Archive for December, 2006
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Goh DL,
Chua KY,
Chew FT,
Liang RC,
Seow TK,
Ou KL,
Yi FC,
Lee BW.
Department of Paediatrics, National University of Singapore, 5 Lower Kent Ridge Road, S(119074)Singapore.
BACKGROUND: We have previously described anaphylaxis induced by edible bird’s nest (BN) and demonstrated that this condition is IgE mediated. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed at describing the immunochemical properties of the BN allergens. Comparative studies between 3 commercially available sources (according to the country of origin) of BN were also made. METHODS: Crude extracts of commercially available processed BN from Sarawak (Malaysia), Thailand, and Indonesia and fresh unprocessed BN from the caves of Sarawak were obtained by means of aqueous extraction. Specific IgE toward these sources were determined by using fluorescence allergosorbent tests (FASTs). Cross-reactivity studies between the 3 sources of commercially available processed BN were carried out by means of FAST inhibition. Immunochemical characterization by means of IgE immunoblot, periodate treatment, and heat stability studies were carried out on fresh unprocessed BN from Sarawak. RESULTS: Serum from allergic patients showed differences in IgE binding to the 3 sources of commercially available BN, with the highest levels of specific IgE recorded with the Sarawak source (P <.0001). Of these, only the Sarawak and Thailand sources showed considerable cross-reactivity. Further work on the unprocessed fresh Sarawak source identified a putative 66-kd major allergen containing several isoforms. Periodate treatment resulted in loss of IgE binding. Despite a progressive decline in the molecular weights of allergens on SDS-PAGE with increasing periods of boiling, IgE binding, as assessed by means of FAST, was not affected. N-terminal sequence of the major putative allergen (66 kd) showed homology to a domain of an ovoinhibitor precursor in chicken (SWISS-PROT accession No. P10184). CONCLUSIONS: We have described the immunochemical properties of BN allergens. Edible BN from different sources are allergenically dissimilar. The putative major allergen is a 66-kd protein.
PMID: 11398089 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
December 22nd, 2006
.jvir.org
MM Wojtowycz, T Stoehr, AB Crummy, JC McDermott and IA Sproat
Department of Radiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison 53792, USA.
PURPOSE: To examine a large single-center experience with Bird’s Nest vena caval filters for indications, clinically evident recurrent thromboembolic disease, and other filter-related complications. MATERIALS AND METHODS: During a 6-year period, 308 patients underwent percutaneous placement of an inferior vena caval filter. The 267 patients who received a Bird’s Nest filter are the subject of this retrospective review. The series included 162 men and 105 women who ranged in age from 16 to 88 years (mean, 57.1 +/- 17.0 standard deviation). RESULTS: Indications for filter placement included contraindication to anticoagulation (n = 141), complication of anticoagulation (n = 23), failure of anticoagulation (n = 30), failure of previously placed filter (n = 1), and prophylaxis (n = 82). Ten patients had more than one indication. Acute lower extremity deep venous thrombosis was confirmed in 133 patients, pulmonary embolism (PE) was found in 44 patients, and both were positively diagnosed in 37 other patients. Fifty-three patients had no documented acute thromboembolic disease at the time of insertion. Mean follow-up was 13 months. Thirty-day mortality was 9.7%, including one death from recurrent PE and one major puncture-site bleeding episode that may have contributed to death. Recurrent PE was found at radionuclide scanning or autopsy in three patients (1.1%), whereas another eight patients (3.0%) had suspected recurrent PE without confirmatory studies. Eight patients (3.0%) developed early venous access site thrombosis, including two who progressed to phlegmasia cerulea dolens with fatal complications. Significant nonthromboembolic problems were encountered in 1.9% of patients. CONCLUSIONS: The Bird’s Nest filter is a safe and effective device for patients with complicated venous thromboembolic disease.
December 21st, 2006
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Ou K,
Seow TK,
Liang RC,
Lee BW,
Goh DL,
Chua KY,
Chung MC.
