Motor simulation without motor expertise: enhanced corticospinal excitability in visually experienced dance spectators

The human “mirror-system” is suggested to play a crucial role in action observation and execution, and is characterized by activity in the premotor and parietal cortices during the passive observation of movements. The previous motor experience of the observer has been shown to enhance the activity in this network. Yet visual experience could also have a determinant influence when watching more complex actions, as in dance performances. Here we tested the impact visual experience has on motor simulation when watching dance, by measuring changes in corticospinal excitability. We also tested the effects of empathic abilities. To fully match the participants' long-term visual experience with the present experimental setting, we used three live solo dance performances: ballet, Indian dance, and non-dance. Participants were either frequent dance spectators of ballet or Indian dance, or “novices” who never watched dance. None of the spectators had been physically trained in these dance styles. Transcranial magnetic stimulation was used to measure corticospinal excitability by means of motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) in both the hand and the arm, because the hand is specifically used in Indian dance and the arm is frequently engaged in ballet dance movements. We observed that frequent ballet spectators showed larger MEP amplitudes in the arm muscles when watching ballet compared to when they watched other performances. We also found that the higher Indian dance spectators scored on the fantasy subscale of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index, the larger their MEPs were in the arms when watching Indian dance. Our results show that even without physical training, corticospinal excitability can be enhanced as a function of either visual experience or the tendency to imaginatively transpose oneself into fictional characters. We suggest that spectators covertly simulate the movements for which they have acquired visual experience, and that empathic abilities heighten motor resonance during dance observation

Effects of using Artemia urmiana enriched with N-3 HUFA in first feeding of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) larvae

Effects of using n-3 HUFA-enriched Artemia and non-enriched Artemia as the starter food for growth and survival of rainbow trout larvae compared to commercial concentrated food were investigated in this study. The larvae with average weight of 92.9 mg were fed for 20 days with four food treatments included of commercial concentrated food, newly hatched Artemia, enriched Artemia, and mixture of enriched Artemia and concentrated food. At the end of experiment, the highest weight gain percentage was 104.4% in those larvae fed with enriched Artemia (p< 0.05). The highest survival rate was 96.5 % observed in larvae fed with mixture of enriched Artemia and commercial concentrated food (P<0.05). Larvae of third treatment that were fed with enriched Artemia with a survival rate of 98.9 %±1.9 under stress condition of low pH and survival rate of 66.5%±3.7 under stress condition of higher pH in rearing environment, were the most resistant larvae against stress resulting from pH fluctuation (P<0.05). Meanwhile the highest resistance against stress, resulting from temperature changes, was seen in larvae of the third and fourth treatment with survival rate of 77.8% at 24°C respectively

Effects of added artificial substrate on the growth and survival of juvenile Indian white prawn (Penaeus indicus)

The effects of added artificial substrates on juveniles of Indian white prawn (Penaus indicus) were evaluated. Three replicate tanks were randomly assigned to receive added substrate to increase available surface 20, 40, 60 and 80 percent. Control tanks received no added substrate. Juveniles with mean weight of 0.42±0.027gwere raised for 90 days in 5000 lit concrete tanks filled with 4000 lit of water and stocked at a density of 30 ind/m2. Growth and survival of P. indicus juveniles were studied during the culture period. Results showed that substrates significantly (P0.05)

The effect of phytase enzyme on apparent digestibility of four plant feedstuffs fed to rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

This study was conducted to determine the effect of phytase enzyme on phosphorus, protein, fat, dry matter and energy digestibility of four practical plant feed stuffs wheat meal (WM), corn meal (CM), wheat bran (WB), rice bran (RB) in rainbow trout feeding. Five diets containing of one reference diet include of fish meal, soybean meal and meat flour, were prepared. Feed stuffs were mixing 75% of base diet with 25% of WM or CM and 85% of based diet with 15% of WB or RB with similar gross energy. Chromic oxide was added at 0.5% of the diet and used as an indigestible marker. A phytase solution was sprayed post pelleting on the all diets at minimum concentration of fat 1000 phytase units per Kg (FTU/Kg) dry diets. Experiment was done in two cubic metric tanks that were filled with 500 liters water. Maximum and minimum temperature, oxygen and pH were 15 and 18 degree C, 8 and 6.8 mg/l and 7.7 and 7.5 respectively. Results showed that phytase had not significantly effect on amount of bone phosphorus and protein digestibility (p>0.05), but the amount of these indexes were increased with phytase supplementation. Moreover phytase significantly improved digestibility of dry matter. Results also showed that kind of diets had different effects on the nutrition digestibility. diets had not significantly effects (p>0.05) on the amount of bone phosphorus and protein digestibility but totally diets containing of WM, CM, WB and RB had better nutrition digestibility respectively that can use them in Rainbow trout diet due to their availability

