The generality of cryptic dietary niche differences in diverse large-herbivore assemblages.

Ecological niche differences are necessary for stable species coexistence but are often difficult to discern. Models of dietary niche differentiation in large mammalian herbivores invoke the quality, quantity, and spatiotemporal distribution of plant tissues and growth forms but are agnostic toward food plant species identity. Empirical support for these models is variable, suggesting that additional mechanisms of resource partitioning may be important in sustaining large-herbivore diversity in African savannas.

Isolation of Hepatocytes and Stellate Cells from a Single Piece of Human Liver.

Co-transplantation of hepatocytes and hepatic stellate cells has been shown to increase the engraftment of transplanted hepatocytes in the liver. Here, we describe a method for the simultaneous isolation of human primary hepatocytes and hepatic stellate cells from the same donor for co-transplantation or for use in in vitro cell culture models.

Isolation of human hepatocytes by a two-step collagenase perfusion procedure.

The liver, an organ with an exceptional regeneration capacity, carries out a wide range of functions, such as detoxification, metabolism and homeostasis. As such, hepatocytes are an important model for a large variety of research questions. In particular, the use of human hepatocytes is especially important in the fields of pharmacokinetics, toxicology, liver regeneration and translational research.

Functional expression of the transient receptor potential channel TRPA1, a sensor for toxic lung inhalants, in pulmonary epithelial cells.

The cation channel TRPA1 functions as a chemosensory protein and is directly activated by a number of noxious inhalants. A pulmonary expression of TRPA1 has been described in sensory nerve endings and its stimulation leads to the acceleration of inflammatory responses in the lung. Whereas the function of TRPA1 in neuronal cells is well defined, only few reports exist suggesting a role in epithelial cells.

Prospective cohort study and meta-analysis of cyclic bleeding after laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy.

Objective: To evaluate a modified technique of laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy (LSH) on rates of postoperative cyclic bleeding (PCB).

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted of 173 women who underwent LSH with bipolar electrocoagulation of the endocervical canal at Landeskrankenhaus Wolfsberg, Wolfsberg, Austria, between January 1, 2005, and December 31, 2009. Long-term follow-up was assessed using a questionnaire.

Fourteen-year experience with laparoscopic ventrosuspension in patients with retroverted and retroflected uterus and pelvic pain syndromes.

Background: In women with a retroverted uterus, who have dyspareunia, chronic pelvic pain, or dysmenorrhea, laparoscopic ventrosuspension of the uterus has been reported effective in achieving symptom relief.

Study Objective: To critically review our experience with our method of laparoscopic ventrosuspension.

Design: Cohort study (Canadian Task Force classification II-3).

Villous mucinous cystadenoma of the appendix in a postmenopausal woman.

Objective: To present the case of a postmenopausal woman, who was suspected of having an ovarian cyst. Instead, a cystadenoma of the appendix was discovered during laparoscopy.

Methods: A 64-year-old postmenopausal nulliparous woman was admitted to our hospital because of a cystic lesion, which had been detected in the course of a routine gynecological examination.

Smelling chemosensory signals of males in anxious versus nonanxious condition increases state anxiety of female subjects.

The hypothesis of this experiment was that humans in an anxious state compared with a nonanxious state are able to increase anxiety levels in other humans via their body odors. Specifically, we hypothesized that male chemosensory anxiety signals compared with neutral chemosignals increase state anxiety of female subjects. Thirteen male subjects participated in 2 different sweat donation sessions: chemosignals were collected during participation in a high rope course (anxiety condition) and in an ergometer workout (neutral condition).

Bad mood--bad activation? : The influence of emotions on the BOLD signal during finger tapping.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of the subject's emotional state on the BOLD signal during simple finger tapping.

Material And Methods: Twenty-nine healthy subjects participated in three functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) sessions each. The sessions differed regarding emotional states, which were induced by standardized pleasant (positive condition, POS), unpleasant (negative condition, NEG), or neutral (neutral condition, NEU) pictures taken from the International Affective Picture System (IAPS) while the subjects performed a finger-tapping task (right index-to-thumb opposition).

Bipolar vessel sealing increases operative safety in laparoscopic-assisted vaginal hysterectomy.

Background: To compare laparoscopic-assisted vaginal hysterectomy (LAVH) with and without bipolar vessel sealing (BVS) using the LigaSure™ device by meanings of intra- and postoperative course.

Methods: In a retrospective case-control study 362 female patients (mean age 54.3 ± 9.

Olfactory detection thresholds and pleasantness of a food-related and a non-food odour in hunger and satiety.

The primary aim of this study was to investigate whether olfactory detection thresholds are dependent on different states of satiety. Using the threshold test of the Sniffin' Sticks test battery (single-staircase, three alternative forced choice procedure), sensitivity to a non-food odour (n-butanol) and a food-related odour (isoamyl acetate) was investigated. Twenty-four healthy, female subjects (mean age 24.

Effects of laserneedle acupuncture on olfactory sensitivity of healthy human subjects: a placebo-controlled, double-blinded, randomized trial.

The aims of the present study were to investigate the influence of laserneedle acupuncture on olfactory sensitivity and to examine whether the attitude towards laserneedle acupuncture affects the outcome. Olfaction was tested repeatedly on two days using the olfactory detection threshold subtest of the Sniffin' Sticks test battery in sixty-four healthy subjects of which 32 showed a positive attitude towards the effects of laserneedle acupuncture and 32 were sceptic about its effects. Testing was accomplished three times on day one (T1 = 0 min, T2 = 35 min, T3 = 105 min) without laserneedle acupuncture and on day two (T1* = 0 min, T2* = 35 min, T3* = 105 min) when the subjects were randomized in a non-stimulation (placebo) and a stimulation (laserneedle acupuncture) group.

Olfactory performance of patients with anorexia nervosa and healthy subjects in hunger and satiety.

The aim of this study was to compare the olfactory performance of anorectic patients and healthy controls with regard to the state of satiety. Using the Sniffin' Sticks, sensitivity to a nonfood odor (n-butanol) and to a food-related odor (isoamyl acetate) was assessed in 12 anorectic females and compared with 24 healthy controls. Threshold tests were performed in a hungry as well as in a satiated state, odor discrimination and odor identification only when satiated.