Publications
| Title | Abstract | Year Filter | PMID(sorted ascending) Filter |
|---|
| volume management in critically ill patients: new insights. | in order to turn a fluid challenge into a significant increase in stroke volume and cardiac output, 2 conditions must be met: 1) fluid infusion has to significantly increase cardiac preload and 2) the increase in cardiac preload has to induce a significant increase in stroke volume. in other words, a patient can be nonresponder to a fluid challenge because preload does not increase during fluid infusion or/and because the heart (more precisely, at least 1 of the ventricles) is operating on the f ... | 2006 | 16924327 |
| captive european starlings (sturnus vulgaris) in breeding condition show an increased cardiovascular stress response to intruders. | european starlings (sturnus vulgaris) alter their physiology and behavior between seasons, becoming territorial during the spring/summer and flocking during the fall/winter. we used captive male starlings in breeding (photostimulated to 18l : 6d) and nonbreeding (11l : 13d) conditions to determine whether changing physiology and behavior alters their reaction to crowding. one or five intruders entered a resident's cage without human disturbance. a subcutaneous heart rate transmitter recorded car ... | 2006 | 16927240 |
| adaptation of the right ventricle to an increased afterload in the chronically volume overloaded heart. | increased right ventricular afterload is a common problem after correction of various heart diseases with chronic volume overload. we determined the effects of an acute increase of right ventricular afterload in normal and chronically volume overloaded hearts. | 2006 | 16928521 |
| effect of diastolic pressure on mlc2v phosphorylation in the rat left ventricle. | the effect of passive muscle stretch on the extent of mlc2v phosphorylation was investigated. we used an isolated rat heart preparation and controlled the passive pressure of the left ventricle (lv) at 0 or 15 mmhg. the hearts were flash frozen and the lv free wall was split into epicardial and the endocardial halves. the samples were solubilized using a novel method that minimizes changes in the phosphate content of mlc2v under non-denaturing conditions. the proteins were separated by urea glyc ... | 2006 | 16949549 |
| asymmetry of masking in the european starling: behavioural auditory thresholds. | psychophysical studies of simultaneous masking with human observers exhibit an asymmetry in the amount of masking that depends on the relative bandwidths of signals and maskers. for noise bands up to the bandwidth of one auditory filter, masked auditory thresholds are considerably lower when the bandwidth of the signal exceeds that of the masker compared to the reversed condition. we investigate asymmetry of masking in an animal model, that will allow to study the mechanisms associated with the ... | 2006 | 16973317 |
| respiratory water loss during rest and flight in european starlings (sturnus vulgaris). | respiratory water loss in starlings (sturnus vulgaris) at rest and during flight at ambient temperatures (t(amb)) between 6 and 25 degrees c was calculated from respiratory airflow and exhaled air temperature. at rest, breathing frequency f (1.4+/-0.3 hz) and tidal volume vt (1.9+/-0.4 ml) were independent of t(amb), but negatively correlated with each other. mean ventilation at rest was 156+/-28 ml min(-1) at all t(amb). exhaled air temperature (t(exh)) at rest increased with t(amb) (t(exh) = 0 ... | 2006 | 17011222 |
| hydraulic conductance of lung endothelial phenotypes and starling safety factors against edema. | recent permeability studies comparing endothelial cell phenotypes derived from alveolar and extra-alveolar vessels have significant implications for interpreting the mechanisms of fluid homeostasis in the intact lung. these studies indicate that confluent monolayers of rat pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells had a hydraulic conductance (l(p)) that was only 5% and a transendothelial flux rate for 72-kda dextran only 9% of values determined for rat pulmonary artery endothelial cell monolayer ... | 2007 | 17041015 |
| a statistical framework for genetic association studies of power curves in bird flight. | how the power required for bird flight varies as a function of forward speed can be used to predict the flight style and behavioral strategy of a bird for feeding and migration. a u-shaped curve was observed between the power and flight velocity in many birds, which is consistent to the theoretical prediction by aerodynamic models. in this article, we present a general genetic model for fine mapping of quantitative trait loci (qtl) responsible for power curves in a sample of birds drawn from a n ... | 2006 | 17066123 |
| evolution of the diffuse neuroendocrine system--clear cells and cloudy origins. | as early as the 2nd century, galen proposed that 'vital spirits' in the blood regulated human bodily functions. however, the concept of hormonal activity required a further 18 centuries to develop and relied upon the identification of 'ductless glands', schwann's cell and the recognition by bayliss and starling of chemical messengers. bernard's introduction of 'internal secretion' and its role in homeostasis laid a physiological basis for the development of endocrinology. kocher and addison reco ... | 2006 | 17106184 |
| rate of tension redevelopment is not modulated by sarcomere length in permeabilized human, murine, and porcine cardiomyocytes. | the increase in ca(2+) sensitivity of isometric force development along with sarcomere length (sl) is considered as the basis of the frank-starling law of the heart, possibly involving the regulation of cross-bridge turnover kinetics. therefore, the ca(2+) dependencies of isometric force production and of the cross-bridge-sensitive rate constant of force redevelopment (k(tr)) were determined at different sls (1.9 and 2.3 mum) in isolated human, murine, and porcine permeabilized cardiomyocytes. k ... | 2007 | 17110532 |
| zenk labeling within social behavior brain regions reveals breeding context-dependent patterns of neural activity associated with song in male european starlings (sturnus vulgaris). | in songbirds, song learning and production are regulated by the song control system. how the rest of the brain interacts with song nuclei to ensure that song is produced in an appropriate context is not yet clear. in male european starlings (sturnus vulgaris), breeding context song is sexually motivated, whereas, non-breeding context song is more broadly socially motivated. brain regions involved in regulating social behavior might differentially regulate starling song depending upon the context ... | 2007 | 17113163 |
| experimental evaluation of the usefulness of feathers as a non-destructive biomonitor for polychlorinated biphenyls (pcbs) using silastic implants as a novel method of exposure. | risk assessment of pollutants requires both monitoring studies in the field and experimental exposure studies. in this study, we evaluated silastic implants as an alternative method of exposure for use in toxicological studies and at the same time evaluated the usefulness of feathers as a non-destructive biomonitor for pcbs. european starlings (sturnus vulgaris) were exposed to different doses (including a control group) of environmentally relevant concentrations of pcb 153 during a 15-week peri ... | 2007 | 17125836 |