Effects of different levels of dietary nucleotide on growth performance, survival and liver enzyme activity of Caspian salmon (Salmo trutta caspius Kessler, 1877) juveniles

Caspian salmon (Salmo trutta caspius) juveniles were fed with dietary nucleotide levels of 0, 0.15, 0.25, 0.35 and 0.5% to investigate their effects on growth performance, survival rate and liver enzymes. Juveniles with an initial average weight of 12.26±0.001g were fed with the experimental diets for 60 days. The trial was carried out in 300 liter tanks each containing 35 fish which were fed with five meals a day at the rate of 34•5% of body weight. Statistical analysis was performed using One-way ANOVA. Results of the study showed that the addition of dietary nucleotide led to significant increase of body weight gain (BW), weight increase percentage (BWI), specific growth rate (SGR), protein efficiency ratio (PER), protein productive value (PPV) and feed intake but significant decrease of food conversion ratio (FCR) as compared to the control treatment (P0.05). The best value of growth improvement indices was observed at the dietary level of 0.25% nucleotide. Liver enzymes including AST, ALT and LDH at the level of 0.35% and ALP at the level of 0.25% were significantly lower than control treatment (P<0.05). Our results also indicated that dietary nucleotide can have positive effects on growth performance and would decrease liver demolition

Antibacterial effects of sodium acetate on vacuum packaged rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in chilled storage

We investigated antibacterial effects of sodium acetate (2%) on microbial, biochemical and sensory characteristics of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) vacuum packed and stored during 18 days at 2±1°C. Initial total bacteria count was 2.82 logfulg, indicating quality of the prepared fish was high. Psycrotrophic bacteria of unheated and treated vacuum packed samples reached maximum acceptable limit (7 logdaig) after 14 and 18 days of storage, respectively. Entrobacteriaceae and lactic acid bacteria count were lower than maximum acceptable limit during 18 days. Therefore, we based determination of microbial assessment of products shelf life on time to reach maximal acceptable limit for Psycrotrophic bacteria in treatments. There were no significant difference (P>0.05) between vacuum packed and sodium acetate vacuum packed samples in TBA and TMA values. During most of examination time, TBA and TMA values of sodium acetate vacuum packed samples were lower than untreated vacuum packed samples. According to microbial and sensory analyses, shelf life of vacuum packed and sodium acetate vacuum packed samples was 15 and 18 days, respectively. This is an indication of positive antibacterial effects of sodium acetate on shelf life extension of rainbow trout products

Study of oral and gingival microbial flora in institutionalized mentally retarded patients of Sari-2011

Introduction and Objectives: Mental retardation (MR) is a generalized disorder appearing before adulthood, characterized by significantly impaired cognitive function and deficits in two or more adaptive behaviors. The prevalence and severity of dental caries‚gingivitis and periodontitis is high in patients with mental retardation. This shift to a diseased state may lead to the experience of a high mortality from septicemia‚ sepsis‚ pneumonia and endocarditis.Our purpose was to study oral and gingival microbial flora in institutionalized mentally retarded patients of Sari and to estimate D% (percentage with untreated decayed teeth) and DMFT% (percentage of population affected with dental caries)Materials and Methods: This study was a descriptive cross-sectional type in which Plaque samples were collected from the mouth and gingiva of 138 institutionalized mentally retarded patients of Sari to culture in specific media to identify the microorganisms. In this study anaerobic bacteria were not isolated because the instrument was not available in the laboratory. The information has been analyzed by X2 T-test methods by SPSS 17 software.Results: The isolated microorganisms were: pnuemococci S(37.7%); Streptococci sp(18.8%); E.coli (16.7%); Staphylococcus(1.4%); Neisseria sp(45/6%); Salmonella(8.7%); Proteus(3.6%); Diphteroid (4.2%); Pseudomonas(0.7%). The percentage of resistant strains was found to be highest with penicillin(67.9%) and lowest with vancomycin(11%).Conclusion: D% between all the patients were (66.66%) . Bacterial flora in mentally retarded patients were significanty higher in frequency than in normal persons. With improvement in oral health care, we can decreasethese undesirable changes.Key words: Oral and gingival microbial flora, Mental retardation, D%, Sar

