Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Adaptation to reduced salinity affects the olfactory sensitivity of Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis Kaup 1858) to Ca2+ and Na+ but not amino acids

SUMMARY The Senegalese sole is a marine flatfish, which often penetrates into estuarine waters to feed. It cannot, however, survive in full freshwater. The current study investigated the effect of adaptation to low salinity (10‰) on olfactory responses to changes in environmental [Ca2+] and [Na+] and amino acids by the electro-encephalogram (EEG) recorded from the olfactory bulb. The sole showed olfactory responses to increases in environmental [Na+] and decreases in environmental [Ca2+]; sensitivity to Na+ was greater at 10‰ whereas sensitivity to Ca2+ was greater at 35‰. Decreased environmental [Na+] increased sensitivity to changes in [Ca2+] whereas increased environmental [Ca2+] decreased bulbar responses to changes in [Na+]. Sensitivity to amino acids was unaffected by external salinity. However, the absence of external Na+ strongly decreased bulbar responses to amino acids in fish adapted to 35‰ seawater but not in those at 10‰. The absence of external Ca2+ had no such effect at either salinity. This suggests that odorant-receptor binding and/or olfactory transduction is reliant on external Na+ (but not Ca2+) at higher salinities but the olfactory system is able to adapt to lower environmental [Na+]. Taken together, these results suggest that reductions of external salinity modulate olfactory sensitivity to environmental Ca2+ and Na+ but not amino acids. However, at low salinities, olfactory sensitivity to amino acids is maintained by decreasing reliance on external Na+.
Visual stimuli induced by self-motion and object-motion modify odour-guided flight of male moths (Manduca sexta L.)

SUMMARY Animals rely on multimodal sensory integration for proper orientation within their environment. For example, odour-guided behaviours often require appropriate integration of concurrent visual cues. To gain a further understanding of mechanisms underlying sensory integration in odour-guided behaviour, our study examined the effects of visual stimuli induced by self-motion and object-motion on odour-guided flight in male M. sexta. By placing stationary objects (pillars) on either side of a female pheromone plume, moths produced self-induced visual motion during odour-guided flight. These flights showed a reduction in both ground and flight speeds and inter-turn interval when compared with flight tracks without stationary objects. Presentation of an approaching 20 cm disc, to simulate object-motion, resulted in interrupted odour-guided flight and changes in flight direction away from the pheromone source. Modifications of odour-guided flight behaviour in the presence of stationary objects suggest that visual information, in conjunction with olfactory cues, can be used to control the rate of counter-turning. We suggest that the behavioural responses to visual stimuli induced by object-motion indicate the presence of a neural circuit that relays visual information to initiate escape responses. These behavioural responses also suggest the presence of a sensory conflict requiring a trade-off between olfactory and visually driven behaviours. The mechanisms underlying olfactory and visual integration are discussed in the context of these behavioural responses.
Antihyperglycemia Effect of Medicinal Plants Mixture in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats

R&D Center, Jung San Biotechnology, Gyeonggi 445-964, KoreaAbstractThis study was performed to investigate the hypoglycemic effect of single and repeated oral administration of medicinal herbal mixture (AD) in streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic rats. Angelica decursiva, Lycium chinense and Adenophora triphylla var. japonica Hara were selected by oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and mixed for AD mixture. In an oral glucose tolerance test, the AD inhibited the increase in blood glucose levels at 1 hr and 2 hr and decreased incremental glycemic response area under the curve. In a single admin-istration of AD1 (100 mg/kg) and AD2 (500 mg/kg), significant reductions by 5.3% and 12.3% were observed in fasting blood glucose level for 4 hours. During the 1 month of the experimental period, AD1 and AD2 was given to the STZ induced diabetic rats. At 4th week, the fasting blood glucose levels of AD1 and AD2 caused a fall of 25.5% and 37.9%, respectively. In addition, the body weights were decreased by 7.7% (AD1) and 1.7% (AD2), respectively, compared with diabetic control (DC, decreasing of 10.2%). This study suggests that AD could be potentially useful for fasting and post-prandial hyperglycemia treatment and all these effects con-cluded to the use of this plant extract to manage diabetes mellitus.Key words: hyperglycemia, STZ induced diabetic rat, antidiabetic effect
Relation of Serum Uric Acid Level and Essential Hypertension Among Patients Without Metabolic Syndrome

