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Although the UN concluded, already in 1997, that water would be the most contentious issue of the 21st century, water governance is still confused, nearly everywhere. Even the severe impacts of escalating water bankruptcy and global warming have so far failed to incur a marked improvement in governance systems. The global community has adopted sustainable development as a common vision and guide f
The strength of soil can significantly increase by stabilisation with binders. Adding binders in correct proportions to improve soil parameters is of paramount importance for earthworks. In this article, we presented a framework to explore strength characteristics of soil stabilised by several binders and evaluated using applied geophysical methods by estimated P-wave velocities. The core of our w
Transport and mobility systems need to be transformed to meet climate change goals and reduce negative environmental and social effects. Despite EU policies having targeted such problems for more than three decades, transitions have been slow and geographically uneven. For effective change to happen, transport and mobility research needs fresh perspectives and better integration of knowledge from
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common musculoskeletal disease that leads to deterioration of articular cartilage, joint pain, and decreased quality of life. When OA develops after a joint injury, it is designated as post-traumatic OA (PTOA). The etiology of PTOA remains poorly understood, but it is known that proteoglycan (PG) loss, cell dysfunction, and cell death in cartilage are among the first signs
3-Bromo-2-(bromomethyl)propyl (dibromoisobutyl or DIB) mono- to tetrasaccharide glycosides were prepared in moderate to high yields by treatment of the corresponding 1-0-acetyl saccharides with 3-bromo-2-(bromo-methyl)propanol (DIBOL) and boron trifluoride etherate. Treatment of the DIB glycosides with alkyl- and ω-methoxycarbonylalkyl thiols gave the corresponding bis-sulfide glycolipids and spac
Obesity and type 2 diabetes are causally related, yet there is considerable heterogeneity in the consequences of both conditions and the mechanisms of action are poorly defined. Here we show a genetic-driven approach defining two obesity profiles that convey highly concordant and discordant diabetogenic effects. We annotate and then compare association signals for these profiles across clinical an
Biological rules describe general morphological, structural and genetic patterns within and across species. Within these, ecogeographical rules correlate phenotypic variation of organisms with biogeography. The latter have been developed over the last 150 years, and recently have gained renewed attention due to climate change, as researchers try to predict how species will respond to different env
The impact of climate change on global biodiversity is firmly established, but the differential effect of climate change on populations within the same species is rarely considered. In ectotherms, melanism (i.e. darker integument due to heavier deposition of melanin) can significantly influence thermoregulation, as dark individuals generally heat more and faster than bright ones. Therefore, darker
The thermal environment can affect the evolution of morpho-behavioral adaptations of ectotherms. Heat is transferred from substrates to organisms by conduction and reflected radiation. Because brightness influences the degree of heat absorption, substrates could affect the evolution of integumentary optical properties. Here, we show that vipers (Squamata:Viperidae) inhabiting hot, highly radiative
With functions as diverse as communication, protection and thermoregulation, coloration is one of the most important traits in lizards. The ability to change colour as a function of varying social and environmental conditions is thus an important innovation. While colour change is present in animals ranging from squids, to fish and reptiles, not much is known about the mechanisms behind it. Tradit
Amniotic eggs are multifunctional structures that enabled early tetrapods to colonize the land millions of years ago, and are now the reproductive mode of over 70% of all terrestrial amniotes. Eggshell morphology is at the core of animal survival, mediating the interactions between embryos and their environment, and has evolved into a massive diversity of forms and functions in modern reptiles. Th
Venom is a key evolutionary trait, as evidenced by its widespread convergent evolution across the animal kingdom. In an escalating prey-predator arms race, venoms evolve rapidly to guarantee predatory or defensive success. Variation in venom composition is ubiquitous among snakes. Here, we tested variation in venom activity on substrates relevant to blood coagulation among Pseudonaja (brown snake)
Att odla ekologiskt istället för konventionellt bidrar till att öka den biologiska mångfalden. Den positiva effekten på biologiskmångfald är särskilt stor i odlingslandskap med få kvarvarande naturliga livsmiljöer som exempelvis naturbetesmarker. Samtidigt har sådana odlingslandskap ofta en hög jordbruksproduktion och därför är också kostnaderna i form av skördebortfall höga vid en övergång till e
