Acute mancozeb-fungicide exposure induces neuro-ethology disruption, health disorders, and immune-oxidative dysfunction in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus).

An acute exposure study of mancozeb (MAZ) fungicide was applied on Oreochromis niloticus for 96-h duration. Three hundred fish (20.50 ± 1.60 g) were assigned into six groups (50 fish/ group; 10 fish/replicate) and exposed to different six concentrations (0, 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20 mg L-1) of MAZ for 96-h. The Probit analysis program was used to compute the 96-h lethal concentration 50 (96-h LC50) of MAZ. During the exposure duration, the fish's behavior, clinical symptoms, and mortalities were recorded daily. After the exposure period was ended, the hematological, biochemical, immunological, and oxidant/antioxidant parameters were evaluated. The results of this study recorded the 96-h LC50 of MAZ for O. niloticus to be 11.49 mg L-1. Acute MAZ exposure badly affected the fish's behavior in the form of increased the breath gasping and swimming activity with aggressive mode. The exposed fish showed excessive body hemorrhages and fin rot. The survival rate of the exposed fish to MAZ was 100, 80, 66, 50, 38, and 30% in 0, 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20 mg L-1 MAZ, respectively. The hematological indices (red blood cell count, hemoglobin, packed cell volume%, and white blood cell count) were significantly decreased by increasing the MAZ exposure concentration (8-20 mg L-1). The acetylcholine esterase activity and immune indices (lysozyme, nitric oxide, immunoglobulin M, complement 3) were decreased by MAZ exposure (4-20 mg L-1). Acute MAZ exposure induced hepato-renal dysfunction and elevated stress-related parameter (cortisol) by increasing the MAZ concentration. A significant reduction in the antioxidant parameters (total antioxidant activity, catalase, and superoxide dismutase) with increasing the lipid peroxidation marker (malondialdehyde) was noticed by acute MAZ exposure (4 -20 mg L-1) in O. niloticus. Based on these outcomes, the MAZ exposure induced toxicity to the fish evident in changes in fish behavior, neurological activity, hepato-renal functioning, and immune-antioxidant responses which suggest physiological disruption.

[Effect of Ganmai Dazao Decoction on ethology of rats with PTSD and its mechanism].

This study aimed to explore the effect of Ganmai Dazao Decoction on the ethology of rats with posttraumatic stress disorder(PTSD) and study the related mechanism through the changes in magnetic resonance imaging and protein expression. Sixty rats were randomly divided into 6 groups, namely the normal group, the model group, the low(1 g·kg~(-1)), medium(2 g·kg~(-1)), and high-dose Ganmai Dazao Decoction groups(4 g·kg~(-1)), and the positive control group(intragastric administration with 10.8 mg·kg~(-1) of fluoxetine), with 10 rats in each group. Two weeks after inducing PTSD by single-prolonged stress(SPS) in rats, the positive control group was given fluoxetine hydrochloride capsule by gavage, the low, medium, and high-dose groups were given Ganmai Dazao Decoction by gavage, and both the normal group and the model group were given the same volume of normal saline by gavage, each for 7 days. The open field experiment, elevated cross elevated maze, forced swimming experiment, and new object recognition test were carried out for the behavioral test. Three rats in each group were selected to detect the expression of neuropeptide receptor Y1(NPY1R) protein in the hippocampus by Western blot. Then, the other three rats in each group were selected to use the 9.4T magnetic resonance imaging experiment to observe the overall structural changes in the brain region and the anisotropy fraction of the hippocampus. The results of the open field experiment showed that the total distance and central distance of rats in the model group were significantly lower than those in the normal group, and the total distance and central distance of rats in the middle and high-dose Ganmai Dazao Decoction groups were higher than those in the model group. The results of the elevated cross maze test showed that medium and high-dose Ganmai Dazao Decoction remarkably increased the number of open arm entries and the residence time of open arm of rats with PTSD. The results of the forced swimming experiment showed that the immobility time in the water of the model group rats was significantly higher than that of the normal group, and Ganmai Dazao Decoction hugely reduced the immobility time in the water of rats with PTSD. The results of the new object recognition test showed that Ganmai Dazao Decoction significantly increased the exploration time of new objects and familiar objects in rats with PTSD. The results of Western blot showed that Ganmai Dazao Decoction significantly reduced the expression of NYP1R protein in the hippocampus of rats with PTSD. The 9.4T magnetic resonance examination found that there was no significant difference in the structural image among the groups. In the functional image, the fractional anisotropy(FA value) of the hippocampus in the model group was significantly lower than that in the normal group. The FA value of the hippocampus in the middle and high-dose Ganmai Dazao Decoction groups was higher than that in the model group. Ganmai Dazao Decoction reduces the injury of hippocampal neurons by inhibiting the expression of NYP1R in the hippocampus of rats with PTSD, thereby improving the nerve function injury of rats with PTSD and playing a neuroprotective role.

