Animal Hairs as Water-stimulated Shape Memory Materials: Mechanism and Structural Networks in Molecular Assemblies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiao, Xueliang; Hu, Jinlian

2016-05-01

Animal hairs consisting of α-keratin biopolymers existing broadly in nature may be responsive to water for recovery to the innate shape from their fixed deformation, thus possess smart behavior, namely shape memory effect (SME). In this article, three typical animal hair fibers were first time investigated for their water-stimulated SME, and therefrom to identify the corresponding net-points and switches in their molecular and morphological structures. Experimentally, the SME manifested a good stability of high shape fixation ratio and reasonable recovery rate after many cycles of deformation programming under water stimulation. The effects of hydration on hair lateral size, recovery kinetics, dynamic mechanical behaviors and structural components (crystal, disulfide and hydrogen bonds) were then systematically studied. SME mechanisms were explored based on the variations of structural components in molecular assemblies of such smart fibers. A hybrid structural network model with single-switch and twin-net-points was thereafter proposed to interpret the water-stimulated shape memory mechanism of animal hairs. This original work is expected to provide inspiration for exploring other natural materials to reveal their smart functions and natural laws in animals including human as well as making more remarkable synthetic smart materials.

Animal Hairs as Water-stimulated Shape Memory Materials: Mechanism and Structural Networks in Molecular Assemblies

PubMed Central

Xiao, Xueliang; Hu, Jinlian

2016-01-01

Animal hairs consisting of α-keratin biopolymers existing broadly in nature may be responsive to water for recovery to the innate shape from their fixed deformation, thus possess smart behavior, namely shape memory effect (SME). In this article, three typical animal hair fibers were first time investigated for their water-stimulated SME, and therefrom to identify the corresponding net-points and switches in their molecular and morphological structures. Experimentally, the SME manifested a good stability of high shape fixation ratio and reasonable recovery rate after many cycles of deformation programming under water stimulation. The effects of hydration on hair lateral size, recovery kinetics, dynamic mechanical behaviors and structural components (crystal, disulfide and hydrogen bonds) were then systematically studied. SME mechanisms were explored based on the variations of structural components in molecular assemblies of such smart fibers. A hybrid structural network model with single-switch and twin-net-points was thereafter proposed to interpret the water-stimulated shape memory mechanism of animal hairs. This original work is expected to provide inspiration for exploring other natural materials to reveal their smart functions and natural laws in animals including human as well as making more remarkable synthetic smart materials. PMID:27230823

[Problems in development of agriculture-animal husbandry ecotone and its countermeasures].

PubMed

Baoyin, Taogetao; Bai, Yongfei

2004-02-01

Problems in development of Duolun, a typical agriculture-animal husbandry ecotone, and its countermeasures were discussed in this paper. Economic structure was not rational in Duolun, and it should develop industry and commerce, limit the scope of agriculture and animal husbandry, and actively increase efficiency of agriculture and animal husbandry. The structure of land use was not rational, and the main countermeasures were to increase area of forestland and grassland, and decrease cultivated area. On resources use, the main countermeasures were to exploit water resource rationally and bring into play resource superiority of mutually benefits on agriculture and animal husbandry. The ecological environment construction was the foundation of the national economy for sustainable development in agriculture-animal husbandry ecotone.

Foraging optimally for home ranges

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mitchell, Michael S.; Powell, Roger A.

2012-01-01

Economic models predict behavior of animals based on the presumption that natural selection has shaped behaviors important to an animal's fitness to maximize benefits over costs. Economic analyses have shown that territories of animals are structured by trade-offs between benefits gained from resources and costs of defending them. Intuitively, home ranges should be similarly structured, but trade-offs are difficult to assess because there are no costs of defense, thus economic models of home-range behavior are rare. We present economic models that predict how home ranges can be efficient with respect to spatially distributed resources, discounted for travel costs, under 2 strategies of optimization, resource maximization and area minimization. We show how constraints such as competitors can influence structure of homes ranges through resource depression, ultimately structuring density of animals within a population and their distribution on a landscape. We present simulations based on these models to show how they can be generally predictive of home-range behavior and the mechanisms that structure the spatial distribution of animals. We also show how contiguous home ranges estimated statistically from location data can be misleading for animals that optimize home ranges on landscapes with patchily distributed resources. We conclude with a summary of how we applied our models to nonterritorial black bears (Ursus americanus) living in the mountains of North Carolina, where we found their home ranges were best predicted by an area-minimization strategy constrained by intraspecific competition within a social hierarchy. Economic models can provide strong inference about home-range behavior and the resources that structure home ranges by offering falsifiable, a priori hypotheses that can be tested with field observations.

Principles of structure building in music, language and animal song

PubMed Central

Rohrmeier, Martin; Zuidema, Willem; Wiggins, Geraint A.; Scharff, Constance

2015-01-01

Human language, music and a variety of animal vocalizations constitute ways of sonic communication that exhibit remarkable structural complexity. While the complexities of language and possible parallels in animal communication have been discussed intensively, reflections on the complexity of music and animal song, and their comparisons, are underrepresented. In some ways, music and animal songs are more comparable to each other than to language as propositional semantics cannot be used as indicator of communicative success or wellformedness, and notions of grammaticality are less easily defined. This review brings together accounts of the principles of structure building in music and animal song. It relates them to corresponding models in formal language theory, the extended Chomsky hierarchy (CH), and their probabilistic counterparts. We further discuss common misunderstandings and shortcomings concerning the CH and suggest ways to move beyond. We discuss language, music and animal song in the context of their function and motivation and further integrate problems and issues that are less commonly addressed in the context of language, including continuous event spaces, features of sound and timbre, representation of temporality and interactions of multiple parallel feature streams. We discuss these aspects in the light of recent theoretical, cognitive, neuroscientific and modelling research in the domains of music, language and animal song. PMID:25646520

A comparison of VRML and animation of rotation for teaching 3-dimensional crystal lattice structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sauls, Barbara Lynn

Chemistry students often have difficulty visualizing abstract concepts of molecules and atoms, which may lead to misconceptions. The three-dimensionality of these structures presents a challenge to educators. Typical methods of teaching include text with two-dimensional graphics and structural models. Improved methods to allow visualization of 3D structures may improve learning of these concepts. This research compared the use of Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) and animation of rotation for teaching three-dimensional structures. VRML allows full control of objects by altering angle, size, rotation, and provides the ability to zoom into and through objects. Animations may only be stopped, restarted and replayed. A web-based lesson teaching basic concepts of crystals, which requires comprehension of their three-dimensional structure was given to 100 freshmen chemistry students. Students were stratified by gender then randomly to one of two lessons, which were identical except for the multimedia method used to show the lattices and unit cells. One method required exploration of the structures using VRML, the other provided animations of the same structures rotating. The students worked through an examination as the lesson progressed. A Welch t' test was used to compare differences between groups. No significant difference in mean achievement was found between the two methods, between genders, or within gender. There was no significant difference in mean total SAT in the animation and VRML group. Total time on task had no significant difference nor did enjoyment of the lesson. Students, however, spent 14% less time maneuvering VRML structures than viewing the animations of rotation. Neither method proved superior for presenting three-dimensional information. The students spent less time maneuvering the VRML structures with no difference in mean score so the use of VRML may be more efficient. The investigator noted some manipulation difficulties using VRML to rotate structures. Some students had difficulty obtaining the correct angle required to properly interpret spatial relationships. This led to frustration and caused some students to quit trying before they could answer questions fully. Even though there were some difficulties, outcomes were not affected. Higher scores, however, may have been achieved had the students been proficient in VRML maneuvering.

[The metaphysical dimension of animal ethics].

PubMed

Walz, Norbert

2008-01-01

Utilitarian ethics recognises animals as moral objects, but it does not attribute an absolute value to human or non-human individuals. Animal ethics according to Regan defines the non-human individual as an inherent value, but concedes that humans should be given precedence over animals if a situation involves a decision between life and death. Such life and death decisions relate to the fundamental structures of biological nature. To individuals these fundamental structures (the paradox of life and death) will necessarily appear absurd. The metaphysical dimension of animal ethics tries to shed light on the connections between life and death, body and mind that underly ethical discussions and searches for alternatives to the natural organisation of life.

Clinical neurologic indices of toxicity in animals.

PubMed Central

O'Donoghue, J L

1996-01-01

The fundamental structures and functions of the nervous systems of animals and humans are conserved in many ways across species. These similarities provide a basis for developing common neurologic examinations for a number of species of animals and also provide a basis for developing risk assessments across species for neurologic end points. The neurologic examination requires no expensive equipment and can be conducted in the field or wherever impaired animals are identified. The proper conduct of neurologic examinations in animals assumes that the examiner has a fundamental understanding of the normal structure and function of the nervous system as well as knowledge about the spontaneous disease background of the species being studied. PMID:9182039

Advances in animal ecology from 3D ecosystem mapping with LiDAR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davies, A.; Asner, G. P.

2015-12-01

The advent and recent advances of Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) have enabled accurate measurement of 3D ecosystem structure. Although the use of LiDAR data is widespread in vegetation science, it has only recently (< 14 years) been applied to animal ecology. Despite such recent application, LiDAR has enabled new insights in the field and revealed the fundamental importance of 3D ecosystem structure for animals. We reviewed the studies to date that have used LiDAR in animal ecology, synthesising the insights gained. Structural heterogeneity is most conducive to increased animal richness and abundance, and increased complexity of vertical vegetation structure is more positively influential than traditionally measured canopy cover, which produces mixed results. However, different taxonomic groups interact with a variety of 3D canopy traits and some groups with 3D topography. LiDAR technology can be applied to animal ecology studies in a wide variety of environments to answer an impressive array of questions. Drawing on case studies from vastly different groups, termites and lions, we further demonstrate the applicability of LiDAR and highlight new understanding, ranging from habitat preference to predator-prey interactions, that would not have been possible from studies restricted to field based methods. We conclude with discussion of how future studies will benefit by using LiDAR to consider 3D habitat effects in a wider variety of ecosystems and with more taxa to develop a better understanding of animal dynamics.

The effectiveness of computer-generated 3D animations in inquiry chemistry laboratory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Theall, Rachel Morgan

It has been shown that students need a molecular-level understanding of substances in order to comprehend chemistry. For solid structures, atomic-level understanding requires students to learn additional and different concepts than for other states of matter. To aid understanding, animations were created to model unit cell structures and depict the properties of unit cells. In order to determine if these animations are helpful to students, they were tested during a laboratory exercise in which students had previously been using model kits and images from textbooks to learn about solid structures. Students evaluated in this study were from two lecture sections of general chemistry, one that routinely used animations during lecture and one that used a more traditional lecture format that did not include animations or models. Twelve laboratory sections of these lectures, taught by six different instructors each teaching two sections, were chosen for participation. One section for each instructor was given the animations as an optional tool for completing the laboratory assignment, which consisted of questions about unit cells and crystal structures. The results of the study indicate that students who looked at the animations performed significantly better on the assignment. For the control group, students who routinely viewed multiple representations of chemistry in lecture performed significantly better on the lab assignment than students in the lecture section where chemistry concepts were only presented on the chalkboard and overhead projector. Students in the traditional lecture section also had significantly less appreciation for the model kits used in the laboratory than students in the other lecture section. Observations of students in the lab combined with statistical results led to the revision of the solid structures investigation. Additional animations were created and inserted into the module that covered areas where students indicated more help was needed. Movies of "real life" chemistry were also incorporated into the module to help students relate the investigation to prior knowledge.

POLYVIEW-MM: web-based platform for animation and analysis of molecular simulations

PubMed Central

Porollo, Aleksey; Meller, Jaroslaw

2010-01-01

Molecular simulations offer important mechanistic and functional clues in studies of proteins and other macromolecules. However, interpreting the results of such simulations increasingly requires tools that can combine information from multiple structural databases and other web resources, and provide highly integrated and versatile analysis tools. Here, we present a new web server that integrates high-quality animation of molecular motion (MM) with structural and functional analysis of macromolecules. The new tool, dubbed POLYVIEW-MM, enables animation of trajectories generated by molecular dynamics and related simulation techniques, as well as visualization of alternative conformers, e.g. obtained as a result of protein structure prediction methods or small molecule docking. To facilitate structural analysis, POLYVIEW-MM combines interactive view and analysis of conformational changes using Jmol and its tailored extensions, publication quality animation using PyMol, and customizable 2D summary plots that provide an overview of MM, e.g. in terms of changes in secondary structure states and relative solvent accessibility of individual residues in proteins. Furthermore, POLYVIEW-MM integrates visualization with various structural annotations, including automated mapping of known inter-action sites from structural homologs, mapping of cavities and ligand binding sites, transmembrane regions and protein domains. URL: http://polyview.cchmc.org/conform.html. PMID:20504857

Principles of structure building in music, language and animal song.

PubMed

Rohrmeier, Martin; Zuidema, Willem; Wiggins, Geraint A; Scharff, Constance

2015-03-19

Human language, music and a variety of animal vocalizations constitute ways of sonic communication that exhibit remarkable structural complexity. While the complexities of language and possible parallels in animal communication have been discussed intensively, reflections on the complexity of music and animal song, and their comparisons, are underrepresented. In some ways, music and animal songs are more comparable to each other than to language as propositional semantics cannot be used as indicator of communicative success or wellformedness, and notions of grammaticality are less easily defined. This review brings together accounts of the principles of structure building in music and animal song. It relates them to corresponding models in formal language theory, the extended Chomsky hierarchy (CH), and their probabilistic counterparts. We further discuss common misunderstandings and shortcomings concerning the CH and suggest ways to move beyond. We discuss language, music and animal song in the context of their function and motivation and further integrate problems and issues that are less commonly addressed in the context of language, including continuous event spaces, features of sound and timbre, representation of temporality and interactions of multiple parallel feature streams. We discuss these aspects in the light of recent theoretical, cognitive, neuroscientific and modelling research in the domains of music, language and animal song. © 2015 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

Coupling movement and landscape ecology for animal conservation in production landscapes.

PubMed

Doherty, Tim S; Driscoll, Don A

2018-01-10

Habitat conversion in production landscapes is among the greatest threats to biodiversity, not least because it can disrupt animal movement. Using the movement ecology framework, we review animal movement in production landscapes, including areas managed for agriculture and forestry. We consider internal and external drivers of altered animal movement and how this affects navigation and motion capacities and population dynamics. Conventional management approaches in fragmented landscapes focus on promoting connectivity using structural changes in the landscape. However, a movement ecology perspective emphasizes that manipulating the internal motivations or navigation capacity of animals represents untapped opportunities to improve movement and the effectiveness of structural connectivity investments. Integrating movement and landscape ecology opens new opportunities for conservation management in production landscapes. © 2018 The Authors.

Spatio-Temporal Story Mapping Animation Based On Structured Causal Relationships Of Historical Events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Inoue, Y.; Tsuruoka, K.; Arikawa, M.

2014-04-01

In this paper, we proposed a user interface that displays visual animations on geographic maps and timelines for depicting historical stories by representing causal relationships among events for time series. We have been developing an experimental software system for the spatial-temporal visualization of historical stories for tablet computers. Our proposed system makes people effectively learn historical stories using visual animations based on hierarchical structures of different scale timelines and maps.

Exploring How Different Features of Animations of Sodium Chloride Dissolution Affect Students' Explanations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kelly, Resa M.; Jones, Loretta L.

2007-10-01

Animations of molecular structure and dynamics are often used to help students understand the abstract ideas of chemistry. This qualitative study investigated how the features of two different styles of molecular-level animation affected students' explanations of how sodium chloride dissolves in water. In small group sessions 18 college-level general chemistry students dissolved table salt in water, after which they individually viewed two animations of salt dissolution. Before and after viewing each animation the participants provided pictorial, written, and oral explanations of the process at the macroscopic and molecular levels. The students then discussed the animations as a group. An analysis of the data showed that students incorporated some of the microscopic structural and functional features from the animations into their explanations. However, oral explanations revealed that in many cases, participants who drew or wrote correct explanations did not comprehend their meanings. Students' drawings may have reflected only what they had seen, rather than a cohesive understanding. Students' explanations given after viewing the animations improved, but some prior misconceptions were retained and in some cases, new misconceptions appeared. Students reported that they found the animations useful in learning; however, they sometimes missed essential features when they watched the animation alone.

LOWER RESPIRATORY TRACT STRUCTURE OF LABORATORY ANIMALS AND HUMANS: DOSIMETRY IMPLICATIONS

EPA Science Inventory

Significant differences in lower respiratory tract structure exist both within an animal and between species at each level of anatomy. rregular bipodial and tripodial branching patterns of airways are present in human an nonhuman primate lungs. n contrast, the dog and common labo...

Developing stochastic epidemiological models to quantify the dynamics of infectious diseases in domestic livestock.

PubMed

MacKenzie, K; Bishop, S C

2001-08-01

A stochastic model describing disease transmission dynamics for a microparasitic infection in a structured domestic animal population is developed and applied to hypothetical epidemics on a pig farm. Rational decision making regarding appropriate control strategies for infectious diseases in domestic livestock requires an understanding of the disease dynamics and risk profiles for different groups of animals. This is best achieved by means of stochastic epidemic models. Methodologies are presented for 1) estimating the probability of an epidemic, given the presence of an infected animal, whether this epidemic is major (requires intervention) or minor (dies out without intervention), and how the location of the infected animal on the farm influences the epidemic probabilities; 2) estimating the basic reproductive ratio, R0 (i.e., the expected number of secondary cases on the introduction of a single infected animal) and the variability of the estimate of this parameter; and 3) estimating the total proportion of animals infected during an epidemic and the total proportion infected at any point in time. The model can be used for assessing impact of altering farm structure on disease dynamics, as well as disease control strategies, including altering farm structure, vaccination, culling, and genetic selection.

Oxygen and Early Animal Evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiao, S.

2012-12-01

It is often hypothesized that the rise of animals was triggered by an increase in O2 levels in the atmosphere and oceans. However, this hypothesis is remarkably difficult to test, because the timing of animal divergences is poorly resolved, the physiology of early animals is often unknown, estimates of past pO2 levels come with large error bars, and causal relationships between oxygenation and animal evolution are difficult to establish. Nonetheless, existing phylogenetic, paleontological, and geochemical data indicate that the evolution of macroscopic animals and motile macrometazoans with energetically expensive lifestyles may be temporally coupled with ocean oxygenation events in the Ediacaran Period. Thus, it is plausible that ocean oxygenation may have been a limiting factor in the early evolution of macroscopic, complex, and metabolically aggressive animals (particularly bilaterian animals). However, ocean oxygenation and animal evolution were likely engaged in two-way interactions: Ediacaran oxygenation may have initially lifted a physiological barrier for the evolution of animal size, motility, and active lifestyles, but subsequent animal diversification in the Paleozoic may have also changed oceanic redox structures. Viewed in a broader context, the early evolutionary history of animals was contingent upon a series of events, including genetic preparation (developmental genetics), environmental facilitation (oceanic oxygenation), and ecological escalation (Cambrian explosion), but the rise of animals to ecological importance also had important geobiological impacts on oceanic redox structures, sedimentary fabrics, and global geochemical cycles.

Animal Communication: What Do Animals Say?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morton, Eugene S.

1983-01-01

Discusses the nature of animal communication, including possible relationships between the physical structure of vocalizations and their functions in communicating. Provides tables of mammalian and avian sounds (by species/family) used in hostile and friendly appeasing contexts. (JN)

Using web-based animations to teach histology.

PubMed

Brisbourne, Marc A S; Chin, Susan S-L; Melnyk, Erica; Begg, David A

2002-02-15

We have been experimenting with the use of animations to teach histology as part of an interactive multimedia program we are developing to replace the traditional lecture/laboratory-based histology course in our medical and dental curricula. This program, called HistoQuest, uses animations to illustrate basic histologic principles, explain dynamic processes, integrate histologic structure with physiological function, and assist students in forming mental models with which to organize and integrate new information into their learning. With this article, we first briefly discuss the theory of mental modeling, principles of visual presentation, and how mental modeling and visual presentation can be integrated to create effective animations. We then discuss the major Web-based animation technologies that are currently available and their suitability for different visual styles and navigational structures. Finally, we describe the process we use to produce animations for our program. The approach described in this study can be used by other developers to create animations for delivery over the Internet for the teaching of histology.

Dynamic Analysis With Stress Mode Animation by the Integrated Force Method

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Patnaik, Surya N.; Coroneos, Rula M.; Hopkins, Dale A.

1997-01-01

Dynamic animation of stresses and displacements, which complement each other, can be a useful tool in the analysis and design of structural components. At the present time only displacement-mode animation is available through the popular stiffness formulation. This paper attempts to complete this valuable visualization tool by augmenting the existing art with stress mode animation. The reformulated method of forces, which in the literature is known as the integrated force method (IFM), became the analyzer of choice for the development of stress mode animation because stresses are the primary unknowns of its dynamic analysis. Animation of stresses and displacements, which have been developed successfully through the IFM analyzers, is illustrated in several examples along with a brief introduction to IFM dynamic analysis. The usefulness of animation in design optimization is illustrated considering the spacer structure component of the International Space Station as an example. An overview of the integrated force method analysis code (IFM/ANALYZERS) is provided in the appendix.

Tread drum for animals. [having an electrical shock station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Howard, W. H. (Inventor)

1978-01-01

A device for exercising animals such as primates is described, which includes a cylindrical housing mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis of revolution and has a cylindrical treadway portion on which the animal treads while the drum is rotated by means of a motorized drive. The treadway portion of the drum includes an electrode structure with sectors being independently energizable by means of a commutator and source of potential so that an electrical shock station is created behind a running-in-place station on the moving treadway. In this manner, if the animal should fall behind its running-in-place station, it may be shocked by treading on the energized electrode structure. One end of the tread drum comprises a transparent wall for unobstructed viewing of the animal being exercised.

Emergence of a snake-like structure in mobile distributed agents: an exploratory agent-based modeling approach.

PubMed

Niazi, Muaz A

2014-01-01

The body structure of snakes is composed of numerous natural components thereby making it resilient, flexible, adaptive, and dynamic. In contrast, current computer animations as well as physical implementations of snake-like autonomous structures are typically designed to use either a single or a relatively smaller number of components. As a result, not only these artificial structures are constrained by the dimensions of the constituent components but often also require relatively more computationally intensive algorithms to model and animate. Still, these animations often lack life-like resilience and adaptation. This paper presents a solution to the problem of modeling snake-like structures by proposing an agent-based, self-organizing algorithm resulting in an emergent and surprisingly resilient dynamic structure involving a minimal of interagent communication. Extensive simulation experiments demonstrate the effectiveness as well as resilience of the proposed approach. The ideas originating from the proposed algorithm can not only be used for developing self-organizing animations but can also have practical applications such as in the form of complex, autonomous, evolvable robots with self-organizing, mobile components with minimal individual computational capabilities. The work also demonstrates the utility of exploratory agent-based modeling (EABM) in the engineering of artificial life-like complex adaptive systems.

Emergence of a Snake-Like Structure in Mobile Distributed Agents: An Exploratory Agent-Based Modeling Approach

PubMed Central

Niazi, Muaz A.

2014-01-01

The body structure of snakes is composed of numerous natural components thereby making it resilient, flexible, adaptive, and dynamic. In contrast, current computer animations as well as physical implementations of snake-like autonomous structures are typically designed to use either a single or a relatively smaller number of components. As a result, not only these artificial structures are constrained by the dimensions of the constituent components but often also require relatively more computationally intensive algorithms to model and animate. Still, these animations often lack life-like resilience and adaptation. This paper presents a solution to the problem of modeling snake-like structures by proposing an agent-based, self-organizing algorithm resulting in an emergent and surprisingly resilient dynamic structure involving a minimal of interagent communication. Extensive simulation experiments demonstrate the effectiveness as well as resilience of the proposed approach. The ideas originating from the proposed algorithm can not only be used for developing self-organizing animations but can also have practical applications such as in the form of complex, autonomous, evolvable robots with self-organizing, mobile components with minimal individual computational capabilities. The work also demonstrates the utility of exploratory agent-based modeling (EABM) in the engineering of artificial life-like complex adaptive systems. PMID:24701135

The 'upstream wake' of swimming and flying animals and its correlation with propulsive efficiency.

PubMed

Peng, Jifeng; Dabiri, John O

2008-08-01

The interaction between swimming and flying animals and their fluid environments generates downstream wake structures such as vortices. In most studies, the upstream flow in front of the animal is neglected. In this study, we demonstrate the existence of upstream fluid structures even though the upstream flow is quiescent or possesses a uniform incoming velocity. Using a computational model, the flow generated by a swimmer (an oscillating flexible plate) is simulated and a new fluid mechanical analysis is applied to the flow to identify the upstream fluid structures. These upstream structures show the exact portion of fluid that is going to interact with the swimmer. A mass flow rate is then defined based on the upstream structures, and a metric for propulsive efficiency is established using the mass flow rate and the kinematics of the swimmer. We propose that the unsteady mass flow rate defined by the upstream fluid structures can be used as a metric to measure and objectively compare the efficiency of locomotion in water and air.

Evolutionary distance from human homologs reflects allergenicity of animal food proteins.

PubMed

Jenkins, John A; Breiteneder, Heimo; Mills, E N Clare

2007-12-01

In silico analysis of allergens can identify putative relationships among protein sequence, structure, and allergenic properties. Such systematic analysis reveals that most plant food allergens belong to a restricted number of protein superfamilies, with pollen allergens behaving similarly. We have investigated the structural relationships of animal food allergens and their evolutionary relatedness to human homologs to define how closely a protein must resemble a human counterpart to lose its allergenic potential. Profile-based sequence homology methods were used to classify animal food allergens into Pfam families, and in silico analyses of their evolutionary and structural relationships were performed. Animal food allergens could be classified into 3 main families--tropomyosins, EF-hand proteins, and caseins--along with 14 minor families each composed of 1 to 3 allergens. The evolutionary relationships of each of these allergen superfamilies showed that in general, proteins with a sequence identity to a human homolog above approximately 62% were rarely allergenic. Single substitutions in otherwise highly conserved regions containing IgE epitopes in EF-hand parvalbumins may modulate allergenicity. These data support the premise that certain protein structures are more allergenic than others. Contrasting with plant food allergens, animal allergens, such as the highly conserved tropomyosins, challenge the capability of the human immune system to discriminate between foreign and self-proteins. Such immune responses run close to becoming autoimmune responses. Exploiting the closeness between animal allergens and their human homologs in the development of recombinant allergens for immunotherapy will need to consider the potential for developing unanticipated autoimmune responses.

How animals move: comparative lessons on animal locomotion.

PubMed

Schaeffer, Paul J; Lindstedt, Stan L

2013-01-01

Comparative physiology often provides unique insights in animal structure and function. It is specifically through this lens that we discuss the fundamental properties of skeletal muscle and animal locomotion, incorporating variation in body size and evolved difference among species. For example, muscle frequencies in vivo are highly constrained by body size, which apparently tunes muscle use to maximize recovery of elastic recoil potential energy. Secondary to this constraint, there is an expected linking of skeletal muscle structural and functional properties. Muscle is relatively simple structurally, but by changing proportions of the few muscle components, a diverse range of functional outputs is possible. Thus, there is a consistent and predictable relation between muscle function and myocyte composition that illuminates animal locomotion. When animals move, the mechanical properties of muscle diverge from the static textbook force-velocity relations described by A. V. Hill, as recovery of elastic potential energy together with force and power enhancement with activation during stretch combine to modulate performance. These relations are best understood through the tool of work loops. Also, when animals move, locomotion is often conveniently categorized energetically. Burst locomotion is typified by high-power outputs and short durations while sustained, cyclic, locomotion engages a smaller fraction of the muscle tissue, yielding lower force and power. However, closer examination reveals that rather than a dichotomy, energetics of locomotion is a continuum. There is a remarkably predictable relationship between duration of activity and peak sustainable performance.

Automation in Animal Housing and Production

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Intensive, controlled environment animal production began modestly in the mid-20th century as poultry were brought indoors. While mankind had utilized structures to provide shelter for their animals for centuries, the availability of relatively inexpensive energy and the electrification of rural are...

The Use of Polymerized Genipin for the Stabilization of the Collagen Structure of Animal Hides

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Animal hides are the major byproduct of meat industry and the collagen fibers is the main constituent. Crosslinkers play a key role in stabilizing the collagen structure for useful applications. Genipin is widely used as an ideal biological protein crosslinking agent due to its low toxicity compare...

The triple helix of collagens - an ancient protein structure that enabled animal multicellularity and tissue evolution.

PubMed

Fidler, Aaron L; Boudko, Sergei P; Rokas, Antonis; Hudson, Billy G

2018-04-09

The cellular microenvironment, characterized by an extracellular matrix (ECM), played an essential role in the transition from unicellularity to multicellularity in animals (metazoans), and in the subsequent evolution of diverse animal tissues and organs. A major ECM component are members of the collagen superfamily -comprising 28 types in vertebrates - that exist in diverse supramolecular assemblies ranging from networks to fibrils. Each assembly is characterized by a hallmark feature, a protein structure called a triple helix. A current gap in knowledge is understanding the mechanisms of how the triple helix encodes and utilizes information in building scaffolds on the outside of cells. Type IV collagen, recently revealed as the evolutionarily most ancient member of the collagen superfamily, serves as an archetype for a fresh view of fundamental structural features of a triple helix that underlie the diversity of biological activities of collagens. In this Opinion, we argue that the triple helix is a protein structure of fundamental importance in building the extracellular matrix, which enabled animal multicellularity and tissue evolution. © 2018. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Review: To be or not to be an identifiable model. Is this a relevant question in animal science modelling?

PubMed

Muñoz-Tamayo, R; Puillet, L; Daniel, J B; Sauvant, D; Martin, O; Taghipoor, M; Blavy, P

2018-04-01

What is a good (useful) mathematical model in animal science? For models constructed for prediction purposes, the question of model adequacy (usefulness) has been traditionally tackled by statistical analysis applied to observed experimental data relative to model-predicted variables. However, little attention has been paid to analytic tools that exploit the mathematical properties of the model equations. For example, in the context of model calibration, before attempting a numerical estimation of the model parameters, we might want to know if we have any chance of success in estimating a unique best value of the model parameters from available measurements. This question of uniqueness is referred to as structural identifiability; a mathematical property that is defined on the sole basis of the model structure within a hypothetical ideal experiment determined by a setting of model inputs (stimuli) and observable variables (measurements). Structural identifiability analysis applied to dynamic models described by ordinary differential equations (ODEs) is a common practice in control engineering and system identification. This analysis demands mathematical technicalities that are beyond the academic background of animal science, which might explain the lack of pervasiveness of identifiability analysis in animal science modelling. To fill this gap, in this paper we address the analysis of structural identifiability from a practitioner perspective by capitalizing on the use of dedicated software tools. Our objectives are (i) to provide a comprehensive explanation of the structural identifiability notion for the community of animal science modelling, (ii) to assess the relevance of identifiability analysis in animal science modelling and (iii) to motivate the community to use identifiability analysis in the modelling practice (when the identifiability question is relevant). We focus our study on ODE models. By using illustrative examples that include published mathematical models describing lactation in cattle, we show how structural identifiability analysis can contribute to advancing mathematical modelling in animal science towards the production of useful models and, moreover, highly informative experiments via optimal experiment design. Rather than attempting to impose a systematic identifiability analysis to the modelling community during model developments, we wish to open a window towards the discovery of a powerful tool for model construction and experiment design.

Wildland fire in ecosystems: effects of fire on fauna

Treesearch

Jane Kapler Smith

2000-01-01

VOLUME 1: Fires affect animals mainly through effects on their habitat. Fires often cause short-term increases in wildlife foods that contribute to increases in populations of some animals. These increases are moderated by the animals' ability to thrive in the altered, often simplified, structure of the postfire environment. The extent of fire effects on animal...

Ultra-spatial synchrotron radiation for imaging molecular chemical structure: Applications in plant and animal studies

DOE PAGES

Yu, Peiqiang

2007-01-01

Synchrotron-based Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy (S-FTIR) has been developed as a rapid, direct, non-destructive, bioanalytical technique. This technique takes advantage of synchrotron light brightness and small effective source size and is capable of exploring the molecular chemical features and make-up within microstructures of a biological tissue without destruction of inherent structures at ultra-spatial resolutions within cellular dimension. To date there has been very little application of this advanced synchrotron technique to the study of plant and animal tissues' inherent structure at a cellular or subcellular level. In this article, a novel approach was introduced to show the potential of themore » newly developed, advanced synchrotron-based analytical technology, which can be used to reveal molecular structural-chemical features of various plant and animal tissues.« less

Genotypic diversity of merozoite surface antigen 1 of Babesia bovis within an endemic population.

PubMed

Lau, Audrey O T; Cereceres, Karla; Palmer, Guy H; Fretwell, Debbie L; Pedroni, Monica J; Mosqueda, Juan; McElwain, Terry F

2010-08-01

Multiple genetically distinct strains of a pathogen circulate and compete for dominance within populations of animal reservoir hosts. Understanding the basis for genotypic strain structure is critical for predicting how pathogens respond to selective pressures and how shifts in pathogen population structure can lead to disease outbreaks. Evidence from related Apicomplexans such as Plasmodium, Toxoplasma, Cryptosporidium and Theileria suggests that various patterns of population dynamics exist, including but not limited to clonal, oligoclonal, panmictic and epidemic genotypic strain structures. In Babesia bovis, genetic diversity of variable merozoite surface antigen (VMSA) genes has been associated with disease outbreaks, including in previously vaccinated animals. However, the extent of VMSA diversity within a defined population in an endemic area has not been examined. We analyzed genotypic diversity and temporal change of MSA-1, a member of the VMSA family, in individual infected animals within a reservoir host population. Twenty-eight distinct MSA-1 genotypes were identified within the herd. All genotypically distinct MSA-1 sequences clustered into three groups based on sequence similarity. Two thirds of the animals tested changed their dominant MSA-1 genotypes during a 6-month period. Five animals within the population contained multiple genotypes. Interestingly, the predominant genotypes within those five animals also changed over the 6-month sampling period, suggesting ongoing transmission or emergence of variant MSA-1 genotypes within the herd. This study demonstrated an unexpected level of diversity for a single copy gene in a haploid genome, and illustrates the dynamic genotype structure of B. bovis within an individual animal in an endemic region. Co-infection with multiple diverse MSA-1 genotypes provides a basis for more extensive genotypic shifts that characterizes outbreak strains.

Do mandibular cross-sectional properties and dental microwear give similar dietary signals?

PubMed

Organ, Jason M; Ruff, Christopher B; Teaford, Mark F; Nisbett, Richard A

2006-08-01

Previous animal experimental work evaluating the effects of dietary consistency on mastication was generally limited to studies of either mandibular structure or rates and types of tooth wear. Control groups fed hard diets (HD) consistently exhibited increased cortical remodeling and/or bone strength when compared to groups fed soft diets (SD). Results of tooth-wear studies showed faster rates of tooth wear in HD animals. This study evaluates the effects of dietary differences on both mandibular structural morphology and postcanine dental microwear in the same animals. We examined mandibles and dentitions from eight miniature swine, raised from 4 weeks to 9 months of age on HD and SD (n = 4, each group). Mandibular structural properties were calculated from peripheral quantitative computed tomography slices at the dp3-dp4 and dp4-M1 junctions. Dental microwear analysis was performed on mandibular lingual crushing facets of dp4 and M1, using photomicrographs of high-resolution casts taken at 500x magnification in a scanning electron microscope. Our results suggest that between the dp3-dp4 contact, HD animals have mandibles that are stronger and more rigid mediolaterally than SD animals. At the dp4-M1 contact, HD animals have mandibles that are stronger and more rigid mediolaterally, dorsoventrally, and in torsion than SD animals. Dental microwear results indicate that SD pigs have higher incidences of pitting and more overall microwear features on their premolars than do HD pigs, yet there are no significant differences in molar microwear morphology between the dietary groups. Near-significant correlations exist between pit size and dorsoventral bending strength, but only for HD pigs. These results suggest that dietary consistency significantly affects both mandibular structure and dental microwear, yet direct correlations between the two are complicated by a number of factors.

Generic Language Use Reveals Domain Differences in Young Children's Expectations about Animal and Artifact Categories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brandone, Amanda C.; Gelman, Susan A.

2013-01-01

The goal of the present study was to explore domain differences in young children's expectations about the structure of animal and artifact categories. We examined 5-year-olds' and adults' use of category-referring generic noun phrases (e.g., "Birds fly") about novel animals and artifacts. The same stimuli served as both animals and artifacts;…

21 CFR 510.3 - Definitions and interpretations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

..., mitigating, treating, or preventing a disease, or to affect a structure or function of the animal body, even though such drug is not a new animal drug when used in another disease or to affect another structure or... drug as defined in part 516 of this chapter, who must be the real party in interest of the development...

21 CFR 510.3 - Definitions and interpretations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

..., mitigating, treating, or preventing a disease, or to affect a structure or function of the animal body, even though such drug is not a new animal drug when used in another disease or to affect another structure or... drug as defined in part 516 of this chapter, who must be the real party in interest of the development...

Pre-Service Teachers' Conceptual Structures and Reasoning Patterns on Animal Classification

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kiliç, Didem

2016-01-01

The main purpose of the study was to investigate pre-service teachers' perceptions of the criteria used to classify animals. In this regard, it was also aimed at exploring conceptual structures and reasoning patterns shaping the pre-service teachers' perceptions. The participants of the present study were 324 pre-service teachers attending science…

Clues to Ceres' Internal Structure

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-10-26

This frame from an animation shows Ceres as seen by NASA's Dawn spacecraft from its high-altitude mapping orbit at 913 miles (1,470 kilometers) above the surface. The colorful map overlaid at right shows variations in Ceres' gravity field measured by Dawn, and gives scientists hints about the dwarf planet's internal structure. Red colors indicate more positive values, corresponding to a stronger gravitational pull than expected, compared to scientists' pre-Dawn model of Ceres' internal structure; blue colors indicate more negative values, corresponding to a weaker gravitational pull. The animation was created by projecting a map of Ceres onto a rotating sphere. The image scale is about 450 feet (140 meters) per pixel. The animations are available at https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22083

Unraveling the disease consequences and mechanisms of modular structure in animal social networks

PubMed Central

Leu, Stephan T.; Cross, Paul C.; Hudson, Peter J.; Bansal, Shweta

2017-01-01

Disease risk is a potential cost of group living. Although modular organization is thought to reduce this cost in animal societies, empirical evidence toward this hypothesis has been conflicting. We analyzed empirical social networks from 43 animal species to motivate our study of the epidemiological consequences of modular structure in animal societies. From these empirical studies, we identified the features of interaction patterns associated with network modularity and developed a theoretical network model to investigate when and how subdivisions in social networks influence disease dynamics. Contrary to prior work, we found that disease risk is largely unaffected by modular structure, although social networks beyond a modular threshold experience smaller disease burden and longer disease duration. Our results illustrate that the lowering of disease burden in highly modular social networks is driven by two mechanisms of modular organization: network fragmentation and subgroup cohesion. Highly fragmented social networks with cohesive subgroups are able to structurally trap infections within a few subgroups and also cause a structural delay to the spread of disease outbreaks. Finally, we show that network models incorporating modular structure are necessary only when prior knowledge suggests that interactions within the population are highly subdivided. Otherwise, null networks based on basic knowledge about group size and local contact heterogeneity may be sufficient when data-limited estimates of epidemic consequences are necessary. Overall, our work does not support the hypothesis that modular structure universally mitigates the disease impact of group living. PMID:28373567

Unraveling the disease consequences and mechanisms of modular structure in animal social networks

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sah, Pratha; Leu, Stephan T.; Cross, Paul C.; Hudson, Peter J.; Bansal, Shweta

2017-01-01

Disease risk is a potential cost of group living. Although modular organization is thought to reduce this cost in animal societies, empirical evidence toward this hypothesis has been conflicting. We analyzed empirical social networks from 43 animal species to motivate our study of the epidemiological consequences of modular structure in animal societies. From these empirical studies, we identified the features of interaction patterns associated with network modularity and developed a theoretical network model to investigate when and how subdivisions in social networks influence disease dynamics. Contrary to prior work, we found that disease risk is largely unaffected by modular structure, although social networks beyond a modular threshold experience smaller disease burden and longer disease duration. Our results illustrate that the lowering of disease burden in highly modular social networks is driven by two mechanisms of modular organization: network fragmentation and subgroup cohesion. Highly fragmented social networks with cohesive subgroups are able to structurally trap infections within a few subgroups and also cause a structural delay to the spread of disease outbreaks. Finally, we show that network models incorporating modular structure are necessary only when prior knowledge suggests that interactions within the population are highly subdivided. Otherwise, null networks based on basic knowledge about group size and local contact heterogeneity may be sufficient when data-limited estimates of epidemic consequences are necessary. Overall, our work does not support the hypothesis that modular structure universally mitigates the disease impact of group living.

Unraveling the disease consequences and mechanisms of modular structure in animal social networks.

PubMed

Sah, Pratha; Leu, Stephan T; Cross, Paul C; Hudson, Peter J; Bansal, Shweta

2017-04-18

Disease risk is a potential cost of group living. Although modular organization is thought to reduce this cost in animal societies, empirical evidence toward this hypothesis has been conflicting. We analyzed empirical social networks from 43 animal species to motivate our study of the epidemiological consequences of modular structure in animal societies. From these empirical studies, we identified the features of interaction patterns associated with network modularity and developed a theoretical network model to investigate when and how subdivisions in social networks influence disease dynamics. Contrary to prior work, we found that disease risk is largely unaffected by modular structure, although social networks beyond a modular threshold experience smaller disease burden and longer disease duration. Our results illustrate that the lowering of disease burden in highly modular social networks is driven by two mechanisms of modular organization: network fragmentation and subgroup cohesion. Highly fragmented social networks with cohesive subgroups are able to structurally trap infections within a few subgroups and also cause a structural delay to the spread of disease outbreaks. Finally, we show that network models incorporating modular structure are necessary only when prior knowledge suggests that interactions within the population are highly subdivided. Otherwise, null networks based on basic knowledge about group size and local contact heterogeneity may be sufficient when data-limited estimates of epidemic consequences are necessary. Overall, our work does not support the hypothesis that modular structure universally mitigates the disease impact of group living.

Evaluation of an animation tool developed to supplement dental student study of the cranial nerves.

PubMed

Lone, M; McKenna, J P; Cryan, J F; Vagg, T; Toulouse, A; Downer, E J

2017-12-30

The structure/function of the cranial nerves is a core topic for dental students. However, due to the perceived complexity of the subject, it is often difficult for students to develop a comprehensive understanding of key concepts using textbooks and models. It is accepted that the acquisition of anatomical knowledge can be facilitated by visualisation of structures. This study aimed to develop and assess a novel cranial nerve animation as a supplemental learning aid for dental students. A multidisciplinary team of anatomists, neuroscientists and a computer scientist developed a novel animation depicting the cranial nerves. The animation was viewed by newly enrolled first-year dental students, graduate entry dental students (year 1) and dental hygiene students (year 1). A simple life scenario employing the use of the cranial nerves was developed using a cartoon-type animation with a viewing time of 3.58 minutes. The animation was developed with emphasis on a life scenario. The animation was placed online for 2 weeks with open access or viewed once in a controlled laboratory setting. Questionnaires were designed to assess the participants' attitude towards the animation and their knowledge of the cranial nerves before and after visualisation. This study was performed before the delivery of core lectures on the cranial nerves. Our findings indicate that the use of the animation can act as a supplemental tool to improve student knowledge of the cranial nerves. Indeed, data indicate that a single viewing of the animation, in addition to 2-week access to the animation, can act as a supplemental learning tool to assist student understanding of the structure and function of cranial nerves. The animation significantly enhanced the student's opinion that their cranial nerve knowledge had improved. From a qualitative point of view, the students described the animation as an enjoyable and useful supplement to reading material/lectures and indicated that the animation was a useful tool in understanding the cranial nerves. Overall, these findings indicate that an animation demonstrating the cranial nerves in a simple, everyday functional scenario may act as a learning aid in the study of cranial nerves. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The evolutionary and ecological consequences of animal social networks: emerging issues.

PubMed

Kurvers, Ralf H J M; Krause, Jens; Croft, Darren P; Wilson, Alexander D M; Wolf, Max

2014-06-01

The first generation of research on animal social networks was primarily aimed at introducing the concept of social networks to the fields of animal behaviour and behavioural ecology. More recently, a diverse body of evidence has shown that social fine structure matters on a broader scale than initially expected, affecting many key ecological and evolutionary processes. Here, we review this development. We discuss the effects of social network structure on evolutionary dynamics (genetic drift, fixation probabilities, and frequency-dependent selection) and social evolution (cooperation and between-individual behavioural differences). We discuss how social network structure can affect important coevolutionary processes (host-pathogen interactions and mutualisms) and population stability. We also discuss the potentially important, but poorly studied, role of social network structure on dispersal and invasion. Throughout, we highlight important areas for future research. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Convergent evolution of plant and animal embryo defences by hyperstable non-digestible storage proteins.

PubMed

Pasquevich, María Yanina; Dreon, Marcos Sebastián; Qiu, Jian-Wen; Mu, Huawei; Heras, Horacio

2017-11-20

Plants have evolved sophisticated embryo defences by kinetically-stable non-digestible storage proteins that lower the nutritional value of seeds, a strategy that have not been reported in animals. To further understand antinutritive defences in animals, we analysed PmPV1, massively accumulated in the eggs of the gastropod Pomacea maculata, focusing on how its structure and structural stability features affected its capacity to withstand passage through predator guts. The native protein withstands >50 min boiling and resists the denaturing detergent sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS), indicating an unusually high structural stability (i.e., kinetic stability). PmPV1 is highly resistant to in vitro proteinase digestion and displays structural stability between pH 2.0-12.0 and 25-85 °C. Furthermore, PmPV1 withstands in vitro and mice digestion and is recovered unchanged in faeces, supporting an antinutritive defensive function. Subunit sequence similarities suggest a common origin and tolerance to mutations. This is the first known animal genus that, like plant seeds, lowers the nutritional value of eggs by kinetically-stable non-digestible storage proteins that survive the gut of predators unaffected. The selective pressure of the harsh gastrointestinal environment would have favoured their appearance, extending by convergent evolution the presence of plant-like hyperstable antinutritive proteins to unattended reproductive stages in animals.

The Amphimedon queenslandica genome and the evolution of animal complexity

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Srivastava, Mansi; Simakov, Oleg; Chapman, Jarrod

2010-07-01

Sponges are an ancient group of animals that diverged from other metazoans over 600 million years ago. Here we present the draft genome sequence of Amphimedon queenslandica, a demosponge from the Great Barrier Reef, and show that it is remarkably similar to other animal genomes in content, structure and organization. Comparative analysis enabled by the sponge sequence reveals genomic events linked to the origin and early evolution of animals, including the appearance, expansion, and diversification of pan-metazoan transcription factor, signaling pathway, and structural genes. This diverse 'toolkit' of genes correlates with critical aspects of all metazoan body plans, and comprisesmore » cell cycle control and growth, development, somatic and germ cell specification, cell adhesion, innate immunity, and allorecognition. Notably, many of the genes associated with the emergence of animals are also implicated in cancer, which arises from defects in basic processes associated with metazoan multicellularity.« less

Animal movement constraints improve resource selection inference in the presence of telemetry error

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brost, Brian M.; Hooten, Mevin B.; Hanks, Ephraim M.; Small, Robert J.

2016-01-01

Multiple factors complicate the analysis of animal telemetry location data. Recent advancements address issues such as temporal autocorrelation and telemetry measurement error, but additional challenges remain. Difficulties introduced by complicated error structures or barriers to animal movement can weaken inference. We propose an approach for obtaining resource selection inference from animal location data that accounts for complicated error structures, movement constraints, and temporally autocorrelated observations. We specify a model for telemetry data observed with error conditional on unobserved true locations that reflects prior knowledge about constraints in the animal movement process. The observed telemetry data are modeled using a flexible distribution that accommodates extreme errors and complicated error structures. Although constraints to movement are often viewed as a nuisance, we use constraints to simultaneously estimate and account for telemetry error. We apply the model to simulated data, showing that it outperforms common ad hoc approaches used when confronted with measurement error and movement constraints. We then apply our framework to an Argos satellite telemetry data set on harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) in the Gulf of Alaska, a species that is constrained to move within the marine environment and adjacent coastlines.

Fine structure and optical properties of biological polarizers in crustaceans and cephalopods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiou, Tsyr-Huei; Caldwell, Roy L.; Hanlon, Roger T.; Cronin, Thomas W.

2008-04-01

The lighting of the underwater environment is constantly changing due to attenuation by water, scattering by suspended particles, as well as the refraction and reflection caused by the surface waves. These factors pose a great challenge for marine animals which communicate through visual signals, especially those based on color. To escape this problem, certain cephalopod mollusks and stomatopod crustaceans utilize the polarization properties of light. While the mechanisms behind the polarization vision of these two animal groups are similar, several distinctive types of polarizers (i.e. the structure producing the signal) have been found in these animals. To gain a better knowledge of how these polarizers function, we studied the relationships between fine structures and optical properties of four types of polarizers found in cephalopods and stomatopods. Although all the polarizers share a somewhat similar spectral range, around 450- 550 nm, the reflectance properties of the signals and the mechanisms used to produce them have dramatic differences. In cephalopods, stack-plates polarizers produce the polarization patterns found on the arms and around their eyes. In stomatopods, we have found one type of beam-splitting polarizer based on photonic structures and two absorptive polarizer types based on dichroic molecules. These stomatopod polarizers may be found on various appendages, and on the cuticle covering dorsal or lateral sides of the animal. Since the efficiencies of all these polarizer types are somewhat sensitive to the change of illumination and viewing angle, how these animals compensate with different behaviors or fine structural features of the polarizer also varies.

LYDIAN: An Extensible Educational Animation Environment for Distributed Algorithms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koldehofe, Boris; Papatriantafilou, Marina; Tsigas, Philippas

2006-01-01

LYDIAN is an environment to support the teaching and learning of distributed algorithms. It provides a collection of distributed algorithms as well as continuous animations. Users can combine algorithms and animations with arbitrary network structures defining the interconnection and behavior of the distributed algorithm. Further, it facilitates…

Structured triglyceride vehicles for oral delivery of halofantrine: examination of intestinal lymphatic transport and bioavailability in conscious rats.

PubMed

Holm, René; Porter, Christopher J H; Müllertz, Anette; Kristensen, Henning G; Charman, William N

2002-09-01

To compare the influence of triglyceride vehicle intramolecular structure on the intestinal lymphatic transport and systemic absorption of halofantrine in conscious rats. Conscious, lymph cannulated and nonlymph cannulated rats were dosed orally with three structurally different triglycerides; sunflower oil, and two structured triglycerides containing different proportion and position of medium-(M) and long-chain (L) fatty acids on the glycerol backbone. The two structured triglycerides were abbreviated MLM and LML to reflect the structural position on the glycerol. The concentration of halofantrine in blood and lymph samples was analyzed by HPLC. Both the lymphatic transport and the total absorption of halofantrine were enhanced by the use the MLM triglyceride. The estimated total absorption of halofantrine in the lymph cannulated animals was higher than in the nonlymph cannulated animals, and this was most pronounced for the animals dosed with the structured triglycerides. Using MLM as vehicle increases the portal absorption of halofantrine and results in similar lymphatic transport levels when compared to sunflower oil. Total absorption when assessed as absorption in the blood plus lymphatic transport for halofantrine after administration in the MLM triglyceride was higher than after administration in sunflower oil.

Determinants associated with veterinary antimicrobial prescribing in farm animals in the Netherlands: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Speksnijder, D C; Jaarsma, A D C; van der Gugten, A C; Verheij, T J M; Wagenaar, J A

2015-04-01

Antimicrobial use in farm animals might contribute to the development of antimicrobial resistance in humans and animals, and there is an urgent need to reduce antimicrobial use in farm animals. Veterinarians are typically responsible for prescribing and overseeing antimicrobial use in animals. A thorough understanding of veterinarians' current prescribing practices and their reasons to prescribe antimicrobials might offer leads for interventions to reduce antimicrobial use in farm animals. This paper presents the results of a qualitative study of factors that influence prescribing behaviour of farm animal veterinarians. Semi-structured interviews with eleven farm animal veterinarians were conducted, which were taped, transcribed and iteratively analysed. This preliminary analysis was further discussed and refined in an expert meeting. A final conceptual model was derived from the analysis and sent to all the respondents for validation. Many conflicting interests are identifiable when it comes to antimicrobial prescribing by farm animal veterinarians. Belief in the professional obligation to alleviate animal suffering, financial dependency on clients, risk avoidance, shortcomings in advisory skills, financial barriers for structural veterinary herd health advisory services, lack of farmers' compliance to veterinary recommendations, public health interests, personal beliefs regarding the veterinary contribution to antimicrobial resistance and major economic powers are all influential determinants in antimicrobial prescribing behaviour of farm animal veterinarians. Interventions to change prescribing behaviour of farm animal veterinarians could address attitudes and advisory skills of veterinarians, as well as provide tools to deal with (perceived) pressure from farmers and advisors to prescribe antimicrobials. Additional (policy) measures could probably support farm animal veterinarians in acting as a more independent animal health consultant. © 2014 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

40 CFR 116.3 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... respiration by means of a lung structure permitting gaseous exchange between air and the circulatory system; Aquatic animals means appropriately sensitive wholly aquatic animals which carry out respiration by means...

40 CFR 116.3 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... respiration by means of a lung structure permitting gaseous exchange between air and the circulatory system; Aquatic animals means appropriately sensitive wholly aquatic animals which carry out respiration by means...

A tool for exploring space-time patterns: an animation user research.

PubMed

Ogao, Patrick J

2006-08-29

Ever since Dr. John Snow (1813-1854) used a case map to identify water well as the source of a cholera outbreak in London in the 1800s, the use of spatio-temporal maps have become vital tools in a wide range of disease mapping and control initiatives. The increasing use of spatio-temporal maps in these life-threatening sectors warrants that they are accurate, and easy to interpret to enable prompt decision making by health experts. Similar spatio-temporal maps are observed in urban growth and census mapping--all critical aspects a of a country's socio-economic development. In this paper, a user test research was carried out to determine the effectiveness of spatio-temporal maps (animation) in exploring geospatial structures encompassing disease, urban and census mapping. Three types of animation were used, namely; passive, interactive and inference-based animation, with the key differences between them being on the level of interactivity and complementary domain knowledge that each offers to the user. Passive animation maintains the view only status. The user has no control over its contents and dynamic variables. Interactive animation provides users with the basic media player controls, navigation and orientation tools. Inference-based animation incorporates these interactive capabilities together with a complementary automated intelligent view that alerts users to interesting patterns, trends or anomalies that may be inherent in the data sets. The test focussed on the role of animation passive and interactive capabilities in exploring space-time patterns by engaging test-subjects in thinking aloud evaluation protocol. The test subjects were selected from a geoinformatics (map reading, interpretation and analysis abilities) background. Every test-subject used each of the three types of animation and their performances for each session assessed. The results show that interactivity in animation is a preferred exploratory tool in identifying, interpreting and providing explanations about observed geospatial phenomena. Also, exploring geospatial data structures using animation is best achieved using provocative interactive tools such as was seen with the inference-based animation. The visual methods employed using the three types of animation are all related and together these patterns confirm the exploratory cognitive structure and processes for visualization tools. The generic types of animation as defined in this paper play a crucial role in facilitating the visualization of geospatial data. These animations can be created and their contents defined based on the user's presentational and exploratory needs. For highly explorative tasks, maintaining a link between the data sets and the animation is crucial to enabling a rich and effective knowledge discovery environment.

A tool for exploring space-time patterns : an animation user research

PubMed Central

Ogao, Patrick J

2006-01-01

Background Ever since Dr. John Snow (1813–1854) used a case map to identify water well as the source of a cholera outbreak in London in the 1800s, the use of spatio-temporal maps have become vital tools in a wide range of disease mapping and control initiatives. The increasing use of spatio-temporal maps in these life-threatening sectors warrants that they are accurate, and easy to interpret to enable prompt decision making by health experts. Similar spatio-temporal maps are observed in urban growth and census mapping – all critical aspects a of a country's socio-economic development. In this paper, a user test research was carried out to determine the effectiveness of spatio-temporal maps (animation) in exploring geospatial structures encompassing disease, urban and census mapping. Results Three types of animation were used, namely; passive, interactive and inference-based animation, with the key differences between them being on the level of interactivity and complementary domain knowledge that each offers to the user. Passive animation maintains the view only status. The user has no control over its contents and dynamic variables. Interactive animation provides users with the basic media player controls, navigation and orientation tools. Inference-based animation incorporates these interactive capabilities together with a complementary automated intelligent view that alerts users to interesting patterns, trends or anomalies that may be inherent in the data sets. The test focussed on the role of animation passive and interactive capabilities in exploring space-time patterns by engaging test-subjects in thinking aloud evaluation protocol. The test subjects were selected from a geoinformatics (map reading, interpretation and analysis abilities) background. Every test-subject used each of the three types of animation and their performances for each session assessed. The results show that interactivity in animation is a preferred exploratory tool in identifying, interpreting and providing explanations about observed geospatial phenomena. Also, exploring geospatial data structures using animation is best achieved using provocative interactive tools such as was seen with the inference-based animation. The visual methods employed using the three types of animation are all related and together these patterns confirm the exploratory cognitive structure and processes for visualization tools. Conclusion The generic types of animation as defined in this paper play a crucial role in facilitating the visualization of geospatial data. These animations can be created and their contents defined based on the user's presentational and exploratory needs. For highly explorative tasks, maintaining a link between the data sets and the animation is crucial to enabling a rich and effective knowledge discovery environment. PMID:16938138

Economic Effects of Fascioliasis on Animal Traction Technology in Adamawa State, Nigeria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jaafar-Furo, M. R.; Mshelia, S. I.; Suleiman, A.

This study reports the results of a survey conducted in 2001 to investigate the economic effects of Fascioliasis (Liverflukes) on drought animals in Adamawa State, Nigeria. Data were collected from 60 and 74 farmers` owners of 148 non-infested and 204 infested drought animals, respectively, through a cost-route method using structured questionnaires and supplemented with interviews. Analysis using descriptive statistics and animal traction efficiency measure showed that the non-infested drought animals were efficiently utilized than the infested drought animals. It was concluded that the non-infested drought animals were more productive. The study therefore, recommend among others, the regular deworming of drought animals in order to improve their efficiency.

Processing Information about Support Exchanges in Close Relationships: The Role of a Knowledge Structure.

PubMed

Turan, Bulent

2016-01-01

People develop knowledge of interpersonal interaction patterns (e.g., prototypes and schemas), which shape how they process incoming information. One such knowledge structure based on attachment theory was examined: the secure base script (the prototypic sequence of events when an attachment figure comforts a close relationship partner in distress). In two studies (N = 53 and N = 119), participants were shown animated film clips in which geometric figures depicted the secure base script and asked to describe the animations. Both studies found that many people readily recognize the secure-base script from these minimal cues quite well, suggesting that this script is not only available in the context of specific relationships (i.e., a relationship-specific knowledge): The generalized (abstract) structure of the script is also readily accessible, which would make it possible to apply it to any relationship (including new relationships). Regression analyses suggested that participants who recognized the script were more likely to (a) include more animation elements when describing the animations, (b) see a common theme in different animations, (c) create better organized stories, and (d) later recall more details of the animations. These findings suggest that access to this knowledge structure helps a person organize and remember relevant incoming information. Furthermore, in both Study 1 and Study 2, individual differences in the ready recognition of the script were associated with individual differences in having access to another related knowledge: indicators suggesting that a potential relationship partner can be trusted to be supportive and responsive at times of stress. Results of Study 2 also suggest that recognizing the script is associated with those items of an attachment measure that concern giving and receiving support. Thus, these knowledge structures may shape how people process support-relevant information in their everyday lives, potentially affecting relationship outcomes and mental and physical health.

Processing Information about Support Exchanges in Close Relationships: The Role of a Knowledge Structure

PubMed Central

Turan, Bulent

2016-01-01

People develop knowledge of interpersonal interaction patterns (e.g., prototypes and schemas), which shape how they process incoming information. One such knowledge structure based on attachment theory was examined: the secure base script (the prototypic sequence of events when an attachment figure comforts a close relationship partner in distress). In two studies (N = 53 and N = 119), participants were shown animated film clips in which geometric figures depicted the secure base script and asked to describe the animations. Both studies found that many people readily recognize the secure-base script from these minimal cues quite well, suggesting that this script is not only available in the context of specific relationships (i.e., a relationship-specific knowledge): The generalized (abstract) structure of the script is also readily accessible, which would make it possible to apply it to any relationship (including new relationships). Regression analyses suggested that participants who recognized the script were more likely to (a) include more animation elements when describing the animations, (b) see a common theme in different animations, (c) create better organized stories, and (d) later recall more details of the animations. These findings suggest that access to this knowledge structure helps a person organize and remember relevant incoming information. Furthermore, in both Study 1 and Study 2, individual differences in the ready recognition of the script were associated with individual differences in having access to another related knowledge: indicators suggesting that a potential relationship partner can be trusted to be supportive and responsive at times of stress. Results of Study 2 also suggest that recognizing the script is associated with those items of an attachment measure that concern giving and receiving support. Thus, these knowledge structures may shape how people process support-relevant information in their everyday lives, potentially affecting relationship outcomes and mental and physical health. PMID:26973562

Beyond Verb Meaning: Experimental Evidence for Incremental Processing of Semantic Roles and Event Structure.

PubMed

Philipp, Markus; Graf, Tim; Kretzschmar, Franziska; Primus, Beatrice

2017-01-01

We present an event-related potentials (ERP) study that addresses the question of how pieces of information pertaining to semantic roles and event structure interact with each other and with the verb's meaning. Specifically, our study investigates German verb-final clauses with verbs of motion such as fliegen 'fly' and schweben 'float, hover,' which are indeterminate with respect to agentivity and event structure. Agentivity was tested by manipulating the animacy of the subject noun phrase and event structure by selecting a goal adverbial, which makes the event telic, or a locative adverbial, which leads to an atelic reading. On the clause-initial subject, inanimates evoked an N400 effect vis-à-vis animates. On the adverbial phrase in the atelic (locative) condition, inanimates showed an N400 in comparison to animates. The telic (goal) condition exhibited a similar amplitude like the inanimate-atelic condition. Finally, at the verbal lexeme, the inanimate condition elicited an N400 effect against the animate condition in the telic (goal) contexts. In the atelic (locative) condition, items with animates evoked an N400 effect compared to inanimates. The combined set of findings suggest that clause-initial animacy is not sufficient for agent identification in German, which seems to be completed only at the verbal lexeme in our experiment. Here non-agents (inanimates) changing their location in a goal-directed way and agents (animates) lacking this property are dispreferred and this challenges the assumption that change of (locational) state is generally a defining characteristic of the patient role. Besides this main finding that sheds new light on role prototypicality, our data seem to indicate effects that, in our view, are related to complexity, i.e., minimality. Inanimate subjects or goal arguments increase processing costs since they have role or event structure restrictions that animate subjects or locative modifiers lack.

Constraints on muscle performance provide a novel explanation for the scaling of posture in terrestrial animals.

