On the origin of bursts in blue compact dwarf galaxies: clues from kinematics and stellar populations

Blue compact dwarf galaxies (BCDs) form stars at, for their sizes, extraordinarily high rates. In this paper, we study what triggers this starburst and what is the fate of the galaxy once its gas fuel is exhausted. We select four BCDs with smooth outer regions, indicating them as possible progenitors of dwarf elliptical galaxies. We have obtained photometric and spectroscopic data with the FORS and ISAAC instruments on the VLT. We analyse their infrared spectra using a full spectrum fitting technique, which yields the kinematics of their stars and ionized gas together with their stellar population characteristics. We find that the stellar velocity to velocity dispersion ratio ((nu/sigma)(star)) of our BCDs is of the order of 1.5, similar to that of dwarf elliptical galaxies. Thus, those objects do not require significant (if any) loss of angular momentum to fade into early-type dwarfs. This finding is in discordance with previous studies, which however compared the stellar kinematics of dwarf elliptical galaxies with the gaseous kinematics of star-forming dwarfs. The stellar velocity fields of our objects are very disturbed and the star formation regions are often kinematically decoupled from the rest of the galaxy. These regions can be more or less metal rich with respect to the galactic body and sometimes they are long lived. These characteristics prevent us from pinpointing a unique trigger of the star formation, even within the same galaxy. Gas impacts, mergers, and in-spiraling gas clumps are all possible star formation igniters for our targets

Correlated Prompt Fission Data in Transport Simulations

Detailed information on the fission process can be inferred from the observation, modeling and theoretical understanding of prompt fission neutron and $\gamma$-ray~observables. Beyond simple average quantities, the study of distributions and correlations in prompt data, e.g., multiplicity-dependent neutron and \gray~spectra, angular distributions of the emitted particles, $n$-$n$, $n$-$\gamma$, and $\gamma$-$\gamma$~correlations, can place stringent constraints on fission models and parameters that would otherwise be free to be tuned separately to represent individual fission observables. The FREYA~and CGMF~codes have been developed to follow the sequential emissions of prompt neutrons and $\gamma$-rays~from the initial excited fission fragments produced right after scission. Both codes implement Monte Carlo techniques to sample initial fission fragment configurations in mass, charge and kinetic energy and sample probabilities of neutron and $\gamma$~emission at each stage of the decay. This approach naturally leads to using simple but powerful statistical techniques to infer distributions and correlations among many observables and model parameters. The comparison of model calculations with experimental data provides a rich arena for testing various nuclear physics models such as those related to the nuclear structure and level densities of neutron-rich nuclei, the $\gamma$-ray~strength functions of dipole and quadrupole transitions, the mechanism for dividing the excitation energy between the two nascent fragments near scission, and the mechanisms behind the production of angular momentum in the fragments, etc. Beyond the obvious interest from a fundamental physics point of view, such studies are also important for addressing data needs in various nuclear applications. (See text for full abstract.)Comment: 39 pages, 57 figure files, published in Eur. Phys. J. A, reference added this versio

Determining the origin of seafood products on the Belgian market: challenges to traceability and database management

In countries where the majority of the seafood is imported, information about seafood origin is important in particular from a food safety perspective. In the case of Belgium, no database is available describing the origin of commercial seafood products. This investigation to determine the origin revealed three important problems. First, information needed to stem from different non-related databases; second, import countries did not define fishing grounds or product sites; third, seafood may have transited many areas and no information was available on this. Since European traceability regulations have been established for seafood, some limited extra efforts with respect to data collection and management can lead to (inter)national databases making seafood traceability information more practically useful, for example towards public health policy making

Factores de éxito en campañas de alimentación saludable : un estudio de casos

Introduction: Public campaigns and interventions are rarely fully evaluated regarding their effectiveness. The analysis of past, successful activities can contribute to the future development of public campaigns and interventions for healthier eating. Objectives: The study of public campaigns and interventions for healthier eating aimed at identifying the underlying success factors and describing their relation. Methods: Interviews were conducted with representatives of 11 cases that had been identified as especially successful in an earlier research step. The interviews were analysed with regard to possible success factors and the latter used to develop a model of success factor interrelation. Results: It was found that success of the cases was first, attributed to characteristics of the macro environment or to public private partnerships in the initiation of campaigns, second, to the engagement of social communities, elements of empowerment of the target group and the implementation of social marketing measures, and thirdly, in citizens adoption of the campaign and in accompanying structural changes. Conclusions: The model and identified success factors underline that success can stem from three crucial phases: the set up of a campaign, the conduction and finally, the interrelation with the citizen. The model can serve as a guide in the future development of campaigns

Urbanization alters plastic responses in the common dandelion Taraxacum officinale

Urban environments expose species to contrasting selection pressures relative to rural areas due to altered microclimatic conditions, habitat fragmentation, and changes in species interactions. To improve our understanding on how urbanization impacts selection through biotic interactions, we assessed differences in plant defense and tolerance, dispersal, and flowering phenology of a common plant species (Taraxacum officinale) along an urbanization gradient and their reaction norms in response to a biotic stressor (i.e., herbivory). We raised plants from 45 lines collected along an urbanization gradient under common garden conditions and assessed the impact of herbivory on plant growth (i.e., aboveground biomass), dispersal capacity (i.e., seed morphology), and plant phenology (i.e., early seed production) by exposing half of our plants to two events of herbivory (i.e., grazing by locusts). Independent from their genetic background, all plants consistently increased their resistance to herbivores by which the second exposure to locusts resulted in lower levels of damage suffered. Herbivory had consistent effects on seed pappus length, with seeds showing a longer pappus (and, hence, increased dispersal capacities) regardless of urbanization level. Aboveground plant biomass was neither affected by urbanization nor herbivore presence. In contrast to consistent responses in plant defenses and pappus length, plant fitness did vary between lines. Urban lines had a reduced early seed production following herbivory while rural and suburban lines did not show any plastic response. Our results show that herbivory affects plant phenotypes but more importantly that differences in herbivory reaction norms exist between urban and rural populations

