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PubMedDate not supplied

Risk factors for seabather's eruption: a prospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: A prospective cohort study was performed to identify risk factors for seabather's eruption. METHODS: Study participants were recruited at four beaches in Palm Beach County, Florida, during three weekends of May and June 1993. Participants were interviewed by telephone after 48 hours regarding medical history, beach activities, development of rashes, and use of possible preventive measures. RESULTS: Seabather's eruption, defined by the occurrence of a rash within two days of exposure to seawater, was reported by 114 (16%) of 735 respondents. The strongest predictor of seabather's eruption was a past history of the condition. Children less than 16 years of age were also at increased risk, as were surfers. Showering with one's bathing suit off was a useful protective measure. CONCLUSION: The study's findings suggest that when the seasonal risk of seabather's eruption is present, children, people with a history of seabather's eruption, and surfers are at greatest risk. During the sea lice season, seabathers can minimize their risk by showering with their bathing suits off after seabathing. Length of the time spent in water was not significantly associated with seabather's eruption.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Health effects of beach water pollution in Hong Kong.

Prospective epidemiological studies of beach water pollution were conducted in Hong Kong in the summers of 1986 and 1987. For the main study in 1987, a total of 18741 usable responses were obtained from beachgoers on nine beaches at weekends. The study indicated the overall perceived symptom rates for gastrointestinal, ear, eye, skin, respiratory, fever and total illness were significantly higher for swimmers than non-swimmers; and the swimming-associated symptom rates for gastrointestinal, skin, respiratory and total illness were higher at 'barely acceptable' beaches than at 'relatively unpolluted' ones. Escherichia coli was found to be the best indicator of the health effects associated with swimming in the beaches of Hong Kong. It showed the highest correlation with combined swimming-associated gastroenteritis and skin symptom rates when compared with other microbial indicators. A linear relationship between E. coli and the combined symptom rates was established. Staphylococci were correlated with ear, respiratory and total illness, but could not be used for predicting swimming-associated health risks. They should be used to complement E. coli. The setting of health-related bathing-water quality standards based on such a study is discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

[Anemonia sulcata sting].

A two-year-old child was stung by a sea anemone of the Sulcata type, in the scrotum. The natural habitat of this sea anemone is shallow waters in the rocks on beaches. The sting of the sea anemone is uncommon and usually causes slight local manifestations, however, in more sensitive areas of the body a stronger reaction occurs. A sting in the scrotum causes a burn with harsh local manifestations including swelling, redness and pain requiring hospitalization. The only treatment is symptomatic. In all cases recuperation is complete without any scaring. This case is unique because no outer clothing, such as the protection of a bathing suit, was used.

Animals↗
PubMed2026

Modelling peak microbial pollution events caused by combined sewer overflows in a source-to-sea system.

Predicting peak microbial pollution events in downstream coastal bathing waters caused by combined sewer overflows (CSOs) is essential for protecting public health. In urban areas, wastewater effluents, CSOs, and surface runoff can contribute to elevated microorganism loads to downstream waters. These pressures are likely to be intensified by growing population density and more frequent heavy rainfalls due to climate change. This study developed a process-based model to simulate Escherichia coli (E. coli) emissions, transport, and fate from the initial sources to coastal beaches. A three-year retrospective simulation (2017-2019) shows that E. coli concentrations in CSO discharges varied widely across the catchment (4.6 - 7.3 (log10 CFU 100 ml-1)). 99th percentile E. coli concentrations (4.0 (log10 CFU 100 ml-1)) at the inland water outlet were dominated by local CSO emissions, whereas 90th percentile E. coli concentrations (3.6 (log10 CFU 100 ml-1)) reflected cumulative upstream contributions from both CSO and effluent emissions. With the simulation accuracy of 89%, the model reliably reproduced the E. coli dynamics on the downstream beach and showed strong performance in representing peak concentrations based on Complementary Cumulative Distribution Function (CCDF) analysis. The process-based model enables quantitative tracking of source contributions and identification of pollution hotspots, providing support for mitigation measures. The study lays down a source-to-sea modelling framework for representing pollution transport across the aquatic continuum and provides a transferable tool for microbial pollution forecasting and climate adaptation planning.

