Synthesis of molybdenum oxide nanoparticles by nanosecond laser ablation

Phothermal therapy (PTT) is one of the most promising techniques to treat cancer. Finding the ideal PTT agent nanomaterial has remained a challenge and has brought the interest of several researchers. In this work, we report the synthesis of molybdenum oxide (MoOx) nanoparticles (NPs), which exhibit absorption in the biological optical window ~840 nm, by using the laser ablation of solids in liquids (LASL) technique with nanosecond (ns) pulses. A Nd:YAG laser was used to synthesize the NPs in deionized (DI) water, free of surfactants or additives, which were optically characterized by absorption spectroscopy and TEM-EDX microscopy. Semi spherical NPs with a suitable average size and shape for potential use as PTT agents were obtained by laser ablation and ablation + fragmentation. The calculated band gap is 3.1 eV, which corresponds to MoO3. Micro-Raman spectroscopy studies determined that these NPs are composed of amorphous molybdenum oxide hydrates (MoO3 · xH2O)

Planar laser induced fluorescence for temperature measurement of optical thermocavitation

Pulsed laser-induced cavitation, has been the subject of many studies describing bubble growth, collapse and ensuing shock waves. To a lesser extent, hydrodynamics of continuous wave (CW) cavitation or thermocavitation have also been reported. However, the temperature field around these bubbles has not been measured, partly because a sensor placed in the fluid would interfere with the bubble dynamics, but also because the short-lived bubble lifetimes (∼70–200 µs) demand high sampling rates which are costly to achieve via infrared (IR) imaging. Planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) provides a non-intrusive alternative technique to costly IR imaging to measure the temperature around laser-induced cavitation bubbles. A 440 nm laser sheet excites rhodamine-B dye to fluoresce while thermocavitation is induced by a CW 810 nm laser. Post-calibration, the fluorescence intensity captured with a high-speed Phantom Miro camera is correlated to temperature field adjacent to the bubble. Using shadowgraphy and PLIF, a significant decrease in sensible heat is observed in the nucleation site– temperature decreases after bubble collapse and the initial heated volume of liquid shrinks. Based on irradiation time and temperature, the provided optical energy is estimated to be converted up to 50% into acoustic energy based on the bubble's size, with larger bubbles converting larger percentages

140 ans d'aménagement forestier en Espagne.

Cite les principaux faits historiques qui sont à l'origine de la mise en place et des premiers pas de l'aménagement forestier en Espagne pendant la deuxième moitié du XIXè siècle, ainsi que l'évolution au cours du XXè siècle et son état actuel. Si le bilan de ces 140 ans de pratique d'aménagement est globalement très positif, il reste cependant à combler d'importantes lacunes notamment en ce qui concerne les forêts issues de reboisements, ainsi qu'en ce qui concerne les méthodes de conversion fortement conditionnées par des facteurs sociaux et saisonniers surtout dans les forêts feuillues méditerranéennes souvent dégradées

Taklobo Tours: Conservation, Tourism and Livelihood Opportunities in the Island Garden City of Samal, Southern Philippines

Taklobo Tours was launched in 2013 at Adecor, Samal Island, Southern Philippines, to promote giant clam conservation, ecotourism, and provide livelihood to 19 fisherfolk beneficiaries. This is to address the observations that coastal communities in Barangay Adecor and other areas in Region XI have violated RA 8550 on the rules and regulations of the CITES-listed species, Tridacna spp., and that fisherfolk have low income. This study aims to determine the impacts of Taklobo Tours to conservation, tourism, and livelihood of beneficiaries. Qualitative and quantitative data from 2013 to 2015 were used to analyze and describe the impacts. On top of the existing in-situ conservation of giant clams in a marine protected area (MPA), capacity building, conservation advocacy, policy support, and site development were among the site interventions. To date, the beneficiaries have increased their level of participation as conservation advocates, violations are no longer observed in the barangay, and communities have shown strong support for the advocacy. Being the banner tourism project of the local government, it has an increasing number of guests from 284 per month in 2013 to 700 per month in 2015, but usually higher during peak months of April and May. A total of 11,611 local and international guests visited and contributed to the income from fees amounting to PhP835,195.00. This provided additional income of PhP50 to PhP700 per month in 2013 and PhP500 to PhP4,800 per month in 2015 to the beneficiaries and sustainability fund to the project. This remarkable journey was made possible through the strong partnership of academe with local government units of Island Garden City of Samal and Adecor for technical assistance, promotion, management, and legislations. Regular monitoring is recommended to ensure project sustainability

