The composition of genetic variation in a population or species is shaped by the number of events that led to the founding of the group. We consider a neutral coalescent model of two populations, where a derived population is founded as an offshoot of an ancestral population. For a given locus, using both recursive and nonrecursive approaches, we compute the probability distribution of the numb...

Ant queens that attempt to disperse and found new colonies independently face high mortality risks. The exposure of queens to soil entomopathogens during claustral colony founding may be particularly harmful, as founding queens lack the protection conferred by mature colonies. Here, we tested the hypotheses that founding queens (I) detect and avoid nest sites that are contaminated by fungal pat...

During the nest-founding phase of the bumble bee colony cycle, queens undergo striking changes in maternal care behavior. Early in the founding phase, prior to the emergence of workers in the nest, queens are reproductive and also provision and feed their offspring. However, later in the founding phase, queens reduce their feeding of larvae and become specialized on reproduction. This transitio...

Background: Ectopic pregnancy (EP) is a complication of conception in which the embryo implants outside of uterine cavity. The increasing incidence of serious maternal morbidity resulting from EP has prompted the search for biomarkers to aid in early diagnosis and take advantage of conservative treatments. One of the effective biomarkers in EP is vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). VEGF ...

Background: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is an angiogenic growth factor that is produced by different tissues, including the endometrium and ovary. VEGF is involved in many processes related to reproductive physiology, including angiogenesis, which is essential for implantation and placentation. It has been suggested that VEGF may be the angiogenic factor responsible for the implan...

Background: Toll-like receptors (TLRs) form the major family of pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) which are involved in the innate immunity. They recognize pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) in bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites. In human, 10 members of this family have been identified so far. Among these TLRs, TLR3, 7, 8 and 9 designed to recognize nucleic acids and expresse...

Background: The presence of immune system within the female reproductive tract is increasingly being recognized as an important element for maintaining host protection and promoting reproductive functions. The Toll-Like Receptors (TLRs) family plays an important role in innate immune responses against microbial pathogens within the genital tract. These receptors recognize distinct pathogen-asso...

ectopic pregnancy (ep) is a potentially life-threatening condition in which the embryo implants outside the uterine endometrial cavity. abdominal pregnancy is an atypical site wherein the product of conception lies totally outside the reproductive tract. primary abdominal pregnancy is a very rare condition with a high mortality rate. diagnosis is often late or misdiagnosed. the aim of introduci...

Prostaglandin (PG)E derivatives are widely used for treating gastric mucosal injury. PGE receptors are classified into four subtypes, EP(1), EP(2), EP(3), and EP(4). We have tested which EP receptor subtypes participate in gastric mucosal protection against ethanol-induced gastric mucosal injury and clarified the mechanisms of such protection. The gastric mucosa of anesthetized rats was perfuse...