Objective: To find out and asses the association between hyperuricaemia and hypertension. Methods: A case control study conducted in hypertension clinic, medicine and cardiac outpatient department of DMCH from December 2009 to November 2010 to evaluate association of hyperuricaemia and essential hypertension. A total of 51 hypertensive subjects aged 30 years and above were included as cases with same number of age & sex matched normotensive subjects as control after excluding metabolic syndrome, renal impairment, clinical evidence of liver disease, IBD, malignant diseases, vascular diseases or history of taking relevant drugs by taking detailed history and thorough physical examination and appropriate laboratory investigations. Serum uric acid was measured in all study patients. Results: The mean serum uric acid level was 5.8 ± 1.5 mg/dl vs 4.5 ± 1.2 mg/dl in case and control patients respectively. A total of 13 (25.4%) patients in cases and 5 (9.8%) patients in control had hyperuricaemia (Odds Ratio 3.15, p <0.05). So, the number of hyperuricaemic person & mean serum uric acid level were significantly higher in hypertensive Cases, as Compared to Those of Healthy Normotensive Control. Keywords: Essential hypertension; Serum Uric Acid; Hyperuricaemia DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.3329/jdmc.v20i1. 8563 J Dhaka Med Coll. 2011; 20(1) : 5-8
Secular Trend of Age at Menarche in Chinese Adolescents Born From 1973 to 2004

Through using a Chinese large data set from the CHNS, the authors of this study found a downward trend and investigated factors influencing age at menarche in Chinese girls born from 1973 to 2004. OBJECTIVES: To estimate secular trend and factors influencing the age at menarche for Chinese girls born from 1973 to 2004. METHODS: Data were collected from the China Health and Nutrition Survey, a prospective open cohort and an ongoing nationwide health and nutrition survey, consisting of 3199 apparently healthy Chinese girls aged 6 to 18 years at entry from 1991 to 2011. Average age at menarche and its 95% confidence interval were estimated by weighted means of Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Cox proportional hazard models were applied to identify the independent predictive factors of age at menarche. RESULTS: The age at menarche declined from 14.25 in Chinese girls born before 1976 to 12.60 in girls born after 2000, with an estimated decline of 0.51 years per decade (P < .001). The downward trend of age at menarche for rural girls was greater than for urban girls (0.62 vs 0.35 years per decade; P < .001). Girls living in urban areas, living in central areas, with high BMI, and with high-energy diets had a high risk of early menarche, whereas girls living on the east coast who had high-carbohydrate diets had a low risk of early menarche. CONCLUSIONS: The authors of this study found a continuous downward secular trend of age at menarche for Chinese girls in both urban and rural areas born from 1973 to 2004. Among all variables, urban residency, BMI, and energy intake are negatively associated with age at menarche, whereas carbohydrate intake is positively associated with age at menarche.
Characterization of ion transport in the isolated epipodite of the lobster Homarus americanus

