An international database for pesticide risk assessments and management

Despite a changing world in terms of data sharing, availability, and transparency, there are still major resource issues associated with collating datasets that will satisfy the requirements of comprehensive pesticide risk assessments, especially those undertaken at a regional or national scale. In 1996, a long-term project was initiated to begin collating and formatting pesticide data to eventually create a free-to-all repository of data that would provide a comprehensive transparent, harmonized, and managed extensive dataset for all types of pesticide risk assessments. Over the last 20 years, this database has been keeping pace with improving risk assessments, their associated data requirements, and the needs and expectations of database end users. In 2007, the Pesticide Properties DataBase (PPDB) was launched as a free-to-access website. Currently, the PPDB holds data for almost 2300 pesticide active substances and over 700 metabolites. For each substance around 300 parameters are stored, covering human health, environmental quality, and biodiversity risk assessments. With the approach of the twentieth anniversary of the database, this article seeks to elucidate the current data model, data sources, its validation, and quality control processes and describes a number of existing risk assessment applications that depend upon it.     

Consolidated strategy for the analysis of microarray spike-in data

As the number of users of microarray technology continues to grow, so does the importance of platform assessments and comparisons. Spike-in experiments have been successfully used for internal technology assessments by microarray manufacturers and for comparisons of competing data analysis approaches. The microarray literature is saturated with statistical assessments based on spike-in experiment data. Unfortunately, the statistical assessments vary widely and are applicable only in specific cases. This has introduced confusion into the debate over best practices with regards to which platform, protocols and data analysis tools are best. Furthermore, cross-platform comparisons have proven difficult because reported concentrations are not comparable. In this article, we introduce two new spike-in experiments, present a novel statistical solution that enables cross-platform comparisons, and propose a comprehensive procedure for assessments based on spike-in experiments. The ideas are implemented in a user friendly Bioconductor package: spkTools. We demonstrated the utility of our tools by presenting the first spike-in-based comparison of the three major platforms–Affymetrix, Agilent and Illumina.     

Positive health: connecting well-being with biology

Two key types of well-being, eudaimonic and hedonic, are reviewed. The first addresses ideas of self-development, personal growth and purposeful engagement, while the second is concerned with positive feelings such as happiness and contentment. How well-being varies by age and socio-economic standing is briefly summarized, followed by examination of its biological correlates (neuroendocrine, immune, cardiovascular, rapid eye movement (REM) sleep). Preliminary findings on a sample of ageing women showed that those with higher levels of eudaimonic well-being had lower levels of daily salivary cortisol, pro-inflammatory cytokines, cardiovascular risk, and longer duration REM sleep compared with those showing lower levels of eudaimonic well-being. Hedonic well-being, however, showed minimal linkage to biomarker assessments. Future research directions building on these initial findings are discussed.     

乳腺癌新辅助化疗疗效评价体系

目前新辅助化疗已广泛应用于乳腺癌的治疗,可降低肿瘤分期,提高手术切除率和增加保乳手术的机会。恰当的新辅助化疗疗效评价不仅可以指导患者治疗方案和预测预后,还可对不同药物的疗效提供可靠的评估。目前新辅助化疗评估主要采用临床检查如触诊、超声、钼靶X线、计算机断层显像、磁共振成像及病理学检查确定肿瘤体积变化,可分为临床评估和病理学评估。两者均有多种体系标准,未形成统一公认的标准。临床试验中采用较多的标准有WHO和RECIST等临床评价标准以及MP标准和JBCS标准等病理学评价标准。本文就乳腺癌新辅助化疗疗效评估体系进行总结。     

Risk and disease

The way that diseases such as high blood pressure (hypertension), high cholesterol, and diabetes are defined is closely tied to ideas about modifiable risk. In particular, the threshold for diagnosing each of these conditions is set at the level where future risk of disease can be reduced by lowering the relevant parameter (of blood pressure, low-density lipoprotein, or blood glucose, respectively). In this article, I make the case that these criteria, and those for diagnosing and treating other "risk-based diseases," reflect an unfortunate trend towards reclassifying risk as disease. I closely examine stage 1 hypertension and high cholesterol and argue that many patients diagnosed with these "diseases" do not actually have a pathological condition. In addition, though, I argue that the fact that they are risk factors, rather than diseases, does not diminish the importance of treating them, since there is good evidence that such treatment can reduce morbidity and mortality. For both philosophical and ethical reasons, however, the conditions should not be labeled as pathological. The tendency to reclassify risk factors as diseases is an important trend to examine and critique.     

