Heterozygosity decrease in wild boar mating system. A case of outbreeding avoidance?

In sexually reproducing organisms, the specific combinations of parental alleles can have important consequences on offspring viability and fitness. Accordingly, genetic relationship between mates can be used as a criterion for mate choice. Here, we used microsatellite genetic markers to estimate the genetic relationship between mating pairs in the wild boar, Sus scrofa. Males, females and foetuses proceeding from Portugal, Spain and Hungary were genotyped using 14 microsatellite markers. The genetic relationship between mates was estimated using different measures of foetus heterozygosity. We found that the observed heterozygosity of foetuses was lower than that expected under random mating. This result occurred mainly when Sd2 (relatedness of parental genomes) was used as the heterozygosity measure. After simulations, we concluded that the observed low heterozygosity was possibly due to outbreeding avoidance. Outbreeding avoidance based on genetically different genomes might play an important role in species evolution and its genetic conservation

Synergistic activity of cold pressed seed oils from Indian neem (Azadirachta indica), karanja (Pongamia glabra) and aloe vera gel (Aloe barbadensis) in a cosmeceutical moisturizer

The increased interest and knowledge on the beneficial activity of plants and their compounds in human health have contributed to the development of several drugs, widely used in clinical practice worldwideinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Vibrational analysis of amorphous carbon-nitrogen alloys by N-15 and D isotopic substitution

The origin of the vibrational modes of a-CN, alloys is investigated by infrared (ir) and Raman spectroscopies. Isotopic substitution of N-15 and D is used in the identification of vibration modes. In nonhydrogenated materials containing low nitrogen concentration (less than or equal to 20 at. %), the ir and Raman spectra are not equivalent. Above this concentration (up to similar to 30 at.%), the spectra became very similar to each other. On the contrary, for a suitable hydrogen content the spectra are quite similar, independently of the range of nitrogen concentrations studied. Quantum chemical Parametric Method 3 calculations are performed to obtain the frequencies and intensities of the ir active vibrations of organic molecules and large carbon-nitrogen clusters. These results are used to help in the identification of the features observed in the ir spectra. The importance of both the promotion of bond dipoles and symmetry breaking by nitrogen in the ir spectra is established.6121083108

Formation of ultrathin Ni germanides : solid-phase reaction, morphology and texture

The solid-phase reaction of ultrathin (<= 10 nm) Ni films with different Ge substrates (single-crystalline (100), polycrystalline, and amorphous) was studied. As thickness goes down, thin film texture becomes a dominant factor in both the film's phase formation and morphological evolution. As a consequence, certain metastable microstructures are epitaxially stabilized on crystalline substrates, such as the epsilon-Ni5Ge3 phase or a strained NiGe crystal structure on the single-crystalline substrates. Similarly, the destabilizing effect of axiotaxial texture on the film's morphology becomes more pronounced as film thicknesses become smaller. These effects are contrasted by the evolution of germanide films on amorphous substrates, on which neither epitaxy nor axiotaxy can form, i.e. none of the (de) stabilizing effects of texture are observed. The crystallization of such amorphous substrates however, drives the film breakup

Data on prevalence and risk factors associated with Toxocara spp infection, atopy and asthma development in Northeast Brazilian school children.

In the present article, we provide shortly, data on risk factors for acquiring Toxocara spp. infection and investigate possible associations between this infection with atopy and asthma in school children of a small town and its semi-rural areas of Northeast Brazil. The data set are composed by demographic, social and home environment variables. The detection of anti-Toxocara spp. IgG and specific IgE to aeroallergens was determined by ELISA and ImmunocAP/Phadiatrope systems, respectively. The data presented in this article are related to the article entitled "Risk factors for Toxocara spp. seroprevalence and its association with atopy and asthma phenotypes in school-age children in a small town and semi-rural areas of Northeast Brazil" (M.B. Silva, A.L. Amor, L.N. Santos, A.A. Galvão, A.V. Oviedo Vera, E.S. Silva et al., 2016) [1]