[Effects of electroacupuncture on ethology, microglia activation and P2X7 receptor expression in periaqueductal gray in rats with migraine].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of electroacupuncture(EA) at "Fengchi"(GB20) on the ethology, microglia activation and P2X7 receptor(P2X7R) expression in the periaqueductal gray(PAG) in recurrent migraine rat model, so as to explore the underlying mechanism of EA reducing central sensitization of migraine. METHODS: Thirty-six male SD rats were randomly divided into control, model and EA groups, with 12 rats in each group. Recurrent migraine model was induced using repea-ted dural electrical stimulation once another day(the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th and 9th days), for a total of 5 times; rats in the EA group received EA treatment(2 Hz/15 Hz, 0.8-1 mA) at GB20 after dural electrical stimulation, for 10 min every time, once a day for 9 days; rats in the control group only received electrode placement. The facial and hindpaw mechanical withdrawal threshold was detected by using an electronic von-Frey on the 0th(baseline), 2nd, 4th, 6th, and 8th days. Microglia activation in the PAG was evaluated by using immunofluorescence staining to detect the number of ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule-1(Iba-1)-labeled microglia. Expression levels of microglia marker Iba-1, inflammatory factor interleukin(IL)-1ß and P2X7R were detected by Western blot. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the facial and hindpaw mechanical withdrawal threshold of rats were significantly reduced on the 2nd, 4th, 6th, and 8th days(P<0.01，P<0.001); the microglia in the PAG area were significantly activated, with the number of Iba-1-positive microglia, and the expression levels of Iba-1, IL-1ß and P2X7R proteins significant increased(P<0.001, P<0.05) in the model group. Compared with the model group, the facial and hindpaw mechanical withdrawal threshold of rats were significantly increased on the 4th, 6th, and 8th days(P<0.05，P<0.001，P<0.01), and the above indicators were significantly reversed (P<0.05) in the EA group. CONCLUSION: EA at GB20 can significantly improve facial and hindpaw mechanical withdrawal threshold of migraine rats, and its possible mechanism may be related to inhibiting microglia activation mediated by P2X7R in the PAG.

Ecological decision-making: From circuit elements to emerging principles.

The interactions an animal has with its prey, predators, neighbors, and competitors are known as ecological interactions. Making effective decisions during ecological interactions poses fundamental challenges for the nervous system. Among these are the need to filter relevant information out of complex and ever-changing sensory scenes, to balance competing objectives, and to generate robust behavior amid the strong mutual feedbacks that occur during interactions with other animals. Here, I review recent advancements in the study of ecological decision-making. Using research with fishes, I illustrate how knowledge of ethology and brain circuitry are converging to yield a more holistic understanding of how the brain solves these problems to produce robust sequences of natural behavior.

The pollen of metaphor: Box, cage, and trap as containment in the eighteenth century.

This article uses the concept of "the pollen of metaphor" to discuss three forms of non-human animal containment in the eighteenth century: François Huber's Leaf or Book Hive bee box first described in his Nouvelles Observations sur les Abeilles (1792, English translation 1806), Sarah Trimmer's bird cages in her didactic children's book, Fabulous Histories; Or, The Story of the Robins (1786), and a mouse trap in Anna Letitia Barbauld's 1773 poem, "The Mouse's Petition, found in the trap where he had been confined all night by Dr. Priestley, for the sake of making experiments with different kinds of air." All three works highlight the eighteenth-century art of observation. The inherent commitment to relationships in the observation process suggests that interpreting ocular evidence involves "plausible relations," metaphor and/or "productive analogy." The article teases out subtle differences between the ways that each author uses containments and concludes that while Huber seeks to circumscribe non-human animal behavior within the bounds of 'reasonable' animal husbandry to better serve human needs, Trimmer goes further to connect 'appropriate' non-human animal containment to moral strictures governing humans. Barbauld's intervention using a literate, speaking animal subject confronts such moral governance to argue for equal rights based on principles of true equality rather than what is observed to be 'reasonable' and/or 'moral.'

