Predation Risk Experienced by Tadpoles Shapes Personalities Before but Not After Metamorphosis.

Consistent inter-individual differences in behaviour, that is, personalities, can emerge as a result of inter-individual differences in ontogenetic experience, and predation risk is a potent one. As personalities develop over lifetime, however, they may also be broken by ontogenetic transitions of the individual. Here we first tested the hypothesis that consistent inter-individual differences in larval behaviour arise under predation challenge, and are entangled with differences in body size.

Online toolkits for collaborative and inclusive global research in urban evolutionary ecology.

Urban evolutionary ecology is inherently interdisciplinary. Moreover, it is a field with global significance. However, bringing researchers and resources together across fields and countries is challenging.

Urbanization is associated with non-coding polymorphisms in candidate behavioural genes in the Eurasian coot.

Extensive transformation of natural land cover into urbanized areas enhances accumulation of phenotypic differences between animals from urban and nonurban populations, but there is little information on whether these changes, especially in terms of animal behaviour and circadian rhythm, have a genetic basis. The aim of this study was to investigate genetic background of behavioural differences between four pairs of urban and nonurban populations of a common waterbird, the Eurasian coot . For this purpose, we quantified polymorphisms in personality-related candidate genes, previously reported to be associated with avian circadian rhythms and behavioural traits that may be crucial for urban life.

GB1 hairpin kinetics: capturing the folding pathway with molecular dynamics, replica exchange and optimal dimensionality reduction.

We have performed molecular dynamics (MD) and replica-exchange (REMD) simulations of folding of the GB1 hairpin peptide in aqueous solution. REMD results were consistent with a cooperative zipper folding model. 120 MD trajectories at 320 K yielded relaxation times of 1.

Monitoring Hydrogenation Reactions using Benchtop 2D NMR with Extraordinary Sensitivity and Spectral Resolution.

Low-field benchtop nuclear magnetic resonance (BT-NMR) spectrometers with Halbach magnets are being increasingly used in science and industry as cost-efficient tools for the monitoring of chemical reactions, including hydrogenation. However, their use of low-field magnets limits both resolution and sensitivity. In this paper, we show that it is possible to alleviate these two problems through the combination of parahydrogen-induced polarization (PHIP) and fast correlation spectroscopy with time-resolved non-uniform sampling (TR-NUS).

Effect of Disturbances of Zinc and Copper on the Physical and Mental Health Status of Patients with Alcohol Dependence.

The concentrations of copper and zinc in the tissues of alcohol-addicted people can significantly correlate with the variables describing their mental state. Studies on the homeostasis of zinc in alcohol-dependent patients have often been characterized by low hypozincemia detection. This may be caused by a low content of zinc in blood serum (1%) compared to the average zinc level in the body.

H, N, C resonance assignment of plant dehydrin early response to dehydration 10 (ERD10).

Early response to dehydration 10 protein (ERD10) is an intrinsically disordered protein from Arabidopsis thaliana. The protein is upregulated during stress however its mechanism of action at atomic level is not well understood. In the present work multidimensional NMR methodologies are used in order to facilitate the process of chemical shift assignment.

Effect of carbonate substitution on physicochemical and biological properties of silver containing hydroxyapatites.

Ag-substituted hydroxyapatites (Ag-HAs) and Ag/CO-co-substituted hydroxyapatites (Ag-CHAs) with two different concentrations of silver ions were synthesized by the standard precipitation method. For comparison, pure hydroxyapatite (HA) and carbonated hydroxyapatite (CHA) were synthesized using the same method. The obtained powders were examined by various physicochemical methods, such PXRD, TEM, FTIR and ssNMR.

Composition of PM2.5 and PM1 on high and low pollution event days and its relation to indoor air quality in a home for the elderly.

Many studies probing the link between air quality and health have pointed towards associations between particulate matter (PM) exposure and decreased lung function, aggravation of respiratory diseases like asthma, premature death and increased hospitalisation admissions for the elderly and individuals with cardiopulmonary diseases. Of recent, it is believed that the chemical composition and physical properties of PM may contribute significantly to these adverse health effects. As part of a Belgian Science Policy project ("Health effects of particulate matter in relation to physical-chemical characteristics and meteorology"), the chemical composition (elemental and ionic compositions) and physical properties (PM mass concentrations) of PM were investigated, indoors and outdoors of old age homes in Antwerp.