Sleeping site selection is essential for understanding primate behavioral ecology and survival.Identifying where species sleep helps determine priority areas and critical resources for targeted conservation efforts.Ho...Sleeping site selection is essential for understanding primate behavioral ecology and survival.Identifying where species sleep helps determine priority areas and critical resources for targeted conservation efforts.However,observing sleeping sites at night is challenging,especially for species sensitive to human disturbance.Thermal infrared imaging(TIR)with drones is increasingly used for detecting and counting primates,yet it has not been utilized to investigate ecological strategies.This study investigates the sleeping site selection of the Critically Endangered black-shanked douc langur(Pygathrix nigripes)in Cát Tiên National Park,Vietnam.Our aim is to assess the feasibility of using a TIR drone to test sleeping site selection strategies in non-nesting primates,specifically examining hypotheses related to predation avoidance and food proximity.Between January and April 2023,we conducted 120 drone flights along 22 transects(~1-km long)and identified 114 sleeping sites via thermal imaging.We established 116 forest structure plots along 29 transects in non-selected sites and 65 plots within douc langur sleeping sites.Our observations reveal that douc langurs selected tall and large trees that may provide protection against predators.Additionally,they selected sleeping sites with increased access to food,such as Afzelia xylocarpa,which serves as a preferred food source during the dry season.These results highlight the effective use of TIR drones for studying douc langur sleeping site selection with minimal disturbance.Besides offering valuable insights into habitat selection and behavioral ecology for conservation,TIR drones hold great promise for the noninvasive and long-term monitoring of large-bodied arboreal species.展开更多
With the increase of wireless devices and new applications,highly dense small cell base stations(SBS)have become the main means to overcome the speed bottleneck of the radio access network(RAN).However,the highly-dens...With the increase of wireless devices and new applications,highly dense small cell base stations(SBS)have become the main means to overcome the speed bottleneck of the radio access network(RAN).However,the highly-dense deployment of SBSs greatly increases the cost of network operation and maintenance.In this paper,a base station sleep strategy combining traffic aware and high-low frequency resource allocation is proposed.To reduce the service level agreement(SLA)default caused by base station sleep,Long Short-Term Memory(LSTM)algorithm is introduced to predict the traffic flow,based on the predict result,the SBSs sleep and frequency resource allocation are introduced to increase the energy efficiency of the network.Moreover,this paper improves the decision-making efficiency by introducing Kuhn Munkres algorithm(KM)and genetic algorithm(GA).Simulation results show that the proposed strategy can greatly reduce the energy consumption of small cells and the occurrence of SLA default rate.展开更多
The present study examined the role of emotional balance and the moderating role of rumination in the relationship between psychological inflexibility and sleep quality among college students.Participants were 837 Chi...The present study examined the role of emotional balance and the moderating role of rumination in the relationship between psychological inflexibility and sleep quality among college students.Participants were 837 Chinese college students(females=52%,mean age=18.89,SD=0.93 years).They completed the Multidimensional Psychological Inflexibility Scale(MPIS),Affect Balance Scale(ABS),Ruminative Response Scale(RRS),Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index(PSQI).We utilized moderated-mediation analysis to explore the mechanism of action among variables.Emotional balance mediated the relationship between psychological inflexibility and sleep quality,and rumination moderated the direct effect of psychological inflexibility on sleep quality and the mediating effect of emotional balance.Specifically,the direct effect of psychological inflexibility on sleep quality and the mediating effect of emotional balance increased with the increase in rumination level.High levels of rumination in individuals exacerbate the negative effects of psychological inflexibility on sleep quality.It also enhances the disruption of psychological inflexibility on the individual’s emotional balance ability,which leads to poorer sleep quality.The results contribute to the evidence of how psychological inflexibility explains the sleep quality of college students and how sleep quality can be improved by psychological inflexibility interventions,rumination interventions,and emotional balance interventions.Student development services should provide targeted students’sleep quality counseling for the promotion and maintenance of college students’physical and mental health.展开更多
Epidemiological studies showed that night workers are at higher risk of developing chronic metabolic diseases.However,no study has investigated the changes in circadian rhythms caused by a combined effect of sleep and...Epidemiological studies showed that night workers are at higher risk of developing chronic metabolic diseases.However,no study has investigated the changes in circadian rhythms caused by a combined effect of sleep and diet in a real-life setting on cardiometabolic health,gut microbiota,and psychological status in healthy people.A 4-week step-wise misaligned-realigned controlled-feeding trial with a 2×2 factorial design(sleep and diet)was conducted on healthy young adults.At first,subjects experienced a one-week circadian rhythm misalignment with a high-fat fast-food diet,extended eating window,and delayed sleep schedules,then gradually transited to a complete circadian rhythm realignment with a high-fiber balanced diet,8-h timerestricted eating,and normal sleep schedules.Circadian rhythm misalignment led to significantly higher levels of fasting glucose and homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance(HOMA-IR)of subjects compared to baseline and failed to recover to the baseline level in circadian rhythm realignments.Notably,the incremental area under the curve(iAUC)of postprandial glucose decreased with circadian rhythm adjustments as compared to that in circadian rhythm misalignment,suggesting circadian rhythm realignment by sleep or/and diet could partly restore glucose metabolism impaired by a short-term circadian rhythm misalignment.However,circadian rhythm changes did not result in overall perturbations of gut microbiota diversities.展开更多
