838 research outputs found
An Analysis of Fitness Affiliated Direct-To-Consumer Genetic Tests
Based on current scientific literature, Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) genetic tests for fitness capability generally lack validation and have little predictive value. We aimed to evaluate DTC genetic fitness testing companies found through Google searches. Website information including genes tested and claims made by the companies was collected. In total, thirty-one companies were evaluated. Only 8 of 31 companies identify genes being tested and of these 8, only 4 cite any scientific literature. The 6 most common genes tested (MCGT) were ACE, ACTN3, AGT, FTO, IL6, a nd PPARG. The 5 most common claims (MCC) were genetically tailored nutrition, genetically tailored workout, information on injury risk, personalized fitness program, and response to training. Given the lack of information provided by the companies, we cannot fully assess the claims, and can only express skepticism about the limited value of such testing as per the current scientific literature. Therefore, more research is needed to better understand genetic differences associated with athletic traits for the benefit of consumers
SLIP4EX- a program for routine slope stability analysis to include the effects of vegetation, reinforcement and hydrological changes
SLIP4EX is a straightforward computer program developed in connection with the EU funded ECOSLOPES project for routine stability analysis and the assessment of the contribution of vegetation to slope stability. The slope section is drawn up and dimensions and parameters are fed in to the Microsoft Excel based program for stability calculations and comparisons of Factors of Safety using different methods of analysis (Bishop, Janbu, Fellenius, Simple, Greenwood). The background and assumptions involved in the derivation of each of the methods is briefly described. The simplicity of the program enables the user to understand the nature of the analysis, explore the parameter assumptions made and compare the different methods of analysis. Soil reinforcement by geosynthetic layers or anchors, and vegetation effects of enhanced cohesion, changed water pressures, mass of vegetation, wind forces and root reinforcement forces are readily included in the analysis. The program is freely available on request from the author
Using Lightweight Activity Diagrams for Modeling and Generation of Web Information Systems
The development process of web information systems nowadays improved a lot
regarding effectiveness and tool support, but still contains many redundant
steps for similar tasks. In order to overcome this, we use a model-driven
approach to specify a web information system in an agile way and generate a
full- edged and runnable application from a set of models. The covered aspects
of the system comprise data structure, page structure including view on data,
page- and workflow within the system as well as overall application structure
and user rights management. Appropriate tooling allows transforming these
models to complete systems and thus gives us opportunity for a lightweight
development process based on models. In this paper, we describe how we approach
the page- and workflow aspect by using activity diagrams as part of the agile
modeling approach MontiWIS. We give an overview of the defined syntax, describe
the supported forms of action contents and finally explain how the behavior is
realized in the generated application.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figure
Avoided intersections of nodal lines
We consider real eigen-functions of the Schr\"odinger operator in 2-d. The
nodal lines of separable systems form a regular grid, and the number of nodal
crossings equals the number of nodal domains. In contrast, for wave functions
of non integrable systems nodal intersections are rare, and for random waves,
the expected number of intersections in any finite area vanishes. However,
nodal lines display characteristic avoided crossings which we study in the
present work. We define a measure for the avoidance range and compute its
distribution for the random waves ensemble. We show that the avoidance range
distribution of wave functions of chaotic systems follow the expected random
wave distributions, whereas for wave functions of classically integrable but
quantum non-separable wave functions, the distribution is quite different.
Thus, the study of the avoidance distribution provides more support to the
conjecture that nodal structures of chaotic systems are reproduced by the
predictions of the random waves ensemble.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figure
Classical versus quantum dynamics of the atomic Josephson junction
We compare the classical (mean-field) dynamics with the quantum dynamics of
atomic Bose-Einstein condensates in double-well potentials. The quantum
dynamics are computed using a simple scheme based upon the Raman-Nath
equations. Two different methods for exciting a non-equilbrium state are
considered: an asymmetry between the wells which is suddenly removed, and a
periodic time oscillating asymmetry. The first method generates wave packets
that lead to collapses and revivals of the expectation values of the
macroscopic variables, and we calculate the time scale for these revivals. The
second method permits the excitation of a single energy eigenstate of the
many-particle system, including Schroedinger cat states. We also discuss a band
theory interpretation of the energy level structure of an asymmetric
double-well, thereby identifying analogies to Bloch oscillations and Bragg
resonances. Both the Bloch and Bragg dynamics are purely quantum and are not
contained in the mean-field treatment.Comment: 31 pages, 14 figure
How to diagnose the cause of sudden cardiac arrest
Sudden cardiac death or sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is defined as natural death that occurs
within an hour of the onset of acute symptoms or during sleep due to a primary cardiac cause.
