Heavy metals in the liver and muscle of Micropogonias manni fish from Budi Lake, Araucania Region, Chile: potential risk for humans

The concentrations of cadmium, lead, manganese and zinc were determined in the fish species Micropogonias manni captured in Budi Lake, Araucanía Region (Chile). The measurements were made by atomic absorption spectroscopy, and the analysis considered the sex, weight and size of the species; the representative samples were taken from the liver and muscle tissue. The method was validated using certified reference material (DOLT-1). The ranges of concentrations found in the muscle tissue were: Cd, not determinate (n.d.)-0.26; Pb, n.d.-1.88; Mn, 0.02-12.17 and Zn, 0.48-39.04 mg kg-1 (dry weight). The concentrations in muscle tissue were generally lower than those found in the liver. With respect to the average concentrations recorded for each metal in the edible part of the fish (muscle tissue), it was found that the levels of Cd, Pb, Mn and Zn are within the ranges published by other authors in similar works and below the maximum concentration limits permitted by current legislation (FAO/WHO 2004; EU 2001) and do not constitute a health hazard for consumers of this species. The results were subjected to statistical analysis to evaluate the correlations between the content of the various metals and the sex, weight and size of each sample. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media B.V

Mosaicism of alpha-synuclein gene rearrangements: Report of two unrelated cases of early-onset parkinsonism

Dear Sir, In genetics, the term ‘mosaicism’ describes the situation in which groups of cells have a different genetic composition to other cells in an organism. Somatic gene rearrangements due to multiplication or deletion of genes (copy number variation) and/or sections of chromosomes can lead to mosaicism. The presence of multiple copies of the alpha-synuclein gene (SNCA) is known to be associated with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and the severity of symptoms increases with the number of copies of the gene [1]. While the features of PD associated with duplication of SNCA are usually (but not always) typical of the condition [2–3], patients with triplicate copies have atypical features, including rapidly evolving symptoms, severe cognitive impairment, limited response to levodopa, more severe symptoms of dementia and more..

Li abundances in F stars: planets, rotation and galactic evolution

We find that hot jupiter host stars within the T$_\mathrm{eff}$ range 5900-6300K show lower Li abundances, by 0.14 dex, than stars without detected planets. This offset has a significance at the level 7$\sigma$, pointing to a stronger effect of planet formation on Li abundances when the planets are more massive and migrate close to the star. However, we also find that the average v \textit{sin}i of (a fraction of) stars with hot jupiters is higher on average than for single stars in the same T$_\mathrm{eff}$ region, suggesting that rotationally-induced mixing (and not the presence of planets) might be the cause for a greater depletion of Li. We confirm that the mass-metallicity dependence of the Li dip is extended towards [Fe/H] $\sim$ 0.4 dex (beginning at [Fe/H] $\sim$ -0.4 dex for our stars) and that probably reflects the mass-metallicity correlation of stars of the same T$_\mathrm{eff}$ on the Main Sequence. We find that for the youngest stars ($<$ 1.5 Gyr) around the Li dip, the depletion of Li increases with v \textit{sin}i values, as proposed by rotationally-induced depletion models. This suggests that the Li dip consists of fast rotators at young ages whereas the most Li-depleted old stars show lower rotation rates (probably caused by the spin-down during their long lifes). We have also explored the Li evolution with [Fe/H] taking advantage of the metal-rich stars included in our sample. We find that Li abundance reaches its maximum around solar metallicity but decreases in the most metal-rich stars, as predicted by some models of Li Galactic production.Comment: 10 pages, accepted to A&

Allelic and genotypic associations of DRD2 Taq I A polymorphism with heroin dependence in Spanish subjects: a case control study

