•Zebrafish consume stable and pharmacologically relevant levels of ethanol–gelatin.•Ethanol–gelatin intake correlates with blood ethanol concentration.•Ethanol–gelatin intake leads to similar blood ...ethanol levels to ethanol soak.•Ethanol–gelatin intake significantly changes behavior and orexigenic peptides.
Recent studies in zebrafish have shown that exposure to ethanol in tank water affects various behaviors, including locomotion, anxiety and aggression, and produces changes in brain neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and dopamine. Building on these investigations, the present study had two goals: first, to develop a method for inducing voluntary ethanol intake in individual zebrafish, which can be used as a model in future studies to examine how this behavior is affected by various manipulations, and second, to characterize the effects of this ethanol intake on different behaviors and the expression of hypothalamic orexigenic peptides, galanin (GAL) and orexin (OX), which are known in rodents to stimulate consumption of ethanol and alter behaviors associated with alcohol abuse. Thus, we first developed a new model of voluntary intake of ethanol in fish by presenting this ethanol mixed with gelatin, which they readily consume. Using this model, we found that individual zebrafish can be trained in a short period to consume stable levels of 10% or 20% ethanol (v/v) mixed with gelatin and that their intake of this ethanol–gelatin mixture leads to pharmacologically relevant blood ethanol concentrations which are strongly, positively correlated with the amount ingested. Intake of this ethanol–gelatin mixture increased locomotion, reduced anxiety, and stimulated aggressive behavior, while increasing expression of GAL and OX in specific hypothalamic areas. These findings, confirming results in rats, provide a method in zebrafish for investigating with forward genetics and pharmacological techniques the role of different brain mechanisms in controlling ethanol intake.
•Embryonic ethanol exposure stimulates neurogenesis in zebrafish hypothalamus.•Embryonic ethanol exposure stimulates expression of galanin and orexin neurons.•Embryonic ethanol exposure stimulates ...proliferation of galanin neurons.•Central injection of GAL preferentially stimulates ethanol intake in zebrafish.•Central injection of OX stimulates novelty-induced locomotor activity in zebrafish.
Embryonic exposure to ethanol is known to affect neurochemical systems in rodents and increase alcohol drinking and related behaviors in humans and rodents. With zebrafish emerging as a powerful tool for uncovering neural mechanisms of numerous diseases and exhibiting similarities to rodents, the present report building on our rat studies examined in zebrafish the effects of embryonic ethanol exposure on hypothalamic neurogenesis, expression of orexigenic neuropeptides, and voluntary ethanol consumption and locomotor behaviors in larval and adult zebrafish, and also effects of central neuropeptide injections on these behaviors affected by ethanol. At 24h post-fertilization, zebrafish embryos were exposed for 2h to ethanol, at low concentrations of 0.25% and 0.5%, in the tank water. Embryonic ethanol compared to control dose-dependently increased hypothalamic neurogenesis and the proliferation and expression of the orexigenic peptides, galanin (GAL) and orexin (OX), in the anterior hypothalamus. These changes in hypothalamic peptide neurons were accompanied by an increase in voluntary consumption of 10% ethanol–gelatin and in novelty-induced locomotor and exploratory behavior in adult zebrafish and locomotor activity in larvae. After intracerebroventricular injection, these peptides compared to vehicle had specific effects on these behaviors altered by ethanol, with GAL stimulating consumption of 10% ethanol–gelatin more than plain gelatin food and OX stimulating novelty-induced locomotor behavior while increasing intake of food and ethanol equally. These results, similar to those obtained in rats, suggest that the ethanol-induced increase in genesis and expression of these hypothalamic peptide neurons contribute to the behavioral changes induced by embryonic exposure to ethanol.