This study was designed to introduce a new method of estimating group size and composition of black-andwhite snub-nosed monkeys （Rhinopithecus bieti ） on the basis of faecal amount at sleeping sites at Mt. Baima Nat...This study was designed to introduce a new method of estimating group size and composition of black-andwhite snub-nosed monkeys （Rhinopithecus bieti ） on the basis of faecal amount at sleeping sites at Mt. Baima Nature Reserve. The monkeys spend nights in the form of one-male, multi-female units （OMUs） and all-male units （AMU）, and their faecal pellets can be classified into three categories： adult males （the largest）, adult females （moderate） and immatures （the smallest） based on their size. Total pellets were counted under sleeping trees used for two nights at Nanren village （99°04′E, 28°34′N, northwest of Yunnan Province, China） in each of four seasons in 2000- 2001. Moreover, data on group composition were collected when the monkeys were passing through an open gully in November 2001. Since the number of adults in OMUs shows a positive significant correlation with the amount of pellets amount in each season, the mean number of feces produced per night per individual is the slope of the regression lines. Thus, group size and composition can be relatively reliably and accurately estimated by the faeces under trees compared with the previous methods of estimation, including the use of monkeys＇ activities and tracks such as broken branches on steep slopes, in deep gorges and under lower visibility. The use of pellets for population estimates displayed 9.4% deviation in regards to population size of adult females. Some causes of the bias were also discussed. The method might be applicable to other monkey groups of this species if their habitats and main foods are similar to those of the study group.展开更多
We collected data on sleeping site use from two groups of white-headed langurs Trachypithecus leucocephalus living in Fusui Nature Reserve, China between August 2007 and July 2008. This information was used to test se...We collected data on sleeping site use from two groups of white-headed langurs Trachypithecus leucocephalus living in Fusui Nature Reserve, China between August 2007 and July 2008. This information was used to test several hypotheses regarding ultimate causes of sleeping site use in this primate. White-headed langurs slept either in caves （17 sites） or on a cliffledge （one site）. They used all sleeping sites repeatedly, and reused some of them on consecutive nights; three nights was the longest consecutive use of any one sleep site. We suggest that langurs use sleeping sites to make approach and attack by predators difficult, and to increase their own familiarity with a location so as to improve chances for escape. Langurs＇ cryptic behaviors with an increased level of vigilance before entering sleeping sites may also help in decreasing the possibility of detection by predators. Group 1 spent more sleeping nights in the central area of their territory than expected; in contrast, group 2 spent more sleeping nights in the periphery of their territory, which overlaps with that of another groups, than expected. The position of sleeping site relative to the last feeding site of the day and the first feeding site of the subsequent morning indicated a strategy closer to that of a multiple central place forager than of a central place forager. These results suggest that territory defense and food access may play an important role in sleeping site use of white-headed langurs [Current Zoology 57 （3）： 260-268, 2011].展开更多
Expression-independent gene or polyadenylation[poly（A）]trapping is a powerful tool for genome-wide mutagenesis regardless of whether a targeted gene is expressed.Although a number of poly（A）-trap vectors have been...Expression-independent gene or polyadenylation[poly（A）]trapping is a powerful tool for genome-wide mutagenesis regardless of whether a targeted gene is expressed.Although a number of poly（A）-trap vectors have been developed for the capture and mutation of genes across a vertebrate genome,further efforts are needed to avoid the 3＇-terminal insertion bias and the splice donor（SD） read-through,and to improve the mutagenicity.Here,we present a Sleeping Beauty（SB） transposon-based vector that can overcome these limitations through the inclusion of three functional cassettes required for gene-finding,gene-breaking and large-scale mutagenesis, respectively.The functional cassette contained a reporter/selective marker gene driven by a constitutive promoter in front of a strong SD signal and an AU-rich RNA-destabilizing element（ARE）,which greatly reduced the SD read-through events,except that the internal ribosomal entry site（IRES） element was introduced in front of the SD signal to overcome the phenomenon of 3＇-bias gene trapping.The breaking cassette consisting of an enhanced splicing acceptor（SA）,a poly（A） signal coupled with a transcriptional terminator（TT） effectively disrupted the transcription of trapped genes.Moreover,the Hsp70 promoter from tilapia genome was employed to drive the inducible expression of SB11,which allows the conditional remobilization of a trap insert from a non-coding region.The combination of three cassettes led to effective capture and disruption of endogenous genes in HeLa cells.In addition,the Cre/LoxP system was introduced to delete the Hsp70-SB11 cassette for stabilization of trapped gene interruption and biosafety. Thus,this poly（A）-trap vector is an alternative and effective tool for identification and mutation of endogenous genes in cells and animals.展开更多
