University of Jyväskylä

About: University of Jyväskylä is a education organization based out in Jyvaskyla, Finland. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Neutron. The organization has 8066 authors who have published 25168 publications receiving 725033 citations. The organization is also known as: Jyväskylän yliopisto & Kasvatusopillinen korkeakoulu.

Do pheromones reveal male immunocompetence

Abstract: Pheromones function not only as mate attractors, but they may also relay important information to prospective mates. It has been shown that vertebrates can distinguish, via olfactory mechanisms, major histocompatibility complex types in their prospective mates. However, whether pheromones can transmit information about immunocompetence is unknown. Here, we show that female mealworm beetles (Tenebrio molitor) prefer pheromones from males with better immunocompetence, indicated by a faster encapsulation rate against a novel antigen, and higher levels of phenoloxidase in haemolymph. Thus, the present study indicates that pheromones could transmit information about males' parasite resistance ability and may work as a reliable sexual ornament for female choice.

The Anti-Inflammatory Drugs Diclofenac, Naproxen and Ibuprofen are found in the Bile of Wild Fish Caught Downstream of a Wastewater Treatment Plant

Abstract: Pharmaceutical residues are ubiquitous in rivers, lakes, and at coastal waters affected by discharges from municipal wastewater treatment plants. In this study, the presence of 17 different pharmaceuticals and six different phase I metabolites was determined in the bile of two wild fish species, bream (Abramis brama) and roach (Rutilus rutilus). The fish were caught from a lake that receives treated municipal wastewater via a small river. Prior to analyses, the bile content was enzymatically hydrolyzed to convert the glucuronide metabolites into the original pharmaceuticals or phase I metabolites. The solid phase extracts of hydrolyzates were analyzed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) in the multiple reaction monitoring mode. The anti-inflammatory drug naproxen could be detected in all the six bream and roach bile samples. Diclofenac was found in five of the bream and roach samples, while ibuprofen was detected in three bream and two roach samples. The observed bile concentrations of diclofenac, naproxen, and ibuprofen in bream ranged from 6 to 95 ng mL(-1), 6 to 32 ng mL(-1), and 16 to 34 ng mL(-1), respectively. The corresponding values in roach samples ranged from 44 to 148 ng mL(-1), 11 to 103 ng mL(-1) and 15 to 26 ng mL(-1), respectively. None of the other studied compounds could be detected. The study shows that pharmaceuticals originating from wastewater treatment plant effluents can be traced to the bile of wild bream and roach living in a lake where diclofenac, naproxen, and ibuprofen are present as pollutants.

Interaction between pre-landing activities and stiffness regulation of the knee joint musculoskeletal system in the drop jump: implications to performance.

Abstract: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the interaction between the pre-landing activities and the stiffness regulation of the knee joint musculoskeletal system and the takeoff speed during a drop jump (DJ) Nine healthy male subjects performed a DJ test from the height of 50 cm The surface electromyographic (EMG) activity of the vastus lateralis (VL) muscle was recorded to evaluate both the pre-landing and post-landing muscle activation levels Simultaneous recording of the jumping motion and ground reaction force was performed by a high-speed video camera (100 frames·s–1), and a force platform was employed to allow joint moment analysis Joint stiffness was calculated by a linear regression of the knee joint moment/angle relationship Elasticity of the knee extensor muscle during DJ was estimated by means of a four-element muscle model consisting of a parallel elastic component, a series elastic component (SEC), a viscous damper, and a contractile element DJ performance correlated positively with the positive peak power of the knee joint (P<001) and with the moment of the knee joint at the end of stretch (P<001) However, there was no significant relationship between DJ performance and the positive peak power of the ankle joint The knee joint moment at the end of stretch correlated with the SEC stiffness during the transmission phase from the end of the initial impact to the onset of the concentric action (P<001) and with the maximum rate of isometric force development of the knee extensors (P<001) Multiple regression analysis showed that the SEC stiffness during the transmission phase of the knee joint can be explained by a combination of the pre-activity of the VL muscle and the knee joint angular velocity at touchdown (F=576, P<005) These results seem to emphasize the functional significance of the pre-programmed activity for controlling the subsequent stiffness regulation and then contributing to the performance in DJ Thus, it can be suggested that the centrally pre-programmed activity and the associated elastic behavior of the SEC in the knee extensor muscle in conjunction with the muscle contractile property play a major role in regulating the performance in DJ

Working with Transcripts and Translated Data

Abstract: Transcribing talk originating from various interactional contexts into a written form is an integral part qualitative research practice. Transcripts are produced for particular analytic purposes and therefore range in detail, from broad verbatim transcripts in more content-oriented analysis to extremely refined and detailed transcriptions on interaction-oriented analysis of naturally occurring data. Learning to master transcription skills, and solving the practical, technical and theoretical considerations and decisions that go into the process of producing good quality transcripts is something that both students, teachers of qualitative methods and researchers within the field equally struggle with. Discussion on transcription practice is all the more important given that qualitative research sees transcripts as a central means of securing the validity and guaranteeing the publicly verifiable, transparent and cumulative nature of its claims and findings (e.g., Hutchby & Wooffitt, 1998; Perakyla, 1997; Se...