Primate vocalizations during social separation and aggression: effects of alcohol and benzodiazepines

The most common group of squirrel monkey vocalizations, peeps, are emitted during different social situations including social separation, affiliative interactions, feeding and aggressive confrontations. The present experiments investigated whether peeps and other vocalizations emitted during different social contexts are pharmacologically altered in a similar manner. First, vocalizations were characterized during (1) social separation in juveniles, and (2) "resident-intruder" aggressive confrontations between dominant monkeys from different social groups. Then, the effects of alcohol (EtOH) and the benzodiazepine chlordiazepoxide (CDP) on vocalizations during social separation and during aggression were examined. Isolated juveniles emitted only one type of call, the isolation peep. Resident monkeys primarily emitted peeps, but also emitted cackles, chucks, noisy calls and pulsed calls. Aggressive peeps were similar in structure and frequency (kHz) to isolation peeps, but were shorter in duration. At the same doses, both CDP (0.3-3 mg/kg) and EtOH (0.1-1.0 g/kg) reduced explosive motor behaviors and isolation peeps in juvenile monkeys during social separation and increased threat displays and aggression peeps in resident monkeys during confrontations with an intruder monkey from a different social group. Thus, similarly structured vocalizations that were emitted during social separation and aggression were very sensitive to EtOH and CDP, but the social context determined the direction and magnitude of effects.     

Development of a scoring system to assess disability in an Italian elderly population. Evaluation of a disability questionnaire

Patients with idiopathic and symptomatic restless legs syndrome (RLS) suffer from "dyskinesia while awake" or "daytime myoclonus" when at rest preceded by sensory symptoms. In order to characterise the RLS either as reflex movement or as voluntary movement we measured movement-related cortical potentials in 5 idiopathic and 8 uraemic RLS patients. Movements from both legs were polygraphically recorded concomitantly with cortical activity 2000 msec before to 500 msec after onset of EMG activity. These data were compared with a voluntary simulation of each patient's movement pattern and with 5 age-matched controls performing dorsiflexion of the right, left and both feet. Cortical activity preceding daytime myoclonus was absent in RLS patients whereas self-initiated leg movements in patients elicited onset times (1180-1380 msec) and amplitudes of Bereitschaftspotential (readiness potential) not significantly different from readiness potentials in control subjects (P > 0.05). Lack of movement-related potentials in myoclonus and/or dyskinesias during daytime in RLS patients is compatible with an involuntary mechanism of induction and points towards a subcortical or spinal origin of RLS.     

Congenital diseases of the equine head

Many questions concerning heritability arise when a veterinarian is asked to supervise and treat disease of congenital origin. Genetic counseling, ethics, and legality are often confronted in discussions between animal health professionals and laymen in animal industry. Guidelines have been offered as in the 1984 statement of the Judicial Council of the American Veterinary Medical Association: "Performance of surgical procedures in all species for the purpose of concealing genetic defects in animals to be shown, raced, bred, or sold as breeding animals is unethical. However, should the health or welfare of the individual patient require correction of such genetic defects, it is recommended that the patient be rendered incapable of reproduction." The Australian Veterinary Law, Ethics, Etiquette and Convention declares it fraud to alter a defect for sale purposes and unethical for a veterinarian to perform such treatments. It is permissible to correct defects causing discomfort or inconvenience, but the veterinarian is required to advise appropriate breeding counseling. Genetic counseling has progressed significantly in human medicine. This has been supported by better diagnostic methods for genetic disorders, greater acceptance of preventive measures, and extended screening programs to identify carriers of specific abnormal genes or chromosomal aberrations. Congenital diseases in veterinary medicine are constantly under investigation. The veterinary practitioner must continue to operate with an appreciation of the incomplete understanding of most of these abnormalities and act in accordance with personal ethical judgment and the guidance of the American Veterinary Medical Association when treating the affected individual animal patient.     

