Color and pigmentation patterns of animals are often targets of sexual selection because of their role in communication. Although conspicuous male traits are typically implicated with intersexual selection, there are examples where sex-specific displays play a role in an intrasexual context, e.g. when they serve as signals for aggression level and/or status. Here, we focus on the function of a ...

We investigated whether dried cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) conserved on filter paper can be used as a substrate for accurate PCR diagnosis of important causes of bacterial meningitis in the Lao PDR. Using mock CSF, we investigated and optimized filter paper varieties, paper punch sizes, elution volumes and quantities of DNA template to achieve sensitive and reliable detection of bacterial DNA from...

Solar lentigines are benign, brownish lesions that occur on light exposed skin surfaces from age 30 onwards, as a sign of photoaging. As they are of cosmetic importance to many patients, different therapeutic modalities have been tried to remove these unwanted spots. The recent development of short-pulsed, pigment-specific lasers has enabled physicians to selectively destroy the pigment within ...

Labeled proteins in intact and regenerating optic nerves of juvenile Xenopus clawed frogs were examined at three different time points (2 to 4 hr, 18 hr, and 5 to 9 days) following [35S]methionine injection into the eye. The distal axon tips of optic nerves were transected at the margin of the tectal lobe and regeneration of the nerve was followed by three methods: autoradiography, tissue secti...

the indian riverine buffaloes are more susceptible to variations in the environment. these variations affect seminal plasma proteins, which in turn affect fertility. this study was conducted to evaluate variations in the indian bubalus bubalis seminal plasma protein profile using two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2d-page) during winter and summer seasons, and its relation with...

Fas (CD95, APO-1, TNFRSF6) is a TNF receptor superfamily member that directly triggers apoptosis and contributes to the maintenance of lymphocyte homeostasis and prevention of autoimmunity. Although FADD and caspase-8 have been identified as key intracellular mediators of Fas signaling, it is not clear how recruitment of these proteins to the Fas death domain leads to activation of caspase-8 in...

Epidemiological studies of the impact of environmental chemicals on reproductive health demonstrate consequences of exposure but establishing causative links requires animal models using 'real life' in utero exposures. We aimed to determine whether prolonged, low-dose, exposure of pregnant sheep to a mixture of environmental chemicals affects fetal ovarian development. Exposure of treated ewes ...