Positioning behaviour in fish shoals: a cost–benefit analysis

Shoal position can have a strong influence on individual fitness. Individuals in front positions of shoals were observed to have higher feeding rates than individuals elsewhere. Manipulation of nutritional state showed that hungry individuals had a stronger preference for front positions and that the duration of food-deprivation was positively correlated with the degree of the position preference. On the other hand, front positions (like other peripheral positions) probably incur costs in terms of increased predation risks. Experiments with Schreckstoff showed that frightened individuals seek the central part of the shoal. This suggests that individuals rotate their shoal positions according to the tradeoff between energy intake and predation risk.     

Brain μ-Calpain Autolysis During Global Cerebral Ischemia

Abstract: Proteolytic degradation of numerous calpain substrates, including cytoskeletal and regulatory proteins, has been observed during brain ischemia and reperfusion. In addition, calpain inhibitors have been shown to decrease degradation of these proteins and decrease postischemic neuronal death. Although these observations support the inference of a role for μ-calpain in the pathophysiology of ischemic neuronal injury, the evidence is indirect. A direct indicator of μ-calpain proteolytic activity is autolysis of its 80-kDa catalytic subunit, and therefore we examined the μ-calpain catalytic subunit for evidence of autolysis during cerebral ischemia. Rabbit brain homogenates obtained after 0, 5, 10, and 20 min of cardiac arrest were electrophoresed and immunoblotted with a monoclonal antibody specific to the μ-calpain catalytic subunit. In nonischemic brain homogenates the antibody identified an 80-kDa band, which migrated identically with purified μ-calpain, and faint 78- and 76-kDa bands, which represent autolyzed forms of the 80-kDa subunit. The average density of the 80-kDa band decreased by 25 ± 4 ( p = 0.008) and 28 ± 9% ( p = 0.004) after 10 and 20 min of cardiac arrest, respectively, whereas the average density of the 78-kDa band increased by 111 ± 50% ( p = 0.02) after 20 min of cardiac arrest. No significant change in the density of the 76-kDa band was detected. These results provide direct evidence for autolysis of brain μ-calpain during cerebral ischemia. Further work is needed to characterize the extent, duration, and localization of μ-calpain activity during brain ischemia and reperfusion as well as its role in the causal pathway of postischemic neuronal injury.     

Effect of bromocryptine in oligozoospermic men with hyperprolactinaemia

13 patients with oligozoospermia, showing high prolactin serum levels but no signs of a prolactinoma, were treated with the specific prolactin inhibitor bromocryptine. After a 50 day treatment period an increase of sperm count in 6 cases, a decrease in 2 cases and no alteration in 5 cases was observed. Other semen parameters were not altered. Serum prolactin was significantly lowered. No explanation for the influence of inhibition of prolactin release on spermatogenesis can be given at present. The value of this therapy therefore is doubtful.