Bioprocessing Technology Center, Singapore National University of Singapore. btcoukl@nus.edu.sg
For centuries, the edible nests of Collocalia spp. (”Bird’s Nests”) have been used as a Chinese delicacy that had been claimed to be an effective health-giving tonic. However, clinical studies indicated that in Singapore, Bird’s Nest is the most common cause of food-induced anaphylaxis in children, which could lead to potentially life-threatening allergenic reactions. The purpose of this study was to characterize the major allergens in Bird’s Nest by using the combined technologies of two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE), immunochemistry, N-terminal protein sequencing, and mass spectrometry. Results from the immunostaining of the Western blots of the Bird’s Nest 2-DE separated proteins with the sera from allergic patients indicated the presence of a major allergen of 66 kDa. Initial searches of the matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization–time of flight–mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) tryptic peptide masses of the allergen in the SWISS-PROT and NCBI nonredundant databases revealed that this protein was novel. Based on the partial protein sequence information obtained from N-terminal microsequencing and nanoelectrospray-tandem MS, the 66 kDa immunoreactive allergen was found to be homologous to ovoinhibitor, a Kazal-type serine protease inhibitor, which is one of the dominant allergens found in chicken egg white.
PMID: 11669547 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
December 20th, 2006
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Guo CT,
Takahashi T,
Bukawa W,
Takahashi N,
Yagi H,
Kato K,
Hidari KI,
Miyamoto D,
Suzuki T,
Suzuki Y.
Department of Biochemistry, University of Shizuoka, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences and COE Program in the 21st century, Suruga-ku, Shizuoka 422-8526, Japan.
Edible bird’s nest (EBN) is the nest of the swift that is made from its saliva. Although EBN has been widely used for enhancing immunocompetence, its antiviral efficacy has not been studied in detail. We found that EBN extract could strongly inhibit infection with influenza viruses in a host range-independent manner when it was hydrolyzed with Pancreatin F. Western blotting assay showed that the EBN extract bound to influenza virus. Furthermore, EBN extract could neutralize the infection of MDCK cells with influenza viruses and inhibit hemagglutination of influenza viruses to erythrocytes, but it could not inhibit the activity of influenza virus sialidase. Fluorometric HPLC indicated that the major molecular species of sialic acid in EBN is N-acetylneuraminic acid. The results suggest that EBN is a safe and valid natural source for the prevention of influenza viruses.
PMID: 16581142 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
December 19th, 2006
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
[Article in Chinese]
Lin JR,
Zhou H,
Lai XP.
Guangzhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510130, China.
OBJECTIVE: To study the feasibility of using stereoscopy in identification on Edible Bird’s Nest (EBN). METHOD: Characteristics of white EBN pieces, red EBN, white fungus pieces and EBN painted with colloid were observed under stereoscopy. RESULTS: EBN pieces could be distinguished from white fungus pieces under stereoscope. The former is semitransparent and has more fine cracks; the latter is opaque and without fine cracks. EBN painted with colloid can be distinguished under stereoscopy too. The characteristics include: (1) the surface lines were not clear; (2) feathers were plastered on the surface. CONCLUSIONS: Stereoscopy can be used in identification of EBN, especially in general investigation of commercials.
PMID: 16850715 [PubMed - in process]
December 18th, 2006
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Nakagawa H,
Hama Y,
Sumi T,
Li SC,
Maskos K,
Kalayanamitra K,
Mizumoto S,
Sugahara K,
Li YT.
Department of Biochemistry, Tulane University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112; Department of Applied Biological Sciences, Saga University, Saga 840-8502, Japan.
