Migrating monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) use a time-compensated sun compass to navigate from eastern North America to their overwintering grounds in central Mexico. Here we describe the neuronal layout of those aspects of the butterfly's central complex likely to establish part of the internal sun compass and find them highly homologous to those of the desert locust. Intracellular recordin

In 2012, Miyake et al. reported a sudden and strong increase of the atmospheric radiocarbon (C-14) content in Japanese cedar trees of 1.2% between AD 774 and 775. While their findings were quickly confirmed by a German oak chronology for the Northern Hemisphere (NH), the question remained if the effect was seen in both hemispheres. Here we present the first annually resolved Southern Hemisphere (S

When groups of individuals differ in activities that may influence the production of reactive molecules, such as superoxide, we expect selection to result in congruent upregulation of antioxidant production in the group(s) most at risk of suffering concomitant erosion of essential tissue and biomolecules, such as DNA. We investigate this in a (near) annual lizard species, the Australian painted dr

Background: Several studies have estimated associations between air pollution and birth outcomes, but few have evaluated potential effects on pregnancy complications.Objective: We investigated whether low-level exposure to air pollution is associated with gestational diabetes and preeclampsia.Methods: High-quality registry information on 81,110 singleton pregnancy outcomes in southern Sweden durin

Comparative analysis showed that bladder cancer classification systems identify overlapping subtypes but at different levels. Muscle-invasive bladder cancer shows remarkable heterogeneity, and six subtypes were identified that differ in transcriptional networks, marker profiles, and expression of actionable targets.

Objective Previous studies suggest that dysphonic voices are perceived more negatively than typical voices, and it is possible that vocal perception influences academic achievement and comprehension. This study assessed children's subjective ratings and opinions of a typical and dysphonic voice after performing a language comprehension task in background noise. It also explored if subjective rati

Although antihypertensive drugs are known to reduce mortality in individuals with hypertension, the effects of different cardiovascular pharmacotherapies on mortality among patients with hypertension and atrial fibrillation (AF) have been less thoroughly explored. To study mortality rates in men and women separately with hypertension and AF prescribed different cardiovascular pharmacotherapies. A

The study of biomolecular interactions is central to an understanding of function, malfunction and therapeutic modulation of biological systems, yet often involves a compromise between sensitivity and accuracy. Many conventional analytical steps and the procedures required to facilitate sensitive detection, such as the incorporation of chemical labels, are prone to perturb the complexes under obse

Onychophorans typically possess a pair of simple eyes, inherited from the last common ancestor of Panarthropoda (Onychophora + Tardigrada + Arthropoda). These visual organs are thought to be homologous to the arthropod median ocelli, whereas the compound eyes most likely evolved in the arthropod lineage. To gain insights into the ancestral function and evolution of the visual system in panarthropo

The polarization direction of an electromagnetic field changes and eventually reaches a steady state when propagating through a birefringent material with off-axis absorption or gain. The steady state orientation direction depends on the magnitude of the absorption (gain) and the phase retardation rate. The change in the polarization direction is experimentally demonstrated in weakly doped (0.05%)

Leadership is generally seen not only as an inspiring and motivating force but also as having important organizing properties. Despite this common assumption, the organizing properties of leadership have not yet been clarified sufficiently or demonstrated empirically. In this study, such organizing properties are revealed through a detailed analysis of one single work episode, drawn from an ethnog

Aim: Using a high-resolution 3D endoanal ultrasound, we have observed that some perianal fistulas show a hypoechogenic fistula tract surrounded by a well-defined hyperechogenic area with a thin hypoechogenic edge outside characterized fistulas in patients with Crohn's disease ("Crohn's Ultrasound Fistula Sign" (CUFS)), unlike conventional fistula tracks.. The study aimed to determine the prevalenc

The moisture sorption and swelling of spruce specimens impregnated with linseed oil and unimpregnated controls were studied in two sorption experiments: from 0 to 55% relative humidity (RH) and from 55% RH to water saturation. Sorption isotherms were also determined using a sorption balance. The impregnated specimens had lower rates of both moisture sorption and swelling than the unimpregnated con

Long-standing inflammation has emerged as a hallmark of neoplastic transformation of epithelial cells and may be a limiting factor of successful conventional tumor therapies. A complex milieu composed of distinct stromal and immune cells, soluble factors and inflammatory mediators plays a crucial role in supporting and promoting various types of cancers. An augmented inflammatory response can pred

Background Immunotherapy targeting the amyloid beta (A beta) peptide is a potential strategy to slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease. We aimed to assess the safety and tolerability of CAD106, a novel active A beta immunotherapy for patients with Alzheimer's disease, designed to induce N-terminal A beta-specific antibodies without an A beta-specific T-cell response. Methods We did a phase 1,

Feedback with carry shift registers (FCSRs) have previously been available in two configurations, the Fibonacci and Galois architectures. Recently, a generalized and unifying FCSR structure and theory was presented. The new ring FCSR model repairs some weaknesses of the older architectures. Most notably, the carry cell bias property that was exploited for an attack on the eSTREAM final portfolio c

Modern day crises demand organizations to collaborate and adapt to new roles, functions and structures. In such situations, lack of collaborative behaviour and openness between organizations can result in reduced adaptive ability. Therefore, it is important to facilitate collaboration between organizations.We have studied the extent to which crisis managers are prepared to work with personnel and