scholarly journals Report on first certificate course on applied physiology of pain, analgesia, anesthesia, and euthanasia for laboratory animals held in Sri Lanka

2018 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 263-266
Author(s):  
Mangala Gunatilake
Keyword(s):  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Laboratory Animal ◽  
Pain Perception ◽  
Anesthesia Machine ◽  
Laboratory Animals ◽  
Comparative Biology ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Unpleasant Sensation ◽  
Applied Physiology ◽  
First Time

Similar to human beings, pain is an unpleasant sensation experienced by animals as well. There is no exception when the animals are subjected to experimental procedures. Our duty as researchers/scientists is to prevent or minimize the pain in animals so as to lessen their suffering and distress during experimental procedures. The basics of the physiology of pain and pain perception, analgesia, anesthesia, and euthanasia of laboratory animals were included to complete the program, before the practical part was attempted and before advanced topics, such as comparison of anesthetic combinations, were discussed. Therefore, this course was organized in Sri Lanka for the first time in collaboration with the Comparative Biology Centre of Newcastle University, UK. During this course, we were able to demonstrate how an anesthesia machine could be used in laboratory animal anesthesia for the first time in the country. None of the animal houses in the country were equipped with an anesthesia machine at the time of conducting the course.

scholarly journals Variation of the Performance of Machine-Learning Based Image Classifier in Automated Detection of Itch-Induced Scratch

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chuan Liu ◽  
Sheng-Xiang Yan ◽  
Xiao-Bo Wu ◽  
Zhi-Jun Zhang ◽  
Wei Li
Keyword(s):  
Machine Learning ◽  
Experimental Data ◽  
Laboratory Animal ◽  
Automated Detection ◽  
Laboratory Animals ◽  
Primary Role ◽  
Data Recording ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Overall Performance ◽  
First Time

A 'little brother' of pain, itch is an unpleasant sensation that creates a specific urge to scratch. To date, various machine-learning based image classifiers (MBICs) have been proposed for quantitative analysis of itch-induced scratch behaviour of laboratory animals in an automated, non-invasive, inexpensive and real-time manner. In spite of MBICs' advantages, the overall performances (accuracy, sensitivity and specificity) of current MBIC approaches remains inconsistent, with their values varying from ~50% to ~99%, for which the reasons underlying have yet to be investigated further, both computationally and experimentally. To look into the variation of the performance of MBICs in automated detection of itch-induced scratch, this article focuses on the experimental data recording step, and reports here for the first time that MBICs' overall performance is inextricably linked to the sharpness of experimentally recorded video of laboratory animal scratch behaviour. This article furthermore demonstrates for the first time that a linearly correlated relationship exists between video sharpness and overall performance (accuracy and specificity, but not sensitivity) of MBICs, and highlight the primary role of experimental data recording in rapid, accurate and consistent quantitative assessment of laboratory animal itch.

Synthesis of a silymarin-gold nanoparticle conjugate and analysis of its liver-protecting activity

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sergey Staroverov ◽  
Sergey Kozlov ◽  
Alexander Fomin ◽  
Konstantib Gabalov ◽  
Alexey Volkov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gold Nanoparticles ◽  
Liver Disease ◽  
Carbon Tetrachloride ◽  
Glutathione Depletion ◽  
Laboratory Animals ◽  
Experimental Hepatitis ◽  
Acute Liver Disease ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Extent Of Damage ◽  
First Time