Despite their wide occurrence, proteoglycans (PGs) have never been isolated from the saliva of higher animals. We found that the collocalia glycoproteins isolated from edible bird’s nests (the dried forms of regurgitated saliva of male collocalia swiftlets) were rich in a PG containing non-sulfated chondroitin glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). We have devised a method to isolate a PG from the water extract of the white nest built by Aerodramus fuciphagus (white nest swiftlets) with a yield of 2 mg PG/g nest. This PG contained 83% of carbohydrates of which 79% was GalNAc and GlcUA in an equimolar ratio. By using chondroitin AC lyase the structure of GAGs in this PG was established to be chondroitin (–>4GlcUAbeta1 –> 3GalNAcbeta1 –> )n chains. The average molecular mass of the chondroitin chain was estimated to be 49 kDa by gel filtration. We have isolated a linkage region hexasaccharide, DeltaHexUAalpha1 –> 3GalNAcbeta1 –> 4GlcUAbeta1 –> 3Galbeta1 –> 3Galbeta1 –> 4Xyl, from this PG by chondroitinase ABC digestion to show that the GAGs in this PG are also linked to the core protein through the common tetrasaccharide linker, GlcUAbeta1 –> 3Galbeta1 –> 3Galbeta1 –> 4Xyl, found in various PGs. As water was not effective in extracting uronic acid-containing glycoconjugates from the black nest built by black nest swiftlets (A. maximus), we used 4 M guanidium chloride, and anion-exchange chromatography in the presence of urea to extract and isolate about 30 mg of a chondroitin PG preparation from 10 g of the desialylated black nest. As the biological significance of chondroitin is still not well understood, bird’s nest should become a convenient source for preparing this unique GAG to study its biological functions.
PMID: 17035304 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
December 15th, 2006
.arikah.ne
Description
The birds called Swiftlets or Cave Swiftlets are contained within the four genera Aerodramus, Hydrochous, Schoutedenapus and Collocalia. They form the Collocaliini tribe within the swift family Apodidae. The group contains around thirty species mostly confined to southern Asia, south Pacific islands, and northeastern Australia, all within the tropical and subtropical regions. They are in many respects typical members of the Apodidae, having narrow wings for fast flight, with a wide gape and small reduced beak surrounded by bristles for catching insects in flight. What distinguishes many but not all species from other swifts and indeed almost all other birds (but the Oilbird) is their ability to use a simple but effective form of echolocation to navigate in total darkness through the chasms and shafts of the caves where they roost at night and breed. Their nests are often collected for the Chinese delicacy Bird’s nest soup.
Genus Aerodramus
See Imag [1][2]
See Maps of Geographic Rang [3][4][5][6][7]
Introduction
The Genus Aerodramus in family Apodidae is of special interest due to its use of echolocation and their intricately constructed nests which are harvested and bought at extremely high prices. These birds are closely related to the oilbirds which also nest in caves and use echolocation. Also the hummingbird and the nightjars are close relatives (Lee). The swifts remain one of the more complicated groups of birds to taxonomically separate. Plumage is usually dull, with shades of black, brown, and gray and the physical structures are very similar. Swiftlets have four toes, except the Papuan swiftlet which lacks the back toe, the hallux (Lee). Legs are very short, preventing the bird from perchering, but allowing the bird to cling to vertical surfaces. The birds are able to glide due to very long primary wing feathers and small breast muscles. These larger swiftlets weigh about 14 grams (Lee). Male and female swiftlets look similar. These birds are monogamous and both take part in caring for the nestlings. Males perform aerial displays to attract females and mating occurs at the nest. The breeding season overlaps the wet season; which corresponds to an increased insect population. Clutch size depends on the location and the food source, but Aerodramus swiftlets lay around 1-2 eggs. The eggs are a dull white color and are laid in intervals of every other day. These swiftlets are colonial nesters; building nests in high, dark corners on cave walls (Camfield). Swiftlets in temperate zones do migrate but, most Aerodramus swiftlets live in the south Pacific and do not migrate. These birds usually remain in one cave. Some examples of caves include the Niah Caves, Gunung Mulu National Park, and Niah National Park which are all located on the island of Sarawak, off of Malaysia (Hobbs).
The use of echolocation was once used to separate Genus Aerodramus from the non-echolocating Genuses, Collocalia and Hydrochous. But recently, the genus Collocalia was discovered making similar clicking noises in and outside the cave (Thomassen, 2004). Behaviors, such as what materials the nests contain, can be used to depict between certain species of Aerodramus (Lee, 1996). Swiftlets are insectivores; hymenoptera and diptera being the most abundant prey (Lourie, 2000). Typically, swiftlets leave the cave during the day to forage and return to their roost at night (Price, 2005). Swiftlets are found in limestone caves ranging from the Indian Ocean to the South Pacific (Marcone, 2005). Over the past twenty years, the high demand for these unique nests has affected the swiftlet population (Hobbs, 2003).