"Shark is the man!": ethnoknowledge of Brazil's South Bahia fishermen regarding shark behaviors.

BACKGROUND: Fishermen's knowledge is a source of indispensable information in decision-making processes related to efforts to stimulate the management and conservation of fishing resources, especially in developing countries. This study analyzed the knowledge of fishermen from three municipal areas of Bahia in northeast Brazil regarding the behavior repertoire of sharks and the possible influence that these perceptions may have on the inclination to preserve these animals. This is a pioneering study on the ethnobiological aspects of elasmobranchs in Brazil. METHODS: Open, semi-structured interviews with shark fishing specialists were conducted between September 2011 and October 2012. The interviews addressed the fishermen's profile, fishing techniques and knowledge about sharks, focusing on the behaviours exhibited by sharks. The data were analysed with quantitative approach and conducted with the use of descriptive statistical techniques. RESULTS: Sixty-five fishermen were interviewed. They descend from the rafting subculture of Brazil's northeast, which has historically been disregarded by public policies addressing the management and conservation of fishing resources. The fishing fleet involved in shark fishing includes rafts, fishing boats and lobster boats equipped with fishing lines, gillnets, longlines and "esperas". The informers classified sharks' behaviour repertoire into 19 ethological categories, related especially to feeding, reproduction, and social and migratory behaviours. Because they identify sharks as predators, the detailed recognition of the behaviours exhibited is crucial both for an efficient catch and to avoid accidents. Therefore, this knowledge is doubly adaptive as it contributes to safer, more lucrative fishing. A feeling of respect for sharks predominates, since informers recognize the ecological role of these animals in marine ecosystems, attributing them the status of leader (or "the man") in the sea. CONCLUSIONS: This work demonstrates the complexity and robustness of artisanal fishermen's ichthyological knowledge of sharks. Therefore, we suggest that such knowledge should be considered to develop public policies for the control of the fishing activity, as well as to develop and consolidate the National Action Plan for the Conservation of Shark and Ray Species (PAN - Tubarões e Raias).

Understanding the neurophysiological basis of auditory abilities for social communication: a perspective on the value of ethological paradigms.

Acoustic communication between animals requires them to detect, discriminate, and categorize conspecific or heterospecific vocalizations in their natural environment. Laboratory studies of the auditory-processing abilities that facilitate these tasks have typically employed a broad range of acoustic stimuli, ranging from natural sounds like vocalizations to "artificial" sounds like pure tones and noise bursts. However, even when using vocalizations, laboratory studies often test abilities like categorization in relatively artificial contexts. Consequently, it is not clear whether neural and behavioral correlates of these tasks (1) reflect extensive operant training, which drives plastic changes in auditory pathways, or (2) the innate capacity of the animal and its auditory system. Here, we review a number of recent studies, which suggest that adopting more ethological paradigms utilizing natural communication contexts are scientifically important for elucidating how the auditory system normally processes and learns communication sounds. Additionally, since learning the meaning of communication sounds generally involves social interactions that engage neuromodulatory systems differently than laboratory-based conditioning paradigms, we argue that scientists need to pursue more ethological approaches to more fully inform our understanding of how the auditory system is engaged during acoustic communication. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled "Communication Sounds and the Brain: New Directions and Perspectives".

