Plant Metabolomics Applications in the Brassicaceae: Added Value for Science and Industry

Crops from the family Brassicaceae represent a diverse and very interesting group of plants. In addition, their close relationship with the model plant, Arabidopsis thaliana, makes combined research on these species both scientifically valuable and of considerable commercial importance. In the post-genomics era, much effort is being placed on expanding our capacity to use advanced technologies such as proteomics and metabolomics, to broaden our knowledge of the molecular organization of plants and how genetic differences are translated into phenotypic ones. Metabolomics in particular is gaining much attention mainly due both to the comprehensiveness of the technology and also the potentially close relationship between biochemical composition (including human health-related phytochemicals) and phenotype. In this short review, a brief introduction to the main metabolomics technologies is given taking examples from research on the Brassicaceae for illustratio

Service user involvement in the evaluation of psycho-social intervention for self-harm: a systematic literature review

Background: The efficacy of interventions and treatments for self-harm is well researched. Previous reviews of the literature have highlighted the lack of definitively effective interventions for self-harm and have highlighted the need for future research. These recommendations are also reflected in clinical guidelines published by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE, 2004) which also call for service user involvement in studies of treatment efficacy. Aims: A systematic review was undertaken to determine i) what contributions service users have made to the evaluation of psychosocial interventions ii) by what methods have service users been involved iii) in what ways could service user involvement supplement empirical evidence for interventions

Combining mechanistic and data-driven techniques for predictive modelling of wastewater treatment plants

Mechanistic models are widely used for modelling of wastewater treatment plants. However, as they are based on simplified and incomplete domain knowledge, they often lack accurate predictive capabilities. In contrast, data-driven models are able to make accurate predictions, but only in the operational regions that are sufficiently described by the dataset used. We investigate an alternative hybrid model, combining mechanistic and data-driven techniques. We show that the hybrid approach combines the strengths of both modelling paradigms. It allows for accurate predictions out of the training dataset without the need for complete domain knowledge. Moreover, this approach is not limited to wastewater treatment plants and can potentially be applied wherever mechanistic models are used

Player dismissal and full-time results in the UEFA Champions League and Europa League

This study is the first to estimate the effects of the sending-off of a player on the full-time results in international club soccer. To this end, we analyze data of more than 2,000 recent matches in the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League. We find that, when home teams receive a red card, it harms their goal scoring and victory probabilities. By contrast, a red card for away teams can have a positive, negative, or neutral effect for them, depending on the timing of the player dismissal

A Note on the Supersymmetries of the Self-Dual Supermembrane

In this letter we discuss the supersymmetry issue of the self dual supermembranes in (8+1) and (4+1)-dimensions. We find that all genuine solutions of the (8+1)-dimensional supermembrane, based on the exceptional group G_2, preserve one of the sixteen supersymmetries while all solutions in (4+1)-dimensions preserve eight of them.Comment: Latex file, 12pages, no figure

DNA barcoding unveils skate (Chondrichthyes: Rajidae) species diversity in ‘ray’ products sold across Ireland and the UK

Skates are widely consumed across the globe, but many large species are subject to considerable concern regarding their conservation and management. Within Europe such issues have recently driven policy changes so that, for the first time, reports of skate landings now have to be made under species-specific names. Total allowable catches have also been established for many groups, which have been set to zero for a number of the most vulnerable species (e.g., Dipturus batis, Raja undulata and Rostoraja alba. Whilst accurate species identification has become an important issue for landings, the sale of skates is still usually made under a blanket term of “skate” or “ray”. The matter of identifying species of skate is further complicated by their morphologically conservative nature and the fact that they are commercially valued for their wings. Thus, before sale their bodies are usually discarded (i.e., “winged”) and often skinned, making morphological identification impossible. For the first time, DNA barcoding (of the mitochondrial COI gene) was applied to samples of skate wings from retail outlets across the British Isles, providing insight into which species are sold for consumption. A total of 98 wing samples were analysed, revealing that six species were sold; blonde ray (Raja brachyura), spotted ray (Raja montagui), thornback ray (Raja clavata), cuckoo ray (Leucoraja naevus) small-eyed ray (Raja microocellata) and shagreen ray (Leucoraja fullonica). Statistical testing demonstrated that there were significant differences in the species sold in the distinct retail groups which suggests complex drivers behind the patterns of sale in skates. The results also indicate that endangered species are not commonly being passed on to consumers. In addition, the practice of selling skate wings under ambiguous labels is highlighted as it makes it extremely difficult for consumers to exercise a right to avoid species of conservation concern. Interestingly, a single retailer chain labelled their wings as originating from three smaller-growing species (generally to be considered of lower conservation concern); of the six samples analysed from this company a third were mislabelled and originated from the thornback ray (a larger species that is currently undergoing population declines)

Comparing the effectiveness of two cardiovascular prevention programmes for highly educated professionals in general practice : a randomised clinical trial

Background: Cardiovascular disease is a major cause of mortality and morbidity and its prevalence is set to increase. While the benefits of medical and lifestyle interventions are established, the effectiveness of interventions which seek to improve the way preventive care is delivered in general practice is less so. The aim was to study and to compare the effectiveness of 2 intervention programmes for reducing cardiovascular risk factors within general practice. Methods: A randomised controlled trial was conducted in Belgium between 2007-2010 with 314 highly educated and mainly healthy professionals allocated to a medical (MP) or a medical + lifestyle (MLP) programme. The MP consisted of medical assessments (screening and follow-up) and the MLP added a tailored lifestyle change programme (web-based and individual coaching) to the MP. Primary outcomes were total cholesterol, blood pressure, and body mass index (BMI). The secondary outcomes were smoking status, fitness-score, and total cardiovascular risk. Results: The mean age was 41 years, 95 (32%) participants were female, 7 had a personal cardiovascular event in their medical history and 3 had diabetes. There were no significant differences found between MP and MLP in primary or secondary outcomes. In both study conditions decreases of cholesterol, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure were found. Unfavourable increases were found for BMI (p < .05). A significant decrease of the overall cardiovascular risk was reported (p < .001). Conclusions: Both interventions are effective in reducing cardiovascular risk. In our population the combined medical and lifestyle programme was not superior to the medical programme

Free-living marine nematode communities: In San Jorge gulf, Argentina

The aim of this study was to investigate the patterns of nematode diversity and community structure in San Jorge Gulf, Argentina, in order to improve knowledge of this key group of organisms. Free-living marine nematodes were sampled at 13 stations in February 2014 during an expedition aboard R/V Coriolis II. We found a total of 188 species (101 of which were new to science) belonging to 98 genera. The statistical results indicated the presence of three different assemblages of free-living marine nematodes distributed spatially in three distinct zones in the gulf: the central part, the outer thermal front at both sides of the entrance, and the south thermal front area. Diversity increased from the coast to the entrance of the gulf, and the highest diversity was found in areas with coarser sediment. Sediment and salinity were the environmental parameters that best matched nematode community distribution.Fil: Pastor de Ward, Catalina T.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico. Instituto de Diversidad y Evolución Austral; ArgentinaFil: Lo Russo, Virginia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico. Instituto de Diversidad y Evolución Austral; ArgentinaFil: Varisco, Martin Alejandro. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia Austral. Centro de Investigaciones y Transferencia Golfo San Jorge. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro de Investigaciones y Transferencia Golfo San Jorge. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia "San Juan Bosco". Centro de Investigaciones y Transferencia Golfo San Jorge; Argentin