Climate projection↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Success of surf lifesaving resuscitations in Queensland, 1973-1992.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the success of resuscitations performed by Queensland surf lifesavers and the factors associated with successful resuscitation. DESIGN: Retrospective case survey, using data from Surf Life Saving Association of Australia resuscitation report forms. SETTING: 54 Queensland beaches patrolled by surf lifesavers, and nearby areas, between 1973 and 1992. OUTCOME MEASURES: Reasons and success rates for resuscitation, distance from surf clubhouse, whether inside patrolled area, victim's age, sex, facial colour on presentation, occurrence of vomiting, airway difficulties and involvement of alcohol. RESULTS: 171 resuscitations were reported (80% involving males and 20% females), with a success rate of 67%. Seventy-two per cent were performed during patrol hours, 17% within patrolled areas (95% successful) and 55% outside patrolled areas (only 62% successful) (P = 0.004 for difference in success rates); resuscitation success rates fell with increasing distance from the surf clubhouse (P = 0.009). Reasons for resuscitation were: immersion, 70% (success rate, 68%); collapse, 22% (success rate, 47%); and surf or beach injury, 7% and 1%, respectively (success rate, 100% for each). Resuscitation was more likely to be successful if the victim's facial colour on presentation was normal, pale or blue, but not if grey, and if the victim did not vomit or regurgitate. CONCLUSIONS: Resuscitation by surf lifesavers was highly successful when the victim was close to the surf patrol, indicating a need for funding to expand patrol areas. Public awareness of the greater safety of "bathing between the flags" (in the delineated patrol area) should be increased.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Public health importance and risk factors for cercarial dermatitis associated with swimming in Lake Leman at Geneva, Switzerland.

Fifteen cohorts of healthy bathers were recruited at four Lake Leman beaches between 3 July and 23 August 1996 to assess the public health importance of cercarial dermatitis in Geneva, Switzerland. Telephone follow-up interviews were carried out after 2-7 days. Overall, 153 bathers out of 555 reported probable cercarial dermatitis at follow-up. Median daily attack rate was 27.7% (2.2-57.7%). Of the cases, 11.1% noticed more than 30 skin lesions, 19.6% described severe itching, 50.3% used a drug treatment, 3.9% visited a doctor and 15% claimed they would reduce their bathing activities. History of cercarial dermatitis, time spent in the water, hour of the day, barometric pressure and maximum daily atmospheric temperature predicted disease occurrence in multivariate analysis. While a benign disease, cercarial dermatitis may have a negative impact on the local water recreation industry. The identification of risk factors for the disease may help produce better preventive recommendations for the bathers.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

Electrical potential difference across bone membrane.

The control of ion fluxes to and from bone has important implications to mineralization and calcium homeostasis. Since ionic transport frequently results in an electrical potential difference across the layer of cells lining bone surfaces, knowledge of this potential is critical to understanding the means of regulation of ionic concentrations in the interior bone fluid phase. This work presents a determination of a metabolism-related electrical potential difference by a thermodynamic argument based on the distribution of charged and uncharged tracers between the bone extracellular fluid compartment and the bathing medium. For embryonic chick calvaria whose viability was assured by oxygen consumption measurements, an electrical potential of 4 mV was determined, positive with respect to the bone fluid compartment. This measurement is shown to be consistent with the active transport of K+ ion into the interior of bone; the potential developed by this transport process will then exclude from the interior phase a passively leaked Ca2+ ion.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Discovery of an MIT-like atracotoxin family: spider venom peptides that share sequence homology but not pharmacological properties with AVIT family proteins.

