EU Water Framework Directive : groundwater-dependent terrestrial ecosystems in Northern Ireland

The EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) requires those terrestrial ecosystems dependent on groundwater be identified and the anthropogenic pressures acting on the ecosystems analysed. Where significant damage is occurring or could occur due to groundwater factors, then the associated groundwater body is considered to be at risk of not attaining ‘good status’ as defined in the Directive. This report describes the methodology for identifying and carrying out risk assessments for groundwater-dependent terrestrial ecosystems (GWDTEs) in Northern Ireland as part of the initial characterisation process of the WFD. The methodology is based on UK Technical Advisory Group (UKTAG) guidance. 22 designated sites, all Special Areas of Conservation (SACs), have been identified in Northern Ireland as GWDTEs. The report details the level of risk to these GWDTEs from groundwater abstractions and potentially polluting point sources. With one exception, the occurrence of both types of groundwater pressure within the assessment zones of the GWDTEs set by the UKTAG guidance is negligible and hence Risk Category 2b has been determined for initial characterisation. Murlough SAC has been given a Risk Category of 2a for potentially polluting point sources, i.e. it is not at significant risk but confidence that the available information is comprehensive and reliable is low. This is because there are a number of controlled point sources on or close to the GWDTE, on geology that is likely to be in hydraulic connection with it, and some of these sources are concentrated in a small area. It is suggested that improved monitoring of this site would be advisable to increase confidence in the risk assessment. The report highlights a number of aspects that could improve the methodology for identification and assessment of risk for GWDTEs

Using Structure to Explore the Sequence Alignment Space of Remote Homologs

Protein structure modeling by homology requires an accurate sequence alignment between the query protein and its structural template. However, sequence alignment methods based on dynamic programming (DP) are typically unable to generate accurate alignments for remote sequence homologs, thus limiting the applicability of modeling methods. A central problem is that the alignment that is “optimal” in terms of the DP score does not necessarily correspond to the alignment that produces the most accurate structural model. That is, the correct alignment based on structural superposition will generally have a lower score than the optimal alignment obtained from sequence. Variations of the DP algorithm have been developed that generate alternative alignments that are “suboptimal” in terms of the DP score, but these still encounter difficulties in detecting the correct structural alignment. We present here a new alternative sequence alignment method that relies heavily on the structure of the template. By initially aligning the query sequence to individual fragments in secondary structure elements and combining high-scoring fragments that pass basic tests for “modelability”, we can generate accurate alignments within a small ensemble. Our results suggest that the set of sequences that can currently be modeled by homology can be greatly extended

Postulated Vasoactive Neuropeptide Autoimmunity in Fatigue-Related Conditions: A Brief Review and Hypothesis

Disorders such as chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and gulf war syndrome (GWS) are characterised by prolonged fatigue and a range of debilitating symptoms of pain, intellectual and emotional impairment, chemical sensitivities and immunological dysfunction. Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) surprisingly may have certain features in common with these conditions. Post-infection sequelae may be possible contributing factors although ongoing infection is unproven. Immunological aberration may prove to be associated with certain vasoactive neuropeptides (VN) in the context of molecular mimicry, inappropriate immunological memory and autoimmunity

A Guide to Expert Systems

x, 418 tr. ; 23 cm

PAS-II reference manual

Computer Science Departmen

PAS-II : an interactive task-free version of an automatic protocol analysis system

Computer Science Departmen

Protocol analysis as a task for artificial intelligence

Computer Science Departmen