Cryptosporidium is the most common protozoan that can infect a wide range of animals, including mammals and birds. Avian Cryptosporidium spp. can cause enteric and respiratory diseases which can be fatal in birds and some species are zoonotic. Companion birds have the potential as reservoir due to their close contact with humans. Pet shops are the major source of companion birds. However, few reports are available regarding Cryptosporidium spp. infection among companion birds kept in pet shops. The present study reports the prevalence and molecular characteristics of Cryptosporidium spp. among companion birds kept in pet shops in Japan. A total of 265 fresh fecal samples were obtained from birds kept in 4 pet shops; these birds belonged to 41 species in 3 bird orders. A nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay targeting the small subunit rRNA gene was employed for the detection of Cryptosporidium spp. A total of 24 samples (9.1%) were positive, and Cryptosporidium spp. were detected from all pet shops. The prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. in each of the bird orders was 6.5% (10/153) in Psittaciformes, 14.4% (13/90) in Passeriformes, and 4.5% (1/22) in Galliformes. Based on sequence analysis, 13 (54.2%) isolates were classified to C. galli, 8 (33.3%) were avian genotype III, and the remaining 3 (12.5%) were C. baileyi. No infection with zoonotic C. meleagridis and no coinfection with multiple Cryptosporidium spp. and/or genotypes were observed. The zoonotic potential of Cryptosporidium spp. infecting companion birds kept in pet shops in Japan is likely to be low.
Animals ; Birds ; Coinfection ; Cryptosporidium ; Friends ; Galliformes ; Genes, rRNA ; Genotype ; Humans ; Japan ; Mammals ; Passeriformes ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Pregnancy ; Prevalence ; Psittaciformes ; Sequence Analysis

No abstract available.
Esophageal Achalasia ; Humans ; Swallows ; Water

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study is to evaluate the changes of the respiratory patterns associated with swallowing in the brain-injured patients. METHOD: Twenty brain-injured patients(6 bulbar lesions, 14 pseudobulbar lesions) and fifteen normal subjects were selected for this study. Each subject swallowed 5cc of water for ten times in a upright sitting position and a submental electromyography recording and respirography by pneumobelt on mid-abdomen were recorded simultaneously. RESULTS: 1) Most swallows occured during the late expiratory phase in both brain-injured patients and controls. 2) In brain-injured patients, the incidence of swallowing during inspiration was significantly higher than the controls(p<0.05). 3) In brain-injured patients, the postdeglutitive inspiration was significantly higher than the controls(p<0.05). 4) In patients with a bulbar lesion, the postdeglutitive inspiration was significantly higher than patients with a pseudobulbar lesion(p<0.01). 5) Postdeglutitive swallowing relatively correlates with the abnormalities in clinical findings and Video Fluoroscopic Swallowing Study(VFSS) findings. CONCLUSION: The respiratory patterns associated with the swallowing in brain-injured patients were different from that of the normal adults and the postdeglutitive inspiration could be the most valuable predictor of the aspiration.
Adult ; Deglutition* ; Electromyography ; Humans ; Incidence ; Swallows ; Water

Androgen plays an important role in singing of songbirds. Recent studies have shown that androgen levels in vivo not only affect the external morphology of songbirds, but also affect their singing behavior. Androgens (including derivatives) affect singing behavior and singing system in many ways. Based mainly on the results from our research group in the zebra finch, this review summarizes the effects of androgen on singing behavior, excitability and synaptic transmission of projection neurons of singing system, and the interaction of androgen with other neurotransmitter receptors in the brain of songbirds.
Androgens ; physiology ; Animals ; Brain ; physiology ; Songbirds ; physiology ; Vocalization, Animal

