Visually guided avoidance in the chameleon (Chamaeleo chameleon): response patterns and lateralization

The common chameleon, Chamaeleo chameleon, is an arboreal lizard with highly independent, large-amplitude eye movements. In response to a moving threat, a chameleon on a perch responds with distinct avoidance movements that are expressed in its continuous positioning on the side of the perch distal to the threat. We analyzed body-exposure patterns during threat avoidance for evidence of lateralization, that is, asymmetry at the functional/behavioral levels. Chameleons were exposed to a threat approaching horizontally from the left or right, as they held onto a vertical pole that was either wider or narrower than the width of their head, providing, respectively, monocular or binocular viewing of the threat. We found two equal-sized sub-groups, each displaying lateralization of motor responses to a given direction of stimulus approach. Such an anti-symmetrical distribution of lateralization in a population may be indicative of situations in which organisms are regularly exposed to crucial stimuli from all spatial directions. This is because a bimodal distribution of responses to threat in a natural population will reduce the spatial advantage of predators.     

Kinematics of prey capture and chewing in the lizard Agama agama (squamata: Agamidae)

High speed video recordings (200 fields per second) of prey capture and food processing in Agama agama permit the identification of strikes, chews and transport movements. Ten variables from strike movements and seven variables from chewing sequences are digitized; transport movements are inspected only. Univariate and multivariate statistical analyses disclose significant interindividual differences for three variables (maximum gape distance, maximum head angle, and maximum throat distance); but neither these nor principal components analysis show differences between strikes and chews for any of the gape change and hyoid depression variables. However, strikes and chews obviously differ in tongue protrusion and body movements. Chewing may be divided into four stages, comparable to those of transport cycles of other lizards and the generalized tetrapod model. Transport differs from chewing by having a shorter power stroke and relatively more cranial and less jaw movement. The kinematics of feeding in Agama agama are compared with those of other lizards studied previously.     

Breathing,voice, and movement therapy: Applications to breathing disorders

Elsa Gindler (1885–1961) developed a holistic approach to the human body and psyche via the movement of breath. Gindler experimented with movements to strengthen the deeper layers of the muscular system and improve the circulation of oxygen, movements that reduced tensions that had been preventing the breathing muscles from functioning properly. Subsequently, she founded a school for breathing and body awareness. The biggest breathing muscle in the human body is the diaphragm, the lowering of which can only take place when the jaw and the throat are relaxed, the belly is free, and the psoas (major and minor) and hip joints allow free leg-movement and flexibility in the lower back. When these conditions do not obtain, the body compensates by lifting the shoulders, pulling up the chest bone, and contracting the sphincter muscles in the throat, movements which weaken the muscles which assist the breathing process. Thus, the compensatory muscles are overburdened and the fine organization of the body is disturbed; the natural capacity to use the breath as a healing force is lost. The goal of breath therapy is to recognize and reestablish this capacity. Training sessions are devoted to relaxation; to exercises to rebuild muscle tone, strengthen weakened muscles, release contracted areas, and the use of the voice to stimulate the respiratory system. Sessions typically consist of (a) relaxation, (b) activation (experimenting with new, freer ways of moving), and (c) integration (application to everyday life). The therapist analyzes incidents of stress in the client's life where breathing is likely to be disturbed. This is especially important for asthmatics who can learn how to deal with an attack by relaxing rather than contracting. This work is especially beneficial for problems in (a) the skeletal structure, (b) respiration, (c) vital organs, and (d) general symptoms.     

Drinking and water expulsion in the diamondback turtle Malaclemys terrapin

Postural and kinematic characteristics of the drinking behaviour in the diamondback turtle, Malaclemys terrapin (Latreille) were investigated by video and high-speed filming experiments. Head, jaw and throat movements in drinking cycles are described. Postures of neck and head were compared for three water depths (2, 10 and 30 mm). Water expulsion, occurring after the turtle was disturbed, is also kinematically described. Finally, a drinking mechanism in the turtle is proposed.     

Translocation of the Eastern Bristlebird 1: radio‐tracking of post‐release movements

Summary Translocating birds to a new area of habitat to restore or supplement depleted populations may pose a significant threat to the translocated individuals. While for many species, translocated individuals appear to move larger distances than resident animals, species with poor dispersal capacity may be restricted in movements and translocation methods may need to accommodate differences in movements to ensure success. In this study, designed to provide insights to inform our broader programme of translocations in New South Wales, Australia, we investigated post‐release movements in the endangered, semi‐flightless Eastern Bristlebird (Dasyornis brachypterus). We predicted that movements would be minimal, with few differences between males and females, similar to published information for a resident un‐manipulated population. Following the release of 45 birds at a host location at Jervis Bay, NSW, over a 3‐year programme, we followed individuals for up to 2 weeks using radio‐tracking. The translocated birds had larger maximum movements and moved through much larger home ranges than non‐translocated individuals from the resident population. Translocated birds moved 300 m further after release when conspecifics were present. Males moved further than females and tended to have larger home ranges, although average daily displacement did not differ. We concluded that the semi‐flightlessness of the species does not result in minimal movements. Release at a small number of locations in the new habitat was considered appropriate for the species, as animals seem to move enough to find new unoccupied areas in a relatively short period. This work provided us with increasing confidence to continue with further translocations.     

