Ultra-high pressure liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry for plant metabolomics: a systematic comparison of high-resolution quadrupole-time-of-flight and single stage Orbitrap mass spectrometers.

The response of Arabidopsis to stress caused by mechanical wounding was chosen as a model to compare the performances of high resolution quadrupole-time-of-flight (Q-TOF) and single stage Orbitrap (Exactive Plus) mass spectrometers in untargeted metabolomics. Both instruments were coupled to ultra-high pressure liquid chromatography (UHPLC) systems set under identical conditions. The experiment was divided in two steps: the first analyses involved sixteen unwounded plants, half of which were spiked with pure standards that are not present in Arabidopsis. The second analyses compared the metabolomes of mechanically wounded plants to unwounded plants. Data from both systems were extracted using the same feature detection software and submitted to unsupervised and supervised multivariate analysis methods. Both mass spectrometers were compared in terms of number and identity of detected features, capacity to discriminate between samples, repeatability and sensitivity. Although analytical variability was lower for the UHPLC-Q-TOF, generally the results for the two detectors were quite similar, both of them proving to be highly efficient at detecting even subtle differences between plant groups. Overall, sensitivity was found to be comparable, although the Exactive Plus Orbitrap provided slightly lower detection limits for specific compounds. Finally, to evaluate the potential of the two mass spectrometers for the identification of unknown markers, mass and spectral accuracies were calculated on selected identified compounds. While both instruments showed excellent mass accuracy (<2.5ppm for all measured compounds), better spectral accuracy was recorded on the Q-TOF. Taken together, our results demonstrate that comparable performances can be obtained at acquisition frequencies compatible with UHPLC on Q-TOF and Exactive Plus MS, which may thus be equivalently used for plant metabolomics.

Machine learning algorithms for spatial data. Case studies: Environmental pollution, natural hazards, renewable resources

This paper presents general problems and approaches for the spatial data analysis using machine learning algorithms. Machine learning is a very powerful approach to adaptive data analysis, modelling and visualisation. The key feature of the machine learning algorithms is that they learn from empirical data and can be used in cases when the modelled environmental phenomena are hidden, nonlinear, noisy and highly variable in space and in time. Most of the machines learning algorithms are universal and adaptive modelling tools developed to solve basic problems of learning from data: classification/pattern recognition, regression/mapping and probability density modelling. In the present report some of the widely used machine learning algorithms, namely artificial neural networks (ANN) of different architectures and Support Vector Machines (SVM), are adapted to the problems of the analysis and modelling of geo-spatial data. Machine learning algorithms have an important advantage over traditional models of spatial statistics when problems are considered in a high dimensional geo-feature spaces, when the dimension of space exceeds 5. Such features are usually generated, for example, from digital elevation models, remote sensing images, etc. An important extension of models concerns considering of real space constrains like geomorphology, networks, and other natural structures. Recent developments in semi-supervised learning can improve modelling of environmental phenomena taking into account on geo-manifolds. An important part of the study deals with the analysis of relevant variables and models' inputs. This problem is approached by using different feature selection/feature extraction nonlinear tools. To demonstrate the application of machine learning algorithms several interesting case studies are considered: digital soil mapping using SVM, automatic mapping of soil and water system pollution using ANN; natural hazards risk analysis (avalanches, landslides), assessments of renewable resources (wind fields) with SVM and ANN models, etc. The dimensionality of spaces considered varies from 2 to more than 30. Figures 1, 2, 3 demonstrate some results of the studies and their outputs. Finally, the results of environmental mapping are discussed and compared with traditional models of geostatistics.

Do resources, justice administration practices and federalism have an impact on registered and sentenced crime prevalence ?

This contribution, based on a statistical approach, undertakes to link data on resources (personnel and financial means) and the working of the administration of penal justice (prosecution, sentencing) taking into account the nationality of those prosecuted. In order to be able to distinguish prosecution and sentencing practices of judicial authorities and possible processes of discrimination, diverse sources have been used such as data from court administrations, public finances and police forces, collected by the Swiss Federal Statistical Office and the Swiss Federal administration of finances. The authors discuss discrimination in prosecution and sentencing between Swiss residents and foreigners taking into account localization and resources regarding personnel and public finances.