OBJECTIVE: To explore the temperature field distribution and variation rules during treatment with mild moxibustion and sparrow-pecking moxibustion of TCM. METHODS: Six healthy subjects were selected. Mild moxibustion and sparrow-pecking moxibustion were exerted at Zusanli (ST 36) respectively, for 25 min. Using infrared thermal imaging instrument, the temperature field distribution was measured during moxibustion at Zusanli (ST 36). The simulated thermometer was adopted to measure the temperature field distribution during moxibustion at the imitated cortex. At 20 min of mild moxibustion and sparrow-pecking moxibustion, the temperature field distribution generated by moxibustion was observed at the imitated cortex and Zusanli (ST 36) separately. The temperature values were collected at the sites 0.7, 2.1 and 3.5 cm far from the center of the moxibustion-exerted places successively, and then the characteristics of temperature field distribution and variation rules were compared between different moxibustion methods at the imitated cortex and Zusanli (ST 36). RESULTS: At 20 min of mild moxibustion and sparrow-pecking moxibustion at Zusanli (ST 36), the temperature field distribution focused on the center of moxibustion-exerted site and the temperature was reduced to all directions and illustrated as a curved surface graph, whereas, the temperature field distribution at the imitated cortex was consistent with that at Zusanli (ST 36). With mild moxibustion, the temperature field was distributed uniformly along the longitudinal temperature gradient; whereas, with sparrow-pecking moxibustion, the longitudinal temperature of the temperature field was greatly different, in which, the maximum temperature and the average temperature were higher than those with mild moxibustion respectively and the first time up to the peak value of sparrow-pecking moxibustion was shorter than that with mild moxibustion. The thermal transfer was presented at the non-moxibustion exerted areas during the moxibustion experiment at Zusanli (ST 36). CONCLUSION A distance feature is presented in the temperature field measured by simulated thermometer and generated under suspension moxibustion at Zusanli (ST 36). The warm stimulation effect of sparrow-pecking moxibustion is much more obvious at the moxibustion-exerted center as compared with mild moxibustion and the area of warm stimulation generated by sparrow-pecking moxibustion is more concentrated as compared with mild moxibustion. The radiation energy produced by suspension moxibustion is scattered and attenuated in skin tissue, resulting in a certain temperature gradient in the temperature field. The warm stimulation generated at skin surface by moxibustion has a warming-dredging effect.
Acupuncture Points ; Animals ; Humans ; Moxibustion ; Sparrows ; Temperature ; Torso

BACKGROUND: A volumetric caudal epidural steroid injection has been advocated to facilitate the delivery of medications to a lesion site. This study was aimed to examine the actual spreading patterns of this technique, using an epidurogram. METHODS: A total of 32 patients with chronic low back pain with a radiculopathy of various causes (degenerative spondylosis, herniated nucleus pulposus, spondylolisthesis, and spinal stenosis) were included. A volumetric caudal epidural injection of a 10 ml mixture of contrast medium 5 ml, 0.5% bupivacaine 1 ml, triamcinolone 1.5 ml (60 mg) and normal saline 2.5 ml was performed. Immediately after the cessation of the first spread, the subsequent solution of another 10 ml of contrast medium 5 ml, 0.5% bupivacaine 1 ml and normal saline 4 ml was injected. This procedure was repeated serially until the total volume equaled 50 ml. Continuous fluoroscopic imaging was obtained after each injection. RESULTS: Average time taken to complete the study was 37 seconds per every 10 ml. The spreading levels of the mixture were distributed mainly at the mid to lower lumbar area in the majority of the investigated patients. During the subsequent injections, these levels did not increase significantly. CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that the multiple small volume caudal epidural injections retraced their own tract repeatedly. This was thought to be due to the minimal resistance in the cephalad direction, anatomic variations and the Starling effect of epidural space.
Bupivacaine ; Epidural Space ; Humans ; Injections, Epidural* ; Low Back Pain* ; Radiculopathy ; Spondylolisthesis ; Spondylosis ; Starlings ; Triamcinolone

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Little research has been done to evaluate the effect of stress in exacerbating the symptoms associated with gastroesophageal reflux (GER). We aimed to investigate the effect of acute stress on esophageal motility and GER parameters in healthy volunteers. METHODS: A total of 10 (M:F = 8:2, median age 34 years-old) healthy volunteers without any recurrent gastrointestinal symptoms participated in this study. They underwent esophageal high-resolution manometry with 10 wet swallows (Experiment I) and esophageal impedance-pH monitoring (Experiment II) in the basal period and in the stress period. In the stress period, either real stress or sham stress was given in a randomized cross-over design. The stress scores, symptom severity, and pulse rates were measured. RESULTS: The stress scores and the severity of nausea were significantly greater under real stress, compared with sham stress. The percentages of weak, failed, rapid, premature, and hyper-contractile contractions were not significantly altered during real stress and during sham stress, compared with the basal period. The median resting pressure of the lower esophageal sphincter and distal contractile integral of esophageal contractions did not differ in the stress period, compared with the basal period. Contractile front velocity and distal latency of esophageal peristaltic contractions were significantly changed during real stress, which was not observed during sham stress. GER parameters were not significantly altered during real stress and during sham stress. CONCLUSION: Although acute auditory and visual stress seems to affect esophageal body motility, it does not induce significant motor abnormalities or increase GER in healthy humans.
Cross-Over Studies ; Esophageal Sphincter, Lower ; Gastroesophageal Reflux* ; Healthy Volunteers ; Heart Rate ; Humans* ; Manometry ; Nausea ; Swallows

