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Intramuscular fat (IMF) is a key index to measure the tenderness and flavor of pork. Wannanhua pig, a famous indigenous pig breed in Anhui Province, is renowned for its high lipid deposition and high genetic divergence, making it an ideal model for investigating the lipid position trait mechanisms in pigs. However, the regulatory mechanisms of lipid deposition and development in pigs remain unclear. Furthermore, the temporal differences in gene regulation are based on muscle growth and IMF deposition. The purpose of this study was to study the expression changes of longissimus dorsi (LD) at different growth stages of WH pigs at the molecular level, to screen the candidate genes and signaling pathways related to IMF during development by transcriptome sequencing technology, and to explore the transcriptional regulation mechanism of IMF deposition-related genes at different development stages. In total, 616, 485, and 1487 genes were differentially expressed between LD60 and LD120, LD120 and LD240, and LD60 and LD240, respectively. Numerous differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with lipid metabolism and muscle development were identified, and most of them were involved in IMF deposition and were significantly up-regulated in LD120 and LD240 compared to LD60. STEM (Short Time-series Expression Miner) analysis indicated significant variations in the mRNA expression across distinct muscle development stages. The differential expression of 12 selected DEGs was confirmed by RT-qPCR. The results of this study contribute to our understanding of the molecular mechanism of IMF deposition and provide a new way to accelerate the genetic improvement of pork quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objectives] Protein energy ratio refers to the proportional relationship between protein and energy levels in animal diets, i. e., the grams of crude protein corresponding to every megacalorie of energy, which is generally expressed as CP; ME or CP; DE. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of different diets on fattening and slaughter performance and meat quality traits for "L (Large Yorkshire) x L (Landrace)" crossbred pigs. [Methods]Eighteen piglets of L x L crossbred with similar body weights about 51 kg were selected. The piglets were divided into 3 groups randomly and each group was assigned to 3 replicates with 2 piglets in a replicate. Group A was fed diet I (control diet), group B was fed the same diet of group A in the first month of the trial but fed diet II in second month, and group C consumed diet III. All the pigs were fed in the same feeding condition for two months except the different diets during the trial. One pig in similar body weight from each replicate was slaughtered for the determination of slaughter performance and meat quality traits in the end of the trial. [Results] The average daily feed intake (ADFI) of pigs from group B was only (2.32 ±0.52) kg and significantly lower than those from group A and group C (P <0.05), but no difference was found in average daily gain (ADG) and feed/gain (P >0.05). Also, no differences occurred in the carcass length, back fat thickness, longissimus muscle (LM) area and dressing percentage (P > 0.05). In addition, no differences were found in the meat quality traits of shear force, meat color, pH43, pHM h and cooking loss (P >0. 05). However, the water-holding capacity of meat from group C was (2.58 ±0.02) ms and significantly lower than that of (2.80 ±0. 20) ms from group A (P <0.05). Although the contents of glutamic acid and cystine in LM from group B was significantly lower than those from group A and group C (P<0.05), no differences occurred in the contents of other amino acids, the total amino acid and total flavor amino acid among the three groups (P>0.05). However, the inosine monophosphate content of LM from group C was only (331. 80 ±11. 53) mg/100 g and significantly lower than those of (361.00 ± 6. 36) and (366.37 ±4.80) mg/100 g from group A and B (P <0.05). Even though no differences were found in the contents of DM and CP in LM among the three groups of pigs, the content of intramuscular fat (IMF) in LM from group B and group C was increased by 45.6% and 46.58% respectively from that of group A (P <0. 05), but no difference occurred between group B and C (P >0.05). [Conclusions] Diets II and III in this study caused no differences in fattening and slaughter performance of L x L crossbred pigs, but the effects on some meat traits were still significant, especially on the improvement of intramuscular fat in experimental pigs. Therefore, they could improve the meat quality of crossbred pigs to a certain extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this article is to discuss the contribution of autonomy theories to historical analysis in order to identify the different stages that Argentina's relationship with the IMF went through between 1983 and 2007. To carry out this analysis, the prevailing interpretation of autonomy in each stage is used as the organizing criterion, with particular attention paid to "autonomy transitions". These are understood as particular dynamics that are unique to history and may go beyond the mere end and beginning of a presidential term or a change in the political party in power, and may even manifest themselves within the same term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ekonomia Międzynarodowa is the property of Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Lodzkiego and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The rotation of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) provides details of the escape mechanism that varies with the interaction between the intrinsic magnetic field and the IMF. A multispecies magnetohydrodynamic simulation is conducted on a Mars‐like planet under the conditions of a weak intrinsic magnetic field and the IMF rotating by 180° over 12 hr, which is comparable to the coronal mass ejection (CME) time scale. The total ion escape rate increases from ∼5 × 1023 s−1 to ∼3 × 1025 s−1 during the IMF rotation from due north (parallel to the assumed intrinsic magnetic field) to due south (antiparallel to the assumed intrinsic magnetic field). The escape rate increases significantly with the IMF rotating from due north to clock angles of 45°–75°, followed by a gentle increase until the IMF rotates to due south. The trigger for the large increase is multiple reconnections in the magnetospheric flank region, and the subsequent increase is due to the expansion of the reconnection area into the equatorial region. The IMF mass