Campylobacter coli infection causing second trimester intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR): a case report and review of the literature

Campylobacter is a gram-negative, microaerophilic, curved rod and a normal resident of the gastrointestinal flora and may be the cause of disease in animals. Transmission to humans occurs by ingestion of contaminated food or by direct contact with infected animals. In the past few decades, an increasing number of reports have implicated the presence of this organism in human abortions as well. An infectious mechanism due to primary placental inflammatory damage followed by secondary damage to the fetus following placental insufficiency and ischemia was suggested. The most common species of Campylobacter are Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli, which are classically associated with enteritis in humans. We present a rare case of mid-gestation intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) associated with maternal bacteremia caused by C. coli infection. Our literature review focuses on Campylobacter infections occurring in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. In all cases, mild maternal symptoms consisting of fever and weakness were presented. However, associated adverse fetal outcome, including abortions, IUGR or preterm labor may occur more frequently than anticipated. Our report strengthens the importance of awareness to this finding and focuses the need to consume properly cooked meat during pregnancy. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Diel periodicity of pheromone release by females of Planococcus citri and Planococcus ficus and the temporal flight activity of their conspecific males

The diel periodicity of sex pheromone release was monitored in two mealybug species, Planococcus citri and Planococcus ficus (Hemiptera; Pseudococcidae), using sequential SPME/GCMS analysis. A maximal release of 2 ng/h pheromone by 9–12-day-old P. citri females occurred 1–2 h before the beginning of photophase. The highest release of pheromone by P. ficus females was 1–2 ng/2 h of 10–20-day-old females, approximately 2 h after the beginning of photophase. Mating resulted in termination of the pheromone release in both mealybug species. The temporal flight activity of the males was monitored in rearing chambers using pheromone baited delta traps. Males of both P. citri and P. ficus displayed the same flight pattern and began flying at 06:00 hours when the light was turned on, reaching a peak during the first and second hour of the photophase. Our results suggest that other biparental mealybug species display also diel periodicities of maximal pheromone release and response. Direct evaluation of the diel periodicity of the pheromone release by the automatic sequential analysis is convenient and will be very helpful in optimizing the airborne collection and identification of other unknown mealybug pheromones and to study the calling behavior of females. Considering this behavior pattern may help to develop more effective pheromone-based management strategies against mealybugs.     

Restoration of the Kishon River

The Kishon River, which is now an industrial sewage canal, may be turned into a recreational area in two stages, and by approximately 20 million dollar investment.

Stage A: The wastewater is treated in order to avoid polluted effluents from entering the river.

Stage B: The river water is treated in order to turn the river into a recreational area.     

A Graphical Method for the Estimation of Radiation Hazards from a Crowded Multiple Antenna Site

Summary The major objective of the design of safe crowded transmitting antenna sites is not only to determine a safe zone around each individual antenna; rather, to establish safety areas at the antenna site itself, as well as, at the neighboring areas. The requirement is to ascertain the safety regions by considering the following parameters at each Test Point (TP) (or area segment): the contribution of N co-located radiating antennas to the total radiation incident at the TP, the radiation pattern of each antenna, the near/far field region of each antenna, and most importantly, the different Permissible Exposure Limits (PELs) associated with each operating frequency at the antenna site. Implementation of all the above-mentioned aspects in a suitable computer requires resources that only expert knowledgeable organizations possess. The graphically aided tool presented in this paper facilitates the calculation of a “safety zone” for RADHAZ around a crowded antenna site from the knowledge of the “safety ranges” which correspond to the individual transmitting antennas comprising it.