Objective： To evaluate the therapeutic effects and safety of the XIA＇s No.1 Sleeping Prescription for the treatment of insomnia of the deficiency type. Methods： 120 cases conformed to the diagnostic criteria of the...Objective： To evaluate the therapeutic effects and safety of the XIA＇s No.1 Sleeping Prescription for the treatment of insomnia of the deficiency type. Methods： 120 cases conformed to the diagnostic criteria of the Chinese Classification of Mental Disorders-Version 3 （CCMD-3） and were diagnosed as having insomnia of the deficiency type were divided randomly into a treatment group and a control group, 60 cases in each group. The treatment group was treated with the XIA＇s No.1 Sleeping Prescription, while the control group was given estazolam （ling） for 6 weeks. The Athens Insomnia Scale （AIS） was used to evaluate the clinical therapeutic effects, while the treatment emergent symptom scale （TESS） was used to evaluate adverse reactions. Results： The total effective rate of the treatment group （80%） was higher than that of the control group （70%）, but with no significant difference （P〉0.05）. The effective rate for long-term insomnia was 77.8% in the treatment group and 52.4% in the control group, with a significant difference between the two groups （P〈0.05）. The adverse reactions shown in the treatment group were obviously fewer and milder than those in the control group. Conclusion： The XIA＇s No. 1 Sleeping Prescription is effective for insomnia of the deficiency type and with no obvious toxic side effects.展开更多
Background: A special pillow was designed to redistribute mechanical stress during sleeping in order to slow down the formation of facial skin wrinkles. Objective: To investigate whether sleeping on a specially design...Background: A special pillow was designed to redistribute mechanical stress during sleeping in order to slow down the formation of facial skin wrinkles. Objective: To investigate whether sleeping on a specially designed pillow reduces facial skin wrinkles. Participants and Methods: A 28-day pilot study was carried out in which fifteen healthy female volunteers aged 23 - 55 years (mean age 35. 6 ± 8.5) slept on an antiwrinkle pillow. Evaluation of facial wrinkles was conducted before commencing the study (T0), following at 14 days (T14), and at 28 days (T28) when the study ended. Wrinkle density was assessed by computerized analysis of 2D images of participants’ faces. Results: A statistically significant decrease in wrinkle density was detected while smiling around both eyes, around the right eye in a relaxed facial expression, on average in all observed facial areas, around the left periorbital area in participants who predominantly slept on their left side of the body, but not on the frontal area. Limitations: A 3D camera could be used to better visualize and analyze wrinkle density. Conclusions: Sleeping on the specially designed pillow reduces facial wrinkles.展开更多
The dynamical behavior in the cortical brain network of macaque is studied by modeling each cortical area with a subnetwork of interacting excitable neurons. We characterize the system by studying how to perform the t...The dynamical behavior in the cortical brain network of macaque is studied by modeling each cortical area with a subnetwork of interacting excitable neurons. We characterize the system by studying how to perform the transition, which is now topology-dependent, from the active state to that with no activity. This could be a naive model for the wakening and sleeping of a brain-like system, i.e., a multi-component system with two different dynamical behavior.展开更多
This paper summarises efforts to control Sleeping sickness [Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT)] by Tsetse flies and Trypanosomiaisis (T & T) control for the 7 consecutive years although started a decade ago in Ta...This paper summarises efforts to control Sleeping sickness [Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT)] by Tsetse flies and Trypanosomiaisis (T & T) control for the 7 consecutive years although started a decade ago in Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA). These efforts are critical for curbing HAT incidences and HAT epidemics. HAT cases have had profound negative impacts on human health, affecting local residents and international travel as well as tourism industry resulting into human and animal health burden and reduction in tourism income. Understanding the current efforts is essential in the proper planning and decision making on developing effective control strategy against T & T control. In this paper, we summarize the recent efforts in the control of T & T in National Parks and discuss the constraints faced. The information will enable TANAPA and other concerned authorities to make informed decision on optimal ways of controlling HAT in National Parks. The results show that much control efforts have so far concentrated in Serengeti, Ruaha, Tarangire and Katavi National Parks where tsetse fly challenges are high. A total 21,143 (average 3020) Insecticide Treated Targets (ITT) were deployed in different areas in the parks and 82,899 (average 20,725) cars entering these parks were sprayed from 2007/2008 to 2014/2015 and 2007/2008 to 2010/2011 respectively. Deployed ITTs lead to a drastic reduction of FTDs of the two dominant tsetse species to 1.3 and 1.4 of G. swynnertoni and G. pallidipes respectively, and the decline was significant at P = 0.011. The major challenges faced include tsetse re-invasion in controlled areas;resurgence of HAT cases when control efforts are relaxed, ITT maintenance and inadequate health education programs. The control strategy should be continuous and scaled up as failure to implement an effective and sustainable system for HAT control will increase the risk of new epidemic that would impede tourism development.展开更多
