Futuristic perspectives: novel MCS devices.

Treatment of heart failure needs a firm understanding of anatomy and physiology of the circulatory system and the heart. Ancient India takes credit for the "modern concepts" of human circulation. This short review encompasses futuristic perspectives on mechanical circulatory devices (MCS).

PRELIMINARY EVALUATION OF SYMMETRIC DIMETHYLARGININE AS A BIOMARKER OF RENAL INSUFFICIENCY IN WILD AND REHABILITATED FLORIDA MANATEES ().

Currently, there are limited antemortem tests available to evaluate renal function in Florida manatees (). Although few reports of renal pathology in manatees exist in the veterinary literature, debilitated animals that present to rehabilitation centers are frequently dehydrated, may have sustained renal trauma secondary to watercraft injury, and may experience ischemic events related to coagulation disorders leading to renal compromise. Clinicians remain limited to the analysis of blood urea nitrogen, creatinine levels, and urinalysis (if urine is obtained) to determine the extent of renal insufficiency, which may not accurately reflect renal function.

Cytochemical staining of leukocytes and platelets in the Florida manatee (): identification of a bilobed monocyte similar to other members of the .

Manatees (Antillean-, Amazonian, and African-) and dugongs belong to the Order , and when combined with elephants and rock hyraxes, form the . A bilobed mononuclear cell has previously been identified in elephants and rock hyraxes, but not in manatees and dugongs, with cytochemical staining identifying these cells as bilobed monocytes in elephants. The objective of this study was to characterize leukocytes (white blood cells, WBC) and platelets in blood films of Florida manatees (;  = 8) using one routine hematological (Wright-Giemsa) and eight cytochemical stains: alkaline phosphatase (ALP), α-naphthyl butyrate esterase (ANBE), chloroacetate esterase (CAE), Luna, myeloperoxidase (MPx), periodic acid-Schiff (PAS), Sudan black B (SBB), and toluidine blue (TB).

Resonantly Coupled High-Efficiency Sensors for Assessment of Ventricular Chamber Size for Autonomous Control of Left Ventricular Assist Device.

Current left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) are set to a fixed rpm and are unable to adjust to physiological demands irrespective of preload or afterload. Autonomous control of LVADs has the potential to reduce septal shift, preserve right ventricle function, and meet physiological demands. A highly innovative resonantly coupled regimen is presented which can achieve this goal.

Diet composition of the African manatee: Spatial and temporal variation within the Sanaga River Watershed, Cameroon.

The present study aimed to investigate the diet of African manatees in Cameroon to better inform conservation decisions within protected areas. A large knowledge gap on diet and seasonal changes in forage availability limits the ability to develop informed local management plans for the African manatee in much of its range. This research took place in the Sanaga River Watershed, which includes two protected areas in the Littoral Region of Cameroon: the Douala-Edea National Park and the Lake Ossa Wildlife Reserve.

African manatee () habitat suitability at Lake Ossa, Cameroon, using trophic state models and predictions of submerged aquatic vegetation.

The present study aims at investigating the past and current trophic status of Lake Ossa and evaluating its potential impact on African manatee health. Lake Ossa is known as a refuge for the threatened African manatees in Cameroon. Little information exists on the water quality and health of the ecosystem as reflected by its chemical and biological characteristics.

Analysis of body condition indices reveals different ecotypes of the Antillean manatee.

Assessing the body condition of wild animals is necessary to monitor the health of the population and is critical to defining a framework for conservation actions. Body condition indices (BCIs) are a non-invasive and relatively simple means to assess the health of individual animals, useful for addressing a wide variety of ecological, behavioral, and management questions. The Antillean manatee (Trichechus manatus manatus) is an endangered subspecies of the West Indian manatee, facing a wide variety of threats from mostly human-related origins.

Serum Iron Analytes in Healthy and Diseased Florida Manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris).

Serum iron concentration is usually decreased in true iron deficiency and with inflammatory disease in man and domestic animals. Serum total iron binding capacity (TIBC) may be increased in true iron deficiency and decreased with inflammatory disease. This prospective study was designed to measure serum iron analytes in healthy free-ranging and housed Florida manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris) of both sexes and various ages and to evaluate the effects of diseases common to manatees on these analytes.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in plasma of the West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus).

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are ubiquitous, synthetic anthropogenic chemicals known to infiltrate and persist in biological systems as a result of their stability and bioaccumulation potential. This study investigated 15 PFAS, including short-chain carboxylic and sulfonic acids, and their presence in a threatened herbivore, the West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus). Seven of the 15 PFAS examined were detected in manatee plasma.

Internal parasites of the two subspecies of the West Indian manatee Trichechus manatus.

The West Indian manatee Trichechus manatus is divided into 2 subspecies: the Antillean (T. m. manatus) and Florida (T.

Ancient convergent losses of yield potential risks for modern marine mammals.

Mammals diversified by colonizing drastically different environments, with each transition yielding numerous molecular changes, including losses of protein function. Though not initially deleterious, these losses could subsequently carry deleterious pleiotropic consequences. We have used phylogenetic methods to identify convergent functional losses across independent marine mammal lineages.

The Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) T cell receptor loci exhibit V subgroup synteny and chain-specific evolution.

The Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) has limited diversity in the immunoglobulin heavy chain. We therefore investigated the antigen receptor loci of the other arm of the adaptive immune system: the T cell receptor. Manatees are the first species from Afrotheria, a basal eutherian superorder, to have an in-depth characterization of all T cell receptor loci.