A review of the health status and diseases of cultured Penaeus indicus in Sistan-o-Baluchistan Province, Iran

The health status and diseases of Penaeus indicus in Sistan-o-Baluchistan culture ponds of Guater Site were assessed during the year 2005. Over the shrimp culture period, two ponds were selected from two farms, and 19 shrimp specimens were caught randomly each month from each pond. The specimens were immediately transferred to lab for further investigation. After recording abnormal signs including color change of cuticle and gills, presence of white or black spots on the body, the specimens were studied for bacterial, fungal and parasitic infections. Bacterial infections included Citobacter, Pseudomonas, Aeromonas, Actinobacter, Proteus, Vibrio alginolyticus, V. harveyi, V. parahaemolyticus, V. spelendidus and Vibrio sp. Fungal infections of the cultured P. indicus included Fuzarium spp., Mucor, Cladosporium, Aspergillus spp., Penicllinium spp., sterilized hyphae and yeast. The parasites found included Zoothamnium, Epistylis, andVorticella. Since the second month of shrimp culture onwards around 10-65% of shrimps showed white and opaque spots on abdominal muscle which started from the sixth segment. Sometimes, the dots covered the whole abdomen, giving the shrimps a cooked look and a yellowish watery sac on hepatopancreas under the carapace of the specimens could be observed. There was no evidence of disease agents based on microbial, parasitic and environmental studies. The food which was used for shrimp culture was analyzed and showed anion and cation imbalance. Our results showed Idiopathic Muscle Necrosis Syndrome (IMNS) and Subcarapace Watery Sac Syndrome (SWSS) sings in the cultured shrimps

Identification and parasite infecting cultured shrimp, Penaeus indicus in the Chabahar area, southern Iran

Parasites infecting different tissues and organs of cultured shrimp Penaeus indicus were investigated. We sampled three farms each running three ponds from July to October 2003 in Chabahr, Sistan and Baluchestan province. Sampling was done once every 15 days and totally 330 shrimps were investigated. Samples collected during the first 45 days were from feeding trays and over the next months cast net was used to gather samples. Five live specimens taken from each pond were transferred to the lab and samples of gills, pleopods (second pair), intestine, stomach, hepathopancreas and muscles (if they had ulcers on cuticule) were examined under binocular microscope. The most incidences belonged to four groups of peritrish protozoa including Zoothamnium, Epistylis, Vorticella and Acinata. No parasitic worm such as trematodes, nematodes, cestodes and digestive protozoa such as gregafine was seen in the cultured shrimp. The research indicated that outbreak of epicommensal protozoa coincided with the culture period; such that mid-July was infection-free time interval while mid-October (86%) was the outbreak time. Among identified protozoa, Zoothatnnium frequency was the highest which was mostly observed on shrimp pleopods

Mechanistic insights into the C₅₅-P targeting lipopeptide antibiotics revealed by structure-activity studies and high-resolution crystal structures

AbstractThe continued rise of antibiotic resistance is a global concern that threatens to undermine many aspects of modern medical practice. Key to addressing this threat is the discovery and development of new antibiotics that operate by unexploited modes of action. The so-called calcium-dependent lipopeptide antibiotics (CDAs) are an important emerging class of natural products that provides a source of new antibiotic agents rich in structural and mechanistic diversity. Notable in this regard is the subset of CDAs comprising the laspartomycins and amphomycins/friulimicins that specifically target the bacterial cell wall precursor undecaprenyl phosphate (C55-P). In this study we describe the design and synthesis of new C55-P-targeting CDAs with structural features drawn from both the laspartomycin and amphomycin/friulimicin classes. Assessment of these lipopeptides revealed previously unknown and surprisingly subtle structural features that are required for antibacterial activity. High-resolution crystal structures further indicate that the amphomycin/friulimicin-like lipopeptides adopt a unique crystal packing that governs their interaction with C55-P and provides an explanation for their antibacterial effect. In addition, live-cell microscopy studies provide further insights into the biological activity of the C55-P targeting CDAs highlighting their unique mechanism of action relative to the clinically used CDA daptomycin.Microbial Biotechnolog