Broussard Craven (templefang3)

Sedimentation arising from agricultural run-offs, riparian habitat fragmentation and channel bank erosion has long been known to impair the structure and ecological functioning of stream and river ecosystems. This study examined the effects of fine sediment grain sizes on the functional feeding group structure of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera (EPT) in the Tsitsa River catchment in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Fine sediments and EPT were sampled between August 2016 and April 2017 from eight selected sampling sites. The eight sites were classified into four groups in terms of fine sediments and turbidity to represent a gradient of sediment stress, with site groups 4 and 3 being less influenced and groups 2 and 1 as the highly influenced groups. EPT genera/species were assigned to five functional feeding groups (FFGs) and their responses to sediment stress assessed. The results of the study showed that of the five FFGs, four (i.e. collector-filterer, collector-gatherer, scraper/grazer and shredder) were significantly different between the four groups, separating the impacted groups from the less impacted groups. Redundancy analysis (RDA) showed that FFGs such as scraper/grazer, collector-gatherer and shredder were tolerant to fine sediment, especially during the dry season. Collector-filterers and predators were the most sensitive FFGs observed in the studied river systems. The RDA results showed that the coarser grain size fractions (very coarse and coarse silt, very fine sand and turbidity) displayed more severe negative effects on EPT FFGs when compared with the finer grain size fractions such as very fine and fine silt. The results obtained in this study provided more insights into the response patterns and functional dynamics of EPTs in the Tsitsa River systems, a knowledge that can contribute to trait-based biomonitoring in South Africa.INTRODUCTION Intraventricular trigonal meningiomas (ITM) seem to have a tendency for extensive perifocal edema formation following radiosurgery (RS). To further investigate this hypothesis, we undertook the following study. METHODS We retrospectively reviewed records of patients who underwent RS for intraventricular meningiomas at our institution. RESULTS From 1999 until 2019, 5 patients underwent single-session RS as primary treatment for ITM. Patients were treated either with a Gamma Knife or a CyberKnife. The mean prescription dose (PD) was 13.0 Gy ± 0.9, the mean tumor volume was 5.8 cc ± 3.1, and the mean follow-up (FU) was 8.9 years ± 5.6. Perifocal edema developed in 4/5 patients after a mean interval of 6.4 months ± 1.2. It was symptomatic in 2/5 patients. The edema regressed spontaneously in 4/5 patients. One of the patients underwent RS for the same ITM twice. One patient's edema was treated medically with steroids, and none of the patients underwent surgery following RS. CONCLUSION Even though the number of patients is low, there seems to be a comparably high risk for the formation of a perifocal edema following RS for ITM. Cladribine Single-session RS as primary treatment for ITM seems to be safe and effective even though a perifocal edema is likely to develop. The perifocal edema and the ensuing neurological deficits were transient and could be managed conservatively in all of our 5 cases.PURPOSE In adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), spinal deformity can be seen in the thoracic or in the lumbar area. Although differences according to curve location are well described on standard radiographs, dynamic consequences of such difference remain unclear. Our objective was to explore the differences in dynamic spinal balance according to curve location in AIS patients using gait analysis METHODS We prospectively included 22 females with AIS planned for surgical correction (16.3 years old, 81% Risser ≥ 4). Patients were divided into two matched cohorts, according to major curve location [right thoracic (Lenke 1) or left lumbar (Le