Boldness traits, not dominance, predict exploratory flight range and homing behaviour in homing pigeons

This study investigated whether consistent individual differences in behaviour (particularly exploratory tendency and object neophilia) were associated with the tendency to explore in free-ranging scenarios. This was tested in homing pigeons. The results showed that birds that were more likely to explore in the loft were also more likely to explore the local area during self-driven flights. When birds were released from a fixed release points, those which had explored less took more tortuous and longer routes back to the loft. This demonstrates the cost associated with lack of exploratory behaviour, and also links traits measured in laboratory scenarios to behaviour in free-ranging animals

Circum-Arctic mantle structure and long-wavelength topography since the Jurassic

The circum-Arctic is one of the most tectonically complex regions of the world, shaped by a history of ocean basin opening and closure since the Early Jurassic. The region is characterized by contemporaneous large-scale Cenozoic exhumation extending from Alaska to the Atlantic, but its driving force is unknown. We show that the mantle flow associated with subducted slabs of the South Anuyi, Mongol-Okhotsk, and Panthalassa oceans have imparted long-wavelength deflection on overriding plates. We identify the Jurassic-Cretaceous South Anuyi slab under present-day Greenland in seismic tomography and numerical mantle flow models. Under North America, we propose the “Farallon” slab results from Andean-style ocean-continent convergence around ~30°N and from a combination of ocean-continent and intraoceanic subduction north of 50°N. We compute circum-Arctic dynamic topography through time from subduction-driven convection models and find that slabs have imparted on average <1–16 m/Myr of dynamic subsidence across the region from at least 170 Ma to ~50 Ma. With the exception of Siberia, the main phase of circum-Arctic dynamic subsidence has been followed either by slowed subsidence or by uplift of <1–6 m/Myr on average to present day. Comparing these results to geological inferences suggest that subduction-driven dynamic topography can account for rapid Middle to Late Jurassic subsidence in the Slave Craton and North Slope (respectively, <15 and 21 m/Myr, between 170 and 130 Ma) and for dynamic subsidence (<7 m/Myr, ~170–50 Ma) followed by dynamic uplift (<6 m/Myr since 50 Ma) of the Barents Sea region. Combining detailed kinematic reconstructions with geodynamic modeling and key geological observations constitutes a powerful tool to investigate the origin of vertical motion in remote regions

A pantothenate suxotroph of BCG rxpressing Gag confers enhanced HIV-specific immunogenicity compared to wildtype and perfingolysin expressing strains

In tuberculosis vaccine studies, perfingolysin expressing strains (pfo) of recombinant Mycobacterium bovis (rBCG) have been shown to enhance immunogenicity as compared to wildtype strains whilst pantothenate auxotrophic strains (ΔpanCD) have been shown to be safer and more immunogenic. Our group has recently shown that rBCGΔpanCD expressing HIV-1 Gag is more immunogenic than the wildtype Pasteur strain of BCG in the murine model. In this study, a wild type strain, a ΔpanCDstrain, a pfo strain and a ΔpanCD strain expressing perfringolysin (ΔpanCDpfo) of Danish BCG were used as vectors to express HIV-1 subtype C Gag. Gag specific immune responses induced by a prime with each rBCG-Gag vaccine and boost with modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA) were compared

Zonotopes and four-dimensional superconformal field theories

The a-maximization technique proposed by Intriligator and Wecht allows us to determine the exact R-charges and scaling dimensions of the chiral operators of four-dimensional superconformal field theories. The problem of existence and uniqueness of the solution, however, has not been addressed in general setting. In this paper, it is shown that the a-function has always a unique critical point which is also a global maximum for a large class of quiver gauge theories specified by toric diagrams. Our proof is based on the observation that the a-function is given by the volume of a three dimensional polytope called "zonotope", and the uniqueness essentially follows from Brunn-Minkowski inequality for the volume of convex bodies. We also show a universal upper bound for the exact R-charges, and the monotonicity of a-function in the sense that a-function decreases whenever the toric diagram shrinks. The relationship between a-maximization and volume-minimization is also discussed.Comment: 29 pages, 15 figures, reference added, typos corrected, version published in JHE

Symptom lead times in lung and colorectal cancers: What are the benefits of symptom-based approaches to early diagnosis?

