Swimming Ability Research Articles

Collaboration between fish passage scientists and engineers: Insights from an international questionnaire

Fish passage science and practice seeks to facilitate the movement of fish around obstacles in their habitat, primarily through the construction of fishways and culverts. Successful implementation of fish passage requires collaboration between groups with very different backgrounds and expertise, including knowledge-producers (scientists who study fish passage and related topics such as fish swimming ability) and knowledge users (engineers who apply that knowledge to design fish passage solutions). To investigate the nature of collaboration between these groups, we surveyed fish passage scientists and engineers from around the world. Respondents were asked about the importance of collaboration, mechanisms of collaboration, potential barriers to collaboration, and how collaboration can be improved. Both fish passage scientists and engineers reported high importance of collaboration and that they collaborated frequently with the other group. Respondents reported that consultation with other professionals (of their discipline and the other) was the most important means of obtaining and sharing information related to fish passage science and engineering. Both groups also tended to over-estimate their knowledge and use of the other's discipline. While respondents reported high engagement in collaboration, key themes emerged with respect to barriers to collaboration and means of improving collaboration. These included lacking a shared understanding of both disciplines, professional differences, insufficient institutional support, and inadequate sharing of knowledge (e.g., reporting and publishing). Opportunities for improving collaboration identified by respondents included 1) more interdisciplinary opportunities that facilitate interaction (particularly conferences and workshops); 2) promoting collaborative projects and interactions between fish passage scientists and engineers on project teams; and 3) ensuring that information is shared between groups (e.g., through accessible publications). Findings from this research have the potential to enhance collaboration between scientists and engineers, to the benefit of fish passage and fish populations.

Gut Microbial Composition and Liver Metabolite Changes Induced by Ammonia Stress in Juveniles of an Invasive Freshwater Turtle.

Simple SummaryThe ammonia content in aquaculture waterbodies can easily achieve a relatively high level, largely due to the excretion of intensively farmed aquatic animals and the decomposition of residual food particles. Excess ammonia may exert prominent toxicities to all aquatic species. Many freshwater turtles have become economically important aquaculture species in some countries. The evaluation of the toxic effects of ammonia on these cultured turtle species is rarely considered, despite having been extensively conducted in many invertebrates and fish. Various omics techniques can be applied to comprehensively analyze diverse biological responses at different levels in pollutant-exposed individuals. In order to increase our understanding of the physiological changes under ammonia stress in cultured turtle species, we exposed juveniles of the red-eared slider turtle (Trachemys scripta elegans) to different concentrations (0, 0.3, 3.0, and 20.0 mg/L) of ammonium chloride solution for 30 days, and then measured their swimming performance, growth rate, gut microbial composition, and liver metabolic profiling. No significant change in swimming ability was found in ammonia-exposed turtles, but a relatively low growth rate was exhibited in the 20.0 mg/L ammonia-exposed turtles. Although no significant differences in the alpha and beta diversity measures of the gut microbial community were observed, the microbial composition seemed to be different among different treatment groups. Some pathogenic bacteria were found to increase in ammonia-exposed turtles. Liver metabolic profiling based on liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry showed that a series of metabolites (such as leucine, valine, arginine, glutamine, adenosine diphosphate, glyceric acid, myo-inositol, gamma-aminobutyric acid, etc.) were significantly altered in ammonia-exposed turtles. Accordingly, ammonia exposure might alter the health status of guts due to increased pathogenic bacteria, and disturb multiple metabolic pathways (such as amino acid, nucleotide, lipid metabolism, energy metabolism, etc.) in juveniles of T. scripta elegans.As the most common pollutant in aquaculture systems, the toxic effects of ammonia have been extensively explored in cultured fish, molluscs, and crustaceans, but have rarely been considered in turtle species. In this study, juveniles of the invasive turtle, Trachemys scripta elegans, were exposed to different ammonia levels (0, 0.3, 3.0, and 20.0 mg/L) for 30 days to evaluate the physiological, gut microbiomic, and liver metabolomic responses to ammonia in this turtle species. Except for a relatively low growth rate of turtles exposed to the highest concentration, ammonia exposure had no significant impact on the locomotor ability and gut microbial diversity of turtles. However, the composition of the microbial community could be altered, with some pathogenic bacteria being increased in ammonia-exposed turtles, which might indicate the change in their health status. Furthermore, hepatic metabolite profiles via liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry revealed extensive metabolic perturbations, despite being primarily involved in amino acid biosynthesis and metabolism. Overall, our results show that ammonia exposure causes gut dysbacteriosis and disturbs various metabolic pathways in aquatic turtle species. Considering discrepant defense mechanisms, the toxic impacts of ammonia at environmentally relevant concentrations on physiological performance might be less pronounced in turtles compared with fish and other invertebrates.