An ethogram for rhesus monkeys I. Antithetical contrasts in posture and movement

Antithetical postures and movements in social displays of rhesus monkeys distinguish five moods. Movement from a high to a low position in the midsagittal plane indicates threat. Emphasis on movement in the frontal plane indicates subordinance. Movement from a low to a high position in the midsagittal plane indicates non-hostile, non-fearful approach. Oblique movements indicate a querying mood. Playfulness is indicated by emphasis on rotatory movements in the transverse plane.     

The mechanism of dewlap extension in Anolis carolinensis (Reptilia: Iguanidae) with histological analysis of the hyoid apparatus

Anolis carolinensis has two aggressive displays involving movements of the hyoid apparatus: erection of the throat and extension of the dewlap. Erection of the throat is an enlargement of the gular region and dewlap extension consists of a vertical erection of the gular flap. Cinefluoroscopy and high speed cinematography show that the dewlap is extended in three phases: 1) protraction of the entire hyoid apparatus; 2) forward pivoting movement of the ceratobranchials II; and 3) retraction of the ceratobranchials II and the entire hyoid apparatus. The cartilaginous elements of the hyoid apparatus are variably mineralized. The entoglossal process and the hypohyals are the most calcified elements. The mineralized portion of the hyoid body, to which the other elements articulate, presents a complex pattern. The calcification of entoglossal process and the hypohyals stop just where they are fused with the hyoid body. The hyoid body presents four mineralized masses, two central corresponding to the base of the ceratobranchials II and two lateral being the head of the ossified ceratobranchials I. The lateral masses articulate on the central masses by a synovial joint. Morphologically, the ceratobranchials II form the hyoid body and become separated at the mid length of the synovial articulation of the ceratobranchials I and the hyoid body. The calcified matrix of the ceratobranchials II gradually changes from a large calcified mass (within the hyoid body) to a semicircle, opened ventrally, which permits their bending during dewlap extension. The highly mineralized posterior tip of the entoglossal process and the hyoid body serve as a pivot to pivoting forward movement of the ceratobranchials II producing at the change of the pattern of mineralization. Forward movement of the ceratobranchials II is produced by electrical stimulation of the M. branchio hyoideus. The opposition of the throat skin to the movement of the ceratobranchials II produces the bending of those longest elements. Electrical stimulation of the hyoid muscles confirms the key role of M. branchiohyoideus during dewlap extension. Simultaneous contractions of all the hyoid and extrinsic tongue (retractor and protractor) muscles with the M. branchiohyoideus during dewlap extension may be a possible motor pattern for dewlap extension in Anolis lizards.     

Roads and bats: a meta‐analysis and review of the evidence on vehicle collisions and barrier effects

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The spread of tomato yellow leaf curl virus from the Middle East to the world

The ongoing global spread of Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV; Genus Begomovirus, Family Geminiviridae) represents a serious looming threat to tomato production in all temperate parts of the world. Whereas determining where and when TYLCV movements have occurred could help curtail its spread and prevent future movements of related viruses, determining the consequences of past TYLCV movements could reveal the ecological and economic risks associated with similar viral invasions. Towards this end we applied Bayesian phylogeographic inference and recombination analyses to available TYLCV sequences (including those of 15 new Iranian full TYLCV genomes) and reconstructed a plausible history of TYLCV's diversification and movements throughout the world. In agreement with historical accounts, our results suggest that the first TYLCVs most probably arose somewhere in the Middle East between the 1930s and 1950s (with 95% highest probability density intervals 1905-1972) and that the global spread of TYLCV only began in the 1980s after the evolution of the TYLCV-Mld and -IL strains. Despite the global distribution of TYLCV we found no convincing evidence anywhere other than the Middle East and the Western Mediterranean of epidemiologically relevant TYLCV variants arising through recombination. Although the region around Iran is both the center of present day TYLCV diversity and the site of the most intensive ongoing TYLCV evolution, the evidence indicates that the region is epidemiologically isolated, which suggests that novel TYLCV variants found there are probably not direct global threats. We instead identify the Mediterranean basin as the main launch-pad of global TYLCV movements.     

