The role of ultrasonic vocalizations in the formation of rat groups in a semi-natural environment

This study investigated if ultrasonic vocalizations (USV) had an effect on the formation of groups of rats in a semi-natural setting that allowed the rats to live closer to their natural state in the wild. This was done by letting four groups of rats into a semi-natural environment. Where prior to release into the environment, all the rats received surgery. Where some of the rats had the nerve to the laryngeal nerve cut, making them unable to vocalize the USVs, making them devocalized. With the effect that several behaviors differed between the rats that could vocalize, most prominently changed was the amount of food that was transported into the burrow, where the rats that could vocalize did not transport much food. There was also an effect that the rats that was devocalized ran more than the rats that could vocalize. The rats that could vocalize did though flee more, but not from the devocalized rats. This and effects in each of the combined observations will be discussed

Digitalisering som statlig avdidaktisering av klasserommet

En storstilt innføring av datamaskiner i videregående skole og ungdomsskolen er de siste to tiårene gjennomført uten faglig gjennomtenkning av konsekvensene av dataentusiaster i allianse med nasjonale og regionale politiske eliter. Teknologitetthet i norske klasserom ligger i den absolutte verdenstoppen. Digitaliseringen bygger på konsensus i de politiske elitene, men er kontroversiell i lærerstanden, spesielt digitaliseringen av eksamen, som utvides kraftig i disse dager. IKT i skolen kan gi mer fusk og plagiat, og svekker tilliten til skolens resultater

An exploration of the effects of tDCS to Supplementary Motor Complex on measures of inhibitory control: Implications for Tourette’s syndrome

Inhibitory control (IC) depends on a cortico-subcortical network, with downstream effects on the primary motor cortex (M1). Hyperexcitability in M1 has been proposed to impair IC, a state associated with tics in patients with Tourette’s syndrome (TS). Anodal Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) applied over the Supplementary Motor Complex (SMC) in order to decrease M1 excitability has improved IC in healthy subjects, while increased tics in patients. In parallel, cathodal tDCS to increase M1 excitability have reduced tics, but impaired IC in healthy adults. Aiming to explore these contradictory findings, we analyzed the effects of anodal, cathodal, and sham tDCS applied to the SMC on measures of IC in young, healthy adults. M1 excitability was monitored with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) and IC was measured from performance on the Anticipatory Response Inhibition Task. The results revealed no change in IC following tDCS. However, we observed a tDCS-induced change in M1 excitability. This suggest that tDCS applied to SMC mainly affects M1 excitability via the cortico-cortical pathway, without engaging the subcortical network important for IC. We also observed an individual response variability to tDCS, showing unreliable directions in excitatory shifts. Overall, we suggest that the puzzling effect on tics following tDCS to SMC could result from direct cortical effects from SMC, not from the involvement of the inhibitory subcortical network. Without undermining the effect of tDCS, we highlight the response variability limiting the methods reliability in the investigation of cognitive abilities and clinical symptoms.Masteroppgave i psykologiMAPSYK360MAPS-PSYKINTL-KMDINTL-MEDINTL-HFINTL-SVINTL-PSYKINTL-MNINTL-JU

Interindividual Variability in the Cytochrome P450 3A4 Drug Metabolizing Enzyme: Effect of the CYP3A4*1G Genetic Variant

Researchers and clinicians are interested in how a patient’s individual genetic makeup could predict the appropriate medication and dose for that patient. One way to predict drug response, or efficacy, is by looking at enzymes within the liver that metabolize drugs. Many of these enzymes belong to a class called the Cytochrome P450s (CYPs). Specifically, two closely related enzymes, CYP3A4 and CYP3A5, are involved in metabolizing 50% of drugs currently on the market (eg: statins, antiepileptics, anticancer agents, and antidepressants). There can be differences in the genetic code of these enzymes that can causes changes in drug metabolism. We completed a study with participants from the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT), located on the Flathead Reservation in northwest Montana. Select CYP enzymes were genotyped, including CYP3A4 and CYP3A5. Most SNPs identified in the CSKT participants were found at frequencies similar to those reported in European-descended populations. Interestingly, one specific SNP, called CYP3A4*1G, was discovered at a high allele frequency. The physiological significance of this SNP is unclear as there are limited and confounding data, however, most of the data published to date suggest that the SNP causes decreased metabolism of drugs. Clinically, this could result in a need for a decreased dose of medication. In addition, this CYP3A4 SNP was observed to be often inherited with another SNP in the related CYP3A5 gene, called CYP3A5*3, which encodes a nonfunctional enzyme. These SNPs found in the CSKT are of particular interest, because inheriting these two SNPs together could cause drastic changes in drug metabolism since the two enzymes metabolize many of the same drugs

Trawl avoidance as a source of error in estimates of the prevalence of Icthyophonus hoferi disease in Norwegian spring spawning herring (Clupea harengus L.) in the feeding area

Summary: Results are presented from a survey in the Norwegian Sea in the summer 1993, where the abundance and distribution of herring was investigated, using a high resolution sonar and pelagic trawling at the surface. An index of avoidance was constructed by comparing the catch to be expected from the sonar registrations of the number of schools and the amount of scattered registrations, with the actual catch in each haul. This index was negatively correlated to the frequency of diseased herring in the catch. This indicates that diseased herring is less capable of avoiding the trawl. Application of this result for estimating the true disease prevalence is discussed

En verktøykasse for aldersstrukturerte bestandsberegninger basert på fangst- og overvåkingsdata (TASACS)

TASACS (A Toolbox for Age-structured Stock Assessment using Catch and Survey data) is a collection of computer programs for performing routine analytic assessments of fish stocks. It consists of programs for making assessments and a working environment for handling input data, organizing the work and displaying results and diagnostics. The paper gives a detailed description of the methods and an outline of the working environment

Trawl avoidance as a source of error in estimates of the prevalence of Icthyophonus hoferi disease in Norwegian spring spawning herring (Clupea harengus L.) in the feeding area

Summary: Results are presented from a survey in the Norwegian Sea in the summer 1993, where the abundance and distribution of herring was investigated, using a high resolution sonar and pelagic trawling at the surface. An index of avoidance was constructed by comparing the catch to be expected from the sonar registrations of the number of schools and the amount of scattered registrations, with the actual catch in each haul. This index was negatively correlated to the frequency of diseased herring in the catch. This indicates that diseased herring is less capable of avoiding the trawl. Application of this result for estimating the true disease prevalence is discussed