This project identified a novel family of six 66-68 residue peptides from the venom of two Australian funnel-web spiders, Hadronyche sp. 20 and H. infensa: Orchid Beach (Hexathelidae: Atracinae), that appear to undergo N- and/or C-terminal post-translational modifications and conform to an ancestral protein fold. These peptides all show significant amino acid sequence homology to atracotoxin-Hvf17 (ACTX-Hvf17), a non-toxic peptide isolated from the venom of H. versuta, and a variety of AVIT family proteins including mamba intestinal toxin 1 (MIT1) and its mammalian and piscine orthologs prokineticin 1 (PK1) and prokineticin 2 (PK2). These AVIT family proteins target prokineticin receptors involved in the sensitization of nociceptors and gastrointestinal smooth muscle activation. Given their sequence homology to MIT1, we have named these spider venom peptides the MIT-like atracotoxin (ACTX) family. Using isolated rat stomach fundus or guinea-pig ileum organ bath preparations we have shown that the prototypical ACTX-Hvf17, at concentrations up to 1muM, did not stimulate smooth muscle contractility, nor did it inhibit contractions induced by human PK1 (hPK1). The peptide also lacked activity on other isolated smooth muscle preparations including rat aorta. Furthermore, a FLIPR Ca2+ flux assay using HEK293 cells expressing prokineticin receptors showed that ACTX-Hvf17 fails to activate or block hPK1 or hPK2 receptors. Therefore, while the MIT-like ACTX family appears to adopt the ancestral disulfide-directed beta-hairpin protein fold of MIT1, a motif believed to be shared by other AVIT family peptides, variations in the amino acid sequence and surface charge result in a loss of activity on prokineticin receptors.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1985

Calcium homeostasis: the effect of parathyroid hormone on bone membrane electrical potential difference.

Although it is generally accepted that calcium ion homeostasis is performed primarily by bone, the mechanism by which this regulation is accomplished remains unclear. The recent demonstration of a metabolism-related electrical potential difference across bone membrane implies an active transport process within this layer of cells lining bone surfaces. This work presents a determination of the effect of parathyroid hormone on the measured potential difference to demonstrate whether this potential is involved in the homeostatic mechanism. A thermodynamic evaluation is performed based on a measurement of the distribution of charged and uncharged tracers between bone extra-cellular fluid and the bathing medium. For embryonic chick calvaria whose viability was assured by the measurement of oxygen consumption, parathyroid hormone at dosage levels up to pharmacological caused an increase in the measured potential difference and thus in the inferred activity level of ionic transport through the membrane. This result is shown to be consistent with an indirect regulation of Ca++ ion through a variable active transport of K+ ion into the interior of bone and thus provides support for the argument that the membrane potential is part of the calcium homeostatic mechanism.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Decadal and shorter period variability of surf zone water quality at Huntington Beach, California.

The concentration of fecal indicator bacteria in the surf zone at Huntington Beach, CA, varies over time scales that span at least 7 orders of magnitude, from minutes to decades. Sources of this variability include historical changes in the treatment and disposal of wastewater and dry weather runoff, El Niño events, seasonal variations in rainfall, spring-neap tidal cycles, sunlight-induced mortality of bacteria, and nearshore mixing. On average, total coliform concentrations have decreased over the past 43 years, although point sources of shoreline contamination (storm drains, river outlets, and submarine outfalls) continue to cause transiently poor water quality. These transient point sources typically persist for 5-8 yr and are modulated by the phase of the moon, reflecting the influence of tides on the sourcing and transport of pollutants in the coastal ocean. Indicator bacteria are very sensitive to sunlight therefore, the time of day when samples are collected can influence the outcome of water quality testing. These results demonstrate that coastal water quality is forced by a complex combination of local and external processes and raise questions about the efficacy of existing marine bathing water monitoring and reporting programs.

California↗
PubMed2005

A review of technologies for rapid detection of bacteria in recreational waters.