Echolocation
The genus, Aerodramus, was thought to be the only echolocating swiftlet in the family Apodidae. These birds use echolocation to locate their roost in dark caves. Unlike a bat’s echolocation, Aerodramus swiftlets make clicking noises that are well within the human range of hearing (Price, 2005). The clicks consist of two broad band pulses (3-10 kHz) separated by a slight pause (1-3 msec). The interpulse periods (IPPs) are varied depending on the level of light; in darker situations the bird emits shorter IPPs, as obstacles become harder to see, and longer IPPs are observed when the bird nears the exit of the cave. This behavior is similar to bats as they approach targets. The birds also emit a series of low IPPs followed by a vocalization call when approaching the nests; presumed to warn nearby birds. The frequency of clicks does not aid in echolocation but rather the bird gathers temporal information about its surroundings.
It is thought that double clicks are used to discriminate between individua birds. Aerodramus sawtelli, Atiu Swiftlet, and Aerodramus maximus are the only swiftlets which emit single clicks. The single click is thought be used to avoid voice overlap during echolocation. The use of a single click might be associated with a shift in eastern Pacific swiftlets. If so determining how many clicks Aerodramus ocistus emits, could further this hypothesis. It was also discovered that both the Atiu Swiftlet and the Papuan Swiftlet, emit clicks while foraging outside the cave at dusk; a behavior not common to any swiftlets (Fullard, 1993).
Three hypotheses are used to describe how echolocation evolved in the Genu Aerodramus and, more recently, other clades in the family Apodidae. One hypothesis states that echolocation evolved from an ancestral species of swiftlets and was lost in the geneses which lack echolocation. A second hypothesis is that echolocation evolved independently, only in the geneses which are able to echolocate. The third scenario involves a combination of the first two. The first hypothesis would involve three events, one having echolocation evolve once in two genuses and then being lost twice in other clades. The second hypothesis would need only two events to occur; echolocation evolved independently in only two genuses. This suggests that the second scenario was more likely to occur.
Several subunits are needed to produce the echolocating system. Past studie have thought that the loss of one of these subunits was more likely to occu than acquiring all the traits needed to echolocate. But a recent study suggest that the echolocating subunits were mainly located in the central nervou system, while other subunits were already present and capable of use befor echolocation even evolved. This study used the second hypothesis stating tha echolocation evolved independently in Aerodramus and Collocalia, with the evolution of complex traits needed to complete the echolocation system. This hypothesis might be more likely to occur than the subsequent loss of the subunits in other clades of Apodidae (Thomassen, 2005).
Food
Authentic bird’s nest soup is made using the nests of the swiftlet. Instead o twigs and straw, the swiftlet makes its nest from strands of gummy saliva which harden when exposed to air. Once the nests are harvested, they ar cleaned and sold to restaurants, where they are served simmered in chicke broth
Authentic bird’s nest soup is quite popular throughout Asia, perhaps because i has the reputation of being an aphrodisiac. It is also quite costly; many wester restaurants serve a less expensive version consisting of soup with noodle shaped to resemble a bird’s nest
Cave ecology
Guano (dung) from both the swiftlets and the many bats that inhabit the caves supports a huge array of specialized animals that feed on the dung. There are yet other creatures that have evolved to feed on these dung eaters as well as on the bats and the swiftlets themselves, including snakes that can climb the sheer walls to snatch a passing meal and huge carnivorous crickets that prey on chicks and bat pups.
This ecosystem is self-sustaining, the only link with the outside being the birds and the bats that bring the nutrients into the caves in the first place.
The Philippine municipality of El Nido in Palawan, known for its limestone cliffs and pristine beaches is home to a thriving Bird’s Nest market. The name El Nido is the Spanish term for literally “The Nest”. Many locals still practice manual climbing of the limestone caves to gather Swiftlet nests.