Background: Conflicting associations with heroin dependence have been found involving the A1 allele of dopamine D2 receptor gene ( DRD2) TaqI A polymorphism. Methods: We compared two samples of unrelated Spanish individuals, all of European origin: 281 methadone-maintained heroin-dependent patients ( 207 males and 74 females) who frequently used non-opioid substances, and 145 control subjects ( 98 males and 47 females). Results: The A1-A1 genotype was detected in 7.1% of patients and 1.4% of controls ( P = 0.011, odds ratio = 5.48, 95% CI 1.26-23.78). Although the A1 allele was not associated with heroin dependence in the entire sample, the frequency of A1 allele was higher in male patients than in male controls ( 24.4% vs. 16.3%, P = 0.024, odds ratio = 1.65, 95% CI 1.07-2.57). A logistic regression analysis showed an interaction between DRD2 alleles and gender ( odds ratio = 1.77, 95% CI 1.15-2.70). Conclusion: Our results indicate that, in Spanish individuals, genotypes of the DRD2 TaqI A polymorphism contribute to variations in the risk of heroin dependence, while single alleles contribute only in males

Bulk and surface switching in Mn-Fe-based Prussian Blue Analogues

Many Prussian Blue Analogues are known to show a thermally induced phase transition close to room temperature and a reversible, photo-induced phase transition at low temperatures. This work reports on magnetic measurements, X-ray photoemission and Raman spectroscopy on a particular class of these molecular heterobimetallic systems, specifically on Rb0.81Mn[Fe(CN)6]0.95_1.24H2O, Rb0.97Mn[Fe(CN)6]0.98_1.03H2O and Rb0.70Cu0.22Mn0.78[Fe(CN)6]0.86_2.05H2O, to investigate these transition phenomena both in the bulk of the material and at the sample surface. Results indicate a high degree of charge transfer in the bulk, while a substantially reduced conversion is found at the sample surface, even in case of a near perfect (Rb:Mn:Fe=1:1:1) stoichiometry. Thus, the intrinsic incompleteness of the charge transfer transition in these materials is found to be primarily due to surface reconstruction. Substitution of a large fraction of charge transfer active Mn ions by charge transfer inactive Cu ions leads to a proportional conversion reduction with respect to the maximum conversion that is still stoichiometrically possible and shows the charge transfer capability of metal centers to be quite robust upon inclusion of a neighboring impurity. Additionally, a 532 nm photo-induced metastable state, reminiscent of the high temperature Fe(III)Mn(II) ground state, is found at temperatures 50-100 K. The efficiency of photo-excitation to the metastable state is found to be maximized around 90 K. The photo-induced state is observed to relax to the low temperature Fe(II)Mn(III) ground state at a temperature of approximately 123 K.Comment: 12 pages, 8 figure

Chronicle of an early demise, surname extinction in the fifteenth and the seventeenth centuries

This is the Author’s Original Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Historical Methods: A Journal of Quantitative and Interdisciplinary History on 2018, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/01615440.2018.1462747It has been amply demonstrated that individuals' reproductive capability is the key explanatory phenomenon for understanding onomastic disappearance during the early modern period. This article analyzes the evolution and consequences of surname extinction in a specific population: Catalonia in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. In this article two aspects are examined. First, the observed disappearance of surnames is estimated through historical data collected in the Llibres d'Esposalles (Marriage Books) from 1481 to 1600 at Barcelona Cathedral. Second, the estimated natural extinction of those surnames registered in 1481 is forecast by applying a statistical branching processResearch has been funded by Projects MTM2016-76969-P (Spanish State Research Agency, AEI) and MTM2013-41383-P (Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness), both co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), IAP network from Belgian Science Policy. Work of J. Ameijeiras-Alonso has been supported by the Ph.D. Grant BES-2014-071006 from the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and CompetitivenessNO

Mendelian Randomization Analysis of the Relationship Between Native American Ancestry and Gallbladder Cancer Risk

