Comparing the body mass variations in endemic insular species of the Genus Prolagus (Ochotonidae, Lagomorpha) in the pleistocene of Sardinia (Italy)

Prolagus figaro and P. sardus are part of an endemic insular anagenetic lineage that populated Sardinia since the earliest Late Pliocene to Holocene. BM of some populations of these two species was calculated using regression models. The best BM proxies for Prolagus are: femur length, zeugopod measurements and distal humerus diameter. The anagenetic lineage shows a BM increase of ca 20% from the populations of P. figaro (398-436 g) to P. sardus (504-525 g). The trend shown by the size of lower third premolar, even if not directly comparable with BM, is opposite (ca -30% at the transition P. figaro-P. sardus). Compared to P. cf. calpensis, a continental species of similar age, BM of P. figaro is ca +25%. The comparison with the insular endemic P. apricenicus evidenced differences in BM range and timespan required to attain it, due to the different size and palaeogeographical situation of the islands. Insular endemic Prolagus follow the small mammal pattern of Island Rule. Mein's (1983) biphasic model seems applicable to the evolution of P. figaro. A tachytelic phase followed by a bradytelic one seems to characterize also the appearance of P. sardus, at least for dental traits, a process probably triggered by important variations of abiotic and biotic traits of the environment, as indicated by the turnover that marks the onset of the Dragonara subcomplex. The prediction of life history traits and other biological attributes of Sardinian Prolagus using BM should be considered with caution due to the complexity of ecological selective regimes of Sardinia

Exploring the intricate evolutionary history of the diploid-polyploid complexVeronica subsection Pentasepalae(Plantaginaceae)

[EN]Veronica subsection Pentasepalae is a diploid–polyploid complex of c. 20 species distributed in Eurasia and North Africa, in which species boundaries are difficult to determine. Here, we present the first comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of V. subsection Pentasepalae based on nucleotide sequences [internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and the plastid trnH-psbA and ycf6-psbM spacers] combined with ploidy estimations. Our results support the monophyly of the subsection. Five well-supported clades are recovered in the ITS sequence analyses, corresponding to broad geographical areas. The causes of the extensive incongruence found between the ITS and plastid DNA datasets, namely incomplete lineage sorting and/or hybridization and polyploidization, are discussed. Most of the diploids traditionally recognized based on morphological characters and one tetraploid are each recovered as monophyletic by the ITS sequence analyses. The Balkan species V. kindlii is resurrected. DNA ploidy level for V. teucrioides is reported here for the first time (2x). Diploid populations have been found for V. orbiculata, which was previously thought to be only tetraploid. Past contact in the amphi-Adriatic area between V. orsiniana and V. orbiculata is suggested. Finally, molecular analyses show that diploid V. jacquinii and diploid V. orbiculata are unrelated. This study contributes to our understanding of the evolutionary history of polyploid complexes, especially those in southern Europe, and highlights the importance of using multiple lines of evidence to investigate species boundaries in such actively diversifying groups

Simulation of superresolution holography for optical tweezers

Optical tweezers manipulate microscopic particles using foci of light beams. Their performance is therefore limited by diffraction. Using computer simulations of a model system, we investigate the application of superresolution holography for two-dimensional (2D) light shaping in optical tweezers, which can beat the diffraction limit. We use the direct-search and Gerchberg algorithms to shape the center of a light beam into one or two bright spots; we do not constrain the remainder of the beam. We demonstrate that superresolution algorithms can significantly improve the normalized stiffness of an optical trap and the minimum separation at which neighboring traps can be resolved. We also test if such algorithms can be used interactively, as is desirable in optical tweezers

The colored Hanbury Brown--Twiss effect

The Hanbury Brown--Twiss effect is one of the celebrated phenomenologies of modern physics that accommodates equally well classical (interferences of waves) and quantum (correlations between indistinguishable particles) interpretations. The effect was discovered in the late thirties with a basic observation of Hanbury Brown that radio-pulses from two distinct antennas generate signals on the oscilloscope that wiggle similarly to the naked eye. When Hanbury Brown and his mathematician colleague Twiss took the obvious step to propose bringing the effect in the optical range, they met with considerable opposition as single-photon interferences were deemed impossible. The Hanbury Brown--Twiss effect is nowadays universally accepted and, being so fundamental, embodies many subtleties of our understanding of the wave/particle dual nature of light. Thanks to a novel experimental technique, we report here a generalized version of the Hanbury Brown--Twiss effect to include the frequency of the detected light, or, from the particle point of view, the energy of the detected photons. In addition to the known tendencies of indistinguishable photons to arrive together on the detector, we find that photons of different colors present the opposite characteristic of avoiding each others. We postulate that fermions can be similarly brought to exhibit positive (boson-like) correlations by frequency filtering.Comment: 18 pages, includes supplementary material of the derivation

Is genome downsizing associated with diversification in polyploid lineages of Veronica?

