Phenotypic and genetic analysis of carcass quality of different breeds’ fatlings

Dissection and quantitative-genetic analysis of carcass quality was performed on 318 fatlings of 5 different pig breeds: German, Dutch and Belgian Landrace, Yorkshire and Hampshire. Significant fixed effects (sex and genotype) and regression effects (age and body weight at slaughter) were fitted in the statistical model. Genetic parameters were estimated using the restricted maximum likelihood (REML) procedure based on an animal model with multivariate analyses. Heritability estimates for carcass traits were moderate to high except for back weight and neck weight. Among most of the carcass quality traits, the midrange strong and very strong positive genetic and phenotypic correlations were established. The traits that were analyzed showed sufficient genetic variation, indicating that their improvement is possible through genetic selection. Genetic variability was stable and expressed and justified further genetic changes in the desired direction

Is anxiety sensitivity a risk factor for, or complication of, alcohol misuse? A meta-analysis

Anxiety sensitivity (AS) refers to a dispositional tendency to respond to one's anxiety sensations with fear. Longstanding theoretical accounts implicate AS in alcohol misuse; however, the relationship between AS and alcohol misuse remains unclear. We addressed this by testing whether AS is a risk factor for, and/or complication of, alcohol misuse by conducting a rigorous meta-analysis using random effect models. Our literature search yielded 15 studies (N = 9459). Studies were included if they used a longitudinal design, assessed AS and alcohol misuse at baseline, and assessed alcohol misuse and/or AS at follow-up. Results failed to support AS as a risk factor for, or complication of, alcohol misuse. Researchers are encouraged to test if the link between AS and alcohol misuse emerges under specific conditions (e.g., elevated state anxiety)

Inclusive meson production in peripheral collisions of ultrarelativistic heavy ions

There exist several proposals to use Weizs\"{a}cker-Williams photons generated by ultrarelativistic heavy ions to produce exotic particles in $\gamma\gamma$ fusion reactions. To estimate the background conditions for such reactions we analyze various mechanisms of meson production in very peripheral collisions of ultrarelativistic heavy ions at RHIC and LHC energies. Besides $\gamma\gamma$ fusion they include also electromagnetic $\gamma A$ interactions and strong nucleon-nucleon interactions in grazing $AA$ collisions. All these processes are characterised by low multiplicities of produced particles. $\gamma A$ and $AA$ events are simulated by corresponding Monte Carlo codes, RELDIS and FRITIOF. In each of these processes a certain fraction of pions is produced close to the mid-rapidity region that gives a background for the $\gamma\gamma$ events. The possibility of selecting mesons produced in $\gamma\gamma$ fusion events via different $p_t$ cut procedures is demonstrated.Comment: 27 pages with 4 eps-figures included, uses axodraw.sty Tab.2 and 3 correcte

Particle emission following Coulomb excitation in ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collisions

We study nuclear reactions induced by virtual photons associated with Lorentz-boosted Coulomb fields of ultrarelativistic heavy ions. Evaporation, fission and multifragmentation mechanisms are included in a new RELDIS code, which describes the deexcitation of residual nuclei formed after single and double photon absorption in peripheral heavy-ion collisions. Partial cross sections for different dissociation channels, including the multiple neutron emission ones, are calculated and compared with data when available. Rapidity and transverse momentum distributions of nucleons, nuclear fragments and pions, produced electromagnetically, are also calculated. These results provide important information for designing large-rapidity detectors and zero-degree calorimeters at RHIC and LHC. The electromagnetic dissociation of nuclei imposes some constrains on the investigation of exotic particle production in gamma-gamma fusion reactions.Comment: 26 LaTeX pages including 8 figures, uses epsf.st

Lymphocyte subsets and the role of Th1/Th2 balance in stressed chronic pain patients

Background: The complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) and fibromyalgia (FM) are chronic pain syndromes occurring in highly stressed individuals. Despite the known connection between the nervous system and immune cells, information on distribution of lymphocyte subsets under stress and pain conditions is limited. Methods: We performed a comparative study in 15 patients with CRPS type I, 22 patients with FM and 37 age- and sex-matched healthy controls and investigated the influence of pain and stress on lymphocyte number, subpopulations and the Th1/Th2 cytokine ratio in T lymphocytes. Results: Lymphocyte numbers did not differ between groups. Quantitative analyses of lymphocyte subpopulations showed a significant reduction of cytotoxic CD8+ lymphocytes in both CRPS (p < 0.01) and FM (p < 0.05) patients as compared with healthy controls. Additionally, CRPS patients were characterized by a lower percentage of IL-2-producing T cell subpopulations reflecting a diminished Th1 response in contrast to no changes in the Th2 cytokine profile. Conclusions: Future studies are warranted to answer whether such immunological changes play a pathogenetic role in CRPS and FM or merely reflect the consequences of a pain-induced neurohumoral stress response, and whether they contribute to immunosuppression in stressed chronic pain patients. Copyright (c) 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel

Size matters: a view of selenocysteine incorporation from the ribosome

This review focuses on the known factors required for selenocysteine (Sec) incorporation in eukaryotes and highlights recent findings that have compelled us to propose a new model for the mechanism of Sec incorporation. In light of this data we also review the controversial aspects of the previous modelspecifically regarding the proposed interaction between SBP2 and eEFSec. In addition, the relevance of two recently discovered factors in the recoding of Sec are reviewed. The role of the ribosome in this process is emphasized along with a detailed analysis of kinkturn structures present in the ribosome and the L7Ae RNA-binding motif present in SBP2 and other proteins

The Honey Bee Epigenomes: Differential Methylation of Brain DNA in Queens and Workers

Using genome-wide methylation profiles in honey bee queen and worker brains to understand how contrasting organismal outputs are generated from the same genotype

The effect of type of femoral component fixation on mortality and morbidity after hip hemiarthroplasty:A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Hip hemiarthroplasty is a well-established treatment of displaced femoral neck fracture, although debate exists over whether cemented or uncemented fixation is superior. Uncemented prostheses have typically been used in younger, healthier patients and cemented prostheses in older patients with less-stable bone. Also, earlier research has suggested that bone cement has cytotoxic effects and may trigger cardiovascular and respiratory adverse events. Questions/Purposes: The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to compare morbidity and mortality rates after cemented and uncemented hemiarthroplasty for the treatment of displaced femoral neck fractures in elderly patients. Methods: Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, we searched seven medical databases for randomized clinical trials and observational studies. We compared cemented and uncemented hemiarthroplasty using the Harris Hip Score (HHS), as well as measures of postoperative pain, mortality, and complications. Data were extracted and pooled as risk ratios or standardized mean difference with their corresponding 95% confidence intervals in a meta-analysis model. Results: The meta-analysis included 34 studies (12 randomized trials and 22 observational studies), with a total of 42,411 patients. In the pooled estimate, cemented hemiarthroplasty was associated with less risk of postoperative pain than uncemented hemiarthroplasty. There were no significant differences between groups regarding HHS or rates of postoperative mortality, pulmonary embolism, cardiac arrest, myocardial infarction, acute cardiac arrhythmia, or deep venous thrombosis. Conclusions: While we found that cemented hemiarthroplasty results in less postoperative pain than uncemented hemiarthroplasty in older patients with femoral neck fracture, the lack of significant differences in functional hip scores, mortality, and complications was surprising. Further high-level research is needed