Un programa de mejoramiento genético para la producción de leche en ambiente tropical: Resultados de los primeros cuatro años

Esta experiencia es la consecuencia de un proyecto de investigación que apoyó, en la fase operacional, a una Asociación de Criadores de la región Centroccidental de Venezuela. Para lograr los objetivos de la investigación, fue necesario que la Asociación se transformara de un ente de tipo gremial a una estructura técnica en condición de prestar servicios a sus socios. Probablemente el éxito de esta experiencia se deba a la sinergia que se ha ido produciendo al compaginar los objetivos de la investigación con los intereses de los usuarios. Premisa fundamental del proyecto es la simbiosis acrecentada entre la Universidad de Milán (que aporta la tecnología y el reto a la evolución técnico organizativa) y la Asociación que paulatinamente se ha ido transformando en una eficiente estructura técnica. Tomando en cuenta las limitaciones del ambiente y la inercia en el uso de la tecnología, es significativo el hecho de que un considerable número de criadores y técnicos comprendiera la necesidad de solucionar sus problemas de manera autónoma. Es importante señalar la toma de conciencia que permitió entender que había que optimizar el manejo de la finca, sin esperar que otros hicieran las propuestas y aplicaran las soluciones

Looking for Criminal Intents in JavaScript Obfuscated Code

The majority of websites incorporate JavaScript for client-side execution in a supposedly protected environment. Unfortunately, JavaScript has also proven to be a critical attack vector for both independent and state-sponsored groups of hackers. On the one hand, defenders need to analyze scripts to ensure that no threat is delivered and to respond to potential security incidents. On the other, attackers aim to obfuscate the source code in order to disorient the defenders or even to make code analysis practically impossible. Since code obfuscation may also be adopted by companies for legitimate intellectual-property protection, a dilemma remains on whether a script is harmless or malignant, if not criminal. To help analysts deal with such a dilemma, a methodology is proposed, called JACOB, which is based on five steps, namely: (1) source code parsing, (2) control flow graph recovery, (3) region identification, (4) code structuring, and (5) partial evaluation. These steps implement a sort of decompilation for control flow flattened code, which is progressively transformed into something that is close to the original JavaScript source, thereby making eventual code analysis possible. Most relevantly, JACOB has been successfully applied to uncover unwanted user tracking and fingerprinting in e-commerce websites operated by a well-known Chinese company

Defective Function of the Fas Apoptotic Pathway in Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus Correlates with Age at Onset

The Fas death receptor triggers lymphocyte apoptosis through an extrinsic and an intrinsic pathway involving caspase-8 and -9 respectively. Inherited defects of Fas function are displayed by a proportion of patients with Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) especially those with a second autoimmunity (T1DM-p). This study assesses activation of both pathways in Fas-resistant (FasR) patients to localize the defect. 21/28 (75%) T1DM-p, 14/50 (38%) T1DM, and 7/150 (5%) controls were FasR. Analysis of the 35 FasR patients and 20 Fas-sensitive (FasS) controls showed that caspase-9 activity was lower in T1DM-p and T1DM than in controls, whereas caspase-8 activity was lower in T1DM-p than in T1DM and the controls. Single patient analysis showed that 16/35 patients displayed defective activity of one (FasR1), whereas 19 displayed normal activity of both caspases (FasR2) Ages at onset of diabetes mellitus in T1DM and the second autoimmune disease in T1DM-p were lower in FasR than in FasS patients. All FasR1 patients developed diabetes mellitus before the age of 9 years, whereas a later onset was displayed by 26% FasR2 and 53% FasS patients. These data show that defective Fas function may involve both the extrinsic and intrinsic pathway in T1DM and severity correlates with the precocity of the autoimmune attack and its tissue polyreactivity

Gut microbiota diversity and T1DM onset: Preliminary data of a case-control study

Type-1 diabetes incidence is increasing during the last decades. Recently, a role of microbiota alteration is proposed as pre-diabetic and diabetic risk factor. A bicentric case-control study is in progress in Northern Italy. Here preliminary results are shown. The microbiome clusterization showed a division between cases and controls even if fingerprint profiles are heterogenic. Methanobrevibacter smithii is highly present only in few patients. The diversity index and the microorganism sequenced in cases and controls, seems to be quite dissimilar. The conclusive results could show a significant predictive value for the bio-indicators evaluated. Keywords: Type 1 diabetes mellitus, Microbiota, Children, Methanobrevibacter smithii, qRT-PC

Gut microbiota, behavior, and nutrition after type 1 diabetes diagnosis: A longitudinal study for supporting data in the metabolic control

Introduction: Type 1 diabetes (T1D) risk involves genetic susceptibility but also epigenetics, environment, and behaviors. Appropriate metabolic control, especially quickly after the diagnosis, is crucial for the patient quality of life. Methods: This study aimed to produce a quantitative comparison of the behavior, nutrition habits, and gut microbiota composition between the onset and the 1-year follow-up in 35 children with T1D. Results and discussion: At follow-up, with the metabolic control, many parameters improved significantly, with respect to the onset, such as glycated hemoglobin (-19%), body mass index (BMI), and also nutritional behaviors, such as normal calorie intake (+6%), carbohydrate intake (-12%), extra portion request (-4%), and meals distribution during the day. Moreover, glycated hemoglobin decrement correlated with both total and rapid absorption carbohydrate intake (Spearman's rho = 0.288, 95% CI 0.066-0.510, p = 0.013), showing as the nutritional behavior supported the insulin therapy efficiency. The next-generation sequencing (NGS) analysis of microbiota revealed abundance differences for Ruminococcus bromii and Prevotella copri (higher at onset, p < 0.001) and the genera Succinivibrio and Faecalibacterium (lower at onset, p < 0.001), as a consequence of nutritional behavior, but it was not the only changing driver. The qRT-PCR analysis showed significant variations, in particular for Bacteroidetes and Bifidobacterium spp. (+1.56 log gene copies/g stool at follow-up, p < 0.001). During the year, in 11% of the patients, severe clinical episodes occurred (hypoglycemic or ketoacidosis). The likelihood of a severe hypoglycemic episode was modulated when the Methanobrevibacter smithii amount increased (odds ratio 3.7, 95% CI 1.2-11.4, p = 0.026). Integrated evaluation, including nutritional behavior and microbiota composition, could be considered predictive of the metabolic control management for children cohort with a recent diagnosis of T1D

