Circadian Organization in Hemimetabolous Insects

The circadian system of hemimetabolous insects is reviewed in respect to the locus of the circadian clock and multioscillatory organization. Because of relatively easy access to the nervous system, the neuronal organization of the clock system in hemimetabolous insects has been studied, yielding identification of the compound eye as the major photoreceptor for entrainment and the optic lobe for the circadian clock locus. The clock site within the optic lobe is inconsistent among reported species; in cockroaches the lobula was previously thought to be a most likely clock locus but accessory medulla is recently stressed to be a clock center, while more distal part of the optic lobe including the lamina and the outer medulla area for the cricket. Identification of the clock cells needs further critical studies. Although each optic lobe clock seems functionally identical, in respect to photic entrainment and generation of the rhythm, the bilaterally paired clocks form a functional unit. They interact to produce a stable time structure within individual insects by exchanging photic and temporal information through neural pathways, in which serotonin and pigment-dispersing factor (PDF) are involved as chemical messengers. The mutual interaction also plays an important role in seasonal adaptation of the rhythm

Revision of the genus Trilophus Andrewes from the Oriental region (Coleoptera, Carabidae)

Volume: 106Start Page: 429End Page: 53

Three new species of the genus Paracoryza Basilewsky, 1952 from equatorial Africa (Insecta, Coleoptera, Carabidae, Scarititae, Clivinini)

Volume: 28Start Page: 161End Page: 16

Pregabalin in patients with postoperative dental pain

Pregabalin is an analogue of the inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid. In preclinical models, it has shown activity as an analgesic agent. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial was undertaken to compare pregabalin to placebo and 400 mg of ibuprofen using a dental pain model. Study medication was administered postoperatively to patients who had undergone elective surgery to remove one or two third molars, at least one of which was mandibular and fully or partially impacted in bone. The study was conducted in the UK at a single centre and evaluated pregabalin at doses of 50 and 300 mg. Primary efficacy parameters included pain relief (PR), pain intensity difference (PID), pain relief intensity difference (PRID), time to onset of analgesia, and duration of analgesia. The patient’s global impression of the study medication was used as a secondary efficacy parameter. Efficacy data were evaluated for the intent-to-treat (ITT) population, defined as all randomized patients who took study medication. Results showed that there were statistically significant differences in PR, PID, and PRID between the 300-mg pregabalin group and placebo. In addition, the 300-mg pregabalin group had a significantly longer duration of analgesia than the ibuprofen group and had the highest score on the patient global impression of study medication. Adverse events were reported more frequently in the pregabalin 300-mg group. Pregabalin appears to have significant analgesic properties in the third molar extraction model. Further research is needed to confirm these finding

Circadian rhythm of the locomotor activity in Drosophila melanogaster and its mutants "sine oculis" and "small optic lobes"

The locomotor activity patterns of wildtype Drosophila melanogaster and the mutants so (sine oculis) and sol (small optic lobes) were investigated. In all strains the proportions showing circadian rhythmicity, arrhythmicity and more complex patterns which could not be thus classified were similar. The occurrence of abnormal activity patterns is thus not a property of the mutation as previously claimed (Mack & Engelmann, 1981). In flies with a distinct circadian rhythmicity, the period lengths (τ) varied between strains, τ for wildtype Italy and the mutant so was longer than for wildtype Berlin and the mutant sol. As different τ's have been reported by others, τ does not seem to be closely determined for Drosophila melanogaster. Many flies exhibited two rhythms simultaneously, one with τ shorter and one with τ longer than 24 h, apparently implying two-oscillator control of the locomotor activity. The eyeless so mutants were entrained by LD cycles, so the compound eyes are not necessary, and so must possess the relevant photoreceptor(s) elsewhere. This may therefore also be true for the wildtype. Histology of the so adults revealed no correlation between the degree of reduction in the medulla and the occurrence of abnormal activity patterns. Since the only structures common to the medulla of so and sol are known to be large tangential cells, it is concluded that either they are of importance for the rhythmic system, or the oscillator(s) controlling locomotor activity is (are) not located in the medulla

Indicators Of Sustainable Economic Growth And Their Management

The article discusses fundamentals of formation of sustainable economic growth indicators, criteria and factors of their qualitative and quantitative measurement, which contribute to objective orientation of development of parameters pertaining to sustainable economy. The variety of economic relations inevitably results a broad choice of parameters describing economic development. However, parameters of sustainable economic development do not serve only as a means of expression of economic processes. Additional requirements are imposed on parameters of sustainable development, which do not only allow to evaluate the becoming of economic processes but also to ensure their integrity with indicators of subsystems of sustainable development in other countries and the possibility of assessment of systemic impact of investment decisions and other kinds of solutions. Assessment of parameters of sustainable economic growth in this article will be carried out employing comparative analysis of scientific literature and methodological recommendations of international organisations. Also, the measurement indicators of environmental sustainability will be developed and analysed