In an era where the health-damaging effects of wheat flour (gluten) are increasingly recognized, rice flour has become an important alternative for many people, yet its psychophysiological effects remain largely unkno...In an era where the health-damaging effects of wheat flour (gluten) are increasingly recognized, rice flour has become an important alternative for many people, yet its psychophysiological effects remain largely unknown. Here, we report the potential beneficial effects of rice flour for sleep disturbances in stressed mice. Four-week-old male ddY mice were reared in social isolation for 4 weeks. The control group was reared in a social group. Rice flour was given orally in food to isolated mice at a dose of 2.5 w/w% and 5.0 w/w% for 4 weeks from the start of isolation rearing. MF food was given to the control group. Pentobarbital-induced (40 mg/kg, i.p.) time to sleep induction and righting reflex was measured to determine the effects of rice flour on sleep behavior. Blood samples were obtained after the experiments, and serum corticosterone was measured. Sections from the prefrontal cortex and the brainstem were isolated to measure serotonin, dopamine and interleukin (IL)-6 concentrations. We found that the administration of rice flour dose-dependently improved time to sleep and reduced sleep time in socially isolated mice. Blood corticosterone concentrations, which increased after isolation stress, were decreased after the administration of rice flour. Serotonin and dopamine concentrations in the prefrontal cortex which decreased after isolation stress improved after the administration of rice flour. Brainstem IL-6 concentrations increased after isolation stress, but decreased dose-dependently after rice flour administration. Our results suggest that rice flour reverses sleep disturbances in mice induced by social isolation.展开更多
The RAND Corporation reported that insufficient sleep causes an economic loss of $138 billion (2.92% of GDP) in Japan every year. In this study, we investigated the sleep improvement effect of a novel innovative sleep...The RAND Corporation reported that insufficient sleep causes an economic loss of $138 billion (2.92% of GDP) in Japan every year. In this study, we investigated the sleep improvement effect of a novel innovative sleeping mattress called “AiR SI” (Nishikawa Co., Ltd.) to find a simple method to solve the problem of sleep deprivation. We conducted a 2-week randomized, open-label, crossover, self-controlled study in 14 healthy adults in their 30s to 50s (control: 1 week, AiR SI: 1 week), with sleep quality as the primary endpoint as well as salivary components (cortisol, melatonin) and autonomic nervous function (sympathetic nerve, parasympathetic nerve) as secondary endpoints. Trends toward improvement in sleep were suggested for all the endpoints, regardless of differences in the subject background. The results suggested that the use of AiR SI for 1 week not only improved sleep but normalized both the endocrine and autonomic functions as well. We conclude that, by using a sleeping mattress with a high sleep improvement effect, the user may easily achieve higher labor productivity and have a lower mortality risk. Eliminating sleep deprivation with a sleeping mattress may lead to a reduction in national economic losses and ultimately produce significant economic effects.展开更多
In the past, efforts have been made to determine the influence of sleep quantity and its deprivation, on functioning efficiency of human beings. However, determination of sleeping patterns that could improve intellect...In the past, efforts have been made to determine the influence of sleep quantity and its deprivation, on functioning efficiency of human beings. However, determination of sleeping patterns that could improve intellectual performance has been largely neglected. This study is designed to discover the effects of different sleeping patterns on academic performance among medical students. A descriptive study was carried out in King Edward Medical University in Lahore, Pakistan during a six-month time span from May 11th, 2011 to September 30th, 2011. Of the total population of 1350 students in King Edward Medical University, 591 undergraduates were included in the study. A questionnaire designed on sleeping patterns and academic performance was distributed in May 2011. What was described as outstanding students were greater in number in group 4 (7/19) 36.8% and group 6 (6/19) 31.6%. Above average students with sleeping patterns were in group 4 (13/37) 35.1% and group 6 (10/37) 27%. Average students were shown to have sleeping patterns of group 4 (11/25) 44% and group 6 (7/25) 28%. Below average students were shown to have sleeping patterns of group 4 (3/3) 100%. Most of our students had a reduction in the total amount of sleeping hours throughout the years. Midnight to 6 o’clock in the morning with an afternoon nap was the sleeping pattern that was most commonly seen in all groups. We concluded that different sleeping patterns do not affect the performance of medical students in the academic prospective. Many other factors may be involved in the lack of significant achievement, in order to prove that the sleeping patterns are not related to the academic performance, and more data would need to be collected.展开更多
INTRODUCTION For Chinese students of English,grammar learning is so important that their textbooks inevitably entail grammar sections organized in a linear way.These students treat grammar learning as the stepping sto...INTRODUCTION For Chinese students of English,grammar learning is so important that their textbooks inevitably entail grammar sections organized in a linear way.These students treat grammar learning as the stepping stone on their way of English learning.They hope to have a good command of grammar both for their present learning and for their further studies.For their present learning,their linguistic knowledge is tested and assessed through展开更多
基金financial support of the Belgian National Fund for Scientific Research(FNRS)the Duesberg Foundation,and the University of Liège.