[Influence of electroacupuncture plus intragastric administration of extract of hypericum perforatum L on ethology and brain microcirculation in depression rats].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of combined administration of intragastric perfusion of extract of Hypericum Perforatum L (HP-L) and electroacupuncture (EA) of "Baihui" (GV 20) and "Yamen" (GV 15) on behavior and brain microcirculation in depression rats. METHODS: Female SD rats were randomized into control, model, lower-dose of HP-L (lower-dose in short, 10 mg/kg), lower-dose+ EA, higher-dose (20 mg/kg) and higher-dose+ EA groups (n = 10/group). Depression model was established by lonely raising and chronic unpredictable mild stress (tail cramping, water-deprivation, fasting, electrical shock stimulation, etc. ) for 21 days. EA (2 Hz, 1 mA) was applied to "Baihui"(GV 20) and "Yamen"(GV 15) for 20 min, once daily for 14 days. Changes of ethology including glucose-consumption during 1 h, crossing and rearing scores of open-field test during 3 min (for assessing the rats' locomoto)and laser Doppler flowmetry values of cortical regional cerebral bloodflow (r CBF) were detected, and Morris water maze test (for assessing the rats' learning-memory ability) was conducted. RESULTS: In comparison with the control group, the sucrose consumption, crossing and rearing scores of open-field test, the average swimming velocity (ASV). the ratios of path length and swimming duration near the hidden-platform and the path length and swimming duration far from the platform of Morris water maze test during 70 seconds, and the cortical r CBF value in the model group were decreased significantly (P < 0.01), while the total swimming distance and escape latency in the model group increased apparently (P < 0.01). Compared to the model group, the average sucrose consumption, crossing and rearing scores of open-field test, the ASV, and the ratios of path length and swimming duration near the platform and those far from the platform in the lower-dose. lower-dose + EA, higher-dose and higher-dose + EA groups, and the cortical r CBF in the lower-dose + EA and higher-dose + EA groups were increased considerably (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). The total swimming distances and escape latencies of lower-dose, lower-dose + EA, higher-dose and higher-dose + EA groups were significantly shortened in comparison with the model group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). The sucrose consumption and crossing score were significantly higher in the higher-dose + EA group than the lower-dose group (P < 0.05). The escape latency was significantly shorter in the higher-dose + EA group than in the lower-dose group (P < 0.05). No significant differences were found among the lower-dose, lower-dose + EA and higher-dose groups the sucrose consumption, crossing score and escape latency: among the lower-dose, lower-dose + EA, higher-dose and higher-dose + EA groups in the rearing score and ASV; among the lower-dose, higher-dose and model groups in the cortical r CBF (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: EA can enhance the effect of extract of HP-L in increasing sucrose consumption, crossing score and cerebral blood flow, and in shortening escape latency in depression rats, which may contribute to their effect in improving depression. But HP-L itself has no effect on cortical microcirculation.

Rodent models of depression: forced swim and tail suspension behavioral despair tests in rats and mice.

The development of antidepressants requires simple rodent behavioral tests for initial screening before undertaking more complex preclinical tests and clinical evaluation. Presented in the unit are two widely used screening tests used for antidepressants, the forced swim (also termed behavioral despair) test in the rat and mouse, and the tail suspension test in the mouse. These tests have good predictive validity and allow rapid and economical detection of substances with potential antidepressant-like activity. The behavioral despair and the tail suspension tests are based on the same principle: measurement of the duration of immobility when rodents are exposed to an inescapable situation. The majority of clinically used antidepressants decrease the duration of immobility. Antidepressants also increase the latency to immobility, and this additional measure can increase the sensitivity of the behavioral despair test in the mouse for certain classes of antidepressant. Testing of new substances in the behavioral despair and tail suspension tests allows a simple assessment of their potential antidepressant activity by the measurement of their effect on immobility.

On-board telemetry of emitted sounds from free-flying bats: compensation for velocity and distance stabilizes echo frequency and amplitude.

To understand complex sensory-motor behavior related to object perception by echolocating bats, precise measurements are needed for echoes that bats actually listen to during flight. Recordings of echolocation broadcasts were made from flying bats with a miniature light-weight microphone and radio transmitter (Telemike) set at the position of the bat's ears and carried during flights to a landing point on a wall. Telemike recordings confirm that flying horseshoe bats (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum nippon) adjust the frequency of their sonar broadcasts to compensate for echo Doppler shifts. Returning constant frequency echoes were maintained at the bat's reference frequency +/-83 Hz during flight, indicating that the bats compensated for frequency changes with an accuracy equivalent to that at rest. The flying bats simultaneously compensate for increases in echo amplitude as target range becomes shorter. Flying bats thus receive echoes with both stabilized frequencies and stabilized amplitudes. Although it is widely understood that Doppler-shift frequency compensation facilitates detection of fluttering insects, approaches to a landing do not involve fluttering objects. Combined frequency and amplitude compensation may instead be for optimization of successive frequency modulated echoes for target range estimation to control approach and landing.

