Protein sensing and discrimination using highly functionalised ruthenium( ii ) tris(bipyridyl) protein surface mimetics in an array format

Ruthenium(II) tris(bipyridyl) protein surface mimetics are used in an array format to sense and discriminate proteins including therapeutically relevant targets, hDM2 and MCL-1, using linear discriminant analysis (LDA)

The challenge of estimating indirect genetic effects on behaviour: a comment on Bailey et al.

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from OUP via the DOI in this record

Factors that influence students' satisfaction with their physical learning environments

Purpose- To identify personality types between different university disciplines, and to establish whether there are differing requirements in the design of physical learning environment. Also to identify features of the physical learning environment that can support a sense of community. This paper seeks to investigate the relationship between student’s personality and preferences of features of the built environment. Design/methodology/approach- Quantitative questionnaires were distributed in three university disciplines based on the variables personality, elements of the physical learning environment and features that could support a sense of community. Findings- The analysis revealed that there is differences in preferred features within the physical learning environment for the three university disciplines within a large UK based University. It can also be seen that there is differences in personality profiles between these three university disciplines. Features of the environment that could support a sense of community have been also identified . Research implications- Those who are responsible for the design and refurbishment of Higher Education Institutions may find this research useful to improve the facilities for students. To support the development of appropriate physical learning spaces through the understanding of students requirements . Originality/value-This paper presents a new perspective on how the development of Higher Education Facilities can be designed to increase student experience by identifying specific features of the physical learning environment students prefer. Keywords- Higher Education; Physical learning environment; Personality; Community. Paper type- Research pape

Testing the stability of behavioural coping style across stress contexts in the Trinidadian guppy

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Wiley via the DOI in this record.1. Within-populations, individuals can vary in stress response, a multivariate phenomenon comprising neuroendocrine, physiological and behavioural traits. 2. Verbal models of individual stress ‘coping style’ have proposed that the behavioural component of this variation can be described as a single axis, with each individual’s coping style being consistent across time and stress contexts. 3. Focusing on this behavioural component of stress response, and combining repeated measures of multiple traits with a novel multivariate modelling framework, we test for the existence of coping style variation and assess its stability across contexts in the Trinidadian guppy (Poecilia reticulata). 4. Specifically, we test the following hypotheses: (i) there exists repeatable among-individual behavioural (co)variation (‘personality’) within a mild stress context consistent with a risk-averse—risk-prone continuum of behavioural coping style, (ii) there is population-level plasticity in behaviour as a function of stressor severity, (iii) there is among-individual variation in plasticity (i.e., IxE), and (iv) the presence of IxE reduces cross-context stability of behavioural coping style. 5. We found significant repeatable among-individual behavioural (co)variation in the mild stress context (open field trial), represented as an I matrix. However, I was not readily described by a simple risk-averse—risk-prone continuum as posited by the original coping style model. We also found strong evidence for population-level changes in mean behaviour with increasing stressor severity (simulated avian and piscine predation risks). 6. Single-trait analyses did show the presence of individual-by-environment interactions (IxE), as among-individual cross-context correlations were significantly less than +1. However, multi-trait analysis revealed the consequences of this plasticity variation were minimal. Specifically, we found little evidence for changes in the structure of I between mild and moderate stress contexts overall, and only minor changes between the two moderate contexts (avian versus piscine predator). 7. We show that a multivariate approach to assessing changes in among individual (co)variance across contexts can prevent the over-interpretation of statistically significant, but small, individual-by-environment effects. While behavioural flexibility enables populations (and individuals) to respond rapidly to changes in the environment, multivariate personality structure can be conserved strongly across such contexts.Funding was provided by a grant from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC, grant BB/L022656/1). A.J.Y. is supported by a BBSRC David Phillips Fellowship

Metabolism, personality and pace of life in the Trinidadian guppy, Poecilia reticulata

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Brill Academic Publishers via the DOI in this record.While among-individual variation in behaviour, or personality, is common across taxa, its mechanistic underpinnings are poorly understood. The Pace of Life syndrome (POLS) provides one possible explanation for maintenance of personality differences. POLS predicts that metabolic differences will covary with behavioural variation, with high metabolism associated with risk prone behaviour and ‘faster’ life histories (e.g., high growth, early maturation). We used a repeated measures approach, assaying metabolic traits (rate and scope), behaviour and growth to test these predictions in the Trinidadian guppy, Poecilia reticulata. We found that while individuals varied significantly in their behaviour and growth rate, more risk prone individuals did not grow significantly faster. Furthermore, after accounting for body size there was no support for among-individual variation in metabolic traits. Thus, while personality differences are clearly present in this population, they do not covary with metabolism and the POLS framework is not supported

Animal personality as a cause and consequence of contest behaviour.

We review the evidence for a link between consistent among-individual variation in behaviour (animal personality) and the ability to win contests over limited resources. Explorative and bold behaviours often covary with contest behaviour and outcome, although there is evidence that the structure of these 'behavioural syndromes' can change across situations. Aggression itself is typically repeatable, but also subject to high within-individual variation as a consequence of plastic responses to previous fight outcomes and opponent traits. Common proximate mechanisms (gene expression, endocrine control and metabolic rates) may underpin variation in both contest behaviour and general personality traits. Given the theoretical links between the evolution of fighting and of personality, we suggest that longitudinal studies of contest behaviour, combining behavioural and physiological data, would be a useful context for the study of animal personalities

Analysis of direct and indirect genetic effects in fighting sea anemones

Abstract Theoretical models of animal contests such as the Hawk-Dove game predict that variation in fighting behavior will persist due to mixed evolutionarily stable strategies (ESS) under certain conditions. However, the genetic basis for this variation is poorly understood and a mixed ESS for fighting can be interpreted in more than one way. Specifically, we do not know whether variation in aggression within a population arises from among-individual differences in fixed strategy (determined by an individual’s genotype—direct genetic effects [DGEs]), or from within-individual variation in strategy across contests. Furthermore, as suggested by developments of the original Hawk-Dove model, within-individual variation in strategy may be dependent on the phenotype and thus genotype of the opponent (indirect genetic effects—IGEs). Here we test for the effect of DGEs and IGEs during fights in the beadlet sea anemone Actinia equina. By exploiting the unusual reproductive system of sea anemones, combined with new molecular data, we investigate the role of both additive (DGE + IGE) and non-additive (DGE × IGE) genetic effects on fighting parameters, the latter of which have been hypothesized but never tested for explicitly. We find evidence for heritable variation in fighting ability and that fight duration increases with relatedness. Fighting success is influenced additively by DGEs and IGEs but we found no evidence for non-additive IGEs. These results indicate that variation in fighting behavior is driven by additive indirect genetic effects (DGE + IGE), and support a core assumption of contest theory that strategies are fixed by DGEs.</jats:p

Efficient solution of the multichannel Lüscher determinant condition through eigenvalue decomposition

We present a method for efficiently finding solutions of L\"uscher's quantisation condition, the equation which relates two-particle scattering amplitudes to the discrete spectrum of states in a periodic spatial volume of finite extent such as that present in lattice QCD. The approach proposed is based on an eigenvalue decomposition in the space of coupled-channels and partial-waves, which proves to have several desirable and simplifying features that are of great benefit when considering problems beyond simple elastic scattering of spinless particles. We illustrate the method with a toy model of vector-vector scattering featuring a high density of solutions, and with an application to explicit lattice QCD energy level data describing $J^P=1^-$ and $1^+$ scattering in several coupled channels