Association between MUC1 gene polymorphism and expected progeny differences in Nelore cattle (Bos primigenius indicus)

MUC1 is a heavily glycosylated mammalian transmembrane protein expressed by mucosal secretory tissues for both protection against microbial infection and lubrication. An important characteristic of MUC1 is its variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) containing several sites for O-glycosylation. VNTR length has been associated with many human diseases and with certain economically important traits in domestic ruminants. The aim of the present study was to correlate the length of MUC1 gene VNTR with expected progeny differences (EPDs) obtained for growth, fertility and carcass traits. Five alleles were identified, with alleles containing short VNTRs being more frequent than those with long, thereby demonstrating that Brazilian Nelore cattle are characterized by high frequencies in short MUC1 VNTRs. Statistical analyses revealed there to be no significant association between VNTR length and EPDs for weight at 120 days (W120 ), scrotal circumference at 365 (SC 365 ) and 450 (SC 450 ) days, age at first calving (AFC), and rib eye area (REA)

How the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic Impacted Patients’ Hospital Admission and Care in the Vascular Surgery Divisions of the Southern Regions of the Italian Peninsula

Background: To investigate the effects of the COVID-19 lockdowns on the vasculopathic population. Methods: The Divisions of Vascular Surgery of the southern Italian peninsula joined this multicenter retrospective study. Each received a 13-point questionnaire investigating the hospitalization rate of vascular patients in the first 11 months of the COVID-19 pandemic and in the preceding 11 months. Results: 27 out of 29 Centers were enrolled. April-December 2020 (7092 patients) vs. 2019 (9161 patients): post-EVAR surveillance, hospitalization for Rutherford category 3 peripheral arterial disease, and asymptomatic carotid stenosis revascularization significantly decreased (1484 (16.2%) vs. 1014 (14.3%), p = 0.0009; 1401 (15.29%) vs. 959 (13.52%), p = 0.0006; and 1558 (17.01%) vs. 934 (13.17%), p < 0.0001, respectively), while admissions for revascularization or major amputations for chronic limb-threatening ischemia and urgent revascularization for symptomatic carotid stenosis significantly increased (1204 (16.98%) vs. 1245 (13.59%), p < 0.0001; 355 (5.01%) vs. 358 (3.91%), p = 0.0007; and 153 (2.16%) vs. 140 (1.53%), p = 0.0009, respectively). Conclusions: The suspension of elective procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic caused a significant reduction in post-EVAR surveillance, and in the hospitalization of asymptomatic carotid stenosis revascularization and Rutherford 3 peripheral arterial disease. Consequentially, we observed a significant increase in admissions for urgent revascularization for symptomatic carotid stenosis, as well as for revascularization or major amputations for chronic limb-threatening ischemia

NPM1 Deletion Is Associated with Gross Chromosomal Rearrangements in Leukemia

BACKGROUND: NPM1 gene at chromosome 5q35 is involved in recurrent translocations in leukemia and lymphoma. It also undergoes mutations in 60% of adult acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cases with normal karyotype. The incidence and significance of NPM1 deletion in human leukemia have not been elucidated. METHODOLOGY AND PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Bone marrow samples from 145 patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and AML were included in this study. Cytogenetically 43 cases had isolated 5q-, 84 cases had 5q- plus other changes and 18 cases had complex karyotype without 5q deletion. FISH and direct sequencing investigated the NPM1 gene. NPM1 deletion was an uncommon event in the "5q- syndrome" but occurred in over 40% of cases with high risk MDS/AML with complex karyotypes and 5q loss. It originated from large 5q chromosome deletions. Simultaneous exon 12 mutations were never found. NPM1 gene status was related to the pattern of complex cytogenetic aberrations. NPM1 haploinsufficiency was significantly associated with monosomies (p<0.001) and gross chromosomal rearrangements, i.e., markers, rings, and double minutes (p<0.001), while NPM1 disomy was associated with structural changes (p=0.013). Interestingly, in complex karyotypes with 5q- TP53 deletion and/or mutations are not specifically associated with NPM1 deletion. CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE: NPM1/5q35 deletion is a consistent event in MDS/AML with a 5q-/-5 in complex karyotypes. NPM1 deletion and NPM1 exon 12 mutations appear to be mutually exclusive and are associated with two distinct cytogenetic subsets of MDS and AML

