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A recent study published in the journal Endoscopy examined the use of a non-invasive faecal immunochemical test (FIT) to detect colorectal neoplasia in individuals with Lynch syndrome. The study found that a FIT threshold of 4.08 μg/g may be a safe strategy to postpone colonoscopy in approximately 9 out of 10 individuals with Lynch syndrome. The study suggests that larger validation studies should be conducted to further explore this approach. [Extracted from the article]

A knowledge-based system exploits the knowledge, which a human expert uses for completing a complex task, through a database containing decision rules, and an inference engine. Already in the early nineties knowledge-based systems have been proposed for automated image classification. Lack of success faded out initial interest and enthusiasm, the same fate neural networks struck at that time. Today the latter enjoy a steady revival. This paper aims at demonstrating that a knowledge-based approach to automated classification of mobile laser scanning point clouds has promising prospects. An initial experiment exploiting only two features, height and reflectance value, resulted in an overall accuracy of 79 % for the Paris-rue-Madame point cloud bench mark data set. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry-based method is reported for the quantification of 20 selected mycotoxins and the simultaneous screening for 200 fungal metabolites in food. For regulated mycotoxins, such as aflatoxins, fumonisins, ochratoxin A, zearalenone and trichothecenes, the evaluation of the method performance characteristics, such as precision, trueness, limit of detection and matrix effects, has been exemplified for the matrix maize. In the case of the limit of detection, an alternative evaluation approach for high-resolution FT-Orbitrap data is proposed. Measurements of the signal-to-noise ratios obtained from 'full-profile mode' data led to detection limits between 8 and 160 ng g−1. Eight naturally contaminated wheat- and maize-based matrix test materials, originating from interlaboratory comparison studies, were used to confirm the trueness of the method for deoxynivalenol, zearalenone, fumonisin B1 and B2, HT-2, and T-2 toxin. In addition to accurate quantification of the most relevant mycotoxins, the full-scan chromatograms were used to investigate the potential of the FT-Orbitrap to screen simultaneously for a large number of fungal metabolites. First, a list of 200 metabolites, potentially being present in food samples, was established. Next, specific detection and identification criteria were defined, which are based on accurate mass, peak intensity and isotopologue ratio. The application of these criteria to the suspected metabolites from the list resulted in the putative identification of 13 fungal metabolites in addition to the target toxins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The etiology of the sporadic form of Alzheimer's disease (AD) remains largely unknown. Recent evidence has suggested that geneenvironment interactions (GxE) may play a crucial role in its development and progression. Whereas various susceptibility loci have been identified, like the apolipoprotein E4 allele, these cannot fully explain the increasing prevalence of AD observed with aging. In addition to such genetic risk factors, various environmental factors have been proposed to alter the risk of developing AD as well as to affect the rate of cognitive decline in AD patients. Nevertheless, aside from the independent effects of genetic and environmental risk factors, their synergistic participation in increasing the risk of developing AD has been sparsely investigated, even though evidence points towards such a direction. Advances in the genetic manipulation of mice, modeling various aspects of the AD pathology, have provided an excellent tool to dissect the effects of genes, environment, and their interactions. In this paper we present several environmental factors implicated in the etiology of AD that have been tested in transgenic animal models of the disease. The focus lies on the concept of GxE and its importance in a multifactorial disease like AD. Additionally, possible mediating mechanisms and future challenges are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During 2 years and at five locations in Europe, 56 winter wheat genotypes were evaluated for resistance to Fusarium head blight (FHB). The genotypes were both parents and selected recombinants taken from the following populations previously tested for FHB resistance: ‘Arina’/‘Forno’, ‘Arina’/‘Riband’, ‘Dream’/‘Lynx’, G16-92/‘Hussar’, ‘Renan’/‘Récital’, SVP-72017 × ‘Capo’ and ‘Capo’/‘Sumai-3’. In addition, a few control lines were included. FHB resistance was evaluated in replicated experiments under artificial inoculation, disease severity was assessed by repeated visual scorings. The highest level of FHB resistance was found in lines selected from crosses of FHB-resistant winter wheat × ‘Sumai-3’. The best lines selected from crosses of moderately resistant winter wheat with susceptible winter wheat were similar in their resistance response to the resistant parent. The level of FHB resistance was correlated with stability of resistance. Susceptible wheat lines tended to exhibit severe symptoms under high disease pressure. The symptoms on resistant lines remained comparatively low even under high disease pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fusarium head blight (FHB or head scab) has become a major limiting factor for sustainable wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) production around the world. For quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis of resistance to FHB, F3 plants and F3 : 5 lines, derived from a ‘Frontana’ (moderately resistant)/‘Seri82’ (susceptible) cross, were spray-inoculated in 2001 and 2002, respectively. Artificial inoculations were carried out under field conditions. Of 273 SSR and AFLP markers, 250 could be mapped and they yielded 42 linkage groups, covering a genetic distance of 1931 cM. QTL analysis was based on the constructed linkage map and area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC). The analyses revealed three consistent QTLs associated with FHB resistance on chromosomes 1BL, 3AL and 7AS explaining 7.9%, 7.7% and 7.6% of the phenotypic variation, respectively, above 2 years. The results confirmed the previously described resistance QTL of ‘Frontana’ on chromosome 3AL. A combination of ‘Frontana’ resistance with ‘Sumai-3’ resistance may lead