1,760,198 research outputs found
Protecting the Booroolong Frog in the Namoi Catchment: A Cost-Benefit Analysis
Full text linkThe Booroolong frog project in the Namoi Catchment represents an environmental investment to protect the species and around 10.7 kilometres of its habitat in the catchment. The project’s benefit-cost ratio (BCR) of 8.6 indicates that the benefits outweigh the costs by a significant margin. The measures introduced by landholders, at relatively low cost, should therefore result in a significant return on investment upon project completion in 10 years time. The benefits are estimated using a choice modelling study which was recently developed for the valuation of investment in natural resource management in the Namoi Catchment. As this is a largely ex ante cost-benefit analysis, the BCR is subject to uncertainty associated with assumptions which had to be made for some variables. However, sensitivity analysis indicates that the project benefits outweigh the costs by a significant margin even under conservative conditions.Cost-benefit analysis, Benefit-cost ratio, Choice modelling, Booroolong Frog, Namoi Catchment, Environmental Economics and Policy, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods,
Native frog (Leiopelma spp.) recovery plan, 2013–2018
Full text linkThis report outlines a plan to secure the survival of New Zealand\u27s native frogs.
Abstract
Native frogs were formerly widespread and common throughout New Zealand. However, they are now much reduced in range, with remnant populations only occurring on the mainland of the North Island and on several islands in the Marlborough Sounds. The current agents of decline are thought primarily to be introduced mammalian predators, disease and habitat modification. The current recovery plan covers the period from 2013 to 2018 and sets in place the actions required to move into the next phase of recovery management for all four extant native frog species (Leiopelma spp.). In this respect, the plan spans a transitional phase to consolidate the security of the species and set the platform for their broader recovery
Microgravity affects the hair cell ionic currents of the frog semicircular canals
No full textThe effects of microgravity on the biophysical properties of frog labyrinthine hair cells have been examined by analyzing calcium and potassium currents in dissociated cells, using the patch-clamp technique. The entire, anaesthetized frog was exposed to vector-free gravity in a “random positioning machine (RPM)” and the functional modifications induced on single hair cells, dissected from the crista ampullaris, were subsequently studied in vitro. The major targets of microgravity exposure were the calcium/potassium current system and the IA (the fast transient potassium current) kinetic mechanism. The peak amplitude of the voltage-dependent calcium current, ICa, was significantly reduced in microgravity conditioned cells. The amplitude of the delayed potassium current, IKD (a complex of two different currents: IKV and IKCa), was drastically reduced, mostly in its IKCa component. Microgravity also affected IKD kinetics by shifting the steady-state inactivation curve towards negative potentials and increasing the sensitivity of inactivation removal to voltage. As concerns the IA, the I-V and steady–state inactivation curves were indistinguishable under normo- or microgravity conditions; conversely, IA decay systematically displayed a two-exponential time course and longer time constants in microgravity, thus potentially providing a larger K+ outward charge; furthermore, IA inactivation removal at -70 mV was slowed down. Stimulation in the RPM machine under normogravity conditions (to isolate the pure microgravity effects from those of the mere canal stimulation, due to the continuous rotation of the animal required to generate the artificial microgravity environment) resulted in minor effects on IKD and, occasionally, in incomplete IA inactivation at -40 mV. Reduced calcium influx and increased K+ repolarizing charge, in a variable mix according to the momentary membrane potential shifts, constitute a likely cause for the failure in the afferent mEPSP discharge at the cytoneural junction and for the reduced spike rate in the afferent fibers observed in the intact labyrinth after similar microgravity conditioning
Introduction
Full text linkNew version (2021) of the Italian introduction (Piludu & Frog) previously published in 2014 (bilingual edition of the book - Italian and English) and in 2015 (Italian edition): the original Italian text has been reviewed, standardized and corrected, and there are new footnotes written for the Italian readers by the reviewers of the mythological series "Bifröst" (VociFuoriScena): Dario Giansanti and Elisa Zanchetta. The chapters are based on the papers of the scientific symposium: "Kalevala: Epica, Magia, Arte e Musica / Kalevala: Epic, Magic, Art and Music" organized in Bottenicco di Moimacco / Cividale del Friuli (Udine, Italy) for the centenary of Kalevalaseura (2011). Non peer reviewe
Effects of guanidine on synaptic transmission in the spinal cord of the frog
Full text linkThe effects of guanidine on motoneurons of the isolated frog spinal cord were studied by adding the drug to the solution bathing the cord during intracellular recording. Guanidine (5·10–4 M) did not alter the membrane potential of motoneurons.
