Characterisation of copy number variation (CNV) and loss of heterozygosity (LOH) has pro- vided evidence for the relationship of this type of genetic variation with the occurrence of a broad spectrum of diseases, including cancer lesions. The role of CNVs and germinal or somatic LOHs in canine mammary tumours is still unknown. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify CNVs and LOHs in canine mammary tumours. Forty-eight samples obtained from normal (n=24) and tumour (n=24) tissues of dogs were analysed. In the study, we used CanineHD BeadChip assay (Illumina) and OncoSNP software to identify copy number alternations in genomes of dif- ferent dog breeds and in different mammary cancer types occurring in this species. The analyses revealed that, in the case of CNV, the amplification-type variants were longer and more frequent than deletions. Based on the analysis of the frequency of different types of aberrations in the in- dividual parts of the genome, regions that are particularly susceptible to structural aberrations were indicated. The fraction of genes identified within these regions was associated with major processes of neoplastic transformation. Association analysis of such traits as tumour grading as well as the size and age of dogs demonstrated that structural aberrations were more frequent in dogs diagnosed with tumour malignancy grade II and III, in dogs with a larger body size, and in large dogs aged 7-8. The promising results of these pioneering investigations prompt continuation thereof to analyse other types of cancer.
1) Background: the modeling, characterization, transformation and propagation of high-power CW laser beams in optical (including fiberoptic) trains and in the atmosphere have become hot topics in laser science and engineering in the past few years. Single-mode output is mandatory for high-power CW laser applications in the military field. Moreover, an unstationary, dynamic operation regime is typical. Recognized devices and procedures for laser-beam diagnostics could not be directly applied because of dynamic behavior and untypical non-Gaussian profiles. 2) Methods: the Wigner transform approach was proposed to characterize dynamically variable high-power CW laser beams with significant deterministic aberrations. Wavefront-sensing measurements by means of the Shack-Hartmann method and decomposition into an orthogonal Zernike basis were applied. 3) Results: deterministic aberration as a result of unstationary thermal-optic effects depending on the averaged power of the laser output was found. Beam quality determined via the Wigner approach was changed in the same way as the measurements of the beam diameter in the far field. 4) Conclusions: such an aberration component seems to be the main factor causing degradation in beam quality and in brightness of high-power CW laser beams.