Abstract Tracking of animal migrations using telemetry technologies needs to take into consideration the burden that the tag exerts on the animal. Here, we examined the potential impacts of acoustic ...tags of two sizes (nominally a ‘V6’ smaller and ‘V7’ larger) on the downstream riverine migration success and behaviour of wild Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar L.) smolts. One hundred fish were tagged with either a V6 or V7 tag. Tag burden (tag: fish weight) ranged from 1.88% to 7.39% and differed significantly between fish tagged with the V6 (mean SD = 3.63% 0.51%) and the V7 tags (mean SD = 5.84% 0.95%). There was no significant difference in the in‐river migration failure between the two groups when tested with a time‐to‐event analysis. There were also no differences in other elements of the migratory behaviour (rate of movement, time of detection and residency time) between the two tagging groups. These data support the use of acoustic tracking for monitoring smolt migration and highlight that tagging of smaller smolts at up to 7.39% tag burden to gain a more representative understanding of migration success and behaviours across a smolt population.
Rationale
L-type Ca
2+
channels (LTCC) and GABA
B
receptors are both possible targets in the development of new pharmacological compounds for cocaine addiction. Drugs that target either receptor ...attenuate a wide range of cocaine-seeking behaviors in the rat. However, there is no current human-approved pharmacotherapeutic intervention for psychostimulant addiction.
Objectives
This study examined the effects of a human-approved LTCC blocker, fendiline, on cocaine-taking and cocaine-seeking behavior in rats. The effects of combining fendiline with the GABA
B
receptor agonist baclofen on cocaine self-administration were also tested.
Methods
Male Wistar rats were trained to self-administer cocaine, and the effects of fendiline pretreatment (vehicle, 1.78, 3.16, 5.62 mg/kg, intraperitoneal (IP)) were tested on progressive ratio responding and cue- and drug-induced reinstatement. The effects of baclofen (vehicle, 0.56, 1.78, 3.16, 5.62 mg/kg, IP) combined with fendiline (5.62 mg/kg, IP) were tested on progressive ratio responding. Control experiments measured locomotor activity and lever pressing for food in rats that received both baclofen and fendiline prior to the test session.
Results
Acute injections of fendiline prior to cue- or drug-induced reinstatement significantly attenuated lever-pressing behavior (
p
< 0.05). Fendiline and baclofen, but not fendiline alone, not only significantly attenuated breakpoints, but also impaired general motor behavior and naturalistic reinforcement (
p
< 0.05).
Conclusion
These data suggest that the LTCC blocker fendiline may represent a novel pharmacotherapeutic intervention to prevent reinstatement to cocaine seeking. Also, co-administration of fendiline and baclofen not only can attenuate the motivation to take cocaine, but also impairs general motor behavior and naturalistic reinforcement.
(1) Background: The field of medicine requires simple cooling materials. However, there is little knowledge documented about phase change materials (PCM) covering the range of 28 to 40 degrees ...Celsius, as needed for medical use. Induced mild hypothermia, started within 6 h after birth, is an emerging therapy for reducing death and severe disabilities in asphyxiated infants. Currently, this hypothermia is accomplished with equipment that needs a power source and a liquid supply. Neonatal cooling is more frequent in low-resource settings, where ~1 million deaths are caused by birth-asphyxia. (2) Methods: A simple and safe cooling method suitable for medical application is needed for the 28 to 37.5 degrees C window. (3) Results: Using empirical experiments in which the ingredients in Glauber salt were changed, we studied the effects of temperature on material in the indicated temperature range. The examination, in a controlled manner, of different mixtures of NaCl, Na2SO4 and water resulted in a better understanding of how the different mixtures act and how to compose salt solutions that can satisfy clinical cooling specifications. (4) Conclusions: Our Glauber salt solution is a clinically suited PCM in the temperature interval needed for the cooling of infants suffering from asphyxia.