Alliance for destiny: education and practice

As the whole context of nursing continues to change radically in the face of unmet societal needs, nothing short of total revolution will suffice. Nurses must take control of nursing practice and be critical of the nation's inadequate "sick-care" system in order to effect sweeping changes in the scope, availability and efficacy of healthcare in the U.S. To do this requires an acknowledgment that true nursing education cannot exist without nursing practice. The transformation of curriculum must center on caring, which characterizes what nurses really do in a medically dominated system focused exclusively on curing.     

Ulcerative systematized porokeratosis (Mibelli)

An unusual clinical variant of porokeratosis (Mibelli's disease) appeared in a patient soon after birth; the lesions were widely distributed mostly on the right half of the body. Spontaneous recurrent ulcerations occurred over certain sites. The right foot was grossly deformed as a result of atrophic scarring after ulcerations. Biopsy specimens of the classical lesion showed cornoid lamella. It is suggested that the term "ulcerative systematized porokeratosis" be used to describe this clinical variant of porokeratosis.     

An oligopolistic model of an integrated market for energy and spinning reserve

In this paper, a model for oligopolistic competition in electricity markets is presented. Most previous proposed models have been static and focused only on the energy market incentives for strategic behavior. In contrast, in this paper, a multiperiod market for energy and spinning reserve (SR) is considered. By including such factors, the competition among participants is modeled with more realism. Competition in the energy market is modeled by means of conjectured supply functions, while conjectured reserve-price response functions are used to consider the generators' ability to alter the SR prices. The resulting equilibrium problem is modeled in terms of complementarity conditions. Based upon a complementarity model, the opportunity cost between the energy and SR markets is derived for oligopolistic markets. The proposed model is illustrated by a six-node network using a dc approximation.     

Poly(L‐lactic acid) with added α‐tocopherol and resveratrol: optical,physical, thermal and mechanical properties

Poly(L ‐lactic acid) (PLLA) films containing various concentrations of two natural antioxidants, α‐tocopherol and resveratrol, were fabricated by a melt compounding and compression molding process. The influence of the antioxidants on the optical properties such as color and UV‐visible light transmission was analyzed. The thermal, mechanical, rheological and physical properties of PLLA films with added antioxidants were assessed. PLLA films with added α‐tocopherol and resveratrol showed a yellowish brown color and the lightness was influenced by the presence of the antioxidants. The glass transition and melting temperatures were significantly reduced with the addition of antioxidants while enhanced thermal stability was observed, which could be a benefit and important for processing and production. PLLA films with added antioxidants were slightly more hydrophobic than neat PLLA. The combination effect of plasticizing and enhancement of the elastic modulus with differing concentrations of two antioxidants played a critical role in the mechanical and thermomechanical properties of PLLA films. The melt viscosity of the PLLA films with added antioxidants was substantially higher than that of neat PLLA. The higher melt viscosity and G′(ω) could be an indication of formation of entanglement between PLLA and the two antioxidants. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry     

Grape seed removal: effect on phenolics,chromatic and organoleptic characteristics of red wine

Winemakers are interested in wines with low bitterness and astringency, and therefore, there is a preference for a higher presence of skin proanthocyanidins in wines. However, the information regarding the effect of reducing or eliminating seed proanthocyanidins from the must or fermenting wine on the characteristics of finished wines is scarce. For this reason, we elaborated a wine using Monastrell grapes from which the seeds had been removed and compared it with a control wine (CW) made from intact grapes. The anthocyanin and proanthocyanidin concentration and profile, and the chromatic and sensory characteristics were studied. The absence of seed proanthocyanidins did not affect anthocyanin concentration, although the proanthocyanidin concentration was 40% lower than in the CW. The copigmentation (CA) study showed that both wines had a similar extent of CA phenomena although colour intensity was higher when seed proanthocyanidins were present. The panellist evaluated the wines elaborated without seeds as being fruitier, less astringent and with an overall higher quality.