Quantitative genetics is the study of continuously varying traits which make up the majority of biological attributes of evolutionary and commercial interest. This book provides a much-needed up-to-date, in-depth yet accessible text for the field. In lucid language, the author guides readers through the main concepts of population and quantitative genetics and their applications. It is written to be approachable to even those without a strong mathematical background, including applied examples, a glossary of key terms, and problems and solutions to support students in grasping important theoretical developments and their relevance to real-world biology. An engaging, must-have textbook for advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students. Given its applied focus, it also equips researchers in genetics, genomics, evolutionary biology, animal and plant breeding, and conservation genetics with the understanding and tools for genetic improvement, comprehension of the genetic basis of human diseases, and conservation of biological resources.
Abstract We use evolutionary trees of haplotypes to study phenotypic associations by exhaustively examining all possible biallelic partitions of the tree, a technique we call tree scanning. If the first scan detects significant associations, additional rounds of tree scanning are used to partition the tree into three or more allelic classes. Two worked examples are presented. The first is a reanalysis of associations between haplotypes at the Alcohol Dehydrogenase locus in Drosophila melanogaster that was previously analyzed using a nested clade analysis, a more complicated technique for using haplotype trees to detect phenotypic associations. Tree scanning and the nested clade analysis yield the same inferences when permutation testing is used with both approaches. The second example is an analysis of associations between variation in various lipid traits and genetic variation at the Apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene in three human populations. Tree scanning successfully identified phenotypic associations expected from previous analyses. Tree scanning for the most part detected more associations and provided a better biological interpretative framework than single SNP analyses. We also show how prior information can be incorporated into the tree scan by starting with the traditional three electrophoretic alleles at APOE. Tree scanning detected genetically determined phenotypic heterogeneity within all three electrophoretic allelic classes. Overall, tree scanning is a simple, powerful, and flexible method for using haplotype trees to detect phenotype/genotype associations at candidate loci.
Abstract Silver nanoprisms with strong absorption in the near‐IR have been synthesized using a modification of the photoinduced method by illuminating preformed silver seeds under different illumination conditions. Low‐intensity light‐emitting diodes and white light combined with different color filters are used as light sources. The lateral dimensions of the nanoprisms are found to be correlated in a quasilinear fashion with the emission wavelength and the position of the main in‐plane dipole plasmon band. The structural characterization of the Ag nanoparticles, carried out using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high‐resolution TEM, and electron diffraction, reveal that the particles are flat and have a single‐crystal face‐centered‐cubic structure. Time‐resolved studies suggest that the nanoprisms are formed by steady consumption of the original Ag seeds with little variation of the aspect ratio after a short induction time.
Summary The history of particular genes and that of the species that carry them can be different due to different reasons. In particular, gene trees and species trees can truly differ due to well-known evolutionary processes like gene duplication and loss, lateral gene transfer or incomplete lineage sorting. Different species tree reconstruction methods have been developed to take this incongruence into account, which can be divided grossly into supertree and supermatrix approaches. Here, we introduce a new Bayesian hierarchical model that we have recently developed and implemented in the program Guenomu, that considers multiple sources of gene tree/species tree disagreement. Guenomu takes as input the posterior distributions of unrooted gene tree topologies for multiple gene families, in order to estimate the posterior distribution of rooted species tree topologies.
Sample preparation is the stage of the analytical process where greenness-related issues can likely play the most important role. With the exception of direct methods for solid sample analysis, for most analytical methods it is necessary to carry out a certain number of operations to make the sample amenable to the instrument. These operations, which may include digestion, extraction, dissolution, preconcentration and clean-up, typically require the use of large amounts of acids, organic solvents, and in general, chemicals that can often be persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT) as well as operating conditions that can become unsafe and energy-consuming. Therefore, sample preparation stages should be targeted as a priority when green chemistry principles are to be adapted to analytical activities. This chapter is devoted to the discussion of most relevant sample preparation strategies that approach the fulfilment of the green chemistry principles. Thus, digestion and extraction strategies from solid samples for both inorganic and organic analysis are approached using microwaves and ultrasound, followed by a discussion of modern extraction techniques, such as microwave-assisted extraction, supercritical fluid extraction, pressurized liquid extraction and solid-phase extraction for trace organic analysis. Microextraction techniques also deserve a place here, since a high degree of greenness is achieved when they are implemented in analytical methodology. Finally, application of surfactants in techniques such as cloud point extraction or membranes that allow minimizing the use of organic solvents for analysis of liquid samples are discussed.
Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is a minimally invasive procedure that is widely used for the treatment of early gastric cancer and certain submucosal tumors. ESD often results in large artificial ulcers, leading to a risk of intraoperative and postoperative bleeding, which is a significant complication. Traditional methods to address this bleeding include proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), local hemostatic sprays, hemostatic clips, electrocoagulation, etc. However, this research introduces polysaccharide-based materials as a novel hemostatic solution, demonstrating their effectiveness in preventing upper gastrointestinal tract bleeding associated with ESD. The results of our study, focusing on both gastric and esophageal lesions, suggest that the microporous polysaccharide hemostatic material is effective in preventing bleeding following upper gastrointestinal tract ESD procedures. The key benefits of polysaccharide hemostatic materials include biocompatibility, no immune risk, excellent absorbability, and fast hemostatic speed. Clinical results from the study indicate that patients treated with these materials did not experience delayed bleeding, and follow-up gastroscopy showed good wound healing without negative impacts on the artificial ulcer. This suggests that polysaccharide hemostatic materials are a safe and effective option for patients undergoing gastric ESD surgery.
