Genome-wide association study for femur-related traits in broilers.

Abstract: Due to the intense selection for heavier and faster growing broilers, metabolic disorders such as skeletal problems became a worldwide concern. Advances in genome-wide association study (GWAS) methodologies increased the possibility of elucidating the genetic architecture controlling bone integrity traits. Therefore, the aim of this study was to perform a GWAS to identify potential genetic markers and candidate genes associated with femur traits in a paternal broiler line developed by Embrapa. To this, three femur bone-related traits were evaluated in 1,433 chickens: dry matter (FDM), ash content (FAC) and breaking strength (FBS). Chickens were genotyped using the 600K Affymetrix® Axiom® HD panel. A total of 16 regions associated to FAC, being a significant SNP in the GGA19 (rs317696422) and 15 suggestive SNPs in the GGA1, GGA2, GGA3, GGA5, GGA8, GGA13, GGA19 and GGA24. For FDM, only one SNP (GGA1) was significantly associated and was located in the DSCAM gene. For the FBS, two suggestive regions (GGA12 and GGA15) were found and no QTLs were described for this trait in these regions. According to the results, new candidate genes and miRNAs related to ossification, such as TPVR2, gga-mir-146a and PCP4 were associated to important femur traits in the broiler line under study. Resumo:Devido à intensa seleção de frangos de corte mais pesados ​​e de crescimento mais rápido, distúrbios metabólicos, como problemas esqueléticos, tornaram-se uma preocupação mundial. Avanços em metodologias de estudo de associação genômica ampla (GWAS) aumentaram a possibilidade de elucidar a arquitetura genética controlando características de integridade óssea. Portanto, o objetivo deste estudo foi realizar um GWAS para identificar potenciais marcadores genéticos e genes candidatos associados às características do fêmur em uma linhagem de frangos de corte paterna desenvolvida pela Embrapa. Para isso, três características relacionadas ao osso do fêmur foram avaliadas em 1.433 aves: matéria seca (FDM), teor de cinzas (FAC) e resistência à ruptura (FBS). As galinhas foram genotipadas usando o painel 600y Affymetrix® Axiom® HD. Um total de 16 regiões associadas ao FAC, sendo um significativo SNP no GGA19 (rs317696422) e 15 SNPs sugestivos no GGA1, GGA2, GGA3, GGA5, GGA8, GGA13, GGA19 e GGA24. Para FDM, apenas um SNP (GGA1) foi significativamente associado e foi localizado no gene DSCAM. Para o FBS, duas regiões sugestivas (GGA12 e GGA15) foram encontradas e não foram descritos QTLs para essa característica nessas regiões. De acordo com os resultados, novos genes candidatos e miRNAs relacionados à ossificação, como TPVR2, gga-mir-146a e PCP4, foram associados a importantes características do fêmur na linha de frangos em estudo

Charge separation relative to the reaction plane in Pb-Pb collisions at sNN=2.76\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}= 2.76 TeV

Measurements of charge dependent azimuthal correlations with the ALICE detector at the LHC are reported for Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}} = 2.76$ TeV. Two- and three-particle charge-dependent azimuthal correlations in the pseudo-rapidity range $|\eta| < 0.8$ are presented as a function of the collision centrality, particle separation in pseudo-rapidity, and transverse momentum. A clear signal compatible with a charge-dependent separation relative to the reaction plane is observed, which shows little or no collision energy dependence when compared to measurements at RHIC energies. This provides a new insight for understanding the nature of the charge dependent azimuthal correlations observed at RHIC and LHC energies.Comment: 12 pages, 3 captioned figures, authors from page 2 to 6, published version, figures at http://aliceinfo.cern.ch/ArtSubmission/node/286

Multiplicity dependence of jet-like two-particle correlations in p-Pb collisions at sNN\sqrt{s_{NN}} = 5.02 TeV

Two-particle angular correlations between unidentified charged trigger and associated particles are measured by the ALICE detector in p-Pb collisions at a nucleon-nucleon centre-of-mass energy of 5.02 TeV. The transverse-momentum range 0.7 $< p_{\rm{T}, assoc} < p_{\rm{T}, trig} <$ 5.0 GeV/$c$ is examined, to include correlations induced by jets originating from low momen\-tum-transfer scatterings (minijets). The correlations expressed as associated yield per trigger particle are obtained in the pseudorapidity range $|\eta|<0.9$. The near-side long-range pseudorapidity correlations observed in high-multiplicity p-Pb collisions are subtracted from both near-side short-range and away-side correlations in order to remove the non-jet-like components. The yields in the jet-like peaks are found to be invariant with event multiplicity with the exception of events with low multiplicity. This invariance is consistent with the particles being produced via the incoherent fragmentation of multiple parton--parton scatterings, while the yield related to the previously observed ridge structures is not jet-related. The number of uncorrelated sources of particle production is found to increase linearly with multiplicity, suggesting no saturation of the number of multi-parton interactions even in the highest multiplicity p-Pb collisions. Further, the number scales in the intermediate multiplicity region with the number of binary nucleon-nucleon collisions estimated with a Glauber Monte-Carlo simulation.Comment: 23 pages, 6 captioned figures, 1 table, authors from page 17, published version, figures at http://aliceinfo.cern.ch/ArtSubmission/node/161

