Effect of testosterone and fluoxetine on aggressive behaviors of fighting fish, Betta splendens

Effects of oral administration of testosterone and fluoxetine exposure on aggressive behavior of the fighting fish, Betta splendens, were investigated. Testosterone diluted in ethanol and sprayed on pre-weighted pellet to achieve concentrations of 0, 1, 2 and 4 mg/kg of hormone in food. Two main behaviors were recorded: the time in front of mirror and duration of the gill flaring using a mirror 8 and 15 days after the start of the experiment. Then, half of the specimens in each treatment subjected to waterborne fluoxetine at a concentration of 100 µg/L for 24 hours and the behavior was recorded. After 8 days of feeding, the time in front of mirror and duration of gill flaring were not significantly different between the treatments. Duration of the gill flaring increased significantly after 15 days; however there was no significant difference for the behavior in front of the mirror. Over time the aggressive behaviors were reduced significantly after fluoxetine exposure. This study indicated that fluoxetine in the aquatic environment alters the aggressive behaviors of the fighting fish

Impact of primary kidney disease on the effects of empagliflozin in patients with chronic kidney disease: secondary analyses of the EMPA-KIDNEY trial

Background: The EMPA KIDNEY trial showed that empagliflozin reduced the risk of the primary composite outcome of kidney disease progression or cardiovascular death in patients with chronic kidney disease mainly through slowing progression. We aimed to assess how effects of empagliflozin might differ by primary kidney disease across its broad population. Methods: EMPA-KIDNEY, a randomised, controlled, phase 3 trial, was conducted at 241 centres in eight countries (Canada, China, Germany, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, the UK, and the USA). Patients were eligible if their estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was 20 to less than 45 mL/min per 1·73 m2, or 45 to less than 90 mL/min per 1·73 m2 with a urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (uACR) of 200 mg/g or higher at screening. They were randomly assigned (1:1) to 10 mg oral empagliflozin once daily or matching placebo. Effects on kidney disease progression (defined as a sustained ≥40% eGFR decline from randomisation, end-stage kidney disease, a sustained eGFR below 10 mL/min per 1·73 m2, or death from kidney failure) were assessed using prespecified Cox models, and eGFR slope analyses used shared parameter models. Subgroup comparisons were performed by including relevant interaction terms in models. EMPA-KIDNEY is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03594110. Findings: Between May 15, 2019, and April 16, 2021, 6609 participants were randomly assigned and followed up for a median of 2·0 years (IQR 1·5–2·4). Prespecified subgroupings by primary kidney disease included 2057 (31·1%) participants with diabetic kidney disease, 1669 (25·3%) with glomerular disease, 1445 (21·9%) with hypertensive or renovascular disease, and 1438 (21·8%) with other or unknown causes. Kidney disease progression occurred in 384 (11·6%) of 3304 patients in the empagliflozin group and 504 (15·2%) of 3305 patients in the placebo group (hazard ratio 0·71 [95% CI 0·62–0·81]), with no evidence that the relative effect size varied significantly by primary kidney disease (pheterogeneity=0·62). The between-group difference in chronic eGFR slopes (ie, from 2 months to final follow-up) was 1·37 mL/min per 1·73 m2 per year (95% CI 1·16–1·59), representing a 50% (42–58) reduction in the rate of chronic eGFR decline. This relative effect of empagliflozin on chronic eGFR slope was similar in analyses by different primary kidney diseases, including in explorations by type of glomerular disease and diabetes (p values for heterogeneity all >0·1). Interpretation: In a broad range of patients with chronic kidney disease at risk of progression, including a wide range of non-diabetic causes of chronic kidney disease, empagliflozin reduced risk of kidney disease progression. Relative effect sizes were broadly similar irrespective of the cause of primary kidney disease, suggesting that SGLT2 inhibitors should be part of a standard of care to minimise risk of kidney failure in chronic kidney disease. Funding: Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly, and UK Medical Research Council

Bi-allelic Loss-of-Function CACNA1B Mutations in Progressive Epilepsy-Dyskinesia.

