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The Asian countries chronically infected with avian influenza A H5N1 are ‘global hotspots’ for biodiversity conservation in terms of species diversity, endemism and levels of threat. Since 2003, avian influenza A H5N1 viruses have naturally infected and killed a range of wild bird species, four felid species and a mustelid. Here, we report fatal disseminated H5N1 infection in a globally threatened viverrid, the Owston's civet, in Vietnam, highlighting the risk that avian influenza H5N1 poses to mammalian and avian biodiversity across its expanding geographic range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hibernation and short daily torpor are states of energy conservation with reduced metabolism and body temperature. Both hibernation, also called multiday torpor, and daily torpor are common among mammals and occur in at least 11 orders. Within the primates, there is a peculiar situation, because to date torpor has been almost exclusively reported for Malagasy lemurs. The single exception is the African lesser bushbaby, which is capable of daily torpor, but uses it only under extremely adverse conditions. For true hibernation, the geographical restriction was absolute. No primate outside of Madagascar was previously known to hibernate. Since hibernation is commonly viewed as an ancient, plesiomorphic trait, theoretically this could mean that hibernation as an overwintering strategy was lost in all other primates in mainland Africa, Asia, and the Americas. However, we hypothesized that a good candidate species for the use of hibernation, outside of Madagascar should be the pygmy slow loris (Nycticebus pygmaeus), a small primate inhabiting tropical forests. Here, we show that pygmy slow lorises exposed to natural climatic conditions in northern Vietnam during winter indeed undergo torpor lasting up to 63 h, that is, hibernation. Thus, hibernation has been retained in at least one primate outside of Madagascar.

Lorisiform primates (Primates: Strepsirrhini: Lorisiformes) represent almost 10% of the living primate species and are widely distributed in sub-Saharan Africa and South/South-East Asia; however, their taxonomy, evolutionary history, and biogeography are still poorly understood. In this study we report the largest molecular phylogeny in terms of the number of represented taxa. We sequenced the complete mitochondrial cytochrome b gene for 86 lorisiform specimens, including ∼80% of all the species currently recognized. Our results support the monophyly of the Galagidae, but a common ancestry of the Lorisinae and Perodicticinae (family Lorisidae) was not recovered. These three lineages have early origins, with the Galagidae and the Lorisinae diverging in the Oligocene at about 30 Mya and the Perodicticinae emerging in the early Miocene. Our mitochondrial phylogeny agrees with recent studies based on nuclear data, and supports Euoticus as the oldest galagid lineage and the polyphyletic status of Galagoides . Moreover, we have elucidated phylogenetic relationships for several species never included before in a molecular phylogeny. The results obtained in this study suggest that lorisiform diversity remains substantially underestimated and that previously unnoticed cryptic diversity might be present within many lineages, thus urgently requiring a comprehensive taxonomic revision of this primate group. , (© 2015 The Linnean Society of London.)

The Asian countries chronically infected with avian influenza A H5N1 are 'global hotspots' for biodiversity conservation in terms of species diversity, endemism and levels of threat. Since 2003, avian influenza A H5N1 viruses have naturally infected and killed a range of wild bird species, four felid species and a mustelid. Here, we report fatal disseminated H5N1 infection in a globally threatened viverrid, the Owston's civet, in Vietnam, highlighting the risk that avian influenza H5N1 poses to mammalian and avian biodiversity across its expanding geographic range.

Controversy exists about the value of ultrasonography of meniscal tears. We therefore examined 101 knee joints of 99 patients in a prospective study. Prior to the arthroscopy the menisci were scanned from an independent team by using 7.5 and 10.0 MHz ultrasound waves. 81 meniscal tears were seen at arthroscopy; 36% of these tears could not be detected with the scanner (false negative results) while 20% of intact menisci showed positive echogenic structures, which were analysed as meniscal tears. It seems that ultrasonography of the menisci is still of experimental use without any clinical importance.

Controversy exists about the value of ultrasonography of meniscal tears. We therefore examined 101 knee joints of 99 patients in a prospective study. Prior to the arthroscopy the menisci were scanned from an independent team by using 7.5 and 10.0 MHz ultrasound waves. 81 meniscal tears were seen at arthroscopy; 36% of these tears could not be detected with the scanner (? false negative results) while 20% of intact menisci showed positive echogenic structures, which were analysed as meniscal tears. It seems that ultrasonography of the menisci is still of experimental use without any clinical importance.

In five patients with Crohn's disease long-term therapy with metronidazole (400 mg b.i.d.) was followed by a significant reduction of total serum cholesterol from 179 mg/dl to 156 mg/dl, 134 mg/dl, and 143 mg/dl, after 2-4 months, 6 months, and 9-12 months, respectively. Lipoprotein analysis before and after 3 weeks of administration of metronidazole (400 mg/day) to five normolipemic volunteers revealed that LDL-cholesterol was reduced by 21% (P less than 0.05), whereas HDL-cholesterol remained unchanged. Biliary secretion of cholesterol and bile acids were reduced by 13% and 20% (P less than 0.05), respectively, which might suggest a decreased sterol synthesis. The amount and percentage of intestinal cholesterol absorption were decreased by 33% and 22% (P less than 0.05). Thus, a possible decrease in sterol synthesis and a reduction of cholesterol absorption might be responsible for the serum-cholesterol-lowering effect of metronidazole. However, caution should be taken when considering metronidazole for long-term treatment of patients with hypercholesterolemia due to possible side effects.

Measurements of cholesterol absorption were performed by an intestinal perfusion technique before and after 4 wk of administration of three different dihydroxy bile acids [ursodeoxycholic acid (1 g/day), chenodeoxycholic acid (1 g/day), and deoxycholic acid (0.4 g/day)] in 6 normal volunteers. Mean hourly absorption of cholesterol declined from 41 mumol/h in the control period to 31 mumol/h (-22%) during feeding of chenodeoxycholic acid (NS). During deoxycholic acid administration, mean cholesterol absorption decreased from 46 to 28 mumol/h (-28%; p less than 0.05). Ursodeoxycholic acid feeding was associated with a reduction of cholesterol absorption from 38 to 13 mumol/h (-70%; p less than 0.05), even though the input of cholesterol from bile was reduced significantly (from 123 to 86 mumol/h). The results suggest that the hydroxy groups at different positions on the bile acid nucleus of these three dihydroxy bile acids differ in their potential for cholesterol absorption.

The subjective and objective values have changed after a four weeks treatment in high mountain areas under cool climatic conditions. "Terrainkuren" (mountain walking under guidance of a therapist) under cool climatic- and body temperature conditions show besides training results (in sport medicine) also favourable thermoregulatory adaptations. Improvements of the endurance training can be objectivated by means of the reduced heart frequency and the decrease in lactit acid under standardized physical exercises. The simultaneous changes of thermoregulation can be looked upon as part of the reaction of the whole body (also called inurement). Both, the improvement of the training condition and the thermoregulatory change seem to support each other. Thus patients can train more effectively under the same standardized physical training, but cooler conditions. The decrease of comfort temperature of patients is due to the thermoregulatory adaptation. There is a considerable decrease in the sensibility to cold. The training in high mountain areas causes an improvement in the well being and behaviour of the atopic patients which can still be manifested three months after the therapy.