Morphology and histology of the spermathecal sac, a novel structure in the female reproductive system of Therevidae (Diptera : Asiloidea)

The reproductive system of many female Therevidae has a sac-like structure associated with the spermathecae. This structure, termed the spermathecal sac, has not been recorded previously from any other Diptera and appears unique to certain members of the Therevidae. There is enormous variety in spermathecal sac size and shape, with greatest development in the Australasian Therevidae. A histological examination of the reproductive system of two;Australian therevids, Agapophytus albobasalis Mann and Ectinorhynchus variabilis (Macquart) (Diptera: Asiloidea), reveals that the spermathecal sacs are cuticle-lined and that the intima is frequently highly folded. In some mated individuals, sperm was found within the spermathecal sac, suggesting that sperm and perhaps male accessory gland material is deposited there during copulation. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Gestational diabetes mellitus: From consensus to action on screening and treatment

The 1998 consensus guidelines on the management of gestational diabetes mellitus from the Australasian Diabetes in Pregnancy Society emphasised that, “due to a lack of good quality randomised controlled clinical trials in the area of [gestational diabetes mellitus], these guidelines are based on what is a reasonable consensus of informed opinion in Australasia”.1 The clear benefits of treating women with gestational diabetes according to these guidelines have now been demonstrated by the Australian Carbohydrate Intolerance Study in Pregnant Women (ACHOIS).2 This study randomised 1000 women with gestational diabetes to either routine antenatal care or to an intervention that comprised home glucose monitoring, review by a diabetes educator, dietitian and physician, and insulin therapy if glycaemic targets were not met. Serious adverse perinatal outcomes occurred in 1% of the intervention group versus 4% of the routine-care group (adjusted relative risk, 0.33 [95% CI, 0.14–0.75]). The percentage of infants who were large for gestational age was lower in the intervention group (13% v 22%), with no increase in those who were small for gestational age. Although induction of labour was more common in the intervention group (39% v 29%), rates of caesarean delivery were similar (around 31%). Measures of maternal quality of life were more favourable in the intervention group. To prevent one serious perinatal outcome, 34 women needed to be treated. The 1998 guidelines were equivocal in regard to screening for gestational diabetes, allowing either for universal screening or for selective screening based on clinical risk factors in relatively lowrisk populations. In the light of the findings of ACHOIS, we believe that universal screening should now be accepted and implemented.

Clinical aspects of gestational trophoblastic disease: A review based partly on 25-year experience of a statewide registry

Background: Gestational trophoblastic disease is a fascinating group of pregnancy disorders characterised by abnormal proliferation of trophoblast, ranging from benign to malignant. Because the disease is uncommon, there is a need to formulate management with the assistance of collective information. Methodology: A review of available information from English written literature was undertaken especially data reported by registries around the world (Charing Cross Hospital in England, the North-western University and the New England area in the USA as well as our own experience in Queensland, Australia). Where possible, collated data from relevant studies were analysed to answer some of the questions posed in clinical practice, with reference to metastatic disease to liver and brain, twinning of molar gestation and coexisting fetus, and placental-site tumour. Results: We found that molar gestation can be classified according to its clinical presentation which influences the time taken to reach human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) 'negativity' and the risk of persisting disease. Categorisation of risk is the basis for choice of chemotherapy to achieve good outcomes. Metastases to liver and brain remain problems in management; the development of 'new' metastases during chemotherapy is a very poor prognostic factor. In the variant of twinning with molar gestation and coexisting fetus, it is important to elucidate the fetal karyotype in planning management: a 69XXX fetus is not salvageable but a normal 46XX or 46XY fetus faces the prospect of early preterm delivery. The placental-site tumour is very rare; localised disease is curable by surgery; chemotherapy is less effective in disseminated disease. From collated worldwide data, the recurrence rate after one mole is 1.3% and after two or more is 20%. Reproductive outcome in subsequent pregnancies, even after multidrug chemotherapy, is not different from the general population. Because of the increased risk long-term of second tumours after multidrug chemotherapy a closer surveillance of these patients is necessary Conclusion: In general, the disease in its persisting or malignant form is 'a cancer model par excellence' because of an identifiable precursor condition, a reliable HCG marker, and sensitivity of the disease to cytotoxic drugs. With current management, retention of fertility is possible and normal reproductive outcome assured.

