scholarly journals Effect of Dairy, Season, and Sampling Position on Physical Properties of Trentingrana Cheese: Application of an LMM-ASCA Model

Foods ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 127
Author(s):  
Michele Ricci ◽  
Flavia Gasperi ◽  
Isabella Endrizzi ◽  
Leonardo Menghi ◽  
Danny Cliceri ◽  
...  

Trentingrana hard cheese is a geographic specification of the PDO Grana Padano. It is produced according to an internal regulation by many cooperative dairy factories in the Trentino region (northern Italy), using a semi-artisanal process (the only allowed ingredients are milk, salt, and rennet). Within the PSR project TRENTINGRANA, colorimetric and textural measurements have been collected from 317 cheese wheels, which were sampled bi-monthly from all the consortium dairies (n = 15) within the timeframe of two years, to estimate the effect on physical properties related to the season of the year and the dairy factory implant. To estimate the effect of the dairy and the time of the year, considering the internal variability of each cheese wheel, a linear mixed-effect model combined with a simultaneous component analysis (LMM-ASCA) is proposed. Results show that all the factors have a significant effect on the colorimetric and textural properties of the cheese. There are five clusters of dairies producing cheese with similar properties, three different couples of months of the year when the cheese produced is significantly different from all the others, and the effect of the geometry of the cheese wheel is reported as well.

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel E. Runcie ◽  
Jiayi Qu ◽  
Hao Cheng ◽  
Lorin Crawford

AbstractLarge-scale phenotype data can enhance the power of genomic prediction in plant and animal breeding, as well as human genetics. However, the statistical foundation of multi-trait genomic prediction is based on the multivariate linear mixed effect model, a tool notorious for its fragility when applied to more than a handful of traits. We present , a statistical framework and associated software package for mixed model analyses of a virtually unlimited number of traits. Using three examples with real plant data, we show that can leverage thousands of traits at once to significantly improve genetic value prediction accuracy.


Author(s):  
Kristy A. Martire ◽  
Bethany Growns ◽  
Agnes S. Bali ◽  
Bronte Montgomery-Farrer ◽  
Stephanie Summersby ◽  
...  

AbstractPast research suggests that an uncritical or ‘lazy’ style of evaluating evidence may play a role in the development and maintenance of implausible beliefs. We examine this possibility by using a quasi-experimental design to compare how low- and high-quality evidence is evaluated by those who do and do not endorse implausible claims. Seven studies conducted during 2019–2020 provided the data for this analysis (N = 746). Each of the seven primary studies presented participants with high- and/or low-quality evidence and measured implausible claim endorsement and evaluations of evidence persuasiveness (via credibility, value, and/or weight). A linear mixed-effect model was used to predict persuasiveness from the interaction between implausible claim endorsement and evidence quality. Our results showed that endorsers were significantly more persuaded by the evidence than non-endorsers, but both groups were significantly more persuaded by high-quality than low-quality evidence. The interaction between endorsement and evidence quality was not significant. These results suggest that the formation and maintenance of implausible beliefs by endorsers may result from less critical evidence evaluations rather than a failure to analyse. This is consistent with a limited rather than a lazy approach and suggests that interventions to develop analytical skill may be useful for minimising the effects of implausible claims.


2013 ◽  
Vol 33 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Petra A Prins ◽  
Michael Hill ◽  
David Airey ◽  
Sam Nwosu ◽  
Prudhvidhar R Perati ◽  
...  