| feathers at nests are potential female signals in the spotless starling. | although the presence of feathers in the nest is widespread among birds, it has not been previously suggested that feathers can be used as sexual signals. females of the spotless starling (sturnus unicolor) regularly carry feathers to their nest, mostly during laying and incubation. we show that the arrangement of these feathers was non-random with respect to the side (obverse or reverse) placed upwards (which can be viewed from the nest entrance). feathers of the wood pigeon (columba palumbus) ... | 2005 | 17148200 |
| lesions to the medial preoptic nucleus differentially affect singing and nest box-directed behaviors within and outside of the breeding season in european starlings (sturnus vulgaris). | little is known about how the brain regulates context-appropriate communication. european starlings produce song in various social contexts. during the breeding season, males with nest sites sing high levels of sexually motivated song in response to a female. outside of this context, song rates are not affected by female presence. the medial preoptic nucleus (pom) regulates male sexual behavior, and studies in songbirds implicate the pom in sexually motivated song. recent data suggest that the r ... | 2006 | 17201478 |
| major differences in the pulmonary circulation between birds and mammals. | the lungs of domestic chickens were perfused with blood or dextran/saline and the pulmonary artery pressure (p(a)) and venous pressure (p(v)) were varied in relation to air capillary pressure (p(a)). in zone 3 conditions, pulmonary vascular resistance (pvr) was virtually unchanged with increases in either p(a) or p(v). this is very different behavior from mammals where the same interventions greatly reduce pvr. in zone 2 conditions blood flow was essentially independent of p(v) as in mammalian l ... | 2007 | 17222589 |
| accumulation, tissue-specific distribution and debromination of decabromodiphenyl ether (bde 209) in european starlings (sturnus vulgaris). | in this study we investigated the accumulation, tissue-specific distribution and possible debromination of bde 209 in a terrestrial songbird species, the european starling, using silastic implants as a method of exposure. bde 209 accumulated in the blood of the exposed starlings to a mean peak concentration of 16+/-4.1 ng/ml on day 10. after this peak, there was a decline to 3.3+/-0.4 ng/ml blood at the end of the exposure period of 76 days, which suggests elimination of bde 209. in the exposed ... | 2007 | 17239511 |
| seasonality in a temperate zone bird can be entrained by near equatorial photoperiods. | birds use photoperiod to control the time of breeding and moult. however, it is unclear whether responses are dependent on absolute photoperiod, the direction and rate of change in photoperiod, or if photoperiod entrains a circannual clock. if starlings (sturnus vulgaris) are kept on a constant photoperiod of 12h light:12h darkness per day (12l:12d), then they can show repeated cycles of gonadal maturation, regression and moult, which is evidence for a circannual clock. in this study, starlings ... | 2007 | 17254997 |
| chronic stress in free-living european starlings reduces corticosterone concentrations and reproductive success. | chronic increases in stress hormones such as glucocorticoids are maladaptive, yet studies demonstrating a causal relationship among chronic stress, increases in glucocorticoid concentrations, and subsequent fitness costs in free-living animals are lacking. we experimentally induced chronic psychological stress in female european starlings (sturnus vulgaris) by subjecting half of the females at our study site to a chronic stress protocol consisting of 4, 30 min stressors (loud radio, predator cal ... | 2007 | 17280663 |
| clinical application of an external fixator in the repair of bone fractures in 28 birds. | the repair of seven tibiotarsal fractures, three humeral fractures, three tarsometatarsal fractures, two femoral fractures and 13 radial and ulnar fractures with a tubular external fixator system was evaluated prospectively in 10 common pigeons (columba livia), 11 psittacine birds, six birds of prey and one bali starling (leucopsar rothschildii). the fixations included type 1, type 2 and intramedullary tie-in methods, and the fractures healed in all but three cases. a comparison of the weight of ... | 2007 | 17293578 |
| european starlings are capable of discriminating subtle size asymmetries in paired stimuli. | small deviations from bilateral symmetry (fluctuating asymmetries) are cues to fitness differences in some animals. therefore, researchers have considered whether animals use these small asymmetries as visual cues to determine appropriate behavioral responses (e.g., mate preferences). however, there have been few systematic studies of animals' abilities to visually discriminate such minor asymmetries. if the asymmetries cannot be discriminated, fluctuating asymmetry can not be a visual cue. here ... | 2007 | 17345950 |
| maximum cardiac performance and adrenergic sensitivity of the sea bass dicentrarchus labrax at high temperatures. | we examined maximum cardiac performance of sea bass dicentrarchus labrax acclimated to 18 degrees c and 22 degrees c, temperatures near the optimum for growth of this species. our aim was to study whether cardiac performance, especially the effect of adrenergic stimulation, differed when compared to salmonids. sea bass and salmonids are both athletic swimmers but their cardiac anatomy differs markedly. the sea bass ventricle does not receive any oxygenated blood via a coronary circulation while ... | 2007 | 17371920 |
| long-term trends in first arrival and first egg laying dates of some migrant and resident bird species in northern italy. | climate change is affecting the phenology of seasonal events in europe and the northern hemisphere, as shown by several studies of birds' timing of migration and reproduction. here, we analyse the long-term (1982-2006) trends of first arrival dates of four long-distance migratory birds [swift (apus apus), nightingale (luscinia megarhynchos), barn swallow (hirundo rustica), and house martin (delichon urbicum)] and first egg laying dates of two migrant (swift, barn swallow) and two resident specie ... | 2007 | 17375338 |
| does a positive end-expiratory pressure-induced reduction in stroke volume indicate preload responsiveness? an experimental study. | increases in positive end-expiratory pressure (peep) are often associated with cardiovascular depression, responding to fluid loading. therefore, we hypothesized that if stroke volume (sv) is reduced by an increase in peep this reduction is an indicator of hypovolemia or preload responsiveness, i.e. that sv would increase by fluid administration at zero end-expiratory pressure (zeep). the relationship between the cardiovascular response to different peep levels and fluid load as well as the rela ... | 2007 | 17378779 |
| daily laying time in free-living european starlings: solar noon, a potential synchronizer. | reproduction is generally controlled by important temporal constraints involving complex adaptive mechanisms. birds, in temperate zones, present marked breeding seasonality as well as marked daily organization of reproductive behavior, especially laying. intra-specific variability and determinants of this pattern have been investigated mainly in domestic non-passerine birds. the present study analyzed the daily temporal organization of laying in a free-living species, the european starling, stur ... | 2007 | 17453845 |