[EN] The study of genome size evolution in a phylogenetic context in related polyploid and diploid lineages can help us to understand the advantages and disadvantages of genome size changes and their effect on diversification. Here, we contribute 199 new DNA sequences and a nearly threefold increase in genome size estimates in polyploid and diploid Veronica (Plantaginaceae) (to 128 species, c. 30% of the genus) to provide a comprehensive baseline to explore the effect of genome size changes. We reconstructed internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and trnL-trnL-trnF phylogenetic trees and performed phylogenetic generalized least squares (PGLS), ancestral character state reconstruction, molecular dating and diversification analyses. Veronica 1C-values range from 0.26 to 3.19 pg. Life history is significantly correlated with 1C-value, whereas ploidy and chromosome number are strongly correlated with both 1C- and 1Cx-values. The estimated ancestral Veronica 1Cx-value is 0.65 pg, with significant genome downsizing in the polyploid Southern Hemisphere subgenus Pseudoveronica and two Northern Hemisphere subgenera, and significant genome upsizing in two diploid subgenera. These genomic downsizing events are accompanied by increased diversification rates, but a ‘core shift’ was only detected in the rate of subgenus Pseudoveronica. Polyploidy is important in the evolution of the genus, and a link between genome downsizing and polyploid diversification and species radiations is hypothesized

(1E,2E)-1,2-Bis(2,2-diphenyl­hydrazin-1-yl­idene)ethane

In the crystal structure of the title compound, C26H22N4, the mol­ecule is located on an inversion centre and shows an E configuration with respect to each C=N bond. The dihedral angle between the phenyl rings in the diphenyl­hydrazone group is 83.69 (11)°. These two rings make dihedral angles of 30.53 (15) and 84.53 (16)° with the central N—N=C—C=N—N dihydrazonoethane plane. Inter­molecular C—H⋯π inter­actions are observed

Effect of different exercise modalities plus a hypocaloric diet on inflammation markers in overweight patients

Summary Background & aims Inflammation markers (IM) have been associated with the development of chronic diseases. This study compares the effects on IM of three exercise programs combined with a hypocaloric diet. Methods 119 overweight participants (73 women, 46 men) aged 18–50 years were randomised into four treatment groups: strength training (S; n = 30), endurance training (E; n = 30), combined S + E (SE; n = 30), and a diet and physical activity recommendations group (D; n = 29). Energy intake, anthropometric variables (AV), training variables (VO2peak, strength index, dynamometric strength index [DSI]) and plasma IM were recorded at baseline and after 22 weeks of treatment. Results 84 participants completed the study. At 22 weeks, all groups showed a significantly reduced energy intake (P < 0.001) and improved AV (P < 0.001). VO2peak significantly increased in all groups (P < 0.01). DSI increased in the exercise groups only (P < 0.05). Plasma leptin fell significantly (P < 0.001) in the S and E groups, but not significantly in the SE group (P = 0.029) (no significant differences between these groups). Tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations decreased in all groups when examined together, but not when examined separately. No significant differences were seen in interleukin-6 (IL-6). Conclusions Combining strength or endurance training with a hypocaloric diet improved AV and reduced plasma leptin concentrations. No differences were seen between groups in terms of TNF-α, IL-6 or CRP reduction. This trial was registered at clinical trials.gov as NCT01116856. http://clinicaltrials.gov/

Compound-Specific Radiocarbon Analysis by Elemental Analyzer–Accelerator Mass Spectrometry: Precision and Limitations

[EN]We examine instrumental and methodological capabilities for microscale (10−50μg of C) radiocarbon analysisof individual compounds in the context of paleoclimate and paleoceanography applications, for which relatively high-precisionmeasurements are required. An extensive suite of data for14C-free and modern reference materials processed using differentmethods and acquired using an elemental-analyzer−accelerator-mass-spectrometry (EA-AMS) instrumental setup at ETHZurich was compiled to assess the reproducibility of specific isolation procedures. In order to determine the precision, accuracy,and reproducibility of measurements on processed compounds, we explore the results of both reference materials and threeclasses of compounds (fatty acids, alkenones, and amino acids) extracted from sediment samples. We utilize a MATLAB codedeveloped to systematically evaluate constant-contamination-model parameters, which in turn can be applied to measurementsof unknown process samples. This approach is computationally reliable and can be used for any blank assessment of small-sizeradiocarbon samples. Our results show that a conservative lower estimate of the sample sizes required to produce relativelyhigh-precision14C data (i.e., with acceptable errors of 0.5, a precision of 2% can be achieved for alkenone and fatty acid samples containing≥15 and 10μg of C, respectivel

Liquid crystalline and nonlinear optical properties of bent-shaped compounds derived from 3,49-biphenylene.

9 pages, 6 figures, 3 tables.The synthesis of different bent-core molecules derived from 3,49-biphenylene bearing azo, azoxy, imine or ester linkages in their lateral structures is reported. Structure–activity relationships for their liquid crystalline behaviour are discussed. SmCP, USmCP and Colob mesophases are found depending on the type and number of these connecting units. The sequence ester#azoxy . imine . azo can be proposed for the mesophase range, with significant differences observed in terms of mesopahase stabilization. SHG studies on these compounds give nonlinear coefficients in the range of 1–8 pm V21. The molecular origin for these values is analyzed semi- uantitatively. It was concluded that the SHG performance of bent-core mesogens in general can still be increased substantially. An approach to improve the properties of these materials is briefly outlined.This work was supported by projects MAT2003-07806-C02 and MAT2006-13571-C02 (CICYT-FEDER) from Spain-EU and by the DGA (Spain) and University of the Basque Country (Project. Nu 9/UPV 00060.310-13562/2001). I. P. and I. A. also thank DGA and the Ministry of Education of Spain, respectively, for grants.Peer reviewe

Can the exercise mode determine lipid profile improvements in obese patients?

Influencia del modo de ejercicio sobre el perfil lipídic