Prevalence of QoI resistance and mtDNA diversity in the Irish Zymoseptoria tritici population

peer-reviewedThe emergence and spread of Quinone outside Inhibitor (QoI) fungicide resistance in the Irish Zymoseptoria tritici population in the early 2000s had immediate impacts on the efficacy of the entire group of fungicides for the control of septoria tritici blotch. As a result, a dramatic reduction in the quantities applied to winter wheat occurred in the following seasons. Even in the absence of these fungicides, the frequency of the resistance allele, G143A in the pathogens mtDNA has remained exceptionally high (>97%), and as such, it can be anticipated that continued poor efficacy of current QoI fungicides will be observed. Amongst the isolates with G143A, differences in sensitivity to the QoI pyraclostrobin were observed in vitro. The addition of the alternative oxidase (AOX) inhibitor salicylhydroxamic acid increased sensitivity in these isolates, suggesting some continued impairment of respiration by the QoI fungicides, albeit weak. Interestingly, amongst those tested, the strains from a site with a high frequency of inserts in the MFS1 transporter gene known to enhance QoI efflux did not exhibit this increase in sensitivity. A total of 19 mtDNA haplotypes were detected amongst the 2017 strain collection. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed the suggestion of a common ancestry of all the haplotypes, even though three of the haplotypes contained at least one sensitive strain

Minimum Description Length Model Selection - Problems and Extensions

The thesis treats a number of open problems in Minimum Description Length model selection, especially prediction problems. It is shown how techniques from the "Prediction with Expert Advice" literature can be used to improve model selection performance, which is particularly useful in nonparametric settings

Simultaneous capacitive probe and planar laser-induced fluorescence measurements in downwards gas-liquid annular flow

Various experimental techniques are available to analyse two-phase flows. The measurement concept and the applicability can however vary greatly. Prime examples from the opposite spectrum are planar laser-induced measurements (PLIF) versus capacitive probes. PLIF is an optical technique, it is non-intrusive but optical access is necessary. PLIF based measurements are known for their high temporal and spatial resolution but require a costly set-up. In contrast, the capacitive probe is another non-intrusive technique but doesn’t require optical access. It is fairly easy to set up, robust, and is cheap to construct. To rigorously compare both techniques, simultaneous PLIF and capacitive probe measurements are made in this work. As the void fraction is one of the key parameters to classify flow regimes, both techniques are compared on the determination of the void fraction. This is done for a limited set of six annular flows. The experiments were performed in a downward annular-flow facility with demineralized water - air as working medium. The first results indicate that both techniques give similar volume averaged void fractions. The mean absolute percentage error and the maximum relative error between both techniques are 0.30% and 0.54%, respectively. The PLIF measurements confirm however to have a better spatial resolution

The relationship between ombudsman, government and citizens: A survey analysis

Since the 1960s, ombudsmanship has become increasingly popular. Although there is a great deal of literature on ombudsmen, existing research rarely focuses on the people who actually use the ombudsman’s services. This article examines those who seek the help of ombudsmen in Belgium, and asks whether ombudsmen’s intervention has a noticeable effect on citizens’ confidence in government and public administration. Based on three surveys of 626 complainants, our analysis suggests that we should not see the ombudsman in Belgium as merely an instrument to help citizens but that they can also function as “change agents” and provide early warnings of problems in public administration. The role of ombudsmen in directly strengthening trust in government is limited at best. Furthermore, it seems that the profile of ombudsman complainants is skewed; our findings indicate that the socially disadvantaged are less likely to use the institution

Optimizing Planning and Delivery of High-Precision Robotic Radiotherapy and Intensity-Modulated Proton Therapy

__Abstract__ High-precision robotic radiotherapy and intensity-modulated proton therapy (IMPT) are two relatively new radiotherapy techniques that particularly aim at a highly localized delivery of a curative dose to the tumor, while achieving excellent sparing of the surrounding healthy tissues and critical organs. However, the use of hundreds (in high-precision robotic radiotherapy) or thousands (in IMPT) of small radiation beams to achieve a highly localized dose delivery is also associated with a number of issues regarding the efficiency and accuracy of treatment planning and delivery. These issues currently obstruct a more widespread use of high-precision robotic radiotherapy and IMPT. In this thesis, we have aimed at improving treatment planning and treatment delivery for both treatment modalities in order to overcome these obstacles. We have developed and evaluated several methods to reduce the treatment delivery time and the treatment planning time. This resulted in average delivery time reductions of 16%–38% and optimization times to be shortened by a factor of 2.8–5.6 on average. Next to that, we have investigated for both treatment modalities the sensitivity to treatment uncertainties and the effectiveness of techniques to reduce treatment errors or their impact on the delivered dose. This allowed us to establish favorable treatment strategies to achieve adequate dose delivery in the presence of intrafraction tumor motion and uncertainties in patient position, patient anatomy and proton range (for IMPT). These efforts will contribute to a more efficient, effective and safe delivery of a highly localized dose to the tumor using the CyberKnife and IMPT

Paroxysmal eye–head movements in Glut1 deficiency syndrome

Objective:To describe a characteristic paroxysmal eye–head movement disorder that occurs in infants with Glut1 deficiency syndrome (Glut1 DS).Methods:We retrospectively reviewed the medical charts of 101 patients with Glut1 DS to obtain clinical data about episodic abnormal eye movements and analyzed video recordings of 18 eye movement episodes from 10 patients.Results:A documented history of paroxysmal abnormal eye movements was found in 32/101 patients (32%), and a detailed description was available in 18 patients, presented here. Episodes started before age 6 months in 15/18 patients (83%), and preceded the onset of seizures in 10/16 patients (63%) who experienced both types of episodes. Eye movement episodes resolved, with or without treatment, by 6 years of age in 7/8 patients with documented long-term course. Episodes were brief (usually &lt;5 minutes). Video analysis revealed that the eye movements were rapid, multidirectional, and often accompanied by a head movement in the same direction. Eye movements were separated by clear intervals of fixation, usually ranging from 200 to 800 ms. The movements were consistent with eye–head gaze saccades. These movements can be distinguished from opsoclonus by the presence of a clear intermovement fixation interval and the association of a same-direction head movement.Conclusions:Paroxysmal eye–head movements, for which we suggest the term aberrant gaze saccades, are an early symptom of Glut1 DS in infancy. Recognition of the episodes will facilitate prompt diagnosis of this treatable neurodevelopmental disorder.</jats:sec