Anti-Inflammatory Activity of CIGB-258 against Acute Toxicity of Carboxymethyllysine in Paralyzed Zebrafish via Enhancement of High-Density Lipoproteins Stability and Functionality.

Background: Hyperinflammation is frequently associated with the chronic pain of autoimmune disease and the acute death of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) via a severe cytokine cascade. CIGB-258 (Jusvinza®), an altered peptide ligand with 3 kDa from heat shock protein 60 (HSP60), inhibits the systemic inflammation and cytokine storm, but the precise mechanism is still unknown. Objective: The protective effect of CIGB-258 against inflammatory stress of N-ε-carboxymethyllysine (CML) was tested to provide mechanistic insight. Methods: CIGB-258 was treated to high-density lipoproteins (HDL) and injected into zebrafish and its embryo to test a putative anti-inflammatory activity under presence of CML. Results: Treatment of CML (final 200 μM) caused remarkable glycation of HDL with severe aggregation of HDL particles to produce dysfunctional HDL, which is associated with a decrease in apolipoprotein A-I stability and lowered paraoxonase activity. Degradation of HDL3 by ferrous ions was attenuated by a co-treatment with CIGB-258 with a red-shift of the Trp fluorescence in HDL. A microinjection of CML (500 ng) into zebrafish embryos resulted in the highest embryo death rate, only 18% of survivability with developmental defects. However, co-injection of CIGB-258 (final 1 ng) caused the remarkable elevation of survivability around 58%, as well as normal developmental speed. An intraperitoneal injection of CML (final 250 μg) into adult zebrafish resulted acute paralysis, sudden death, and laying down on the bottom of the cage with no swimming ability via neurotoxicity and inflammation. However, a co-injection of CIGB-258 (1 μg) resulted in faster recovery of the swimming ability and higher survivability than CML alone injection. The CML alone group showed 49% survivability, while the CIGB-258 group showed 97% survivability (p < 0.001) with a remarkable decrease in hepatic inflammation up to 50%. A comparison of efficacy with CIGB-258, Infliximab (Remsima®), and Tocilizumab (Actemra®) showed that the CIGB-258 group exhibited faster recovery and swimming ability with higher survivability than those of the Infliximab group. The CIGB-258 group and Tocilizumab group showed the highest survivability, the lowest plasma total cholesterol and triglyceride level, and the infiltration of inflammatory cells, such as neutrophils in hepatic tissue. Conclusion: CIGB-258 ameliorated the acute neurotoxicity, paralysis, hyperinflammation, and death induced by CML, resulting in higher survivability in zebrafish and its embryos by enhancing the HDL structure and functionality.

Modelling the hydraulic characteristics of diaphragm fishways and the effects on fish habitats

Diaphragm fishways are often used in fishway engineering construction. Although there are an increasing number of new types of fishways, other types of diaphragm fishways can be derived from the combination or evolution of the following three basic types of fishways: vertical slot, overflow weir and orifice. To compare the hydraulic characteristics of different foundation types of fishways, the operations of vertical slot fishways, overflow weir fishways and orifice fishways are calculated by numerical simulation, and we comprehensively compare the flow field characteristics and application scenarios of various types of fishways from the two dimensions of hydraulic characteristics and application characteristics. This paper analyses the hydraulic characteristics of the flow field, such as velocity distribution and turbulent kinetic energy, and analyses the application characteristics of the fishway from the aspects of applicable flow, favourite swimming speed range, explosive swimming speed, fish passing position, and the matching characteristics of typical target fish. It is concluded that the vertical slot fishway can be widely applied to different target fish species due to its own advantages, such as less impact from environmental conditions. The characteristics of the overflow weir fishway and orifice fishway need to be analysed in combination with the hydraulic characteristics of the fishway, the swimming ability of the target fish species and the natural environmental conditions.

Determining the position of a fish passage facility entrance based on endemic fish swimming abilities and flow field.

