Utjecaj obogaćivanja okoliša predmetima promjenjljivog mirisa na ponašanje prasadi nakon odbića.

The aim of the study was firstly to check the aroma preferences of pigs, and on the basis of the best results the aromatized environmental enrichment objects were developed. Their effectiveness was tested in relation to aggressive behaviour. In the first stage of the experiment, 24 weaners (crossbreds of Polish Landrace and Polish Large White) were tested for aroma preferences (7 synthetic and natural flavours in perforated hanging containers). The pigs spent more time (P<0.05) near natural aromas of moist soil, grass and dried mushrooms, than synthetic vanilla, orange and strawberry aromas. Strawberry was the most popular synthetic fragrance. In the second part of the experiment, 36 weaner crossbreds of PL and PLW were divided into 3 groups, consisting of 12 animals each and were housed in pens: with additional flavoured components (chews - the smell of moist soil), odourless chews and without an additional object. The results showed that pigs used the aromatized objects with natural smells for longer than odourless objects (P<0.05) during days 1-9 and day 12. The interest in additional objects decreased with time, whereas the interest in aromatized objects remained at a higher level for the whole duration of the experiment. Changing the aroma after 14 days resulted in a significant rise in interest (time spent with and frequency) in the aromatized toy in comparison to odourless chews (duration 5.99 % vs. 0.23 % and frequency 26.46 vs. 6.07, respectively; P<0.01). It suggests that “novelty” is an important characteristic, increasing the attractiveness of an environment enriching object. Duration of agonistic behaviour was lower (P<0.05) during days 1-9 in pens equipped with aromatized objects in comparison to other systems.Cilj istraživanja bio je prvo provjeriti sklonost svinja prema određenim mirisima, a zatim na osnovi najboljih rezultata razviti mirišljive predmete za obogaćivanje okoliša. Njihova učinkovitost bila je provjerena u odnosu na agresivno ponašanje svinja. Tijekom prvog dijela istraživanja, kod 24 odbijena praseta (križanaca poljskog landrasa i poljske velike bijele svinje) provjerena je sklonost prema mirisima (7 umjetnih i prirodnih mirisa primijenjenih u visećim probušenim kutijama). Svinje su provele više vremena (P<0,05) uz prirodne mirise vlažnog tla, trave i osušenih gljiva nego uz umjetne mirise vanilije, naranče i jagode. Među umjetnim mirisima najprivlačniji je bio miris jagode. Tijekom drugog dijela istraživanja, odbijena prasad (n = 36), križanci poljskog landrasa i poljske velike bijele svinje, bili su podijeljeni u tri skupine po 12 prasadi. Prasad je držana u oborima, pri čemu su jednoj skupini dodani predmeti za žvakanje s mirisom vlažnog tla, drugoj skupini predmeti za žvakanje bez mirisa, a treća skupina nije dobila nikakve predmete. Rezultati su pokazali da su svinje duže koristile, tijekom 1 do 9 dana i 12. dan, predmete s prirodnim mirisom u odnosu na one bez mirisa (P<0,05). Zanimanje za pridodane predmete s vremenom se smanjivalo, no u slučaju predmeta s mirisom ostalo je na višoj razini tijekom cijelog pokusa. Promjena mirisa nakon 14 dana dovela je do značajnog porasta zanimanja (vrijeme boravka i učestalost) za mirisne predmete u odnosu na predmete bez mirisa (vrijeme boravka 5,99 % u odnosu na 0,23 % i učestalost 26,46 u odnosu na 6,07, P<0,01). Navedeno pokazuje da su “novosti” u okolišu važne jer novi predmeti za obogaćivanje okoliša pojačano privlače svinje. Trajanje natjecateljskog ponašanja svinja bilo je kraće za 1 do 9 dana (P<0,05) u oborima opremljenima mirisnim predmetima

Interventional psychiatry in the management of behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia: a qualitative review.

&amp;ldquo;Behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia&amp;rdquo; (BPSD) refers to a heterogeneous group of clinical manifestations related to dementia, including apathy, depression, anxiety, delusions, hallucinations, sexual or social disinhibition, sleep-wake cycle disturbances, aggression, agitation and other behaviours considered inappropriate. Because of the complexity and heterogeneity of BPSD, as well as the fragility and multimorbidity of the elderly, pharmacological treatment appears to be limited in terms of safety and efficacy, and nonpharmacological therapies are today considered the first choice. There is growing evidence that interventional approaches such as electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), deep brain stimulation (DBS), and vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) could be safe and efficient options for several psychiatric illnesses in a population presenting resistance to and/or intolerance of pharmacotherapy. The aim of the present work is to provide a qualitative review of the state of the art in interventional psychiatry in the treatment of BPSD. A particular focus will be on depression and agitation, which represent major stressors on caregivers and a primary cause of institutionalisation. ECT is probably the most promising interventional procedure needing further investigation in order to obtain specific protocols and a consensus on indications. Preliminary data on rTMS, tDCS, and VNS are encouraging although randomised controlled trials to investigate and compare their efficacy in the treatment of BPSD are still lacking. Their feasibility profile could represent an important advantage over ECT. DBS could represent a very effective therapy for behavioural disorders, but knowledge of the precise neuroanatomical targets for BPSD is currently too limited to justify this invasive approach

