Ten-year outcomes in adult patients with congenital heart disease and implantable cardioverter-defibrillators.

Background: Adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) patients may be at risk of sudden cardiac death and be candidates for an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD). We evaluated the long-term rates of ventricular arrhythmias requiring treatment and mortality in these patients.

Methods: A single-center retrospective case-series identified ACHD patients with an ICD and were evaluated for the primary outcome of appropriate ICD intervention or ablation for ventricular tachyarrhythmias.

The effect of fuel alcohol on monoaromatic hydrocarbon biodegradation and natural attenuation.

The proposed replacement of the gasoline oxygenate MTBE with ethanol represents potential economic and environmental quality benefits. However, these benefits may be offset to some extent by potential detrimental effects on groundwater quality and natural attenuation of released petroleum products. The objectives of this literature review are to bound the extent to which these impacts may occur, summarize the available information on the biodegradation of ethanol in the environment, assess the potential effect that biodegradation processes may have on the fate and transport of BTEX compounds, and provide recommendations for research to enhance related risk assessment and management decisions.

Ulcerative skin disease in a group of koi carp (Cyprinus carpio).

A case report detailing the presenting clinical signs, diagnostics, and treatment of ulcerative skin disease in a group of koi carp (Cyprinus carpio) is presented.

Herpesvirus outbreak in a group of mediterranean tortoises (Testudo spp).

ChHV and Mycoplasma agassizii infections in tortoises share similar clinical signs of lethargy, anorexia, rhinitis, and conjunctivitis. In addition, ChHV infection is associated with glossitis and stomatitis and often causes high morbidity and mortality. As was seen in this case, ChHV infection tends to cause higher mortality in T hermanni compared with T graeca and T marginata.

Effect of ethanol on BTEX biodegradation kinetics: aerobic continuous culture experiments.

The use of ethanol as an automotive fuel oxygenate represents potential economic and air-quality benefits. However, little is known about how ethanol may affect the natural attenuation of petroleum product releases. Chemostat experiments were conducted with four pure cultures (representing archetypes of the known aerobic toluene degradation pathways) to determine how ethanol affects benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) biodegradation kinetics.