Comparison of HIV-infected patients' characteristics, healthcare resources use and cost between native and migrant patients

OBJECTIVES: To assess whether patients' characteristics and healthcare resources consumption and costs were different between native and migrant populations in Switzerland. METHODS: All adult patients followed-up in the Swiss HIV-cohort study in our institution during 2000-2003 were considered. Patients' characteristics were retrieved from the cohort database. Hospital and outpatient resource use were extracted from individual charts and valued with 2002 tariffs. RESULTS: The 66 migrants were younger (29 +/- 8 years versus 37 +/- 11, p < 0.001), less often of male gender (38 % versus 70 %, p < 0.001), predominantly infected via heterosexual contact (87 % versus 52 %, p < 0.01), with lower mean CD4 level at enrollment (326 +/- 235 versus 437 +/- 305, p = 0.002) than their 200 native counterparts. Migrants had fewer hospitalizations, more frequent outpatient visits, laboratory tests, and lower total cost of care per year of follow-up (<euro> 2'215 +/- 4'206 versus 4'155 +/- 12'304, p = 0.037). Resource use and costs were significantly higher in people with < 200 CD4 cell counts in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Migrant population had more advanced disease, more outpatient visits but less hospitalizations, resulting in lower costs of care when compared with native population.

Trypanocidal activity of Meliaceae and Rutaceae plant extracts

The in vitro trypanocidal activity of 22 extracts and 43 fractions of plants belonging to the families Meliaceae and Rutaceae was evaluated. The extracts from leaves of Conchocarphus heterophyllus and branches of Trichilia ramalhoi were the most active. The trypanocidal activity seems to be increased by fractionation of the extracts. Fractions from C. heterophyllus and Galipea carinata were the most active and a 100% lysis of the parasites was observed for five fractions. From one of them were isolated two flavonoids: flavone and 7-methoxyflavone, which showed weak trypanocidal activity. The results obtained from the extracts and fractions revealed that the order Rutales is a promising source for the search of new drugs for Chagas disease. Phytochemical studies with the other active fractions are underway in order to isolate compounds, which could be associated with observed activities.

Cytotoxicity of three new triazolo-pyrimidine derivatives against the plant trypanosomatid: Phytomonas sp. isolated from Euphorbia characias

There is no effective chemotherapy against diseases caused by Phytomonas sp., a plant trypanosomatid responsible for economic losses in major crops. We tested three triazolo-pyrimidine complexes [two with Pt(II), and another with Ru(III)] against promastigotes of Phytomonas sp. isolated from Euphorbia characias. The incorporation of radiolabelled precursors, ultrastructural alterations and changes in the pattern of metabolite excretion were examined. Different degrees of toxicity were found for each complex: the platinun compound showed an inhibition effect on nucleic acid synthesis, provoking alterations on the levels of mitochondria, nucleus and glycosomes. These results, together with others reported previously in our laboratory about the activity of pyrimidine derivatives, reflect the potential of these compounds as agents in the treatment of Phytomonas sp.

Light receptor action is critical for maintaining plant biomass at warm ambient temperatures.

The ability to withstand environmental temperature variation is essential for plant survival. Former studies in Arabidopsis revealed that light signalling pathways had a potentially unique role in shielding plant growth and development from seasonal and daily fluctuations in temperature. In this paper we describe the molecular circuitry through which the light receptors cry1 and phyB buffer the impact of warm ambient temperatures. We show that the light signalling component HFR1 acts to minimise the potentially devastating effects of elevated temperature on plant physiology. Light is known to stabilise levels of HFR1 protein by suppressing proteasome-mediated destruction of HFR1. We demonstrate that light-dependent accumulation and activity of HFR1 are highly temperature dependent. The increased potency of HFR1 at warmer temperatures provides an important restraint on PIF4 that drives elongation growth. We show that warm ambient temperatures promote the accumulation of phosphorylated PIF4. However, repression of PIF4 activity by phyB and cry1 (via HFR1) is critical for controlling growth and maintaining physiology as temperatures rise. Loss of this light-mediated restraint has severe consequences for adult plants which have greatly reduced biomass.

Will climate change drive alien invasive plants into areas of high protection value? An improved model-based regional assessment to prioritise the management of invasions.

Species distribution models (SDMs) studies suggest that, without control measures, the distribution of many alien invasive plant species (AIS) will increase under climate and land-use changes. Due to limited resources and large areas colonised by invaders, management and monitoring resources must be prioritised. Choices depend on the conservation value of the invaded areas and can be guided by SDM predictions. Here, we use a hierarchical SDM framework, complemented by connectivity analysis of AIS distributions, to evaluate current and future conflicts between AIS and high conservation value areas. We illustrate the framework with three Australian wattle (Acacia) species and patterns of conservation value in Northern Portugal. Results show that protected areas will likely suffer higher pressure from all three Acacia species under future climatic conditions. Due to this higher predicted conflict in protected areas, management might be prioritised for Acacia dealbata and Acacia melanoxylon. Connectivity of AIS suitable areas inside protected areas is currently lower than across the full study area, but this would change under future environmental conditions. Coupled SDM and connectivity analysis can support resource prioritisation for anticipation and monitoring of AIS impacts. However, further tests of this framework over a wide range of regions and organisms are still required before wide application.