loading in the ionosphere is also responsible for the gentle increase with IMF clock angles above 90° in addition to the flank reconnection. The IMF rotation is a general feature for a CME. Exoplanets orbiting in the vicinity of M‐dwarfs might be frequently affected by IMF rotation, as they could be exposed to severe stellar winds such as in CME environments, and the current study could be helpful for future planned observations of the exoplanetary environment. Key Points: During interplanetary magnetic field rotation, the ion escape rate does not change much in the unmagnetized case, but increases by 50 times in the magnetized caseA rapid increase in the escape rate occurs at a 45–75° clock angle, triggered by the multiple reconnections on the magnetospheric flanksThe gentle increase in the escape rate above 90° clock angle is due to the contribution of both reconnection and mass loading [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Can International Monetary Fund (IMF) lending improve natural resource governance in borrowing countries? While most IMF agreements mandate policy reforms in exchange for financial support, compliance with these reforms is mixed at best. The natural resource sector should be no exception. After all, resource windfalls enable short‐term increases in discretionary spending, and office‐seeking politicians are often unwilling to forgo this discretion by reforming the oil, gas, or mining sector. I investigate how and when borrowers go against their political interests and establish natural resource funds—a tool often promoted by the IMF—in the wake of a loan agreement. Using text analysis, statistical models, and qualitative evidence from natural resource policy and IMF conditionality for 74 countries between 1980 and 2019, I show that borrowers under an IMF agreement are more likely to create or regulate a resource fund, particularly if the agreement includes binding conditions that highlight the salience of natural resource reforms. This study contributes to extant research by proposing a new method to extract information from IMF conditions, by introducing a novel dataset on country‐level natural resource policy, and by identifying under what circumstances international reform efforts can help combat the resource curse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economic grievances played a central role in the protests that gave rise to the 2011 Arab uprisings, underscoring deep frustration among the region’s citizens. Recognizing those grievances, international donors initially affirmed their intention to support more inclusive economic reform in their aid to transitioning states. Yet, those expectations have fallen short. This article illuminates why such reform has proved elusive through a case study of the US’ response to Egypt’s uprising. Drawing on fieldwork and interviews with diplomats and aid practitioners, I show how domestic and international structures and interests may militate against more inclusionary processes of economic reform. To date, the MENA region has largely been absent from IPE literature. This article brings the Middle East into IPE by showing how elites, aid institutions, and experts shape transitional moments like that of the Arab uprisings and in doing so, helps bridge the scholarship on IPE and Middle East politics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to extract the energy feature distributions in the form of marginal frequency (MF) and Hilbert spectrum (HS) in the intrinsic mode functions (IMF) domain for actual movement (AM)-based and motor imagery (MI)-based electroencephalogram (EEG) signals using the Hilbert–Huang transformation (HHT) time frequency (TF) analysis method. Accordingly, F5 and F6 EEG signal TF energy feature distributions in delta (0.5–4 Hz) rhythm are explored. We propose IMF-based and residue function (RF)-based MF and HS feature information extraction methods with IMFRFERDD (IMFRF energy refereed distribution density), IMFRFMFERDD (IMFRF MF energy refereed distribution density), and IMFRFHSERDD (IMFRF HS energy refereed distribution density) parameters using HHT with application to AM, MI EEG F5, and F6 signals in delta rhythm. The AM and MI tasks involve simultaneously opening fists and feet, as well as simultaneously closing fists and feet. Eight samples (32 in total) with a time duration of 1000 ms are extracted for analyzing F5AM, F5MI, F6AM, and F6MI EEG signals, which are decomposed into five IMFs and one RF. The maximum average IMFRFERDD values of IMF4 are 3.70, 3.43, 3.65, and 3.69 for F5AM, F5MI, F6 AM, and F6MI, respectively. The maximum average IMFRFMFERDD values of IMF4 in the delta rhythm are 21.50, 20.15, 21.02, and 17.30, for F5AM, F5MI, F6AM, and F6MI, respectively. Additionally, the maximum average IMFRFHSERDD values of IMF4 in delta rhythm are 39,21, 39.14, 36.29, and 33.06 with time intervals of 500–600, 800–900, 800–900, and 500–600 ms, for F5AM, F5MI, F6AM, and F6MI, respectively. The results of this study, advance our understanding of meaningful feature information of F5MM, F5MI, F6MM, and F6MI, enabling the design of MI-based brain-computer interface assistive devices for disabled persons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What are the effects of the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) monitoring activities? We argue that IMF surveillance exercises – known as Article IV consultations – move financial markets. Our argument is based on the design of the IMF's surveillance function, which is a relatively strong form of monitoring by the standards of most international organizations (IOs). We test this argument using an event study analysis of 428 IMF Article IV consultations. We find that the average surveillance mission has a substantial impact on sovereign debt with much greater impacts in emerging than high income economies. Interviews with market participants support and help to contextualize these findings. By illustrating the effects of surveillance, this article contributes to our understanding of whether, and to what extent, international institutions are a source of vital public information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The article considers in detail the nature of the modern global monetary system, its Genesis and dialectic, are the main problems faced by the contemporary world currency system, named the causes of the economic crisis. Also in the article the directions of improvement are still long-term preservation priorities the dollar and the Euro, radically reforming the vector of development of the ERICS, the elimination of threats and challenges to Russian finances.

