Types Of Snakes Research Articles

Snakebites in the rainforests of Ecuador.

Epidemiologic information about snakebites in Ecuador is scarce. Snakebites are more common in the lowlands east of the Andes, in the Amazon basin. In the present study, a retrospective review of all ( n = 142) snakebite admissions to Hospital Pio XII, a regional health center/hospital in the canton of Sucúa, Morona Santiago, Ecuador was carried out between the years of 1996 and 2000. Bites occurred more frequently during the months of March to May. The largest group of patients were in the 15- to 49-year-old range (52.5%), and agricultural workers were the most affected of all patients by occupation (> 40%). In most cases of snakebite, patients could not identify the type of snake that had bitten them. A small number of patients ( n = 60, 42.3%) received some type of treatment prior to arrival at the hospital. Bites occurred most frequently on the left lower extremity (31.7%). Typical symptoms included pain and local edema at the snakebite site; generalized symptoms such as fever, nausea, and vomiting were less frequent. Most patients (almost 90%) received antivenin during hospitalization in addition to supportive care. The mean hospital stay was 4.3 days. More than 90% of all 142 patients recovered, about 8% with local abscesses. Mortality was 2.9% and occurred as a result of complications, including renal failure, respiratory failure, and disseminated intravascular coagulation.

1P1-2F-B3 蛇型レスキューロボット (UMRS-V-SNK) の開発 : (第 1 報)多関節ユニットの省アクチュエータ駆動方法の提案

本論文では, 多関節移動ロボットの駆動方法としてアクチュエータを効率良く, 最大限に利用する事によって省アクチュエータ化を実現し, また, 節部に屈曲や伸縮の動きをもたせることによって, 高い移動性能を得る方法について述べる。

Bites and stings from venomous animals: a global overview.

Venomous and poisonous animals are a significant cause of global morbidity and mortality. This Seminar will cover selected aspects of these animals, their venoms/poisons, and their clinical impact on humankind, from a global perspective, but with a distinctive Australian flavor and a clinical emphasis. Venomous snakes are found throughout most of the world, including many oceans, and have evolved a variety of highly effective toxins and methods of delivery. Their impact on humans is considerable, most current data suggesting they cause in excess of 3 million bites per year with more than 150,000 deaths. Particularly in the rural tropics, snakebite morbidity and mortality has a significant human medical and economic toll. The major groups of snakes causing bites are the vipers, the elapids (cobra type), the sea snakes, the side-fanged vipers, and the back-fanged colubrids. Australian venomous snakes are nearly all elapids and have evolved some of the most toxic of all snake venoms. Their effects include potent procoagulants and anticoagulants, neurotoxins, myotoxins, and nephrotoxins, but a distinct absence of the major local necrotoxins found in some non-Australian elapids and many vipers. The effect of these toxins on humans is not limited to envenoming, for the toxins are proving invaluable as research tools and diagnostic agents, and may even have a future as precursors of therapeutic agents. Because of the high toxicity and diversity of Australian elapids, a variety of monovalent antivenoms have been developed. There is also a venom detection kit to determine the type of snake and allow targeted antivenom therapy. The kit has also increased information available on diagnostic patterns of envenoming for each species. Australia is also home to the world's most lethal spiders, the funnel webs of eastern Australia, as well as the red back spider, the single most common reason for antivenom treatment in Australia. The latter spiders have been accidently exported to Japan. Within the marine environment exist a vast array of toxic animals, both poisonous and venomous, which not only cause morbidity and mortality in humans, but offer an incredibly rich array of valuable toxins. Australian waters contain some of the most lethal and medically problematic species, presenting a diverse range of clinical problems.

Snakebite: Epidemiology, Prevention, Clinical Presentation and Management

Snakebite: Epidemiology, Prevention, Clinical Presentation and Management

Nanoscale design of snake skin for reptation locomotions via friction anisotropy

Multi-mode scanning probe microscopy is employed to investigate the nanostructure of dermal samples from three types of snakes. Sophisticated friction modifying nanostructures are described. These include an ordered microfibrillar array that can function to achieve mission adaptable friction characteristics. Significant reduction of adhesive forces in the contact areas caused by the ‘double-ridge’ nanoscale microfibrillar geometry provides ideal conditions for sliding in forward direction with minimum adhesive forces and friction. Low surface adhesion in these local contact points may reduce local wear and skin contamination by environmental debris. The highly asymmetric, ‘pawl-like’ profile of the microfibrillar ends with radius of curvature 20–40 nm induces friction anisotropy in forward–backward motions and serves as an effective stopper for backward motion preserving low friction for forward motion. The system of continuous micropores penetrating through the snake skin may serve as a delivery system for lubrication/anti-adhesive lipid mixture that provides for boundary lubrication of snake skins.

