The exploration of different behaviors is part of the adaptation repertoire of individuals to new environments. Here, we explore how the evolution of cooperative behavior is affected by the interplay between exploration dynamics and social learning, in particular when individuals engage on the Prisoner's Dilemma along the edges of a social network. We show that when the population undergoes a transition from strong to weak exploration rates a decline in the overall levels of cooperation...

Aim: DNA metabarcoding has great potential to improve biomonitoring in island’s marine ecosystems, which are highly vulnerable to global change and non-indigenous species (NIS) introductions. However, the depth and accuracy of the taxonomic identifications are largely dependent on reference libraries containing representative and reliable sequences for the targeted species. In this study, we evaluated the gaps in the availability of DNA sequences and their accuracy, for macroinvertebrates inhabiting Macaronesia’s shallow marine habitats. Location: Macaronesia (Azores,...

Abstract Purpose To determine the influence of implantable collamer lenses (ICL) geometry, i.e. spherical and toric on the vault, and report the refractive and visual outcomes of patients bilaterally implanted with the two ICL geometries. Methods This retrospective case series analysed 41 patients implanted with a spherical ICL (sICL) in one eye and an equal sized toric ICL (tICL) in the fellow eye. The anatomical and ICL-related parameters were assessed using anterior-segment optical coherence tomography...

Abstract Background Hostile environment around the lesion site following spinal cord injury (SCI) prevents the re-establishment of neuronal tracks, thus significantly limiting the regenerative capability. Electroconductive scaffolds are emerging as a promising option for SCI repair, though currently available conductive polymers such as polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) present poor biofunctionality and biocompatibility, thus limiting their effective use in SCI tissue engineering (TE) treatment strategies. Methods PEDOT NPs were synthesized via chemical oxidation polymerization in...

Additional file 1: Figure S1. Raman spectrum of CVD grown single-layer graphene. Figure S2. Averaged response from measurement replicates of a single gMTA chip. Figure S3. XPS peak fitting for PBASE and PBASE + aptamer samples. Figure S4. Blank samples measurements in PBS. Figure S5. Stability of gMTA measurements. Figure S6. Dopamine attomolar detection with short incubation time.

Abstract Detecting physiological levels of neurotransmitters in biological samples can advance our understanding of brain disorders and lead to improved diagnostics and therapeutics. However, neurotransmitter sensors for real-world applications must reliably detect low concentrations of target analytes from small volume working samples. Herein, a platform for robust and ultrasensitive detection of dopamine, an essential neurotransmitter that underlies several brain disorders, based on graphene multitransistor arrays (gMTAs) functionalized with a selective DNA aptamer is presented. High-yield...

Annelid polychaetes have been seldom the focus of dedicated DNA barcoding studies, despite their ecological relevance and often dominance, particularly in soft-bottom estuarine and coastal marine ecosystems. Here, we report the first assessment of the performance of DNA barcodes in the discrimination of shallow water polychaete species from the southern European Atlantic coast, focusing on specimens collected in estuaries and coastal ecosystems of Portugal. We analysed cytochrome oxidase I DNA barcodes (COI-5P) from 164 specimens,...

Dissecting diversity patterns of organisms endemic to Iberia has been truly challenging for a variety of taxa, and the Iberian honey bee is no exception. Surveys of genetic variation in the Iberian honey bee are among the most extensive for any honey bee subspecies. From these, differential and complex patterns of diversity have emerged, which have yet to be fully resolved. Here, we used a genome-wide data set of 309 neutrally tested single nucleotide polymorphisms...

Conceiving of stimuli and responses as causes and effects, and assuming that rats acquire representational models of causal relations from Pavlovian procedures, previous work by Causal Model Theory proponents attempted to train rat subjects to represent Light as a cause of both Tone and food. By these assumptions, with formal help from Bayesian Networks, self-production of the Tone should reduce expectation of alternative causes, including Light, and their effects, including food. Reduced feeder-directed responding to...

Through the Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) and the LIFE projects financial investments, Europe has been the world’s experimental arena for biological conservation. With an estimated budget of €20 billion/year, the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 has set an ambitious goal of reaching 30% Protected Areas and ensure no deterioration in conservation trends and status of all protected species. We analyzed LIFE projects focused on animals from 1992 to 2018 and we found that investment towards vertebrates...

ABSTRACT: Cervical spondylomyelopathy (CSM) is a disease that affects mostly large- and giant-breed dogs. It is characterized by abnormalities of the cervical spine that may cause damage to the spinal cord and nerve roots. Cervical disc arthroplasty has been proposed as a treatment option in veterinary medicine. The current study evaluated the main stresses in a novel canine vertebral disc prosthesis and vertebral bodies using finite element analysis. Two experimental groups were created based on...

Abstract Background Hostile environment around the lesion site following spinal cord injury (SCI) prevents the re-establishment of neuronal tracks, thus significantly limiting the regenerative capability. Electroconductive scaffolds are emerging as a promising option for SCI repair, though currently available conductive polymers such as polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) present poor biofunctionality and biocompatibility, thus limiting their effective use in SCI tissue engineering (TE) treatment strategies. Methods PEDOT NPs were synthesized via chemical oxidation polymerization in...

Additional file 1.

Coastal and freshwater cetaceans are particularly vulnerable due to their proximity to human activity, localized distributions and small home ranges. These species include Sotalia guianensis, found in the Atlantic and Caribbean coastal areas of central and South America, and Sotalia fluviatilis, distributed in the Amazon River and tributaries. We investigated the population structure and genetic diversity of these two species by analyses of mtDNA control region and 8-10 microsatellite loci. MtDNA analyses revealed strong regional...

OpenAIRE , the point of reference for Open Access in Europe, is now addressing the problem of enabling the Open Science paradigm. To this aim it will provide services to: (i) overcome the limits of today’s scientific communication landscape, by allowing research communities and the relative e-infrastructures to fully publish, interlink, package and reuse their research artefacts (e.g. literature, data, and software) and their funding grants within the European and global ecosystem as supported/promoted by...