Introduction. The paper examines Argentina-U.S. relations during the administrations of Mauricio Macri and Alberto Fernandez, as well as the transformation of the bilateral ties character at the turn of the decade. The author analyzes the changes paying attention to the challenges that the economic crisis posed to the Argentine leaders, and taking into account the motives of both countries. The study identified the risks for the successful interaction between Washington and Buenos Aires, as well as the leverage of the potential influence of the White House on the Argentine authorities. Methods. The study is based on extensive factual data from the period of the latest two Argentine administrations (2015–2021), the new sources, including documents of the U.S. Department of State. An integrated systematic approach allowed to consider the interaction of Buenos Aires and Washington in the dynamics of Argentine domestic political and economic processes, taking into account global and regional factors. When analyzing changes in the character of bilateral ties, a comparative approach was applied. Analysis. The relations between Washington and the government of Mauricio Macri in 2017–2019 were allied. The main areas of interaction were trade and investment, security and political cooperation. To support his ally and the continuity of government in Argentina, D. Trump facilitated the IMF’s approval of the largest standby to Argentina for the period of Macri’s administration. The problem of payment became a burden for the elected A. Fernandez. Results. The willingness of the White House to help resolve the debt issue and the American investments needed by Argentina deterred A. Fernandez from developing an autonomist foreign policy pushing him to choose a more balanced course. Both topics constitute the points of potential pressure from Washington on the Argentine leader. Bilateral relations became more restrained, but showing no signs of confrontation. Risks for Argentine-American cooperation are posed by the deepening partnership of the South American country with China and by the position of the Argentine authorities on resolving the Venezuelan crisis. Given its desire to be Argentina’s partner of choice, the U.S. is unlikely to firstly use pressure. With the beginning of Joseph Biden’s presidency, the climate agenda became a new area of cooperation.

ABSTRACT The IMF was created right after World War II to manage an international payments system based on fixed exchange rates. In its early years the Fund’s remedy to balance-of-payments crises consisted in reducing domestic aggregate demand. As a result, its policies were seen as recessive. With the collapse of the fixed exchange rates system in the early 70s, the Fund lost its clients in the developed world and turned to developing countries. In the Fund’s approach, developing countries suffered crises not because of temporary maladjustments between aggregate supply and demand but because of structural problems. Accordingly, the Fund began to impose structural reforms as conditionalities for its loans, curbing the autonomy of developing countries to adopt the policies they would see as favorable to growth.

The neoliberal recommendations of the Washington Consensus were taken into account in the Political Constitution of 1991, however, in reality they had repercussions in the increase of the external public debt since the political and social conflict, as well as the backwardness of the national industry and dependence on coffee yields impeded long-term economic growth, increasing public spending and the need to resort to external credits [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pakistan is among the most regular clients of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Currently too, Pakistan is part of an on-going IMF program which is suspended due to differences of opinions between Pakistani and IMF officials on policy actions. In addition, the trajectory of Pakistan’s key economic indicators after IMF programs over seven decades has been highly mixed. Overall, the main IMF conditions of currency depreciation, indirect tax, interest, utility and energy rate hikes and privatization have failed to deliver sustainable growth or even fiscal or external deficit reduction. There is little in IMF conditions focused on growth-inducing policies by increasing exports or foreign direct investment as IMF has no expertise in these areas. But then many analysts ask why global powers have created an entity to bail out developing states in crisis which specializes only in growth-reducing policies. Thus, IMF programs/conditions may look necessary from a narrow, short-term view as in their absence, states may face even greater pain. However, from a broader, long-term perspective, they clearly seem as a poor basis for ensuring sustainable growth in developing states, which requires structural changes in the global economic system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work aims to investigate the significance of different Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD) based statistical features for discrimination of speech and low frequency music signal (guitar signals) which mostly lie in the frequency range of 80–1200 Hz. Each of the speech/guitar audio samples is decomposed into 10 Intrinsic Function Mode (IMFs). These IMFs are further analyzed for discriminatory evidence using statistical features like Mean, Absolute Mean, Kurtosis, Variance and Skewness. These features are then fed to different classifiers and their performances were tabulated for varying tuning parameters of the classifiers. Initial experiments were conducted on isolated features to shortlist features with best discriminatory evidence. These shortlisted features were then used in different combinations and their performances were reported. An improvement of 19.13% is observed for hybrid features over isolated features. Speech samples were obtained from Scheirer and Slaney database and Guitar samples were generated from a continuous guitar monologue uploaded on YouTube. Feature selection technique using Fisher Method and F-ratio were also implemented and best feature vectors were reported for both the algorithm. Best overall accuracy of 82.16% is reported for Hybrid features with Radial Basis Function (RBF) kernel of SVM classifier when trained with top 38 feature vectors obtained using F-Ratio Method. Different experiments verified Absolute Mean and Variance as best performing features for our task. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we investigate the interhemispheric transpolar arc (TPA) conjugacy using four previously published datasets based on Polar UV images, DMSP particle data, and IMAGE images, and a new TPA list based on DMSP SSUSI images during 1 Sep to 15 Oct 2015. IMF Bx ${B}_{\mathrm{x}}$ and the Earth's dipole tilt have often been suggested to influence the TPA conjugacy, as both induce a north‐south asymmetry on the magnetosphere. However, by comparing these parameters at TPA formation with the background distribution for each dataset, we find that neither the dipole tilt nor Bx ${B}_{\mathrm{x}}$ plays a major role for the TPA conjugacy in four of the five datasets. The well‐known correlation between initial TPA location and IMF By ${B}_{\mathrm{y}}$ appears in all datasets with information about the TPA formation. In addition, we find that a minority of dawnside TPAs form during the "wrong" By ${B}_{\mathrm{y}}$ sign. In the northern (southern) hemisphere, dawn TPAs appear also during weakly duskward (dawnward) IMF. Due to the polar orbit of DMSP satellites, TPA conjugacy and location can be examined on a case‐by‐case basis with the new dataset. The results show that at least 73% of TPAs appear in both hemispheres simultaneously. IMF Bx ${B}_{\mathrm{x}}$ and dipole tilt values for conjugate TPAs do not differ from those for non‐conjugate TPAs. Most conjugate (isolated) TPAs appear on opposite oval sides in each hemisphere (57%). Interestingly, in case northern and southern hemisphere TPAs form on the same oval side, they appear typically at dawn during weak IMF By ${B}_{\mathrm{y}}$. Key Points: Most transpolar arcs appear simultaneously in both hemispheres on opposite oval sides, however in some cases they both form at dawnStatistically, neither IMF Bx ${B}_{\mathrm{x}}$ nor the Earth's dipole tilt influence the interhemispheric conjugacy of transpolar arcsOur data analysis strongly suggests that the solar wind energy flux influences the transpolar arc luminosity but not the occurrence rate [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper studies the phenomenon of poverty in underdeveloped/third-world countries, particularly within the context and the failure of international organizations in Sub-Saharan Africa. The article analyzes that the increasing problem of poverty in the region's countries/Africa is a replication of the failure of the organizations such as the IMF and the World Bank policies such countries. Despite some projects such as Millennium Development Goals (MDG), Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), and many more by the United Nations. Many of these programs have failed to eradicate or reduce poverty. Instead, the situation has worsened most, especially in Africa, where the rate of poverty is increasing, with several regions in the continent experiencing the worse hunger epidemic in recent times. Therefore, the research posits that the failure of international institutions, the World Bank, and IMF policies have immensely become a significant contributing factor to the poverty level in Sub-Saharan Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mandible fractures are regularly encountered by maxillofacial surgeons and various treatment protocols are available for the management of these fractures. The aim of study compares the efficacy of open reduction and internal fixation of mandibular fractures with and without use of intra-operative inter-maxillary fixation. Twenty patients between age group ranging l8–65 years who reported with single mandibular fracture in Dental college in India, during Oct 2012–March 2015 were the study subjects. These patients were divided into two groups. In one group fracture reduction was done by using inter-maxillary fixation and miniplate fixation was done. In other group fracture reduction was done manually and then fractured fragments were held in position by the assistant and miniplate fixation was done. Post-operatively patients were evaluated for occlusion, bone alignment and soft tissue/hard tissue infection at 1st, 4th, 8th, 12th weeks in both the groups. Statistics done by using Spearman's Rank correlation coefficient and Mann–Whitney U test. It was observed thatthere was no statistically significant difference seen in both the groups in terms of post-operative occlusion, radiological alignment and soft/hard tissue infection. Statistically significant difference was seen when the mean operating time was compared. The Group A showed mean difference of 35.50 min more time than Group B. The results of our study suggested that, use of intra-operative IMF does not show any advantages in terms of post-operative occlusion, bone alignment and soft/hard tissue infection. We have concluded from the study that the increased intra-operative time for the placement of IMF increases the cost of the surgery in regard to equipment and theatre time. There is no benefit in terms of radiographic and clinical outcome. Hence use of intra-operative IMF can be avoided for ORIF of single mandibular fracture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The timely and orderly resolution of sovereign debt crises has long been a key challenge facing the global financial architecture. The framework for crisis resolution evolved in response to the capital account crises of the 1990s (Mexico, Russia, Southeast Asia), the Argentine crisis of 2001 and its aftermath, and the Global Financial Crisis of 2008–9 which morphed into the Euro area debt crisis of 2010–12. Efforts to expedite crisis resolution involved a two-pronged approach, one focusing on IMF policies and lending facilities and the other on ways to overcome the collective action problems involved in restructuring securitized debt. This paper examines these efforts in the context of the crises that