003 and P = 0 018, respectively), while the LDL/HDL ratio was sig

003 and P = 0.018, respectively), while the LDL/HDL ratio was significantly higher in group 1 compared with group 2, but did not show any significant difference between groups 2 and 3 ( Tab. IV). There were no significant differences between males and females for either atherogenic index ( Tab. IV). There were 78 (38.4%) infants in the BMI ≤ 25 kg/m2 group, and 125 (61.6%) in the BMI > 25 kg/m2 group. In addition, there were 167 (82.2%) newborns in the maternal age group > 30 years, and 36 (17.8%) in maternal age group ≤ 30 years. PLX3397 clinical trial The mean cord blood lipid profiles in newborns with mothers who had a BMI ≤ 25 kg/m2 exhibited TC and LDL levels which were significantly higher than those in the BMI > 25 kg/m2 group (P = 0.020

and P = 0.016, respectively) ( Tab. V). The TC and LDL levels were significantly higher in newborns

whose mothers were more than 30 years old than those whose mothers were less than 30 years old (P = 0.011 and P = 0.007, respectively) ( Tab. V). Measurement of serum lipoproteins in infancy and childhood could be predictive for lipoprotein disorders and CVD in adulthood since LBW is an important risk factor for CVD, especially in low income countries [19]. This study showed that the lipid profiles in male and female infants were not significantly different from each other; however, the mean levels of all lipid indicators for newborn girls were higher than those for boys. In contrast, Kelishadi et al.

[20] VE-821 molecular weight showed that all lipid levels in female newborns are higher than those for boys, but only the TC and HDL levels are significantly higher in female newborns. Badiee et al. [21] reported that the levels of TC, LDL, HDL, and TG in female newborns were significantly higher than the levels for boys. In the study by Kharb et al on 100 Indian healthy newborns, cord blood of female newborns had higher TC, HDL-C, LDL-C, APO I and AI as compared ID-8 to male newborns [22]. Another study also reported similar result [23]. The difference between our result and others may be the fact that we compared males and females regardless of birth weight. Kumar et al. [24] showed that TG levels are higher in LBW newborns and concluded that cholesterol levels were not affected by birth weight. Koklu et al. [25] showed that TG, TC, LDL, and VLDL levels in macrosomic neonates are clearly higher than those of normal birth weight neonates. Donegá et al. [26] showed that the levels of TC, LDL, and HDL in preterm newborns are higher than those in full term newborns, but TG levels in preterm newborns are lower than those in full term newborns. They also found that birth weight was not related to umbilical cord lipid levels. In the study by Nayak et al., TG level of SGA babies was significantly higher as compared to appropriate for gestational age group [27]. In the study by Yonezawa et al. on 103 AGA neonates, they found that preterm neonates had lower TG concentration [28].

e cytotoxicity For the particle-induced respiratory burst, a po

e. cytotoxicity. For the particle-induced respiratory burst, a positive β induction (βi) potency value describes stimulation of macrophage reactive oxygen species production, while a negative β inhibition (βi) value describes decreased rate of luminol oxidation below control cell baseline rate (0 μg dose of particles). For the respiratory burst induced by the stimulants after the 2 h exposure to particles, a positive βi potency value describes an enhanced response of the particle-exposed cells to the stimulant by comparing to the time-matched, stimulated control cells (0 μg MK1775 dose of particles).

Conversely, a negative βi value describes the abrogation of the stimulant-induced burst in particle-exposed cells by comparison to the stimulated control cells without particles (0 μg dose of particles). The potency

of the particles (βi) with respect to the alteration of the particle-induced respiratory burst, ( Table 2), and with respect to the alteration of the cellular responses to inducers of respiratory burst ( Table 3) was learn more also corrected for cell viability (XTT reduction), measured after the 2 h exposures to particles and prior to the addition of the stimulants (unbiased potency estimate, βi-v2 = βi − βv2) to adjust for early particle effects on viability ( Vincent et al., 1997). The rationale for calculating unbiased potency estimates by adjusting the potency for respiratory burst with the potency for XTT at 2 h is that the XTT data at 2 h post particle exposure represents the competency of the cells ROS1 for signal transduction or gene induction at the