Modulational Instability of Solitary Waves in Nondegenerate Three-Wave Mixing: The Role of Phase Symmetries

We show how the analytical approach of Zakharov and Rubenchik [Sov. Phys. JETP 38, 494 (1974)] to modulational instability (MI) of solitary waves in the nonlinear Schr\"odinger equation can be generalized for models with two phase symmetries. MI of three-wave parametric spatial solitons due to group velocity dispersion (GVD) is investigated as a typical example of such models. We reveal a new branch of neck instability, which dominates the usual snake type MI found for normal GVD. The resultant nonlinear evolution is thereby qualitatively different from cases with only a single phase symmetry.

Envenomation by the Horned Viper (Vipera ammodytes L.)

Snake venom poisoning is a medical emergency that requires urgent therapeutic procedures. The treatment of venomous snakebites is still controversial because of unclear therapeutic modalities. Choice of treatment is dictated in part by regional characteristics with regard to patient population and types of venomous snakes. The purpose of the study presented here was to report regional experience with venomous snakebites and to describe first-aid, pre-hospital, and hospital therapeutic procedures for horned viper bite. During a 16-year period, from 1980 to 1996, at the Clinical Hospital Split (Croatia) we collected data on 389 victims of horned viper bite. Incidence of the local and general complications is presented. We also reviewed therapeutic modalities and outcome with special attention to compartment syndromes and the indications for fasciotomy.

Methodological Unification of the Real-time Algorithm for Wave Generation in a Test Basin and Consideration of its Calculation Error

This paper describes the real-time algorithm of ocean waves generated by the snake type wave maker in a test basin. The developed real-time algorithm forms a unified computation process against various kinds of waves. Moreover, a lattice filter like structure of this algorithm is shown. The algorithm takes an iterative formulation on its calculation process. An iterative calculation generally has a progressive error when the number of iteration becomes large. However, the algorithm causes only a little error after the one million times iteration. Further, the spectrum profiles generated by this method and the conventional one are discussed.

A retrospective study of poisoning due to snake venom in Zimbabwe.

1. Hospital records at the six major referral hospitals in urban Zimbabwe were reviewed for the years 1980-1989 in order to determine the types of snake, incidence, morbidity and mortality associated with snake venom poisoning. 2. A total of 1087 cases of animal toxin poisoning were retrieved retrospectively, 91.5% (995) of which were due to snake venom poisoning. Of the 995 cases, 50.9% (506) were females and 49.1% (489) males. The majority of patients were aged from 21 to 30 years (22%), followed by the 6-15 (16%) and the 16-20 year age groups (11%), respectively. 3. The mean period of hospitalization of a snake venom-poisoned patient was found to be 2 d (the range was 1 d-9 weeks). The mean total cost of keeping (excluding treatment) a poisoned patient during that period was calculated at Zimbabwean dollars (Zw$) 450.00 (US$ 225.00) per day. The total number of hospitalization days was 344 and the cost of keeping the patients in hospital was therefore Zw$ 154,800 (i.e. US$ 77,400). 4. The first-line treatment most used was a combination of antibiotics (44.6%), alone or with an antivenom tropical snake polyvalent (ATT) (21.2%), and analgesics (19.9%). 5. Mortality was recorded at 1.8% (18 patients) and the few records of the types of snakes associated with envenomation in order of frequency were the cobra, adders (puff and night), mamba and boomslang. The prevention and prompt treatment of snake envenomation is of priority in the reduction of incidence of poisoning.