| creation of myocardial tubes using cardiomyocyte sheets and an in vitro cell sheet-wrapping device. | regenerative medicine involving injection of isolated cells and transplantation of tissue-engineered myocardial patches, has received significant attention as an alternative method to repair damaged heart muscle. in the present study, as the next generation of myocardial tissue engineering we demonstrate the in vitro fabrication of pulsatile myocardial tubes using cell sheet engineering technologies. three neonatal rat cardiomyocyte sheets, which were harvested from temperature-responsive cultur ... | 2007 | 17482255 |
| a comprehensive molecular phylogeny of the starlings (aves: sturnidae) and mockingbirds (aves: mimidae): congruent mtdna and nuclear trees for a cosmopolitan avian radiation. | we generated a comprehensive phylogeny for the avian families sturnidae (starlings, mynas, rhabdornis, oxpeckers, and allies) and mimidae (mockingbirds, thrashers, and allies) to explore patterns of morphological and behavioral diversification. reconstructions were based on mitochondrial dna sequences from five coding genes (4108 bp), and nuclear intron sequences from four loci (2974 bp), for most taxa, supplemented with ndii gene sequences (1041 bp) derived from museum skin specimens from addit ... | 2007 | 17502157 |
| auditory short-term memory persistence for tonal signals in a songbird. | this paper presents an animal model for studying the persistence of auditory memory for tonal signals. five european starlings (sturnus vulgaris) were trained in a go/nogo delayed nonmatching-to-sample task to discriminate between a series of identical "sample stimuli" and a single "test stimulus." frequencies of sample and test stimuli should be classified as being either the same or different. the performance of the birds is measured as the percentage of correct classifications. three paramete ... | 2007 | 17550183 |
| molecular mechanism of edema formation in nephrotic syndrome: therapeutic implications. | sodium retention and edema are common features of nephrotic syndrome that are classically attributed to hypovolemia and activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. however, numbers of clinical and experimental findings argue against this underfill theory. in this review we analyze data from the literature in both nephrotic patients and experimental models of nephrotic syndrome that converge to demonstrate that sodium retention is not related to the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone statu ... | 2007 | 17554565 |
| expression of na+-glucose cotransporter (sglt1) in visceral and parietal mesothelium of rabbit pleura. | indirect evidence for a solute-coupled liquid absorption from rabbit pleural space indicated that it should be caused by a na(+)/h(+)-cl(-)/hco(3)(-) double exchanger and a na(+)-glucose cotransporter [agostoni, e., zocchi, l., 1998. mechanical coupling and liquid exchanges in the pleural space. in: antony, v.b. (ed.), clinics in chest medicine: diseases of the pleura, vol. 19. saunders, philadelphia, pp. 241-260]. in this research we tried to obtain molecular evidence for na(+)-glucose cotransp ... | 2007 | 17652034 |
| the effect of chronic psychological stress on corticosterone, plasma metabolites, and immune responsiveness in european starlings. | although increases in glucocorticoid concentrations during acute stress are believed to help animals survive stressful events, chronic changes in glucocorticoid concentrations can alter metabolism and lead to disease. we studied the effect of chronic psychological stress on corticosterone (cort), corticosterone binding globulin (cbg), glucose, and triglyceride concentrations as well as immune responsiveness to a t-cell mitogen challenge in european starlings, sturnus vulgaris. to induce chronic ... | 2007 | 17681504 |
| preliminary studies on the use of a specific sound to repel starlings (sturnus vulgaris) from objectionable roosts. | 1954 | 17754329 | |
| detecting modulated signals in modulated noise: (i) behavioural auditory thresholds in a songbird. | most signals from the auditory world have temporal patterns of amplitude modulation that either emanate from the signal source or result from environmental interference (e.g. air turbulence). to investigate mechanisms associated with the segregation and processing of amplitude-modulated signals, we trained european starlings (sturnus vulgaris) to detect a signal noise band embedded in several flanking noise bands (fbs). we manipulated the envelope correlation between the signal and fbs, the onse ... | 2007 | 17897400 |
| detecting modulated signals in modulated noise: (ii) neural thresholds in the songbird forebrain. | sounds in the real world fluctuate in amplitude. the vertebrate auditory system exploits patterns of amplitude fluctuations to improve signal detection in noise. one experimental paradigm demonstrating these general effects has been used in psychophysical studies of 'comodulation detection difference' (cdd). the cdd effect refers to the fact that thresholds for detecting a modulated, narrowband noise signal are lower when the envelopes of flanking bands of modulated noise are comodulated with ea ... | 2007 | 17897401 |
| gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone neurons interact directly with gonadotropin-releasing hormone-i and -ii neurons in european starling brain. | gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone (gnih) is a hypothalamic dodecapeptide (sikpsaylplrf-nh(2)) that directly inhibits gonadotropin synthesis and release from quail pituitary. the action of gnih is mediated by a novel g-protein coupled receptor. this gonadotropin-inhibitory system may be widespread in vertebrates, at least birds and mammals. in these higher vertebrates, histological evidence suggests contact of gnih immunoreactive axon terminals with gnrh neurons, thus indicating direct regulation o ... | 2008 | 17901228 |
| redescriptions of monopylidium exiguum (dujardin, 1845) and m. albani (mettrick, 1958) n. comb. (cestoda: dilepididae) from european passerine birds. | two species of monopylidium fuhrmann, 1899 are redescribed on the basis of specimens from their type-hosts: m. exiguum (dujardin, 1845) from troglodytes troglodytes l. (passeriformes: troglodytidae) on the curonian spit, kaliningradskaya oblast', russia, and m. albani (mettrick, 1958) n. comb. (originally paricterotaenia albani mettrick, 1958) from sturnus vulgaris l. (passeriformes: sturnidae) in the canton of jura, switzerland. in contrast to the previously proposed synonymy of these two speci ... | 2007 | 17912615 |
| determinants of within- and among-clutch variation in yolk corticosterone in the european starling. | maternal glucocorticoids are known to affect offspring phenotype in numerous vertebrate taxa. in birds, the maternal transfer of corticosterone to eggs was recently proposed as a hormonal mechanism by which offspring phenotype is matched to the relative quality of the maternal environment. however, current hypotheses lack supporting information on both intra- and inter-clutch variation in yolk corticosterone for wild birds. as such, we examined variation in yolk corticosterone levels in a wild p ... | 2008 | 17961563 |
| cardiac troponin i threonine 144: role in myofilament length dependent activation. | myofilament length-dependent activation is the main cellular mechanism responsible for the frank-starling law of the heart. all striated muscle display length-dependent activation properties, but it is most pronounced in cardiac muscle and least in slow skeletal muscle. cardiac muscle expressing slow skeletal troponin (sstn)i instead of cardiac troponin (ctn)i displays reduced myofilament length-dependent activation. the inhibitory region of troponin (tn)i differs by a single residue, proline at ... | 2007 | 17975107 |