Monitoring of recreational beaches for fecal indicator bacteria is currently performed using culture-based technology that can require more than a day for laboratory analysis, during which time swimmers are at risk. Here we review new methods that have the potential to reduce the measurement period to less than an hour. These methods generally involve two steps. The first is target capture, in which the microbial group of interest (or some molecular/chemical/or biochemical signature of the group) is removed, tagged or amplified to differentiate it from the remaining material in the sample. We discuss three classes of capture methods: 1) Surface and whole-cell recognition methods, including immunoassay techniques and molecule-specific probes; 2) Nucleic acid methods, including polymerase chain reaction (PCR), quantitative PCR (Q-PCR), nucleic acid sequence based amplification (NASBA) and microarrays; and 3) Enzyme/substrate methods utilizing chromogenic or fluorogenic substrates. The second step is detection, in which optical, electrochemical or piezoelectric technologies are used to quantify the captured, tagged or amplified material. The biggest technological hurdle for all of these methods is sensitivity, as EPA's recommended bathing water standard is less than one cell per ml and most detection technologies measure sample volumes less than 1 ml. This challenge is being overcome through addition of preconcentration or enrichment steps, which have the potential to boost sensitivity without the need to develop new detector technology. The second hurdle is demonstrating a relationship to health risk, since most new methods are based on measuring cell structure without assessing viability and may not relate to current water quality standards that were developed in epidemiology studies using culture-based methods. Enzyme/substrate methods may be the first rapid methods adopted because they are based on the same capture technology as currently-approved EPA methods and their relationship to health risk can be established by demonstrating equivalency to existing procedures. Demonstration of equivalency may also be possible for some surface and whole-cell recognition methods that capture bacteria in a potentially viable state. Nucleic acid technologies are the most versatile, but measure nonviable structure and will require inclusion in epidemiological studies to link their measurement with health risk.

Bacteria↗
PubMed2001

Spatial impact of the Oder river plume on water quality along the south-western Baltic coast.

The Oder (Odra) river is the most important nutrient source and pollutant for the south-western Baltic Sea. Adjacent German-Polish coastal waters, the Oder (Szczecin) Lagoon and the Oder (Pomeranian) Bight therefore suffer from severe eutrophication and water quality problems. At the same time, summer (bathing) tourism is the most important economical factor in this coastal zone, especially on the islands of Usedom and Wolin. On the basis of model simulations and remote sensing data we analysed the spatial extent and variability of the Oder river plume in the lagoon and the Balic Sea in common summer situations and during the extreme Oder flood in August 1997. Water quality shows pronounced gradients between coastal waters and open Baltic Sea. In the lagoon, it usually takes more than 6 weeks until Oder water enters the large western bay, the Kleines Haff. During transport, degradation, transformation and sedimentation processes alter the water quality and prevent the inner coast of Usedom from direct impact of polluted Oder water. Ongoing nutrient supply promotes intensive algal proliferation in all parts of the lagoon and contributes to the low water transparency. Oder water passing the lagoon and entering the Baltic Sea is transported over long distances in narrow bands along the shore. Under easterly winds the water quality near well-known spas on Usedom is reduced due to Oder river plume impact. Upwelling effects can have negative impact on water quality, too. Intensive blooms of potentially toxic blue-green algae species, are the rule in the lagoon and frequent in the Oder Bight in summer. They are a hazard and limit the acceptance of swimming beaches at the inner coast of Usedom. Practical consequences of variable water quality gradients e.g. on hygienic water sampling are discussed.

Baltic States↗
PubMed1987

Norepinephrine increases Na+-K+-ATPase and solute transport in rabbit proximal tubules.

