Spin-wave spectrum of copper metaborate in the commensurate phase 10K<T<21K

We have investigated the spin-wave spectrum of copper metaborate, CuB$_2$O$_4$, by means of inelastic neutron scattering in the commensurate magnetic phase. We have found two branches of spin-wave excitations associated with the two magnetic sublattices Cu(A) and Cu(B), respectively. In the temperature regime $10K \le T \le 21K$, where only the Cu(A) magnetic moments are ordered, the interaction between the two sublattices is found to be negligible. With this approximation we have determined the `easy plane' exchange parameters of the Cu(A) subsystem within standard spin-wave theory.Comment: 4 figure

Evaluation of qualitative and semi-quantitative cut offs for rapid diagnostic lateral flow test in relation to serology for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies: findings of a prospective study

Background:: There is limited information to compare the qualitative and semi-quantitative performance of rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) and serology for the assessment of antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Therefore, the objective of the study was (a) to compare the efficacy of SARS-CoV-2 antibody detection between RDT and laboratory serology, trying to identify appropriate semi-quantitative cut-offs for RDT in relation with quantitative serology values and to (b) evaluate diagnostic accuracy of RDT compared to the NAAT gold standard in an unselected adult population. Methods:: SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were simultaneously measured with lateral flow immunochromatographic assays (LFA), the Cellex qSARS-CoV-2 IgG/IgM Rapid Test (by capillary blood), the iFlash-SARS-CoV-2 IgG/IgM chemiluminescent immunoassay (CLIA) (by venous blood) and the nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) in samples from in- and out-patients with confirmed, suspected and negative diagnosis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) attending Udine Hospital (Italy) (March-May 2020). Interpretation of RDT was qualitative (positive/negative) and semi-quantitative based on a chromatographic intensity scale (negative, weak positive, positive). Results:: Overall, 720 paired antibody measures were performed on 858 patients. The qualitative and semiquantitative agreement analysis performed in the whole sample between LFA and CLIA provided a Kendall’s tau of 0.578 (p &lt; 0.001) and of 0.623 (p &lt; 0.001), respectively, for IgM and IgG. In patients with a diagnosis of COVID-19, accordance between LFA and CLIA was maintained as a function of time from the onset of COVID-19 disease and the severity of disease both for qualitative and semi-quantitative assessments. RDT compared to the NAAT gold standard in 858 patients showed 78.5% sensitivity (95% CI 75.1%-81.7%) and 94.1% specificity (95% CI 90.4%-96.8%), with variable accordance depending on the timing from symptom onset. Conclusion:: The RDT used in our study can be a non-invasive and reliable alternative to serological tests and facilitate both qualitative and a semi-quantitative antibody detection in COVID-19

Comparación de frecuencias alélicas y genotípicas de los polimorfismos CAPN1-316 Y CAPN1-4751 del gen de la Calpaina en tres poblaciones de ganado criollo boliviano

