Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Identification of genes related to intramuscular fat content of pigs using genome-wide association study

Objective The aim of this study is to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and genes related to pig IMF and estimate the heritability of intramuscular fat content (IMF). Methods Genome-wide association study (GWAS) on 704 inbred Berkshires was performed for IMF. To consider the inbreeding among samples, associations of the SNPs with IMF were tested as random effects in a mixed linear model using the genetic relationship matrix by GEMMA. Significant genes were compared with reported pig IMF quantitative trait loci (QTL) regions and functional classification of the identified genes were also performed. Heritability of IMF was estimated by GCTA tool. Results Total 365 SNPs were found to be significant from a cutoff of p-value <0.01 and the 365 significant SNPs were annotated across 120 genes. Twenty five genes were on pig IMF QTL regions. Bone morphogenetic protein-binding endothelial cell precursor-derived regulator, forkhead box protein O1, ectodysplasin A receptor, ring finger protein 149, cluster of differentiation, tyrosine-protein phosphatase non-receptor type 1, SRY (sex determining region Y)-box 9 (SOX9), MYC proto-oncogene, and macrophage migration inhibitory factor were related to mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway, which regulates the differentiation to adipocytes. These genes and the genes mapped on QTLs could be the candidate genes affecting IMF. Heritability of IMF was estimated as 0.52, which was relatively high, suggesting that a considerable portion of the total variance of IMF is explained by the SNP information. Conclusion Our results can contribute to breeding pigs with better IMF and therefore, producing pork with better sensory qualities.
Total Homocysteine, Diet, and Lipid Profiles in Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetic and Nondiabetic Adolescents

Background and Research Objective: Limited research is available on the possible differences in the cardiovascular risk factors of total homocysteine (tHcy), dietary energy, and lipids among adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM), type 2 DM, or healthy controls. This study's primary aim was to compare the dietary energy and the intake of macronutrients and micronutrients of folate, and vitamins B6 and B12, as well as lipids and tHcy for adolescents with type 1 DM, type 2 DM, and healthy non-DM controls. Subjects and Methods: This secondary analysis of the merging of 2 datasets included the following adolescents: 50 with type 1 DM, 14 with type 2 DM, and 53 controls. Mean ages for those with type 1 versus type 2 DM were 15.2 ± 1.9 versus 16.1 ± 1.9 years, respectively. Mean age for the controls was 16.5 ± 1.0 years. Variables included fasting tHcy and lipids, and 24-hour dietary recalls for macronutrients and micronutrients. Hemoglobin A1c was obtained for those with DM. Statistical analyses included one-way analyses of variance, Pearson correlations, and stepwise regression. Results and Conclusions: Adolescents with type 1 DM had the lowest tHcy values (P <.05), which were reflective of the limited extant research with this population. Lipid profiles and dietary energy did not differ significantly among the 3 groups. Hemoglobin A1c was related to total cholesterol and triglycerides in those with type 1 DM, confirming the importance of promoting better metabolic control in lipid management for these youth. Future research should continue to explore the validity of tHcy and lipids as predictors of CV risks for youth with type 1 and type 2 DM.
Stable isotopes indicate sex-specific and long-term individual foraging specialisation in diving seabirds