Hydropower development can significantly mitigate climate change and reduce carbon emissions, but it can also have substantial negative impacts on river environments and fish biodiversity. Fish passage facilities are built to ensure sustainable hydropower development and the biodiversity of fish populations. The locations of the entrances to these facilities play a key role in their efficiency. This study presents a reliable approach that combines the swimming ability of fish and a numerical flow field simulation to determine the optimal location for a fish passage facility entrance. In this study, we used the Gujun Reservoir upstream of the Yangtze River as a case study. A field experiment was conducted, and the swimming abilities of eight endemic fish species in the upstream region of the Yangtze River were measured. Among the tested species, the fastest induced swimming speed (0.14m/s) was achieved by Glyptothorax sinense, while the slowest critical swimming speed (0.30m/s) was observed for Paracobitis potanini. We propose that the velocity near the fish passage facility entrance should be higher than the maximum induced swimming speed and lower than the minimum critical swimming speed, making the suitable range between 0.14 and 0.30m/s. On this basis, velocity fields 500m downstream of the dam of the Gujun Reservoir under 4 operating conditions with discharge flows of 5.7 m3/s, 23.3 m3/s, 32.5 m3/s, and 41.1 m3/s were calculated. The results showed that the flow field variation downstream of the dam was between 0.1 and 0.9m/s. After comparing the suitable areas for the target species, the left bank at location 2 was recommended as the optimal location for the fish passage facility entrance in the Gujun Reservoir.

Ontogeny of swimming performance of hatchery-reared post-larvae and juvenile fish: a case of two threatened Mediterranean species.

Swimming performance is a well-established key physiological parameter of fish that is highly linked to their fitness in the wild. In the context of fish restocking purposes, it therefore appears crucial to study this specific behaviour. Here, the authors investigated intra and interspecies differences in the swimming performance of hatchery-reared post-larvae and juveniles belonging to two Mediterranean candidate threatened species, the common dentex, Dentex dentex (Sparidae), and the brown meagre, Sciaena umbra (Sciaenidae), with body sizes ranging from 8 to 37 mm total length (TL, from 24 to 58 days post-hatch). The swimming abilities were estimated through the calculation of their critical swimming speed (Ucrit ), their relative Ucrit and their Reynolds number (Re ). Two different patterns were observed between D. dentex and S. umbra, showing a different effect of ontogeny on the performance of both species. The relative Ucrit of S. umbra decreased linearly through ontogeny, whereas the relative Ucrit and Ucrit of D. dentex increased linearly through the range of sizes tested. The ontogenetic change in Ucrit of S. umbra occurred in two stages: a first stage of sharp improvement and a second stage of a slow decrease in performance. Both stages were separated by a breakpoint that coincided with the appearance of a refusal to swim behaviour that occurred shortly after the end of metamorphosis and can potentially be associated with the establishment of this species sedentary behaviour. The swimming performance of both species showed ontogenetic differences. Sciaena umbra had the highest relative performance when its body sizes were the smallest, whereas D. dentex showed the highest relative performance when its body sizes were the largest. These results will be linked to future research on both of these species concerning their escape, exploratory and predatory behaviours, and for restocking purposes to draw a more realistic overview of hatchery-reared juvenile performance. Knowledge of both species' behavioural and swimming performance through ontogeny is important to consider when using hatchery-reared fish juveniles for restocking, as size-at-release can have a large impact on fish survival and thus on restocking success.