triggered them and provides some guidance for the future. It argues that the way forward involves action on several fronts, including restoration of the essential principle that IMF programs should aim at reaching a manageable debt position within the program period with a high probability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate stability and complications following mandibular setback using intraoral vertical ramus osteotomy (IVRO) and provide an assessment of IMF (Inter-maxillary Fixation) compliance. (2) Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study. It included a total of 39 patients who underwent 78 IVRO for the treatment of mandibular prognathism between 2005 and 2021 at Sheba Medical Center. Radiographic and clinical examinations were performed preoperatively (T0), 3 days post-surgery (T1) and 8 months post-surgery (T2). Measurements of dental and skeletal stability, as well as neurosensory disturbances and TMJ dysfunctions, were statistically analyzed. (3) Results: The mean mandibular setback was 5.6 mm. A relapse of less than 2 mm was observed at T2. A short-term neurological disturbance was reported in 38.46% of the 39 patients, and 17.94% of them showed full recovery by T2. In 21 patients who underwent IVRO without genioplasty, only 14.28% reported long-term sensory disturbance. In addition, when a vertical osteotomy was performed, neurological damage was 174% higher as compared to oblique osteotomy. The IMF compliance rate for the 6 weeks postoperatively was 100%. (4) Conclusions: IVRO is still a relevant and valid technique for the treatment of mandibular prognathism that provides stable results with minimal complications rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Galactic cosmic ray (GCR) solar diurnal variation data recorded by shielded ion chambers at Cheltenham/Fredericksburg (CH-IC) and Yakutsk (Yak-IC) are corrected for diurnal temperature variation in upper atmosphere and used to calculate the ratio α of GCR free paths normal (λ ⊥) and parallel (λ||) to mean interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) B for 1936–2006; α is an important parameter in theories for GCR modulations in heliosphere including anisotropies. Also, neutron monitor (NM) data at low latitudes (Huancayo / Haleakala) are analyzed for 1953–2006; they are not affected by temperature variation in upper atmosphere. Calculations assume negligible symmetric latitude GCR density gradient (Gθs) based on observational evidence. Results support Ahluwalia and Modzelewska (2020) inference for global network of NMs and Nagoya vertical muon telescope (NagV-MT) that α depends on polarity of B at Earth orbit. GCR modulation theories quote α values much smaller than those computed by us. Flat heliosphere current sheet (HCS) and Master equations derived by Ahluwalia and Dorman (1997) are used for computing α and study its correlation with solar activity for positive (p) and negative (n) polarity intervals of B at 1 AU; B points outward/ inward from the Sun during p/n interval in northern hemisphere, IMF polarity changes sign near sunspot number (SSN) maximum. The results challenge validity of the conceptual understanding of GCR modulation processes in the heliosphere, pointing to a need for an acceptable theory to explain empirical results reported in this paper. We propose two Ulysses-like spacecrafts be put in a fast scan mode, making complimentary observations in solar north and south hemispheres for at least a complete solar cycle to obtain more precise information about temporal variations of GCR latitude gradients with solar activity and its dependence on GCR rigidity, facilitating a physically meaningful computation of α. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT This paper aims to analyze the innovations introduced in the functions of the International Monetary Fund in the context of the 2008 economic and financial crisis. This promoted an action that aimed to strengthen the surveillance function through the adoption of the Integrated Surveillance. Thus, alongside the traditional conditionality based on an a posteriori implementation of adequate economic policies, a criterion of ex ante conditionality in the precautionary branches was also introduced or based on the economic characteristics of the country to be financed. Concerning traditional conditionality, it will be asked whether the IMF has adopted a less extensive approach than its role.

Abstract Background Intramuscular fat (IMF) content is a determining factor for meat taste. The Luchuan pig is a fat-type local breed in southern China that is famous for its desirable meat quality due to high IMF, however, the crossbred offspring of Luchuan sows and Duroc boars displayed within-population variation on meat quality, and the reason remains unknown. Results In the present study, we identified 212 IMF-correlated genes (FDR ≤ 0.01) using correlation analysis between gene expression level and the value of IMF content. The IMF-correlated genes were significantly enriched in the processes of lipid metabolism and mitochondrial energy metabolism, as well as the AMPK/PPAR signaling pathway. From the IMF-correlated genes, we identified 99 genes associated with expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) or allele-specific expression (ASE) signals, including 21 genes identified by both cis-eQTL and ASE analyses and 12 genes identified by trans-eQTL analysis. Genome-wide association study (GWAS) of IMF identified a significant QTL on SSC14 (p-value = 2.51E −7), and the nearest IMF-correlated gene SFXN4 (r = 0.28, FDR = 4.00E −4) was proposed as the candidate gene. Furthermore, we highlighted another three novel IMF candidate genes, namely AGT, EMG1, and PCTP, by integrated analysis of GWAS, eQTL, and IMF-gene correlation analysis. Conclusions The AMPK/PPAR signaling pathway together with the processes of lipid and mitochondrial energy metabolism plays a vital role in regulating porcine IMF content. Trait correlated expression combined with eQTL and ASE analysis highlighted a priority list of genes, which compensated for the shortcoming of GWAS, thereby accelerating the mining of causal genes of IMF.

The paper studies the phenomenon of poverty in underdeveloped/third-world countries, particularly within the context and the failure of international organizations in Sub-Saharan Africa. The article analyzes that the increasing problem of poverty in the region’s countries/Africa is a replication of the failure of the organizations such as the IMF and the World Bank policies such countries. Despite some projects such as Millennium Development Goals (MDG), Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), and many more by the United Nations. Many of these programs have failed to eradicate or reduce poverty. Instead, the situation has worsened most, especially in Africa, where the rate of poverty is increasing, with several regions in the continent experiencing the worse hunger epidemic in recent times. Therefore, the research posits that the failure of international institutions, the World Bank, and IMF policies have immensely become a significant contributing factor to the poverty level in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Intramuscular fat (IMF) content is vital for pork quality, serving an important role in economic performance in pig industry. Non-coding RNAs, with mRNAs, are involved in IMF deposition; however, their functions and regulatory mechanisms in porcine IMF remain elusive. This study assessed the whole transcriptome expression profiles of the Longissimus dorsi muscle of pigs with high (H) and low (L) IMF content to identify genes implicated in porcine IMF adipogenesis and their regulatory functions. Hundreds of differentially expressed RNAs were found to be involved in fatty acid metabolic processes, lipid metabolism, and fat cell differentiation. Furthermore, combing co-differential expression analyses, we constructed competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNA) regulatory networks, showing crosstalk among 30 lncRNAs and 61 mRNAs through 20 miRNAs, five circRNAs and 11 mRNAs through four miRNAs, and potential IMF deposition-related ceRNA subnetworks. Functional lncRNAs and circRNAs (such as MSTRG.12440.1, ENSSSCT00000066779, novel_circ_011355, novel_circ_011355) were found to act as ceRNAs of important lipid metabolism-related mRNAs (LEP, IP6K1, FFAR4, CEBPA, etc.) by sponging functional miRNAs (such as ssc-miR-196a, ssc-miR-200b, ssc-miR10391, miR486-y). These findings provide potential regulators and molecular regulatory networks that can be utilized for research on IMF traits in pigs, which would aid in marker-assisted selection to improve pork quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Intramuscular preadipocyte differentiation plays a critical role in bovine intramuscular fat (IMF) deposition. However, the roles of different RNAs, including mRNAs, circRNAs, lncRNAs and miRNAs, in regulating the adipogenic differentiation of intramuscular preadipocytes remain largely unclear. Results: In the present study, a whole transcriptome sequencing and analysis, including the analysis of mRNAs, circRNAs, lncRNAs and miRNAs, during different differentiation stages (0, 3, 6, and 9 d) of intramuscular preadipocytes from Qinchuan cattle was performed. All samples were prepared with 3 biological replicates. Here, a total of 27,153 mRNAs, 14,070 circRNAs, 7035 lncRNAs, and 427 miRNAs were annotated. Among them, we identified 4848 differentially expressed mRNAs (DEMs), 181 DE circRNAs (DECs), 501 DE lncRNAs (DELs) and 77 DE miRNAs (DEmiRs) between 0 d and other differentiation days (3, 6, and 9 d). GO and KEGG functional enrichment analyses showed that these differentially expressed genes were mainly enriched in cell differentiation, fat metabolism and adipogenesis-related pathways. Furthermore, weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) and co-expression network analysis screened out multiple important mRNAs, circRNAs and lncRNAs related to intramuscular adipogenesis. Based on the competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) regulatory mechanism, we finally identified 24 potential ceRNA networks and 31 potential key genes, including FOXO1/miR-330/circRNA2018/MSTRG.20301, GPAM/miR-27b/ciRNA489 and SESN3/miR-433/circRNA2627MSTRG.20342. Conclusions: This study provides new insights into the differential expression patterns of different transcript types (i.e., mRNAs, circRNAs, lncRNAs and miRNAs) in intramuscular preadipocyte differentiation. Our findings provide data support for studying the molecular mechanism of key mRNAs and noncoding RNAs in IMF deposition, and provide new candidate markers for the molecular breeding of beef cattle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article re-reads Coetzee's Waiting for the Barbarians as a representation of Coetzee's effort to inform the broader world of the actual terrors and crimes against humanity that existed in South Africa in the 1970s and early 1980s by extending the narrative into the later 20th and early 21st centuries. I claim that the representations in the narrative allow readers to see the novel as a critique of a global historical process that started to emerge in the late 1970s and dominate the 1980s and 1990s in South Africa and much of the rest of the world. This historical process, which has come to be called neoliberalism, is part of the larger process of colonialism. Coetzee's novel examines various manifestations of colonialism, and it makes it clear that there is no apparent point when colonialism in South Africa, or around the world, mutated into neoliberalism. Rather, neoliberalism is an extension of the process of colonialism heading into the late 20th and early 21st centuries. To expose this continuous process of colonization, Coetzee symbolically examines colonial discourse, the contradiction inherent in the discourse of Empire, and the failure of a liberal humanist to maneuver successfully with or against the neoliberal