Specific Turbulence- and Chaoborus-Induced Morphotypes Affect the Streamlining Properties of Daphnia cucullata

Inducible defenses are a wide-spread defensive mechanism in Daphnia. For example, D. cucullata is known to form different adaptive morphologies under changing environmental conditions. In this species, predator presence elicits defensive helmets. Defended animals perform better and survive more frequently in predation attempts. Another peculiarity of D. cucullata is that they develop these defenses also in response to turbulence. The mechanisms that underly this defensive effect are so far unclear. Therefore, we investigated the three-dimensional morphology of the typical, the turbulence- and Chaoborus-exposed morph and analyzed their surface and volume alterations. We furthermore measured the swimming velocities of these morphs. With the determined shapes and the measured velocities, we simulated the drag force under different angles of attack and determined the energy necessary to move through the water. In the light of previous findings and hypotheses we here discuss biomechanical mechanisms that improve D. cucullata’s fitness in the investigated environments.

Distribution of micro- (Fe, Zn, Cu, and Mn) and risk (Al, As, Cr, Ni, Pb, and Cd) elements in the organs of Rumex alpinus L. in the Alps and Krkonoše Mountains ac* Michaela Jungová, a b Michael O. Asare, a Vladimíra Jurasová, a Michal Hejcman

Background and aimsRumex alpinus is a native plant in the mountains of Europe whose distribution has partly been affected by its utilization as a vegetable and medicinal herb. The distribution of micro and risk elements in its organs is not well-known. The study examined the safety of consuming Rumex alpinus from the Krkonoše Mountains, Czech Republic, and the Alps (Austria and Italy).MethodsWe determined the total and plant-available content of Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn, Al, As, Cr, Ni, Pb, and Cd in the soil and total content in organs of Rumex alpinus.ResultsThe uptake and distribution of elements by plants were characterized by bioaccumulation (BF) and translocation (TF) factors. The intensity of elements accumulation by Rumex alpinus is considerably different, depending on locality. Rumex alpinus has considerable tolerance to Zn, Cu, As, Cr, Ni, with an easy accumulation strategy. High Al and Cd content in belowground biomass (rhizome) indicate a defensive mechanism for them. Although the aboveground biomass (emerging, senescent, mature leaves, petiole) has some degree of accumulation of risk elements, the results showed that Rumex alpinus is an excluder.ConclusionRumex alpinus does not accumulate risk elements in organs that are consumed based on the World Health Organization (2001) and can therefore be consumed without concern.

Nutritional and Health Potential of Probiotics: A Review

Several products consist of probiotics that are available in markets, and their potential uses are growing day by day, mainly because some strains of probiotics promote the health of gut microbiota, especially Furmicutes and Bacteroidetes, and may prevent certain gastrointestinal tract (GIT) problems. Some common diseases are inversely linked with the consumption of probiotics, i.e., obesity, type 2 diabetes, autism, osteoporosis, and some immunological disorders, for which the disease progression gets delayed. In addition to disease mitigating properties, these microbes also improve oral, nutritional, and intestinal health, followed by a robust defensive mechanism against particular gut pathogens, specifically by antimicrobial substances and peptides producing probiotics (AMPs). All these positive attributes of probiotics depend upon the type of microbial strains dispensed. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and Bifidobacteria are the most common microbes used, but many other microbes are available, and their use depends upon origin and health-promoting properties. This review article focuses on the most common probiotics, their health benefits, and the alleviating mechanisms against chronic kidney diseases (CKD), type 1 diabetes (T1D), type 2 diabetes (T2D), gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), and obesity.