moment when the stimulants (PMA, Zymosan, LPS/IFN-γ) were added to the culture medium, subsequent to the particle pre-exposure. This adjustment of burst for viability aims to compensate for cytotoxic effects incurred during the 2 h pre-incubation with particles and to reveal the magnitude of functional alterations in the remaining viable cells. Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to compare: (1) cell viability (βv2) and particle-induced respiratory burst (induction or inhibition; βi) at 2 h after particle exposure, and (2) unbiased potency (βi-v2) of the particles to impact the respiratory burst induced by PMA, Zymosan and LPS/IFN-γ stimulants, using Sigmaplot v11.0 (Systat Software Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Finally, best subsets regression analysis was conducted using Sigmaplot v11.0 to assess if cell viability at 2 h, particle-induced respiratory burst, and the respiratory burst induced by PMA, LPS/IFN-γ, Zymosan are predictors of general cytotoxicity (cell viability at 24 h). One set of common control cells (0 μg dose of particles) was used for all treatments on a 96-well plate.

They were asked to pass a list with the number and the names of t

They were asked to pass a list with the number and the names of the persons within their organization that were willing to participate. After that, they received the necessary sampling material

from the WIV-ISP (Scientific Institute of Public Health). The blood samples themselves were taken by the occupational health physician of each organization. In addition, an e-mail address was opened ([email protected]) for any questions buy GDC-0980 related to the biomonitoring study in Wetteren. Emergency responders who presented themselves spontaneously but were not on the lists, were also accepted for the study. The study protocol was approved by the Ethical Committee of the Ghent University Hospital and an informed consent was signed by all participants prior to their participation in the study. The sampling took place from May 21 until June 28, i.e., days 17–55 after the train accident. The data collection was organized in collaboration with the occupation health services. Each participant provided venous blood, collected in a tube filled with EDTA for the determination of N-2-cyanoethylvaline (CEV). Urine samples were collected for the measurement of cotinine because smoking may influence the CEV concentration. All Dasatinib emergency responders also filled in a short questionnaire, including (i) demographic information,

i.e., name, address, gender and date of birth; (ii) smoking status (non-smoker, ex-smoker, occasional smoker and daily smoker); (iii) some specific variables related to the sampling, i.e., the day and the hour at which blood and urine sampling took Oxymatrine place; (iv) a table with detailed information

on where participants had been in the night of and in the days following the train accident, i.e., <50 m, 50–250 m, 250–500 m, 500–1000 m, and >1000 m away from the train accident; by day between May 4–10; and (v) the use of respiratory protection (yes/no) in the night of and in the days following the train accident, by day between May 4–10. The function of the participants was provided by the emergency responder organizations. In total, 1054 emergency responders participated in the biomonitoring. Persons with missing value in either blood CEV measurements, urinary cotinine measurements, questionnaire (spatial and temporal information of the presence on-site between May 4–10), or transmission of the function, were omitted from the analyses of this article. The final study population consisted therefore of the 841 emergency responders. Blood samples were pre-treated within 24 h to obtain a lysate of erythrocytes. The pretreated samples were stored at −20 °C. Because of the need for substantial analyzing capacity, blood samples were sent on dry ice to three different laboratories specialized in CEV analyses where a modified Edman degradation was used for adduct dosimetry (Tornqvist et al., 1986 and Van Sittert et al., 1997).

, 2010), it was selected to evaluate the mechanism underlying to

, 2010), it was selected to evaluate the mechanism underlying to their cytotoxic effects after 24 h exposure. The compounds dissolved in DMSO (0.1%) were added to cell cultures of HL-60 cells (3 × 105 cells/mL) to obtain final concentrations of 1 and 2 μM. Doxorubicin (0.6 μM) was used as a positive control (Dox). All flow cytometry analyses were performed in a Guava® EasyCyte Mine using Guava Express Plus CytoSoft 4.1 software (Guava Technologies Inc., Industrial Blvd., Hayward, CA, USA). Five thousand events were evaluated per experiment and cell debris was omitted from the analysis. Cell viability was determined by the trypan blue

find more dye exclusion test (Kepp et al., 2011). The cell samples were diluted in trypan blue dye

