Open field behavior in the house cricket (Acheta domesticus): effect of illumination, sex differences and individual consistency

Edible insects are worldwide promoted as an alternative protein, trace mineral and lipid source in animal feed and human food. The house cricket (Acheta domesticus) is already being reared at an industrial scale, yet current mass-rearing practices and facility design may still leave room for improvement. Behavioral tests have been suggested as an important assessment tool at the whole-organism level that can be used to find optimal housing conditions (e.g. density, diet, temperature). Here, we adapt the widely used open field test to the house cricket. We tested 16 male and 16 female house crickets four times under two different light intensities. Videos were analysed with Ethovision™ tracking software and variables distance moved, velocity, and duration and frequency in zone were extracted. Results showed that house crickets, like vertebrate model species, spent most time close to the walls of the arena, and crossed the center zone with high velocity. Brighter illumination was associated with increased velocity, in particular in the center zone during the first test occasion, suggesting avoidance of this zone. Male crickets had higher locomotory activity than females. Consistency repeatabilities and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were moderate to high, and the correlation between subsequent occasions became stronger over the four occasions at day 1, 2, 3 and 7. The first test occasion differed from subsequent occasions, therefore repeated testing may be necessary when analysing experimental manipulations of small effect size. Overall, the results are promising for use of the open field test as a precise phenotyping tool

Kunskapsöverföring mellan skatterevisorer - Generationsväxlingen på Skatteverket

Syfte: Syftet är att studera skatterevisionsprocessen och förklara hur kunskap rörande denna process kan överföras till en yngre generation skatterevisorer. Metod: Vi har använt en kvalitativ metod för att uppfylla syftet med studien. Detta har gjorts via dokumentstudier, intervjuer och observation. Teoretiskt perspektiv: Studiens teoretiska ramverk innefattar en genomgång av begreppet kunskap samt redogörelser av teorier och modeller om kunskapsöverföring. Empiri: Det empiriska materialet utgörs av dokumentstudier av Skatteverkets handböcker, broschyrer och årsredovisningar, intervjuer med respondenter från både Skatteverket och två revisionsbyråer samt observation av företagsrevision. Slutsatser: Arbetet kring generationsväxlingen kommuniceras inte ut till medarbetarna i organisationen. Skatteverket förefaller ha rätt förutsättningar för en effektiv kunskapsöverföring. Momentet utvärdering i skatterevisionsprocessen fullgörs inte, vilket gör att tillfälle missas att utveckla sina skatterevisorer och som därmed kan leda till en längre utvecklingskurva än nödvändigt

Ättider av hösilage hos aktivt grupphållna hästar jämfört med uppstallade hästar på box

According to the evolution, the horse has developed to an herbivore that lives in herds on the plains. Despite the domestication the natural behavior of the horse has not changed. The gastro-intestinal tract is adapted to processing grass from grazing approximately 14-16 hours of the day. In the natural the horse doesn't make longer feeding gaps than three to four hours. If possible, ad libitum feeding of forage to the horse would be preferred to allow the horse to follow its own rhythm and begin to feed when it still have some feed in their digestive system. In new housing systems, such as Active Stable™, the feed is rationed by controlling the feeding time of roughage. Consequently, we need more information on the time horses spend to feed a set amount of roughage. Problems that can arise when the time is overestimated are fatness and laminitis or if the feeding time is underestimated it can lead to ulcers, stress and stereotypies. The aim of the study is to measure the horse individual feeding time of roughage to find a way to give the horses in active group housing system the right feeding rations. The study has two main questions. How much do the feeding times differ between individuals and within individual? How large variations of feeding times are there between horses housed in an Active group system compared to horses housed in single boxes? The study has three hypotheses. There are variations of the feeding times within an individual. There is variation between the feeding times of different individuals. Horses in the active group housing system have longer feeding time than the horses in the single boxes. In total a number of 20 warmblood geldings were studied; ten horses from an Active Stable™ and ten from individual boxes. The 20 horses were divided into three sub-groups of six horses in the first two groups and eight horses in the last group. The measurements were performed on eight days for each group. Each group with horses stood lined up beside each other, and then two of the horses got a bag of three kilo haylage each. The feedings times were clocked on each individual during 20 minutes. After ten minutes the haybags were weighed and then the bags were put back to the horses for the remaining ten minutes. The range of feeding time within an individual varied from 1.1 minutes to 43.5 minutes. There were a wider range within the group of horses in boxes than the Active Stable™. Feeding time varied between the individuals. For both groups feeding time varied during the 20 minutes so that the first 10 minute period were significantly shorter than the second ten minute period. Horses in the Active group have according to the results a shorter feeding time compered to horses in single boxes. There are significant differences (p<0.015) between horses in active group and horses in single boxes. In conclusion, there were variations in the feeding time between individuals per kg dry matter. The rate of feeding was faster in the beginning of a given ratio. Horses in active group housing had a shorter feeding time compered to horses in boxes. The hypothesis "there are variations within individuals" and "between the individuals feeding time" were accepted. The hypothesis "horses in the active group housing system have longer feeding time between the horses in the single boxes" could neither be accepted or rejected even though there was a significant difference. This hypothesis needs further investigation with larger groups of horses