Multi-particle azimuthal correlations in p-Pb and Pb-Pb collisions at the CERN Large Hadron Collider

Measurements of multi-particle azimuthal correlations (cumulants) for charged particles in p-Pb and Pb-Pb collisions are presented. They help address the question of whether there is evidence for global, flow-like, azimuthal correlations in the p-Pb system. Comparisons are made to measurements from the larger Pb-Pb system, where such evidence is established. In particular, the second harmonic two-particle cumulants are found to decrease with multiplicity, characteristic of a dominance of few-particle correlations in p-Pb collisions. However, when a $|\Delta \eta|$ gap is placed to suppress such correlations, the two-particle cumulants begin to rise at high-multiplicity, indicating the presence of global azimuthal correlations. The Pb-Pb values are higher than the p-Pb values at similar multiplicities. In both systems, the second harmonic four-particle cumulants exhibit a transition from positive to negative values when the multiplicity increases. The negative values allow for a measurement of $v_{2}\{4\}$ to be made, which is found to be higher in Pb-Pb collisions at similar multiplicities. The second harmonic six-particle cumulants are also found to be higher in Pb-Pb collisions. In Pb-Pb collisions, we generally find $v_{2}\{4\} \simeq v_{2}\{6\}\neq 0$ which is indicative of a Bessel-Gaussian function for the $v_{2}$ distribution. For very high-multiplicity Pb-Pb collisions, we observe that the four- and six-particle cumulants become consistent with 0. Finally, third harmonic two-particle cumulants in p-Pb and Pb-Pb are measured. These are found to be similar for overlapping multiplicities, when a $|\Delta\eta| > 1.4$ gap is placed.Comment: 25 pages, 11 captioned figures, 3 tables, authors from page 20, published version, figures at http://aliceinfo.cern.ch/ArtSubmission/node/87

A note on comonotonicity and positivity of the control components of decoupled quadratic FBSDE

In this small note we are concerned with the solution of Forward-Backward Stochastic Differential Equations (FBSDE) with drivers that grow quadratically in the control component (quadratic growth FBSDE or qgFBSDE). The main theorem is a comparison result that allows comparing componentwise the signs of the control processes of two different qgFBSDE. As a byproduct one obtains conditions that allow establishing the positivity of the control process.Comment: accepted for publicatio

Transverse sphericity of primary charged particles in minimum bias proton-proton collisions at s=0.9\sqrt{s}=0.9, 2.76 and 7 TeV

Measurements of the sphericity of primary charged particles in minimum bias proton--proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=0.9$, 2.76 and 7 TeV with the ALICE detector at the LHC are presented. The observable is linearized to be collinear safe and is measured in the plane perpendicular to the beam direction using primary charged tracks with $p_{\rm T}\geq0.5$ GeV/c in $|\eta|\leq0.8$. The mean sphericity as a function of the charged particle multiplicity at mid-rapidity ($N_{\rm ch}$) is reported for events with different $p_{\rm T}$ scales ("soft" and "hard") defined by the transverse momentum of the leading particle. In addition, the mean charged particle transverse momentum versus multiplicity is presented for the different event classes, and the sphericity distributions in bins of multiplicity are presented. The data are compared with calculations of standard Monte Carlo event generators. The transverse sphericity is found to grow with multiplicity at all collision energies, with a steeper rise at low $N_{\rm ch}$, whereas the event generators show the opposite tendency. The combined study of the sphericity and the mean $p_{\rm T}$ with multiplicity indicates that most of the tested event generators produce events with higher multiplicity by generating more back-to-back jets resulting in decreased sphericity (and isotropy). The PYTHIA6 generator with tune PERUGIA-2011 exhibits a noticeable improvement in describing the data, compared to the other tested generators.Comment: 21 pages, 9 captioned figures, 3 tables, authors from page 16, published version, figures from http://aliceinfo.cern.ch/ArtSubmission/node/308