Seasonal movements and habitat use of river whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus) in the Koitajoki River (Finland), as determined by Carlin tagging and acoustic telemetry

In the Koitajoki River, Eastern Finland, there exists a self-sustaining population of river-spawning densely rakered whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus pallasi). The population has been classified as near-threatened due to overexploitation and possible hybridization with the lake-spawning sparsely rakered whitefish form. Thus, knowledge of habitat use, movements, and migrations is important for threat assessment and management decisions. We employed conventional tagging and acoustic telemetry to provide information on movements and home range of the Koitajoki River whitefish. We tagged mature individuals at their spawning areas and followed fish movements by tag recoveries and continuously recording fixed receiving stations. The maximum movement distances were 40–50?km both upstream and downstream from the releasing site. There were indications of a clear seasonal migration pattern and spawning-site fidelity; riverine habitats were mainly occupied for spawning and overwintering, while feeding and growth mainly took place in lacustrine environments within several lakes of the river system. Due to their migratory nature, whitefish is vulnerable to environmental disturbances and overfishing in a large geographic area.     

Fighting racism,battling burnout: causes of activist burnout in US racial justice activists

Social movement scholars have identified activist burnout – when the accumulation of stressors associated with activism become so overwhelming they compromise activists’ persistence in their activism – as a threat to movement viability. This phenomenological study on the causes of burnout among racial justice activists in the United States was designed to bolster understandings of burnout and inform strategies for sustaining racial justice movements. Thirty racial justice activists who had experienced burnout were interviewed. They described four primary burnout causes: emotional-dispositional causes, structural causes, backlash causes, and in-movement causes. Implications for activist and movement sustainability are discussed.     

Ibuprofen as a chemesthetic stimulus: evidence of a novel mechanism of throat irritation

This paper reports a study of the oral and pharyngeal chemesthetic effects of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) ibuprofen [2-(4-isobutylphenyl)propanoic acid], which pilot experiments had indicated produces an unusual sensory irritation of the throat. In experiment 1 subjects swallowed aqueous solutions of ibuprofen prepared with different buffering agents and gave ratings of irritation and taste in the mouth and throat. The results showed that ibuprofen irritates the throat much more than the mouth, and that its quality in the throat is characterized primarily as sting/prick, itch and tickle (often leading to cough). Based upon the results obtained with the different buffering agents, we hypothesized that the sting/prick/itch qualities of throat irritation were pH-dependent. Parametric manipulation of solution pH in experiment 2 confirmed this hypothesis. The same experiment revealed that, in contrast to other oral irritants (e.g. capsaicin and menthol), repeated stimulation caused neither sensitization nor desensitization of throat irritation. In the final experiment we found that ibuprofen's throat irritation could not be modulated by temperature, as it should be if stimulation occurred via capsaicin-sensitive receptors. We therefore conclude that ibuprofen has novel chemesthetic properties, which are not mediated by capsaicin-sensitive (vanilloid) receptors, and that a major component of the throat irritation it produces occurs via a pH-dependent receptor mechanism.     

Relating Lateralization of Eye Use to Body Motion in the Avoidance Behavior of the Chameleon (Chamaeleo chameleon)

Lateralization is mostly analyzed for single traits, but seldom for two or more traits while performing a given task (e.g. object manipulation). We examined lateralization in eye use and in body motion that co-occur during avoidance behaviour of the common chameleon, Chamaeleo chameleon. A chameleon facing a moving threat smoothly repositions its body on the side of its perch distal to the threat, to minimize its visual exposure. We previously demonstrated that during the response (i) eye use and body motion were, each, lateralized at the tested group level (N = 26), (ii) in body motion, we observed two similar-sized sub-groups, one exhibiting a greater reduction in body exposure to threat approaching from the left and one – to threat approaching from the right (left- and right-biased subgroups), (iii) the left-biased sub-group exhibited weak lateralization of body exposure under binocular threat viewing and none under monocular viewing while the right-biased sub-group exhibited strong lateralization under both monocular and binocular threat viewing. In avoidance, how is eye use related to body motion at the entire group and at the sub-group levels? We demonstrate that (i) in the left-biased sub-group, eye use is not lateralized, (ii) in the right-biased sub-group, eye use is lateralized under binocular, but not monocular viewing of the threat, (iii) the dominance of the right-biased sub-group determines the lateralization of the entire group tested. We conclude that in chameleons, patterns of lateralization of visual function and body motion are inter-related at a subtle level. Presently, the patterns cannot be compared with humans'' or related to the unique visual system of chameleons, with highly independent eye movements, complete optic nerve decussation and relatively few inter-hemispheric commissures. We present a model to explain the possible inter-hemispheric differences in dominance in chameleons'' visual control of body motion during avoidance.     