Evaluating SKI as a candidate gene for non-syndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate

Non-syndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate (NSCL/P) is one of the most common of all congenital malformations and has a multifactorial etiology. Findings in mice suggest that the v-ski sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (SKI) gene is a candidate gene for orofacial clefting. In humans, a significant association between rs2843159 within SKI and NSCL/P has been reported in patients from the Philippines and South America. In the South American patients, the association was driven by the subgroup of patients with non-syndromic cleft lip only (NSCLO). Here we investigated the association with rs2843159 in a Mayan Mesoamerican population (172 NSCL/P patients and 366 controls). In addition, we analyzed the phenotypic subgroups NSCLO and non-syndromic cleft of lip and palate (NSCLP). A trend towards association between rs2843159 and NSCL/P was observed in the Mayan cohort (P = 0.097), and we found a stronger association in the NSCLP subgroup (P = 0.072) despite a limited sample size. To investigate whether other common variants within the SKI gene contribute to NSCL/P susceptibility in European and Asian populations, we also analyzed genotypic data from two recent genome-wide association studies using set-based statistical approaches. These analyses detected a trend toward association in the European population. Our data provide limited support for the hypothesis that common SKI variants are susceptibility factors for NSCL/P

A Quantitative Metric to Identify Critical Elements within Seafood Supply Networks

A theoretical basis is required for comparing key features and critical elements in wild fisheries and aquaculture supply chains under a changing climate. Here we develop a new quantitative metric that is analogous to indices used to analyse food-webs and identify key species. The Supply Chain Index (SCI) identifies critical elements as those elements with large throughput rates, as well as greater connectivity. The sum of the scores for a supply chain provides a single metric that roughly captures both the resilience and connectedness of a supply chain. Standardised scores can facilitate crosscomparisons both under current conditions as well as under a changing climate. Identification of key elements along the supply chain may assist in informing adaptation strategies to reduce anticipated future risks posed by climate change. The SCI also provides information on the relative stability of different supply chains based on whether there is a fairly even spread in the individual scores of the top few key elements, compared with a more critical dependence on a few key individual supply chain elements. We use as a case study the Australian southern rock lobster Jasus edwardsii fishery, which is challenged by a number of climate change drivers such as impacts on recruitment and growth due to changes in largescale and local oceanographic features. The SCI identifies airports, processors and Chinese consumers as the key elements in the lobster supply chain that merit attention to enhance stability and potentially enable growth. We also apply the index to an additional four real-world Australian commercial fishery and two aquaculture industry supply chains to highlight the utility of a systematic method for describing supply chains. Overall, our simple methodological approach to empiricallybased supply chain research provides an objective method for comparing the resilience of supply chains and highlighting components that may be critical

Sarcoptic mange in wild ruminants in Spain: solving the epidemiological enigma using microsatellite markers