Investigating seagrass in Toxoplasma gondii transmission in Florida (Trichechus manatus latirostris) and Antillean (T. m. manatus) manatees.

Toxoplasma gondii is a feline protozoan reported to cause morbidity and mortality in manatees and other marine mammals. Given the herbivorous nature of manatees, ingestion of oocysts from contaminated water or seagrass is presumed to be their primary mode of infection. The objectives of this study were to investigate oocyst contamination of seagrass beds in Puerto Rico and determine the seroprevalence of T.

The Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) immunoglobulin heavy chain suggests the importance of clan III variable segments in repertoire diversity.

Manatees are a vulnerable, charismatic sentinel species from the evolutionarily divergent Afrotheria. Manatee health and resistance to infectious disease is of great concern to conservation groups, but little is known about their immune system. To develop manatee-specific tools for monitoring health, we first must have a general knowledge of how the immunoglobulin heavy (IgH) chain locus is organized and transcriptionally expressed.

Variation in the hindgut microbial communities of the Florida manatee, Trichechus manatus latirostris over winter in Crystal River, Florida.

The Florida manatee, Trichechus manatus latirostris, is a hindgut-fermenting herbivore. In winter, manatees migrate to warm water overwintering sites where they undergo dietary shifts and may suffer from cold-induced stress. Given these seasonally induced changes in diet, the present study aimed to examine variation in the hindgut bacterial communities of wild manatees overwintering at Crystal River, west Florida.

Blood mineral concentrations in manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris and Trichechus manatus manatus).

Limited information is available regarding the role of minerals and heavy metals in the morbidity and mortality of manatees. Whole-blood and serum mineral concentrations were evaluated in apparently healthy, free-ranging Florida (Trichechus manatus latirostris, n = 31) and Belize (Trichechus manatus manatus, n = 14) manatees. Toxicologic statuses of the animals and of their environment had not been previously determined.

Disseminated toxoplasmosis in Antillean manatees Trichechus manatus manatus from Puerto Rico.

Necropsies were conducted on 4 Antillean manatees Trichechus manatus manatus that were stranded in single events on the coastal beaches of Puerto Rico from August 2010 to August 2011. Three manatees were emaciated and the gastrointestinal tracts were devoid of digesta. Microscopically, all manatees had severe widespread inflammatory lesions of the gastrointestinal tract and heart with intralesional tachyzoites consistent with Toxoplasma gondii identified by histological, ultrastructural and immunohistochemical techniques.

Health assessment and seroepidemiologic survey of potential pathogens in wild Antillean manatees (Trichechus manatus manatus).

The Antillean manatee (Trichechus manatus manatus), a subspecies of the West Indian manatee, inhabits fresh, brackish, and warm coastal waters distributed along the eastern border of Central America, the northern coast of South America, and throughout the Wider Caribbean Region. Threatened primarily by human encroachment, poaching, and habitat degradation, Antillean manatees are listed as endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. The impact of disease on population viability remains unknown in spite of concerns surrounding the species' ability to rebound from a population crash should an epizootic occur.

Serum amyloid A (SAA) as a biomarker of chronic infection due to boat strike trauma in a free-ranging Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) with incidental polycystic kidneys.

Watercraft-related trauma is the predominant cause of human-induced mortality in manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris), a federal- and state-listed endangered species. Pyothorax (documented in this case report) and other secondary infections are common sequelae of inhalation of water and the open wounds caused by boat propellers. These secondary infections can lead to the demise of the animal weeks to months after the traumatic incident when external wounds have healed.

Seroepidemiology of TmPV1 infection in captive and wild Florida manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris).

In 1997, cutaneous papillomatosis caused by Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris [Tm]) papillomavirus 1 (TmPV1) was detected in seven captive manatees at the Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park, Florida, USA, and, subsequently, in two wild manatees from the adjacent Homosassa River. Since then, papillomatosis has been reported in captive manatees housed in other locations, but not in wild animals. To determine TmPV1 antibody prevalence in captive and wild manatees sampled at various locations throughout Florida coastal regions, virus-like particles, composed of the L1 capsid protein of TmPV1, were generated with a baculovirus expression system and used to measure anti-TmPV1 antibodies in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Evidence of two genetic clusters of manatees with low genetic diversity in Mexico and implications for their conservation.

The Antillean manatee (Trichechus manatus manatus) occupies the tropical coastal waters of the Greater Antilles and Caribbean, extending from Mexico along Central and South America to Brazil. Historically, manatees were abundant in Mexico, but hunting during the pre-Columbian period, the Spanish colonization and throughout the history of Mexico, has resulted in the significantly reduced population occupying Mexico today. The genetic structure, using microsatellites, shows the presence of two populations in Mexico: the Gulf of Mexico (GMx) and Chetumal Bay (ChB) on the Caribbean coast, with a zone of admixture in between.

Is glycyrrhizin sensitivity increased in anorexia nervosa and should licorice be avoided? Case report and review of the literature.

Objective: Hypokalemia is a potentially life-threatening electrolyte disturbance in anorexia nervosa and is most frequently caused by purging behavior. We report a case of severe hypokalemia in anorexia nervosa induced by daily ingestion of approximately 20 g of licorice.

Methods: To confirm the diagnosis of licorice-induced pseudohyperaldosteronism, a re-exposure trial was performed.