文摘Sleeping site selection is essential for understanding primate behavioral ecology and survival.Identifying where species sleep helps determine priority areas and critical resources for targeted conservation efforts.However,observing sleeping sites at night is challenging,especially for species sensitive to human disturbance.Thermal infrared imaging(TIR)with drones is increasingly used for detecting and counting primates,yet it has not been utilized to investigate ecological strategies.This study investigates the sleeping site selection of the Critically Endangered black-shanked douc langur(Pygathrix nigripes)in Cát Tiên National Park,Vietnam.Our aim is to assess the feasibility of using a TIR drone to test sleeping site selection strategies in non-nesting primates,specifically examining hypotheses related to predation avoidance and food proximity.Between January and April 2023,we conducted 120 drone flights along 22 transects(~1-km long)and identified 114 sleeping sites via thermal imaging.We established 116 forest structure plots along 29 transects in non-selected sites and 65 plots within douc langur sleeping sites.Our observations reveal that douc langurs selected tall and large trees that may provide protection against predators.Additionally,they selected sleeping sites with increased access to food,such as Afzelia xylocarpa,which serves as a preferred food source during the dry season.These results highlight the effective use of TIR drones for studying douc langur sleeping site selection with minimal disturbance.Besides offering valuable insights into habitat selection and behavioral ecology for conservation,TIR drones hold great promise for the noninvasive and long-term monitoring of large-bodied arboreal species.
文摘With the increase of wireless devices and new applications,highly dense small cell base stations(SBS)have become the main means to overcome the speed bottleneck of the radio access network(RAN).However,the highly-dense deployment of SBSs greatly increases the cost of network operation and maintenance.In this paper,a base station sleep strategy combining traffic aware and high-low frequency resource allocation is proposed.To reduce the service level agreement(SLA)default caused by base station sleep,Long Short-Term Memory(LSTM)algorithm is introduced to predict the traffic flow,based on the predict result,the SBSs sleep and frequency resource allocation are introduced to increase the energy efficiency of the network.Moreover,this paper improves the decision-making efficiency by introducing Kuhn Munkres algorithm(KM)and genetic algorithm(GA).Simulation results show that the proposed strategy can greatly reduce the energy consumption of small cells and the occurrence of SLA default rate.
基金the projects funded by the Anhui Business College(Project for School level Counselors of Anhui Business College in 2023:“Research on the Influencing Factors and Intervention Mechanisms of Sleep Disorders in College Students”Grant No.2023KYF08).
文摘The present study examined the role of emotional balance and the moderating role of rumination in the relationship between psychological inflexibility and sleep quality among college students.Participants were 837 Chinese college students(females=52%,mean age=18.89,SD=0.93 years).They completed the Multidimensional Psychological Inflexibility Scale(MPIS),Affect Balance Scale(ABS),Ruminative Response Scale(RRS),Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index(PSQI).We utilized moderated-mediation analysis to explore the mechanism of action among variables.Emotional balance mediated the relationship between psychological inflexibility and sleep quality,and rumination moderated the direct effect of psychological inflexibility on sleep quality and the mediating effect of emotional balance.Specifically,the direct effect of psychological inflexibility on sleep quality and the mediating effect of emotional balance increased with the increase in rumination level.High levels of rumination in individuals exacerbate the negative effects of psychological inflexibility on sleep quality.It also enhances the disruption of psychological inflexibility on the individual’s emotional balance ability,which leads to poorer sleep quality.The results contribute to the evidence of how psychological inflexibility explains the sleep quality of college students and how sleep quality can be improved by psychological inflexibility interventions,rumination interventions,and emotional balance interventions.Student development services should provide targeted students’sleep quality counseling for the promotion and maintenance of college students’physical and mental health.