The occurrence of non-epileptic hyperkinetic movements in the context of developmental epileptic encephalopathies is an increasingly recognized phenomenon. Identification of causative mutations provides an important insight into common pathogenic mechanisms that cause both seizures and abnormal motor control. We report bi-allelic loss-of-function CACNA1B variants in six children from three unrelated families whose affected members present with a complex and progressive neurological syndrome. All affected individuals presented with epileptic encephalopathy, severe neurodevelopmental delay (often with regression), and a hyperkinetic movement disorder. Additional neurological features included postnatal microcephaly and hypotonia. Five children died in childhood or adolescence (mean age of death: 9 years), mainly as a result of secondary respiratory complications. CACNA1B encodes the pore-forming subunit of the pre-synaptic neuronal voltage-gated calcium channel Cav2.2/N-type, crucial for SNARE-mediated neurotransmission, particularly in the early postnatal period. Bi-allelic loss-of-function variants in CACNA1B are predicted to cause disruption of Ca2+ influx, leading to impaired synaptic neurotransmission. The resultant effect on neuronal function is likely to be important in the development of involuntary movements and epilepsy. Overall, our findings provide further evidence for the key role of Cav2.2 in normal human neurodevelopment.MAK is funded by an NIHR Research Professorship and receives funding from the Wellcome Trust, Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital Charity, and Rosetrees Trust. E.M. received funding from the Rosetrees Trust (CD-A53) and Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity. K.G. received funding from Temple Street Foundation. A.M. is funded by Great Ormond Street Hospital, the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), and Biomedical Research Centre. F.L.R. and D.G. are funded by Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre. K.C. and A.S.J. are funded by NIHR Bioresource for Rare Diseases. The DDD Study presents independent research commissioned by the Health Innovation Challenge Fund (grant number HICF-1009-003), a parallel funding partnership between the Wellcome Trust and the Department of Health, and the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute (grant number WT098051). We acknowledge support from the UK Department of Health via the NIHR comprehensive Biomedical Research Centre award to Guy's and St. Thomas' National Health Service (NHS) Foundation Trust in partnership with King's College London. This research was also supported by the NIHR Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre. J.H.C. is in receipt of an NIHR Senior Investigator Award. The research team acknowledges the support of the NIHR through the Comprehensive Clinical Research Network. The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR, Department of Health, or Wellcome Trust. E.R.M. acknowledges support from NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, an NIHR Senior Investigator Award, and the University of Cambridge has received salary support in respect of E.R.M. from the NHS in the East of England through the Clinical Academic Reserve. I.E.S. is supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (Program Grant and Practitioner Fellowship)

Parasitic Infections of Bicoloured White-toothed Shrew (Crocidura leucodon) from Dasht-e-Razan, Western Iran

Background: The prevalence and intensity of endo and ectoparasites in shrews inhabiting in the Dasht-e Razan of Hamedan Province, Iran, were determined in this study. Methods: By live traps, 64 shrews belong to species bicoloured white-toothed shrews (Crocidura leucodon) were trapped during 2010-2012. Captured animals were euthanized and their gender recorded. The blood thick and thin smears were stained with Geimsa and examined for protozoan parasites. Then, ectoparasites were collected and preserved in 70% ethanol and after necropsies; different organs were examined for helminthes. Results: The prevalence of collected helminthes of Crocidura leucodon were; Capillaria crociduri (18.7%), Vigisolepis secunda (26.5%), Coronacantus sp (15.6%), Capillaria hokkaidensis (45.3%), and its ectoparasites were; Nymphs of three species of ticks; Haemaphysalis sp (32.8%), Ornitodoros sp (23.4%), Hyalomma sp (9.4%), one species of louse, Polyplax reclinata (18.7%) and one species of flea Leptopsylla sp (39.1%). Among the collected parasites, all helminthes and one sucking louse, P. reclinata are reported for the first time in Iran. Statistically analysis with the Chi-square test did not show any significant relation between gender and endoparasites (P>0.05), but the ectoparasites had significant differences with gender (P0.05). Conclusion: This study reports 9 species of parasites and 5 species of them were identified for the first time in Iran and some of them are vectors of several important zoonoses agents

A Hybrid Simulated Annealing Algorithm for the Prize Collecting Travelling Salesman Problem

International audienceA salesman who travels between pairs of cities and collects a prize for each visited city and pays a penalty for each non visited city is considered as one of the most complex problems called The prize collecting Travelling salesman problem (PCTSP). The problem is NP-Hard and large-scale operations cannot be solved with exact algorithms at acceptable computational times. The purpose of this study is to provide hybrid simulation annealing (HSA) that is a hybrid method using the tabu search and simulated annealing technique to solve PCTSP. This HSA proposal not only prevents revisiting the solution but also preserves the stochastic nature. Finally the proposed HSA heuristic has been tested on eight sets of well-known benchmark, and the preliminary results indicate that the HSA is capable of solving real-world problems

Helminth Infections of House Mouse (Mus musulus) and Wood Mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus) from the Suburban Areas of Hamadan City, Western Iran

Background: To determine the prevalence and intensity of helminths and their zoonotic importance in small rodents inhabiting in the suburban areas of Hamadan City,Iran. Methods: The present survey was conducted on the helminth infections of two species of rodents Apodemus sylvaticus (n=60) and Mus musculus(n=72) in the suburban areas of Hamadan City during 2010-2012. Rodents were collected and examined for helminth in the different organs. The nematodes were collected in 5% formalin solution and cleared in lactophenol, cestodes and trematodes collected from intestine fixed in AFA solution and stained by acetocarmine, cleared in xylol for identification. Results: Helminths found in A. sylvaticus and M. musculus and their prevalence for the first time in suburban areas of Hamadan City were as follows; In A. sylvaticus: Cysticercus fasciolaris(3.33%), Syphacia fredrici(26.67%), S. stroma(8.33%), Anoplocephalidae sp. (1.67%), Skrjabinotaenia lobata(5%), Plagiorchis muris(1.67%) and in M. musculus: Hymenolepis nana(16.67%), H. diminuta (5.55%), S. obvelata(30.56%), S. ohtarom (9.72%), Rodentolepis crassa(1.39%), C. fasciolaris (1.39%). Among 11 species in two rodents 4 species including S.obvelata, H. nana, H. diminuta, and P. muris have zoonotic importance. Statistically the relation between gender and their helminth infections was not significant in either M.musculus or A. sylvaticus (P>0.05). Conclusion: This study reports 11 species of helminths and on the other hand 3species were identified for the first time in Iran and 5 species of them have potential health importance for public health and cat