of an acid Epigenetics inhibitor azo exclusion medium by preparing a 1:1 dilution of the cell suspension using a 0.4% trypan blue solution. Non-viable cells were labeled in blue and are visible with brightfield optics and viable cells were unstained, since viable cells maintain the capacity to extrude this vital dye. The count was performed under the microscope in four 1 × 1 mm squares of a Neubauer chamber. Number of cells (×104 cells/mL) was stated and viable and non-viable cells were expressed as a percentage of total cells. Cells were plated in 24-well tissue culture plates (2 mL/well) and treated with the compounds. After 21 h exposure, 20 μL of 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine (BrdU, 10 mM) was added and incubated for 3 h at 37 °C. To determine the amount of BrdU incorporated into DNA (Pera et al., 1977), cells were harvested, transferred to cytospin slides, and allowed to dry for 2 h at room temperature (25 °C). Cells were labeled using direct peroxidase immunocytochemistry by the chromogen

diaminobenzidine (DAB) staining those cells that incorporated Brd. Slides were counterstained with hematoxylin and coverslipped. The determination of BrdU positivity was performed by light microscopy (Olympus, Tokyo, Japan). Two hundred cells were counted per sample to determine Y-27632 2HCl the percentage of BrdU-positive cells (Costa et al., 2008). To determine whether the growth inhibition activity of compounds 2–4 was related to the induction of apoptosis or necrosis, morphological analysis of treated cells was investigated by fluorescent microscopy using acridine orange/ethidium bromide (AO/EB) staining. After 24 h incubation, cells were pelleted and each sample was mixed with 1 L of aqueous AO/EB solution (100 g/mL of AO in PBS; 100 g/mL EB in PBS) just prior to fluorescence microscopy and quantification (Olympus, Tokyo, Japan). Three hundred cells were counted per sample and scored as follows: viable cells, apoptotic cells and necrotic cells (Cury-Boaventura et al., 2004 and Tamatani et al., 2012). The percentage of apoptotic and necrotic cells was then calculated. Cell cycle distribution and DNA fragmentation analysis were evaluated by the incorporation of propidium iodide (50 μg/mL).

They had no significant difference in age, sex and smoking status

They had no significant difference in age, sex and smoking status between patients with or without EGFR mutation. In the EGFR wild type patients 50 conducted fusion gene detection.

Of these, 14 had ALK fusion (28%), 2 had ROS1 fusion (4%), and 3 had RET fusion (6%). PCR positive samples were all verified by DNA sequencing. The ALK fusions were: eight E(EML4) exon 13 with A(ALK) exon 20 fusions, four E20 with A20 fusions, one E18 with A20 fusion, and one E6 with A20 fusion. The ROS1 fusions were ROS1 exon 34 with TPM3 exon 8. The three RET fusions were all RET exon Anticancer Compound Library high throughput 12 with KIF5B exon n15. The patients who harbored fusion gene mutation were listed in Table 2. In the EML4-ALK patients, 11 were under 60 and 8 were none or light smokers. The TPM3-ROS1 and two KIF5B-RET patients were under 60 years old and none-smokers, and one KIF5B-RET patient was a heavy smoker (30 pack-years)

and under 60. There was no significant difference between the patients with and without any one of the fusion genes in sex, and smoking status (p > 0.05), but the patients with fusion gene mutations were younger than those without mutations (median age, 51 vs 61, p = 0.032). Thirty-five of the 50 patients received first-line chemotherapy in this hospital, including 29 carboplatin or cisplatin contained therapies, 2 single drug therapies and 4 TKI targeting EGFR therapies. In these patients, twenty-four did not carry any mutation of three fusion genes, eight were ALK fusion positive and three were RET fusion positive (Table 3). In Rapamycin the last follow-up, three patients did not get disease progression. ORR was 4.2% and 9.1% in patients without and with fusion gene mutation, respectively (p > 0.05); DCR was 50% and 72.7%, respectively (p > 0.05). The median PFS of the EML4-ALK positive patients was 4.2 (95% confidence interals, 1.890-6.510) months vs 2.8 (95% CI, 1.658-3.942) months (p = 0.706) in the EML4-ALK negative patients and in either one

of three genes positive patients it was 4.0 (95% CI, 2.605-5.395) months vs 2.7 (95% CI, 1.551-3.849) months Grape seed extract (p = 0.371) in the none-positive patients (Figure 2). Although there was no significant difference between the two cohorts, the results showed a trend that patients with fusion genes had a better chemotherapy response than those without any one of fusion genes in chemotherapy. Cell block (CB) is a method to concentrate and preserve cells in fluid samples for long use. Compared with effusion smears, CB contains more cells to be identified and helps pathologists in decision making. It has been used routinely in pathological classification and also in gene detection. In certain cases it has an advantage to other conventional pathological methods [24]. In advanced-stage patients who cannot have their tissues dissected, CB samples could be an alternative selection.