文摘Epidemiological studies showed that night workers are at higher risk of developing chronic metabolic diseases.However,no study has investigated the changes in circadian rhythms caused by a combined effect of sleep and diet in a real-life setting on cardiometabolic health,gut microbiota,and psychological status in healthy people.A 4-week step-wise misaligned-realigned controlled-feeding trial with a 2×2 factorial design(sleep and diet)was conducted on healthy young adults.At first,subjects experienced a one-week circadian rhythm misalignment with a high-fat fast-food diet,extended eating window,and delayed sleep schedules,then gradually transited to a complete circadian rhythm realignment with a high-fiber balanced diet,8-h timerestricted eating,and normal sleep schedules.Circadian rhythm misalignment led to significantly higher levels of fasting glucose and homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance(HOMA-IR)of subjects compared to baseline and failed to recover to the baseline level in circadian rhythm realignments.Notably,the incremental area under the curve(iAUC)of postprandial glucose decreased with circadian rhythm adjustments as compared to that in circadian rhythm misalignment,suggesting circadian rhythm realignment by sleep or/and diet could partly restore glucose metabolism impaired by a short-term circadian rhythm misalignment.However,circadian rhythm changes did not result in overall perturbations of gut microbiota diversities.
文摘This study was designed to introduce a new method of estimating group size and composition of black-andwhite snub-nosed monkeys （Rhinopithecus bieti ） on the basis of faecal amount at sleeping sites at Mt. Baima Nature Reserve. The monkeys spend nights in the form of one-male, multi-female units （OMUs） and all-male units （AMU）, and their faecal pellets can be classified into three categories： adult males （the largest）, adult females （moderate） and immatures （the smallest） based on their size. Total pellets were counted under sleeping trees used for two nights at Nanren village （99°04′E, 28°34′N, northwest of Yunnan Province, China） in each of four seasons in 2000- 2001. Moreover, data on group composition were collected when the monkeys were passing through an open gully in November 2001. Since the number of adults in OMUs shows a positive significant correlation with the amount of pellets amount in each season, the mean number of feces produced per night per individual is the slope of the regression lines. Thus, group size and composition can be relatively reliably and accurately estimated by the faeces under trees compared with the previous methods of estimation, including the use of monkeys＇ activities and tracks such as broken branches on steep slopes, in deep gorges and under lower visibility. The use of pellets for population estimates displayed 9.4% deviation in regards to population size of adult females. Some causes of the bias were also discussed. The method might be applicable to other monkey groups of this species if their habitats and main foods are similar to those of the study group.
基金supported by Research Funds of the National Nature Science Foundation of China （No, 30860050）, Guangxi Science Foundation （0991095）, Foundation of Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation （Ministry of Education）, China West Normal University, Protection and Assessment, Monitoring and Conservation of Langur Project of National Forestry Administration of China, and Guangxi Beibu Gulf Serious Specialisation of Guangxi Natural Sciences Foundation （No. 2010GXNSFE013004）. We thank the Guangxi Forestry Bureau, and Fusui Rare Animal Nature Reserve. We thank Dr. Ali Krzton for her assistance with language editing. We also ac- knowledge the critical comments of four anonymous reviewers.
文摘We collected data on sleeping site use from two groups of white-headed langurs Trachypithecus leucocephalus living in Fusui Nature Reserve, China between August 2007 and July 2008. This information was used to test several hypotheses regarding ultimate causes of sleeping site use in this primate. White-headed langurs slept either in caves （17 sites） or on a cliffledge （one site）. They used all sleeping sites repeatedly, and reused some of them on consecutive nights; three nights was the longest consecutive use of any one sleep site. We suggest that langurs use sleeping sites to make approach and attack by predators difficult, and to increase their own familiarity with a location so as to improve chances for escape. Langurs＇ cryptic behaviors with an increased level of vigilance before entering sleeping sites may also help in decreasing the possibility of detection by predators. Group 1 spent more sleeping nights in the central area of their territory than expected; in contrast, group 2 spent more sleeping nights in the periphery of their territory, which overlaps with that of another groups, than expected. The position of sleeping site relative to the last feeding site of the day and the first feeding site of the subsequent morning indicated a strategy closer to that of a multiple central place forager than of a central place forager. These results suggest that territory defense and food access may play an important role in sleeping site use of white-headed langurs [Current Zoology 57 （3）： 260-268, 2011].