This is the final version of the article. Available from Cancer Research UK via the DOI in this record.Background: Individuals with undiagnosed lung and colorectal cancers present with non-specific symptoms in primary care more often than matched controls. Increased access to diagnostic services for patients with symptoms generates more early-stage diagnoses, but the mechanisms for this are only partially understood. Methods: We re-analysed a UK-based case-control study to estimate the Symptom Lead Time (SLT) distribution for a range of potential symptom criteria for investigation. Symptom Lead Time is the time between symptoms caused by cancer and eventual diagnosis, and is analogous to Lead Time in a screening programme. We also estimated the proportion of symptoms in lung and colorectal cancer cases that are actually caused by the cancer. Results: Mean Symptom Lead Times were between 4.1 and 6.0 months, with medians between 2.0 and 3.2 months. Symptom Lead Time did not depend on stage at diagnosis, nor which criteria for investigation are adopted. Depending on the criteria, an estimated 27-48% of symptoms in individuals with as yet undiagnosed lung cancer, and 12-32% with undiagnosed colorectal cancer are not caused by the cancer. Conclusions: In most cancer cases detected by a symptom-based programme, the symptoms are caused by cancer. These cases have a short lead time and benefit relatively little. However, in a significant minority of cases cancer detection is serendipitous. This group experiences the benefits of a standard screening programme, a substantial mean lead time and a higher probability of early-stage diagnosis.This work was supported by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Programme Grants for Applied Research Programme, RP-PG-0608-10045

Exploring Cancer Outcomes of People With and Without Pre-existing Anxiety and/or Depression Following Symptomatic Presentation to Healthcare: A Scoping Review

What are the cancer outcomes in people with pre-existing anxiety and/or depression? A secondary aim is to explore the extent of evidence on possible reasons underlying differences in cancer outcomes between people with and without anxiety and/or depressionObjective: The objective of this scoping review is to collate the literature on cancer outcomes and highlight where any disparities occur for people with anxiety and/or depression, enabling exploration of the reasons behind those factors. Introduction: Around 375,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with cancer annually. Individuals with mental health disorders have a 30% higher case fatality rate from cancer compared to individuals without. Each year, 5-7% of urgent suspected-cancer hospital appointments are missed, with anxiety and depression possible causes, and survival is worse following emergency diagnoses. Inclusion criteria: Studies that report differences/disparities in cancer diagnostic processes/outcomes between people with/without pre-existing anxiety and/or depression will be included. Methods: The databases MEDLINE, PsycINFO, EMBASE and CINAHL will be searched for articles between 2015 and 2024. Additional articles will be sourced using forward and backward citations. Two researchers will screen the articles for eligibility against the inclusion criteria. Qualifying articles will be quality appraised. The search results will be presented using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses extension for scoping review (PRISMA-ScR). The final articles will be presented in a narrative synthesis supplemented with thematic analysis if appropriate.National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR

Lyashko-Looijenga morphisms and submaximal factorisations of a Coxeter element

When W is a finite reflection group, the noncrossing partition lattice NCP_W of type W is a rich combinatorial object, extending the notion of noncrossing partitions of an n-gon. A formula (for which the only known proofs are case-by-case) expresses the number of multichains of a given length in NCP_W as a generalised Fuss-Catalan number, depending on the invariant degrees of W. We describe how to understand some specifications of this formula in a case-free way, using an interpretation of the chains of NCP_W as fibers of a Lyashko-Looijenga covering (LL), constructed from the geometry of the discriminant hypersurface of W. We study algebraically the map LL, describing the factorisations of its discriminant and its Jacobian. As byproducts, we generalise a formula stated by K. Saito for real reflection groups, and we deduce new enumeration formulas for certain factorisations of a Coxeter element of W.Comment: 18 pages. Version 2 : corrected typos and improved presentation. Version 3 : corrected typos, added illustrated example. To appear in Journal of Algebraic Combinatoric

A proof of concept pilot trial of probiotics in symptomatic oral lichen planus (CABRIO)

OBJECTIVE: To preliminary evaluate the clinical effects of probiotics in individuals with symptomatic oral lichen planus and the possible mechanisms of action. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A group of 30 individuals with symptomatic oral lichen planus were recruited in a randomised double-blind parallel group controlled (1:1) proof-of-concept pilot trial of probiotic VSL#3 vs placebo. Efficacy outcomes included changes in pain numeric rating scale, oral disease severity score and the chronic oral mucosal disease questionnaire. Adverse effects, home diary and withdrawals were assessed as feasibility outcomes. Mechanistic outcomes included changes in salivary and serum levels of CXCL10 and IFN-γ and in oral microbial composition. RESULTS: The probiotic VSL#3 was safe and well tolerated. We observed no statistically significant change in pain, disease activity, quality of life, serum/salivary CXCL10 or oral microbial composition with respect to placebo. Salivary IFN-γ levels demonstrate a trend for a reduced level in the active group (p = 0.082) after 30 days of probiotic consumption. CONCLUSIONS: The present proof-of-concept study provides some weak not convincing indication of biological and clinical effects of probiotic VSL#3 in individuals with painful oral lichen planus. Further research in this field is needed, with the current study providing useful information to the design of future clinical trials