Using B(2) kinin receptor gene knockout mice (B(2)(-/-)), we tested the hypothesis that (l) lack of B(2) receptors may affect blood pressure and cardiac function and aggravate cardiac remodeling after myocardial infarction (MI), and (2) kinins partially mediate the cardiac beneficial effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEi) or angiotensin II type 1 receptor antagonists (AT(1)-a...

The foundation of many plant-ant mutualisms is ant protection of plants from herbivores in exchange for food and/or shelter. While the role of symbiotic ants in protecting plants from stem- and leaf-feeding herbivores has been intensively studied, the relationship between ant defense and measures of plant fitness has seldom been quantified. We studied ant aggression, damage by herbivores and se...

OBJECTIVE To study the involvement of the anterior nuclei of the thalamus (ANT) as compared to the involvement of the hippocampus in the processes of encoding and recognition during visual and verbal memory tasks. METHODS We studied intracerebral recordings in patients with pharmacoresistent epilepsy who underwent deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the ANT with depth electrodes implanted bilater...

Three ant species nest obligately in the swollen-thorn domatia of the African ant-plant Vachellia (Acacia) drepanolobium, a model system for the study of ant-defence mutualisms and species coexistence. Here we report on the characteristic fungal communities generated by these ant species in their domatia. First, we describe behavioural differences between the ant species when presented with a c...

T h e antibodies that are p roduced in man as a result of specific vaccination or infectious disease comprise only a small propor t ion o f the bulk o f the IgG molecules circulating in the blood. T h e immunity towards these antigens is a t t r ibuted mostly to a relatively high n u m b er o f memory cells and a low titer o f synthesized antibodies. In view of kinetic studies o f ant ibody pro...

water conveyance systems (wcss) are costly infrastructures in terms of materials, construction, maintenance and energy requirements. much attention has been given to the application of optimization methods to minimize the costs associated with such infrastructures. historically, traditional optimization techniques have been used, such as linear and non-linear programming. in this paper, applica...

Objectives We investigated whether luteal estrogen administration and an early follicular Gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist (E/G-ant) priming protocol improves clinical outcomes in poor responders to controlled ovarian stimulation for in vitro fertilization (IVF)-embryo transfer, and identified underlying mechanisms. Methods This restrospective study consisted of 65 poor responders wh...

Exurban development (e.g., second homes) in woodlands spreads urban land use impacts beyond suburbs, but because exurban developments often retain many components of original ecosystem structure—such as a forest canopy rather than open lawn—their ecological impacts may be underestimated. Changes in seed-dispersing ant behavior prompted by exurban land use, such as edge avoidance, may pose delet...

The little fire ant, Wasmannia auropunctata (Roger) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), is an invasive ant that forms supercolonies when it successfully invades new areas. W. auropunctata was first reported in Hawaii in 1999, and it has since invaded a variety of agricultural sites, including nurseries, orchards, and pastures. Amdro (hydramethylnon; in bait stations), Esteem (pyriproxyfen; broadcast bai...

Inter-organizational information systems depend at least as much on collaboration across organizational cultures as on the development of technical infrastructure for their success. Actor-network theory (ANT) is a useful approach for bringing together social and technical considerations. In this chapter we discuss key features of ANT and show how it might be applied to a particular case of IOIS...