The focus of this paper is on capital flows from developed to less developed countries and in particular on the question of why such flows are not much larger. I first outline the theoretical ...arguments with regard to such flows and then go on to review the historical evidence on international financial integration more generally. I then turn to the related literature on economic development, which over the past decade has shifted its emphasis from technology and capital accumulation to the underlying institutional factors that affect investment. I present evidence that such factors also affect to rich-to-poor country capital flows. Good policies – pursuit of price stability, fewer direct interventions and sound institutional structures – are accompanied by higher capital flows and bad policies by lower capital flows.
Mouthguards are the primary mode of protection against maxillofacial injuries in contact sports, but recent research has also linked performance enhancement to this piece of equipment. The purpose of ...this study was to test the claims of the Under Armour ArmourBite (UAAB) mouthguard to decrease blood lactate concentration (BL) and increase power when compared to a generic over-the-counter mouthguard (OTC) and no mouthguard (NOMG) during an anaerobic performance test.
Seventeen recreationally active males (23.4 ± 2.7 years; 179.6 ± 7.4 cm; 83.0 ± 14.0 kg) were tested using the 30 s Wingate anaerobic test (WAnT) during three separate testing sessions.
There were no differences in BL between any of the conditions immediately or 5 min posttest. There were also no differences in peak, relative or average power, or fatigue index during the WAnT. The UAAB mouthguard was therefore unsuccessful in improving anaerobic performance.
It is likely that more expensive, custom-fit dental mouthguards may be necessary for individuals to see any benefits to athletic performance.
The use of mass spectrometry coupled with chemical cross-linking of proteins has become a powerful tool for proteins structure and interactions studies. Unlike structural analysis of proteins using ...chemical reagents specific for lysine or cysteine residues, identification of gas-phase fragmentation patterns of endogenous dityrosine cross-linked peptides have not been investigated. Dityrosine cross-linking in proteins and peptides are clinical markers of oxidative stress, aging, and neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. In this study, we investigated and characterized the fragmentation pattern of a synthetically prepared dityrosine cross-linked dimer of Aβ(1–16) using ESI tandem mass spectrometry. We then detailed the fragmentation pattern of dityrosine cross-linked Aβ(1–16), using collision induced dissociation (CID), higher-energy collision induced dissociation (HCD), electron transfer dissociation (ETD), and electron capture dissociation (ECD). Application of these generic fragmentation rules of dityrosine cross-linked peptides allowed for the identification of dityrosine cross-links in peptides of Aβ and α-synuclein generated in vitro by enzymatic peroxidation. We report, for the first time, the dityrosine cross-linked residues in human hemoglobin and α-synuclein under oxidative conditions. Together these tools open up the potential for automated analysis of this naturally occurring post-translation modification in neurodegenerative diseases as well as other pathological conditions.
Selenium (Se) protects cells against oxidative stress damage through a range of bioactive selenoproteins. Increased oxidative stress is a prominent feature of Alzheimer's disease (AD), and previous ...studies have shown that Se deficiency is associated with age-related cognitive decline. In this study, we assessed Se status in different biofluids from a subgroup of participants in the Australian Imaging, Biomarkers and Lifestyle Flagship Study of Ageing. As Se in humans can either be an active component of selenoproteins or inactive via non-specific incorporation into other proteins, we used both size exclusion chromatography-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (SEC-ICP-MS) and tandem mass spectrometry to characterize selenoproteins in serum. We observed no differences in total Se concentration in serum or cerebrospinal fluid of AD subjects compared to mildly cognitively impairment patients and healthy controls. However, Se levels in erythrocytes were decreased in AD compared to controls. SEC-ICP-MS analysis revealed a dominant Se-containing fraction. This fraction was subjected to standard protein purification and a bottom-up proteomics approach to confirm that the abundant Se in the fraction was due, in part, to selenoprotein P. The lack of change in the Se level is at odds with our previous observations in a Brazilian population deficient in Se, and we attribute this to the Australian cohort being Se-replete.
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