Hematology, Biochemistry and Serum Protein Analyses of Antarctic and non-Antarctic Skuas

Determination of hematological and biochemical parameters provides important data to assess the physiological condition in wild birds. Therefore, to carry out ecophysiology or conservation studies it is essential to establish baseline physiological parameters and how these change with age and life history events. Hematological (hematocrit, hemoglobin and erythrocyte sedimentation) and biochemical (glucose, total lipids and proteins, aspartate and alanine aminotransferase activities and electrolyte concentration) reference values were determined in two Antarctic migratory bird species, the Brown Skua (Stercorarius antarcticus) and South Polar Skua (S. maccormicki), from South Shetland Island during breeding season. Also, hematological data (hematocrit) were determined for non-Antarctic skuas, with Chilean (S. chilensis) and Falkland (S. antarcticus antarcticus) skuas sampled in the Beagle Channel islands (Tierra del Fuego Province) and Viana Island (Chubut Province), Argentina, respectively. Differences between adult Antarctic skua species were observed in hemoglobin, erythrocyte sedimentation, total lipids and aspartate aminotransferase activity. In addition, age-related differences in Antarctic skuas in hematocrit, hemoglobin, glucose and total protein values were observed. Serum reference protein fractions (Albumin, α1, α2, and globulins) were assessed by electrophoresis for Antarctic and non-Antarctic skuas. Similar protein patterns were observed between South Polar and Chilean skuas as well between Falkland Skua and Brown Skua. The differences between adult sympatric Antarctic skuas may be related to their nutritional status and species-specific migrations, feeding habits and the differential use of the breeding niches, while the age variation may be related to physiological development processes in chicks or to the energy expenditure in adults during breeding.Fil: Ibañez, Andres Esteban. Universidad Nacional de la Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. División Zoología de Vertebrados. Sección Ornitología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Najle, Roberto. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Larsen, Karen Elizabeth. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tandil. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comision de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil; ArgentinaFil: Montalti, Diego. Universidad Nacional de la Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Departamento Científico Zoología Vertebrados; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

UN GIRO EN LA VIDA DEL PAPA RATZINGER

Como miembro de la comisión central para la preparación del Concilio el Cardenal Frings recibió los esquemas preparativos (“Schemata”), que debían ser presentados a los padres después de la convocatoria de la asamblea conciliar para ser discutidos y aprobados. Estos textos me los enviaron regularmente, para tener mi opinión y propuestas de mejoramiento

Longitudinal grey and white matter changes in frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer's disease

Behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) dementia are characterised by progressive brain atrophy. Longitudinal MRI volumetry may help to characterise ongoing structural degeneration and support the differential diagnosis of dementia subtypes. Automated, observer-independent atlas-based MRI volumetry was applied to analyse 102 MRI data sets from 15 bvFTD, 14 AD, and 10 healthy elderly control participants with consecutive scans over at least 12 months. Anatomically defined targets were chosen a priori as brain structures of interest. Groups were compared regarding volumes at clinic presentation and annual change rates. Baseline volumes, especially of grey matter compartments, were significantly reduced in bvFTD and AD patients. Grey matter volumes of the caudate and the gyrus rectus were significantly smaller in bvFTD than AD. The bvFTD group could be separated from AD on the basis of caudate volume with high accuracy (79% cases correct). Annual volume decline was markedly larger in bvFTD and AD than controls, predominantly in white matter of temporal structures. Decline in grey matter volume of the lateral orbitofrontal gyrus separated bvFTD from AD and controls. Automated longitudinal MRI volumetry discriminates bvFTD from AD. In particular, greater reduction of orbitofrontal grey matter and temporal white matter structures after 12 months is indicative of bvFTD

Die Renaissance der Mauern

Rezension zu: 1) Brown, Wendy: Mauern - Die neue Abschottung und der Niedergang der Souveränität; aus dem Amerikanischen von Frank Lachmann. Berlin 2018. 2) Prüwer, Tobias: Welt aus Mauern - eine Kulturgeschichte, Berlin 2018. 3) Wacquant, Loïc: Die Verdammten der Stadt - eine vergleichende Soziologie fortgeschrittener Marginalität; Übersetzung von Alexander Frings. Wiesbaden 2018

Effects of hypoxia on military helicopter pilot skills

The safety of aircrew and the success of a mission depends on the technical and non-technical skills of the pilots. Helicopter cabins are not pressurized and most of them are not equipped with oxygen systems. Therefore, hypobaric hypoxia (altitude hypoxia) may affect helicopter pilots skills when flying at altitude. The aim of this thesis was to study the effect of hypoxia on pilot skills, and explore alternative methods for protecting helicopter crew against the effects of hypoxia.Our results support the prediction made by helicopter flight instructors that pilot’s technical skills are less affected by hypoxia than non-technical skills are. We found that hypoxia affects pilots’ awareness of environment, which is a non-technical skill. In addition, our results suggest that tactile guidance of slow and deep breathing may be an additional strategy to mitigate the negative effects of hypoxia on physiology and cognitive performance.Based on our findings, we recommended that hypoxia training would be provided to helicopter pilots as a crew while they are performing an operational flight in a flight simulator. This training should allow pilots to experience the effect of hypoxia on their technical and non-technical skills as a crew and help them recognize hypoxia symptoms during flight-related tasks. In addition, we recommended evaluation of tactile-guided slow and deep breathing in trained pilots under operational conditions

Hans Walther – ein Forscherleben für Sprache und Geschichte im östlichen Mitteldeutschland: Berichte und Würdigungen Namen und Recht in Europa / Names and the Law in Europe, Akten der Tagung in Regensburg, 16. und 17. April 2015 / Conference Papers, Regensburg, 16 and 17 April 2015

Professor Dr. Hans Walther, Historiker und Germanist, ist im Alter von 94 Jahren am 9. Juli 2015 verstorben. Er war über sechs Jahrzehnte Steuermann und zugleich auch Lotse vor Ort bei sprachhistorischen Tiefgängen und Erkundungen zur Siedlungs- sowie Kulturgeschichte in frühen Zeiten in unserem östlichen Mitteldeutschland

Downstream fining in sand-bed rivers

River morphodynamics and sediment transportMechanics of sediment transpor

El concilio de Josep Ratzinger: notas sobre su actividad durante el Vaticano II

Joseph Ratzinger fue durante el concilio perito y colaborador del cardenal Josef Frings de Colonia. La actividad del joven teólogo fue intensa, si bien es difícil evaluar su posible influencia en el evento conciliar. Intervino en el rechazo de los schemata elaborados por la comisión preparatoria, e hizo sus aportaciones en los temas de la colegialidad de los obispos y la relación entre Escritura y tradición propuesta en la Dei verbum. Recibió con entusiasmo la renovación litúrgica sugerida por la Sacrosanctum concilium, al mismo tiempo que proponía la figura de María como la primera Iglesia. En fin, en los últimos periodos de sesiones, trabajó también en el decreto Ad gentes y en la fase redaccional final de la Gaudium et spes (n. 10)