Investigation of turbulence in reversed field pinch plasma by using microwave imaging reflectometry

Turbulence in the reversed field pinch (RFP) plasma has been investigated by using the microwave imaging reflectometry in the toroidal pinch experiment RX (TPE-RX). In conventional RFP plasma, the fluctuations are dominated by the intermittent blob-like structures. These structures are accompanied with the generation of magnetic field, the strong turbulence, and high nonlinear coupling among the high and low k modes. The pulsed poloidal current drive operation, which improves the plasma confinement significantly, suppresses the dynamo, the turbulence, and the blob-like structures.This work is supported by the NINS Imaging Science Project (Grant No. NIFS08KEIN0021), SOKENDAI (Grant No. NIFS08GLPP003), and the Budget for Nuclear Research of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan

Temperature control of SMA artificial anal sphincter

科研費報告書収録論文(課題番号:13470375・基盤研究(B)(2) ・H13～H15/研究代表者:高木, 敏行/形状記憶合金を用いた人工肛門括約筋

Male urine signals social rank in the Mozambique tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus)

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The urine of freshwater fish species investigated so far acts as a vehicle for reproductive pheromones affecting the behaviour and physiology of the opposite sex. However, the role of urinary pheromones in intra-sexual competition has received less attention. This is particularly relevant in lek-breeding species, such as the Mozambique tilapia (<it>Oreochromis mossambicus</it>), where males establish dominance hierarchies and there is the possibility for chemical communication in the modulation of aggression among males. To investigate whether males use urine during aggressive interactions, we measured urination frequency of dye-injected males during paired interactions between size-matched males. Furthermore, we assessed urinary volume stored in the bladder of males in a stable social hierarchy and the olfactory potency of their urine by recording of the electro-olfactogram.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Males released urine in pulses of short duration (about one second) and markedly increased urination frequency during aggressive behaviour, but did not release urine whilst submissive. In the stable hierarchy, subordinate males stored less urine than males of higher social rank; the olfactory potency of the urine was positively correlated with the rank of the male donor.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Dominant males store urine and use it as a vehicle for odorants actively released during aggressive disputes. The olfactory potency of the urine is positively correlated with the social status of the male. We suggest that males actively advertise their dominant status through urinary odorants which may act as a 'dominance' pheromone to modulate aggression in rivals, thereby contributing to social stability within the lek.</p

Humic acid interferes with species recognition in zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Author Posting. © The Author(s), 2007. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of Springer for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Chemical Ecology 33 (2007): 2090-2096, doi:10.1007/s10886-007-9377-z.Few studies have addressed how chemosensation may be impaired by chemical alterations of the environment and anthropogenic disturbance. Humic acid (HA) is a pervasive, naturally occurring organic derivative found in aquatic and terrestrial environments; human activity, however, can lead to elevated levels of HA. Recent studies suggest that environments that contain high levels of HA may hinder chemical communication. We tested the ability of adult zebrafish (Danio rerio) to discriminate between conspecific and heterospecific urinary chemical cues found in the presence and absence of HA. We show that high humic acid levels (200 mg/l) can impair the ability to differentiate conspecifics from heterospecifics. We also found that zebrafish prefer untreated water over HA-treated water. These findings suggest that, in addition to human-produced synthetic compounds, changes in the abundance of naturally occurring substances may also negatively impact natural behaviors in aquatic species by disturbing the sensory environment

Chemicals released by male sea cucumber mediate aggregation and spawning behaviours

The importance of chemical communication in reproduction has been demonstrated in many marine broadcast spawners. However, little is known about the use of chemical communication by echinoderms, the nature of the compounds involved and their mechanism(s) of action. Here, the hypothesis that the sea cucumber Holothuria arguinensis uses chemical communication for aggregation and spawning was tested. Water conditioned by males, but not females, attracted both males and females; gonad homogenates and coelomic fluid had no effect on attraction. Male spawning water, but not female spawning water, stimulated males and females to release their gametes; the spermatozoa alone did not induce spawning. H. arguinensis male spawning water also induced spawning in the phylogenetically related H. mammata. This indicates that males release pheromones together with their gametes that induce spawning in conspecifics and possibly sympatric species. Finally, the male pheromone seems to be a mixture with at least one labile compound (biological activity is lost after four hours at ambient temperature) possibly including phosphatidylcholines. The identification of pheromones in sea cucumbers offers a new ecological perspective and may have practical applications for their aquaculture.FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology [UID/Multi/04326/2013, SFRH/BD/90761/2012]info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Chemical cues and pheromones in the sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus)

