Effects of the Monomeric Components of Poly-hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyhexanoate on the Growth of In Vitro and on the Survival of Infected Kuruma Shrimp ().

Here, we investigated the inhibitory effects of the biodegradable, water-insoluble polymer poly-hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyhexanoate (PHBH) and its two constituent monomers, the hydroxyalkanoic acids 3-hydroxybutyrate (3HB) and 3-hydroxyhexanoate (3HH), on the growth of the shrimp-pathogenic bacterium . In vitro experiments revealed that 3HH showed greater growth inhibitory activity than 3HB against . In addition, the activities of hydroxyalkanoic acids were pH dependent, being greater at pH 6.

Mind as a Behavioral Inhibition Network.

This study aimed to propose to add a new perspective on what may create the impression of "mind" in other beings. The conventional is perspective is that when we observe mental activities in animals, this creates in us the impression that they have a mind. On the other hand, the authors' proposal is that when we observe unpredictable activities in living beings, this creates in us the impression of mind.

Propagating wave based on transition of interaction within animal group.

Propagating waves, information transfers of direction of travel in collective groups, have been observed in animal groups of insects, birds, fish, and mammals. Nevertheless, although many previously proposed models of group behaviors have elucidated various aspects of collective motion, none has directly shown the propagating wave constructively. These models consisted of flocking algorithms in which individuals modify their positions or velocities through average responses to their neighbors.

Lack of FOXE3 coding mutation in a case of congenital aphakia.

Purpose: To report the findings in a patient with congenital primary aphakia, a rare disease known to be caused by mutations in the FOXE3 gene.

Methods: The clinical appearances and visual functions of the patient were determined from the medical records. Genetic analyses were performed to search for mutations in the FOXE3 gene by Sanger sequencing and whole exome sequencing.

Rotating panoramic view: interaction between visual and olfactory cues in ants.

Insects use a navigational toolkit consisting of multiple strategies such as path integration, view-dependent recognition methods and olfactory cues. The question arises as to how directional cues afforded by a visual panorama combine with olfactory cues from a pheromone trail to guide ants towards their nest. We positioned a garden ant Lasius niger on a rotating table, whereon a segment of a pheromone trail relative to the stationary panorama was rotated while the ant walked along the trail towards its nest.

Quantum cognition based on an ambiguous representation derived from a rough set approximation.

Over the last years, in a series papers by Arecchi and others, a model for the cognitive processes involved in decision making has been proposed and investigated. The key element of this model is the expression of apprehension and judgment, basic cognitive process of decision making, as an inverse Bayes inference classifying the information content of neuron spike trains. It has been shown that for successive plural stimuli this inference, equipped with basic non-algorithmic jumps, is affected by quantum-like characteristics.

Awareness as observational heterarchy.

Libet et al. (1983) revealed that brain activity precedes conscious intention. For convenience in this study, we divide brain activity into two parts: a conscious field (CF) and an unconscious field (UF).

Hermit crabs perceive the extent of their virtual bodies.

A flexible body image is required by animals if they are to adapt to body changes and move effectively within a structurally complex environment. Here, we show that terrestrial hermit crabs, Coenobita rugosus, which frequently change shells, can modify walking behaviour, dependent on the shape of the shell. Hermit crabs walked along a corridor that had alternating left and right corners; if it was narrow at the corner, crabs rotated their bodies to avoid the wall, indicating an awareness of environmental obstacles.

Characterization and expression analysis of an interleukin-7 homologue in the Japanese pufferfish, Takifugu rubripes.

An interleukin-7 (IL-7) gene has been cloned and sequenced within the Japanese pufferfish, Takifugu rubripes (Fugu), providing the first conclusive evidence for the existence of IL-7 in teleosts. The IL-7 cDNA was composed of 1438 bp, with a 117 bp 5'-UTR, an 826 bp 3'-UTR containing two mRNA instability motifs, and a 498 bp ORF which translates into a peptide of 166 amino acid residues. The Fugu IL-7 peptide contained a predicted signal peptide of 19 amino acid residues and the IL-7/9 family signature (Arg140-Val149).