PubMed

Usherwood, James R

2013-08-23

Larger terrestrial animals tend to support their weight with more upright limbs. This makes structural sense, reducing the loading on muscles and bones, which is disproportionately challenging in larger animals. However, it does not account for why smaller animals are more crouched; instead, they could enjoy relatively more slender supporting structures or higher safety factors. Here, an alternative account for the scaling of posture is proposed, with close parallels to the scaling of jump performance. If the costs of locomotion are related to the volume of active muscle, and the active muscle volume required depends on both the work and the power demanded during the push-off phase of each step (not just the net positive work), then the disproportional scaling of requirements for work and push-off power are revealing. Larger animals require relatively greater active muscle volumes for dynamically similar gaits (e.g. top walking speed)-which may present an ultimate constraint to the size of running animals. Further, just as for jumping, animals with shorter legs and briefer push-off periods are challenged to provide the power (not the work) required for push-off. This can be ameliorated by having relatively long push-off periods, potentially accounting for the crouched stance of small animals.

Constraints on muscle performance provide a novel explanation for the scaling of posture in terrestrial animals

PubMed Central

Usherwood, James R.

2013-01-01

Larger terrestrial animals tend to support their weight with more upright limbs. This makes structural sense, reducing the loading on muscles and bones, which is disproportionately challenging in larger animals. However, it does not account for why smaller animals are more crouched; instead, they could enjoy relatively more slender supporting structures or higher safety factors. Here, an alternative account for the scaling of posture is proposed, with close parallels to the scaling of jump performance. If the costs of locomotion are related to the volume of active muscle, and the active muscle volume required depends on both the work and the power demanded during the push-off phase of each step (not just the net positive work), then the disproportional scaling of requirements for work and push-off power are revealing. Larger animals require relatively greater active muscle volumes for dynamically similar gaits (e.g. top walking speed)—which may present an ultimate constraint to the size of running animals. Further, just as for jumping, animals with shorter legs and briefer push-off periods are challenged to provide the power (not the work) required for push-off. This can be ameliorated by having relatively long push-off periods, potentially accounting for the crouched stance of small animals. PMID:23825086

An overview of animal science research 1945-2011 through science mapping analysis.

PubMed

Rodriguez-Ledesma, A; Cobo, M J; Lopez-Pujalte, C; Herrera-Viedma, E

2015-12-01

The conceptual structure of the field of Animal Science (AS) research is examined by means of a longitudinal science mapping analysis. The whole of the AS research field is analysed, revealing its conceptual evolution. To this end, an automatic approach to detecting and visualizing hidden themes or topics and their evolution across a consecutive span of years was applied to AS publications of the JCR category 'Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science' during the period 1945-2011. This automatic approach was based on a coword analysis and combines performance analysis and science mapping. To observe the conceptual evolution of AS, six consecutive periods were defined: 1945-1969, 1970-1979, 1980-1989, 1990-1999, 2000-2005 and 2006-2011. Research in AS was identified as having focused on ten main thematic areas: ANIMAL-FEEDING, SMALL-RUMINANTS, ANIMAL-REPRODUCTION, DAIRY-PRODUCTION, MEAT-QUALITY, SWINE-PRODUCTION, GENETICS-AND-ANIMAL-BREEDING, POULTRY, ANIMAL-WELFARE and GROWTH-FACTORS-AND-FATTY-ACIDS. The results show how genomic studies gain in weight and integrate with other thematic areas. The whole of AS research has become oriented towards an overall framework in which animal welfare, sustainable management and human health play a major role. All this would affect the future structure and management of livestock farming. © 2014 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Greek classicism in living structure? Some deductive pathways in animal morphology.

PubMed

Zweers, G A

1985-01-01

Classical temples in ancient Greece show two deterministic illusionistic principles of architecture, which govern their functional design: geometric proportionalism and a set of illusion-strengthening rules in the proportionalism's "stochastic margin". Animal morphology, in its mechanistic-deductive revival, applies just one architectural principle, which is not always satisfactory. Whether a "Greek Classical" situation occurs in the architecture of living structure is to be investigated by extreme testing with deductive methods. Three deductive methods for explanation of living structure in animal morphology are proposed: the parts, the compromise, and the transformation deduction. The methods are based upon the systems concept for an organism, the flow chart for a functionalistic picture, and the network chart for a structuralistic picture, whereas the "optimal design" serves as the architectural principle for living structure. These methods show clearly the high explanatory power of deductive methods in morphology, but they also make one open end most explicit: neutral issues do exist. Full explanation of living structure asks for three entries: functional design within architectural and transformational constraints. The transformational constraint brings necessarily in a stochastic component: an at random variation being a sort of "free management space". This variation must be a variation from the deterministic principle of the optimal design, since any transformation requires space for plasticity in structure and action, and flexibility in role fulfilling. Nevertheless, finally the question comes up whether for animal structure a similar situation exists as in Greek Classical temples. This means that the at random variation, that is found when the optimal design is used to explain structure, comprises apart from a stochastic part also real deviations being yet another deterministic part. This deterministic part could be a set of rules that governs actualization in the "free management space".

Staphylococcus aureus in Animals and Food: Methicillin Resistance, Prevalence and Population Structure. A Review in the African Continent.

PubMed

Lozano, Carmen; Gharsa, Haythem; Ben Slama, Karim; Zarazaga, Myriam; Torres, Carmen

2016-02-04

The interest about Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA) in livestock, and domestic and wild animals has significantly increased. The spread of different clonal complexes related to livestock animals, mainly CC398, and the recent description of the new mecC gene, make it necessary to know more about the epidemiology and population structure of this microorganism all over the world. Nowadays, there are several descriptions about the presence of S. aureus and/or MRSA in different animal species (dogs, sheep, donkeys, bats, pigs, and monkeys), and in food of animal origin in African countries. In this continent, there is a high diversity of ethnicities, cultures or religions, as well as a high number of wild animal species and close contact between humans and animals, which can have a relevant impact in the epidemiology of this microorganism. This review shows that some clonal lineages associated with humans (CC1, CC15, CC72, CC80, CC101, and CC152) and animals (CC398, CC130 and CC133) are present in this continent in animal isolates, although the mecC gene has not been detected yet. However, available studies are limited to a few countries, very often with incomplete information, and many more studies are necessary to cover a larger number of African countries.

Staphylococcus aureus in Animals and Food: Methicillin Resistance, Prevalence and Population Structure. A Review in the African Continent

PubMed Central

Lozano, Carmen; Gharsa, Haythem; Ben Slama, Karim; Zarazaga, Myriam; Torres, Carmen

2016-01-01

The interest about Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA) in livestock, and domestic and wild animals has significantly increased. The spread of different clonal complexes related to livestock animals, mainly CC398, and the recent description of the new mecC gene, make it necessary to know more about the epidemiology and population structure of this microorganism all over the world. Nowadays, there are several descriptions about the presence of S. aureus and/or MRSA in different animal species (dogs, sheep, donkeys, bats, pigs, and monkeys), and in food of animal origin in African countries. In this continent, there is a high diversity of ethnicities, cultures or religions, as well as a high number of wild animal species and close contact between humans and animals, which can have a relevant impact in the epidemiology of this microorganism. This review shows that some clonal lineages associated with humans (CC1, CC15, CC72, CC80, CC101, and CC152) and animals (CC398, CC130 and CC133) are present in this continent in animal isolates, although the mecC gene has not been detected yet. However, available studies are limited to a few countries, very often with incomplete information, and many more studies are necessary to cover a larger number of African countries. PMID:27681906

Exploring How Different Features of Animations of Sodium Chloride Dissolution Affect Students' Explanations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelly, Resa M.; Jones, Loretta L.

2007-01-01

Animations of molecular structure and dynamics are often used to help students understand the abstract ideas of chemistry. This qualitative study investigated how the features of two different styles of molecular-level animation affected students' explanations of how sodium chloride dissolves in water. In small group sessions 18 college-level…

MovieMaker: a web server for rapid rendering of protein motions and interactions

PubMed Central

Maiti, Rajarshi; Van Domselaar, Gary H.; Wishart, David S.

2005-01-01

MovieMaker is a web server that allows short (∼10 s), downloadable movies of protein motions to be generated. It accepts PDB files or PDB accession numbers as input and automatically calculates, renders and merges the necessary image files to create colourful animations covering a wide range of protein motions and other dynamic processes. Users have the option of animating (i) simple rotation, (ii) morphing between two end-state conformers, (iii) short-scale, picosecond vibrations, (iv) ligand docking, (v) protein oligomerization, (vi) mid-scale nanosecond (ensemble) motions and (vii) protein folding/unfolding. MovieMaker does not perform molecular dynamics calculations. Instead it is an animation tool that uses a sophisticated superpositioning algorithm in conjunction with Cartesian coordinate interpolation to rapidly and automatically calculate the intermediate structures needed for many of its animations. Users have extensive control over the rendering style, structure colour, animation quality, background and other image features. MovieMaker is intended to be a general-purpose server that allows both experts and non-experts to easily generate useful, informative protein animations for educational and illustrative purposes. MovieMaker is accessible at . PMID:15980488

Bringing macromolecular machinery to life using 3D animation.

PubMed

Iwasa, Janet H

2015-04-01

Over the past decade, there has been a rapid rise in the use of three-dimensional (3D) animation to depict molecular and cellular processes. Much of the growth in molecular animation has been in the educational arena, but increasingly, 3D animation software is finding its way into research laboratories. In this review, I will discuss a number of ways in which 3d animation software can play a valuable role in visualizing and communicating macromolecular structures and dynamics. I will also consider the challenges of using animation tools within the research sphere. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The old and new face of craniofacial research: How animal models inform human craniofacial genetic and clinical data.

PubMed

Van Otterloo, Eric; Williams, Trevor; Artinger, Kristin Bruk

2016-07-15

The craniofacial skeletal structures that comprise the human head develop from multiple tissues that converge to form the bones and cartilage of the face. Because of their complex development and morphogenesis, many human birth defects arise due to disruptions in these cellular populations. Thus, determining how these structures normally develop is vital if we are to gain a deeper understanding of craniofacial birth defects and devise treatment and prevention options. In this review, we will focus on how animal model systems have been used historically and in an ongoing context to enhance our understanding of human craniofacial development. We do this by first highlighting "animal to man" approaches; that is, how animal models are being utilized to understand fundamental mechanisms of craniofacial development. We discuss emerging technologies, including high throughput sequencing and genome editing, and new animal repository resources, and how their application can revolutionize the future of animal models in craniofacial research. Secondly, we highlight "man to animal" approaches, including the current use of animal models to test the function of candidate human disease variants. Specifically, we outline a common workflow deployed after discovery of a potentially disease causing variant based on a select set of recent examples in which human mutations are investigated in vivo using animal models. Collectively, these topics will provide a pipeline for the use of animal models in understanding human craniofacial development and disease for clinical geneticist and basic researchers alike. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of concrete slats, three mat types and out-wintering pads on performance and welfare of finishing beef steers.

PubMed

Earley, Bernadette; McNamara, John D; Jerrams, Stephen J; O'Riordan, Edward G

2017-05-30

The objective was to investigate the effect of placing mats on concrete slatted floors on performance, behaviour, hoof condition, dirt scores, physiological and immunological variables of beef steers, and to compare responses with animals on out-wintering pads. Continental crossbred beef steers [n = 360; mean (±SD) initial live weight 539 kg (42.2)] were blocked by breed and live weight and randomly assigned to one of five treatments; (1) Concrete slats alone, (2) Mat 1 (Natural Rubber structure) (Durapak Rubber Products), (3) Mat 2 (Natural rubber structure) (EasyFix), (4) Mat 3 (modified ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) foam structure) and (5) Out-wintering pads (OWP's). Animals on the OWPs had a greater (P < 0.05) live weight gain (P < 0.05) compared with the slat and Mat 2 treatments: results for Mat 1 and Mat 3 were the same (P > 0.05) as the other treatments. Animals on the OWPs had reduced lying percentage time compared with all the other treatments. Dry matter (DM) intake was greater for animals on the OWPs compared with all the other treatments. Carcass weight, kill out proportion, carcass fat score, carcass composition score, FCR and physiological responses were similar (P > 0.05) among treatments. No incidence of laminitis was observed among treatments. The number of hoof lesions was greater on all mat types (P < 0.05) compared with concrete slats and OWP treatments. Dirt scores were greater (P < 0.05) for animals on OWPs when measured on days 42, 84, 105, 126 and 150 compared with animals on slats. Under the conditions adopted for the present study, there was no evidence to suggest that animals housed on bare concrete slats were disadvantaged in respect of animal welfare compared with animals housed on other floor types. It is concluded that the welfare of steers was not adversely affected by slats compared with different mat types or OWPs.

Bacterial collagen-like proteins that form triple-helical structures

PubMed Central

Yu, Zhuoxin; An, Bo; Ramshaw, John A.M.; Brodsky, Barbara

2014-01-01

A large number of collagen-like proteins have been identified in bacteria during the past ten years, principally from analysis of genome databases. These bacterial collagens share the distinctive Gly-Xaa-Yaa repeating amino acid sequence of animal collagens which underlies their unique triple-helical structure. A number of the bacterial collagens have been expressed in E. coli, and they all adopt a triple-helix conformation. Unlike animal collagens, these bacterial proteins do not contain the post-translationally modified amino acid, hydroxyproline, which is known to stabilize the triple-helix structure and may promote self-assembly. Despite the absence of collagen hydroxylation, the triple-helix structures of the bacterial collagens studied exhibit a high thermal stability of 35–39 °C, close to that seen for mammalian collagens. These bacterial collagens are readily produced in large quantities by recombinant methods, either in the original amino acid sequence or in genetically manipulated sequences. This new family of recombinant, easy to modify collagens could provide a novel system for investigating structural and functional motifs in animal collagens and could also form the basis of new biomedical materials with designed structural properties and functions. PMID:24434612

Structure of an extracellular giant hemoglobin of the gutless beard worm Oligobrachia mashikoi

PubMed Central

Numoto, Nobutaka; Nakagawa, Taro; Kita, Akiko; Sasayama, Yuichi; Fukumori, Yoshihiro; Miki, Kunio

2005-01-01

Mouthless and gutless marine animals, pogonophorans and vestimentiferans, obtain their nutrition solely from their symbiotic chemoautotrophic sulfur-oxidizing bacteria. These animals have sulfide-binding 400-kDa and/or 3,500-kDa Hb, which transports oxygen and sulfide simultaneously. The symbiotic bacteria are supplied with sulfide by Hb of the host animal and use it to provide carbon compounds. Here, we report the crystal structure of a 400-kDa Hb from pogonophoran Oligobrachia mashikoi at 2.85-Å resolution. The structure is hollow-spherical, composed of a total of 24 globins as a dimer of dodecamer. This dodecameric assemblage would be a fundamental structural unit of both 400-kDa and 3,500-kDa Hbs. The structure of the mercury derivative used for phasing provides insights into the sulfide-binding mechanism. The mercury compounds bound to all free Cys residues that have been expected as sulfide-binding sites. Some of the free Cys residues are surrounded by Phe aromatic rings, and mercury atoms come into contact with these residues in the derivative structure. It is strongly suggested that sulfur atoms bound to these sites could be stabilized by aromatic-electrostatic interactions by the surrounding Phe residues. PMID:16204001

Supercomputer Environments

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-01-09

data structures can easily be presented to the user interface. An emphasis of the Graph Browser was the realization of graph views and graph animation ... animation of the graph. Anima- tion of the graph includes changing node shapes, changing node and arc colors, changing node and arc text, and making...many graphs tend to be tree-like. Animtion of a graph is a useful feature. One of the primary goals of GMB was to support animated graphs. For animation

eMovie: a storyboard-based tool for making molecular movies.

PubMed

Hodis, Eran; Schreiber, Gideon; Rother, Kristian; Sussman, Joel L

2007-05-01

The 3D structures of macromolecules are difficult to grasp and also to communicate. By their nature, movies or animations are particularly useful for highlighting key features by offering a 'guided tour' of structures and conformation changes. However, high-quality movies are rarely seen because they are currently difficult and time consuming to make. By adopting the traditional movie 'storyboard' concept, which gives guidance and direction to filming, eMovie makes the creation of lengthy molecular animations much easier. This tool is a plug-in for the open-source molecular graphics program PyMOL, and enables experts and novices alike to produce informative and high-quality molecular animations.

Portrayals of canine obesity in English-language newspapers and in leading veterinary journals, 2000-2009: implications for animal welfare organizations and veterinarians as public educators.

PubMed

Degeling, Chris; Rock, Melanie; Toews, Lorraine; Teows, Lorraine

2011-01-01

In industrialized societies, more than 1 in 3 dogs and people currently qualify as overweight or obese. Experts in public health expect both these figures to rise. Although clinical treatment remains important, so are public perceptions and social norms. This article presents a thematic analysis of English-language mass media coverage on canine obesity from 2000 through 2009 and compares these results with a thematic analysis of articles on canine obesity in leading veterinary journals during the same time period. Drawing on Giddens's theory of structuration, this study identified articles that emphasized individual agency, environmental structure, or both as contributors to canine obesity. Comparisons with weight-related health problems in human populations were virtually absent from the veterinary sample. Although such comparisons were almost always present in the media sample, quotations from veterinarians and other spokespeople for the welfare of nonhuman animals emphasized the agency of individual caregivers (owners) over structural influences. Now that weight gain and obesity have been established as a pressing animal welfare problem, these results suggest a need for research and for interventions, such as media advocacy, that emphasize intersections between animal-owner agency, socioenvironmental determinants, and connections between animal welfare and human health.

Molecular diversity of methanogens in fecal samples from Bactrian camels (Camelus bactrianus) at two zoos.

PubMed

Turnbull, Kathryn L; Smith, Rachel P; St-Pierre, Benoit; Wright, André-Denis G

2012-08-01

Animals are dependent on mutualistic microbial communities that reside in their gastrointestinal track for essential physiological functions such as nutrition and pathogen resistance. The composition of microbial communities in an animal is influenced by various factors, including species, diet and geographical location. In this preliminary study, the population structure of fecal methanogens in Bactrian camels (Camelus bactrianus) from two zoos was studied using separate 16S rRNA gene libraries for each zoo. While methanogen sequences belonging to the genus Methanobrevibacter were dominant in both libraries, they showed significant differences in diversity (p=0.05) and structure (p<0.0001). Population structure analysis revealed that only two operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were shared between libraries, while two OTUs were unique to the Southwick Zoo library and seven OTUs were unique to the Potter Park Zoo library. These preliminary results highlight how methanogen population structures can vary greatly between animals of the same species maintained in captivity at different locations. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Temperature-dependent body size effects determine population responses to climate warming.

PubMed

Lindmark, Max; Huss, Magnus; Ohlberger, Jan; Gårdmark, Anna

2018-02-01

Current understanding of animal population responses to rising temperatures is based on the assumption that biological rates such as metabolism, which governs fundamental ecological processes, scale independently with body size and temperature, despite empirical evidence for interactive effects. Here, we investigate the consequences of interactive temperature- and size scaling of vital rates for the dynamics of populations experiencing warming using a stage-structured consumer-resource model. We show that interactive scaling alters population and stage-specific responses to rising temperatures, such that warming can induce shifts in population regulation and stage-structure, influence community structure and govern population responses to mortality. Analysing experimental data for 20 fish species, we found size-temperature interactions in intraspecific scaling of metabolic rate to be common. Given the evidence for size-temperature interactions and the ubiquity of size structure in animal populations, we argue that accounting for size-specific temperature effects is pivotal for understanding how warming affects animal populations and communities. © 2017 The Authors. Ecology Letters published by CNRS and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Factors related to in-house agricultural animal caseloads in US veterinary teaching hospitals.

PubMed

Tyler, Jeff W; Miller, Robert B; Constable, Peter D; Hostetler, Douglas E; Lakritz, Jeff; Hardin, David K; Angel, Kenneth L; Wolfe, Dwight F

2002-01-01

A retrospective observational study was conducted to determine whether agricultural animal caseloads at veterinary teaching hospitals declined between 1995 and 1998. Thereafter, the effect of organizational and demographic factors on 1998 in-house agricultural animal caseloads was examined. Caseload data were obtained from the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges. Demographic and organizational data were obtained by surveys, telephone interviews, and web-based resources. Complete data were available from 25 veterinary colleges, and data from these schools were used in subsequent analyses. In 1998, in-house food animal caseload decreased relative to 1995 in 17 schools and increased relative to 1995 in 8 schools. This trend was not significant (P = .053); however, the power of the test was limited (.50). Mean 1998 caseload was 886 +/- 504. Among schools with a discipline-based organizational structure, annual mean caseload was 464 +/- 220. Among schools with a species-based organizational structure, mean caseload was 1,167 +/- 463. The regression model that best predicted caseload was a forward-stepping model that included only organizational structure as an independent variable. No additional independent variable was significantly associated with caseload.

Social and structural housing conditions influence the development of a depressive-like phenotype in the learned helplessness paradigm in male mice.

PubMed

Chourbaji, Sabine; Zacher, Christiane; Sanchis-Segura, Carles; Spanagel, Rainer; Gass, Peter

2005-10-14

Structural and social factors are known to play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of depression. Since animal models of depression are a major tool to gain insights into the mechanisms involved in the pathophysiology of this disease it is important not only to exploit but also to be aware of factors that may affect these models. As housing represents a fundamental external factor, which is controversially debated to affect the animals' emotionality, this study aimed to investigate the impact of different social and structural housing conditions on the development of a depressive-like syndrome in the learned helplessness paradigm. Group housing in an impoverished environment led to an increased vulnerability in the learned helplessness paradigm. Groups that were housed enriched, however, were less helpless. Furthermore impoverished conditions did not increase the vulnerability in single housed animals. Regarding emotionality in the animals, basal anxiety was reduced and the exploration was enhanced by group housing and enriched environment. These results suggest that housing conditions significantly influence the outcome of learned helplessness studies.

Animated axial surface mapping: The multimedia companion

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hook, S.C.; Shaw, J.H.; Suppe, J.

1995-09-01

This newly expanded version of AAPG`s first DataShare Disk brings to life the concepts and applications of a new method of structural trend analysis. Through the dynamic use of color, sound, animation, and humor, this multimedia companion to the May 1994 article on Axial Surface Mapping introduces the reader (or viewer) to the concepts of rigid-block translation, fault-bend folding, and axial surface mapping. Animated models of growing fault-bend folds allow the viewer to see in four dimensions. The axial surface map shows the horizontal plane; the folding lines show depth planes; and the animations show the structure and its two-dimensionalmore » map changing with time and increasing slip. The animations create theoretical map patterns under varying, but controlled conditions that can be compared to axial surface maps from real data. The model patterns are then used to interpret seismic data and axial surface maps from a producing gas field in offshore California and from an exploration play in Pennsylvania.« less

Antimicrobial resistance: harmonisation of national antimicrobial resistance monitoring and surveillance programmes in animals and in animal-derived food.

PubMed

Franklin, A; Acar, J; Anthony, F; Gupta, R; Nicholls, T; Tamura, Y; Thompson, S; Threlfall, E J; Vose, D; van Vuuren, M; White, D G; Wegener, H C; Costarrica, M L

2001-12-01

A guideline on the harmonisation of national antimicrobial resistance monitoring and surveillance programmes in animals and animal-derived foods has been developed by the Ad hoc Group of experts on antimicrobial resistance of the Office International des Epizooties. The objective of the guideline is to allow the generation of comparable data from various national surveillance and monitoring systems in order to compare the situations in different regions or countries and to consolidate results at the national, regional and international level. Definitions of surveillance and monitoring are provided. National systems should be able to detect the emergence of resistance, and to determine the prevalence of resistant bacteria. The resulting data should be used in the assessment of risks to public health and should contribute to the establishment of a risk management policy. Specific factors identified for harmonisation include the animal species, food commodities, sampling plans, bacterial species, antimicrobials to be tested, laboratory methods, data reporting, database structure and the structure of reports.

[Comparation on Haversian system between human and animal bones by imaging analysis].

PubMed

Lu, Hui-Ling; Zheng, Jing; Yao, Ya-Nan; Chen, Sen; Wang, Hui-Pin; Chen, Li-Xian; Guo, Jing-Yuan

2006-04-01

To explore the differences in Haversian system between human and animal bones through imaging analysis and morphology description. Thirty-five slices grinding from human being as well as dog, pig, cow and sheep bones were observed to compare their structure, then were analysed with the researchful microscope. Plexiform bone or oeston band was not found in human bones; There were significant differences in the shape, size, location, density of Haversian system, between human and animal bones. The amount of Haversian lamella and diameter of central canal in human were the biggest; Significant differences in the central canal diameter and total area percentage between human and animal bones were shown by imaging analysis. (1) Plexiform bone and osteon band could be the exclusive index in human bone; (2) There were significant differences in the structure of Haversian system between human and animal bones; (3) The percentage of central canals total area was valuable in species identification through imaging analysis.

Comparison of structure, function and regulation of plant cold shock domain proteins to bacterial and animal cold shock domain proteins.

PubMed

Chaikam, Vijay; Karlson, Dale T

2010-01-01

The cold shock domain (CSD) is among the most ancient and well conserved nucleic acid binding domains from bacteria to higher animals and plants. The CSD facilitates binding to RNA, ssDNA and dsDNA and most functions attributed to cold shock domain proteins are mediated by this nucleic acid binding activity. In prokaryotes, cold shock domain proteins only contain a single CSD and are termed cold shock proteins (Csps). In animal model systems, various auxiliary domains are present in addition to the CSD and are commonly named Y-box proteins. Similar to animal CSPs, plant CSPs contain auxiliary C-terminal domains in addition to their N-terminal CSD. Cold shock domain proteins have been shown to play important roles in development and stress adaptation in wide variety of organisms. In this review, the structure, function and regulation of plant CSPs are compared and contrasted to the characteristics of bacterial and animal CSPs. [BMB reports 2010; 43(1): 1-8].

Outward Rectification of Voltage-Gated K+ Channels Evolved at Least Twice in Life History

PubMed Central

Riedelsberger, Janin; Dreyer, Ingo; Gonzalez, Wendy

2015-01-01

Voltage-gated potassium (K+) channels are present in all living systems. Despite high structural similarities in the transmembrane domains (TMD), this K+ channel type segregates into at least two main functional categories—hyperpolarization-activated, inward-rectifying (Kin) and depolarization-activated, outward-rectifying (Kout) channels. Voltage-gated K+ channels sense the membrane voltage via a voltage-sensing domain that is connected to the conduction pathway of the channel. It has been shown that the voltage-sensing mechanism is the same in Kin and Kout channels, but its performance results in opposite pore conformations. It is not known how the different coupling of voltage-sensor and pore is implemented. Here, we studied sequence and structural data of voltage-gated K+ channels from animals and plants with emphasis on the property of opposite rectification. We identified structural hotspots that alone allow already the distinction between Kin and Kout channels. Among them is a loop between TMD S5 and the pore that is very short in animal Kout, longer in plant and animal Kin and the longest in plant Kout channels. In combination with further structural and phylogenetic analyses this finding suggests that outward-rectification evolved twice and independently in the animal and plant kingdom. PMID:26356684

Outward Rectification of Voltage-Gated K+ Channels Evolved at Least Twice in Life History.

PubMed

Riedelsberger, Janin; Dreyer, Ingo; Gonzalez, Wendy

2015-01-01

Voltage-gated potassium (K+) channels are present in all living systems. Despite high structural similarities in the transmembrane domains (TMD), this K+ channel type segregates into at least two main functional categories-hyperpolarization-activated, inward-rectifying (Kin) and depolarization-activated, outward-rectifying (Kout) channels. Voltage-gated K+ channels sense the membrane voltage via a voltage-sensing domain that is connected to the conduction pathway of the channel. It has been shown that the voltage-sensing mechanism is the same in Kin and Kout channels, but its performance results in opposite pore conformations. It is not known how the different coupling of voltage-sensor and pore is implemented. Here, we studied sequence and structural data of voltage-gated K+ channels from animals and plants with emphasis on the property of opposite rectification. We identified structural hotspots that alone allow already the distinction between Kin and Kout channels. Among them is a loop between TMD S5 and the pore that is very short in animal Kout, longer in plant and animal Kin and the longest in plant Kout channels. In combination with further structural and phylogenetic analyses this finding suggests that outward-rectification evolved twice and independently in the animal and plant kingdom.

Computer-animated model of accommodation and presbyopia.

PubMed

Goldberg, Daniel B

2015-02-01

To understand, demonstrate, and further research the mechanisms of accommodation and presbyopia. Private practice, Little Silver, New Jersey, USA. Experimental study. The CAMA 2.0 computer-animated model of accommodation and presbyopia was produced in collaboration with an experienced medical animator using Autodesk Maya animation software and Adobe After Effects. The computer-animated model demonstrates the configuration and synchronous movements of all accommodative elements. A new classification of the zonular apparatus based on structure and function is proposed. There are 3 divisions of zonular fibers; that is, anterior, crossing, and posterior. The crossing zonular fibers form a scaffolding to support the lens; the anterior and posterior zonular fibers work reciprocally to achieve focused vision. The model demonstrates the important support function of Weiger ligament. Dynamic movement of the ora serrata demonstrates that the forces of ciliary muscle contraction store energy for disaccommodation in the elastic choroid. The flow of aqueous and vitreous provides strong evidence for our understanding of the hydrodynamic interactions during the accommodative cycle. The interaction may result from the elastic stretch in the choroid transmitted to the vitreous rather than from vitreous pressue. The model supports the concept that presbyopia results from loss of elasticity and increasing ocular rigidity in both the lenticular and extralenticular structures. The computer-animated model demonstrates the structures of accommodation moving in synchrony and might enhance understanding of the mechanisms of accommodation and presbyopia. Dr. Goldberg is a consultant to Acevision, Inc., and Bausch & Lomb. Copyright © 2015 ASCRS and ESCRS. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Production of Accurate Skeletal Models of Domestic Animals Using Three-Dimensional Scanning and Printing Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Fangzheng; Liu, Chunying; Song, Xuexiong; Huan, Yanjun; Gao, Shansong; Jiang, Zhongling

2018-01-01

Access to adequate anatomical specimens can be an important aspect in learning the anatomy of domestic animals. In this study, the authors utilized a structured light scanner and fused deposition modeling (FDM) printer to produce highly accurate animal skeletal models. First, various components of the bovine skeleton, including the femur, the…

Development and Differentiation of Force and Energy Concepts for Animate and Inanimate Objects in Children and Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Megalakaki, Olga; Thibaut, Jean Pierre

2016-01-01

We looked at how far students aged 10-17 years differentiate between the "force" and "energy" concepts for animates and inanimates. Within a structured interview format, participants described situations in which inanimate objects and animate agents interacted. Results showed that the younger students made no distinction…

National Response Framework

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-01-01

special needs should enhance their awareness of risk and threats, develop household emergency plans that include care for pets and service animals , and...including persons, property, and structures. – Individuals with special needs, including those with service animals . – Individuals with household pets...supplies for household pets and service animals . See the recommended disaster supplies list at http://www.ready.gov. • Monitoring emergency

Genomics of coloration in natural animal populations.

PubMed

San-Jose, Luis M; Roulin, Alexandre

2017-07-05

Animal coloration has traditionally been the target of genetic and evolutionary studies. However, until very recently, the study of the genetic basis of animal coloration has been mainly restricted to model species, whereas research on non-model species has been either neglected or mainly based on candidate approaches, and thereby limited by the knowledge obtained in model species. Recent high-throughput sequencing technologies allow us to overcome previous limitations, and open new avenues to study the genetic basis of animal coloration in a broader number of species and colour traits, and to address the general relevance of different genetic structures and their implications for the evolution of colour. In this review, we highlight aspects where genome-wide studies could be of major utility to fill in the gaps in our understanding of the biology and evolution of animal coloration. The new genomic approaches have been promptly adopted to study animal coloration although substantial work is still needed to consider a larger range of species and colour traits, such as those exhibiting continuous variation or based on reflective structures. We argue that a robust advancement in the study of animal coloration will also require large efforts to validate the functional role of the genes and variants discovered using genome-wide tools.This article is part of the themed issue 'Animal coloration: production, perception, function and application'. © 2017 The Author(s).

Developing a Comprehensive Animal Care Occupational Health and Safety Program at a Land-Grant Institution

PubMed Central

Goodly, Lyndon J; Jarrell, Vickie L; Miller, Monica A; Banks, Maureen C; Anderson, Thomas J; Branson, Katherine A; Woodward, Robert T; Peper, Randall L; Myers, Sara J

2016-01-01

The Public Health Service Policy on the Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals and sound ethical practices require institutions to provide safe working environments for personnel working with animals; this mandate is achieved in part by establishing an effective animal care Occupational Health and Safety Program (OHSP). Land-grant institutions often face unique organizational challenges in fulfilling this requirement. For example, responsibilities for providing health and safety programs often have historically been dispersed among many different divisions scattered around the campus. Here we describe how our institutional management personnel overcame organizational structure and cultural obstacles during the formation of a comprehensive campus-wide animal care OHSP. Steps toward establishing the animal care OHSP included assigning overall responsibility, identifying all stakeholders, creating a leadership group, and hiring a fulltime Animal Care OHSP Specialist. A web-based portal was developed, implemented, and refined over the past 7 y and reflected the unique organizational structures of the university and the needs of our research community. Through this web-based portal, hazards are identified, risks are assessed, and training is provided. The animal care OHSP now provides easy mandatory enrollment, supports timely feedback regarding hazards, and affords enrollees the opportunity to participate in voluntary medical surveillance. The future direction and development of the animal care OHSP will be based on the research trends of campus, identification of emerging health and safety hazards, and ongoing evaluation and refinement of the program. PMID:26817980

Developing a Comprehensive Animal Care Occupational Health and Safety Program at a Land-Grant Institution.

PubMed

Goodly, Lyndon J; Jarrell, Vickie L; Miller, Monica A; Banks, Maureen C; Anderson, Thomas J; Branson, Katherine A; Woodward, Robert T; Peper, Randall L; Myers, Sara J

2016-01-01

The Public Health Service Policy on the Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals and sound ethical practices require institutions to provide safe working environments for personnel working with animals; this mandate is achieved in part by establishing an effective animal care Occupational Health and Safety Program (OHSP). Land-grant institutions often face unique organizational challenges in fulfilling this requirement. For example, responsibilities for providing health and safety programs often have historically been dispersed among many different divisions scattered around the campus. Here we describe how our institutional management personnel overcame organizational structure and cultural obstacles during the formation of a comprehensive campus-wide animal care OHSP. Steps toward establishing the animal care OHSP included assigning overall responsibility, identifying all stakeholders, creating a leadership group, and hiring a fulltime Animal Care OHSP Specialist. A web-based portal was developed, implemented, and refined over the past 7 y and reflected the unique organizational structures of the university and the needs of our research community. Through this web-based portal, hazards are identified, risks are assessed, and training is provided. The animal care OHSP now provides easy mandatory enrollment, supports timely feedback regarding hazards, and affords enrollees the opportunity to participate in voluntary medical surveillance. The future direction and development of the animal care OHSP will be based on the research trends of campus, identification of emerging health and safety hazards, and ongoing evaluation and refinement of the program.

Freshwater Planarians as an Alternative Animal Model for Neurotoxicology.

PubMed

Hagstrom, Danielle; Cochet-Escartin, Olivier; Zhang, Siqi; Khuu, Cindy; Collins, Eva-Maria S

2015-09-01

Traditional toxicology testing has relied on low-throughput, expensive mammalian studies; however, timely testing of the large number of environmental toxicants requires new in vitro and in vivo platforms for inexpensive medium- to high-throughput screening. Herein, we describe the suitability of the asexual freshwater planarian Dugesia japonica as a new animal model for the study of developmental neurotoxicology. As these asexual animals reproduce by binary fission, followed by regeneration of missing body structures within approximately 1 week, development and regeneration occur through similar processes allowing us to induce neurodevelopment "at will" through amputation. This short time scale and the comparable sizes of full and regenerating animals enable parallel experiments in adults and developing worms to determine development-specific aspects of toxicity. Because the planarian brain, despite its simplicity, is structurally and molecularly similar to the mammalian brain, we are able to ascertain neurodevelopmental toxicity that is relevant to humans. As a proof of concept, we developed a 5-step semiautomatic screening platform to characterize the toxicity of 9 known neurotoxicants (consisting of common solvents, pesticides, and detergents) and a neutral agent, glucose, and quantified effects on viability, stimulated and unstimulated behavior, regeneration, and brain structure. Comparisons of our findings with other alternative toxicology animal models, such as zebrafish larvae and nematodes, demonstrated that planarians are comparably sensitive to the tested chemicals. In addition, we found that certain compounds induced adverse effects specifically in developing animals. We thus conclude that planarians offer new complementary opportunities for developmental neurotoxicology animal models. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Toxicology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

A dual RF resonator system for high-field functional magnetic resonance imaging of small animals.

PubMed

Ludwig, R; Bodgdanov, G; King, J; Allard, A; Ferris, C F

2004-01-30

A new apparatus has been developed that integrates an animal restrainer arrangement for small animals with an actively tunable/detunable dual radio-frequency (RF) coil system for in vivo anatomical and functional magnetic resonance imaging of small animals at 4.7 T. The radio-frequency coil features an eight-element microstrip line configuration that, in conjunction with a segmented outer copper shield, forms a transversal electromagnetic (TEM) resonator structure. Matching and active tuning/detuning is achieved through fixed/variable capacitors and a PIN diode for each resonator element. These components along with radio-frequency chokes (RFCs) and blocking capacitors are placed on two printed circuit boards (PCBs) whose copper coated ground planes form the front and back of the volume coil and are therefore an integral part of the resonator structure. The magnetic resonance signal response is received with a dome-shaped single-loop surface coil that can be height-adjustable with respect to the animal's head. The conscious animal is immobilized through a mechanical arrangement that consists of a Plexiglas body tube and a head restrainer. This restrainer has a cylindrical holder with a mouthpiece and position screws to receive and restrain the head of the animal. The apparatus is intended to perform anatomical and functional magnetic resonance imaging in conscious animals such as mice, rats, hamsters, and marmosets. Cranial images acquired from fully conscious rats in a 4.7 T Bruker 40 cm bore animal scanner underscore the feasibility of this approach and bode well to extend this system to the imaging of other animals.

Concepts of animal welfare in relation to positions in animal ethics.

PubMed

Schmidt, Kirsten

2011-06-01

When animal ethicists deal with welfare they seem to face a dilemma: On the one hand, they recognize the necessity of welfare concepts for their ethical approaches. On the other hand, many animal ethicists do not want to be considered reformist welfarists. Moreover, animal welfare scientists may feel pressed by moral demands for a fundamental change in our attitude towards animals. The analysis of this conflict from the perspective of animal ethics shows that animal welfare science and animal ethics highly depend on each other. Welfare concepts are indispensable in the whole field of animal ethics. Evidence for this can be found by analyzing the structure of theories of animal ethics and the different ways in which these theories employ welfare concepts. Furthermore, the background of values underneath every welfare theory is essential to pursue animal welfare science. Animal ethics can make important contributions to the clarification of underlying normative assumptions with regard to the value of the animal, with regard to ideas about what is valuable for the animal, and with regard to the actions that should follow from the results of animal welfare science.

Differentiation between inflammatory and neoplastic orbital conditions based on computed tomographic signs.

PubMed

Lederer, Kristina; Ludewig, Eberhard; Hechinger, Harald; Parry, Andrew T; Lamb, Christopher R; Kneissl, Sibylle

2015-07-01

To identify computed tomographic (CT) signs that could be used to differentiate inflammatory from neoplastic orbital conditions in small animals. Fifty-two animals (25 cats, 21 dogs, 4 rabbits, and 2 rodents). Case-control study in which CT images of animals with histopathologic diagnosis of inflammatory (n = 11), neoplastic orbital conditions (n = 31), or normal control animals (n = 10) were reviewed independently by five observers without the knowledge of the history or diagnosis. Observers recorded their observations regarding specific anatomical structures within the orbit using an itemized form containing the following characteristics: definitely normal; probably normal; equivocal; probably abnormal; and definitely abnormal. Results were statistically analyzed using Fleiss' kappa and logistic regression analyses. The overall level of agreement between observers about the presence or absence of abnormal CT signs in animals with orbital disease was poor to moderate, but was highest for observations concerning orbital bones (κ = 0.62) and involvement of the posterior segment (κ = 0.52). Significant associations between abnormalities and diagnosis were found for four structures: Abnormalities affecting orbital bones (odds ratio [OR], 1.7) and anterior ocular structures (OR, 1.5) were predictive of neoplasia, while abnormalities affecting extraconal fat (OR, 1.7) and skin (OR, 1.4) were predictive of inflammatory conditions. Orbital CT is an imaging test with high specificity. Fat stranding, a CT sign not previously emphasized in veterinary medicine, was significantly associated with inflammatory conditions. Low observer agreement probably reflects the limited resolution of CT for small orbital structures. © 2014 American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists.

Mental structures and hierarchical brain processing. Comment on “Toward a computational framework for cognitive biology: Unifying approaches from cognitive neuroscience and comparative cognition” by W. Tecumseh Fitch

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petkov, C. I.

2014-09-01

Fitch proposes an appealing hypothesis that humans are dendrophiles, who constantly build mental trees supported by analogous hierarchical brain processes [1]. Moreover, it is argued that, by comparison, nonhuman animals build flat or more compact behaviorally-relevant structures. Should we thus expect less impressive hierarchical brain processes in other animals? Not necessarily.

Exceptional preservation of eye structure in arthropod visual predators from the Middle Jurassic

PubMed Central

Vannier, Jean; Schoenemann, Brigitte; Gillot, Thomas; Charbonnier, Sylvain; Clarkson, Euan

2016-01-01

Vision has revolutionized the way animals explore their environment and interact with each other and rapidly became a major driving force in animal evolution. However, direct evidence of how ancient animals could perceive their environment is extremely difficult to obtain because internal eye structures are almost never fossilized. Here, we reconstruct with unprecedented resolution the three-dimensional structure of the huge compound eye of a 160-million-year-old thylacocephalan arthropod from the La Voulte exceptional fossil biota in SE France. This arthropod had about 18,000 lenses on each eye, which is a record among extinct and extant arthropods and is surpassed only by modern dragonflies. Combined information about its eyes, internal organs and gut contents obtained by X-ray microtomography lead to the conclusion that this thylacocephalan arthropod was a visual hunter probably adapted to illuminated environments, thus contradicting the hypothesis that La Voulte was a deep-water environment. PMID:26785293

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Harkema, J.R.

The nasal cavity is susceptible to chemically induced injury as a result of exposure to inhaled irritants. Some responses of the nasal mucosa to inhaled toxicants are species specific. These species-related differences in response may be due to variations in structural, physiologic, and biochemical factors, such as gross nasal cavity structure, distribution of luminal epithelial cell populations along the nasal airway, intranasal airflow patterns, nasal mucociliary apparatus, and nasal xenobiotic metabolism among animal species. This paper reviews the comparative anatomy and irritant-induced pathology of the nasal cavity in laboratory animals. The toxicologist, pathologist, and environmental risk assessor must have amore » good working knowledge of the similarities and differences in normal nasal structure and response to injury among species before they can select animal models for nasal toxicity studies, recognize toxicant-induced lesions in the nasal airway, and extrapolate experimental results to estimate the possible effects of an inhaled toxicant on the human nasal airway.« less

Exceptional preservation of eye structure in arthropod visual predators from the Middle Jurassic.

PubMed

Vannier, Jean; Schoenemann, Brigitte; Gillot, Thomas; Charbonnier, Sylvain; Clarkson, Euan

2016-01-19

Vision has revolutionized the way animals explore their environment and interact with each other and rapidly became a major driving force in animal evolution. However, direct evidence of how ancient animals could perceive their environment is extremely difficult to obtain because internal eye structures are almost never fossilized. Here, we reconstruct with unprecedented resolution the three-dimensional structure of the huge compound eye of a 160-million-year-old thylacocephalan arthropod from the La Voulte exceptional fossil biota in SE France. This arthropod had about 18,000 lenses on each eye, which is a record among extinct and extant arthropods and is surpassed only by modern dragonflies. Combined information about its eyes, internal organs and gut contents obtained by X-ray microtomography lead to the conclusion that this thylacocephalan arthropod was a visual hunter probably adapted to illuminated environments, thus contradicting the hypothesis that La Voulte was a deep-water environment.

The impact of national policies on animal disease reporting within selected Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs).

PubMed

Tukana, Andrew; Hedlefs, Robert; Gummow, Bruce

2018-04-20

A semi-systematic literature review of national policies was carried out in relation to surveillance and disease reporting in Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs). It also analysed the animal disease reporting structures in Fiji, Papua New Guinea (PNG), Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands. The strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) of those reporting structures were examined in relation to how they impacted the detection and management of animal diseases in PICTs. Field missions collected information on animal disease reporting structures and these were discussed in detail with country officials and documented. The findings from the literature review indicated that there is very little policy to support work in surveillance and disease reporting within national government structures of the countries studied. This increases the potential for disease transmission and the introduction of exotic diseases as the efficiency of disease reporting is low. The findings from the SWOT analysis of the reporting structures indicated that there were commonalities across the countries studied, i.e. reporting structures were long with multiple legs that were not functioning properly and this was worsened when positions were vacant in the reporting structure. The hierarchical nature of the reporting structure also reduced reporting efficiency as reports took a longer time to reach decision makers at the top of the structure. High officer turnover and the shortage of veterinarians in the countries studied also affected the efficiency of disease reporting as most in-county officials were inexperienced and could not recognise disease signs and there were no veterinarians to supervise them. Existing reporting structures need to be reviewed to remove duplication and shorten the chain. However, this could override existing command structures and would need to be documented and awareness created with the officers involved. There also needs to be more collaboration with FAO, OIE, academic institutions and national governments to create an environment conducive for the development of policies that support work on surveillance to improve disease reporting in PICTs. The shortage of veterinarians could be addressed by influencing national governments to create better policies to retain veterinarians in the animal health services; this should be supported by creating reasonable work conditions and remuneration packages. This should also be supported with policies to send young graduates to study veterinary science overseas and have a career path for them when they return. Engagement of retired veterinarians from developed countries and re-evaluating the criteria for veterinarian registration could be short-term solutions to address the shortage of veterinarians in PICTs.

A Comparison of the Different Animal Models of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders and Their Use in Studying Complex Behaviors

PubMed Central

Patten, Anna R.; Fontaine, Christine J.; Christie, Brian R.

2014-01-01

Prenatal ethanol exposure (PNEE) has been linked to widespread impairments in brain structure and function. There are a number of animal models that are used to study the structural and functional deficits caused by PNEE, including, but not limited to invertebrates, fish, rodents, and non-human primates. Animal models enable a researcher to control important variables such as the route of ethanol administration, as well as the timing, frequency and amount of ethanol exposure. Each animal model and system of exposure has its place, depending on the research question being undertaken. In this review, we will examine the different routes of ethanol administration and the various animal models of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) that are commonly used in research, emphasizing their strengths and limitations. We will also present an up-to-date summary on the effects of prenatal/neonatal ethanol exposure on behavior across the lifespan, focusing on learning and memory, olfaction, social, executive, and motor functions. Special emphasis will be placed where the various animal models best represent deficits observed in the human condition and offer a viable test bed to examine potential therapeutics for human beings with FASD. PMID:25232537

MovieMaker: a web server for rapid rendering of protein motions and interactions.

PubMed

Maiti, Rajarshi; Van Domselaar, Gary H; Wishart, David S

2005-07-01

MovieMaker is a web server that allows short ( approximately 10 s), downloadable movies of protein motions to be generated. It accepts PDB files or PDB accession numbers as input and automatically calculates, renders and merges the necessary image files to create colourful animations covering a wide range of protein motions and other dynamic processes. Users have the option of animating (i) simple rotation, (ii) morphing between two end-state conformers, (iii) short-scale, picosecond vibrations, (iv) ligand docking, (v) protein oligomerization, (vi) mid-scale nanosecond (ensemble) motions and (vii) protein folding/unfolding. MovieMaker does not perform molecular dynamics calculations. Instead it is an animation tool that uses a sophisticated superpositioning algorithm in conjunction with Cartesian coordinate interpolation to rapidly and automatically calculate the intermediate structures needed for many of its animations. Users have extensive control over the rendering style, structure colour, animation quality, background and other image features. MovieMaker is intended to be a general-purpose server that allows both experts and non-experts to easily generate useful, informative protein animations for educational and illustrative purposes. MovieMaker is accessible at http://wishart.biology.ualberta.ca/moviemaker.

Climbing with adhesion: from bioinspiration to biounderstanding

PubMed Central

Cutkosky, Mark R.

2015-01-01

Bioinspiration is an increasingly popular design paradigm, especially as robots venture out of the laboratory and into the world. Animals are adept at coping with the variability that the world imposes. With advances in scientific tools for understanding biological structures in detail, we are increasingly able to identify design features that account for animals' robust performance. In parallel, advances in fabrication methods and materials are allowing us to engineer artificial structures with similar properties. The resulting robots become useful platforms for testing hypotheses about which principles are most important. Taking gecko-inspired climbing as an example, we show that the process of extracting principles from animals and adapting them to robots provides insights for both robotics and biology. PMID:26464786

[Effect of space flight factors simulated in ground-based experiments on the behavior, discriminant learning, and exchange of monoamines in different brain structures of rats].

PubMed

Shtemberg, A S; Lebedeva-Georgievskaia, K V; Matveeva, M I; Kudrin, V S; Narkevich, V B; Klodt, P M; Bazian, A S

2014-01-01

Experimental treatment (long-term fractionated γ-irradiation, antiorthostatic hypodynamia, and the combination of these factors) simulating the effect of space flight in ground-based experiments rapidly restored the motor and orienting-investigative activity of animals (rats) in "open-field" tests. The study of the dynamics of discriminant learning of rats of experimental groups did not show significant differences from the control animals. It was found that the minor effect of these factors on the cognitive performance of animals correlated with slight changes in the concentration ofmonoamines in the brain structures responsible for the cognitive, emotional, and motivational functions.

The visual framing of graphics when used in preventative health digital news packages: exploring the use of a narrative structure as the message infrastructure.

PubMed

Sontag, Jennah M; Barnes, Spencer R

2017-09-26

Visual framing can improve health-message effectiveness. Narrative structure provides a template needed for determining how to frame visuals to maximise message effectiveness. Participants (N = 190) were assigned to a message condition determined by segments (establisher, initial, peak), graphic (static, animated) and cancer (lung, melanoma). ANOVAs revealed that melanoma was more believable than lung cancer with static graphics at the establisher and peak; narratives were more believable with animated graphics at the peak segment; melanoma elicited greater positive attitudes; graphics in the peak influenced greatest intentions. Animated graphics visually framed to emphasise information at the establisher and peak segments suggest maximum effectiveness.

The Occurrence, Biosynthesis, and Molecular Structure of Proanthocyanidins and Their Effects on Legume Forage Protein Precipitation, Digestion and Absorption in the Ruminant Digestive Tract

PubMed Central

Jonker, Arjan; Yu, Peiqiang

2017-01-01

Forages grown in temperate regions, such as alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) and white clover (Trefolium repens L.), typically have a high nutritional value when fed to ruminants. Their high protein content and degradation rate result, however, in poor utilization of protein from the forage resulting in excessive excretion of nitrogen into the environment by the animal. Proanthocyanindins (also known as condensed tannins) found in some forage legumes such as birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.), bind to dietary protein and can improve protein utilization in the animal. This review will focus on (1) the occurrence of proanthocyanidins; (2) biosynthesis and structure of proanthocyanidins; (3) effects of proanthocyanidins on protein metabolism; (4) protein precipitating capacity of proanthocyanidins and their effects on true intestinal protein adsorption by ruminants; and (5) effect on animal health, animal performance and environmental emissions. PMID:28531145

Comparison of Radiography and Ultrasonography for Diagnosis of Diaphragmatic Hernia in Bovines

PubMed Central

Athar, Hakim; Mohindroo, Jitender; Singh, Kiranjeet; Kumar, Ashwani; Raghunath, Mulinti

2010-01-01

The present study was conducted on 101 animals suffering from thoracoabdominal disorders; out of which twenty seven animals (twenty six buffaloes and one cow) were diagnosed with diaphragmatic hernia based on clinical signs, radiography, ultrasonography, and left flank laparorumenotomy. Radiography alone confirmed diaphragmatic hernia in 18 cases (66.67%) with a sac-like structure cranial to the diaphragm. In 15 animals the sac contained metallic densities while in three cases a sac-like structure with no metallic densities was present. Ultrasonography was helpful in confirming diaphragmatic hernia in 23 cases (85.18%) and ultrasonographically reticular motility was evident at the level of 4th/5th intercostal space in all the animals. B+M mode ultrasonography was used for the first time for diagnosis of diaphragmatic hernia in bovines and the results suggested that ultrasonography was a reliable diagnostic modality for diaphragmatic hernia in bovines. PMID:20445795

Ultrahigh-speed ultrahigh-resolution adaptive optics: optical coherence tomography system for in-vivo small animal retinal imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jian, Yifan; Xu, Jing; Zawadzki, Robert J.; Sarunic, Marinko V.

2013-03-01

Small animal models of human retinal diseases are a critical component of vision research. In this report, we present an ultrahigh-resolution ultrahigh-speed adaptive optics optical coherence tomography (AO-OCT) system for small animal retinal imaging (mouse, fish, etc.). We adapted our imaging system to different types of small animals in accordance with the optical properties of their eyes. Results of AO-OCT images of small animal retinas acquired with AO correction are presented. Cellular structures including nerve fiber bundles, capillary networks and detailed double-cone photoreceptors are visualized.

Characterization of the Catalytic Structure of Plant Phytase, Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase-Like Phytase, and Histidine Acid Phytases and Their Biotechnological Applications

PubMed Central

Aires Almeida, Deborah; Aguiar, Raimundo Wagner de Souza; Viana, Kelvinson Fernandes; Barbosa, Luiz Carlos Bertucci; Cangussu, Edson Wagner da Silva; Brandi, Igor Viana; Portella, Augustus Caeser Franke; dos Santos, Gil Rodrigues; Sobrinho, Eliane Macedo; Lima, William James Nogueira

2018-01-01

Phytase plays a prominent role in monogastric animal nutrition due to its ability to improve phytic acid digestion in the gastrointestinal tract, releasing phosphorus and other micronutrients that are important for animal development. Moreover, phytase decreases the amounts of phytic acid and phosphate excreted in feces. Bioinformatics approaches can contribute to the understanding of the catalytic structure of phytase. Analysis of the catalytic structure can reveal enzymatic stability and the polarization and hydrophobicity of amino acids. One important aspect of this type of analysis is the estimation of the number of β-sheets and α-helices in the enzymatic structure. Fermentative processes or genetic engineering methods are employed for phytase production in transgenic plants or microorganisms. To this end, phytase genes are inserted in transgenic crops to improve the bioavailability of phosphorus. This promising technology aims to improve agricultural efficiency and productivity. Thus, the aim of this review is to present the characterization of the catalytic structure of plant and microbial phytases, phytase genes used in transgenic plants and microorganisms, and their biotechnological applications in animal nutrition, which do not impact negatively on environmental degradation. PMID:29713527

Characterization of the Catalytic Structure of Plant Phytase, Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase-Like Phytase, and Histidine Acid Phytases and Their Biotechnological Applications.

PubMed

Cangussu, Alex Sander Rodrigues; Aires Almeida, Deborah; Aguiar, Raimundo Wagner de Souza; Bordignon-Junior, Sidnei Emilio; Viana, Kelvinson Fernandes; Barbosa, Luiz Carlos Bertucci; Cangussu, Edson Wagner da Silva; Brandi, Igor Viana; Portella, Augustus Caeser Franke; Dos Santos, Gil Rodrigues; Sobrinho, Eliane Macedo; Lima, William James Nogueira

2018-01-01

Phytase plays a prominent role in monogastric animal nutrition due to its ability to improve phytic acid digestion in the gastrointestinal tract, releasing phosphorus and other micronutrients that are important for animal development. Moreover, phytase decreases the amounts of phytic acid and phosphate excreted in feces. Bioinformatics approaches can contribute to the understanding of the catalytic structure of phytase. Analysis of the catalytic structure can reveal enzymatic stability and the polarization and hydrophobicity of amino acids. One important aspect of this type of analysis is the estimation of the number of β -sheets and α -helices in the enzymatic structure. Fermentative processes or genetic engineering methods are employed for phytase production in transgenic plants or microorganisms. To this end, phytase genes are inserted in transgenic crops to improve the bioavailability of phosphorus. This promising technology aims to improve agricultural efficiency and productivity. Thus, the aim of this review is to present the characterization of the catalytic structure of plant and microbial phytases, phytase genes used in transgenic plants and microorganisms, and their biotechnological applications in animal nutrition, which do not impact negatively on environmental degradation.

Hierarchical structure of the Sicilian goats revealed by Bayesian analyses of microsatellite information.

PubMed

Siwek, M; Finocchiaro, R; Curik, I; Portolano, B

2011-02-01

Genetic structure and relationship amongst the main goat populations in Sicily (Girgentana, Derivata di Siria, Maltese and Messinese) were analysed using information from 19 microsatellite markers genotyped on 173 individuals. A posterior Bayesian approach implemented in the program STRUCTURE revealed a hierarchical structure with two clusters at the first level (Girgentana vs. Messinese, Derivata di Siria and Maltese), explaining 4.8% of variation (amovaФ(ST) estimate). Seven clusters nested within these first two clusters (further differentiations of Girgentana, Derivata di Siria and Maltese), explaining 8.5% of variation (amovaФ(SC) estimate). The analyses and methods applied in this study indicate their power to detect subtle population structure. © 2010 The Authors, Animal Genetics © 2010 Stichting International Foundation for Animal Genetics.

Greenhouse gas, animal performance, and bacterial population structure responses to dietary monensin fed to dairy cows.

PubMed

Hamilton, Scott W; DePeters, Edward J; McGarvey, Jeffery A; Lathrop, Jeremy; Mitloehner, Frank M

2010-01-01

The present study investigated the effects of a feed additive and rumen microbial modifier, monensin sodium (monensin), on selected variables in lactating dairy cows. Monensin fed cows (MON, 600 mg d(-1)) were compared with untreated control cows (CON, 0 mg d(-1)) with respect to the effects of monensin on the production of three greenhouse gases (GHG), methane (CH(4)), nitrous oxide (N(2)O), and carbon dioxide (CO(2)), along with animal performance (dry matter intake; DMI), milk production, milk components, plasma urea nitrogen (PUN), milk urea nitrogen (MUN), and the microbial population structure of fresh feces. Measurements of GHG were collected at Days 14 and 60 in an environmental chamber simulating commercial dairy freestall housing conditions. Milk production and DMI measurements were collected twice daily over the 60-d experimental period; milk components, PUN, and MUN were measured on Days 14 and 60. The microbial population structure of feces from 6 MON and 6 CON cows was examined on three different occasions (Days 14, 30, and 60). Monensin did not affect emissions of methane (CH(4)), nitrous oxide (N(2)O), and carbon dioxide (CO(2)). Over a 24-h period, emissions of CH(4), N(2)O, and CO(2) decreased in both MON and CON groups. Animal performance and the microbial population structure of the animal fresh waste were also unaffected for MON vs. CON cows.

Biosynthesis of Plant and Animal Foods.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dunne, C. Patrick

1984-01-01

Presents a biochemical overview of the synthesis of food biopolymers that constitute macronutrients in the plant or animal cell. Emphasizes involvement of enzymes in steps characterized by accumulation of materials, activation, polymerization, postpolymerization conversion, and formation of structural components. (JN)

Recent advances in the risk assessment of melamine and cyanuric acid in animal feed

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dorne, Jean Lou, E-mail: jean-lou.dorne@efsa.europa.eu; Doerge, Daniel R.; Vandenbroeck, Marc

Melamine can be present at low levels in food and feed mostly from its legal use as a food contact material in laminates and plastics, as a trace contaminant in nitrogen supplements used in animal feeds, and as a metabolite of the pesticide cyromazine. The mechanism of toxicity of melamine involves dose-dependent formation of crystals with either endogenous uric acid or a structural analogue of melamine, cyanuric acid, in renal tubules resulting in potential acute kidney failure. Co-exposure to melamine and cyanuric acid in livestock, fish, pets and laboratory animals shows higher toxicity compared with melamine or cyanuric acid alone.more » Evidence for crystal formation between melamine and other structural analogs i.e. ammelide and ammeline is limited. Illegal pet food adulterations with melamine and cyanuric acid and adulteration of milk with melamine resulted in melamine–cyanuric acid crystals, kidney damage and deaths of cats and dogs and melamine–uric acid stones, hospitalisation and deaths of children in China respectively. Following these incidents, the tolerable daily intake for melamine was re-evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the World Health Organisation, and the Scientific Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). This review provides an overview of toxicology, the adulteration incidents and risk assessments for melamine and its structural analogues. Particular focus is given to the recent EFSA risk assessment addressing impacts on animal and human health of background levels of melamine and structural analogues in animal feed. Recent research and future directions are discussed. - Highlights: ► Melamine in food and feed. ► Forms crystals in kidney with uric acid or cyanuric acid. ► Toxicity higher with cyanuric acid. ► Recent EFSA risk assessment. ► Animal and human health.« less

Ontogeny of the Alligator Cartilago Transiliens and Its Significance for Sauropsid Jaw Muscle Evolution

PubMed Central

Tsai, Henry P.; Holliday, Casey M.

2011-01-01

The cartilago transiliens is a fibrocartilaginous structure within the jaw muscles of crocodylians. The cartilago transiliens slides between the pterygoid buttress and coronoid region of the lower jaw and connects two muscles historically identified as m. pseudotemporalis superficialis and m. intramandibularis. However, the position of cartilago transiliens, and its anatomical similarities to tendon organs suggest the structure may be a sesamoid linking a single muscle. Incompressible sesamoids often form inside tendons that wrap around bone. However, such structures rarely ossify in reptiles and have thus far received scant attention. We tested the hypothesis that the cartilago transiliens is a sesamoid developed within in one muscle by investigating its structure in an ontogenetic series of Alligator mississippiensis using dissection, 3D imaging, and polarizing and standard light microscopy. In all animals studied, the cartilago transiliens receives collagen fibers and tendon insertions from its two main muscular attachments. However, whereas collagen fibers were continuous within the cartilaginous nodule of younger animals, such continuity decreased in older animals, where the fibrocartilaginous core grew to displace the fibrous region. Whereas several neighboring muscles attached to the fibrous capsule in older individuals, only two muscles had significant contributions to the structure in young animals. Our results indicate that the cartilago transiliens is likely a sesamoid formed within a single muscle (i.e., m. pseudotemporalis superficialis) as it wraps around the pterygoid buttress. This tendon organ is ubiquitous among fossil crocodyliforms indicating it is a relatively ancient, conserved structure associated with the development of the large pterygoid flanges in this clade. Finally, these findings indicate that similar tendon organs exist among potentially homologous muscle groups in birds and turtles, thus impacting inferences of jaw muscle homology and evolution in sauropsids in general. PMID:21949795

Interactions between colour-producing mechanisms and their effects on the integumentary colour palette.