Background Although hyperlipidemia is known to augment the incidence of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) in the AngII-induced model of apolipoprotein E -/- mice, its relationship to AAA size is unknown. Therefore, we evaluated the relationship between total cholesterol concentration (TC) and change (delta) in aortic diameter. Methods TC was measured in 36 male mice that underwent a 4-week infusion period with saline (n=9) or AngII (1500 ng/kg/min; n=27), along with serial measurements of pulse rate (PR), and pulse (PP), mean arterial (MAP), systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) pressure. A linear mixed effect model was used to assess the relationship between all hemodynamic parameters and delta. Nonparametric and linear regression methods were used to evaluate TC in relation to delta. Results TC did not differ between AngII and control mice (Figure, bottom left) (p=0.18). The burden of atherosclerosis was greater among AngII-exposed mice versus control, but did not differ by presence or size of AAA (Figure, bottom right). None of the hemodynamic parameters were predictive of delta (SBP, p = 0.66; DBP, p = 0.66; MAP, p = 0.55; PP, p = 0.66; and PR, p = 0.39). Mean TC was higher among mice with large versus small AAA (552.6 vs. 393.5 mg/ ml, p<0.05; Figure, top right). The nonparametric smoothing line (Figure, top left) suggests a first order relationship between delta and TC (p for trend < 0.001). AngII (ß = 0.48, p < 0.001) and TC (ß = 0.0015, p = 0.003) were independent predictors in the linear model for delta. Conclusions Our findings suggest that TC is incrementally associated with AAA size. These findings may have potential clinical relevance for risk assessment in AAA patients. Figure


2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (5) ◽  
pp. 1113-1139
Author(s):  
Xiuli Tong ◽  
Qinli Deng ◽  
Hélène Deacon ◽  
Jean Saint-Aubin ◽  
Suiping Wang

AbstractThis study examined how language knowledge and item properties (i.e., semantic relatedness and position) influenced Chinese missing logographeme effects. Eighty-four Chinese readers and 53 English readers were asked to search for the Chinese logographeme 口 while reading a Chinese prose passage. The target 口 appeared in five different positions (i.e., left, right, top, bottom, or inside), varying its degree of semantic relatedness to its embedded characters. The generalized linear mixed-effect model revealed a significant interaction between semantic relatedness and position in Chinese, but not in English, readers when visual complexity and frequency were controlled. For Chinese readers, a higher omission rate occurred when 口 appeared in the top and inside positions and exhibited low semantic relatedness with its embedded characters, whereas 口 was omitted more when it was positioned on the right and exhibited high semantic relatedness to its embedded characters. English readers exhibited a different omission pattern: 口 was omitted more when it appeared in the left or right position irrespective of semantic relatedness. In addition, 口 was omitted more in the inside, rather than the bottom, position. These findings suggest that the omission rate of the logographeme is determined by item properties at the sublexical level and the reader’s language knowledge.


2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 366
Author(s):  
Heather L. Mead ◽  
Paris S. Hamm ◽  
Isaac N. Shaffer ◽  
Marcus de Melo Teixeira ◽  
Christopher S. Wendel ◽  
...  

Coccidioidomycosis, or Valley fever, is caused by two species of dimorphic fungi. Based on molecular phylogenetic evidence, the genus Coccidioides contains two reciprocally monophyletic species: C. immitis and C. posadasii. However, phenotypic variation between species has not been deeply investigated. We therefore explored differences in growth rate under various conditions. A collection of 39 C. posadasii and 46 C. immitis isolates, representing the full geographical range of the two species, was screened for mycelial growth rate at 37 °C and 28 °C on solid media. The radial growth rate was measured for 16 days on yeast extract agar. A linear mixed effect model was used to compare the growth rate of C. posadasii and C. immitis at 37 °C and 28 °C, respectively. C. posadasii grew significantly faster at 37 °C, when compared to C. immitis; whereas both species had similar growth rates at 28 °C. These results indicate thermotolerance differs between these two species. As the ecological niche has not been well-described for Coccidioides spp., and disease variability between species has not been shown, the evolutionary pressure underlying the adaptation is unclear. However, this research reveals the first significant phenotypic difference between the two species that directly applies to ecological research.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ohad Regev ◽  
Gal Cohen ◽  
Amnon Hadar ◽  
Jeny Schoster ◽  
Hagit Flusser ◽  
...  