SUMMARY Unfolded epipodite isolated from American lobsters (Homarus americanus) acclimated to dilute seawater was mounted in an Ussing-type chamber for ion transport studies. The split epipodite is an electrically polarized, one-cell-layer epithelium supported with cuticle. Under open-circuit conditions, the transepithelial potential was –4.2±1.0 mV (N=38). In the short-circuited epithelium, the current averaged over all of the preparations was –185.4±20.2 A cm–2 (N=38) with a high conductance of 55.2±11.4 mS cm–2 (N=38), typical for a leaky epithelium. The Na:Cl absorptive flux ratio was 1:1.6; ion substitution experiments indicated that the transport of Na+ and Cl– is coupled. Basolateral application of the Cl– channel blockers 5-nitro-2-(3-phenylpropylamino) benzoate (NPPB) and niflumic acid (NFA) dose-dependently inhibited short-circuit current (ISC). Secretory K+ (Rb+) fluxes exceeded influxes and were inhibited by the Na+/K+-ATPase inhibitor ouabain and the K+ channel blocker cesium. Western blot analysis showed that Na+/K+-ATPase α-subunit protein was more highly expressed in the epipodite of lobsters acclimated to 20 p.p.t. compared with animals acclimated to seawater (34 p.p.t.). 3-Isobutyl-1-methyl-xanthine (IBMX) stimulated a negative ISC and enhanced apical secretory K+ flux. Basolateral application of NPPB inhibited JRbB→A fluxes, suggesting the interaction of K+ channels with NPPB-sensitive Cl– channels. The results are summarized in a transport model, suggesting apical Na+/K+/2Cl– co-transport, a dominant apical K+-secreting channel and basolaterally located Cl– and K+ channels. This study represents the first comprehensive characterization of ion transport processes across the lobster epipodite epithelium and indeed in any tissue within the branchial cavity of the American lobster.
Health of Tenants in an English-Speaking Developing Nation -

Introduction: Historically, whenever there are wars, world oil and financial crises, natural disasters, governments in developed as well as developing nations have responded by using rent control to protect tenants. Since 1990s, Jamaica has experienced banking, world oil, food and public debt crises was well as the recession; yet no study has examined the health status of tenants. Objectives: To determine factors that account for 1) health status, 2) self-reported illness and 3) health coverage of tenants in Jamaica, and compare particular demographic characteristics of tenants with that of the population as well as health, health conditions and health seeking behaviour in order to establish disparities. Results: Poverty among tenants is a rural phenomenon (69 out of every 100 poorest). Two out of every 5 tenants in the poorest income quintile sought medical care, 27 out of every 50 purchased the prescribed medication, 21% had chronic illnesses, 29% received social assistance and wealthy tenants were 4.7 times (95%CI: 0.90 – 24.9) more likely to have good health than those in the lower class. Three out of every 4 sick tenants utilized public health care services. Methods: This work utilized a 2007 national cross-sectional probability survey. A sub-sample of 1, 062 respondents (tenants) were taken from the initial sample of 6,783 respondents. Logistic regression analyses were used to establish 1) self-rated health, 2) presence of illness and 3) health insurance coverage models. Conclusion: These findings provide an understanding of tenants, and can be used to make policy intervention in the future.
Exposure to cold but not exercise increases carbon turnover rates in specific tissues of a passerine

SUMMARY Carbon turnover differs between tissues within an animal, but the extent to which ecologically relevant increases in metabolism affect carbon turnover rates is largely unknown. We tested the energy expenditure and protein turnover hypotheses that predict increased carbon turnover, either in association with increased daily energy expenditure, or in concert with tissue-specific increased protein metabolism. We used stable-isotope-labeled diets to quantify the rate of carbon turnover in 12 different tissues for three groups of zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata): cold-exposed birds kept at ambient temperatures below their thermoneutral zone, exercised birds that were flown for 2 h per day in a flight arena, and control birds that were kept at ambient temperatures within their thermoneutral zone and that were not exercised. We found that increases in metabolism associated with cold-exposure but not exercise produced measurable increases in carbon turnover rate of, on average, 2.4±0.3 days for pectoral muscle, gizzard, pancreas and heart, even though daily energy intake was similar for exercised and cold-exposed birds. This evidence does not support the energy expenditure hypothesis, and we invoke two physiological processes related to protein metabolism that can explain these treatment effects: organ mass increase and tissue-specific increase in activity. Such changes in carbon turnover rate associated with cold temperatures translate into substantial variation in the estimated time window for which resource use is estimated and this has important ecological relevance.
Navigation-assisted Debridement Arthroplasty for Osteoarthritis of the Elbow: A Preliminary Report

