Maternal corticosterone deposition in avian yolk: Influence of laying order and group size in a joint-nesting, cooperatively breeding species.

Glucocorticoid hormones play a key role in day-to-day adjustments to fluctuating metabolic needs. These hormones also mediate physiological and behavioral responses to stressful events, allowing individuals to cope with stressors. Various environmental insults, such as a food shortages, predation attempts, and agonistic encounters often elevate plasma glucocorticoid levels in vertebrates.

Do group size and laying order influence maternal deposition of testosterone in smooth-billed ani eggs?

The avian egg contains maternal hormones that affect behavior, growth, morphology, and offspring survival. Evidence to date suggests that patterns of yolk androgen deposition could provide females with a means to manipulate sibling competition and, thereby, increase their fitness. We examined yolk testosterone (T) concentrations in eggs of the smooth-billed ani (Crotophaga ani) to understand patterns of androgen deposition in eggs of this plural-breeding joint-nesting cooperatively breeding species.

Two- versus three-dimensional in vitro differentiation of human pulp cells into odontoblastic cells.

The spatial organization of the pulp cells may modify the cytodifferentiation process. The purpose of this study was to compare the two- versus three-dimensional cell culture systems for differentiation of human odontoblastic cells in vitro. Pulpal cores from freshly extracted human third molars were cultured in vitro in a perfusion device on two types of membranes: polyester membrane (two-dimensional [2D] cell culture) and nylon mesh (three-dimensional [3D] cell culture).

Long-term retention of a poorly learned saccharin aversion : Evidence for an incubation effect.

The retention of a weak conditioned saccharin aversion was tested using independent groups over a 14-day period. The delay between CS (saccharin 0.1 %) and US (LiCl 0.