Network destabilization and transition in depression : new methods for studying the dynamics of therapeutic change

The science of dynamic systems is the study of pattern formation and system change. Dynamic systems theory can provide a useful framework for understanding the chronicity of depression and its treatment. We propose a working model of therapeutic change with potential to organize findings from psychopathology and treatment research, suggest new ways to study change, facilitate comparisons across studies, and stimulate treatment innovation. We describe a treatment for depression that we developed to apply principles from dynamic systems theory and then present a program of research to examine the utility of this application. Recent methodological and technological developments are also discussed to further advance the search for mechanisms of therapeutic change

Sensitivity of genomic selection to using different prior distributions

Genomic selection describes a selection strategy based on genomic estimated breeding values (GEBV) predicted from dense genetic markers such as single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data. Different Bayesian models have been suggested to derive the prediction equation, with the main difference centred around the specification of the prior distributions

Progress with air quality management in the 60 years since the UK clean air act, 1956. Lessons, failures, challenges and opportunities

© 2016 WIT Press, www.witpress.com. This paper explores the challenges, opportunities and progress made with managing air quality since the United Kingdom parliament passed the Clean Air Act, 1956. It seeks to identify the factors contributing to successful management of air quality and the factors that have acted, or continue to do so, as barriers to progress. The public health catastrophe of the 1952 London Smog created the political momentum for the 1956 Act to be passed. The nature of the contemporary air pollution challenge is reviewed in terms of the public health burden, the economic cost and the governmental response. The contemporary response is considered inadequate for the scale and intensity of the problem

La ionosfera: comunicare... naturalmente!

La ionosfera è la parte della media-alta atmosfera compresa tra i 60 e i 1000 km di quota. Essa è caratterizzata da una concentrazione di elettroni tale da modificare la propagazione delle onde radio che la attraversano

Paper Prototyping Comfortable VR Play for Diverse Sensory Needs

We co-designed paper prototype dashboards for virtual environments for three children with diverse sensory needs. Our goal was to determine individual interaction styles in order to enable comfortable and inclusive play. As a first step towards an inclusive virtual world, we began with designing for three sensory-diverse children who have labels of neurotypical, ADHD, and autism respectively. We focused on their leisure interests and their individual sensory profiles. We present the results of co-design with family members and paper prototyping sessions conducted by family members with the children. The results contribute preliminary empirical findings for accommodating different levels of engagement and empowering users to adjust environmental thresholds through interaction design

Nonlinear regulation enhances the phenotypic expression of trans-acting genetic polymorphisms

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Genetic variation explains a considerable part of observed phenotypic variation in gene expression networks. This variation has been shown to be located both locally (<it>cis</it>) and distally (<it>trans</it>) to the genes being measured. Here we explore to which degree the phenotypic manifestation of local and distant polymorphisms is a dynamic feature of regulatory design.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>By combining mathematical models of gene expression networks with genetic maps and linkage analysis we find that very different network structures and regulatory motifs give similar <it>cis</it>/<it>trans </it>linkage patterns. However, when the shape of the <it>cis-</it>regulatory input functions is more nonlinear or threshold-like, we observe for all networks a dramatic increase in the phenotypic expression of distant compared to local polymorphisms under otherwise equal conditions.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our findings indicate that genetic variation affecting the form of <it>cis</it>-regulatory input functions may reshape the genotype-phenotype map by changing the relative importance of <it>cis </it>and <it>trans </it>variation. Our approach combining nonlinear dynamic models with statistical genetics opens up for a systematic investigation of how functional genetic variation is translated into phenotypic variation under various systemic conditions.</p

Genomic selection and genetic gain for nut yield in an Australian macadamia breeding population

Improving yield prediction and selection efficiency is critical for tree breeding. This is vital for macadamia trees with the time from crossing to production of new cultivars being almost a quarter of a century. Genomic selection (GS) is a useful tool in plant breeding, particularly with perennial trees, contributing to an increased rate of genetic gain and reducing the length of the breeding cycle. We investigated the potential of using GS methods to increase genetic gain and accelerate selection efficiency in the Australian macadamia breeding program with comparison to traditional breeding methods. This study evaluated the prediction accuracy of GS in a macadamia breeding population of 295 full-sib progeny from 32 families (29 parents, reciprocals combined), along with a subset of parents. Historical yield data for tree ages 5 to 8 years were used in the study, along with a set of 4113 SNP markers. The traits of focus were average nut yield from tree ages 5 to 8 years and yield stability, measured as the standard deviation of yield over these 4 years. GBLUP GS models were used to obtain genomic estimated breeding values for each genotype, with a five-fold cross-validation method and two techniques: prediction across related populations and prediction across unrelated populations