Det kreativa kunskapsföretaget - En kvalitativ fallstudie om förhållandet mellan kreativa processer och kunskapsöverföring inom en organisation

Syfte: Syftet med denna uppsats är att ta reda på om det finns ett samspel mellan kreativitet och kunskapsöverföring inom organisationer, eftersom det finns olika perspektiv som kan ställas mot varandra. Frågeställningar: Hur påverkar kreativitet förutsättningarna för arbete med kunskapsdelning inom organisationer? Vilka aspekter av kunskapsöverföring mellan anställda kan påverka de kreativa processerna inom en organisation? Teori: Kreativa processer inom organisationer, kunskapsöverföring samt organisationskultur. Metod: Kvalitativ ansats, djupintervjuer, observationer och dokumentstudier. Slutsats: Kunskapsöverföring inom team och grupper i organisationen gör att de utvecklar en gemensam förståelse för processer och arbetssätt vilket kan gynna kreativitet genom att de anställda utvecklar know-why. Denna gemensamma förståelse kan dock hämma de kreativa processerna då mångfalden av perspektiv minskar. Kreativitetsprocesser främjas av främst tre saker; hög grad av interaktion mellan anställda inom en organisation, öppenhet i både den fysiska och sociala miljön samt de anställdas förmåga att ta egna initiativ och motivera sig själva.Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to examine whether there is a connection between creativity and knowledge transferring within organizations, since there are different perspectives that can inhibit each other. Questions at issue: How does creativity influence the knowledge transferring work within an organization? What aspects of knowledge transferring between employees could affect the creative processes within an organization? Theories: Creative processes within organizations, knowledge transferring, knowledge management and organizational culture Methods: Qualitative onset, in-depth interviews, observations and document studies Conclusions: Knowledge transferring within teams and groups in an organization creates a common understanding of processes and ways of working, which could facilitate creativity among the employees as the develop know-why. This common understanding could on the other side inhibit the creative processes since the diversity of perspectives is reduced. Creative processes are facilitated by mainly three things; high degree of interaction between employees, openness both in the physical and social environment, and the employees ability to take initiative and motivate themselves

Deterring Holdout Creditors in a Restructuring of PDVSA Bonds and Promissory Notes (¿Cómo disuadir a acreedores \u27holdout\u27 en una restructuración de bonos y pagarés de PDVSA?)

