OBSERVATIONS ON THE SLATY EGRET EGRETTA VINACEIGULA IN NORTHERN NAMIBIA

Hines, C.J.H. 1992. Observations on the Slaty Egret Egretta vinaceigula in northern Namibia. Ostrich 63: 118–122.

The Slaty Egret is an endemic African resident with a limited distribution in Botswana, Zambia and Namibia. Distribution records for Namibia are reviewed and information on movements and habitat preferences is given. Diet and feeding habits are described. Two colonies of Slaty Egrets containing eggs and chicks were found on temporary wetlands in eastern Bushmanland. Nests and eggs are described and egg measurements and weights given. The plumage of immature birds is described as well as the variation in adult plumages. The conservation status of the species is reviewed, and the possible importance of temporary wetlands to the Slaty Egret is discussed.     

A new brace treatment similar for adolescent scoliosis and kyphosis based on restoration of thoracolumbar lordosis. Radiological and subjective clinical results after at least one year of treatment

Study design

A prospective treatment study with a new brace was conducted Objective. To evaluate radiological and subjective clinical results after one year conservative brace treatment with pressure onto lordosis at the thoracolumbar joint in children with scoliosis and kyphosis.

Summary of background data

Conservative brace treatment of adolescent scoliosis is not proven to be effective in terms of lasting correction. Conservative treatment in kyphotic deformities may lead to satisfactory correction. None of the brace or casting techniques is based on sagittal forces only applied at the thoracolumbar spine (TLI= thoracolumbar lordotic intervention). Previously we showed in patients with scoliosis after forced lordosis at the thoracolumbar spine a radiological instantaneous reduction in both coronal curves of double major scoliosis.

Methods

A consecutive series of 91 children with adolescent scoliosis and kyphosis were treated with a modified symmetric 30 degrees Boston brace to ensure only forced lordosis at the thoracolumbar spine. Scoliosis was defined with a Cobb angle of at least one of the curves [greater than or equal to] 25 degrees and kyphosis with or without a curve <25 degrees in the coronal plane. Standing radiographs were made i) at start, ii) in brace at beginning and iii) after one year treatment without brace.

Results

Before treatment start ??in brace?? radiographs showed a strong reduction of the Cobb angles in different curves in kyphosis and scoliosis groups (sagittal n = 5 all p < 0.001, pelvic obliquity p < 0.001). After one year of brace treatment in scoliosis and kyphosis group the measurements on radiographs made without brace revealed an improvement in 3 Cobb angles each.

Conclusion

Conservative treatment using thoracolumbar lordotic intervention in scoliotic and kyphotic deformities in adolescence demonstrates a marked improvement after one year also in clinical and postural criteria. An effect not obtained with current brace techniques.     

Variation in the ribosomal internal transcribed spacers and 5.8S rDNA among five species of Acropora (Cnidaria; Scleractinia): patterns of variation consistent with reticulate evolution

The ITS sequences of Acropora spp. are the shortest so far identified in any metazoan and are among the shortest seen in eukaryotes; ITS1 was 70-80 bases, and ITS2 was 100-112 bases. The ITS sequences were also highly variable, but base composition and secondary structure prediction indicate that divergent sequence variants are unlikely to be pseudogenes. The pattern of variation was unusual in several other respects: (1) two distinct ITS2 types were detected in both A. hyacinthus and A. cytherea, species known to hybridize in vitro with high success rates, and a putative intermediate ITS2 form was also detected in A. cytherea; (2) A. valida was found to contain highly (29%) diverged ITS1 variants; and (3) A. longicyathus contained two distinct 5.8S rDNA types. These data are consistent with a reticulate evolutionary history for the genus Acropora.      

Structure of discontinuities in kinetoplast DNA-associated minicircles during S phase in Crithidia fasciculata

Kinetoplast DNA (kDNA) is a novel form of mitochondrial DNA consisting of thousands of interlocked minicircles and 20–30 maxicircles. The minicircles replicate free of the kDNA network but nicks and gaps in the newly synthesized strands remain at the time of reattachment to the kDNA network. We show here that the steady-state population of replicated, network-associated minicircles only becomes repaired to the point of having nicks with a 3′OH and 5′deoxyribonucleoside monophosphate during S phase. These nicks represent the origin/terminus of the strand and occur within the replication origins (oriA and oriB) located 180° apart on the minicircle. Minicircles containing a new L strand have a single nick within either oriA or oriB but not in both origins in the same molecule. The discontinuously synthesized H strand contains single nicks within both oriA and oriB in the same molecule implying that discontinuities between the H-strand Okazaki fragments become repaired except for the fragments initiated within the two origins. Nicks in L and H strands at the origins persist throughout S phase and only become ligated as a prelude to network division. The failure to ligate these nicks until just prior to network division is not due to inappropriate termini for ligation.     

Linkage of bovine erythrocyte antigen loci B, C, L, S, Z, R' and T' and the serum protein loci post-transferrin 2 (PTF 2), vitamin D binding protein (GC) and albumin (ALB) to DNA microsatellite markers

Seven bovine erythrocyte antigen loci and three serum protein loci were tentatively assigned to chromosomes or synteny groups by linkage analysis to previously assigned microsatellite DNA markers. The erythrocyte antigen locus EAB was mapped to synteny group U27; EAC to chromosome 18, synteny group U9; EAL to chromosome 3, synteny group U6; EAS to chromosome 21, synteny group U4; EAZ to chromosome 10, synteny group U5; EAR' to chromosome 16, synteny group U1; and EAT' to chromosome 19, synteny group U21. The vitamin D binding protein (GC) and albumin (ALB) loci were assigned to chromosome 6, synteny group U15 and post-transferrin 2 (PTF 2) to chromosome 19, synteny group U21.     

Bovine lymphocyte antigens: serological relationships with erythrocyte and spermatozoan antigens

Bovine lymphocytotoxicity tests with 20 unabsorbed bovine blood group sera revealed extensive reactivity which in the majority of cases had no indication of blood group relationship. Six of these sera were absorbed with selected lymphocytes to produce eleven antisera of reduced specificity. Again, most of the sera had reaction patterns which could not be related to the hemolytic patterns of any known blood group antibodies. However, five comparisons involving unabsorbed antisera and two comparisons involving absorbed antisera provided statistical evidence of similarities between their lymphocytotoxic reaction patterns and the hemolytic reaction patterns of certain blood group antibodies. Several of the sera appeared to contain related cytotoxic specificities, and three such absorbed sera may have contained an anti-J specificity. All six examined monospecific isoimmune blood group antisera contained lymphocytic reactivities not related to their hemolytic specificites. Two normal sera containing naturally occurring anti-J had no cytotoxic activity. Anti-semen sera likewise were devoid of lymphocytotoxic activity.