Cardiac function in fetuses of poorly-controlled pre-gestational diabetic pregnancies - a pilot study

Objective: Cardiac impairment is frequently found in babies of diabetic mothers. It is still controversial whether this is due to poor glucose control. The aim of this study is to compare the cardiac function in fetuses of well- and poorly-controlled pre-gestational diabetic pregnancy in third trimester. Methods:Women with type 1 pre-gestational diabetes were enrolled at 30-32 weeks. Cardiac size and interventricular septal wall thickness were measured by M-mode at end-diastolic phase. The right and left ventricular ejection fractions were calculated. At the mitral and tricuspid valves inflow, the ratio between early ventricular filling and active atrial filling (E/A) at both atrioventricular valves were measured by Doppler echocardiography. Peak velocities of ascending aorta and pulmonary artery were assessed. The angle of isonation was kept at 6.5%) were compared with those with satisfactorily controlled diabetes (HbA1c less than or equal to 6.5%). Results: A total of 21 women with pre-gestational diabetes were recruited for this study. Eight women with well-controlled diabetes were compared with 9 women who had poorly-controlled diabetes. HbA1c in the poorly-controlled group was 7.3% and in the well-controlled group it was 5.4% (p < 0.001). There was no difference between the two groups in cardiac size, interventricular septal wall thickness, ejection fraction, aorta and pulmonary artery peak flow velocities. The right atrioventricular E/A ratio was significantly lower among the poorly-controlled diabetic pregnancies (0.71 vs. 0.54; p < 0.05). Conclusion: Fetuses of poorly-controlled diabetic mothers had a lower right atrioventricular E/A ratio. This may be due to metabolic acidosis, non-hypertrophic cardiac dysfunction or fetal polycythemia. Copyright (C) 2003 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Synthetic, spectroscopic and X-ray crystallographic structural study of the monomeric [Cu(pysme)(sac)(MeOH)] and dimeric [Cu(6mptsc)(sac)](2) complexes [pysme = anion of the pyridine-2-carboxaldehyde Schiff base of S-methyldithiocarbazate, 6mptsc=the anio

New mixed-ligand copper(II) complexes of empirical formulas [Cu(pysme)(sac) (CH3OH)] and [Cu(6mptsc)(sac)](2) have been synthesized and characterized by conductance, magnetic, IR and electronic spectroscopic techniques. X-ray crystallographic structure analyses of these complexes indicate that in both complexes the copper(II) ions adopt a five-coordinate distorted square-pyramidal geometry with an N3SO donor environment. The Schiff bases are coordinated to the copper(II) ions as tridentate NNS chelates via the pyridine nitrogen atom, the azomethine nitrogen atom and the thiolate sulfur atom. In the monomeric [Cu(pysme)(sac)(MeOH)] complex, the saccharinate anion acts as a monodentate ligand coordinating the copper(II) ion via the imino nitrogen atom whereas in the dimeric [Cu(6mptsc)(sac)](2) complex, the sac anion behaves as a bridging bidentate ligand providing the imino nitrogen donor atom to one of the copper(II) ions and the carbonyl oxygen as a weakly coordinated axial ligand atom to the other Cu(II) ion. In both complexes, the copper(II) ions have distorted square-pyramidal environments. The distortion from an ideal square-pyramidal geometry is attributed to the restricted bite angles of the planar tridentate ligand. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Increased C282Y heterozygosity in gestational diabetes

Background. Hereditary hemochromatosis is an autosomal recessive disorder of iron metabolism that is characterized by excess accumulation of iron in various organs and often leads to diabetes mellitus (DM). To study whether mutations in the hemochromatosis gene (HFE) could be a risk factor for the development of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), the prevalence of HFE mutations in patients with GDM was compared to that of healthy pregnant controls. Methods: GDM was diagnosed in 208 of 2,421 pregnant woman screened between the 24th and 28th week of gestation over a period of 18 months. Patients and 170 matched control subjects were screened for the HFE gene mutations C282Y and H63D. Results: In North and Central European GDM patients, the allele frequency of the C282Y mutation (7.7%) was higher than in pregnant controls (2.9%; p = 0.04), while the frequency of the H63D mutation was not different (p = 0.45). Three patients with GDM were homozygous for H63D (3.1%), 1 patient was homozygous for C282Y (1.0%), 2 patients were compound heterozygous (2.0%) and 26 were heterozygous [11 C282Y (11.2%) and 15 H63D (15.3%)]. C282Y and H63D allele frequencies were not different between controls and GDIVI patients of Southern European or non-European origin. Irrespective of the HIFE-mutation status, serum ferritin levels were increased in patients with GDM compared to healthy pregnant controls (p = 0.01), while transferrin saturation was similar in both groups. Conclusions: In North and Central European patients with GDM, the C282Y allele frequency is higherthan in healthy pregnant women, suggesting a genetic susceptibility to the development of GDM. Copyright (c) 2005 S. Karger AG, Basel.

