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In circumstances where the nail complex is intact and undamaged it may be wiser to relocate the nail as a flap based on its vascular supply rather than resort to pulp replacement procedures such as a cross-finger flap or similar techniques which leave a hyposensitive pulp and a "parrot-beak" deformity of the nail. In "acute" finger injuries this procedure is decidedly preferable to amputation through the head of the middle phalanx.
The role of the sandfly species Phlebotomus perniciosus Parrot in laboratory transmission of Leishmania infantum was investigated. One of the wild reservoirs of the disease, the black rat (Rattus rattus), was used as vertebrate host. The parasite was transmitted by the bite of experimentally infected P. perniciosus to the black rat which, six months later, was infective to the same sandfly species. These experimental data confirm the role of P. perniciosus in the transmission of L. infantum, as suggested by earlier studies based on epidemiological data.
Antisera against rabbit and human beta 2-microglobulin were produced in carp (Cyprinus carpio). These antisera were found to be specific for beta 2m, and detected beta 2m epitopes in various vertebrates including guinea-pig, cow, mouse, rat, dog, horse, cat, sheep, goat, parrot, chicken and frog. In addition, these antisera were also inhibited by an extract from oyster. The differences between the reactivity of these two antisera and the ability of the anti-rabbit beta 2m to distinguish between mouse and rat beta 2m's suggested that the carp itself carries beta 2m epitopes. This hypothesis was corroborated by the ability of a variety of mammalian anti-beta 2m antisera to induce a mitogenic response in carp leukocytes. Finally, a rabbit antiserum against dog beta 2m was shown to precipitate a low molecular weight molecule from carp leukocyte extract. This molecule is likely to represent the carp homologue of mammalian beta 2m.
The nucleotide sequence of the nucleoprotein (NP) gene of the avian influenza A virus strain A/parrot/Ulster/73 (H7N1) has been determined. The gene (RNA segment 5) consists of 1565 bases. The only large open reading frame of the complementary RNA codes for a protein of 498 amino acids. A comparison of its sequence with that of three other influenza virus NPs shows that the NP of the parrot Ulster strain, although closely related to the NP of the other avian strain (A/FPV/Rostock/34), is definitely more closely related genetically to the NPs of the two human influenza strains, A/PR/8/34 and A/NT/60/68 than that of FPV. This raises the question how far the NP gene can cross the species barrier by reassortment and become adapted by mutation to the new host.
Failures after rhinoplasty are the result of both technical mistakes and of errors of judgement. One of the most common errors is resection of too much tissue from the components of the nose: the dorsum, alar cartilages, or septum. Such deformities may have both cosmetic and functional effects. The defects that most commonly make a nose look unnatural are: a shallow nasofrontal angle, a nose that has been shortened too much, an over-reduced dorsum which emphasises a parrot's beak deformity, and a round nasal tip with a short interdomal length that lacks definition. The purpose of this paper is to describe the most common deformities associated with excessive resection of the nose, and to suggest the appropriate procedures for correcting the defects. Grafting is usually necessary. We will deal first with deformities of the dorsum and septum and then of the nasal base, but it must be borne in mind that a defect in one area is likely to affect the other areas because they are interrelated-for example, over-resection of the dorsum may also effect the tip of the nose. In addition, not all deformities are the result of excessive reduction; some may result from inadequate resection.
P.A. radiographs of both wrists were taken in 400 normal individuals to study the configuration of the styloid process of the ulna. Five different morphological variations were noticed, the commonest being an elongated process (102 wrists). Medially deviated (41 wrists), parrot beaked (27 wrists) and hypertrophic (16 wrists) patterns were less common. One person had bilateral unfused separate ossification centres for the ulnar styloid. There was no correlation between the length of the styloid process and ulnar variance.