PubMed

Shawkey, Matthew D; D'Alba, Liliana

2017-07-05

Animal integumentary coloration plays a crucial role in visual communication and camouflage, and varies extensively among and within species and populations. To understand the pressures underlying such diversity, it is essential to elucidate the mechanisms by which animals have created novel integumentary coloration. Colours can be produced by selective absorption of light by skin pigments, through light scattering by structured or unstructured tissues, or by a combination of pigments and nanostructures. In this review, we highlight our current understanding of the interactions between pigments and structural integumentary tissues and molecules. We analyse the available evidence suggesting that these combined mechanisms are capable of creating colours and optical properties unachievable by either mechanism alone, thereby effectively expanding the animal colour palette. Moreover, structural and pigmentary colour mechanisms frequently interact in unexpected and overlooked ways, suggesting that classification of colours as being of any particular type may be difficult. Finally, we discuss how these mixtures are useful for investigating the largely unknown genetic, developmental and physical processes generating phenotypic diversity.This article is part of the themed issue 'Animal coloration: production, perception, function and application'. © 2017 The Author(s).

Receptor kinase signalling in plants and animals: distinct molecular systems with mechanistic similarities.

PubMed

Cock, J Mark; Vanoosthuyse, Vincent; Gaude, Thierry

2002-04-01

Plant genomes encode large numbers of receptor kinases that are structurally related to the tyrosine and serine/threonine families of receptor kinase found in animals. Here, we describe recent advances in the characterisation of several of these plant receptor kinases at the molecular level, including the identification of receptor complexes, small polypeptide ligands and cytosolic proteins involved in signal transduction and receptor downregulation. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that plant receptor kinases have evolved independently of the receptor kinase families found in animals. This hypothesis is supported by functional studies that have revealed differences between receptor kinase signalling in plants and animals, particularly concerning their interactions with cytosolic proteins. Despite these dissimilarities, however, plant and animal receptor kinases share many common features, such as their single membrane-pass structure, their inclusion in membrane-associated complexes, the involvement of dimerisation and trans autophosphorylation in receptor activation, and the existence of inhibitors and phosphatases that downregulate receptor activity. These points of convergence may represent features that are essential for a functional receptor-kinase signalling system.

Action anticipation in human infants reveals assumptions about anteroposterior body-structure and action.

PubMed

Hernik, Mikolaj; Fearon, Pasco; Csibra, Gergely

2014-04-22

Animal actions are almost universally constrained by the bilateral body-plan. For example, the direction of travel tends to be constrained by the orientation of the animal's anteroposterior axis. Hence, an animal's behaviour can reliably guide the identification of its front and back, and its orientation can reliably guide action prediction. We examine the hypothesis that the evolutionarily ancient relation between anteroposterior body-structure and behaviour guides our cognitive processing of agents and their actions. In a series of studies, we demonstrate that, after limited exposure, human infants as young as six months of age spontaneously encode a novel agent as having a certain axial direction with respect to its actions and rely on it when anticipating the agent's further behaviour. We found that such encoding is restricted to objects exhibiting cues of agency and does not depend on generalization from features of familiar animals. Our research offers a new tool for investigating the perception of animate agency and supports the proposal that the underlying cognitive mechanisms have been shaped by basic biological adaptations in humans.

Structural differences in the brain between wild and laboratory rats (Rattus norvegicus): potential contribution to wariness.

PubMed

Koizumi, Ryoko; Kiyokawa, Yasushi; Mikami, Kaori; Ishii, Akiko; Tanaka, Kazuyuki D; Tanikawa, Tsutomu; Takeuchi, Yukari

2018-05-11

Wild animals typically exhibit defensive behaviors in response to a wider range and/or a weaker intensity of stimuli compared with domestic animals. However, little is known about the neural mechanisms underlying "wariness" in wild animals. Wild rats are one of the most accessible wild animals for experimental research. Laboratory rats are a domesticated form of wild rat, belonging to the same species, and are therefore considered suitable control animals for wild rats. Based on these factors, we analyzed structural differences in the brain between wild and laboratory rats to elucidate the neural mechanisms underlying wariness. We examined wild rats trapped in Tokyo, and weight-matched laboratory rats. We then prepared brain sections and compared the basolateral complex of the amygdala (BLA), the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), the main olfactory bulb, and the accessory olfactory bulb. The results revealed that wild rats exhibited larger BLA, BNST and caudal part of the accessory olfactory bulb compared with laboratory rats. These results suggest that the BLA, BNST, and vomeronasal system potentially contribute to wariness in wild rats.

A comparative study of free oligosaccharides in the milk of domestic animals.

PubMed

Albrecht, Simone; Lane, Jonathan A; Mariño, Karina; Al Busadah, Khalid A; Carrington, Stephen D; Hickey, Rita M; Rudd, Pauline M

2014-04-14

The present study was conducted to obtain a comprehensive overview of oligosaccharides present in the milk of a variety of important domestic animals including cows, goats, sheep, pigs, horses and dromedary camels. Using an analytical workflow that included ultra-performance liquid chromatography-hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection coupled to quadrupole time-of-flight MS, detailed oligosaccharide libraries were established. The partial or full characterisation of the neutral/fucosylated, phosphorylated and sialylated structures was facilitated by sequencing with linkage- and sugar-specific exoglycosidases. Relative peak quantification of the 2-aminobenzamide-labelled oligosaccharides provided additional information. Milk from domestic animals contained a much larger variety of complex oligosaccharides than was previously assumed, and thirteen of these structures have been identified previously in human milk. The direct comparison of the oligosaccharide mixtures reflects their role in the postnatal maturation of different types of gastrointestinal systems, which, in this way, are prepared for certain post-weaning diets. The potential value of animal milk for the commercial extraction of oligosaccharides to be used in human and animal health is highlighted.

Exorcising Grice's ghost: an empirical approach to studying intentional communication in animals.

PubMed

Townsend, Simon W; Koski, Sonja E; Byrne, Richard W; Slocombe, Katie E; Bickel, Balthasar; Boeckle, Markus; Braga Goncalves, Ines; Burkart, Judith M; Flower, Tom; Gaunet, Florence; Glock, Hans Johann; Gruber, Thibaud; Jansen, David A W A M; Liebal, Katja; Linke, Angelika; Miklósi, Ádám; Moore, Richard; van Schaik, Carel P; Stoll, Sabine; Vail, Alex; Waller, Bridget M; Wild, Markus; Zuberbühler, Klaus; Manser, Marta B

2017-08-01

Language's intentional nature has been highlighted as a crucial feature distinguishing it from other communication systems. Specifically, language is often thought to depend on highly structured intentional action and mutual mindreading by a communicator and recipient. Whilst similar abilities in animals can shed light on the evolution of intentionality, they remain challenging to detect unambiguously. We revisit animal intentional communication and suggest that progress in identifying analogous capacities has been complicated by (i) the assumption that intentional (that is, voluntary) production of communicative acts requires mental-state attribution, and (ii) variation in approaches investigating communication across sensory modalities. To move forward, we argue that a framework fusing research across modalities and species is required. We structure intentional communication into a series of requirements, each of which can be operationalised, investigated empirically, and must be met for purposive, intentionally communicative acts to be demonstrated. Our unified approach helps elucidate the distribution of animal intentional communication and subsequently serves to clarify what is meant by attributions of intentional communication in animals and humans. © 2016 Cambridge Philosophical Society.

[Sensitization and oral challenge with ovoalbumin in an animal model of food allergy].

PubMed

Vinuesa, Miguel Ngel; Bassan, Norberto David; Chaparro, Soledad; Martìnez, Adriel; Batle, Rocìo; Giacomozzi, Florencia; Torres, Valentìn

2012-01-01

Gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) is mainly formed by the gut mucosa and associated lymphatic structures that under normal conditions induces hyporesponsiveness, a phenomenon termed oral tolerance. However, the potential brakeup of oral tolerance could otherwise lead to disorders such as food allergy. The aim of the study is to characterise the histopathological and immunohistochemical modifications in intestinal gut mucosa in an animal model of food allergy. New Zealand rabbits were subcutaneously sensitized twice with ovalbumin (OVA), on day 30 after first sensitization, animals were oral challenged with the same antigen. Lymphatic cell population and accessory cells from gut mucosa were studied by conventional histology, histochemistry and immunohistochemistry. An important increase in number of eosinophils were observed in sensitized and challenged group as well as CD25+cells increase in sensitized animals without challenge. Data obtained demonstrated that subcutaneous sensitization and challenge with OVA induced generation of specific IgE antibodies and an anaphylactic inflammatory response. This pattern induced quantitative modifications in studied cells and structural changes in mucosa like oedema at intestinal villi in sensitized and challenged rabbits in this animal model of food allergy.

Animal rights, animal minds, and human mindreading.

PubMed

Mameli, M; Bortolotti, L

2006-02-01

Do non-human animals have rights? The answer to this question depends on whether animals have morally relevant mental properties. Mindreading is the human activity of ascribing mental states to other organisms. Current knowledge about the evolution and cognitive structure of mindreading indicates that human ascriptions of mental states to non-human animals are very inaccurate. The accuracy of human mindreading can be improved with the help of scientific studies of animal minds. However, the scientific studies do not by themselves solve the problem of how to map psychological similarities (and differences) between humans and animals onto a distinction between morally relevant and morally irrelevant mental properties. The current limitations of human mindreading-whether scientifically aided or not-have practical consequences for the rational justification of claims about which rights (if any) non-human animals should be accorded.

Nutritional evaluation of structured lipid containing omega 6 fatty acid synthesized from coconut oil in rats.

PubMed

Rao, Reena; Lokesh, Belur R

2003-06-01

Coconut oil is rich in medium chain fatty acids, but deficient in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). Structured lipids (SL) enriched with omega 6 PUFA were synthesized from coconut oil triglycerides by employing enzymatic acidolysis with free fatty acids obtained from safflower oil. Rats were fed a diet containing coconut oil, coconut oil-safflower oil blend (1:0.7 w/ w) or structured lipid at 10% levels for a period of 60 days. The SL lowered serum cholesterol levels by 10.3 and 10.5% respectively in comparison with those fed coconut oil and blended oil. Similarly the liver cholesterol levels were also decreased by 35.9 and 26.6% respectively in animals fed structured lipids when compared to those fed on coconut oil or the blended oil. Most of the decrease observed in serum cholesterol levels of animals fed structured lipids was found in LDL fraction. The triglyceride levels in serum showed a decrease by 17.5 and 17.4% while in the liver it was reduced by 45.8 and 23.5% in the structured lipids fed animals as compared to those fed coconut oil or blended oil respectively. Differential scanning calorimetric studies indicated that structured lipids had lower melting points and solid fat content when compared to coconut oil or blended oils. These studies indicated that enrichment of coconut oil triglycerides with omega 6 fatty acids lowers its solid fat content. The omega 6 PUFA enriched structured lipids also exhibited hypolipidemic activity.

Small Animal Retinal Imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, WooJhon; Drexler, Wolfgang; Fujimoto, James G.

Developing and validating new techniques and methods for small animal imaging is an important research area because there are many small animal models of retinal diseases such as diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration, and glaucoma [1-6]. Because the retina is a multilayered structure with distinct abnormalities occurring in different intraretinal layers at different stages of disease progression, there is a need for imaging techniques that enable visualization of these layers individually at different time points. Although postmortem histology and ultrastructural analysis can be performed for investigating microscopic changes in the retina in small animal models, this requires sacrificing animals, which makes repeated assessment of the same animal at different time points impossible and increases the number of animals required. Furthermore, some retinal processes such as neurovascular coupling cannot be fully characterized postmortem.

Atmospheric environment associated with animal flight

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Descriptions of the physical structure and processes in the “aeroecological environment”, which comprises the planetary boundary layer and the uppermost atmospheric extent of flying animals, are written with a biological audience in mind. The chapter describes processes and temporal development of ...

Atypical centrioles during sexual reproduction

PubMed Central

Avidor-Reiss, Tomer; Khire, Atul; Fishman, Emily L.; Jo, Kyoung H.

2015-01-01

Centrioles are conserved, self-replicating, microtubule-based, 9-fold symmetric subcellular organelles that are essential for proper cell division and function. Most cells have two centrioles and maintaining this number of centrioles is important for animal development and physiology. However, how animals gain their first two centrioles during reproduction is only partially understood. It is well established that in most animals, the centrioles are contributed to the zygote by the sperm. However, in humans and many animals, the sperm centrioles are modified in their structure and protein composition, or they appear to be missing altogether. In these animals, the origin of the first centrioles is not clear. Here, we review various hypotheses on how centrioles are gained during reproduction and describe specialized functions of the zygotic centrioles. In particular, we discuss a new and atypical centriole found in sperm and zygote, called the proximal centriole-like structure (PCL). We also discuss another type of atypical centriole, the “zombie” centriole, which is degenerated but functional. Together, the presence of centrioles, PCL, and zombie centrioles suggests a universal mechanism of centriole inheritance among animals and new causes of infertility. Since the atypical centrioles of sperm and zygote share similar functions with typical centrioles in somatic cells, they can provide unmatched insight into centriole biology. PMID:25883936

Atypical centrioles during sexual reproduction.

PubMed

Avidor-Reiss, Tomer; Khire, Atul; Fishman, Emily L; Jo, Kyoung H

2015-01-01

Centrioles are conserved, self-replicating, microtubule-based, 9-fold symmetric subcellular organelles that are essential for proper cell division and function. Most cells have two centrioles and maintaining this number of centrioles is important for animal development and physiology. However, how animals gain their first two centrioles during reproduction is only partially understood. It is well established that in most animals, the centrioles are contributed to the zygote by the sperm. However, in humans and many animals, the sperm centrioles are modified in their structure and protein composition, or they appear to be missing altogether. In these animals, the origin of the first centrioles is not clear. Here, we review various hypotheses on how centrioles are gained during reproduction and describe specialized functions of the zygotic centrioles. In particular, we discuss a new and atypical centriole found in sperm and zygote, called the proximal centriole-like structure (PCL). We also discuss another type of atypical centriole, the "zombie" centriole, which is degenerated but functional. Together, the presence of centrioles, PCL, and zombie centrioles suggests a universal mechanism of centriole inheritance among animals and new causes of infertility. Since the atypical centrioles of sperm and zygote share similar functions with typical centrioles in somatic cells, they can provide unmatched insight into centriole biology.

The clinico-pathology and mechanisms of trypanosomosis in captive and free-living wild animals: a review.

PubMed

Mbaya, A W; Aliyu, M M; Ibrahim, U I

2009-10-01

Reports on the clinico-pathology and mechanisms of trypanosomosis in free-living and captive wild animals showed that clinical disease and outbreaks occur more commonly among captive than free-living wild animals. This is because the free-living wild animals co-exist with the disease until subjected to captivity. In exceptional cases however, draught, starvation and intercurrent diseases often compromised trypanotolerance leading to overt trypanosomosis in free-living wild animals. Meanwhile, in captivity, space restriction, reduced social interactions, change in social herd structure, reduced specie-to-specie specific behaviors, altered habitat and translocation were the major stressors that precipitated the disease. The cumulative effect of these factors produced severe physiological and somatic stress leading to diminished immune response due to increased blood cortisol output from adrenal cortex. The major symptoms manifested were pyrexia, innapetence, increased respiration, anaemia, cachexia and death. At necropsy, pulmonary oedema, splenomegally, hepatomegally, lympadenopathy and atrophy of body fats were the gross changes encountered. At the ultra-structural level, the tissues manifested degenerative changes, haemorghages, necrosis and mononuclear cellular infiltrations. The mechanisms of cellular and tissue injuries were primarily associated with physical and metabolic activities of the organisms. From the foregoing, it is evident that stress is the underlying mechanism that compromises trypanotolerance in wild animals leading to severe clinico-pathological effects.

Animals in biomedical space research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phillips, Robert W.

The use of experimental animals has been a major component of biomedical research progress. Using animals in space presents special problems, but also provides special opportunities. Rat and squirrel monkeys experiments have been planned in concert with human experiments to help answer fundamental questions concerning the effect of weightlessness on mammalian function. For the most part, these experiments focus on identified changes noted in humans during space flight. Utilizing space laboratory facilities, manipulative experiments can be completed while animals are still in orbit. Other experiments are designed to study changes in gravity receptor structure and function and the effect of weightlessness on early vertebrate development. Following these preliminary animals experiments on Spacelab Shuttle flights, longer term programs of animal investigation will be conducted on Space Station.

Transformation of Developmental Neurotoxicity Data into a Structure-Searchable Relational Database

EPA Science Inventory

A database of neurotoxicants is critical to support the development and validation of animal alternatives for neurotoxicity. Validation of in vitro test methods can only be done using known animal and human neurotoxicants producing defined responses for neurochemical, neuropatho...

A thermocouple thermode for small animals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, B. A.

1972-01-01

Thermode composed of two thin-walled stainless steel hypodermic needles and cooper-constantan thermocouple or small thermistor to indicate temperature at point of perfusion is used to measure brain temperature in animals. Because of relatively small size of thermode, structural damage to brain is minimized.

Animal diversity and ecosystem functioning in dynamic food webs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schneider, Florian D.; Brose, Ulrich; Rall, Björn C.; Guill, Christian

2016-10-01

Species diversity is changing globally and locally, but the complexity of ecological communities hampers a general understanding of the consequences of animal species loss on ecosystem functioning. High animal diversity increases complementarity of herbivores but also increases feeding rates within the consumer guild. Depending on the balance of these counteracting mechanisms, species-rich animal communities may put plants under top-down control or may release them from grazing pressure. Using a dynamic food-web model with body-mass constraints, we simulate ecosystem functions of 20,000 communities of varying animal diversity. We show that diverse animal communities accumulate more biomass and are more exploitative on plants, despite their higher rates of intra-guild predation. However, they do not reduce plant biomass because the communities are composed of larger, and thus energetically more efficient, plant and animal species. This plasticity of community body-size structure reconciles the debate on the consequences of animal species loss for primary productivity.

Brain damage and semantic category dissociations: is the animals category easier for males?

PubMed

Scotti, Stefania; Laiacona, Marcella; Capitani, Erminio

2010-08-01

Semantic dissociations show that biological stimuli present a further dissociation between animals and plant life. Almost all cases of greater impairment of plant life knowledge were males, suggesting a higher male familiarity with animals possibly derived from different daily activities. To verify this hypothesis, we collected familiarity ratings for normal males and females, for 288 animals, subdivided according to whether they were hunted/fished, or were used as food. The overall familiarity was almost identical between males and females. Males were more familiar with hunted animals, but for them also food animals were more familiar. There was not a consistent effect of hunting/fishing independently of the food/not food classification. The claim that males are generally more proficient with animals knowledge because most hunters/fishers are males seems rather simplistic, and the familiarity structure of the animals category is more complex. An evolution-based account is suggested for the category by sex interaction.

Theoretical considerations on maximum running speeds for large and small animals.

PubMed

Fuentes, Mauricio A

2016-02-07

Mechanical equations for fast running speeds are presented and analyzed. One of the equations and its associated model predict that animals tend to experience larger mechanical stresses in their limbs (muscles, tendons and bones) as a result of larger stride lengths, suggesting a structural restriction entailing the existence of an absolute maximum possible stride length. The consequence for big animals is that an increasingly larger body mass implies decreasing maximal speeds, given that the stride frequency generally decreases for increasingly larger animals. Another restriction, acting on small animals, is discussed only in preliminary terms, but it seems safe to assume from previous studies that for a given range of body masses of small animals, those which are bigger are faster. The difference between speed scaling trends for large and small animals implies the existence of a range of intermediate body masses corresponding to the fastest animals. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A knowledge based approach to matching human neurodegenerative disease and animal models

PubMed Central

Maynard, Sarah M.; Mungall, Christopher J.; Lewis, Suzanna E.; Imam, Fahim T.; Martone, Maryann E.

2013-01-01

Neurodegenerative diseases present a wide and complex range of biological and clinical features. Animal models are key to translational research, yet typically only exhibit a subset of disease features rather than being precise replicas of the disease. Consequently, connecting animal to human conditions using direct data-mining strategies has proven challenging, particularly for diseases of the nervous system, with its complicated anatomy and physiology. To address this challenge we have explored the use of ontologies to create formal descriptions of structural phenotypes across scales that are machine processable and amenable to logical inference. As proof of concept, we built a Neurodegenerative Disease Phenotype Ontology (NDPO) and an associated Phenotype Knowledge Base (PKB) using an entity-quality model that incorporates descriptions for both human disease phenotypes and those of animal models. Entities are drawn from community ontologies made available through the Neuroscience Information Framework (NIF) and qualities are drawn from the Phenotype and Trait Ontology (PATO). We generated ~1200 structured phenotype statements describing structural alterations at the subcellular, cellular and gross anatomical levels observed in 11 human neurodegenerative conditions and associated animal models. PhenoSim, an open source tool for comparing phenotypes, was used to issue a series of competency questions to compare individual phenotypes among organisms and to determine which animal models recapitulate phenotypic aspects of the human disease in aggregate. Overall, the system was able to use relationships within the ontology to bridge phenotypes across scales, returning non-trivial matches based on common subsumers that were meaningful to a neuroscientist with an advanced knowledge of neuroanatomy. The system can be used both to compare individual phenotypes and also phenotypes in aggregate. This proof of concept suggests that expressing complex phenotypes using formal ontologies provides considerable benefit for comparing phenotypes across scales and species. PMID:23717278

Imaging technologies for preclinical models of bone and joint disorders

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Preclinical models for musculoskeletal disorders are critical for understanding the pathogenesis of bone and joint disorders in humans and the development of effective therapies. The assessment of these models primarily relies on morphological analysis which remains time consuming and costly, requiring large numbers of animals to be tested through different stages of the disease. The implementation of preclinical imaging represents a keystone in the refinement of animal models allowing longitudinal studies and enabling a powerful, non-invasive and clinically translatable way for monitoring disease progression in real time. Our aim is to highlight examples that demonstrate the advantages and limitations of different imaging modalities including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), positron emission tomography (PET), single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and optical imaging. All of which are in current use in preclinical skeletal research. MRI can provide high resolution of soft tissue structures, but imaging requires comparatively long acquisition times; hence, animals require long-term anaesthesia. CT is extensively used in bone and joint disorders providing excellent spatial resolution and good contrast for bone imaging. Despite its excellent structural assessment of mineralized structures, CT does not provide in vivo functional information of ongoing biological processes. Nuclear medicine is a very promising tool for investigating functional and molecular processes in vivo with new tracers becoming available as biomarkers. The combined use of imaging modalities also holds significant potential for the assessment of disease pathogenesis in animal models of musculoskeletal disorders, minimising the use of conventional invasive methods and animal redundancy. PMID:22214535

G-quadruplex in animal development: Contribution to gene expression and genomic heterogeneity.

PubMed

Armas, Pablo; Calcaterra, Nora Beatriz

2018-05-18

During animal development, gene expression is orchestrated by specific and highly evolutionarily conserved mechanisms that take place accurately, both at spatial and temporal levels. The last decades have provided compelling evidence showing that chromatin state plays essential roles in orchestrating most of the stages of development. The DNA molecule can adopt alternative structures different from the helical duplex architecture. G-rich DNA sequences can fold as intrastrand quadruple helix structures called G-quadruplexes or G4-DNA. G4 can also be formed in RNA molecules, such as mRNA, lncRNA and pre-miRNA. Emerging evidences suggest that G4s have crucial roles in a variety of biological processes, including transcription, recombination, replication, translation and chromosome stability. In this review, we have collected recent information gathered by various laboratories showing the important role of G4 DNA and RNA structures in several steps of animal development. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

X-ray phase-contrast tomography for high-spatial-resolution zebrafish muscle imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vågberg, William; Larsson, Daniel H.; Li, Mei; Arner, Anders; Hertz, Hans M.

2015-11-01

Imaging of muscular structure with cellular or subcellular detail in whole-body animal models is of key importance for understanding muscular disease and assessing interventions. Classical histological methods for high-resolution imaging methods require excision, fixation and staining. Here we show that the three-dimensional muscular structure of unstained whole zebrafish can be imaged with sub-5 μm detail with X-ray phase-contrast tomography. Our method relies on a laboratory propagation-based phase-contrast system tailored for detection of low-contrast 4-6 μm subcellular myofibrils. The method is demonstrated on 20 days post fertilization zebrafish larvae and comparative histology confirms that we resolve individual myofibrils in the whole-body animal. X-ray imaging of healthy zebrafish show the expected structured muscle pattern while specimen with a dystrophin deficiency (sapje) displays an unstructured pattern, typical of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The method opens up for whole-body imaging with sub-cellular detail also of other types of soft tissue and in different animal models.

Multicellularity arose several times in the evolution of eukaryotes (response to DOI 10.1002/bies.201100187).

PubMed

Parfrey, Laura Wegener; Lahr, Daniel J G

2013-04-01

The cellular slime mold Dictyostelium has cell-cell connections similar in structure, function, and underlying molecular mechanisms to animal epithelial cells. These similarities form the basis for the proposal that multicellularity is ancestral to the clade containing animals, fungi, and Amoebozoa (including Dictyostelium): Amorphea (formerly "unikonts"). This hypothesis is intriguing and if true could precipitate a paradigm shift. However, phylogenetic analyses of two key genes reveal patterns inconsistent with a single origin of multicellularity. A single origin in Amorphea would also require loss of multicellularity in each of the many unicellular lineages within this clade. Further, there are numerous other origins of multicellularity within eukaryotes, including three within Amorphea, that are not characterized by these structural and mechanistic similarities. Instead, convergent evolution resulting from similar selective pressures for forming multicellular structures with motile and differentiated cells is the most likely explanation for the observed similarities between animal and dictyostelid cell-cell connections. Copyright © 2013 WILEY Periodicals, Inc.

Structure and Function of Your Skin

MedlinePlus

... Archive JAOCD Information for Authors Information for Reviewers Human & Animal Rights Job Postings Sections of the ... Structure & Function of Your Skin Share | What It Looks Like . . . Skin is a ...

Individual-level movement bias leads to the formation of higher-order social structure in a mobile group of baboons.

PubMed

Bonnell, Tyler R; Clarke, Parry M; Henzi, S Peter; Barrett, Louise

2017-07-01

In mobile social groups, influence patterns driving group movement can vary between democratic and despotic. The arrival at any single pattern of influence is thought to be underpinned by both environmental factors and group composition. To identify the specific patterns of influence driving travel decision-making in a chacma baboon troop, we used spatially explicit data to extract patterns of individual movement bias. We scaled these estimates of individual-level bias to the level of the group by constructing an influence network and assessing its emergent structural properties. Our results indicate that there is heterogeneity in movement bias: individual animals respond consistently to particular group members, and higher-ranking animals are more likely to influence the movement of others. This heterogeneity resulted in a group-level network structure that consisted of a single core and two outer shells. Here, the presence of a core suggests that a set of highly interdependent animals drove routine group movements. These results suggest that heterogeneity at the individual level can lead to group-level influence structures, and that movement patterns in mobile social groups can add to the exploration of both how these structures develop (i.e. mechanistic aspects) and what consequences they have for individual- and group-level outcomes (i.e. functional aspects).

Individual-level movement bias leads to the formation of higher-order social structure in a mobile group of baboons

PubMed Central

Clarke, Parry M.; Henzi, S. Peter; Barrett, Louise

2017-01-01

In mobile social groups, influence patterns driving group movement can vary between democratic and despotic. The arrival at any single pattern of influence is thought to be underpinned by both environmental factors and group composition. To identify the specific patterns of influence driving travel decision-making in a chacma baboon troop, we used spatially explicit data to extract patterns of individual movement bias. We scaled these estimates of individual-level bias to the level of the group by constructing an influence network and assessing its emergent structural properties. Our results indicate that there is heterogeneity in movement bias: individual animals respond consistently to particular group members, and higher-ranking animals are more likely to influence the movement of others. This heterogeneity resulted in a group-level network structure that consisted of a single core and two outer shells. Here, the presence of a core suggests that a set of highly interdependent animals drove routine group movements. These results suggest that heterogeneity at the individual level can lead to group-level influence structures, and that movement patterns in mobile social groups can add to the exploration of both how these structures develop (i.e. mechanistic aspects) and what consequences they have for individual- and group-level outcomes (i.e. functional aspects). PMID:28791140

Analysis of the N-glycans of recombinant human Factor IX purified from transgenic pig milk

PubMed Central

Gil, Geun-Cheol; Velander, William H; Van Cott, Kevin E

2008-01-01

Glycosylation of recombinant proteins is of particular importance because it can play significant roles in the clinical properties of the glycoprotein. In this work, the N-glycan structures of recombinant human Factor IX (tg-FIX) produced in the transgenic pig mammary gland were determined. The majority of the N-glycans of transgenic pig-derived Factor IX (tg-FIX) are complex, bi-antennary with one or two terminal N-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5Ac) moieties. We also found that the N-glycan structures of tg-FIX produced in the porcine mammary epithelial cells differed with respect to N-glycans from glycoproteins produced in other porcine tissues. tg-FIX contains no detectable Neu5Gc, the sialic acid commonly found in porcine glycoproteins produced in other tissues. Additionally, we were unable to detect glycans in tg-FIX that have a terminal Galα(1,3)Gal disaccharide sequence, which is strongly antigenic in humans. The N-glycan structures of tg-FIX are also compared to the published N-glycan structures of recombinant human glycoproteins produced in other transgenic animal species. While tg-FIX contains only complex structures, antithrombin III (goat), C1 inhibitor (rabbit), and lactoferrin (cow) have both high mannose and complex structures. Collectively, these data represent a beginning point for the future investigation of species-specific and tissue/cell-specific differences in N-glycan structures among animals used for transgenic animal bioreactors. PMID:18456721

Community structures of fecal bacteria in cattle from different animal feeding operations

EPA Science Inventory

The fecal microbiome of cattle plays a critical role not only in animal health and productivity, but also in methane emissions, food safety, pathogen shedding, and the performance of fecal pollution detection methods. Unfortunately, most published molecular surveys fail to provid...

21 CFR 520.1010 - Furosemide.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) ANIMAL DRUGS... pound (/lb) body weight using powder, or one 2-g bolus per animal, per day. (ii) Indications for use. For treatment of physiological parturient edema of the mammary gland and associated structures. (iii...

21 CFR 520.1010 - Furosemide.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) ANIMAL DRUGS... pound (/lb) body weight using powder, or one 2-g bolus per animal, per day. (ii) Indications for use. For treatment of physiological parturient edema of the mammary gland and associated structures. (iii...

NASA Space Biology Program: 9th Annual Symposium

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Halstead, T. W.

1985-01-01

Topics covered include plant and animal gravity receptors and transduction; the role of gravity in growth and development of plants and animals; biological support structures and the role of calcium; mechanisms and responses of gravity sensitive systems; and mechanisms of plant responses to gravity.

[Polymethyleneamine alkaloids of animal origin: II. Polyamine neurotoxins].

PubMed

Rogoza, L N; Salakhutdinov, N F; Tolstikov, G A

2006-01-01

Information on the structure and biological activity of animal alkaloids, polymethyleneamine components of spider and wasp venoms, is considered and systematized. These natural compounds are used for the development and modification of medicines for treating the functional disturbances in the central nervous system of humans.

Animal husbandry practices in rural Bangladesh: potential risk factors for antimicrobial drug resistance and emerging diseases.

PubMed

Roess, Amira A; Winch, Peter J; Ali, Nabeel A; Akhter, Afsana; Afroz, Dilara; El Arifeen, Shams; Darmstadt, Gary L; Baqui, Abdullah H

2013-11-01

Antimicrobial drug administration to household livestock may put humans and animals at risk for acquisition of antimicrobial drug-resistant pathogens. To describe animal husbandry practices, including animal healthcare-seeking and antimicrobial drug use in rural Bangladesh, we conducted semi-structured in-depth interviews with key informants, including female household members (n = 79), village doctors (n = 10), and pharmaceutical representatives, veterinarians, and government officials (n = 27), and performed observations at animal health clinics (n = 3). Prevalent animal husbandry practices that may put persons at risk for acquisition of pathogens included shared housing and water for animals and humans, antimicrobial drug use for humans and animals, and crowding. Household members reported seeking human and animal healthcare from unlicensed village doctors rather than formal-sector healthcare providers and cited cost and convenience as reasons. Five times more per household was spent on animal than on human healthcare. Strengthening animal and human disease surveillance systems should be continued. Interventions are recommended to provide vulnerable populations with a means of protecting their livelihood and health.

Social Networks and Welfare in Future Animal Management

PubMed Central

Koene, Paul; Ipema, Bert

2014-01-01

Simple Summary Living in a stable social environment is important to animals. Animal species have developed social behaviors and rules of approach and avoidance of conspecifics in order to co-exist. Animal species are kept or domesticated without explicit regard for their inherent social behavior and rules. Examples of social structures are provided for four species kept and managed by humans. This information is important for the welfare management of these species. In the near future, automatic measurement of social structures will provide a tool for daily welfare management together with nearest neighbor information. Abstract It may become advantageous to keep human-managed animals in the social network groups to which they have adapted. Data concerning the social networks of farm animal species and their ancestors are scarce but essential to establishing the importance of a natural social network for farmed animal species. Social Network Analysis (SNA) facilitates the characterization of social networking at group, subgroup and individual levels. SNA is currently used for modeling the social behavior and management of wild animals and social welfare of zoo animals. It has been recognized for use with farm animals but has yet to be applied for management purposes. Currently, the main focus is on cattle, because in large groups (poultry), recording of individuals is expensive and the existence of social networks is uncertain due to on-farm restrictions. However, in many cases, a stable social network might be important to individual animal fitness, survival and welfare. For instance, when laying hens are not too densely housed, simple networks may be established. We describe here small social networks in horses, brown bears, laying hens and veal calves to illustrate the importance of measuring social networks among animals managed by humans. Emphasis is placed on the automatic measurement of identity, location, nearest neighbors and nearest neighbor distance for management purposes. It is concluded that social networks are important to the welfare of human-managed animal species and that welfare management based on automatic recordings will become available in the near future. PMID:26479886

Improving Large Cetacean Implantable Satellite Tag Designs to Maximize Tag Robustness and Minimize Health Effects to Individual Animals

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-09-30

Designs to Maximize Tag Robustness and Minimize Health Effects to Individual Animals Alexandre N. Zerbini Cascadia Research Collective 218 ½ 4th...the blubber-muscle interface and minimize physical and physiological effects of body penetrating tags to individual animals . OBJECTIVES (1...integrity of designs created in Objective (1) during laboratory experiments and in cetacean carcasses ; (3) Examine structural tissue damage in the

Using elaborative interrogation to induce characteristics of polar and nonpolar solvents from animations of their molecular structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ems-Wilson, Janice

This study concerned (a) how general chemistry students learn to classify solvent polarity from animated molecules, (b) whether peer interaction increases the number of correct classifications, and (c) whether language, academic ability, logical thinking ability, or prior knowledge interact with rate of learning or posttest performance. Two types of interaction were compared, group discussion and elaborative interrogation. The study rested on three assumptions: (a) animated molecules are appropriate for learning the concept of solvent polarity, (b) question stems and a guided interrogation enhance learning of a visual concept, (c) general chemistry students can induce the concept of solvent polarity from animated molecules when no guiding cues, either visual or verbal, are given. After a review of molecular geometry and bonding theories, students were presented with four trials of ten animated molecular structures. Ten three-to-five minute discussions were distributed among the four trials. Prior to the trials the experimental group received a 45-minute training session on elaborative interrogation; the topic was what happens on the molecular level when a carbonated beverage is opened. The control group received a 45-minute expository lecture on the same carbonated beverage topic. Participants were given a four-part posttest immediately following the trials. Results of the study suggest that most students tend to classify the solvent polarity of animated molecules based on certain structural features using a prototype or feature-frequency categorization strategy. Elaborative interrogation did not show a significant effect on the rate of learning or on the performance of learners on posttest measures of recall and comprehension. The experimental group noted a significantly greater number and range of types of features, and offered higher quality generalizations and explanations of their polarity classification procedure. Finally, the results implied that learning from animations depends more on prior knowledge of relevant concepts than on academic ability, logical thinking ability, or preferred language. Although some benefits may arise from accompanying computer animation with an interactive discussion, additional visual and verbal, cueing may be necessary for optimal outcomes.

Implementing a modeling software for animated protein-complex interactions using a physics simulation library.

PubMed

Ueno, Yutaka; Ito, Shuntaro; Konagaya, Akihiko

2014-12-01

To better understand the behaviors and structural dynamics of proteins within a cell, novel software tools are being developed that can create molecular animations based on the findings of structural biology. This study proposes our method developed based on our prototypes to detect collisions and examine the soft-body dynamics of molecular models. The code was implemented with a software development toolkit for rigid-body dynamics simulation and a three-dimensional graphics library. The essential functions of the target software system included the basic molecular modeling environment, collision detection in the molecular models, and physical simulations of the movement of the model. Taking advantage of recent software technologies such as physics simulation modules and interpreted scripting language, the functions required for accurate and meaningful molecular animation were implemented efficiently.

Fission yeast Lem2 and Man1 perform fundamental functions of the animal cell nuclear lamina.

PubMed

Gonzalez, Yanira; Saito, Akira; Sazer, Shelley

2012-01-01

In animal cells the nuclear lamina, which consists of lamins and lamin-associated proteins, serves several functions: it provides a structural scaffold for the nuclear envelope and tethers proteins and heterochromatin to the nuclear periphery. In yeast, proteins and large heterochromatic domains including telomeres are also peripherally localized, but there is no evidence that yeast have lamins or a fibrous nuclear envelope scaffold. Nonetheless, we found that the Lem2 and Man1 proteins of the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, evolutionarily distant relatives of the Lap2/Emerin/Man1 (LEM) sub-family of animal cell lamin-associated proteins, perform fundamental functions of the animal cell lamina. These integral inner nuclear membrane localized proteins, with nuclear localized DNA binding Helix-Extension-Helix (HEH) domains, impact nuclear envelope structure and integrity, are essential for the enrichment of telomeres at the nuclear periphery and by means of their HEH domains anchor chromatin, most likely transcriptionally repressed heterochromatin, to the nuclear periphery. These data indicate that the core functions of the nuclear lamina are conserved between fungi and animal cells and can be performed in fission yeast, without lamins or other intermediate filament proteins.

Animal Models of Diverticulosis: Review and Recommendations.

PubMed

Patel, Bhavesh; Guo, Xiaomei; Noblet, Jillian; Chambers, Sean; Kassab, Ghassan S

2018-06-01

Diverticulosis is a structural alteration of the colon tissue characterized by the development of pouch-like structures called diverticula. It afflicts a significant portion of the population in Western countries, with a higher prevalence among the elderly. Diverticulosis is believed to be the result of a synergetic interaction between inherent tissue weakness, diet, colonic microstructure, motility, and genetic factors. A validated etiology has, however, not yet been established. Non-surgical treatment is currently lacking due to this poor understanding, and surgical colon resection is the only long-term solution following recurrent complications. With rising prevalence, the burden of diverticulosis on patients and hospital resources has increased over the past several years. More efficient and less invasive treatment approaches are, thus, urgently needed. Animal models of diverticulosis are crucial to enable a preclinical assessment and evaluation of such novel approaches. This review discusses the animal models of diverticulosis that have been proposed to date. The current models require either a significant amount of time to develop diverticulosis, present a relatively low success rate, or seriously deteriorate the animals' systemic health. Recommendations are thus provided to address these pitfalls through the selection of a suitable animal and the combination of multiple risk factors for diverticulosis.

Dairy farmers' use and non-use values in animal welfare: Determining the empirical content and structure with anchored best-worst scaling.

PubMed

Hansson, H; Lagerkvist, C J

2016-01-01

In this study, we sought to identify empirically the types of use and non-use values that motivate dairy farmers in their work relating to animal welfare of dairy cows. We also sought to identify how they prioritize between these use and non-use values. Use values are derived from productivity considerations; non-use values are derived from the wellbeing of the animals, independent of the present or future use the farmer may make of the animal. In particular, we examined the empirical content and structure of the economic value dairy farmers associate with animal welfare of dairy cows. Based on a best-worst scaling approach and data from 123 Swedish dairy farmers, we suggest that the economic value those farmers associate with animal welfare of dairy cows covers aspects of both use and non-use type, with non-use values appearing more important. Using principal component factor analysis, we were able to check unidimensionality of the economic value construct. These findings are useful for understanding why dairy farmers may be interested in considering dairy cow welfare. Such understanding is essential for improving agricultural policy and advice aimed at encouraging dairy farmers to improve animal welfare; communicating to consumers the values under which dairy products are produced; and providing a basis for more realistic assumptions when developing economic models about dairy farmers' behavior. Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Personality of Wild Male Crested Macaques (Macaca nigra)

PubMed Central

Neumann, Christof; Agil, Muhammad; Widdig, Anja; Engelhardt, Antje

2013-01-01

Animal personalities, i.e. consistent differences in behavior across time and/or context, have received increased attention of behavioral biologists over the last years. Recent research shows that personalities represent traits on which natural and sexual selection work and which can have substantial fitness consequences. The aim of this study is to establish the personality structure of crested macaque (Macaca nigra) males as foundation for future studies on its adaptive value. We collected behavioral data through focal animal sampling and additionally conducted two sets of playback experiments. Results of a factor analysis on the behavioral data revealed a four factor structure with components we labeled Anxiety, Sociability, Connectedness and Aggressiveness. Results from the experiments revealed an additional and independent Boldness factor but the absence of Neophilia. Overall, this structure resembles other macaque and animal species with the exception of Connectedness, which might be a consequence of the species' tolerant social style. Our results thus not only form the basis for future studies on the adaptive value of personality in crested macaques but also contribute an important data point for investigating the evolution of personality structure from a comparative perspective by refining, for example, which personality factors characterized the last common ancestor of hominids and macaques. PMID:23940517

[Characteristics of night sleep of monkeys on the ground and during space flight on "Kosmos-1667"].

PubMed

Shlyk, G G; Rotenberg, V S; Shirvinskaia, M A; Koro'lkov, V I; Magedov, V S

1989-01-01

The data on the sleep structure of two rhesus monkeys, Vernyi and Gordyi, during their 7-day space flight on Cosmos-1667 and a control study staged a month after recovery are discussed. Sleep structure was changed to the greatest extent the night before launch when additional stress factors were involved. During the first night in space Vernyi showed the so-called recoil effect. Later his sleep structure became stabilized: the specific weight of fast sleep diminished and the fast sleep/delta/sleep index in the first two cycles decreased. In the ground-based control study, sleep parameters pointed to a deteriorated health status of the animal: his fast sleep patterns changed and delta-sleep often reached its maximum after a fast sleep episode. In this animal adaptation was associated with fast sleep restructuring. In the second primate, Gordyi, the process of adaptation was extended and took three nights. This animal consistently showed low parameters of delta-sleep during both fright and postflight control study; it exhibited no recoil phenomenon after its reduction in the prelaunch night. The structure of sleep indicated that it played a lesser role in the overall process of adaptation.

The Relative Importance of Spatial Versus Temporal Structure in the Perception of Biological Motion: An Event-Related Potential Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hirai, Masahiro; Hiraki, Kazuo

2006-01-01

We investigated how the spatiotemporal structure of animations of biological motion (BM) affects brain activity. We measured event-related potentials (ERPs) during the perception of BM under four conditions: normal spatial and temporal structure; scrambled spatial and normal temporal structure; normal spatial and scrambled temporal structure; and…

Social inheritance can explain the structure of animal social networks

PubMed Central

Ilany, Amiyaal; Akçay, Erol

2016-01-01

The social network structure of animal populations has major implications for survival, reproductive success, sexual selection and pathogen transmission of individuals. But as of yet, no general theory of social network structure exists that can explain the diversity of social networks observed in nature, and serve as a null model for detecting species and population-specific factors. Here we propose a simple and generally applicable model of social network structure. We consider the emergence of network structure as a result of social inheritance, in which newborns are likely to bond with maternal contacts, and via forming bonds randomly. We compare model output with data from several species, showing that it can generate networks with properties such as those observed in real social systems. Our model demonstrates that important observed properties of social networks, including heritability of network position or assortative associations, can be understood as consequences of social inheritance. PMID:27352101

Micro-endoscopic ear anatomy of guinea pig applied to experimental surgery.

PubMed

Barros, Bruno Borges de Carvalho; Andrade, José Santos Cruz de; Garcia, Leandro Borborema; Pifaia, Gustavo Ribeiro; Cruz, Oswaldo Laércio Mendonça; Onishi, Ektor Tsuneo; Penido, Norma de Oliveira

2014-01-01

To describe topographic and endoscopic anatomy of guinea pig ear for development of surgical approaches in experimental studies. Experimental study. Eight adult guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus) were used in this study. Four animals were described through endoscopic view and four animals were used to describe topographic anatomy. The main structures of middle ear were well identified through endoscopy view: oval and round window, ossicles and vascular structures. Temporal bone position, landmarks and its relations to skull are perceived with topographic description. Topographic anatomic description allowed exposition of temporal bone relations for external surgical approaches. Alternatively, grooves and middle ear structures were identified and may be used to transcanal accesses.

Diversity and Population Structure of Bovine Fecal-Derived Microorganisms from Different Animal Feeding Operations

EPA Science Inventory

The fecal microbiome of cattle plays a critical role not only in animal health and productivity, but in odor emissions, agricultural land nutrient loading, pathogen shedding, and the performance of fecal pollution detection methods. Unfortunately, our understanding of the specif...

Genie Inference Engine Rule Writer’s Guide.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-08-01

33 APPENDIX D. Animal Bootstrap File.............................................................. 39...APPENDIX E. Sample Run of Animal Identification Expert System.......................... 43 APPENDIX F. Numeric Test Knowledge Base...and other data s.tructures stored in the knowledge base (KB), queries the user for input, and draws conclusions. Genie (GENeric Inference Engine) is

Classical Cosmology Through Animation Stories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mijic, Milan; Kang, E. Y. E.; Longson, T.; State LA SciVi Project, Cal

2010-05-01

Computer animations are a powerful tool for explanation and communication of ideas, especially to a younger generation. Our team completed a three part sequence of short, computer animated stories about the insight and discoveries that lead to the understanding of the overall structure of the universe. Our principal characters are Immanuel Kant, Henrietta Leavitt, and Edwin Hubble. We utilized animations to model and visualize the physical concepts behind each discovery and to recreate the characters, locations, and flavor of the time. The animations vary in length from 6 to 11 minutes. The instructors or presenters may wish to utilize them separately or together. The animations may be used for learning classical cosmology in a visual way in GE astronomy courses, in pre-college science classes, or in public science education setting.

Animals in biomedical space research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Phillips, R. W.

1986-01-01

Rat and squirrel monkeys experiments have been planned in concert with human experiments to help answer fundamental questions concerning the effect of weightlessness on mammalism function. For the most part, these experiments focus on identified changes noted in humans during space flight. Utilizing space laboratory facilities, manipulative experiments can be completed while animals are still in orbit. Other experiments are designed to study changes in gravity receptor structure and function and the effect of weightlessness on early vertibrate development. Following these preliminary animal experiments on Spacelab Shuttle flights, longer term programs of animal investigation will be conducted on Space Station.

Animal Construction as a Free Boundary Problem: Evidence of Fractal Scaling Laws

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nicolis, S. C.

2014-12-01

We suggest that the main features of animal construction can be understood as the sum of locally independent actions of non-interacting individuals subjected to the global constraints imposed by the nascent structure. We first formulate an analytically tractable oscopic description of construction which predicts a 1/3 power law for how the length of the structure grows with time. We further show how the power law is modified when biases in random walk performed by the constructors as well as halting times between consecutive construction steps are included.

Research on preparation of phosphate-modified animal glue binder for foundry use

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Tian-Shu; Liu, Wei-Hua; Li, Ying-Min

2018-03-01

In this paper, three phosphates were used as modifiers to modify animal glue binder. The structural characteristics and thermal properties of animal glue binder treated with phosphates were studied by Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy, gel permeation chromatography and derivative thermogravimetric analysis. The results showed that the modified animal glue binder had better sand tensile strength and lower viscosity than untreated animal glue binder. The best modification process was as follows: the optimal amount of sodium carbonate was 4 wt% to animal glue; the optimal weight ratio of the modifiers was sodium pyrophosphate : sodium tripolyphosphate : sodium hexametaphosphate : animal glue = 3 : 3 : 4 : 100, and the optimal reaction should be performed at 80°C for a reaction time of 120 min. A final tensile strength of approximately 3.20 MPa was achieved and the viscosity value was approximately 880 mPa s.

Measuring Animal Age with DNA Methylation: From Humans to Wild Animals.

PubMed

De Paoli-Iseppi, Ricardo; Deagle, Bruce E; McMahon, Clive R; Hindell, Mark A; Dickinson, Joanne L; Jarman, Simon N

2017-01-01

DNA methylation (DNAm) is a key mechanism for regulating gene expression in animals and levels are known to change with age. Recent studies have used DNAm changes as a biomarker to estimate chronological age in humans and these techniques are now also being applied to domestic and wild animals. Animal age is widely used to track ongoing changes in ecosystems, however chronological age information is often unavailable for wild animals. An ability to estimate age would lead to improved monitoring of (i) population trends and status and (ii) demographic properties such as age structure and reproductive performance. Recent studies have revealed new examples of DNAm age association in several new species increasing the potential for developing DNAm age biomarkers for a broad range of wild animals. Emerging technologies for measuring DNAm will also enhance our ability to study age-related DNAm changes and to develop new molecular age biomarkers.

The organisation of the Department of Veterinary Services in Malaysia.

PubMed

Mohd Nor, M N; Abu Mustapa, A J; Abu Hassan, M A; Chang, K W

2003-08-01

The Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) in Malaysia was established in 1888 as an agency to control exotic and domestic animal diseases. Over the years, the structure and functions of the organisation have evolved to meet the growing demand for veterinary services. The responsibilities of the Veterinary Services are enshrined in the Constitution of Malaysia. The current organisation of the DVS is structured to achieve the following objectives:---to prevent, control and eradicate animal and zoonotic diseases--to facilitate the growth and development of a strong animal industry--to ensure that animal products for human consumption are wholesome, clean, safe and suitable to be consumed--to facilitate the growth and development of the animal feed industry--to ensure the welfare and well-being of all animals. To meet these objectives the DVS has nine different divisions, as follows: Planning and Evaluation, Epidemiology and Veterinary Medicine, Veterinary Public Health, Research and Development, Industry Development, Production and Development of Genetic Resources, Human Resource Development (HRD), Enforcement, and Administration. The development of the animal industry is managed through national development policies, including the Third National Agriculture Policy. The basis for current programmes for disease control and animal industry development is the Eighth Development Plan (2001-2005). Over the period of this Plan, Malaysia will address the need for sanitary and phytosanitary measures by developing specific programmes covering all fields of the animal industry. This is just one way in which Malaysia is meeting the challenges of the increased liberalisation of trade created by the World Trade Organization and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Free Trade Area. The development of the industry is focused on the major commodities, namely, beef, mutton, poultry meat, eggs, pork and milk. Other commodities receive support if it is considered economically viable. All support services are being strengthened, particularly the HRD division. The organisation and functions of the DVS are constantly being reviewed in accordance with changes in the animal industry and the nature of the services in demand.

Stream Studies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamilton City Board of Education (Ontario).

This manual provides teachers with some knowledge of ecological study methods and techniques used in collecting data when plants and animals are studied in the field. Most activities deal with the interrelatedness of plant and animal life to the structure and characteristics of a stream and pond. Also included in this unit plan designed for the…

THE USE OF NON-TUMOR DATA IN CANCER RISK ASSESSMENT: REFLECTIONS ON BENZENE, BUTADIENE AND VINYL CHLORIDE

EPA Science Inventory

1.0 Introduction. Quantitative estimation of human cancer risk from exposure to chemicals has traditionally been almost exclusively based on tumor incidence in experimental animals. While improvements in carcinogenicity testing in experimental animals (1,2) and structure-...

Implications of Animal Object Memory Research for Human Amnesia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Winters, Boyer D.; Saksida, Lisa M.; Bussey, Timothy J.

2010-01-01

Damage to structures in the human medial temporal lobe causes severe memory impairment. Animal object recognition tests gained prominence from attempts to model "global" human medial temporal lobe amnesia, such as that observed in patient HM. These tasks, such as delayed nonmatching-to-sample and spontaneous object recognition, for assessing…

The Hoosier-Shawnee Ecological assessment

Treesearch

Frank R., III, ed. Thompson; ed.

2004-01-01

This report is a scientific assessment of the characteristic composition, structure, and processes of ecosystems in the southern one-third of Illinois and Indiana and a small part of western Kentucky. It includes chapters on ecological sections and soils, water resources, forest, plants, and communities, aquatic animals, terrestrial animals, forest diseases and pests...

The effect of aspen wood characteristics and properties on utilization

Treesearch

Kurt H. Mackes; Dennis L. Lynch

2001-01-01

This paper reviews characteristics and properties of aspen wood, including anatomical structure and characteristics, moisture and shrinkage properties, weight and specific gravity, mechanical properties, and processing characteristics. Uses of aspen are evaluated: sawn and veneer products, composite panels, pulp, excelsior, post and poles, animal bedding, animal food...

Rumen bacterial community structure impacts feed efficiency in beef cattle

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The importance of the rumen microbiota on nutrient cycling to the animal is well recognized; however, our understanding of the influence of the rumen microbiome composition on feed efficiency is limited. The rumen microbiomes of two large animal cohorts (125 heifers and 122 steers) were characterize...

An Intelligent Recommendation System for Animation Scriptwriters' Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tsai, Shang-Te; Chang, Ting-Cheng; Huang, Yu-Feng

2016-01-01

Producing an animation requires extensive labor, time, and money. Experienced directors and screenwriters are required to design scenes using standard props and actors in position. This study structurally analyzes the script and defines scenes, characters, positions, dialogue, etc., according to their dramatic attributes. These are entered into a…

Histology. Notes for Students of Animal Husbandry.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Price, Charles J.; Reed, Josephine E.

This document approaches the subject of Histology by way of simple independent unicellular organisms through the lower levels of cell organization and specialization to a detailed study of the highly complex tissues of vertebrate animals. Emphasis is placed on structure, but function is explained in some detail. The relationships between tissues…

Rovers minimize human disturbance in research on wild animals.

PubMed

Le Maho, Yvon; Whittington, Jason D; Hanuise, Nicolas; Pereira, Louise; Boureau, Matthieu; Brucker, Mathieu; Chatelain, Nicolas; Courtecuisse, Julien; Crenner, Francis; Friess, Benjamin; Grosbellet, Edith; Kernaléguen, Laëtitia; Olivier, Frédérique; Saraux, Claire; Vetter, Nathanaël; Viblanc, Vincent A; Thierry, Bernard; Tremblay, Pascale; Groscolas, René; Le Bohec, Céline

2014-12-01

Investigating wild animals while minimizing human disturbance remains an important methodological challenge. When approached by a remote-operated vehicle (rover) which can be equipped to make radio-frequency identifications, wild penguins had significantly lower and shorter stress responses (determined by heart rate and behavior) than when approached by humans. Upon immobilization, the rover-unlike humans-did not disorganize colony structure, and stress rapidly ceased. Thus, rovers can reduce human disturbance of wild animals and the resulting scientific bias.

Molecular evolution of cyclin proteins in animals and fungi

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background The passage through the cell cycle is controlled by complexes of cyclins, the regulatory units, with cyclin-dependent kinases, the catalytic units. It is also known that cyclins form several families, which differ considerably in primary structure from one eukaryotic organism to another. Despite these lines of evidence, the relationship between the evolution of cyclins and their function is an open issue. Here we present the results of our study on the molecular evolution of A-, B-, D-, E-type cyclin proteins in animals and fungi. Results We constructed phylogenetic trees for these proteins, their ancestral sequences and analyzed patterns of amino acid replacements. The analysis of infrequently fixed atypical amino acid replacements in cyclins evidenced that accelerated evolution proceeded predominantly during paralog duplication or after it in animals and fungi and that it was related to aromorphic changes in animals. It was shown also that evolutionary flexibility of cyclin function may be provided by consequential reorganization of regions on protein surface remote from CDK binding sites in animal and fungal cyclins and by functional differentiation of paralogous cyclins formed in animal evolution. Conclusions The results suggested that changes in the number and/or nature of cyclin-binding proteins may underlie the evolutionary role of the alterations in the molecular structure of cyclins and their involvement in diverse molecular-genetic events. PMID:21798004

Hippocampal Synaptic Expansion Induced by Spatial Experience in Rats Correlates with Improved Information Processing in the Hippocampus.

PubMed

Carasatorre, Mariana; Ochoa-Alvarez, Adrian; Velázquez-Campos, Giovanna; Lozano-Flores, Carlos; Ramírez-Amaya, Víctor; Díaz-Cintra, Sofía Y

2015-01-01

Spatial water maze (WM) overtraining induces hippocampal mossy fiber (MF) expansion, and it has been suggested that spatial pattern separation depends on the MF pathway. We hypothesized that WM experience inducing MF expansion in rats would improve spatial pattern separation in the hippocampal network. We first tested this by using the the delayed non-matching to place task (DNMP), in animals that had been previously trained on the water maze (WM) and found that these animals, as well as animals treated as swim controls (SC), performed better than home cage control animals the DNMP task. The "catFISH" imaging method provided neurophysiological evidence that hippocampal pattern separation improved in animals treated as SC, and this improvement was even clearer in animals that experienced the WM training. Moreover, these behavioral treatments also enhance network reliability and improve partial pattern separation in CA1 and pattern completion in CA3. By measuring the area occupied by synaptophysin staining in both the stratum oriens and the stratun lucidum of the distal CA3, we found evidence of structural synaptic plasticity that likely includes MF expansion. Finally, the measures of hippocampal network coding obtained with catFISH correlate significantly with the increased density of synaptophysin staining, strongly suggesting that structural synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus induced by the WM and SC experience is related to the improvement of spatial information processing in the hippocampus.

The number of neurons in specific amygdala regions is associated with boldness in mink: a study in animal personality.

PubMed

Wiese, Ann-Sophie; Needham, Esther Kjær; Noer, Christina Lehmkuhl; Balsby, Thorsten Johannes Skovbjerg; Dabelsteen, Torben; Pakkenberg, Bente

2018-05-01

Conspecifics vary consistently in their behavioural responses towards environment stimuli such as exposure to novel objects; ethologists often refer to this variability as animal personality. The neurological mechanisms underlying animal personality traits remain largely unknown, but linking the individual variation in emotional expression to brain structural and neurochemical factors is attracting renewed interest. While considerable research has focused on hormonal and neurotransmitter effects on behavioural responses, less is known about how individual variation in the number of specific neuron populations contributes to individual variation in behaviour. The basolateral amygdala (BLA) and the central nuclei of the amygdala (CeA) mediate emotional processing by regulating behavioural responses of animals in a potentially threatening situation. As such, these structures are good candidates for evaluating the relationship between neuronal populations and behavioural traits. We now show that individual American mink (Neovison vison) reacting more boldly towards novelty have more neurons in the BLA than do their more timid conspecifics, suggesting that a developmental pattern of the number of amygdala neurons can influence behavioural traits of an adult animal. Furthermore, post hoc correlations revealed that individuals performing with higher arousal, as reflected by their frequency of startle behaviour, have more CeA neurons. Our results support a direct link between the number of neurons in amygdala regions and aspects of animal personality.

Effects of Hearing Preservation on Psychophysical Responses to Cochlear Implant Stimulation

PubMed Central

Kang, Stephen Y.; Colesa, Deborah J.; Swiderski, Donald L.; Su, Gina L.; Raphael, Yehoash

2009-01-01

Previous studies have shown that residual acoustic hearing supplements cochlear implant function to improve speech recognition in noise as well as perception of music. The current study had two primary objectives. First, we sought to determine how cochlear implantation and electrical stimulation over a time period of 14 to 21 months influence cochlear structures such as hair cells and spiral ganglion neurons. Second, we sought to investigate whether the structures that provide acoustic hearing also affect the perception of electrical stimulation. We compared psychophysical responses to cochlear implant stimulation in two groups of adult guinea pigs. Group I (11 animals) received a cochlear implant in a previously untreated ear, while group II (ten animals) received a cochlear implant in an ear that had been previously infused with neomycin to destroy hearing. Psychophysical thresholds were measured in response to pulse-train and sinusoidal stimuli. Histological analysis of all group I animals and a subset of group II animals was performed. Nine of the 11 group I animals showed survival of the organ of Corti and spiral ganglion neurons adjacent to the electrode array. All group I animals showed survival of these elements in regions apical to the electrode array. Group II animals that were examined histologically showed complete loss of the organ of Corti in regions adjacent and apical to the electrode array and severe spiral ganglion neuron loss, consistent with previous reports for neomycin-treated ears. Behaviorally, group II animals had significantly lower thresholds than group I animals in response to 100 Hz sinusoidal stimuli. However, group I animals had significantly lower thresholds than group II animals in response to pulse-train stimuli (0.02 ms/phase; 156 to 5,000 pps). Additionally, the two groups showed distinct threshold versus pulse rate functions. We hypothesize that the differences in detection thresholds between groups are caused by the electrical activation of the hair cells in group I animals and/or differences between groups in the condition of the spiral ganglion neurons. PMID:19902297

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vikram, A.; Tripathi, D.N.; Ramarao, P.

Streptozotocin (STZ) is a naturally occurring compound isolated from Streptomyces achromogens. It is used extensively for inducing diabetes in experimental animals. Diabetes mellitus is known to have proven adverse effects on male sexual organs and their reproductive functions. The atrophy of prostate gland and other organs of the genitourinary tract were observed in experimental diabetic animals. STZ exhibits a structural resemblance to D-glucose due to the presence of sugar moiety in its structure. Pancreatic {beta}-cells mainly contain GLUT1 and GLUT2 glucose transporters. Possibly due to structural resemblance, STZ and D-glucose, share a common recognition site for entry into the {beta}-cells.more » The objective of the present study is to evaluate the effect of D-glucose on STZ-induced toxicity in accessory sex organs of male rats. Animals were kept on overnight fasting. One group received vehicle and served as negative control, while all other groups were given STZ (45 mg/kg). Animals that received only STZ served as positive control. The effect of D-glucose was studied on STZ treated animals with different dosage of D-glucose (250, 500, 1000 and 2000 mg/kg). Restoration of body weight, plasma glucose and plasma insulin was evident only at 1000 and 2000 mg/kg of D-glucose. The protective effect of D-glucose is evident only when it is administered simultaneously with STZ. In the present investigation, we report that simultaneous administration of D-glucose along with STZ ameliorates STZ-induced toxicity. This is evident from the restoration of accessory sex organ's weight, cellular morphology as well as insulin level.« less

Using DNA metabarcoding for simultaneous inference of common vampire bat diet and population structure.

