scholarly journals Natural history of social and sexual behavior in fruit flies

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Reuven Dukas
Keyword(s):  
Natural History ◽  
High Temperatures ◽  
Field Work ◽  
Fruit Flies ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Cold Temperatures ◽  
History Of ◽  
Fruitful Research ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Natural Settings

AbstractThe past 2 decades have seen fruit flies being widely adopted for research on social behavior and aggression. This fruitful research, however, has not been well tied to fruit flies’ natural history. To address this knowledge gap, I conducted a field study. My goal was to inform future research conducted in artificial surroundings, and to inspire new investigations that can rely more heavily on fruit flies’ actual natural behavior. My two main novel findings were first, that flies in the field showed significant sociability, as they formed social groups rather than dispersed randomly among fruits of similar quality. Second, males showed fair levels of aggression towards each other as indicated by a lunging rate of 17 per hour, and lower rates of wing threat and boxing. Courtship was the most prominent activity on fruits, with females rejecting almost all males’ advances. This resulted in an estimated mating rate of 0.6 per female per day. Flies showed a striking peak of activity early in the mornings, even at cold temperatures, followed by inactivity for much of the day and night. Flies, however, handled well high temperatures approaching 40 °C by hiding away from fruit and concentrating activity in the cooler, early mornings. My field work highlights a few promising lines of future research informed by fruit flies’ natural history. Most importantly, we do not understand the intriguing dynamics that generate significant sociability despite frequent aggressive interactions on fruits. Males’ responses to female rejection signals varied widely, perhaps because the signals differed in information content perceived by flies but not humans. Finally, flies tolerated cold early mornings perhaps owing to fitness benefits associated with increased mating and feeding opportunities at this time. Flies were adept at handling very high temperatures under the natural daily temperature fluctuations and availability of shelters, and this can inform more realistic research on the effects of global warming on animals in their natural settings.

scholarly journals Improving the understanding of how patients with non-dystrophic myotonia are selected for myotonia treatment with mexiletine (NaMuscla): outcomes of treatment impact using a European Delphi panel

BMC Neurology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann-Marie Chapman ◽  
Marieke Schurer ◽  
Laure Weijers ◽  
Amer Omar ◽  
Hiba Lee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Natural History ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Phase Iii ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Delphi Panel ◽  
Economic Modelling ◽  
Patient Access ◽  
History Of

Abstract Background Non-dystrophic myotonias (NDMs) comprise muscle chloride and sodium channelopathies due to genetic defects of the CLCN1- and SCN4A-channels. No licensed antimyotonic treatment has been available until approval of mexiletine (NaMuscla®) for adult patients by the EMA in December 2018. This Delphi panel aimed to understand how outcomes of the pivotal phase III Mexiletine study (MYOMEX) translate to real world practice and investigate health resource use, quality of life and the natural history of NDM to support economic modelling and facilitate patient access. Methods Nine clinical experts in treating NDM took part in a two-round Delphi panel. Their knowledge of NDM and previous use of mexiletine as an off-label treatment prior to NaMuscla’s approval ensured they could provide both qualitative context and quantitative estimates to support economic modelling comparing mexiletine (NaMuscla) to best supportive care. Consensus in four key areas was sought: healthcare resource utilization (HRU), treatment with mexiletine (NaMuscla), patient quality of life (QoL), and the natural history of disease. Concept questions were also asked, considering perceptions on the feasibility of mapping the validated Individualized Neuromuscular Quality of Life (INQoL) instrument to the generic EQ-5D™, and the potential impact on caregiver QoL. Results Consensus was achieved for key questions including the average long-term dosage of mexiletine (NaMuscla) in practice, the criteria for eligibility of myotonia treatment, the clinical importance of QoL outcomes in MYOMEX, the higher proportion of patients with increased QoL, and the reduction in the need for mental health resources for patients receiving mexiletine (NaMuscla). While consensus was not achieved for other questions, the results demonstrated that most experts felt mexiletine (NaMuscla) reduced the need for HRU and was expected to improve QoL. The QoL mapping exercise suggested that it is feasible to map domains of INQoL to EQ-5D. Points of interest for future research were identified, including that mexiletine (NaMuscla) may slow the annual decrease in QoL of patients over their lifetime, and a significant negative impact on QoL for some caregivers. Conclusions This project successfully provided data from an informed group of clinical experts, complementing the currently available clinical trial data for mexiletine (NaMuscla) to support patient access decisions.