Wild fish beat the heat

Wild animals can adapt to a wide range of temperatures. The ability to perform well in a constantly changing environment is called physiological plasticity. Physiological plasticity allows ectothermic animals, such as fishes, to maintain their metabolism even when the water that the fish is in heats up or cools down wildly. Fishes living in laboratories are less likely to have experienced temperature changes, so will their metabolism still perform well if there is a big temperature shift in their tank? Or have they lost their physiological plasticity because they have only experienced steady temperatures for more than 150 generations? Can living in steady environments affect a fish's behavior, metabolism or gene expression compared with living in a more turbulent environment? To study these questions, Rachael Morgan and colleagues from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and the University of Greenwich, UK, compared the physiological plasticity of two populations of zebrafish: a wild population collected from India and a population raised in the lab. They aimed to understand whether living in a stable environment can change a fish's ability to perform when there is a big change in temperature.The researchers collected 300 zebrafish from the two populations and exposed each group to a variety of temperatures (from 10 to 38°C) for 1 month. They then measured the fish's swimming ability, escape response, growth rate, metabolic rate and gene expression and compared the measurements of the two groups to learn whether the lab-raised group had more difficulty in adapting to large temperature shifts than the wild group because they have less physiological plasticity.Sure enough, the lab-raised fish were less able to adjust to temperature change than the fish that had come from India. The lab-raised zebrafish were slower swimmers than wild zebrafish at all temperatures, and when escaping, lab-raised zebrafish responded more slowly than wild zebrafish, especially when in colder temperatures. In addition, the lab-raised zebrafish grew faster than the wild zebrafish, likely because domesticated animals are selected for faster growth rates. When comparing metabolism between the groups, the researchers measured the range of temperatures at which the fish could reach their maximum metabolic rates. They found that lab-raised fish could only reach their maximum metabolic rate in water temperatures between 26 and 36°C, but wild fish could reach their maximum metabolic rate over a much broader temperature range (21–38°C). Gene expression was also different among the two groups. The lab fish had greater levels of proteins that deal with stress compared with the wild fish. Interestingly, very cold temperatures were especially difficult for both groups, which may suggest that physiological plasticity is limited at these extreme temperatures.This study tells us that lab domestication affects the ability of animals to adjust to changes in their environment across several biological levels, from behaviour to gene expression. With this knowledge, scientists should take into account that domestication can change animals’ responses to an experiment when choosing study animals. Morgan and colleagues also suggest that there may be a trade-off between high levels of physiological plasticity and growth rates and warn that domestication can quickly lead to a loss of physiological plasticity.

Larval morphology of the Neotropical diving beetle genus Hemibidessus Zimmermann, 1921 (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae: Bidessini).

We describe for the first time the larva of the diving-beetle genus Hemibidessus Zimmermann, 1921, based on instars II and III of H. conicus (Zimmermann, 1921). We include detailed morphometric and chaetotaxic analyses of the cephalic capsule, head appendages, legs, last abdominal segment and urogomphi in order to discover useful characters for distinguishing Hemibidessus larvae from those of other known Bidessini. Hemibidessus larvae characteristically have elongate legs armed with natatory setae and elongate urogomphi that bear numerous secondary setae, features commonly associated with an increased swimming ability. These characters are shared with Brachyvatus Zimmermann, 1921, suggesting a close phylogenetic relationship between these two genera. The primary seta UR8 is inserted apically on urogomphomere 2 in Hemibidessus larvae, a feature so far only shared with the mature larva of Yola Gozis, 1886. Other characters that combined with those previously mentioned are useful to distinguish Hemibidessus from other bidessines are the absence of a ventroapical spinula on antennomere 3 and the presence of secondary dorsal setae on protarsus.

Changes in the height of minute tubercles on the skin of Korean bitterling embryos (Acheilognathus signifer) and embryo movement in the host mussels

Bitterlings are freshwater fish that have developed morphological adaptations to improve the survival of their embryos in host mussels. The most well-known adaptation is the development of minute tubercles, which develop in the early embryonic stage when the embryos have poor swimming ability, and disappear when the embryos reach the free-swimming stage and leave the host mussels. In this study, the embryonic developmental stages of Acheilognathus signifer were analysed to elucidate the relationship between the changes in the height of the minute tubercles and their movement. The height changes in the minute tubercles in the embryos can be divided into five stages, i.e., formation, growth, peak, reduction and disappearance. The authors found that the embryos lived in the gill demibranch of the host mussel until day 6 after hatching. The movement of embryos to the suprabranchial cavity in the gill demibranch was firstly observed on day 7. At this point, the embryos showed a heartbeat and movement. From day 13, the minute tubercles had almost disappeared, and the hatchlings started swimming outside the host mussels from day 16. These observations highlight the different adaptations of minute tubercles among bitterling groups without wing-like projections.

