Assortative human pair-bonding for partner ancestry and allelic variation of the dopamine receptor D4 (DRD4) gene

The 7R allele of the dopamine receptor D4 gene has been associated with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and risk taking. On the cross-population scale, 7R allele frequencies have been shown to be higher in populations with more of a history of long-term migrations. It has also been shown that the 7R allele is associated with individuals having multiple-ancestries. Here we conduct a replication of this latter finding with two independent samples. Measures of subjects’ ancestry are used to examine past reproductive bonds. The individuals’ history of inter-racial/ancestral dating and their feelings about this are also assessed. Tentative support for an association between multiple ancestries and the 7R allele were found. These results are dependent upon the method of questioning subjects about their ancestries. Inter-racial dating and feelings about inter-racial pairing were not related to the presence of the 7R allele. This might be accounted for by secular trends that might have substantively altered the decision-making process employed when considering relationships with individuals from different groups. This study provides continued support for the 7R allele playing a role in migration and/or mate choice patterns. However, replications and extensions of this study are needed and must carefully consider how ancestry/race is assessed

A novel TOF-PET MRI detector for diagnosis and follow up of the prostate cancer

Prostate cancer is the most common disease in men and the second leading cause of death from cancer. Generic large imaging instruments used in cancer diagnosis have sensitivity, spatial resolution, and contrast inadequate for the task of imaging details of a small organ such as the prostate. In addition, multimodality imaging can play a significant role merging anatomical and functional details coming from simultaneous PET and MRI. Indeed, multi-parametric PET/MRI was demonstrated to improve diagnosis, but it suffers from too many false positives. In order to address the above limits of the current techniques, we have proposed, built and tested, thanks to the TOPEM project funded by Italian National Institute of Nuclear Phisics a prototype of an endorectal PET-TOF/MRI probe. In the applied magnification PET geometry, performance is dominated by a high-resolution detector placed closer to the source. The expected spatial resolution in the selected geometry is about 1.5 mm FWHM and efficiency a factor of 2 with respect to what obtained with the conventional PET scanner. In our experimental studies, we have obtained timing resolution of ~ 320 ps FWHM and at the same time Depth of Interaction (DOI) resolution of under 1 mm. Tests also showed that mutual adverse PET-MR effects are minimal. In addition, the matching endorectal RF coil was designed, built and tested. In the next planned studies, we expect that benefiting from the further progress in scintillator crystal surface treatment, in SiPM technology and associated electronics would allow us to significantly improve TOF resolutio

Mapping the stranger: genetic diversity of Manila clam in European coastal lagoons.

Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum - synonym Venerupis philippinarum (Adams and Reeve, 1850) is one of the most successful marine invaders worldwide and represents almost 20% of worldwide mollusc total production. Originally distributed in the Indo-Pacific region, the species was introduced for aquaculture and fisheries in North America, Polynesia, the US Virgin Islands, as well as in Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts of Europe. Due to the commercial value of the species, population genetics and stock composition are of primary importance both in natural and invaded environments. Moreover, molecular genetics can provide valuable data in invasion biology, as, for example, the structure of the exploited populations, the origin of source populations and the routes of invasions. Furthermore, molecular data might be useful for the tracking of seafood products, as requested by the European Commission for European seafood products (see EC laws n° 178/2002, 509/2006, 510/2006 and their improvements). Despite all these considerations genetic data are lacking, especially for introduced populations, and should be urgently provided. In a framework of an European network of researchers involved in Manila clam studies, clams were collected in coastal lagoons and estuaries in both Mediterranean (Northern Adriatic Sea, Italy) and Atlantic (Spain and Portugal) coasts of Europe. Both mitochondrial and nuclear molecular markers were applied to investigate the genetic structure of populations, specifically by the direct sequencing of 16S rDNA gene fragments and by the genotyping of 7 microsatellite markers previously used in native populations. Results demonstrated the occurrence of multiple haplotypes for 16S rDNA, even if one main haplotype was identified in the European analyzed populations. However, few sequences were available in Genbank to make comparisons with native populations. Concerning the microsatellite data, the genotyping of Manila clam populations showed low genetic diversity among them, considering the Fst values, and a lack of genetic structuring when analysed by Structure software. Both these data suggest the absence of geographic differentiation among the introduced populations of Manila clam, as a result of introgression due to translocations and other human activities. The levels of genetic diversity within introduced populations were comparable to those described from native regions, suggesting that multiple introduction events and mixed source populations can counterbalance the loss of genetic diversity caused by the founder effect. However, it must be remarked that microsatellites showed a strong occurrence of null alleles when tested by Micro-checker, as previously observed in other bivalves, suggesting that the problem is differently distributed among Manila clam populations or specific loci, thus microsatellites should be carefully checked before used in extensive population studies. In the near future, population genetics and stock identification of this species on a large scale should be assessed using new powerful markers such as those obtained by NGS (Next Generation Sequencing) methods. In conclusion, this research represents the very first extensive genetic investigation on Manila clam’s European populations, defining the levels of genetic diversity that will help to inform management practices