The Abbots Bromley Horn Dance

Antiquity ◽  
1933 ◽  
Vol 7 (26) ◽  
pp. 203-209
Author(s):  
Violet Alford
Keyword(s):  
Natural History ◽  
Field Work ◽  
17Th Century ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Bow And Arrow ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Town ◽  
The Church

Few people know of this, possibly the most primitive dance in Europe. We find scanty records therefore, the earliest dating only from the 17th century. Robert Plot, in his Natural History of Staffordshire, 1686, p. 434, says:–At Abbots, or now rather Pagets Bromley, they had also within memory, a sort of sport, which they celebrated at Christmas (on New-Year and Twelft-day) call'd the Hobby-horse dance, from a person that carryed the image of a horse between his leggs, made of thin boards, and in his hand a bow and arrow, which passing through a hole in the bow, and stopping upon a sholder it had in it, he made a snapping noise as he drew it to and fro, keeping time with the Musick: with this Man danced 6 others, carrying on their shoulders as many Rain deers heads, 3 of them painted white, and 3 red, with the Armes of the cheif families (viz.) of Paget, Bagot, and Wells) to whom the revenews of the Town cheifly belonged, depicted on the palms of them, with which they danced the Hays, and other Country dances. To this Hobbyhorse dance there also belong'd a pot, which was kept by turnes, by 4 or 5 of the cheif of the Town, whom they call'd Reeves, who provided Cakes and Ale to put in this pot; all people who had any kindness for the good intent of the Institution of the sport, giving pence a piece for themselves and families; and so forraigners too, that came to see it: with which Mony (the charge of the Cakes and Ale being defrayed) they not only repaired their Church but kept their poore too: which charges are not now perhaps so cheerfully boarn.Why Plot says ‘within memory’ it is difficult to understand, unless there was a temporary cessation of the rite. He might easily have learnt whether the sport still lived or no, but from this and various internal points I suspect the Doctor never went to see for himself. Like too great a number of folklorists he preferred keeping his nose in a book to embarking on ‘field work’. The pot into which they put the feast has now disappeared, and so far from repairing the church and keeping the poor, the few shillings gained hardly pay the dancers for the loss of a day's work.

scholarly journals Development of an Empirically Calibrated Model of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma in High-Risk Regions

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Zhenhua Wang ◽  
Qiang Zhang ◽  
Bin Wu
Keyword(s):  
Mathematical Model ◽  
Cost Effectiveness ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Natural History ◽  
Precancerous Lesions ◽  
Normal Mucosa ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Health States ◽  
Screening Programs ◽  
History Of

Objective. This study constructs, calibrates, and verifies a mathematical simulation model designed to project the natural history of ESCC and is intended to serve as a platform for testing the benefits and cost-effectiveness of primary and secondary ESCC prevention alternatives.Methods. The mathematical model illustrates the natural history of ESCC as a sequence of transitions among health states, including the primary health states (e.g., normal mucosa, precancerous lesions, and undetected and detected cancer). Using established calibration approaches, the parameter sets related to progression rates between health states were optimized to lead the model outputs to match the observed data (specifically, the prevalence of precancerous lesions and incidence of ESCC from the published literature in Chinese high-risk regions). As illustrative examples of clinical and policy application, the calibrated and validated model retrospectively simulate the potential benefit of two reported ESCC screening programs.Results. Nearly 1,000 good-fitting parameter sets were identified from 1,000,000 simulated sets. Model outcomes had sufficient calibration fit to the calibration targets. Additionally, the verification analyses showed reasonable external consistency between the model-predicted effectiveness of ESCC screening and the reported data from clinical trials.Conclusions. This parameterized mathematical model offers a tool for future research investigating benefits, costs, and cost-effectiveness related to ESCC prevention and treatment.