| the effects of chronic psychological and physical stress on feather replacement in european starlings (sturnus vulgaris). | corticosterone (cort) is seasonally modulated in many passerines, with plasma cort concentrations lowest during the prebasic molt, when all feathers are replaced. recent evidence indicating that cort implants slow the rate of feather regrowth in molting birds suggests that plasma cort concentrations are downregulated during molt in order to avoid the inhibition of feather growth caused by the protein catabolic activity of cort. to further test this hypothesis, we examined whether endogenous cort ... | 2008 | 18032078 |
| atria assist device to restore transport function of fibrillating atrium. | the maze procedure can restore sinus rhythm in patients suffering from chronic atrial fibrillation but often fails to restore the mechanical function of the atrium, the so-called atrial kick and requires long-term anticoagulation most of the time. a micro motorless pump (atripump) based on artificial muscle technology positioned on the external surface of the atrium could compress the heart chamber, restoring atrium transport function. a bench model reproducing the mechanical function of human a ... | 2008 | 18061471 |
| calpain inhibition attenuates right ventricular contractile dysfunction after acute pressure overload. | right ventricular contractile failure from acute rv pressure overload is an important cause of morbidity and mortality, but the mechanism of rv failure in this setting is incompletely defined. we hypothesized that rv dysfunction from acute rv pressure overload is, in part, due to activation of calpain, and that calpain inhibition would therefore attenuate rv dysfunction. anesthetized, open chest pigs were treated with the calpain inhibitor mdl-28170 or with inactive vehicle, and then subjected t ... | 2008 | 18068185 |
| adaptive developmental plasticity in growing nestlings: sibling competition induces differential gape growth. | sibling competition has been shown to affect overall growth rates in birds. however, growth consists on the coordinated development of a multitude of structures, and there is ample scope for developmental plasticity and trade-offs among these structures. we would expect that the growth of structures that are used in sibling competition, such as the gape of altricial nestlings, should be prioritized under intense competition. we conducted an experiment in the spotless starling (sturnus unicolor), ... | 2008 | 18089540 |
| sarcosporidia in a starling (sturnus vulgaris). | 1949 | 18119127 | |
| role of terrestrial wild birds in ecology of influenza a virus (h5n1). | house sparrows, european starlings, and carneux pigeons were inoculated with 4 influenza a (h5n1) viruses isolated from different avian species. we monitored viral replication, death after infection, and transmission to uninfected contact birds of the same species. sparrows were susceptible to severe infection; 66%-100% of birds died within 4-7 days. high levels of virus were detected from oropharyngeal and cloacal swabs and in organs of deceased sparrows. inoculation of starlings caused no deat ... | 2007 | 18217557 |
| simultaneous and sequential choice as a function of reward delay and magnitude: normative, descriptive and process-based models tested in the european starling (sturnus vulgaris). | the authors analyze prevalent theoretical and empirical quantitative models of choice using data from european starlings (sturnus vulgaris). the different models originate from diverse lines of thinking, including optimal foraging theory, descriptive behavioral analysis, and temporal discounting. the authors also investigate the sequential choice model (scm) that predicts choice between simultaneous alternatives as a function of behavior in sequential encounters. scm assumes that simultaneous en ... | 2008 | 18248116 |
| 'dynamic' starling mechanism: effects of ageing and physical fitness on ventricular-arterial coupling. | cardiovascular diseases increase with advancing age, associated with left ventricular and arterial stiffening in humans. in contrast, daily exercise training prevents and/or improves both ventricular and arterial stiffening with ageing. we propose a new approach to quantify the dynamics of the starling mechanism, namely the beat-to-beat modulation of stroke volume (sv) caused by beat-to-beat alterations in left ventricular filling, which we propose reflects the complex interaction between ventri ... | 2008 | 18258658 |
| the integration of song environment by catecholaminergic systems innervating the auditory telencephalon of adult female european starlings. | mate choice is among the most consequential decisions a sexually reproducing organism can make. in many songbird species, females make mate-choice decisions based, in part, on variation between males in songs that reflect their quality. importantly, females may adjust their choice relative to the prevalence of high quality songs. in european starlings (sturnus vulgaris), females prefer males that primarily sing long songs over those that primarily sing short songs, and sensitivity of the auditor ... | 2008 | 18278799 |
| auditory memory: a comparison between humans and starlings. | in this study, we compare the processing of acoustic signals in european starlings (sturnus vulgaris) and in human listeners by observing the decay of short-term auditory memory in delayed non-matching-to-sample experiments. a series of identical "sample" stimuli and a final "test" stimulus were separated by variable delays (1 to 180.1 s). subjects had to classify sample and test stimuli as being either the same or different. test stimuli were pure tones that differed in a single signal feature, ... | 2008 | 18291352 |
| the morphological basis of the arm-to-wing transition. | human-powered flight has fascinated scientists, artists, and physicians for centuries. this history includes abbas ibn firnas, a spanish inventor who attempted the first well-documented human flight; leonardo da vinci and his flying machines; the turkish inventor hezarfen ahmed celebi; and the modern aeronautical pioneer otto lilienthal. these historic figures held in common their attempts to construct wings from man-made materials, and though their human-powered attempts at flight never came to ... | 2008 | 18294556 |
| troponin and titin coordinately regulate length-dependent activation in skinned porcine ventricular muscle. | we investigated the molecular mechanism by which troponin (tn) regulates the frank-starling mechanism of the heart. quasi-complete reconstitution of thin filaments with rabbit fast skeletal tn (stn) attenuated length-dependent activation in skinned porcine left ventricular muscle, to a magnitude similar to that observed in rabbit fast skeletal muscle. the rate of force redevelopment increased upon stn reconstitution at submaximal levels, coupled with an increase in ca2+ sensitivity of force, sug ... | 2008 | 18299397 |
| auditory memory for temporal characteristics of sound. | this study evaluates auditory memory for variations in the rate of sinusoidal amplitude modulation (sam) of noise bursts in the european starling (sturnus vulgaris). to estimate the extent of the starling's auditory short-term memory store, a delayed non-matching-to-sample paradigm was applied. the birds were trained to discriminate between a series of identical "sample stimuli" and a single "test stimulus". the birds classified sam rates of sample and test stimuli as being either the same or di ... | 2008 | 18299849 |