Background: The liver disease problem prompts investigators to search for new methods of liver treatment. Introduction: Silymarin (Sil) protects the liver by reducing the concentration of free radicals and the extent of damage to the cell membranes. A particularly interesting method to increase the bioavailability of Sil is to use synthesized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) as reagents. The study considered whether it was possible to use the silymarin-AuNP conjugate as a potential liver-protecting drug. Method: AuNPs were conjugated to Sil and examine the liver-protecting activity of the conjugate. Experimental hepatitis and hepatocyte cytolysis after carbon tetrachloride actionwere used as a model system, and the experiments were conducted on laboratory animals. Result: For the first time, silymarin was conjugated to colloidal gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Electron microscopy showed that the resultant preparations were monodisperse and that the mean conjugate diameter was 18–30 nm ± 0.5 nm (mean diameter of the native nanoparticles, 15 ± 0.5 nm). In experimental hepatitis in mice, conjugate administration interfered with glutathione depletion in hepatocytes in response to carbon tetrachloride was conducive to an increase in energy metabolism, and stimulated the monocyte–macrophage function of the liver. The results were confirmed by the high respiratory activity of the hepatocytes in cell culture. Conclusion: We conclude that the silymarin-AuNP conjugate holds promise as a liver-protecting agent in acute liver disease caused by carbon tetrachloride poisoning.

MICROSCOPIC CHANGES IN THE INTERNAL ORGANS OF WHITE MICE DURING EXPERIMENTAL IRON (IV) CLATHROCHELATE TOXICOSIS

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
B. V. Borysevych ◽  
◽  
V. V. Lisova ◽  
I. M. Derkach ◽  
S. S. Derkach ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biological Response ◽  
Organ Damage ◽  
The Body ◽  
New Drugs ◽  
Laboratory Animals ◽  
Internal Organs ◽  
Experimental Drug ◽  
Liver And Kidney ◽  
Preclinical And Clinical Studies ◽  
First Time

Iron (IV) clathrochelate based on a macrobicyclic ligand of the hexahydrazide type is a unique compound that contains iron in a rare high valence IV. Preclinical and clinical studies of this complex, which were started for the first time in Ukraine, have an important theoretical and practical consequence as this complex can be recommended as an active substance in iron-containing drugs with antianemic action. In conducting preclinical studies of new drugs, pathomorphological studies are important because they are a necessary step in studying the biological response of animals to the action of test substances. It was found that some pathological changes develop in the body of white mice under conditions of experimental acute and chronic iron (IV) clathrochelate intoxication. They correlated with the dose of the test compound. During chronic intoxication, the microscopic changes in the liver and kidney of white mice treated with iron (IV) clathrochelate at a dose of 1/10 DL50 were similar to the microscopic changes in the liver and kidney of mice treated with the experimental drug at a dose of 1/5 DL50. However, the severity of these changes was lower, reflecting a lower degree of organ damage. In the myocardium of mice treated with iron (IV) clathrochelate at a dose of 1/5 DL50 on the 10th day, as in acute iron (IV) clathrochelate poisoning, only edema was recorded. The prospects for further research are the study of microscopic changes in the organs of laboratory animals of other species during experimental iron (IV) clathrochelate toxicosis.

New record of Hipposideros speoris (Chiroptera: Hipposideridae) from Myanmar hidden in the National Zoological Collections of the Zoological Survey of India

Mammalia ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 83 (5) ◽  
pp. 515-517
Author(s):  
Tauseef Hamid Dar ◽  
Manokaran Kamalakannan ◽  
Chinnadurai Venkatraman ◽  
Kailash Chandra
Keyword(s):  
Sri Lanka ◽  
New Record ◽  
Zoological Survey ◽  
Museum Specimen ◽  
First Time

Abstract Hipposideros speoris is a small-sized leaf-nosed bat and was thought to be restricted to India and Sri Lanka. Based on a single museum specimen preserved in alcohol housed in the National Zoological Collections of the Zoological Survey of India, we report and confirm the presence of H. speoris for the first time in Pyay, Myanmar.

