Controlling activity of defined populations of neurons without affecting other neurons in the brain is now possible by a new gene- and neuroengineering technology termed optogenetics. Derived from microbial organisms, opsin genes encoding light-activated ion channels and pumps (channelrhodopsin-2 [ChR2]; halorhodopsin [NpHR], respectively), engineered for expression in the mammalian brain, can be

Three thousand seven hundred disarticulated remains together with several articulated specimens of the Cambrian Series 2 ptychopariid trilobite Strenuaeva inflata Ahlberg and Bergstrom, 1978 have been collected from the Tornetrask area, northern Sweden. The material provides significant new data on the morphology, ontogeny, moulting and enrolment of the species. Two distinct morphotypes, possibly

We study the chemical abundances of the strontium filament found in the ejecta of eta Carinae. In particular, we derive the abundances of iron-peak elements from the spectra of their singly ionized ions present in the optical/infrared (IR) spectra. In this paper we analyse the spectrum of Mn II using a new non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (non-LTE) model for this system. In constructing this mo

Telomeres shorten as a consequence of DNA replication, in particular in cells with low production of telomerase and perhaps in response to physiological stress from exposure to reactive oxygen species, such as superoxide. This process of telomere attrition is countered by innate antioxidation, such as via the production of superoxide dismutase. We studied the inheritance of telomere length in the

This paper is the maritime and sub Antarctic contribution to the Scientific Committee for Antarctic Research (SCAR) Past Antarctic Ice Sheet Dynamics (PAIS) community Antarctic Ice Sheet reconstruction. The overarching aim for all sectors of Antarctica was to reconstruct the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) ice sheet extent and thickness, and map the subsequent deglaciation in a series of 5000 year time

Climate warming is especially severe in the Arctic, where the average temperature is increasing 0.4 degrees C per decade, two to three times higher than the global average rate. Furthermore, the Arctic has lost more than half of its summer ice extent since 1980 and predictions suggest that the Arctic will be ice free in the summer as early as 2050, which could increase the rate of warming. Predict

Previous studies have indicated that ionizing radiation, particularly during childhood, is the main established risk factor for thyroid cancer. History of benign nodules/adenoma, goiter, iodine deficiency or high-iodine intake might be other associated factors. We wanted to define the histology-specific thyroid cancer risk in the first-generation immigrants to Sweden. We used the 2010 update of th

Purpose of review Obesity has significant impact on asthma incidence and manifestations. The purpose of the review is to discuss recent observations regarding the association between obesity and asthma focusing on underlying mechanisms, clinical presentation, response to therapy and effect of weight reduction. Recent findings Clinical and epidemiological studies indicate that obese patients with a

Surrogate markers for reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) efficiency such as HDL cholesterol and immune methods for apolipoprotein A-I (ApoA-I) may not fully reflect the actual efficiency of the RCT pathway. Several genetic variants and different posttranslational proteoforms of ApoA-I may unevenly affect the functionality of the HDL particle to efflux cholesterol. A method employing top-down immu

Older patients with haemophilia (PWH) face many challenges related not only to haemophilia but also to general comorbidities associated with ageing. This article discusses the clinical experience published about the high prevalence of diseases in older PWH. These conditions are managed in the general population by healthcare workers with little training in haemophilia. Haemophilic arthropathy is c

Modern cells present no signs of a putative prebiotic RNA world. However, RNA coding is not a sine qua non for the accumulation of catalytic polypeptides. Thus, cellular proteins spontaneously fold into active structures that are resistant to proteolysis. The law of mass action suggests that binding domains are stabilized by specific interactions with their substrates. Random polypeptide synthesis

Due to a combination of exceptional economic growth and social development, Botswana has been hailed as an African developmental state. This article rejects the developmental state theory and instead attempts to build an alternative theoretical model. It argues that from the 1930s until the present, Botswana has experienced a state structure characterized by natural resource dependency, lack of ec

Escolar (Lepidocybium flavobrunneum, family Gempylidae) are large and darkly coloured deep-sea predatory fish found in the cold depths (more than 200 m) during the day and in warm surface waters at night. They have large eyes and an overall low density of retinal ganglion cells that endow them with a very high optical sensitivity. Escolar have banked retinae comprising six to eight layers of rods

The performance of new firms is important for economic development but research has produced limited knowledge about the key relationships among growth, profitability, and survival for new firms. Based on evolutionary theory, we develop a model about how new firms resolve uncertainty about their ability to prosper in a market by monitoring changes in profitability. Our model predicts selection pre

An accurate molecular diagnosis of diabetes subtype confers clinical benefits; however, many individuals with monogenic diabetes remain undiagnosed. Biomarkers could help to prioritise patients for genetic investigation. We recently demonstrated that high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels are lower in UK patients with hepatocyte nuclear factor 1 alpha (HNF1A)-MODY than in other diabete

Understanding the relationship between photosynthesis, net primary productivity and growth in forest ecosystems is key to understanding how these ecosystems will respond to global anthropogenic change, yet the linkages among these components are rarely explored in detail. We provide the first comprehensive description of the productivity, respiration and carbon allocation of contrasting lowland Am

The role of islet GPR40 protein in the pathogenesis of diabetes is unclear. We explored the influence of GPR40 protein levels on hormone secretion in islets from two rat models of spontaneous type 2 diabetes displaying either hyperlipidaemia or hyperglycaemia. GPR40 expression was analysed by confocal microscopy, Western blot and qPCR in islets from preobese Zucker (fa/fa) rats, diabetic Goto-Kaki