PubMed

Bohmann, Kristine; Gopalakrishnan, Shyam; Nielsen, Martin; Nielsen, Luisa Dos Santos Bay; Jones, Gareth; Streicker, Daniel G; Gilbert, M Thomas P

2018-04-19

Metabarcoding diet analysis has become a valuable tool in animal ecology; however, co-amplified predator sequences are not generally used for anything other than to validate predator identity. Exemplified by the common vampire bat, we demonstrate the use of metabarcoding to infer predator population structure alongside diet assessments. Growing populations of common vampire bats impact human, livestock and wildlife health in Latin America through transmission of pathogens, such as lethal rabies viruses. Techniques to determine large-scale variation in vampire bat diet and bat population structure would empower locality- and species-specific projections of disease transmission risks. However, previously used methods are not cost-effective and efficient for large-scale applications. Using bloodmeal and faecal samples from common vampire bats from coastal, Andean and Amazonian regions of Peru, we showcase metabarcoding as a scalable tool to assess vampire bat population structure and feeding preferences. Dietary metabarcoding was highly effective, detecting vertebrate prey in 93.2% of the samples. Bats predominantly preyed on domestic animals, but fed on tapirs at one Amazonian site. In addition, we identified arthropods in 9.3% of samples, likely reflecting consumption of ectoparasites. Using the same data, we document mitochondrial geographic population structure in the common vampire bat in Peru. Such simultaneous inference of vampire bat diet and population structure can enable new insights into the interplay between vampire bat ecology and disease transmission risks. Importantly, the methodology can be incorporated into metabarcoding diet studies of other animals to couple information on diet and population structure. © 2018 The Authors. Molecular Ecology Resources Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Evaluation of state-of-the-art imaging systems for in vivo monitoring of retinal structure in mice: current capabilities and limitations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Pengfei; Zam, Azhar; Pugh, Edward N.; Zawadzki, Robert J.

2014-02-01

Animal models of human diseases play an important role in studying and advancing our understanding of these conditions, allowing molecular level studies of pathogenesis as well as testing of new therapies. Recently several non-invasive imaging modalities including Fundus Camera, Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscopy (SLO) and Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) have been successfully applied to monitor changes in the retinas of the living animals in experiments in which a single animal is followed over a portion of its lifespan. Here we evaluate the capabilities and limitations of these three imaging modalities for visualization of specific structures in the mouse eye. Example images acquired from different types of mice are presented. Future directions of development for these instruments and potential advantages of multi-modal imaging systems are discussed as well.

Communication and Collective Consensus Making in Animal Groups via Mechanical Interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Várkonyi, Péter L.

2011-06-01

Mechanical constraints have a strong influence on the dynamics and structure of granular aggregations. The contact forces within dense suspensions of active particles may give rise to intriguing phenomena, including anomalous density fluctuations, long-range orientational ordering, and spontaneous pattern formation. Various authors have proposed that these physical phenomena contribute to the ability of animal groups to move coherently. Our systematic numerical simulations confirm that spontaneous interactions of elongated individuals can trigger oriented motion in small groups. They are, however, insufficient in larger ones, despite their significant imprint on the group's internal structure. It is also demonstrated that preferred directions of motion of a minority of group members can be communicated to others solely by mechanical interactions. These findings strengthen the link between pattern formation in active nematics and the collective decision making of social animals.

Asparagine-linked oligosaccharides on lutropin, follitropin, and thyrotropin: distributions of sulfated and sialylated oligosaccharides on bovine, ovine, and human pituitary glycoprotein hormones

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Green, E.D.; Baenziger, J.U.

1988-01-05

The asparagine-linked oligosaccharides on the pituitary glycoprotein hormones lutropin (LH), follitropin (FSH), and thyrotropin (TSH) consist of a heterogeneous array of neutral, sulfated, sialylated, and sulfated/sialylated structures. In this study, the authors determined the relative quantities of the various asparagine-linked oligosaccharides on LH, FSH, and TSH from these three animal species. The proportions of sulfated versus sialylated oligosaccharides varied markedly among the different hormones. Both hormone- and animal species-specific differences in the types and distributions of sulfated, sialylated, and sulfated/sialylated structures were evident. In particular, LH and FSH, which are synthesized in the same pituitary cell and bear ..cap alpha..-subunitsmore » with the identical amino acid sequence, contained significantly different distributions of sulfated and sialylated oligosaccharides. For all three animal species, the ratio of sialylated to sulfated oligosaccharides differed by >10-fold for LH and FSH, with sulfated structures dominating on LH and sialylated structures on FSH. Sialylated oligosaccharides were also heterogeneous with respect to sialic acid linkage (..cap alpha..2,3 versus ..cap alpha..2,6). The differences in oligosaccharide structures among the various pituitary glycoprotein hormones as well as among the various glycosylation sites within a single hormone support the hypothesis that glycosylation may serve important functional roles in the expression and/or regulation of hormone bioactivity.« less

Periscope for noninvasive two-photon imaging of murine retina in vivo

PubMed Central

Stremplewski, Patrycjusz; Komar, Katarzyna; Palczewski, Krzysztof; Wojtkowski, Maciej; Palczewska, Grazyna

2015-01-01

Two-photon microscopy allows visualization of subcellular structures in the living animal retina. In previously reported experiments it was necessary to apply a contact lens to each subject. Extending this technology to larger animals would require fitting a custom contact lens to each animal and cumbersome placement of the living animal head on microscope stage. Here we demonstrate a new device, periscope, for coupling light energy into mouse eye and capturing emitted fluorescence. Using this periscope we obtained images of the RPE and their subcellular organelles, retinosomes, with larger field of view than previously reported. This periscope provides an interface with a commercial microscope, does not require contact lens and its design could be modified to image retina in larger animals. PMID:26417507

Morphological structure mediates the notional meaning of gender marking: Evidence from the gender-congruency effect in Hebrew speech production.

PubMed

Deutsch, Avital; Dank, Maya

2018-02-01

This study investigated the gender-congruency effect of animate nouns in Hebrew. The Picture-Word Interference paradigm was used to manipulate gender congruency between target pictures and spoken distractors. Naming latency revealed an inhibitory gender-congruency effect, as naming the pictures took longer in the presence of a gender-congruent distractor than with a distractor from a different gender category. The inhibitory effect was demonstrated for feminine (morphologically marked) nouns, across two stimulus-onset asynchronies (SOAs) (Experiments 1a and 1b), and masculine (morphologically unmarked) nouns (Experiment 2). The same pattern was observed when participants had to produce bare nouns (Experiment 1) or gender-marked noun phrases (Experiment 3). The inhibitory pattern of the effect resembles previous findings of bare nouns in a subset of Romance languages, including Italian and Spanish. These findings add to previous research which investigated the gender-congruency effect of inanimate nouns, where no effect of gender-congruent words was found. The results are discussed in relation to the null effect previously found for inanimate nouns. The comparison of the present and previous studies is motivated by a common linguistic distinction between animate and inanimate nouns in Hebrew, which ascribes grammatical gender specifications to derivational structures (for inanimate nouns) versus inflectional structures (for animate nouns). Given the difference in the notional meaning of gender specification for animate and inanimate nouns, the case of Hebrew exemplifies how language-specific characteristics, such as rich morphological structures, can be used by the linguistic system to express conceptual distinctions at the form-word level.

Convergence of Domain Architecture, Structure, and Ligand Affinity in Animal and Plant RNA-Binding Proteins.

PubMed

Dias, Raquel; Manny, Austin; Kolaczkowski, Oralia; Kolaczkowski, Bryan

2017-06-01

Reconstruction of ancestral protein sequences using phylogenetic methods is a powerful technique for directly examining the evolution of molecular function. Although ancestral sequence reconstruction (ASR) is itself very efficient, downstream functional, and structural studies necessary to characterize when and how changes in molecular function occurred are often costly and time-consuming, currently limiting ASR studies to examining a relatively small number of discrete functional shifts. As a result, we have very little direct information about how molecular function evolves across large protein families. Here we develop an approach combining ASR with structure and function prediction to efficiently examine the evolution of ligand affinity across a large family of double-stranded RNA binding proteins (DRBs) spanning animals and plants. We find that the characteristic domain architecture of DRBs-consisting of 2-3 tandem double-stranded RNA binding motifs (dsrms)-arose independently in early animal and plant lineages. The affinity with which individual dsrms bind double-stranded RNA appears to have increased and decreased often across both animal and plant phylogenies, primarily through convergent structural mechanisms involving RNA-contact residues within the β1-β2 loop and a small region of α2. These studies provide some of the first direct information about how protein function evolves across large gene families and suggest that changes in molecular function may occur often and unassociated with major phylogenetic events, such as gene or domain duplications. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.

Do anesthetics harm the developing human brain? An integrative analysis of animal and human studies.

PubMed

Lin, Erica P; Lee, Jeong-Rim; Lee, Christopher S; Deng, Meng; Loepke, Andreas W

Anesthetics that permit surgical procedures and stressful interventions have been found to cause structural brain abnormalities and functional impairment in immature animals, generating extensive concerns among clinicians, parents, and government regulators regarding the safe use of these drugs in young children. Critically important questions remain, such as the exact age at which the developing brain is most vulnerable to the effects of anesthetic exposure, whether a particular age exists beyond which anesthetics are devoid of long-term effects on the brain, and whether any specific exposure duration exists that does not lead to deleterious effects. Accordingly, the present analysis attempts to put the growing body of animal studies, which we identified to include >440 laboratory studies to date, into a translational context, by integrating the preclinical data on brain structure and function with clinical results attained from human neurocognitive studies, which currently exceed 30 studies. Our analysis demonstrated no clear exposure duration threshold below which no structural injury or subsequent cognitive abnormalities occurred. Animal data did not clearly identify a specific age beyond which anesthetic exposure did not cause any structural or functional abnormalities. Several potential mitigating strategies were found, however, no general anesthetic was identified that consistently lacked neurodegenerative properties and could be recommended over other anesthetics. It therefore is imperative, to expand efforts to devise safer anesthetic techniques and mitigating strategies, even before long-term alterations in brain development are unequivocally confirmed to occur in millions of young children undergoing anesthesia every year. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

VARYING LANDSCAPE STRUCTURE AND POTENTIAL DENITRIFICATION ACTIVITY AMONG SALT MARSHES ALONG AN ANTHROPOGENIC DISTURBANCE GRADIENT

EPA Science Inventory

Marsh landscape structure and denitrification are proposed as indicators of key wetland services, providing animal habitat and water quality maintenance, respectively. We examined marsh landscape structure (i.e., plant species richness and extent of dominant plant species) and po...

Facial animation on an anatomy-based hierarchical face model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yu; Prakash, Edmond C.; Sung, Eric

2003-04-01

In this paper we propose a new hierarchical 3D facial model based on anatomical knowledge that provides high fidelity for realistic facial expression animation. Like real human face, the facial model has a hierarchical biomechanical structure, incorporating a physically-based approximation to facial skin tissue, a set of anatomically-motivated facial muscle actuators and underlying skull structure. The deformable skin model has multi-layer structure to approximate different types of soft tissue. It takes into account the nonlinear stress-strain relationship of the skin and the fact that soft tissue is almost incompressible. Different types of muscle models have been developed to simulate distribution of the muscle force on the skin due to muscle contraction. By the presence of the skull model, our facial model takes advantage of both more accurate facial deformation and the consideration of facial anatomy during the interactive definition of facial muscles. Under the muscular force, the deformation of the facial skin is evaluated using numerical integration of the governing dynamic equations. The dynamic facial animation algorithm runs at interactive rate with flexible and realistic facial expressions to be generated.

Comprehensive evaluation of the role of soy and isoflavone supplementation in humans and animals over the past two decades.

PubMed

Xiao, Yunqi; Zhang, Shan; Tong, Haibing; Shi, Shourong

2018-03-01

Soy and soy-based foods are considered healthy, particularly in many Asia-Pacific countries, where soy products have long been consumed. Soy and soy-related products have been found to help prevent the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases and certain types of cancer, such as breast and prostate cancer. These products can also have antioxidative effects that alleviate hot flashes during menopause and bone loss. These biological and therapeutic functions are primarily due to the isoflavones derived from soy, whose structure is similar to the structure of 17-β-oestradiol. Despite the many health benefits for humans and animals, the application of isoflavones remains controversial because of their anti-oestrogenic properties. We focused on general information regarding isoflavones, as well as their structure, function, and application. We summarized evidence showing that dietary or supplemental isoflavones exert protective effects on the health of humans and animals. Based on the literature, we conclude that soy foods and isoflavones may be effective and safe; however, more high-quality trials are needed to fully substantiate their potential use. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Incorporation of a stand-alone elective course in animal law within animal and veterinary science curricula.

PubMed

Whittaker, Alexandra L

2014-01-01

Animal law is a burgeoning area of interest within the legal profession, but to date it seems to have received little attention as a discrete discipline area for animal and veterinary scientists. Given the increased focus on animal welfare both within curricula and among the public, it would be remiss of educators not to consider this allied subject, especially since it provides those tools necessary for implementing welfare standards and reducing cruelty. Recommended subject matter, teaching modality, and methods of assessment have been outlined in this article. Such a course should take a multidisciplinary approach and highlight contentious areas of animal law and trends within the wider societal framework of human-animal interactions. From a pedagogical standpoint, a variety of teaching methods and assessment techniques should be included. A problem-based learning approach to encourage the assimilation of facts and promote higher-order learning is favored. The purpose of this article is to provide some guidance on the structure of such a course based on the author's experience in teaching animal law to veterinary and animal science undergraduates in Australia.

Transfection of Capsaspora owczarzaki, a close unicellular relative of animals.

PubMed

Parra-Acero, Helena; Ros-Rocher, Núria; Perez-Posada, Alberto; Kożyczkowska, Aleksandra; Sánchez-Pons, Núria; Nakata, Azusa; Suga, Hiroshi; Najle, Sebastián R; Ruiz-Trillo, Iñaki

2018-05-11

How animals emerged from their unicellular ancestor remains a major evolutionary question. New genome data from the closest unicellular relatives of animals has provided important insights into animal origins. We know that the unicellular ancestor of animals had an unexpectedly complex genetic repertoire, including many genes key to animal development and multicellularity. Thus, assessing the function of these genes among unicellular relatives of animals is key to understand how were they co-opted at the onset of Metazoa. However, those analyses have been hampered by the lack of genetic tools. Progress has been made in choanoflagellates and teretosporeans, two of the three lineages closely related to animals, while in filastereans no tools are yet available for functional analysis. Importantly, filastereans possess a striking repertoire of genes involved in transcriptional regulation and other developmental processes. Here, we describe a reliable transfection method for the filasterean Capsaspora owczarzaki We also provide a set of constructs for visualizing subcellular structures in live cells. These tools convert Capsaspora into a unique experimentally tractable organism to address the origin and evolution of animal multicellularity. © 2018. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Animal coloration research: why it matters

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

While basic research on animal coloration is the theme of this special edition, here we highlight its applied significance for industry, innovation and society. Both the nanophotonic structures producing stunning optical effects and the colour perception mechanisms in animals are extremely diverse, having been honed over millions of years of evolution for many different purposes. Consequently, there is a wealth of opportunity for biomimetic and bioinspired applications of animal coloration research, spanning colour production, perception and function. Fundamental research on the production and perception of animal coloration is contributing to breakthroughs in the design of new materials (cosmetics, textiles, paints, optical coatings, security labels) and new technologies (cameras, sensors, optical devices, robots, biomedical implants). In addition, discoveries about the function of animal colour are influencing sport, fashion, the military and conservation. Understanding and applying knowledge of animal coloration is now a multidisciplinary exercise. Our goal here is to provide a catalyst for new ideas and collaborations between biologists studying animal coloration and researchers in other disciplines. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Animal coloration: production, perception, function and application’. PMID:28533451

Animal coloration research: why it matters.

PubMed

Caro, Tim; Stoddard, Mary Caswell; Stuart-Fox, Devi

2017-07-05

While basic research on animal coloration is the theme of this special edition, here we highlight its applied significance for industry, innovation and society. Both the nanophotonic structures producing stunning optical effects and the colour perception mechanisms in animals are extremely diverse, having been honed over millions of years of evolution for many different purposes. Consequently, there is a wealth of opportunity for biomimetic and bioinspired applications of animal coloration research, spanning colour production, perception and function. Fundamental research on the production and perception of animal coloration is contributing to breakthroughs in the design of new materials (cosmetics, textiles, paints, optical coatings, security labels) and new technologies (cameras, sensors, optical devices, robots, biomedical implants). In addition, discoveries about the function of animal colour are influencing sport, fashion, the military and conservation. Understanding and applying knowledge of animal coloration is now a multidisciplinary exercise. Our goal here is to provide a catalyst for new ideas and collaborations between biologists studying animal coloration and researchers in other disciplines.This article is part of the themed issue 'Animal coloration: production, perception, function and application'. © 2017 The Author(s).

Microbial shaping of sedimentary wrinkle structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mariotti, G.; Pruss, S. B.; Perron, J. T.; Bosak, T.

2014-10-01

Wrinkle structures on sandy bed surfaces were present in some of the earliest sedimentary environments, but are rare in modern environments. These enigmatic millimetre- to centimetre-scale ridges or pits are particularly common in sediments that harbour trace fossils and imprints of early animals, and appeared in the aftermath of some large mass extinctions. Wrinkle structures have been interpreted as possible remnants of microbial mats, but the formation mechanism and associated palaeoenvironmental and palaeoecological implications of these structures remain debated. Here we show that microbial aggregates can form wrinkle structures on a bed of bare sand in wave tank experiments. Waves with a small orbital amplitude at the bed surface do not move sand grains directly. However, they move millimetre-size, light microbial fragments and thereby produce linear sand ridges and rounded scour pits at the wavelengths observed in nature within hours. We conclude that wrinkle structures are morphological biosignatures that form at the sediment-water interface in wave-dominated environments, and not beneath microbial mats as previously thought. During early animal evolution, grazing by eukaryotic organisms may have temporarily increased the abundance of microbial fragments and thus the production of wrinkle structures.

[Peculiarities of secondary structure of serum albumin of some representatives of the animal kingdom].

PubMed

Pekhymenko, G V; Kuchmerovskaia, T M

2011-01-01

Methods of infrared (IR) spectroscopy and circular dichroism (CD) are suitable techniques for detection of proteins structural changes. These methods were used for determinating peculiarities of the secondary structure of serum albumins in some representatives of two classes of reptiles: Horsfield's tortoise (Testudo horsfieldi), water snake (Natrix tessellata) and grass snake (Natrix natrix) and birds: domestic goose (Anser anser), domestic chicken (Gallus domesticus), domestic duck (Anas platyrhyncha) and dove colored (Columba livia). An analysis of IR spectra and spectra obtained by the method of CD of serum albumins of both classes representatives revealed that beta-folding structure and alpha-helical sections that form the alpha-conformation play an important role in conformational structure formation of polypeptide chain and also disordered sites of molecules of these proteins. It was observed that certain redistribution depending on animals species exists, in the formation of secondary structure of serum albumins of the investigated representatives of reptiles and birds classes between the content of beta-folding structure, alpha-helical sections and disordered sites in molecules of these proteins.

Structural Biology Reveals the Secrets of Disease

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Joachmiak, Andrzej

2012-07-03

Argonne's Structural Biology Center Director, Andrzej Joachimiak, talks about the work done at the SBC in analyzes the genetic makeup of pathogens to better understand how harmful bacteria and viruses can affect humans and animals.

Investigating intra-host and intra-herd sequence diversity of foot-and-mouth disease virus.

PubMed

King, David J; Freimanis, Graham L; Orton, Richard J; Waters, Ryan A; Haydon, Daniel T; King, Donald P

2016-10-01

Due to the poor-fidelity of the enzymes involved in RNA genome replication, foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) virus samples comprise of unique polymorphic populations. In this study, deep sequencing was utilised to characterise the diversity of FMD virus (FMDV) populations in 6 infected cattle present on a single farm during the series of outbreaks in the UK in 2007. A novel RT-PCR method was developed to amplify a 7.6kb nucleotide fragment encompassing the polyprotein coding region of the FMDV genome. Illumina sequencing of each sample identified the fine polymorphic structures at each nucleotide position, from consensus level changes to variants present at a 0.24% frequency. These data were used to investigate population dynamics of FMDV at both herd and host levels, evaluate the impact of host on the viral swarm structure and to identify transmission links with viruses recovered from other farms in the same series of outbreaks. In 7 samples, from 6 different animals, a total of 5 consensus level variants were identified, in addition to 104 sub-consensus variants of which 22 were shared between 2 or more animals. Further analysis revealed differences in swarm structures from samples derived from the same animal suggesting the presence of distinct viral populations evolving independently at different lesion sites within the same infected animal. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mitochondrial modulators improve lipid composition and attenuate memory deficits in experimental model of Huntington's disease.

PubMed

Mehrotra, Arpit; Sood, Abhilasha; Sandhir, Rajat

2015-12-01

3-Nitropropionic acid (3-NP) is an irreversible inhibitor of succinate dehydrogenase and induces neuropathological changes similar to those observed in Huntington's disease (HD). The objective of the present study was to investigate neuroprotective effect of mitochondrial modulators; alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) and acetyl-L-carnitine (ALCAR) on 3-NP-induced alterations in mitochondrial lipid composition, mitochondrial structure and memory functions. Experimental model of HD was developed by administering 3-NP at sub-chronic doses, twice daily for 17 days. The levels of conjugated dienes, cholesterol and glycolipids were significantly increased, whereas the levels of phospholipids (phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylserine) including cardiolipin were significantly decreased in the mitochondria isolated from the striatum of 3-NP-treated animals. In addition, the difference in molecular composition of each phospholipid class was also evaluated using mass spectrometry. Mitochondria lipid from 3-NP-treated animals showed increased cholesterol to phospholipid ratio, suggesting decreased mitochondrial membrane fluidity. 3-NP administration also resulted in ultra-structural changes in mitochondria, accompanied by swelling as assessed by transmission electron microscopy. The 3-NP administered animals had impaired spatial memory evaluated using elevated plus maze test. However, combined supplementation with ALA + ALCAR for 21 days normalized mitochondrial lipid composition, improved mitochondrial structure and ameliorated memory impairments in 3-NP-treated animals, suggesting an imperative role of these two modulators in combination in the management of HD.

``Sub-prime" Biophysics: Acoustic assessment of animal stress

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Browning, David

2007-10-01

Animal welfare is of increasing concern. Vocalizations can be easily monitored and for some animals, such as the ``yip'' of a dog, stress is easily discernible. Unfortunately for many important farm animals, such as cows, sheep, and horses, the impact of stress on vocalizations appears to be more subtle. Our work is presently focused on the frequency spectra of horse whinnies. A whinny is comprised of two components; a tonal structure, and a varying frequency component or ``call.'' Results to date are presented on whether a horse can control this ``call'' so that there is a significant difference between a ``stressed'' whinny and a ``happy'' whinny.

Computer animation of NASTRAN displacements on IRIS 4D-series workstations: CANDI/ANIMATE postprocessing of NASHUA results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fales, Janine L.

1991-01-01

The capabilities of the postprocessing program CANDI (Color Animation of Nastran DIsplacements) were expanded to accept results from axisymmetric analysis. An auxiliary program, ANIMATE, was developed to allow color display of CANDI output on the IRIS 4D-series workstations. The user can interactively manipulate the graphics display by three-dimensional rotations, translations, and scaling through the use of the keyboard and/or dials box. The user can also specify what portion of the model is displayed. These developments are limited to the display of complex displacements calculated with the NASHUA/NASTRAN procedure for structural acoustics analysis.

Tyrosine phosphorylation of the BRI1 receptor kinase occurs via a posttranslational modification and is activated by the juxtamembrane domain

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In metazoans, receptor kinases control many essential processes related to growth and development and response to the environment. The receptor kinases in plants and animals are structurally similar but evolutionarily distinct from one another, and thus while most animal receptor kinases are tyrosin...

21 CFR 510.3 - Definitions and interpretations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... intended drug use of the proportion of a substance in a combination, even though such combination containing such substance in other proportion is not a new animal drug; (4) the newness for its intended drug..., mitigating, treating, or preventing a disease, or to affect a structure or function of the animal body, even...

All about Mammals. Animal Life for Children. [Videotape].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

2000

In this videotape, students learn more about the characteristics of common warm-blooded mammals and what makes them different from other animals. Children also find out how humans are more advanced in structure than other mammals, but how they still share the same basic traits. This videotape correlates to the following National Science Education…

The Hoosier-Shawnee ecological assessment: Table of contents

Treesearch

Frank R., III ed. Thompson

2004-01-01

This report is a scientific assessment of the characteristic composition, structure, and processes of ecosystems in the southern one-third of Illinois and Indiana and a small part of western Kentucky. It includes chapters on ecological sections and soils, water resources, forest, plants, and communities, aquatic animals, terrestrial animals, forest diseases and pests,...

Read Across Approaches: Chemical Structure and Bioactivity ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Presentation for FDA-CFSAN and ILSI workshop on Workshop on State of the Science on Alternatives to Animal Testing and Integration of Testing Strategies for Food Safety Assessments Presentation for FDA-CFSAN and ILSI workshop on Workshop: State of the Science on Alternatives to Animal Testing and Integration of Testing Strategies for Food Safety Assessments

Chow Down! Using Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches to Explore Basic Nutrition Concepts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wagler, Ron

2009-01-01

The Madagascar hissing cockroach ("Gromphadorhina portentosa") is one of the most exciting and enjoyable animals to incorporate into your science curriculum. Madagascar hissing cockroaches (MHCs) do not bite, are easy to handle, produce little odor compared to many terrarium animals, have a fascinating social structure, are easy to breed, teach…

Modeling DNA structure and processes through animation and kinesthetic visualizations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hager, Christine

There have been many studies regarding the effectiveness of visual aids that go beyond that of static illustrations. Many of these have been concentrated on the effectiveness of visual aids such as animations and models or even non-traditional visual aid activities like role-playing activities. This study focuses on the effectiveness of three different types of visual aids: models, animation, and a role-playing activity. Students used a modeling kit made of Styrofoam balls and toothpicks to construct nucleotides and then bond nucleotides together to form DNA. Next, students created their own animation to depict the processes of DNA replication, transcription, and translation. Finally, students worked in teams to build proteins while acting out the process of translation. Students were given a pre- and post-test that measured their knowledge and comprehension of the four topics mentioned above. Results show that there was a significant gain in the post-test scores when compared to the pre-test scores. This indicates that the incorporated visual aids were effective methods for teaching DNA structure and processes.

Ongoing behavior predicts perceptual report of interval duration

PubMed Central

Gouvêa, Thiago S.; Monteiro, Tiago; Soares, Sofia; Atallah, Bassam V.; Paton, Joseph J.

2014-01-01

The ability to estimate the passage of time is essential for adaptive behavior in complex environments. Yet, it is not known how the brain encodes time over the durations necessary to explain animal behavior. Under temporally structured reinforcement schedules, animals tend to develop temporally structured behavior, and interval timing has been suggested to be accomplished by learning sequences of behavioral states. If this is true, trial to trial fluctuations in behavioral sequences should be predictive of fluctuations in time estimation. We trained rodents in an duration categorization task while continuously monitoring their behavior with a high speed camera. Animals developed highly reproducible behavioral sequences during the interval being timed. Moreover, those sequences were often predictive of perceptual report from early in the trial, providing support to the idea that animals may use learned behavioral patterns to estimate the duration of time intervals. To better resolve the issue, we propose that continuous and simultaneous behavioral and neural monitoring will enable identification of neural activity related to time perception that is not explained by ongoing behavior. PMID:24672473

Spiders in Motion: Demonstrating Adaptation, Structure-Function Relationships, and Trade-Offs in Invertebrates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bowlin, Melissa S.; McLeer, Dorothy F.; Danielson-Francois, Anne M.

2014-01-01

Evolutionary history and structural considerations constrain all aspects of animal physiology. Constraints on invertebrate locomotion are especially straightforward for students to observe and understand. In this exercise, students use spiders to investigate the concepts of adaptation, structure-function relationships, and trade-offs. Students…

Inter- and intra-organ spatial distributions of sea star saponins by MALDI imaging.

PubMed

Demeyer, Marie; Wisztorski, Maxence; Decroo, Corentin; De Winter, Julien; Caulier, Guillaume; Hennebert, Elise; Eeckhaut, Igor; Fournier, Isabelle; Flammang, Patrick; Gerbaux, Pascal

2015-11-01

Saponins are secondary metabolites that are abundant and diversified in echinoderms. Mass spectrometry is increasingly used not only to identify saponin congeners within animal extracts but also to decipher the structure/biological activity relationships of these molecules by determining their inter-organ and inter-individual variability. The usual method requires extensive purification procedures to prepare saponin extracts compatible with mass spectrometry analysis. Here, we selected the sea star Asterias rubens as a model animal to prove that direct analysis of saponins can be performed on tissue sections. We also demonstrated that carboxymethyl cellulose can be used as an embedding medium to facilitate the cryosectioning procedure. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) imaging was also revealed to afford interesting data on the distribution of saponin molecules within the tissues. We indeed highlight that saponins are located not only inside the body wall of the animals but also within the mucus layer that probably protects the animal against external aggressions. Graphical Abstract Saponins are the most abundant secondary metabolites in sea stars. They should therefore participate in important biological activities. Here, MALDI imaging is presented as a powerful method to determine the spatial distribution of saponins within the animal tissues. The inhomogeneity of the intra-organ saponin distribution is highlighted, paving the way for future elegant structure/activity relationship investigations.

Image quality phantom and parameters for high spatial resolution small-animal SPECT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Visser, Eric P.; Harteveld, Anita A.; Meeuwis, Antoi P. W.; Disselhorst, Jonathan A.; Beekman, Freek J.; Oyen, Wim J. G.; Boerman, Otto C.

2011-10-01

At present, generally accepted standards to characterize small-animal single photon emission tomographs (SPECT) do not exist. Whereas for small-animal positron emission tomography (PET), the NEMA NU 4-2008 guidelines are available, such standards are still lacking for small-animal SPECT. More specifically, a dedicated image quality (IQ) phantom and corresponding IQ parameters are absent. The structures of the existing PET IQ phantom are too large to fully characterize the sub-millimeter spatial resolution of modern multi-pinhole SPECT scanners, and its diameter will not fit into all scanners when operating in high spatial resolution mode. We therefore designed and constructed an adapted IQ phantom with smaller internal structures and external diameter, and a facility to guarantee complete filling of the smallest rods. The associated IQ parameters were adapted from NEMA NU 4. An additional parameter, effective whole-body sensitivity, was defined since this was considered relevant in view of the variable size of the field of view and the use of multiple bed positions as encountered in modern small-animal SPECT scanners. The usefulness of the phantom was demonstrated for 99mTc in a USPECT-II scanner operated in whole-body scanning mode using a multi-pinhole mouse collimator with 0.6 mm pinhole diameter.

Distinct spinning patterns gain differentiated loading tolerance of silk thread anchorages in spiders with different ecology.

PubMed

Wolff, Jonas O; van der Meijden, Arie; Herberstein, Marie E

2017-07-26

Building behaviour in animals extends biological functions beyond bodies. Many studies have emphasized the role of behavioural programmes, physiology and extrinsic factors for the structure and function of buildings. Structure attachments associated with animal constructions offer yet unrealized research opportunities. Spiders build a variety of one- to three-dimensional structures from silk fibres. The evolution of economic web shapes as a key for ecological success in spiders has been related to the emergence of high performance silks and thread coating glues. However, the role of thread anchorages has been widely neglected in those models. Here, we show that orb-web (Araneidae) and hunting spiders (Sparassidae) use different silk application patterns that determine the structure and robustness of the joint in silk thread anchorages. Silk anchorages of orb-web spiders show a greater robustness against different loading situations, whereas the silk anchorages of hunting spiders have their highest pull-off resistance when loaded parallel to the substrate along the direction of dragline spinning. This suggests that the behavioural 'printing' of silk into attachment discs along with spinneret morphology was a prerequisite for the evolution of extended silk use in a three-dimensional space. This highlights the ecological role of attachments in the evolution of animal architectures. © 2017 The Author(s).

Structural and functional maturation of rat gastrointestinal barrier with thyroxine

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Israel, E.J.; Pang, K.Y.; Harmatz, P.R.

It has been noted that the closure of the intestinal barrier to immunoglobulins is a normal maturational process in the rat. It has also been noted that the microvillus membrane (MVM) of newborn animals differs from adult MVM. The purpose of this study is to document whether thyroid hormone can induce closure in vivo in the rat and to relate this effect of thyroxine to the structural and functional maturation of the intestinal MVM. To assess closure, 2-wk-old rats were fed in rat immunoglobulin G (IgG), and serum antibody binding activity was measured 4 h later. The antibody binding activitymore » of treated animals (T) was 1.5-2 times less than that of controls (C), indicating that thyroxine stimulates closure. The MVM similarly showed signs of maturation. Structural maturation was demonstrated by the lower fluidity of the thyroid-treated animals' membranes. Under the influence of thyroxine, the number of receptors on the MVM for IgG had decreased, while the K/sub a/ remained the same, demonstrating the functional maturation of the MVM. In conclusion, thryoid hormone can induce both structural and functional maturation of the intestinal MVM and can enhance the intestinal mucosal barrier by decreasing the penetration of antibodies.« less

Assemblages of animals around urban structures: testing hypotheses of patterns in sediments under boat-mooring pontoons.

PubMed

Lindegarth, M

2001-05-01

Assemblages of animals in soft-sediments were studied in relation to pontoons for mooring private boats in two estuaries near Sydney, Australia. Based on previously observed patterns around other types of artificial structures, it was predicted that assemblages of animals under pontoons would be different from those in similar areas away from pontoons. Hypotheses about overall differences in average abundance and composition between sites with and without pontoons were tested, as were hypotheses about variable differences among and within estuaries. Analyses revealed that there were fewer crustaceans under pontoons in one estuary. The most conspicuous patterns related to pontoons were, however, differences in variability among sites with pontoons compared to sites without pontoons. Differences in spatial variability were found for the overall multivariate structure using Bray-Curtis dissimilarities and for abundances of most major taxa. Total abundance was approximately 60 times more variable among sites without pontoons and number of taxa were seven times more variable among sites with pontoons. Such patterns indicate that impacts of pontoons occur at some sites but not at others. This may be explained by intrinsic differences among sites or by differences in practices for maintenance. Predictions from these two contrasting models need to be tested in order to achieve efficient management of this type of structure.

Allometry of animal-microbe interactions and global census of animal-associated microbes.

PubMed

Kieft, Thomas L; Simmons, Karen A

2015-07-07

Animals live in close association with microorganisms, mostly prokaryotes, living in or on them as commensals, mutualists or parasites, and profoundly affecting host fitness. Most animal-microbe studies focus on microbial community structure; for this project, allometry (scaling of animal attributes with animal size) was applied to animal-microbe relationships across a range of species spanning 12 orders of magnitude in animal mass, from nematodes to whales. Microbial abundances per individual animal were gleaned from published literature and also microscopically counted in three species. Abundance of prokaryotes/individual versus animal mass scales as a nearly linear power function (exponent = 1.07, R(2) = 0.94). Combining this power function with allometry of animal abundance indicates that macrofauna have an outsized share of animal-associated microorganisms. The total number of animal-associated prokaryotes in Earth's land animals was calculated to be 1.3-1.4 × 10(25) cells and the total of marine animal-associated microbes was calculated to be 8.6-9.0 × 10(24) cells. Animal-associated microbes thus total 2.1-2.3 × 10(25) of the approximately 10(30) prokaryotes on the Earth. Microbes associated with humans comprise 3.3-3.5% of Earth's animal-associated microbes, and domestic animals harbour 14-20% of all animal-associated microbes, adding a new dimension to the scale of human impact on the biosphere. This novel allometric power function may reflect underlying mechanisms involving the transfer of energy and materials between microorganisms and their animal hosts. Microbial diversity indices of animal gut communities and gut microbial species richness for 60 mammals did not indicate significant scaling relationships with animal body mass; however, further research in this area is warranted. © 2015 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

What are the Ethical Problems Raised by the Increase of Cognitive Capabilities in the Defence Structure: The French Legal Structure, the Ethical Position of the French Military Health Service

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-10-01

principles for conducting research on humans as animals has been defined in 1988 and confirmed in the bioethical law in 1994 [3]. Some modifications...ethical principles for conducting research on humans as animals has been defined in 1988 and confirmed in the bioethical law in 1994 [3]. Some...partly, to the doctors and it had become necessary to think of the power of man outside of medicine. According to the German Hans Jonas “ bioethics

The effects of chronic alcohol self-administration in nonhuman primate brain networks.

PubMed

Telesford, Qawi K; Laurienti, Paul J; Davenport, April T; Friedman, David P; Kraft, Robert A; Daunais, James B

2015-04-01

Long-term alcohol abuse is associated with change in behavior, brain structure, and brain function. However, the nature of these changes is not well understood. In this study, we used network science to analyze a nonhuman primate model of ethanol self-administration to evaluate functional differences between animals with chronic alcohol use and animals with no exposure to alcohol. Of particular interest was how chronic alcohol exposure may affect the resting state network. Baseline resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging was acquired in a cohort of vervet monkeys. Animals underwent an induction period where they were exposed to an isocaloric maltose dextrin solution (control) or ethanol in escalating doses over three 30-day epochs. Following induction, animals were given ad libitum access to water and a maltose dextrin solution (control) or water and ethanol for 22 h/d over 12 months. Cross-sectional analyses examined region of interests in hubs and community structure across animals to determine differences between drinking and nondrinking animals after the 12-month free access period. Animals were classified as lighter (<2.0 g/kg/d) or heavier drinkers (≥2.0 g/kg/d) based on a median split of their intake pattern during the 12-month ethanol free access period. Statistical analysis of hub connectivity showed significant differences in heavier drinkers for hubs in the precuneus, posterior parietal cortices, superior temporal gyrus, subgenual cingulate, and sensorimotor cortex. Heavier drinkers were also shown to have less consistent communities across the brain compared to lighter drinkers. The different level of consumption between the lighter and heavier drinking monkeys suggests that differences in connectivity may be intake dependent. Animals that consume alcohol show topological differences in brain network organization, particularly in animals that drink heavily. Differences in the resting state network were linked to areas that are associated with spatial association, working memory, and visuomotor processing. Copyright © 2015 by the Research Society on Alcoholism.

A unifying theory for top-heavy ecosystem structure in the ocean.

PubMed

Woodson, C Brock; Schramski, John R; Joye, Samantha B

2018-01-02

Size generally dictates metabolic requirements, trophic level, and consequently, ecosystem structure, where inefficient energy transfer leads to bottom-heavy ecosystem structure and biomass decreases as individual size (or trophic level) increases. However, many animals deviate from simple size-based predictions by either adopting generalist predatory behavior, or feeding lower in the trophic web than predicted from their size. Here we show that generalist predatory behavior and lower trophic feeding at large body size increase overall biomass and shift ecosystems from a bottom-heavy pyramid to a top-heavy hourglass shape, with the most biomass accounted for by the largest animals. These effects could be especially dramatic in the ocean, where primary producers are the smallest components of the ecosystem. This approach makes it possible to explore and predict, in the past and in the future, the structure of ocean ecosystems without biomass extraction and other impacts.

Integration of Design, Thermal, Structural, and Optical Analysis, Including Thermal Animation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Amundsen, Ruth M.

1993-01-01

In many industries there has recently been a concerted movement toward 'quality management' and the issue of how to accomplish work more efficiently. Part of this effort is focused on concurrent engineering; the idea of integrating the design and analysis processes so that they are not separate, sequential processes (often involving design rework due to analytical findings) but instead form an integrated system with smooth transfers of information. Presented herein are several specific examples of concurrent engineering methods being carried out at Langley Research Center (LaRC): integration of thermal, structural and optical analyses to predict changes in optical performance based on thermal and structural effects; integration of the CAD design process with thermal and structural analyses; and integration of analysis and presentation by animating the thermal response of a system as an active color map -- a highly effective visual indication of heat flow.

A cognitive network for oracle bone characters related to animals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dress, Andreas; Grünewald, Stefan; Zeng, Zhenbing

2016-01-01

In this paper, we present an analysis of oracle bone characters for animals from a “cognitive” point of view. After some general remarks on oracle-bone characters presented in Sec. 1 and a short outline of the paper in Sec. 2, we collect various oracle-bone characters for animals from published resources in Sec. 3. In the next section, we begin analyzing a group of 60 ancient animal characters from www.zdic.net, a highly acclaimed internet dictionary of Chinese characters that is strictly based on historical sources, and introduce five categories of specific features regarding their (graphical) structure that will be used in Sec. 5 to associate corresponding feature vectors to these characters. In Sec. 6, these feature vectors will be used to investigate their dissimilarity in terms of a family of parameterized distance measures. And in the last section, we apply the SplitsTree method as encoded in the NeighborNet algorithms to construct a corresponding family of dissimilarity-based networks with the intention of elucidating how the ancient Chinese might have perceived the “animal world” in the late bronze age and to demonstrate that these pictographs reflect an intuitive understanding of this world and its inherent structure that predates its classification in the oldest surviving Chinese encyclopedia from approximately the third century BC, the Er Ya, as well as similar classification systems in the West by one to two millennia. We also present an English dictionary of 70 oracle bone characters for animals in Appendix A. In Appendix B, we list various variants of animal characters that were published in the Jia Gu Wen Bian (cf. 甲骨文编, A Complete Collection of Oracle Bone Characters, edited by the Institute of Archaeology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, published by the Zhonghua Book Company in 1965). We recall the frequencies of the 521 most frequent oracle bone characters in Appendix C as reported in [T. Chen, Yin-Shang Jiaguwen Zixing Xitong Zai Yanjiu, (The Structural System of Oracle Inscriptions) (Shanghai Renmin Chubanshe, Shanghai, 2010); Jiaguwen Shiwen Yongzi Pinlü Biao (A Frequency List of Oracle Characters), Center for the Study and Application of Chinese Characters (East China Normal University, Shanghai, 2010), http://www.wenzi.cn/en/default.aspx. And in Appendix D, we list the animals registered in the last five chapters of the Er Ya.

GIF Animation of Mode Shapes and Other Data on the Internet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pappa, Richard S.

1998-01-01

The World Wide Web abounds with animated cartoons and advertisements competing for our attention. Most of these figures are animated Graphics Interchange Format (GIF) files. These files contain a series of ordinary GIF images plus control information, and they provide an exceptionally simple, effective way to animate on the Internet. To date, however, this format has rarely been used for technical data, although there is no inherent reason not to do so. This paper describes a procedure for creating high-resolution animated GIFs of mode shapes and other types of structural dynamics data with readily available software. The paper shows three example applications using recent modal test data and video footage of a high-speed sled run. A fairly detailed summary of the GIF file format is provided in the appendix. All of the animations discussed in the paper are posted on the Internet available through the following address: http://sdb-www.larc.nasa.gov/.

Retrograde tracing and toe spreading after experimental autologous nerve transplantation and crush injury of the sciatic nerve: a descriptive methodological study.

PubMed

van Neerven, Sabien Ga; Bozkurt, Ahmet; O'Dey, Dan Mon; Scheffel, Juliane; Boecker, Arne H; Stromps, Jan-Philipp; Dunda, Sebastian; Brook, Gary A; Pallua, Norbert

2012-04-30

Evaluation of functional and structural recovery after peripheral nerve injury is crucial to determine the therapeutic effect of a nerve repair strategy. In the present study, we examined the relationship between the structural evaluation of regeneration by means of retrograde tracing and the functional analysis of toe spreading. Two standardized rat sciatic nerve injury models were used to address this relationship. As such, animals received either a 2 cm sciatic nerve defect (neurotmesis) followed by autologous nerve transplantation (ANT animals) or a crush injury with spontaneous recovery (axonotmesis; CI animals). Functional recovery of toe spreading was observed over an observation period of 84 days. In contrast to CI animals, ANT animals did not reach pre-surgical levels of toe spreading. After the observation period, the lipophilic dye DiI was applied to label sensory and motor neurons in dorsal root ganglia (DRG; sensory neurons) and spinal cord (motor neurons), respectively. No statistical difference in motor or sensory neuron counts could be detected between ANT and CI animals.In the present study we could indicate that there was no direct relationship between functional recovery (toe spreading) measured by SSI and the number of labelled (motor and sensory) neurons evaluated by retrograde tracing. The present findings demonstrate that a multimodal approach with a variety of independent evaluation tools is essential to understand and estimate the therapeutic benefit of a nerve repair strategy.

[Regionalisation of Germany by data of agricultural structures].

PubMed

Merle, Roswitha; Busse, Marc; Rechter, Galina; Meer, Uwe

2012-01-01

In order to simplify the design of representative studies in animal populations the structural differences of animal husbandry (cattle, pigs and laying hens) in Germany were characterised. Several regions were defined and thus districts identified which are typical for the respective region and can be regarded as representatives for the whole region. Data on animal husbandry as well as human population per district originated from the Federal Statistical Office and were linked to the geometric data of the Federal Agency for Cartography and Geodesy. By this, data of "livestock units/square kilometre area" and "farms/square kilometre area" per district were calculated using methods of the spatial statistics Global Moran's Index, Anselin Local Moran's Index and Getis-Ord Gi*. With the help of these analyses six clusters could be identified which resulted in four large (Middle, Northwest, East, and South) and one smaller region (Northern Upper-Rhine) respecting the federal state borders. These regions differed significantly regarding animal and farm densities. The selection of typical districts was carried out with the help of the respective animal and farm data of the species pigs, dairy cattle and laying hens. The means of the selected districts (three to six per region) were within the 60%- and the 80%-percentile of at least two of the analysed variables. Concerning the region Northern Upper-Rhine no representative district was selected. This presented regionalisation including representative districts can be used for the design of scientific studies that are associated with animal husbandry in Germany.

Mining continuous activity patterns from animal trajectory data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wang, Y.; Luo, Ze; Baoping, Yan; Takekawa, John Y.; Prosser, Diann J.; Newman, Scott H.

2014-01-01

The increasing availability of animal tracking data brings us opportunities and challenges to intuitively understand the mechanisms of animal activities. In this paper, we aim to discover animal movement patterns from animal trajectory data. In particular, we propose a notion of continuous activity pattern as the concise representation of underlying similar spatio-temporal movements, and develop an extension and refinement framework to discover the patterns. We first preprocess the trajectories into significant semantic locations with time property. Then, we apply a projection-based approach to generate candidate patterns and refine them to generate true patterns. A sequence graph structure and a simple and effective processing strategy is further developed to reduce the computational overhead. The proposed approaches are extensively validated on both real GPS datasets and large synthetic datasets.

Discriminating tests of information and topological indices. Animals and trees.

PubMed

Konstantinova, Elena V; Vidyuk, Maxim V

2003-01-01

In this paper we consider 13 information and topological indices based on the distance in a molecular graph with respect to their discrimination power. The numerical results of discriminating tests on 3490528 trees up to 21 vertices are given. The indices of the highest sensitivity are listed on the set of 1528775 alkane trees. The discrimination powers of indices are also examined on the classes of 849285 hexagonal, 298382 square, and 295365 triangular simply connected animals. The first class of animals corresponds to the structural formulas of planar benzenoid hydrocarbons. The values of all indices were calculated for all classes of animals as well as for the united set of 1443032 animals. The inspection of the data indicates the great sensitivity of four information indices and one topological index.

Cell-to-cell communication in plants, animals, and fungi: a comparative review.

PubMed

Bloemendal, Sandra; Kück, Ulrich

2013-01-01

Cell-to-cell communication is a prerequisite for differentiation and development in multicellular organisms. This communication has to be tightly regulated to ensure that cellular components such as organelles, macromolecules, hormones, or viruses leave the cell in a precisely organized way. During evolution, plants, animals, and fungi have developed similar ways of responding to this biological challenge. For example, in higher plants, plasmodesmata connect adjacent cells and allow communication to regulate differentiation and development. In animals, two main general structures that enable short- and long-range intercellular communication are known, namely gap junctions and tunneling nanotubes, respectively. Finally, filamentous fungi have also developed specialized structures called septal pores that allow intercellular communication via cytoplasmic flow. This review summarizes the underlying mechanisms for intercellular communication in these three eukaryotic groups and discusses its consequences for the regulation of differentiation and developmental processes.

Weird Animals, Sex, and Genome Evolution.

PubMed

Graves, Jennifer A Marshall

2018-02-15

Making my career in Australia exposed me to the tyranny of distance, but it gave me opportunities to study our unique native fauna. Distantly related animal species present genetic variation that we can use to explore the most fundamental biological structures and processes. I have compared chromosomes and genomes of kangaroos and platypus, tiger snakes and emus, devils (Tasmanian) and dragons (lizards). I particularly love the challenges posed by sex chromosomes, which, apart from determining sex, provide stunning examples of epigenetic control and break all the evolutionary rules that we currently understand. Here I describe some of those amazing animals and the insights on genome structure, function, and evolution they have afforded us. I also describe my sometimes-random walk in science and the factors and people who influenced my direction. Being a woman in science is still not easy, and I hope others will find encouragement and empathy in my story.

Cell-to-cell communication in plants, animals, and fungi: a comparative review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bloemendal, Sandra; Kück, Ulrich

2013-01-01

Cell-to-cell communication is a prerequisite for differentiation and development in multicellular organisms. This communication has to be tightly regulated to ensure that cellular components such as organelles, macromolecules, hormones, or viruses leave the cell in a precisely organized way. During evolution, plants, animals, and fungi have developed similar ways of responding to this biological challenge. For example, in higher plants, plasmodesmata connect adjacent cells and allow communication to regulate differentiation and development. In animals, two main general structures that enable short- and long-range intercellular communication are known, namely gap junctions and tunneling nanotubes, respectively. Finally, filamentous fungi have also developed specialized structures called septal pores that allow intercellular communication via cytoplasmic flow. This review summarizes the underlying mechanisms for intercellular communication in these three eukaryotic groups and discusses its consequences for the regulation of differentiation and developmental processes.

A categorical recall strategy does not explain animacy effects in episodic memory.

PubMed

VanArsdall, Joshua E; Nairne, James S; Pandeirada, Josefa N S; Cogdill, Mindi

2017-04-01

Animate stimuli are better remembered than matched inanimate stimuli in free recall. Three experiments tested the hypothesis that animacy advantages are due to a more efficient use of a categorical retrieval cue. Experiment 1 developed an "embedded list" procedure that was designed to disrupt participants' ability to perceive category structure at encoding; a strong animacy effect remained. Experiments 2 and 3 employed animate and inanimate word lists consisting of tightly constrained categories (four-footed animals and furniture). Experiment 2 failed to find an animacy advantage when the categorical structure was readily apparent, but the advantage returned in Experiment 3 when the embedded list procedure was employed using the same target words. These results provide strong evidence against an organizational account of the animacy effect, indicating that the animacy effect in episodic memory is probably due to item-specific factors related to animacy.

Real-time speech-driven animation of expressive talking faces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Jia; You, Mingyu; Chen, Chun; Song, Mingli

2011-05-01

In this paper, we present a real-time facial animation system in which speech drives mouth movements and facial expressions synchronously. Considering five basic emotions, a hierarchical structure with an upper layer of emotion classification is established. Based on the recognized emotion label, the under-layer classification at sub-phonemic level has been modelled on the relationship between acoustic features of frames and audio labels in phonemes. Using certain constraint, the predicted emotion labels of speech are adjusted to gain the facial expression labels which are combined with sub-phonemic labels. The combinations are mapped into facial action units (FAUs), and audio-visual synchronized animation with mouth movements and facial expressions is generated by morphing between FAUs. The experimental results demonstrate that the two-layer structure succeeds in both emotion and sub-phonemic classifications, and the synthesized facial sequences reach a comparative convincing quality.

Vulnerability of a killer whale social network to disease outbreaks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guimarães, Paulo R., Jr.; de Menezes, Márcio Argollo; Baird, Robin W.; Lusseau, David; Guimarães, Paulo; Dos Reis, Sérgio F.

2007-10-01

Emerging infectious diseases are among the main threats to conservation of biological diversity. A crucial task facing epidemiologists is to predict the vulnerability of populations of endangered animals to disease outbreaks. In this context, the network structure of social interactions within animal populations may affect disease spreading. However, endangered animal populations are often small and to investigate the dynamics of small networks is a difficult task. Using network theory, we show that the social structure of an endangered population of mammal-eating killer whales is vulnerable to disease outbreaks. This feature was found to be a consequence of the combined effects of the topology and strength of social links among individuals. Our results uncover a serious challenge for conservation of the species and its ecosystem. In addition, this study shows that the network approach can be useful to study dynamical processes in very small networks.

Anterolateral ligament anatomy: a comparative anatomical study.

PubMed

Ingham, Sheila Jean McNeill; de Carvalho, Rogerio Teixeira; Martins, Cesar A Q; Lertwanich, Pisit; Abdalla, Rene Jorge; Smolinski, Patrick; Lovejoy, C Owen; Fu, Freddie H

2017-04-01

Some anatomical studies have indicated that the anterolateral ligament (ALL) of the knee is distinct ligamentous structure in humans. The purpose of this study is to compare the lateral anatomy of the knee among human and various animal specimens. Fifty-eight fresh-frozen knee specimens, from 24 different animal species, were used for this anatomical study. The same researchers dissected all the specimens in this study, and dissections were performed in a careful and standardized manner. An ALL was not found in any of the 58 knees dissected. Another interesting finding in this study is that some primate species (the prosimians: the red and black and white lemurs) have two LCLs. The clinical relevance of this study is the lack of isolation of the ALL as a unique structure in animal species. Therefore, precaution is recommended before assessing the need for surgery to reconstruct the ALL as a singular ligament.

Fibrin chain cross-linking, fibrinolysis, and in vivo sealing efficacy of differently structured fibrin sealants.

PubMed

Hedrich, Hans Christian; Simunek, Manuela; Reisinger, Sonja; Ferguson, James; Gulle, Heinz; Goppelt, Andreas; Redl, Heinz

2012-08-01

In this study, we compared the sealing characteristics and efficacy of a fibrin sealant with reduced plasminogen (FS-rplg) and a fibrin sealant with aprotinin as a fibrinolysis inhibitor (FS-apr). The relevant sealing characteristics including clot structure, fibrin chain cross-linking, and clot lysis were tested in the laboratory. The sealing efficacy was then investigated in a follow-up animal model to determine differences in the in vivo sealing properties. A total of 46 animals were available for the final analysis with 23 animals in each treatment arm. In conclusion, we saw differences in vitro between FS-rplg and FS-apr in ultrastructure and α-chain cross-linking rates as well as in the rate of fibrinolysis. These differences may explain the significantly enhanced sealing efficacy in FS-apr compared to FS-rplg shown in vivo in a rabbit intestinal model. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Industrial halal meat production and animal welfare: A review.

PubMed

Farouk, M M; Pufpaff, K M; Amir, M

2016-10-01

Islam teaches zero-tolerance to all forms of animal abuse throughout the halal meat production supply chain and demands that when animals are slaughtered, they must be slaughtered in the mindful and attentive way espoused by the Prophet Muhammad. Why then are poor practices and animal welfare abuses still occurring during halal meat production, and how can they be reduced or eliminated? In this review we discuss how improvements might be achieved through: (1) training of staff regarding the religious and regulatory requirements of animal welfare from on-farm to slaughter; (2) empathy and compassion assessment of applicants prior to employment; (3) installation of CCTV cameras around lairage and slaughter sites; (4) regular employee follow-up training to minimise 'compassion fatigue'; (5) incorporating animal welfare requirements in halal certification; (6) using mosque-based sermons by Imams to increase awareness of animal welfare issues; and (7) making portable humane slaughter units available to small cottage operations and home/neighbourhood-kills through mosque-based organizations/structures. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Population genetic structure analysis and effect of inbreeding on body weights at different ages in Iranian Mehraban sheep.

PubMed

Yavarifard, Roya; Ghavi Hossein-Zadeh, Navid; Shadparvar, Abdol Ahad

2014-01-01

The objective of this study was to describe the population structure and inbreeding, and to quantify their effects on weights at different ages of Mehraban sheep in Iran. The analysis was based on the pedigree information of 26990 animals and 10278 body weight records from birth to yearling age. Data and pedigree information were collected during 1994 to 2011 by the breeding station of Mehraban sheep. The population structure was analyzed using the CFC program. Inbreeding of all animals was calculated by INBUPGF90 program. All animals were grouped into three classes according to their inbreeding coefficients: the first class included non-inbred animals (F=0); and the second and third classes included inbred animals (0

The NBS-LRR architectures of plant R-proteins and metazoan NLRs evolved in independent events

PubMed Central

Urbach, Jonathan M.; Ausubel, Frederick M.

2017-01-01

There are intriguing parallels between plants and animals, with respect to the structures of their innate immune receptors, that suggest universal principles of innate immunity. The cytosolic nucleotide binding site–leucine rich repeat (NBS-LRR) resistance proteins of plants (R-proteins) and the so-called NOD-like receptors of animals (NLRs) share a domain architecture that includes a STAND (signal transduction ATPases with numerous domains) family NTPase followed by a series of LRRs, suggesting inheritance from a common ancestor with that architecture. Focusing on the STAND NTPases of plant R-proteins, animal NLRs, and their homologs that represent the NB-ARC (nucleotide-binding adaptor shared by APAF-1, certain R gene products and CED-4) and NACHT (named for NAIP, CIIA, HET-E, and TEP1) subfamilies of the STAND NTPases, we analyzed the phylogenetic distribution of the NBS-LRR domain architecture, used maximum-likelihood methods to infer a phylogeny of the NTPase domains of R-proteins, and reconstructed the domain structure of the protein containing the common ancestor of the STAND NTPase domain of R-proteins and NLRs. Our analyses reject monophyly of plant R-proteins and NLRs and suggest that the protein containing the last common ancestor of the STAND NTPases of plant R-proteins and animal NLRs (and, by extension, all NB-ARC and NACHT domains) possessed a domain structure that included a STAND NTPase paired with a series of tetratricopeptide repeats. These analyses reject the hypothesis that the domain architecture of R-proteins and NLRs was inherited from a common ancestor and instead suggest the domain architecture evolved at least twice. It remains unclear whether the NBS-LRR architectures were innovations of plants and animals themselves or were acquired by one or both lineages through horizontal gene transfer. PMID:28096345

Beech cupules as keystone structures for soil fauna.

PubMed

Melguizo-Ruiz, Nereida; Jiménez-Navarro, Gerardo; Moya-Laraño, Jordi

2016-01-01

Facilitative or positive interactions are ubiquitous in nature and play a fundamental role in the configuration of ecological communities. In particular, habitat modification and niche construction, in which one organism locally modifies abiotic conditions and favours other organisms by buffering the effects of adverse environmental factors, are among the most relevant facilitative interactions. In line with this, 'keystone structures', which provide resources, refuge, or advantageous services decisive for other species, may allow the coexistence of various species and thus considerably contribute to diversity maintenance. Beech cupules are woody husks harbouring beech fruits that remain in the forest soil for relatively long periods of time. In this study, we explored the potential role of these cupules in the distribution and maintenance of the soil fauna inhabiting the leaf litter layer. We experimentally manipulated cupule availability and soil moisture in the field to determine if such structures are limiting and can provide moist shelter to soil animals during drought periods, contributing to minimize desiccation risks. We measured invertebrate abundances inside relative to outside the cupules, total abundances in the leaf litter and animal body sizes, in both dry and wet experimental plots. We found that these structures are preferentially used by the most abundant groups of smaller soil animals-springtails, mites and enchytraeids-during droughts. Moreover, beech cupules can be limiting, as an increase in use was found with higher cupule densities, and are important resources for many small soil invertebrates, driving the spatial structure of the soil community and promoting higher densities in the leaf litter, probably through an increase in habitat heterogeneity. We propose that fruit woody structures should be considered 'keystone structures' that contribute to soil community maintenance. Therefore, beech trees may indirectly facilitate soil fauna activities through their decaying fruit husks, hence acting as ecosystem engineers.

Terrain and vegetation structural influences on local avian species richness in two mixed-conifer forests

Treesearch

Jody C. Vogeler; Andrew T. Hudak; Lee A. Vierling; Jeffrey Evans; Patricia Green; Kerri T. Vierling

2014-01-01

Using remotely-sensed metrics to identify regions containing high animal diversity and/or specific animal species or guilds can help prioritize forest management and conservation objectives across actively managed landscapes. We predicted avian species richness in two mixed conifer forests, Moscow Mountain and Slate Creek, containing different management contexts and...

Evidence of Structure and Persistence in Motivational Attraction to Serial Pavlovian Cues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smedley, Elizabeth B.; Smith, Kyle S.

2018-01-01

Sign-tracking is a form of autoshaping where animals develop conditioned responding directed toward stimuli predictive of an outcome even though the outcome is not contingent on the animal's behavior. Sign-tracking behaviors are thought to arise out of the attribution of incentive salience (i.e., motivational value) to reward-predictive cues. It…

A Developmental Examination of the Conceptual Structure of Animal, Artifact, and Human Social Categories across Two Cultural Contexts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rhodes, Marjorie; Gelman, Susan A.

2009-01-01

Previous research indicates that the ontological status that adults attribute to categories varies systematically by domain. For example, adults view distinctions between different animal species as natural and objective, but view distinctions between different kinds of furniture as more conventionalized and subjective. The present work (N=435;…

Increasing Physical Activity in Preschool: A Pilot Study to Evaluate Animal Trackers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Christine L.; Carter, Betty Jean; Kibbe, Debra L.; Dennison, David

2009-01-01

Objective: This report describes a pilot study to evaluate Animal Trackers (AT), a preschool program designed to (1) increase structured physical activity (PA) during the preschool day; (2) increase practice of gross motor skills; (3) provide teachers with an easy-to-use PA program regardless of teacher experience; and (4) implement a teacher…

Algorithm Animations for Teaching and Learning the Main Ideas of Basic Sortings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Végh, Ladislav; Stoffová, Veronika

2017-01-01

Algorithms are hard to understand for novice computer science students because they dynamically modify values of elements of abstract data structures. Animations can help to understand algorithms, since they connect abstract concepts to real life objects and situations. In the past 30-35 years, there have been conducted many experiments in the…

The First Cut Is the Deepest: Reflections on the State of Animal Dissection in Biology Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

De Villiers, Rian; Monk, Martin

2005-01-01

In biology education, the study of structure has traditionally involved the use of dissection. Animal-rights campaigners have caused biology educators and learners to question the necessity of dissections. This study reviews the research evidence for the efficacy of alternatives to dissection and then turns to research evidence on attitudes to…

Nonconscious intelligence in the universe.

PubMed

Raup, D M

1992-01-01

Animals lacking humanoid intelligence have evolved systems indistinguishable in function, if not in structure, from systems built by humans. Although radio communication has never been verified in animals, it is completely feasible biologically. If such systems are present in non-intelligent organisms on other planets, then our chances of detecting life in the universe by current SETI methods are greatly enhanced.

Nonconscious intelligence in the universe

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Raup, D. M.

1992-01-01

Animals lacking humanoid intelligence have evolved systems indistinguishable in function, if not in structure, from systems built by humans. Although radio communication has never been verified in animals, it is completely feasible biologically. If such systems are present in non-intelligent organisms on other planets, then our chances of detecting life in the universe by current SETI methods are greatly enhanced.

Animal-Microbial Symbioses in Changing Environments

PubMed Central

Carey, Hannah V.; Duddleston, Khrystyne N.