Ocorrência de fascioliasis humana no município de Volta Redonda, RJ, Brasil

Through the result of coprologics exams, accomplished in patients assisted in Volta Redonda hospitals, the first occurrence of the human fascioliasis is marked in the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.Através do resultado de exames coprológicos realizados em pacientes atendidos em postos de saúde e hospitais do município de Volta Redonda, assinala-se a primeira ocorrência da fascioliasis humana no Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

Sweet's syndrome associated with cellulitis - a challenging diagnosis

Sweet's syndrome is a neutrophilic dermatosis with worldwide distribution that has been associated with inflammatory autoimmune diseases, infections, malignancies, drugs, and pregnancy. The disease is idiopathic in up to 50% of patients. A 64-year-old woman, diagnosed with right limb cellulitis (4 days of evolution), was seen at our department, due to persistent cellulitis and progressive appearance of painful nodules and plaques in both shins and the right forearm (2 days of evolution). Taken together, clinical, laboratory and pathological data suggested the diagnosis of Sweet's syndrome, probably secondary to cellulitis of the right inferior limb. We suggest that cellulitis may be associated with Sweet's syndrome, a rare association in the literature

Complete larval development of the hermit crabs Clibanarius aequabilis and Clibanarius erythropus (Decapoda : Anomura : Diogenidae), under laboratory conditions, with a revision of the larval features of genus Clibanarius

The complete larval development (four zoeae and one megalopa) of Clibanarius aequabilis and C. erythropus, reared under laboratory conditions, is described and illustrated. The larval stages of the two northeastern Atlantic Clibanarius species cannot be easily differentiated. Their morphological characters are compared with those of other known Clibanarius larvae. The genus Clibanarius is very homogeneous with respect to larval characters. All Clibanarius zoeae display a broad and blunt rostrum, smooth abdominal segments and an antennal scale without a terminal spine. Beyond the second zoeal stage, the fourth telson process is present as a fused spine, and the uropods are biramous. In the fourth larval stage all species display a mandibular palp. The Clibanarius megalopa presents weakly developed or no ocular scales, symmetrical chelipeds, apically curved corneous dactylus in the second and third pereiopods, and 5-11 setae on the posterior margin of the telson. Apart from the number of zoeal stages, Clibanarius species may be separated, beyond the second zoeal stage, by the telson formula and the morphology of the fourth telson process.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Essential and checkpoint functions of budding yeast ATM and ATR during meiotic prophase are facilitated by differential phosphorylation of a meiotic adaptor protein, Hop1

A hallmark of the conserved ATM/ATR signalling is its ability to mediate a wide range of functions utilizing only a limited number of adaptors and effector kinases. During meiosis, Tel1 and Mec1, the budding yeast ATM and ATR, respectively, rely on a meiotic adaptor protein Hop1, a 53BP1/Rad9 functional analog, and its associated kinase Mek1, a CHK2/Rad53-paralog, to mediate multiple functions: control of the formation and repair of programmed meiotic DNA double strand breaks, enforcement of inter-homolog bias, regulation of meiotic progression, and implementation of checkpoint responses. Here, we present evidence that the multi-functionality of the Tel1/Mec1-to-Hop1/Mek1 signalling depends on stepwise activation of Mek1 that is mediated by Tel1/Mec1 phosphorylation of two specific residues within Hop1: phosphorylation at the threonine 318 (T318) ensures the transient basal level Mek1 activation required for viable spore formation during unperturbed meiosis. Phosphorylation at the serine 298 (S298) promotes stable Hop1-Mek1 interaction on chromosomes following the initial phospho-T318 mediated Mek1 recruitment. In the absence of Dmc1, the phospho-S298 also promotes Mek1 hyper-activation necessary for implementing meiotic checkpoint arrest. Taking these observations together, we propose that the Hop1 phospho-T318 and phospho-S298 constitute key components of the Tel1/Mec1- based meiotic recombination surveillance (MRS) network and facilitate effective coupling of meiotic recombination and progression during both unperturbed and challenged meiosis