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

Linear polarization Yb³⁺-doped fiber laser with novel innerclad structures

Results on high radiance Yb3+-doped fiber lasers with novel double innerclad structures (double-D clad and four hole) and polarized output at ≈1090 nm are presented. We have demonstrated >40% of the total output power being polarized, making the fiber laser suitable for LIDAR and second-harmonic generation (SHG) applications. It also showed a 10-nm tuning range with low (less than 10 mW) average power variations. The narrow linewidth source was pumped with a low cost, low brightness laser diode, and exhibited a relatively low slope efficiency, which gives room for improvement by using a 976-nm pump source where Yb3+ has a narrower linewidth and at least five times higher absorption

Activated carbon from polyurethane residues as molecular sieves for kinetic adsorption/separation of CO2/CH4

Activated carbon-based molecular sieves were synthetized, characterized and their kinetics of adsorption were evaluated to be used in separation processes of CO2/CH4 mixtures. Polyurethane (PU) foams were used as carbon precursors and the PU-derived carbons were physical activated with CO2. All the samples present a preferential adsorption of CO2 over methane in kinetic adsorption experiments. Samples activated at 800 ºC during 6 h exhibited the highest selectivity due to the absence of methane adsorption at lower resident times, which makes those samples very interesting for industrial processes of natural gas purification. Kinetic studies were performed to explain the kinetic profiles obtained, confirming that in the samples with smallest pore size, intraparticle diffusion was the limiting step, evidencing that certain oxygen groups favour CO2 adsorption, whereas adsorption was the limiting step in the samples with wider pores.This research was funded by MINECO (MAT2016-80285-p), GV (PROMETEOII/2014/004), H2020 (MSCA-RISE-2016/NanoMed Project). Financial support from the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq-Brazil) is also acknowledged

p53 and bcl-2 expression in high-grade B-cell lymphomas: correlation with survival time.

B-cell high-grade lymphomas are heterogeneous in terms of histology, clinical presentation, treatment response and prognosis. As bcl-2 and p53 gene deregulations are frequently involved in several types of lymphoid malignancies, we aimed our investigation at the study of the relation between bcl-2 and p53 expression and survival probability in a group of 119 patients with B-cell high-grade lymphoma. These were obtained from the Virgen de la Salud Hospital, Toledo, Spain (73 cases), John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK (31 cases), and the Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy (15 cases). The relation between bcl-2 protein expression and survival was small, depending on the primary localisation of the tumour (in lymph node of mucosae), and lacked a significant correlation with overall survival. In contrast with this, p53 expression was related to survival probability in our series, this relation being both significant and independent of histological diagnosis. p53-positive patients showed a sudden decrease in life expectancy in the first months after diagnosis. Multivariant regression analysis confirmed that the only parameters significantly related with survival were extranodal origin, which is associated with a better prognosis, and p53 expression, which indicates a poor prognosis. Simultaneous expression of bcl-2 and p53 was associated with a poorer prognosis than p53 alone. This is particularly significant for large B-cell lymphomas presenting in lymph nodes. The cumulative poor effect of both p53 and bcl-2 in large B-cell lymphomas, which is more significant in nodal tumours, could confirm the existence of a multistep genetic deregulation in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. This indicates that the genetic mechanisms controlling apoptosis and their disregulation are critical steps in the progression of lymphomas

Assessment of Emotional Experience and Emotional Recognition in Complicated Grief

There is substantial evidence of bias in the processing of emotion in people with complicated grief (CG). Previous studies have tended to assess the expression of emotion in CG, but other aspects of emotion (mainly emotion recognition, and the subjective aspects of emotion) have not been addressed, despite their importance for practicing clinicians. A quasi-experimental design with two matched groups (Complicated Grief, N D 24 and Non-Complicated Grief, N D 20) was carried out. The Facial Expression of Emotion Test (emotion recognition), a set of pictures from the International Affective Picture System (subjective experience of emotion) and the Symptom Checklist 90 Revised (psychopathology) were employed. The CG group showed lower scores on the dimension of valence for specific conditions on the IAPS, related to the subjective experience of emotion. In addition, they presented higher values of psychopathology. In contrast, statistically significant results were not found for the recognition of emotion. In conclusion, from a neuropsychological point of view, the subjective aspects of emotion and psychopathology seem central in explaining the experience of those with CG. These results are clinically significant for psychotherapists and psychoanalysts working in the field of grief and loss

