Identification and association analysis of several hundred single nucleotide polymorphisms within candidate genes for back fat thickness in Italian Large White pigs using a selective genotyping approach

Combining different approaches (resequencing of portions of 54 obesity candidate genes, literature mining for pig markers associated with fat deposition or related traits in 77 genes, and in silico mining of porcine expressed sequence tags and other sequences available in databases), we identified and analyzed 736 SNP within candidate genes to identify markers associated with back fat thickness (BFT) in Italian Large White sows. Animals were chosen using a selective genotyping approach according to their EBV for BFT (276 with most negative and 279 with most positive EBV) within a population of ≈ 12,000 pigs. Association analysis between the SNP and BFT has been carried out using the MAX test proposed for case-control studies. The designed assays were successful for 656 SNP: 370 were excluded (low call rate or minor allele frequency <5%), whereas the remaining 286 in 212 genes were taken for subsequent analyses, among which 64 showed a P(nominal) value <0.1. To deal with the multiple testing problem in a candidate gene approach, we applied the proportion of false positives (PFP) method. Thirty-eight SNP were significant (P(PFP) < 0.20). The most significant SNP was the IGF2 intron3-g.3072G>A polymorphism (P(nominal) < 1.0E-50). The second most significant SNP was the MC4R c.1426A>G polymorphism (P(nominal) = 8.0E-05). The third top SNP (P(nominal) = 6.2E-04) was the intronic TBC1D1 g.219G>A polymorphic site, in agreement with our previous results obtained in an independent study. The list of significant markers also included SNP in additional genes (ABHD16A, ABHD5, ACP2, ALMS1, APOA2, ATP1A2, CALR, COL14A1, CTSF, DARS, DECR1, ENPP1, ESR1, GH1, GHRL, GNMT, IKBKB, JAK3, MTTP, NFKBIA, NT5E, PLAT, PPARG, PPP2R5D, PRLR, RRAGD, RFC2, SDHD, SERPINF1, UBE2H, VCAM1, and WAT). Functional relationships between genes were obtained using the Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) Knowledge Base. The top scoring pathway included 19 genes with a P(nominal) < 0.1, 2 of which (IKBKB and NFKBIA) are involved in the hypothalamic IKKβ/NFκB program that could represent a key axis to affect fat deposition traits in pigs. These results represent a starting point to plan marker-assisted selection in Italian Large White nuclei for BFT. Because of similarities between humans and pigs, this study might also provide useful clues to investigate genetic factors affecting human obesity.     

Limits of tolerance to high temperatures causing direct and indirect damage to black spruce

The heat tolerance of actively growing 13-15-week-old black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.) was determined by exposing seedlings to temperatures of 40 to 60 degrees C for durations of 5 seconds to 3 hours by direct immersion in a hot water bath. Direct and indirect heat damage to needles were differentiated by assessing damage 5 minutes (direct) and 3 weeks (indirect) after exposure to high temperature. Both direct and indirect damage increased exponentially with the duration of exposure to high temperatures. However, indirect damage occurred at lower temperatures and with shorter periods of exposure than direct damage. Arrhenius plots of length of exposure versus exposure temperature revealed that the energy of activation for indirect damage was 384 kJ mol(-1), 36% higher than for direct damage. Both direct and indirect damage were less in seedlings preconditioned by a heat shock treatment (3 hours of exposure to an air temperature of 38 degrees C on each of 6 days prior to immersion in the water bath). Preconditioned seedlings withstood higher temperatures and longer durations of high temperature exposure than seedlings not preconditioned by heat shock.     