Molecular characterization of a long range haplotype affecting protein yield and mastitis susceptibility in Norwegian Red cattle

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Previous fine mapping studies in Norwegian Red cattle (NRC) in the region 86-90.4 Mb on <it>Bos taurus </it>chromosome 6 (BTA6) has revealed a quantitative trait locus (QTL) for protein yield (PY) around 88 Mb and a QTL for clinical mastitis (CM) around 90 Mb. The close proximity of these QTLs may partly explain the unfavorable genetic correlation between these two traits in NRC. A long range haplotype covering this region was introduced into the NRC population through the importation of a Holstein-Friesian bull (1606 Frasse) from Sweden in the 1970s. It has been suggested that this haplotype has a favorable effect on milk protein content but an unfavorable effect on mastitis susceptibility. Selective breeding for milk production traits is likely to have increased the frequency of this haplotype in the NRC population.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Association mapping for PY and CM in NRC was performed using genotypes from 556 SNPs throughout the region 86-97 Mb on BTA6 and daughter-yield-deviations (DYDs) from 2601 bulls made available from the Norwegian dairy herd recording system. Highest test scores for PY were found for single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within and surrounding the genes <it>CSN2 </it>and <it>CSN1S2</it>, coding for the β-casein and α_S2-casein proteins. High coverage re-sequencing by high throughput sequencing technology enabled molecular characterization of a long range haplotype from 1606 Frasse encompassing these two genes. Haplotype analysis of a large number of descendants from this bull indicated that the haplotype was not markedly disrupted by recombination in this region. The haplotype was associated with both increased milk protein content and increased susceptibility to mastitis, which might explain parts of the observed genetic correlation between PY and CM in NRC. Plausible causal polymorphisms affecting PY were detected in the promoter region and in the 5'-flanking UTR of <it>CSN1S2</it>. These polymorphisms could affect transcription or translation of <it>CSN1S2 </it>and thereby affect the amount of α_S2-casein in milk.</p> <p>Highest test scores for CM were found in the region 89-91 Mb on BTA6, very close to a cluster of genes coding for CXC chemokines. Expression levels of some of these CXC chemokines have previously been shown to increase in bovine mammary gland cell lines after exposure to bacterial cell wall components.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Molecular characterization of the long range haplotype from the Holstein-Friesian bull 1606 Frasse, imported into NRC in the 1970s, revealed polymorphisms that could affect transcription or translation of the casein gene <it>CSN1S2</it>. Sires with this haplotype had daughters with significantly elevated milk protein content and selection for milk production traits is likely to have increased the frequency of this haplotype in the NRC population. The haplotype was also associated with increased mastitis susceptibility, which might explain parts of the genetic correlation between PY and CM in NRC.</p

Unraveling genetic sensitivity of beef cattle to environmental variation under tropical conditions

International audienceAbstractBackgroundSelection of cattle that are less sensitive to environmental variation in unfavorable environments and more adapted to harsh conditions is of primary importance for tropical beef cattle production systems. Understanding the genetic background of sensitivity to environmental variation is necessary for developing strategies and tools to increase efficiency and sustainability of beef production. We evaluated the degree of sensitivity of beef cattle performance to environmental variation, at the animal and molecular marker levels (412 K single nucleotide polymorphisms), by fitting and comparing the results of different reaction norm models (RNM), using a comprehensive dataset of Nellore cattle raised under diverse environmental conditions.ResultsHeteroscedastic RNM (with different residual variances for environmental level) provided better fit than homoscedastic RNM. In addition, spline and quadratic RNM outperformed linear RNM, which suggests the existence of a nonlinear genetic component affecting the performance of Nellore cattle. This nonlinearity indicates that within-animal sensitivity depends on the environmental gradient (EG) level and that animals may present different patterns of sensitivity according to the range of environmental variations. The spline RNM showed that sensitivity to environmental variation from harsh to average EG is lowly correlated with sensitivity from average to good EG, at both the animal and molecular marker levels. Although the genomic regions that affect sensitivity in harsher environments were not the same as those associated with less challenging environments, the candidate genes within those regions participate in common biological processes such as those related to inflammatory and immune response. Some plausible candidate genes were identified.ConclusionsSensitivity of tropical beef cattle to environmental variation is not continuous along the environmental gradient, which implies that animals that are less sensitive to harsher conditions are not necessarily less responsive to variations in better environmental conditions, and vice versa. The same pattern was observed at the molecular marker level, i.e. genomic regions and, consequently, candidate genes associated with sensitivity to harsh conditions were not the same as those associated with sensitivity to less challenging conditions