2014-01-01

The environments in which animals have evolved and live have profound effects on all aspects of their biology. Predictable rhythmic changes in the physical environment are arguably among the most important forces shaping the evolution of behavior and physiology of animals, and to anticipate and prepare for these predictable changes animals have evolved biological clocks. Unpredictable changes in the physical environment have important impacts on animal biology as well. The ability of animals to cope with and survive unpredictable perturbations depends on phenotypic plasticity and/or microevolution. From the time metazoans first evolved from their protistan ancestors they have lived in close association with a diverse array of microbes that have influenced, in some way, all aspects of the evolution of animal structure, function and behavior. Yet, few studies have addressed whether daily or seasonal rhythms may affect, or be affected by, an animal’s microbial symbionts. This survey highlights how biologists interested in the ecological and evolutionary physiology of animals whose lifestyles are influenced by environmental cycles may benefit from considering whether symbiotic microbes have shaped the features they study. PMID:25086977

Assessment of the discrimination of animal fat by FT-Raman spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abbas, O.; Fernández Pierna, J. A.; Codony, R.; von Holst, C.; Baeten, V.

2009-04-01

In recent years, there has been an increased attention towards the composition of feeding fats. In the aftermath of the BSE crisis all animal by-products utilised in animal nutrition have been subjected to close scrutiny. Regulation requires that the material belongs to the category of animal by-products fit for human consumption. This implies the use of reliable techniques in order to insure the safety of products. The feasibility of using rapid and non-destructive methods, to control the composition of feedstuffs on animal fats has been studied. Fourier Transform Raman spectroscopy has been chosen for its advantage to give detailed structural information. Data were treated using chemometric methods as PCA and PLS-DA which have permitted to separate well the different classes of animal fats. The same methodology was applied on fats from various types of feedstock and production technology processes. PLS-DA model for the discrimination of animal fats from the other categories presents a sensitivity and a specificity of 0.958 and 0.914, respectively. These results encourage the use of FT-Raman spectroscopy to discriminate animal fats.

Hardware, software, and scanning issues encountered during small animal imaging of photodynamic therapy in the athymic nude rat

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cross, Nathan; Sharma, Rahul; Varghai, Davood; Spring-Robinson, Chandra; Oleinick, Nancy L.; Muzic, Raymond F., Jr.; Dean, David

2007-02-01

Small animal imaging devices are now commonly used to study gene activation and model the effects of potential therapies. We are attempting to develop a protocol that non-invasively tracks the affect of Pc 4-mediated photodynamic therapy (PDT) in a human glioma model using structural image data from micro-CT and/or micro-MR scanning and functional data from 18F-fluorodeoxy-glucose (18F-FDG) micro-PET imaging. Methods: Athymic nude rat U87-derived glioma was imaged by micro-PET and either micro-CT or micro-MR prior to Pc 4-PDT. Difficulty insuring animal anesthesia and anatomic position during the micro-PET, micro-CT, and micro-MR scans required adaptation of the scanning bed hardware. Following Pc 4-PDT the animals were again 18F-FDG micro-PET scanned, euthanized one day later, and their brains were explanted and prepared for H&E histology. Histology provided the gold standard for tumor location and necrosis. The tumor and surrounding brain functional and structural image data were then isolated and coregistered. Results: Surprisingly, both the non-PDT and PDT groups showed an increase in tumor functional activity when we expected this signal to disappear in the group receiving PDT. Co-registration of the functional and structural image data was done manually. Discussion: As expected, micro-MR imaging provided better structural discrimination of the brain tumor than micro-CT. Contrary to expectations, in our preliminary analysis 18F-FDG micro-PET imaging does not readily discriminate the U87 tumors that received Pc 4-PDT. We continue to investigate the utility of micro-PET and other methods of functional imaging to remotely detect the specificity and sensitivity of Pc 4-PDT in deeply placed tumors.

ASSESSING HIPPOCAMPAL CHANGES INDICATIVE OF NEUROTOXIC EFFECTS.

EPA Science Inventory

Subtle changes in cognitive function are often the earliest indication of neurotoxic effects in humans. The hippocampus is a large forebrain structure subserving specific kinds of information encoding and consolidation in humans and other animals. Because of it laminar structur...

A Chinese Zodiac Mathematical Structure.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lamb, John F., Jr.

2000-01-01

Helps students identify the animal that corresponds to the year of their birth according to the Chinese zodiac. Defines the structure of the Chinese zodiac so that the subsets of compatibles and opposites form closed substructures with interesting mathematical properties. (ASK)

Development of 3D-QSAR model for acetylcholinesterase inhibitors using a combination of fingerprint, molecular docking, and structure-based pharmacophore approaches

EPA Science Inventory

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE), a serine hydrolase vital for regulating the neurotransmitter acetylcholine in animals, has been used as a target for drugs and pesticides. With the increasing availability of AChE crystal structures, with or without ligands bound, structure-based appr...

Study of structural and conformational change in cytochrome, C through molecular dynamic simulation in presence of gold nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moudgil, Lovika; Singh, Baljinder; Kaura, Aman; Singh, Gurinder; Tripathi, S. K.; Saini, G. S. S.

2017-05-01

Proteins are the most abundant organic molecules in living system having diverse structures and various functions than the other classes of macromolecules. We have done Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulation of the Cytochrome,C (Cyt,c) protein found in plants, animals and many unicellular animals in the presence of gold nanoparticles (Au NPs). MD results helped to recognize the amino acids that play important role to make the interaction possible between protein and gold surface. In the present study we have examined the structural change of protein in the presence of gold surface and its adsorption on the surface through MD simulations with the help of Gold-Protein (GolP) force field. Results were further analyzed to understand the protein interaction up to molecular level.

Vibration isolation by exploring bio-inspired structural nonlinearity.

PubMed

Wu, Zhijing; Jing, Xingjian; Bian, Jing; Li, Fengming; Allen, Robert

2015-10-08

Inspired by the limb structures of animals/insects in motion vibration control, a bio-inspired limb-like structure (LLS) is systematically studied for understanding and exploring its advantageous nonlinear function in passive vibration isolation. The bio-inspired system consists of asymmetric articulations (of different rod lengths) with inside vertical and horizontal springs (as animal muscle) of different linear stiffness. Mathematical modeling and analysis of the proposed LLS reveal that, (a) the system has very beneficial nonlinear stiffness which can provide flexible quasi-zero, zero and/or negative stiffness, and these nonlinear stiffness properties are adjustable or designable with structure parameters; (b) the asymmetric rod-length ratio and spring-stiffness ratio present very beneficial factors for tuning system equivalent stiffness; (c) the system loading capacity is also adjustable with the structure parameters which presents another flexible benefit in application. Experiments and comparisons with existing quasi-zero-stiffness isolators validate the advantageous features above, and some discussions are also given about how to select structural parameters for practical applications. The results would provide an innovative bio-inspired solution to passive vibration control in various engineering practice.

Origin of the double- and multi-pulse structure of echolocation signals in Yangtze finless porpoise (Neophocaena phocaenoides asiaeorientialis)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Songhai; Wang, Kexiong; Wang, Ding; Akamatsu, Tomonari

2005-12-01

The signals of dolphins and porpoises often exhibit a multi-pulse structure. Here, echolocation signal recordings were made from four geometrically distinct positions of seven Yangtze finless porpoises temporarily housed in a relatively small, enclosed area. Some clicks demonstrated double-pulse, and others multi-pulse, structure. The interpulse intervals between the first and second pulse of the double- and multi-pulse clicks were significantly different among data from the four different positions (p<0.01, one-way ANOVA). These results indicate that the interpulse interval and structure of the double- and multi-pulse echolocation signals depend on the hydrophone geometry of the animal, and that the double- and multi-pulse structure of echolocation signals in Yangtze finless porpoise is not caused by the phonating porpoise itself, but by the multipath propagation of the signal. Time delays in the 180° phase-shifted surface reflection pulse and the nonphase-shifted bottom reflection pulse of the multi-pulse structures, relative to the direct signal, can be used to calculate the distance to a phonating animal.

Animation of multi-flexible body systems and its use in control system design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Juengst, Carl; Stahlberg, Ron

1993-01-01

Animation can greatly assist the structural dynamicist and control system analyst with better understanding of how multi-flexible body systems behave. For multi-flexible body systems, the structural characteristics (mode frequencies, mode shapes, and damping) change, sometimes dramatically with large angles of rotation between bodies. With computer animation, the analyst can visualize these changes and how the system responds to active control forces and torques. A characterization of the type of system we wish to animate is presented. The lack of clear understanding of the above effects was a key element leading to the development of a multi-flexible body animation software package. The resulting animation software is described in some detail here, followed by its application to the control system analyst. Other applications of this software can be determined on an individual need basis. A number of software products are currently available that make the high-speed rendering of rigid body mechanical system simulation possible. However, such options are not available for use in rendering flexible body mechanical system simulations. The desire for a high-speed flexible body visualization tool led to the development of the Flexible Or Rigid Mechanical System (FORMS) software. This software was developed at the Center for Simulation and Design Optimization of Mechanical Systems at the University of Iowa. FORMS provides interactive high-speed rendering of flexible and/or rigid body mechanical system simulations, and combines geometry and motion information to produce animated output. FORMS is designed to be both portable and flexible, and supports a number of different user interfaces and graphical display devices. Additional features have been added to FORMS that allow special visualization results related to the nature of the flexible body geometric representations.

The isolation of Escherichia coli from a poultry packing station and an abattoir

PubMed Central

Shooter, R. A.; Cooke, E. Mary; O'Farrell, Sheila; Bettelheim, K. A.; Chandler, Mary E.; Bushrod, Frances M.

1974-01-01

The distribution and serotype of strains of Escherichia coli from a poultry packing station and an abattoir are described. The results indicated that animal faecal strains contaminated the environment and the animal carcasses. Using 150 O antisera, a high proportion of the E. coli strains were non-typable. This suggests that the serotype distribution of E. coli in animals is different from that in man. Strains with single antigenic differences were isolated, and the possibility of genetic transfer of these antigenic structures is suggested. PMID:4608415

Selection of animal models for pre-clinical strategies in evaluating the fracture healing, bone graft substitutes and bone tissue regeneration and engineering.

PubMed

Bigham-Sadegh, Amin; Oryan, Ahmad

2015-06-01

In vitro assays can be useful in determining biological mechanism and optimizing scaffold parameters, however translation of the in vitro results to clinics is generally hard. Animal experimentation is a better approximation than in vitro tests, and usage of animal models is often essential in extrapolating the experimental results and translating the information in a human clinical setting. In addition, usage of animal models to study fracture healing is useful to answer questions related to the most effective method to treat humans. There are several factors that should be considered when selecting an animal model. These include availability of the animal, cost, ease of handling and care, size of the animal, acceptability to society, resistance to surgery, infection and disease, biological properties analogous to humans, bone structure and composition, as well as bone modeling and remodeling characteristics. Animal experiments on bone healing have been conducted on small and large animals, including mice, rats, rabbits, dogs, pigs, goats and sheep. This review also describes the molecular events during various steps of fracture healing and explains different means of fracture healing evaluation including biomechanical, histopathological and radiological assessments.

21 CFR 520.960 - Flumethasone tablets.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... chronic dermatoses of varying etiology to help control the pruritus, irritation, and inflammation... inflammation of muscles or joints and accessory structures, where permanent structural changes do not exist... of corticosteroids may mask signs of infection. Do not use in animals with tuberculosis, chronic...

21 CFR 520.960 - Flumethasone tablets.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... chronic dermatoses of varying etiology to help control the pruritus, irritation, and inflammation... inflammation of muscles or joints and accessory structures, where permanent structural changes do not exist... of corticosteroids may mask signs of infection. Do not use in animals with tuberculosis, chronic...

21 CFR 520.960 - Flumethasone tablets.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... chronic dermatoses of varying etiology to help control the pruritus, irritation, and inflammation... inflammation of muscles or joints and accessory structures, where permanent structural changes do not exist... of corticosteroids may mask signs of infection. Do not use in animals with tuberculosis, chronic...

21 CFR 520.960 - Flumethasone tablets.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... chronic dermatoses of varying etiology to help control the pruritus, irritation, and inflammation... inflammation of muscles or joints and accessory structures, where permanent structural changes do not exist... of corticosteroids may mask signs of infection. Do not use in animals with tuberculosis, chronic...

21 CFR 520.960 - Flumethasone tablets.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... chronic dermatoses of varying etiology to help control the pruritus, irritation, and inflammation... inflammation of muscles or joints and accessory structures, where permanent structural changes do not exist... of corticosteroids may mask signs of infection. Do not use in animals with tuberculosis, chronic...

Ferritin gene transcription is regulated by iron in soybean cell cultures.

PubMed

Lescure, A M; Proudhon, D; Pesey, H; Ragland, M; Theil, E C; Briat, J F

1991-09-15

Iron-regulated ferritin synthesis in animals is dominated by translational control of stored mRNA; iron-induced transcription of ferritin genes, when it occurs, changes the subunit composition of ferritin mRNA and protein and is coupled to translational control. Ferritins in plants and animals have evolved from a common progenitor, based on the similarity of protein sequence; however, sequence divergence occurs in the C termini; structure prediction suggests that plant ferritin has the E-helix, which, in horse ferritin, forms a large channel at the tetrameric interface. In contemporary plants, a transit peptide is encoded by ferritin mRNA to target the protein to plastids. Iron-regulated synthesis of ferritin in plants and animals appears to be very different since the 50- to 60-fold increases of ferritin protein, previously observed to be induced by iron in cultured soybean cells, is accompanied by an equivalent accumulation of hybridizable ferritin mRNA and by increased transcription of ferritin genes. Ferritin mRNA from iron-induced cells and the constitutive ferritin mRNA from soybean hypocotyls are identical. The iron-induced protein is translocated normally to plastids. Differences in animal ferritin structure coincide with the various iron storage functions (reserve for iron proteins and detoxification). In contrast, the constancy of structure of soybean ferritin, iron-induced and constitutive, coupled with the potential for vacuolar storage of excess iron in plants suggest that rapid synthesis of ferritin from a stored ferritin mRNA may not be needed in plants for detoxification of iron.

Assessing the uniqueness of language: Animal grammatical abilities take center stage.

PubMed

Ten Cate, Carel

2017-02-01

Questions related to the uniqueness of language can only be addressed properly by referring to sound knowledge of the relevant cognitive abilities of nonhuman animals. A key question concerns the nature and extent of animal rule-learning abilities. I discuss two approaches used to assess these abilities. One is comparing the structures of animal vocalizations to linguistic ones, and another is addressing the grammatical rule- and pattern-learning abilities of animals through experiments using artificial grammars. Neither of these approaches has so far provided unambiguous evidence of advanced animal abilities. However, when we consider how animal vocalizations are analyzed, the types of stimuli and tasks that are used in artificial grammar learning experiments, the limited number of species examined, and the groups to which these belong, I argue that the currently available evidence is insufficient to arrive at firm conclusions concerning the limitations of animal grammatical abilities. As a consequence, the gap between human linguistic rule-learning abilities and those of nonhuman animals may be smaller and less clear than is currently assumed. This means that it is still an open question whether a difference in the rule-learning and rule abstraction abilities between animals and humans played the key role in the evolution of language.

Animal science departments of the future.

PubMed

Britt, J H; Aberle, E D; Esbenshade, K L; Males, J R

2008-11-01

Departments of animal science were established in agricultural colleges of public universities just over 100 yr ago, shortly before the founding of today's American Society of Animal Science. These departments and colleges have been remarkably resilient, changing little structurally. Yet, the future portends significant changes in these departments and colleges in response to shifts in how public higher education is financed and how society views the roles of animals in providing food and companionship. Funding for public higher education will continue to decline as a percentage of government appropriations. Public universities will garner more funding from gifts, endowments, grants, contracts, and tuition but will be held more accountable than today by public officials. Departments of animal science will retain strong constituencies and will be major units of most agricultural colleges; however, their students and faculty will be more diverse. Departments of animal science will focus on more species of animals and on a greater role of animals in society. Disciplines of faculty members in departments of animal science will become broader, and research projects will be more complex and have longer horizons, ultimately focused more on sustainability. Departments will share more resources across state and national boundaries, and there will be less duplication of effort regionally. Departments of animal science will continue to be important academic units of universities into the 22nd century.

Small bilaterian fossils from 40 to 55 million years before the cambrian.

PubMed

Chen, Jun-Yuan; Bottjer, David J; Oliveri, Paola; Dornbos, Stephen Q; Gao, Feng; Ruffins, Seth; Chi, Huimei; Li, Chia-Wei; Davidson, Eric H

2004-07-09

Ten phosphatized specimens of a small (<180 micrometers) animal displaying clear bilaterian features have been recovered from the Doushantuo Formation, China, dating from 40 to 55 million years before the Cambrian. Seen in sections, this animal (Vernanimalcula guizhouena gen. et sp. nov.) had paired coeloms extending the length of the gut; paired external pits that could be sense organs; bilateral, anterior-posterior organization; a ventrally directed anterior mouth with thick walled pharynx; and a triploblastic structure. The structural complexity is that of an adult rather than a larval form. These fossils provide the first evidence confirming the phylogenetic inference that Bilateria arose well before the Cambrian.

Causal capture effects in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes).

PubMed

Matsuno, Toyomi; Tomonaga, Masaki

2017-01-01

Extracting a cause-and-effect structure from the physical world is an important demand for animals living in dynamically changing environments. Human perceptual and cognitive mechanisms are known to be sensitive and tuned to detect and interpret such causal structures. In contrast to rigorous investigations of human causal perception, the phylogenetic roots of this perception are not well understood. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the susceptibility of nonhuman animals to mechanical causality by testing whether chimpanzees perceived an illusion called causal capture (Scholl & Nakayama, 2002). Causal capture is a phenomenon in which a type of bistable visual motion of objects is perceived as causal collision due to a bias from a co-occurring causal event. In our experiments, we assessed the susceptibility of perception of a bistable stream/bounce motion event to a co-occurring causal event in chimpanzees. The results show that, similar to in humans, causal "bounce" percepts were significantly increased in chimpanzees with the addition of a task-irrelevant causal bounce event that was synchronously presented. These outcomes suggest that the perceptual mechanisms behind the visual interpretation of causal structures in the environment are evolutionarily shared between human and nonhuman animals. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Changes in the Golgi Apparatus of Neocortical and Hippocampal Neurons in the Hibernating Hamster.

PubMed

Antón-Fernández, Alejandro; León-Espinosa, Gonzalo; DeFelipe, Javier; Muñoz, Alberto

2015-01-01

Hibernating animals have been used as models to study several aspects of the plastic changes that occur in the metabolism and physiology of neurons. These models are also of interest in the study of Alzheimer's disease because the microtubule-associated protein tau is hyperphosphorylated during the hibernation state known as torpor, similar to the pretangle stage of Alzheimer's disease. Hibernating animals undergo torpor periods with drops in body temperature and metabolic rate, and a virtual cessation of neural activity. These processes are accompanied by morphological and neurochemical changes in neurons, which reverse a few hours after coming out of the torpor state. Since tau has been implicated in the structural regulation of the neuronal Golgi apparatus (GA) we have used Western Blot and immunocytochemistry to analyze whether the GA is modified in cortical neurons of the Syrian hamster at different hibernation stages. The results show that, during the hibernation cycle, the GA undergo important structural changes along with differential modifications in expression levels and distribution patterns of Golgi structural proteins. These changes were accompanied by significant transitory reductions in the volume and surface area of the GA elements during torpor and arousal stages as compared with euthermic animals.

Changes in the Golgi Apparatus of Neocortical and Hippocampal Neurons in the Hibernating Hamster

PubMed Central

Antón-Fernández, Alejandro; León-Espinosa, Gonzalo; DeFelipe, Javier; Muñoz, Alberto

2015-01-01

Hibernating animals have been used as models to study several aspects of the plastic changes that occur in the metabolism and physiology of neurons. These models are also of interest in the study of Alzheimer's disease because the microtubule-associated protein tau is hyperphosphorylated during the hibernation state known as torpor, similar to the pretangle stage of Alzheimer's disease. Hibernating animals undergo torpor periods with drops in body temperature and metabolic rate, and a virtual cessation of neural activity. These processes are accompanied by morphological and neurochemical changes in neurons, which reverse a few hours after coming out of the torpor state. Since tau has been implicated in the structural regulation of the neuronal Golgi apparatus (GA) we have used Western Blot and immunocytochemistry to analyze whether the GA is modified in cortical neurons of the Syrian hamster at different hibernation stages. The results show that, during the hibernation cycle, the GA undergo important structural changes along with differential modifications in expression levels and distribution patterns of Golgi structural proteins. These changes were accompanied by significant transitory reductions in the volume and surface area of the GA elements during torpor and arousal stages as compared with euthermic animals. PMID:26696838

Mechanical ventilation increases substance P concentration in the vagus, sympathetic, and phrenic nerves.

PubMed

Balzamo, E; Joanny, P; Steinberg, J G; Oliver, C; Jammes, Y

1996-01-01

Substance P (SP), a neurotransmitter localized to primary sensory neurons, is found in the vagus nerve, nodose ganglion, sympathetic chain, and phrenic nerve in various animal species. However, the changes in endogeneous SP concentration under various circumstances that involve the participation of cardiorespiratory afferent nerves are still unexplored. In the present study, attention was focused on the variations in SP content measured by radioimmunoassay (RIA) in respiratory afferent nerves (vagus nerve, cervical sympathetic chain, phrenic nerve) and respiratory muscles (diaphragm, intercostal muscles) during positive inspiratory pressure (PIP) breathing alone or PIP with an expiratory threshold load (ETL) in rabbits. SP was found in all sampled structures in spontaneously breathing control animals, prevailing in the nodose ganglion. Left-versus right-sided differences were noticed in nerves. As compared with that in control animals, the SP concentration was markedly higher in vagal and sympathetic nervous structures during PIP or PIP with ETL, and also in the phrenic nerve during ETL breathing. The SP content did not vary in respiratory muscles. These observations suggest that two very common circumstances of mechanical ventilation are associated with an increased SP concentration in nervous structures participating in the control of breathing.

Methodological approach for substantiating disease freedom in a heterogeneous small population. Application to ovine scrapie, a disease with a strong genetic susceptibility.

PubMed

Martinez, Marie-José; Durand, Benoit; Calavas, Didier; Ducrot, Christian

2010-06-01

Demonstrating disease freedom is becoming important in different fields including animal disease control. Most methods consider sampling only from a homogeneous population in which each animal has the same probability of becoming infected. In this paper, we propose a new methodology to calculate the probability of detecting the disease if it is present in a heterogeneous population of small size with potentially different risk groups, differences in risk being defined using relative risks. To calculate this probability, for each possible arrangement of the infected animals in the different groups, the probability that all the animals tested are test-negative given this arrangement is multiplied by the probability that this arrangement occurs. The probability formula is developed using the assumption of a perfect test and hypergeometric sampling for finite small size populations. The methodology is applied to scrapie, a disease affecting small ruminants and characterized in sheep by a strong genetic susceptibility defining different risk groups. It illustrates that the genotypes of the tested animals influence heavily the confidence level of detecting scrapie. The results present the statistical power for substantiating disease freedom in a small heterogeneous population as a function of the design prevalence, the structure of the sample tested, the structure of the herd and the associated relative risks. (c) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Assessment of a smartphone-based camera for fundus imaging in animals.

PubMed

Balland, Olivier; Russo, Andrea; Isard, Pierre-François; Mathieson, Iona; Semeraro, Francesco; Dulaurent, Thomas

2017-01-01

To assess the use of an optical device (D-EYE; Si14 S.p.A.) attached to a modern smartphone (iPhone 5; Apple Inc.) for imaging the fundus in small animals. Five dogs, five cats, and five rabbits with clear media were imaged using a prototype of the D-EYE. The optical device was composed of lenses, polarizing filters, a beam splitter, a diaphragm, and mirrors, attached to a smartphone via a metal shell. Images were obtained 20 min after pupil dilation with topical 0.5% tropicamide in a darkened room, to ensure maximum pupillary dilation. Focus was set to the infinite when the autofocus was overwhelmed. Light intensity was adapted to each animal via the application (minimum light intensity for imaging the tapetal region, maximum light intensity for imaging the nontapetal region). Both still images and video sequences were recorded for each animal. Posterior segment structures were visible in all animals: optic nerve head, tapetum lucidum (when present), nontapetal region, retinal vessels, and choroidal vessels (when the retinal pigment epithelium and the choroidal pigmentation were discreet). Focal light artifacts were common when photographing the tapetum lucidum. Recording videos allowed the visualization of dynamic phenomena. The D-EYE assessed appears to be an easy means of obtaining images of the posterior segment structures. © 2016 American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists.

Testing the new animal phylogeny: a phylum level molecular analysis of the animal kingdom.

PubMed

Bourlat, Sarah J; Nielsen, Claus; Economou, Andrew D; Telford, Maximilian J

2008-10-01

The new animal phylogeny inferred from ribosomal genes some years ago has prompted a number of radical rearrangements of the traditional, morphology based metazoan tree. The two main bilaterian clades, Deuterostomia and Protostomia, find strong support, but the protostomes consist of two sister groups, Ecdysozoa and Lophotrochozoa, not seen in morphology based trees. Although widely accepted, not all recent molecular phylogenetic analyses have supported the tripartite structure of the new animal phylogeny. Furthermore, even if the small ribosomal subunit (SSU) based phylogeny is correct, there is a frustrating lack of resolution of relationships between the phyla that make up the three clades of this tree. To address this issue, we have assembled a dataset including a large number of aligned sequence positions as well as a broad sampling of metazoan phyla. Our dataset consists of sequence data from ribosomal and mitochondrial genes combined with new data from protein coding genes (5139 amino acid and 3524 nucleotide positions in total) from 37 representative taxa sampled across the Metazoa. Our data show strong support for the basic structure of the new animal phylogeny as well as for the Mandibulata including Myriapoda. We also provide some resolution within the Lophotrochozoa, where we confirm support for a monophyletic clade of Echiura, Sipuncula and Annelida and surprising evidence of a close relationship between Brachiopoda and Nemertea.

[Livelihood status assessment of farmers and herdsmen's households based on participatory appraisal: a case in Taipusi Banner of Inner Mongolia].

PubMed

Wei, Wen; Xu, Zhu; Shi, Shang-li; Tian, Qing-song; Wang, Hui-ping; Liu, Jian-li

2011-10-01

Participatory appraisal method was adopted to investigate the recent livelihood status of different type farmers and herdsmen's households in the Taipusi Banner of Inner Mongolia agriculture- animal husbandry ecotone, aimed to understand their livelihood strategies and restricting factors and to search for the ways to improve their living standards. The households dealing with pure agricultural production had smaller family size, with older age-structure and lower educational level, and their simple livelihood strategies brought about larger vulnerability and risk. To introduce and expand non-agricultural activities would be the important way to promote the livelihood diversification and to reduce the livelihood risks of these households. The households dealing with pure animal husbandry took grazing as the main subsistence, and their production activities were greatly restrained by the pasture vulnerability. To develop environment-friendly and high-yielding agriculture and animal husbandry would be the effective way to solve the livelihood problems of these households and to protect the ecological environment. The households dealing with both agricultural production and business or dealing with both animal husbandry and business generally had larger family size, with younger age- structure, higher diversity in labor division, larger proportion of non-farming activities, and better living standards. Especially for the households dealing with both animal husbandry and business, their income was much higher.

The developmental morphology of a "periosteal" ligament insertion: growth and maturation of the tibial insertion of the rabbit medial collateral ligament.

PubMed

Matyas, J R; Bodie, D; Andersen, M; Frank, C B

1990-05-01

The structural properties of ligament insertions change dramatically during growth and maturation, but little is known about their developmental anatomy. This study describes and quantifies changes in the gross and microscopic anatomy of the tibial insertion of the rabbit medial collateral ligament (MCL) during development and at skeletal maturity. Eighty animals were used for growth and descriptive studies. From this group, 27 animals, ranging in age from 1 to 24 months, were injected with fluorescent bone markers and their tibial insertions were processed undecalcified for histology. Sections were examined by polarized light and fluorescence microscopy to identify matrix and cells and to quantify mineral formation. Results showed that animals achieved histological skeletal maturity between 9 and 12 months of age. Body weights were a poor index of skeletal maturity. The tibial insertion was composed of five tissue layers, which changed proportions during growth and maturation. In immature animals, MCL fibers entered the periosteum; in older animals, MCL fibers were cemented to the tibia by advancing mineral. The tibial attachment of the MCL was thus transferred from the periosteum to the cortex during growth, suggesting that the term "periosteal insertion" is imprecise in adults. The hypothesis is put forward that these structural changes account for the reported increase in tensile failure of this insertion near skeletal maturity.

The Acquisition of Problem-Solving Skills in Mathematics: How Animations Can Aid Understanding of Structural Problem Features and Solution Procedures

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scheiter, Katharina; Gerjets, Peter; Schuh, Julia

2010-01-01

In this paper the augmentation of worked examples with animations for teaching problem-solving skills in mathematics is advocated as an effective instructional method. First, in a cognitive task analysis different knowledge prerequisites are identified for solving mathematical word problems. Second, it is argued that so called hybrid animations…

Fisheries Resource Utilization of an Estuarine Borrow Pit in Mobile Bay, Alabama

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-07-01

sampling indicated that both holes supported impoverished benthic assemblages comprised largely of opportunistic, disturbance- adapted infauna. Species...impoverished benthic assemblages comprised largely of opportunistic, disturbance- adapted infauna. The structure of the benthic communities differed...Total % AN Total % BN Gastropod - - - - - - 1 0.3 1 0.07 Total Animals 600 - 20 - 467 - 380 - 1467 - Average. # Animals 120 - 4 - 156 - 126

Changes in Patterns of Understory Leaf Phenology and Herbivory following Hurricane Damage.

Treesearch

Pilar Angulo-Sandoval; H. Fernandez-Marin; J. K. Zimmerman; T. M. Aide

2004-01-01

Hurricanes are important disturbance events in many forested ecosystems. They can have strong effects on both forest structure and animal populations, and yet few studies have considered the impacts on plant–animal interactions. Reduction of canopy cover by severe winds increases light availability to understory plants, providing an opportunity for increased growth. An...

Dual-modality imaging of function and physiology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hasegawa, Bruce H.; Iwata, Koji; Wong, Kenneth H.; Wu, Max C.; Da Silva, Angela; Tang, Hamilton R.; Barber, William C.; Hwang, Andrew B.; Sakdinawat, Anne E.

2002-04-01

Dual-modality imaging is a technique where computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging is combined with positron emission tomography or single-photon computed tomography to acquire structural and functional images with an integrated system. The data are acquired during a single procedure with the patient on a table viewed by both detectors to facilitate correlation between the structural and function images. The resulting data can be useful for localization for more specific diagnosis of disease. In addition, the anatomical information can be used to compensate the correlated radionuclide data for physical perturbations such as photon attenuation, scatter radiation, and partial volume errors. Thus, dual-modality imaging provides a priori information that can be used to improve both the visual quality and the quantitative accuracy of the radionuclide images. Dual-modality imaging systems also are being developed for biological research that involves small animals. The small-animal dual-modality systems offer advantages for measurements that currently are performed invasively using autoradiography and tissue sampling. By acquiring the required data noninvasively, dual-modality imaging has the potential to allow serial studies in a single animal, to perform measurements with fewer animals, and to improve the statistical quality of the data.

Infectious disease transmission and contact networks in wildlife and livestock.

PubMed

Craft, Meggan E

2015-05-26

The use of social and contact networks to answer basic and applied questions about infectious disease transmission in wildlife and livestock is receiving increased attention. Through social network analysis, we understand that wild animal and livestock populations, including farmed fish and poultry, often have a heterogeneous contact structure owing to social structure or trade networks. Network modelling is a flexible tool used to capture the heterogeneous contacts of a population in order to test hypotheses about the mechanisms of disease transmission, simulate and predict disease spread, and test disease control strategies. This review highlights how to use animal contact data, including social networks, for network modelling, and emphasizes that researchers should have a pathogen of interest in mind before collecting or using contact data. This paper describes the rising popularity of network approaches for understanding transmission dynamics in wild animal and livestock populations; discusses the common mismatch between contact networks as measured in animal behaviour and relevant parasites to match those networks; and highlights knowledge gaps in how to collect and analyse contact data. Opportunities for the future include increased attention to experiments, pathogen genetic markers and novel computational tools. © 2015 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

Infectious disease transmission and contact networks in wildlife and livestock

PubMed Central

Craft, Meggan E.

2015-01-01

The use of social and contact networks to answer basic and applied questions about infectious disease transmission in wildlife and livestock is receiving increased attention. Through social network analysis, we understand that wild animal and livestock populations, including farmed fish and poultry, often have a heterogeneous contact structure owing to social structure or trade networks. Network modelling is a flexible tool used to capture the heterogeneous contacts of a population in order to test hypotheses about the mechanisms of disease transmission, simulate and predict disease spread, and test disease control strategies. This review highlights how to use animal contact data, including social networks, for network modelling, and emphasizes that researchers should have a pathogen of interest in mind before collecting or using contact data. This paper describes the rising popularity of network approaches for understanding transmission dynamics in wild animal and livestock populations; discusses the common mismatch between contact networks as measured in animal behaviour and relevant parasites to match those networks; and highlights knowledge gaps in how to collect and analyse contact data. Opportunities for the future include increased attention to experiments, pathogen genetic markers and novel computational tools. PMID:25870393

Automatic facial animation parameters extraction in MPEG-4 visual communication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Chenggen; Gong, Wanwei; Yu, Lu

2002-01-01

Facial Animation Parameters (FAPs) are defined in MPEG-4 to animate a facial object. The algorithm proposed in this paper to extract these FAPs is applied to very low bit-rate video communication, in which the scene is composed of a head-and-shoulder object with complex background. This paper addresses the algorithm to automatically extract all FAPs needed to animate a generic facial model, estimate the 3D motion of head by points. The proposed algorithm extracts human facial region by color segmentation and intra-frame and inter-frame edge detection. Facial structure and edge distribution of facial feature such as vertical and horizontal gradient histograms are used to locate the facial feature region. Parabola and circle deformable templates are employed to fit facial feature and extract a part of FAPs. A special data structure is proposed to describe deformable templates to reduce time consumption for computing energy functions. Another part of FAPs, 3D rigid head motion vectors, are estimated by corresponding-points method. A 3D head wire-frame model provides facial semantic information for selection of proper corresponding points, which helps to increase accuracy of 3D rigid object motion estimation.

Implications of obesity for tendon structure, ultrastructure and biochemistry: a study on Zucker rats.

PubMed

Biancalana, Adriano; Velloso, Lício Augusto; Taboga, Sebastião Roberto; Gomes, Laurecir

2012-02-01

The extracellular matrix consists of collagen, proteoglycans and non-collagen proteins. The incidence of obesity and associated diseases is currently increasing in developed countries. Obesity is considered to be a disease of modern times, and genes predisposing to the disease have been identified in humans and animals. The objective of the present study was to compare the morphological and biochemical aspects of the deep digital flexor tendon of lean (Fa/Fa or Fa/fa) and genetically obese (fa/fa) Zucker rats. Ultrastructural analysis showed the presence of lipid droplets in both groups, whereas disorganized collagen fibril bundles were observed in obese animals. Lean animals presented a larger amount of non-collagen proteins and glycosaminoglycans than obese rats. We propose that the overweight and lesser physical activity in obese animals may have provoked the alterations in the composition and organization of extracellular matrix components but a genetic mechanism cannot be excluded. These alterations might be related to organizational and structural modifications in the collagen bundles that influence the mechanical properties of tendons and the progression to a pathological state. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Large Dataset of Acute Oral Toxicity Data Created for Testing ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Acute toxicity data is a common requirement for substance registration in the US. Currently only data derived from animal tests are accepted by regulatory agencies, and the standard in vivo tests use lethality as the endpoint. Non-animal alternatives such as in silico models are being developed due to animal welfare and resource considerations. We compiled a large dataset of oral rat LD50 values to assess the predictive performance currently available in silico models. Our dataset combines LD50 values from five different sources: literature data provided by The Dow Chemical Company, REACH data from eChemportal, HSDB (Hazardous Substances Data Bank), RTECS data from Leadscope, and the training set underpinning TEST (Toxicity Estimation Software Tool). Combined these data sources yield 33848 chemical-LD50 pairs (data points), with 23475 unique data points covering 16439 compounds. The entire dataset was loaded into a chemical properties database. All of the compounds were registered in DSSTox and 59.5% have publically available structures. Compounds without a structure in DSSTox are currently having their structures registered. The structural data will be used to evaluate the predictive performance and applicable chemical domains of three QSAR models (TIMES, PROTOX, and TEST). Future work will combine the dataset with information from ToxCast assays, and using random forest modeling, assess whether ToxCast assays are useful in predicting acute oral toxicity. Pre

[Study of the structure of receptor organs of the vestibular apparatus of rats after space flight on "Kosmos-1667"].

PubMed

Lychakov, D V; Pashchinin, A N; Boiadzhieva-Mikhaĭlova, A; Khristov, I

1989-01-01

The receptor organs of the vestibular apparatus of rats flown for 7 days on Cosmos-1667 were examined. Serial sections were examined by light microscopy, some utriculus sections by electron microscopy, and otolith membranes by scanning electron microscopy. The fixation method used revealed a distinct structural heterogeneity of the receptor epithelium. In the striola area of the utriculus and sacculus as well as in the central apical area of cristae there are receptor cells surrounded by enlarged cup-like nerve endings. The nerve endings occupy over 70% of the cup-receptor cell complex. The area incorporating the enlarged nerve endings differs in size from animal to animal and from left to right ear in the same animal. The flown rat that was the first to be killed after recovery showed a very well pronounced asymmetry: in the right ear enlarged cups were seen all over the epithelium while in the left ear they were located in distinct spots. Since such changes were not identified in the remaining flown and control rats, it is concluded that they were produced by space flight effects but remained reversible and disappeared after recovery. This paper describes the causes responsible of the changes and their structural and functional relevances as well as other structural modifications that should be considered during vestibular studies.

Development of a 3D-QSAR model for acetylcholinesterase inhibitors using a combination of fingerprint, docking, and structure-based pharmacophore approaches - Conference Abstract

EPA Science Inventory

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE), a serine hydrolase vital for regulating the neurotransmitter acetylcholine in animals, has been used as a target for drugs and pesticides. With the increasing availability of AChE crystal structures, with or without ligands bound, structure-based appr...

Involuntary wheel running improves but does not fully reverse the deterioration of bone structure of obese rats despite decreasing adiposity

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Excessive adiposity induced by a high-fat diet is detrimental to bone structure and strength in various animal models. This study investigated whether exercise or anti-oxidant supplementation with vitamin C and E during exercise counteracts bone structure deterioration at different skeletal sites an...

Animal inference on human mitochondrial diseases.

PubMed

Nardi, Francesco; Frati, Francesco; Liò, Pietro

2016-06-01

Several pathological mutations in the human mitochondrial genome have been characterized based on medical, genetic and biochemical evidence. The observation that the structure and core functions of the mitochondrial genome are conserved from animals to man suggests that the analysis of animal variation may be informative to further characterize, and possibly predict, human pathological variants. We studied the distribution of sequence site-wise diversity and structural heterogeneity (based on several scales of hydrophobicity and supercomplex classification of mitochondrial genes) at different taxonomic levels in ∼15,000 human and animal genomes. We found that human pathological mutations tend to lay in regions of low diversity and that states that are pathological in humans appear to be extremely rare in animals, with two noticeable exceptions (T10663C and C14568T). Focusing on hydrophobicity, as possibly the most general site-wise functional parameter of a protein, we deploy the observed range of hydrophobicity in mammals as a proxy for the range of permissible states compatible with an efficient functioning of the mitochondrial machinery. We show that, while non pathological human variants tend to fall within the hypothesized range, pathological mutations generally fall outside this range. We further analyzed this distribution quantitatively to show that the estimated probability of observed states can indeed be used to predict the pathogenicity of a mutation in humans. This study provides a proof of principle that animal data can indeed be informative to predict the pathogenicity of a human mutation alongside, or in the absence of, additional evidence. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Seizure disorders in 43 cattle.

PubMed

D'Angelo, A; Bellino, C; Bertone, I; Cagnotti, G; Iulini, B; Miniscalco, B; Casalone, C; Gianella, P; Cagnasso, A

2015-01-01

Large animals have a relatively high seizure threshold, and in most cases seizures are acquired. No published case series have described this syndrome in cattle. To describe clinical findings and outcomes in cattle referred to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of the University of Turin (Italy) because of seizures. Client-owned cattle with documented evidence of seizures. Medical records of cattle with episodes of seizures reported between January 2002 and February 2014 were reviewed. Evidence of seizures was identified based on the evaluation of seizure episodes by the referring veterinarian or 1 of the authors. Animals were recruited if physical and neurologic examinations were performed and if diagnostic laboratory test results were available. Forty-three of 49 cases fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The mean age was 8 months. Thirty-one animals were male and 12 were female. Piedmontese breed accounted for 39/43 (91%) animals. Seizures were etiologically classified as reactive in 30 patients (70%) and secondary or structural in 13 (30%). Thirty-six animals survived, 2 died naturally, and 5 were euthanized for reasons of animal welfare. The definitive cause of reactive seizures was diagnosed as hypomagnesemia (n = 2), hypocalcemia (n = 12), and hypomagnesemia-hypocalcemia (n = 16). The cause of structural seizures was diagnosed as cerebrocortical necrosis (n = 8), inflammatory diseases (n = 4), and lead (Pb) intoxication (n = 1). The study results indicate that seizures largely are reported in beef cattle and that the cause can be identified and successfully treated in most cases. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.

Quantitative assessment of lung ventilation and microstructure in an animal model of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis using hyperpolarized gas MRI.

PubMed

Stephen, Michael J; Emami, Kiarash; Woodburn, John M; Chia, Elaine; Kadlecek, Stephen; Zhu, Jianliang; Pickup, Stephen; Ishii, Masaru; Rizi, Rahim R; Rossman, Milton

2010-11-01

The use of hyperpolarized (3)He magnetic resonance imaging as a quantitative lung imaging tool has progressed rapidly in the past decade, mostly in the assessment of the airway diseases chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma. This technique has shown potential to assess both structural and functional information in healthy and diseased lungs. In this study, the regional measurements of structure and function were applied to a bleomycin rat model of interstitial lung disease. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (weight, 300-350 g) were administered intratracheal bleomycin. After 3 weeks, apparent diffusion coefficient and fractional ventilation were measured by (3)He magnetic resonance imaging and pulmonary function testing using a rodent-specific plethysmography chamber. Sensitized and healthy animals were then compared using threshold analysis to assess the potential sensitivity of these techniques to pulmonary abnormalities. No significant changes were observed in total lung volume and compliance between the two groups. Airway resistance elevated and forced expiratory volume significantly declined in the 3-week bleomycin rats, and fractional ventilation was significantly decreased compared to control animals (P < .0004). The apparent diffusion coefficient of (3)He showed a smaller change but still a significant decrease in 3-week bleomycin animals (P < .05). Preliminary results suggest that quantitative (3)He magnetic resonance imaging can be a sensitive and noninvasive tool to assess changes in an animal interstitial lung disease model. This technique may be useful for longitudinal animal studies and also in the investigation of human interstitial lung diseases. Copyright © 2010 AUR. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Carbon nanotube based respiratory gated micro-CT imaging of a murine model of lung tumors with optical imaging correlation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burk, Laurel M.; Lee, Yueh Z.; Heathcote, Samuel; Wang, Ko-han; Kim, William Y.; Lu, Jianping; Zhou, Otto

2011-03-01

Current optical imaging techniques can successfully measure tumor load in murine models of lung carcinoma but lack structural detail. We demonstrate that respiratory gated micro-CT imaging of such models gives information about structure and correlates with tumor load measurements by optical methods. Four mice with multifocal, Kras-induced tumors expressing firefly luciferase were imaged against four controls using both optical imaging and respiratory gated micro-CT. CT images of anesthetized animals were acquired with a custom CNT-based system using 30 ms x-ray pulses during peak inspiration; respiration motion was tracked with a pressure sensor beneath each animal's abdomen. Optical imaging based on the Luc+ signal correlating with tumor load was performed on a Xenogen IVIS Kinetix. Micro-CT images were post-processed using Osirix, measuring lung volume with region growing. Diameters of the largest three tumors were measured. Relationships between tumor size, lung volumes, and optical signal were compared. CT images and optical signals were obtained for all animals at two time points. In all lobes of the Kras+ mice in all images, tumors were visible; the smallest to be readily identified measured approximately 300 microns diameter. CT-derived tumor volumes and optical signals related linearly, with r=0.94 for all animals. When derived for only tumor bearing animals, r=0.3. The trend of each individual animal's optical signal tracked correctly based on the CT volumes. Interestingly, lung volumes also correlated positively with optical imaging data and tumor volume burden, suggesting active remodeling.

Advanced age diminishes tendon-to-bone healing in a rat model of rotator cuff repair.

PubMed

Plate, Johannes F; Brown, Philip J; Walters, Jordan; Clark, John A; Smith, Thomas L; Freehill, Michael T; Tuohy, Christopher J; Stitzel, Joel D; Mannava, Sandeep

2014-04-01

Advanced patient age is associated with recurrent tearing and failure of rotator cuff repairs clinically; however, basic science studies have not evaluated the influence of aging on tendon-to-bone healing after rotator cuff repair in an animal model. Hypothesis/ This study examined the effect of aging on tendon-to-bone healing in an established rat model of rotator cuff repair using the aged animal colony from the National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health. The authors hypothesized that normal aging decreases biomechanical strength and histologic organization at the tendon-to-bone junction after acute repair. Controlled laboratory study. In 56 F344xBN rats, 28 old and 28 young (24 and 8 months of age, respectively), the supraspinatus tendon was transected and repaired. At 2 or 8 weeks after surgery, shoulder specimens underwent biomechanical testing to compare load-to-failure and load-relaxation response between age groups. Histologic sections of the tendon-to-bone interface were assessed with hematoxylin and eosin staining, and collagen fiber organization was assessed by semiquantitative analysis of picrosirius red birefringence under polarized light. Peak failure load was similar between young and old animals at 2 weeks after repair (31% vs 26% of age-matched uninjured controls, respectively; P > .05) but significantly higher in young animals compared with old animals 8 weeks after repair (86% vs 65% of age-matched uninjured controls, respectively; P < .01). Eight weeks after repair, fibroblasts appeared more organized and uniformly aligned in young animals on hematoxylin and eosin slides compared with old animals. Collagen birefringence analysis of the tendon-to-bone junction demonstrated that young animals had increased collagen fiber organization and similar histologic structure compared with age-matched controls (53.7 ± 2.4 gray scales; P > .05). In contrast, old animals had decreased collagen fiber organization and altered structure compared with age-matched controls (49.8 ± 3.1 gray scales; P < .01). In a rat model of aging, old animals demonstrated diminished tendon-to-bone healing after rotator cuff injury and repair. Old animals had significantly decreased failure strength and collagen fiber organization at the tendon-to-bone junction compared with young animals. This study implies that animal age may need to be considered in future studies of rotator cuff repair in animal models. With increasing age and activity level of the population, the incidence of rotator cuff tears is predicted to rise. Despite advances in rotator cuff repair technique, the retear rate remains specifically high in elderly patients. The findings of this research suggest that aging negatively influences tendon-to-bone healing after rotator cuff repair in a validated animal model.

Effect of structural animal health planning on antimicrobial use and animal health variables in conventional dairy farming in the Netherlands.

PubMed

Speksnijder, David C; Graveland, Haitske; Eijck, Ineke A J M; Schepers, René W M; Heederik, Dick J J; Verheij, Theo J M; Wagenaar, Jaap A

2017-06-01

Widespread veterinary use of antimicrobials might contribute to the increasing burden of antimicrobial resistance. Despite many successful efforts to reduce veterinary antimicrobial use in the Netherlands, antimicrobial use on a substantial number of farms has remained relatively high over the past few years. Farm-specific solutions are required to further lower antimicrobial use on these farms. Reducing the burden of animal diseases at the farm level by means of a structured approach to animal health planning could be promising. This intervention study aimed to evaluate the main effects of an animal health planning program developed by an advisory team consisting of a dairy farmer, his veterinarian, and his feed adviser under the guidance of a professional facilitator. During an initial farm visit, the advisory team developed a farm-specific animal health planning program with support from the facilitator. After 1 yr, the effects of this program on animal health, production parameters, and antimicrobial use were evaluated and compared with control farms that did not have a facilitated animal health planning program. Antimicrobial use on intervention farms was significantly reduced between the start and the end of the study period; however, no significant differences in the rate of reduction between the intervention and control groups could be observed (-19% and -14%, respectively). Reduced antimicrobial use did not result in negative effects on animal health and production parameters during the study period in both groups. On intervention farms, a significant positive relationship was found between the percentage of completed action points at farm level and the percentage reduction in antimicrobial use. The level of compliance with action points and the quality of collaboration between farmer and advisers were positively associated with the accomplishment of corresponding objectives. However, the total number of objectives was negatively associated with the level of compliance with action points and tended to be negatively associated with the percentage reduction in antimicrobial use at farm level. Gradually reducing antimicrobial use without adverse effects on animal health and productivity is possible by adjusting management practices in a team effort. Fostering good collaboration among farmer, veterinarian, and feed adviser and focusing on a limited number of objectives have positive effects on the outcomes of the animal health planning program and antimicrobial use. Copyright © 2017 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

REVIEW ARTICLE: 515 million years of structural colour

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parker, Andrew Richard

2000-11-01

Structures that cause colour or provide antireflection have been found in both living and extinct animals in a diversity of forms, including mirror-reflective and diffractive devices. An overview of this diversity is presented here, and behavioural and evolutionary implications are introduced.

Structural investigation of endoglucanase 2 from the filamentous fungus Penicillium verruculosum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vakhrusheva, A. V.; Nemashkalov, V. A.; Kravchenko, O. V.; Tishchenko, S. V.; Gabdulkhakov, A. G.; Kljashtorny, V. G.; Korotkova, O. G.; Gusakov, A. V.; Sinitsyn, A. P.

2017-03-01

Enzyme additives capable of degrading non-starch polysaccharides of cereal cell walls, which are major ingredients used in animal feed, can improve the efficiency of livestock production. Non-starch polysaccharides have antinutritional properties that interfere with efficient digestion and assimilation of nutrients by animals. Therefore, the improvement of the properties and characteristics of enzyme additive is an important issue. The three-dimensional structure of one of the key industrial enzymes involved in the degradation of non-starch polysaccharides — endoglucanase 2 from the filamentous fungus Penicillium verruculosum — was determined (PDB ID: 5I6S). The catalytic site of this enzyme was established. Based on the enzyme structure, it was suggested that the pH optimum of the enzyme activity can be shifted from acidic to neutral or alkaline pH values.

MOAB: a spatially explicit, individual-based expert system for creating animal foraging models

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carter, J.; Finn, John T.

1999-01-01

We describe the development, structure, and corroboration process of a simulation model of animal behavior (MOAB). MOAB can create spatially explicit, individual-based animal foraging models. Users can create or replicate heterogeneous landscape patterns, and place resources and individual animals of a goven species on that landscape to simultaneously simulate the foraging behavior of multiple species. The heuristic rules for animal behavior are maintained in a user-modifiable expert system. MOAB can be used to explore hypotheses concerning the influence of landscape patttern on animal movement and foraging behavior. A red fox (Vulpes vulpes L.) foraging and nest predation model was created to test MOAB's capabilities. Foxes were simulated for 30-day periods using both expert system and random movement rules. Home range size, territory formation and other available simulation studies. A striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis L.) model also was developed. The expert system model proved superior to stochastic in respect to territory formation, general movement patterns and home range size.

Introduction to clinical and laboratory (small-animal) image registration and fusion.

PubMed

Zanzonico, Pat B; Nehmeh, Sadek A

2006-01-01

Imaging has long been a vital component of clinical medicine and, increasingly, of biomedical research in small-animals. Clinical and laboratory imaging modalities can be divided into two general categories, structural (or anatomical) and functional (or physiological). The latter, in particular, has spawned what has come to be known as "molecular imaging". Image registration and fusion have rapidly emerged as invaluable components of both clinical and small-animal imaging and has lead to the development and marketing of a variety of multi-modality, e.g. PET-CT, devices which provide registered and fused three-dimensional image sets. This paper briefly reviews the basics of image registration and fusion and available clinical and small-animal multi-modality instrumentation.

Animal Social Network Theory Can Help Wildlife Conservation.

PubMed

Snijders, Lysanne; Blumstein, Daniel T; Stanley, Christina R; Franks, Daniel W

2017-08-01

Many animals preferentially associate with certain other individuals. This social structuring can influence how populations respond to changes to their environment, thus making network analysis a promising technique for understanding, predicting, and potentially manipulating population dynamics. Various network statistics can correlate with individual fitness components and key population-level processes, yet the logical role and formal application of animal social network theory for conservation and management have not been well articulated. We outline how understanding of direct and indirect relationships between animals can be profitably applied by wildlife managers and conservationists. By doing so, we aim to stimulate the development and implementation of practical tools for wildlife conservation and management and to inspire novel behavioral research in this field. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Caring during crisis: animal welfare during pandemics and natural disasters.

PubMed

Millman, Suzanne T

2008-01-01

From April 29 to May 1, 2007, the University of Guelph hosted a symposium, Caring During Crisis: Animal Welfare During Pandemics and Natural Disasters, with the objectives (a) of raising awareness about how nonhuman animals and the people who care for them are affected during emergencies and (b) of sharing knowledge about how animal welfare may be addressed during these situations. The symposium attracted 150 participants, representing 71 organizations from across Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Chile, and the Cayman Islands. The audience also brought a range of perspectives to the issues - from individuals representing animal protection and commodity organizations to municipal government officials responsible for community safety and correctional services; many of these individuals had little or no animal experience. To take advantage of this diverse audience and range of interests, the symposium was structured with formal presentations by internationally recognized experts, followed by panel discussions at the end of each session to facilitate contributions by the audience. At the conclusion of the 3 days, it was clear that our emotional, economic, and ecological relationships with animals require thoughtful integration of animal care within formal policy and planning for emergency response.

Comparison of feed intake, digestion and rumen function among domestic ruminant species grazing in upland vegetation communities.

PubMed

Ferreira, L M M; Hervás, G; Belenguer, A; Celaya, R; Rodrigues, M A M; García, U; Frutos, P; Osoro, K

2017-10-01

This study aimed to compare feed intake, digestion, rumen fermentation parameters and bacterial community of 5 beef cows, 12 crossed ewes and 12 goats grazing together in spring-early summer on heather-gorse vegetation communities with an adjacent area of improved pasture. Organic matter intake (OMI) and digestibility (OMD) were estimated using alkane markers. Ruminal fluid samples were collected for measuring fermentation parameters, and studying the bacterial community using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP). Spot samples of urine were taken to determine purine derivative (PD) and creatinine concentrations to estimate microbial protein synthesis in the rumen. Herbaceous species were the main dietary component in all animal species. Cattle had higher (p < 0.05) daily OMI (g/kg LW 0.75 ) and OMD, whereas sheep and goats showed similar values. The highest ammonia concentration was observed in sheep. Total VFA, acetate and butyrate concentrations were not influenced by animal species, while propionate concentrations in goats were 1.8 times lower (p < 0.05) than in sheep. Acetate:propionate ratio was greater (p < 0.05) in goats, whereas cattle excreted more allantoin (p < 0.05). Estimated supply of microbial N was higher in cows (p < 0.01), whereas the efficiency of microbial protein synthesis was lower (p < 0.01) in this animal species. Hierarchical clustering analysis indicated a clear effect of animal species on rumen bacterial structure. Differences among animal species were also observed in the relative frequency of several T-RFs. Certain T-RFs compatible with Lachnospiraceae, Proteobacteria and Clostridiales species were not found in goats, while these animals showed high relative frequencies of some fragments compatible with the Ruminococcaceae family that were not detected in sheep and cattle. Results suggest a close relationship between animals' grazing behaviour and rumen bacterial structure and its function. Goats seem to show a greater specialization of their microbial populations to deal with the greater fibrous and tannin content of their diet. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition © 2016 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

The Episodic Memory System: Neurocircuitry and Disorders

PubMed Central

Dickerson, Bradford C; Eichenbaum, Howard

2010-01-01

The ability to encode and retrieve our daily personal experiences, called episodic memory, is supported by the circuitry of the medial temporal lobe (MTL), including the hippocampus, which interacts extensively with a number of specific distributed cortical and subcortical structures. In both animals and humans, evidence from anatomical, neuropsychological, and physiological studies indicates that cortical components of this system have key functions in several aspects of perception and cognition, whereas the MTL structures mediate the organization and persistence of the network of memories whose details are stored in those cortical areas. Structures within the MTL, and particularly the hippocampus, have distinct functions in combining information from multiple cortical streams, supporting our ability to encode and retrieve details of events that compose episodic memories. Conversely, selective damage in the hippocampus, MTL, and other structures of the large-scale memory system, or deterioration of these areas in several diseases and disorders, compromises episodic memory. A growing body of evidence is converging on a functional organization of the cortical, subcortical, and MTL structures that support the fundamental features of episodic memory in humans and animals. PMID:19776728

Harmonic template neurons in primate auditory cortex underlying complex sound processing

PubMed Central

Feng, Lei

2017-01-01

Harmonicity is a fundamental element of music, speech, and animal vocalizations. How the auditory system extracts harmonic structures embedded in complex sounds and uses them to form a coherent unitary entity is not fully understood. Despite the prevalence of sounds rich in harmonic structures in our everyday hearing environment, it has remained largely unknown what neural mechanisms are used by the primate auditory cortex to extract these biologically important acoustic structures. In this study, we discovered a unique class of harmonic template neurons in the core region of auditory cortex of a highly vocal New World primate, the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus), across the entire hearing frequency range. Marmosets have a rich vocal repertoire and a similar hearing range to that of humans. Responses of these neurons show nonlinear facilitation to harmonic complex sounds over inharmonic sounds, selectivity for particular harmonic structures beyond two-tone combinations, and sensitivity to harmonic number and spectral regularity. Our findings suggest that the harmonic template neurons in auditory cortex may play an important role in processing sounds with harmonic structures, such as animal vocalizations, human speech, and music. PMID:28096341

The role of social and ecological processes in structuring animal populations: a case study from automated tracking of wild birds

PubMed Central

Farine, Damien R.; Firth, Josh A.; Aplin, Lucy M.; Crates, Ross A.; Culina, Antica; Garroway, Colin J.; Hinde, Camilla A.; Kidd, Lindall R.; Milligan, Nicole D.; Psorakis, Ioannis; Radersma, Reinder; Verhelst, Brecht; Voelkl, Bernhard; Sheldon, Ben C.

2015-01-01

Both social and ecological factors influence population process and structure, with resultant consequences for phenotypic selection on individuals. Understanding the scale and relative contribution of these two factors is thus a central aim in evolutionary ecology. In this study, we develop a framework using null models to identify the social and spatial patterns that contribute to phenotypic structure in a wild population of songbirds. We used automated technologies to track 1053 individuals that formed 73 737 groups from which we inferred a social network. Our framework identified that both social and spatial drivers contributed to assortment in the network. In particular, groups had a more even sex ratio than expected and exhibited a consistent age structure that suggested local association preferences, such as preferential attachment or avoidance. By contrast, recent immigrants were spatially partitioned from locally born individuals, suggesting differential dispersal strategies by phenotype. Our results highlight how different scales of social decision-making, ranging from post-natal dispersal settlement to fission–fusion dynamics, can interact to drive phenotypic structure in animal populations. PMID:26064644

Anthropology. SSEC Publication No. 106.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bohannan, Paul

The major concepts, structure, and methods of anthropology are presented for persons concerned with teaching or constructing new curriculum approaches. Man is a mammalian, social, and cultural animal, who has needs that are satisfied through social relationships. Because these relationships are repetitive, they form a structure. This social…

Muscle mass, structural and functional investigations of senescence-accelerated mouse P8 (SAMP8)

PubMed Central

Guo, An Yun; Leung, Kwok Sui; Siu, Parco Ming Fai; Qin, Jiang Hui; Chow, Simon Kwoon Ho; Qin, Ling; Li, Chi Yu; Cheung, Wing Hoi

2015-01-01

Sarcopenia is an age-related systemic syndrome with progressive deterioration in skeletal muscle functions and loss in mass. Although the senescence-accelerated mouse P8 (SAMP8) was reported valid for muscular ageing research, there was no report on the details such as sarcopenia onset time. Therefore, this study was to investigate the change of muscle mass, structure and functions during the development of sarcopenia. Besides the average life span, muscle mass, structural and functional measurements were also studied. Male SAMP8 animals were examined at month 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10, in which the right gastrocnemius was isolated and tested for ex vivo contractile properties and fatigability while the contralateral one was harvested for muscle fiber cross-sectional area (FCSA) and typing assessments. Results showed that the peak of muscle mass appeared at month 7 and the onset of contractility decline was observed from month 8. Compared with month 8, most of the functional parameters at month 10 decreased significantly. Structurally, muscle fiber type IIA made up the largest proportion of the gastrocnemius, and the fiber size was found to peak at month 8. Based on the altered muscle mass, structural and functional outcomes, it was concluded that the onset of sarcopenia in SAMP8 animals was at month 8. SAMP8 animals at month 8 should be at pre-sarcopenia stage while month 10 at sarcopenia stage. It is confirmed that SAMP8 mouse can be used in sarcopenia research with established time line in this study. PMID:26193895

3D reconstruction of internal structure of animal body using near-infrared light

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tran, Trung Nghia; Yamamoto, Kohei; Namita, Takeshi; Kato, Yuji; Shimizu, Koichi

2014-03-01

To realize three-dimensional (3D) optical imaging of the internal structure of animal body, we have developed a new technique to reconstruct CT images from two-dimensional (2D) transillumination images. In transillumination imaging, the image is blurred due to the strong scattering in the tissue. We had developed a scattering suppression technique using the point spread function (PSF) for a fluorescent light source in the body. In this study, we have newly proposed a technique to apply this PSF for a light source to the image of unknown light-absorbing structure. The effectiveness of the proposed technique was examined in the experiments with a model phantom and a mouse. In the phantom experiment, the absorbers were placed in the tissue-equivalent medium to simulate the light-absorbing organs in mouse body. Near-infrared light was illuminated from one side of the phantom and the image was recorded with CMOS camera from another side. Using the proposed techniques, the scattering effect was efficiently suppressed and the absorbing structure can be visualized in the 2D transillumination image. Using the 2D images obtained in many different orientations, we could reconstruct the 3D image. In the mouse experiment, an anesthetized mouse was held in an acrylic cylindrical holder. We can visualize the internal organs such as kidneys through mouse's abdomen using the proposed technique. The 3D image of the kidneys and a part of the liver were reconstructed. Through these experimental studies, the feasibility of practical 3D imaging of the internal light-absorbing structure of a small animal was verified.

Probiotics in animal nutrition and health.

PubMed

Chaucheyras-Durand, F; Durand, H

2010-03-01

The use of probiotics for farm animals has increased considerably over the last 15 years. Probiotics are defined as live microorganisms which can confer a health benefit for the host when administered in appropriate and regular quantities. Once ingested, the probiotic microorganisms can modulate the balance and activities of the gastrointestinal microbiota, whose role is fundamental to gut homeostasis. It has been demonstrated that numerous factors, such as dietary and management constraints, can strongly affect the structure and activities of the gut microbial communities, leading to impaired health and performance in livestock animals. In this review, the most important benefits of yeast and bacterial probiotics upon the gastrointestinal microbial ecosystem in ruminants and monogastric animals (equines, pigs, poultry, fish) reported in the recent scientific literature are described, as well as their implications in terms of animal nutrition and health. Additional knowledge on the possible mechanisms of action is also provided.