Younger age at onset and sex predict celiac disease in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes. An Italian multicenter study

WSTĘP. Celem badania była ocena chorobowości w przypadku, potwierdzonej w biopsji, choroby trzewnej u włoskich dzieci i młodzieży, chorych na cukrzycę typu 1 oraz określenie zależności między wiekiem, w którym ujawniła się cukrzyca typu 1, a rozpoznaniem choroby trzewnej. MATERIAŁ I METODY. Badanie obejmowało grupę kliniczną dzieci i młodzieży w okresie dojrzewania, chorych na cukrzycę typu 1, leczonych w 25 ośrodkach we Włoszech. Co roku wykonywano u nich badania przesiewowe w kierunku celiakii, przy użyciu przeciwciał przeciwgliadynowych IgA/IgG i przeciwciał IgA przeciwko endomysium. WYNIKI. Potwierdzoną w biopsji chorobę trzewną stwierdzono u 292 z 4322 dzieci i młodzieży [chorobowość 6,8%, 95-procentowy przedział ufności (CI, confidendial interval) 6,0-7,6]; ryzyko wystąpienia choroby trzewnej było wyższe u dziewcząt niż u chłopców [współczynnik ryzyka (OR, odds ratio) 1,93; 1,51-2,47]. W 89% przypadków cukrzycę rozpoznano przed ujawnieniem się choroby trzewnej. Analiza regresji logistycznej wykazała, że młody wiek, płeć żeńska i zaburzenia czynności tarczycy były niezależnie związane z ryzykiem zachorowania na cukrzycę lub chorobę trzewną. W porównaniu z osobami, u których cukrzyca ujawniła się powyżej 9. roku życia, u osób, u których początek choroby wystąpił poniżej 4. roku życia, OR wynosił 3,27 (2,20-4,85). WNIOSKI. W niniejszej pracy wykazano, że: 1) chorobowość w przypadku potwierdzonej biopsją choroby trzewnej u dzieci i młodzieży jest wysoka (6,8%); 2) ryzyko wystąpienia obu schorzeń jest 3-krotnie wyższe u dzieci i młodzieży z cukrzycą typu 1, u których ujawniła się ona przed ukończeniem 4. roku życia niż w przypadku, kiedy początek choroby wystąpił powyżej 9. roku życia; 3) ryzyko wystąpienia obu schorzeń u dziewcząt jest wyższe niż u chłopców.INTRODUCTION. To estimate the prevalence of biopsy- confirmed celiac disease in Italian children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes and to assess whether age at onset of type 1 diabetes is independently associated with diagnosis of celiac disease. MATERIAL AND METHODS. The study group was a clinic-based cohort of children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes cared for in 25 Italian centers for childhood diabetes. Yearly screening for celiac disease was performed using IgA/IgG anti-gliadin and IgA anti-endomysium antibodies. RESULTS. Of the 4,322 children and adolescents (age 11.8 &#177; 4.2 years) identified with type 1 diabetes, biopsy-confirmed celiac disease was diagnosed in 292 (prevalence 6.8%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 6.0&#8211;7.6), with a higher risk seen in girls than in boys (odds ratio [OR] 1.93, 1.51&#8211;2.47). In 89% of these, diabetes was diagnosed before celiac disease. In logistic regression analyses, being younger at onset of diabetes, being female, and having a diagnosis of a thyroid disorder were independently associated with the risk of having diabetes and celiac disease. In comparison with subjects who were older than 9 years at onset of diabetes, subjects who were younger than 4 years at onset had an OR of 3.27 (2.20&#8211;4.85). CONCLUSIONS. We have provided evidence that 1) the prevalence of biopsy-confirmed celiac disease in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes is high (6.8%); 2) the risk of having both diseases is threefold higher in children diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 9 years; and 3) girls have a higher risk of having both diseases than boys

Risk factors for type 1 diabetes, including environmental, behavioural and gut microbial factors: a case&#8211;control study

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a common autoimmune disease that is characterized by insufficient insulin production. The onset of T1D is the result of gene-environment interactions. Sociodemographic and behavioural factors may contribute to T1D, and the gut microbiota is proposed to be a driving factor of T1D. An integrated preventive strategy for T1D is not available at present. This case-control study attempted to estimate the exposure linked to T1D to identify significant risk factors for healthy children. Forty children with T1D and 56 healthy controls were included in this study. Anthropometric, socio-economic, nutritional, behavioural, and clinical data were collected. Faecal bacteria were investigated by molecular methods. The findings showed, in multivariable model, that the risk factors for T1D include higher Firmicutes levels (OR 7.30; IC 2.26-23.54) and higher carbohydrate intake (OR 1.03; IC 1.01-1.05), whereas having a greater amount of Bifidobacterium in the gut (OR 0.13; IC 0.05 - 0.34) was a protective factor for T1D. These findings may facilitate the development of preventive strategies for T1D, such as performing genetic screening, characterizing the gut microbiota, and managing nutritional and social factors