Most cases of SCA are attributable to coronary artery disease, with occult cardiomyopathy or
inheritable arrhythmic syndromes accounting for a minority of SCA. Diagnosing the cause of
SCA has potential implications for the patient and the family, and demands a comprehensive
approach. This review summarizes the potential causes of SCA and outlines a systematic
diagnostic approach to the SCA survivor. (Cardiol J 2011; 18, 2: 210-216
tRNA shape is an identity element for an archaeal pyrrolysyl-tRNA synthetase from the human gut
\ua9 The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.Protein translation is orchestrated through tRNA aminoacylation and ribosomal elongation. Among the highly conserved structure of tRNAs, they have distinguishing features which promote interaction with their cognate aminoacyl tRNA synthetase (aaRS). These key features are referred to as identity elements. In our study, we investigated the tRNA:aaRS pair that installs the 22nd amino acid, pyrrolysine (tRNAPyl:PylRS). Pyrrolysyl-tRNA synthetases (PylRSs) are naturally encoded in some archaeal and bacterial genomes to acylate tRNAPyl with pyrrolysine. Their large amino acid binding pocket and poor recognition of the tRNA anticodon have been instrumental in incorporating >200 noncanonical amino acids. PylRS enzymes can be divided into three classes based on their genomic structure. Two classes contain both an N-terminal and C-terminal domain, however the third class (ΔpylSn) lacks the N-terminal domain. In this study we explored the tRNA identity elements for a ΔpylSn tRNAPyl from Candidatus Methanomethylophilus alvus which drives the orthogonality seen with its cognate PylRS (MaPylRS). From aminoacylation and translation assays we identified five key elements in ΔpylSn tRNAPyl necessary for MaPylRS activity. The absence of a base (position 8) and a G-U wobble pair (G28:U42) were found to affect the high-resolution structure of the tRNA, while molecular dynamic simulations led us to acknowledge the rigidity imparted from the G-C base pairs (G3:C70 and G5:C68).Enzymes known as PylRS offer the remarkable ability to expand the natural genetic code of a living cell with unnatural amino acids. Currently, over 200 unnatural amino acids can be genetically encoded with the help of PylRS and its partner tRNAPyl, enabling us to endow proteins with novel properties, or regulate protein activity using light or inducible cross-linking. One intriguing feature of PylRS enzymes is their ability to avoid cross-reactivity when two PylRS homologs from different organisms-such as those from the archaea Methanosarcina mazei and Methanomethylophilus alvus-are co-expressed in a single cell. This makes it possible to simultaneously encode two unnatural amino acids in a single protein. This study illuminates the elusive mechanism of PylRS specificity by using cryo-electron microscopy, biochemistry and molecular simulations. The interaction of PylRS from M. alvus with its tRNAPyl is best described as two pieces of a jigsaw puzzle; in which PylRS recognizes the unique shape of its cognate tRNA instead of specific nucleotides in the tRNA sequence like other tRNA-binding enzymes. This finding may streamline the rational design of tools for simultaneous genetic incorporation of multiple unnatural amino acids, thereby facilitating the development of valuable proteins for research, medicine, and biotechnology
Health-state utilities in a prisoner population : a cross-sectional survey
Background: Health-state utilities for prisoners have not been described.
Methods: We used data from a 1996 cross-sectional survey of Australian prisoners (n = 734).
Respondent-level SF-36 data was transformed into utility scores by both the SF-6D and Nichol's
method. Socio-demographic and clinical predictors of SF-6D utility were assessed in univariate
analyses and a multivariate general linear model.
Results: The overall mean SF-6D utility was 0.725 (SD 0.119). When subdivided by various medical
conditions, prisoner SF-6D utilities ranged from 0.620 for angina to 0.764 for those with none/mild
depressive symptoms. Utilities derived by the Nichol's method were higher than SF-6D scores,
often by more than 0.1. In multivariate analysis, significant independent predictors of worse utility
included female gender, increasing age, increasing number of comorbidities and more severe
depressive symptoms.
Conclusion: The utilities presented may prove useful for future economic and decision models
evaluating prison-based health programs
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