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Bee-mediated pollination plays a crucial role in sustaining global food production. However, while the demand for these pollination services is increasing, many bee species are in decline. To address this discrepancy, farmers use managed bee species to improve crop pollination. One key factor affecting pollination efficiency is the affinity for the crop of interest (i.e., the extent to which a bee
Japan’s rich archaeological record, supported by well-established chronological and typological frameworks, offers valuable opportunities to investigate prehistoric socio-cultural responses to climate change, although comprehensive studies remain limited. This exploratory paper examines the impact of climatic disruptions—particularly the 8.2 ka event—on Jomon foragers in Kyushu, aiming to develop
Background: Nodal assessment in gallbladder cancer remains challenging, particularly in incidental gallbladder cancer. This understages the number of patients with node-positive disease, resulting in prognostic inaccuracy and insufficient adjuvant treatment. This study aimed to identify risk factors for positive nodes in gallbladder cancer and to compare prognostic discrimination of available noda
Background The activity of the human enzyme thiopurine methyltransferase (TPMT) varies greatly between individuals because of genetic polymorphism. TPMT is involved in the detoxification and activation of thiopurines such as 6-mercaptopurine, 6-thioguanine, and azathioprine. These drugs are used in the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia and inflammatory bowel disease. A total of 29 sequence
Ex vivo gene transfer to the CNS has so far been hampered by instability of transgene expression. To avoid the phenomenon of transgene down-regulation, we have employed strong, constitutive promoters and compared this expression system with the inducible Tet expression system incorporated in a single plasmid vector or in lentiviral vectors. Plasmid-based transgene expression directed by the consti
Background: Free and total human kallikrein 2 (hK2) might improve the discrimination between prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia. Concentrations of hK2 are 100-fold lower than concentrations of prostate-specific antigen (PSA); therefore, an hK2 assay must have a low detection limit and good specificity. Methods: PSA- and hK2-specific monoclonal antibodies were used in solid-phase, two
Purpose: The 2021 guidelines endorsed by the European Resuscitation Council (ERC) and the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine (ESICM) recommend using highly malignant electroencephalogram (EEG) patterns (HMEP; suppression or burst-suppression) at > 24 h after cardiac arrest (CA) in combination with at least one other concordant predictor to prognosticate poor neurological outcome. We evalu
Drought and rainfall events will become more frequent and intense with climate change. At the same time, soil moisture is one of the major factors controlling soil microbial processes such as carbon cycling. When challenged with drought there are two main growth responses microorganisms can use: (1) they can maintain growth rates during drought (i.e., resistance) and (2) they can recover growth ra
The order Picornavirales includes viruses that infect different kinds of eukaryotes and that share similar properties. The capsid proteins (CPs) of viruses in the order that infect unicellular organisms, such as algae, presumably possess certain characteristics that have changed little over the course of evolution, and thus these viruses may resemble the Picornavirales ancestor in some respects. H
Members of the bone morphogenetic protein-1/tolloid (BMP-1/Tld) family of metalloproteinases, also known as procollagen C-proteinases (PCPs), control multiple biological events ( including matrix assembly, cross-linking, cell adhesion/migration and pattern formation) through enzymatic processing of several extracellular substrates. PCP activities on fibrillar procollagens can be stimulated by anot
In recent years evidence has emerged that the amount of isoprene emitted from a leaf is affected by the CO2 growth environment. Many - though not all - laboratory experiments indicate that emissions increase significantly at below-ambient CO2 concentrations and decrease when concentrations are raised to above-ambient. A small number of process-based leaf isoprene emission models can reproduce this
The European Spallation Source (ESS) is the European common effort in designing and building a next generation large-scale user facility for studies of the structure and dynamics of materials. The proposed schematic layout of the ESS facility is based on a linear driver (linac) directing the proton beam (5 MW of 2.5 GeV) of 2.8 ms long pulses with a 20 Hz on a tungsten target where neutrons are pr
Specific alterations (mutations, deletions, insertions) of virus genomes are crucial for the functional characterization of their regulatory elements and their expression products, as well as a prerequisite for the creation of attenuated viruses that could serve as vaccine candidates. Virus genome tailoring can be performed either by using traditionally cloned genomes as starting materials, follow
Background Plasma triglyceride levels are heritable and are correlated with the risk of coronary heart disease. Sequencing of the protein-coding regions of the human genome (the exome) has the potential to identify rare mutations that have a large effect on phenotype. Methods We sequenced the protein-coding regions of 18,666 genes in each of 3734 participants of European or African ancestry in the
Objective: The aim of this study was to achieve an international expert consensus on managing acute type B penetrating aortic ulcers (PAUs) and intramural haematomas (IMHs). Methods: A modified Delphi consensus process was employed to develop recommendations for the management of acute type B PAU and IMH. Surveys were sent to international experts practicing in high volume aortic centres worldwide
The power systems of drilling rigs have changed considerably since the early days of steam driven machinery. This paper reviews that progression, from mechanical and diesel electric configurations through to modern hybrid and renewable integrated systems, with a focus on the power conversion technologies that enable each stage. Coverage includes the electrical architecture of drilling rig power sy
Background: Progressive respiratory failure is the leading cause of death in patients with severe COVID-19. Histopathological findings in acute severe COVID-19 are foremost based on post-mortem findings. On computed tomography (CT), acute COVID-19 pneumonia is characterized by ground-glass opacities (GGOs) and, later, by a crazy-paving pattern (CPP) and consolidations. Purpose: To investigate if C