Education as Arikara Spiritual Renewal and Cultural Evolution

2014 ◽  
Vol 54 (3) ◽  
pp. 303-322 ◽  
Author(s):  
KuuNUx TeeRIt Kroupa
Keyword(s):  
Deep Understanding ◽  
Cultural Development ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Old People ◽  
New Beginning ◽  
The People ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Creation ◽  
First Time ◽  
The Universe

In May 2009, the Arikara returned to the land of their ancestors along the Missouri River in South Dakota. For the first time in more than a half century, a Medicine Lodge was built for ceremony. The lodge has returned from its dormant state to regain its permanent place in Arikara culture. This event will be remembered as a significant moment in the history of the Arikara because it symbolizes a new beginning and hope for the people. Following this historic event, Arikara spiritual leader Jasper Young Bear offered to share his experience and deep insight into Arikara thought: You have to know that the universe is the Creator's dream, the Creator's mind, everything from the stars all the way to the deepest part of the ocean, to the most microscopic particle of the creation, to the creation itself, on a macro level, on a micro level. You have to understand all of those aspects to understand what the lodge represents. The lodge is a fractal, a symbolic representation of the universe itself. How do we as human beings try to make sense of that? That understanding, of how the power in the universe flows, was gifted to us through millennia of prayer and cultural development… It is important for us to internalize our stories, internalize the star knowledge, internalize those things and make that your way, make that your belief, because we're going to play it out inside the lodge. It only lives by us guys interacting with it and praying with it and bringing it to life… We're going to play out the wise sayings of the old people… So you see that it's an Arikara worldview. A learning process of how the universe functions is what you're actually experiencing [inside the Medicine Lodge]. What the old people were describing was the functioning of how we believed the universe behaves. And we had a deep, deep understanding of what that meant and how it was for us. So that's what you're actually seeing in the Medicine Lodge.

scholarly journals Cognitive Dissonance Theory

Psychology ◽  
2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
David C. Vaidis ◽  
Alexandre Bran
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Dissonance ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
General Psychology ◽  
Social Situations ◽  
Cognitive Dissonance Theory ◽  
Historical Sources ◽  
Scientific Publications ◽  
Very Large Array ◽  
Dissonance Theory ◽  
First Time

Appearing for the first time in the mid-20th century, the term “cognitive dissonance” appears nowadays about eight hundred times in PsycINFO and the original book has been cited more than forty-five thousand times in scientific publications: that is more than twice a day for about sixty years. The theory of cognitive dissonance was molded by Leon Festinger at the beginning of the 1950s. It suggests that inconsistencies among cognitions (i.e., knowledge, opinion, or belief about the environment, oneself, or one’s behavior) generate an uncomfortable motivating feeling (i.e., the cognitive dissonance state). According to the theory, people feel uncomfortable when they experience cognitive dissonance and thus are motivated to retrieve an acceptable state. The magnitude of existing dissonance depends on the importance of the involved cognitions. Experiencing a higher level of dissonance causes pressure and motivation to reduce the dissonance. Findings from several studies show that dissonance occurs when people do not act in accordance with their attitude (e.g., writing supportive arguments in favor of a topic that they do not agree upon; performing a task they disapprove). Festinger 1957 (cited under Core Historical Sources) considers three ways to cope with cognitive dissonance: (a) changing one or several involved elements in the dissonance relationship (e.g., moving an opinion to fit a behavior), (b) adding new elements to reduce the inconsistency (e.g., adopting opinions that fit a behavior), and (c) reducing the importance of the involved elements. Early theorists in this field suggested improvement to the cognitive dissonance theory by adding restrictions for the emergence of the phenomena. Three major developments have to be considered: the commitment purpose and freedom, the consequence of the act purpose, and the self-involvement. Since the 2010s, the theory has been refined with new integrative models and methodological breakthrough. Mostly studied in human beings, several studies shift paradigms to other animals such as nonhuman primates, rats, and birds. The cognitive dissonance theory has been applied to a very large array of social situations and leads to original experimental designs. It is arguably one of the most influential theories in social psychology, general psychology, and cross-discipline sciences more generally.

scholarly journals Professor V.A. Waldman and his family: a contribution to Russian medicine

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 125-134
Author(s):  
Dmitry V. Baram ◽  
Natalya Ya. Dzeranova ◽  
Vladimir A. Isakov ◽  
Yuri R. Kovalev ◽  
Nina S. Parfyonova
Keyword(s):  
Hormonal Regulation ◽  
Laboratory Animals ◽  
Medical Institute ◽  
Experimental Medicine ◽  
Enteric Infection ◽  
Medical Sciences ◽  
System A ◽  
Union Institute ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
First Time