Costs of reproduction in lizards: escape tactics and susceptibility to predation

Increased basking and reduced agility in gravid female southern water skinks (Eulamprus tympanum) suggest that they will be more vulnerable to predators. However, gravid females shift their anti-predator tactics towards crypsis, by allowing potential predators (such as a human observer) to approach more closely than do males and non-gravid females. Gravid females were taken no more frequently than were non-gravid females or males when exposed to two types of natural predators, birds (kookaburra, Dacelo gigas) or snakes (common blacksnakes, Pseudechis porphyriacus) in field enclosures. Both these results suggest that the vulnerability of potential prey in this system is determined by the predator's probability of detecting a potential prey item, not its probability of capturing the prey item after detection. Hence, laboratory-based measures of performance demonstrating reduced escape speed may sometimes have little relevance to actual fitness under field conditions, if the probability that an animal will be taken by a predator depends primarily on whether or not it is seen, rather than on how quickly it can escape.

Conceptual Design of an In-Vessel Remote Maintenance System for Basic Fusion Experimental Device

A remote system is considered for the in-vessel maintenance of the IGNITEX device. The specified maintenance tasks include: inspection, coating repair of the first wall, and cleaning of the vacuum vessel. In this paper the conceptual design of the in-vessel remote maintenance system (IVRMS) is presented. The IVRMS consists of a manipulator chain, a series of dedicated tools as end-effectors, a control system, and a delivery system. A manipulator of snake type with 11 degrees of freedom (DOF), consisting of a toroidal chain (6 links) and a poloidal chain (3 links), is used to provide 90° toroidal reach and 360° poloidal reach in the IGNITEX vacuum vessel. The mechanical structure design of the manipulator uses light weight and compact actuator modules and carbon fiber materials for the links. The interface of the IVRMS with the IGNITEX system is described. A system control layout including the hardware and software architecture is discussed. The concept and implementation of this design provides general features for in-vessel remote maintenance of a small fusion tokamak.

On the Motion Responses of Offshore Floating Structures in Directional Spectra Waves

Model tests of a semi-submersible have been conducted in directional spectra waves generated by the new snake type wave maker installed in the towing tank of Yokohama National University.In various kinds of short-crested irregular waves which have specified power spectra and directional distribution functions, motion responses of the moored semi-submersible ITTC model were measured.The 1st-order motion responses in wave frequency range were estimated by the linear superposition theory using directional wave spectra and transfer functions in oblique waves. Successful agreement between measured and estimated responses was obtained even in wide spreading waves as well as in narrow spreading waves.The influence of directional spreading function and principal wave direction on the short-term prediction of motions was also investigated and some examples are presented.

Towed ship motion test in directional spectrum waves in a long tank

As a continuation to our previuos report on tank testing results of ship motions in directional spectrum waves this paper presents further test results under 'following sea' condition. Uniform irregular waves with arbitrary directional spectrum have been generated in the whole area of towing tank of Yokohama National University by the newly installed snake type wave maker and running tests have been carried out at Froude numbers 0.2 and 0.275. The experimental data have been analyzed at encounter frequency base using both Fast Fourier Transformation (FFT) and Maximum Entropy Method (MEM) to obtain the power spectrum of motions and the results are presented along with the theoretical estimates. Directional transfer functions of motions have been calculated using well known New Strip Method (NSM) and analyzed directional wave spectra obtained from experimental data by Maximum Likelihood Method (MLM) have been used to estimate theorectical motion spectra. The compared results show fairly good agreement.This paper also presents short term prediction of motions calculated for both 'head sea' and 'following sea' conditions over venous range of wave periods.

Directional Irregular Waves Generated in a Long Tank

Behavior of ships and offshore structures in short-crested confused sea has become a very important problem for design and safty analysis. For experimental study of this problem, it is indispensable to generate in a model basin short-crested irregular waves which have a specified directional spectrum.However, only a few model basins have ever succeeded in generation of directional waves up to the present. All of them are square basins and the available region for experiments is restricted to the vicinity of wave generators, due to the influence of side wall reflections.Recently, aiming at the generation of directional irregular waves, a new snake type wave generator consisting of 16 independent units has been installed at the towing tank of Yokohama National University. This wave maker is based on a new concept to generate the specified directional spectrum waves. Reflection of waves on the side walls, which has been always recognized as a disturbance, is utilized positively to obtain directional irregular waves propagating in a towing long tank.Directional spectra were analyzed from wave height records measured by the wave gauge array at various positions in the towing tank. Successful directional spectra were obtained for arbitrary specified power spectra and directional distribution function.This paper presents the synthesis method of wave generating signals and the practical method of measurement and analysis for the directional spectrum wave. Moreover, the spectral and statistical characteristics of measured directional waves in our towing tank are mentioned.

