Expression of fat mass and obesity-associated gene (FTO) and ADP-ribosylation factor-like 15 (ARL15) in human islets is inversely correlated with HbA1c. However, their impact on insulin secretion is still ambiguous. Here in, we investigated the role of FTO and ARL15 using GRINCH (Glucose-Responsive Insulin-secreting C-peptide-modified Human proinsulin) clonal rat β-cells. GRINCH cells have inserte

The overall objective of this thematic session is to present new research and discuss how different cultures and communities sense the world by paying attention to one of its more accessible manifestations: language. We bring together scholars who work on various aspects of how sensory perceptions are verbally manifested and use different methodologies, from experimental to discourse-based. The ge

The role of the European nobility and their ability to retain their political and economic power are part of the debate on the modernization of Europe’s economy. This paper contributes to the literature by exploring the wealth of the Swedish nobility as the country evolved from an agrarian to an industrial economy. We use a sample of 200+ probate inventories of nobles for each of the benchmark yea

In the past four decades, marketization and modernization in China have led to conflict between economic development and the protection of ethnic minority cultures. In response, a growing number of scholars have focused on issues related to education and ethnicity in China. This article describes and analyzes how these scholars researched education and ethnicity between 1990 and 2014. Six research

Radical energy efficiency improvements are needed to keep global warming within 1.5 °C until the end of the century. Minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) are a widely applied policy instrument to improve the energy efficiency of appliances and reduce CO2 emissions, but they are criticized as redundant if an overarching carbon pricing scheme is in place. In order to better understand how MEP

One of the central issues in ecology is the identification of processes affecting the population structure and dynamics of species with complex life cycles. In such species, variation in both the number of larvae that enter a population and their phenotype are important drivers of survival and growth after metamorphosis. Larval experience can have strong effects on key postmetamorphic traits, but

The diatom Chaetoceros calcitrans is a major component of many bivalve hatcheries, yet it is expensive and notoriously difficult to culture on a commercial scale. In an attempt to reduce dependence on the diatom C. calcitrans, mussel larvae (Mytilus galloprovincialis) were subjected to feeding experiments which altered levels of the diatom under controlled hatchery conditions. Growth, survival and

Within species, larger offspring typically outperform smaller offspring. While the relationship between offspring size and performance is ubiquitous, the cause of this relationship remains elusive. By linking metabolic and life-history theory, we provide a general explanation for why larger offspring perform better than smaller offspring. Using high-throughput respirometry arrays, we link metaboli

Metabolic rate reflects the ‘pace of life’ in every organism. Metabolic rate is related to an organism’s capacity for essential maintenance, growth and reproduction-all of which interact to affect fitness. Although thousands of measurements of metabolic rate have been made, the microevolutionary forces that shape metabolic rate remain poorly resolved. The relationship between metabolic rate and co

In species with complex life cycles, laboratory studies have shown that variations in the traits of settling larvae can affect post-settlement survival and influence recruitment and benthic- pelagic coupling. However, we still know little about the magnitude and spatial scale of natural trait variation. We studied spatial variation in body size and nutritional reserves (carbon, nitrogen and lipids

Within many species, larger offspring have higher fitness. While the presence of an offspring size–fitness relationship is canonical in life-history theory, the mechanisms that determine why this relationship exists are unclear. Linking metabolic theory to life-history theory could provide a general explanation for why larger offspring often perform better than smaller offspring. In many species,

Metabolic rate reflects an organism's capacity for growth, maintenance and reproduction, and is likely to be a target of selection. Physiologists have long sought to understand the causes and consequences of within-individual to among-species variation in metabolic rates - how metabolic rates relate to performance and how they should evolve. Traditionally, this has been viewed from a mechanistic p

It is well known that material properties are size dependent at small enough geometrical scales. With the advance of technology and computational power, we are now able to bridge the atomistic or even electronic scale phenomena with macroscopic properties of materials. A strategy to capture the electronic structure effect is to perform first principles calculations. Here we present results of firs

The current use of a 30 million year dateline for accepting genera in the Parmeliaceae is evaluated. Its value is doubtful since evolution obviously went quicker in some lichen groups compared with others. Parallel evolution is also very common among lichens. Polyphyletic genera should always be split, while sister groups may remain split or be combined after considering non-molecular characters. The current use of a 30 million year dateline for accepting genera in the Parmeliaceae is evaluated. Its value is doubtful since evolution obviously went quicker in some lichen groups compared with others. Parallel evolution is also very common among lichens. Polyphyletic genera should always be split, while sister groups may remain split or be combined after considering non-molecular characters.

Sites of Lobaria pulmonaria reported from the nemoral zone of the Swedish provinces Skåne and Blekinge since 1990 were revisited. At each locality, the habitat ecology and lichen viability were investigated. A substantial decline was noted, particularly in Skåne, as L. pulmonaria was found at only 24 sites, 22 of which were forests and two were wooded meadows. The commonest habitats for L. pulmonaSites of Lobaria pulmonaria reported from the nemoral zone of the Swedish provinces Skåne and Blekinge since 1990 were revisited. At each locality, the habitat ecology and lichen viability were investigated. A substantial decline was noted, particularly in Skåne, as L. pulmonaria was found at only 24 sites, 22 of which were forests and two were wooded meadows. The commonest habitats for L. pulmona

Vi och dom, mitt gäng och deras, vän eller fiende – hur ska vi kunna leva tillsammans i vår globaliserade och polariserade värld?Den här boken handlar om fördomar, om hur vi generaliserar och kategoriserar. Men också om tolerans och vad som begränsar den – och hur den skulle kunna utvidgas.Våra hjärnor hanterar information om andra på olika sätt beroende på om vi placerar dem i kategorin ingrupp e

Proton-induced reaction (p,α) is one type of nuclear reaction analysis (NRA) suitable especially for light element quantification. In the case of lithium quantification presented in this work, accelerated protons with an energy about of 850 keV were used to induce the 7Li(p,α)4He reaction in standard reference and geological samples such as tourmaline and other Li-minerals. It is shown that this t