Assessing Movements of Brushtail Possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) in Relation to Depopulated Buffer Zones for the Management of Wildlife Tuberculosis in New Zealand

In New Zealand, managing the threat of bovine tuberculosis (TB) to livestock includes population reduction of potentially infectious wildlife, primarily the brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula). Population control is often targeted on forested buffer zones adjacent to farmland, in order to limit movements of possums across the buffer and reduce the risk of disease transmission to livestock. To assess the effectiveness of buffers in protecting livestock we analysed GPS telemetry data from possums located in untreated forest adjacent to buffers, and used these data to characterise patterns of movement that could lead to possums reaching farmland during the season when most dispersal occurs. Analyses of movement data showed that the direction of dispersal by sub-adult and adult possums and the extent of long exploratory movements were not biased toward forest buffers, even though these provided vacant habitat as suitable for possums as untreated forest. Instead, dispersal and exploratory movements were uncommon even for sub-adult possums and such events typically lasted <10 days. Dispersing possums settled predominantly in river valleys. A simulation model was developed for the 3-6-month dispersal season; it demonstrated a probability of <0.001 that an infected possum, originating from a low-density population with low disease prevalence in untreated forest, would move across 3 km of recently controlled forest buffer to reach farmland. Our results indicate short-term reduction in the risk of TB transmission from possums to livestock in New Zealand by the use of depopulated buffer zones, while acknowledging that the threat of disease spread from untreated forest is likely to increase over time as possum population density and, potentially, TB prevalence among those possums, increase in the buffer zone.     

Sleep disorders in elderly, the sleep apnea syndrome in particular: are they a cause of insomnia? A review of literature

In this publication a review is presented based on the findings resulting from sleep-wake investigations searching for sleep disorders associated with insomnia in relatively healthy elderly. 44 Relevant journal articles published between 1980-1998 were found. The four most important sleep disorders which can be accompanied by sleeplessness in relatively healthy elderly people are periodic leg movements disorder (PLM), restless legs syndrome (RLS), REM sleep behaviour disorder (RBD) and sleep apnea syndrome (SAS). Of these disorders, sleep apnea and periodic leg movements occur most frequently, in a quarter of the elderly. The latter, however, seldom complain about sleeplessness. Within the category of older people disorders characterized by movements during sleep increase significantly with age, nightly respiration disorders do not. SAS, PLM and RBD appear most frequently in men and RLS in women. The disorders characterized by movements during sleep (especially RLS and RBD) are often accompanied by sleeplessness. SAS, however, is more closely associated with day-time sleepiness than with sleeplessness. No combination of demographic variables and symptoms allows a reliable prediction of these sleep disorders. Fortunately, these disorders are not a major threat to the health of older people.     

Environmental release of living modified organisms: current approaches and case studies

Agricultural biotechnology is being rapidly adopted as evidenced by the acreage of genetically modified (GM) crops planted and tonnes of product (grain and fiber) harvested. Concurrent with this technological progress, is a growing concern that the worlds biological diversity is coming under increasing threat from human activities. As such, ecological risk assessment approaches are being developed for GM crop plants as international agreements regulating the transboundary movements of these products are being implemented. This paper reviews the ecological risk assessment approach that has been used to date to approve GM crops to date. The process has been case-by-case, using a comparative, science-based approach balancing the potential risks and benefits of the new technology versus those present with the currently accepted practices. The approach used to evaluate and approve these products is consistent with the conditions and requirements outlined in the Cartagena Protocol.     

不同地区人群咽部正常菌群抑制脑膜炎双球菌生长的调查

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新型冠状病毒上海株(nCoV-SH01)的分离和鉴定

新型冠状病毒肺炎(coronavirus disease 2019,COVID-19)疫情对人类生命健康构成极大威胁。病毒的分离是构建新型冠状病毒(2019 novel coronavirus, 2019-nCoV)细胞感染模型和动物感染模型的基础。本研究利用冠状病毒易感的Vero E6细胞,从1例上海感染者的咽拭子中分离到一株2019-nCoV,命名为nCoV-SH01。对该毒株全基因组采用一代Sanger和二代Illumina法测序,发现该毒株与GenBank MN908947的同源性＞99.99%。免疫荧光检测显示,该毒株与COVID-19康复者的血清呈阳性反应。当nCoV-SH01感染Vero E6细胞后,导致典型的合胞体病变,细胞病变效应明显且进展迅速,提示nCoV-SH01可用于进一步建立2019-nCoV的细胞感染和动物感染模型,为开展致病性研究以及抗病毒药物和疫苗研发奠定了基础。