Incubation was for a long time considered to be a period of decreased activity and low cost for parents. It was therefore ignored as a potential factor affecting life-history trade-offs in birds. Lately this view has started to change, and studies now show that there might be considerable costs connected to incubation. We experimentally reduced the nest temperature during incubation in blue tits C

Mutations that cause a block in a late step of the protoheme IX biosynthetic pathway, i.e., in a step after uroporphyrinogen III, map at 94 degrees on the Bacillus subtilis chromosomal genetic map. We have cloned and sequenced the hem genes at this location. The sequenced region contains six open reading frames: ponA, hemE, hemH, hemY, ORFA, and ORFB. The ponA gene product shows over 30% sequence

Health risks associated with exposure to airborne particulate matter (PM) have been shown epidemiologically as well as experimentally, pointing to both respiratory and cardiovascular effects. These health risks are of increasing concern in society, and to protect public health, a clarification of the toxic properties of particles from different sources is of importance. Lately, wear particles gene

Recent work identifies two kinases required for phosphorylation of proteins of chloroplast thylakoid membranes. One kinase, STN7, is required for phosphorylation of light-harvesting complex II; another, STN8, is required for phosphorylation of photosystem II. How do these kinases interact, what do they do, and what are they for?

Purpose: To describe a technique that facilitates the safe introduction of aortic stent-grafts through diseased iliac arteries. Technique: The technique involves relining and dilating ("paving and cracking") stenosed iliac arteries with covered stents prior to the introduction of the main aortic stent-graft. It has been successfully used to introduce aortic stent-grafts in patients where other tra

The ratio of the change of the clip-gage measured crack-opening displacement of a three-point bend specimen to the change of the displacement at the point of application of the cyclic load is shown to vary linearly with the ratio of the crack length to the specimen height. With the aid of this relation, the crack-growth rate is obtained by numerical differentiation of the crack length with respect

Patients with velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI) without cleft palate, who appear for the first time in adulthood for treatment, will probably reveal a high percentage of undiagnosed myotonic dystrophy (MD). Videoradiography of deglutition and speech reveals the diagnosis. Eleven adult noncleft palate patients with VPI were studied with videoradiography of the pharynx and esophagus. Three exhibite

INTRODUCTION: A diet containing a high amount of fat has been shown, in short-term studies, to increase the expression of pancreatic lipase and colipase. AIM: To investigate the effects of long-term high-fat-feeding (113 days) on the mRNA expression of pancreatic lipase, colipase, pancreatic lipase-related proteins (1 and 2), and uncoupling proteins during the development of obesity and glucose in

PRELP is a heparin-binding leucine-rich repeat protein in connective tissue extracellular matrix. In search of natural ligands and biological functions of this molecule, we found that PRELP binds the basement membrane heparan sulfate proteoglycan perlecan. Also recombinant perlecan domains I and V carrying heparan sulfate bound PRELP, whereas other domains without glycosaminoglycan substitution di

This study investigated how the outdoor environments at nursing homes for older persons were experienced and used to gain knowledge with implications for design. Focus group methodology was used to explore staff's view of how the residents experienced and used the outdoors. Two main themes and ten sub-themes were the result when the focus group interviews were analyzed. Theme one, being comfortabl

Estimating the rate of soil carbon sequestration in degraded semiarid agroecosystems is of great interest due to the beneficial effects on soil properties, soil fertility, and the potential atmospheric CO2 mitigation. One of several applied methodologies, biogeochemical modeling, offers possibilities to distribute estimates of soil organic carbon (SOC) over regions, estimate the effects of changes

The Bloodgen project was funded by the European Commission between 2003 and 2006, and involved academic blood centres, universities, and Progenika Biopharma S. A., a commercial supplier of genotyping platforms that incorporate glass arrays. The project has led to the development of a commercially available product, BLOODchip, that can be used to comprehensively genotype an individual for all clini

BACKGROUND: The data on the association between the abstinence period and sperm motility are conflicting. METHODS: Ejaculates from 422 men assessed for infertility were analysed according to the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. Seminal plasma neutral alpha-glucosidase (NAG), prostate-specific antigen (PSA), zinc and fructose were measured. Three groups were defined according to the leng

Manual cell counting is time consuming and requires a high degree of skill on behalf of the person performing the count. Here we use a technique that utilizes digital holography, allowing label-free and completely non-invasive cell counting directly in cell culture vessels with adherent viable cells. The images produced can provide both quantitative and qualitative phase information from a single

The C and N isotopes of feathers from two subspecies of willow warblers (Phylloscopus trochilus trochilus and Phylloscopus trochilus acredula) are isotopically distinct. Our analysis of 138 adult males from 14 sites distributed across Sweden shows that the mean delta(15)N and delta(13)C values of subspecies acredula (from latitudes above 63 degrees N) were significantly higher than the mean delta(