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While social learning has been demonstrated in species across many taxa, the role it plays in everyday foraging decisions is not well understood. Investigating social learning during foraging could shed light on the emergence of cultural variation in different groups. We used an open diffusion experiment to examine the spread of a novel foraging technique in captive Amazon parrots. Three groups we
Lung diseases belong the major causes of death worldwide. Recent innovative methodological developments now allow more and more for the use of primary human tissue and cells to model such diseases. In this regard, the review covers bronchial air-liquid interface cultures, precision cut lung slices as well as ex vivo cultures of explanted peripheral lung tissue and de-/re-cellularization models. Di
Soil is likely the most complex ecosystem on earth. Despite the global importance and extraordinary diversity of soils, they have been notoriously challenging to study. We show how pioneering microfluidic techniques provide new ways of studying soil microbial ecology by allowing simulation and manipulation of chemical conditions and physical structures at the microscale in soil model habitats.The
Lifetimes of six levels belonging to the 4f(10)6p configuration of Ho III have been measured for the first time using the time-resolved laser-induced fluorescence method. They are compared with multiconfigurational pseudo-relativistic Hartree-Fock calculations. A very good agreement is found. Using the experimental lifetimes and theoretical branching fractions, a first set of transition probabilit
New radiative lifetimes have been measured for the 5s (3)P(0,1,2)degrees and 5s (1)P(1)degrees levels of Ge I using a laser-produced plasma subject to selective laser excitation. A diffraction grating based emission spectrometer of moderately high resolution has been used to remeasure the branching ratios of the 4p-5s depopulating transitions. The oscillator strengths of astrophysical interest, wh
Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) is an interleukin-7-like cytokine expressed by epithelial cells and reported to be involved in allergic diseases and atopic eczema. The presence of several predicted α-helical regions in TSPL, a structure characterizing many classical antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), prompted us to investigate whether TSLP exerts antimicrobial activities. Recombinant human TSLP ex
We show that intranigral lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection, which provokes specific degeneration of DA neurons, induced caspase-3 activation in the rat ventral mesencephalon, which was mostly associated with glial cells. In contrast, nigral DA neurons exhibited AIF nuclear translocation in response to LPS. A significant decrease of the Bcl-2/Bax ratio in nigral tissue after LPS injection was obse
BACKGROUND Relatively few studies published to date have investigated IVF and cancer risk. In this study we compared the occurrence of cancer in women who gave birth after IVF with all other women who gave birth in the study period. METHODS All women who were treated with IVF and gave birth during the years 1982-2006 in Sweden were identified from all IVF clinics, and the occurrence of cancer in t
BACKGROUND: Infants born after in vitro fertilization (IVF) differ from spontaneously conceived infants in a number of aspects which could increase the risk for future cerebral palsy (CP), e.g., multiple births, preterm births, neonatal complications. AIMS: To follow up children conceived by IVF with respect to risk for CP. METHODS: Infants born after IVF were identified from all IVF clinics in Sw
ObjectivesTo show feasibility of synthetic computed tomography (sCT) images generated using a commerciallyavailable software, enabling MRI-only treatment planning for the brain in a clinical setting.Patients and Methods20 and 16 patients with brain malignancies, including post-surgical cases, were included for validationand treatment, respectively. Dixon MR images of the skull were exported to the
There have been few attempts to synthesise the growing body of literature on phenotypic plasticity to reveal patterns and generalities about the extent and magnitude of plastic responses. Here, we conduct a review and meta-analysis of published literature on phenotypic plasticity in aquatic (marine and freshwater) gastropods, a common system for studying plasticity. We identified 96 studies, using
We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE and the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register to determine whether oxygen relieves dyspnoea in mildly or non-hypoxemic COPD and included 18 randomised controlled trials (431 participants) in the meta-analysis using Cochrane methodology. Oxygen therapy reduced dyspnoea when compared with medical air; standardised mean difference -0.37 (95% CI -0.50 to -0.24; I(2)=14%). In
We report on an x-ray scattering experiment of bulk poly[9,9-bis(2-ethylhexyl)fluorene] under quasihydrostatic pressure from 1 to 11 GPa at room temperature. The scattering pattern of high molecular weight (HMW) polyfluorene (>10 kg/mol) undergoes significant changes between 2 and 4 GPa in the bulk phase. The 110 reflection of the hexagonal unit cell disappears, indicating a change in equatorial i
Although in-situ conservation is increasingly considered an efficient way of conserving plant genetic resources, little is known about the incentives and constraints that govern conservation decisions among small farm holders in developing countries. Using a choice experiment approach, we investigated Ethiopian farmers' crop variety preferences, estimated the mean willingness to pay for each crop
An obstetrical paradox is that maternal smoking is protective for the development of preeclampsia. However, there are no prior studies investigating the risk of preeclampsia in women who were exposed to tobacco smoking during their own fetal period. We aimed to study the subsequent risk of preeclampsia in women who were exposed to tobacco smoke in utero, using a national population-based register.
Background We evaluated the accuracy and repeatability of a 3D method for polyethylene acetabular cup wear measurements using computed tomography (CT). We propose that the method be used for clinical in vivo assessment of wear in acetabular cups. Material and methods Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene cups with a titanium mesh molded on the outside were subjected to wear using a hip simulato
This paper presents diagnostic criteria for Menière's disease jointly formulated by the Classification Committee of the Bárány Society, The Japan Society for Equilibrium Research, the European Academy of Otology and Neurotology (EAONO), the Equilibrium Committee of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) and the Korean Balance Society. The classification includes 2 c
The innate immune system in humans has succeeded in developing numerous mechanisms against the injurious effects of bacteria, along with their toxins as a result of several thousand years of co-evolution. The oral mucosal surface represents such a unique environment, where despite being constantly exposed to microbes and their products, overt infection and damage is a rarity. An important componen
Alterations in the scaffold protein WRAP53β have previously been linked to carcinogenesis and, in particular, associated with an increased risk for epithelial ovarian cancer. Here, we investigated the pathogenic impact and prognostic significance of WRAP53β in connection with epithelial ovarian cancer and examined the underlying mechanisms. We find that reduced expression of WRAP53β in ovarian tum
Aim: To determine cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide LL37subcellular distribution in cord neutrophils and normal plasma LL37 levels in mothers and neonates, relate them to delivery mode and relevant biochemical markers, including 25-OHvitamin D [25(OH)D] as this molecules increases cathelicidin gene expression. Methods: A total of 115 infants were included, n = 68 with normal delivery and n = 47 w