We present densely sampled BVRI light curves of the optical transient associated with the gamma-ray burst (GRB) 030329, the result of a coordinated observing campaign conducted at five observatories. ...Augmented with published observations of this GRB, the compiled optical data set contains 2687 photometric measurements, obtained between 78 minutes and 79 days after the burst. This data set allows us to follow the photometric evolution of the transient with unprecedented detail. We use the data to constrain the light curve of the underlying supernova (SN) 2003dh and show that it evolved faster than and was probably somewhat fainter than the Type Ic SN 1998bw, associated with GRB 980425. We find that our data can be described by a broken power-law decay perturbed by a complex variable component. The early- and late-time decay slopes are determined to be alpha sub(1) similar to 1.1 and alpha sub(2) similar to 2. Assuming this single-break power-law model, we constrain the break to lie between approx3 and approx8 days after the burst. This simple, singly broken power-law model, derived only from the analysis of our optical observations, may also account for available multiband data, provided that the break happened approx8 days after the burst. The more complex double-jet model of Berger et al. provides a comparable fit to the optical, X-ray, millimeter, and radio observations of this event. The unique early coverage available for this event allows us to trace the color evolution of the afterglow during the first hours after the burst. We detect a significant change in optical colors during the first day. Our color analysis is consistent with a cooling-break frequency sweeping through the optical band during the first day. The light curves of GRB 030329 reveal a rich array of variations, superposed over the mean power-law decay. We find that the early variations ( similar to 8 days after the burst) are asymmetric, with a steep rise followed by a relatively slower (by a factor of about 2) decline. The variations maintain a similar timescale during the first 4 days and then get significantly longer. The structure of these variations is similar to those previously detected in the afterglows of several GRBs.
The main objective of the present study was to promote some adaptations to the standard methodology used in the analysis of Cladocera subfossils. The samples used in this study were collected at ...Lagoa dos Coutos, a temporary lake located on an outcrop with iron-rich duricrust in the Serra do Gandarela (Minas Gerais, Brazil). The sediment from this pond, typical of temporary ecosystems in the region, is characterized by rigid concretions that are difficult to dissolve in aqueous media, making it difficult to visualize and analyze subfossils taxa. Sediment samples were prepared according to the standard methodology used in paleolimological studies and the methodological adaptations proposed in the present study, which included the addition of 1 mg of Kochia scoparia, a palynological marker used to estimate subfossil density, as well as the addition of hydrofluoric acid (HF) to oxidize silicate materials. The samples prepared according to the new methodological procedure improved Cladocera subfossil visualization, facilitating the taxonomic analysis of the species. The samples submitted to the standard methodological procedure had a significantly higher mean of sediment particles (mean of 84.2 sediment particles) and 70% more residues compared to the samples prepared with the newly proposed methodology (mean of 22.1 sediment particles). Absolute data on the temporal variation of the density of Cladocera subfossils was obtained by using the palinological marker K. scoparia, which showed higher densities of subfossils in more recent, humid periods (112,000 subfossils/cm3 at 5 cm, equivalent to 3,500 years BP). The results indicate that the new methodology can contribute to advances in paleolimnological studies of temporary aquatic ecosystems, whose lake histories are rarely investigated, despite their ecological relevance as ecosystems that indicate environmental and climatic changes.
ABSTRACT
We analyse a light curve (LC) of the symbiotic star BF Cyg, covering 114 yr of its photometric history. The star had a major outburst around the year 1894. Since then the mean optical ...brightness of the system is in steady decline, reaching only in the last few years its pre‐outburst value. Superposed on this general decline are some six less intense outbursts of 1–2 mag and duration of 2000–5000 d. We find a cycle of 6376 d, or possibly twice this period, in the occurrence of these outbursts. We suggest that the origin of the system outbursts is in some magnetic cycle in the outer layers of the giant star of the system, akin to the less intense 8000‐d magnetic cycle of our Sun. We further find, that in addition to its well‐known binary period of 757.3 d, BF Cyg possesses also another photometric period of 798.8 d. This could be the rotation period of the giant star of the system. If it is, the beat period of these two periodicities, 14 580 d, is the rotation period of a tidal wave on the surface of the giant. A fourth period of 4436 d, the beat period of the 14 580‐d and the 6376‐d cycles is possibly also present in the LC. We predict that BF Cyg will be at the peak of its next outburst around the month of May in the year 2007. The newly discovered 798.8‐d period explains the disappearance of the orbital modulation at some epochs in the LC. The 757.3‐d oscillations will be damped again around the year 2013.