Socio-demographic Characteristics of Drowning in Children Admitted in A Medical College Hospital

Background: Drowning is an important cause of mortality among children in rural Bangladesh. This study was done to find out the sociodemographic characteristics of drowning affected children. Materials and methods : It is a descriptive study among the victim of drowning admitted in the Department of Pediatrics, Chittagong Medical College Hospital, Chattogram during the period of January 2014 to December 2014. One hundred victims were selected for the study. History and face to face interview were taken, the sociodemographic characteristics were analyzed statistically. Results: Of 100 patients in this study, age ranged from 6 month to 12 years, largest number (76%) of victims belonged to 1-4 years age group. Most of the drowning events occurred in rural area (82%). Almost all (87%) of rural drowning occurred in pond, 8% drowning occurred in bucket, all of which were urban. April to October (88%) were found to be high risk months for drowning. Almost all (96%) of the victims were found unable to swim and in 100% cases, there is no fencing present around pond. Most (82%) of the victim survived without morbidity, 6% died, 4% survived with morbidity. Conclusion: Children of 1-4 years old, rural children,children of poor socioeconomic background are vulnerable to drowning. Drowning mostly occurs during daylight, lack of supervision of child is strongly associated with drowning. Drowning has specific seasonal pattern. Busy mother with a large family, illiterate mother, lack of pond fencing or door fencing, and lack of swimming ability are also associated with drowning. IAHS Medical Journal Vol 5(1), June 2022; 38-44

A T3SS Regulator Mutant HY9901 ΔaraC of Vibrio alginolyticus Decreased the Expression of HopPmaJ and Provided Protection to Danio rerio as a Live-Attenuated Vaccine

Vibrio alginolyticus, a zoonotic bacterial pathogen, expresses a type III secretion system (T3SS) that is critical for pathogen virulence and disease development. In this study, the mutant HY9901 ΔaraC was obtained from the laboratory and its biological characteristics were analyzed. The swimming ability of ΔaraC decreased and exhibited a 2,600 times reduction in virulence to zebrafish. However, ΔaraC showed no difference in growth and extracellular protease activity compared to wild type. Biofilm-forming ability was improved at 24 h, but no difference was observed at other time points. The results of drug sensitivity testing showed that compared with the wild-type HY9901 strain, ΔaraC was sensitive to amikacin, tetracycline, neomycin, minocycline, and gentamicin. The transcription levels of T3SS effector proteins HopPmaJ, VopS, VcrV, and VopN were analyzed by qRT-PCR. The results showed that ΔaraC had significantly upregulated the mRNA expression of VopS, VcrV, and VopN, but significantly downregulated the mRNA expression of HopPmaJ at each stage compared with HY9901. Western blotting and the β-galactosidase reporter gene experiment also showed that the deletion of araC gene significantly downregulated the expression of HopPmaJ. Finally, the relative percent survival (RPS) rate of grouper inoculated by intramuscular (IM) injection of HY9901 ΔaraC was 61.3% after being challenged with HY9901. Real-time qPCR analysis showed that vaccination of HY9901 ΔaraC could enhance the expression of immune-related genes, including gata-1, il6, IgM, il-1β, and lyz in liver and spleen, indicating that ΔaraC applied as a live-attenuated vaccine effectively induced an immune response in the zebrafish. This study provides evidence for the subsequent development of an effective live-attenuated V. alginolyticus vaccine.

Rowing in the Breca Episode from a Narrative Perspective

Rowing in the Breca Episode from a Narrative Perspective

Intraspecific Variation in the Sublethal Effects of Physically and Chemically Dispersed Crude Oil on Early Life Stages of Atlantic Cod (Gadus morhua).

The offshore oil industry in Atlantic Canada necessitates a greater understanding of the potential impacts of oil exposure and spill response measures on cold-water marine species. We used a standardized scoring index to characterize sublethal developmental impacts of physically and chemically dispersed crude oil in early life stages of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) and assessed intraspecific variation in the response among cod families. Cod (origin: Scotian Shelf, Canada) were laboratory-crossed to produce embryos from five specific families, which were subsequently exposed prehatch to gradient dilutions of a water-accommodated fraction (WAF) and a chemically enhanced WAF (CEWAF; prepared with Corexit 9500A) for 24 h. Postexposure, live embryos were transferred into filtered seawater and monitored to hatch; then, all live fish had sublethal endpoints assessed using the blue-sac disease (BSD) severity index. In both WAF and CEWAF groups, increasing exposure concentrations (measured as total petroleum hydrocarbons) resulted in an increased incidence of BSD symptoms (impaired swimming ability, increased degree of spinal curvature, yolk-sac edemas) in cod across all families. This positive concentration-dependent increase in BSD was similar between physically (WAF) versus chemically (CEWAF) dispersed oil exposures, indicating that dispersant addition does not exacerbate the effect of crude oil on BSD incidence in cod. Sensitivity varied between families, with some families having less BSD than others with increasing exposure concentrations. To our knowledge, our study is the first to demonstrate the occurrence in fishes of intraspecific variation among families in sublethal responses to oil and dispersant exposure. Our results suggest that sublethal effects of crude oil exposure will not be uniformly observed across cod populations and that sensitivity depends on genetic background. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:1967-1976. © 2022 SETAC.