Boom and Bust

2009 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Natural History ◽  
Global Change ◽  
21St Century ◽  
Environmental Variability ◽  
Field Work ◽  
Earth System ◽  
Boom And Bust ◽  
History Of ◽  
Industrial Revolutions ◽  
Cultural Concept

In Boom and Bust, the authors draw on the natural history of Australia's charismatic birds to explore the relations between fauna, people and environment in a continent where variability is 'normal' and rainfall patterns not always seasonal. They consider changing ideas about deserts and how these have helped us understand birds and their behaviour in this driest of continents. The book describes the responses of animals and plants to environmental variability and stress. It is also a cultural concept, when it is used to capture the patterns of change wrought by humans in Australia, where landscapes began to become cultural about 55,000 years ago as ecosystems responded to Aboriginal management. In 1788, the British settlement brought, almost simultaneously, both agricultural and industrial revolutions to a land previously managed by fire for hunting. How have birds responded to this second dramatic invasion? Boom and Bust is also a tool for understanding global change. How can Australians in the 21st century better understand how to continue to live in this land as its conditions are still dynamically unfolding in response to the major anthropogenic changes to the whole Earth system? This interdisciplinary collection is written in a straightforward and accessible style. Many of the writers are practising field specialists, and have woven their personal field work into the stories they tell about the birds.

Re-inventing the Ashmolean. Natural history and natural theology at Oxford in the 1820s to 1850s

2000 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 369-406 ◽  
Author(s):  
ARTHUR MACGREGOR ◽  
ABIGAIL HEADON
Keyword(s):  
Nineteenth Century ◽  
Natural History ◽  
Natural Science ◽  
Natural Theology ◽  
Research Priorities ◽  
Science Museum ◽  
History Of ◽  
Extensive Body ◽  
Significant Figures ◽  
Almost All

During the period of the successive keeperships of John Shute Duncan (1823–1829) and his brother Philip Bury Duncan (1829–1854), the collections of the Ashmolean Museum at Oxford were comprehensively redisplayed as a physical exposition of the doctrines of natural theology, specifically as propounded by William Paley. The displays assembled by the Duncans, overwhelmingly dominated by natural history specimens, were swept away with the opening of the University's new Natural Science Museum and with them went almost all recollection of an extraordinary chapter in museum history. From largely unpublished records in the Ashmolean, the Duncans' achievement is here reconstructed. The primary evidence is provided by contemporary reports prepared for the Visitors of the Museum and by surviving texts from the Duncans' museum labels. Additional perspectives are provided by an extensive body of correspondence from the collectors, explorers and others who contributed specimens to the new displays: their texts illuminate aspects of contemporary preoccupations with classification, broader research priorities, and problems associated with collecting, preserving and transporting specimens, as well as shedding light on individual exhibits which they contributed to the Museum. These correspondents include a number of significant figures in the nineteenth century history of natural history, including Andrew Bloxam, N. A. Vigors and William Burchell.

scholarly journals Building research capacity through programme development and research implementation in resource-limited settings - the Ipabalele study protocol: observational cohort studies determining the effect of HIV on the natural history of cervical cancer in Botswana

BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. e031103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Surbhi Grover ◽  
Nicola Zetola ◽  
Doreen Ramogola-Masire ◽  
Memory Bvochora-Nsingo ◽  
Allison F Schnader ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cervical Cancer ◽  
Natural History ◽  
Capacity Building ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Advisory Group ◽  
Pilot Studies ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Research Activities ◽  
History Of