| pollutants increase song complexity and the volume of the brain area hvc in a songbird. | environmental pollutants which alter endocrine function are now known to decrease vertebrate reproductive success. there is considerable evidence for endocrine disruption from aquatic ecosystems, but knowledge is lacking with regard to the interface between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. here, we show for the first time that birds foraging on invertebrates contaminated with environmental pollutants, show marked changes in both brain and behaviour. we found that male european starlings (stur ... | 2008 | 18301751 |
| plasticity in the adrenocortical response of a free-living vertebrate: the role of pre- and post-natal developmental stress. | optimal functioning of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (hpa) axis is paramount to maximizing fitness in vertebrates. research in laboratory mammals has suggested that maternally-induced stress can cause significant variation in the responsiveness of an offspring's hpa axis involving both pre- and post-natal developmental mechanisms. however, very little is known regarding effects of maternal stress on the variability of offspring adrenocortical functioning in free-living vertebrates. here we u ... | 2008 | 18313054 |
| a complete species-level molecular phylogeny for the "eurasian" starlings (sturnidae: sturnus, acridotheres, and allies): recent diversification in a highly social and dispersive avian group. | we generated the first complete phylogeny of extant taxa in a well-defined clade of 26 starling species that is collectively distributed across eurasia, and which has one species endemic to sub-saharan africa. two species in this group-the european starling sturnus vulgaris and the common myna acridotheres tristis-now occur on continents and islands around the world following human-mediated introductions, and the entire clade is generally notable for being highly social and dispersive, as most o ... | 2008 | 18321732 |
| negative-feedback loop attenuates hydrostatic lung edema via a cgmp-dependent regulation of transient receptor potential vanilloid 4. | although the formation of hydrostatic lung edema is generally attributed to imbalanced starling forces, recent data show that lung endothelial cells respond to increased vascular pressure and may thus regulate vascular permeability and edema formation. in combining real-time optical imaging of the endothelial ca(2+) concentration ([ca(2+)](i)) and no production with filtration coefficient (k(f)) measurements in the isolated perfused lung, we identified a series of endothelial responses that cons ... | 2008 | 18323527 |
| na(+)/ca(2+) exchanger inhibition exerts a positive inotropic effect in the rat heart, but fails to influence the contractility of the rabbit heart. | the na(+)/ca(2+) exchanger (ncx) may play a key role in myocardial contractility. the operation of the ncx is affected by the action potential (ap) configuration and the intracellular na(+) concentration. this study examined the effect of selective ncx inhibition by 0.1, 0.3 and 1.0 microm sea0400 on the myocardial contractility in the setting of different ap configurations and different intracellular na(+) concentrations in rabbit and rat hearts. | 2008 | 18332852 |
| engineered cardiac organoid chambers: toward a functional biological model ventricle. | a growing area in the field of tissue engineering is the development of tissue equivalents as model systems for in vitro experimentation and high-throughput screening applications. although a variety of strategies have been developed to enhance the structure and function of engineered cardiac tissues, an inherent limitation with traditional myocardial patches is that they do not permit evaluation of the fundamental relationships between pressure and volume that characterize global contractile fu ... | 2008 | 18333774 |
| correlations between alterations in length-dependent ca2+ activation of cardiac myofilaments and the end-systolic pressure-volume relation. | we have tested the hypothesis that alterations in length dependent activation (lda) of cardiac myofilaments represent an important regulatory mechanism affecting the frank-starling mechanism as determined by the slope (e(es)) of the relation between left ventricular (lv) volume and end-systolic pressure. we employed a transgenic (tg) mouse model in which the cardiac isoform of tni (ctni) has been completely replaced with slow skeletal tni (sstni), the embryonic/neonatal isoform in the heart. com ... | 2008 | 18365757 |
| mutation that dramatically alters rat titin isoform expression and cardiomyocyte passive tension. | titin is a very large alternatively spliced protein that performs multiple functions in heart and skeletal muscles. a rat strain is described with an autosomal dominant mutation that alters the isoform expression of titin. while wild type animals go through a developmental program where the 3.0 mda n2b becomes the major isoform expressed by two to three weeks after birth (approximately 85%), the appearance of the n2b is markedly delayed in heterozygotes and never reaches more than 50% of the tit ... | 2008 | 18387630 |
| sex differences in dhea and estradiol during development in a wild songbird: jugular versus brachial plasma. | sexual differentiation of the brain has traditionally been thought to be driven by gonadal hormones, particularly testosterone (t). recent studies in songbirds and other species have indicated that non-gonadal sex steroids may also be important. for example, dehydroepiandrosterone (dhea)--a sex steroid precursor that can be synthesized in the adrenal glands and/or brain--can be converted into active sex steroids, such as 17beta-estradiol (e(2)), within the brain. here, we examine plasma dhea and ... | 2008 | 18423637 |
| na+-glucose cotransporter is also expressed in mesothelium of species with thick visceral pleura. | molecular evidence for na+-glucose cotransporter (sglt1) in rabbit pleural mesothelium has been recently provided, confirming earlier functional findings on solute-coupled liquid absorption from rabbit pleural space. in this research we checked whether sglt1 is also expressed in pleural mesothelium of species with thick visceral pleura, which receives blood from systemic circulation, but drains it into pulmonary veins. to this end immunoblot assays were performed on total protein extract of scra ... | 2008 | 18424241 |
| use and husbandry of captive european starlings (sturnus vulgaris) in scientific research: a review of current practice. | we reviewed the use of captive european starlings (sturnus vulgaris) in scientific research published between 2000 and 2004. we estimated the numbers of birds used and documented their origin and the range of husbandry regimes employed with the aim of comparing current practice with the new european guidelines for husbandry of laboratory animals. over the five-year period, 106 primary articles report the use of an estimated total of 2490 captive starlings. the majority of birds were caught from ... | 2008 | 18435870 |
| subtle cues of predation risk: starlings respond to a predator's direction of eye-gaze. | for prey animals to negotiate successfully the fundamental trade-off between predation and starvation, a realistic assessment of predation risk is vital. prey responses to conspicuous indicators of risk (such as looming predators or fleeing conspecifics) are well documented, but there should also be strong selection for the detection of more subtle cues. a predator's head orientation and eye-gaze direction are good candidates for subtle but useful indicators of risk, since many predators orient ... | 2008 | 18445559 |
