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The dragonfly genus Ischnurahas been the subject of numerous studies and is well studied in Europe and the Middle East. Nevertheless, information on the ecology, habitat preferences and phylogenetic relationships of some species is deficient. One species lacking such data is Ischnura intermedia, a near endemic species of the Middle East, found for the first time in Europe on Cyprus in 2013, where it occurs in five river valleys. In this study, we monitored I. intermediain Cyprus where the species has a long flight period from the end of March until mid-November. Our results show that it has two and possibly even three generations a year, with the males of the first generation having reduced blue coloration on abdominal segments 8 and 9. Ischnura intermediais confined to small secondary channels adjacent to streams and rivulets where the current slows and water is retained. It appears that populations can only become established at sites that have permanent water. It is therefore anticipated that the species will be under severe pressure within its range. We suggest listing this species as “Endangered” in Europe and globally as “Vulnerable” following the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria and to prepare a species action plan for the European population of Ischnura intermediaon Cyprus. Two partial DNA fragments, mtDNA cytochrome b (Cytb) and cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) were used to gain insights into the phylogenetic position within Ischnura, especially within the I. pumilioclade. We demonstrate that I. intermediais clearly separated from I. pumilio, but closely related to I. forcipata.

Cold rolled sheets of a low carbon quenching and partitioning (Q&P)steel grade were subjected to heat treatment cycles, which were designed by dilatometric experiments and optimised with respect to the quenching temperature, partitioning temperature and partitioning time. Characterisation of the retained austenite was carried out by electron backscattered diffraction, whereas the carbides were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and differential scanning calorimetry. The mechanical properties were evaluated by tensile testing and linked with retained austenite fractions and carbon contents, determined by X-ray diffraction. Conclusions are drawn concerning the influence of the kinetics of partitioning on the microstructure in terms of optimal austenite fraction in the martensitic matrix, its C content and ensuing mechanical properties.

The transformation products in advanced high strength steels have been studied during the isothermal decomposition of austenite, subsequent to initial martensite formation. Rapid cooling to various temperatures below martensite start was carried out in a dilatometer with the intention to form controlled volume fractions of initial martensite and austenite, followed by isothermal holding. The transformation kinetics was monitored by means of dilatometry and microstructural characterisation by scanning electron microscopy, electron backscatter diffraction and X-ray diffraction. Hardness measurements of the resulting microstructures were analysed. The results revealed that the microstructures formed below MSare mainly composed of different fractions of tempered martensite, isothermal bainite with carbide precipitation and retained austenite.

It is expected that climate change will have a great impact on many species and habitats. This will be greater if populations are found at the edge of their range or are isolated, and could lead to regional extinction. Here we investigate the possible impact on two boreo-alpine dragonfly species, Somatochlora alpestrisand S. arctica, at their range margins. Both species were unknown for most parts of south-eastern Europe. In 2007 we found 15 localities for S. alpestrisand two for S. arcticain the Carpathian Mountains of Romania. Both species are there confined to mountain peat bogs. All localities are situated between 1300 m and 2100 m altitude, with the majority restricted to a small range between 1600 m and 1800 m. Based on the factor altitude we predict a hypothetical distribution map for S. alpestris. The underlying models exclusively rely on the ultimate factor “altitude” and explain more than 60% of the deviance. In addition, we assessed the impact of climate change for two scenarios: a 1.5°C temperature increase and a 3°C increase. The first resulted in altitudinal range shifts of +200 m and in a distributional shrinkage of 40%, the latter corresponds to an upward range shift of 600 m and a loss of 90% of the area. Habitat specialists, especially those at their margins of distribution, are hardly able to keep pace with climate change. It seems unlikely that mountain peat bogs will develop at rates comparable to those of current climate change. This may effect regional extinctions of boreo-alpine species.

We present BioGraph, a data integration and data mining platform for the exploration and discovery of biomedical information. The platform offers prioritizations of putative disease genes, supported by functional hypotheses. We show that BioGraph can retrospectively confirm recently discovered disease genes and identify potential susceptibility genes, outperforming existing technologies, without requiring prior domain knowledge. Additionally, BioGraph allows for generic biomedical applications beyond gene discovery. BioGraph is accessible at http://www.biograph.be.