Highly sensitive and ultrafast read mapping for RNA-seq analysis.

As sequencing technologies progress, the amount of data produced grows exponentially, shifting the bottleneck of discovery towards the data analysis phase. In particular, currently available mapping solutions for RNA-seq leave room for improvement in terms of sensitivity and performance, hindering an efficient analysis of transcriptomes by massive sequencing. Here, we present an innovative approach that combines re-engineering, optimization and parallelization. This solution results in a significant increase of mapping sensitivity over a wide range of read lengths and substantial shorter runtimes when compared with current RNA-seq mapping methods available.

Evolución en 12 años de los indicadores de lactancia materna y factores asociados en un Centro de Salud acreditado IHAN / 12-year evolution of breastfeeding indicators and associated factors in a recently accredited as BFHI Health Center

INTRODUCCIÓN: La Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS) recomienda la lactancia materna exclusiva 6 meses y la mantenida hasta 2 años o más. Nuestro objetivo es estudiar la evolución de indicadores de lactancia (duración, porcentajes de inicio y mantenimiento hasta los 12 meses) en los últimos 12 años en nuestro centro, acreditado recientemente como Centro de Salud IHAN, y la asociación de estos indicadores con distintos factores: educación maternal, forma de nacimiento (parto vaginal o cesárea) y tipo de maternidad (pública o privada). MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Estudio descriptivo prospectivo de cohorte con 803 lactantes nacidos en dos periodos de tiempo separados 12 años: 2003-2004 y 2015-2016. Datos recogidos por entrevista personal en las revisiones del niño sano. RESULTADOS: La mediana de duración de la lactancia ha mejorado de forma significativa en el segundo periodo (10 meses) respecto al primero (5 meses; p <0,001); también los porcentajes de lactancia al nacimiento y hasta 12 meses (p <0,05). La asistencia a educación maternal ha sido el factor que se asocia de forma más significativa a estos indicadores en ambos periodos; también el parto vaginal (en el primer periodo) y la maternidad pública (en el segundo). Estos resultados se confirman en el análisis multivariante. CONCLUSIONES: En estos 12 años se ha producido una mejora significativa en los indicadores de lactancia de nuestro centro. Los factores favorables para iniciar y mantener la lactancia materna son asistir a los cursos de educación maternal (el más importante), nacer por parto vaginal y en maternidad pública

INTRODUCTION: WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months and continue up to the age of 2 years or beyond. Our objective is to study the evolution of lactation indicators (length, start and maintenance up to 12 months percentages) in the last 12 years in our health center, recently accredited as BFHI, and the association of these indicators with different factors: prenatal education, childbirth (vaginal delivery or cesarean section) and hospital maternity (public or private). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Prospective descriptive cohort study with 803 infants born in two periods separated from each other 12 years: 2003-2004 and 2015-2016. Data collected by personal interview in pediatric health checks. RESULTS: Lactation length (median) has improved significantly in the second period (10 months) compared to first one (5 months; p <0.001); lactation percentages at birth and up to 12 months also improved (p <0.05). Attending prenatal education courses was the most significantly associated factor with these indicators in both periods; it was also significant the association with vaginal delivery (in first period) and public hospital maternity (in second period). These results are confirmed in the multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: There has been a significant improvement on our health center lactation indicators in these 12 years. Favorable factors to initiate and maintain breastfeeding are attending prenatal education courses (the most important), and childbirth by vaginal delivery and at a public hospital maternity

Determination of trace levels of anionic surfactants in river water and wastewater by a flow injection analysis system with on-line preconcentration and potentiometric detection.

The authors present an automated flow injection analysis (FIA) system for the determination of low levels of anionic surfactants in river water and wastewater. The system uses especially constructed tubular flow-through ion-selective electrodes (ISEs) as potentiometric sensors and on-line preconcentration techniques. The anionic surfactant ISEs employed are of the all-solid-state type with a plasticized PVC membrane. They show a general response to anionic surfactants with a lower limit of linear response of ∼10(-)(5) M, when used in direct determinations. However, their specificity is limited, which hampers their direct use with environmental samples. Therefore, the FIA system presented here includes a solid-phase extraction procedure for purification and preconcentration of analytes. Breakthrough curves were constructed to characterize different sorbents and different eluents were tested to optimize the preconcentration process. The FIA system was first applied to the determination of different types of anionic surfactant standards. Potentially interfering substances such as chloride, nitrate, and nonionic surfactants were checked to verify that they did not interfere on the response of the system. Concentrations of ∼10(-)(7) M (0.03 ppm) of sodium dodecyl sulfate could be detected in the nonlinear response region when 3 mL of sample was preconcentrated and eluted with 50 µL of a 75% acetonitrile/water (v/v) solution. Precision was 2% RSD (n = 31) for a 1 × 10(-)(6) M sodium dodecyl sulfate standard solution and the sample throughput was 10 h(-)(1). The FIA system was then used for the determination of total anionic surfactants in river water and wastewater.

All-solid-state potentiometric sensors sensitive to nonionic surfactants based on ionophores containing ethoxylate units.

Earlier work of potentiometric Ion-selective electrodes (ISEs) sensitive to nonionic surfactants of the polyethoxylate type is further extended. The ISEs constructed were all-solid-state sensors with plasticized PVC membranes. The sensing material was a tetraphenylborate salt of the barium complex with a polyethoxylate nonionic surfactant. As membrane component, the combinations of two polyethoxylates of the nonylphenoxy type, which differed in the number of oxyethylene units (5 or 12), and two different plasticizers, (o-nitrophenyloctyl ether and o-nitrophenylphenyl ether), were tested. The response of these electrodes to different nonionic surfactants and the interference effect of several species has been evaluated. For all the types of tested electrodes, the sensitivities shown were ca. 30.0 mV dec(-1) and the limit of detection, ca. 10(-5) M, when a nonylphenoxyde with 12 oxyethylene units was used as standard. The membrane with the best response characteristics was then applied in potentiometric titrations of this kind of surfactants in the presence of Ba(2+) ion and using tetraphenylborate as the titrant.