Rapid entry and downregulation of T Cells in the central nervous system During the reinduction of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis

We investigated the mechanisms whereby a previous attack of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) modifies a subsequent attack in the Lewis rat. Active immunization with myelin basic protein (MBP) and complete Freund's adjuvant 28 days after the passive transfer of MBP-sensitized spleen cells induced a second episode of EAE, which occurred earlier than in naive control animals, but was less severe overall. The pattern of neurological signs was also different in rechallenged rats, which had less severe tail and hindlimb weakness but more severe forelimb weakness. In rechallenged rats, inflammation was more severe in the cervical spinal cord, cerebellum, brainstem and cerebrum, but less severe in the lumbar spinal cord, than in controls. The early onset of EAE in rechallenged rats was explained by a memory T cell response to MBP72-89 in the draining lymph node and spleen, and by the enhanced entry of T cells into the central nervous system (CNS). However, the number of alpha beta T cells in the spinal cord of rechallenged rats declined faster than in controls, especially in the lumbosacral cord, where the number of V beta 8.2+ T cells and the frequency of T cells reactive to MBP72-89 rapidly decreased, indicating rapid downregulation of the immune response in the previously inflamed spinal cord. Apoptosis of inflammatory cells in the CNS was increased in the rechallenged rats and is likely to contribute to this downregulation. Furthermore, during the disease course the generation of encephalitogenic T cells in the peripheral lymphoid organs was limited compared with controls. Thus, a previous attack of EAE modifies a subsequent attack through the interaction of the following processes: a memory T cell response to MBP; facilitated T cell entry into the CNS; downregulation of the immune response in the CNS, including increased apoptosis of inflammatory cells; and a limited generation of encephalitogenic T cells in the peripheral lymphoid organs

Catalytic behavior of NaV6O15 bronze for partial oxidation of hydrogen sulfide

[EN] Na-containing V2O5 materials have been prepared hydrothermally from gels with Na/V ratios of 0.02-0.26, and calcined at 500 degrees C. The calcined samples have been characterized and tested as catalysts in the partial oxidation of H2S to elemental sulfur. At low Na-contents, V2O5 and NaV6O15 bronze are formed, with the NaV6O15/V2O5 ratio increasing with the Na-content. Pure NaV6O15 bronze is mainly formed from gels containing a Na/V ratio of 0.18. However, NaV6O15 and Na1.164V3O8 are formed from gels with Na/V ratio higher than 0.35. NaV6O15 based catalyst shows high conversion for the oxidation of H2S with a high selectivity into elemental sulfur. These catalysts are more active and stable than pure or Na-doped V2O5 catalysts. V4O9 is observed after reaction in both pure Na-doped V2O5 catalysts but also in NaV6O15/V2O5 mixed catalysts. However, no changes in the NaV6O15 crystalline structure are observed in the Na-promoted catalysts. Accordingly, NaV6O15 crystalline phase is stable for several hours of catalysisat a difference with V2O5. The active sites in V-containing vanadium catalysts are probably V5+-O-V4+ pairs as previously proposed for V4O9 crystalline phase. The best catalytic performances were achieved on V2O5-NaV6O15 mixtures which are transformed into V4O9-NaV6O15 mixtures during the catalytic tests. These catalytic results could be due to the intrinsic physical properties of both phases but also because of the optimal dispersion obtained in the synthesis procedure. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.The authors would like to thank the DGICYT in Spain (Projects CTQ2012-37925-C03-01, CTQ2012-37925-C03-03 and MAT2010-19837-C06-05) for financial support.Soriano Rodríguez, MD.; Rodriguez-Castellon, E.; Garcia-Gonzalez, E.; López Nieto, JM. (2014). Catalytic behavior of NaV6O15 bronze for partial oxidation of hydrogen sulfide. Catalysis Today. 238:62-68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cattod.2014.02.030S626823

Directional turnover towards larger-ranged plants over time and across habitats

Species turnover is ubiquitous. However, it remains unknown whether certain types of species are consistently gained or lost across different habitats. Here, we analysed the trajectories of 1827 plant species over time intervals of up to 78 years at 141 sites across mountain summits, forests, and lowland grasslands in Europe. We found, albeit with relatively small effect sizes, displacements of smaller- by larger-ranged species across habitats. Communities shifted in parallel towards more nutrient-demanding species, with species from nutrient-rich habitats having larger ranges. Because these species are typically strong competitors, declines of smaller-ranged species could reflect not only abiotic drivers of global change, but also biotic pressure from increased competition. The ubiquitous component of turnover based on species range size we found here may partially reconcile findings of no net loss in local diversity with global species loss, and link community-scale turnover to macroecological processes such as biotic homogenisation

The biosynthesis of nitric oxide and its interactions with the cyclo-oxygenase pathway

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