The Input Signal Step Function (ISSF), a Standard Method to Encode Input Signals in SBML Models with Software Support, Applied to Circadian Clock Models

LetterThis is the final version of the article. Available from SAGE Publications via the DOI in this record.Time-dependent light input is an important feature of computational models of the circadian clock. However, publicly available models encoded in standard representations such as the Systems Biology Markup Language (SBML) either do not encode this input or use different mechanisms to do so, which hinders reproducibility of published results as well as model reuse. The authors describe here a numerically continuous function suitable for use in SBML for models of circadian rhythms forced by periodic light-dark cycles. The Input Signal Step Function (ISSF) is broadly applicable to encoding experimental manipulations, such as drug treatments, temperature changes, or inducible transgene expression, which may be transient, periodic, or mixed. It is highly configurable and is able to reproduce a wide range of waveforms. The authors have implemented this function in SBML and demonstrated its ability to modify the behavior of publicly available models to accurately reproduce published results. The implementation of ISSF allows standard simulation software to reproduce specialized circadian protocols, such as the phase-response curve. To facilitate the reuse of this function in public models, the authors have developed software to configure its behavior without any specialist knowledge of SBML. A community-standard approach to represent the inputs that entrain circadian clock models could particularly facilitate research in chronobiology.K.S. was supported by the UK BBSRC grant BB/E015263/1. SynthSys Edinburgh is a Centre for Integrative Systems Biology (CISB) funded by BBSRC and EPSRC, reference BB/D019621/1

The stability of weight status through the early to middle childhood years in Australia: a longitudinal study

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the sociodemographic and behavioural factors associated with incidence, persistence or remission of obesity in a longitudinal sample of Australian children aged 4-10 years. SETTING: Nationally representative Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC). PARTICIPANTS: The sample for this analysis included all children in the Kinder cohort (aged 4-5 years at wave 1) who participated in all four waves of LSAC (wave 1, 2004, aged 4-5 years; wave 2, 2006, aged 6-7 years; wave 3, 2008, aged 8-9 years and wave 4, 2010, aged 10-11 years). Of the 4983 children who participated in the baseline (wave 1) survey, 4169 (83.7%) children completed all four waves of data collection. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Movement of children between weight status categories over time and individual-level predictors of weight status change (sociodemographic characteristics, selected dietary and activity behaviours). RESULTS: The study found tracking of weight status across this period of childhood. There was an inverse association observed between socioeconomic position and persistence of overweight/obesity. Sugar-sweetened beverages and fruit and vegetable intake and screen time appeared to be important predictors of stronger tracking. CONCLUSIONS: Overweight and obesity established early in childhood tracks strongly to the middle childhood years in Australia, particularly among children of lower socioeconomic position and children participating in some unhealthy behaviour patterns

Large scale grain mantle disruption in the Galactic Center

We present observations of C2H5OH toward molecular clouds in Sgr A, Sgr B2 and associated with thermal and non-thermal features in the Galactic center. C2H5OH emission in Sgr A and Sgr B2 is widespread, but not uniform. C2H5OH emission is much weaker or it is not detected in some molecular clouds in both complexes, in particular those with radial velocities between 70 and 120 km/s. While most of the clouds associated with the thermal features do not show C2H5OH emission, that associated with the Non-Thermal Radio Arc shows emission. The fractional abundance of C2H5OH in most of the clouds with radial velocities between 0 and 70 km/s in Sgr A and Sgr B2 is relatively high, of few 1e-8. The C2H5OH abundance decreases by more than one order of magnitude (aprox. 1e-9) in the clouds associated with the thermal features. The large abundance of C2H5OH in the gas-phase indicates that C2H5OH has formed in grains and released to gas-phase by shocks in the last aprox. 1e5 years.Comment: In press in Astrophysical Journal Letters 7 pages, 1 table, 1 figur

Lung function, inflammation, and endothelin-1 in congenital heart disease-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension

Background-—Breathlessness is the most common symptom in people with pulmonary arterial hypertension and congenital heart disease (CHD-APAH), previously thought to be caused by worsening PAH, but perhaps also by inflammation and abnormalities of lung function. We studied lung function and airway inflammation in patients with CHD-APAH and compared the results with controls. Methods and Results-—Sixty people were recruited into the study: 20 CHD-APAH, 20 CHD controls, and 20 healthy controls. Spirometry, gas transfer, whole body plethysmography and lung clearance index, 6-minute walk distance, and medical research council dyspnea scoring were performed. Inflammatory markers and endothelin-1 levels were determined in blood and induced sputum. The CHD-APAH group had abnormal lung function with lung restriction, airway obstruction, and ventilation heterogeneity. Inverse correlations were shown for CHD-APAH between medical research council dyspnea score and percent predicted peak expiratory flow (r= 0.5383, P=0.0174), percent predicted forced expiratory flow rate at 50% of forced vital capacity (r= 0.5316, P=0.0192), as well as for percent predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 s (r= 0.6662, P=0.0018) and percent predicted forced vital capacity (r= 0.5536, P=0.0186). The CHD-APAH patients were more breathless with lower 6-minute walk distance (360 m versus 558 m versus 622 m, P=0.00001). Endothelin-1, interleukin (IL)-b, IL-6, IL-8, tumor necrosis factor a, and vascular endothelial growth factor were significantly higher in CHD-APAH than controls. Serum endothelin-1 for CHD-APAH correlated with airflow obstruction with significant negative correlations with percent predicted forced expiratory flow rate at 75% of forced vital capacity (r= 0.5858, P=0.0135). Conclusions-—Raised biomarkers for inflammation were found in CHD-APAH. Significant abnormalities in airway physiology may contribute to the dyspnea but are not driven by inflammation as assessed by circulating and sputum cytokines. A relationship between increased serum endothelin-1 and airway dysfunction may relate to its bronchoconstrictive properties. (J Am Heart Assoc. 2018;7:e007249. DOI: 10.1161/JAHA.117.007249.

Monitoring and evaluating business mentoring: towards a research and evaluation toolkit to measure impact

This paper presents a Research and Evaluation Toolkit (RET) which has applicability to mentoring programmes in all sectors and organizational contexts. The RET offers a practical guide for human resource development practitioners engaged in evaluation of learning and development programmes and more specifically, mentoring. The RET was a key outcome of a global 2.5-year impact evaluation project with Youth Business International and Middlesex University Business School, evaluating the impact of volunteer business mentoring on under-served young entrepreneurs and their business ventures. This paper brings to the forefront the importance of integrating a measurement and evaluation strategy from the initial mentoring programme design phase and ongoing management. Despite the growing number of survey reports and studies that highlight the importance of this aspect of mentoring programme design and management, measurement and evaluation continues to be one of the most challenging areas. As such, this paper contributes to our understanding concerning the role and effectiveness of ongoing monitoring and evaluation in relation to demonstrating the impact of human resource development interventions and provides a practical approach for practitioners to develop and enhance their evaluation strategy and methods. Key words: research and evaluation, business mentoring, impac

Efeito de diferentes níveis de irrigação na produção comercial de tomate industrial.

Os objetivos do presente estudo consistiram em avaliar os efeitos de 5 níveis de irrigação sobre a produção do tomate, e determinar a distribuição do sistema radicular

Analise da producao de cebola sob diferentes regimes de irrigacao.

Usando-se um delineamento de blocos casualizados, com cinco tratamentos e cinco repeticoes, estudou-se o efeito de diferentes regimes de irrigacao sobre a producao e tamanho dos bulbos de cebola, variedade Amarelo Chata das canarias. Por ocasiao da colheita determinaram-se a producao e o peso medio dos bulbos. Para a producao de bulbos, verificou-se a diferenca significativa ao nivel de 5% de probabilidade entre os tratamentos de irrigacao