Ionizing radiation (IR) is a common therapeutic agent in cancer therapy. It damages normal tissue and causes side effects including dermatitis and mucositis. Here we use the feather follicle as a model to investigate the mechanism of IR-induced tissue damage, because any perturbation of feather growth will be clearly recorded in its regular yet complex morphology. We find that IR induces defect...

Severe feather pecking (SFP) in chickens is a detrimental behaviour with possibly neurochemical deficits at its base. Recent neurological studies depicted conflicting results on the role of serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) and dopamine (DA) in the development and display of feather pecking. We studied brain monoamine levels and behaviour in domestic chickens divergently genetically selecte...

The developmental basis of morphological complexity remains a central question in developmental and evolutionary biology. Feathers provide a unique system to analyze the development of complex morphological novelties. Here, we describe the interactions between Sonic hedgehog (Shh) and bone morphogenetic protein 2 (Bmp2) signaling during feather barb ridge morphogenesis. We demonstrate that acti...

BACKGROUND An association study between single nucleotide polymorphism markers (SNP) and (innate and adaptive) immune parameters but also feather condition score on the back, rump and belly of laying hens was performed. The immune parameters measured in blood samples were natural and acquired antibody titers and complement activity. Feather condition score as a measure of feather damage was det...

Asymmetry in flight feather vane width is a major functional innovation associated with the evolution of flight in the ancestors of birds. However, the developmental and morphological basis of feather shape is not simple, and the developmental processes involved in vane width asymmetry are poorly understood. We present a theoretical model of feather morphology and development that describes the...

In nest-bound avian offspring, food shortages typically trigger a release of the stress hormone corticosterone (CORT). Recent studies indicate that CORT is passively deposited in the tissue of growing feathers and thus may provide an integrated measure of stress incurred during development in the nest. The current hypothesis predicts that, assuming a constant rate of feather growth, elevated CO...

To optimally convert corn hull, a byproduct from corn processing, into bioethanol using Pachysolen tannophlius, we investigated the optimal conditions for hydrolysis and removal of toxic substances in the hydrolysate via activated carbon treatment as well as the effects of this detoxification process on the kinetic parameters of bioethanol production. Maximum monosaccharide concentrations were ...

Acetaminophen is a commonly used analgesic. However, an overdose of acetaminophen causes severe hepatotoxicity via depletion of hepatic glutathione. Here, we investigated the protective effects of sake lees hydrolysate against acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity in mice. Sake lees hydrolysate was administered orally to ICR mice for seven days. Six hours after acetaminophen treatment, the mice ...

In a previous study (Kindt et al. 1983, 1984) it was assumed that a protein hydrolysate, devoid of phenylalanine, together with intact protein as given to children with phenylketonuria (PKU), was equivalent to egg or milk protein. One group of children was given this 'PKU protein' in amounts corresponding to the Joint FAO/WHO ad hoc Expert Committee (1973) recommendations. The results indicated...