Detection of a non-Gaussian Spot in WMAP

An extremely cold and big spot in the WMAP 1-year data is analyzed. Our work is a continuation of a previous paper (Vielva et al. 2004) where non-Gaussianity was detected, with a method based on the Spherical Mexican Hat Wavelet (SMHW) technique. We study the spots at different thresholds on the SMHW coefficient maps, considering six estimators, namely number of maxima, number of minima, number of hot and cold spots, and number of pixels of the spots. At SMHW scales around 4 degrees (10 degrees on the sky), the data deviate from Gaussianity. The analysis is performed on all sky, the northern and southern hemispheres, and on four regions covering all the sky. A cold spot at (b = -57, l = 209) is found to be the source of this non-Gaussian signature. We compare the spots of our data with 10000 Gaussian simulations, and conclude that only around 0.2% of them present such a cold spot. Excluding this spot, the remaining map is compatible with Gaussianity and even the excess of kurtosis in Vielva et al. 2004, is found to be due exclusively to this spot. Finally, we study whether the spot causing the observed deviation from Gaussianity could be generated by systematics or foregrounds. None of them seem to be responsible for the non-Gaussian detection.Comment: 14 pages, references and two new sections (4.4, 5.3) added, accepted for publication in MNRA

Two complete mitochondrial genomes from Praticolella mexicana Perez, 2011 (Polygyridae) and gene order evolution in Helicoidea (Mollusca, Gastropoda)

Helicoidea is a diverse group of land snails with a global distribution. While much is known regarding the relationships of helicoid taxa, comparatively little is known about the evolution of the mitochondrial genome in the superfamily. We sequenced two complete mitochondrial genomes from Praticolella mexicana Perez, 2011 representing the first such data from the helicoid family Polygyridae, and used them in an evolutionary analysis of mitogenomic gene order. We found the mitochondrial genome of P. mexicana to be 14,008 bp in size, possessing the typical 37 metazoan genes. Multiple alternate stop codons are used, as are incomplete stop codons. Mitogenome size and nucleotide content is consistent with other helicoid species. Our analysis of gene order suggested that Helicoidea has undergone four mitochondrial rearrangements in the past. Two rearrangements were limited to tRNA genes only, and two involved protein coding gene

Two Complete Mitochondrial Genomes from \u3cem\u3ePraticolella mexicana\u3c/em\u3e Perez, 2011 (Polygyridae) and Gene Order Evolution in Helicoidea (Mollusca, Gastropoda)

Helicoidea is a diverse group of land snails with a global distribution. While much is known regarding the relationships of helicoid taxa, comparatively little is known about the evolution of the mitochondrial genome in the superfamily. We sequenced two complete mitochondrial genomes from Praticolella mexicana Perez, 2011 representing the first such data from the helicoid family Polygyridae, and used them in an evolutionary analysis of mitogenomic gene order. We found the mitochondrial genome of P. mexicana to be 14,008 bp in size, possessing the typical 37 metazoan genes. Multiple alternate stop codons are used, as are incomplete stop codons. Mitogenome size and nucleotide content is consistent with other helicoid species. Our analysis of gene order suggested that Helicoidea has undergone four mitochondrial rearrangements in the past. Two rearrangements were limited to tRNA genes only, and two involved protein coding genes

Two complete mitochondrial genomes from Praticolella mexicana Perez, 2011 (Polygyridae) and gene order evolution in Helicoidea (Mollusca, Gastropoda)

Helicoidea is a diverse group of land snails with a global distribution. While much is known regarding the relationships of helicoid taxa, comparatively little is known about the evolution of the mitochondrial genome in the superfamily. We sequenced two complete mitochondrial genomes from Praticolella mexicana Perez, 2011 representing the first such data from the helicoid family Polygyridae, and used them in an evolutionary analysis of mitogenomic gene order. We found the mitochondrial genome of P. mexicana to be 14,008 bp in size, possessing the typical 37 metazoan genes. Multiple alternate stop codons are used, as are incomplete stop codons. Mitogenome size and nucleotide content is consistent with other helicoid species. Our analysis of gene order suggested that Helicoidea has undergone four mitochondrial rearrangements in the past. Two rearrangements were limited to tRNA genes only, and two involved protein coding gene

Free fields via canonical transformations of matter-coupled 2D dilaton gravity models

It is shown that the 1+1-dimensional matter-coupled Jackiw-Teitelboim model and the model with an exponential potential can be converted by means of appropriate canonical transformations into a bosonic string theory propagating on a flat target space with an indefinite signature. This makes it possible to consistently quantize these models in the functional Schroedinger representation thus generalizing recent results on CGHS theory.Comment: 15 pages, Late

Novel efficient genome-wide SNP panels for the conservation of the highly endangered Iberian lynx

Background: The Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) has been acknowledged as the most endangered felid species in the world. An intense contraction and fragmentation during the twentieth century left less than 100 individuals split in two isolated and genetically eroded populations by 2002. Genetic monitoring and management so far have been based on 36 STRs, but their limited variability and the more complex situation of current populations demand more efficient molecular markers. The recent characterization of the Iberian lynx genome identified more than 1.6 million SNPs, of which 1536 were selected and genotyped in an extended Iberian lynx sample. Methods: We validated 1492 SNPs and analysed their heterozygosity, Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, and linkage disequilibrium. We then selected a panel of 343 minimally linked autosomal SNPs from which we extracted subsets optimized for four different typical tasks in conservation applications: individual identification, parentage assignment, relatedness estimation, and admixture classification, and compared their power to currently used STR panels. Results: We ascribed 21 SNPs to chromosome X based on their segregation patterns, and identified one additional marker that showed significant differentiation between sexes. For all applications considered, panels of autosomal SNPs showed higher power than the currently used STR set with only a very modest increase in the number of markers. Conclusions: These novel panels of highly informative genome-wide SNPs provide more powerful, efficient, and flexible tools for the genetic management and non-invasive monitoring of Iberian lynx populations. This example highlights an important outcome of whole-genome studies in genetically threatened species