| serologic survey of birds for west nile flavivirus in southern moravia (czech republic). | a serosurvey for west nile virus (wnv) was carried out in 54 domestic birds (geese and ducks bred on fishponds) and 391 wild birds representing 28 migratory and resident species, using a plaque-reduction neutralization microtest with vero cells and egyptian topotype eg-101 strain as test virus. the birds were sampled in the south-moravian fishpond ecosystem between 2004 and 2006. antibodies to wnv were not detected in domestic waterfowl, but 23 (5.9%) free-living birds of 10 species showed a pos ... | 2008 | 18454599 |
| the slow force response to stretch in atrial and ventricular myocardium from human heart: functional relevance and subcellular mechanisms. | mechanical load is an important regulator of cardiac force. stretching human atrial and ventricular trabeculae elicited a biphasic force increase: an immediate increase (frank-starling mechanism) followed by a further slow increase (slow force response, sfr). in ventricle, the sfr was unaffected by at- and et-receptor antagonism, by inhibition of protein-kinase-c, pi-3-kinase, and no-synthase, but attenuated by inhibition of na+/h+- (nhe) and na+/ca2+ exchange (ncx). in atrium, however, neither ... | 2008 | 18466959 |
| hemorrhagic shock and resuscitation-mediated tissue water distribution is normalized by adjunctive peritoneal resuscitation. | adjunctive direct peritoneal resuscitation (dpr) from hemorrhagic shock (hs) improves intestinal blood flow and abrogates postresuscitation edema. hs causes water shifts as a result of sodium redistribution and changes in transcapillary starling forces. conventional resuscitation (cr) with crystalloid aggravates water sequestration. we examined the compartment pattern of organ tissue water after hs and cr, and modulation of tissue edema by adjunctive dpr. | 2008 | 18471737 |
| resource selection plasticity and community responses to experimental reduction of a critical resource. | resource selection plasticity and behavioral dominance may influence the ability of a species to respond to changes in resource availability, particularly if dominant species have highly specialized resource requirements. we examined the response of several dominant and subordinate cavity-nesting species to a reduction in the availability of an essential resource (nesting cavities) using the novel experimental approach of blocking the entrances to high-quality cavities. we monitored nest abundan ... | 2008 | 18481522 |
| linking social and vocal brains: could social segregation prevent a proper development of a central auditory area in a female songbird? | direct social contact and social interaction affect speech development in human infants and are required in order to maintain perceptual abilities; however the processes involved are still poorly known. in the present study, we tested the hypothesis that social segregation during development would prevent the proper development of a central auditory area, using a "classical" animal model of vocal development, a songbird. based on our knowledge of european starling, we raised young female starlin ... | 2008 | 18493580 |
| angiotensin ii and myosin light-chain phosphorylation contribute to the stretch-induced slow force response in human atrial myocardium. | stretch is an important regulator of atrial function. the functional effects of stretch on human atrium, however, are poorly understood. thus, we characterized the stretch-induced force response in human atrium and evaluated the underlying cellular mechanisms. | 2008 | 18503051 |
| behavioural and hormonal effects of social isolation and neophobia in a gregarious bird species, the european starling (sturnus vulgaris). | separating gregarious individuals from their group members often results in behavioural and physiological changes, like increased levels of corticosterone. testosterone and corticosterone, in particular, have been implicated in the response of mammals to novelty. data in birds are, however, rare. the presence or absence of group members may also influence an individual's response to novel stimuli. we assessed the behaviour and hormonal response of european starlings (sturnus vulgaris) to a novel ... | 2008 | 18514197 |
| increased energy expenditure but decreased stress responsiveness during molt. | baseline and stress-induced corticosterone (cort), heart rate (fh), and energy expenditure were measured in eight captive european starlings sturnus vulgaris during and following a prebasic molt. the fh and oxygen consumption (v o2 ) were measured simultaneously across a range of heart rates, and energy expenditure (kj/d) was then calculated from data. energy expenditure and fh were strongly and positively correlated in each individual. baseline fh and energy expenditure were significantly highe ... | 2013 | 18537472 |
| integrin alphavbeta3 acts downstream of insulin in normalization of interstitial fluid pressure in sepsis and in cell-mediated collagen gel contraction. | the administration of insulin is recommended to patients with severe sepsis and hyperglycemia. previously, we demonstrated that insulin may have direct anti-inflammatory properties and counteracted fluid losses from the circulation by normalizing the interstitial fluid pressure (p(if)). p(if) is one of the starling forces determining fluid flux over the capillary wall, and a lowered p(if) is one of the driving forces in early edema formation in inflammatory reactions. here we demonstrate that in ... | 2008 | 18552165 |
| fecal glucocorticoid metabolites of experimentally stressed captive and free-living starlings: implications for conservation research. | fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (fgm) analysis has received considerable attention in conservation biology because it has potential to be used as a noninvasive measure of stress in animals. there has been a recent and extensive literature describing the importance of technical, physiological, and biological validations of this technique, yet surprisingly little is known about how fgm concentrations change during chronic stress. therefore, we experimentally induced chronic stress in both captive ... | 2008 | 18554600 |
| from leningrad to london: the saga of kulchitsky and the legacy of the enterochromaffin cell. | by the end of the 19th century, the subject of internal secretion and the consequences of its perturbations had been explored in considerable depth but with little clear understanding. despite the anatomic delineation of the majority of the glands and tissues that comprised the gross endocrine system, the cellular basis and the interactions between the 'internal glands' and the nervous system had not been clearly delineated. prominent early investigators in the field included rudolf peter heiden ... | 2009 | 18562785 |
| haemosporidian infections in captive exotic glossy starling lamprotornis chalybaeus in hong kong. | a greater blue-eared glossy starling lamprotornis chalybaeus ehrenburg from a large flight aviary in hong kong was found on post mortem to be infected with plasmodium octamerium manwell, 1968, plasmodium cf. relictum (grassi et feletti, 1891) and haemoproteus cf. pastoris mello, 1935. descriptions of their morphology are provided as none of the examined parasites fully concord with their type (or neotype) material descriptions. plasmodium octamerium has been recorded in avian hosts from geograph ... | 2008 | 18578162 |
| new statistical tools for analyzing the structure of animal groups. | the statistical characterization of the spatial structure of large animal groups has been very limited so far, mainly due to a lack of empirical data, especially in three dimensions (3d). here we focus on the case of large flocks of starlings (sturnus vulgaris) in the field. we reconstruct the 3d positions of individual birds within flocks of up to few thousands of elements. in this respect our data constitute a unique set. we perform a statistical analysis of flocks' structure by using two quan ... | 2009 | 18586280 |