Observation of the Decay Λ0b→Λ+cτ−¯ν

The first observation of the semileptonic b-baryon decay Λb0→Λc+τ-ν¯τ, with a significance of 6.1σ, is reported using a data sample corresponding to 3 fb-1 of integrated luminosity, collected by the LHCb experiment at center-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV at the LHC. The τ- lepton is reconstructed in the hadronic decay to three charged pions. The ratio K=B(Λb0→Λc+τ-ν¯τ)/B(Λb0→Λc+π-π+π-) is measured to be 2.46±0.27±0.40, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic. The branching fraction B(Λb0→Λc+τ-ν¯τ)=(1.50±0.16±0.25±0.23)% is obtained, where the third uncertainty is from the external branching fraction of the normalization channel Λb0→Λc+π-π+π-. The ratio of semileptonic branching fractions R(Λc+)B(Λb0→Λc+τ-ν¯τ)/B(Λb0→Λc+μ-ν¯μ) is derived to be 0.242±0.026±0.040±0.059, where the external branching fraction uncertainty from the channel Λb0→Λc+μ-ν¯μ contributes to the last term. This result is in agreement with the standard model prediction

A study of CP violation in the decays B±→[K+K-π+π-]Dh± (h= K, π) and B±→[π+π-π+π-]Dh±

The first study of CP violation in the decay mode B±→[K+K-π+π-]Dh± , with h= K, π , is presented, exploiting a data sample of proton–proton collisions collected by the LHCb experiment that corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 9 \,fb - 1 . The analysis is performed in bins of phase space, which are optimised for sensitivity to local CP asymmetries. CP -violating observables that are sensitive to the angle γ of the Unitarity Triangle are determined. The analysis requires external information on charm-decay parameters, which are currently taken from an amplitude analysis of LHCb data, but can be updated in the future when direct measurements become available. Measurements are also performed of phase-space integrated observables for B±→[K+K-π+π-]Dh± and B±→[π+π-π+π-]Dh± decays

Measurement of τL using the Bs0 →J/ψη decay mode

Using a proton–proton collision data sample collected by the LHCb detector and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5.7fb-1 , the lifetime of the light Bs0 mass eigenstate, τL , is measured using the Bs0→J/ψη decay mode to be τL=1.445±0.016(stat)±0.008(syst)ps. A combination of this result with a previous LHCb analysis using an independent dataset corresponding to 3 fb - 1 of integrated luminosity gives τL=1.452±0.014±0.007±0.002ps, where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second due to the uncorrelated part of the systematic uncertainty and the third due to the correlated part of the systematic uncertainty

Measurement of antiproton production from antihyperon decays in pHe collisions at √sNN=110GeV

The interpretation of cosmic antiproton flux measurements from space-borne experiments is currently limited by the knowledge of the antiproton production cross-section in collisions between primary cosmic rays and the interstellar medium. Using collisions of protons with an energy of 6.5 TeV incident on helium nuclei at rest in the proximity of the interaction region of the LHCb experiment, the ratio of antiprotons originating from antihyperon decays to prompt production is measured for antiproton momenta between 12 and 110GeV\!/c . The dominant antihyperon contribution, namely Λ¯ → p¯ π+ decays from promptly produced Λ¯ particles, is also exclusively measured. The results complement the measurement of prompt antiproton production obtained from the same data sample. At the energy scale of this measurement, the antihyperon contributions to antiproton production are observed to be significantly larger than predictions of commonly used hadronic production models

Observation of the doubly charmed baryon decay Ξcc++→Ξc′+π+

The Ξcc++→Ξc′+π+ decay is observed using proton-proton collisions collected by the LHCb experiment at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5.4 fb−1. The Ξcc++→Ξc′+π+ decay is reconstructed partially, where the photon from the Ξc′+→Ξc+γ decay is not reconstructed and the pK−π+ final state of the Ξc+ baryon is employed. The Ξcc++→Ξc′+π+branching fraction relative to that of the Ξcc++→Ξc+π+ decay is measured to be 1.41 ± 0.17 ± 0.10, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic. [Figure not available: see fulltext.