Background Debridement arthroplasty is a widely accepted operative treatment for elbow osteoarthritis. However, it is sometimes difficult to define the extent of appropriate osteophyte resection. In the present study, a navigation system was used to resect the osteophytes. Methods Eight male patients (mean age, 62 years) were enrolled in the present study. When the osteophytes around the olecranon, coronoid and radial fossae of the distal humerus were removed, the operation was monitored using a navigation system. Pre- and postoperative clinical and radiographical assessments were performed with a mean follow-up of 29 months. Results There were no major complications during the operations. Postoperative computed tomography showed that the osteophytes were properly removed. The mean range of motion of the elbow improved from –21° to 110° pre-operatively to –13° to 130° at the time of follow-up (p < 0.05). The mean Mayo Elbow Performance Score improved from 75 points to 98 points (p < 0.05) and the mean Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand score improved from 24.2 points to 8.7 points (p < 0.05). Conclusions The findings of the present study demonstrate that the osteophytes formed at the distal humerus could be precisely visualized using a navigation system. This system effectively defined the region and depth of the morphological configuration for resection.
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: A New Approach to Preventing Relapse

We may not be able to make you love reading, but mindfulness based cognitive therapy for depression a new approach to preventing relapse will lead you to love reading starting from now. Book is the window to open the new world. The world that you want is in the better stage and level. World will always guide you to even the prestige stage of the life. You know, this is some of how reading will give you the kindness. In this case, more books you read more knowledge you know, but it can mean also the bore is full.
Effects of wing deformation on aerodynamic forces in hovering hoverflies

SUMMARY We studied the effects of wing deformation on the aerodynamic forces of wings of hovering hoverflies by solving the Navier–Stokes equations on a dynamically deforming grid, employing the recently measured wing deformation data of hoverflies in free-flight. Three hoverflies were considered. By taking out the camber deformation and the spanwise twist deformation one by one and by comparing the results of the deformable wing with those of the rigid flat-plate wing (the angle of attack of the rigid flat-plate wing was equal to the local angle of attack at the radius of the second moment of wing area of the deformable wing), effects of camber deformation and spanwise twist were identified. The main results are as follows. For the hovering hoverflies considered, the time courses of the lift, drag and aerodynamic power coefficients of the deformable wing are very similar to their counterparts of the rigid flat-plate wing, although lift of the deformable wing is about 10% larger, and its aerodynamic power required about 5% less than that of the rigid flat-plate wing. The difference in lift is mainly caused by the camber deformation, and the difference in power is mainly caused by the spanwise twist. The main reason that the deformation does not have a very large effect on the aerodynamic force is that, during hovering, the wing operates at a very high angle of attack (about 50 deg) and the flow is separated, and separated flow is not very sensitive to wing deformation. Thus, as a first approximation, the deformable wing in hover flight could be modeled by a rigid flat-plate wing with its angle of attack being equal to the local angle of attack at the radius of second moment of wing area of the deformable wing.
Cabernet: vehicular content delivery using WiFi

Cabernet is a system for delivering data to and from moving vehicles using open 802.11 (WiFi) access points encountered opportunistically during travel. Using open WiFi access from the road can be challenging. Network connectivity in Cabernet is both fleeting (access points are typically within range for a few seconds) and intermittent (because the access points do not provide continuous coverage), and suffers from high packet loss rates over the wireless channel. On the positive side, WiFi data transfers, when available, can occur at broadband speeds. In this paper, we introduce two new components for improving openWiFi data delivery to moving vehicles: The first, QuickWiFi, is a streamlined client-side process to establish end-to-end connectivity, reducing mean connection time to less than 400 ms, from over 10 seconds when using standard wireless networking software. The second part, CTP, is a transport protocol that distinguishes congestion on the wired portion of the path from losses over the wireless link, resulting in a 2x throughput improvement over TCP. To characterize the amount of open WiFi capacity available to vehicular users, we deployed Cabernet on a fleet of 10 taxis in the Boston area. The long-term average transfer rate achieved was approximately 38 Mbytes/hour per car (86 kbit/s), making Cabernet a viable system for a number of non-interactive applications.
Directional escape behavior in allis shad (Alosa alosa) exposed to ultrasonic clicks mimicking an approaching toothed whale