to lines with augmented resistance expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a devastating disease that reduces the yield, quality and economic value of wheat. For quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis of resistance to FHB, F3 plants and F3:5 lines, derived from a ‘Wangshuibai’ (resistant)/‘Seri82’ (susceptible) cross, were spray inoculated during 2001 and 2002, respectively. Artificial inoculation was carried out under field conditions. Of 420 markers, 258 amplified fragment length polymorphism and 39 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers were mapped and yielded 44 linkage groups covering a total genetic distance of 2554 cM. QTL analysis was based on the constructed linkage map and area under the disease progress curve. The analyses revealed a QTL in the map interval Xgwm533–Xs18/m12 on chromosome 3BS accounting for up to 17% of the phenotypic variation. In addition, a QTL was detected in the map interval Xgwm539–Xs15/m24 on chromosome 2DL explaining up to 11% of the phenotypic variation. The QTL alleles originated from ‘Wangshuibai’ and were tagged with SSR markers. Using these SSR markers would facilitate marker-assisted selection to improve FHB resistance in wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new real-time PCR based method was developed for the species-specific detection, identification and quantification of Fusarium graminearum in planta. It utilizes a TaqMan hybridisation probe targeting the beta-tubulin gene and a plasmid standard. The assay is highly specific giving no product with DNA of closely related species. It is very sensitive, detecting down to five gene copies per reaction, and is able to produce reliable quantitative data over a range of six orders of magnitude. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The impact of nitrogen (N) fertilization on the development of Fusarium head blight (FHB) in wheat and the resulting deoxynivalenol (DON) contamination in the kernels was studied. In a first experiment, the disease was assessed on two locations under natural infection pressure. Five different types of nitrogen fertilizer (both organic and mineral) were investigated, each applied at five input rates from 0 to 160 kg N/ha. With all fertilizers, a significant increase of disease intensity was observed with increasing N input, while the type of N fertilizer had poor or no effects on FHB. Depending on the fertilizer used, the percentage of diseased spikelets increased from 2.2% at zero N rate up to 6.6% at 160 kg N input per hectare. In a second series of trials, three spring wheat varieties including one Durum wheat line were artificially inoculated with a Fusarium graminearum and a F. culmorum strain, known producers of DON. A mineral N fertilizer was applied at five input levels from 0 to 160 kg N/ha. A significant increase in FHB intensity and DON contamination in the grain was observed with increasing N from 0 to 80 kg/ha. At higher input rates, relevant in contemporary crop husbandry, disease intensity and toxin contamination remained at constant levels. It is concluded that adaptation of N fertilization represents no relevant tool in managing FHB in practical wheat cultivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of depleted uranium in the soil of former Yugoslavia after the 1999 conflict raised great public concern all over the world. The so-called Balkan-syndrome is often linked with depleted uranium contamination. An excellent compilation of data about DU and its possible impact on health and environment can be found in the 1999 UNEP report and publications from the Swedish Radiation Protection Institute. Unfortunately, very few systematic and reliable data on the possible depleted uranium concentrations were until now available. Some of these rare data are only available on the web, without adequate information about the experimental procedure used. To clarify the situation, a systematic survey was started in the summer of 2000 as a collaborative effort between Ghent University (Physics Laboratory) and the Belgian Ministry of Defense (Medical Service). From 50 sites selected all over Kosovo, 150 soil samples were measured in the laboratory with a high-resolution gamma-spectrometer. Some sites (14) were explicitly selected based on military information on the use of depleted uranium munitions in the vicinity. After careful analysis we can conclude that there is no indication of any depleted uranium contamination on these 50 sites with a minimal detectable activity of 15 Bq; this corresponds approximately to 1 mg depleted uranium in a typical sample (100-150 g). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To determine whether resistance to Fusarium head blight in winter wheat is horizontal and non-species specific, 25 genotypes from five European countries were tested at six locations across Europe in the years 1990, 1991, and 1992. The five genotypes from each country had to cover the range from resistant to susceptible. The locations involved were Wageningen, Vienna, Rennes, Hohenheim, Oberer Lindenhof, and Szeged. In total, 17 local strains of Fusarium culmorum, F. graminearum, and F. nivale were used for experimental inoculation. One strain, F. culmorum IPO 39-01, was used at all locations. Best linear unbiased predictions (BLUPs) for the head blight ratings of the genotypes were formed within each particular location for each combination of year and strain. The BLUPs over all locations were collected in a genotype-by environment table in which the genotypic dimension consisted of the 25 genotypes, while the environmental dimension was made up of 59 year-by-strain-by-location combinations. A multiplicative model was fitted to the genotype by-environment interaction in this table. The inverses of the variances of the genotype-by-environment BLUPs were used as weights. Interactions between genotypes and environments were written as sums of products between genotypic scores and environmental scores. After correction for year-by-location influence very little variation in environmental scores could be ascribed to differences between strains. This provided the basis for the conclusion that the resistance to Fusarium head blight in winter wheat was of the horizontal and non-species specific type. There was no indication for any geographical pattern in virulence genes. Any reasonable aggressive strain, a F. culmorum strain for the cool climates and a F. graminearum strain for the warmer humid areas, should be satisfactory for screening purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]