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Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Notes on the Argonaut

(Photo by Bernd Hofman.)

One of my favorite parts about reading the research on any topic is reading very old research on that topic. Today, I came across this paper on the argonaut, Notes on the Argonaut (1869), by W. H. Dall, published in The American Naturalist, volume 3. The argonauts are a neat genus of pelagic octopods (Argonauta,) the females of which secrete a thin shell from specialized areas on their arms (pictured above in ecological conditions, inside the shell, and drawn below without the shell.)

(Lithograph by Arthur Bartholomew, ~1870)

Almost 150 years ago, this guy put together a pretty good description of argonaut behavior, although it was brief. Reading his work renews my faith in the power of good old observation, as well as flowery phrasing in otherwise dry writing. For example, Dall comments on the argonauts sexual dimorphism, with a healthy dose of Victorian sexism:

The Argonant shell is formed, curiously enough, by the females only;

as among more highly organized beings sometimes, the gentler sex

outshine their brothers in the splendor of their apparel, and the

extent it occupies. Unlike many, however, the Argonaut toils not,

neither does she spin.

The last sentence of that quote is genuinely confusing to me. What exactly does he mean? What evidence is there that argonauts do not "toil"? What does it even mean for an octopod to toil? Without being accustomed to the zoological vernacular that Dall is writing in, its hard to get what he means by this.

Another gem is his description of argonaut mating habits. Unlike todays biological authors (fortunately or unfortunately, its your call,) Dall doesnt shy away from anthropomorphism:

When the tender passion seizes him, as he rocks on some sunny wavelet,

far from female society, he does not go in search of a wife, but with

Spartan courage, detaches one of his eight hands (or arms) and consigns

it to the deep, in the hope that some tender hearted individual of the other

sex will fall in with it and take it under her protection. Thus for a long time

the male Argonaut was unknown, the arm (which does not die when

detached, but lives an independent worm-like life) was, when found in

the gill-chamber of the female, supposed to be a parasite, and was called

Hecto-cotylus.

Interestingly enough, although this name was given to the organ because it was thought to be a parasite, the modified arm that octopus and squid use to mate is still called a heteroctylus.

In closing, Dall acknowledges the unique contributions of one Madame Jeannette Power (a pioneer of the use of aquaria) to the study of the argonaut with a quaint tone of amazement:

It is pleasant to add that our first detailed account of the Argonaut and its

development, was published by a lady, Madame Power, who made her

observations in the Mediterranean, having a sort of marine enclosure

made, where she kept these animals and observed their habits from life.

I know this was a short one. I couldnt help it - I cant resist dusting off a few of the old chestnuts in the scientific literature and reveling in my own fantasies of some lost scientific world, where its considered adequately professional to use the term "tender passions" when describing the behavior of a mollusc in a leading biology journal.

Thanks for reading!

Ocean Animals For Kids

Most of the vertebrates that live in the ocean are fish.
Some mammals, reptiles, and birds live there, too.
There is only one group of vertebrates not found in salt water.
These are the amphibians.

Fish have always lived in the sea, of course. There are more than 13,000 different kinds, or species, living in the sea. But the mammals found in the sea are descended from land animals.
They have to come to the surface to breathe, because they have lungs, not gills.

Fish in the ocean

Fish come in all sorts of different shapes and sizes.
Some are flat so that they can lie on the seabed without being seen.
Eels have snakelike bodies.
Rays, like the skate, are kite-shaped and seem to fly through the water by flapping their huge “wings.”

Mammals in the ocean

There are three groups of mammals in the sea:

whales and dolphins,
seals and sea-lions, and
some rare sea mammals called sirenians, which include the manatee and the dugong.

There are more than 75 different kinds of whales.
The blue whale is the largest animal that has ever lived. It can grow to be as long as 100 feet (30 meters)!
Whales need to come up to the surface for air, but sperm whales can hold their breath underwater for over an hour!

Dolphins and porpoises are actually small whales. The killer whale is the largest walrus

dolphin.
Have you ever seen bottle-nosed dolphins perform in an aquarium?
They are very intelligent. They communicate with each other by blowing air through their blow-holes to make squeaks, whistles, and clicks.

Seals, sea-lions, and walruses are the only sea mammals that move onto land to give birth to their young. Walruses look like large seals with two long, pointed teeth called tusks.

Reptiles in the ocean

Some turtles and snakes live in the sea.
Like all reptiles, sea turtles are cold-blooded, so they live only in warm waters.
The females come out of the sea to lay their eggs in holes on sandy beaches.
Most sea snakes never leave the sea.
They swim by waving their flattened bodies from side to side and by using their oarlike tails as a paddle.

