The German Molecular Register Project

Currently, the Bundesamt für Verbraucherschutz und Lebensmittelsicherheit (BVL) is running the project ”Development of a German Molecular Register as a web-based software application”. The Molecular Register shall integrate regulatory, phenotypic and molecular information on GMO, and allow the use of established bioinformatics tools in support of the Competent Authorities in their responsibilities according to Directive 2001/18/EC and Regulations (EC) No 1829/2003 and (EC) No 1830/2003.     

Functional recovery of respiratory behavior during axonal regeneration in snails (Lymnaea stagnalis) is experience dependent.

This study investigated the role of experience in recovery of pulmonary respiration during axonal regeneration in Lymnaea stagnalis. Pulmonary respiration occurs when snails break the water surface and open the lung orifice, the pneumostome. It was shown that axotomy of all the axons innervating the pneumostome and surrounding area prevents the occurrence of lung respiration in 69% of snails. In the remaining 31%, lung respiration persisted, indicating that peripheral components alone are capable of initiating pneumostome openings and closures. Five weeks postsurgery, all snails with previous nerve crushes showed opening of the pneumostome with normal latency after breaking the water surface. However, prevention of pulmonary respiration during the recovery period dramatically changed the recovered behavior. Thus, experience in pulmonary respiration during axonal regeneration plays a role in the recovery of this behavior. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Genetic relationships and additive genetic variation of productive and reproductive traits in Guernsey dairy cattle

Data were first lactation production and reproduction records initiated from 1958 to 1981 in two experiment station Guernsey herds. Heritability estimates using paternal half sib groups were .24 +/- .12 for milk yield, .27 +/- .12 for fat yield, and .77 +/- .15 for fat percentage. Heritability estimates for reproductive traits ranged from .01 to .04 for number of services, service period, conception rate, and days open, but were higher for days in milk at first breeding (.12) and age at first calving (.13). Except for age at first calving, coefficients of additive genetic variation were larger for reproductive traits than for productive traits. Genetic correlations between measures of production and reproduction were moderate to large and antagonistic, except that the relationship between production and age at first calving was favorable. Breeding value estimates for milk yield and reproduction were negatively correlated for sires with above average breeding values for milk yield. Huge phenotypic variances for reproductive traits masked substantial additive genetic variation for these traits. When all things are considered it seems unwise to ignore reproductive performance in selection programs for dairy cattle.     

Design of a Research Performance Measurement System: The Case of NIAB

At NIAB, a UK based company that provides research, services and information to the agricultural and food sector, a system has been designed that helps to assess and manage the growing research programme of the company. Since the company was ‘privatised’ four years ago, research activities have increased and moved away from solely applied research to a mix of applied and more fundamental research. Being a key element of the new developed company strategy, research now plays an increasing important role in broadening the scope of the company and keeping current services competitive by driving innovation. All research at NIAB is externally funded. In this paper we report on the process to design NIAB’s performance measurement system, for which the Performance measurement system Systematic Design Approach was used. The design process was started with an elaborate structured problem analysis of the research process and its inter and extra–organisational context. Based upon this analysis, firstly a conceptual and secondly a detail design of a performance measurement system was made. To maximise the leverage from research, the system has been designed to optimise the value delivered to the funder as well as the value delivered to internal customers in the form of knowledge that drives innovation.     

Metrological traceability chain for pH measurement results

The extent to which technical barriers to international trade caused by non-acceptance of chemical measurement results can be removed, largely depends on the success in building up national and international traceability structures also in metrology in chemistry. Achieving metrological comparability of measurement results requires the definition of metrological calibration hierarchies providing metrological traceability chains which enable the establishment of metrological traceability of measured quantity values to a common metrological reference [1]. For pH, over the last decade, work has been carried out in a number of countries to build up meteorological calibration hierarchies within a national framework. An overview on the metrological traceability chain for pH is given with focus on the primary measurement procedure of pH.     

Reducing intergroup bias: Elements of intergroup cooperation.

The authors examined the potentially separable contributions of 2 elements of intergroup cooperation, interaction and common fate, and the processes through which they can operate. The manipulation of interaction reduced bias in evaluative ratings, which supports the idea that these components are separable, whereas the manipulation of common fate when the groups were interacting was associated with lower bias in nonverbal facial reactions in response to contributions by in-group and out-group members. Whereas interaction activated several processes that can lead to reduced bias, including decategorization, consistent with the common in-group identity model (S. L. Gaertner, I F. Dovidio, P. A. Anastasio, B. A. Bachman, & M. C. Rust, 1993) as well as M. Hewstone and R. J. Brown's (1986) group differentiation model, the primary set of mediators involved participants' representations of the memberships as 2 subgroups within a superordinate entity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)