IntroductionThe global burden of cancer continues to increase in low- and middle-income countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Botswana, a middle-income country in SSA, has the second highest prevalence of HIV worldwide and has seen an increase in human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated cervical cancer over the last decade in the setting of improved survival of HIV-infected women. There is an urgent need to understand more clearly the causes and consequences of HPV-associated cervical cancer in the setting of HIV infection. We initiated the Ipabalele (‘take care of yourself’ in Setswana) programme to address this need for new knowledge and to initiate long-term research programme capacity building in the region. In this manuscript, we describe the components of the programme, including three main research projects as well as a number of essential cores to support the activities of the programme.Methods and proceduresOur multidisciplinary approach aims to further current understanding of the problem by implementing three complementary studies aimed at identifying its molecular, behavioural and clinical determinants. Three participant cohorts were designed to represent the early, intermediate and late stages of the natural history of cervical cancer.The functional structure of the programme is coordinated through programmatic cores. These allow for integration of each of the studies within the cohorts while providing support for pilot studies led by local junior investigators. Each project of the Ipabalele programme includes a built-in capacity building component, promoting the establishment of long-lasting infrastructure for future research activities.Ethics and disseminationInstitutional review board approvals were granted by the University of Pennsylvania, University of Botswana and Ministry of Health and wellness of Botswana. Results will be disseminated via the participating institutions and with the help of the Community Advisory Committee, the project’s Botswana advisory group.

scholarly journals Taxonomy of the ant genus Carebara Westwood (Formicidae, Myrmicinae) in the Malagasy Region

ZooKeys ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 767 ◽  
pp. 1-149
Author(s):  
Frank Azorsa ◽  
Brian Fisher
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Open Access ◽  
Natural History ◽  
The Other ◽  
Major Worker ◽  
Distribution Maps ◽  
History Of ◽  
High Resolution Images ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Worker Caste

The genus Carebara is revised for the Malagasy region, and based on the examination of over 10,000 specimens, twenty-three species are recognized. Twenty one of these are described as new (C.bara sp. n., C.berivelo sp. n., C.betsi sp. n., C.creolei sp. n., C.demeter sp. n., C.dota sp. n., C.hainteny sp. n., C.hiragasy sp. n., C.jajoby sp. n., C.kabosy sp. n., C.lova sp. n., C.mahafaly sp. n., C.malagasy sp. n., C.omasi sp. n., C.placida sp. n., C.raberi sp. n., C.salegi sp. n., C.sampi sp. n., C.tana sp. n., C.tanana sp. n., C.vazimba sp. n.), and two are redescribed, C.grandidieri Forel (= C.voeltzkowi Forel n. syn.) and C.nosindambo Forel. A lectotype is designated for C.nosindambo. C.creolei sp. n. is known only from Mauritius and Seychelles, C.grandidieri Forel is distributed in Comoros, Madagascar and Mayotte, and the other twenty-one species are endemic to Madagascar. Most of the Carebara species recorded in this work are endemic to a specific habitat (ecoregion), but some of them (C.bara sp. n., C.grandidieri Forel, C.jajoby sp. n., C.kabosy sp. n., and C.nosindambo Forel) are widespread within Madagascar across all major habitats. The worker caste of Carebara can be differentiated from other genera in the Myrmicinae subfamily by the presence of the following combination of characters: antennae of eight to eleven segments, with a two-segmented club; anterior clypeal margin without central isolated seta (rarely present in some species or specimens), and usually with four distinct setae; mandibles with four to seven teeth (except in one species from Ghana - C.crigensis with three teeth); and palp formula 2,2 or 1,2. We report that almost all Carebara species found in the Malagasy region have intermediates (distinct forms) in the major worker subcaste, with the largest major workers showing remnants of queen flight sclerites and ocelli. The widespread presence of intermediates in the major worker subcaste expands the morphological boundaries of Carebara. We present an overview of the natural history of Carebara in the Malagasy region, an illustrated key for the identification of the known Malagasy species of Carebara, as well as high-resolution images and distribution maps. Unique identifiers are used for all specimens studied, including type material, and the raw data that forms the basis of this study are available on www.antweb.org (open access).

scholarly journals Telephones, music and history: From the invention era to the early smartphone days

2021 ◽  
pp. 135485652110288
Author(s):  
Frauke Behrendt
Keyword(s):  
Research Agenda ◽  
Field Work ◽  
Musical Instrument ◽  
Musical Instruments ◽  
Sound Studies ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Future Research Agenda ◽  
History Of ◽  
Empirical Field ◽  
The Internet Of Things

This article focusses on the musical history of the telephone, an aspect of telephonic history that is often overlooked and has not yet received systematic academic attention. The article is structured around two musical themes of telephonic history: (1) public performances of telephones as musical instruments and (2) the telephone network as musical instrument. Two historic periods are considered for both themes, (a) the late 1800s/early 1900s and (b) the late 2000s. The article’s approach draws loosely on media historic and media archaeologic perspectives to analyse existing material about telephone history (with a musical focus) alongside empirical field work on the musical use of mobile phones in the late 2000s. The results contribute to debates regarding the ‘newness’ of media, and to sound studies approaches to media histories. The article shows how the theme of the musical telephone has been re-occurring but often overlooked throughout its history, and also sketches out a future research agenda. The article contributes a new understanding of the musical uses of the telephone across history, relevant for both understanding contemporary uses of telephone technologies such as smartphones and the Internet of Things, and for a richer understanding of historic telephone uses.

Hodgkin Lymphoma

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henrik Hjalgrim ◽  
Mads Melbye ◽  
Pagona Lagiou
Keyword(s):  
Natural History ◽  
Hodgkin Lymphoma ◽  
Cell Transformation ◽  
Malignant Cell ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Barr Virus ◽  
History Of ◽  
Epstein Barr ◽  
Malignant Cell Transformation

The descriptive epidemiology of Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) has demonstrated marked variation by age, sex, social class, and time, strongly suggesting both a role of environmental factors and the existence of etiologically diverse HL subtypes. There is increasing evidence that Epstein Barr virus (EBV)–positive and EBV-negative classical HLs define two variants with separate etiologies. The risk for both increases with family history, whereas immune dysfunction and infectious mononucleosis have been implicated in EBV-positive HL risk only. Despite being the less common of the two, the natural history of EBV-positive HL is currently the best understood, both with respect to how EBV may contribute to malignant cell transformation and in relation to constitutional and environmental risk factors. Meanwhile, the understanding of the natural history of EBV-negative HL is meager. Future research for EBV-negative HL is expected to focus on its presumed infectious etiology, for which there are currently no strong candidates.

scholarly journals Natural History of Model Organisms: The big potential of the small frog Eleutherodactylus coqui

eLife ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah E Westrick ◽  
Mara Laslo ◽  
Eva Fischer
Keyword(s):  
Puerto Rico ◽  
Natural History ◽  
Puerto Rican ◽  
Vocal Communication ◽  
Model Organisms ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Eleutherodactylus Coqui ◽  
Mating Call ◽  
History Of ◽  
New Habitats

The Puerto Rican coquí frog Eleutherodactylus coqui (E. coqui) is both a cultural icon and a species with an unusual natural history that has attracted attention from researchers in a number of different fields within biology. Unlike most frogs, the coquí frog skips the tadpole stage, which makes it of interest to developmental biologists. The frog is best known in Puerto Rico for its notoriously loud mating call, which has allowed researchers to study aspects of social behavior such as vocal communication and courtship, while the ability of coquí to colonize new habitats has been used to explore the biology of invasive species. This article reviews research on the natural history of E. coqui and opportunities for future research.

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