An important aspect of foraging ecology is the extent to which different individuals or genders within a population exploit food resources in a different manner. For diving seabirds, much of this information relates either to short-term dietary data or indirect measures such as time budgets. Moreover, dietary specialisation can be difficult to detect due to biases associated with conventional sampling techniques. We used stable isotope ratios in blood and feathers to infer trophic and habitat specialisations among 4 diving seabird taxa — the gentoo penguin Pygoscelis papua, the macaroni penguin Eudyptes chrysolophus, the South Georgian shag Phalacrocorax (atriceps) georgianus and the Kerguelen shag P. (atriceps) verrucosus. This allowed us to investigate foraging specialisation and assess whether social dominance or differences in foraging preferences explained the observed patterns. In all taxa where sexes were known we found that males foraged at a higher trophic level (δ 15 N values) than females, although this was not significant in macaroni penguins. We believe that this is linked to a dual foraging strategy among female macaroni penguins. For South Georgian shags, we found that sex-related dietary differences persisted for long periods (inferred from stable isotope analyses of feathers and blood). We suggest that the trophic differences are driven by differ- ences in physiological performance, with males tending to dive deeper than females because of their larger size, and hence able to access higher trophic level prey items. Moreover, male and female shags tend to forage at different times of day; therefore, social dominance by males is unlikely to be driving the observed differences. We also recorded highly significant relationships between stable isotope signatures in blood (representing the breeding season diet) and those in feathers (mostly rep- resenting the previous non-breeding season diet) in both the South Georgian and Kerguelen shags. This strongly suggests that these 2 taxa include individuals with distinct foraging specialisation (and most probably foraging locations) that are maintained over long periods.
Aquareum: A Centralized Ledger Enhanced with Blockchain and Trusted Computing

Distributed ledger systems (i.e., blockchains) have received a lot of attention recently. They promise to enable mutually untrusted participants to execute transactions, while providing the immutability of the transaction history and censorship resistance. Although decentralized ledgers may become a disruptive innovation, as of today, they suffer from scalability, privacy, or governance issues. Therefore, they are inapplicable for many important use cases, where interestingly, centralized ledger systems quietly gain adoption and find new use cases. Unfortunately, centralized ledgers have also several drawbacks, like a lack of efficient verifiability or a higher risk of censorship and equivocation. In this paper, we present Aquareum, a novel framework for centralized ledgers removing their main limitations. By combining a trusted execution environment with a public blockchain platform, Aquareum provides publicly verifiable, non-equivocating, censorship-evident, private, and high-performance ledgers. Aquareum ledgers are integrated with a Turing-complete virtual machine, allowing arbitrary transaction processing logics, including tokens or client-specified smart contracts. Aquareum is fully implemented and deployment-ready, even with currently existing technologies.
Health challenges in long-distance dog sled racing: A systematic review of literature

ABSTRACT Long-distance dog sled races, e.g. Iditarod (Alaska) and Finnmarksløpet (Northern Norway), are extremely demanding sporting events that might expose mushers, handlers and a large number of organisers and volunteers to risks for their health. The purpose of this systematic literature review (PROSPERO registration n. CRD42017069136) was to identify and summarise all available scientific literature relative to health issues connected to participating in these races. Using a literature search strategy in line with PRISMA guidelines, 117 scientific studies, sought through databases (Google Scholar and PubMed, between 2nd and 9th May 2017) and scrutiny of reference lists, were screened. Studies published in English treating any health issues assessed during or after a long-distance dog sled race were included, with no restriction in relation to their study design or the characteristics of participants studied. The quality of the studies was assessed using a standardised checklist. Ten studies met the criteria for being included in a qualitative analysis. The data synthesis showed that participants underwent strenuous psychophysical load, with insufficient sleep/rest and inadequate energy intake. Findings on hydrations are mixed. The risk of incurring in life-threatening injuries or infections was low, although injuries and infections of minor severity were common. No alterations of blood markers were observed from before to after the races. These findings will help planning prevention and treatment strategies in long-distance dog sled races. However, more research is needed in this field in the future.
Infectious complications associated with the use of rituximab for ABO‐incompatible and positive cross‐match renal transplant recipients

