Large-scale macroinvertebrate assemblage patterns from least-disturbed wadeable stream sites across the 48 contiguous US states

We quantified the patterns in macroinvertebrate assemblages and their associated environmental gradients from 457 least-disturbed wadeable stream sites across the 48 contiguous United States sampled as part of US EPA’s National Wadeable Stream Assessment. The majority of the variation in assemblage composition at the finest taxonomic resolution was related to substrate size,%fastwater habitat, water chemistry, as well as east-west geographic position and elevation. Sites were classified into 5 groups with cluster analysis, and group membership was predicted from environmental data using classification tree analysis (CTA). CTA correctly classified 69.1%of test sites and indicated that groups were distinguished by east-west location, and by factors distinguishing mountain streams from lowland/plains streams. Eastern and western groups that had similar environmental characteristics had very similar coarse scale taxa composition and convergent taxa traits. Ordinations confirmed that composition patterns using coarse level taxa resolution and taxa traits no longer reflected geographic distinctions, but were only related to non-geographic environmental factors. However, composition patterns based on traits, coarse taxa, and macroinvertebrates identified to the finest practical level were all correlated with the same dominant non-geographic environmental gradients.Keywords: indicator taxa, classification, assemblages, traits, stream, macroinvertebrate, least-disturbe

Geometric representations for minimalist grammars

We reformulate minimalist grammars as partial functions on term algebras for strings and trees. Using filler/role bindings and tensor product representations, we construct homomorphisms for these data structures into geometric vector spaces. We prove that the structure-building functions as well as simple processors for minimalist languages can be realized by piecewise linear operators in representation space. We also propose harmony, i.e. the distance of an intermediate processing step from the final well-formed state in representation space, as a measure of processing complexity. Finally, we illustrate our findings by means of two particular arithmetic and fractal representations.Comment: 43 pages, 4 figure

Low percentage of clinically relevant pistachio nut and mango co-sensitisation in cashew nut sensitised children

Background: Cashew nut, pistachio nut and mango belong to the Anacardiaceae family and are botanically related. Therefore, cashew nut sensitised children are frequently advised to eliminate cashew nuts and pistachio nuts from their diet. The ‘Improvement of Diagnostic mEthods for ALlergy assessment (IDEAL trial number NTR3572) study showed that cashew nut sensitised children were co-sensitised to pistachio nut in 98% of cases and to mango in 21% of cases. The aim of this follow-up study to IDEAL is to assess the clinical relevance of co-sensitisation to pistachio nut and mango in cashew nut sensitised children. Methods: Children were recruited from the study: ‘Improvement of Diagnostic mEthods for ALlergy assessment (IDEAL trial number NTR3572). Inclusion criterion for the IDEAL study was sensitization to cashew nut as demonstrated by either SPT or sIgE, and a clinical history of reactions to cashew nuts or no previous (known) exposure. Sensitized children who were tolerant to cashew nuts were excluded. Inclusion criterion for this IDEAL follow-up study was co-sensitization to pistachio nut, regardless the result of the DBPCFC with cashew nut. In this follow-up study a double-blind placebo-controlled food challenge with pistachio nut and an open food challenge with mango were performed. Results: Twenty-nine children (mean age of 11.6 years, 62% male) were included. Pistachio nut sensitisation was clinically relevant in only 34% of cashew-sensitised children and only 31% of cashew challenge positive children. None of the children was challenge positive to mango. Conclusion: Although co-sensitisation between cashew nut and pistachio nut was observed in 98%, pistachio nut sensitisation was only clinically relevant in 34% of the children. Therefore, a challenge test with pistachio nut is recommended in children with cashew nut and pistachio nut sensitisation.</p

Development of mobile sensors for estimation of grain qualities and contaminants to enhance nutrition and safety of grain-products in developing countries; current status

The governments of several developing countries responded to their population “malnutrition crisis” (P.Webb et al., 2018), among others, by promotion of crops of high nutritional value and their enhanced usage for food products formulations (e.g. “Millet Mission” in India or “Blending Policy” in Kenya). Simultaneously, several CGIAR crop improvement programs-initiated the development of nutritionally enhanced crop cultivars (e.g. ICRISAT, CIAT, IIT). In developing countries, the promotion of novel cultivars is generally a slow and tedious process, especially if the improved grain (quantity or quality) doesn’t ultimately result in the economic incentives (e.g. the market price). Thus far, there is no economic advantage directly linked to the trade of bio-fortified crop cultivars in developing countries which does prevents their accelerated adoption. This may change if/once the necessary information on a crops value is enabled