Recruitment of BAD by the Chlamydia trachomatis vacuole correlates with host-cell survival

Chlamydiae replicate intracellularly in a vacuole called an inclusion. Chlamydial-infected host cells are protected from mitochondrion-dependent apoptosis, partly due to degradation of BH3-only proteins. The host-cell adapter protein 14-3-3β can interact with host-cell apoptotic signaling pathways in a phosphorylation-dependent manner. In Chlamydia trachomatis-infected cells, 14-3-3β co-localizes to the inclusion via direct interaction with a C. trachomatis-encoded inclusion membrane protein. We therefore explored the possibility that the phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K) pathway may contribute to resistance of infected cells to apoptosis. We found that inhibition of PI3K renders C. trachomatis-infected cells sensitive to staurosporine-induced apoptosis, which is accompanied by mitochondrial cytochrome c release. 14-3-3β does not associate with the Chlamydia pneumoniae inclusion, and inhibition of PI3K does not affect protection against apoptosis of C. pneumoniae-infected cells. In C. trachomatis-infected cells, the PI3K pathway activates AKT/protein kinase B, which leads to maintenance of the pro-apoptotic protein BAD in a phosphorylated state. Phosphorylated BAD is sequestered via 14-3-3β to the inclusion, but it is released when PI3K is inhibited. Depletion of AKT through short-interfering RNA reverses the resistance to apoptosis of C. trachomatis-infected cells. BAD phosphorylation is not maintained and it is not recruited to the inclusion of Chlamydia muridarum, which protects poorly against apoptosis. Thus, sequestration of BAD away from mitochondria provides C. trachomatis with a mechanism to protect the host cell from apoptosis via the interaction of a C. trachomatis-encoded inclusion protein with a host-cell phosphoserine-binding protein

Development of strategies for effective communication of food risks and benefits across Europe: Design and conceptual framework of the FoodRisC project

The FoodRisC project is funded under the Seventh Framework Programme (CORDIS FP7) of the European Commission; Grant agreement no.: 245124. Copyright @ 2011 Barnett et al.BACKGROUND: European consumers are faced with a myriad of food related risk and benefit information and it is regularly left up to the consumer to interpret these, often conflicting, pieces of information as a coherent message. This conflict is especially apparent in times of food crises and can have major public health implications. Scientific results and risk assessments cannot always be easily communicated into simple guidelines and advice that non-scientists like the public or the media can easily understand especially when there is conflicting, uncertain or complex information about a particular food or aspects thereof. The need for improved strategies and tools for communication about food risks and benefits is therefore paramount. The FoodRisC project ("Food Risk Communication - Perceptions and communication of food risks/benefits across Europe: development of effective communication strategies") aims to address this issue. The FoodRisC project will examine consumer perceptions and investigate how people acquire and use information in food domains in order to develop targeted strategies for food communication across Europe.METHODS/DESIGN: This project consists of 6 research work packages which, using qualitative and quantitative methodologies, are focused on development of a framework for investigating food risk/benefit issues across Europe, exploration of the role of new and traditional media in food communication and testing of the framework in order to develop evidence based communication strategies and tools. The main outcome of the FoodRisC project will be a toolkit to enable coherent communication of food risk/benefit messages in Europe. The toolkit will integrate theoretical models and new measurement paradigms as well as building on social marketing approaches around consumer segmentation. Use of the toolkit and guides will assist policy makers, food authorities and other end users in developing common approaches to communicating coherent messages to consumers in Europe.DISCUSSION: The FoodRisC project offers a unique approach to the investigation of food risk/benefit communication. The effective spread of food risk/benefit information will assist initiatives aimed at reducing the burden of food-related illness and disease, reducing the economic impact of food crises and ensuring that confidence in safe and nutritious food is fostered and maintained in Europe.This article is available through the Brunel Open Access Publishing Fund

Reactive oxygen species generation by bovine blood neutrophils with different CXCR1 (IL8RA) genotype following Interleukin-8 incubation

Background: Associations between polymorphisms in the bovine CXCR1 gene, encoding the chemokine (C-X-C motif) receptor 1 (IL8RA), and neutrophil traits and mastitis have been described. In the present study, blood neutrophils were isolated from 20 early lactating heifers with different CXCR1 genotype at position 735 or 980. The cells were incubated with different concentrations of recombinant bovine IL-8 (rbIL-8) for 2 or 6 h and stimulated with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) or opsonized zymosan particles (OZP). Potential association between CXCR1 genotype and production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was studied. Results: Although on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) may potentially affect CXCR1 function, SNPs c.735C > G and c.980A > G showed no association with ROS production with or without incubation of rbIL-8. Neutrophils incubated with rbIL-8 for 2 or 6 h showed higher PMA- and lower OZP-induced ROS production compared to control without rbIL-8. Conclusions: In the present study no association could be detected between superoxide production by isolated bovine neutrophils during early lactation and CXCR1 gene polymorphism. IL-8 showed to possess inhibitory effects on ROS generation in bovine neutrophils