The prospect of the potential mischief that may be caused by holdout creditors in a Venezuelan sovereign debt restructuring is probably the main reason why the Maduro administration has not attempted such an exercise. The next administration in Venezuela — whenever and however it may arrive — will not want for suggestions about how to minimize or neutralize this holdout creditor threat. This short article is another contribution to that growing literature. Were the Republic of Venezuela to acknowledge that there really is only one public sector credit risk in the country, and that the distinction between Republic bonds and PDVSA bonds is an artificial construct, the Republic could offer to exchange PDVSA bonds for new Republic bonds at par. This would be the preliminary to a generalized debt restructuring of some kind affecting all outstanding bonds. The question will be, as it always is, how to discourage PDVSA creditors from declining to participate in such an exchange offer. One method might be for PDVSA to pledge all of its assets to the Republic in consideration for the Republic\u27s assumption of PDVSA\u27s indebtedness under its outstanding bonds and promissory notes. This is a step expressly permitted by PDVSA\u27s bonds and promissory notes. Existing PDVSA creditors would be perfectly free to decline to exchange their exposure for new Republic bonds, but they would face the prospect that a senior lienholder (the Republic) would have a first priority claim over any PDVSA assets that the holdout may attempt to attach to satisfy a judgment against PDVSA. That realization should make them think twice about the wisdom of holding out. Los cálculos sobre el potencial daño que los acreedores “holdout” podrían ocasionar en una restructuración de la deuda soberana de Venezuela son probablemente las razones más importantes por las cuales el gobierno de Maduro no ha intentado aún este ejercicio. Al próximo gobierno venezolano – cuando quiera y como quiera que esto ocurra — no le faltará asesoría sobre las distintas opciones para poder minimizar o neutralizar la amenaza que representan estos acreedores “holdout”. Este breve artículo pretende ser una contribución más a la literatura creciente sobre el tema. En el supuesto que la República de Venezuela reconozca que en el país existe, en realidad, un único riesgo crediticio del sector público y que la distinción entre los bonos de la República y los bonos de PDVSA es una construcción artificial, la República podría ofrecer un intercambio de los bonos existentes de PDVSA por bonos nuevos de la República a valor nominal. Esta oferta de intercambio, de hacerla, sería de alguna manera el preámbulo a una restructuración general de la deuda que incluiría todos los bonos vigentes pendientes. La pregunta será, como siempre, ¿cómo persuadir a los acreedores de PDVSA para que participen en una oferta de intercambio de este tipo? Un método para hacerlo podría ser que PDVSA pignore todos sus activos a favor de la República en contraprestación para que, a su vez, la República se subrogue en la totalidad de las obligaciones de PDVSA documentada en bonos y pagarés. Esta posibilidad está expresamente permitida en la documentación de los bonos y pagarés de PDVSA. Consecuentemente, los actuales acreedores tendrían la plena libertad de declinar intercambiar sus acreencias por bonos nuevos de la República. Sin embargo, de hacerlo, tendrían que asumir la posibilidad que un acreedor prendario preferente -- a saber, la República – sería el acreedor preferente sobre los activos de PDVSA. Así, la República tendría el derecho preferente frente a cualquier acreedor “holdout” que pueda intentar embargar tales activos para satisfacer una sentencia a su favor en contra de PDVSA. Esta posibilidad debería hacer pensar dos veces a cualquier acreedor sobre las ventajas de ser un “holdout”

Pattern of antigen expression in metastases after radioimmunotherapy of a syngeneic rat colon carcinoma utilizing the BR96 antibody.

Abstract ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Repeated administration of antibody-based therapies such as radioimmunotherapy depends on preserved antigen expression in tumor lesions. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the antigen expression in metastases observed after radioimmunotherapy differs from that of untreated primary tumors. FINDINGS: 30 of the 35 Brown Norway rats with syngeneic colon carcinoma treated with 400 MBq/kg 177Lu-DOTA-BR96 exhibited consistent complete response of the primary tumor. 13 animals developed metastases that were detected after treatment. The antigen expression was reduced in 17 of 23 metastases detected after radioimmunotherapy compared with untreated tumors. No tumors completely lacked positively stained tumor cells. CONCLUSIONS: Although it was not possible to demonstrate that the antigen reduction is triggered by the radioimmunotherapy this result stress the importance of considering the risk of reduced antigen expression in metastases after radioimmunotherapy prior to further targeted therapies

Successful radioimmunotherapy of established syngeneic rat colon carcinoma with 211At-mAb.