Outstanding representatives of the St. Petersburg medical dynasty from the Waldman family: V.A. Waldman, his son A.V. Waldman and sister A.A. Waldman made a huge contribution to the health care of our country. The founder and first head of the department of faculty therapy at the Leningrad State Pediatric Medical Institute, Viktor A. Waldman, is an outstanding therapist, cardiologist, rheumatologist, classic of domestic medicine, a successor to the best traditions of the Botkin school. Cardiovascular pathology was studied clinically and experimentally by him and his staff, the pathogenesis of various forms of rheumatism was studied, methods for its diagnosis and treatment were developed. He did a great job of creating the rheumatological service of the city, for the first time founded in Leningrad cardiac rheumatology rooms at large enterprises, and later on a cardiac rheumatology clinic. Arthur V. Waldman son of V.A. Waldman, a prominent pharmacologist, head of the department of pharmacology of the 1st Leningrad Medical Institute named after academician I.P. Pavlov, academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR made a significant contribution to the study of the mechanism of action of various pharmacological substances on synaptic transmission of excitation in the central nervous system. A large series of works by A.V. Waldman is devoted to the pharmacology of emotional stress, the problem of the experimental study of emotions and means of controlling them. Alisa A. Valdman sister of V.A. Waldman, a pathologist, an employee of the All-Union Institute of Experimental Medicine, studied the role of nervous and hormonal regulation in the development of the infectious process, which she studied on a paratyphoid model for enteric infection in laboratory animals.

Clonal propagation through stem cuttings and air layering in Syzygium caryophyllatum (L.) Alston an endemic tree Species of the Western Ghats and Sri Lanka

2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 85-87
Author(s):  
Abdul Hussain ◽  
C. Anilkumar
Keyword(s):  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Western Ghats ◽  
Clonal Propagation ◽  
Stem Cuttings ◽  
Resource Base ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Ideal Tool ◽  
First Time ◽  
The Western Ghats

Rooting trials conducted with stem cuttings and air layering in Syzygium caryophyllatum (L.) Alston, an important medicinal and fruit plant gave promising results after treatment with auxins such as IAA, IBA and NAA in different concentrations. Both stem cuttings and air layering from 10 year old plants have resulted a maximum rooting of 80% and 70% respectively through the application of IBA-1000ppm, in their natural habitats. The plants developed from stem cuttings and air layering was also survived with 90% success. Thus the standardized clonal propagation method in S. caryophyllatum through stem cutting and air layering reported for the first time can be taken as an ideal tool for the multiplication and subsequent resource base utilization of the species since the populations are prone to endangerment in its habitats.

scholarly journals Medicinally Important Herbal Flowers in Sri Lanka

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. L. A. Gunawardana ◽  
W. J. A. B. N. Jayasuriya
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Composition ◽  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Traditional Medicine ◽  
Therapeutic Effects ◽  
Syzygium Aromaticum ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Plant Resources ◽  
Plant Parts ◽  
Anticancer Properties ◽  
Medical Issues

