Principal variable selection to explain grain yield variation in winter wheat from features extracted from UAV imagery

Background: Automated phenotyping technologies are continually advancing the breeding process. However, collecting various secondary traits throughout the growing season and processing massive amounts of data still take great efforts and time. Selecting a minimum number of secondary traits that have the maximum predictive power has the potential to reduce phenotyping efforts. The objective of this study was to select principal features extracted from UAV imagery and critical growth stages that contributed the most in explaining winter wheat grain yield. Five dates of multispectral images and seven dates of RGB images were collected by a UAV system during the spring growing season in 2018. Two classes of features (variables), totaling to 172 variables, were extracted for each plot from the vegetation index and plant height maps, including pixel statistics and dynamic growth rates. A parametric algorithm, LASSO regression (the least angle and shrinkage selection operator), and a non-parametric algorithm, random forest, were applied for variable selection. The regression coefficients estimated by LASSO and the permutation importance scores provided by random forest were used to determine the ten most important variables influencing grain yield from each algorithm. Results: Both selection algorithms assigned the highest importance score to the variables related with plant height around the grain filling stage. Some vegetation indices related variables were also selected by the algorithms mainly at earlier to mid growth stages and during the senescence. Compared with the yield prediction using all 172 variables derived from measured phenotypes, using the selected variables performed comparable or even better. We also noticed that the prediction accuracy on the adapted NE lines (r = 0.58–0.81) was higher than the other lines (r = 0.21–0.59) included in this study with different genetic backgrounds. Conclusions: With the ultra-high resolution plot imagery obtained by the UAS-based phenotyping we are now able to derive more features, such as the variation of plant height or vegetation indices within a plot other than just an averaged number, that are potentially very useful for the breeding purpose. However, too many features or variables can be derived in this way. The promising results from this study suggests that the selected set from those variables can have comparable prediction accuracies on the grain yield prediction than the full set of them but possibly resulting in a better allocation of efforts and resources on phenotypic data collection and processing

Bioenergetic status modulates motor neuron vulnerability and pathogenesis in a zebrafish model of spinal muscular atrophy

Degeneration and loss of lower motor neurons is the major pathological hallmark of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), resulting from low levels of ubiquitously-expressed survival motor neuron (SMN) protein. One remarkable, yet unresolved, feature of SMA is that not all motor neurons are equally affected, with some populations displaying a robust resistance to the disease. Here, we demonstrate that selective vulnerability of distinct motor neuron pools arises from fundamental modifications to their basal molecular profiles. Comparative gene expression profiling of motor neurons innervating the extensor digitorum longus (disease-resistant), gastrocnemius (intermediate vulnerability), and tibialis anterior (vulnerable) muscles in mice revealed that disease susceptibility correlates strongly with a modified bioenergetic profile. Targeting of identified bioenergetic pathways by enhancing mitochondrial biogenesis rescued motor axon defects in SMA zebrafish. Moreover, targeting of a single bioenergetic protein, phosphoglycerate kinase 1 (Pgk1), was found to modulate motor neuron vulnerability in vivo. Knockdown of pgk1 alone was sufficient to partially mimic the SMA phenotype in wild-type zebrafish. Conversely, Pgk1 overexpression, or treatment with terazosin (an FDA-approved small molecule that binds and activates Pgk1), rescued motor axon phenotypes in SMA zebrafish. We conclude that global bioenergetics pathways can be therapeutically manipulated to ameliorate SMA motor neuron phenotypes in vivo

Professionelle Strategien zur Auswahl von Führungskräften

Obwohl die richtige Besetzung von Führungspositionen zu den wichtigsten Investitionsentscheidungen eines jeden Unternehmens gehört, werden an dieser neuralgischen Stelle häufig suboptimale Methoden eingesetzt. Die eklatanteste Folge dieses Missstandes markiert das Phänomen des Derailments: neu eingesetzte Führungskräfte scheitern nach wenigen Monaten ihn ihrer Funktion und müssen das Unternehmen wieder verlassen oder werden zumindest degradiert. Dabei stellt Derailment nur die Spitze des Eisbergs personeller Fehlentscheidungen dar. Ziel des vorliegenden Kapitels ist es, Personalverantwortliche in die Prinzipien einer diagnostisch professionellen Personalauswahl von Führungskräften einzuführen. Hierzu werden sukzessive alle Bausteine eines aussagekräftigen Vorgehens von der Analyse der Anforderungen bis zum Assessment Center vorgestellt und durchgängig anhand eines realen Praxisbeispiels – Der Besetzung einer Geschäftsführungsposition – erläutert

Interactive Multimodal Ambulatory Monitoring to Investigate the Association between Physical Activity and Affect

Although there is a wealth of evidence that physical activity has positive effects on psychological health, a large proportion of people are inactive. Data regarding counts, steps, and movement patterns are limited in their ability to explain why people remain inactive. We propose that multimodal ambulatory monitoring, which combines the assessment of physical activity with the assessment of psychological variables, helps to elucidate real world physical activity. Whereas physical activity can be monitored continuously, psychological variables can only be assessed at discrete intervals, such as every hour. Moreover, the assessment of psychological variables must be linked to the activity of interest. For example, if an inactive and overweight person is physically active once a week, psychological variables should be assessed during this episode. Linking the assessment of psychological variables to episodes of an activity of interest can be achieved with interactive monitoring. The primary aim of our interactive multimodal ambulatory monitoring approach was to intentionally increase the number of e-diary assessments during "active" episodes. We developed and tested an interactive monitoring algorithm that continuously monitors physical activity in everyday life. When predefined thresholds are surpassed, the algorithm triggers a signal for participants to answer questions in their electronic diary. Using data from 70 participants wearing an accelerative device for 24 h each, we found that our algorithm quadrupled the frequency of e-diary assessments during the activity episodes of interest compared to random sampling. Multimodal interactive ambulatory monitoring appears to be a promising approach to enhancing our understanding of real world physical activity and movement.publishe

Multimodal prevention of first psychotic episode through N-acetyl-l-cysteine and integrated preventive psychological intervention in individuals clinically at high risk for psychosis: Protocol of a randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial.

AIM Meta-analyses indicate positive effects of both antipsychotic and cognitive-behavioural interventions in subjects clinically at high risk (CHR) for psychosis in terms of a delay or prevention of psychotic disorders. However, these effects have been limited regarding social functioning and the relative efficacy of both types of interventions remains unclear. Furthermore, neuroprotective substances seem to be a promising alternative agent in psychosis-prevention as they are associated with few and weak side-effects. METHODS In this multi-centre randomized controlled trial (RCT), we investigate the effects of two interventions on transition to psychosis and social functioning: (a) an integrated preventive psychological intervention (IPPI) including stress-/symptom-management and social-cognitive remediation; (b) N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC) as a pharmacological intervention with glutamatergic, neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory capabilities. RESULTS This is a double-blind, placebo-controlled RCT with regard to NAC and a single-blind RCT with regard to IPPI using a 2 × 2-factorial design to investigate the individual and combined preventive effects of both interventions. To this aim, a total of 200 CHR subjects will be randomized stratified by site to one of four conditions: (a) IPPI and NAC; (b) IPPI and Placebo; (c) NAC and psychological stress management; (d) Placebo and psychological stress management. Interventions are delivered over 26 weeks with a follow-up period of 12 months. CONCLUSION This paper reports on the rationale and protocol of an indicated prevention trial to detect the most effective and tolerable interventions with regard to transition to psychosis as well as improvements in social functioning, and to evaluate the synergistic effects of these interventions