Predation on invasive cane toads (Rhinella marina) by native Australian rodents

© 2014, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. The success of an invasive species can be reduced by biotic resistance from the native fauna. For example, an invader that is eaten by native predators is less likely to thrive than one that is invulnerable. The ability of invasive cane toads (Rhinella marina) to spread through Australia has been attributed to the toad’s potent defensive chemicals that can be fatal if ingested by native snakes, lizards, marsupials and crocodiles. However, several taxa of native insects and birds are resistant to cane toad toxins. If native rodents are also capable of eating toads (as suggested by anecdotal reports), these large, abundant and voracious predators might reduce toad numbers. Our field observations and laboratory trials confirm that native rodents (Melomys burtoni, Rattus colletti and Rattus tunneyi) readily kill and consume cane toads (especially small toads), and are not overtly affected by toad toxins. Captive rodents did not decrease their consumption of toads over successive trials, and ate toads even when alternative food types were available. In combination with anecdotal reports, our data suggest that rodents (both native and invasive) are predators of cane toads in Australia. Despite concerns about the decline of rodents following the invasion of toads, our data suggest that the species we studied are not threatened by toads as toxic prey, and no specific conservation actions are required to ensure their persistence

Long-term Variability Properties and Periodicity Analysis for Blazars

In this paper, the compiled long-term optical and infrared measurements of some blazars are used to analyze the variation properties and the optical data are used to search for periodicity evidence in the lightcurve by means of the Jurkevich technique and the discrete correlation function (DCF) method. Following periods are found: 4.52-year for 3C 66A; 1.56 and 2.95 years for AO 0235+164; 14.4, 18.6 years for PKS 0735+178; 17.85 and 24.7 years for PKS 0754+100; 5.53 and 11.75 for OJ 287. 4.45, and 6.89 years for PKS 1215; 9 and 14.84 years for PKS 1219+285; 2.0, 13.5 and 22.5 for 3C273; 7.1 year for 3C279; 6.07 for PKS 1308+326; 3.0 and 16.5 years for PKS 1418+546; 2.0 and 9.35 years for PKS 1514-241; 18.18 for PKS 1807+698; 4.16 and 7.0 for 2155-304; 14 and 20 years for BL Lacertae. Some explanations have been discussed.Comment: 10 pages, 2 table, no figure, a proceeding paper for Pacific Rim Conference on Stellar Astrophysics, Aug. 1999, HongKong, Chin

Ipsilateral free semitendinosus tendon graft transfer for reconstruction of chronic tears of the Achilles tendon

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Many techniques have been developed for the reconstruction of the Achilles tendon in chronic tears. In presence of a large gap (greater than 6 centimetres), tendon augmentation is required.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We present our method of minimally invasive semitendinosus reconstruction for the Achilles tendon using one para-midline and one midline incision.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The first incision is a 5 cm longitudinal incision, made 2 cm proximal and just medial to the palpable end of the residual tendon. The second incision is 3 cm long and is also longitudinal but is 2 cm distal and in the midline to the distal end of the tendon rupture. The distal and proximal Achilles tendon stumps are mobilised. After trying to reduce the gap of the ruptured Achilles tendon, if the gap produced is greater than 6 cm despite maximal plantar flexion of the ankle and traction on the Achilles tendon stumps, the ipsilateral semitendinosus tendon is harvested. The semitendinosus tendon is passed through small incisions in the substance of the proximal stump of the Achilles tendon, and it is sutured to the Achilles tendon. It is then passed beneath the intact skin bridge into the distal incision, and passed from medial to lateral through a transverse tenotomy in the distal stump. With the ankle in maximal plantar flexion, the semitendinosus tendon is sutured to the Achilles tendon at each entry and exit point</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This minimally invasive technique allows reconstruction of the Achilles tendon using the tendon of semitendinosus preserving skin integrity over the site most prone to wound breakdown, and can be especially used to reconstruct the Achilles tendon in the presence of large gap (greater than 6 centimetres).</p

Rewarding patient-directed research: Excellence in Translational Medicine Award

The Editorial Board of Journal of Translational Medicine is pleased to announce a prize to recognize outstanding contributions in the field of translational medicine. The prize is sponsored by Pfizer Global Research and Development, Global Translational Medicine and supported by the Journal of Translational Medicine Editorial Board

Translating clinicians' beliefs into implementation interventions (TRACII) : a protocol for an intervention modeling experiment to change clinicians' intentions to implement evidence-based practice

