatal complications.

The relationship between sea ice break-up, water mass variation, chlorophyll biomass, and sedimentation in the northern Bering Sea

The northern Bering Sea shelf is dominated by soft-bottom infauna and ecologically significant epifauna that are matched by few other marine ecosystems in biomass. The likely basis for this high benthic biomass is the intense spring bloom, but few studies have followed the direct sedimentation of organic material during the bloom peak in May. Satellite imagery, water column chlorophyll concentrations and surface sediment chlorophyll inventories were used to document the dynamics of sedimentation to the sea floor in both 2006 and 2007, as well as to compare to existing data from the spring bloom in 1994. An atmospherically-derived radionuclide, 7Be, that is deposited in surface sediments as ice cover retreats was used to supplement these observations, as were studies of light penetration and nutrient depletion in the water column as the bloom progressed. Chlorophyll biomass as sea ice melted differed significantly among the three years studied (1994, 2006, 2007). The lowest chlorophyll biomass was observed in 2006, after strong northerly and easterly winds had distributed relatively low nutrient water from near the Alaskan coast westward across the shelf prior to ice retreat. By contrast, in 1994 and 2007, northerly winds had less northeasterly vectors prior to sea ice retreat, which reduced the westward extent of low-nutrient waters across the shelf. Additional possible impacts on chlorophyll biomass include the timing of sea-ice retreat in 1994 and 2007, which occurred several weeks earlier than in 2006 in waters with the highest nutrient content. Late winter brine formation and associated water column mixing may also have impacts on productivity that have not been previously recognized. These observations suggest that interconnected complexities will prevent straightforward predictions of the influence of earlier ice retreat in the northern Bering Sea upon water column productivity and any resulting benthic ecosystem re-structuring as seasonal sea ice retreats in the northern Bering Sea.

Økt bruk av antibiotika blant 19-åringer i mai

The use of some drugs is significantly higher among 19-year-olds than among young people in adjacent age groups. We aimed to investigate the use of prescribed drugs in young people aged 17, 19 and 21 in order to identify trends in patterns of consumption. Data were collected from the Norwegian Prescription Database 2005-2011. Prevalence (proportion of drug users) by gender, age (17, 19, 21 years), prescription date and county of residence are presented. Only drugs with more than 100 users per year in each age group (17, 19, 21) were included. Use of some antibiotics and drugs for cough and eye infections was higher in 19-year-olds than in 17 and 21-year-olds. Moreover, the seasonal variation in the use of these drugs was different for 19-year-olds, with a marked peak in May and a lower winter peak than in the general population. The day-to-day prevalence showed a peak in the prescription rate just after the Norwegian Independence Day on 17 May. Girls had a higher consumption than boys. Considerable county variation was observed for 19-year-olds in the month of May. The increased incidence of antibiotics, cough medicine and drugs used for eye infections in 19-year-olds compared with other young people can be explained by increased risk behaviour in the weeks before 17 May linked to graduation from Norwegian upper secondary schools. The findings give reason to warn against the present form of graduation celebrations which involve little sleep and all-night partying in close contact with others. They also give urgency to the question of whether to move the final examination period at upper secondary level away from the weeks immediately following 17 May.

Inter- and intra-annual trends and status indicators of nektobenthic elasmobranchs off the Balearic Islands (northwestern Mediterranean)

We assessed the elasmobranch communities exploited by the bottom trawl fishery off the Balearic Islands (northwestern Mediterranean) by analysing two time series containing information with different levels of detail: 1) a long-term series containing the abundance indices of the whole elasmobranch community landed from 1965 to 2009; and 2) a shorter time series from 2000 to 2009 from two different data sources (daily sales records: 2000-2009; bottom trawl surveys: 2001-2009), with information that allowed the shelf and slope to be analysed separately and different community parameters and abundance indices to be studied. Temporal trends of all these variables were used as ecological status indicators and tested with generalized additive models and analysis of variance. They were finally summarised using the Traffic Light methodology. The long-term series showed two marked trends, an inter-annual decreasing trend that would be a consequence of the large increase in fishing effort, and an intra-annual trend with a clear peak in May in accordance with the seasonal biological cycle of these species. However, data from the last ten years revealed differences between the shelf and slope, as some parameters increased significantly over time on the shelf but did not follow any trend on the slope. The Traffic Light methodology captured these differences well, demonstrating its usefulness for interpreting ecological transitions at a glance.