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.30871442) to Z.Cuithe National Basic Research Program of China(No.2012CB944500)
文摘Expression-independent gene or polyadenylation[poly（A）]trapping is a powerful tool for genome-wide mutagenesis regardless of whether a targeted gene is expressed.Although a number of poly（A）-trap vectors have been developed for the capture and mutation of genes across a vertebrate genome,further efforts are needed to avoid the 3＇-terminal insertion bias and the splice donor（SD） read-through,and to improve the mutagenicity.Here,we present a Sleeping Beauty（SB） transposon-based vector that can overcome these limitations through the inclusion of three functional cassettes required for gene-finding,gene-breaking and large-scale mutagenesis, respectively.The functional cassette contained a reporter/selective marker gene driven by a constitutive promoter in front of a strong SD signal and an AU-rich RNA-destabilizing element（ARE）,which greatly reduced the SD read-through events,except that the internal ribosomal entry site（IRES） element was introduced in front of the SD signal to overcome the phenomenon of 3＇-bias gene trapping.The breaking cassette consisting of an enhanced splicing acceptor（SA）,a poly（A） signal coupled with a transcriptional terminator（TT） effectively disrupted the transcription of trapped genes.Moreover,the Hsp70 promoter from tilapia genome was employed to drive the inducible expression of SB11,which allows the conditional remobilization of a trap insert from a non-coding region.The combination of three cassettes led to effective capture and disruption of endogenous genes in HeLa cells.In addition,the Cre/LoxP system was introduced to delete the Hsp70-SB11 cassette for stabilization of trapped gene interruption and biosafety. Thus,this poly（A）-trap vector is an alternative and effective tool for identification and mutation of endogenous genes in cells and animals.
文摘Objective： To evaluate the therapeutic effects and safety of the XIA＇s No.1 Sleeping Prescription for the treatment of insomnia of the deficiency type. Methods： 120 cases conformed to the diagnostic criteria of the Chinese Classification of Mental Disorders-Version 3 （CCMD-3） and were diagnosed as having insomnia of the deficiency type were divided randomly into a treatment group and a control group, 60 cases in each group. The treatment group was treated with the XIA＇s No.1 Sleeping Prescription, while the control group was given estazolam （ling） for 6 weeks. The Athens Insomnia Scale （AIS） was used to evaluate the clinical therapeutic effects, while the treatment emergent symptom scale （TESS） was used to evaluate adverse reactions. Results： The total effective rate of the treatment group （80%） was higher than that of the control group （70%）, but with no significant difference （P〉0.05）. The effective rate for long-term insomnia was 77.8% in the treatment group and 52.4% in the control group, with a significant difference between the two groups （P〈0.05）. The adverse reactions shown in the treatment group were obviously fewer and milder than those in the control group. Conclusion： The XIA＇s No. 1 Sleeping Prescription is effective for insomnia of the deficiency type and with no obvious toxic side effects.
文摘Background: A special pillow was designed to redistribute mechanical stress during sleeping in order to slow down the formation of facial skin wrinkles. Objective: To investigate whether sleeping on a specially designed pillow reduces facial skin wrinkles. Participants and Methods: A 28-day pilot study was carried out in which fifteen healthy female volunteers aged 23 - 55 years (mean age 35. 6 ± 8.5) slept on an antiwrinkle pillow. Evaluation of facial wrinkles was conducted before commencing the study (T0), following at 14 days (T14), and at 28 days (T28) when the study ended. Wrinkle density was assessed by computerized analysis of 2D images of participants’ faces. Results: A statistically significant decrease in wrinkle density was detected while smiling around both eyes, around the right eye in a relaxed facial expression, on average in all observed facial areas, around the left periorbital area in participants who predominantly slept on their left side of the body, but not on the frontal area. Limitations: A 3D camera could be used to better visualize and analyze wrinkle density. Conclusions: Sleeping on the specially designed pillow reduces facial wrinkles.
基金supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No. 10675060
文摘The dynamical behavior in the cortical brain network of macaque is studied by modeling each cortical area with a subnetwork of interacting excitable neurons. We characterize the system by studying how to perform the transition, which is now topology-dependent, from the active state to that with no activity. This could be a naive model for the wakening and sleeping of a brain-like system, i.e., a multi-component system with two different dynamical behavior.
文摘This paper summarises efforts to control Sleeping sickness [Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT)] by Tsetse flies and Trypanosomiaisis (T & T) control for the 7 consecutive years although started a decade ago in Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA). These efforts are critical for curbing HAT incidences and HAT epidemics. HAT cases have had profound negative impacts on human health, affecting local residents and international travel as well as tourism industry resulting into human and animal health burden and reduction in tourism income. Understanding the current efforts is essential in the proper planning and decision making on developing effective control strategy against T & T control. In this paper, we summarize the recent efforts in the control of T & T in National Parks and discuss the constraints faced. The information will enable TANAPA and other concerned authorities to make informed decision on optimal ways of controlling HAT in National Parks. The results show that much control efforts have so far concentrated in Serengeti, Ruaha, Tarangire and Katavi National Parks where tsetse fly challenges are high. A total 21,143 (average 3020) Insecticide Treated Targets (ITT) were deployed in different areas in the parks and 82,899 (average 20,725) cars entering these parks were sprayed from 2007/2008 to 2014/2015 and 2007/2008 to 2010/2011 respectively. Deployed ITTs lead to a drastic reduction of FTDs of the two dominant tsetse species to 1.3 and 1.4 of G. swynnertoni and G. pallidipes respectively, and the decline was significant at P = 0.011. The major challenges faced include tsetse re-invasion in controlled areas;resurgence of HAT cases when control efforts are relaxed, ITT maintenance and inadequate health education programs. The control strategy should be continuous and scaled up as failure to implement an effective and sustainable system for HAT control will increase the risk of new epidemic that would impede tourism development.
