Optogenetic tools comprise a variety of different light-sensitive proteins from single-cell organisms that can be expressed in mammalian neurons and effectively control their excitability. Two main classes of optogenetic tools allow to either depolarize or hyperpolarize, and respectively generate or inhibit action potentials in selective populations of neurons. This opens unprecedented possibiliti

The combination of nanoparticles and polymers into nanocomposite gels has been shown to be a promising route to creating soft materials with new or improved properties. In the present work, we have made use of Laponite nanoparticles in combination with a poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAM)polymer and describe a phenomenon taking place during the polymerization and gelling of this system. The pre

Levodopa is the most effective therapy for Parkinson's disease, but chronic treatment is associated with the development of potentially disabling motor complications. Experimental studies suggest that motor complications are due to non-physiological, intermittent administration of the drug, and can be reduced with continuous delivery. We aimed to assess efficacy and safety of levodopa-carbidopa in

The main aims were to explore time trends in the management and outcome of patients with rectal cancer in a national cohort and to evaluate the possible impact of national auditing on overall outcomes. A secondary aim was to provide population-based data for appraisal of external validity in selected patient series.

Low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) and elevated parathyroid hormone (PTH) Levels have been linked with depressive symptoms among adults in various clinical settings. Data in generally healthy, community-dwelling individuals remain inconclusive. We investigated whether depression was associated with 25(OH)D and/or PTH in a sample of middle-aged and older men (n = 3369; mean age 60 +/- 11) part

The current study investigated if and how students' behaviour when using a teachable agent-based educational software were related to their working memory capacity. Thirty Swedish students aged 11-12, participated in the study. Results showed that differences in behaviour such as time spent on an off-task activity, time spent on interactive dialogues, and the number of tests that students let thei

Lignocellulose is widely recognized as a Sustainable substrate for biofuels production, and the enzymatic hydrolysis is regarded as a critical step for the development of ail effective process for the conversion of cellulose into ethanol. One key factor affecting the overall conversion rate is the adsorption capacity of the cellulase enzymes to the surface of the insoluble substrate. Pretreatment

Using in situ surface-sensitive electron microscopy performed in real time, we show that the dynamics of micron-sized Ga droplets on Ga P(111) can be manipulated locally using Au nanoparticles. Detailed measurements of structure and dynamics of the surface from microns to atomic scale are done using both surface electron and scanning probe microscopies. Imaging is done simultaneously on areas with

Food production and consumption have a range of sustainability implications, including their contribution to global emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs). As some foodstuffs entail higher GHG emissions than others, managing their use in tourism-related contexts could make a significant contribution to climate change mitigation. This article reviews the carbon intensity of selected foods and discuss

Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is an enzyme that has been extensively investigated as a prognostic marker in cancer. In non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) previous results regarding the prognostic impact of COX-2 expression are inconsistent. Therefore we evaluated the association between transcript levels and overall survival in nine publicly available gene expression data sets (total n = 1337) and dete

In this study, similarity networks are used to analyse the diffusion of fired bricks across Hellenistic Europe, initiated in the north Aegean in the fourth century BCE. In a similarity network, archaeological contexts with similar attributes are connected according to a predefined criterion, and the edges are interpreted as potential social or causal links. Here we allow any kind of similarity rel

Control design is a rich problem which requires consideration of many issues such as load disturbance attenuation, set-point tracking, robustness with respect to process variations and model uncertainty, and effects of measurement noise. The purpose of this paper is to provide insight into the trade-offs between performance and robustness explicitly. This is accomplished by introducing plots that

Ambient noise levels emanating from religious activities in residential neighbourhoods are an emerging environmental problem that educes little attention from enforcement agencies and policy makers in Ghana. This paper set out to quantify religious noise exposure in urban residential neighbourhoods in the Cape Coast metropolis of Ghana. Subjective annoyance levels of residents in selected communit

We derive analytical expressions for the three-dimensional (3D) acoustophoretic motion of spherical microparticles in rectangular microchannels. The motion is generated by the acoustic radiation force and the acoustic streaming-induced drag force. In contrast to the classical theory of Rayleigh streaming in shallow, infinite, parallel-plate channels, our theory does include the effect of the micro

An experimental investigation was performed to evaluate convective condensation and evaporation of R22, R32 and R410A inside a smooth tube (inner diameter 11.43 mm), a herringbone tube (fin root diameter 11.43 mm) and a newly developed enhanced surface EHT tube (inner diameter 11.5 mm) at low mass fluxes. The inner surface of the EHT tube is enhanced by dimple/protrusion and secondary petal arrays

Genetic susceptibility accounts for similar to 35% of all colorectal cancer (CRC). Ten common low-risk variants contributing to CRC risk have been identified through genome-wide association studies (GWASs). In our GWAS, 610 664 genotyped single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) passed the quality control filtering in 371 German familial CRC patients and 1263 controls, and replication studies were co

The equations of motion for a constrained multibody system are derived from a continuum mechanical point of view. This will allow for the presence of rigid, as well as deformable, parts in the multibody system together with kinematical constraints. The approach leads to the classical Lagrange-d'Alembert equations of motion under constraint conditions. The generalized forces appearing in the equati

In this study, we show a significantly reduced assay time and a greatly increased bead recovery for a commercial Luminex-based multiplex diagnostic immunoassay by performing all liquid handling steps of the assay protocol in a non-contact acoustic trapping platform. The Luminex assay is designed for detecting antibodies in poultry serum for infectious bursal disease virus, infectious bronchitis vi