A Format for the Study of Envenomation Therapies

A necessary step in a comprehensive assessment of indigenous envenomation therapies is a framework in which seemingly disparate and fragmentary data may be grouped for comparison and analysis. In this paper data gathered in Belize in 1979-1982 is presented under topic headings which suggest parameters and problems that should be considered in a cross-cultural study of snakebite treatments. Accurate information is needed on the social history of patients, snake doctors, and others who might influence the course of treatment; beliefs about snake types and snake behavior; the circumstances of envenomation; facilities available for treatment; the stages of treatment; the components of medicines as well as their preparation and application in treatment.

A Study on 3 μm Period Ion-Implanted Propagation Tracks for 0.8 μmø Bubble

Attempts to use 0.8 μm diameter bubble material to obtain ion-implanted propagation tracks with a 3 × 3 μm cell size were described. Two track shapes (CD and types) were used, and the period in bubble propagation direction λb and period between adjacent tracks λ l were varied. For a 3 × 3 μm cell size, snake type tracks resulted in broader operating margins, but CD type tracks were found to yield better performance for smaller cell sizes. It was concluded that by varying track parameters, ion-implanted propagation tracks of cell size 3 × 3 μm and using 0.8 μm diameter bubbles may be realized.

Brazilian Snake Serum and Venom: Studies of the Alternative Pathway and C3 in Man and Serpent

Abstract It was previously found that antiserum to the anti-complementary protein (CoF) in Naja naja venom cross-reacted with a cobra serum protein with many of the characteristics of C3. Cobra serum but not human C3b inactivator destroyed the activity of CoF. In the present study, the serum and venom of several types of Brazilian snakes were investigated with respect to 1) reactivity with anti-CoF, 2) ability of the venoms to convert human serum C3, 3) ability of the serum to inactivate CoF, and 4) serum alternative pathway activity. The serum, but not the venoms, of Bothrops jararaca, B. jararacussu, B. moogeni, and Crothalus terrificus contained a protein reactive with anti-CoF but failed to destroy the alternative pathway activity of CoF for human serum. The anti-CoF-reactive serum protein in each of the Brazilian snake serums converted to a more cathodal form on incubation of the serum with Escherichia coli 055:B5 endotoxin (ET), CoF, zymosan (Z), and BSA-rabbit anti-BSA-specific precipitates (AgAb) but not on heating at 52°C for 30 min nor incubation with hydrazine.

Serpent versus surrogate and other determinants of runway fear differences

Avoidance behavior and fear ratings by snake-fearful college volunteers were studied as a function of live vs stuffed snake stimuli, order of presenting the snakes, accompanied (participant modeling format) or unaccompanied social context in the runway test, high or moderate initial fear level and sex of subject. The live snake sponsored more avoidance and rated fear than the specimen, and type of snake stimulus interacted with students' initial fear levels, thus raising questions about previous research using specimens instead of live phobic animal stimuli. Accompanied social context produced generally less fear and avoidance than unaccompanied approach. Numerous complex interactions were found among the type of snake, presentation sequence, social context, sex and fear level variables, raising methodological cautions for future research.

Diagnosis of type of snake in snake bite

Diagnosis of type of snake in snake bite

Carcinoma of the Pancreas in Say's Pine Snake, Pituophis Sayi

In a recent summary of the literature on neoplasms in cold-blooded vertebrates, Lucke listed reports of 10 instances of this condition in various types of Reptilia. Two of these animals were snakes (Serpentes). Because of the apparent rarity of tumors in this type of animal it seems worth while to report the present case. The animal, Say's pine snake, Pituophis sayi , approximately 150 cm. in length, died at the Philadelphia Zoological Garden. At autopsy the major pathologic changes were acute enteritis and abscesses in the lung. The pancreas attracted attention because of its increased size, the presence of caseous foci in the parenchyma, and distention of the duct by caseous material. The pancreas in this and many other types of snakes is oval in cross-section, with tapering rounded ends. Normal organ to body weight ratios and measurements have not been determined accurately, but in this instance the organ measured 2.5 × 1.0 × 1.0 cm. in its greatest diameters; an increase of approximately five times in volume. The tissue was moderately firm; the cut surface was the usual dull pale gray color except in several circumscribed, soft, caseous areas.