Photometric observations of V4633 Sgr (Nova Sagittarii 1998) during 1998–2005 reveal the presence of a stable photometric periodicity at P1= 180.8 min which is probably the orbital period of the ...underlying binary system. A second period was present in the light curve of the object for 6 yr. Shortly after the nova eruption it was measured as P2= 185.6 min. It has decreased monotonically in the following few years reaching the value P2= 183.9 min in 2003. In 2004 it was no longer detectable. We suggest that the second periodicity is the spin of the magnetic white dwarf of this system that rotates nearly synchronously with the orbital revolution. According to our interpretation, the post-eruption evolution of Nova V4633 Sgr follows a track similar to the one taken by V1500 Cyg (Nova Cygni 1975) after that nova eruption, on a somewhat longer time-scale. The asynchronism is probably the result of the nova outburst that led to a considerable expansion of the white dwarf's photosphere. The increase in the moment of inertia of the star was associated with a corresponding decrease in its spin rate. Our observations have followed the spinning-up of the white dwarf resulting from the contraction of its outer envelope as the star is slowly returning to its pre-outburst state. It is thus the second known asynchronous polar classical nova.
Coho salmon dependence on intermittent streams Wigington, P.J. Jr; Ebersole, J.L; Colvin, M.E ...
Frontiers in ecology and the environment,
December 2006, Letnik:
4, Številka:
10
Journal Article
Recenzirano
In February 2006, the US Supreme Court heard cases that may affect whether intermittent streams are jurisdictional waters under the Clean Water Act. In June 2006, however, the cases were remanded to ...the circuit court, leaving the status of intermittent streams uncertain once again. The presence of commercial species, such as coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), can be an important consideration when determining jurisdiction. These salmon spawn in the upper portions of Oregon coastal stream networks, where intermittent streams are common. In our study of a coastal Oregon watershed, we found that intermittent streams were an important source of coho salmon smolts. Residual pools in intermittent streams provided a means by which juvenile coho could survive during dry periods; smolts that overwintered in intermittent streams were larger than those from perennial streams. Movement of juvenile coho into intermittent tributaries from the mainstem was another way in which the fish exploited the habitat and illustrates the importance of maintaining accessibility for entire stream networks. Loss of intermittent stream habitat would have a negative effect on coho salmon populations in coastal drainages, including downstream navigable waters.
The pulsations of PG 1351+489 Redaelli, M.; Kepler, S. O.; Costa, J. E. S. ...
Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society,
August 2011, Letnik:
415, Številka:
2
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
PG 1351+489 is one of the 20 DBVs - pulsating helium-atmosphere white dwarf stars - known and has the simplest power spectrum for this class of star, making it a good candidate to study cooling ...rates. We report accurate period determinations for the main peak at 489.334 48 s and two other normal modes using data from the Whole Earth Telescope (WET) observations of 1995 and 2009. In 2009, we detected a new pulsation mode and the main pulsation mode exhibited substantial change in its amplitude compared to all previous observations. We were able to estimate the star's rotation period, of 8.9 h, and discuss a possible determination of the rate of period change of (2.0 ± 0.9) × 10−13 s s −1, the first such estimate for a DBV.
We present the analysis of a total of 177 h of high-quality optical time-series photometry of the helium atmosphere pulsating white dwarf (DBV) EC 20058−5234. The bulk of the observations (135 h) ...were obtained during a WET campaign (XCOV15) in 1997 July that featured coordinated observing from four southern observatory sites over an 8-d period. The remaining data (42 h) were obtained in 2004 June at Mt John Observatory in NZ over a one-week observing period. This work significantly extends the discovery observations of this low-amplitude (few per cent) pulsator by increasing the number of detected frequencies from 8 to 18, and employs a simulation procedure to confirm the reality of these frequencies to a high level of significance (1 in 1000). The nature of the observed pulsation spectrum precludes identification of unique pulsation mode properties using any clearly discernable trends. However, we have used a global modelling procedure employing genetic algorithm techniques to identify the n, ℓ values of eight pulsation modes, and thereby obtain asteroseismic measurements of several model parameters, including the stellar mass (0.55 M⊙) and Teff (∼28 200 K). These values are consistent with those derived from published spectral fitting: Teff∼ 28 400 K and log g∼ 7.86. We also present persuasive evidence from apparent rotational mode splitting for two of the modes that indicates this compact object is a relatively rapid rotator with a period of 2 h. In direct analogy with the corresponding properties of the hydrogen (DAV) atmosphere pulsators, the stable low-amplitude pulsation behaviour of EC 20058 is entirely consistent with its inferred effective temperature, which indicates it is close to the blue edge of the DBV instability strip. Arguably, our most significant result from this work is the clear demonstration that EC 20058 is a very stable pulsator with several dominant pulsation modes that can be monitored for their long-term stability.
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