A population synthesis study of the MS+WD population in the SDSS

Detached white dwarf + main sequence (WD+MS) systems represent the simplest population of post-common envelope binaries (PCEBs), and their ensemble properties carry important information about common-envelope phase. However, most population synthesis studies do not fully consider the effects of the observational selection biases of the samples used to compare with the theoretical simulations. We present a set of detailed Monte Carlo simulations of the population of WD+MS binaries in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Data Release 7, which allows us to make a sound comparison with the available observed data. We find that our simulations correctly reproduce the properties of the observed distribution of WD+MS PCEBs. This includes the distribution of orbital periods and of masses of the white dwarf and main sequence stars. These distributions can be correctly reproduced for several choices of the free parameters, although models in which = 10% of the internal energy is used to eject the common envelope, and in which a small common envelope efficiency = 0.3 seem to fit the observational data better. We also find that systems with He-core white dwarfs are over-represented in the observed sample, because of selection effects.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

A protocol for wide-scope non-target analysis of contaminants in small amounts of biota using bead beating tissuelyser extraction and LC-HRMS

This work describes a robust and powerful method for wide-scope target and non-target analysis of xenobiotics in biota samples based on bead beating tissuelyser extraction, solid phase extraction (SPE) clean-up and further detection by liquid chromatography coupled to high resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS). Unlike target methodologies, non-target methods usually aim at determining a wide range of still unknown substances with different physicochemical properties. Therefore, losses during the extraction process were minimised. Apart from that, the reduction of possible interferences showed to be necessary to expand the number of compounds that can be detected. This was achieved with an additional SPE clean-up step carried out with mixed-bed multi-layered cartridges. The method was validated with a set of 27 compounds covering a wide range of physicochemical properties, and further applied to the analysis of krill and fish samples. •The bead beating extraction was efficient for a wide range of organic pollutants in small quantities of biota samples. •Multi-layered solid phase extraction clean-up yield a wide xenobiotics coverage reducing matrix effects. •Method validation with 27 compounds led to a suitable method for non-target analysis of organic pollutants in biota.ICRA researchers thank funding from CERCA program. This work has been funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO): project PLAS-MED (CTM2017-89701-C3-2-R). SRM acknowledges the Ramon y Cajal program (RYC-2014-16707). This project has been funded by the Chilean Antarctic Institute through project RT_12_17. The Chilean Agency for Research and Development through the FONDAP initiative (grant no. 15150003) “Centro de Investigación Dinámica de Ecosistemas Marinos de Altas Latitudes (IDEAL)”; and “Anillos de Investigación en Ciencia Antartica (grant no. ANID-PIA-ACT-INACH Anillo ACT192057). IDAEA researchers acknowledge the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (Severo Ochoa, Project CEX2018-000794-S).Peer reviewe

DNA-barcoding revela la existencia de un posible nuevo género del complejo Laurencia (Rodophyta, Ceramiales) en las islas Canarias

XIX Simposio de Botánica Criptogámica, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 24-28 de junio de 2013.Basado en análisis morfológicos y moleculares, en la actualidad el complejo Laurencia (Rhodophyta, Ceramiales) incluye seis géneros (Chondrophycus, Laurencia, Laurenciella, Osmundea, Palisada y Yuzurua). El objetivo principal de este estudio preliminar es valorar a nivel molecular la posible existencia de un nuevo género dentro del complejo Laurencia presente en las Islas Canarias, así como establecer posibles relaciones filogenéticas entre éste y otros taxones del complejo citados en la Macaronesia

A molecular perspective of the Laurencia complex (Ceramiales, Rhodophyta) in Macaronesia region

IV Congress of Marine Sciences. Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, June 11th to 13th 2014.In the present study, we undertook an integrative approach, using molecular data to assess the diversity of the Laurencia complex in Macaronesian islands (Azores, Madeira and Canary Islands) where speciation events are supposedly common leading to a high endemism. Identification of species of the Laurencia complex based on anatomical and morphological characters is extremely difficult due to phenotypic plasticity and overlaps in many morphological characters. As a consequence, among the 28 species reported so far from these Macaronesian archipelagos, 14 species records have been regarded as doubtful. We used DNA barcode data (mitochondrial COI gene and partial nuclear LSU marker) as a tool for species delimitation. A third marker (rbcL gene) was also studied and phylogenetic analyses were carried out using the three independent markers as well as the combined data set, in the aim to infer the phylogenetic relationships and biogeographic affinities of members of the complex from Macaronesia. Our results proved the usefulness of the DNA barcode markers for uncovering several putative new species of the Laurencia complex in Macaronesia and phylogenetic results revealed the existence of a potential new genus present in Canary Islands, which adds to the six pre-existing genera: Laurencia, Osmundea, Chondrophycus, Palisada, Yuzurua and Laurenciella

A DNA barcode approach of the Laurencia complex (Ceramiales, Rodophyta) in the tropical and subtropical Atlantic ocean

10th International Phycological Congress, Orlando, Florida, USA, 4-10 de agosto 2013.The diversity of the Laurencia complex is being assessed in tropical and subtropical Atlantic by an international cooperation project involving Brazil, Mexico, Spain (Canary Islands), Portugal (Azores and Madeira) and USA (Florida) on the base of molecular data allied to a detailed morphological study of species. The diversity of the complex was analyzed for the first time for the Atlantic Ocean, including specimens from all five localities, using the plastid 23S rRNA gene (UPA) which has been investigated as potential DNA Barcode marker for photosynthetic eukaryotes. The mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I gene (COI-5P) was also used as DNA barcode for the same set of species, and the rbcL gene was used for phylogenetic inferences. The range of genetic variation was compared for the three markers. The UPA proved to be more conserved; however, the same genetic groups were resolved with each of the three markers confirming the six genera currently established for the complex: Chondrophycus, Laurencia, Laurenciella, Palisada, Osmundea and Yuzurua

Case report: A novel case of parental mosaicism in SMC1A gene causes inherited Cornelia de Lange syndrome

Ultimate advances in genetic technologies have permitted the detection of transmitted cases of congenital diseases due to parental gonadosomatic mosaicism. Regarding Cornelia de Lange syndrome (CdLS), up to date, only a few cases are known to follow this inheritance pattern. However, the high prevalence of somatic mosaicism recently reported in this syndrome (∼13%), together with the disparity observed in tissue distribution of the causal variant, suggests that its prevalence in this disorder could be underestimated. Here, we report a new case of parental gonadosomatic mosaicism in SMC1A gene that causes inherited CdLS, in which the mother of the patient carries the causative variant in very low allele frequencies in buccal swab and blood. While the affected child presents with typical CdLS phenotype, his mother does not show any clinical manifestations. As regards SMC1A, the difficulty of clinical identification of carrier females has been already recognized, as well as the gender differences observed in CdLS expressivity when the causal variant is found in this gene. Currently, the use of DNA deep-sequencing techniques is highly recommended when it comes to molecular diagnosis of patients, as well as in co-segregation studies. These enable us to uncover gonadosomatic mosaic events in asymptomatic or oligosymptomatic parents that had been overlooked so far, which might have great implications regarding genetic counseling for recurrence risk