Play is an enigmatic behaviour, the function of which is still debated, despite more than a century of research. We discuss the evolutionary function of play behaviour, focusing on the domestic dog (Canis familiaris), a unique species due to its past domestication and current cohabitation with humans. The ultimate function of play in dogs is explored through four main theories: 1) developing motor

The tumour suppressor gene TP53 is mutated in more than 50 % of human tumours, making it one of the most important cancer genes. We have investigated the role of TP53 in cytochrome P450 (CYP)-mediated metabolic activation of three polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in a panel of isogenic colorectal HCT116 cells with differing TP53 status. Cells that were TP53(+/+), TP53(+/-), TP53(-/-), TP53(

2'-Deoxy-N(6)-methyladenosine (N(6)mdA) is frequently found in prokaryotic and unicellular eukaryotic genomes. Although methylated bases represent only a minor fraction of the genome, they, however, exhibit strong biological effects. Here, we report a fast and sensitive method for the quantification of global adenine methylation in DNA. The method is based on a recently developed procedure consist

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) genes form a highly conserved gene cluster at the lung cancer susceptibility locus 15q25.1. In this study, we show that the CHRNalpha3 gene encoding the nAChRalpha3 subunit is a frequent target of aberrant DNA hypermethylation and silencing in lung cancer, whereas the adjacent CHRNbeta4 and CHRNalpha5 genes exhibit moderate and no methylation, respectively.

The transverse momentum (pT) spectra and elliptic flow coefficient (v2) of deuterons and anti-deuterons at mid-rapidity (| y| < 0.5) are measured with the ALICE detector at the LHC in Pb–Pb collisions at sNN = 2.76 TeV. The measurement of the pTspectra of (anti-)deuterons is done up to 8 GeV/ c in 0–10% centrality class and up to 6 GeV/ c in 10–20% and 20–40% centrality classes. The v2is measured

The likelihood that females will breed or how much they invest in reproduction can depend on the characters of their male partners. Such differential allocation may enhance or limit gene flow between hybridizing lineages, in particular when the lineages have diverged in sexually selected characters. Populations of the common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis) in some regions of Italy exhibit striking

HIV/AIDS stigmatizing behaviors are a huge barrier to early detection and treatment of individuals with the AIDS virus. HIV/AIDS stigma and related consequences are debilitating, especially for vulnerable populations. This study sought to assess whether young women's HIV/AIDS knowledge levels and exposure to mass media (television and radio) have an influence on their stigmatizing behaviors and ro

Background: Although global neonatal mortality declined by about 40 percent from 1990 to 2013, it still accounted for about 2.6 million deaths globally and constituted 42 percent of global under-five deaths. Most of these deaths occur in developing countries. Antenatal care (ANC) is a globally recommended strategy used to prevent neonatal deaths. In Kenya, over 90 percent of pregnant women attend

Background: Manganese (Mn) is an essential metal that can become neurotoxic at elevated levels with negative consequences on neurodevelopment. We have evaluated the influence of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in Mn transporter genes SLC30A10 and SLC39A8 on Mn concentrations in dentine, a validated biomarker that reflects Mn tissue concentrations early in life. Methods: The study included 1

The mechanisms that mediate the interaction between the thermal environment and species ranges are generally uncertain. Thermal environments may directly restrict species when environments exceed tolerance limits (i.e. the fundamental niche). However, thermal environments might also differentially affect relative performance among species prior to fundamental tolerances being met (i.e. the realize

The purpose of this article is (a) to review scholarly literature on entrepreneurship among Somalis in the United Kingdom and (b) through a field survey among Somali entrepreneurs in the UK assess if the prevailing image – derived from (a) – is valid or if some additional observations may alter the picture. Step (b) is accomplished through interviews with 36 Somalia-born entrepreneurs, most of the

The study of identified particle production as a function of transverse momentum (pT) and event multiplicity in proton-proton (pp) collisions at different center-of-mass energies (s) is a key tool for understanding similarities and differences between small and large collisions systems. We report on the production of π±, K±, KS 0, p(p‾), Λ(Λ‾), Ξ± and Ω± measured in pp collisions in a wide range o

Molecular dynamic simulations inevitably demand large computational resources for structures of liner measures even as small as a few tens or hundreds of nanometers. Thus, a computationally efficient method to simulate larger structures and, at the same time, retain the properties and the mechanical response at the atomic scale is in demand. One such approach is peridynamics, which is a nonlocal e

Genetic counselling in Sweden may be traced to the eugenics movementin the early twentieth century. A rudimentary form of what we might call geneticcounselling today was practised within the state governed Medical Board in the1940s and 1950s by the scientific advisor Nils von Hofsten. In the 1950s, Jan ArvidBöök, professor of medical genetics at Uppsala University, realised the importanceof studie