La terneza de la carne está en parte determinada por el sistema proteico calpaína (CAPN1) / calpastatina (CAST). Bolivia posee en los llanos tres biotipos de ganado Criollo: los Yacumeños, los Chaqueños y los Saavedreños. El objetivo del presente trabajo fue determinar la frecuencia alélica y genotípica del gen de la CAPN1 en tres poblaciones de ganado Criollo de Bolivia. Se obtuvieron muestras de sangre de 28 Criollos del Chaco (CCH), 85 Criollos Yacumeños (CYA) y 30 Criollos Saavedreños (CSV). El ADN se extrajo utilizando el kit comercial Wizard® Genomic Purification, y posteriormente se tipificaron dos polimorfismos (CAPN1-316 y CAPN1-4751) del gen CAPN1 mediante el método ARMS-PCR. La frecuencias alélicas y genotípicas, las heterocigosidades esperadas y observadas, así como, el índice FIS y el desequilibrio de ligamiento (LD) fueron calculadas mediante los programas MS-Tools y Genepop. Las frecuencias de los alelos asociados a mayor terneza para las poblaciones de CCH, CYA y CSV fueron: 23%, 22% y 33 % para el alelo C del SNP CAPN1-316 y 75%, 76% y 60% para el alelo C del CAPN1-4751. La heterocigocidad observada en las tres poblaciones se hallan en un rango de 0,30 a 0,46 para el marcador CAPN1-316 y de 0,21 a 0,60 para el polimorfismo CAPN1-4751. Los resultados demuestran que los bovinos criollos en las poblaciones analizadas poseen altas frecuencias alélicas para las variantes asociadas a mayor terneza de la carne. Por otra parte, no se observaron valores significativos de LD (P>0,01) entre los dos polimorfismos tipificados en las poblaciones estudiadas. Sería necesario tipificar ambos polimorfismos en futuros programas de selección asistida por marcadores genéticos.Meat tenderness is in part determined by the calpain (CAPN1) / calpastatin (CAST) genes. In the lowlands of Bolivia, three well differentiated Creole cattle populations can be distinguished: the Yacumeños, Chaqueños and Saavedreños. The main objective of this research was to determine the allelic and genotypic frequencies of two polymorphisms of the calpain gene in three Creole cattle populations in Bolivia. Blood samples of 28 Creole cattle from Chaqueño cattle (CCH), 85 from Yacumeño cattle (CYA) and 30 from Saavadreño cattle (CSV) were collected. Total DNA was extracted using the commercial kit Wizard® Genomic Purification and subsequently two polymorphisms (CAPN1-316 and CAPN1- 4751) of the CAPN1 gene were genotyped by the amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS-PCR) method. Allelic and genotypic frequencies, expected and observed heterozygosities, the FIS index and the magnitude of linkage disequilibrium (LD) were calculated using the software MS-Tools and Genepop. The allelic frequencies of variants associated with tenderness in the three populations CCH, CYA and CSV were 23%, 22% and 23% for the CAPN1- 316 and 75%, 76% and 60% for the CAPN1-4751. The observed heterozygosities in the three populations fluctuated between 0.30 and 0.46 for the CAPN1-316 marker and between 0.21 and 0.60 for the CAPN1-4751 marker. The results showed that the analysed populations of Creole cattle presented high frequencies of the alleles previously associated with tenderness in meat. The analysis of LD, however, did not show evidence of linkage between the two markers. It is necessary to perform a genetic analysis for both polymorphisms if included in future selection programs.Fil: Pereira, J. A. C.. Universidad Autónoma Gabriel René Moreno; BoliviaFil: Falomir Lockhart, Agustin Horacio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico La Plata. Instituto de Genética Veterinaria "Ingeniero Fernando Noel Dulout"; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias; ArgentinaFil: Loza, A.. Universidad Autónoma Gabriel René Moreno; BoliviaFil: Villegas Castagnasso, Egle Etel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico La Plata. Instituto de Genética Veterinaria "Ingeniero Fernando Noel Dulout"; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias; ArgentinaFil: Rojas, P.. Universidad Autónoma Gabriel René Moreno; BoliviaFil: Carino, M. . Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico La Plata. Instituto de Genética Veterinaria "Ingeniero Fernando Noel Dulout"; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias; ArgentinaFil: Ripoli, María Verónica. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico La Plata. Instituto de Genética Veterinaria "Ingeniero Fernando Noel Dulout"; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias; ArgentinaFil: Giovambattista, Guillermo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico La Plata. Instituto de Genética Veterinaria "Ingeniero Fernando Noel Dulout"; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias; Argentin

An objective, markerless videosystem for staging facial palsy

Background: The clinical classification of unilateral peripheral facial palsy (UPFP) is still based on subjective conventional methodology, leaving several missing points for an exact depiction of face deformity. Aim of the study: To propose a new objective, video recording method that relies on mathematical algorithms allowing the software to recognize numerical points on the face surface that would be indicative of facial nerve impairment, without positioning of markers on the face. Material and methods: Patients with UPFP of different House-Brackman (HB) degrees, from II to V, have been evaluated after video recording during two selected facial movements (forehead frowning and smiling) by a software trained to recognize the face points as numbers. Numerical parameters in millimeters have been obtained as indicative values of the shifting of the face points, and the shifting ratio between the healthy (denominator) and the affected side (numerator), i.e. the asymmetry index for the two movements taken into consideration. Results: For each HB grade, specific ranges of asymmetry index have been identified with a positive correlation for shift differences and negative correlation for asymmetry indexes. Conclusions: The use of the present objective system enabled the identification of numerical ranges of asymmetry index between the healthy and the affected side, that were found to be consistent with the outcome from the subjective methods currently in use

Genetic variation in FABP4 and evaluation of its effects on beef cattle fat content

FABP4 is a protein primarily expressed in adipocytes and macrophages that plays a key role in fatty acid trafficking and lipid hydrolysis. FABP4 gene polymorphisms have been associated with meat quality traits in cattle, mostly in Asian breeds under feedlot conditions. The objectives of this work were to characterize FABP4 genetic variation in several worldwide cattle breeds and evaluate possible genotype effects on fat content in a pasture-fed crossbred (Angus-Hereford-Limousin) population. We re-sequenced 43 unrelated animals from nine cattle breeds (Angus, Brahman, Creole, Hereford, Holstein, Limousin, Nelore, Shorthorn, and Wagyu) and obtained 22 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) over 3,164 bp, including four novel polymorphisms. Haplotypes and linkage disequilibrium analyses showed a high variability. Five SNPs were selected to perform validation and association studies in our crossbred population. Four SNPs showed well-balanced allele frequencies (minor frequency &gt; 0.159), and three showed no significant deviations from Hardy-Weinberg proportions. SNPs showed significant effects on backfat thickness and fatty acid composition (P &lt; 0.05). The protein structure of one of the missense SNPs was analyzed to elucidate its possible effect on fat content in our studied population. Our results revealed a possible blockage of the fatty acid binding site by the missense mutation.Instituto de Genética Veterinari