Esophageal manometry is considered the gold standard for assessing esophageal motor function. Although conventional manometry has been widely used to evaluate esophageal motor function, this is not fully satisfactory for explaining esophageal symptoms. High-resolution manometry (HRM) is designed to overcome the limitations of conventional manometric systems with advanced technologies. A solid-state HRM assembly with 36 solid-state sensors spaced at 1 cm intervals (Sierra Scientific Instruments Inc., Los Angeles, CA, USA) has been widely used around the world. Calibration and post-study thermal correction should be performed at each test. The HRM assembly was passed transnasally and positioned to record from the hypopharynx to the stomach. After a 5 minutes resting period to assess basal sphincter pressure, 5 mL water swallows are obtained in a supine posture. The interpretation of HRM data is still being refined. Recently, the HRM Classification Working Group revised the Chicago classification based on a systematic analysis of motility patterns in 75 control subjects and 400 consecutive patients. The below will show you a summary of the new Chicago classification of distal esophageal motility disorders to provide a practical way of interpreting HRM.
Calibration ; Chicago ; Esophageal Motility Disorders ; Esophagogastric Junction ; Humans ; Hypopharynx ; Los Angeles ; Manometry ; Posture ; Stomach ; Swallows ; Water

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Swallowing is a complex function with the control of the swallowing center being located in the brain stem. Our aim in this investigation was to evaluate, in healthy volunteers, the oral and pharyngeal transit of 2 bolus volumes and 2 consistencies, and the influence of these boluses on the proportion of pharyngeal clearance duration/hyoid movement duration. METHODS: Videofluoroscopic evaluation of swallows was performed in 30 healthy volunteers, aged 29-77 years (mean 58 years). The subjects swallowed in duplicate of 5 mL and 10 mL of thick liquid barium and honey thick barium. We measured the duration of oral transit, pharyngeal transit, pharyngeal clearance, upper esophageal sphincter opening, hyoid movement, oropharyngeal transit, and the relation pharyngeal clearance duration/hyoid movement duration. RESULTS: A 10 mL bolus volume caused a longer UES opening duration than a 5 mL bolus volume, for both consistencies. The pharyngeal transit was longer for honey thick bolus consistency than for thick liquid, with both the volumes of 5 mL and 10 mL. For pharyngeal clearance, the difference was significant only with the 10 mL bolus volume. There was no difference associated with bolus volume or consistency in the relation between pharyngeal clearance duration and hyoid movement duration. CONCLUSIONS: Increase in the swallowed bolus volume causes a longer UES opening duration and an increase in bolus consistency from thick liquid to honey thick causes a longer pharyngeal transit duration. The proportion between pharyngeal clearance and hyoid movement does not change with bolus volume or bolus consistency.
Barium ; Brain Stem ; Deglutition* ; Esophageal Sphincter, Upper ; Healthy Volunteers ; Honey ; Pharynx ; Swallows

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Swallowing of cold liquids decreases amplitude and velocity of peristalsis in healthy subjects, using standard manometry. Patients with achalasia and non obstructive dysphagia may have degeneration of sensory neural pathways, affecting motor response to cooling. To elucidate this point, we used high-resolution manometry. METHODS: Fifteen healthy subjects, 15 non-obstructive dysphagia and 15 achalasia patients, after pneumatic dilation, were studied. The 3 groups underwent eight 5 mL single swallows, two 20 mL multiple rapid swallows and 50 mL intraesophageal water infusion (1 mL/sec), using both water at room temperature and cold water, in a randomized order. RESULTS: In healthy subjects, cold water reduced distal contractile integral in comparison with water at room temperature during single swallows, multiple rapid swallows and intraesophageal infusion (ratio cold/room temperature being 0.67 [95% CI, 0.48-0.85], 0.56 [95% CI, 0.19-0.92] and 0.24 [95% CI, 0.12-0.37], respectively). A similar effect was seen in non-obstructive dysphagia patients (0.68 [95% CI, 0.51-0.84], 0.69 [95% CI, 0.40-0.97] and 0.48 [95% CI, 0.20-0.76], respectively), whereas no changes occurred in achalasia patients (1.06 [95% CI, 0.83-1.29], 1.05 [95% CI, 0.77-1.33] and 1.41 [95% CI, 0.84-2.00], respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest impairment of esophageal reflexes induced by cold water in patients with achalasia, but not in those with non obstructive dysphagia.
Deglutition ; Deglutition Disorders* ; Esophageal Achalasia* ; Humans ; Manometry* ; Neural Pathways ; Peristalsis ; Reflex ; Swallows ; Water*