Quantifying the behavioural relevance of hippocampal neurogenesis

Few studies that examine the neurogenesis--behaviour relationship formally establish covariation between neurogenesis and behaviour or rule out competing explanations. The behavioural relevance of neurogenesis might therefore be overestimated if other mechanisms account for some, or even all, of the experimental effects. A systematic review of the literature was conducted and the data reanalysed using causal mediation analysis, which can estimate the behavioural contribution of new hippocampal neurons separately from other mechanisms that might be operating. Results from eleven eligible individual studies were then combined in a meta-analysis to increase precision (representing data from 215 animals) and showed that neurogenesis made a negligible contribution to behaviour (standarised effect = 0.15; 95% CI = -0.04 to 0.34; p = 0.128); other mechanisms accounted for the majority of experimental effects (standardised effect = 1.06; 95% CI = 0.74 to 1.38; p = 1.7 $\times 10^{-11}$).Comment: To be published in PLoS ON

Behaviour of Belgian firms in the context of globalisation : lessons from the conference on “International Trade : Threats and Opportunities in a Globalised World”

The article summarises the main lessons of the Bank’s 2010 conference which focused on international trade and foreign direct investment. The research is based on a microeconomic approach to the behaviour of Belgian firms, with reference to developments in the scientific literature on the subject. Firms active internationally have specific characteristics : they are larger and more productive than firms concentrating on the home market. The costs of entering international markets determine their globalisation strategies, be it in terms of timing, the number of markets canvassed, or the choice between exporting and foreign direct investment. Information technologies have a key role in the development of trade in services, especially for analytical work. It is also shown that, in the face of increased competition from Asian products, firms are tending to concentrate their exports on their leading products and to upgrade quality. The international activities of some firms also have positive repercussions on the productivity and globalisation decisions of firms active solely on the home market. Finally, the impact of globalisation on employment is analysed from various angles. In general, trade with low-wage countries tends to increase demand for skilled labour in Belgium and to reduce demand for unskilled labour. The effects of offshoring are comparable. Finally, while multinationals manage their workforce more flexibly than domestic firms, they have nevertheless been the source of substantial job creation, particularly where the subsidiaries of foreign multinationals are concerned.international trade, foreign direct investment, microeconomic analysis, firm heterogeneity, internationalisation, spillovers, multi-product firms, multinational firms, offshoring, employment, skills

PERFORMANCE DIAGNOSTICS WITH INSTRUMENTED RACING WHEELCHAIRS: COMPARISON OF ATHLETES OF CLASS T52 AND T53

The purpose of this study was to develop a cheap and flexible instrumentation system for on-track monitoring of velocity and associated parameters. Two wheelchairs of two top athletes (class T52 and 53) were equipped with a ferrite motor connected to the rear wheels and the back EMF (electromotive force) was converted to velocity after filtering and calibrating. Drag and rolling resistance were determined from the decreasing velocity when rolling freely and from a differential equation. In two 100 m races per athlete, the velocity, peak push acceleration, push frequency, inertial, drag and friction forces, peak push power and energy were calculated. Athlete 1 (T53) reached twice the maximum velocity and six times the average peak push power of Athlete 2, and produced 2.7 times as much energy over 100m. The system developed is useful for optimising race training

Integrated assessment of crop management portfolios in adapting to climate change in the Marchfeld region

Portfolio optimization is an adequate tool to find optimal crop management options in adapting to climate change. The risk farmers have to face can be caused by different sources. In our study, we focus on the risk arising from unknown weather conditions. Therefore, we developed stochastic climate change scenarios for the Marchfeld region. Two portfolio models have been applied in the time periods 2008-2020, 2021-2030 and 2031-2040: a traditional non-linear mean-variance (E-V) model and a model using the Conditional Value at Risk (CVaR) as risk metric. Investigated crops are corn, winter wheat, sunflower and spring barley with different crop management alternatives. Minimum tillage appears in all portfolios. We found a decreasing share of winter wheat that gets partially substituted by sunflower over the time periods. When including environmental constraints (soil organic carbon content, nitrate leaching) the reverse effect on the resulting portfolio shares is observed with corn being included. The E-V model reveals more diversification with respect to the crops, whereas the CVaR model shows more diversification with respect to crop management options