Background: Despite evidence for the prenatal onset of abnormal head growth in ASD children, studies on fetal ultrasound data in ASD are limited and controversial. Methods: A longitudinal matched case-sibling-control study on prenatal ultrasound biometric measures of ASD children was conducted. Children with ASD were matched to two control groups: (1) typically developed sibling (TDS) and (2) typically developed population (TDP). The cohort comprised 528 children (72.7% males): 174 ASD, 178 TDS, and 176 TDP. Results: Second-trimester ASD and TDS fetuses had significantly smaller biparietal diameter (BPD) than TDP fetuses (aORzBPD=0.685, 95%CI=0.527−0.890 and aORzBPD=0.587, 95%CI=0.459−0.751, respectively). However, these differences became statistically indistinguishable in the third trimester. Head biometric measures were associated with the sex of the fetus, with males having larger heads than females within and across groups. A linear mixed-effect model assessing the effects of sex and group assignment on fetal longitudinal head growth indicated faster BPD growth in TDS vs both ASD and TDP in males (β=0.084 and β=0.100 respectively; p<0.001) but not in females, suggesting an ASD−sex interaction in head growth during gestation. Fetal head shape showed sex-specific characteristics, and head growth was inversely correlated with ASD severity in males and females, thus further supporting the sex effect on the association between fetal head growth and ASD. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that abnormal fetal head growth is a familial trait of ASD, which is modulated by sex and is associated with the severity of the disorder. Thus, it could serve as an early biomarker for ASD.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ming Cui ◽  
Jing-Kai Liu ◽  
Bang Zheng ◽  
Qiao-Fei Liu ◽  
Lu Zhang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: The clinical outcomes of distal pancreatectomy with splenectomy (DPS) and spleen-preserving distal pancreatectomy (SPDP) patients have been generally investigated. However, postoperative hematological changes after distal pancreatectomy with or without splenectomy are poorly understood. Methods: Information from patients undergoing distal pancreatectomy (DP) between January 2014 and June 2019 at a single institution was reviewed. A linear mixed-effect model was used to compare dynamic hematological changes between different groups. Results: In total, 302 patients who underwent DP were enrolled. In the long term, most postoperative hematological parameters remained significantly higher than preoperative levels in the DPS group, while postoperative lymphocyte, monocyte, basophil, and platelet levels returned to preoperative levels in the SPDP group. All postoperative hematological parameters except for red blood cell count and serum hemoglobulin level were significantly higher in the DPS group than in the SPDP group. There were no significant differences in hematological changes between the splenic vessel preservation (SVP) and Warshaw technique (WT) groups. Conclusions: Postoperative hematological changes were significantly different between the DPS and SPDP groups. Compared to DPS, SPDP reduced abnormal hematological changes caused by splenectomy. SVP and WT were comparable in terms of postoperative hematological changes.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S909-S910
Author(s):  
Yujia (Susanna) Qiao ◽  
Theresa Gmelin ◽  
Robert M Boudreau ◽  
Stacy L Andersen ◽  
Stephanie Cosentino ◽  
...  

Abstract Lower physical activity is cross-sectionally associated with greater fatigability; whether such a relationship holds for longitudinal changes in fatigability is under-studied. We examined this question in offspring (≥60 years, range 60-93y, 99.7% white; 53.2% female) enrolled in the Long Life Family Study, a two-generation cohort enriched for exceptional longevity and their spousal controls. At Visit 2 (2014-2017), we measured self-reported physical activity (PA) with the Framingham Physical Activity Index (dichotomized by median value: less active &lt;37 MET-hrs/wk and more active ≥37 MET-hrs/wk). Perceived physical fatigability was assessed using the Pittsburgh Fatigability Scale (PFS, 0-50) at Visit 2 and repeated during a follow-up contact 2.7±0.92 years later. We constructed a repeated-measures linear mixed-effect model to examine the effect of PA on longitudinal change in PFS by median age (younger &lt;70y; older ≥70y) adjusted for family structure, field center, follow-up time, sex, and self-rated health. We found a strong dose-response relationship of PFS scores across the four age/PA groups (ptrend&lt;0.001). Specifically, older/less active (N=310) participants had the highest annual PFS increases of 0.37 points/yr (p&lt;0.001) while those older/more active (N=340) had annual increases of 0.17 points/yr (p=0.03). Younger/less active (N=371) participants had annual PFS increases of 0.09 points/yr (p=0.008); those younger/more active (N=341) had annual decreases (improvement) of 0.18 points/yr (p&lt;0.001). Although annual PFS changes were modest, our findings indicate physical activity attenuated age differences in these trajectories. Physical activity is emerging as a potential target for intervention aimed at reducing fatigability - an important risk factor in the disability pathway.


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