The Potential-Density Phase Shift Method for Determining the Corotation Radii in Spiral and Barred Galaxies

We have developed a new method for determining the corotation radii of density waves in disk galaxies, which makes use of the radial distribution of an azimuthal phase shift between the potential and density wave patterns. The approach originated from improved theoretical understandings of the relation between the morphology and kinematics of galaxies, and on the dynamical interaction between density waves and the basic-state disk stars which results in the secular evolution of disk galaxies. In this paper, we present the rationales behind the method, and the first application of it to several representative barred and grand-design spiral galaxies, using near-infrared images to trace the mass distributions, as well as to calculate the potential distributions used in the phase shift calculations. We compare our results with those from other existing methods for locating the corotations, and show that the new method both confirms the previously-established trends of bar-length dependence on galaxy morphological types, as well as provides new insights into the possible extent of bars in disk galaxies. Application of the method to a larger sample and the preliminary analysis of which show that the phase shift method is likely to be a generally-applicable, accurate, and essentially model-independent method for determining the pattern speeds and corotation radii of single or nested density wave patterns in galaxies. Other implications of this work are: most of the nearby bright disk galaxies appear to possess quasi-stationary spiral modes; that these density wave modes and the associated basic state of the galactic disk slowly transform over time; and that self-consistent N-particle systems contain physics not revealed by the passive orbit analysis approaches.Comment: 48 pages, 16 figures. Accepted for publication in the Astronomical Journa

PCR-RFLP approaches to easily identify Pleuronectes platessa from other flatfishes: a rapid and efficient tool to control label information

Submitted by Patrícia Correia ([email protected]) on 2017-11-21T09:48:07Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Caldelli et al. - 2014 - PCR- RFLP approaches to easily identify Pleuronect.pdf: 566430 bytes, checksum: b24dccaef6a451b030a229b797e2e7c0 (MD5) Approved for entry into archive by Patrícia Correia([email protected]) on 2017-11-21T09:48:34Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Caldelli et al. - 2014 - PCR- RFLP approaches to easily identify Pleuronect.pdf: 566430 bytes, checksum: b24dccaef6a451b030a229b797e2e7c0 (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2017-11-21T09:48:34Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Caldelli et al. - 2014 - PCR- RFLP approaches to easily identify Pleuronect.pdf: 566430 bytes, checksum: b24dccaef6a451b030a229b797e2e7c0 (MD5) Previous issue date: 201

Sensor-embedded face masks for detection of volatiles in breath: a proof of concept study

The correlation between breath volatilome and health is prompting a growing interest in the development of sensors optimized for breath analysis. On the other hand, the outbreak of COVID-19 evidenced that breath is a vehicle of infection; thus, the introduction of low-cost and disposable devices is becoming urgent for a clinical implementation of breath analysis. In this paper, a proof of concept about the functionalization of face masks is provided. Porphyrin-based sensors are among the most performant devices for breath analysis, but since porphyrins are scarcely conductive, they make use of costly and bulky mass or optical transducers. To overcome this drawback, we introduce here a hybrid material made of conducting polymer and porphyrins. The resulting material can be easily deposited on the internal surface of standard FFP face masks producing resistive sensors that retain the chemical sensitivity of porphyrins implementing their combinatorial selectivity for the identification of volatile compounds and the classification of complex samples. The sensitivity of sensors has been tested with respect to a set of seven volatile compounds representative of diverse chemical families. Sensors react to all compounds but with a different sensitivity pattern. Functionalized face masks have been tested in a proof-of-concept test aimed at identifying changes of breath due to the ingestion of beverages (coffee and wine) and solid food (banana- and mint-flavored candies). Results indicate that sensors can detect volatile compounds against the background of normal breath VOCs, suggesting the possibility to embed sensors in face masks for extensive breath analysis

A Reliable and Cost-Efficient PCR-RFLP Tool for the Rapid Identification of Cetaceans in the Mediterranean Sea

Twenty-five species of cetaceans have been reported throughout the Mediterranean Sea, eight of them are commonly distributed in the whole basin and are regularly found beached or adrift in the sea. Stranded animals are frequently found in poor conservation status, preventing reliable identification; identification is thus often based solely on morphological features. Therewith, molecular tools are especially useful to provide taxonomic identification. In this work, a four-enzymes PCR-RFLP in silico protocol, based on a fragment of the mitochondrial gene cytb, has been designed for cetacean species occurring in the Mediterranean Sea. Moreover, beached or floating specimen samples belonging to the eight common species have been tested in the laboratory, providing evidence that this approach represents a reliable, cost- and time-effective tool for their specific identification