Raman threshold for nth-order cascade Raman amplification

We study theoretically and experimentally Raman threshold for 1, 2, ... , n orders Stokes in a free running configuration. Using alternative way to solve the differential coupled equations that describe the stimulate Raman scattering, we find simple mathematical expressions that allow calculating the necessary pumping power to obtain Raman threshold for nth-order Stokes and the maximum output power available in each Stokes. The theoretical calculations coincide with the results obtained experimentally

The use of the capture- recapture method in evaluating the epidemiological meningococcal disease monitoring system in Tenerife, Spain (1999-2000)

BACKGROUND: Meningococcal Disease is mainly monitored passively on the Canary Islands, the regular Compulsory Disease Notification channels being used. The objective of this study includes describing the qualitative and quantitative aspects of this system and evaluating the exhaustiveness, by means of the capture-recapture system, of three information sources. METHODS: This study covers the 1999-2001 period in Tenerife. The information was gathered from three sources: the Compulsory Disease Notification System, the Microbiology Laboratories and the hospital Minimum Basic Data Set. The Evaluation Protocols of the Monitoring System of the Atlanta Centers of Disease Control and Prevention were used. A log-linear model was used for estimating the number of cases. The calculations of the exhaustiveness and the 95% confidence intervals were done in the SPSS10 statistics package. RESULTS: The system was found to have an 84.9% sensitivity, and an 80.4% positive predictive value. The delay in notification (timeliness) fell within the 0.5-13-day range, averaging 3 days. The system was found to have a 76.6% overall acceptability. The exhaustiveness value was 98.1%. CONCLUSIONS: This disease is being monitored well, with a degree of sensitivity which would be revealing of a good notification level, also confirmed by its exhaustiveness. Although the positive predictive value is high, this could be indicative of the expeditious starting of antibiotic treatment which would hinder microbiological confirmation. The system is timely, affording the possibility of measures being taken for fast intervention. Fundamento: La vigilancia de la Enfermedad Meningocócica en Canarias es fundamentalmente pasiva, sirviéndose del circuito habitual de las Enfermedades de Declaración Obligatoria. El objetivo de este trabajo incluye describir los atributos cualitativos y cuantitativos del sistema y evaluar la exhaustividad mediante el sistema de captura-recaptura de tres fuentes de información. Métodos: El estudio abarca los años 1999-2001 en Tenerife. La información se obtuvo de tres fuentes: el Sistema de las Enfermedades de Declaración Obligatoria, los Laboratorios de Microbiología y el Conjunto Mínimo Básico de Datos hospitalario. Se aplicaron los Protocolos de Evaluación de un Sistema de Vigilancia de los Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, de Atlanta. Para la estimación del número de casos se usó un modelo log-linear. Los cálculos de la exhaustividad y los intervalos de confianza al 95% se realizaron en el paquete estadístico SPSS10. Resultados: La sensibilidad del sistema resultó ser del 84,9% y el valor predictivo positivo del 80,4%. El retraso en la notificación (oportunidad) osciló entre los 0,5 y 13 días, con una mediana de 3 días. La aceptabilidad global del sistema ha sido del 76,64%. El valor de la exhaustividad fue del 98,1%. Conclusiones: La vigilancia de esta enfermedad es buena, con una sensibilidad que hablaría de un buen nivel de declaración, reafirmada por la exhaustividad. Aunque el valor predictivo positivo es alto, podría apuntar hacia la rápida instauración de tratamiento antibiótico que impediría la confirmación microbiológica. El sistema es oportuno, permitiendo la rápida adopción de medidas de intervención

Optimum quantum dot size for highly efficient fluorescence bioimaging

Semiconductor quantum dots of few nanometers have demonstrated a great potential for bioimaging. The size determines the emitted color, but it is also expected to play an important role in the image brightness. In this work, the size dependence of the fluorescence quantum yield of the highly thermal sensitive CdTe quantum dots has been systematically investigated by thermal lens spectroscopy. It has been found that an optimum quantum yield is reached for 3.8-nm quantum dots. The presence of this optimum size has been corroborated in both one-photon excited fluorescence experiments and two-photon fluorescence microscopy of dot-incubated cancer cells. Combination of quantum yield and fluorescence decay time measurements supports that the existence of this optimum size emerges from the interplay between the frequency-dependent radiative emission rate and the size-dependent coupling strength between bulk excitons and surface trapping states