We studied the effects of norepinephrine on solute transport and oxidative metabolism in proximal tubules. Norepinephrine (10(-6) M) in the bath stimulated fluid absorption (Jv) by proximal convoluted tubules from 0.76 +/- 0.10 to 1.01 +/- 0.11 nl X mm-1 X min-1 (P less than 0.001). Bicarbonate, chloride, and phosphate transport also increased in proportion to the increases in Jv. Norepinephrine increased ouabain-sensitive oxygen consumption (QO2) in suspensions of cortical tubules by 1.3 nmol X mg protein-1 X min-1 and had no effect on ouabain-insensitive QO2 or mitochondrial respiration. Na+-K+-ATPase activity in basolateral membranes prepared from cortical homogenates incubated with norepinephrine increased from 277.1 +/- 34.9 to 411.1 +/- 38.6 nmol Pi X mg protein-1 X min-1 (P less than 0.005). Norepinephrine also increased Na+-K+-ATPase activity of cortical homogenates by 72% but had no effect on Na+-K+-ATPase if added directly to purified basolateral membranes. These studies show that norepinephrine stimulates solute transport in the proximal tubule by increasing Na+-K+-ATPase activity indirectly through some component or components of the adrenergic receptor system.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Safety and efficacy of low-potassium dialysate.

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of low-potassium dialysate, 11 patients with stable end-stage renal disease and with no history of arrhythmia or digitalis use were studied. All were treated with hemodialysis three times per week. Dialysates with potassium concentrations of 2 mEq/L, 1 mEq/L, or 0 mEq/L were compared. Each patient (exceptions noted in text) was studied once at each bath potassium concentration. Cardiac rhythm was recorded by Holter monitor during and for six hours following dialysis. Single PVCs and APCs were common with all potassium concentrations. Only one patient had high-grade ventricular ectopy. It was seen with each of the three potassium concentrations, but was most severe with the potassium-free dialysate. The potassium-free dialysate removed significantly more potassium (78.5 +/- 2.6 mEq) than the 1-K dialysate (62.9 +/- 5.1 mEq) or the 2-K dialysate (50.6 +/- 6 mEq), and the 1-K dialysate removed significantly more potassium than the 2-K dialysate. There were small but significant differences in serum potassium concentrations with the three different dialysates. It was concluded that (1) in all but one of our patients potassium-free dialysate did not produce new ectopy; (2) potassium-free dialysate was 24% more effective than 1-K dialysate and 50% more effective than 2-K dialysate in removing body potassium; and (3) 1-K dialysate was 20% more effective than 2-K dialysate in removing body potassium.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Role of calcium in acute hyperthermic myocardial injury.

INTRODUCTION: We hypothesized that intracellular calcium overload may play an important role in heat-induced myocardial injury. This postulate was investigated using a model of isolated guinea pig papillary muscle in which resting tension was measured as an indirect indicator of cytosolic free-calcium concentration and the fluorescence changes of Fluo-3 AM dye was measured as a direct indicator of cytosolic free-calcium concentration. METHODS AND RESULTS: Excised guinea pig right ventricular papillary muscles were attached to a force transducer in a high-flow tissue bath and superfused with Tyrode's solution at 37 degrees +/- 0.5 degrees C. The temperature was rapidly changed to between 38.0 degrees and 56.0 degrees C for 60 seconds and then returned to 37.0 degrees C. Hyperthermia caused a reversible increase in resting tension at temperatures between 45 degrees and 50 degrees C and irreversible contracture at > or =50 degrees C. Rapid cooling contracture experiments and experiments measuring fluorescence of myocytes loaded with 5 microM Fluo-3 AM dye demonstrated that the hyperthermia-induced rise in resting tension was likely due to an increase in intracellular calcium content. Inhibition of the sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium pump with 20 microM thapsigargin resulted in irreversible contracture of the papillary muscles at temperatures between 45 degrees and 50 degrees C and significant increases in Fluo-3 fluorescence at 48 degrees C. Blockade of sarcolemmal calcium channels with 0.5 mM cadmium or 40 microM verapamil did not attenuate the heat-induced increase in resting tension and Fluo-3 fluorescence. CONCLUSION: Hyperthermia causes an increase in resting tension of cardiac muscle that most likely is mediated by a calcium channel-independent increase in calcium permeability of the sarcolemmal membrane and/or release of stored intracellular calcium.

Acute Disease↗