| evidence that dopamine within motivation and song control brain regions regulates birdsong context-dependently. | vocal communication is critical for successful social interactions among conspecifics, but little is known about how the brain regulates context-appropriate communication. the neurotransmitter dopamine (da) is involved in modulating highly motivated, goal-directed behaviors (including sexually motivated singing behavior), and emerging data suggest that the role of da in vocal communication may differ depending on the context in which it occurs. to address this possibility, relationships between ... | 2008 | 18619478 |
| a behavioral analysis of prey detection lateralization and unilateral transfer in european starlings (sturnus vulgaris). | it has been suggested that birds prefer to use a particular eye while learning to detect cryptic prey and that this eye preference enhances foraging performance. european starlings (sturnus vulgaris) with the left, right, or both eyes available learned to detect inconspicuous cues associated with the presence of hidden prey. acquisition scores were not significantly different between left and right-eyed birds; however, performance in the binocular condition was significantly higher than in the t ... | 2008 | 18639618 |
| totally implantable robot to treat chronic atrial fibrillation. | chronic atrial fibrillation affects millions of people worldwide. its surgical treatment often fails to restore the transport function of the atrium. this study first introduces the concept of an atrial assist device (aad) to restore the pump function of the atrium. the aad is developed to be totally implantable in the human body with a transcutaneous energy transfer system to recharge the implanted battery. the add consists of a motorless pump based on artificial muscle technology, positioned o ... | 2008 | 18667758 |
| [relations between the ectosomatic and the entosomatic organs]. | a.n. severtsov, when introduced the concepts of ecto- and entosomatic organs, illustrated them by three examples of adaptations, namely by the blindness of some subterranean vertebrates, by the "suckers" on the geckos' fingers and toes, and by the flattened body shape of skates and rays. morphology of the pterygoideus muscle in some song-birds, which is one of the most complicated jaw muscles, is considered here in the framework of those concepts. this muscle displays mosaic variation among bird ... | 2010 | 18669305 |
| investigation of the aetiology of haemosiderosis in the starling (sturnus vulgaris). | birds with haemosiderosis absorbed up to 10% of an orally administered test dose of radioactive iron, even when the hepatic iron concentrations were markedly increased. in contrast, rats which were orally loaded with iron to produce a comparable hepatic iron concentration absorbed only ' about 1% of administered (59)fe. it is concluded that the absorption of iron at the intestinal mucosa in avian species is not as tightly regulated as that in some mammals. | 1991 | 18680017 |
| starlings can categorize symmetry differences in dot displays. | fluctuating asymmetry is an estimate of developmental stability and, in some cases, the asymmetry of morphological traits can reflect aspects of individual fitness. as asymmetry can be a marker for fitness, it has been proposed that organisms could use morphological asymmetry as a direct visual cue during inter- and intraspecific encounters. despite some experimental evidence to support this prediction, the perceptual abilities of animals to detect and respond to symmetry differences have been l ... | 2001 | 18707326 |
| [interpretation of the epizootic outbreak among wild and domestic birds in the south of the european part of russia in december 2007]. | the paper presents the results of interpreting the epizootic outbreak etiologically associated with high-virulent influenza virus a/h5n1 among domestic and wild birds in the zernogradsky and tselinsky districts of the rostov region. epizooty was characterized by a high infection rate in the synanthropic birds of a ground-based complex. rt-pct revealed influenza virus a/h5 in 60% of pigeons and crows and in around 20% of starlings, and in 10% of tree sparrows. fifteen viral strains from chickens ... | 2008 | 18756811 |
| the starling (sturnus vulgaris) as an experimental model for staphylococcal infection of the avian foot. | inoculation of the footpad of the starling (sturnus vulgaris) with a broth culture of staphylococcus aureus resulted in a swelling of the foot and histological changes similar to those seen in bumblefoot in poultry and other species. in a number of cases s: aureus could be re-isolated. it is suggested that this could prove to be a useful model in the study of avian pododermatitis. | 1981 | 18770141 |
| the adaptive value of stress-induced phenotypes: effects of maternally derived corticosterone on sex-biased investment, cost of reproduction, and maternal fitness. | the question of why maternal stress influences offspring phenotype is of significant interest to evolutionary physiologists. although embryonic exposure to maternally derived glucocorticoids (i.e., corticosterone) generally reduces offspring quality, effects may adaptively match maternal quality with offspring demand. we present results from an interannual field experiment in european starlings (sturnus vulgaris) designed explicitly to examine the fitness consequences of exposing offspring to ma ... | 2008 | 18793091 |
| exogenous and endogenous corticosterone alter feather quality. | we investigated how exogenous and endogenous glucocorticoids affect feather replacement in european starlings (sturnus vulgaris) after approximately 56% of flight feathers were removed. we hypothesized that corticosterone would retard feather regrowth and decrease feather quality. after feather regrowth began, birds were treated with exogenous corticosterone or sham implants, or endogenous corticosterone by applying psychological or physical (food restriction) stressors. exogenous corticosterone ... | 2009 | 18804171 |
| plasmodium relictum (lineage p-sgs1): effects on experimentally infected passerine birds. | we evaluated the effects of plasmodium relictum (lineage p-sgs1), which is a host generalist, to five species of passerine birds. light infection of p. relictum was isolated from a naturally infected adult reed warbler acrocephalus scirpaceus. the parasites were inoculated to naive juveniles of the chaffinch fringilla coelebs, common crossbill loxia curvirostra, house sparrow passer domesticus, siskin spinus spinus and starling sturnus vulgaris. susceptibility of these birds to the infection of ... | 2008 | 18809402 |
| optimal foraging and beyond: how starlings cope with changes in food availability. | foraging adaptations include behavioral and physiological responses, but most optimal foraging models deal exclusively with behavioral decision variables, taking other dimensions as constraints. to overcome this limitation, we measured behavioral and physiological responses of european starlings sturnus vulgaris to changes in food availability in a laboratory environment. the birds lived in a closed economy with a choice of two foraging modes (flying and walking) and were observed under two trea ... | 1998 | 18811363 |
