Collective responses of flocking sheep (Ovis aries) to a herding dog (border collie).

Group-living organisms commonly exhibit collective escape responses, yet how information flows among group members in these events remains an open question. Here, we study the collective responses of a sheep flock (Ovis aries) to a shepherd dog (border collie) in a driving task between two well-defined target points. We collected high-resolution spatiotemporal data from 14 sheep and the dog, using Ultra-Wide-Band tags attached to each individual.

Data-driven discovery of stochastic dynamical equations of collective motion.

Coarse-grained descriptions of collective motion of flocking systems are often derived for the macroscopic or the thermodynamic limit. However, the size of many real flocks falls within 'mesoscopic' scales (10 to 100 individuals), where stochasticity arising from the finite flock sizes is important. Previous studies on mesoscopic models have typically focused on non-spatial models.

Randomness in the choice of neighbours promotes cohesion in mobile animal groups.

Classic computational models of collective motion suggest that simple local averaging rules can promote many observed group-level patterns. Recent studies, however, suggest that rules simpler than local averaging may be at play in real organisms; for example, fish stochastically align towards only one randomly chosen neighbour and yet the schools are highly polarized. Here, we ask-how do organisms maintain group cohesion? Using a spatially explicit model, inspired from empirical investigations, we show that group cohesion can be achieved in finite groups even when organisms randomly choose only one neighbour to interact with.

Full Mouth Rehabilitation by Implant Supported Fixed Prosthesis.

The purpose of this study is to report a case of full-mouth rehabilitation on six endosseous implants loaded following the standard procedure. It was decided to insert six implants in the maxillary and six implants in the mandibular arch in a patient with no systemic disease. The surgery was performed with the patient under local anesthesia with lignocaine and 1:100,000 adrenaline.

Anisogamy selects for male-biased care in self-consistent games with synchronous matings.

We reexamine the influential parental investment hypothesis proposed by Trivers for the causal relationship between anisogamy and widespread female-biased parental care. We build self-consistent versions of Maynard Smith's simple evolutionary game between males and females over parental care, and incorporate consequences of anisogamy for gamete production and its trade-off with parental care, and for patterns of mate limitation. As male mating opportunities are limited by females, frequency-dependent selection acts on male strategies.

Assessment of computer-controlled local anesthetic delivery system for pain control during restorative procedures: A randomized controlled trial.

. Local anesthesia is given to decrease pain perception during dental treatments, but it may itself be a reason for pain and aggravate the dental fear. Computer-controlled local anesthetic delivery system (CCLADS) is one of the alternatives for decreasing the patients' pain during local anesthesia.

Porous Zero-Mode Waveguides for Picogram-Level DNA Capture.

We have recently shown that nanopore zero-mode waveguides are effective tools for capturing picogram levels of long DNA fragments for single-molecule DNA sequencing. Despite these key advantages, the manufacturing of large arrays is not practical due to the need for serial nanopore fabrication. To overcome this challenge, we have developed an approach for the wafer-scale fabrication of waveguide arrays on low-cost porous membranes, which are deposited using molecular-layer deposition.

Comparative Evaluation of Conventional and Accelerated Castings on Marginal Fit and Surface Roughness.

Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate the marginal fit and surface roughness of complete cast crowns made by a conventional and an accelerated casting technique.

Settings And Design: This study was divided into three parts. In Part I, the marginal fit of full metal crowns made by both casting techniques in the vertical direction was checked, in Part II, the fit of sectional metal crowns in the horizontal direction made by both casting techniques was checked, and in Part III, the surface roughness of disc-shaped metal plate specimens made by both casting techniques was checked.

Length-independent DNA packing into nanopore zero-mode waveguides for low-input DNA sequencing.

Compared with conventional methods, single-molecule real-time (SMRT) DNA sequencing exhibits longer read lengths than conventional methods, less GC bias, and the ability to read DNA base modifications. However, reading DNA sequence from sub-nanogram quantities is impractical owing to inefficient delivery of DNA molecules into the confines of zero-mode waveguides-zeptolitre optical cavities in which DNA sequencing proceeds. Here, we show that the efficiency of voltage-induced DNA loading into waveguides equipped with nanopores at their floors is five orders of magnitude greater than existing methods.

Single-molecule mechanics of protein-labelled DNA handles.

DNA handles are often used as spacers and linkers in single-molecule experiments to isolate and tether RNAs, proteins, enzymes and ribozymes, amongst other biomolecules, between surface-modified beads for nanomechanical investigations. Custom DNA handles with varying lengths and chemical end-modifications are readily and reliably synthesized en masse, enabling force spectroscopic measurements with well-defined and long-lasting mechanical characteristics under physiological conditions over a large range of applied forces. Although these chemically tagged DNA handles are widely used, their further individual modification with protein receptors is less common and would allow for additional flexibility in grabbing biomolecules for mechanical measurements.

Tipping off endothelial tubes: nitric oxide drives tip cells.

Angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels from pre-existing vessels, is a complex process that warrants cell migration, proliferation, tip cell formation, ring formation, and finally tube formation. Angiogenesis is initiated by a single leader endothelial cell called "tip cell," followed by vessel elongation by "stalk cells." Tip cells are characterized by their long filopodial extensions and expression of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 and endocan.

Nitric oxide protects endothelium from cadmium mediated leakiness.

Cadmium targets the vascular endothelium causing endothelial dysfunction and leakiness of endothelial barrier. Nitric oxide plays a major role in mediating endothelial functions including angiogenesis, migration and permeability. The present study investigates the nitric oxide effects on cadmium induced endothelial leakiness.

Simultaneous determination of metoprolol succinate and amlodipine besylate in pharmaceutical dosage form by HPLC.

A simple, precise, specific and accurate reverse phase HPLC method has been developed for the simultaneous determination of metoprolol succinate (MS) and amlodipine besylate (AB) in tablet dosage form. The chromatographic separation was achieved on Hypersil BDS cyano (250 mm x 4.6 mm, 5 microm) column using PDA detector.