Abstract: Immunosuppressive protocols for ABO‐incompatible (ABOI) and positive cross‐match (PCM) solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients have included the use of rituximab (RTX). Infectious complications (IC) have been reported after the use of RTX for other indications, but have not been well studied in the SOT population. We performed a retrospective review of IC occurring within six months of ABOI and PCM renal transplantation (RT) in recipients receiving RTX. Medical records were reviewed for bloodstream, lung, gastrointestinal tract, allograft, or soft tissue infection. Between July 2001 and December 2004, 34 ABOI or PCM RT were performed at University of Illinois at Chicago, 25 of which received RTX with plasmapheresis and antithymocyte globulin (ATG) (eight ABOI and 17 PCM). Among the RTX recipients, the rate of IC was 48% compared with 11% among historical controls who did not receive RTX (p = 0.107). There were 21 episodes of IC in 13 patients including skin and soft tissue infection (8), bloodstream infection (5), esophagitis (3), peritonitis (3), pneumonia (1), and colitis (1). There was no difference in the rate of rejection, graft survival or patient survival between the two groups. These data suggest that there is a trend toward an increased rate of IC with RTX therapy in ABOI and PCM RT recipients.
Temperature dependence of the preferential interactions of ribonuclease a in aqueous co‐solvent systems: Thermodynamic analysis

The temperature dependence of preferential solvent interactions with ribonuclease A in aqueous solutions of 30% sorbitol, 0.6 M MgCl2, and 0.6 M MgSO4 at low pH (1.5 and 2.0) and high pH (5.5) has been investigated. This protein was stabilized by all three co‐solvents, more so at low pH than high pH (except 0.6 M MgCl2 at pH 5.5). The preferential hydration of protein in all three co‐solvents was high at temperatures below 30 °C and decreased with a further increase in temperature (for 0.6 M MgCl2 at pH 5.5, this was not significant), indicating a greater thermodynamic instability at low temperature than at high temperature. The preferential hydration of denatured protein (low pH, high temperature) was always greater than that of native protein (high pH, high temperature). In 30% sorbitol, the interaction passed to preferential binding at 45% for native ribonuclease A and at 55 °C for the denatured protein. Availability of the temperature dependence of the variation with sorbitol concentration of the chemical potential of the protein, (∂μ2/∂m3)T, P, m2, permitted calculation of the corresponding enthalpy and entropy parameters. Combination with available data on sorbitol concentration dependence of this interaction parameter gave (approximate) values of the transfer enthalpy, \documentclass{article}\pagestyle{empty}\begin{document}$ \Delta \bar H_{2,tr} $\end{document}, and transfer entropy \documentclass{article}\pagestyle{empty}\begin{document}$ \Delta \bar S_{2,tr} $\end{document}. Transfer of ribonuclease A from water into 30% sorbitol is characterized by positive values of the transfer free energy, transfer enthalpy, transfer entropy, and transfer heat capacity. On denaturation, the transfer enthalpy becomes more positive. This increment, however, is small relative to both the enthalpy of unfolding in water and to the transfer enthalpy of the native protein from water to a 30% sorbitol solution.
Contradicting an Established Mantra: Microsurgeon Experience Determines Free Flap Outcome

Background: Since the inception and popularization of microsurgery in the 1960s and 1970s, it has been commonly accepted that the outcome of free tissue transfer directly correlates with surgeon experience. Methods: The clinical outcomes of three young microsurgeons at a single institution were retrospectively reviewed. Free flaps performed by these individuals were categorized according to the surgeon’s years of practice and analyzed using statistical methods. Results: A total of 410 free flaps were identified. No correlation was found between the surgeon’s years of experience and the outcomes measured. Conclusions: There has been increased exposure to microsurgery during plastic surgery training at many programs, and consequently, residents have often already surpassed the learning curve. The imperfect correlation between experience and superior outcomes in medicine serves to suggest that further research in the specific underlying principles of surgical learning is needed to understand the relationship between experience and superior surgical outcomes. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, III.
Novel lipid-regulating drugs

This review describes the major developments in lipid-regulating drugs during the past two years. Most of the novel compounds that have been launched or were in their final stages of development during this period are aimed primarily at lowering low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol. These include bile acid sequestrants, HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors and a cholesterol absorption inhibitor. In addition, there have been preclinical reports suggesting the potential usefulness of orally bioavailable inhibitors of cholesterol ester transfer protein in plasma and of acylcoA:cholesterol acyltransferase in monocyte-macrophages. The recent discovery of the roles of the scavenger receptor class B Type 1 and ATP-binding cassette transporter 1 in high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol transport may shift the trend of future developments away from compounds that lower LDL to those aimed at promoting HDL turnover.
Verapamil in treatment resistant depression: a role for the P‐glycoprotein transporter?