Robot Fish Caudal Propulsive Mechanisms: A Mini-Review

Researchers have developed numerous artificial fish to mimic the swimming abilities of biological species and understand their biomechanical subaquatic skills. The motivation arises from the interest to gain deeper comprehension of the efficient nature of biological locomotion, which is the result of millions of years of evolution and adaptation. Fin-based biological species developed exceptional swimming abilities and notable performance in highly dynamic and complex subaquatic environments. Therefore, based on research by the scientific community, this mini-review concentrates on discussing the mechanical devices developed to implement the caudal propulsive segments of robotic fish. Caudal mechanisms are of considerable interest because they may be designed to control inertial and gravitational forces, as well as exerting great dynamic range in robotic fish. This manuscript provides a concise review focused on the engineering implementations of caudal mechanisms of anguilliform, subcarangiform, subcarangiform, thunniform and ostraciiform swimming modes.

Güney Ege Denizi’nden yakalanan dil balığında (Solea solea Linnaeus, 1758) yanal çizgi ve kaudal yüzgeç anomalileri

This study presents two anomalies that were found in two wild common sole (Solea solea Linnaeus, 1758) specimens. Specimens were captured with 80 mm stretched mesh size trammel net incidentally (in June 2014 and in December 2015) from Güllük Bay, southwest of Turkey where is one of the important common sole fishery areas. Female common sole specimen has lateral line anomaly. According to observations, the lateral line has unordinary shape – labyrinth like, furcate. Other sample, male specimen, has caudal fin anomaly. The specimen has large body size and hence, it was thought that having no caudal fin did not affect its swimming ability besides activities like feeding. The present study contributes to literature about rare anomalies in wild fish stocks.

A Flagella Hook Coding Gene flgE Positively Affects Biofilm Formation and Cereulide Production in Emetic Bacillus cereus.

Bacillus cereus, an important foodborne pathogen, poses a risk to food safety and quality. Robust biofilm formation ability is one of the key properties that is responsible for the food contamination and food poisoning caused by B. cereus, especially the emetic strains. To investigate the mechanism of biofilm formation in emetic B. cereus strains, we screened for the mutants that fail to form biofilms by using random mutagenesis toward B. cereus 892-1, an emetic strain with strong biofilm formation ability. When knocking out flgE, a flagellar hook encoding gene, the mutant showed disappearance of flagellar structure and swimming ability. Further analysis revealed that both pellicle and ring presented defects in the null mutant compared with the wild-type and complementary strains. Compared with the flagellar paralytic strains Δ motA and Δ motB, the inhibition of biofilm formation by Δ flgE is not only caused by the inhibition of motility. Interestingly, Δ flgE also decreased the synthesis of cereulide. To our knowledge, this is the first report showing that a flagellar component can both affect the biofilm formation and cereulide production in emetic B. cereus, which can be used as the target to control the biohazard of emetic B. cereus.

Penerapan Metode Pembelajaran Blended Learning Terhadap Kemampuan Renang Gaya Dada Mahasiswa STKIP YPUP Makassar

This study aims to obtain answers to problems that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, the effect of blended learning on the breaststroke swimming ability of STKIP YPUP Makassar students. This research is descriptive of the independent variable and the dependent variable. The population and sample were students of STKIP YPUP Makassar selected by random sampling, obtained as many as 30 people who were selected at random or random sampling. The data analysis technique used was t-test analysis using computer facilities through the SPSS program.Based on the results of data analysis, it can be concluded as follows: There is an effect of blended learning on the breaststroke swimming ability of STKIP YPUP Makassar students with an average increase value of 2.414 with a significance value of 0.000 &lt;0.05

Wirelessly Powered 3D Printed Hierarchical Biohybrid Robots with Multiscale Mechanical Properties.