Animal transportation networks

PubMed Central

Perna, Andrea; Latty, Tanya

2014-01-01

Many group-living animals construct transportation networks of trails, galleries and burrows by modifying the environment to facilitate faster, safer or more efficient movement. Animal transportation networks can have direct influences on the fitness of individuals, whereas the shape and structure of transportation networks can influence community dynamics by facilitating contacts between different individuals and species. In this review, we discuss three key areas in the study of animal transportation networks: the topological properties of networks, network morphogenesis and growth, and the behaviour of network users. We present a brief primer on elements of network theory, and then discuss the different ways in which animal groups deal with the fundamental trade-off between the competing network properties of travel efficiency, robustness and infrastructure cost. We consider how the behaviour of network users can impact network efficiency, and call for studies that integrate both network topology and user behaviour. We finish with a prospectus for future research. PMID:25165598

Exceptionally preserved Cambrian loriciferans and the early animal invasion of the meiobenthos.

PubMed

Harvey, Thomas H P; Butterfield, Nicholas J

2017-01-30

Microscopic animals that live among and between sediment grains (meiobenthic metazoans) are key constituents of modern aquatic ecosystems, but are effectively absent from the fossil record. We describe an assemblage of microscopic fossil loriciferans (Ecdysozoa, Loricifera) from the late Cambrian Deadwood Formation of western Canada. The fossils share a characteristic head structure and minute adult body size (~300 μm) with modern loriciferans, indicating the early evolution and subsequent conservation of an obligate, permanently meiobenthic lifestyle. The unsuspected fossilization potential of such small animals in marine mudstones offers a new search image for the earliest ecdysozoans and other animals, although the anatomical complexity of loriciferans points to their evolutionary miniaturization from a larger-bodied ancestor. The invasion of animals into ecospace that was previously monopolized by protists will have contributed considerably to the revolutionary geobiological feedbacks of the Proterozoic/Phanerozoic transition.

Perceptions of a hospital-based animal assisted intervention program: An exploratory study.

PubMed

Abrahamson, Kathleen; Cai, Yun; Richards, Elizabeth; Cline, Krista; O'Haire, Marguerite E

2016-11-01

Research has shown that there are multiple benefits of animal assisted interventions for patients. However, the impact of interaction with these animals in staff is understudied, particularly in the acute care setting, and is thus a novel contribution to the literature on human-animal interaction. The purpose of this qualitative pilot study was to contribute to the body of knowledge surrounding the experiences and perceptions of hospital staff who have participated in a hospital-based animal assisted intervention program. Nine face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted (4 staff nurses, 3 support staff members, and 2 hospital volunteers). Five themes emerged from the respondent interviews: (1) descriptions of the therapy dogs; (2) contacts with the dogs at work; (3) connection with the dogs outside of work; (4) benefits; (5) drawbacks. Our findings reflect abundantly positive hospital staff experiences. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pollinators, pests, and predators: Recognizing ecological trade-offs in agroecosystems.

PubMed

Saunders, Manu E; Peisley, Rebecca K; Rader, Romina; Luck, Gary W

2016-02-01

Ecological interactions between crops and wild animals frequently result in increases or declines in crop yield. Yet, positive and negative interactions have mostly been treated independently, owing partly to disciplinary silos in ecological and agricultural sciences. We advocate a new integrated research paradigm that explicitly recognizes cost-benefit trade-offs among animal activities and acknowledges that these activities occur within social-ecological contexts. Support for this paradigm is presented in an evidence-based conceptual model structured around five evidence statements highlighting emerging trends applicable to sustainable agriculture. The full range of benefits and costs associated with animal activities in agroecosystems cannot be quantified by focusing on single species groups, crops, or systems. Management of productive agroecosystems should sustain cycles of ecological interactions between crops and wild animals, not isolate these cycles from the system. Advancing this paradigm will therefore require integrated studies that determine net returns of animal activity in agroecosystems.

[Effects of Gravity on Attachment of Tendon to Bone

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Roger B.

1997-01-01

We have received and processed all samples for either light or scanning electron microscopic analysis and have completed the histomorphometric analysis. We have characterized the changes caused by spaceflight to tendon attachments to the calcaneus, tibia, fibula and femur and compared them to hindlimbs and forelimbs from NIH.RZ. Soleus muscle histomorphometry has also been completed. Our results suggest severe osteoporosis in the femur, fibula and tibia of animals coincident to spaceflight, which had not resolved after 4-5 days following return to earth. This was evident at all sites, including sites of tendon attachments. This atrophy was not evident in the calcaneus. No muscle atrophy was evident. Comparison of scanning photomicrographs of flight animals with other lactating animals demonstrated structural similarities and suggested that it might be worthwhile to assess whether lactation is a factor in development of the osteoporosis in the spaceflight animals. In addition, evaluation of total calcium utilization by spaceflight animals would be beneficial.

Disentangling vegetation diversity from climate–energy and habitat heterogeneity for explaining animal geographic patterns

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jimenez-Alfaro, Borja; Chytry, Milan; Mucina, Ladislav; Grace, James B.; Rejmanek, Marcel

2016-01-01

Broad-scale animal diversity patterns have been traditionally explained by hypotheses focused on climate–energy and habitat heterogeneity, without considering the direct influence of vegetation structure and composition. However, integrating these factors when considering plant–animal correlates still poses a major challenge because plant communities are controlled by abiotic factors that may, at the same time, influence animal distributions. By testing whether the number and variation of plant community types in Europe explain country-level diversity in six animal groups, we propose a conceptual framework in which vegetation diversity represents a bridge between abiotic factors and animal diversity. We show that vegetation diversity explains variation in animal richness not accounted for by altitudinal range or potential evapotranspiration, being the best predictor for butterflies, beetles, and amphibians. Moreover, the dissimilarity of plant community types explains the highest proportion of variation in animal assemblages across the studied regions, an effect that outperforms the effect of climate and their shared contribution with pure spatial variation. Our results at the country level suggest that vegetation diversity, as estimated from broad-scale classifications of plant communities, may contribute to our understanding of animal richness and may be disentangled, at least to a degree, from climate–energy and abiotic habitat heterogeneity.

EFRs in the Rocky Mountain Research Station: Understanding patterns of forest growth, weather and disturbance [Chapter 2.8

Treesearch

G. Sam Foster; Todd Mower; Russell Graham; Theresa B. Jain

2014-01-01

How does forest growth integrate weather, insect and disease attach, management actions, and natural disturbance? Which of these has the most impact on forest growth, composition, structure, and change? These questions have animated the activities of scientists of the Rocky Mountain Research Station (RMRS) since its earliest days, and continue to animate our research...

[Cross reactivities between food antigens of plant or animal origin].

PubMed

Bakos, N; Nékám, K

2000-03-26

Knowledge about cross reactivities among food proteins of plant or animal origin is getting more and more important. Cross reaction provoking often clinical symptoms may be based on close taxonomical relations or on the presence of "archaic", ubiquiter protein structures preserved during phylogenesis. The most significant cross reactivities characterized by increasing incidence are between pollens and foods of plant origin and between latex and fruits.

Evaluation of Teachers' Activities in the Use of Animated Instructional Resource Materials in Biology Teaching in Senior Secondary Schools in Bauchi State Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kwasu, I. A.; Abubakar; Ema, E.

2015-01-01

This paper presents a profile on how teachers in senior secondary schools in Bauchi state Nigeria utilise animated instructional resource (AIR) in the teaching of biology. A structured questionnaire used to generate data on the availability, accessibility and application of the AIR for classroom instruction by teachers. The instrument for data…

Toward a Marine Ecological Forecasting System

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-06-01

advance. Two beaches in Lake Michigan have been selected for initial implementation. Forecasting Coral Bleaching in relation to Ocean Temperatures...The coral reef is a unique and very rich ecosystem which supports a vast array of animal and plant species. Corals form the structural and...ecological foundation of the reef system, and consist of a symbiotic relationship between the coral animal (polyp) and associated algae (zooxanthellae

Effects of Childhood Adversity on Bullying and Cruelty to Animals in the United States: Findings from a National Sample

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vaughn, Michael G.; Fu, Qiang; Beaver, Kevin M.; DeLisi, Matt; Perron, Brian E.; Howard, Matthew O.

2011-01-01

This study examined effects of type of and cumulative burden of childhood adversities on bullying and cruelty to animals in the United States. Data were derived from Waves I and II of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions, a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults. Structured psychiatric interviews were…

Mapping the structure of animal behavior

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berman, Gordon; Choi, Daniel; Bialek, William; Shaevitz, Joshua

2014-03-01

Most animals possess the ability to actuate a vast diversity of movements, ostensibly constrained only by morphology and physics. In practice, however, a frequent assumption in behavioral science is that most of an animal's activities can be described in terms of a small set of stereotyped motifs. Here we introduce a method for mapping the behavioral space of organisms, relying only upon the underlying structure of postural movement data to organize and classify behaviors. Applying our method to movies of size closely-related species of freely-behaving fruit flies, we find a wide variety of non-stereotyped and stereo-typed behaviors, spanning a wide range of time scales. We observe subtle behavioral differences between these species, identifying the some of the effects of phylogenic history on behavior. Moreover, we find that the transitions between the observed behaviors display a hierarchical syntax, with similar behaviors likely to transition between each other, but with a long time scale of memory. These results suggest potential mechanisms for the evolution of behavior and for the neural control of movements.

Heparin and related polysaccharides: Synthesis using recombinant enzymes and metabolic engineering

PubMed Central

Suflita, Matthew; Fu, Li; He, Wenqin; Koffas, Mattheos; Linhardt, Robert J.

2015-01-01

Glycosaminoglycans are linear anionic polysaccharides that exhibit a number of important biological and pharmacological activities. The two most prominent members of this class of polysaccharides are heparin/heparan sulfate and the chondroitin sulfates (including dermatan sulfate). These polysaccharides, having complex structures and polydispersity, are biosynthesized in the Golgi of most animal cells. The chemical synthesis of these glycosaminoglycans is precluded by their structural complexity. Today, we depend on food animal tissues for their isolation and commercial production. Ton quantities of these glycosaminoglycans are used annually as pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals. The variability of animal-sourced glycosaminoglycans, their inherent impurities, the limited availability of source tissues, the poor control of these source materials, and their manufacturing processes, suggest a need for new approaches for their production. Over the past decade there have been major efforts in the biotechnological production of these glycosaminoglycans. This mini-review focuses on the use of recombinant enzymes and metabolic engineering for the production of heparin and chondroitin sulfates. PMID:26219501

Mechanism study of biopolymer hair as a coupled thermo-water responsive smart material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiao, Xueliang; Zhou, Hongtao; Qian, Kun

2017-03-01

Animal hairs existing broadly in nature are found to be effectively responsive to stimuli of heat and water in sequence for shape deformation and recovery, namely, coupled shape memory function (CSMF). In the paper, the ability of thermo-water sensitive CSMF was first time investigated for animal hairs, the structural and molecular networks for net-points and switches were therefrom identified. Experimentally, animal hair manifested a high ability of shape fixation in thermal processing and good shape recovery by water stimulus. Characterizations of two stimuli (heating and hydration) were performed systematically on hair’s deformation, recovery, viscoelasticity and chemical components (crystalline phase, key bonds inamorphous area). The variations of related chemical components in molecular networks were also explored. A hybrid structural network model was thereafter proposed to interpret the thermo-water sensitive CSMF of hair. This study of two-sequential-stimuli CSMF is original and inspired to explore more complex functions of other smart natural materials and expected to make much smarter synthetic polymers.

Metamorphosed characters in dreams: constraints of conceptual structure and amount of theory of mind.

PubMed

Schweickert, Richard; Xi, Zhuangzhuang

2010-05-01

Dream reports from 21 dreamers in which a metamorphosis of a person-like entity or animal occurred were coded for characters and animals and for inner states attributed to them (Theory of Mind). In myths and fairy tales, Kelly and Keil (1985) found that conscious beings (people, gods) tend to be transformed into entities nearby in the conceptual structure of Keil (1979). This also occurred in dream reports, but perceptual nearness seemed more important than conceptual nearness. In dream reports, most inanimate objects involved in metamorphoses with person-like entities were objects such as statues that ordinarily resemble people physically, and moreover represent people. A metamorphosis of a person-like entity or animal did not lead to an increase in the amount of Theory of Mind attribution. We propose that a character-line starts when a character enters a dream; properties and Theory of Mind attributions tend to be preserved along the line, regardless of whether, metamorphoses occur on it. Copyright © 2009 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

Recent advances in studies on milk oligosaccharides of cows and other domestic farm animals.

PubMed

Urashima, Tadasu; Taufik, Epi; Fukuda, Kenji; Asakuma, Sadaki

2013-01-01

Human mature milk and colostrum contain 12-13 g/L and 22-24 g/L of milk oligosaccharides respectively, and the structures of least 115 human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) have been characterized to date. By way of comparison, bovine colostrum collected immediately post partum contains only around 1 g/L of oligosaccharides, and this concentration rapidly decreases after 48 h. It was recently recognized that HMOs have several biological functions, and this study area has become very active, as illustrated by a recent symposium, but it appears that advances in studies on the milk oligosaccharides of domestic farm animals, including cows, have been rather slow compared with those on HMOs. Nevertheless, studies on bovine milk oligosaccharides (BMOs) have progressed recently, especially in regard to structural characterization, with the development of methods termed glycomics. This review is concerned with recent progress in studies on the milk oligosaccharides of domestic farm animals, especially of BMOs and bovine glycoproteins, and it discusses the possibility of industrial utilization in the near future.

Animal Mitochondrial DNA Replication

PubMed Central

Ciesielski, Grzegorz L.; Oliveira, Marcos T.; Kaguni, Laurie S.

2016-01-01

Recent advances in the field of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) replication highlight the diversity of both the mechanisms utilized and the structural and functional organization of the proteins at mtDNA replication fork, despite the simplicity of the animal mtDNA genome. DNA polymerase γ, mtDNA helicase and mitochondrial single-stranded DNA-binding protein- the key replisome proteins, have evolved distinct structural features and biochemical properties. These appear to be correlated with mtDNA genomic features in different metazoan taxa and with their modes of DNA replication, although a substantial integrative research is warranted to establish firmly these links. To date, several modes of mtDNA replication have been described for animals: rolling circle, theta, strand-displacement, and RITOLS/bootlace. Resolution of a continuing controversy relevant to mtDNA replication in mammals/vertebrates will have a direct impact on the mechanistic interpretation of mtDNA-related human diseases. Here we review these subjects, integrating earlier and recent data to provide a perspective on the major challenges for future research. PMID:27241933

The European Partnership for Alternative Approaches to Animal Testing (EPAA): promoting alternative methods in Europe and beyond.

PubMed

Cozigou, Gwenole; Crozier, Jonathan; Hendriksen, Coenraad; Manou, Irene; Ramirez-Hernandez, Tzutzuy; Weissenhorn, Renate

2015-03-01

Here in we introduce the European Partnership for Alternative Approaches to Animal Testing (EPAA) and its activities, which are focused on international cooperation toward alternative methods. The EPAA is one of the leading organizations in Europe for the promotion of alternative approaches to animal testing. Its innovative public-private partnership structure enables a consensus-driven dialogue across 7 industry sectors to facilitate interaction between regulators and regulated stakeholders. Through a brief description of EPAA's activities and organizational structure, we first articulate the value of this collaboration; we then focus on 2 key projects driven by EPAA. The first project aims to address research gaps on stem cells for safety testing, whereas the second project strives for an approach toward demonstration of consistency in vaccine batch release testing. We highlight the growing need for harmonization of international acceptance and implementation of alternative approaches and for increased international collaboration to foster progress on nonanimal alternatives.

Temporal fractals in seabird foraging behaviour: diving through the scales of time

PubMed Central

MacIntosh, Andrew J. J.; Pelletier, Laure; Chiaradia, Andre; Kato, Akiko; Ropert-Coudert, Yan

2013-01-01

Animal behaviour exhibits fractal structure in space and time. Fractal properties in animal space-use have been explored extensively under the Lévy flight foraging hypothesis, but studies of behaviour change itself through time are rarer, have typically used shorter sequences generated in the laboratory, and generally lack critical assessment of their results. We thus performed an in-depth analysis of fractal time in binary dive sequences collected via bio-logging from free-ranging little penguins (Eudyptula minor) across full-day foraging trips (216 data points; 4 orders of temporal magnitude). Results from 4 fractal methods show that dive sequences are long-range dependent and persistent across ca. 2 orders of magnitude. This fractal structure correlated with trip length and time spent underwater, but individual traits had little effect. Fractal time is a fundamental characteristic of penguin foraging behaviour, and its investigation is thus a promising avenue for research on interactions between animals and their environments. PMID:23703258

An overview of the roles and structure of international high-security veterinary laboratories for infectious animal diseases.

PubMed

Murray, P K

1998-08-01

The unique structure, role and operations of government high-security (HS) laboratories which work on animal diseases are described, with particular reference to the laboratories of nine countries. High-security laboratories provide cost-effective insurance against catastrophic losses which could occur following exotic disease outbreaks. The importance of these laboratories is reflected in the fact that several new laboratories have recently been constructed at considerable expense and older facilities have undergone major renovations. Biosecurity is fundamental to the operation of high-security laboratories, so good facility design and microbiological security practices are very important. High-security laboratories conduct exotic disease diagnosis, certification and surveillance, and also perform research into virology, disease pathogenesis and improvements to diagnostic tests and vaccines. The mandate of these laboratories includes the training of veterinarians in the recognition of exotic diseases. One extremely important role is the provision of expert advice on exotic diseases and participation (both nationally and internationally) in policy decisions regarding animal disease issues.

Integrated Farm System Model Version 4.2 and Dairy Gas Emissions Model Version 3.2 Software development and distribution

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Emissions of ammonia (NH3) and nitrous oxide (N2O) vary among animal facilities due to differences in housing structure and associated manure management. Bedded pack barns are structures with a roof and sidewalls resulting in a lower air velocity and evaporation potential inside the structure. But s...

Lipopolysaccharides from Commensal and Opportunistic Bacteria: Characterization and Response of the Immune System of the Host Sponge Suberites domuncula

PubMed Central

Gardères, Johan; Bedoux, Gilles; Koutsouveli, Vasiliki; Crequer, Sterenn; Desriac, Florie; Le Pennec, Gaël

2015-01-01

Marine sponges harbor a rich bacterioflora with which they maintain close relationships. However, the way these animals make the distinction between bacteria which are consumed to meet their metabolic needs and opportunistic and commensal bacteria which are hosted is not elucidated. Among the elements participating in this discrimination, bacterial cell wall components such as lipopolysaccharides (LPS) could play a role. In the present study, we investigated the LPS chemical structure of two bacteria associated with the sponge Suberites domuncula: a commensal Endozoicomonas sp. and an opportunistic Pseudoalteromonas sp. Electrophoretic patterns indicated different LPS structures for these bacteria. The immunomodulatory lipid A was isolated after mild acetic acid hydrolysis. The electrospray ionization ion-trap mass spectra revealed monophosphorylated molecules corresponding to tetra- and pentaacylated structures with common structural features between the two strains. Despite peculiar structural characteristics, none of these two LPS influenced the expression of the macrophage-expressed gene S. domuncula unlike the Escherichia coli ones. Further research will have to include a larger number of genes to understand how this animal can distinguish between LPS with resembling structures and discriminate between bacteria associated with it. PMID:26262625

Segmental structure in banded mongoose calls.

PubMed

Fitch, W Tecumseh

2012-12-03

In complex animal vocalizations, such as bird or whale song, a great variety of songs can be produced via rearrangements of a smaller set of 'syllables', known as 'phonological syntax' or 'phonocoding' However, food or alarm calls, which function as referential signals, were previously thought to lack such combinatorial structure. A new study of calls in the banded mongoose Mungos mungo provides the first evidence of phonocoding at the level of single calls. The first portion of the call provides cues to the identity of the caller, and the second part encodes its current activity. This provides the first example known in animals of something akin to the consonants and vowels of human speech.

From patterns to emerging processes in mechanistic urban ecology.

PubMed

Shochat, Eyal; Warren, Paige S; Faeth, Stanley H; McIntyre, Nancy E; Hope, Diane

2006-04-01

Rapid urbanization has become an area of crucial concern in conservation owing to the radical changes in habitat structure and loss of species engendered by urban and suburban development. Here, we draw on recent mechanistic ecological studies to argue that, in addition to altered habitat structure, three major processes contribute to the patterns of reduced species diversity and elevated abundance of many species in urban environments. These activities, in turn, lead to changes in animal behavior, morphology and genetics, as well as in selection pressures on animals and plants. Thus, the key to understanding urban patterns is to balance studying processes at the individual level with an integrated examination of environmental forces at the ecosystem scale.

Brain and Behavioral Pathology in an Animal Model of Wernicke’s Encephalopathy and Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome

PubMed Central

Vetreno, Ryan P.; Ramos, Raddy L.; Anzalone, Steven; Savage, Lisa M.

2012-01-01

Animal models provide the opportunity for in-depth and experimental investigation into the anatomical and physiological underpinnings of human neurological disorders. Rodent models of thiamine deficiency have yielded significant insight into the structural, neurochemical and cognitive deficits associated with thiamine deficiency as well as proven useful toward greater understanding of memory function in the intact brain. In this review, we discuss the anatomical, neurochemical and behavioral changes that occur during the acute and chronic phases of thiamine deficiency and describe how rodent models of Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome aid in developing a more detailed picture of brain structures involved in learning and memory. PMID:22192411

Brain and behavioral pathology in an animal model of Wernicke's encephalopathy and Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome.

PubMed

Vetreno, Ryan P; Ramos, Raddy L; Anzalone, Steven; Savage, Lisa M

2012-02-03

Animal models provide the opportunity for in-depth and experimental investigation into the anatomical and physiological underpinnings of human neurological disorders. Rodent models of thiamine deficiency have yielded significant insight into the structural, neurochemical and cognitive deficits associated with thiamine deficiency as well as proven useful toward greater understanding of memory function in the intact brain. In this review, we discuss the anatomical, neurochemical and behavioral changes that occur during the acute and chronic phases of thiamine deficiency and describe how rodent models of Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome aid in developing a more detailed picture of brain structures involved in learning and memory. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of Phenotypic Residual Feed Intake and Dietary Forage Content on the Rumen Microbial Community of Beef Cattle

PubMed Central

Carberry, Ciara A.; Kenny, David A.; Han, Sukkyan; McCabe, Matthew S.

2012-01-01

Feed-efficient animals have lower production costs and reduced environmental impact. Given that rumen microbial fermentation plays a pivotal role in host nutrition, the premise that rumen microbiota may contribute to host feed efficiency is gaining momentum. Since diet is a major factor in determining rumen community structure and fermentation patterns, we investigated the effect of divergence in phenotypic residual feed intake (RFI) on ruminal community structure of beef cattle across two contrasting diets. PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and quantitative PCR (qPCR) were performed to profile the rumen bacterial population and to quantify the ruminal populations of Entodinium spp., protozoa, Fibrobacter succinogenes, Ruminococcus flavefaciens, Ruminococcus albus, Prevotella brevis, the genus Prevotella, and fungi in 14 low (efficient)- and 14 high (inefficient)-RFI animals offered a low-energy, high-forage diet, followed by a high-energy, low-forage diet. Canonical correspondence and Spearman correlation analyses were used to investigate associations between physiological variables and rumen microbial structure and specific microbial populations, respectively. The effect of RFI on bacterial profiles was influenced by diet, with the association between RFI group and PCR-DGGE profiles stronger for the higher forage diet. qPCR showed that Prevotella abundance was higher (P < 0.0001) in inefficient animals. A higher (P < 0.0001) abundance of Entodinium and Prevotella spp. and a lower (P < 0.0001) abundance of Fibrobacter succinogenes were observed when animals were offered the low-forage diet. Thus, differences in the ruminal microflora may contribute to host feed efficiency, although this effect may also be modulated by the diet offered. PMID:22562991

Effect of phenotypic residual feed intake and dietary forage content on the rumen microbial community of beef cattle.

PubMed

Carberry, Ciara A; Kenny, David A; Han, Sukkyan; McCabe, Matthew S; Waters, Sinead M

2012-07-01

Feed-efficient animals have lower production costs and reduced environmental impact. Given that rumen microbial fermentation plays a pivotal role in host nutrition, the premise that rumen microbiota may contribute to host feed efficiency is gaining momentum. Since diet is a major factor in determining rumen community structure and fermentation patterns, we investigated the effect of divergence in phenotypic residual feed intake (RFI) on ruminal community structure of beef cattle across two contrasting diets. PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and quantitative PCR (qPCR) were performed to profile the rumen bacterial population and to quantify the ruminal populations of Entodinium spp., protozoa, Fibrobacter succinogenes, Ruminococcus flavefaciens, Ruminococcus albus, Prevotella brevis, the genus Prevotella, and fungi in 14 low (efficient)- and 14 high (inefficient)-RFI animals offered a low-energy, high-forage diet, followed by a high-energy, low-forage diet. Canonical correspondence and Spearman correlation analyses were used to investigate associations between physiological variables and rumen microbial structure and specific microbial populations, respectively. The effect of RFI on bacterial profiles was influenced by diet, with the association between RFI group and PCR-DGGE profiles stronger for the higher forage diet. qPCR showed that Prevotella abundance was higher (P < 0.0001) in inefficient animals. A higher (P < 0.0001) abundance of Entodinium and Prevotella spp. and a lower (P < 0.0001) abundance of Fibrobacter succinogenes were observed when animals were offered the low-forage diet. Thus, differences in the ruminal microflora may contribute to host feed efficiency, although this effect may also be modulated by the diet offered.

Ferritin gene transcription is regulated by iron in soybean cell cultures.

PubMed Central

Lescure, A M; Proudhon, D; Pesey, H; Ragland, M; Theil, E C; Briat, J F

1991-01-01

Iron-regulated ferritin synthesis in animals is dominated by translational control of stored mRNA; iron-induced transcription of ferritin genes, when it occurs, changes the subunit composition of ferritin mRNA and protein and is coupled to translational control. Ferritins in plants and animals have evolved from a common progenitor, based on the similarity of protein sequence; however, sequence divergence occurs in the C termini; structure prediction suggests that plant ferritin has the E-helix, which, in horse ferritin, forms a large channel at the tetrameric interface. In contemporary plants, a transit peptide is encoded by ferritin mRNA to target the protein to plastids. Iron-regulated synthesis of ferritin in plants and animals appears to be very different since the 50- to 60-fold increases of ferritin protein, previously observed to be induced by iron in cultured soybean cells, is accompanied by an equivalent accumulation of hybridizable ferritin mRNA and by increased transcription of ferritin genes. Ferritin mRNA from iron-induced cells and the constitutive ferritin mRNA from soybean hypocotyls are identical. The iron-induced protein is translocated normally to plastids. Differences in animal ferritin structure coincide with the various iron storage functions (reserve for iron proteins and detoxification). In contrast, the constancy of structure of soybean ferritin, iron-induced and constitutive, coupled with the potential for vacuolar storage of excess iron in plants suggest that rapid synthesis of ferritin from a stored ferritin mRNA may not be needed in plants for detoxification of iron. Images PMID:1896472

Stream-crossing structure for deer fence

Treesearch

Robert M. Blair; James A. Hays; Louis Brunett

1963-01-01

Stream crossings are the most vulnerable points in a deer-proof fence. When an inadequately constructed crossing washes out, enclosed deer may escape and unwanted animals enter. Structures of the type described here have withstood 2 years of frequent, severe flooding in the pine-hardwood hills of central Louisiana.

[Properties of cell water].

PubMed

Gamaleĭ, I A; Kaulin, A B; Troshin, A S

1977-01-01

An attempt was made to analyse and summarize findings concerning water properties of animal and plant cells. From the physical evidence of surface influence on the structure of vicinal water layers, a conclusion is drawn that the structure and properties of cell water are likely to be affected by intracellular interfaces.

Effects of Weaning and Spatial Enrichment on Behavior of Turkish Saanen Goat Kids.

PubMed

Tölü, Cemil; Göktürk, Semra; Sava, Türker

2016-06-01

As is in all economic activities, the highest yield per unit area is the main goal in animal production, while addressing the temperamental needs of animals often is ignored. Animal welfare is not only an ethical fact; it also has an economic value. Spatial environmental enrichment contributes positively to animal welfare by addressing their behavioral and mental requirements. The present study was conducted to determine the effects of weaning and spatial environmental arrangements on behaviors of goat-kids. Experimental groups were arranged in structured and unstructured spatial environments. Roughage feeder, semi-automatic concentrate feeder, bunk, bridge, and wood block were placed in the structured environment. No equipment was placed in the unstructured environment and paddock sides were enclosed with an iron sheet to prevent bipedal stance and to provide environmental isolation. In the study 10 male and 10 female Turkish Saanen goat kids were used in each group. Spatial environmental arrangements did not have significant impacts on the growth performance of kids (p>0.05). All objects in the structured group were accepted by the kids. Average use ratios of roughage feeder, semi-automatic concentrate feeder, bunk, bridge and wood block were observed as 19.3%, 14.0%, 12.6%, 3.8%, and 0.7%, respectively. There were significant differences between before- and after-weaning in use of all objects except for underneath bridge (p≤0.05). Concentrate feed consumption, locomotion, and resting behaviors in kids showed significant differences by structural group and growth period. Roughage consumption was similar between groups, while it differed by growth period (p≤0.05). Interaction frequency was significantly higher in structured group (p = 0.0023). Playing behavior significantly differentiated based on the growth period rather than on groups (p≤0.05). Playing behavior significantly decreased after weaning. Abnormal oral activity was significantly higher in the structured group before weaning (p≤0.05). Despite there being no installations facilitating climbing and bipedal stance, the kids of the unstructured group were able to exhibit 1/3 as much bipedal stance behavior as the kids of the structured group through leaning over slippery paddock wall or over their groupmates. Bipedal stance behavior of unstructured group was similar before and after weaning, while bipedal stance behavior before weaning was about 2 times that of after weaning in structured group. It was concluded that unstructured environmental arrangement limited the behavior repertoire of the goat kids.

Effects of Weaning and Spatial Enrichment on Behavior of Turkish Saanen Goat Kids

PubMed Central

Tölü, Cemil; Göktürk, Semra; Sava, Türker

2016-01-01

As is in all economic activities, the highest yield per unit area is the main goal in animal production, while addressing the temperamental needs of animals often is ignored. Animal welfare is not only an ethical fact; it also has an economic value. Spatial environmental enrichment contributes positively to animal welfare by addressing their behavioral and mental requirements. The present study was conducted to determine the effects of weaning and spatial environmental arrangements on behaviors of goat-kids. Experimental groups were arranged in structured and unstructured spatial environments. Roughage feeder, semi-automatic concentrate feeder, bunk, bridge, and wood block were placed in the structured environment. No equipment was placed in the unstructured environment and paddock sides were enclosed with an iron sheet to prevent bipedal stance and to provide environmental isolation. In the study 10 male and 10 female Turkish Saanen goat kids were used in each group. Spatial environmental arrangements did not have significant impacts on the growth performance of kids (p>0.05). All objects in the structured group were accepted by the kids. Average use ratios of roughage feeder, semi-automatic concentrate feeder, bunk, bridge and wood block were observed as 19.3%, 14.0%, 12.6%, 3.8%, and 0.7%, respectively. There were significant differences between before- and after-weaning in use of all objects except for underneath bridge (p≤0.05). Concentrate feed consumption, locomotion, and resting behaviors in kids showed significant differences by structural group and growth period. Roughage consumption was similar between groups, while it differed by growth period (p≤0.05). Interaction frequency was significantly higher in structured group (p = 0.0023). Playing behavior significantly differentiated based on the growth period rather than on groups (p≤0.05). Playing behavior significantly decreased after weaning. Abnormal oral activity was significantly higher in the structured group before weaning (p≤0.05). Despite there being no installations facilitating climbing and bipedal stance, the kids of the unstructured group were able to exhibit 1/3 as much bipedal stance behavior as the kids of the structured group through leaning over slippery paddock wall or over their groupmates. Bipedal stance behavior of unstructured group was similar before and after weaning, while bipedal stance behavior before weaning was about 2 times that of after weaning in structured group. It was concluded that unstructured environmental arrangement limited the behavior repertoire of the goat kids. PMID:26954169

Training Reduces Stress in Human-Socialised Wolves to the Same Degree as in Dogs.

PubMed

Vasconcellos, Angélica da Silva; Virányi, Zsófia; Range, Friederike; Ades, César; Scheidegger, Jördis Kristin; Möstl, Erich; Kotrschal, Kurt

2016-01-01

The welfare of animals in captivity is of considerable societal concern. A major source of stress, especially for wild animals, is the lack of control over their environment, which includes not being able to avoid contact with human beings. Paradoxically, some studies have shown that interactions with human beings may improve the welfare of wild animals in captivity. Here, we investigated the behavioural (behaviours indicative of cooperation or stress) and physiological (variations in salivary cortisol concentrations) effects of the increasingly used practice of training wild animals as a way to facilitate handling and/or as behavioural enrichment. We evaluated the effects of indoor training sessions with familiar caretakers on nine human-socialised individuals of a wild species, the wolf (Canis lupus), in comparison to nine individuals of its domesticated form, the dog (Canis lupus familiaris). All animals were raised and kept in intraspecific packs under identical conditions-in accordance with the social structure of the species-in order to control for socialisation with human beings and familiarity with training. We also collected saliva samples of trainers to measure GC and testosterone concentrations, to control for the effects of trainers' stress levels on the responses of the animals. During the training sessions, separated from pack members, the animals stayed voluntarily close to the trainers and mostly adequately performed requested behaviours, indicating concentration to the task. Similarly to dogs, the salivary cortisol level of wolves-used as an index of stress-dropped during these sessions, pointing to a similar stress-reducing effect of the training interaction in both subspecies. The responses to the requested behaviours and the reduction in salivary cortisol level of wolves and dogs varied across trainers, which indicates that the relaxing effect of training has a social component. This points to another factor affecting the welfare of animals during the sessions, beside the rewarding effect of getting food and control over the situation by successfully completing a task. As all responses performed by the animals corresponded to cues already familiar to them, the reported effects were likely due to the above cited factors rather than to a learning process. Our results support previous findings suggesting that training is a potentially powerful tool for improving welfare in some wild social canids by creating structured and positive interactions between these animals and their human caretakers.

Training Reduces Stress in Human-Socialised Wolves to the Same Degree as in Dogs

PubMed Central

Virányi, Zsófia; Range, Friederike; Scheidegger, Jördis Kristin; Möstl, Erich; Kotrschal, Kurt

2016-01-01

The welfare of animals in captivity is of considerable societal concern. A major source of stress, especially for wild animals, is the lack of control over their environment, which includes not being able to avoid contact with human beings. Paradoxically, some studies have shown that interactions with human beings may improve the welfare of wild animals in captivity. Here, we investigated the behavioural (behaviours indicative of cooperation or stress) and physiological (variations in salivary cortisol concentrations) effects of the increasingly used practice of training wild animals as a way to facilitate handling and/or as behavioural enrichment. We evaluated the effects of indoor training sessions with familiar caretakers on nine human-socialised individuals of a wild species, the wolf (Canis lupus), in comparison to nine individuals of its domesticated form, the dog (Canis lupus familiaris). All animals were raised and kept in intraspecific packs under identical conditions—in accordance with the social structure of the species—in order to control for socialisation with human beings and familiarity with training. We also collected saliva samples of trainers to measure GC and testosterone concentrations, to control for the effects of trainers’ stress levels on the responses of the animals. During the training sessions, separated from pack members, the animals stayed voluntarily close to the trainers and mostly adequately performed requested behaviours, indicating concentration to the task. Similarly to dogs, the salivary cortisol level of wolves–used as an index of stress—dropped during these sessions, pointing to a similar stress-reducing effect of the training interaction in both subspecies. The responses to the requested behaviours and the reduction in salivary cortisol level of wolves and dogs varied across trainers, which indicates that the relaxing effect of training has a social component. This points to another factor affecting the welfare of animals during the sessions, beside the rewarding effect of getting food and control over the situation by successfully completing a task. As all responses performed by the animals corresponded to cues already familiar to them, the reported effects were likely due to the above cited factors rather than to a learning process. Our results support previous findings suggesting that training is a potentially powerful tool for improving welfare in some wild social canids by creating structured and positive interactions between these animals and their human caretakers. PMID:27611784

The Tlx gene regulates the timing of neurogenesis in the cortex.

PubMed

Roy, Kristine; Kuznicki, Kathleen; Wu, Qiang; Sun, Zhuoxin; Bock, Dagmar; Schutz, Gunther; Vranich, Nancy; Monaghan, A Paula

2004-09-22

The tailless (tlx) gene is a forebrain-restricted transcription factor. Tlx mutant animals exhibit a reduction in the size of the cerebral hemispheres and associated structures (Monaghan et al., 1997). Superficial cortical layers are specifically reduced, whereas deep layers are relatively unaltered (Land and Monaghan, 2003). To determine whether the adult laminar phenotype has a developmental etiology and whether it is associated with a change in proliferation/differentiation decisions, we examined the cell cycle and neurogenesis in the embryonic cortex. We found that there is a temporal and regional requirement for the Tlx protein in progenitor cells (PCs). Neurons prematurely differentiate at all rostrocaudal levels up to mid-neurogenesis in mutant animals. Heterozygote animals have an intermediate phenotype indicating there is a threshold requirement for Tlx in early cortical neurogenesis. Our studies indicate that PCs in the ventricular zone are sensitive to loss of Tlx in caudal regions only; however, PCs in the subventricular zone are altered at all rostrocaudal levels in tlx-deficient animals. Furthermore, we found that the cell cycle is shorter from embryonic day 9.5 in tlx-/- embryos. At mid-neurogenesis, the PC population becomes depleted, and late PCs have a longer cell cycle in tlx-deficient animals. Consequently, later generated structures, such as upper cortical layers, the dentate gyrus, and the olfactory bulbs, are severely reduced. These studies indicate that tlx is an essential intrinsic regulator in the decision to proliferate or differentiate in the developing forebrain.

The Tlx Gene Regulates the Timing of Neurogenesis in the Cortex

PubMed Central

Roy, Kristine; Kuznicki, Kathleen; Wu, Qiang; Sun, Zhuoxin; Bock, Dagmar; Schutz, Gunther; Vranich, Nancy; Monaghan, A. Paula

2009-01-01

The tailless (tlx) gene is a forebrain-restricted transcription factor. Tlx mutant animals exhibit a reduction in the size of the cerebral hemispheres and associated structures (Monaghan et al., 1997). Superficial cortical layers are specifically reduced, whereas deep layers are relatively unaltered (Land and Monaghan, 2003). To determine whether the adult laminar phenotype has a developmental etiology and whether it is associated with a change in proliferation/differentiation decisions, we examined the cell cycle and neurogenesis in the embryonic cortex. We found that there is a temporal and regional requirement for the Tlx protein in progenitor cells (PCs). Neurons prematurely differentiate at all rostrocaudal levels up to mid-neurogenesis in mutant animals. Heterozygote animals have an intermediate phenotype indicating there is a threshold requirement for Tlx in early cortical neurogenesis. Our studies indicate that PCs in the ventricular zone are sensitive to loss of Tlx in caudal regions only; however, PCs in the subventricular zone are altered at all rostrocaudal levels in tlx-deficient animals. Furthermore, we found that the cell cycle is shorter from embryonic day 9.5 in tlx−/− embryos. At mid-neurogenesis, the PC population becomes depleted, and late PCs have a longer cell cycle in tlx-deficient animals. Consequently, later generated structures, such as upper cortical layers, the dentate gyrus, and the olfactory bulbs, are severely reduced. These studies indicate that tlx is an essential intrinsic regulator in the decision to proliferate or differentiate in the developing forebrain. PMID:15385616

Electrical resistivity measurements in the mammalian cochlea after neural degeneration.

PubMed

Micco, Alan G; Richter, Claus-Peter

2006-08-01

In the present series of experiments, the effect of neural degeneration on the cochlear structure electrical resistivities was evaluated to test if it alters the current flow in the cochlea and if increased current levels are needed to stimulate the impaired cochlea. In cochlear implants, frequency information is encoded in part by stimulating discrete populations of spiral ganglion cells along the cochlea. However, electrical properties of the cochlear structures result in shunting of the current away from the auditory neurons. This consumes energy, makes cochlear implants less efficient, and drastically reduces battery life. Models of the electrically stimulated cochlea serve to make predictions on current paths using modified and improved cochlear implant electrodes. However, one of the model's shortcomings is that most of the values for tissue impedances are not direct measurements. They are derived from bulk impedance measurements, which are fitted to lumped-element models. The four-electrode reflection-coefficient technique was used to measure resistivities in the gerbil cochlea. In vivo and in vitro (the hemicochlea) models were used. Measurements were made in normal and in deafened animals. Cochlear damage was induced by neomycin injection into the animals' middle ears. Neural degeneration was allowed to occur over 2 months before performing the measurements in the deafened animals. The resistivity values in deafened animals were smaller than in the normal-hearing animals, thus altering the current flow within the cochlea. Resistivity changes and subsequent changes in current path should be considered in future designs of cochlear implants.

Effects of microcurrent stimulation on hyaline cartilage repair in immature male rats (Rattus norvegicus).

PubMed

de Campos Ciccone, Carla; Zuzzi, Denise Cristina; Neves, Lia Mara Grosso; Mendonça, Josué Sampaio; Joazeiro, Paulo Pinto; Esquisatto, Marcelo Augusto Marretto

2013-01-19

In this study, we investigate the effects of microcurrent stimulation on the repair process of xiphoid cartilage in 45-days-old rats. Twenty male rats were divided into a control group and a treated group. A 3-mm defect was then created with a punch in anesthetized animals. In the treated group, animals were submitted to daily applications of a biphasic square pulse microgalvanic continuous electrical current during 5 min. In each application, it was used a frequency of 0.3 Hz and intensity of 20 μA. The animals were sacrificed at 7, 21 and 35 days after injury for structural analysis. Basophilia increased gradually in control animals during the experimental period. In treated animals, newly formed cartilage was observed on days 21 and 35. No statistically significant differences in birefringent collagen fibers were seen between groups at any of the time points. Treated animals presented a statistically larger number of chondroblasts. Calcification points were observed in treated animals on day 35. Ultrastructural analysis revealed differences in cell and matrix characteristics between the two groups. Chondrocyte-like cells were seen in control animals only after 35 days, whereas they were present in treated animals as early as by day 21. The number of cuprolinic blue-stained proteoglycans was statistically higher in treated animals on days 21 and 35. We conclude that microcurrent stimulation accelerates the cartilage repair in non-articular site from prepuberal animals.

Effects of microcurrent stimulation on Hyaline cartilage repair in immature male rats (Rattus norvegicus)

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background In this study, we investigate the effects of microcurrent stimulation on the repair process of xiphoid cartilage in 45-days-old rats. Methods Twenty male rats were divided into a control group and a treated group. A 3-mm defect was then created with a punch in anesthetized animals. In the treated group, animals were submitted to daily applications of a biphasic square pulse microgalvanic continuous electrical current during 5 min. In each application, it was used a frequency of 0.3 Hz and intensity of 20 μA. The animals were sacrificed at 7, 21 and 35 days after injury for structural analysis. Results Basophilia increased gradually in control animals during the experimental period. In treated animals, newly formed cartilage was observed on days 21 and 35. No statistically significant differences in birefringent collagen fibers were seen between groups at any of the time points. Treated animals presented a statistically larger number of chondroblasts. Calcification points were observed in treated animals on day 35. Ultrastructural analysis revealed differences in cell and matrix characteristics between the two groups. Chondrocyte-like cells were seen in control animals only after 35 days, whereas they were present in treated animals as early as by day 21. The number of cuprolinic blue-stained proteoglycans was statistically higher in treated animals on days 21 and 35. Conclusion We conclude that microcurrent stimulation accelerates the cartilage repair in non-articular site from prepuberal animals. PMID:23331612

Are motorway wildlife passages worth building? Vertebrate use of road-crossing structures on a Spanish motorway.

PubMed

Mata, C; Hervás, I; Herranz, J; Suárez, F; Malo, J E

2008-08-01

Numerous road and railway construction projects include costly mitigation measures to offset the barrier effect produced on local fauna, despite the scarcity of data on the effectiveness of such mitigation measures. In this study, we evaluate the utility of different types of crossing structures. Vertebrate use of 43 transverse crossing structures along the A-52 motorway (north-western Spain) was studied during spring 2001. Research centered on wildlife passages (9), wildlife-adapted box culverts (7), functional passages (6 overpasses, 7 underpasses) and culverts (14), with marble dust being used to record animal tracks. A total of 424 track-days were recorded, with most of the larger vertebrate groups present in the area being detected. All crossing structure types were used by animals, although the intensity of use varied significantly among them (Kruskal-Wallis test, p<0.05); culverts were used less frequently than other structures. Crossing structure type and width were identified as the most important factors in their selection for use. Wildlife passages and adapted culverts allowed crossing by certain species (wild boar, roe deer, Eurasian badger), which do not tend to cross elsewhere. These results highlight the importance of using both mixed-type structures and wildlife passages in reducing the barrier effect of roads.

Structured triglyceride emulsions in parenteral nutrition.

PubMed

Chambrier, C; Lauverjat, M; Bouletreau, P

2006-08-01

Over the past 3 decades, various concepts for IV fat emulsions (IVFE) have been developed. A randomized, structured-lipid emulsion based on an old technology has recently become available. This structured-lipid emulsion is produced by mixing medium-chain triglycerides and long-chain triglycerides, then allowing hydrolysis to form free fatty acids, followed by random transesterification of the fatty acids into mixed triglyceride molecules. Studies in animals have shown an improvement in nitrogen balance with the use of these lipid emulsions. Only 8 human clinical studies with these products have been performed. The results of these human clinical studies have been less promising than the animal studies; however, an improvement in nitrogen balance and lipid metabolism exceeds results associated with infusion of long-chain triglycerides (LCT) or a physical mixture of long-chain triglycerides and medium-chain triglycerides (LCT-MCT). Structured-lipid emulsion seems to induce less elevation in serum liver function values compared with standard IVFEs. In addition, structured-lipid emulsions have no detrimental effect on the reticuloendothelial system. Further studies are necessary in order to recommend the use of structured-lipid emulsions. The clinical community hopes that chemically defined structured triglycerides will make it possible to determine the distribution of specific fatty acids on a specific position on the glycerol core and therefore obtain specific activity for a specific clinical situation.

Animal movement in the absence of predation: environmental drivers of movement strategies in a partial migration system

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bastille-Rousseau, Guillaume; Gibbs, James P.; Yackulic, Charles B.; Frair, Jacqueline L.; Cabrera, Fredy; Rousseau, Louis-Philippe

2016-01-01

Animal movement strategies including migration, dispersal, nomadism, and residency are shaped by broad-scale spatial-temporal structuring of the environment, including factors such as the degrees of spatial variation, seasonality and inter-annual predictability. Animal movement strategies, in turn, interact with the characteristics of individuals and the local distribution of resources to determine local patterns of resource selection with complex and poorly understood implications for animal fitness. Here we present a multi-scale investigation of animal movement strategies and resource selection. We consider the degree to which spatial variation, seasonality, and inter-annual predictability in resources drive migration patterns among different taxa and how movement strategies in turn shape local resource selection patterns. We focus on adult Galapagos giant tortoises Chelonoidis spp. as a model system since they display many movement strategies and evolved in the absence of predators of adults. Specifically, our analysis is based on 63 individuals among four taxa tracked on three islands over six years and almost 106 tortoise re-locations. Tortoises displayed a continuum of movement strategies from migration to sedentarism that were linked to the spatio-temporal scale and predictability of resource distributions. Movement strategies shaped patterns of resource selection. Specifically, migratory individuals displayed stronger selection toward areas where resources were more predictable among years than did non-migratory individuals, which indicates a selective advantage for migrants in seasonally structured, more predictable environments. Our analytical framework combines large-scale predictions for movement strategies, based on environmental structuring, with finer-scale analysis of space-use. Integrating different organizational levels of analysis provides a deeper understanding of the eco-evolutionary dynamics at play in the emergence and maintenance of migration and the critical role of resource predictability. Our results highlight that assessing the potential benefits of differential behavioral responses first requires an understanding of the interactions among movement strategies, resource selection and individual characteristics.

A new coordinate system for rodent brain and variability in the brain weights and dimensions of different ages in the naked mole-rat.

PubMed

Xiao, Jun

2007-05-15

Traditionally, the skull landmarks, i.e., bregma, lambda, and the interaural line, are the origins of the coordinate system for almost all rodent brain atlases. The disadvantages of using a skull landmark as an origin are: (i) there are differences among individuals in the alignment between the skull and the brain; (ii) the shapes of sutures, on which a skull landmark is determined, are different for different animals; (iii) the skull landmark is not clear for some animals. Recently, the extreme point of the entire brain (the tip of the olfactory bulb) has also been used as the origin for an atlas coordinate system. The accuracy of stereotaxically locating a brain structure depends on the relative distance between the structure and the reference point of the coordinate. The disadvantages of using the brain extreme as an origin are that it is located far from most brain structures and is not readily exposed during most in vivo procedures. To overcome these disadvantages, this paper introduces a new coordinate system for the brain of the naked mole-rat. The origin of this new coordinate system is a landmark directly on the brain: the intersection point of the posterior edges of the two cerebral hemispheres. This new coordinate system is readily applicable to other rodent species and is statistically better than using bragma and lambda as reference points. It is found that the body weight of old naked mole-rats is significantly bigger than that of young animals. However, the old naked mole-rat brain is not significantly heavier than that of young animal. Both brain weight and brain length vary little among animals of different weights. The disadvantages of current definition of "significant" are briefly discussed and a new expression that describes more objectively the result of statistical test is brought up and used.

Ultrastructural studies on the boundary tissue of the seminiferous tubules of different mammals.

PubMed

Cieciura, L; Jaszczuk-Jarosz, B; Pietrzkowska, K

1988-01-01

The aims of our studies were to compare the ultrastructure of the boundary tissue of seminiferous tubules of various mammals (rat, mouse, hamster, guinea pig, rabbit, ram, bull and man). Visual analysis of electron micrographs revealed the similarity of structure of all layers at investigated animals. The boundary tissue consists of 4 layers: 1) amorphous inner lamina, 2) cellular inner lamina, 3) amorphous outer lamina, 4) cellular outer lamina. The outer lamina of boundary tissue of rat, mouse and hamster revealed in histochemical reactions meshes resembling honey-combs. The wall of seminiferous canalicules of bull and ram consists of more bigger and different structure than one at the other laboratory animals. The most different structure of boundary tissue in man was observed. The capillary vessels penetrate in the myofibroblastic layer, when comparted to that found in other mammals on the surface of the wall.

Resistant Starch Regulates Gut Microbiota: Structure, Biochemistry and Cell Signalling.

PubMed

Yang, Xiaoping; Darko, Kwame Oteng; Huang, Yanjun; He, Caimei; Yang, Huansheng; He, Shanping; Li, Jianzhong; Li, Jian; Hocher, Berthold; Yin, Yulong

2017-01-01

Starch is one of the most popular nutritional sources for both human and animals. Due to the variation of its nutritional traits and biochemical specificities, starch has been classified into rapidly digestible, slowly digestible and resistant starch. Resistant starch has its own unique chemical structure, and various forms of resistant starch are commercially available. It has been found being a multiple-functional regulator for treating metabolic dysfunction. Different functions of resistant starch such as modulation of the gut microbiota, gut peptides, circulating growth factors, circulating inflammatory mediators have been characterized by animal studies and clinical trials. In this mini-review, recent remarkable progress in resistant starch on gut microbiota, particularly the effect of structure, biochemistry and cell signaling on nutrition has been summarized, with highlights on its regulatory effect on gut microbiota. © 2017 The Author(s). Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.

A tale of two centromeres--diversity of structure but conservation of function in plants and animals.

PubMed

Birchler, James A; Gao, Zhi; Han, Fangpu

2009-02-01

The structural and functional aspects of two specific centromeres, one drawn from the animal kingdom (Drosophila) and the other from the plant kingdom (maize), are compared. Both cases illustrate an epigenetic component to centromere specification. The observations of neocentromeres in Drosophila and inactive centromeres in maize constitute one line of evidence for this hypothesis. Another common feature is the divisibility of centromere function with reduced stability as the size decreases. The systems differ in that Drosophila has no common sequence repeat at all centromeres, whereas maize has a 150-bp unit present in tandem arrays together with a centromere-specific transposon, centromere retrotransposon maize, present at all primary constrictions. Aspects of centromere structure known only from one or the other system might be common to both, namely, the presence of centromere RNAs in the kinetochore as found in maize and the organization of the centromeric histone 3 in tetrameric nucleosomes.

Chemical Probes for Visualizing Intact Animal and Human Brain Tissue.

PubMed

Lai, Hei Ming; Ng, Wai-Lung; Gentleman, Steve M; Wu, Wutian

2017-06-22

Newly developed tissue clearing techniques can be used to render intact tissues transparent. When combined with fluorescent labeling technologies and optical sectioning microscopy, this allows visualization of fine structure in three dimensions. Gene-transfection techniques have proved very useful in visualizing cellular structures in animal models, but they are not applicable to human brain tissue. Here, we discuss the characteristics of an ideal chemical fluorescent probe for use in brain and other cleared tissues, and offer a comprehensive overview of currently available chemical probes. We describe their working principles and compare their performance with the goal of simplifying probe selection for neuropathologists and stimulating probe development by chemists. We propose several approaches for the development of innovative chemical labeling methods which, when combined with tissue clearing, have the potential to revolutionize how we study the structure and function of the human brain. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Maps and streams in the auditory cortex: nonhuman primates illuminate human speech processing

PubMed Central

Rauschecker, Josef P; Scott, Sophie K

2010-01-01

Speech and language are considered uniquely human abilities: animals have communication systems, but they do not match human linguistic skills in terms of recursive structure and combinatorial power. Yet, in evolution, spoken language must have emerged from neural mechanisms at least partially available in animals. In this paper, we will demonstrate how our understanding of speech perception, one important facet of language, has profited from findings and theory in nonhuman primate studies. Chief among these are physiological and anatomical studies showing that primate auditory cortex, across species, shows patterns of hierarchical structure, topographic mapping and streams of functional processing. We will identify roles for different cortical areas in the perceptual processing of speech and review functional imaging work in humans that bears on our understanding of how the brain decodes and monitors speech. A new model connects structures in the temporal, frontal and parietal lobes linking speech perception and production. PMID:19471271

Consistent patterns of high alpha and low beta diversity in tropical parasitic and free-living protists.

PubMed

Lentendu, Guillaume; Mahé, Frédéric; Bass, David; Rueckert, Sonja; Stoeck, Thorsten; Dunthorn, Micah

2018-05-30

Tropical animals and plants are known to have high alpha diversity within forests, but low beta diversity between forests. By contrast, it is unknown whether microbes inhabiting the same ecosystems exhibit similar biogeographic patterns. To evaluate the biogeographies of tropical protists, we used metabarcoding data of species sampled in the soils of three lowland Neotropical rainforests. Taxa-area and distance-decay relationships for three of the dominant protist taxa and their subtaxa were estimated at both the OTU and phylogenetic levels, with presence-absence and abundance-based measures. These estimates were compared to null models. High local alpha and low regional beta diversity patterns were consistently found for both the parasitic Apicomplexa and the largely free-living Cercozoa and Ciliophora. Similar to animals and plants, the protists showed spatial structures between forests at the OTU and phylogenetic levels, and only at the phylogenetic level within forests. These results suggest that the biogeographies of macro- and micro-organismal eukaryotes in lowland Neotropical rainforests are partially structured by the same general processes. However, and unlike the animals and plants, the protist OTUs did not exhibit spatial structures within forests, which hinders our ability to estimate the local and regional diversity of protists in tropical forests. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Early Environmental Enrichment Enhances Abnormal Brain Connectivity in a Rabbit Model of Intrauterine Growth Restriction.

PubMed

Illa, Miriam; Brito, Verónica; Pla, Laura; Eixarch, Elisenda; Arbat-Plana, Ariadna; Batallé, Dafnis; Muñoz-Moreno, Emma; Crispi, Fatima; Udina, Esther; Figueras, Francesc; Ginés, Silvia; Gratacós, Eduard

2017-10-12

The structural correspondence of neurodevelopmental impairments related to intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) that persists later in life remains elusive. Moreover, early postnatal stimulation strategies have been proposed to mitigate these effects. Long-term brain connectivity abnormalities in an IUGR rabbit model and the effects of early postnatal environmental enrichment (EE) were explored. IUGR was surgically induced in one horn, whereas the contralateral one produced the controls. Postnatally, a subgroup of IUGR animals was housed in an enriched environment. Functional assessment was performed at the neonatal and long-term periods. At the long-term period, structural brain connectivity was evaluated by means of diffusion-weighted brain magnetic resonance imaging and by histological assessment focused on the hippocampus. IUGR animals displayed poorer functional results and presented altered whole-brain networks and decreased median fractional anisotropy in the hippocampus. Reduced density of dendritic spines and perineuronal nets from hippocampal neurons were also observed. Of note, IUGR animals exposed to enriched environment presented an improvement in terms of both function and structure. IUGR is associated with altered brain connectivity at the global and cellular level. A strategy based on early EE has the potential to restore the neurodevelopmental consequences of IUGR. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Functional traits determine formation of mutualism and predation interactions in seed-rodent dispersal system of a subtropical forest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Gang; Zhang, Zhibin

2014-02-01

Network structure in plant-animal systems has been widely investigated but the roles of functional traits of plants and animals in formation of mutualism and predation interactions and community structure are still not fully understood. In this study, we quantitatively assessed interaction strength of mutualism and predation between 5 tree species and 7 rodent species by using semi-natural enclosures in a subtropical forest in southwest China. Seeds with high handling-time and nutrition traits (for both rat and mouse species) or high tannin trait (for mouse species) show high mutualism but low predation with rodents; while seeds with low handling-time and low nutrition traits show high predation but low mutualism with rodents. Large-sized rat species are more linked to seeds with high handling-time and high nutrition traits, while small-sized mouse species are more connected with seeds with low handling-time, low nutrition value and high tannin traits. Anti-predation seed traits tend to increase chance of mutualism instead of reducing predation by rodents, suggesting formation of mutualism may be connected with that of predation. Our study demonstrates that seed and animal traits play significant roles in the formation of mutualism and predation and network structure of the seed-rodent dispersal system.

Use of read-across and computer-based predictive analysis for the safety assessment of PEG cocamines.

PubMed

Skare, Julie A; Blackburn, Karen; Wu, Shengde; Re, Thomas A; Duche, Daniel; Ringeissen, Stephanie; Bjerke, Donald L; Srinivasan, Viny; Eisenmann, Carol

2015-04-01

In the European Union animal testing has been eliminated for cosmetic ingredients while the US Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel may request data from animal studies. The use of read-across and predictive toxicology provides a path for filling data gaps without additional animal testing. The PEG cocamines are tertiary amines with an alkyl group derived from coconut fatty acids and two PEG chains of varying length. Toxicology data gaps for the PEG cocamines can be addressed by read-across based on structure-activity relationship using the framework described by Wu et al. (2010) for identifying suitable structural analogs. Data for structural analogs supports the conclusion that the PEG cocamines are non-genotoxic and not expected to exhibit systemic or developmental/reproductive toxicity with use in cosmetics. Due to lack of reliable dermal sensitization data for suitable analogs, this endpoint was addressed using predictive software (TIMES SS) as a first step (Laboratory of Mathematical Chemistry). The prediction for PEG cocamines was the same as that for PEGs, which have been concluded to not present a significant concern for dermal sensitization. This evaluation for PEG cocamines demonstrates the utility of read-across and predictive toxicology tools to assess the safety of cosmetic ingredients. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Ethology of panic disorders].

PubMed

Cyrulnik, B

1996-12-01

Animal's world is perfectly coded. According to genetical equipment, there are in natural sphere, signals whose bio-physical structure releases panics behaviours. But the mere fact that an organism is developing from birth to death makes it sensitive to different informations. Imprinting allows to young to incorporate another live-being or a sphere, category it. From now, if we change this sphere, it's a trouble of relation of world which panics the young. Surpopulation regarded in an animal world as an impossibility to classify its world, impairs animal's behaviours and released accidental panics. Overgenerational appears soon in animals, a long time before words. But when human language appears, it modifies memory's nature and allows therefore troubles released by a representation. The tranquilizing mechanism often consists of changing fear in anxiety, easier to manage.

2007 International Brain Mapping and Intraoperative Surgical Planning Society’s (IBMISPS) Annual World Congress

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-02-01

and Stroke Two Long Term Consequences of Penetrating Head Injuries : Exacerbated Decline and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Key Note speaker: Michael L...an intuitively obvious first principle that if modern medicine hopes to repair adult brains (damaged by war injuries , automobile accidents, stroke ...Imaging Animal Models of Brain Disease Background and Animal Model Quantization of Structure Cerebral Blood Flow Mini- Strokes Cancer Future

Nuclear and Mitochondrial Patterns of Population Structure in North Pacific False Killer Whales (Pseudorca crassidens)

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-05-14

microsatellite loci from 206 individuals to examine levels of differentiation among the 2 island-associated populations and offshore animals from the...they are from offshore animals . The patterns of differentiation revealed by the 2 marker types suggest that the island-associated false killer whale...False killer whales (Pseudorca crassidens) are large delphinids typically found in deep water far offshore . However, in the Hawaiian Archipelago

Modeling Marine Exposure to Polychlorinated Biphenyls from Sunken Ships.

DTIC Science & Technology

1996-12-01

plant cell structure, including cellulose, and convert it to animal tissue . This extra effort reduces efficiency. The lowest efficiency of carnivores ... Plant Cell Cultures ," Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. 14: 2017-2022 (1995). 104 Bonner, Nigel. Seals and Sea Lions of the World. New York...these PCBs in the marine ecosystem. As these materials are released from the site, they will be absorbed by various plant and animal species. The

Defining the Pathophysiological Role of Tau in Experimental TBI

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-10-01

structure vital for memory formation. Damage to the EC or perforant pathway projection in animals causes a rapid forgetting syndrome reminiscent of AD... animal experiments, and improves the discriminative power of the experimental design going forward. 9 3. Study questions, and numbers of mice...project, sera will be analyzed for a set of biomarkers for neuronal degeneration, in order to identify a marker whose blood levels are a surrogate measure

Optimization of immunohistochemical and fluorescent antibody techniques for localization of foot-and-mouth disease virus in animal tissues

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Immunohistochemical (IHC) and immunofluorescent (IF) techniques were optimized for the detection of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) structural and non-structural proteins in frozen and paraformaldehyde-fixed paraffin embedded (PFPE) tissues of bovine and porcine origin. Immunohistochemical local...