The MTHFR rs1801133 (c 677C>T) is the most intensively investigat

The MTHFR rs1801133 (c.677C>T) is the most intensively investigated variant in the homocysteine/folate pathway [11, 14, 65]. However, results of the MTHFR rs1801133 association in different CL/P populations are inconsistent ( Fig. 2), indicating the challenges of researching gene-disease associations [14]. Both fetal and maternal genetic susceptibilities may affect the intrauterine environment during palatogenesis. We found no association between maternal, as well as

embryonic, MTHFR rs1801133, and MTHFD1 (gene encoding trifunctional enzyme methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase 1) rs2236225 (c.1958G>A) BIBW2992 cost and CL/P risk [24, 32]. Maternal RFC1 (reduced folate carrier 1) rs1051266 (c80A>G) and embryonic MTR rs1805087 (c.2756A>G), MTRR (methionine synthase reductase) rs1801394, CBS 844ins68, TCN2 (transporter transcobalamin II) rs1801198 were not correlated with CL/P

find protocol susceptibility in the Polish population [23, 31]. Genetic processes that alter gene function without structural DNA alternation have become one of the chief focus areas of developmental medicine. Recently, there has been increased interest in epistasis and its influence on congenital anomalies in general. The nonparametric and genetic model-free Multifactor Dimensionality Reduction (MDR) analysis revealed a significant interactive effect of investigated SNPs in embryonic genes encoding enzymes involved in one carbon metabolism on clefting susceptibility (i.e. MTHFR rs1801133, MTR rs1805087, and PEMT/phosphatidylethanolamine N-methyltransferase/rs4646406 – a testing balance accuracy of 0.62 and a cross-validation consistency of 6/10, p=0.02) [31]. Even in the absence of an independent effect on CL/P risk in the Polish population,

the presence of the MTHFR rs1801133 may result in an increased CL/P risk. Studies using a variety of approaches have produced conflicting or inconclusive results on the MTHFR rs1801133 in clefting susceptibility, possibly because of the diversity of the investigated populations or the inadequate power of the studies. It is especially noteworthy that Polish mothers homozygous (GG) or heterozygous (AG) for Bay 11-7085 the top-SNP of MTR, rs1805087, displayed a twofold increased risk of having a child with CL/P (ORAG+GGvsAA=2.19, 95%CI=1.19–4.05, p=0.01) [23]. Interestingly, maternal genotypes that include the G allele have also been associated with an increased risk of neural tube defects and conotruncal heart defects [66, 67]. Methionine synthase, encoded by MTR, is a vitamin B12-dependent enzyme that functions within the transmethylation cycle by catalyzing the 5-methyltetrahydrofolate-dependent remethylation of homocysteine to methionine.

, 2007) Their conclusions are not supported by the complete abse

, 2007). Their conclusions are not supported by the complete absence of any abnormalities of connective tissue or fibrosis in patients on long term treatment with the SAP‐depleting drug, CPHPC, in whom SAP values are persistently reduced by 90-99% ( Gillmore et al., 2010), or in mice with either deletion of the SAP gene or transgenic expression of human SAP ( Botto et al., 1997, Bickerstaff et al., 1999 and Gillmore et al., 2004). In order to provide suitable reagents with which to resolve these various controversies we have isolated from the plasma of healthy individuals, pharmaceutical GMP grade preparations of human CRP

and SAP and fully characterized them as contaminant‐free and structurally and functionally intact. Plasma, derived exclusively from paid donors in the USA, was collected Ganetespib solubility dmso at centers approved by the UK Department of Health. BLZ945 purchase Donor selection, donor examination and plasma collection were performed according to standards and/or requirements set by the UK Department of Health, in accordance with the European Pharmacopoeia monograph ‘Human Plasma for Fractionation’. Every donation was tested and found non‐reactive for: i) hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg); ii) antibodies to hepatitis C virus (HCV); iii) antibodies to human immunodeficiency virus 1 and 2 (HIV); iv) hepatitis A virus, HIV, HBV, HCV and parvovirus B19 by nucleic acid amplification

technique (NAT) conducted by minipool testing. Units with a parvovirus B19 titer of greater than ~ 105 IU/mL were excluded to guarantee that the B19 titer of the starting pool did not exceed 104 IU/mL. Arrangements for plasma pool testing complied with the requirements of the CPMP

