Because population size is sensitive to changes in adult survival, adult survival may be buffered against environmental variability. Philopatry may be adaptive in changing environments, but it could also constrain breeding habitat selection under changing conditions such as shifting predation regimes. Habitat preference and quality could become decoupled in long-lived philopatric species that evol

Moths generally rely on pheromone communication for mate finding. The pheromone components of most moths are produced by a common pathway of fatty-acid biosynthesis coupled with species-specific modifications of the final products. Some genes involved in moth pheromone production have previously been described, whereas others remain to be characterized and thus the molecular mechanisms accounting

Deoxyribonucleoside kinases catalyze the rate limiting step during the salvage of deoxyribonucleosides and convert them into the corresponding monophosphate compounds. We have identified and characterized a unique multisubstrate deoxyribonucleoside kinase from plants. The phylogenetic relationship and biochemical properties suggest that this deoxyribonucleoside kinase represents a living fossil re

We herein report the reversible formation of a planar lamellar phase as an intermediate structure in a vesicle-micelle transition induced by temperature, for a salt-free catanionic surfactant-water system. Turbidity, small-angle neutron scattering, dynamic light scattering and microscopy data altogether demonstrate that the vesicles formed by hexadecyltrimethylammonium octylsulfonate (TA(16)So(8))

High-density lipoprotein (HDL) has anti-atherogenic properties and the plasma level of HDL cholesterol correlates inversely with the risk of coronary artery disease. The atheroprotective functions of HDL can be explained by its function in the reverse cholesterol transport. Blood coagulation is activated in response to tissue damage and involves a series of enzymatic protein complexes that assembl

We evaluated the relation between serum FGF23 and bone mineral density (BMD) in a community-based cohort of elderly men. There was a weak correlation between FGF23 and BMD, which was primarily dependent on body weight. FGF23 is a hormonal factor produced in bone and regulates serum levels of phosphate (Pi) and vitamin D. FGF23 over-expression is associated with skeletal abnormalities, including ri

This paper describes theoretical and experimental work undertaken to obtain a structural model for assessment of historical Latin-American vertically laminated planked timber arches, as built by the Spanish, mainly in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Many such arches still stand, and represent an important historical heritage. Following initial historical and construction studies, a struc

Circulating free fatty acids are often elevated in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and obese individuals. Chronic exposure to high levels of saturated fatty acids has detrimental effects on islet function and insulin secretion. Altered gene expression and epigenetics may contribute to T2D and obesity. However, there is limited information on whether fatty acids alter the genome-wide transcript

Sustainable development represents a commitment to advancing human well-being, with the added constraint that this development needs to take place within the ecological limits of the biosphere. Progress in both these dimensions of sustainable development can be assessed: we use the UN Human Development Index (HDI) as an indicator of development and the Ecological Footprint as an indicator of human