The Price of Land and the Process of Expropriation

This paper applies a game theoretic model to situations in which the Dutch government expropriates land from some farmers in order to create a new public project. The model is a version of a finite period bargaining model with asymmetric information and one-sided offers. It is shown that the model can explain some casual observations as the fact that usually, but not always, the government and the farmers settle by agreement

Using Agent JPF to Build Models for Other Model Checkers

Abstract. We describe an extension to the AJPF agent program modelchecker so that it may be used to generate models for input into other, non-agent, model-checkers. We motivate this adaptation, arguing that it improves the efficiency of the model-checking process and provides access to richer property specification languages. We illustrate the approach by describing the export of AJPF program models to Spin and Prism. In the case of Spin we also investigate, experimentally, the effect the process has on the overall efficiency of modelchecking.

IgE Cross-Reactivity of Cashew Nut Allergens

Background: Allergic sensitisation towards cashew nut often happens without a clear history of eating cashew nut. IgE cross-reactivity between cashew and pistachio nut is well described; however, the ability of cashew nut-specific IgE to cross-react to common tree nut species and other Anacardiaceae, like mango, pink peppercorn, or sumac is largely unknown. Objectives: Cashew nut allergic individuals may cross-react to foods that are phylogenetically related to cashew. We aimed to determine IgE cross-sensitisation and cross-reactivity profiles in cashew nut-sensitised subjects, towards botanically related proteins of other Anacardiaceae family members and related tree nut species. Method: Sera from children with a suspected cashew nut allergy (n = 56) were assessed for IgE sensitisation to common tree nuts, mango, pink peppercorn, and sumac using dot blot technique. Allergen cross-reactivity patterns between Anacardiaceae species were subsequently examined by SDS-PAGE and immunoblot inhibition, and IgE-reactive allergens were identified by LC-MS/MS. Results: From the 56 subjects analysed, 36 were positive on dot blot for cashew nut (63%). Of these, 50% were mono-sensitised to cashew nuts, 19% were co-sensitised to Anacardiaceae species, and 31% were co-sensitised to tree nuts. Subjects co-sensitised to Anacardiaceae species displayed a different allergen recognition pattern than subjects sensitised to common tree nuts. In pink peppercorn, putative albumin- and legumin-type seed storage proteins were found to cross-react with serum of cashew nut-sensitised subjects in vitro. In addition, a putative luminal binding protein was identified, which, among others, may be involved in cross-reactivity between several Anacardiaceae species. Conclusions: Results demonstrate the in vitro presence of IgE cross-sensitisation in children towards multiple Anacardiaceae species. In this study, putative novel allergens were identified in cashew, pistachio, and pink peppercorn, which may pose factors that underlie the observed cross-sensitivity to these species. The clinical relevance of this widespread cross-sensitisation is unknown.</p

Interactions among mitochondrial proteins altered in glioblastoma

Mitochondrial dysfunction is putatively central to glioblastoma (GBM) pathophysiology but there has been no systematic analysis in GBM of the proteins which are integral to mitochondrial function. Alterations in proteins in mitochondrial enriched fractions from patients with GBM were defined with label-free liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. 256 mitochondrially-associated proteins were identified in mitochondrial enriched fractions and 117 of these mitochondrial proteins were markedly (fold-change &#8805;2) and significantly altered in GBM (p &#8804; 0.05). Proteins associated with oxidative damage (including catalase, superoxide dismutase 2, peroxiredoxin 1 and peroxiredoxin 4) were increased in GBM. Protein–protein interaction analysis highlighted a reduction in multiple proteins coupled to energy metabolism (in particular respiratory chain proteins, including 23 complex-I proteins). Qualitative ultrastructural analysis in GBM with electron microscopy showed a notably higher prevalence of mitochondria with cristolysis in GBM. This study highlights the complex mitochondrial proteomic adjustments which occur in GBM pathophysiology