Background A strong association between the proportion of Native American ancestry and the risk of gallbladder cancer (GBC) has been reported in observational studies. Chileans show the highest incidence of GBC worldwide, and the Mapuche are the largest Native American people in Chile. We set out to investigate the causal association between Native American Mapuche ancestry and GBC risk, and the possible mediating effects of gallstone disease and body mass index (BMI) on this association. Methods Markers of Mapuche ancestry were selected based on the informativeness for assignment measure and then used as instrumental variables in two-sample mendelian randomization (MR) analyses and complementary sensitivity analyses. Result We found evidence of a causal effect of Mapuche ancestry on GBC risk (inverse variance-weighted (IVW) risk increase of 0.8% for every 1% increase in Mapuche ancestry proportion, 95% CI 0.4% to 1.2%, p = 6.6×10-5). Mapuche ancestry was also causally linked to gallstone disease (IVW risk increase of 3.6% per 1% increase in Mapuche proportion, 95% CI 3.1% to 4.0%, p = 1.0×10-59), suggesting a mediating effect of gallstones in the relationship between Mapuche ancestry and GBC. In contrast, the proportion of Mapuche ancestry showed a negative causal effect on BMI (IVW estimate -0.006 kg/m2 per 1% increase in Mapuche proportion, 95% CI -0.009 to -0.003, p = 4.4×10-5). Conclusions The results presented here may have significant implications for GBC prevention and are important for future admixture mapping studies. Given that the association between Mapuche ancestry and GBC risk previously noted in observational studies appears to be causal, primary and secondary prevention strategies that take into account the individual proportion of Mapuche ancestry could be particularly efficient

A quantum-chemical study of the binding ability of βXaaHisGlyHis towards copper(II) ion

The present study analyzed binding of Cu2+ to tetrapeptides in water solution at several levels of theoretical approximation. The methods used to study the energetic and structural properties of the complexes in question include semiempirical hamiltonians, density functional theory as well as ab initio approaches including electron correlation effects. In order to shed light on the character of interactions between Cu2+ and peptides, which are expected to be mainly electrostatic in nature, decomposition of interaction energy into physically meaningful components was applied

Estimating a threshold price for CO2 emissions of buildings to improve their energy performance level. Case study of a new Spanish home

Energy consumption in homes produces CO2. In many countries, building regulations are being set to enable energy efficiency performance levels to be issued. In Spain, there is a regulated procedure to certify the energy performance of buildings according to their CO2 emissions. Consequently, some software tools have been design to simulate buildings and to obtain their energy consumption and CO2 emissions. In this paper the investment, maintenance and energy consumption costs are calculated for different energy performance levels and for various climatic zones, in a single-family home. According to the results, more energy efficient buildings imply higher construction and maintenance costs, which are not compensated by lower energy costs. Therefore, under current conditions, economic criteria do not support the improvement of the energy efficiency of a dwelling. 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Corrigendum to "European contribution to the study of ROS:A summary of the findings and prospects for the future from the COST action BM1203 (EU-ROS)" [Redox Biol. 13 (2017) 94-162]

The European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) provides an ideal framework to establish multi-disciplinary research networks. COST Action BM1203 (EU-ROS) represents a consortium of researchers from different disciplines who are dedicated to providing new insights and tools for better understanding redox biology and medicine and, in the long run, to finding new therapeutic strategies to target dysregulated redox processes in various diseases. This report highlights the major achievements of EU-ROS as well as research updates and new perspectives arising from its members. The EU-ROS consortium comprised more than 140 active members who worked together for four years on the topics briefly described below. The formation of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) is an established hallmark of our aerobic environment and metabolism but RONS also act as messengers via redox regulation of essential cellular processes. The fact that many diseases have been found to be associated with oxidative stress established the theory of oxidative stress as a trigger of diseases that can be corrected by antioxidant therapy. However, while experimental studies support this thesis, clinical studies still generate controversial results, due to complex pathophysiology of oxidative stress in humans. For future improvement of antioxidant therapy and better understanding of redox-associated disease progression detailed knowledge on the sources and targets of RONS formation and discrimination of their detrimental or beneficial roles is required. In order to advance this important area of biology and medicine, highly synergistic approaches combining a variety of diverse and contrasting disciplines are needed