Chemical cues and pheromones guide decisions in organisms throughout the animal kingdom. The neurobiology, function, and evolution of olfaction are particularly well described in insects, and resulting concepts have driven novel approaches to pest control. However, aside from several exceptions, the olfactory biology of vertebrates remains poorly understood. One exception is the sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus), which relies heavily upon olfaction during reproduction. Here, we provide a broad review of the chemical cues and pheromones used by the sea lamprey during reproduction, including overviews of the sea lamprey olfactory system, chemical cues and pheromones, and potential applications to population management. The critical role of olfaction in mediating the sea lamprey life cycle is evident by a well-developed olfactory system. Sea lamprey use chemical cues and pheromones to identify productive spawning habitat, coordinate spawning behaviors, and avoid risk. Manipulation of olfactory biology offers opportunities for management of populations in the Laurentian Great Lakes, where the sea lamprey is a destructive invader. We suggest that the sea lamprey is a broadly useful organism with which to study vertebrate olfaction because of its simple but well-developed olfactory organ, the dominant role of olfaction in guiding behaviors during reproduction, and the direct implications for vertebrate pest management

Design and baseline characteristics of the finerenone in reducing cardiovascular mortality and morbidity in diabetic kidney disease trial

Background: Among people with diabetes, those with kidney disease have exceptionally high rates of cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality and progression of their underlying kidney disease. Finerenone is a novel, nonsteroidal, selective mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist that has shown to reduce albuminuria in type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) while revealing only a low risk of hyperkalemia. However, the effect of finerenone on CV and renal outcomes has not yet been investigated in long-term trials. Patients and Methods: The Finerenone in Reducing CV Mortality and Morbidity in Diabetic Kidney Disease (FIGARO-DKD) trial aims to assess the efficacy and safety of finerenone compared to placebo at reducing clinically important CV and renal outcomes in T2D patients with CKD. FIGARO-DKD is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, event-driven trial running in 47 countries with an expected duration of approximately 6 years. FIGARO-DKD randomized 7,437 patients with an estimated glomerular filtration rate >= 25 mL/min/1.73 m(2) and albuminuria (urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio >= 30 to <= 5,000 mg/g). The study has at least 90% power to detect a 20% reduction in the risk of the primary outcome (overall two-sided significance level alpha = 0.05), the composite of time to first occurrence of CV death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, or hospitalization for heart failure. Conclusions: FIGARO-DKD will determine whether an optimally treated cohort of T2D patients with CKD at high risk of CV and renal events will experience cardiorenal benefits with the addition of finerenone to their treatment regimen. Trial Registration: EudraCT number: 2015-000950-39; ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02545049

Near-future CO2 levels impair the olfactory system of a marine fish

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Springer Nature via the DOI in this recordData availability: All raw sequence data are accessible at the NCBI Sequence Read Archive through accession number SRP097118. Water chemistry, behaviour and electrophysiology data are available through Pangaea (https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.884674).Survival of marine fishes that are exposed to elevated near-future CO2levels is threatened by their altered responses to sensory cues. Here we demonstrate a physiological and molecular mechanism in the olfactory system that helps to explain altered behaviour under elevated CO2. We combine electrophysiology measurements and transcriptomics with behavioural experiments to investigate how elevated CO2affects the olfactory system of European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax). When exposed to elevated CO2(approximately 1,000 µatm), fish must be up to 42% closer to an odour source for detection, compared with current CO2levels (around 400 µatm), decreasing their chances of detecting food or predators. Compromised olfaction correlated with the suppression of the transcription of genes involved in synaptic strength, cell excitability and wiring of the olfactory system in response to sustained exposure to elevated CO2levels. Our findings complement the previously proposed impairment of γ-aminobutyric acid receptors, and indicate that both the olfactory system and central brain function are compromised by elevated CO2levels.This study was supported by grants from Association of European Marine Biology Laboratories (227799), the Natural Environment Research Council (R.W.W.; NE/H017402/1), the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (R.W.W.; BB/D005108/1), Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (Portuguese Science Ministry) (UID/Multi/04326/2013) and a Royal Society Newton International Fellowship to C.S.P. C.S.P. is also a beneficiary of a Starting Grant from AXA