文摘In an era where the health-damaging effects of wheat flour (gluten) are increasingly recognized, rice flour has become an important alternative for many people, yet its psychophysiological effects remain largely unknown. Here, we report the potential beneficial effects of rice flour for sleep disturbances in stressed mice. Four-week-old male ddY mice were reared in social isolation for 4 weeks. The control group was reared in a social group. Rice flour was given orally in food to isolated mice at a dose of 2.5 w/w% and 5.0 w/w% for 4 weeks from the start of isolation rearing. MF food was given to the control group. Pentobarbital-induced (40 mg/kg, i.p.) time to sleep induction and righting reflex was measured to determine the effects of rice flour on sleep behavior. Blood samples were obtained after the experiments, and serum corticosterone was measured. Sections from the prefrontal cortex and the brainstem were isolated to measure serotonin, dopamine and interleukin (IL)-6 concentrations. We found that the administration of rice flour dose-dependently improved time to sleep and reduced sleep time in socially isolated mice. Blood corticosterone concentrations, which increased after isolation stress, were decreased after the administration of rice flour. Serotonin and dopamine concentrations in the prefrontal cortex which decreased after isolation stress improved after the administration of rice flour. Brainstem IL-6 concentrations increased after isolation stress, but decreased dose-dependently after rice flour administration. Our results suggest that rice flour reverses sleep disturbances in mice induced by social isolation.
文摘The RAND Corporation reported that insufficient sleep causes an economic loss of $138 billion (2.92% of GDP) in Japan every year. In this study, we investigated the sleep improvement effect of a novel innovative sleeping mattress called “AiR SI” (Nishikawa Co., Ltd.) to find a simple method to solve the problem of sleep deprivation. We conducted a 2-week randomized, open-label, crossover, self-controlled study in 14 healthy adults in their 30s to 50s (control: 1 week, AiR SI: 1 week), with sleep quality as the primary endpoint as well as salivary components (cortisol, melatonin) and autonomic nervous function (sympathetic nerve, parasympathetic nerve) as secondary endpoints. Trends toward improvement in sleep were suggested for all the endpoints, regardless of differences in the subject background. The results suggested that the use of AiR SI for 1 week not only improved sleep but normalized both the endocrine and autonomic functions as well. We conclude that, by using a sleeping mattress with a high sleep improvement effect, the user may easily achieve higher labor productivity and have a lower mortality risk. Eliminating sleep deprivation with a sleeping mattress may lead to a reduction in national economic losses and ultimately produce significant economic effects.
文摘In the past, efforts have been made to determine the influence of sleep quantity and its deprivation, on functioning efficiency of human beings. However, determination of sleeping patterns that could improve intellectual performance has been largely neglected. This study is designed to discover the effects of different sleeping patterns on academic performance among medical students. A descriptive study was carried out in King Edward Medical University in Lahore, Pakistan during a six-month time span from May 11th, 2011 to September 30th, 2011. Of the total population of 1350 students in King Edward Medical University, 591 undergraduates were included in the study. A questionnaire designed on sleeping patterns and academic performance was distributed in May 2011. What was described as outstanding students were greater in number in group 4 (7/19) 36.8% and group 6 (6/19) 31.6%. Above average students with sleeping patterns were in group 4 (13/37) 35.1% and group 6 (10/37) 27%. Average students were shown to have sleeping patterns of group 4 (11/25) 44% and group 6 (7/25) 28%. Below average students were shown to have sleeping patterns of group 4 (3/3) 100%. Most of our students had a reduction in the total amount of sleeping hours throughout the years. Midnight to 6 o’clock in the morning with an afternoon nap was the sleeping pattern that was most commonly seen in all groups. We concluded that different sleeping patterns do not affect the performance of medical students in the academic prospective. Many other factors may be involved in the lack of significant achievement, in order to prove that the sleeping patterns are not related to the academic performance, and more data would need to be collected.
文摘INTRODUCTION For Chinese students of English,grammar learning is so important that their textbooks inevitably entail grammar sections organized in a linear way.These students treat grammar learning as the stepping stone on their way of English learning.They hope to have a good command of grammar both for their present learning and for their further studies.For their present learning,their linguistic knowledge is tested and assessed through