Birds in the ocean

Penguins spend much of their lives in the sea, often hunting fish, their main food.
Instead of wings, penguins have flippers which help them to swim.
Penguins come to the surface of the water to breathe.
They move onto land to lay their eggs and raise their young.

YANTRA SANEEWARA TEMPLE

about yanthra shani temple:

Here Saneeswara Baghavan (Lord Saturn - believed to be the powerful planet in the base of Astrology) is in the form of Yanthra(Divine Scripture).
History of the Temple Sree Yandra Saneeswarar Temple is located at Erikuppam Village of Thiruvannamalai District, Tamilnadu in South India. Its having a history of about 500 years. According to the Archaeological department the temple is supposed to be constructed during 1535 AD at the time of Naicka Kingdom. The speciality is that it is believed that the Saneeswara in the form of Yandra was formed by " The Eternal Siddhas". The Yandra here is having Peejakshara Letters, which is believed to be inscribed by Siddhas & Veda Experts and from time to time all kinds of diseases were healed because of these divine forms, for those who visited the temple.

The Formation of Peejakshara Yandra of Sree Sani Baghavan

The Yandra of Saneeswara is having the mark of Sun in the upper left side, Crow in the middle side and the moon in the upper right corner of the yandra. Below this Peejakshara Manthras in the form of SHUTKONAM can be seen. Below this we can see "Lakshmi Kadaksha Yandra" and yandras relating to water and fire. The Shutkona yandra consists of Manthras praising Lord Shiva, Lord Anjaneya & Sree Saneeshwara. This Yandra is believed to be the most powerful one and unique in its kind.

Medical specialists List of medical careers

Medical specialists are medical professionals who have knowledge, education, and training in a particular field of medicine.
In the following lists are presented some types of medical specialists and their areas of expertise.

List of medical careers

Allergist - What Does an Allergist Do?

Area of expertise: Treatment of allergies

Anesthesiologist - What Does an Anesthesiologist Do?

Area of expertise: Administration of anesthetics for surgery

Cardiologist - What does a Cardiologist do?

Area of expertise: Diseases of the heart and circulatory system

Pulmonary Specialist - What is a Pulmonary Specialist?

Area of expertise: Diseases of the lungs and chest

Dermatologist - What Does a Dermatologist Do?

Area of expertise: Diseases of skin, hair, and nails

Emergency Medicine Specialist

Area of expertise: Emergency treatment of acute illnesses and injuries

Epidemiologist - What Does an Epidemiologist Do?

Area of expertise: Causes, transmission, and control of infectious diseases

Family Physician - What is Family Physician?

Area of expertise: Ongoing health care for persons of all ages

Gastroenterologist - What do Gastroenterologists Do?

Area of expertise: Diseases of the digestive system

General Surgeon - What do General Surgeons Do?

Area of expertise: Surgical treatment of diseases of the abdomen, breast, and other areas

Gynecologist - What Does a Gynecologist Do?

Area of expertise: Diseases of the female reproductive organs

Hematologist - What Does a Hematologist Do?

Area of expertise: Diseases of the blood, bone marrow, and lymph tissues

Internist - What is Internal Medicine Doctor?

Area of expertise: Nonsurgical treatment of diseases of the internal organs

Nephrologist - What Does a Nephrologist Do?

Area of expertise: Diseases of the kidney

Neurologist - What Does a Neurologist Do?

Area of expertise: Diseases of the brain and nervous system

Neurosurgeon - What Does a Neurosurgeon Do?

Area of expertise: Surgical treatment of diseases of the brain and spinal cord

Obstetrician - What Does an Obstetrician Do?

Area of expertise: Health care for pregnancy, labor, and childbirth

Oncologist - What Does an Oncologist Do?

Area of expertise: Treatment of cancer

Ophthalmologist - What Does an Ophthalmologist Do?

Area of expertise: Diseases of the eye

Orthopedist - What Does an Orthopedist Do?

Area of expertise: Diseases of the bones, joints, and muscles

Otolaryngologist - What Does a Otolaryngologist Do?

Area of expertise: Diseases of the ear, nose, throat, and neck

Pathologist - What Does a Pathologist Do?

Area of expertise: Study of biopsy specimens and body fluids

Pediatrician - What Does a Pediatrician Do?

Area of expertise: Health care of infants, children, and adolescents

Physiatrist - What Does a Psychiatrist Do?

Area of expertise: Rehabilitation of patients following illness or injury

Plastic Surgeon - What Does a Plastic Surgeon Do?

Area of expertise: Cosmetic surgery and surgical reconstruction

Podiatrist - What Does a Podiatrist Do?

