Analysis of colorectal cancers in British Bangladeshi identifies early onset, frequent mucinous histotype and a high prevalence of RBFOX1 deletion

PMCID: PMC3544714This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited

Differentiation and multipotential characteristics of mesenchymal stem cells derived from adipose tissue of an endangered wild cat (Leopardus guigna)

Adipose tissue derived mesenchymal stem cells (AMSCs) had been isolated and used for cell therapy in domestic cats. For wild cats, the isolation of AMSCs has only been reported in the black-footed cat (Felis nigripes). AMSCs obtained from wild cats may be useful to treat injuries of endangered cat species that remain in captivity or arrive at wildlife rehabilitation centers. Additionally, AMSCs might allow improvement of cloning techniques or assist in derivation of induced pluripotent stem cells. Endangered wild cats such as the guigna (Leopardus guigna), an endemic and endangered species from Chile and Argentina, might benefit greatly from the development of novel treatments or techniques that can be applied for its conservation. The objective of this study was to characterise putative AMSCs from guigna in terms of their main biological attributes, particularly, growth kinetics, differentiation ability and surface marker expression. Results obtained from this characterisation were compared with AMSCs isolated from domestic cats. AMSCs were isolated from peritoneal adipose tissue of female cats and subcutaneous tissue from a female guigna. Migration potential, colony-forming unit assay, mesodermal differentiation and surface marker expression (CD45, CD44, CD90, MHCI and MHCII) were evaluated. Domestic cat and guigna AMSCs displayed similar growth properties in culture. Both AMSC types showed mesodermal differentiation potential, in vitro homing potential and similar surface marker expression. These results indicate that AMSCs from subcutaneous tissue of guigna could have potential use as regenerative treatment for this species and might be considered for use in other biotechnological applications

Haplotype analysis of the internationally distributed BRCA1 c.3331_3334delCAAG founder mutation reveals a common ancestral origin in Iberia

BACKGROUND: The BRCA1 c.3331_3334delCAAG founder mutation has been reported in hereditary breast and ovarian cancer families from multiple Hispanic groups. We aimed to evaluate BRCA1 c.3331_3334delCAAG haplotype diversity in cases of European, African, and Latin American ancestry. METHODS: BC mutation carrier cases from Colombia (n = 32), Spain (n = 13), Portugal (n = 2), Chile (n = 10), Africa (n = 1), and Brazil (n = 2) were genotyped with the genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) arrays to evaluate haplotype diversity around BRCA1 c.3331_3334delCAAG. Additional Portuguese (n = 13) and Brazilian (n = 18) BC mutation carriers were genotyped for 15 informative SNPs surrounding BRCA1. Data were phased using SHAPEIT2, and identical by descent regions were determined using BEAGLE and GERMLINE. DMLE+ was used to date the mutation in Colombia and Iberia. RESULTS: The haplotype reconstruction revealed a shared 264.4-kb region among carriers from all six countries. The estimated mutation age was ~ 100 generations in Iberia and that it was introduced to South America early during the European colonization period. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that this mutation originated in Iberia and later introduced to Colombia and South America at the time of Spanish colonization during the early 1500s. We also found that the Colombian mutation carriers had higher European ancestry, at the BRCA1 gene harboring chromosome 17, than controls, which further supported the European origin of the mutation. Understanding founder mutations in diverse populations has implications in implementing cost-effective, ancestry-informed screening

Rentabilidad y competitividad de los cultivos de Mora y Lulo en Eje Cafetero.

Para la definición de las zonas óptimas para la producción de los cultivos de mora y lulo en el eje cafetero se realizó un estudio de mapificación en los departamentos de Caldas, Risaralda y Quindío. A fin de seleccionar la muestra se tomo como marco muestral o población objeto a los 778 productores de mora y a los 253 de lulo, de acuerdo con la información suministrada por la UMATA regional. Como herramienta para la toma de información se utilizó una encuesta personal con los productores sobre los aspectos productivos, sociales, económicos, de comercialización, servicios de apoyo y costos de producción. Con base en la zonificación, previamente realizada en los tres departamentos, se definieron siete zonas productoras de mora y seis de lulo en cuyo análisis y priorización se consideraron los criterios de política para el sector hortifrutícola con énfasis en la competitividad de la producción, teniendo en cuenta los problemas fitosanitarios, la rentabilidad, calidad del producto, beneficiarios, organización de la comunidad, facilidad de acceso a los mercados y potencialidad de desarrollo. Los resultados muestran que la vertiente occidental de Risaralda y la occidental de Caldas tienen el máximo potencial para la producción de mora y lulo en el eje cafeteroLulo-Solanum quitoense - Solanum hyporhodiumMora-Rubus ulmifoliu

The Boom of cohabitation in Colombia and in the Andean Region : social and spatial patterns

In this chapter we use census microdata to document the rise in cohabitation in Colombia and in the Andean countries of Ecuador, Bolivia, Perú and Venezuela over the last four decades. We use multilevel logistic regression models to examine the effect of individual and contextual variables on cohabitation. We show the individual and contextual effects of social stratification, ethnicity and religion on cohabitation. Cohabitation levels follow a negative gradient with education and vary according to ethnic background. The Bolivian, Ecuadorian and Peruvian censuses reveal that the two largest ethnic groups (i.e. the Quechua and Aymara) have, controlling for other characteristics, the lowest incidence of cohabitation. By contrast, Afro-American populations show the highest levels of cohabitation. The joint use of individual- and contextual-level explanatory variables is sufficient to account for the majority of Bolivia's internal diversity regarding cohabitation, but not sufficient to account for the internal diversity identified in Colombia, Peru or Ecuador. Even after controls, residence in the Andes mountain areas continues to be a factor associated with lower levels of cohabitation. This invites further investigations on how the institutionalization of marriage occurred in the Andes

A barcode of organellar genome polymorphisms identifies the geographic origin of Plasmodium falciparum strains

Malaria is a major public health problem that is actively being addressed in a global eradication campaign. Increased population mobility through international air travel has elevated the risk of re-introducing parasites to elimination areas and dispersing drug-resistant parasites to new regions. A simple genetic marker that quickly and accurately identifies the geographic origin of infections would be a valuable public health tool for locating the source of imported outbreaks. Here we analyse the mitochondrion and apicoplast genomes of 711 Plasmodium falciparum isolates from 14 countries, and find evidence that they are non-recombining and co-inherited. The high degree of linkage produces a panel of relatively few single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that is geographically informative. We design a 23-SNP barcode that is highly predictive (~92%) and easily adapted to aid case management in the field and survey parasite migration worldwide

A barcode of organellar genome polymorphisms identifies the geographic origin of Plasmodium falciparum strains.

Malaria is a major public health problem that is actively being addressed in a global eradication campaign. Increased population mobility through international air travel has elevated the risk of re-introducing parasites to elimination areas and dispersing drug-resistant parasites to new regions. A simple genetic marker that quickly and accurately identifies the geographic origin of infections would be a valuable public health tool for locating the source of imported outbreaks. Here we analyse the mitochondrion and apicoplast genomes of 711 Plasmodium falciparum isolates from 14 countries, and find evidence that they are non-recombining and co-inherited. The high degree of linkage produces a panel of relatively few single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that is geographically informative. We design a 23-SNP barcode that is highly predictive (~92%) and easily adapted to aid case management in the field and survey parasite migration worldwide