| dynamics of campylobacter colonization of a natural host, sturnus vulgaris (european starling). | wild european starlings (sturnus vulgaris) shed campylobacter at high rates, suggesting that they may be a source of human and farm animal infection. a survey of campylobacter shedding of 957 wild starlings was undertaken by culture of faecal specimens and genetic analysis of the campylobacters isolated: shedding rates were 30.6% for campylobacter jejuni, 0.6% for c. coli and 6.3% for c. lari. genotyping by multilocus sequence typing (mlst) and antigen sequence typing established that these bact ... | 2009 | 18826435 |
| juveniles exposed to embryonic corticosterone have enhanced flight performance. | exposure to maternally derived glucocorticoids during embryonic development impacts offspring phenotype. although many of these effects appear to be transiently 'negative', embryonic exposure to maternally derived stress hormones is hypothesized to induce preparative responses that increase survival prospects for offspring in low-quality environments; however, little is known about how maternal stress influences longer-term survival-related performance traits in free-living individuals. using an ... | 2009 | 18842541 |
| cardiac cells implanted into a cylindrical, vascularized chamber in vivo: pressure generation and morphology. | we have previously described a model to implant dissociated cells into a cylindrical, vascularized bed in vivo to promote the formation of functional cardiac muscle constructs. we now investigate the cellular organization and the ability of the constructs to generate intra-luminal pressure. primary cardiac cells were isolated from hearts of 2-3 day old rats, suspended in fibrin gel and inserted into the lumen of silicone tubing. the silicone tubing was then implanted around the femoral vessels i ... | 2009 | 18854950 |
| using life-histories to predict and interpret variability in yolk hormones. | variation in yolk hormones is assumed to provide the plasticity necessary for mothers to individually optimize reproductive decisions via changes in offspring phenotype, the benefit being to maximise fitness. however, rather than routinely expecting adaptive variation within all species, the pattern and magnitude of yolk hormone deposition should theoretically relate to variation in life-histories. here we present data on intra-clutch variation in yolk corticosterone in three species along a dev ... | 2009 | 18952089 |
| elevated yolk androgen levels and the expression of multiple sexually selected male characters. | maternal hormones in bird eggs modulate not only offspring development, but recently it has also been shown that these effects can persist into adult life. a number of long-lasting effects concern traits of which the expression or development is modulated by androgens. this suggests that the nature of yolk hormone-mediated maternal effects may be organizational. maternal androgens may therefore play an important role in sexual selection, since the expression of sexually selected male characters ... | 2009 | 18976657 |
| an exposure study with polybrominated diphenyl ethers (pbdes) in female european starlings (sturnus vulgaris): toxicokinetics and reproductive effects. | we exposed female european starlings to a pentabromodiphenyl ether (penta-bde) mixture through subcutaneous implants, and examined levels and profiles of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (pbdes) together with reproductive effects. sum pbde levels increased significantly in the serum of the exposed females from 218+/-43 to 23,400+/-2035 pg/ml. sum pbde concentrations in the eggs of the exposed group ranged from 130+/-12 to 220+/-37 ng/g wet weight (ww). the profile in serum after egg laying was ver ... | 2009 | 18977567 |
| seasonal rewiring of the songbird brain: an in vivo mri study. | the song control system (scs) of songbirds displays a remarkable plasticity in species where song output changes seasonally. the mechanisms underlying this plasticity are barely understood and research has primarily been focused on the song nuclei themselves, largely neglecting their interconnections and connections with other brain regions. we investigated seasonal changes in the entire brain, including the song nuclei and their connections, of nine male starlings (sturnus vulgaris). at two tim ... | 2008 | 19032586 |
| molecular epidemiology of campylobacter jejuni isolates from wild-bird fecal material in children's playgrounds. | in many countries relatively high notification rates of campylobacteriosis are observed in children under 5 years of age. few studies have considered the role that environmental exposure plays in the epidemiology of these cases. wild birds inhabit parks and playgrounds and are recognized carriers of campylobacter, and young children are at greater risk of ingesting infective material due to their frequent hand-mouth contact. we investigated wild-bird fecal contamination in playgrounds in parks i ... | 2009 | 19047378 |
| hemoglobin-based oxygen carrier and convection enhanced oxygen transport in a hollow fiber bioreactor. | a mathematical model was developed to study o(2) transport in a convection enhanced hepatic hollow fiber (hf) bioreactor, with hemoglobin-based o(2) carriers (hbocs) present in the flowing cell culture media stream of the hf lumen. in this study, four hbocs were evaluated: peg-conjugated human hemoglobin (mp4), human hemoglobin (hhb), bovine hemoglobin (bvhb) and polymerized bovine hemoglobin (polybvhb). in addition, two types of convective flow in the hf extra capillary space (ecs) were conside ... | 2009 | 19072844 |
| a rho-kinase inhibitor improves cardiac function after 24-hour heart preservation. | the rho-kinase signaling pathway is associated with coronary vasculopathy and myocardial dysfunction after cardiac transplantation. this study evaluated whether using a rho-kinase inhibitor during allograft storage could limit early endothelial dysfunction and improve myocardial performance after reperfusion. | 2008 | 19114210 |
| heart rate and heart-rate variability responses to acute and chronic stress in a wild-caught passerine bird. | the cardiovascular-stress response has been studied extensively in laboratory animals but has been poorly studied in naturally selected species. we determined the relative roles of the sympathetic nervous system (sns) and the parasympathetic nervous system (pns) in regulating stress-induced changes in heart rate (hr) in wild-caught european starlings (sturnus vulgaris). in both heart-rate variability (hrv) analysis and receptor blockade (atropine and propranolol) experiments, baseline hr was con ... | 2013 | 19115847 |
| cloning of gonadotropin-releasing hormone i complementary dnas in songbirds facilitates dissection of mechanisms mediating seasonal changes in reproduction. | temperate zone animals exhibit seasonal variation in reproductive physiology. in most cases, seasonal changes in reproductive states are regulated by changes in gnrh1 secretion, rather than synthesis, from the preoptic area (poa)/anterior hypothalamus. an important exception occurs in some songbirds that become photorefractory to the stimulatory effects of long days and show profound decreases in brain gnrh1 protein content. whether this decline reflects changes in gene expression is unknown bec ... | 2009 | 19131568 |
| candidate predators for biological control of the poultry red mite dermanyssus gallinae. | the poultry red mite, dermanyssus gallinae, is currently a significant pest in the poultry industry in europe. biological control by the introduction of predatory mites is one of the various options for controlling poultry red mites. here, we present the first results of an attempt to identify potential predators by surveying the mite fauna of european starling (sturnus vulgaris) nests, by assessing their ability to feed on poultry red mites and by testing for their inability to extract blood fr ... | 2009 | 19184469 |