The Island of Extremes: Giants and Dwarfs on a Small Remote Island

Body size evolution on islands is widely studied and hotly debated. Gigantism and dwarfism are thought to evolve under strong natural selection, especially on small remote islands. We report a curious co-occurrence of both dwarf and giant lizards on the same small, remote island (Plakida): the largest Podarcis erhardii (Lacertidae) and smallest Mediodactylus kotschyi sensu lato; Gekkonidae — the two commonest insular reptiles in the Aegean Sea. The geckos of Plakida have a peculiar tail-waving behavior, documented here for the first time in this genus. We suspect that P. erhardii evolved large size to consume geckos and the geckos evolved a unique tail-waving behavior as a defensive mechanism.

The need for accessibility to chloride to solubilize insoluble salts may underlie some cases of hypertension

Hypertension is the greatest risk factor for stroke. It is the most common comorbidity of COVID-19, and may be partly caused by the widespread distribution of insoluble and stiff calcium salts such as calcium oxalate. As an intrinsic defensive mechanism, tissues in hypertensive individuals increase blood pressure to pump NaCl to inaccessible parts of the body, and chloride, as a strong anion can solubilize insoluble and rigid salts which are stressful to cells.

TERITORIALITAS RUANG RUMAH ADAT CIKONDANG PADA TRADISI WUKU TAUN

The current activities in the Cikondang traditional house which has become a cultural heritage is currently changing in a shift function, but it remains the center of the activities for continuation of ritual events, named Wuku Taun. This celebration must be held in a traditional house as a form of respect for the traditional ancestors. Therefore ,the role of the space in traditional houses is very significant. The activities that take place in the spaces of the Cikondang traditional house have formed an interaction between the user and the territory. Starting from this background, it has several problems; how is the territorial phenomenon that occurs in the rooms of traditional houses during Wuku Taun celebration and what are the elements that affect the territoriality in the spaces, especially at the Wuku Taun celebration. This study aims to determine the elements that form territorial relationships. This research is a descriptive analysis with a phenomenological method that uses the territorial theory approach proposed by Brower. The results showed that the territoriality in the traditional house is seen in the territorial setting where the users of the space still place their respective positions because of the restrictions shown as a defensive mechanism, the indigenous people still follow to the rules of customs that apply as cultural and ritual controls, giving rise to regular territoriality and customs rules which are cultural factors are able to produce their own territorial attitude from the visible activities. In addition, strong social ties between the local and the outside peoples, a high sense of ownership within the indigenous community so that this cultural ritual continues every year in the spaces of the Cikondang traditional house. Kegiatan saat ini di rumah adat Cikondang yang telah menjadi cagar budaya saat ini mengalami pergeseran fungsi, namun tetap menjadi pusat kegiatan keberlangsungan acara ritual adat yaitu Wuku Taun. Perayaan tersebut wajib dilaksanakan dalam rumah adat sebagai bentuk penghormatan terhadap para leluhur adat. Oleh karena itu, peran ruang dalam rumah adat menjadi suatu hal yang sangat signifikan. Kegiatan yang berlangsung di dalam ruang-ruang rumah adat Cikondang telah membentuk suatu interaksi antara pengguna dengan wilayah. Bertolak dari latar belakang tersebut yang kemudian menimbulkan permasalahan yaitu, bagaimana fenomena teritorialitas yang terjadi dalam ruang-ruang rumah adat pada saat perayaan Wuku Taun dan apa saja unsur-unsur yang berpengaruh pada teritorialitas dalam ruang-ruang tersebut khususnya pada perayaan Wuku Taun. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui terjadinya fenomena teritorialitas terutama saat kegiatan Wuku Taun dan untuk mengetahui unsur-unsur yang membentuk hubungan teritorialitas. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian deskriptif analisis dengan metode fenomenologi yang menggunakan pendekatan teori teritorialitas yang dikemukakan oleh Brower. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa teritorialitas di dalam rumah adat terlihat pada setting teritori di mana pengguna ruang tetap menempatkan posisinya masing-masing karena pembatasan yang ditunjukkan sebagai mekanisme defensif, masyarakat adat tetap mematuhi aturan adat istiadat yang berlaku sebagai kontrol budaya dan ritual sehingga menimbulkan teritorialitas yang teratur dan aturan adat istiadat yang merupakan faktor budaya mampu menghasilkan sikap teritorialitas tersendiri dari aktivitas yang terlihat. Selain itu, keterikatan sosial yang kuat antar masyarakat adat setempat maupun luar, rasa kepemilikan yang tinggi dalam diri masyarakat adat sehingga ritual budaya ini terus berlangsung ada setiap tahunnya di dalam ruang-ruang rumah adat Cikondang.