Background: In Spain, sarcoptic mange was first described in native wildlife in 1987 in Cazorla Natural Park, causing the death of nearly 95% of the local native population of Iberian ibex (Capra pyrenaica). Since then, additional outbreaks have been identified in several populations of ibex and other wild ungulate species throughout the country. Although the first epizootic outbreak in wildlife was attributed to the introduction of an infected herd of domestic goats, the origin and the cause of its persistence remain unclear. The main aims of this study are to understand (i) the number of Sarcoptes scabiei “strains” circulating in wild ruminant populations in Spain, and (ii) the molecular epidemiological relationships between S. scabiei and its hosts. Methods: Ten Sarcoptes microsatellite markers were used to characterize the genetic structure of 266 mites obtained from skin scrapings of 121 mangy wild ruminants between 2011 and 2019 from 11 areas in Spain. Results: Seventy-three different alleles and 37 private alleles were detected. The results of this study show the existence of three genetic strains of S. scabiei in the wild ruminant populations investigated. While two genetic clusters of S. scabiei were host- and geography-related, one cluster included multi-host mites deriving from geographically distant populations. Conclusions: The molecular epidemiological study of S. scabiei in wild ruminants in Spain indicates that the spreading and persistence of the parasite may be conditioned by host species community composition and the permissiveness of each host population/community to the circulation of individual “strains,” among other factors. Wildlife–livestock interactions and the role of human-driven introduction or trade of wild and domestic animals should be better investigated to prevent further spread of sarcoptic mange in as yet unaffected natural areas of the Iberian Peninsula

Association of IGF1 and KDM5A polymorphisms with performance, fatness and carcass traits in chickens

Two functional and positional candidate genes were selected in a region of chicken chromosome 1 (GGA1), based on their biological roles, and also where several quantitative trait loci (QTL) have been mapped and associated with performance, fatness and carcass traits in chickens. The insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) gene has been associated with several physiological functions related to growth. The lysine (K)-specific demethylase 5A (KDM5A) gene participates in the epigenetic regulation of genes involved with the cell cycle. Our objective was to find associations of selected single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in these genes with performance, fatness and carcass traits in 165 F chickens from a resource population. In the IGF1 gene, 17 SNPs were detected, and in the KDM5A gene, nine SNPs were detected. IGF1 SNP c. 47673G > A was associated with body weight and haematocrit percentage, and also with feed intake and percentages of abdominal fat and gizzard genotype × sex interactions. KDM5A SNP c. 34208C > T genotype × sex interaction affected body weight, feed intake, percentages of abdominal fat (p = 0. 0001), carcass, gizzard and haematocrit. A strong association of the diplotype × sex interaction (p < 0. 0001) with abdominal fat was observed, and also associations with body weight, feed intake, percentages of carcass, drums and thighs, gizzard and haematocrit. Our findings suggest that the KDM5A gene might play an important role in the abdominal fat deposition in chickens. The IGF1 and KDM5A genes are strong candidates to explain the QTL mapped in this region of GGA1

Aquatic ecosystems in Byers Peninsula, Livingston Island. An Antarctic Noah’s Ark in a changing world

第6回極域科学シンポジウム[OB] 極域生物圏11月17日（火）　統計数理研究所 セミナー室1（D305

Thymidylate synthase gene variants as predictors of clinical response and toxicity to fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy for colorectal cancer

Abstract Background: Fluoropyrimidines form the chemotherapy backbone of advanced and metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC). These drugs are frequently associated with toxicity events that result in dose adjustments and even suspension of the treatment. The thymidylate synthase (TYMS) gene is a potential marker of response and toxicity to fluoropyirimidines as this enzyme is the molecular target of these drugs. Our aim was to assess the association between variants of TYMS with response and toxicity to fluoropyrimidines in patients with CRC in independent retrospective and prospective studies. Methods: Variants namely rs45445694, rs183205964, rs2853542 and rs151264360 of TYMS were genotyped in 105 CRC patients and were evaluated to define their association with clinical response and toxicity to fluoropyrimidines. Additionally, the relationship between genotypes and tumor gene expression was analyzed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Results: The 2R/2R (rs45445694) was associated with clinical response (p = 0.05, odds ratio (OR) = 3.45) and severe toxicity (p = 0.0014, OR = 5.21, from pooled data). Expression analysis in tumor tissues suggested a correlation between the 2R/2R genotype and low TYMS expression. Conclusions: The allele 2R (rs45445694) predicts severe toxicity and objective response in advanced CRC patients. In addition, the alleles G(rs2853542) and 6bp-(rs151264360) are independent predictors of response failure to chemotherapy. This is the first study made on a Latin American population that points out TYMS gene variants have predictive values for response and toxicity in patients with CRC treated with fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy