(n.) Any small cetacean of the genus Phocaena, especially P. communis, or P. phocaena, of Europe, and the closely allied American species (P. Americana). The color is dusky or blackish above, paler beneath. They are closely allied to the dolphins, but have a shorter snout. Called also harbor porpoise, herring hag, puffing pig, and snuffer.
(n.) A true dolphin (Delphinus); -- often so called by sailors.
Example Sentences:
(1) Using the evoked potential technique, studies have been made on localization of the projectional sensory areas in the cerebral cortex (visual, acoustic and somatosensory) of the porpoise T. truncatus.
(2) However, the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society said electronic pingers could already be used under current EU nature laws, which also protect porpoises from trawling, dredging, pile driving and noise from military sonars.
(3) Immunoperoxidase staining revealed the presence of morbillivirus antigen in a range of epithelia from both porpoises.
(4) Port Gaverne , a little cove near Port Isaac always described as "quaint", is a good place to watch seals (and occasional basking sharks, dolphins and porpoises), go fishing or rummage in rock pools.
(5) I would like to spend more time there because it’s very quiet, it’s very beautiful, you’re surrounded by nature, and as you look out across Kilbrannan Sound you can see schools of porpoises go past.
(6) The lipid components of porpoise lipokeratinocytes appear to subserve not only barrier function in a hypertonic milieu, but also underlie the unique buoyancy, streamlining, insulatory, and caloric properties exhibited as adaptations to the cetacean habitat.
(7) Thirty-six harbor porpoises, Phocaena phocaena, were caught off the coast of Southern New Brunswick and Nova Scotia as part of a study of the biology and ecology of these animals.
(8) Six harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) found stranded on the coast of Northern Ireland in late 1988 were submitted to our laboratory for necropsy.
(9) The porpoise, an air-breathing mammal whose habits are entirely aquatic, presents special problems of respiration, sleep, and anesthesia.
(10) The critical period of limb development in southern minke whale was shown to be at a stage between that in the small sized species; Common Porpoise, Phocoena communis and Striped Dolphin, Prodelphinus caeruleoalbus, and in large one; Humpback Whale, Megaptera nodusa.
(11) Similar features in mechanisms of discrimination of paired impulses in man and porpoise are noted.
(12) Studies have been made on the oxygen consumption in different parts of the cardiac muscle, as well as in deep and subcutaneous muscles of the porpoise Phocaena phocaena.
(13) It differs from the myoglobins of the dolphin in 6, of the porpoise in 8, and of the sperm whale in 14 positions.
(14) Early foetuses of the harbour porpoise (46 and 65 mm CRL) already exhibited a variety of typical odontocete brain features, such as absence of olfactory bulb, thick cochlear nerve, and strong progression of brainstem structures.
(15) Lymphoid depletion was apparent in the spleen, thymus and lymph nodes of both porpoises.
(16) Using DNA analysis of the the bite wounds, a Dutch team examined 721 of 1,081 porpoises that were stranded between 2003 and 20013 along the Dutch coastline and found that nearly one in five had been killed by seals.
(17) Afterwards, head up to the nearby Iron Age hillfort at Bolt Tail for spectacular sunsets and the chance to spot dolphins and porpoises.
(18) He saw a shoal of porpoises and a stormy petrel skimming over the waves and read "Humboldt's glowing accounts of tropical scenery.
(19) Video captured last year appeared to show a grey seal eating a harbour porpoise off the coast of Pembrokeshire , while one study laid the blame for a series of mystery porpoise deaths off the Dutch coast on greys .
(20) They reported no further sightings until 10.40am, when they confirmed their boat Marine 2 was “following a pod of about five harbour porpoises in the Lambeth area of the river.” MPSonthewater (@MPSonthewater) Breaking #dolphin news.. Marine 2 are following a pod of about 5 harbour porpoises in the Lambeth area of the river.
Scorpion
Definition:
(n.) Any one of numerous species of pulmonate arachnids of the order Scorpiones, having a suctorial mouth, large claw-bearing palpi, and a caudal sting.