Most carcinomas are prone to metastasize despite successful treatment of the primary tumor. One way to address this clinical challenge may be targeted therapy with α-emitting radionuclides such as astatine-211 (211At). Radioimmunotherapy utilizing α-particle emitting radionuclides is considered especially suitable for the treatment of small cell clusters and single cells, although lesions of different sizes may also be present in the patient. The aim of this study was primarily to evaluate the toxicity and secondarily in vivo efficacy of a 211At-labeled monoclonal antibody (mAb) directed against colon carcinoma with tumor diameters of approximately 10 mm

Intermittent pneumatic compression reduces the risk of deep vein thrombosis during post-operative lower limb immobilisation : a prospective randomised trial of acute ruptures of the Achilles tendon.

Deep vein thrombosis is a common complication when immobilising the lower limb after surgery. We hypothesised that adjuvant intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) during post-operative outpatient immobilisation of the lower limb could reduce the incidence of deep vein thrombosis (DVT). A total of 150 patients with acute Achilles tendon rupture were randomised to either treatment with IPC for six hours daily (n = 74) under an orthosis or treatment as usual (n = 74) in a plaster cast. At two weeks post-operatively the incidence of DVT was assessed using compression duplex ultrasound (CDU) by two ultrasonographers blinded to treatment. After the IPC intervention had ended, all patients were immobilised in the orthosis for another four weeks and a second CDU was performed. Trial registration: www.clinicaltrials.gov; NCT01317160. At two weeks the DVT rate was 21% in the IPC group and 38% in the control group (OR = 2.36; 95% CI 1.11 to 5.01). Age > 39 years was found to be a strong risk factor for DVT (OR = 4.84; 95% CI 2.14 to 10.96). Treatment with IPC corrected for age reduced the risk significantly (OR = 0.36; 95% CI 0.16 to 0.80). At six weeks, however, the frequency of DVT was 49% in the IPC group and 51% in the control group (OR = 0.94; 95% CI 0.49 to 1.83). IPC seems to be an effective method of reducing the risk of early DVT in leg-immobilised outpatients. A high risk of DVT during prolonged immobilisation warrants further study.Swedish Research CouncilStockholm County Council and Karolinska InstitutetAccepte

Exploring decision-making strategies in the Iowa gambling task and rat gambling task

Decision-making requires that individuals perceive the probabilities and risks associated with different options. Experimental human and animal laboratory testing provide complimentary insights on the psychobiological underpinnings of decision-making. The Iowa gambling task (IGT) is a widely used instrument that assesses decision-making under uncertainty and risk. In the task participants are faced with a choice conflict between cards with varying monetary reinforcer/loss contingencies. The rat gambling task (rGT) is a pre-clinical version using palatable reinforcers as wins and timeouts mimicking losses. However, interspecies studies elaborating on human and rat behavior in these tasks are lacking. This study explores decision-making strategies among young adults (N = 270) performing a computerized version of the IGT, and adult outbred male Lister Hooded rats (N = 72) performing the rGT. Both group and individual data were explored by normative scoring approaches and subgroup formations based on individual choices were investigated. Overall results showed that most humans and rats learned to favor the advantageous choices, but to a widely different extent. Human performance was characterized by both exploration and learning as the task progressed, while rats showed relatively consistent pronounced preferences for the advantageous choices throughout the task. Nevertheless, humans and rats showed similar variability in individual choice preferences during end performance. Procedural differences impacting on the performance in both tasks and their potential to study different aspects of decision-making are discussed. This is a first attempt to increase the understanding of similarities and differences regarding decision-making processes in the IGT and rGT from an explorative perspective

The Intratumoral Distribution of Radiolabeled 177Lu-BR96 Monoclonal Antibodies Changes in Relation to Tumor Histology over Time in a Syngeneic Rat Colon Carcinoma Model.

The therapeutic effect of radioimmunotherapy depends on the distribution of the absorbed dose in relation to viable cancer cells within the tumor, which in turn is a function of the activity distribution. The aim of this study was to investigate the distribution of (177)Lu-DOTA-BR96 monoclonal antibodies targeting the Lewis Y antigen over 7 d using a syngeneic rat model of colon carcinoma