References
Camfield, Alaine. “Family Apodidae”. Animal Diversity Web. University o Michigan Museum of Zoology http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Apodidae.html>.
Fullard, James H. “Echolocation in Free-Flying Atiu Swiftlets (Aerodramu sawtelli) ”. Biotropica 25 (1993): 334-339
Gausset, Quentin. (2004) “ Chronicle of a Foreseeable Tragedy: Birds’ Nest Management in the Niah Caves (Sarawak)”. Human Ecology 32: 487-506.
Hobbs, Joseph J. (2004) “Problems in the harvest of edible birds’ nests i Sarawak and Sabah, Malaysian Borneo”. Biodiversity and Conservation 13: 2209-2226.
Lee, Patricia L. M., Clayton, Dale H., Griffiths, Richard, Page, Roderic D. M “Does behavior reflect phylogeny in swiftlets (Aves: Apodidae)? A test usin cytochrome b mitochondrial DNA sequences”. Evolution 93 (1996): 7091-7096
Lourie, SA, Tompkins, DM. “The diets of Malaysian swiftlets”. IBIS 142 (2000) 596-602
Marcone, Massimo F. (2005) “Characterization of the edible bird’s nest th Caviar of the East”. Food Research International 38:1125-1134.
Price, Jordan J., Johnson, Kevin, P., Bush, Sarah H., Clayton, Dale H “Phylogenetic relationships of the Papuan Swiftlet Aerodramus papuensis an implications for the evolution of avian echolocation”. IBIS 147 (2005): 790 -
Price, Jordan J., Johnson, Kevin P., Clayton, Dale H. “The evolution o echolocation in swiftlets”. Journal of Avian Biology 35 (2004): 135 -
Thomassen, Henri A., Tex, Robert-Jan, Bakker, Merijn A.G., Povel, G. David E “Phylogenetic relationships amongst swifts and swiftlets: A multi locu approach”. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 37 (2005): 264-277
Species
• Genus Hydrochous
â—¦ Waterfall Swift, Hydrochous gigas
• Genus Collocalia
â—¦ Glossy Swiftlet, Collocalia esculenta
â—¦ Cave Swiftlet, Collocalia linchi
â—¦ Pygmy Swiftlet, Collocalia troglodytes
• Genus Aerodramus
â—¦ Seychelles Swiftlet, Aerodramus elaphrus
â—¦ Mascarene Swiftlet, Aerodramus francicus
â—¦ Indian Swiftlet, Aerodramus unicolor
â—¦ Philippine Swiftlet, Aerodramus mearnsi
â—¦ Moluccan Swiftlet, Aerodramus infuscatus
â—¦ Mountain Swiftlet, Aerodramus hirundinaceus
â—¦ White-rumped Swiftlet, Aerodramus spodiopygius
â—¦ Australian Swiftlet, Aerodramus terraereginae
â—¦ Himalayan Swiftlet, Aerodramus brevirostris
â—¦ Indochinese Swiftlet, Aerodramus rogersi
â—¦ Volcano Swiftlet, Aerodramus vulcanorum
â—¦ Whitehead’s Swiftlet, Aerodramus whiteheadi
â—¦ Bare-legged Swiftlet, Aerodramus nuditarsus
â—¦ Mayr’s Swiftlet, Aerodramus orientalis
â—¦ Palawan Swiftlet, Aerodramus palawanensis
â—¦ Mossy-nest Swiftlet, Aerodramus salangana
â—¦ Uniform Swiftlet, Aerodramus vanikorensis
â—¦ Palau Swiftlet, Aerodramus pelewensis
â—¦ Guam Swiftlet, Aerodramus bartschi
â—¦ Caroline Islands Swiftlet, Aerodramus inquietus
â—¦ Atiu Swiftlet, Aerodramus sawtelli
â—¦ Polynesian Swiftlet, Aerodramus leucophaeus
â—¦ Marquesan Swiftlet, Aerodramus ocistus
â—¦ Black-nest Swiftlet, Aerodramus maximus
â—¦ Edible-nest Swiftlet, Aerodramus fuciphagus
â—¦ German’s Swiftlet, Aerodramus germani
â—¦ Papuan Swiftlet, Aerodramus papuensis
• Genus Achoutedenapus
â—¦ Scarce Swift, Schoutedenapus myoptilus
â—¦ Schouteden’s Swift, Schoutedenapus schoutedeni
Category
Apodidae
December 14th, 2006
did-you-mean.com
For other meanings of the word Swift see Swift (other meanings).
