Low-cost, multispectral imaging mini-microscope for longitudinal oximetry in small animals

We present a multispectral imaging mini-microscope for longitudinal oximetry in small animals. By replacing expensive and complex imaging systems using a low-cost imaging system

Government transparency measurement through prioritized distance operators

© 2018 - IOS Press and the authors. All rights reserved. The prioritized induced probabilistic ordered weighted average distance (PIPOWAD) has been developed. This new operator is an extension of the ordered weighted average (OWA) operator that can be used in cases where we have two sets of data that want to be compared. Some of the main characteristics of this new operator are: 1) Not all the decision makers are equally important, so the information needs to be prioritized, 2) The information has a probability to occur and 3) The decision makers can change the importance of the information based in an induced variable. Additionally, characteristics and families of the PIPOWAD operator are presented. Finally, an application of the PIPOWAD operator in order to measure government transparency in Mexico is presented

Multi-spectral vascular oximetry of rat dorsal spinal cord

We describe a visible-light multi-spectral system for vascular oximetry studies that can be implemented in lowand middle-income countries, using a low-cost electronics and optical elements, for instance a Raspberry Pi, a Pi camera under a resolution of 5-megapixel, 2592x1944-pixel resolution, and four different light sources at 480nm, 532nm, 593nm and 610nm on a singular structured illumination area. It is designed to quantify the vascular oxygen saturation change of the rat dorsal spinal cord, which uses a Phyton custom application that synchronize all elements to execute the imaging process in one system, powered by a portable rechargeable 5V battery pack. Aimed for drug discovery, tracking disease progression and understanding of progressive and degenerative diseases. By replacing expensive and bulky imaging systems

Challenges of determining frequency and magnitudes of explosive eruptions even with an unprecedented stratigraphy

Through decades of field studies and laboratory analyses, Volcán de Colima, Mexico has one of the best known proximal eruption stratigraphies of any volcano, yet the frequency and magnitudes of previous eruptions are still poorly resolved. Hazard assessments based on models of well-known, well-mapped recent eruptions may appear to have low uncertainty, but may be biased by the nature of those events. We present a comprehensive stratigraphy of explosive eruption deposits combining new data collected as part of this study together with published and unpublished data. For the first time we have been able to model five of the best exposed and cross-correlated pre-historical Holocene explosive events at Volcán de Colima. By modelling the volumes and magnitudes of Holocene eruptions at Volcán de Colima, we are able to improve estimations of the potential range of magnitudes of future explosive eruptions, which can be incorporated into hazard assessments for nearby communities. Based on recent studies we demonstrate that these volumes may be underestimated by at least an order of magnitude, and show that even with an exceptionally well-defined stratigraphic record our understanding of the full range of explosive eruptions may still be biased

Anaerobic Metazoans: No longer an oxymoron

The sediments of a deep-sea hypersaline and sulfidic Mediterranean basin have yielded an unexpected discovery, the first multicellular animals living entirely without oxygen. Reported by Danovaro et al. in BMC Biology, these three new species of Loricifera add a new and remarkable dimension to anoxic ecosystems previously thought to support only unicellular life

The p.(Cys150Tyr) variant in CSRP3 is associated with late-onset hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in heterozygous individuals

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Up to 50% of patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) show no disease-causing variants in genetic studies. Mutations in CSRP3 have been associated with HCM, but evidence supporting pathogenicity is inconclusive. In this study, we describe an HCM cohort with a missense variant in CSRP3 (p.Cys150Tyr) with supporting evidence for pathogenicity and a description of the associated phenotype. METHODS: CSRP3 was sequenced in 6456 index cases with a diagnosis of HCM and in 5012 probands with other cardiomyopathies. In addition, 3372 index cases with hereditary cardiovascular disorders other than cardiomyopathies (mainly channelopathies and aortopathies) were used as controls. RESULTS: The p.(Cys150Tyr) variant was identified in 11 unrelated individuals of the 6456 HCM probands, and it was not identified in patients with other cardiomyopathies (p < 0.0001) or in our control population (p < 0.0001). Ten of the index cases were heterozygous and one was homozygous. Homozygous had a more severe phenotype. Family screening identified 17 other carriers. Wild-type individuals showed no signs of disease. The mean age at diagnosis of affected individuals was 55 ± 13 years, and the mean left ventricular wall thickness was 18 ± 3 mm. The variant showed highly age-dependent penetrance. After a mean follow-up of 11 (±8) years, no adverse events were reported in any of the HCM patients. CONCLUSIONS: The p.(Cys150Tyr) variant in CSRP3 causes late-onset and low risk form of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in heterozygous carriers

Metal-macrofauna interactions determine microbial community structure and function in copper contaminated sediments

Peer reviewedPublisher PD