The Intersection of Independent Lies: Increasing Realism in Ecological Risk Assessment

In 1966, Levins presented a philosophical discussion on making inference about populations using clusters of models. In this article we provide an overview of model inference in ecological risk assessment, discuss the benefits and trade-offs of increasing model realism, show the similarities and differences between Levins' model clusters and those used in ecological risk assessment, and present how risk assessment models can incorporate Levins' ideas of truth through independent lies. Two aspects of Levins' philosophy are directly relevant to risk assessment. First, confidence in our interpretation of risk is increased when multiple risk assessments yield similar qualitative results. Second, model clusters should be evaluated to determine if they maximize precision, generality, or realism or a mix of the three. In the later case, the evaluation of each model will differ depending on whether it is more general, precise, or realistic relative to the other models used. We conclude that risk assessments can be strengthened using Levins' idea, but that Levins' caution that model outcome should not be mistaken for truth is still applicable.     

Phycobiliproteins: Molecular structure,production, applications,and prospects

Phycobiliproteins (PBPs) are the main component of light-harvesting complexes in cyanobacteria and red algae. In addition to their important role in photosynthesis, PBPs have many potential applications in foods, cosmetics, medical diagnosis and treatment of diseases. However, basic researches and technological innovations are urgently needed for exploring those potentials, such as structure and function, their biosynthesis as well as downstream purification. For medical use and application, mechanisms underlying their therapeutic effects must be elucidated. Focusing on these issues, this article gives a critical review on the current status on PBPs, including their structures and functions, preparation processes and applications. In addition, key technical challenges and possible solutions are prospected.     

Fundamental Principles for CAD-based Ecological Assessments (9 pp)

Background Aims, and Scope. As products are, directly and indirectly, main sources for ecological impact, the overall enhancement of products' ecological behaviour is an important contribution to the protection of the Earth's biosphere. This is especially important in a world where the major economical system is based on a constant rise in industrial production, consumption, and disposal of products. The true ecological performance of a product can only be determined by consideration of the impact arising from the entire lifecycle, and by including all known impacts into the assessments. The state of technology provides a standardized framework for such life cycle assessments (LCA) in the ISO 14040 series (see ISO 1997), and numerous databases and software tools are available to support the conduction of LCA. To integrate ecological indicators into decisions of everyday product development, as natural as it is the case today with finite items, design, and costs, indicators based on a consideration of the product's entire life have to be generated with little effort and in short time. Methods This article describes the fundamental principles of a technology designed to integrate lifecycle information into common 3-dimensional product models, like the ones used within modern Computer Aided Design (CAD) systems. Thereby, ecological assessments can be effectively undertaken during product development, where most of the environmental lock-in of a product is defined (see Lewis et al. 2001). Overall effects of alterations in materials or other product properties can be assessed instantly, supporting on the spot decisions to reach an improved product design. Results Next to an information model that manages the product and process representation, the research on which this article is based also deals with the calculation of resulting indicators, database access to ecological indicators, a graphical user interface, and a synchronisation tool for the CAD system Pro/Engineer . The developed concepts have been implemented as a prototype software and validated in different stages. Conclusions The concepts described in this article are a foundation for tools that integrate ecological assessments into everyday product development, on the basis of 3-dimensional CAD systems. Reuse of existing CAD data, an improved understanding of the assessment structure by product developers, and an automated calculation of resulting indicators are approaches to largely enhance the efficiency of product-related ecological assessments.     

A quantum-theoretic approach to genetic problems

A quantum-theoretic picture of the transfer of genetic information is described. The advantage of such an approach is that a number of genetic effects appear to be explicable on the basis of general microphysical laws, independent of any specific model (such as DNA-protein coding) for the transmission of genetic information. It is assumed that the genetic information is carried by a family of numerical observables belonging to a specific microphysical system; it is shown that a single observable is theoretically sufficient to carry this information. The various types of structure that this observable can possess are then described in detail, and the possible genetic effects which can airse from each such structure are discussed. For example, it is shown how the assumption that the genetic observable possesses degenerate eigenvalues may lead to a theory of allelism. To keep the treatment self-contained, the basic quantum-theoretical principles to be used are discussed in some detail. Finally, the relation of the present approach to current biochemical ideas and to earlier quantum-theoretic treatments of genetic systems is discussed.     

Hospital performance indicators in the Netherlands: a preterm delivery

Information on the performance of physicians and hospitals is increasingly used by health authorities to monitor and improve health care. Two general types of health care assessments exist: those that measure outcome and those that measure process. Examples of outcome-based reporting include those of US cardiac surgeons’ and hospitals’ mortality rates following coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery.2 Outcome-based reporting may seem to provide objective measures of performance. However, given the many variables that impact on clinical outcomes, most importantly the differences in types of patients and referral patterns (‘case-mix’) among hospitals, these parameters may at the same time be misleading.3 Process-based assessments, frequently called quality indicators, report on rates of medical interventions, such as screening tests and medication use, which are assumed to be related to outcomes.     