Stimulation with natural contact calls and feeding were used to assess zenk and fos protein expression in budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus), a vocal learning parrot species in which feeding and physical contact often occur in conjunction with vocalization. Although only calls induced gene expression in Field L, the primary telencephalic auditory area, both calls and feeding induced gene expression in the frontal lateral nidopallium (NFl), a brain area in receipt of input from Field L which projects to areas afferent to vocal control nuclei and which is necessary for new call learning. NFl thus appears poised to provide both non-auditory as well as auditory feedback to the vocal system.
Absolute pitch (AP) perception refers to the ability to identify, classify, and memorize pitches without use of an external reference pitch. In tests of AP, several species were trained to sort contiguous tones into three or eight frequency ranges, based on correlations between responding to tones in each frequency range and reinforcement. Two songbird species, zebra finches and white-throated sparrows, and a parrot species, budgerigars had highly accurate AP, they discriminated both three and eight ranges with precision. Relative to normally reared songbirds, isolate reared songbirds had impaired AP. Two mammalian species, humans and rats, had equivalent and weak AP, they discriminated three frequency ranges to a lackluster standard and they acquired only a crude discrimination of the lowest and highest of eight frequency ranges. In comparisons with mammals even isolate songbirds had more accurate AP than humans and rats.
An outbreak of mycobacteriosis was detected in an aviary containing Gouldian finches (Erythrura gouldiae) and golden shouldered parrots (Psephotus chrysopterygius). Affected birds developed granulomatous lesions, usually of the liver and intestine. Mycobacterium peregrinum, a species of the Mycobacterium fortuitum group, was cultured on pooled samples of intestinal tract from 31 euthanized finches. These rapid-growing mycobacteria are saprophytic organisms that are generally not associated with clinical disease in immunocomponenet hosts. This is the first report of mycobacteriosis in finches implicating M peregrinum as a causative agent.
Although perpetrators of torture usually use common methods to torture their victim, occasionally they devise novel techniques. Doctors are often called upon to examine victims of torture. This case report is intended to highlight 'the helicopter technique' (also called the, 'parrots perch' in Latin America in 1970s and 1980s) and 'chicken kebab' in Iran (more recently) and the complication of venous thromboembolism. This is a report of a victim who was arrested by the police and subsequently tortured. He died 2 weeks later from pulmonary embolism. The history, physical examination, treatment and autopsy findings of this case are discussed.
In-vitro studies suggest that, in avian retina, lentoid bodies arise from Müller cells or developing neuroretina. This report describes lentoid bodies in adult avian retinas in association with retinal trauma or degeneration. Retinal lentoids were identified in four birds (three owls and one parrot) in the course of routine diagnostic histopathology. Sections were stained with periodic acid-Schiff for the purposes of descriptive histology, and immunolabelled for a Müller cell marker (glial fibrillary acidic protein; GFAP) and a lens-specific marker (crystallin alpha-A). Intraretinal lentoids of varying size were identified, the constituent cells resembling bladder cells similar to those seen in cataracts. The process of lentoid formation followed a consistent pattern, characterized by progressive Müller cell hypertrophy in damaged areas, culminating in lentoid formation. GFAP immunoreactivity was strongest in Müller cells in the early stages of hypertrophy and receded as Müller cell hypertrophy advanced and lentoids developed. In contrast to GFAP immunoreactivity, crystalline alpha-A labelling increased in distribution and intensity as Müller hypertrophy became more prominent and lentoids were formed. This represents the first report of intraretinal lentoids in birds in vivo. The immunohistochemical data suggest that they arise from Müller cells. Association of lentoids with retinal damage supports the assertion that they arise following disruption of normal cell-cell communication.