Note for Guidance on Plasma‐Derived Medicinal Products CPMP/BWP/269/95. The plasma pool used for the preparation was derived from thousands of individual donors and was tested by the Bio Products Laboratory Ltd (BPL) and by the UK National Institute for Biological Standards and Control (NIBSC). Tests for HBsAg, anti‐HIV1/2 and anti‐HCV and for HCV RNA by NAT were negative (non‐reactive) for all tests. Arrangements for manufacturing complied with the requirements of CPMP Note for Guidance on Plasma‐Derived Medicinal Products CPMP/BWP/269/95. The standard operating procedure covering the donations details the actions to be taken in the case of a known or suspected Glutamate dehydrogenase defect of a donation and includes notifying any third party supplied with this material. The starting pool of plasma, collected by plasmaphoresis using sodium citrate anticoagulant, was stored at -35 °C, before conditioning at -10 °C for ~ 50 h and then thawed at ~ 0 °C to + 2 °C for collection of the cryoprecipitate by centrifugation. The supernatant was treated with 0.5% w/w celite (Hyflo Supercel) before ethanol fractionation based on a modification of the Kistler and Nitschmann method (Kistler and Nitschmann, 1962). Fraction A + 1 was precipitated at pH 5.85, 19% v/v ethanol and -5 °C and collected by centrifugation.

Most of these mixtures contain

uranium, which may be used

Most of these mixtures contain

uranium, which may be used as target isotope for initial appraisal of RN exposure. A HBM standard operating procedure of the “working-group on analyses of biological materials” of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft is capable of detecting and quantifying 232thorium and 238uranium in blood and urine (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/book/10.1002/3527600418/topics). This procedure can be used to detect background levels of 238uranium in human specimens of the general population. Since some mineral waters in Germany contain uranium, thorough investigation of HBM influencing factors by the acting physician prior to HBM analysis is advised. With respect Ribociclib chemical structure Cabozantinib cell line to the transport of potentially radioactive human specimens, radioactive monitoring of the samples has to be conducted and an official clearance has to be issued by the appropriate authorities. After the clearance the transport of the human specimens has to conducted in line with the recommendations outlined above. In the compendium part 2 HBM analysis methods are evaluated. Basic toxicity data, including biological reference and threshold

values are given for a list of 50 agents, previously identified as relevant in civil protection (Burbiel et al., 2009). The list comprises of 37 substances and substance groups classified as “Toxic Industrial Chemicals” (TIC), 9 substances and 1 substance group classified as warfare agents and 3 biotoxins (Table 1). The profiles include the following items, if applicable, for each chemical substance or substance group: – Name(s) (German, English), UN- and CAS Phosphoribosylglycinamide formyltransferase number(s) Supplementary information 1 presents a list of the 50 agents with condensed profiles including name(s), CAS-number(s), HBM method(s): parameter, LOD, reference(s). In addition, the HBM data base of the German Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (http://www.baua.de/de/Themen-von-A-Z/Gefahrstoffe/Biomonitoring/Auskunftsystem.html) can be used to identify HBM methods of chemical substances and substance groups not

included in the compendium. A list of high quality standard HBM laboratories interested to support physicians in the collection and analysis of human specimens after a chemical incident was created in cooperation with the G-EQUAS and the “working-group on analyses of biological materials” of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft. Currently this network comprises of 13 HBM laboratories; anybody interested to be included in the planned update of the list is encouraged to contact the authors of this article. Supplementary information 2 presents the list of HBM laboratories, each with full address (postal address, phone and fax number), contact person(s), office hours/availability, and analytical focus (organic chemicals/inorganic chemicals/both).

