Does logging and forest conversion to oil palm agriculture alter functional diversity in a biodiversity hotspot?

Forests in Southeast Asia are rapidly being logged and converted to oil palm. These changes in land-use are known to affect species diversity but consequences for the functional diversity of species assemblages are poorly understood. Environmental filtering of species with similar traits could lead to disproportionate reductions in trait diversity in degraded habitats. Here, we focus on dung beetles, which play a key role in ecosystem processes such as nutrient recycling and seed dispersal. We use morphological and behavioural traits to calculate a variety of functional diversity measures across a gradient of disturbance from primary forest through intensively logged forest to oil palm. Logging caused significant shifts in community composition but had very little effect on functional diversity, even after a repeated timber harvest. These data provide evidence for functional redundancy of dung beetles within primary forest and emphasize the high value of logged forests as refugia for biodiversity. In contrast, conversion of forest to oil palm greatly reduced taxonomic and functional diversity, with a marked decrease in the abundance of nocturnal foragers, a higher proportion of species with small body sizes and the complete loss of telecoprid species (dung-rollers), all indicating a decrease in the functional capacity of dung beetles within plantations. These changes also highlight the vulnerability of community functioning within logged forests in the event of further environmental degradation.

Successful treatment of hereditary progressive dystonia--a case report

Hereditary progressive dystonia or Segawa disease is a very rare disease. Diagnosis depends on typical clinical features with remarkably good response to levodopa and normal laboratory findings. Here, we report on a unique case of Segawa disease with a fixed equinovarus foot. The patient was a twenty one year old female with the typical clinical manifestations since eight years of age who became wheel-chair dependent at the age of fifteen. The dystonia responded well to levodopa except for the foot deformities. The foot deformities were successfully corrected by use of the Ilizarov apparatus and she ambulated freely at follow up. Since several similar foot deformities appeared in the early stage of a progressive neurological degenerative disease, the treatable Segawa disease should be added to the differential diagnosis when facing a patient with pes equinovarus.

Traumatic patellar tendon ruptures--a follow-up study of primary repair and neutralization wire

Thirty-five patients with traumatic patellar tendon ruptures treated with primary repair and neutralization wire were retrospectively reviewed. The length of follow up ranged from 1.5 years to 5 years with an average follow up period of 20 months. All the ruptures occurred due to acute trauma, twelve of them (34%) involved in a multiple injuries, and nineteen had an open wounds around the knee joints. The diagnostic clues included a high riding patella by palpation or by X-ray, hemoarthrosis, a palpable gap over the tendon; and being unable to extend the knee actively. Using the criteria of Siwek and Rao, at follow up 57% were rated as excellent, 28.6% good; and 14.2% unsatisfactory. None of the 35 patients had a rerupture of tendon. It is recommended that primary repair with a neutralization wire can be a treatment of choice for traumatic patellar tendon ruptures.

Treatment of recurrent adamantinoma of the tibia by wide resection: report of three cases

Three cases of recurrent adamantinoma of the tibia were treated by wide resection and frozen allograft reconstruction. After an average follow-up period of 4.5 years (from 3.5 to 5.5 years), all allografts were found to have united to both ends of the host bone and none of the patients suffered further recurrence. According to Enneking's criteria for functional evaluation, two patients had excellent results and one had a good result. Therefore, it appears that amputation is not the only solution for recurrent adamantinoma of the long bone. In selected cases, wide resection and allograft replacement can achieve a satisfactory result.

Squamous cell carcinoma arising in chronic osteomyelitis--clinical analysis of 7 cases

Retrospectively, we analyzed 7 cases of chronic osteomyelitis complicated with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), who had been treated consecutively in Chang Gung Memorial Hospital from April 1983 to Jan. 1991. There were 6 males and one female, with the age between 43 and 80 years (average 57 years). The distribution of these lesions was 5 in the lower legs and 2 in the thighs; one had another hip lesion. The duration of discharging sinus presented before malignant change was from 4.5 years to 50 years (average 30 years). The pathological findings were all well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. Amputation was performed in 5 of them. Limb salvage procedure was selectively done in one case. Chemotherapy and regional irradiation without surgery was given in the remaining case. Follow up examination showed that the short term results were satisfactory in all cases. Six cases had at least one year of follow-up; the longest follow-up was 8 years.