Telemedicina: Situação em Portugal

Introdução: A telemedicina é hoje reconhecida pela OMS como uma ferramenta para melhorar o acesso e a qualidade dos cuidados de saúde. Apesar das vantagens aparentes é uma tecnologia recente e está longe de constituir uma prática de rotina na vida clínica diária. Objectivo: Conhecer a situação actual em Portugal relativamente à telemedicina, nomeadamente: quais as Unidades de Saúde com instalações de telemedicina e áreas em que se desenvolve esta actividade; número de serviços anuais e evolução; dificuldades e obstáculos dos profissionais e Instituições; perspectivas futuras Metodologia: A recolha dos dados foi efectuado através de: inquérito enviados às ARS do Norte, Centro, Lisboa e Vale do Tejo, Alentejo, Algarve e IGIF; entrevista com algumas instituições relativa aos serviços em funcionamento; pesquisa bibliográfica e na Internet Resultados: Dos 6 inquéritos enviados foram recebidos 5, provenientes da ARS Norte, Centro, Lisboa e Vale do Tejo, Algarve e Alentejo. Foram efectuadas entrevistas: H S. João, CHVila Nova de Gaia, CHVale do Sousa e H Pediátrico de Coimbra. Obtivemos informações relativas aos equipamentos instalados e serviços actualmente em funcionamento, em todo o país, destacando- se o funcionamento nas áreas da cardiologia, imagiologia e dermatologia. Não havia registo do número de teleconsultas e transmissão de exames excepto no que se refere à ARS Alentejo. Das dificuldades e obstáculos encontrados salientamos a falta de adesão dos profissionais e instituições; custos do funcionamento do sistema; ausência de definição funcional dos profissionais envolvidos (falta de remuneração dos actos médicos e acumulação de funções); ausência de uma estratégia nacional. Quanto às perspectivas futuras, de um modo geral, os objectivos das ARS incluem: a ligação dos centros de saúde e hospitais, e petrechamento com um equipamento básico de Telemedicina em conformidade com as actividades e tipos de consulta a realizar; o desenvolvimento de projectos no âmbito do INTERREG III. Comentários: O desafio que as organizações tem que enfrentar é a mudança estrutural provocada pela modernização dos processos e métodos de trabalho, «o hospital virtual», e a diluição das barreiras entre os Cuidados Primários e os Diferenciados. A telemedicina exige novas formas de gestão e de medição de desempenho das instituições; esta actividade deve ser equiparada às outras normalmente desenvolvidas nas unidades de saúde. Introduction: Telemedicine is recognized by the WHO as a tool for improvement of access and the quality of health care. However it is not yet a routine procedure in health services. Objective: to assess the utilization of telemedicine in Portugal, namely: health care services equipped with telemedicine, and services provided; annual services and evolution; difficulties and obstacles from professionals and institutions; future trends Methodology: data was obtained through a questionnaire sent to the five Regional Administrations of Health and the Financial Department of Health, interviews with some of the professionals practising Telemedicine and research in the web Results: We received five questionnaires from the Regional Administrations of Health, and collected data from the following Hospitals: S. João, Vila Nova de Gaia, Vale do Sousa e Coimbra Children’s Hospital. We obtained information of the institutions practising telemedicine, and the type of services. Cardiology, radiology and dermatology were the services more frequently provided. The number of teleconsultations or transmitted studies was not registered, except in Alentejo. The more common difficulties to implement this technology were: clinical and providers acceptance; lack of integration into the health care mainstream (the costs of teleconsultations are not reimbursed); equipment and operational costs; absence of a national strategy. Future trends include the equipment of telemedicine stations in Primary and Hospital care and the development of projects in cooperation with Spain (INTERREG III). Comments: Organizations face the challenge of a structural change due to the new technologies (telemedicine and health informatics) and the disappearance of barriers between primary and hospital care. Institutional, organizational and national policies must face new realities to introduce telemedicine into the mainstream of health, including assessment of health outcomes