Coleta de pólen, interações agonísticas e horários de atividade dos visitantes florais (Insecta: Diptera, Hymenoptera) de pimenteiras silvestres (Piperaceae) / Pollen collecting, agonistic interactions and daily activity distribution of floral visitants (Insecta: Diptera, Hymenoptera) in native peppers (Piperaceae)

O comportamento dos insetos visitantes de flores e importante para o fluxo de pólen e para a polinização cruzada efetiva. Sirfídeos (Syrphidae) são visitantes florais freqüentes, embora seja incerto seu papel no fluxo gamético de plantas, devido ao reduzido número de estudos realizados com esses insetos. O presente estudo teve por objetivo descrever aspectos do comportamento dos visitantes sobre as inflorescências de pimenteiras silvestres (Piperaceae), utilizando observações naturalísticas. Os resultados mostram que há coleta ativa de pólen pelos insetos visitantes, agressão infra - e interespecífica nas inflorescências das pimenteiras e uma concentração da atividade nas horas mais quentes do dia. Conclui-se que as inflorescências de pimenteiras são importantes para alimentação e reprodução dos insetos visitantes, principalmente sirfídeos, os quais partilham tais recursos no ecossistema estudado(AU)

The behavior of visiting insects in flowers plays an important role in pollen flow and cross-pollination effectiveness. Hoverflies (Syrphidae) are frequent flower visitants, but their role in plant gametic flux is not wholly determined. The present study aimed to describe aspects of the behavior of the visitants upon inflorescences of peppers (Piperaceae), using naturalistic observations. The results show that there is active pollen colleting by the visitant insects, intra- as well as interespecific aggression on the pepper inflorescences, and a concentration of activity at the hottest hours of the clay. Inflorescences of peppers seem thus important for the feeding and breeding of insect visitants, mainly hoverflies, which share this resource in the ecosystem studied(AU)

Overview of methodological approaches to the study of ingestive behavior.

Some examples of procedures used by feeding researchers are discussed in this unit and include ablation of neural function; inhibition of behaviors by selective neurotoxins and antisense oligonucleotides; staining of sensory and motor mechanisms; electrical stimulation of the brain; local injection and microdialysis of nutrients, neurotransmitters, and drugs; autoradiography and in situ hybridization of neurotransmitters with their receptors; electrophysiological techniques for multi- and single-unit recording of cells in the hypothalamus; and gene technology using inbred strains of genetically obese mice.

Claw asymmetry in lobsters: case study in developmental neuroethology.

An enduring debate in the study of development is the relative contribution of genetic and epigenetic factors in the genesis of an organism, that is, the nature vs. nurture debate. The behavior of the paired claws in the lobster offers promising material for pursuing this debate because of the way they develop. The paired claws and their closer muscles are initially symmetrical; both are slender in appearance and have a mixture of fast and slow fibers in their closer muscles. During a critical period of development, they become determined into a major (crusher) and minor (cutter) claw and during subsequent development acquire their final form and behavior: The crusher becomes a stout, molar-toothed claw capable of closing only slowly because its closer muscle has 100% slow fibers while the cutter becomes a slender, incisor-toothed claw capable of closing rapidly because its closer muscle has 90% fast fibers. Our initial hypothesis was that the more active claw became the crusher and its less active counterpart the cutter. Presumably, nerve activity would influence muscle transformation, which in turn would influence the exoskeleton to which they attach and hence claw morphology. Curtailing nerve activity to the claw prevented crusher development, while reflex activation of a claw promoted its development; both results support the notion that nerve activity directly regulates claw form and function. This is not, however, the case, for when both claws were reflexly exercised neither formed a crusher, signifying rather that bilateral differences in predominantly mechanoreceptive input to the paired claws somehow lateralized the claw ganglion [central nervous system (CNS)] into a crusher and cutter side. The side experiencing the greater activity becomes the crusher side while the contralateral side becomes the cutter and is also inhibited from ever becoming a crusher. This initial lateralization in the CNS is expressed, via as yet unknown pathways, at the periphery in claw morphology, muscle composition, and behavior. The critical period defines a time when the CNS is susceptible to being lateralized into a crusher and cutter side. Such lateralization is dependent upon experience of the environment in the form of mechanoreceptive input. In the absence of such experience, the CNS is not lateralized and paired cutter claws develop. Thus, while the critical period for crusher determination is genetically determined the actual trigger is influenced by experience.

Homeopatia e alopatia: a análise de um problema: I. Consideraçöes acerca dos seres vivos / Homeopathy and allopathy: analysis of a problem: I. Considerations about living beings

Tendo em vista a importância da idéia de equilíbrio homeostásico como um critério regulador das práticas terapêuticas, o presente artigo tem po objetivo recolocar em discussäo o problema referente à natureza dos seres vivos através de uma abordagem das posiçöes mecanicistas e vitalistas, ao mesmo tempo em que procura avaliar o significado biológico da homeostasia em face das questöes levantadas pela biologia molecular, pela ecologia e pela etologia. Além disso, procura redefinir o papel do conhecimento científico no mundo moderno