The development of sensory systems and the coincident acquisition of associated behaviors were examined in two paternal brooders, largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides and Nile tilapia Tilapia nilotica. In newly hatched eleutheroembryos of largemouth bass, the eyes are unpigmented, the nares are closed, and the free neuromasts and taste buds are not developed. Six hours after hatching (when the epithelium of the otic vesicle is ciliated), the eleutheroembryos are able to aggregate by responding to the movements of neighboring siblings. Thereafter, four correlations between sense organ development and initiation of fish behavior were observed: appearance of the first free neuromasts on the head and positive rheotaxis; morphological completion of the larval-type retina and positive phototaxis; formation of twin cones in the retina and optomotor reaction; and appearance of taste buds in the oral cavity and selective feeding. The ontogenetic development of the sense organs of Nile tilapia reflects adaptations to early life in the parentˈs buccal cavity. The young of both species leave the custodial care of the parent when their sense organs become differentiated as adultlike forms.
Congenital systemic-to-pulmonary artery fistulas are very rare, with the exception of congenital heart disease and pulmonary sequestration. We describe the first reported case of left internal mammary and bronchial artery to pulmonary artery fistulas associated with bilateral coronary arteries to pulmonary artery fistulas.
Aortic reconstruction procedures and brain protection methods are very important among operative factors that have direct influence on surgical results. We nowadays use hypothermic circulatory arrest (HCA) with or without retrograde cerebral perfusion (RCP) as brain protection methods during hemiarch replacement (HAR) and selective cerebral perfusion (SCP) during total arch replacement (TAR) using 4-branched arch graft. The purpose of this study was to verify the appropriateness of this strategy. From April 1997 to August 2001, we performed 120 TAR assisted by SCP and 30 HAR assisted by HCA with or without RCP. Incidences of in-hospital death and postoperative neurological dysfunction were compared between the 2 groups. In-hospital deaths were 4 (3.3%) and 1 (3.3%), permanent neurological dysfunction were 3 (2.5%) and 1 (3.3%), temporary neurological dysfunction were 4 (3.3%) and 1 (3.3%), 3-year survival were 92 +/- 3% and 97 +/- 3% and cerebral infarctions after discharge were 2 and 0 in TAR and HAR, respectively. Appropriate selections of aortic reconstruction procedures and brain protection methods lead to good operative results in aortic arch repairs.