South elevation, Hill House, Chapel Hill, Brisbane

As seen from the south-east and street cul-de-sac.

A phylogenetic study of Lepidapedoides Yamaguti, 1970 (Digenea) with a key and descriptions of two new species from western Australia

Two new species of the genus Lepidapedoides are described from the aulopodid teleost Aulopus purpurissatus from south-western Australia. Both are distinguished from other Lepidapedoides spp. by their pedunculate ventral sucker. Lepidapedoides pistoris n. sp. and L. elongatrium n. sp. are distinguished by the possession of a narrow, elongate form, a long ventral sucker to ovary distance: the vitellarium reaching only to the posterior level of the cirrus-sac, the cirrus-sac length and the deep genital atrium with the metraterm entering distally to its base in L. elongatrium. A key to species of the genus is given. A character matrix is included for the genus. Poorly resolved phylogenetic trees indicate two main lineages in the genus. The two new species described here are resolved as sister taxa. The new combination Lepidapedoides freitasi (Kohn gr Fernandes, 1970) is formed for Acanthocolpoides freitasi.

Two new genera, Provitellus and Ovipusillus, and four new species of Monorchiidae (Digenea) from carangid fishes of queensland, Australia

Two new genera and four new species of monorchiid digeneans are described from the Great Barrier Reef and Moreton Bay, Queensland. Provitellus turrum n. g., n. sp. from Pseudocaranx dentex and Trachinotus coppingeri is characterised by the presence of vitelline follicles in the forebody, a single testis, a unipartite terminal organ and filamented eggs. Ovipusillus mayu n. g., n. sp. from Gnathanodon speciosus is characterised by the presence of two testes, vitelline follicles overlapping the ventral sucker and a large, complex cirrus-sac that contains a coiled eversible ejaculatory duct joined by the pars prostatica halfway along its length. Paramonorcheides pseudocaranxi n. sp. from Pseudocaranx dentex differs from other species described in this genus in the longer flatter forebody, entire ovary and the well-developed cirrus-sac. Chrisomon gaigai n. sp. from Trachinotus coppingeri and T botla is characterised by the unflattened forebody and transversely oval pharynx. Chrisomon is redefined to include species of Lasiotocus with a vitellarium composed of clusters of tubular acini, creating the following new combinations: C. albulae n. comb. for L. albulae Overstreet, 1969, C. ulua n. comb, for L. ulua Yamaguti, 1970 and C. weke n. comb, for L. weke Yamaguti, 1970. The diagnosis of Lasiotocus is amended accordingly and the new combinations, L. polynemi n. comb. and L. sunderbanensis n. comb., are created for C.polynemi Dutta, Hafeezullah & Manna, 1994 and C. sunderbanensis Dutta, Hafeezullah B Manna, 1994, respectively. Extrapolation of our collection data suggests that there may be as many as 80 species of monorchiids infecting carangid fishes in Australia and 180 species infecting carangids in all oceans of the world. The latter figure greatly exceeds the number of monorchiids described from all host families to date.

Differentiation of the mononuclear phagocyte system during mouse embryogenesis: The role of transcription factor PU.1

During mouse embryogenesis, macrophage-like cells arise first in the yolk sac and are produced subsequently in the liver. The onset of liver hematopoiesis is associated with the transition from primitive to definitive erythrocyte production. This report addresses the hypothesis that a similar transition in phenotype occurs in myelopoiesis. We have used whole mount in situ hybridization to detect macrophage-specific genes expressed during mouse development. The mouse c-fms mRNA, encoding the receptor for macrophage colony-stimulating factor (CSF-1), was expressed on phagocytic cells in the yolk sac and throughout the embryo before the onset of liver hematopoiesis, Similar cells were detected using the mannose receptor, the complement receptor (CR3), or the Microphthalmia transcription factor (MITF) as mRNA markers. By contrast, other markers including the F4/80 antigen, the macrophage scavenger receptor, the S-100 proteins, S100A8 and S100A9, and the secretory product lysozyme appeared later in development and appeared restricted to only a subset of c-fms-positive cells. Two-color immunolabeling on disaggregated cells confirmed that CR3 and c-fms proteins are expressed on the same cells. Among the genes appearing later in development was the macrophage-restricted transcription factor, PU.1, which has been shown to be required for normal adult myelopoiesis. Mice with null mutations in PU.1 had normal numbers of c-fms-positive phagocytes at 11.5dpc. PU.1(-/-) embryonic stem cells were able to give rise to macrophagelike cells after cultivation in vitro. The results support previous evidence that yolk sac-derived fetal phagocytes are functionally distinct from those arising in the liver and develop via a different pathway. (C) 1999 by The American Society of Hematology.