An overview of methods used to assess vegetation condition at the scale of the site

Summary   Rapid, on-ground assessments of vegetation condition are frequently used as a basis for landholder education, development applications, distributing incentive funds, prescribing restoration treatments and monitoring change. We provide an overview of methods used to rapidly assess vegetation condition for these purposes. We encourage those developing new approaches to work through the steps we have presented here, namely define management objectives and operational constraints; develop an appropriate conceptual framework for the ecosystems under consideration; select an appropriate suite of indicators; and consider the options available for combining these into an index. We argue that information must be gained from broader scales to make decisions about the condition of individual sites. Remote sensing and spatial modelling might be more appropriate methods than on-ground assessments for obtaining this information. However, we believe that spatial prediction of vegetation condition will only add value to on-ground assessments rather than replace them. This is because the current techniques for spatially predicting vegetation condition cannot capture all of the information in a site assessment or at the required level of accuracy, and maps cannot replace the exchange of information between assessors and land managers that is an important component of on-ground assessment. There is scope for more sophistication in the way on-ground assessments of vegetation condition are undertaken, but the challenge will be to maintain the simplicity that makes rapid on-ground assessment a popular vehicle for informing natural resource management. We encourage greater peer review and publishing in this field to facilitate greater exchange of ideas and experiences.     

Single molecule measurements and biological motors

Recent technological advances in lasers and optical detectors have enabled a variety of new, single molecule technologies to be developed. Using intense and highly collimated laser light sources in addition to super-sensitive cameras, the fluorescence of single fluorophores can now be imaged in aqueous solution. Also, laser optical tweezers have enabled the piconewton forces produced by pair of interacting biomolecules to be measured directly. However, for a researcher new to the field to begin to use such techniques in their own research might seem a daunting prospect. Most of the equipment that is in use is custom-built. However, most of the equipment is essence fairly simple and the aim of this article is to provide an entry point to the field for a newcomer. It focuses mainly on those practical aspects which are not particularly well covered in the literature, and aims to provide an overview of the field as a whole with references and web links to more detailed sources elsewhere. Indeed, the opportunity to publish an article such as this on the Internet affords many new opportunities (and more space!) for presenting scientific ideas and information. For example, we have illustrated the nature of optical trap data with an interactive Java simulation; provided links to relevant web sites and technical documents, and included a large number of colour figures and plots. Our group’s research focuses on molecular motors, and the bias of this article reflects this. It turns out that molecular motors have been a paradigm (or prototype) for single molecule research and the field has seen a rapid development in the techniques. It is hoped that the methods described here will be broadly applicable to other biological systems.This is an interactive contribution, which can be accessed at:     

NAD/NADP及其介导氧化应激在神经退行性疾病中的作用

神经退行性疾病如阿尔茨海默病、帕金森病、亨廷顿病等疾病的发生与氧化应激紧密相关。NAD和NADP是维持氧化系统和抗氧化系统平衡的两个关键物质。NAD和NADP的生物合成和降解有多种途径,参与其生物途径的物质如NAMPT、NADK、PARP1、SIRT1、CD38等,均报道在神经退行性疾病发挥一定的作用。因此,本文分别从NAD和NADP的合成和降解途径中的一些关键物质出发,结合氧化应激总结并探讨它们在神经退行性疾病的作用,以期为临床治疗神经退行性疾病提供新思路。     

Transnational Human Rights and Local Activism: Mapping the Middle

How do transnational ideas such as human rights approaches to violence against women become meaningful in local social settings? How do they move across the gap between a cosmopolitan awareness of human rights and local sociocultural understandings of gender and family? Intermediaries such as community leaders, nongovernmental organization participants, and social movement activists play a critical role in translating ideas from the global arena down and from local arenas up. These are people who understand both the worlds of transnational human rights and local cultural practices and who can look both ways. They are powerful in that they serve as knowledge brokers between culturally distinct social worlds, but they are also vulnerable to manipulation and subversion by states and communities. In this article, I theorize the process of translation and argue that anthropological analysis of translators helps to explain how human rights ideas and interventions circulate around the world and transform social life.     

Biological threat characterization research: a critical component of national biodefense

Biological warfare (BW) threat assessments identify and prioritize BW threats to civilian and military populations. In an ideal world, they provide policymakers with clear and compelling guidance to prioritize biodefense research, development, testing, evaluation, and acquisition of countermeasures. Unfortunately, the biodefense community does not exist in an ideal world. National security professionals responsible for crafting BW threat assessments often are challenged by factors that limit the clarity and/or timeliness of those assessments. Moreover, the potential for life science advances to enhance threats enabled by state programs and the possibility that non-state actors may pursue crude but effective BW methodologies will drastically expand the scope of the perceived threat. Appropriate investment of federal biodefense funds will require some mechanism for validating and prioritizing present and future threats. Ideally, such a mechanism will incorporate empirical data targeted to elucidate actual hazards. In this regard, the Department of Homeland Security's creation of a Biological Threat Characterization Program for the technical validation of threat agents will be a valuable addition to the nation's overall biodefense strategy. This article articulates the need for a coordinated national biological threat characterization program, discusses some of the principal challenges associated with such research, and suggests a few options for their resolution.     