tide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Why, despite being contextualised alongside the Great Depression of the 1930s and inflation and growth crisis of the 1970s, did the Great Crash of 2008–2009 not exert a similarly transformative dynamic in dominant, neoliberal, economic ideas? Drawing on an agent-centred constructivism stressing the centrality of crisis construction and narration, yet with particular emphasis placed upon the incorporation of strategic processes of framing, this article provides fresh insights into the means by which key actors exercise their agency in attempts to ensure continuing adherence to, rather than fundamentally transforming, the status quo. This is explored with reference to macroeconomic policy assumptions in the IMF, an instance which provided all the pre-conditions for a widely interpreted moment of crisis, yet which nevertheless resulted in untransformed ideas and structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background: Donkey meat has low fat and high protein contents and is rich in various unsaturated fatty acids and trace elements that are beneficial to human digestion and absorption. IMF (intramuscular fat), also known as marbling, is an important indicator of the lean meat to fat ratio, which directly affects the tenderness and juiciness of the meat. At present, the underlying molecular variations affecting IMF content among donkey breeds are unclear. The Guangling donkey is an indigenous species in China. This study explored candidate regulatory genes that affect IMF content in Guangling donkeys. The IMF content of the longissimus dorsi muscle in 30 Guangling donkeys was measured. Six donkeys of similar age were selected according to age factors and divided into two groups, the high (H) and low (L) fat groups, according to their IMF content. Results: RNA-seq technology was used to compare the muscle transcriptome between the two groups. More than 75.0% of alternative splicing (AS) events were of the skipped exon (SE) type. A total of 887 novel genes were identified; only 386 novel genes were aligned to the annotation information of various databases. Transcriptomics analysis revealed 167 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), of which 64 were upregulated and 103 were downregulated between the H and L groups. Gene ontology analysis showed that the DEGs were enriched in multiple biological processes and pathways that are related to adipocyte differentiation, lipid synthesis, and neutral lipid metabolism. KEGG pathway analysis suggested that arachidonic acid metabolism, the HIF-1 signalling pathway, fructose and mannose metabolism, glycerophospholipid metabolism, and the AMPK signalling pathway were involved in lipid deposition. In addition, a gene–gene interaction network was constructed that revealed that the DEGs, including SCD, LEPR, CIDEA, DLK1, DGAT2, ITGAL, HMOX1, WNT10B, and DGKA, had significant roles in adipocyte differentiation and adipogenesis. The selected DEGs were further validated by qRT–PCR. Conclusion: This study improves the in-depth understanding of gene regulation and protein expression regarding IMF deposition and lays a basis for subsequent molecular breeding studies in Guangling donkeys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The risks of severe weather events due to climate changes, including droughts and floods require accurate and timely forecasting of rainfall. But, the rainfall time series contains nonlinear and non-stationary data which lowers the model performance. This paper attempts to solve the nonlinear and non-stationary challenges imposed by the rainfall forecasting models by building a hybrid model based on complete ensemble empirical mode decomposition with Adaptive Noise(CEEMDAN) combined with long short-term memory (LSTM) for forecasting All India monthly rainfall. For monthly rainfall forecasting, homogeneous Indian monthly rainfall time series dataset (1871–2016) is used. Complete ensemble empirical mode decomposition decomposes the rainfall time series data into Intrinsic Mode Functions (IMF) and residual element. Each IMF and residual is forecasted using the LSTM after determining the significant lags. The forecasted intrinsic mode functions and the residual elements are reconstructed to obtain the forecasted rainfall value. The proposed model performance has been verified against existing models. Compared with single LSTM model, the forecasted values prove that the model achieves good performance in predicting monthly rainfall time series. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2008 küresel finans krizinin ardından finans-büyüme ilişkisini açıklayan standart doğrusal görüşlere yönelik eleştiriler artmıştır. Buraya kadar finans-büyüme yazını finansal gelişimin sunduğu işlevler ve yarattığı istikrarsızlıklara odaklanmaktayken, buradan sonra finansal gelişim ve ekonomik büyüme arasında ters U ilişkisinin olduğunu öne süren çalışmalar da ortaya çıkmıştır. Bu bağlamda birbirinden farklı çalışmalar, finans-büyüme ilişkisinin finansal gelişmenin farklı aşamalarında farklı bir doğaya sahip olabileceğini göstermek adına eşik regresyonları tahmin etmişler ve birbiriyle çelişen sonuçlar öne sürmüşlerdir. Yazından farklı olarak, bu çalışma finans-büyüme ilişkisinin eşik analizini, finansal gelişmenin çoklu doğasını yansıtabilmesi nedeniyle IMF finansal gelişmişlik endeksini kullanarak ölçmektedir. Bu doğrultuda sabit etkili panel eşik regresyonu kullanılarak, 100 ülke için 1995-2018 yılları arasında bu ilişkinin doğası ölçülmüştür. Sonuçlara göre finansal gelişmenin düşük olduğu aşamada finans-büyüme arasında doğru orantılı bir ilişki bulunmaktayken bu ilişki finansal gelişmenin yüksek olduğu aşamada anlamsızlaşmaktadır. Çalışmanın sonunda, makro ihtiyati politikalar aracılığıyla finansal gelişmenin ekonomik büyümeyi olumlu etkilediği aşamalarda tutulması gerektiği tavsiye edilmiştir.