Verapamil is a calcium channel blocker that also inhibits the P‐glycoprotein (Pgp) membrane transporter. We have found that administration of verapamil with a recognised antidepressant improves clinical outcome in previously treatment resistant cases despite the fact that verapamil does not possess inherent antidepressant activity. In this study we examined the hypothesis that the antidepressant‐like effects of verapamil are mediated through its blockade of the Pgp transporter in the blood brain barrier (BBB).
Interstitial keratitis and sensorineural hearing loss as a manifestation of rheumatoid arthritis: clinical lessons from a rare complication

Cogan's syndrome or non-syphilitic interstitial keratitis with vestibule-auditory dysfunction is a serious and under-recognised complication of rheumatoid arthritis. It is an autoimmune condition characterised by inflammatory infiltrates on the cornea and extensive vestibulocochlear damage. If left untreated, patients progress to develop profound hearing loss. We present a case that was incorrectly diagnosed and treated as conjunctivitis by several emergency departments prior to being correctly recognised as Cogan's syndrome.
Analytical Modeling of Wormhole-Routed k-Ary n-Cubes in the Presence of Hot-Spot Traffic

Several analytical models of fully adaptive routing have recently been proposed for wormhole-routed k-ary n-cubes under the uniform traffic pattern. However, there has been hardly any model reported yet that deals with other important nonuniform traffic patterns, such as hot-spots. As a result, most studies have resorted to simulation when evaluating the performance merits of adaptive routing. In an effort to fill this gap, this paper describes the first analytical model of fully adaptive routing in k-ary n-cubes in the presence of hot-spot traffic. Results from simulation show close agreement with those predicted by the model.
External Solutions and Internal Problems: The Effects of Employment Externalization on Internal Workers' Attitudes

This study examines whether employment externalization, or the use of temporary and contract workers in organizations, is associated with weak psychological bonds between the internal workforce and organization. Specifically, the extent and length of such externalization would negatively relate to internal workers' trust in, commitment toward, and psychological contract with organizations. The premise for this argument is that internal workers may view externalization as an indicator of the organization's low-level commitment to them. Internal workers would reciprocate by decreasing their attachment to the organization. Externalization might also be seen as violating the psychological contract between employees and employers, since externalization is associated with slowed upward mobility and poor work support for internal workers. However, organizational actions that indicate commitment toward employees would mitigate such negative effects. I posit that externalization would be viewed less negatively both by workers who believe they have secure jobs, and by those who supervise and train others. These hypotheses were tested with data collected from 256 internal workers in three organizations. Results indicate that both the extent and length of externalization are negatively related to internal workers' attitudes, especially for those of internal workers with fewer supervisory responsibilities. However, contrary to the hypotheses, the relationship is also more negative for internal workers with high job security.
Analytic torsion and Reidemeister torsion.

We announce a proof of the conjecture of Ray and Singer that for a compact Riemannian manifold the analytic torsion and Reidemeister torsion are equal. The proof involves studying the heat equation for certain manifolds M, equipped with metrics g(u), 0 < u < 1 which degenerate in a prescribed way at the boundary deltaM, as u --> 0,1.
Outcome of Pharmacological Treatments of Pathological Gambling: A Review and Meta-Analysis

