Theoretically exploring direct and indirect chemical effects across ecological and exposure scenarios using mechanistic fate and effects modelling.

Predicting ecosystem response to chemicals is a complex problem in ecotoxicology and a challenge for risk assessors. The variables potentially influencing chemical fate and exposure define the exposure scenario while the variables determining effects at the ecosystem level define the ecological scenario. In absence of any empirical data, the objective of this paper is to present simulations by a fugacity-based fate model and a differential equation-based ecosystem model to theoretically explore how direct and indirect effects on invertebrate shallow pond communities vary with changing ecological and exposure scenarios.

Evaluating the contribution of ingested oil droplets to the bioaccumulation of oil components--a modeling approach.

The dietary uptake of oil droplets by aquatic organisms has been suggested as a possible exposure pathway for oil-related chemicals. We confronted two bioaccumulation models, one including and one neglecting oil droplet uptake, with measured polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) body burdens of five marine species. The model without oil droplet uptake was able to predict 75% of the observations within one order of magnitude.

Combined effects of deltamethrin, temperature and salinity on oxidative stress biomarkers and acetylcholinesterase activity in the black tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon).

This study aimed to investigate the interactions of two abiotic factors (temperature and salinity) and deltamethrin (pyrethroid pesticide) exposure on some oxidative stress biomarkers as well as on acetylcholinesterase activity (AChE) in hepatopancreas, gills and muscle of black tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon). A combination of three temperatures (24, 29 and 34°C), two salinities (15 and 25 ppt), and the absence or presence of 0.1 μg L(-1) deltamethrin was applied on shrimp during 4 d under laboratory conditions.

A multi-biomarker approach to assess the impact of farming systems on black tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon).

This study examined the advantages of the use of biomarkers as an early warning system by applying it to different shrimp farming systems in Soctrang and Camau provinces, main shrimp producers in Mekong River Delta, Vietnam. Shrimp were collected at 15 different farms divided into four different farming systems: three farms were converted from originally rice paddies into intensive shrimp farming systems (IS1, IS2, IS3); three farms were rice-shrimp integrated farming systems (RS4, RS5, RS6); three farms were intensive farming systems (IS7, IS8, IS9); six farms were extensive shrimp farming systems (From ES1 to ES6). Lipid peroxidation (LPO) and total glutathione (GSH) were measured as well as catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), glutathione S-transferase (GST) and acetylcholinesterase activities (ACHE).

Effects of pesticides and antibiotics on penaeid shrimp with special emphases on behavioral and biomarker responses.

The purpose of the present study is to provide information on the current state of knowledge regarding the effects of pesticides and antibiotics used in aquaculture on penaeid shrimp, one of the most common aquatic products for human consumption, with a special emphasis on the use of behavioral, physiological, and biochemical response. These include behavior; feeding rate changes; respiration rate, oxygen consumption, and osmoregulation alterations; nucleic acids, protein, and glycogen synthesis; cholinesterase activity inhibition; ATPase activity; and oxidative stress responses. This paper also deals with residues of antibiotics and pesticides in penaeid shrimp.

MetaPIGA v2.0: maximum likelihood large phylogeny estimation using the metapopulation genetic algorithm and other stochastic heuristics.

Background: The development, in the last decade, of stochastic heuristics implemented in robust application softwares has made large phylogeny inference a key step in most comparative studies involving molecular sequences. Still, the choice of a phylogeny inference software is often dictated by a combination of parameters not related to the raw performance of the implemented algorithm(s) but rather by practical issues such as ergonomics and/or the availability of specific functionalities.

Results: Here, we present MetaPIGA v2.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy for adolescents with binge eating syndromes: a case series.

Objective: Published empirically based studies of psychotherapies for bulimia nervosa (BN) have been conducted solely with adult populations. The current study extends the extant literature by piloting a version of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for BN adapted for an adolescent population.

Method: The participants were referred for treatment for binge eating and purging behaviors at a university clinic.

Inhibition of growth and differentiation of osteoprogenitors in mouse bone marrow stromal cell cultures by increased donor age and glucocorticoid treatment.

Primary cultures of bone marrow stromal cells (BMSC) from long bones of young (4-5 months) and old (22-25 months) C57BL/6 male mice were used to study how donor age affects growth and differentiation of osteoblasts and their sensitivity to dexamethasone (DEX). We assessed changes in the number and area of alkaline phosphatase-positive bone-forming osteolastic colonies (CFU-ALP) and in the total number of colonies (CFU-F) that include ALP negative colonies. Cell proliferation and apoptosis, specific activity of ALP, were also measured for growth and differentiation.

The use of art therapy to detect depression and post-traumatic stress disorder in pediatric and young adult renal transplant recipients.

Pediatric and young adult renal transplant recipients may experience feelings of depression and emotional trauma. A study was conducted to (1) determine the prevalence of depression and emotional trauma and (2) assess the utility of the Formal Elements of Art Therapy Scale (FEATS). Sixty-four renal transplant recipients, 6-21 yr of age, were evaluated using self-report measures (CDI and Davidson) and art-based assessments.

Relationship between psychological type and sensitivity to anxiety.

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and the Anxiety Sensitivity Index were administered to 143 undergraduate students. Although there was no significant difference between Extraverts and Introverts in Anxiety Sensitivity scores, those classified as Sensing and Thinking types exhibited higher mean scores on Anxiety Sensitivity than those classified as Intuitive and Feeling types. These findings suggest that knowledge of psychological type may be helpful in predicting sensitivity to anxiety.

Enhanced resistance effect of piracetam upon hypoxia-induced impaired retention of fixed-interval responding in rats.

Rats were trained on a fixed-interval schedule of 60 s (FI 60). After stabilization of performance, rats were chronically submitted to hypoxic treatment (3.5% O2, 10 min) once a day, immediately after the daily FI 60 session.