In this study, researchers aimed to explore the impact of intramuscular fat (IMF) concentration on the flavor of donkey meat, specifically in the longissimus dorsi muscle of Guangling donkeys. The internal volatile organic compounds that cause the flavor differences between donkey muscles are not clear at present. Transcriptomic technologies were utilized to analyze gene expression and its relationship to donkey meat flavor. Thirty Guangling donkeys had their IMF content evaluated in the longissimus dorsi muscle. Based on IMF content, 16 donkeys of similar ages were divided into two groups: low-fat (L) and high-fat (H). Headspace solid-phase microextraction Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC–MS) and headspace solid phase microextraction mass spectrometry were used to identify potential flavor components that differed between the two groups. Five key volatile substances were identified, and WGCNA and KEGG analysis was conducted to analyze the genes associated with these substances. The results showed that pathways like PPAR signaling, nucleotide excision repair, glucagon signaling, arachidonic acid metabolism, and glycolysis/glycogenesis were involved in lipid deposition. Additionally, a gene-gene interaction network map was constructed, highlighting the importance of hub genes such as EEF2, DDX49, GAP43, SNAP25, NDUFS8, MRPS11, RNASEH2A, POLR2E, POLR2C and ALB in regulating key flavor substances. This study provided valuable insights into the regulation of genes and protein expression related to flavor substances in donkey meat. It also deepened understanding of the influence of IMF on flavor and laid a foundation for future molecular breeding improvements in Guangling donkeys. • Innovative in nature, this comprehensive approach to understanding the complex relationship between intramuscular fat and meat flavor. • By identifying specific genes and metabolic pathways, the study provides a deeper understanding of the underpinning of flavor formation. • This knowledge can be used to develop targeted strategies to improve meat quality and enhance flavor regulation, which has important implications for food processing, and the results of this study have the potential to influence future research in flavor science and may lead to the development of new techniques and methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intramuscular fat (IMF) content significantly impacts meat quality. influenced by complex interactions between skeletal muscle cells and adipocytes. Adipogenesis plays a pivotal role in IMF formation. Exosomes, extracellular membranous nanovesicles, facilitate intercellular communication by transporting proteins, nucleic acids (DNA and RNA), and other biomolecules into target cells, thereby modulating cellular behaviors. Recent studies have linked exosome-derived microRNAs (miRNAs) and other cargo to adipogenic processes. Various cell types, including skeletal muscle cells, interact with adipocytes via exosome secretion and uptake. Exosomes entering adipocytes regulate adipogenesis by modulating key signaling pathways, thereby influencing the extent and distribution of IMF deposition. This review comprehensively explores the origin, formation, and mechanisms of exosome action, along with current research and their applications in adipogenesis. Emphasis is placed on exosome-mediated regulation of miRNAs, non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), proteins, lipids, and other biomolecules during adipogenesis. Leveraging exosomal contents for genetic breeding and treating obesity-related disorders is discussed. Insights gathered contribute to advancing understanding and potential therapeutic applications of exosome-regulated adipogenesis mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When do overlapping international organizations (IOs) become credible outside options for states seeking forum shopping opportunities? Utilizing an original data set on cooperation among emergency lending IOs, I find that exit options boost states' bargaining leverage only when IOs compete as opposed to cooperate with one another. While the literature frames the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as a monopoly organization, I show that it increasingly competes with regional financing arrangements (RFAs). When RFAs compete with the IMF, they become credible exit options that member states can leverage in negotiations over conditional lending at the Fund. I first offer original descriptive analysis of patterns of cooperation among these IOs. I then hypothesize that members of IOs that compete with the IMF, but not members of cooperative institutions, ought to receive less intrusive conditionality from the Fund. A series of regressions lend support for my theory, as do supplemental interviews and text analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]