Plasma membrane cyclic nucleotide gated calcium channels control land plant thermal sensing and acquired thermotolerance.

Typically at dawn on a hot summer day, land plants need precise molecular thermometers to sense harmless increments in the ambient temperature to induce a timely heat shock response (HSR) and accumulate protective heat shock proteins in anticipation of harmful temperatures at mid-day. Here, we found that the cyclic nucleotide gated calcium channel (CNGC) CNGCb gene from Physcomitrella patens and its Arabidopsis thaliana ortholog CNGC2, encode a component of cyclic nucleotide gated Ca(2+) channels that act as the primary thermosensors of land plant cells. Disruption of CNGCb or CNGC2 produced a hyper-thermosensitive phenotype, giving rise to an HSR and acquired thermotolerance at significantly milder heat-priming treatments than in wild-type plants. In an aequorin-expressing moss, CNGCb loss-of-function caused a hyper-thermoresponsive Ca(2+) influx and altered Ca(2+) signaling. Patch clamp recordings on moss protoplasts showed the presence of three distinct thermoresponsive Ca(2+) channels in wild-type cells. Deletion of CNGCb led to a total absence of one and increased the open probability of the remaining two thermoresponsive Ca(2+) channels. Thus, CNGC2 and CNGCb are expected to form heteromeric Ca(2+) channels with other related CNGCs. These channels in the plasma membrane respond to increments in the ambient temperature by triggering an optimal HSR, leading to the onset of plant acquired thermotolerance.

Decoupled post-glacial history in mutualistic plant-insect interactions: insights from the yellow loosestrife (Lysimachia vulgaris) and its associated oil-collecting bees (Macropis europaea and M-fulvipes)

AimWe take a comparative phylogeographical approach to assess whether three species involved in a specialized oil-rewarding pollination system (i.e. Lysimachia vulgaris and two oil-collecting bees within the genus Macropis) show congruent phylogeographical trajectories during post-glacial colonization processes. Our working hypothesis is that within specialized mutualistic interactions, where each species relies on the co-occurrence of the other for survival and/or reproduction, partners are expected to show congruent evolutionary trajectories, because they are likely to have followed parallel migration routes and to have shared glacial refugia. LocationWestern Palaearctic. MethodsOur analysis relies on the extensive sampling of 104 Western Palaearctic populations (totalling 434, 159 and 74 specimens of Lysimachiavulgaris, Macropiseuropaea and Macropisfulvipes, respectively), genotyped with amplified fragment length polymorphism. Based on this, we evaluated the regional genetic diversity (Shannon diversity and allele rarity index) and genetic structure (assessed using structure, population networks, isolation-by-distance and spatial autocorrelation metrics) of each species. Finally, we compared the general phylogeographical patterns obtained. ResultsContrary to our expectations, the analyses revealed phylogeographical signals suggesting that the investigated organisms demonstrate independent post-glacial trajectories as well as distinct contemporaneous demographic parameters, despite their mutualistic interaction. Main conclusionsThe mutualistic partners investigated here are likely to be experiencing distinct and independent evolutionary dynamics because of their contrasting life-history traits (e.g. dispersal abilities), as well as distinct hubs and migration routes. Such conditions would prevent and/or erase any signature of co-structuring of lineages in space and time. As a result, the lack of phylogeographical congruence driven by differences in life-history traits might have arisen irrespective of the three species having shared similar Pleistocene glacial refugia.

Health inequalities - Vulnerable groups - National key resources

Is part of Health inequalities - Vulnerable groups Has part Vulnerable adults (DH)

Health inequalities - Vulnerable groups - Regional key resources

Has part Understanding the health needs of migrants in the South East region Assault Prevention Data Sharing Toolkit

Health Poverty Index information and resources

This is a collection of HPI resources stored on the SEPHO web site

Jasmonates and related oxylipins in plant responses to pathogenesis and herbivory.

The vigorous production of oxygenated fatty acids (oxylipins) is a characteristic response to pathogenesis and herbivory, and is often accompanied by the substantial release of small and reactive lipid-fragmentation products. Some oxylipins, most notably those of the jasmonate family, have key roles as potent regulators. Recent advances have been made in understanding oxylipin-regulated signal transduction in response to attack. Much jasmonate signaling takes place via a genetically defined signal network that is linked to the ethylene, auxin, and salicylic acid signal pathways, but a second aspect of jasmonate signaling is emerging. Some jasmonates and several newly discovered cyclopentenone lipids can activate or repress gene expression through the activities of a conserved electrophilic atom group.