Optimal irrigation management strategies under weather uncertainty and risk

Climate change will affect agricultural production through changes in water supply, such that optimal irrigation management strategies gain importance. For the Marchfeld region, we firstly analyze with a stochastic dynamic programming approach the probability of investing into either a water-saving drip or a sprinkler irrigation system until 2040. Secondly, we develop optimal irrigation management portfolios for different degrees of risk aversion using climate data from a statistical model and the simulations for specific crops of the biophysical process model EPIC (Environmental Policy Integrated Climate). Investment in drip irrigation systems is not profitable. Sprinkler irrigation has a positive probability of being adopted for the production of sugar beets and carrots and therefore mostly shows a 100% share in the portfolio optimization

Oxazolone Colitis, a Th2 Colitis Model Resembling Ulcerative Colitis, Is Mediated by IL-13-Producing NK-T Cells

AbstractOxazolone colitis (OC) is an experimental colitis that has a histologic resemblance to human ulcerative colitis. Here we show that IL-13 production is a significant pathologic factor in OC since its neutralization by IL-13Rα2-Fc administration prevents colitis. We further show that OC is mediated by NK-T cells since it can be induced neither in mice depleted of NK-T cells nor in mice that cannot present antigen to NK-T cells and mice lacking an NK-T cell-associated TCR. Finally, we show that NK-T cells are the source of the IL-13, since they produce IL-13 upon stimulation by α-galactosylceramide, an NK-T cell-specific antigen. These data thus describe a cellular mechanism underlying an experimental colitis that may explain the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis

Global Feedstock Scenarios for Bioenergy - Land-Use Change and Trade-Offs

This paper presents scenarios of global feedstock supply for the production of bioenergy under specified social and environmental safeguard provisions. In particular, concerns for the preservation of biodiversity and the reduction of deforestation are considered in different combinations of scenarios. The objectives of this study were 3-fold: (a) to achieve a global perspective using an integrated modeling approach; (b) to frame the boundaries for lower scale assessments; and (c) to identify potential trade-offs to be considered in future research. The aggregate results, achieved through the application of an integrated global modeling cluster, are in line with other studies predicting a doubling of global biomass supplies by mid-century. These supplies will to the largest extent be sourced from the conversion of unmanaged forest into managed forest, from new fast growing short rotation plantations and from intensification as well as optimization of land-use. Depending on the underlying scenario, it can be shown that zero net deforestation by 2020 can be reached and uphold while implying only a minor expansion into managed forests. Results further indicate that especially regions of the southern hemisphere i.e. the tropical belt will face controlled forest conversion from unmanaged to sustainably managed as well as increased protection of area for ecosystems services such as biodiversity. The study concludes with the recommendation of increased focus on targeted regional policy design and implementation following integrated global assessments

In vivo detection of changes in cutaneous carotenoids after chemotherapy using shifted excitation resonance Raman difference and fluorescence spectroscopy

Background: Various cutaneous toxicities under chemotherapy indicate a local effect of chemotherapy by secretion after systemic application. Here, changes in the fluorescence and Raman spectral properties of the stratum corneum subsequent to intravenous chemotherapy were assessed. Methods: Twenty healthy subjects and 20 cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy were included. Measurement time points in cancer patients were before the first cycle of chemotherapy (Tbase) and immediately after intravenous application of the chemotherapy (T1). Healthy subjects were measured once without any further intervention. Measurements were conducted using an individually manufactured system consisting of a handheld probe and a wavelength-tunable diode laser-based 488 nm SHG light source. Hereby, changes in both skin fluorescence and shifted excitation resonance Raman difference spectroscopy (SERRDS) carotenoid signals were assessed. Results: Healthy subjects showed significantly (P <.001) higher mean concentrations of carotenoids compared to cancer subjects at Tbase. An increase in fluorescence intensity was detected in almost all patients after chemotherapy, especially after doxorubicin infusion. Furthermore, a decrease in the carotenoid concentration in the skin after chemotherapy was found. Conclusion: The SERRDS based noninvasive detection can be used as an indirect quantitative assessment of fluorescent chemotherapeutics. The lower carotenoid SERRDS intensities at Tbase might be due to cancerous diseases and co-medication. © 2020 The Authors. Skin Research and Technology Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd