Association between PCBs and lower embryonic weight in black-crowned night herons in San Francisco Bay

Reproductive problems, including congenital malformations, reduced hatching success, and decreased survival of hatchlings, have been observed in colonial-nesting water birds at the San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge (SFBNWR). Twenty-four black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) eggs were collected from SFBNWR in 1983. Twelve of these were collected from separate nests when late-stage embryos were pipping, and an additional egg was randomly collected from each nest for organochlorine analysis. Overt anomalies and skeletal defects were not apparent. Embryonic weights (with partially absorbed yolk sacs removed) were 15% lower (p less than 0.05) in SFBNWR embryos compared to control embryos from the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center (PWRC). Crown-rump length and femur length were shorter for SFBNWR embryos. The geometric mean polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) concentration in SFBNWR eggs was 4.1 ppm wet weight, with a range of 0.8-52.0 ppm. A negative correlation (r = -0.61; p less than 0.05) existed between embryonic weight and log-transformed PCB residues in whole eggs collected from the same nest at SFBNWR, suggesting a possible impact of PCBs on embryonic growth. A correlation with embryonic weight did not occur for DDE [1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl) ethylene] residues. Liver microsomal aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase activity was neither significantly elevated nor correlated with PCB, DDE, or PCB plus DDE log-transformed residues. It is unknown whether the apparent association between PCBs and lower weight is persistent through hatching.     

Emergency treatment of papaverine priapism

We report a case of vasoactive-agent-induced priapism successfully treated in the emergency department with 10 mg of metaraminol injected into the corpora cavernosa.     

Social, functional, and neuropsychological determinants of the psychiatric symptoms of stroke patients receiving rehabilitation and living at home

In view of the strong evidence supporting the hypothesis that high Expressed Emotion of a key relative contributes to relapse in psychiatric patients, methods used in Expressed Emotion research were applied in an investigation of psychiatric disorder in stroke patients receiving hospital based rehabilitation and support. Patient mood in 37 stroke patients was related to the critical attitude of a key relative. Patient depression may also have been associated with severity of dysphasia, but no link was found between patient mood and the other measures of cognitive or physical deficit used in this study. Psychiatric distress in the key relative had a rather different causal basis. Relatives' psychiatric disorders were associated with physical burden, cognitive deficit, and severity of dysphasia. This study suggests that, when the patient is dependent for self-care, rehabilitation-assisted recovery may alleviate relative distress more than patient distress.