Although several qualitative reviews on pharmacological interventions for pathological gambling have been published, no quantitative review of this field has been conducted. Methods: Studies of pharmacological interventions of pathological gambling were identified by computer searches in the PsychINFO and MEDLINE databases covering the period from 1966 to July 2006, as well as from relevant reference lists. The inclusion criteria were as follows: the target problem had to be pathological gambling, the interventions were pharmacological, the study was written in English, and the study reported outcomes particularly pertaining to gambling. A total of 130 potential studies were identified of which 16 met the inclusion criteria. A total of 597 subjects were included in the outcome analyses of these studies. The grand mean age was 43.3 years. The overall proportion of men was 62.8%. The included studies were coded for outcome measures of pathological gambling. For each condition, means and SDs for gambling-related outcome measures were compiled at 2 points in time: baseline and posttreatment. Results: At posttreatment, the analysis showed that the pharmacological interventions were more effective than no treatment/placebo, yielding an overall effect size of 0.78 (95% confidence interval, 0.64-0.92). A multiple regression analysis showed that the magnitude of effect sizes at posttreatment was lower in studies using a placebo-control condition compared with studies using a predesign/postdesign without any control condition. Effect sizes were also negatively related to the proportion of male participants in the included studies. No differences in outcome between the 3 main classes of pharmacological interventions (antidepressants, opiate antagonists, mood stabilizers) were detected. Conclusion: Pharmacological interventions for pathological gambling may be an adequate treatment alternative in pathological gambling.
Multi-Purpose Satellites Constellations Propagator Toolkit

Since ancient times explaining the motion of celestial bodies has been a must and a challenge for scientists. Many people in history, from Ptolomaeus to Copernicus, from Brahe to Kepler, from Galileo to Newton up to Lagrange and Einstein, have investigated the motion of planets, giving birth to celestial mechanics. Orbital mechanics is based on the same laws applied to artificial satellites and is pervasively employed in space missions to design orbits according to specific requirements and to predict the movement of satellites over long periods. This has a significant importance in satellite constellations design where the presence of many satellites results in a growing complexity in terms of deployment, dynamics, reconfigurability and control, up to the disposal at the end of life. Today the theory on orbit dynamics is developed, but the problem is to predict the movement of many satellites, choosing the suitable propagator, considering all the perturbations, taking into account the station keeping manoeuvres, tracking and observability. In this paper, an overview of a new kind of orbit propagator is presented, together with an analysis of perturbation corrections using both impulsive and low-thrust manoeuvres (electric engine); some application examples will be presented as well. The paper will deal with the following issues: satellites constellation propagator (from 2 to n satellites), orbital perturbations, Sun visibility, Earth coverage, inter satellites links, station keeping (impulsive and continuous firing).
Structural and thermodynamic characterization of the recognition of the S100‐binding peptides TRTK12 and p53 by calmodulin

Calmodulin (CaM) is a multifunctional messenger protein that activates a wide variety of signaling pathways in eukaryotic cells in a calcium‐dependent manner. CaM has been proposed to be functionally distinct from the S100 proteins, a related family of eukaryotic calcium‐binding proteins. Previously, it was demonstrated that peptides derived from the actin‐capping protein, TRTK12, and the tumor‐suppressor protein, p53, interact with multiple members of the S100 proteins. To test the specificity of these peptides, they were screened using isothermal titration calorimetry against 16 members of the human S100 protein family, as well as CaM, which served as a negative control. Interestingly, both the TRTK12 and p53 peptides were found to interact with CaM. These interactions were further confirmed by both fluorescence and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopies. These peptides have distinct sequences from the known CaM target sequences. The TRTK12 peptide was found to independently interact with both CaM domains and bind with a stoichiometry of 2:1 and dissociations constants Kd,C‐term = 2 ± 1 µM and Kd,N‐term = 14 ± 1 µM. In contrast, the p53 peptide was found to interact only with the C‐terminal domain of CaM, Kd,C‐term =2 ± 1 µM, 25°C. Using NMR spectroscopy, the locations of the peptide binding sites were mapped onto the structure of CaM. The binding sites for both peptides were found to overlap with the binding interface for previously identified targets on both domains of CaM. This study demonstrates the plasticity of CaM in target binding and may suggest a possible overlap in target specificity between CaM and the S100 proteins.