Critical Components of Uncertainty Communication in Life Cycle Assessments of Emerging Technologies

Because of their recognition as a comprehensive tool of environmental assessments and their increasing use by governments and industries, life cycle assessments (LCAs) are positioned to be prominent sources of mass media information on new products and technologies. The LCA studies underlying media reports are often viewed by nonexperts after the initial reporting. However, uncertainty is rife in early assessments of emerging technologies, and LCA's ability to inform environmental opinions and decisions is limited without the accompanying communication on uncertainty. Though approaches to the technical aspects of uncertainty analysis in LCA are available in the literature, those on communicating that uncertainty, in ways that are cognitively accessible to the nonexperts, are still lacking despite their highlighted importance across various disciplines. With the focus on communication, this article uses the existing literature to derive five criteria for making uncertainty communication accessible to a nonexpert audience. Then, LCAs on engineered nanomaterial (ENM) and ENM‐enabled products, as a case study of emerging technologies where uncertainties abound, are reviewed for whether they meet these five criteria. The study concludes with recommendations for communicating uncertainty in LCAs in order to enhance their role as decision‐ and public opinion–informing assessments.     

Exploring the influence of plant and animal item contexts on student response patterns to natural selection multiple choice items

Background

Research has shown that students have a variety of ideas about natural selection that may be context dependent. Prior analyses of student responses to open-ended evolution items have demonstrated that students apply more core ideas about natural selection when asked about animals, but respond with the same number of naive ideas for plant and animal items. Other research has shown that changing an item to ask about trait loss or gain shifted the types of naive ideas applied by students in their responses. In this paper, we take up both of these findings to determine if differences exist in the types of ideas students apply to similar items with either a plant or an animal in the item stem.

Results

In order to understand if students applied different ideas to plants or animals in distractor-driven multiple-choice questions, we analyzed high school biology students’ responses to matched-item pairs. Dichotomous scoring revealed that students chose the correct response more often for the animal items as compared to the plant items. Chi squared analyses revealed significant differences in the distribution of student responses to matched items. For example, more students chose responses that defined animal fitness as related to their strength and plants’ fitness related to its longevity.

Conclusions

These results suggest that varied context of plants or animals in item stems on diagnostic assessments can provide teachers with a more complete picture of their students’ ideas about natural selection prior to instruction. This is particularly important in assessments used prior to instruction; as teachers will gain greater insight into the variety of ways students think about natural selection across different types of plants and animals.

     

The Authoring of Observational Cinema: Conversations with Colin Young

Based on a series of conversations with Colin Young that have taken place over more than thirty years, this article explores how a certain set of practical and institutional circumstances, in combination with a series of philosophical and aesthetic ideas about the nature of cinema, first led to the emergence over the late 1960s and early 1970s of the approach to ethnographic filmmaking that would become known as “Observational Cinema.” Although it was those whom Colin Young trained, inspired or simply influenced who worked out the practical filmmaking applications of his ideas, it was he who initially formulated the foundational concepts underpinning this approach to ethnographic filmmaking. As such, although he has been a “filmmaker-maker” rather than a filmmaker himself, Colin Young has a rightful claim to be considered, in the sense defined by Roland Barthes, as the original “author” of Observational Cinema.     

Penetrance of von Recklinghausen neurofibromatosis: a distinction between predecessors and descendants.

This paper reviews the concepts of penetrance and expressivity and examines their application to the specific disorder von Recklinghausen neurofibromatosis. The data suggest that assessments of penetrance among predecessors to probands yield results different from those of assessments of penetrance among descendants to probands. For descendants at risk, penetrance is very close to 100%. For predecessors at risk, extremely variable expressivity may confound estimates of penetrance; as a specific example, a family is described in which two brothers have bona fide von Recklinghausen neurofibromatosis and their mother manifests the neurofibromatosis mutation only as iris Lisch nodules.     

Downscaling indicators of forest habitat structure from national assessments

Downscaling is an important problem because consistent large-area assessments of forest habitat structure, while feasible, are only feasible when using relatively coarse data and indicators. Techniques are needed to enable more detailed and local interpretations of the national statistics. Using the results of national assessments from land-cover maps, this paper demonstrates downscaling in the spatial domain, and in the domain of the habitat model. A moving window device was used to measure structure (habitat amount and connectivity), and those indicators were then analyzed and combined with other information in various ways to illustrate downscaling.