SUMMARY Toothed whales emit high-powered ultrasonic clicks to echolocate a wide range of prey. It may be hypothesized that some of their prey species have evolved capabilities to detect and respond to such ultrasonic pulses in a way that reduces predation, akin to the situation for many nocturnal insects and echolocating bats. Using high-speed film recordings and controlled exposures, we obtained behavioural evidence that simulated toothed whale biosonar clicks elicit highly directional anti-predator responses in an ultrasound-sensitive allis shad (Alosa alosa). Ten shad were exposed to 192 dB re. 1 μPa (pp) clicks centred at 40 kHz at repetition rates of 1, 20, 50 and 250 clicks s–1 with summed energy flux density levels of 148, 161, 165 and 172 dB re. 1 μPa2 s. The exposures mimicked the acoustic exposure from a delphinid toothed whale in different phases of prey search and capture. The response times of allis shad were faster for higher repetition rates of clicks with the same sound pressure level. None of the fish responded to a single click, but had median response times of 182, 93 and 57 ms when exposed to click rates of 20, 50 and 250 clicks s–1, respectively. This suggests that the ultrasound detector of allis shad is an energy detector and that shad respond faster when exposed to a nearby fast-clicking toothed whale than to a slow-clicking toothed whale far away. The findings are thus consistent with the hypothesis that shad ultrasound detection is used for reducing predation from echolocating toothed whales.
Effects of heterospecific and conspecific vibrational signal overlap and signal-to-noise ratio on male responsiveness in Nezara viridula (L.)

SUMMARY Animals often communicate in environments with high levels of biotic noise that arises from the signals of other individuals. Although effects of background biotic noise on mate recognition and discrimination have been widely studied in air-born sound communication, little is known about incidental interference between signallers that use substrate-borne vibrational signals. In this study we investigated the ability of males of the southern green stink bug Nezara viridula (L.) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) to recognize conspecific female song in the presence of biotic noise originating from conspecific and heterospecific vibrational signals. We tested male responsiveness on a bean plant in playback experiments. One leaf was vibrated with conspecific female song, while to the other one we simultaneously applied either heterospecific female signal or various altered conspecific signals with different temporal parameters. We tested males in three levels of biotic noise, ranging from +6 dB to –6 dB and we compared male responsiveness in each treatment with response obtained in unilateral treatment with unaltered conspecific female calling song. Male responsiveness was reduced in the presence of heterospecific signals or when background noise from conspecific signals obscured the species-specific temporal pattern of conspecific female song. By contrast, the presence of two sources of conspecific female songs had a positive effect on male responsiveness, for as long as the signal repetition rate of perceived song did not differ from the species-specific value. In the presence of interfering background signals, searching activity was less affected than male signalling. Increased signal-to-noise ratio restored male responsiveness to the level expressed in unilateral stimulation with conspecific female song. The results are discussed with regard to male behavioural strategies for vibrational communication in a noisy environment.
Interventions for Secondary Traumatic Stress With Mental Health Workers

Objective A systematic review was conducted to examine effects of indicated interventions to reduce symptoms of secondary traumatic stress (STS) experienced by mental health workers. Method Systematic review methods were employed to search, retrieve, select, and analyze studies that met study inclusion criteria. Results Over 4,000 citations were reviewed, 159 full-text reports were screened, and two studies were fully coded and determined to be ineligible. No studies met criteria for inclusion in this review. Discussion There is compelling evidence of psychological effects of working with trauma victims; however, no rigorous evidence meeting eligibility criteria was found to inform how to intervene most effectively with mental health workers who experience symptoms of STS. While it is important to provide effective interventions to helpers who may be experiencing symptoms related to secondary trauma, it seems apparent that there is yet more we need to do in order to advance efforts in evaluating the outcomes of practices currently being used and under development.