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In captivity, cardiovascular diseases are common in grey parrots. The diagnosis of these diseases in living birds is difficult, and new diagnostic possibilities would be desirable. The heart is an important endocrine organ in which cardiomyocytes synthetise B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and release it into the bloodstream. This hormone has a significant role in cardiovascular and body fluid regulation. The blood concentration of BNP is used in human medicine and small animal medicine as a diagnostic tool in the identification of heart diseases and as a prognostic marker for the risk of mortality. The nucleotide and amino acid sequence of BNP was described in Congo (n = 4) and Timneh (n = 3) grey parrots by PCR after RNA isolation from the atria and ventricles. The results showed a high similarity between the nucleotide sequences of the grey parrots' BNP and the already known sequence of this hormone in chickens. The amino acid sequence of the mature peptide region is consistent in these three species. BNP plasma concentration could be a possible blood parameter for identifying clinically manifest cardiovascular diseases in grey parrots as it is in other species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the strategy of a municipal solid waste management model in Central Brazil which is specific to household waste. It states that reverse logistics is driven by sorted-waste composition instead of raw waste composition, with the waste production rate at 45 tons per day. It uses sorted waste composition data to determine a domestic waste landfall diversion potential of 67 percent. It identifies reverse logistic capacity which isn't sufficient to remove all inert waste items.

a municipal level it was required to determine the course of environmental action that would respond to international directives regarding air quality control through interference in carbon dioxide movement. Two options were considered, namely bio-fuels and ecological compensation. The bio-fuel option was examined by way of ethanol produced from sugar cane. The compensation option was examined by way of the creation of a petroleum forest that would capture fossil fuel derived carbon dioxide. It inquired into the tree population needed to make the compensation theory work in practice. Worldwide scenarios were established, from which ideas for local administrations were then derived. The carbon dioxide cycle for ethanol was shown to close. To achieve complete ecological compensation, it was found necessary that each person plant 37 trees every 20 years. The arable land required was estimated as 4.0 and 2.5% of the globally available area for the two options, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ruptures of the anterior cruciate ligament are being diagnosed with increasing frequency in skeletally immature individuals. It was our aim to investigate the graft remodelling process following an autologous, transphyseal reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in skeletally immature sheep. We hypothesized that the ligamentisation process in immature sheep is quicker and more complete when compared to adult sheep. Skeletally immature sheep with an age of 4 months underwent a fully transphyseal ACL reconstruction using an autologous tendon. The animals were subsequently sacrificed at 3, 6, 12 and 24 weeks following surgery. Each group was characterised histomorphometrically, by immunostaining (VEGF, SMA), by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and biomechanically (UFS Roboter). The histomorphometric analysis and presence of VEGF and SMA positive cells demonstrated a rapid return to a ligament like structure. The biomechanical analysis revealed an anteroposterior translation that was still increased even 6 months following surgery. As in adult sheep models, the remodeling of a soft tissue graft used for ACL reconstruction results in a biomechanically inferior substitute. However, the immature tissue seems to remodel faster and more complete when compared to adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research related here focuses on municipal situations where problems of sustainability may be defined and tackled on the basis of bottom-up management procedures with the participation of organized society. The aim is to build management models that may be implemented with reasonable administrative effort and cost. Implementation pursues the target of approaching a sustainable situation in the municipality. Environmental parameters for an ideal municipality with undefined geographical location are presented. For each parameter, a set of indicators is developed that can measure the prospect of sustainability. The indicators are defined in terms of numbers or literal concepts according to the possibility of measurement. Examples of management models are presented, which are able to approach the situation defined as sustainable by the indicators. The basic management tool is the learning curve of targeted communities, which is experimentally developed and applied. The indicators are grouped according to their range of applicability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 1-year-old male chinchilla with a 2-week history of conjunctivitis suffered subsequently from neurological signs comprising seizures, disorientation, recumbency and apathy. After 3 weeks of progressive central nervous disease the animal was killed in view of the poor prognosis. A non-suppurative meningitis and polioencephalitis with neuronal necrosis and intranuclear inclusion bodies were observed at necropsy and by light microscopy. The brain stem and cerebral cortices were most severely affected. Both eyes displayed ulcerative keratitis, uveitis, retinitis and retinal degeneration, and optical neuritis. Additionally, a purulent rhinitis with focal erosions, epithelial degeneration and intranuclear inclusion bodies was present. Ultrastructurally, herpes virus particles were detected in neurons of the brain. Immunohistochemistry with antisera specific for human herpes virus types 1 and 2 resulted in viral antigen labeling in neurons, glial cells and in neuronal processes. Viral antigen was found in the rhinencephalon, cerebral cortices, hippocampus, numerous nuclei of the brain stem, single foci in the cerebellum, and in a solitary erosive lesion of the right nasal vestibulum. Viral antigen was not detected in the eyes. The virus was isolated from the CNS, and nucleic acid sequence analysis of the glycoprotein B and the DNA polymerase revealed a sequence homology with human herpes virus type 1 of 99% and 100%, respectively. The clinical signs, the distribution of the lesions and the viral antigen suggest a primary ocular infection with subsequent spread to the CNS. Chinchillas are susceptible to human herpes virus 1 and may play a role as a temporary reservoir for human infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study which reports on experimentation with municipal and industrial solid waste in Brazil, on mutual inspection of municipal sanitation models in selected Spanish and Brazilian towns, and on observations of municipal solid waste (MSW) management models effective in Argentina, Great Britain, Sweden, and Germany. A proactive MSW management model in Brazil based on divided collection; Models from other countries.