Beak and feather disease virus (BFDV) is a common avian circovirus infection of wild Psittaciformes and is a recognised threat to endangered psittacine species. Currently, there is a requirement to develop BFDV antigen for diagnostic purposes and since efforts to propagate BFDV in vitro have so far been unsuccessful the entire coding region of BFDV ORF C1 was expressed in Sf9 insect cells using a baculovirus expression system. The entire coding region of BFDV ORF C1, the presumptive capsid, was expressed in Sf9 insect cells using baculovirus expression system. Electron microscopic examination of negatively stained material demonstrated that the recombinant protein self-assembled to produce virus-like particles (VLPs) thus confirming that ORF C1 is likely to be the sole determinant for capsid construction in vivo. BFDV VLPs also possessed haemagglutinating activity which provides further evidence that self-assembled BFDV VLPs retain receptor mediated biological activity and that the determinants for BFDV haemagglutination activity rely solely on the capsid protein. The recombinant protein reacted with anti-BFDV sera from naturally immune parrots and cockatoo and from chickens experimentally inoculated with native BFDV in both Western blots and haemagglutination inhibition (HI) assay. BFDV VLPs were also a suitable replacement antigen for serological detection of BFDV antibody by HI.
The thought that tuberculosis and the mycobacteria could cause diabetes seems farfetched, but is not. The peculiar relationship and frequent association of diabetes mellitus and tuberculosis has been observed for more than 2000 years, yet the reason for this correlation is, to this day, not known. Before the discovery of insulin, a diagnosis of diabetes was a death sentence within 5 years, and the usual cause of that death was tuberculosis. Despite this, in the 5th century, tuberculosis was already being portrayed as a "complication" of diabetes, a view little changed to this day, parroting Root's original 1934 description of "a one-sided relationship": tuberculosis still seen as a common complication of diabetes, while diabetes is thought to be no more common among TB patients than in the population at large. To Nichol's, this was "not logically tenable" and in his study of 178 otherwise healthy, non-diabetic military men with tuberculosis at Fitzsimmons Army Hospital, one-third had abnormal glucose screening tests. But despite his findings and those of Reaud in New York and others, this was not being recognized elsewhere, and Nichols wanted to know why. Nichols concluded that the incidence of diabetes among tuberculosis patients was considerably underestimated and that in tuberculosis patients, diabetes develops quite commonly. Diabetes was easy to detect. Tuberculosis and the mycobacteria were not. The evidence for a mycobacterial cause of diabetes is mounting rapidly. Schwartz and Haas both linked Type-2 diabetes to tuberculosis. And the pancreatic islet amyloid deposits that they found as a by-product of systemic tubercular infection have recently been dissolved by rifampicin, a first line drug against tuberculosis. Engelbach spoke of "transitory" diabetes in TB and Karachunskii noted changes in carbohydrate metabolism in patients with tuberculosis which commonly led to insulin deficiency with persistent hyperglycemia. Furthermore, mycobacterial elements have been shown recently not only to cause "autoimmune" Type-1 diabetes in NOD (non-obese diabetic) mice, but act as a vaccine to stop the inevitable diabetes that would otherwise materialize. The documentation of patient cases where TB has preceded and come before the development of diabetes is extensive yet underplayed and both Lin's and Tsai's studies speak of tuberculosis complicated by diabetes. Diabetes has been around since the first century AD, in a perpetual state of coping and managing. It is time, it is long past time, to cure diabetes. But current models as to its cause are not equipping us to do so.
The aim of the investigation was to determine the genetic relationship of a phenotypically diverse strain collection of epidemiologically unrelated strains from the taxon 2 and 3 complex of Bisgaard isolated from different hosts. A total of 325 isolates belonging to the taxon 2 and 3 complex of Bisgaard was characterized phenotypically in 82 characters. The genetic relationship among a subset of 60 isolates was investigated by amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP). The isolates were selected aiming at including the broadest diversity with regards to phenotype and host spectrum. The results suggested a statistically clear association between AFLP clusters and the host species families Columbidae (pigeon, dove), Anatidae (duck, goose) and Psittacidae (parrot, parakeet, budgerigar), respectively. This association was further supported by results from previous whole cell protein profiling and DNA:DNA hybridization studies. In conclusion, it appears that distinct genetic lineages within the taxon 2 and 3 complex of Bisgaard have evolved specificity for host bird species of different families. The observed host specificity of taxon 2 and 3 organisms may be used in future diagnostics and studies elucidating aspects of pathogenicity and epidemiology associated with the different lineages and their respective hosts.