Since the horizontal numerical viscosity and diffusivity are extr

Since the horizontal numerical viscosity and diffusivity are extremely small in these simulations, this allows the effects of the explicit

model viscosity, diffusivity, and grid resolution to be isolated. Since SI can grow independent of the along-front direction (see Appendix A) and the goal here is not to model baroclinic mixed layer instability as in Boccaletti et al. (2007) or Fox-Kemper et al. (2008), it is sufficient to run the simulations in 2D, as in previous studies (e.g. Thorpe and Rotunno, 1989, Griffiths, 2003 and Taylor and Ferrari, 2009). Thus the models are run as 2D cross-channel spindown simulations of a symmetrically unstable front. Akin to Taylor and Ferrari, 2009, the initial state consists of a weakly stratified surface

layer Selleckchem Enzalutamide from -300-300 m SB431542 solubility dmso density and velocity fields are decomposed into departures from a constant background state defined by equation(20) bT(x,z,t)=M2x+b(x,z,t),bT(x,z,t)=M2x+b(x,z,t), equation(21) uT(x,z,t)=VG(z)j+u(x,z,t),uT(x,z,t)=VG(z)j+u(x,z,t), equation(22) dVGdz=M2f,where the subscript T   indicates the total field. The model is set up to be horizontally periodic in the perturbation variables (no subscript), while the background state is assumed to be constant in time. The use of periodic boundary conditions allows the flow to freely evolve with no influence from lateral boundaries and no need to specify inflow/outflow conditions. The upper boundary is adiabatic with a rigid lid, and both vertical boundaries are set to be free-slip on the perturbation velocity uu. Throughout the rest

of this paper this model setup will be referred to as “frontal zone”. Finally, the initial density field is perturbed by a white noise with an amplitude of 10-410-4 kg m−3. Four sets of simulations Chlormezanone have been conducted in order to test the sensitivity of restratification by SI to different combinations of M2,N2M2,N2, and νhνh. The parameter choices for each set of simulations are listed in Table 1. The simulation parameters for each set are chosen such that the initial Richardson number in the surface layer is 0.25, which is neutral to KH instability (Stone, 1966) but still unstable to SI. The Richardson number in the thermocline is set at 12.5 so that it is stable to both types of instability. Each simulation set consists of seven individual simulations run at varying resolutions; individual simulations will henceforth be referred to by a numerical subscript (e.g. A1,B3A1,B3, etc.). The advantage of using a frontal zone 2D model is that f   and the domain-averaged M2M2 are constant in time, so that the time evolution of Ri   is governed only by the change in N2N2.

This may rely on an understanding of what is good, hence includin

This may rely on an understanding of what is good, hence including societal views as well as ecological views (see Mee et al., 2008). Furthermore, Odum (1985) described stress in the system as a set of EIGHTEEN adverse characteristics and so a healthy system by definition should be the converse of those characteristics (see Elliott and Quintino, 2007). The management of an ecosystem and an understanding of the way in which it changes under human influences requires a large amount of data, information and knowledge about the structure and functioning of the system; this can

be described as NINE stages which then allows management decisions to be made (Box 4; McLusky and Elliott, 2004). Such a framework, which is sufficiently generic to cover all human

activities, will encourage managers to obtain Selleckchem Copanlisib the appropriate information for management. By accumulating information in progressing from Stage 1 to Stage 9, conservation and environmental protection bodies can then determine the effects of human activities on the marine system. Each of the ‘decisions’ relates to the way in which the ecosystem functions and PLX4032 the behaviour of materials or activities placed in the environment. For example, the placing of dredged material into the sea after dredging will have an effect which depends on the nature of the receiving environment (i.e. whether Thalidomide it has water currents above a threshold speed), and on the nature of the material being dumped (e.g. whether it is sand or mud). However, The Ecosystem Approach is necessary to ensure that all aspects are taken into account and thus that the overall health of systems and the ecosystem services that they deliver are recognised and protected. To detect change then requires monitoring the system – when to assess and what to assess – although we have further complicated this to result in TEN types of monitoring: • Surveillance monitoring – a ‘look-see’ approach which begins without deciding what are the end-points followed by a post hoc detection (a posteriori) of trends and suggested management action. As emphasised here, the aim of

marine management is to protect the whole system although, again as shown here, this is complex achievement. Given this complexity, we often deconstruct the ecosystem into a set of component parts, assess each of them in relation to any stressors and then aim to recombine our assessments to give the management of the whole system – this is what we previously called a ‘deconstructing structural approach’ as used for the European Water Framework Directive (Borja et al., 2010b). The WFD, adopted in 2000, concentrated on assessing deviation from Good Ecological Status by FIVE Biological Quality Elements (phytoplankton, macroalgae, macrophytes, benthic fauna and fishes) plus the chemical and physical characteristics.