Haplotype Affinities Resolve a Major Component of Goat (Capra hircus) MtDNA D-Loop Diversity and Reveal Specific Features of the Sardinian Stock

Goat mtDNA haplogroup A is a poorly resolved lineage absorbing most of the overall diversity and is found in locations as distant as Eastern Asia and Southern Africa. Its phylogenetic dissection would cast light on an important portion of the spread of goat breeding. The aims of this work were 1) to provide an operational definition of meaningful mtDNA units within haplogroup A, 2) to investigate the mechanisms underlying the maintenance of diversity by considering the modes of selection operated by breeders and 3) to identify the peculiarities of Sardinian mtDNA types. We sequenced the mtDNA D-loop in a large sample of animals (1,591) which represents a non-trivial quota of the entire goat population of Sardinia. We found that Sardinia mirrors a large quota of mtDNA diversity of Western Eurasia in the number of variable sites, their mutational pattern and allele frequency. By using Bayesian analysis, a distance-based tree and a network analysis, we recognized demographically coherent groups of sequences identified by particular subsets of the variable positions. The results showed that this assignment system could be reproduced in other studies, capturing the greatest part of haplotype diversity

Probing depth in periodontal pockets: In vitro evaluation of contributions to variability due to probe type and operator skill

Periodontal probing aims at detecting the presence, type and gravity of periodontal diseases influencing distance between gingival margin and connective ligament. Measurements in vivo are affected by substantial uncertainty, owing, for example, to probe features, anatomic variations and operator’s skill. Inadequate reproducibility in periodontal probing may lead to diagnostic mistakes and inappropriate therapeutic decisions. In vitro evaluation of reproducibility of measurements of periodontal pockets was aimed at while developing a Periodontal Calibration Box designed to calibrate periodontal probe operators, catering also for simulating contraction observed in vivo. Probe type and clinical experience of operators were found to affect substantially probing errors

Ultrasonic transparency of sonication tubes exposed to various frequencies: A metrological evaluation of modifications and uncertainty of acoustic pressures

Correlations between biological phenomena and ultrasonic exposure often involve mechanical and thermal effects. Cavitation proved capable of interacting with other factors, making awkward the evaluation of their individual effects. In microbiological research, the presence of a dual effect of ultrasound on microorganisms, namely bactericidal and stimulating, required development of methods enabling analysis of ultrasonic field effects, shielded from those of cavitation. This work shows how acoustic wave action may be analyzed with a metrological approach, excluding cavitational effect and measuring acoustic pressure acting upon a sonication tube. Results show how such a goal was achieved in a repeatable and reproducible way, avoiding acoustic wave degeneration

Additional file 2: of Metformin associated lactic acidosis: a case series of 28 patients treated with sustained low-efficiency dialysis (SLED) and long-term follow-up

Figure S1. Incidence of MALA observed to our Division between January 2000 and September 2014. It is indicated the extensive educational campaign done by our Division for internal medicine and metabolism specialists. (PPTX 105 kb

Additional file 1: of Metformin associated lactic acidosis: a case series of 28 patients treated with sustained low-efficiency dialysis (SLED) and long-term follow-up

Table S1. Comorbidities and precipitating factors associated with lactic acidosis (MALA). Death events are marked red. (PPTX 47 kb

Analysis of MOlecular VAriance after partitioning according to different criteria.

<p>Analysis of MOlecular VAriance after partitioning according to different criteria.</p

Histograms of four summary statistics for DNA diversity from 120 goat breeding stations.

<p>Black arrows point to the value obtained in the overall dataset. In the Tajima's D histogram, significant (nominal p<0.05) values are marked with an asterisk and a normal QQ plot is shown in the inset.</p

Composition of the sample of individuals yielding the set of mtDNA sequences used in all analyses, by provenance and breed.

<p>Composition of the sample of individuals yielding the set of mtDNA sequences used in all analyses, by provenance and breed.</p