Background. The plant kingdom is rich with a numerous number of plants with various medical properties which can be used to treat various medical issues. Sri Lanka is a country full of biodiversity which is gifted with many plant resources. It has a rich history of traditional medicine systems consisting of Ayurveda, Unani, and Deshiya Chikitsa, where these plant resources are used as remedies for the diseases. In the traditional medicine system, various plant parts such as leaves, roots, fruits, flowers, and bark are used to treat disease conditions. Although less attention is paid to the medicinal importance of the flowers, some of them have been used to treat many diseases from the ancient time. Some properties of the flowers may differ from the properties of the other plant parts. For example, Sesbania grandiflora (Katuru murunga) flowers have shown anticancer properties against various cell models whereas some flowers have shown antispermatogenic properties. Flowers of Woodfordia floribunda (Militta) are added as fermenting agents in the preparation of Arishtas in Ayurveda. Also the most popular Clove oil is obtained from the flower buds of Syzygium aromaticum (Karabu-neti) which is used to treat toothaches since it has antibiotic and antiseptic properties. This article gives an overview of herbal flowers used in the traditional medicine system of Sri Lanka and their pharmacological importance. Method. A comprehensive literature survey was done on the medicinally important flowers in Sri Lanka. Data was collected from Libraries of Ayurveda in Sri Lanka and from scientific databases. Results. According to the survey many flowers are used as astringent, cardiac tonic, and febrifuge. Also some flowers are used to treat dysentery, diarrhoea, and indigestion. Some flowers are useful in the treatment of bleeding piles while some are useful in the treatment of asthma and bronchitis. Conclusion. It was revealed that there are many flowers with valuable therapeutic effects. Traditional medicine systems prevailing in Sri Lanka have made use of these flowers with therapeutic effects to cure so many diseases. The review of medicinally important herbal flowers provides knowledge and pharmacological leads which will help for the wellbeing of the human beings. Although there are phytochemical studies done to identify the chemical compounds on some flowers, chemical composition of many flowers remains unrevealed. So further studies need to be done to identify the chemical composition of these flowers.

Graphis and Allographa (lichenized Ascomycota: Graphidaceae) in Sri Lanka, with six new species and a biogeographical comparison investigating a potential signature of the ‘biotic ferry’ species interchange

2019 ◽  
Vol 51 (6) ◽  
pp. 515-559
Author(s):  
Gothamie WEERAKOON ◽  
André APTROOT ◽  
Robert LÜCKING ◽  
Omal ARACHCHIGE ◽  
Siril WIJESUNDARA
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Costa Rica ◽  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Species Composition ◽  
Alternative Explanation ◽  
Indian Subcontinent ◽  
Long Distance Dispersal ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
The North ◽  
First Time

AbstractWe provide an updated survey for Sri Lanka of species of Graphis sensu Staiger, recently divided into Graphis s. str. and Allographa, including brief descriptions and a key to all 124 species currently known. Six new species are described: Allographa bambusicola Weerakoon, Lücking & Aptroot, a bambusicolous Allographa with entire labia, a laterally carbonized excipulum, 80–100 × 15–17 µm large, muriform ascospores and a rather thick, irregularly verrucose lateral thalline margin of the lirellae; A. weerasooriyana Weerakoon, Arachchige & Lücking, a corticolous Allographa resembling A. rustica Kremp. in overall anatomy and chemistry, but with a verrucose thalline margin of the lirellae and labia not distinctly raised above the thalline margin; Graphis flosculifera Weerakoon, Lücking & Aptroot, a corticolous Graphis resembling G. insulana but differing in the unique disposition of the lirellae and the slightly more elongate ascospores; G. rajapakshana Weerakoon, Lücking & Aptroot, a corticolous Graphis resembling G. desquamescens, including in ascospore size, but with lirellae with a distinct lateral thalline margin; G. rimosothallina Weerakoon, Lücking & Aptroot, a corticolous Graphis with a thick, uneven, rimose thallus and Fissurina-like lirellae, a completely carbonized excipulum and transversely 7-septate ascospores, 32–37 × 8–10 µm; and G. thunsinhalayensis Weerakoon, Arachchige & Lücking, a corticolous Graphis resembling G. subalbostriata but with smaller ascospores and lacking white lines between the striae of the labia. We also validate the name G. verrucoserpens Lücking. A total of 106 species are reported here for the first time from Sri Lanka. A biogeographical comparison with two other well-sampled countries (Costa Rica and Thailand) revealed a significantly higher similarity in species composition with Costa Rica than between Thailand and Costa Rica, suggesting a potential signature of the ‘biotic ferry’ hypothesis, that is the migration of lineages from Gondwana (partly corresponding to the modern Neotropics) via the north-eastwards drifting Indian subcontinent and subsequent interchange with Laurasia (partly corresponding to the modern eastern Paleotropics). However, the evolutionary timeline of the clades involved does not support this hypothesis and suggests an alternative explanation of geologically more recent mid- to long-distance dispersal.

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