Infections of avian polyomavirus (APV) are known to cause fatal disease in a wide range of psittacine and non-psittacine birds. Here, we present a survey to investigate the existence of subpopulation of persistent or subclinically infected parrots inside the population of captive psittacine birds in Germany. DNA was isolated from feathers of 85 symptom-free birds from 20 different genera (all psittaciformes) taken from 30 different breeders from all over Germany. The presence of APV was analysed by performing polymerase chain reaction assays (PCR). APV was detected in none of the samples, indicating that the existence of a subpopulation of captive psittacine birds having a persistent APV infection in Germany seems to be relatively low.
A statistical survey in a group of 235 subjects (174 diabetic patients and 61 nondiabetic control subjects) was conducted to evaluate the incidence of reduced capillary resistance factor in respect to diabetic disease, to its duration, and to the severity of retinopathy. To evaluate the capillary resistance we used a cupping-glass method (Parrot's angiosterrometer test). The incidence of reduced capillary resistance proved to increase in frequency with diabetes, with its duration, and with the severity of retinopathy. Thus, reduced capillary resistance represents a negative prognostic element for retinopathy.
Animals, including pigeons, parrots, raccoons, ferrets, rats, New and Old World monkeys, and apes are capable of numerical computations. Much of the evidence for such capacities is based on the use of techniques that require training. Recently, however, several studies conducted under both laboratory and field conditions have employed methods that tap spontaneous numerical representations in animals, including human infants. In this paper, we present the results of 11 experiments exploring the capacity of semi-free-ranging adult rhesus monkeys to spontaneously compute (i.e. single trial, no training) the outcome of subtraction events. In the basic design, we present one quantity of objects on one stage, a second quantity on a second stage, occlude both stages, and then remove one or no objects from each stage. Having watched these events, a subject is then allowed to approach one stage and eat the food objects behind the occluder. Results show that rhesus monkeys correctly compute the outcome of subtraction events involving three or less objects on each stage, even when the identity of the objects is different. Specifically, when presented with two food quantities, rhesus monkeys select the larger quantity following subtractions of one piece of food from two or three; this preference is maintained when subjects must distinguish food from non-food subtractions, and when food is subtracted from either one or both initial quantities. Furthermore, rhesus monkeys are capable of representing zero as well as equality when two identical quantities are contrasted. Results are discussed in light of recent attempts to determine how number is represented in the brains of animals lacking language.
A survey of natural ecotopes of Triatoma infestans dark morph and other triatomine sylvatic species was performed in an uninhabited area of the Bolivian Chaco. Among the 321 triatomines collected by light trapping, only 4 T. infestans dark morph specimens were identified. Predominant flying species were T. guasayana and T. sordida group 2 (51.7% and 37.1% of capture, respectively). The same species prevailed in terrestrial and epiphytic bromeliads where scarce T. infestans dark morph nymphal instars were also detected. In parrot nests T. delpontei prevailed broadly over other species (90.2% of the capture) and only 4 T. infestans dark morph adults were collected. In contrast, T. infestans dark morph was the predominant species captured in hollow trees (46.0% of the total collected). The abundance of immature forms (88.2% of the collection) shows that hollow trees constitute a favourable ecotope for this species. Of the 421 trees investigated, 33.7% were positive for triatomines. T. infestans dark morph, found inside 15.0% of them, also had higher apparent density than other species (average number of T. infestans in positive trees, 2.0 +/- 1.6 vs 1.3 +/- 0.6 for other species). Light trapping seems to be an efficient method to sample the T. sordida-T. guasayana complex in that it shows a similar distribution to that observed in natural ecotopes; however, this method is ineffective for the assessment of the local abundance of T. infestans dark morph.