The main effect was a marked increase of the amplitudes and frequencies of small spontaneously occurring inhibitory postsynaptic potentials. The hyperpolarizing component of postsynaptic potentials evoked by stimulation of dorsal roots was also enhanced by guanidine. Higher concentrations of guanidine (5·10–3 M) resulted in a very large and irreversible increase of the small spontaneously occurring inhibitory potentials, which now appeared in a regular, rhythmic pattern.
The effects of guanidine could easily be blocked by increasing the magnesium ions (15 mM) in the bath solution.
These results indicate that guanidine facilitates the release of an inhibitory transmitter in afferent terminals of the frog spinal cord either by a direct action on these terminals or indirectly by an action on nerve endings impinging on inhibitory interneurons
Bones, back-breaking and magical creatures
No full textIn the Old Norse literary world, many evil doers (witches, magicians, monsters, etc.) are killed by breaking their backs. Examples are found in sagas, both in prose and skaldic stanzas: see Bárðarsaga, Chap. IV and IX, where respectively Svalr and Kolla are eliminated in such a way, or Friðþjófssaga, Chap.VI, where the two sorceresses Heiði ok Hamgláma suffer the same fate.
Some passages of the Old Testament writings (the terrible curses that Jeremiah proclaimed thrown by the Lord against the idolatrous people of Judah concerning their bones, Jeremiah, VIII, 1,2) would seem to have something to do with the belief that men continued to dwell in their bones. Moreover, saints' bones have been preserved as relics endowed with healing power in churches of nearly all countries. Thus a magic virtue was supposed to reside in bones, in Christian and in pagan times. This article aims to investigate the motif of 'back-breaking' as a means of destroying evil beings – which appears to be rooted also in Scandinavia – by investigating and comparing texts belonging to different genres and traditions (sagas, skaldic verses, charms, folktales), trying to find and reconstruct common elements and patterns in order to discover the possible origin of the motif and how it spread in Nordic literary tradition
LanguageMachines/frog: v0.24
No full text[Ko vd Sloot]
start using the newest UTF8 aware Timbl and Mbt and Ucto
use NFC normalized UnicodeString more general internaly
added a fix in MBMA codng, to get better reproducable result on different
OS/Compiler combinations
lots of small refactoring
bumped library version, because of some API changed
[maarten van Gompel]
merged a patch suggested by Helmut Grohne [email protected]
configure.ac: Bug#993123: frog FTCBFS: hard codes the build
architecture pkg-config Source: frog Version: 0.20-2
Tags: patch upstream User:
[email protected] Usertags:
ftcbfs frog fails to cross build from source, because configure.ac hard
codes the build architecture pkg-config in one place (after
correctly detecting the host architecture one). Simply using the
correct substitution variable makes frog cross buildable. Please
consider applying the attached patch.Helmut Signed-off-by: Maarten van Gompel <[email protected]
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[News Clip: Frog club]
No full textVideo footage from the WBAP-TV station in Fort Worth, Texas to accompany a news story about the Texas Christian University Frog Club celebrating a victory over Rice University
Inhibitory postsynaptic actions of taurine, GABA and other amino acids on motoneurons of the isolated frog spinal cord
Full text linkThe actions of glycine, GABA, α-alanine, β-alanine and taurine were studied by intracellular recordings from lumbar motoneurons of the isolated spinal cord of the frog. All amino acids tested produced a reduction in the amplitude of postsynaptic potentials, a blockade of the antidromic action potential and an increase of membrane conductance. Furthermore, membrane polarizations occurred, which were always in the same direction as the IPSP. All these effects indicate a postsynaptic inhibitory action of these amino acids. When the relative strength of different amino acids was compared, taurine had the strongest inhibitory potency, followed by β-alanine, α α-alanine, GABA and glycine.
Topically applied strychnine and picrotoxin induced different changes of postsynaptic potentials, indicating that distinct inhibitory systems might be influenced by these two convulsants. Interactions with amino acids showed that picrotoxin selectively diminished the postsynaptic actions of GABA, while strychnine reduced the effects of taurine, glycine, α- and β-alanine. But differences in the susceptibility of these amino acid actions to strychnine could be detected: the action of taurine was more sensitively blocked by strychnine compared with glycine, α- and β-alanine.
With regard to these results the importance of taurine and GABA as transmitters of postsynaptic inhibition on motoneurons in the spinal cord of the frog is discussed
[News Clip: Frog club]
No full textVideo footage from the WBAP-TV station in Fort Worth, Texas to accompany a news story about the Texas Christian University Frog Club celebrating a victory over Rice University
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