Background: Biomedical research constantly produces new findings, but these are not routinely incorporated into health care practice. Currently, a range of interventions to promote the uptake of emerging evidence are available. While their effectiveness has been tested in pragmatic trials, these do not form a basis from which to generalise to routine care settings. Implementation research is the scientific study of methods to promote the uptake of research findings, and hence to reduce inappropriate care. As clinical practice is a form of human behaviour, theories of human behaviour that have proved to be useful in other settings offer a basis for developing a scientific rationale for the choice of interventions. Aims: The aims of this protocol are 1) to develop interventions to change beliefs that have already been identified as antecedents to antibiotic prescribing for sore throats, and 2) to experimentally evaluate these interventions to identify those that have the largest impact on behavioural intention and behavioural simulation. Design: The clinical focus for this work will be the management of uncomplicated sore throat in general practice. Symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections are common presenting features in primary care. They are frequently treated with antibiotics, and research evidence is clear that antibiotic treatment offers little or no benefit to otherwise healthy adult patients. Reducing antibiotic prescribing in the community by the "prudent" use of antibiotics is seen as one way to slow the rise in antibiotic resistance, and appears safe, at least in children. However, our understanding of how to do this is limited. Participants will be general medical practitioners. Two theory-based interventions will be designed to address the discriminant beliefs in the prescribing of antibiotics for sore throat, using empirically derived resources. The interventions will be evaluated in a 2 × 2 factorial randomised controlled trial delivered in a postal questionnaire survey. Two outcome measures will be assessed: behavioural intention and behavioural simulation.This study is funded by the European Commission Research Directorate as part of a multi-partner program: Research Based Education and Quality Improvement (ReBEQI): A Framework and tools to develop effective quality improvement programs in European healthcare. (Proposal No: QLRT-2001-00657)

Orientation cues for high-flying nocturnal insect migrants: do turbulence-induced temperature and velocity fluctuations indicate the mean wind flow?

Migratory insects flying at high altitude at night often show a degree of common alignment, sometimes with quite small angular dispersions around the mean. The observed orientation directions are often close to the downwind direction and this would seemingly be adaptive in that large insects could add their self-propelled speed to the wind speed, thus maximising their displacement in a given time. There are increasing indications that high-altitude orientation may be maintained by some intrinsic property of the wind rather than by visual perception of relative ground movement. Therefore, we first examined whether migrating insects could deduce the mean wind direction from the turbulent fluctuations in temperature. Within the atmospheric boundary-layer, temperature records show characteristic ramp-cliff structures, and insects flying downwind would move through these ramps whilst those flying crosswind would not. However, analysis of vertical-looking radar data on the common orientations of nocturnally migrating insects in the UK produced no evidence that the migrants actually use temperature ramps as orientation cues. This suggests that insects rely on turbulent velocity and acceleration cues, and refocuses attention on how these can be detected, especially as small-scale turbulence is usually held to be directionally invariant (isotropic). In the second part of the paper we present a theoretical analysis and simulations showing that velocity fluctuations and accelerations felt by an insect are predicted to be anisotropic even when the small-scale turbulence (measured at a fixed point or along the trajectory of a fluid-particle) is isotropic. Our results thus provide further evidence that insects do indeed use turbulent velocity and acceleration cues as indicators of the mean wind direction

Effect of low tidal volume ventilation on lung function and inflammation in mice

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>A large number of studies have investigated the effects of high tidal volume ventilation in mouse models. In contrast data on very short term effects of low tidal volume ventilation are sparse. Therefore we investigated the functional and structural effects of low tidal volume ventilation in mice.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>38 Male C57/Bl6 mice were ventilated with different tidal volumes (Vt 5, 7, and 10 ml/kg) without or with application of PEEP (2 cm H₂O). Four spontaneously breathing animals served as controls. Oxygen saturation and pulse rate were monitored. Lung function was measured every 5 min for at least 30 min. Afterwards lungs were removed and histological sections were stained for measurement of infiltration with polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN). Moreover, mRNA expression of macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-2 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)α in the lungs was quantified using real time PCR.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Oxygen saturation did not change significantly over time of ventilation in all groups (P > 0.05). Pulse rate dropped in all groups without PEEP during mechanical ventilation. In contrast, in the groups with PEEP pulse rate increased over time. These effects were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Tissue damping (G) and tissue elastance (H) were significantly increased in all groups after 30 min of ventilation (P < 0.05). Only the group with a Vt of 10 ml/kg and PEEP did not show a significant increase in H (P > 0.05). Mechanical ventilation significantly increased infiltration of the lungs with PMN (P < 0.05). Expression of MIP-2 was significantly induced by mechanical ventilation in all groups (P < 0.05). MIP-2 mRNA expression was lowest in the group with a Vt of 10 ml/kg + PEEP.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our data show that very short term mechanical ventilation with lower tidal volumes than 10 ml/kg did not reduce inflammation additionally. Formation of atelectasis and inadequate oxygenation with very low tidal volumes may be important factors. Application of PEEP attenuated inflammation.</p