The integration of flexible and stretchable electronics into biohybrid soft robotics can spur the development of new approaches to fabricate biohybrid soft machines, thus enabling a wide variety of innovative applications. Inspired by flexible and stretchable wireless-based bioelectronic devices, we have developed untethered biohybrid soft robots that can execute swimming motions, which are remotely controllable by the wireless transmission of electrical power into a cell simulator. To this end, wirelessly-powered, stretchable, and lightweight cell stimulators were designed to be integrated into muscle bodies without impeding the robots' underwater swimming abilities. The cell stimulators function by generating controlled monophasic pulses of up to ∼9 V in biological environments. By differentiating induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs) directly on the cell stimulators using an accordion-inspired, three-dimensional (3D) printing construct, we have replicated the native myofiber architecture with comparable robustness and enhanced contractibility. Wirelessly modulated electrical frequencies enabled us to control the speed and direction of the biohybrid soft robots. A maximum locomotion speed of ∼580 μm/s was achieved in robots possessing a large body size by adjusting the pacing frequency. This innovative approach will provide a platform for building untethered and biohybrid systems for various biomedical applications.

Beneficial effects of kebar grass (Biophytum petersianum klotzsch) ethanol extract to increase motor reflex and spatial memory in mice offspring (Mus musculus) from lactating mothers exposed to carbofuran.

Background and purpose:This study aimed to determine the potency of kebar grass ethanol extract to overcome an increase in cerebellar neuronal cell necrosis, which has an impact on decreasing motor reflex function and spatial memory of mice from lactating mothers exposed to carbofuran.Experimental approach:Forty lactating mice were divided into four groups, 10 each; including control, T1 (carbofuran 0.0125 mg/day), T2 (vitamin C 5 mg + carbofuran 0.0125 mg/day), T3 (kebar grass extract 3.375 mg + carbofuran 0.0125 mg/day). The mice were orally administered with carbofuran, vitamin C, and kebar grass extract on days 0 to 14 postnatal. On the 15th day, brains of the mice were necropsied to measure the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione (GSH), H&E staining; motor reflex tests were performed on 10-day-old mice, and the mice aged 30 days were tested on their swimming and spatial memory.Findings / Results:Carbofuran caused an increase in MDA, GSH, neuronal cell necrosis, surface righting reflex, a decrease in SOD, swimming ability, and spatial memory. Kebar grass extract and vitamin C administration decreased MDA, GSH, neuron necrosis, surface righting reflex, and increased SOD, swimming ability, and spatial memory.Conclusion and implications:Exposing to carbofuran in lactating mice caused brain oxidative stress, impaired motor reflexes, and spatial memory in mice offspring. Kebar grass extract and vitamin C administration prevented brain oxidative stress and inhibited disorders in motor reflexes, and spatial memory in mice offspring. Kebar grass extract administration was more effective than vitamin C.

Copper II oxide nanoparticles (CuONPs) alter metabolic markers and swimming activity in zebra-fish (Danio rerio)

The present study aimed to compare the metabolic effects caused by using copper oxide nanoparticles with two distinct morphologies nanorods and nanosphere. The CuONPs in the form of nanorods were characterized in the order of 500 nm, on a scale of 20, 100, and 500 nm. Meanwhile, the nanosphere CuONPs were characterized in the order of 5 nm, on a 30 nm scale. The analysis of metabolic rate was performed using the closed respirometry technique, specific ammonia excretion, and swimming ability as biomarkers, the physiological effects on Danio rerio were investigated. For the experiments, 88 fish were used, exposed for 24 h at concentrations of 0, 50, 100, and 200 μg/L of copper oxide nanoparticles in the form of nanospheres and nanorods, respectively. The tests carried out with the nanorods demonstrated metabolic alterations in fish, with an increase of 294% and 321% in the metabolic rate at concentrations of 100 μg/L and 200 μg/L, respectively. Furthermore, there was a decrease in specific ammonia excretion by 34% and 83% and in swimming capacity by 34% and 55% at concentrations of 100 and 200 μg/L, respectively, when compared to the control. The tests performed with nanospheres did not show significant changes compared to the control. These experiments showed that different morphological structures of the same copper oxide nanoparticle caused different effects on fish metabolism. It is concluded that the characterization of nanoparticles is essential to understand their effects on fish, since their structural forms can cause different toxic effects on D. rerio.