Area of expertise: Disorders of the foot

Proctologist - What Does a Proctologist Do?

Area of expertise: Diseases of the anus, rectum, and colon

Psychiatrist - What Does a Psychiatrist Do?

Area of expertise: Treatment of mental disorders

Radiologist - What Does a Radiologist Do?

Area of expertise: Study of X ray and ultrasound

Rheumatologist - What Does a Rheumatologist Do?

Area of expertise: Treatment of rheumatic diseases

Urologist - What Does a Urologist Do?

Area of expertise: Diseases of the urinary tract and the male reproductive organs

Vascular Surgeon - What Does a Vascular Surgeon Do?

Area of expertise: Surgical treatment of diseases of blood vessels

Intake of oxygen and release of carbon dioxide by blood passing through capillaries of alveoli is brought about by the following factors.

Difference in partial pressure of gases:

Diffusion of oxygen in and carbon dioxide out occurs because of difference in partial pressure of these gases.

Thin layers of capillaries:

Within the rich network of capillaries surrounding the alveoli, blood is distributed in extremely thin layers

Exposure to large alveolar surface:

Blood in capillaries is exposed to large alveolar surface.

Separation by thin membranes:

Blood in the lungs is separated from the alveolar air by extremely thin membranes of the capillaries and alveoli.

to change your life change your beliefs

I was exhilarated by the new realization that I could change the character of my life by changing my beliefs. I was instantly energized because I realized that there was a science-based path that would take me from my job as a perennial “victim” to my new position as “co-creator” of my destiny.

-Bruce H. Lipton

Commentary by Sudhir Krishnan

Beliefs are a powerful mechanism by which our subconscious mind gets programmed. Whatever our beliefs, our mind strives to prove to us that it is true. We get back what we believe about the world, as the universe has no choice but to offer situations that match our beliefs. Thus the best way to create better experiences is to take away all limiting beliefs that we have formed about ourselves and replace them by positive beliefs.

Elephants in captivity are trained from an early age not to roam around beyond a restricted area. One leg of a baby elephant is tied with a rope to a wooden post planted in the ground. The rope confines the baby elephant to an area determined by the length of the rope. Initially the baby elephant tries to break free from the rope, but the rope is too strong. The baby elephant "learns" that it cant break the rope. When the elephant grows up and is strong, it could easily break the same rope. However since it learned that it couldnt break the rope when it was young, the adult elephant believes that it still cant break the rope, so it doesnt even try. This is how we limit ourselves with our beliefs throughout our life. The only limitations we have are the ones we impose on ourselves.

Examples of some limiting beliefs:

This article is good, but very difficult to apply in real life. Almost every post attracts a few of these responses! :-)
Meditation is difficult and does not work for me.
I am to too old to be able to learn that now.
I am too young to learn about spirituality now.
I am not good enough for the task.
I am good, but this world does not favor good people.
My wishes never come true.

Examples of some of my beliefs:

I am loved. There is no lack of love in my life.
Everybody I meet is beautiful, wonderful and full of love.
Everybody I encounter is helping me on my path - they are out there for me as I am for them.
Everybody I interact with is God in human form giving me the exact experience I asked for - good or bad. If its not something I like, then there is something I need to learn that I have not yet learnt.
Everybody around is conspiring to make me successful. Jack Canfield calls this "Being an Inverse paranoid”.
Everything I need is within me - there is nothing I lack. I attract the right people, things and situations in order to experience life the way I am here to experience.

Cephalopod Consciousness

In their paper Identifying hallmarks of consciousness in non-mammalian species (2005), Edelman, Baars, and Seth put forth the idea that research on consciousness needs to expand beyond methodologies which rely solely on the ability of organism somehow report their concious awareness of something (that is, behavioral tests) and encompass neuroanatomical and neurophysiological investigation. To my delight, they chose to focus on birds and octopuses as examples of animals whose possible consciousness might be probed via non-traditional methods of inquiry.

Citing evidence related the neuroanatomical and functional bases of consciousness in humans and other mammals, the authors eventually conclude that it there is a good case for avian consciousness, and the possibility of cepahlopod consciousness, based on the presence or uncertainty of these three necessary criteria:

               (1) identification of neural structures that are the functional equivalents
                       of cortex and thalamus;
               (2) neural dynamics analogous to those observed in mammals during
                       conscious states
               (3) rich discriminatory behavior that suggests a recursive linkage
                      between perceptual states and memory

I like their style and their argument. However, I really wanted to write about this paper for a much simpler reason. It has one of the best concluding figures that I have ever seen in a paper:

Not only do they have good ideas, but a great illustrator, too.