(n.) The pine or gray lizard (Sceloporus undulatus).
(n.) The scorpene.
(n.) A painful scourge.
(n.) A sign and constellation. See Scorpio.
(n.) An ancient military engine for hurling stones and other missiles.
Example Sentences:
(1) Veratridine and the sea anemone toxin on one hand as well as veratridine and the scorpion toxin on the other hand are synergistic in their action to stabilize an open and highly permeable form of the sodium channel.
(2) We have previously shown that the [3H]saxitoxin binding site of the sodium channel is expressed independently of the [125I]scorpion toxin binding site in chick muscle cultures and in rat brain.
(3) The labelled peptide is bound to mouse diaphragm from where it can be displaced by ATX II and, even better, by scorpion neurotoxin but not by other basic peptides, e.g., histone or aprotinin.
(4) A graded depolarization accompanied by nerve impulses can be recorded from the scorpion lateral and median eyes in response to light.
(5) We found that HIV Nef shares sequence and structural features with scorpion peptides known to interact with K+ channels.
(6) Although the insect-directed toxin has one atypical disulfide bridge, the general structural features of the scorpion toxin family, including the presence of a "conserved-hydrophobic" surface, seem to be well-conserved.
(7) To study the site of interaction, the effects of lidocaine, carbamazepine and another anticonvulsant drug, phenytoin on scorpion venom-enhanced specific binding of [3H]batrachotoxinin A 20-alpha-benzoate to the sodium channel gating complex were examined in vitro in a rat brain hippocampus preparation.
(8) The complete amino acid sequence (64 residues) of the AaH IV toxin from the scorpion Androctonus australis Hector was determined by automated Edman degradation and was compared with the sequences of other Androctonus toxins.
(9) 62 patients who had been stung by a red scorpion were admitted from January to December 1990: 18 with hypertension, 15 with supraventricular tachycardia, 11 with pulmonary oedema, and 18 with local pain at the site of sting but no systemic involvement.
(10) We claim that periodic waves mark the activity of a suboesophageal pace-maker and we propose a system of two pace-makers to explain the visual and locomotor circadian rhythms of scorpions.
(11) Three epitopes have been localized by immunoelectron microscopy on subunit Aa6 of the 4 x 6-meric hemocyanin of the scorpion Androctonus australis.
(12) Charybdotoxin isolated from the Israeli scorpion venom (Leiurus quinquestriatus hebraeus), also displaced [125I]-DpI binding, with a Ki of approximately 3 x 10(-9) M, although the displacement curve was shallower than with native DpI.
(13) We conclude that myocardial toxicity is a common and serious complication of scorpion stings in children.
(14) The claim made by astrologers that people can be characterized according to their sign of the zodiac (sagitarius, taurus, cancer, scorpion) must be refuted.
(15) We note the absence both of microtubules in the sperm of Centruroides and also of the centriole adjunct, which is present in other scorpion spermatids.
(16) The complete amino acid sequence of toxin XI of the North African scorpion Buthus occitanus tunetanus has been elucidated by automatic sequencing of the reduced and alkylated toxin and of the peptides obtained after tryptic cleavage restricted to arginyl bonds.
(17) 22Na+ uptake through voltage-dependent Na+ channels is induced by veratridine and scorpion venom, and is inhibited 50% by 5 X 10(-7) M-tetrodotoxin and greater than 98% by 5 X 10(-6) M-tetrodotoxin.
(18) A seven-year-old girl, stung by a scorpion, was hospitalized in a confused state with signs of myocarditis and pulmonary edema.
(19) The observation that two classes of neuronal depolarizing agents (veratrine and scorpion venom) cause TTX-sensitive inhibition of basal ion transport establishes that NaCl absorption in flounder intestine is subject to regulation by enteric nerves located in the submucosa.
(20) The effects of the major neurotoxic fraction isolated from scorpion venom of Tityus serrulatus, TiTx gamma, on peripheral nerve membrane of Xenopus laevis were studied under current- and voltage-clamp conditions.