Ecosystem Food Web Lift-The-Flap Pages

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Atwood-Blaine, Dana; Rule, Audrey C.; Morgan, Hannah

2016-01-01

In the lesson on which this practical article is based, third grade students constructed a "lift-the-flap" page to explore food webs on the prairie. The moveable papercraft focused student attention on prairie animals' external structures and how the inferred functions of those structures could support further inferences about the…

Recent investigations of ergot alkaloids incorporated into plant and/or animal systems

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Ergot alkaloids produced by fungi have a basic chemical structure but different chemical moieties at substituent sites resulting in various forms of alkaloids that are distinguishable from one another. Since the ergoline ring structure found in ergot alkaloids is similar to that of biogenic amines (...

A Unified Air-Sea Visualization System: Survey on Gridding Structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anand, Harsh; Moorhead, Robert

1995-01-01

The goal is to develop a Unified Air-Sea Visualization System (UASVS) to enable the rapid fusion of observational, archival, and model data for verification and analysis. To design and develop UASVS, modelers were polled to determine the gridding structures and visualization systems used, and their needs with respect to visual analysis. A basic UASVS requirement is to allow a modeler to explore multiple data sets within a single environment, or to interpolate multiple datasets onto one unified grid. From this survey, the UASVS should be able to visualize 3D scalar/vector fields; render isosurfaces; visualize arbitrary slices of the 3D data; visualize data defined on spectral element grids with the minimum number of interpolation stages; render contours; produce 3D vector plots and streamlines; provide unified visualization of satellite images, observations and model output overlays; display the visualization on a projection of the users choice; implement functions so the user can derive diagnostic values; animate the data to see the time-evolution; animate ocean and atmosphere at different rates; store the record of cursor movement, smooth the path, and animate a window around the moving path; repeatedly start and stop the visual time-stepping; generate VHS tape animations; work on a variety of workstations; and allow visualization across clusters of workstations and scalable high performance computer systems.

Building on a solid foundation: SAR and QSAR as a fundamental strategy to reduce animal testing.

PubMed

Sullivan, K M; Manuppello, J R; Willett, C E

2014-01-01

The development of more efficient, ethical, and effective means of assessing the effects of chemicals on human health and the environment was a lifetime goal of Gilman Veith. His work has provided the foundation for the use of chemical structure for informing toxicological assessment by regulatory agencies the world over. Veith's scientific work influenced the early development of the SAR models in use today at the US Environmental Protection Agency. He was the driving force behind the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development QSAR Toolbox. Veith was one of a few early pioneers whose vision led to the linkage of chemical structure and biological activity as a means of predicting adverse apical outcomes (known as a mode of action, or an adverse outcome pathway approach), and he understood at an early stage the power that could be harnessed when combining computational and mechanistic biological approaches as a means of avoiding animal testing. Through the International QSAR Foundation he organized like-minded experts to develop non-animal methods and frameworks for the assessment of chemical hazard and risk for the benefit of public and environmental health. Avoiding animal testing was Gil's passion, and his work helped to initiate the paradigm shift in toxicology that is now rendering this feasible.

An individual-orientated model of the emergence of despotic and egalitarian societies

PubMed Central

Hemelrijk, C. K.

1999-01-01

Single behavioural differences between egalitarian and despotic animal societies are often assumed to reflect specific adaptations. However, in the present paper, I will show in an individual-orientated model, how many behavioural traits of egalitarian and despotic virtual societies arise as emergent characteristics. The artificial entities live in a homogeneous world and only aggregate, and upon meeting one another and may perform dominance interactions in which the effects of winning and losing are self-reinforcing. The behaviour of these entities is studied in a similar way to that of real animals. It will be shown that by varying the intensity of aggression only, one may switch from egalitarian to despotic virtual societies. Differences between the two types of society appear to correspond closely to those between despotic and egalitarian macaque species in the real world. In addition, artificial despotic societies show a clearer spatial centrality of dominants and, counter-intuitively, more rank overlap between the sexes than the egalitarian ones. Because of the correspondence with patterns in real animals, the model makes it worthwhile comparing despotic and egalitarian species for socio-spatial structure and rank overlap too. Furthermore, it presents us with parsimonious hypotheses which can be tested in real animals for patterns of aggression, spatial structure and the distribution of social positive and sexual behaviour.

Functional and Structural Characterization of FAU Gene/Protein from Marine Sponge Suberites domuncula

PubMed Central

Perina, Dragutin; Korolija, Marina; Popović Hadžija, Marijana; Grbeša, Ivana; Belužić, Robert; Imešek, Mirna; Morrow, Christine; Marjanović, Melanija Posavec; Bakran-Petricioli, Tatjana; Mikoč, Andreja; Ćetković, Helena

2015-01-01

Finkel-Biskis-Reilly murine sarcoma virus (FBR-MuSV) ubiquitously expressed (FAU) gene is down-regulated in human prostate, breast and ovarian cancers. Moreover, its dysregulation is associated with poor prognosis in breast cancer. Sponges (Porifera) are animals without tissues which branched off first from the common ancestor of all metazoans. A large majority of genes implicated in human cancers have their homologues in the sponge genome. Our study suggests that FAU gene from the sponge Suberites domuncula reflects characteristics of the FAU gene from the metazoan ancestor, which have changed only slightly during the course of animal evolution. We found pro-apoptotic activity of sponge FAU protein. The same as its human homologue, sponge FAU increases apoptosis in human HEK293T cells. This indicates that the biological functions of FAU, usually associated with “higher” metazoans, particularly in cancer etiology, possess a biochemical background established early in metazoan evolution. The ancestor of all animals possibly possessed FAU protein with the structure and function similar to evolutionarily more recent versions of the protein, even before the appearance of true tissues and the origin of tumors and metastasis. It provides an opportunity to use pre-bilaterian animals as a simpler model for studying complex interactions in human cancerogenesis. PMID:26198235

Comparing Plant and Animal Glutamate Receptors: Common Traits but Different Fates?

PubMed

Wudick, Michael M; Michard, Erwan; Oliveira Nunes, Custódio; Feijó, José A

2018-04-19

Animal ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs) are ligand-gated channels whose evolution is intimately linked to the one of the nervous system, where the agonist glutamate and co-agonists glycine/D-serine act as neuro-transmitters or -modulators. While iGluRs are specialized in neuronal communication, plant glutamate receptor-like (GLR) homologues have evolved many plant-specific physiological functions, such as sperm signaling in moss, pollen tube growth, root meristem proliferation, innate immune and wound responses. GLRs have been associated with Ca2+ signaling by directly channeling its extracellular influx into the cytosol. Nevertheless, very limited information on functional properties of GLRs is available, and we mostly rely on structure/function data obtained for animal iGluRs to interpret experimental results obtained for plant GLRs. Yet, a deeper characterization and better understanding of plant GLRs is progressively unveiling original and different mode of functions when compared to their mammalian counterparts. Here, we review the function of plant GLRs comparing their predicted structure and physiological roles to the well-documented ones of iGluRs. We conclude that interpreting GLR function based on comparison to their animal counterparts calls for caution, especially when presuming physiological roles and mode of action for plant GLRs from comparison to iGluRs in peripheral, non-neuronal tissues.

Functional Connectivity Mapping in the Animal Model: Principles and Applications of Resting-State fMRI

PubMed Central

Gorges, Martin; Roselli, Francesco; Müller, Hans-Peter; Ludolph, Albert C.; Rasche, Volker; Kassubek, Jan

2017-01-01

“Resting-state” fMRI has substantially contributed to the understanding of human and non-human functional brain organization by the analysis of correlated patterns in spontaneous activity within dedicated brain systems. Spontaneous neural activity is indirectly measured from the blood oxygenation level-dependent signal as acquired by echo planar imaging, when subjects quietly “resting” in the scanner. Animal models including disease or knockout models allow a broad spectrum of experimental manipulations not applicable in humans. The non-invasive fMRI approach provides a promising tool for cross-species comparative investigations. This review focuses on the principles of “resting-state” functional connectivity analysis and its applications to living animals. The translational aspect from in vivo animal models toward clinical applications in humans is emphasized. We introduce the fMRI-based investigation of the non-human brain’s hemodynamics, the methodological issues in the data postprocessing, and the functional data interpretation from different abstraction levels. The longer term goal of integrating fMRI connectivity data with structural connectomes obtained with tracing and optical imaging approaches is presented and will allow the interrogation of fMRI data in terms of directional flow of information and may identify the structural underpinnings of observed functional connectivity patterns. PMID:28539914

What is the animal doing? Tools for exploring behavioural structure in animal movements.

PubMed

Gurarie, Eliezer; Bracis, Chloe; Delgado, Maria; Meckley, Trevor D; Kojola, Ilpo; Wagner, C Michael

2016-01-01

Movement data provide a window - often our only window - into the cognitive, social and biological processes that underlie the behavioural ecology of animals in the wild. Robust methods for identifying and interpreting distinct modes of movement behaviour are of great importance, but complicated by the fact that movement data are complex, multivariate and dependent. Many different approaches to exploratory analysis of movement have been developed to answer similar questions, and practitioners are often at a loss for how to choose an appropriate tool for a specific question. We apply and compare four methodological approaches: first passage time (FPT), Bayesian partitioning of Markov models (BPMM), behavioural change point analysis (BCPA) and a fitted multistate random walk (MRW) to three simulated tracks and two animal trajectories - a sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) tracked for 12 h and a wolf (Canis lupus) tracked for 1 year. The simulations - in which, respectively, velocity, tortuosity and spatial bias change - highlight the sensitivity of all methods to model misspecification. Methods that do not account for autocorrelation in the movement variables lead to spurious change points, while methods that do not account for spatial bias completely miss changes in orientation. When applied to the animal data, the methods broadly agree on the structure of the movement behaviours. Important discrepancies, however, reflect differences in the assumptions and nature of the outputs. Important trade-offs are between the strength of the a priori assumptions (low in BCPA, high in MRW), complexity of output (high in the BCPA, low in the BPMM and MRW) and explanatory potential (highest in the MRW). The animal track analysis suggests some general principles for the exploratory analysis of movement data, including ways to exploit the strengths of the various methods. We argue for close and detailed exploratory analysis of movement before fitting complex movement models. © 2015 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology © 2015 British Ecological Society.

Comparative evaluation of non-structural protein-antibody detecting ELISAs for foot-and-mouth disease sero-surveillance under intensive vaccination.

PubMed

Sharma, Gaurav Kumar; Mohapatra, Jajati Keshari; Mahajan, Sonalika; Matura, Rakesh; Subramaniam, Saravanan; Pattnaik, Bramhadev

2014-10-01

Foot-and-mouth disease is a highly infectious and contagious disease of livestock animals with transboundary and economical importance. Animals in the endemic settings are regularly vaccinated in addition to intensive surveillance for control of the disease. Under intensive vaccination, detection of infected animals among the vaccinated population is essential to monitor the infection and to track down the virus movement. Sero-surveillance and retrospective disease diagnosis is performed primarily by detecting antibodies against non-structural proteins (NSPs) of FMD virus which are usually absent in the inactivated vaccine formulations. The study was conducted with an objective to compare simultaneously performance of six NSP ELISAs in detecting infected animals in the areas covered under intensive vaccination, and to assess their fit-for-purpose attribute for sero-surveillance of FMD in India. A panel of bovine serum samples consisting of samples collected from infected with FMDV, vaccinated and naive animals were constituted. In addition, samples collected at random from areas having varied FMD situation and vaccination coverage were tested simultaneously by the six NSP ELISAs to compare their performances. The four indigenous assays showed varying degrees of correlation with the two commercial kits. The study validated that, in all the groups of samples, the indigenous assays were equally sensitive and specific as the two commercial kits. Among all the six assays, PrioCheck and in-house 3ABC I-ELISAs showed maximum sensitivity for detection of infected animals, whereas 3AB3 I-ELISA and 3ABC C-ELISA showed maximum specificity. The study concluded that the in-house available assays are equally capable as the commercially available kits for differentiation of infected animals under intensive vaccination and identifies the 3AB3 I-ELISA with optimum sensitivity and specificity for the purpose of sero-surveillance in India. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Natural habitats matter: Determinants of spatial pattern in the composition of animal assemblages of the Czech Republic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Divíšek, Jan; Zelený, David; Culek, Martin; Št'astný, Karel

2014-08-01

Studies that explore species-environment relationships at a broad scale are usually limited by the availability of sufficient habitat description, which is often too coarse to differentiate natural habitat patches. Therefore, it is not well understood how the distribution of natural habitats affects broad-scale patterns in the distribution of animal species. In this study, we evaluate the role of field-mapped natural habitats, land-cover types derived from remote sensing and climate on the composition of assemblages of five distinct animal groups, namely non-volant mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and butterflies native to the Czech Republic. First, we used variation partitioning based on redundancy analysis to evaluate the extent to which the environmental variables and their spatial structure might underlie the observed spatial patterns in the composition of animal assemblages. Second, we partitioned variations explained by climate, natural habitats and land-cover to compare their relative importance. Finally, we tested the independent effects of each variable in order to evaluate the significance of their contributions to the environmental model. Our results showed that spatial patterns in the composition of assemblages of almost all the considered animal groups may be ascribed mostly to variations in the environment. Although the shared effects of climatic variables, natural habitats and land-cover types explained the largest proportion of variation in each animal group, the variation explained purely by natural habitats was always higher than the variation explained purely by climate or land-cover. We conclude that most spatial variation in the composition of assemblages of almost all animal groups probably arises from biological processes operating within a spatially structured environment and suggest that natural habitats are important to explain observed patterns because they often perform better than habitat descriptions based on remote sensing. This underlines the value of using appropriate habitat data, for which high-resolution and large-area field-mapping projects are necessary.

Space Launch System Integrated Structural Test b-roll

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-04-19

Integrated Structural Test at test stand 4699 at Marshall Space Flight Center: 1. Launch Vehicle Stage Adapter (LVSA) install to 4699 - 00:05 2. Interim Cryogenic Propulsion stage (ICPS) install to 4699 00:20 3. Orion Stage Adapter (OSA) install to 4699 00:56 4. Integrated Structural Test control room 01:10 5. Animation of stacking LVSA, ICPS & OSA in test stand 02:46

Endoscopy Practice Management, Fee Structures, and Marketing.

PubMed

Divers, Stephen J

2015-09-01

Although our knowledge and appreciation of endoscopic procedures in exotic pets is extensive, associated management practices, including equipment preferences and fee structures, have rarely been discussed. This short article highlights the results of a small survey of 35 experienced exotic animal endoscopists and details their equipment ownership/preferences and fee structures. The importance of marketing is also emphasized. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cells containing aragonite crystals mediate responses to gravity in Trichoplax adhaerens (Placozoa), an animal lacking neurons and synapses.

PubMed

Mayorova, Tatiana D; Smith, Carolyn L; Hammar, Katherine; Winters, Christine A; Pivovarova, Natalia B; Aronova, Maria A; Leapman, Richard D; Reese, Thomas S

2018-01-01

Trichoplax adhaerens has only six cell types. The function as well as the structure of crystal cells, the least numerous cell type, presented an enigma. Crystal cells are arrayed around the perimeter of the animal and each contains a birefringent crystal. Crystal cells resemble lithocytes in other animals so we looked for evidence they are gravity sensors. Confocal microscopy showed that their cup-shaped nuclei are oriented toward the edge of the animal, and that the crystal shifts downward under the influence of gravity. Some animals spontaneously lack crystal cells and these animals behaved differently upon being tilted vertically than animals with a typical number of crystal cells. EM revealed crystal cell contacts with fiber cells and epithelial cells but these contacts lacked features of synapses. EM spectroscopic analyses showed that crystals consist of the aragonite form of calcium carbonate. We thus provide behavioral evidence that Trichoplax are able to sense gravity, and that crystal cells are likely to be their gravity receptors. Moreover, because placozoans are thought to have evolved during Ediacaran or Cryogenian eras associated with aragonite seas, and their crystals are made of aragonite, they may have acquired gravity sensors during this early era.

Computer animation of modal and transient vibrations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lipman, Robert R.

1987-01-01

An interactive computer graphics processor is described that is capable of generating input to animate modal and transient vibrations of finite element models on an interactive graphics system. The results from NASTRAN can be postprocessed such that a three dimensional wire-frame picture, in perspective, of the finite element mesh is drawn on the graphics display. Modal vibrations of any mode shape or transient motions over any range of steps can be animated. The finite element mesh can be color-coded by any component of displacement. Viewing parameters and the rate of vibration of the finite element model can be interactively updated while the structure is vibrating.

Fourier transform Raman spectroscopic studies of human and animal skins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barry, Brian W.; Edwards, Howell G.; Williams, Adrian C.

1994-01-01

The stratum corneum is the outermost layer of the skin and provides the principal barrier for the ingress of chemicals and environmental toxins into human and animal tissues. However, human skin has several advantages for the administration of therapeutic agents (transdermal drug delivery), but problems occur with the supply, storage, and biohazardous nature of human tissue. Hence, alternative animal tissues have been prepared to model drug diffusion across human skin but the molecular basis for comparison is lacking. Here, FT-Raman spectra of mammalian (human and pig) and reptilian (snake) skins have been obtained and the structural dissimilarities are correlated with drug diffusion studies across the tissues.

Descartes and the pineal gland in animals: a frequent misinterpretation.

PubMed

Finger, S

1995-01-01

René Descartes presented a number of reasons for his choice of the pineal gland as a logical place for the soul to interact with the physical machinery of the body. It is often stated that one of his reasons was that he believed animals do not have pineal glands, whereas humans alone possess a soul and this small structure. This is a misinterpretation of Descartes. The philosopher knew that barnyard and other animals possess pineal glands, having seen this with his own eyes. His point was that the pineal is unique in humans only because of a special function - acting as the seat for the rational soul.

A step-by-step guide to systematically identify all relevant animal studies.

PubMed

Leenaars, Marlies; Hooijmans, Carlijn R; van Veggel, Nieky; ter Riet, Gerben; Leeflang, Mariska; Hooft, Lotty; van der Wilt, Gert Jan; Tillema, Alice; Ritskes-Hoitinga, Merel

2012-01-01

Before starting a new animal experiment, thorough analysis of previously performed experiments is essential from a scientific as well as from an ethical point of view. The method that is most suitable to carry out such a thorough analysis of the literature is a systematic review (SR). An essential first step in an SR is to search and find all potentially relevant studies. It is important to include all available evidence in an SR to minimize bias and reduce hampered interpretation of experimental outcomes. Despite the recent development of search filters to find animal studies in PubMed and EMBASE, searching for all available animal studies remains a challenge. Available guidelines from the clinical field cannot be copied directly to the situation within animal research, and although there are plenty of books and courses on searching the literature, there is no compact guide available to search and find relevant animal studies. Therefore, in order to facilitate a structured, thorough and transparent search for animal studies (in both preclinical and fundamental science), an easy-to-use, step-by-step guide was prepared and optimized using feedback from scientists in the field of animal experimentation. The step-by-step guide will assist scientists in performing a comprehensive literature search and, consequently, improve the scientific quality of the resulting review and prevent unnecessary animal use in the future.

A step-by-step guide to systematically identify all relevant animal studies

PubMed Central

Leenaars, Marlies; Hooijmans, Carlijn R; van Veggel, Nieky; ter Riet, Gerben; Leeflang, Mariska; Hooft, Lotty; van der Wilt, Gert Jan; Tillema, Alice; Ritskes-Hoitinga, Merel

2012-01-01

Before starting a new animal experiment, thorough analysis of previously performed experiments is essential from a scientific as well as from an ethical point of view. The method that is most suitable to carry out such a thorough analysis of the literature is a systematic review (SR). An essential first step in an SR is to search and find all potentially relevant studies. It is important to include all available evidence in an SR to minimize bias and reduce hampered interpretation of experimental outcomes. Despite the recent development of search filters to find animal studies in PubMed and EMBASE, searching for all available animal studies remains a challenge. Available guidelines from the clinical field cannot be copied directly to the situation within animal research, and although there are plenty of books and courses on searching the literature, there is no compact guide available to search and find relevant animal studies. Therefore, in order to facilitate a structured, thorough and transparent search for animal studies (in both preclinical and fundamental science), an easy-to-use, step-by-step guide was prepared and optimized using feedback from scientists in the field of animal experimentation. The step-by-step guide will assist scientists in performing a comprehensive literature search and, consequently, improve the scientific quality of the resulting review and prevent unnecessary animal use in the future. PMID:22037056

Using Machine Learning to Predict Swine Movements within a Regional Program to Improve Control of Infectious Diseases in the US.

PubMed

Valdes-Donoso, Pablo; VanderWaal, Kimberly; Jarvis, Lovell S; Wayne, Spencer R; Perez, Andres M

2017-01-01

Between-farm animal movement is one of the most important factors influencing the spread of infectious diseases in food animals, including in the US swine industry. Understanding the structural network of contacts in a food animal industry is prerequisite to planning for efficient production strategies and for effective disease control measures. Unfortunately, data regarding between-farm animal movements in the US are not systematically collected and thus, such information is often unavailable. In this paper, we develop a procedure to replicate the structure of a network, making use of partial data available, and subsequently use the model developed to predict animal movements among sites in 34 Minnesota counties. First, we summarized two networks of swine producing facilities in Minnesota, then we used a machine learning technique referred to as random forest, an ensemble of independent classification trees, to estimate the probability of pig movements between farms and/or markets sites located in two counties in Minnesota. The model was calibrated and tested by comparing predicted data and observed data in those two counties for which data were available. Finally, the model was used to predict animal movements in sites located across 34 Minnesota counties. Variables that were important in predicting pig movements included between-site distance, ownership, and production type of the sending and receiving farms and/or markets. Using a weighted-kernel approach to describe spatial variation in the centrality measures of the predicted network, we showed that the south-central region of the study area exhibited high aggregation of predicted pig movements. Our results show an overlap with the distribution of outbreaks of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome, which is believed to be transmitted, at least in part, though animal movements. While the correspondence of movements and disease is not a causal test, it suggests that the predicted network may approximate actual movements. Accordingly, the predictions provided here might help to design and implement control strategies in the region. Additionally, the methodology here may be used to estimate contact networks for other livestock systems when only incomplete information regarding animal movements is available.

Initiating a regenerative response; cellular and molecular features of wound healing in the cnidarian Nematostella vectensis.

PubMed

DuBuc, Timothy Q; Traylor-Knowles, Nikki; Martindale, Mark Q

2014-03-26

Wound healing is the first stage of a series of cellular events that are necessary to initiate a regenerative response. Defective wound healing can block regeneration even in animals with a high regenerative capacity. Understanding how signals generated during wound healing promote regeneration of lost structures is highly important, considering that virtually all animals have the ability to heal but many lack the ability to regenerate missing structures. Cnidarians are the phylogenetic sister taxa to bilaterians and are highly regenerative animals. To gain a greater understanding of how early animals generate a regenerative response, we examined the cellular and molecular components involved during wound healing in the anthozoan cnidarian Nematostella vectensis. Pharmacological inhibition of extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK) signaling blocks regeneration and wound healing in Nematostella. We characterized early and late wound healing events through genome-wide microarray analysis, quantitative PCR, and in situ hybridization to identify potential wound healing targets. We identified a number of genes directly related to the wound healing response in other animals (metalloproteinases, growth factors, transcription factors) and suggest that glycoproteins (mucins and uromodulin) play a key role in early wound healing events. This study also identified a novel cnidarian-specific gene, for a thiamine biosynthesis enzyme (vitamin B synthesis), that may have been incorporated into the genome by lateral gene transfer from bacteria and now functions during wound healing. Lastly, we suggest that ERK signaling is a shared element of the early wound response for animals with a high regenerative capacity. This research describes the temporal events involved during Nematostella wound healing, and provides a foundation for comparative analysis with other regenerative and non-regenerative species. We have shown that the same genes that heal puncture wounds are also activated after oral-aboral bisection, indicating a clear link with the initiation of regenerative healing. This study demonstrates the strength of using a forward approach (microarray) to characterize a developmental phenomenon (wound healing) at a phylogenetically important crossroad of animal evolution (cnidarian-bilaterian ancestor). Accumulation of data on the early wound healing events across numerous systems may provide clues as to why some animals have limited regenerative abilities.

Initiating a regenerative response; cellular and molecular features of wound healing in the cnidarian Nematostella vectensis

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Wound healing is the first stage of a series of cellular events that are necessary to initiate a regenerative response. Defective wound healing can block regeneration even in animals with a high regenerative capacity. Understanding how signals generated during wound healing promote regeneration of lost structures is highly important, considering that virtually all animals have the ability to heal but many lack the ability to regenerate missing structures. Cnidarians are the phylogenetic sister taxa to bilaterians and are highly regenerative animals. To gain a greater understanding of how early animals generate a regenerative response, we examined the cellular and molecular components involved during wound healing in the anthozoan cnidarian Nematostella vectensis. Results Pharmacological inhibition of extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK) signaling blocks regeneration and wound healing in Nematostella. We characterized early and late wound healing events through genome-wide microarray analysis, quantitative PCR, and in situ hybridization to identify potential wound healing targets. We identified a number of genes directly related to the wound healing response in other animals (metalloproteinases, growth factors, transcription factors) and suggest that glycoproteins (mucins and uromodulin) play a key role in early wound healing events. This study also identified a novel cnidarian-specific gene, for a thiamine biosynthesis enzyme (vitamin B synthesis), that may have been incorporated into the genome by lateral gene transfer from bacteria and now functions during wound healing. Lastly, we suggest that ERK signaling is a shared element of the early wound response for animals with a high regenerative capacity. Conclusions This research describes the temporal events involved during Nematostella wound healing, and provides a foundation for comparative analysis with other regenerative and non-regenerative species. We have shown that the same genes that heal puncture wounds are also activated after oral-aboral bisection, indicating a clear link with the initiation of regenerative healing. This study demonstrates the strength of using a forward approach (microarray) to characterize a developmental phenomenon (wound healing) at a phylogenetically important crossroad of animal evolution (cnidarian-bilaterian ancestor). Accumulation of data on the early wound healing events across numerous systems may provide clues as to why some animals have limited regenerative abilities. PMID:24670243

Social coordination in animal vocal interactions. Is there any evidence of turn-taking? The starling as an animal model

PubMed Central

Henry, Laurence; Craig, Adrian J. F. K.; Lemasson, Alban; Hausberger, Martine

2015-01-01

Turn-taking in conversation appears to be a common feature in various human cultures and this universality raises questions about its biological basis and evolutionary trajectory. Functional convergence is a widespread phenomenon in evolution, revealing sometimes striking functional similarities between very distant species even though the mechanisms involved may be different. Studies on mammals (including non-human primates) and bird species with different levels of social coordination reveal that temporal and structural regularities in vocal interactions may depend on the species' social structure. Here we test the hypothesis that turn-taking and associated rules of conversations may be an adaptive response to the requirements of social life, by testing the applicability of turn-taking rules to an animal model, the European starling. Birdsong has for many decades been considered as one of the best models of human language and starling songs have been well described in terms of vocal production and perception. Starlings do have vocal interactions where alternating patterns predominate. Observational and experimental data on vocal interactions reveal that (1) there are indeed clear temporal and structural regularities, (2) the temporal and structural patterning is influenced by the immediate social context, the general social situation, the individual history, and the internal state of the emitter. Comparison of phylogenetically close species of Sturnids reveals that the alternating pattern of vocal interactions varies greatly according to the species' social structure, suggesting that interactional regularities may have evolved together with social systems. These findings lead to solid bases of discussion on the evolution of communication rules in relation to social evolution. They will be discussed also in terms of processes, at the light of recent neurobiological findings. PMID:26441787

Genomic diversity and population structure of three autochthonous Greek sheep breeds assessed with genome-wide DNA arrays.

PubMed

Michailidou, S; Tsangaris, G; Fthenakis, G C; Tzora, A; Skoufos, I; Karkabounas, S C; Banos, G; Argiriou, A; Arsenos, G

2018-06-01

In the present study, genome-wide genotyping was applied to characterize the genetic diversity and population structure of three autochthonous Greek breeds: Boutsko, Karagouniko and Chios. Dairy sheep are among the most significant livestock species in Greece numbering approximately 9 million animals which are characterized by large phenotypic variation and reared under various farming systems. A total of 96 animals were genotyped with the Illumina's OvineSNP50K microarray beadchip, to study the population structure of the breeds and develop a specialized panel of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), which could distinguish one breed from the others. Quality control on the dataset resulted in 46,125 SNPs, which were used to evaluate the genetic structure of the breeds. Population structure was assessed through principal component analysis (PCA) and admixture analysis, whereas inbreeding was estimated based on runs of homozygosity (ROHs) coefficients, genomic relationship matrix inbreeding coefficients (F GRM ) and patterns of linkage disequilibrium (LD). Associations between SNPs and breeds were analyzed with different inheritance models, to identify SNPs that distinguish among the breeds. Results showed high levels of genetic heterogeneity in the three breeds. Genetic distances among breeds were modest, despite their different ancestries. Chios and Karagouniko breeds were more genetically related to each other compared to Boutsko. Analysis revealed 3802 candidate SNPs that can be used to identify two-breed crosses and purebred animals. The present study provides, for the first time, data on the genetic background of three Greek indigenous dairy sheep breeds as well as a specialized marker panel that can be applied for traceability purposes as well as targeted genetic improvement schemes and conservation programs.

Muscle structure and stiffness assessment after botulinum toxin type A injection. A systematic review.

PubMed

Mathevon, L; Michel, F; Decavel, P; Fernandez, B; Parratte, B; Calmels, P

2015-12-01

Botulinum toxin type A manages spasticity disorders in neurological central diseases. Some studies have reported that it might induce muscle changes. We present a literature review abiding by the PRISMA statement guidelines. The purpose was to explore the structural and passive biomechanical muscle properties after botulinum toxin type A injections in healthy and spastic limb muscles, on animals and humans, as well as methods for evaluating these properties. We searched the PubMed and Cochrane Library databases using the following keywords: "Botulinum toxin" AND ("muscle structure" OR "muscle atrophy") and, "Botulinum toxin" AND "muscle elasticity". From the 228 initially identified articles, 21 articles were included. Histological analyses were performed, especially on animals. A neurogenic atrophy systematically occurred. In humans, one year after a single injection, the histological recovery remained incomplete. Furthermore, 2D ultrasound analyses showed a reduction of the gastrocnemius thickness and pennation angle. MRI volumetric analysis evidenced muscular atrophy six months or one year after a single injection. Passive muscle stiffness depends on these structural changes. On the short term, the biomechanical analysis showed an elastic modulus increase in animals whereas no change was recorded in humans. On the short term, ultrasound elastography imaging showed a decreased elastic modulus. To date, few data are available, but all show a structural and mechanical muscle impact post injections, specifically muscle atrophy which can linger over time. Further studies are necessary to validate this element, and the possibility of change must be taken into account particularly with repeated injections. Thus, in clinical practice, 2D ultrasound and ultrasound elastography are two non-invasive techniques that will help physicians to develop an efficient long term monitoring. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Analytical Raman spectroscopic study for discriminant analysis of different animal-derived feedstuff: Understanding the high correlation between Raman spectroscopy and lipid characteristics.

PubMed

Gao, Fei; Xu, Lingzhi; Zhang, Yuejing; Yang, Zengling; Han, Lujia; Liu, Xian

2018-02-01

The objectives of the current study were to explore the correlation between Raman spectroscopy and lipid characteristics and to assess the potential of Raman spectroscopic methods for distinguishing the different sources of animal-originated feed based on lipid characteristics. A total of 105 lipid samples derived from five animal species have been analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) and FT-Raman spectroscopy. High correlations (r 2 >0.94) were found between the characteristic peak ratio of the Raman spectra (1654/1748 and 1654/1445) and the degree of unsaturation of the animal lipids. The results of FT-Raman data combined with chemometrics showed that the fishmeal, poultry, porcine and ruminant (bovine and ovine) MBMs could be well separated based on their lipid spectral characteristics. This study demonstrated that FT-Raman spectroscopy can mostly exhibit the lipid structure specificity of different species of animal-originated feed and can be used to discriminate different animal-originated feed samples. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Risk analysis and its link with standards of the World Organisation for Animal Health.

PubMed

Sugiura, K; Murray, N

2011-04-01

Among the agreements included in the treaty that created the World Trade Organization (WTO) in January 1995 is the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement) that sets out the basic rules for food safety and animal and plant health standards. The SPS Agreement designates the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) as the organisation responsible for developing international standards for animal health and zoonoses. The SPS Agreement requires that the sanitary measures that WTO members apply should be based on science and encourages them to either apply measures based on the OIE standards or, if they choose to adopt a higher level of protection than that provided by these standards, apply measures based on a science-based risk assessment. The OIE also provides a procedural framework for risk analysis for its Member Countries to use. Despite the inevitable challenges that arise in carrying out a risk analysis of the international trade in animals and animal products, the OIE risk analysis framework provides a structured approach that facilitates the identification, assessment, management and communication of these risks.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mayer, J; Paul E. Johns, P

Wild pig (Sus scrofa) collisions with vehicles are known to occur in the United States, but only minimal information describing these accidents has been reported. In an effort to better characterize these accidents, data were collected from 179 wild pig-vehicle collisions from a location in west central South Carolina. Data included accident parameters pertaining to the animals involved, time, location, and human impacts. The age structure of the animals involved was significantly older than that found in the population. Most collisions involved single animals; however, up to seven animals were involved in individual accidents. As the number of animals permore » collision increased, the age and body mass of the individuals involved decreased. The percentage of males was significantly higher in the single-animal accidents. Annual attrition due to vehicle collisions averaged 0.8 percent of the population. Wild pig-vehicle collisions occurred year-round and throughout the 24-hour daily time period. Most accidents were at night. The presence of lateral barriers was significantly more frequent at the collision locations. Human injuries were infrequent but potentially serious. The mean vehicle damage estimate was $1,173.« less

Anatomy of large animal spines and its comparison to the human spine: a systematic review.

PubMed

Sheng, Sun-Ren; Wang, Xiang-Yang; Xu, Hua-Zi; Zhu, Guo-Qing; Zhou, Yi-Fei

2010-01-01

Animal models have been commonly used for in vivo and in vitro spinal research. However, the extent to which animal models resemble the human spine has not been well known. We conducted a systematic review to compare the morphometric features of vertebrae between human and animal species, so as to give some suggestions on how to choose an appropriate animal model in spine research. A literature search of all English language peer-reviewed publications was conducted using PubMed, OVID, Springer and Elsevier (Science Direct) for the years 1980-2008. Two reviewers extracted data on the anatomy of large animal spines from the identified articles. Each anatomical study of animals had to include at least three vertebral levels. The anatomical data from all animal studies were compared with the existing data of the human spine in the literature. Of the papers retrieved, seven were included in the review. The animals in the studies involved baboon, sheep, porcine, calf and deer. Distinct anatomical differences of vertebrae were found between the human and each large animal spine. In cervical region, spines of the baboon and human are more similar as compared to other animals. In thoracic and lumbar regions, the mean pedicle height of all animals was greater than the human pedicles. There was similar mean pedicle width between animal and the human specimens, except in thoracic segments of sheep. The human spinal canal was wider and deeper in the anteroposterior plane than any of the animals. The mean human vertebral body width and depth were greater than that of the animals except in upper thoracic segments of the deer. However, the mean vertebral body height was lower than that of all animals. This paper provides a comprehensive review to compare vertebrae geometries of experimental animal models to the human vertebrae, and will help for choosing animal model in vivo and in vitro spine research. When the animal selected for spine research, the structural similarities and differences found in the animal studies must be kept in mind.

Correlates of cruelty to animals in the United States: results from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions.

PubMed

Vaughn, Michael G; Fu, Qiang; DeLisi, Matt; Beaver, Kevin M; Perron, Brian E; Terrell, Katie; Howard, Matthew O

2009-10-01

To examine the sociodemographic, behavioral, and psychiatric correlates of cruelty to animals in the US. Data were derived from a nationally representative sample of adults residing in the US Structured psychiatric interviews (N=43,093) were completed by trained lay interviewers between 2001 and 2002. Personality, substance use, mood, and anxiety disorders and cruelty to animals were assessed with the Alcohol Use Disorder and Associated Disabilities Interview Schedule (DSM-IV) version. The lifetime prevalence of animal cruelty in US adults was 1.8%. Men, African-Americans, Native-Americans/Asians, native-born Americans, persons with lower levels of income and education and adults living the western region of the US reported comparatively high levels of cruelty to animals, whereas Hispanics reported comparatively low levels of such behavior. Cruelty to animals was significantly associated with all assessed antisocial behaviors. Adjusted analyses revealed strong associations between lifetime alcohol use disorders, conduct disorder, antisocial, obsessive-compulsive, and histrionic personality disorders, pathological gambling, family history of antisocial behavior, and cruelty to animals. Cruelty to animals is associated with elevated rates observed in young, poor, men with family histories of antisocial behavior and personal histories of conduct disorder in childhood, and antisocial, obsessive-compulsive and histrionic personality disorders, and pathological gambling in adulthood. Given these associations, and the widespread ownership of pets and animals, effective screening of children, adolescents and adults for animal cruelty and appropriate mental health interventions should be deployed.

Technological Advances in Cardiovascular Safety Assessment Decrease Preclinical Animal Use and Improve Clinical Relevance.

PubMed

Berridge, Brian R; Schultze, A Eric; Heyen, Jon R; Searfoss, George H; Sarazan, R Dustan

2016-12-01

Cardiovascular (CV) safety liabilities are significant concerns for drug developers and preclinical animal studies are predominately where those liabilities are characterized before patient exposures. Steady progress in technology and laboratory capabilities is enabling a more refined and informative use of animals in those studies. The application of surgically implantable and telemetered instrumentation in the acute assessment of drug effects on CV function has significantly improved historical approaches that involved anesthetized or restrained animals. More chronically instrumented animals and application of common clinical imaging assessments like echocardiography and MRI extend functional and in-life structural assessments into the repeat-dose setting. A growing portfolio of circulating CV biomarkers is allowing longitudinal and repeated measures of cardiac and vascular injury and dysfunction better informing an understanding of temporal pathogenesis and allowing earlier detection of undesirable effects. In vitro modeling systems of the past were limited by their lack of biological relevance to the in vivo human condition. Advances in stem cell technology and more complex in vitro modeling platforms are quickly creating more opportunity to supplant animals in our earliest assessments for liabilities. Continuing improvement in our capabilities in both animal and nonanimal modeling should support a steady decrease in animal use for primary liability identification and optimize the translational relevance of the animal studies we continue to do. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Institute for Laboratory Animal Research. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Phenomenological Models and Animations of Welding and their Impact

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DebRoy, Tarasankar

Professor Robertson's recognized research on metallurgical thermodynamics and kinetics for over 40 years facilitated the emergence of rigorous quantitative understanding of many complex metallurgical processes. The author had the opportunity to work with Professor Robertson on liquid metals in the 1970s. This paper is intended to review the advances in the quantitative understanding of welding processes and weld metal attributes in recent decades. Over this period, phenomenological models have been developed to better understand and control various welding processes and the structure and properties of welded materials. Numerical models and animations of melting, solidification and the evolution of micro and macro-structural features will be presented to critically examine their impact on the practice of welding and the underlying science.

Segmental structure in banded mongoose calls

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

In complex animal vocalizations, such as bird or whale song, a great variety of songs can be produced via rearrangements of a smaller set of 'syllables', known as 'phonological syntax' or 'phonocoding' However, food or alarm calls, which function as referential signals, were previously thought to lack such combinatorial structure. A new study of calls in the banded mongoose Mungos mungo provides the first evidence of phonocoding at the level of single calls. The first portion of the call provides cues to the identity of the caller, and the second part encodes its current activity. This provides the first example known in animals of something akin to the consonants and vowels of human speech. See research article http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7007/10/97 PMID:23206277

Bridging animal and human models of exercise-induced brain plasticity

PubMed Central

Voss, Michelle W.; Vivar, Carmen; Kramer, Arthur F.; van Praag, Henriette

2015-01-01

Significant progress has been made in understanding the neurobiological mechanisms through which exercise protects and restores the brain. In this feature review, we integrate animal and human research, examining physical activity effects across multiple levels of description (neurons up to inter-regional pathways). We evaluate the influence of exercise on hippocampal structure and function, addressing common themes such as spatial memory and pattern separation, brain structure and plasticity, neurotrophic factors, and vasculature. Areas of research focused more within species, such as hippocampal neurogenesis in rodents, also provide crucial insight into the protective role of physical activity. Overall, converging evidence suggests exercise benefits brain function and cognition across the mammalian lifespan, which may translate into reduced risk for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in humans. PMID:24029446

FERM proteins in animal morphogenesis.

PubMed

Tepass, Ulrich

2009-08-01

Proteins containing a FERM domain are ubiquitous components of the cytocortex of animal cells where they are engaged in structural, transport, and signaling functions. Recent years have seen a wealth of genetic studies in model organisms that explore FERM protein function in development and tissue organization. In addition, mutations in several FERM protein-encoding genes have been associated with human diseases. This review will provide a brief overview of the FERM domain structure and the FERM protein superfamily and then discuss recent advances in our understanding of the mechanism of function and developmental requirement of several FERM proteins including Moesin, Myosin-VIIA, Myosin-XV, Coracle/Band4.1 as well as Yurt and its vertebrate homologs Mosaic Eyes and EPB41L5/YMO1/Limulus.

Economic analysis of wind-powered farmhouse and farm building heating systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stafford, R. W.; Greeb, F. J.; Smith, M. H.; Deschenes, C.; Weaver, N. L.

1981-01-01

The break even values of wind energy for selected farmhouses and farm buildings focusing on the effects of thermal storage on the use of WECS production were evaluated. Farmhouse structural models include three types derived from a national survey: an older, a more modern, and a passive solar structure. The eight farm building applications include: (1) poultry layers; (2) poultry brooding/layers; (3) poultry broilers; (4) poultry turkeys; (5) swine farrowing; (6) swine growing/finishing; (7) dairy; and (8) lambing. The farm buildings represent the spectrum of animal types, heating energy use, and major contributions to national agricultural economic values. All energy analyses are based on hour by hour computations which allow for growth of animals, sensible and latent heat production, and ventilation requirements.

Detailed temporal structure of communication networks in groups of songbirds.

PubMed

Stowell, Dan; Gill, Lisa; Clayton, David

2016-06-01

Animals in groups often exchange calls, in patterns whose temporal structure may be influenced by contextual factors such as physical location and the social network structure of the group. We introduce a model-based analysis for temporal patterns of animal call timing, originally developed for networks of firing neurons. This has advantages over cross-correlation analysis in that it can correctly handle common-cause confounds and provides a generative model of call patterns with explicit parameters for the influences between individuals. It also has advantages over standard Markovian analysis in that it incorporates detailed temporal interactions which affect timing as well as sequencing of calls. Further, a fitted model can be used to generate novel synthetic call sequences. We apply the method to calls recorded from groups of domesticated zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) individuals. We find that the communication network in these groups has stable structure that persists from one day to the next, and that 'kernels' reflecting the temporal range of influence have a characteristic structure for a calling individual's effect on itself, its partner and on others in the group. We further find characteristic patterns of influences by call type as well as by individual. © 2016 The Authors.

Comparison of the structures of three circoviruses: chicken anemia virus, porcine circovirus type 2, and beak and feather disease virus.

PubMed

Crowther, R A; Berriman, J A; Curran, W L; Allan, G M; Todd, D

2003-12-01

Circoviruses are small, nonenveloped icosahedral animal viruses characterized by circular single-stranded DNA genomes. Their genomes are the smallest possessed by animal viruses. Infections with circoviruses, which can lead to economically important diseases, frequently result in virus-induced damage to lymphoid tissue and immunosuppression. Within the family Circoviridae, different genera are distinguished by differences in genomic organization. Thus, Chicken anemia virus is in the genus Gyrovirus, while porcine circoviruses and Beak and feather disease virus belong to the genus CIRCOVIRUS: Little is known about the structures of circoviruses. Accordingly, we investigated the structures of these three viruses with a view to determining whether they are related. Three-dimensional maps computed from electron micrographs showed that all three viruses have a T=1 organization with capsids formed from 60 subunits. Porcine circovirus type 2 and beak and feather disease virus show similar capsid structures with flat pentameric morphological units, whereas chicken anemia virus has stikingly different protruding pentagonal trumpet-shaped units. It thus appears that the structures of viruses in the same genus are related but that those of viruses in different genera are unrelated.

Neural control of tuneable skin iridescence in squid

PubMed Central

Wardill, T. J.; Gonzalez-Bellido, P. T.; Crook, R. J.; Hanlon, R. T.

2012-01-01

Fast dynamic control of skin coloration is rare in the animal kingdom, whether it be pigmentary or structural. Iridescent structural coloration results when nanoscale structures disrupt incident light and selectively reflect specific colours. Unlike animals with fixed iridescent coloration (e.g. butterflies), squid iridophores (i.e. aggregations of iridescent cells in the skin) produce dynamically tuneable structural coloration, as exogenous application of acetylcholine (ACh) changes the colour and brightness output. Previous efforts to stimulate iridophores neurally or to identify the source of endogenous ACh were unsuccessful, leaving researchers to question the activation mechanism. We developed a novel neurophysiological preparation in the squid Doryteuthis pealeii and demonstrated that electrical stimulation of neurons in the skin shifts the spectral peak of the reflected light to shorter wavelengths (greater than 145 nm) and increases the peak reflectance (greater than 245%) of innervated iridophores. We show ACh is released within the iridophore layer and that extensive nerve branching is seen within the iridophore. The dynamic colour shift is significantly faster (17 s) than the peak reflectance increase (32 s), revealing two distinct mechanisms. Responses from a structurally altered preparation indicate that the reflectin protein condensation mechanism explains peak reflectance change, while an undiscovered mechanism causes the fast colour shift. PMID:22896651

The use of innovative gadolinium-based contrast agent for MR-diagnosis of cancer in the experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chernov, V.; Medvedeva, A.; Sinilkin, I.; Zelchan, R.; Grigorev, E.; Frolova, I.; Nam, I.

2016-02-01

The present study of the functional suitability and specific activity of the contrast agent gadolinium-based for magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated that the investigated contrast agent intensively accumulates in organs and anatomical structures of the experimental animals. In the model of tumor lesions in animals, study have shown that investigational contrast agent accumulates in the tumor tissue and retained there in for a long enough time.

The Pleurodele, an animal model for space biology studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gualandris, L.; Grinfeld, S.; Foulquier, F.; Kan, P.; Duprat, A. M.

Pleurodeles waltl, an Urodele amphibian is proposed as a model for space biology studies. Our laboratory is developing three types of experiments in space using this animal: 1) in vivo fertilization and development (``FERTILE'' project); 2) influence of microgravity and space radiation on the organization and preservation of spacialized structures in the neurons and muscle cells (in vitro; ``CELIMENE'' PROJECT); 3) influence of microgravity on tissue regeneration (muscle, bone, epidermis and spinal cord).

On the Modelling of Creative Behavior,

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-11-01

growing consensus that AI should be concerned with intelligence, not uniquely with human intelligence [1]. This consensus has cleared the way for a...34paging" rapidly growing data-structures to disk. By contrast, the line-segments generated in the drawing of a single animal--leaving aside the...assumptions. Since the "absolutely correct representation" of a position is, like Thurber’s unicorn , a mythical animal, I may seem to be arguing that

Ligation of the Jugular Veins Does Not Result in Brain Inflammation or Demyelination in Mice

PubMed Central

Wojtkiewicz, Gregory R.; Pulli, Benjamin; Iwamoto, Yoshiko; Ueno, Takuya; Waterman, Peter; Truelove, Jessica; Oklu, Rahmi; Chen, John W.

2012-01-01

An alternative hypothesis has been proposed implicating chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI) as a potential cause of multiple sclerosis (MS). We aimed to evaluate the validity of this hypothesis in a controlled animal model. Animal experiments were approved by the institutional animal care committee. The jugular veins in SJL mice were ligated bilaterally (n = 20), and the mice were observed for up to six months after ligation. Sham-operated mice (n = 15) and mice induced with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (n = 8) were used as negative and positive controls, respectively. The animals were evaluated using CT venography and 99mTc-exametazime to assess for structural and hemodynamic changes. Imaging was performed to evaluate for signs of blood-brain barrier (BBB) breakdown and neuroinflammation. Flow cytometry and histopathology were performed to assess inflammatory cell populations and demyelination. There were both structural changes (stenosis, collaterals) in the jugular venous drainage and hemodynamic disturbances in the brain on Tc99m-exametazime scintigraphy (p = 0.024). In the JVL mice, gadolinium MRI and immunofluorescence imaging for barrier molecules did not reveal evidence of BBB breakdown (p = 0.58). Myeloperoxidase, matrix metalloproteinase, and protease molecular imaging did not reveal signs of increased neuroinflammation (all p>0.05). Flow cytometry and histopathology also did not reveal increase in inflammatory cell infiltration or population shifts. No evidence of demyelination was found, and the mice remained without clinical signs. Despite the structural and hemodynamic changes, we did not identify changes in the BBB permeability, neuroinflammation, demyelination, or clinical signs in the JVL group compared to the sham group. Therefore, our murine model does not support CCSVI as a cause of demyelinating diseases such as multiple sclerosis. PMID:22457780

Evaluation of nano-technology-modified zirconia oral implants: a study in rabbits.

PubMed

Lee, Jaebum; Sieweke, Janet H; Rodriguez, Nancy A; Schüpbach, Peter; Lindström, Håkan; Susin, Cristiano; Wikesjö, Ulf M E

2009-07-01

The objective of this study was to screen candidate nano-technology-modified, micro-structured zirconia implant surfaces relative to local bone formation and osseointegration. Proprietary nano-technology surface-modified (calcium phosphate: CaP) micro-structured zirconia implants (A and C), control micro-structured zirconia implants (ZiUnite), and titanium porous oxide implants (TiUnite) were implanted into the femoral condyle in 40 adult male New Zealand White rabbits. Each animal received one implant in each hind leg; thus, 20 animals received A and C implants and 20 animals received ZiUnite and TiUnite implants in contralateral hind legs. Ten animals/group were euthanized at weeks 3 and 6 when biopsies of the implant sites were processed for histometric analysis using digital photomicrographs produced using backscatter scanning electron microscopy. The TiUnite surface demonstrated significantly greater bone-implant contact (BIC) (77.6+/-2.6%) compared with the A (64.6+/-3.6%) and C (62.2+/-3.1%) surfaces at 3 weeks (p<0.05). Numerical differences between ZiUnite (70.5+/-3.1%) and A and C surfaces did not reach statistical significance (p>0.05). Similarly, there were non-significant differences between the TiUnite and the ZiUnite surfaces (p>0.05). At 6 weeks, there were no significant differences in BIC between the TiUnite (67.1+/-4.2%), ZiUnite (69.7+/-5.7%), A (68.6+/-1.9%), and C (64.5+/-4.1%) surfaces (p>0.05). TiUnite and ZiUnite implant surfaces exhibit high levels of osseointegration that, in this model, confirm their advanced osteoconductive properties. Addition of CaP nano-technology to the ZiUnite surface does not enhance the already advanced osteoconductivity displayed by the TiUnite and ZiUnite implant surfaces.

Climate change, parasitism and the structure of intertidal ecosystems.

PubMed

Poulin, R; Mouritsen, K N

2006-06-01

Evidence is accumulating rapidly showing that temperature and other climatic variables are driving many ecological processes. At the same time, recent research has highlighted the role of parasitism in the dynamics of animal populations and the structure of animal communities. Here, the likely interactions between climate change and parasitism are discussed in the context of intertidal ecosystems. Firstly, using the soft-sediment intertidal communities of Otago Harbour, New Zealand, as a case study, parasites are shown to be ubiquitous components of intertidal communities, found in practically all major animal species in the system. With the help of specific examples from Otago Harbour, it is demonstrated that parasites can regulate host population density, influence the diversity of the entire benthic community, and affect the structure of the intertidal food web. Secondly, we document the extreme sensitivity of cercarial production in parasitic trematodes to increases in temperature, and discuss how global warming could lead to enhanced trematode infections. Thirdly, the results of a simulation model are used to argue that parasite-mediated local extinctions of intertidal animals are a likely outcome of global warming. Specifically, the model predicts that following a temperature increase of less than 4 degrees C, populations of the amphipod Corophium volutator, a hugely abundant tube-building amphipod on the mudflats of the Danish Wadden Sea, are likely to crash repeatedly due to mortality induced by microphallid trematodes. The available evidence indicates that climate-mediated changes in local parasite abundance will have significant repercussions for intertidal ecosystems. On the bright side, the marked effects of even slight increases in temperature on cercarial production in trematodes could form the basis for monitoring programmes, with these sensitive parasites providing early warning signals of the environmental impacts of global warming.

Structural basis of glycan specificity of P[19] VP8*: Implications for rotavirus zoonosis and evolution.

PubMed

Liu, Yang; Xu, Shenyuan; Woodruff, Andrew L; Xia, Ming; Tan, Ming; Kennedy, Michael A; Jiang, Xi

2017-11-01

Recognition of specific cell surface glycans, mediated by the VP8* domain of the spike protein VP4, is the essential first step in rotavirus (RV) infection. Due to lack of direct structural information of virus-ligand interactions, the molecular basis of ligand-controlled host ranges of the major human RVs (P[8] and P[4]) in P[II] genogroup remains unknown. Here, through characterization of a minor P[II] RV (P[19]) that can infect both animals (pigs) and humans, we made an important advance to fill this knowledge gap by solving the crystal structures of the P[19] VP8* in complex with its ligands. Our data showed that P[19] RVs use a novel binding site that differs from the known ones of other genotypes/genogroups. This binding site is capable of interacting with two types of glycans, the mucin core and type 1 histo-blood group antigens (HBGAs) with a common GlcNAc as the central binding saccharide. The binding site is apparently shared by other P[II] RVs and possibly two genotypes (P[10] and P[12]) in P[I] as shown by their highly conserved GlcNAc-interacting residues. These data provide strong evidence of evolutionary connections among these human and animal RVs, pointing to a common ancestor in P[I] with a possible animal host origin. While the binding properties to GlcNAc-containing saccharides are maintained, changes in binding to additional residues, such as those in the polymorphic type 1 HBGAs may occur in the course of RV evolution, explaining the complex P[II] genogroup that mainly causes diseases in humans but also in some animals.

Influence of hyperbaric oxygen on biomechanics and structural bone matrix in type 1 diabetes mellitus rats.

PubMed

Limirio, Pedro Henrique Justino Oliveira; da Rocha Junior, Huberth Alexandre; Morais, Richarlisson Borges de; Hiraki, Karen Renata Nakamura; Balbi, Ana Paula Coelho; Soares, Priscilla Barbosa Ferreira; Dechichi, Paula

2018-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the biomechanics and structural bone matrix in diabetic rats subjected to hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO). Twenty-four male rats were divided into the following groups: Control; Control + HBO; Diabetic, and Diabetic + HBO. Diabetes was induced with streptozotocin (STZ) in the diabetic Groups. After 30 days, HBO was performed every 48h in HBO groups and all animals were euthanized 60 days after diabetic induction. The femur was submitted to a biomechanical (maximum strength, energy-to-failure and stiffness) and Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) analyses (crosslink ratio, crystallinity index, matrix-to-mineral ratio: Amide I + II/Hydroxyapatite (M:MI) and Amide III + Collagen/HA (M:MIII)). In biomechanical analysis, diabetic animals showed lower values of maximum strength, energy and stiffness than non-diabetic animals. However, structural strength and stiffness were increased in groups with HBO compared with non-HBO. ATR-FTIR analysis showed decreased collagen maturity in the ratio of crosslink peaks in diabetic compared with the other groups. The bone from the diabetic groups showed decreased crystallinity compared with non-diabetic groups. M:MI showed no statistical difference between groups. However, M:MIII showed an increased matrix mineral ratio in diabetic+HBO and control+HBO compared with control and diabetic groups. Correlations between mechanical and ATR-FTIR analyses showed significant positive correlation between collagen maturity and stiffness. Diabetes decreased collagen maturation and the mineral deposition process, thus reducing biomechanical properties. Moreover, the study showed that HBO improved crosslink maturation and increased maximum strength and stiffness in the femur of T1DM animals.

Structure and evolution of plant centromeres.

PubMed

Nagaki, Kiyotaka; Walling, Jason; Hirsch, Cory; Jiang, Jiming; Murata, Minoru

2009-01-01

Investigations of centromeric DNA and proteins and centromere structures in plants have lagged behind those conducted with yeasts and animals; however, many attractive results have been obtained from plants during this decade. In particular, intensive investigations have been conducted in Arabidopsis and Gramineae species. We will review our understanding of centromeric components, centromere structures, and the evolution of these attributes of centromeres among plants using data mainly from Arabidopsis and Gramineae species.

Lymph Node Metastases Optical Molecular Diagnostic and Radiation Therapy

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-03-01

structures and not molecular functions. The one tool commonly used for metastases imaging is nuclear medicine. Positron emission tomography, PET, is...be visualized at a relevant stage., largely because most imaging is based upon structures and not molecular functions. But there are no tools to...system suitable for imaging signals from in small animals on the standard radiation therapy tools. (3) To evaluate the limits on structural , metabolic

Qualitative and quantitative changes in phospholipids and proteins investigated by spectroscopic techniques in animal depression model.

PubMed

Depciuch, J; Sowa-Kucma, M; Nowak, G; Papp, M; Gruca, P; Misztak, P; Parlinska-Wojtan, M

2017-04-05

Depression becomes nowadays a high mortality civilization disease with one of the major causes being chronic stress. Raman, Fourier Transform Infra Red (FTIR) and Ultraviolet-Visible (UV-vis) spectroscopies were used to determine the changes in the quantity and structure of phospholipids and proteins in the blood serum of rats subjected to chronic mild stress, which is a common animal depression model. Moreover, the efficiency of the imipramine treatment was evaluated. It was found that chronic mild stress not only damages the structure of the phospholipids and proteins, but also decreases their level in the blood serum. A 5weeks imipramine treatment did increase slightly the quantity of proteins, leaving the damaged phospholipids unchanged. Structural information from phospholipids and proteins was obtained by UV-vis spectroscopy combined with the second derivative of the FTIR spectra. Indeed, the structure of proteins in blood serum of stressed rats was normalized after imipramine therapy, while the impaired structure of phospholipids remained unaffected. These findings strongly suggest that the depression factor, which is chronic mild stress, may induce permanent (irreversible) damages into the phospholipid structure identified as shortened carbon chains. This study shows a possible new application of spectroscopic techniques in the diagnosis and therapy monitoring of depression. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Qualitative and quantitative changes in phospholipids and proteins investigated by spectroscopic techniques in animal depression model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Depciuch, J.; Sowa-Kucma, M.; Nowak, G.; Papp, M.; Gruca, P.; Misztak, P.; Parlinska-Wojtan, M.

2017-04-01

Depression becomes nowadays a high mortality civilization disease with one of the major causes being chronic stress. Raman, Fourier Transform Infra Red (FTIR) and Ultraviolet-Visible (UV-vis) spectroscopies were used to determine the changes in the quantity and structure of phospholipids and proteins in the blood serum of rats subjected to chronic mild stress, which is a common animal depression model. Moreover, the efficiency of the imipramine treatment was evaluated. It was found that chronic mild stress not only damages the structure of the phospholipids and proteins, but also decreases their level in the blood serum. A 5 weeks imipramine treatment did increase slightly the quantity of proteins, leaving the damaged phospholipids unchanged. Structural information from phospholipids and proteins was obtained by UV-vis spectroscopy combined with the second derivative of the FTIR spectra. Indeed, the structure of proteins in blood serum of stressed rats was normalized after imipramine therapy, while the impaired structure of phospholipids remained unaffected. These findings strongly suggest that the depression factor, which is chronic mild stress, may induce permanent (irreversible) damages into the phospholipid structure identified as shortened carbon chains. This study shows a possible new application of spectroscopic techniques in the diagnosis and therapy monitoring of depression.

Science Inquiry into Local Animals: Structure and Function Explored through Model Making

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rule, Audrey C.; Tallakson, Denise A.; Glascock, Alex L.; Chao, Astoria

2015-01-01

This article describes an arts- and spatial thinking skill--integrated inquiry project applied to life science concepts from the Next Generation Science Standards for fourth grade students that focuses on two unifying or crosscutting themes: (1) structure (or "form") and function and (2) use of models. Students made observations and…

Beyond Labeling: The Role of Maternal Input in the Acquisition of Richly Structured Categories.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gelman, Susan A.; Coley, John D.; Rosengren, Karl S.; Hartman, Erin; Pappas, Athina

1998-01-01

Explored how mothers convey information about category structure during naturalistic interactions. Videotaped reading-aloud sessions between mothers and toddlers; coded their interactions for explicit and implicit discussion of animal and artifact categories. Found that mothers provided a rich array of information beyond simple labeling routines,…

The collagen microfibril model, a tool for biomaterials scientists

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Animal hides, a major byproduct of the meat industry, are a rich source of collagen, a structural protein of the extracellular matrix that gives strength and form to the skin, tendons and bones of mammals. The structure of fibrous collagen, a long triple helix that self-associates in a staggered arr...

Hierarchically Organized Behavior and Its Neural Foundations: A Reinforcement Learning Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Botvinick, Matthew M.; Niv, Yael; Barto, Andrew C.

2009-01-01

Research on human and animal behavior has long emphasized its hierarchical structure--the divisibility of ongoing behavior into discrete tasks, which are comprised of subtask sequences, which in turn are built of simple actions. The hierarchical structure of behavior has also been of enduring interest within neuroscience, where it has been widely…

Water infiltration and surface soil structural properties as influenced by animal traffic in the Southern Piedmont USA

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Surface-soil structural condition in long-term perennial pastures is expected to be modified by how forage is (a) harvested through haying or grazing and (b) stimulated through source of nutrient application. We determined the effects of harvest management and nutrient source on macropore filling, ...

Enantiomeric behaviour of albendazole and fenbendazole sulfoxides in domestic animals: pharmacological implications.

PubMed

Capece, Bettencourt P S; Virkel, Guillermo L; Lanusse, Carlos E

2009-09-01

Albendazole and fenbendazole are methylcarbamate benzimidazole anthelmintics extensively used to control gastrointestinal parasites in domestic animals. These parent compounds are metabolised to albendazole sulfoxide and fenbendazole sulfoxide (oxfendazole), respectively. Both sulfoxide derivatives are anthelmintically active and are manufactured for use in animals. They metabolites have an asymmetric centre on their chemical structures and two enantiomeric forms of each sulfoxide have been identified in plasma, tissues of parasite location and within target helminths. Both the flavin-monooxygenase and cytochrome P450 systems are involved in the enantioselective biotransformation of these anthelmintic compounds in ruminant species. A relevant progress on the understanding of the relationship among enantioselective metabolism and systemic availability of each enantiomeric form has been achieved. This article reviews the current knowledge on the pharmacological implications of the enantiomeric behaviour of albendazole sulfoxide and oxfendazole in domestic animals.

Ethical issues in livestock cloning.

PubMed

Thompson, P B

1999-01-01

Although cloning may eventually become an important technology for livestock production, four ethical issues must be addressed before the practice becomes widespread. First, researchers must establish that the procedure is not detrimental to the health or well-being of affected animals. Second, animal research institutions should evaluate the net social benefits to livestock producers by weighing the benefits to producers against the opportunity cost of research capacity lost to biomedical projects. Third, scientists should consider the indirect effects of cloning research on the larger ethical issues surrounding human cloning. Finally, the market structure for products of cloned animals should protect individual choice, and should recognize that many individuals find the prospect of cloning (or consuming cloned animals) repugnant. Analysis of these four issues is complicated by spurious arguments alleging that cloning will have a negative impact on environment and genetic diversity.