Autotomy induced effects on the locomotor performance of the ghost crab, Ocypode quadrata

The voluntary amputation of an appendage, or autotomy, is an effective defensive mechanism that allows an animal to escape aggressive interactions. However, animals may suffer long-term costs that can reduce their overall fitness. Atlantic ghost crabs (Ocypode quadrata) are one of the fastest terrestrial invertebrates, and regularly lose one or more limbs in response to an antagonist encounter. When running laterally at fast speeds, they adopt a quadrupedal gait using their 1st and 2nd pair of legs while raising their 4th, and sometimes the 3rd, pair of legs off the ground. This suggests that some limbs may be more important for achieving maximal locomotor performance than others. The goal of this study was to determine whether the loss of certain limbs would affect running performance more than others, and what compensatory strategies were used. Crabs were assigned to four different paired limb removal treatments or the control group and run on an enclosed trackway in their natural habitat. Ghost crabs were found to adjust stride kinematics in response to limb loss. Loss of the 2nd or 3rd limb pairs caused a reduction in running speed by about 25%, suggesting that the remaining intact limbs were unable to compensate for the loss of either limb, either due to lack of propulsive forces produced by these limbs or issues stemming from re-coupling limb arrangements. Loss of any of the other limbs had no detectable effect on running speed. We conclude that compensatory ability varies depending on the limb that is lost.

Defensive functions provoke similar psychophysiological reactions in reaching and comfort spaces

The space around the body crucially serves a variety of functions, first and foremost, preserving one’s own safety and avoiding injury. Recent research has shown that emotional information, in particular threatening facial expressions, affects the regulation of peripersonal-reaching space (PPS, for action with objects) and interpersonal-comfort space (IPS, for social interaction). Here we explored if emotional facial expressions may similarly or differently affect both spaces in terms of psychophysiological reactions (cardiac inter-beat intervals: IBIs, i.e. inverse of heart rate; Skin Conductance Response amplitude: SCR amplitude) and spatial distance. Through Immersive Virtual Reality technology, participants determined reaching-distance (PPS) and comfort-distance (IPS) from virtual confederates exhibiting happy/angry/neutral facial expressions while being approached by them. During these interactions, spatial distance and psychophysiological reactions were recorded. Results revealed that when interacting with angry virtual confederates the distance increased similarly in both comfort-social and reaching-action spaces. Moreover, interacting with virtual confederates exhibiting angry rather than happy or neutral expressions provoked similar psychophysiological activations (SCR amplitude, IBIs) in both spaces. Regression analyses showed that psychophysiological activations, particularly SCR amplitude in response to virtual confederates approaching with angry expressions, were able to predict the increase of PPS and IPS. These findings suggest that self-protection functions could be the expression of a common defensive mechanism shared by social and action spaces.

Description of the larva of a firefly species, Pygoluciola dunguna Nada (Coleoptera: Lampyridae)

Pygoluciola dunguna Nada, 2018 was described from Peninsular Malaysia, using males and reliably associated females. This paper details description of the larva which has been conclusively identified as Pygoluciola dunguna based on DNA barcoding technique and uses morphology, brief habitat and behavioural data. A total of 70 larval specimens were measured and their main features described. The larvae exhibit a riparian or semi-aquatic behaviour, observed crawling on the sandy edge of shallow streams. The stake-like projections along the length of the body suggest a form of defensive mechanism from falling prey to aquatic predators.