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Despite recent advances in technology, it remains difficult to connect breeding and non-breeding areas of populations of migratory organisms due to the challenges of year-round tracking. Here, we used the Eurasian reed warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus, a passerine with a pronounced migratory divide to demonstrate the promise of integrating several sources of information within the Bayesian modellin
Background. The increased occurrence of obstetric complications (OCs) in patients with schizophrenia suggests that alterations in neurodevelopment may be of importance to the aetiology of the illness. Abnormal cortical folding may reflect subtle deviation from normal neurodevelopment during the foetal or neonatal period. In the present study, we hypothesized that OCs would be related to cortical f
Sub-cell-fix re-initialization method was proposed by Russo and Smereka (J. Comput. Phys. 2000; 163: 51-67) as a modification to the re-distancing, algorithm Of Sussman et al. (J. Comput. Phys. 1994; 114: 146-159) that determines the distance function from an interface known as the zero level-set. The principal goal of sub-cell-fix method is to compute the distance function of the cells adjacent t
Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) are increasingly used as an investigative therapeutic product for immune disorders and degenerative disease. Typically, MSC are isolated from human tissue, expanded in culture and cryopreserved until usage. The safety and efficacy of MSC therapy will depend on the phenotypical and functional characteristics of MSC. The freeze-thawing procedure may change these chara
Disentangling the relative importance and potential interactions of selection and genetic drift in driving phenotypic divergence of species is a classical research topic in population genetics and evolutionary biology. Here, we evaluate the role of stochastic and selective forces on population divergence of a colour polymorphism in seven damselfly species of the genus Ischnura, with a particular f
Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are dominant seed cell sources for bone regeneration. Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) initiate cartilage and bone formation in a sequential cascade. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is an essential coordinator of extracellular matrix remodeling, angiogenesis and bone formation. In the present study, the effects of the vascular endotheli
Two new phases Ca(10)Pt(7)Tt(3) (with Tt = Si, Ge) were obtained by reacting stoichiometric mixtures of the elements at high temperature. Their structures were refined from single crystal X-ray diffraction data. They are isostructural and crystallize in the Ba(10)Al(3)Ge(7) type structure, space group P6(3)/mcm (No. 193) with a = b = 8.7735(3) Å, c = 13.8260(5) Å, V = 921.66(6) Å(3), Z = 2 for Tt
Neutrophil recruitment is known to be a rate-limiting step in mediating tissue injury in severe acute pancreatitis (AP). However, the signalling mechanisms controlling inflammation and organ damage in AP remain elusive. Herein, we examined the role of Ras signalling in AP. Male C57BL/6 mice were treated with a Ras inhibitor (farnesylthiosalicylic acid, FTS) before infusion of taurocholate into the
Background: Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) alpha, beta delta and gamma are nuclear receptors activated by fatty acid metabolites. An anti-inflammatory role for these receptors in airway inflammation has been suggested. Methods: Nasal biopsies were obtained from 10 healthy volunteers and 10 patients with symptomatic allergic rhinitis. Nasal polyps were obtained from 22 patients,
BACKGROUND: Associations between allergen challenge-induced sites of epithelial damage and the distribution of leucocytes and extravasated plasma remain unexplored. OBJECTIVE: To study neutrophils, eosinophils, and fibrinogen at allergen challenge-induced patchy epithelial damage-restitution sites in guinea-pig trachea. METHODS: After local challenge tracheal tissue (cryo sections and whole-mounts
The timing of reproduction in birds varies considerably within populations and is often under strong natural selection. Individual timing within years is dependent on a range of environmental factors in addition to having an additive genetic basis. In vertebrates, an increasing amount is known about the molecular basis for variation in biological timing. The Clock gene includes a variable poly-glu
Background and aims: While mechanical parameters (breaking strength, bursting pressure) are used to measure colonic anastomotic healing, reported values are inconsistent. This study developed a novel approach to study colonic anastomotic repair and compared it with mechanical methods. Methods and materials: We created standardized four- and eight-suture colonic anastomoses and performed contrast e
BACKGROUND: Tumor growth and invasiveness occur through infiltration of tumor cells into the host cells and by angiogenesis, which is modulated by proteinases and antiproteinases released from tumor cells that carry out tissue remodelling. A number of studies have revealed variations in the plasma levels of serine proteases and their inhibitors among tumor types. PATIENTS AND METHODS: By immunolog
This study explores the roles of genetic variation and phenotypic plasticity for explaining patterns of local wing colour variation in the common blue butterfly, Polyommatus icarus. Polyommatus icarus is one of the most widespread species of butterflies in Europe. Across its range, the female varies a lot in its dorsal colour, from all brown to almost totally blue. It has been suggested that, in S
This paper investigates the UK REIT sector in response to the Brexit vote and compares it to the REIT sector of other central European countries. The underlying consideration for the research question is related to the vote’s economical impact on the direct real estate market. The aim of the study is not only to detect whether the stock market reflects the information about a future demand shift i
The following dissertation examines the relationship between the actual control of insurgent groups, FARC and AUC, in municipalities of Colombia and the subsequent performance of public services. By resorting to a novel semi-parametric, group-based-trajectory model, this paper manages to discern the de facto presence of such groups at the municipality level, which allows carrying out such examinat
New food products are constantly put on the market. Today the focus often lies in creating nutritional and sustainable products to reduce the environmental impact of the product in question. One example of this is the approval of the yellow mealworm, Tenebrio Molitor, as a novel food in the European union. To efficiently include the protein fraction of the yellow mealworm into food formulations, k
Recent land grabs in Sub-Saharan Africa are influenced by both land availability and access to water resources beyond seasonal rains. However, much of the literature has treated land grabs and their attendant water resource appropriations as separate phenomena until recently. This paper examines the complex interplay of large-scale land acquisitions and their impacts on the water security of small
The authors present fabrication and electrical measurements of InSb nanowire field-effect transistors (FETs) and quantum dots. The devices are made on a SiO2-capped Si substrate from InSb segments of InAs/InSb heterostructured nanowires, which are grown by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy. For the FETs, both single- and dual-gate devices are fabricated. The Si substrate is employed as the back gat
Background: High-dose chemotherapy (HDT) was added to conventional chemotherapy in Ewing sarcoma family tumor (EFT) patients, poor responders (PRs) to induction chemotherapy in order to improve their survival. Patients and methods: Patients aged <= 40 years with nonmetastatic Ewing sarcoma (ES) received vincristine (V), doxorubicin (A), cyclofosfamide (C), actinomycin (Ac), ifosfamide (I) and etop