The swifts are birds superficially similar to swallows but are completely unrelated to those passerine species; swifts are in the separate order Apodiformes, which they formerly shared with the hummingbirds.
The resemblances between the swifts and swallows are due to convergent evolution reflecting similar life styles based on catching insects in flight.
The family scientific name comes from the Greek ?????, apous, meaning “without feet”, since swifts have very short legs and never settle voluntarily on the ground, perching instead on vertical surfaces. The tradition of depicting swifts without feet continued into the Middle Ages, as see in the heraldic martlet.
Swifts are the most aerial of birds and some, like the Common Swift, even sleep and mate on the wing. One group, the Swiftlets or Cave Swiftlets have developed a form of echolocation for navigating through dark cave systems where they roost.
Like swallows and martins, the swifts of temperate regions are strongly migratory and winter in the tropics.
Many swifts have a characteristic shape, with a short forked tail and very long swept-back wings that resemble a crescent or a boomerang. The flight of some species is characterised by a distinctive “flicking” action quite different from swallows.
The nest of many species is glued to a vertical surface with saliva, and the genus Aerodramus use only that substance, which is the basis for bird’s nest soup.
December 13th, 2006
springerlink.com
Journal
Human Ecology
Publisher
Springer Netherlands
ISSN
0300-7839 (Print) 1572-9915 (Online)
Subject
Humanities, Social Sciences and Law
Issue
Volume 32, Number 4 / August, 2004
DOI
10.1023/B:HUEC.0000043517.23277.54
Pages
487-507
Online Date
Monday, December 06, 2004
(1)Â
Institute of Anthropology, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksholms kanal, 4, DK-1220Â Copenhagen K., Denmark
Abstract  The number of birds’ nests harvested in the Niah cave today is only a fraction of what it used to be. This article focuses on the socioeconomic causes of the decline. It argues that the present situation is not directly linked to the tragedy of the commons, since the ownership of cave and nests is private. The tragic aspect is, rather, linked to an attitude of free riding which was threatening the private system of ownership in the 1980s, and which forced Penan owners to lease their caves to the former free riders (thereby diluting management responsibility), and to harvest nests as soon as possible (before the birds can lay eggs and reproduce). It is therefore the tragedy of a management system whose rules, intended to avoid open access and free riding, lead to unsustainable behavior. Since the birds cannot be privatized, it is also the tragedy of a system in which actors are unable to reach a consensus on how to manage sustainably a de facto common property resource.
birds’ nests - tragedy of the commons - common property resource management - Malaysia - Sarawak
December 12th, 2006
Patricia L. M. Lee, Dale H. Clayton, Richard Griffiths, Roderic D. M. Page
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Vol. 93, No. 14 (Jul. 9, 1996), pp. 7091-7096
.jstor.org
Swiftlets are small insectivorous birds, many of which nest in caves and are known to echolocate. Due to a lack of distinguishing morphological characters, the taxonomy of swiftlets is primarily based on the presence or absence of echolocating ability, together with nest characters. To test the reliability of these behavioral characters, we constructed an independent phylogeny using cytochrome b mitochondrial DNA sequences from swiftlets and their relatives. This phylogeny is broadly consistent with the higher classification of swifts but does not support the monophyly of swiftlets. Echolocating swiftlets (Aerodramus) and the nonecholocating “giant swiftlet'’ (Hydrochous gigas) group together, but the remaining nonecholocating swiftlets belonging to Collocalia are not sister taxa to these swiftlets. While echolocation may be a synapomorphy of Aerodramus (perhaps secondarily lost in Hydrochous), no character of Aerodramus nests showed a statistically significant fit to the molecular phylogeny, indicating that nest characters are not phylogenetically reliable in this group.
December 11th, 2006
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