Loss of DNA mismatch repair is a common finding in hereditary nonpolyposis colon cancer as well as in many types of sporadic human tumours. DNA mismatch repair-deficient cells have been reported to be resistant to many chemotherapeutic agents and to radiotherapy, and to have the potential of rapidly acquiring additional mutations leading to tumour progression. Photodynamic therapy is a new treatment modality using light to activate a photosensitiser that preferentially localises in tumour cells. An oxygen dependent photochemical reaction ensues, resulting in selective tumour necrosis. The effect of loss of DNA mismatch repair activity on the sensitivity to photodynamic therapy was tested using pairs of cell lines proficient or deficient in mismatch repair due to loss of either MLH1 or MSH2 protein function. Cells were incubated with the photosensitiser 5,10,15,20-meta-tetra(hydroxyphenyl)chlorin and exposed to laser light at 652 nm with various optical doses ranging from 0-1 J cm(-2). Cell survival was assessed using the clonogenic assay. Loss of MLH1 or MSH2 function was not associated with resistance to photodynamic therapy. MCF-7 cells repeatedly treated with photodynamic therapy expressed parental levels of MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, and PMS2. DNA mismatch repair-deficient and -proficient cells showed similar subcellular distributions of meta-tetra(hydroxyphenyl)chlorin as analysed by laser scanning and fluorescence microscopy. Therefore, repeated exposure of tumour cells to photodynamic therapy does not seem to result in loss of DNA mismatch repair, and loss of mismatch repair, in turn, does not seem to contribute to resistance to photodynamic therapy. Our results suggest recommending photodynamic therapy as a strategy for circumventing resistance due to loss of DNA mismatch repair. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research conducted on municipal solid waste management for the first time quantified food spoilage as being 8.8% weight of all officially collected household garbage in the Brazilian city under study. The unexpected size of this waste fraction gave rise to work on the causes of waste and on its distribution over the product life cycle specific to fruit and vegetables. Waste was defined as being the combination of losses and scraps. Administrative shortcomings were identified as basic reasons for waste. At the producer and consumer ends of the cycle, negligence was shown to be the single most important problem. Fruit and vegetables deteriorate during the operations of handling, transport, packaging, storage, selling and consumption. The study detailed the occurrence of waste at all of these stages. In the medium-size Brazilian city, the total waste of fruit and vegetables was shown to amount to 16.6% weight in the marketing stage of the life cycle. At the consumer level, it was measured as 3.4% weight of all household garbage. Specific reasons for this waste were identified at the levels of producer, wholesaler and retailer. Short-term remedies were pointed out that invariably corrected deficient management procedures. It was shown that very simple administrative measures can significantly reduce the spoilage of fruit and vegetables. Long-term strategies involve the creation of sample cases for administration of the fruit and vegetables life cycle at all stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interstitial photodynamic therapy (PDT) using the pegylated photosensitizer PEG-m-THPC was evaluated as a minimally-invasive procedure to selectively debulk unrespectable pelvic ovarian cancer (NuTu-19) in immunocompetent rats. To assess tumour selectivity, PEG-m-THPC at dosages of 0.3, 3.0 and 30 mg kg(-1) body weight was administered intravenously to 30 rats 4 weeks following tumour induction. Eight days later laser light at 652 nm and optical doses ranging from 100 to 900 J cm(-1) diffuser-length was delivered by an interstitial cylindrical diffusing fibre inserted blindly into the pelvis. Three days following light application, the volume of necrosis was measured and the damage to pelvic organs was assessed histologically on cross sections. For analysis of survival, 20 tumour-bearing rats received PDT using drug doses of 3 or 9 mg kg(-1) body weight and an optical dose of 900 J cm(-1) diffuser-length, whereas ten untreated tumour-bearing rats served as controls. The histological assessment of PDT induced necrosis showed a non-linear dose-response for both the photosensitizer dose and the optical dose. The lowest drug dose activated with the highest optical dose did not induce more necrosis than seen in tumour-bearing control animals. The same optical dose induced necrosis of 17 mm in diameter using 30 mg kg(-1) and 11 mm using 3 mg kg(-1) photosensitizer. The optical threshold for induction of significant necrosis was between 100 and 300 J cm(-1) diffuser-length for 30 mg kg(-1) and between 300 and 500 J cm(-1) for 3 mg kg(-1) PEG-m-THPC. Significant damage to normal pelvic organs was only seen if 30 mg kg(-1) photosensitizer was activated with optical doses of 700 J cm(-1) or more. In the survival study, all treated animals survived PDT for at least 2 weeks and the intestinal and urinary tract remained functional. No clinical signs of blood vessel or nerve injury were observed. Mean overall survival of untreated tumour-bearing rats was 25.0 +/- 4.5 days compared to 38.4 +/- 3.8 days and 40.0 +/- 3.6 days for rats treated with 3 mg kg(-1) or 9 mg kg(-1) PEG-m-THPC mediated PDT respectively (P < 0.05). We conclude that PEG-m-THPC mediated PDT has a favourable therapeutic window and that this minimally-invasive procedure can reduce pelvic cancer bulks effectively and selectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The well-established SMART test, a somatic mutation and recombination assay of Drosophila, was applied to assess the possible genotoxicity of sublethal meta-tetra(hydroxyphenyl) chlorin (mTHPC) photodynamic therapy (PDT) to clonogenic cells in situ. The SMART assay monitors the loss of heterozygosity (LOH) at selected cell-marker loci in clonogenic cells of the larval wing primordia. No evidence of genotoxicity was observed under conditions that killed between 38 and 86% of the exposed test larvae. Since the SMART assay is based on the oral uptake of the suspected genotoxic agent, the uptake kinetics of mTHPC by the assay's specific target cells must be known. Therefore, relevant studies are being carried out at present in order to draw final conclusions from this negative test result for genotoxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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