Pathogen perception by NLRs in plants and animals: Parallel worlds.

PubMed

Duxbury, Zane; Ma, Yan; Furzer, Oliver J; Huh, Sung Un; Cevik, Volkan; Jones, Jonathan D G; Sarris, Panagiotis F

2016-08-01

Intracellular NLR (Nucleotide-binding domain and Leucine-rich Repeat-containing) receptors are sensitive monitors that detect pathogen invasion of both plant and animal cells. NLRs confer recognition of diverse molecules associated with pathogen invasion. NLRs must exhibit strict intramolecular controls to avoid harmful ectopic activation in the absence of pathogens. Recent discoveries have elucidated the assembly and structure of oligomeric NLR signalling complexes in animals, and provided insights into how these complexes act as scaffolds for signal transduction. In plants, recent advances have provided novel insights into signalling-competent NLRs, and into the myriad strategies that diverse plant NLRs use to recognise pathogens. Here, we review recent insights into the NLR biology of both animals and plants. By assessing commonalities and differences between kingdoms, we are able to develop a more complete understanding of NLR function. © 2016 WILEY Periodicals, Inc.

Chromosomal abnormalities, meiotic behavior and fertility in domestic animals.

PubMed

Villagómez, D A F; Pinton, A

2008-01-01

Since the advent of the surface microspreading technique for synaptonemal complex analysis, increasing interest in describing the synapsis patterns of chromosome abnormalities associated with fertility of domestic animals has been noticed during the past three decades. In spite of the number of scientific reports describing the occurrence of structural chromosome abnormalities, their meiotic behavior and gametic products, little is known in domestic animal species about the functional effects of such chromosome aberrations in the germ cell line of carriers. However, some interesting facts gained from recent and previous studies on the meiotic behavior of chromosome abnormalities of domestic animals permit us to discuss, in the frame of recent knowledge emerging from mouse and human investigations, the possible mechanism implicated in the well known association between meiotic disruption and chromosome pairing failure. New cytogenetic techniques, based on molecular and immunofluorescent analyses, are allowing a better description of meiotic processes, including gamete production. The present communication reviews the knowledge of the meiotic consequences of chromosome abnormalities in domestic animals. Copyright 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Comparative Physiology of Fatigue.

PubMed

Jones, James H

2016-11-01

This review attempts to provide insights into factors associated with fatigue in human and nonhuman animals by using the two fundamental approaches of comparative physiology: determining common principles that govern structure and function in animals that are relatively invariant between animals and evaluating animals that have been highly adapted by natural selection to demonstrate extreme performance. In this review, I approach the topic of fatigue by considering factors that are associated with its reciprocal or inverse or duration of sustained performance before fatigue sets in to end the performance. The two general factors that I consider that affect endurance time more than any other are body temperature and body mass. The former affects endurance time because of thermodynamic effects on chemical reaction rates and metabolism; the latter acts through the mechanism of allometry or scaling. The examples of extreme animal performance that I discuss are two examples of bird migration, the diving performance of marine mammals, and the unique relationship that governs energy cost of locomotion in hopping kangaroos.

The dynamic genome of Hydra.

PubMed

Chapman, Jarrod A; Kirkness, Ewen F; Simakov, Oleg; Hampson, Steven E; Mitros, Therese; Weinmaier, Thomas; Rattei, Thomas; Balasubramanian, Prakash G; Borman, Jon; Busam, Dana; Disbennett, Kathryn; Pfannkoch, Cynthia; Sumin, Nadezhda; Sutton, Granger G; Viswanathan, Lakshmi Devi; Walenz, Brian; Goodstein, David M; Hellsten, Uffe; Kawashima, Takeshi; Prochnik, Simon E; Putnam, Nicholas H; Shu, Shengquiang; Blumberg, Bruce; Dana, Catherine E; Gee, Lydia; Kibler, Dennis F; Law, Lee; Lindgens, Dirk; Martinez, Daniel E; Peng, Jisong; Wigge, Philip A; Bertulat, Bianca; Guder, Corina; Nakamura, Yukio; Ozbek, Suat; Watanabe, Hiroshi; Khalturin, Konstantin; Hemmrich, Georg; Franke, André; Augustin, René; Fraune, Sebastian; Hayakawa, Eisuke; Hayakawa, Shiho; Hirose, Mamiko; Hwang, Jung Shan; Ikeo, Kazuho; Nishimiya-Fujisawa, Chiemi; Ogura, Atshushi; Takahashi, Toshio; Steinmetz, Patrick R H; Zhang, Xiaoming; Aufschnaiter, Roland; Eder, Marie-Kristin; Gorny, Anne-Kathrin; Salvenmoser, Willi; Heimberg, Alysha M; Wheeler, Benjamin M; Peterson, Kevin J; Böttger, Angelika; Tischler, Patrick; Wolf, Alexander; Gojobori, Takashi; Remington, Karin A; Strausberg, Robert L; Venter, J Craig; Technau, Ulrich; Hobmayer, Bert; Bosch, Thomas C G; Holstein, Thomas W; Fujisawa, Toshitaka; Bode, Hans R; David, Charles N; Rokhsar, Daniel S; Steele, Robert E

2010-03-25

The freshwater cnidarian Hydra was first described in 1702 and has been the object of study for 300 years. Experimental studies of Hydra between 1736 and 1744 culminated in the discovery of asexual reproduction of an animal by budding, the first description of regeneration in an animal, and successful transplantation of tissue between animals. Today, Hydra is an important model for studies of axial patterning, stem cell biology and regeneration. Here we report the genome of Hydra magnipapillata and compare it to the genomes of the anthozoan Nematostella vectensis and other animals. The Hydra genome has been shaped by bursts of transposable element expansion, horizontal gene transfer, trans-splicing, and simplification of gene structure and gene content that parallel simplification of the Hydra life cycle. We also report the sequence of the genome of a novel bacterium stably associated with H. magnipapillata. Comparisons of the Hydra genome to the genomes of other animals shed light on the evolution of epithelia, contractile tissues, developmentally regulated transcription factors, the Spemann-Mangold organizer, pluripotency genes and the neuromuscular junction.

SketchBio: a scientist's 3D interface for molecular modeling and animation.

PubMed

Waldon, Shawn M; Thompson, Peter M; Hahn, Patrick J; Taylor, Russell M

2014-10-30

Because of the difficulties involved in learning and using 3D modeling and rendering software, many scientists hire programmers or animators to create models and animations. This both slows the discovery process and provides opportunities for miscommunication. Working with multiple collaborators, a tool was developed (based on a set of design goals) to enable them to directly construct models and animations. SketchBio is presented, a tool that incorporates state-of-the-art bimanual interaction and drop shadows to enable rapid construction of molecular structures and animations. It includes three novel features: crystal-by-example, pose-mode physics, and spring-based layout that accelerate operations common in the formation of molecular models. Design decisions and their consequences are presented, including cases where iterative design was required to produce effective approaches. The design decisions, novel features, and inclusion of state-of-the-art techniques enabled SketchBio to meet all of its design goals. These features and decisions can be incorporated into existing and new tools to improve their effectiveness.

Hurricanes, coral reefs and rainforests: resistance, ruin and recovery in the Caribbean

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lugo, Ariel E.; Rogers, Caroline S.; Nixon, Scott W.

2000-01-01

The coexistence of hurricanes, coral reefs, and rainforests in the Caribbean demonstrates that highly structured ecosystems with great diversity can flourish in spite of recurring exposure to intense destructive energy. Coral reefs develop in response to wave energy and resist hurricanes largely by virtue of their structural strength. Limited fetch also protects some reefs from fully developed hurricane waves. While storms may produce dramatic local reef damage, they appear to have little impact on the ability of coral reefs to provide food or habitat for fish and other animals. Rainforests experience an enormous increase in wind energy during hurricanes with dramatic structural changes in the vegetation. The resulting changes in forest microclimate are larger than those on reefs and the loss of fruit, leaves, cover, and microclimate has a great impact on animal populations. Recovery of many aspects of rainforest structure and function is rapid, though there may be long-term changes in species composition. While resistance and repair have maintained reefs and rainforests in the past, human impacts may threaten their ability to survive.

Photoacoustic tomography guided diffuse optical tomography for small-animal model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yihan; Gao, Feng; Wan, Wenbo; Zhang, Yan; Li, Jiao

2015-03-01

Diffuse optical tomography (DOT) is a biomedical imaging technology for noninvasive visualization of spatial variation about the optical properties of tissue, which can be applied to in vivo small-animal disease model. However, traditional DOT suffers low spatial resolution due to tissue scattering. To overcome this intrinsic shortcoming, multi-modal approaches that incorporate DOT with other imaging techniques have been intensively investigated, where a priori information provided by the other modalities is normally used to reasonably regularize the inverse problem of DOT. Nevertheless, these approaches usually consider the anatomical structure, which is different from the optical structure. Photoacoustic tomography (PAT) is an emerging imaging modality that is particularly useful for visualizing lightabsorbing structures embedded in soft tissue with higher spatial resolution compared with pure optical imaging. Thus, we present a PAT-guided DOT approach, to obtain the location a priori information of optical structure provided by PAT first, and then guide DOT to reconstruct the optical parameters quantitatively. The results of reconstruction of phantom experiments demonstrate that both quantification and spatial resolution of DOT could be highly improved by the regularization of feasible-region information provided by PAT.

Bio-inspired Structural Colors from Deposition of Synthetic Melanin Nanoparticles by Evaporative Self-assembly

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiao, Ming; Li, Yiwen; Deheyn, Dimitri; Yue, Xiujun; Gianneschi, Nathan; Shawkey, Matthew; Dhinojwala, Ali

2015-03-01

Melanin, a ubiquitous black or brown pigment in the animal kingdom, is a unique but poorly understood biomaterial. Many bird feathers contain melanosomes (melanin-containing organelles), which pack into ordered nanostructures, like multilayer or two-dimensional photonic crystal structures, to produce structural colors. To understand the optical properties of melanin and how melanosomes assemble into certain structures to produce colors, we prepared synthetic melanin (polydopamine) particles with variable sizes and aspect ratios. We have characterized the absorption and refractive index of the synthetic melanin particles. We have also shown that we can use an evaporative process to self-assemble melanin films with a wide range of colors. The colors obtained using this technique is modeled using a thin-film interference model and the optical properties of the synthetic melanin nanoparticles. Our results on self-assembly of synthetic melanin nanoparticles provide an explanation as why the use of melanosomes to produce colors is prevalent in the animal kingdom. National science foundation, air force office of scientific research, human frontier science program.

Pointillist structural color in Pollia fruit

PubMed Central

Vignolini, Silvia; Rudall, Paula J.; Rowland, Alice V.; Reed, Alison; Moyroud, Edwige; Faden, Robert B.; Baumberg, Jeremy J.; Glover, Beverley J.; Steiner, Ullrich

2012-01-01

Biological communication by means of structural color has existed for at least 500 million years. Structural color is commonly observed in the animal kingdom, but has been little studied in plants. We present a striking example of multilayer-based strong iridescent coloration in plants, in the fruit of Pollia condensata. The color is caused by Bragg reflection of helicoidally stacked cellulose microfibrils that form multilayers in the cell walls of the epicarp. We demonstrate that animals and plants have convergently evolved multilayer-based photonic structures to generate colors using entirely distinct materials. The bright blue coloration of this fruit is more intense than that of any previously described biological material. Uniquely in nature, the reflected color differs from cell to cell, as the layer thicknesses in the multilayer stack vary, giving the fruit a striking pixelated or pointillist appearance. Because the multilayers form with both helicoidicities, optical characterization reveals that the reflected light from every epidermal cell is polarized circularly either to the left or to the right, a feature that has never previously been observed in a single tissue. PMID:23019355

Modelling the Tox21 10 K chemical profiles for in vivo toxicity prediction and mechanism characterization

PubMed Central

Huang, Ruili; Xia, Menghang; Sakamuru, Srilatha; Zhao, Jinghua; Shahane, Sampada A.; Attene-Ramos, Matias; Zhao, Tongan; Austin, Christopher P.; Simeonov, Anton

2016-01-01

Target-specific, mechanism-oriented in vitro assays post a promising alternative to traditional animal toxicology studies. Here we report the first comprehensive analysis of the Tox21 effort, a large-scale in vitro toxicity screening of chemicals. We test ∼10,000 chemicals in triplicates at 15 concentrations against a panel of nuclear receptor and stress response pathway assays, producing more than 50 million data points. Compound clustering by structure similarity and activity profile similarity across the assays reveals structure–activity relationships that are useful for the generation of mechanistic hypotheses. We apply structural information and activity data to build predictive models for 72 in vivo toxicity end points using a cluster-based approach. Models based on in vitro assay data perform better in predicting human toxicity end points than animal toxicity, while a combination of structural and activity data results in better models than using structure or activity data alone. Our results suggest that in vitro activity profiles can be applied as signatures of compound mechanism of toxicity and used in prioritization for more in-depth toxicological testing. PMID:26811972

Cardiovascular Responses and Differential Changes in Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases Following Repeated Episodes of Binge Drinking

PubMed Central

Gu, Lianzhi; Fink, Anne M.; Chowdhury, Shamim A.K.; Geenen, David L.; Piano, Mariann R.

2013-01-01

Aims: Excessive alcohol use in the form of binge drinking is associated with many adverse medical outcomes. Using an animal model, the primary objective of this study was to determine the effects of repeated episodes of binge drinking on myocardial structure, blood pressure (BP) and activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs). The effects of carvedilol, a beta-adrenergic blocker, were also examined in this animal model of binge drinking. Methods: Rats were randomized into three groups: control, binge and binge + carvedilol (20 mg/kg). Animals received intragastric administration of 5 g ethanol/kg in the morning × 4 days (Monday–Thursday) followed by no ethanol on Friday–Sunday. Animals were maintained on the protocol for 5 weeks. BP was measured using radiotelemetry methods. Animals underwent echocardiography at baseline, 2.5 and 5 weeks. Myocardial MAPKs were analyzed at 5 weeks using western blot techniques. Results: Over the course of 5 weeks, binge drinking was associated with significant transient increases in BP that were greater at 4 and 5 weeks compared with earlier time points. Carvedilol treatment significantly attenuated the binge-induced transient increases in BP at 4 and 5 weeks. No significant changes were found in echocardiographic parameters at any time period; however, binge drinking was associated with increased phosphorylation of p38 MAPK, which was blocked by carvedilol treatment. Conclusion: Repeated episodes of binge drinking result in progressive and transient increases in BP, no change in myocardial structure and differential regulation of MAPK activation. PMID:22878590

Renaissance of morphological studies: the examination of functional structures in living animal organs using the in vivo cryotechnique.

PubMed

Ohno, Shinichi; Saitoh, Yurika; Ohno, Nobuhiko; Terada, Nobuo

2017-01-01

Medical and biological scientists wish to understand the in vivo structures of the cells and tissues that make up living animal organs, as well as the locations of their molecular components. Recently, the live imaging of animal cells and tissues with fluorescence-labeled proteins produced via gene manipulation has become increasingly common. Therefore, it is important to ensure that findings derived from histological or immunohistochemical tissue sections of living animal organs are compatible with those obtained from live images of the same organs, which can be assessed using recently developed digital imaging techniques. Over the past two decades, we have performed immunohistochemical and morphological studies of the cells and tissues in living animal organs using a novel in vivo cryotechnique. The use of a specially designed liquid cryogen system with or without a cryoknife during this cryotechnique solved the technical problems that inevitably arise during the conventional preparation methods employed prior to light or electron microscopic examinations. Our in vivo cryotechnique has been found to be extremely useful for arresting transient physiological processes in cells and tissues and for maintaining their functional components-such as rapidly changing signaling molecules, membrane channels, or receptors-in situ. The purpose of the present review is to describe the basic mechanism underlying cryotechniques and the significance of our in vivo cryotechnique. In addition, it describes various morphological or immunohistochemical findings, observations made using quantum dots, and a Raman cryomicroscopy-based method for assessing oxygen saturation in the erythrocytes flowing through intestinal tissues.

Differential regulation of glomerular and interstitial endothelial nitric oxide synthase expression in the kidney of hibernating ground squirrel.

PubMed

Sandovici, Maria; Henning, Robert H; Hut, Roelof A; Strijkstra, Arjen M; Epema, Anne H; van Goor, Harry; Deelman, Leo E

2004-09-01

Hibernating animals transiently reduce renal function during their hypothermic periods (torpor), while completely restoring it during their periodical rewarming to euthermia (arousal). Moreover, structural integrity of the kidney is preserved throughout the hibernation. Nitric oxide (NO) generated by endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) is a crucial vasodilatory mediator and a protective factor in the kidney. We investigated renal NOS expression in hibernating European ground squirrels after 1 day and 7 days of torpor (torpor short, TS, and torpor long, TL, respectively), at 1.5 and at 10 h of rewarming (arousal short, AS, and arousal long, AL, respectively), and in continuously euthermic animals after hibernation (EU). For that purpose, we performed NOS activity assay, immunohistochemistry and real-time PCR analysis. Immunohistochemistry revealed a decreased glomerular eNOS expression in hibernating animals (TS, TL, AS, and AL) compared to non-hibernating animals (EU, p < 0.05), whereas no difference was found in the expression of interstitial eNOS. Expression of iNOS and nNOS did not differ between all groups. The reduced glomerular eNOS was associated with a significantly lower eNOS mRNA levels and NOS activity of whole kidney during torpor and arousal (TS, TL, AS, and AL) compared to EU. In all methods used, torpid and aroused squirrels did not differ. These results demonstrate differential regulation of eNOS in glomeruli and interstitium of hibernating animals, which is unaffected during arousal. The differential regulation of eNOS may serve to reduce ultrafiltration without jeopardizing tubular structures during hibernation.

Recent advances in Hepatitis E virus.

PubMed

Meng, X J

2010-03-01

Hepatitis E virus (HEV), the causative agent of hepatitis E, belongs to the family Hepeviridae. At least four major genotypes of HEV have been recognized: genotypes 1 and 2 are restricted to humans and associated with epidemics in developing countries, whereas genotypes 3 and 4 are zoonotic and infect humans and several other animals in both developing and industrialized countries. Besides humans, strains of HEV have been genetically identified from swine, chickens, sika deer, mongeese, and rabbits. The genome of HEV consists of three open reading frames (ORFs): ORF1 codes for nonstructural proteins, ORF2 codes for capsid protein, and ORF3 codes for a small multifunctional protein. The ORF2 and ORF3 proteins are translated from a single bicistronic mRNA and overlap each other but neither overlaps ORF1. The recent determination of the 3D crystal structure of the HEV capsid protein should facilitate the development of vaccines and antivirals. The identification and characterization of animal strains of HEV from pigs and chickens and the demonstrated ability of cross-species infection by swine HEV raise public health concerns for zoonosis. Accumulating evidence indicated that hepatitis E is a zoonotic disease and pigs and more likely other animal species are reservoirs for HEV. This article provides an overview of the recent advances in hepatitis E and its causative agent, including nomenclature and genomic organization, gene expression and functions, 3D structure of the virions, changing perspectives on higher mortality during pregnancy and chronic hepatitis E, animal reservoirs, zoonotic risk, food safety, and novel animal models.

Results of a survey to determine demographic and business management factors associated with size and growth rate of rural mixed-animal veterinary practices.

PubMed

Brusk, Amy M; White, Brad J; Goehl, Dan R; Dhuyvetter, Kevin C

2010-12-15

To determine potential associations between demographic and business management factors and practice size and growth rate in rural mixed-animal veterinary practices. Cross-sectional survey. 54 mixed-animal practitioners. A cross-sectional survey (96 questions) was electronically disseminated. Responses were collected, and outcomes (number of veterinarians [NV], growth in number of veterinarians [NVG], gross practice income [GPI], growth in gross practice income [GPIG], gross practice income per veterinarian [GPIV], and growth in gross practice income per veterinarian [GPIVG]) were calculated. Bivariate analyses were performed and multivariable models created to determine associations between survey responses and outcomes of interest. Survey respondents were from mixed-animal practices, and most (46/54 [85.2%]) practiced in small communities (< 25,000 people). Study practices had a median ± SD NV of 2.3 ± 1.9 veterinarians, median GPI of $704,547 ± 754,839, and median GPIV of $282,065 ± 182,344. Multivariable regression analysis revealed several factors related to practice size, including the number of associate veterinarians and veterinary technicians in the practice, service fee structure, and employment of a business manager. Typically, practices had positive mean growth in NVG (4.4%), GPIG (8.5%), and GPIVG (8.1%), but growth rate was highly variable among practices. Factors associated with growth rate included main species interest, frequency for adjusting prices, use of a marketing plan, service fee structure, and sending a client newsletter. Mixed-animal practices had a large range in size and growth rate. Economic indices were impacted by common business management practices.

Rabies immunosome (subunit vaccine) structure and immunogenicity. Pre- and post-exposure protection studies.

PubMed

Perrin, P; Thibodeau, L; Sureau, P

1985-09-01

Rabies immunosomes (glycoprotein anchored on pre-formed liposomes) have been prepared in order to study their structural, biological and immunological properties. The glycoprotein molecules appear to have the same orientation on the immunosome as on the viral particle: (1) electron microscopy analysis shows particles of 40 to 70 nm with spikes protruding outward, (2) one particular epitope shows the same accessibility to a neutralizing monoclonal antibody as on the viral particle. When injected into animals, rabies immunosomes are cleared from the organism by a process different from that for the liposomes used to anchor the glycoprotein: a higher rate of transition through the spleen is observed with immunosomes than with purified glycoprotein or liposomes. Immunosomes induce high levels of neutralizing antibodies and protect animals against challenge with virulent strains. This protective activity is not altered after several months of storage at 4 degrees C. Furthermore, rabies immunosomes were shown to be efficient in post-exposure treatment of laboratory animals that had been experimentally infected with a lethal dose of a rabies wild strain.

Codon usage affects the structure and function of the Drosophila circadian clock protein PERIOD.

PubMed

Fu, Jingjing; Murphy, Katherine A; Zhou, Mian; Li, Ying H; Lam, Vu H; Tabuloc, Christine A; Chiu, Joanna C; Liu, Yi

2016-08-01

Codon usage bias is a universal feature of all genomes, but its in vivo biological functions in animal systems are not clear. To investigate the in vivo role of codon usage in animals, we took advantage of the sensitivity and robustness of the Drosophila circadian system. By codon-optimizing parts of Drosophila period (dper), a core clock gene that encodes a critical component of the circadian oscillator, we showed that dper codon usage is important for circadian clock function. Codon optimization of dper resulted in conformational changes of the dPER protein, altered dPER phosphorylation profile and stability, and impaired dPER function in the circadian negative feedback loop, which manifests into changes in molecular rhythmicity and abnormal circadian behavioral output. This study provides an in vivo example that demonstrates the role of codon usage in determining protein structure and function in an animal system. These results suggest a universal mechanism in eukaryotes that uses a codon usage "code" within genetic codons to regulate cotranslational protein folding. © 2016 Fu et al.; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.

Regulatory Forum opinion piece: New testing paradigms for reproductive and developmental toxicity--the NTP modified one generation study and OECD 443.

PubMed

Foster, Paul M D

2014-12-01

The National Toxicology Program (NTP) has developed a new flexible study design, termed the modified one generation (MOG) reproduction study. The MOG study will encompass measurements of developmental and reproductive toxicity parameters as well as enable the setting of appropriate dose levels for a cancer bioassay through evaluation of target organ toxicity that is based on test article exposure that starts during gestation. This study design is compared and contrasted with the new Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) 443 test guideline, the extended one generation reproduction study. The MOG study has a number of advantages, with a focus on F 1 animals, the generation of adequately powered, robust data sets that include both pre and postnatal developmental toxicity information, and the measurement of effects on reproductive structure and function in the same animals. This new study design does not employ the use of internal triggers in the design structure for the use of animals already on test and is also consistent with the principles of the 3R's. © 2014 by The Author(s).

Neural dynamics for landmark orientation and angular path integration

PubMed Central

Seelig, Johannes D.; Jayaraman, Vivek

2015-01-01

Summary Many animals navigate using a combination of visual landmarks and path integration. In mammalian brains, head direction cells integrate these two streams of information by representing an animal's heading relative to landmarks, yet maintaining their directional tuning in darkness based on self-motion cues. Here we use two-photon calcium imaging in head-fixed flies walking on a ball in a virtual reality arena to demonstrate that landmark-based orientation and angular path integration are combined in the population responses of neurons whose dendrites tile the ellipsoid body — a toroidal structure in the center of the fly brain. The population encodes the fly's azimuth relative to its environment, tracking visual landmarks when available and relying on self-motion cues in darkness. When both visual and self-motion cues are absent, a representation of the animal's orientation is maintained in this network through persistent activity — a potential substrate for short-term memory. Several features of the population dynamics of these neurons and their circular anatomical arrangement are suggestive of ring attractors — network structures proposed to support the function of navigational brain circuits. PMID:25971509

Experimental aspect of solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance studies of biomaterials such as bones.

PubMed

Singh, Chandan; Rai, Ratan Kumar; Sinha, Neeraj

2013-01-01

Solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (SSNMR) spectroscopy is increasingly becoming a popular technique to probe micro-structural details of biomaterial such as bone with pico-meter resolution. Due to high-resolution structural details probed by SSNMR methods, handling of bone samples and experimental protocol are very crucial aspects of study. We present here first report of the effect of various experimental protocols and handling methods of bone samples on measured SSNMR parameters. Various popular SSNMR experiments were performed on intact cortical bone sample collected from fresh animal, immediately after removal from animal systems, and results were compared with bone samples preserved in different conditions. We find that the best experimental conditions for SSNMR parameters of bones correspond to preservation at -20 °C and in 70% ethanol solution. Various other SSNMR parameters were compared corresponding to different experimental conditions. Our study has helped in finding best experimental protocol for SSNMR studies of bone. This study will be of further help in the application of SSNMR studies on large bone disease related animal model systems for statistically significant results. © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Structure of the Human Atg13-Atg101 HORMA Heterodimer: an Interaction Hub within the ULK1 Complex.

PubMed

Qi, Shiqian; Kim, Do Jin; Stjepanovic, Goran; Hurley, James H

2015-10-06

The ULK1 complex, consisting of the ULK1 protein kinase itself, FIP200, Atg13, and Atg101, controls the initiation of autophagy in animals. We determined the structure of the complex of the human Atg13 HORMA (Hop1, Rev7, Mad2) domain in complex with the full-length HORMA domain-only protein Atg101. The two HORMA domains assemble with an architecture conserved in the Mad2 conformational heterodimer and the S. pombe Atg13-Atg101 HORMA complex. The WF finger motif that is essential for function in human Atg101 is sequestered in a hydrophobic pocket, suggesting that the exposure of this motif is regulated. Benzamidine molecules from the crystallization solution mark two hydrophobic pockets that are conserved in, and unique to, animals, and are suggestive of sites that could interact with other proteins. These features suggest that the activity of the animal Atg13-Atg101 subcomplex is regulated and that it is an interaction hub for multiple partners. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Influence of environmental enrichment on parameters of behavior in open field test in the rats born from females with chronic alcoholization].

PubMed

Vakhnin, V A; Briukhin, G V

2014-04-01

The aim of this work was studying of morphology of a brain and the analysis of behavior at posterity of females of rats with a chronic alcoholic intoxication. As object of research were taken 60-day animals received from mothers with chronic alcoholic injury of hepatobiliary systems. During certain time (1.5 months) the part of animals grew in standard conditions, and another--in the "enriched" environment. The behavior analysis was spent in the open field test. Also was carried out research of a thickness of a cortex and a molecular layer of a forebrain. Work included three series of experiments. It is established, that the posterity of mothers with chronic injury of the hepatobiliary systems is characterized by the lowered motorial and research activity, increased by emotional reactivity that is accompanied by changes of structure of a cortex. The long finding of "alcoholic" animals in the "enriched" environment within 1.5 months promoted increasing of motorial and research activity, emotional reactance, change of structure of a cortex.

Modes of fossil preservation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schopf, J.M.

1975-01-01

The processes of geologic preservation are important for understanding the organisms represented by fossils. Some fossil differences are due to basic differences in organization of animals and plants, but the interpretation of fossils has also tended to be influenced by modes of preservation. Four modes of preservation generally can be distinguished: (1) Cellular permineralization ("petrifaction") preserves anatomical detail, and, occasionally, even cytologic structures. (2) Coalified compression, best illustrated by structures from coal but characteristic of many plant fossils in shale, preserves anatomical details in distorted form and produces surface replicas (impressions) on enclosing matrix. (3) Authigenic preservation replicates surface form or outline (molds and casts) prior to distortion by compression and, depending on cementation and timing, may intergrade with fossils that have been subject to compression. (4) Duripartic (hard part) preservation is characteristic of fossil skeletal remains, predominantly animal. Molds, pseudomorphs, or casts may form as bulk replacements following dissolution of the original fossil material, usually by leaching. Classification of the kinds of preservation in fossils will aid in identifying the processes responsible for modifying the fossil remains of both animals and plants. ?? 1975.

The Widespread Prevalence and Functional Significance of Silk-Like Structural Proteins in Metazoan Biological Materials

PubMed Central

McDougall, Carmel; Woodcroft, Ben J.

2016-01-01

In nature, numerous mechanisms have evolved by which organisms fabricate biological structures with an impressive array of physical characteristics. Some examples of metazoan biological materials include the highly elastic byssal threads by which bivalves attach themselves to rocks, biomineralized structures that form the skeletons of various animals, and spider silks that are renowned for their exceptional strength and elasticity. The remarkable properties of silks, which are perhaps the best studied biological materials, are the result of the highly repetitive, modular, and biased amino acid composition of the proteins that compose them. Interestingly, similar levels of modularity/repetitiveness and similar bias in amino acid compositions have been reported in proteins that are components of structural materials in other organisms, however the exact nature and extent of this similarity, and its functional and evolutionary relevance, is unknown. Here, we investigate this similarity and use sequence features common to silks and other known structural proteins to develop a bioinformatics-based method to identify similar proteins from large-scale transcriptome and whole-genome datasets. We show that a large number of proteins identified using this method have roles in biological material formation throughout the animal kingdom. Despite the similarity in sequence characteristics, most of the silk-like structural proteins (SLSPs) identified in this study appear to have evolved independently and are restricted to a particular animal lineage. Although the exact function of many of these SLSPs is unknown, the apparent independent evolution of proteins with similar sequence characteristics in divergent lineages suggests that these features are important for the assembly of biological materials. The identification of these characteristics enable the generation of testable hypotheses regarding the mechanisms by which these proteins assemble and direct the construction of biological materials with diverse morphologies. The SilkSlider predictor software developed here is available at https://github.com/wwood/SilkSlider. PMID:27415783

Vertebral growth modulation by hemicircumferential electrocoagulation: an experimental study in pigs.

PubMed

Caballero, Alberto; Barrios, Carlos; Burgos, Jesús; Hevia, Eduardo; Correa, Carlos

2011-08-01

This experimental study in pigs was aimed at evaluating spinal growth disorders after partial arrest of the vertebral epiphyseal plates (EP) and neurocentral cartilages (NCC). Unilateral and multisegmental single or combined lesions of the physeal structures were performed by electrocoagulation throughout a video-assisted thoracoscopical approach. Thirty 4-week-old domestic pigs (mean weight 16 kg) were included in the experiments. The superior and inferior epiphyseal plates of T5 to T9 vertebra were damaged in ten animals by hemicircumferential electrocoagulation (group I). In other ten pigs (group II), right NCC at the same T5-T9 levels were damaged. Ten other animals underwent combined lesions of the ipsilateral hemiepiphyseal plates and NCC at the T5-T9 levels. A total of 26 animals could be evaluated after 12 weeks of follow-up using conventional X-rays, CT scans and histology. The pigs with hemicircumferential EP damage developed very slight concave non-structured scoliotic deformities without vertebral rotation.(mean 12° Cobb; range10-16°). Some of the damaged vertebra showed a marked wedgening with unilateral development alteration of the vertebral body, including the adjacent discs The animals with damage of the NCC developed mild scoliotic curves (mean 19° Cobb; range 16-24°) with convexity opposite to the damaged side and loss of physiological kyphosis. The injured segments showed an asymmetric growth with hypoplasia of the pedicle and costovertebral joints at the damaged side. The pigs undergoing combined EP and NCC lesions developed minimal non-structured curves, ranging from 10 to 12° Cobb. In these animals there was a lack of growth of a vertebral hemibody and disc hypoplasia at the damaged segments. Both damage of the NCC and the EP affect the height of the vertebral body. No spinal stenosis was found in any case. In most cases, the adjacent superior and inferior vertebral EP to damaged segments had a compensatory growth that maintained the straight spinal shape. In summary, unilateral direct lesion of the EP by hemicircumferential thoracoscopic electrocoagulation modifies vertebral growth, but is not able to induce true scoliostic curves in pigs. Only animals with damaged NCC developed mild scoliotic curves of lordotic type. This work rediscovers and emphasizes the decisive role of the neurocentral cartilage in the ethiopatogeny of idiopathic scoliosis.

Operational Details of the Five Domains Model and Its Key Applications to the Assessment and Management of Animal Welfare

PubMed Central

Mellor, David J.

2017-01-01

Simple Summary The Five Domains Model is a focusing device to facilitate systematic, structured, comprehensive and coherent assessment of animal welfare; it is not a definition of animal welfare, nor is it intended to be an accurate representation of body structure and function. The purpose of each of the five domains is to draw attention to areas that are relevant to both animal welfare assessment and management. This paper begins by briefly describing the major features of the Model and the operational interactions between the five domains, and then it details seven interacting applications of the Model. These underlie its utility and increasing application to welfare assessment and management in diverse animal use sectors. Abstract In accord with contemporary animal welfare science understanding, the Five Domains Model has a significant focus on subjective experiences, known as affects, which collectively contribute to an animal’s overall welfare state. Operationally, the focus of the Model is on the presence or absence of various internal physical/functional states and external circumstances that give rise to welfare-relevant negative and/or positive mental experiences, i.e., affects. The internal states and external circumstances of animals are evaluated systematically by referring to each of the first four domains of the Model, designated “Nutrition”, “Environment”, “Health” and “Behaviour”. Then affects, considered carefully and cautiously to be generated by factors in these domains, are accumulated into the fifth domain, designated “Mental State”. The scientific foundations of this operational procedure, published in detail elsewhere, are described briefly here, and then seven key ways the Model may be applied to the assessment and management of animal welfare are considered. These applications have the following beneficial objectives—they (1) specify key general foci for animal welfare management; (2) highlight the foundations of specific welfare management objectives; (3) identify previously unrecognised features of poor and good welfare; (4) enable monitoring of responses to specific welfare-focused remedial interventions and/or maintenance activities; (5) facilitate qualitative grading of particular features of welfare compromise and/or enhancement; (6) enable both prospective and retrospective animal welfare assessments to be conducted; and, (7) provide adjunct information to support consideration of quality of life evaluations in the context of end-of-life decisions. However, also noted is the importance of not overstating what utilisation of the Model can achieve. PMID:28792485

THE INFLUENCE OF THE FACTORS OF SEX, AGE, AND METHOD OF INOCULATION UPON THE COURSE OF EXPERIMENTAL SYPHILIS IN THE RABBIT.

PubMed

Chesney, A M

1923-10-31

For convenience the results are summarized in tabular form. Table I shows a comparison of the primary reaction in the groups of female and male rabbits inoculated intradermally. In Table II the incidence of metastatic lesions is shown in the various groups of animals. In Table III are shown the character and date of appearance of the generalized lesions (exclusive of orchitis) in the various groups of animals. The results presented in Tables I, II, and III, together with a study of the individual protocols, permit the following general statements to be made relative to the effect of the factors studied upon the course of experimental syphilis in the rabbit. Sex.-In the group of females inoculated intradermally the lesions at the site of inoculation were in general less marked than in the group of males similarly inoculated. Moreover, they attained their maximum size earlier and began to recede earlier than was the case in the males. In none of the females was there clinical evidence of the production of generalized lesions, while in the corresponding group of males metastatic lesions of skin or bones detectible by clinical examination occurred in one instance, or 14.3 per cent. In both groups there was wide variation in the character of the initial reaction in individual rabbits and in the time required for it to reach its maximum size. See PDF for Structure Age.-In the five young males inoculated intratesticularly the disease was not greatly different from that observed in the older males similarly inoculated. The initial reactions were slightly slower in making their appearance, but the magnitude of the reaction, as judged by enlargement of the testicles, was somewhat greater. The percentage incidence of metastatic orchitis was almost the same in the two groups. The younger animals showed a slightly greater incidence of generalized lesions involving structures other than the testicles, although the difference was insignificant, but the lesions were smaller, fewer in number, and confined entirely to the skin, and there was no instance of severe generalized lesions. Moreover, the occurrence of metastatic lesions (skin) in the younger animals was definitely delayed. Method of Injection.-In the animals inoculated by the intratesticular route the development of the primary reaction and the incidence of generalized lesions involving skin and bone were much greater than in See PDF for Structure the animals inoculated intradermally. Thus, of the latter group only one, or 14.3 per cent, showed a secondary metastatic lesion (skin), while in the group inoculated by the testicular route the incidence of metastatic skin and bone lesions was as high as 71.4 per cent. The difference in the character of the disease exhibited by these two groups of animals inoculated in a different manner is quite striking. Intratesticular inoculation produced a much more violent local reaction and a much greater incidence of generalized lesions than did intradermal inoculation. Effect of Castration.-In the group of animals with unilateral orchitis in which the infection was allowed to run its course without any attempt at suppression by removal of the initial focus, metastatic lesions appeared more promptly and in slightly greater incidence than See PDF for Structure in the group of animals in which the initial local reaction was suppressed by removal of the focus itself through castration. The percentage differences are not very great, but they are constantly in favor of the first group, as is the time interval of appearance. This experiment is not in strict accord with similar experiments observed by Brown and Pearce (3) in the past, and while the reasons for this difference are not clear the fact may be noted that the incidence of generalized lesions in uncastrated animals is somewhat higher than that reported by these authors, also that there was a high percentage of recurrence of primary lesions.

A Review of the Comparative Anatomy, Histology, Physiology and Pathology of the Nasal Cavity of Rats, Mice, Dogs and Non-human Primates. Relevance to Inhalation Toxicology and Human Health Risk Assessment.

PubMed

Chamanza, R; Wright, J A

2015-11-01

There are many significant differences in the structural and functional anatomy of the nasal cavity of man and laboratory animals. Some of the differences may be responsible for the species-specific nasal lesions that are often observed in response to inhaled toxicants. This paper reviews the comparative anatomy, physiology and pathology of the nasal cavity of the rat, mouse, dog, monkey and man, highlighting factors that may influence the distribution of nasal lesions. Gross anatomical variations such as turbinate structure, folds or grooves on nasal walls, or presence or absence of accessory structures, may influence nasal airflow and species-specific uptake and deposition of inhaled material. In addition, interspecies variations in the morphological and biochemical composition and distribution of the nasal epithelium may affect the local tissue susceptibility and play a role in the development of species-specific nasal lesions. It is concluded that, while the nasal cavity of the monkey might be more similar to that of man, each laboratory animal species provides a model that responds in a characteristic and species-specific manner. Therefore for human risk assessment, careful consideration must be given to the anatomical differences between a given animal model and man. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Is Empiricism Empirically False? Lessons from Early Nervous Systems.

PubMed

Miłkowski, Marcin

2017-01-01

Recent work on skin-brain thesis (de Wiljes et al. 2015; Keijzer 2015; Keijzer et al. 2013) suggests the possibility of empirical evidence that empiricism is false. It implies that early animals need no traditional sensory receptors to be engaged in cognitive activity. The neural structure required to coordinate extensive sheets of contractile tissue for motility provides the starting point for a new multicellular organized form of sensing. Moving a body by muscle contraction provides the basis for a multicellular organization that is sensitive to external surface structure at the scale of the animal body. In other words, the nervous system first evolved for action, not for receiving sensory input. Thus, sensory input is not required for minimal cognition; only action is. The whole body of an organism, in particular its highly specific animal sensorimotor organization, reflects the bodily and environmental spatiotemporal structure. The skin-brain thesis suggests that, in contrast to empiricist claims that cognition is constituted by sensory systems, cognition may be also constituted by action-oriented feedback mechanisms. Instead of positing the reflex arc as the elementary building block of nervous systems, it proposes that endogenous motor activity is crucial for cognitive processes. In the paper, I discuss the issue whether the skin-brain thesis and its supporting evidence can be really used to overthrow the main tenet of empiricism empirically, by pointing out to cognizing agents that fail to have any sensory apparatus.

Population variation in neuroendocrine activity is associated with behavioral inhibition and hemispheric brain structure in young rhesus monkeys

PubMed Central

Short, Sarah J.; Lubach, Gabriele R.; Shirtcliff, Elizabeth A.; Styner, Martin A.; Gilmore, John H.; Coe, Christopher L.

2014-01-01

Summary Population variation in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) activity and reactivity was assessed in a healthy sample of 48 juvenile rhesus monkeys. Cluster analysis of the HPA profiles revealed four distinct neuroendocrine phenotypes based on six indices of HPA functioning. Behavioral reactivity was also evaluated in response to novel stimuli, and revealed marked differences between animals in the highest- and lowest-cortisol clusters. Specifically, animals in the high-cortisol cluster showed larger stress-induced cortisol responses and blunted feedback sensitivity to dexamethasone. They were also emotionally reactive, displayed more aggressive behaviors, and were less likely to approach novel objects. In contrast, monkeys in the low-cortisol cluster were more likely to approach and explore novel objects. Representative animals with high or low cortisol profiles were scanned with Magnetic Resonance Imaging to evaluate structural differences in global and regional gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) volumes. Monkeys with higher cortisol reactivity evinced less hemispheric brain asymmetry, due to decreased GM in the right hemisphere. Stress reactivity was inversely related to global GM and positively related to total cerebrospinal fluid volume. This inverse relationship was also observed in several stress-sensitive regions, including prefrontal and frontal cortices. Our study demonstrates that population variation in pituitary-adrenal activity is related to behavioral disposition and cerebral structure in this nonhuman primate species. PMID:24954302

Community Structures of Fecal Bacteria in Cattle from Different Animal Feeding Operations▿†

PubMed Central

Shanks, Orin C.; Kelty, Catherine A.; Archibeque, Shawn; Jenkins, Michael; Newton, Ryan J.; McLellan, Sandra L.; Huse, Susan M.; Sogin, Mitchell L.

2011-01-01

The fecal microbiome of cattle plays a critical role not only in animal health and productivity but also in food safety, pathogen shedding, and the performance of fecal pollution detection methods. Unfortunately, most published molecular surveys fail to provide adequate detail about variability in the community structures of fecal bacteria within and across cattle populations. Using massively parallel pyrosequencing of a hypervariable region of the rRNA coding region, we profiled the fecal microbial communities of cattle from six different feeding operations where cattle were subjected to consistent management practices for a minimum of 90 days. We obtained a total of 633,877 high-quality sequences from the fecal samples of 30 adult beef cattle (5 individuals per operation). Sequence-based clustering and taxonomic analyses indicate less variability within a population than between populations. Overall, bacterial community composition correlated significantly with fecal starch concentrations, largely reflected in changes in the Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, and Firmicutes populations. In addition, network analysis demonstrated that annotated sequences clustered by management practice and fecal starch concentration, suggesting that the structures of bovine fecal bacterial communities can be dramatically different in different animal feeding operations, even at the phylum and family taxonomic levels, and that the feeding operation is a more important determinant of the cattle microbiome than is the geographic location of the feedlot. PMID:21378055

Histopathological alterations after a growth promoter boldenone injection in rabbits.

PubMed

Tousson, Ehab

2016-02-01

Boldenone (BOL) is a derivative of the testosterone that has dual effects on humans, both directly and indirectly; directly as injection to build muscles and indirectly as through consuming meat of animals that where treated with BOL. However, the action of these steroids on different body organs structures is still unclear; therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of the intramuscular injection of BOL undecylenate on the different organ structures. A total of 10 adult New Zealand rabbits were divided into two main groups, the first group was the control group, which includes animals that were injected intramuscularly with olive oil and the second group included animals that received two intramuscular injections of 5 mg/kg body weight BOL dissected after 6 weeks. Our results showed that intramuscular injection of rabbits with BOL showed hypertrophy in both skeletal and cardiac muscles, disturbances of the hepatocytes radially arranged cords with multifocal hepatocellular vacuolations in the liver, glomerulus mass reduction with multifocal glomerular injury in the kidney, disturbances of the cycle of spermatogenesis in the testes. In conclusion, using BOL, while preparing for a young bodybuilding contest, may cause an alteration in the histological structure of most of the body organs; these findings suggested that especially young people who misuse anablic androgenic steroids should be careful if they want to use such steroids to enhance their strength and endurance. © The Author(s) 2013.

Preclinical Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Spectroscopy Studies of Memory, Aging, and Cognitive Decline

PubMed Central

Febo, Marcelo; Foster, Thomas C.

2016-01-01

Neuroimaging provides for non-invasive evaluation of brain structure and activity and has been employed to suggest possible mechanisms for cognitive aging in humans. However, these imaging procedures have limits in terms of defining cellular and molecular mechanisms. In contrast, investigations of cognitive aging in animal models have mostly utilized techniques that have offered insight on synaptic, cellular, genetic, and epigenetic mechanisms affecting memory. Studies employing magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy (MRI and MRS, respectively) in animal models have emerged as an integrative set of techniques bridging localized cellular/molecular phenomenon and broader in vivo neural network alterations. MRI methods are remarkably suited to longitudinal tracking of cognitive function over extended periods permitting examination of the trajectory of structural or activity related changes. Combined with molecular and electrophysiological tools to selectively drive activity within specific brain regions, recent studies have begun to unlock the meaning of fMRI signals in terms of the role of neural plasticity and types of neural activity that generate the signals. The techniques provide a unique opportunity to causally determine how memory-relevant synaptic activity is processed and how memories may be distributed or reconsolidated over time. The present review summarizes research employing animal MRI and MRS in the study of brain function, structure, and biochemistry, with a particular focus on age-related cognitive decline. PMID:27468264

Changes in bone macro- and microstructure in diabetic obese mice revealed by high resolution microfocus X-ray computed tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kerckhofs, G.; Durand, M.; Vangoitsenhoven, R.; Marin, C.; van der Schueren, B.; Carmeliet, G.; Luyten, F. P.; Geris, L.; Vandamme, K.

2016-10-01

High resolution microfocus X-ray computed tomography (HR-microCT) was employed to characterize the structural alterations of the cortical and trabecular bone in a mouse model of obesity-driven type 2 diabetes (T2DM). C57Bl/6J mice were randomly assigned for 14 weeks to either a control diet-fed (CTRL) or a high fat diet (HFD)-fed group developing obesity, hyperglycaemia and insulin resistance. The HFD group showed an increased trabecular thickness and a decreased trabecular number compared to CTRL animals. Midshaft tibia intracortical porosity was assessed at two spatial image resolutions. At 2 μm scale, no change was observed in the intracortical structure. At 1 μm scale, a decrease in the cortical vascular porosity of the HFD bone was evidenced. The study of a group of 8 week old animals corresponding to animals at the start of the diet challenge revealed that the decreased vascular porosity was T2DM-dependant and not related to the ageing process. Our results offer an unprecedented ultra-characterization of the T2DM compromised skeletal micro-architecture and highlight an unrevealed T2DM-related decrease in the cortical vascular porosity, potentially affecting the bone health and fragility. Additionally, it provides some insights into the technical challenge facing the assessment of the rodent bone structure using HR-microCT imaging.

Structural plasticity in hippocampal cells related to the facilitative effect of intracranial self-stimulation on a spatial memory task.

PubMed

Chamorro-López, Jacobo; Miguéns, Miguel; Morgado-Bernal, Ignacio; Kastanauskaite, Asta; Selvas, Abraham; Cabané-Cucurella, Alberto; Aldavert-Vera, Laura; DeFelipe, Javier; Segura-Torres, Pilar

2015-12-01

Posttraining intracranial self-stimulation (SS) in the lateral hypothalamus facilitates the acquisition and retention of several implicit and explicit memory tasks. Here, intracellular injections of Lucifer yellow were used to assess morphological changes in hippocampal neurons that might be specifically related to the facilitative posttraining SS effect upon the acquisition and retention of a distributed spatial task in the Morris water maze. We examined the structure, size and branching complexity of cornus ammonis 1 (CA1) cells, and the spine density of CA1 pyramidal neurons and granular cells of the dentate gyrus (DG). Animals that received SS after each acquisition session performed faster and better than Sham ones--an improvement that was also evident in a probe trial 3 days after the last training session. The neuromorphological analysis revealed an increment in the size and branching complexity in apical CA1 dendritic arborization in SS-treated subjects as compared with Sham animals. Furthermore, increased spine density was observed in the CA1 field in SS animals, whereas no effects were observed in DG cells. Our results support the hypothesis that the facilitating effect of SS on the acquisition and retention of a spatial memory task could be related to structural plasticity in CA1 hippocampal cells. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

The motor origins of human and avian song structure

PubMed Central

Tierney, Adam T.; Russo, Frank A.; Patel, Aniruddh D.

2011-01-01

Human song exhibits great structural diversity, yet certain aspects of melodic shape (how pitch is patterned over time) are widespread. These include a predominance of arch-shaped and descending melodic contours in musical phrases, a tendency for phrase-final notes to be relatively long, and a bias toward small pitch movements between adjacent notes in a melody [Huron D (2006) Sweet Anticipation: Music and the Psychology of Expectation (MIT Press, Cambridge, MA)]. What is the origin of these features? We hypothesize that they stem from motor constraints on song production (i.e., the energetic efficiency of their underlying motor actions) rather than being innately specified. One prediction of this hypothesis is that any animals subject to similar motor constraints on song will exhibit similar melodic shapes, no matter how distantly related those animals are to humans. Conversely, animals who do not share similar motor constraints on song will not exhibit convergent melodic shapes. Birds provide an ideal case for testing these predictions, because their peripheral mechanisms of song production have both notable similarities and differences from human vocal mechanisms [Riede T, Goller F (2010) Brain Lang 115:69–80]. We use these similarities and differences to make specific predictions about shared and distinct features of human and avian song structure and find that these predictions are confirmed by empirical analysis of diverse human and avian song samples. PMID:21876156

Human cortical organization for processing vocalizations indicates representation of harmonic structure as a signal attribute

PubMed Central

Lewis, James W.; Talkington, William J.; Walker, Nathan A.; Spirou, George A.; Jajosky, Audrey; Frum, Chris

2009-01-01

The ability to detect and rapidly process harmonic sounds, which in nature are typical of animal vocalizations and speech, can be critical for communication among conspecifics and for survival. Single-unit studies have reported neurons in auditory cortex sensitive to specific combinations of frequencies (e.g. harmonics), theorized to rapidly abstract or filter for specific structures of incoming sounds, where large ensembles of such neurons may constitute spectral templates. We studied the contribution of harmonic structure to activation of putative spectral templates in human auditory cortex by using a wide variety of animal vocalizations, as well as artificially constructed iterated rippled noises (IRNs). Both the IRNs and vocalization sounds were quantitatively characterized by calculating a global harmonics-to-noise ratio (HNR). Using fMRI we identified HNR-sensitive regions when presenting either artificial IRNs and/or recordings of natural animal vocalizations. This activation included regions situated between functionally defined primary auditory cortices and regions preferential for processing human non-verbal vocalizations or speech sounds. These results demonstrate that the HNR of sound reflects an important second-order acoustic signal attribute that parametrically activates distinct pathways of human auditory cortex. Thus, these results provide novel support for putative spectral templates, which may subserve a major role in the hierarchical processing of vocalizations as a distinct category of behaviorally relevant sound. PMID:19228981

ADAPT: The Agent Development and Prototyping Testbed.

PubMed

Shoulson, Alexander; Marshak, Nathan; Kapadia, Mubbasir; Badler, Norman I

2014-07-01

We present ADAPT, a flexible platform for designing and authoring functional, purposeful human characters in a rich virtual environment. Our framework incorporates character animation, navigation, and behavior with modular interchangeable components to produce narrative scenes. The animation system provides locomotion, reaching, gaze tracking, gesturing, sitting, and reactions to external physical forces, and can easily be extended with more functionality due to a decoupled, modular structure. The navigation component allows characters to maneuver through a complex environment with predictive steering for dynamic obstacle avoidance. Finally, our behavior framework allows a user to fully leverage a character's animation and navigation capabilities when authoring both individual decision-making and complex interactions between actors using a centralized, event-driven model.

The role of animal models in tendon research

PubMed Central

Hast, M. W.; Zuskov, A.; Soslowsky, L. J.

2014-01-01

Tendinopathy is a debilitating musculoskeletal condition which can cause significant pain and lead to complete rupture of the tendon, which often requires surgical repair. Due in part to the large spectrum of tendon pathologies, these disorders continue to be a clinical challenge. Animal models are often used in this field of research as they offer an attractive framework to examine the cascade of processes that occur throughout both tendon pathology and repair. This review discusses the structural, mechanical, and biological changes that occur throughout tendon pathology in animal models, as well as strategies for the improvement of tendon healing. Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2014;3:193–202. PMID:24958818

Primordial Germ Cell Specification and Migration

PubMed Central

Marlow, Florence

2015-01-01

Primordial germ cells are the progenitor cells that give rise to the gametes. In some animals, the germline is induced by zygotic transcription factors, whereas in others, primordial germ cell specification occurs via inheritance of maternally provided gene products known as germ plasm. Once specified, the primordial germ cells of some animals must acquire motility and migrate to the gonad in order to survive. In all animals examined, perinuclear structures called germ granules form within germ cells. This review focuses on some of the recent studies, conducted by several groups using diverse systems, from invertebrates to vertebrates, which have provided mechanistic insight into the molecular regulation of germ cell specification and migration. PMID:26918157

Stimulation of the basolateral amygdala improves the acquisition of a motor skill.

PubMed

Bergado, Jorge A; Rojas, Yeneissy; Capdevila, Vladimir; González, Odalys; Almaguer-Melian, William

2006-01-01

We have previously shown that the stimulation of limbic structures related to affective life such as the amygdale can improve and reinforce neural plastic processes related to hippocampus-dependent forms of explicit memory, as spatial memory and LTP. We now assessed whether this effect is restricted to the mentioned structure and memory type, or represents a more general form of modulatory influence. Young, male Sprague Dawley rats were implanted stereotactically with one electrode in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and trained to acquire a motor skill using their right anterior limb. A group of animals received 3 trains of 15 impulses at the BLA 15 minutes after each daily training session. A second group of implanted animals was handled in the same way, but not stimulated, while a third group was not implanted. After reaching the training criterion the left motor cortex was mapped by the observation of the movements induced by stimuli applied in discrete points of the cortex. Cortical representation of the anterior limb was increased in all trained animals, showing that the motor cortex is involved in the acquisition of the new skill. Animals receiving stimulation of the BLA showed similar cortical changes, but learned faster than non-stimulated controls. Reinforcement of neural plasticity by the activation of the amygdala is not restricted to hippocampus-dependent explicit memory, but it might represent a universal mechanism to modulate plasticity.

Structural similarities of human and mammalian lipocalins, and their function in innate immunity and allergy.

PubMed

Jensen-Jarolim, E; Pacios, L F; Bianchini, R; Hofstetter, G; Roth-Walter, F

2016-03-01

Owners and their domestic animals via skin shedding and secretions, mutually exchange microbiomes, potential pathogens and innate immune molecules. Among the latter especially lipocalins are multifaceted: they may have an immunomodulatory function and, furthermore, they represent one of the most important animal allergen families. The amino acid identities, as well as their structures by superposition modeling were compared among human lipocalins, hLCN1 and hLCN2, and most important animal lipocalin allergens, such as Can f 1, Can f 2 and Can f 4 from dog, Fel d 4 from cats, Bos d 5 from cow's milk, Equ c 1 from horses, and Mus m 1 from mice, all of them representing major allergens. The β-barrel fold with a central molecular pocket is similar among human and animal lipocalins. Thereby, lipocalins are able to transport a variety of biological ligands in their highly conserved calyx-like cavity, among them siderophores with the strongest known capability to complex iron (Fe(3+) ). Levels of human lipocalins are elevated in nonallergic inflammation and cancer, associated with innate immunoregulatory functions that critically depend on ligand load. Accordingly, deficient loading of lipocalin allergens establishes their capacity to induce Th2 hypersensitivity. Our similarity analysis of human and mammalian lipocalins highlights their function in innate immunity and allergy. © 2015 The Authors. Allergy Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Drawing the line in clinical treatment of companion animals: recommendations from an ethics working party.

PubMed

Grimm, Herwig; Bergadano, Alessandra; Musk, Gabrielle C; Otto, Klaus; Taylor, Polly M; Duncan, Juliet Clare

2018-06-09

Modern veterinary medicine offers numerous options for treatment and clinicians must decide on the best one to use. Interventions causing short-term harm but ultimately benefitting the animal are often justified as being in the animal's best interest. Highly invasive clinical veterinary procedures with high morbidity and low success rates may not be in the animal's best interest. A working party was set up by the European College of Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia to discuss the ethics of clinical veterinary practice and improve the approach to ethically challenging clinical cases. Relevant literature was reviewed. The 'best interest principle' was translated into norms immanent to the clinic by means of the 'open question argument'. Clinical interventions with potential to cause harm need ethical justification, and suggest a comparable structure of ethical reflection to that used in the context of in vivo research should be applied to the clinical setting. To structure the ethical debate, pertinent questions for ethical decision-making were identified. These were incorporated into a prototype ethical tool developed to facilitate clinical ethical decision-making. The ethical question 'Where should the line on treatment be drawn' should be replaced by 'How should the line be drawn?' © British Veterinary Association (unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Confirmatory factor analysis of the Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire: A comparison of five factor solutions across vegan and omnivore participants.

PubMed

Heiss, Sydney; Boswell, James F; Hormes, Julia M

2018-05-01

The Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire (EDE-Q) is a valid and reliable measure of eating-related pathology, but its factor structure has proven difficult to replicate. Given differences in dietary patterns in vegans compared to omnivores, proper measurement of eating disorder symptoms is especially important in studies of animal product avoiders. This study compared goodness-of-fit of five alternative models of the EDE-Q in vegans (i.e., individuals refraining from all animal products, n = 318) and omnivores (i.e., individuals not restricting intake of animal products, n = 200). Confirmatory factor analyses were used to compare fit indices of the original four-factor model of the EDE-Q, along with alternative three-, two-, full one-, and brief one-factor models. No model provided adequate fit of the data in either sample of respondents. The fit of the brief one-factor model was the closest to acceptable in omnivores, but did not perform as well in vegans. Indicators of fit were comparable in vegans and omnivores across all other models. Our data confirm difficulties in replicating the proposed factor structure of the EDE-Q, including in vegans. More research is needed to determine the suitability of the EDE-Q for quantifying eating behaviors, including in those abstaining from animal products. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Preclinical evidence supporting the clinical development of central pattern generator-modulating therapies for chronic spinal cord-injured patients

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Ambulation or walking is one of the main gaits of locomotion. In terrestrial animals, it may be defined as a series of rhythmic and bilaterally coordinated movement of the limbs which creates a forward movement of the body. This applies regardless of the number of limbs—from arthropods with six or more limbs to bipedal primates. These fundamental similarities among species may explain why comparable neural systems and cellular properties have been found, thus far, to control in similar ways locomotor rhythm generation in most animal models. The aim of this article is to provide a comprehensive review of the known structural and functional features associated with central nervous system (CNS) networks that are involved in the control of ambulation and other stereotyped motor patterns—specifically Central Pattern Generators (CPGs) that produce basic rhythmic patterned outputs for locomotion, micturition, ejaculation, and defecation. Although there is compelling evidence of their existence in humans, CPGs have been most studied in reduced models including in vitro isolated preparations, genetically-engineered mice and spinal cord-transected animals. Compared with other structures of the CNS, the spinal cord is generally considered as being well-preserved phylogenetically. As such, most animal models of spinal cord-injured (SCI) should be considered as valuable tools for the development of novel pharmacological strategies aimed at modulating spinal activity and restoring corresponding functions in chronic SCI patients. PMID:24910602

Zoo agent's measure in applying the five freedoms principles for animal welfare.

PubMed

Demartoto, Argyo; Soemanto, Robertus Bellarminus; Zunariyah, Siti

2017-09-01

Animal welfare should be prioritized not only for the animal's life sustainability but also for supporting the sustainability of living organism's life on the earth. However, Indonesian people have not understood it yet, thereby still treating animals arbitrarily and not appreciating either domesticated or wild animals. This research aimed to analyze the zoo agent's action in applying the five freedoms principle for animal welfare in Taman Satwa Taru Jurug (thereafter called TSTJ) or Surakarta Zoo and Gembira Loka Zoo (GLZ) of Yogyakarta Indonesia using Giddens structuration theory. The informants in this comparative study with explorative were organizers, visitors, and stakeholders of zoos selected using purposive sampling technique. The informants consisted of 19 persons: 8 from TSTJ (Code T) and 10 from GLZ (Code G) and representatives from Natural Resource Conservation Center of Central Java (Code B). Data were collected through observation, in-depth interview, and Focus Group Discussion and Documentation. Data were analyzed using an interactive model of analysis consisting of three components: Data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. Data validation was carried out using method and data source triangulations. Food, nutrition, and nutrition level have been given consistent with the animals' habit and natural behavior. Animal keepers always maintain their self-cleanliness. GLZ has provided cages according to the technical instruction of constructing ideal cages, but the cages in TSTJ are worrying as they are not consistent with standard, rusty, and damaged, and animals have no partner. Some animals in GLZ are often sick, whereas some animals in TSTJ are dead due to poor maintenance. The iron pillars of cages restrict animal behavior in TSTJ so that they have not had freedom to behave normally yet, whereas, in GLZ, they can move freely in original habitat. The animals in the two zoos have not been free from disruption, stress, and pressure due to the passing over vehicles. There should be strategic communication, information, and education, community development, and law enforcement for the animal welfare.

Process for the treatment of lignocellulosic biomass

DOEpatents

Dale, Bruce E.

2014-07-08

A process for the treatment of biomass to render structural carbohydrates more accessible and/or digestible using concentrated ammonium hydroxide with or without anhydrous ammonia addition, is described. The process preferably uses steam to strip ammonia from the biomass for recycling. The process yields of monosaccharides from the structural carbohydrates are good, particularly as measured by the enzymatic hydrolysis of the structural carbohydrates. The monosaccharides are used as animal feeds and energy sources for ethanol production.

Process for the treatment of lignocellulosic biomass

DOEpatents

Dale, Bruce E.; Lynd, Lee R.; Laser, Mark

2013-03-12

A process for the treatment of biomass to render structural carbohydrates more accessible and/or digestible using concentrated ammonium hydroxide with or without anhydrous ammonia addition, is described. The process preferably uses steam to strip ammonia from the biomass for recycling. The process yields of monosaccharides from the structural carbohydrates are good, particularly as measured by the enzymatic hydrolysis of the structural carbohydrates. The monosaccharides are used as animal feeds and energy sources for ethanol production.