Efficacy and tolerability of once-daily cephalexin in canine superficial pyoderma: an open controlled study

OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of oral cephalexin given at 30 mg/kg once daily in dogs with superficial pyoderma and to compare them with those of oral cephalexin given at 15 mg/kg twice daily. METHODS: Twenty dogs with superficial pyoderma were treated with cephalexin at 30 to 60 mg/kg orally once daily (group A) and compared with 20 dogs treated at a dose of 15 to 30 mg/kg orally twice daily (group B). Dogs were treated until 14 days after clinical remission. Type and distribution of lesions, pruritus and general health status were assessed every 14 days using a numerical scale until 14 days after treatment discontinuation. Total scores for each evaluation day were compared between the two groups as well as time to obtain resolution and percentage of relapses. RESULTS: Resolution of superficial pyoderma was obtained in all dogs in 14 to 42 days (median 28 days for both groups), with no difference between groups. Six dogs experienced vomiting or diarrhoea but did not require discontinuation of the treatment. Only one dog (in group A) relapsed nine days after treatment discontinuation. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Once-daily cephalexin is as effective as twice-daily cephalexin in the treatment of canine superficial pyoderma.     

Cold hardiness of interspecific hybrids between Pinus strobus and P. wallichiana measured by post-freezing needle electrolyte leakage

Interspecific hybrids between eastern white pine (Pinus strobus L.) and Himalayan blue pine (P. wallichiana A. B. Jacks.) were developed in Ontario, Canada, to introduce blister rust (Cronartium ribicola Fisch.) resistance genes to P. strobus. There is concern that introducing blister rust resistance has resulted in reduced cold hardiness of the progeny compared with non-hybridized eastern white pine. To test the efficacy of backcrossing with P. strobus to improve cold hardiness, 1-year-old seedlings from hybrid crosses differing in P. strobus genome composition were artificially freeze-tested. In Experiment 1, unhardened seedlings were allowed to acclimate to progressively lower temperatures in a growth room, whereas in Experiment 2, seedlings were hardened outdoors under natural weather conditions in Sault Ste Marie, Ontario. Needle cold injury was determined by calculating relative electrical conductivity based on post-freezing electrolyte leakage. Results indicated that needle fascicles from unhardened seedlings of all genotypes in the greenhouse tolerated -5 degrees C for 3 hours with little or no injury. Cold hardiness increased in parallel with declining growth room minimum temperature over the 7-week period of hardening. Cold hardiness was improved for hybrid crosses with increased Pinus strobus genome composition in Experiment 2, but the results were less conclusive in Experiment 1.     

Supplementing organic-complexed or inorganic Co,Cu, Mn,and Zn to beef cows during gestation: physiological and productive response of cows and their offspring until weaning

One hundred and ninety non-lactating, pregnant beef cows (three-fourth Bos taurus and one-fourth Bos indicus; 138 multiparous and 52 primiparous) were assigned to this experiment at 117 ± 2.2 d of gestation (day 0). Cows were ranked by parity, pregnancy type (artificial insemination = 102 and natural service = 88), body weight (BW), and body condition score (BCS) and assigned to receive a supplement containing: 1) sulfate sources of Cu, Co, Mn, and Zn (INR; n = 95) or 2) an organic-complexed source of Cu, Mn, Co, and Zn (AAC; Availa 4; Zinpro Corporation, Eden Prairie, MN; n = 95). The INR and AAC provided the same daily amount of Cu, Co, Mn, and Zn, based on 7 g of the AAC source. From day 0 to calving, cows were maintained in a single pasture and were segregated three times weekly into 1 of the 24 individual feeding pens to receive treatments. Cow BW and BCS were recorded on days −30, 97, upon calving, and at weaning (day 367). Milk production was estimated at 42 ± 0.5 d postpartum via weigh–suckle–weigh (WSW) method. Liver biopsies were performed in 30 cows per treatment on days −30, 97, upon calving, and the day after WSW. Calf BW was recorded at birth and weaning. Liver and longissimus muscle (LM) biopsies were performed in 30 calves per treatment upon calving and 24 h later, the day after WSW, and at weaning. No treatment effects were detected (P ≥ 0.49) for cow BCS during gestation, despite AAC cows having greater (P = 0.04) BW on day 97. Liver Co concentrations were greater (P < 0.01) for AAC compared with INR cows, and liver concentrations of Cu were greater (P = 0.02) for INR compared with AAC cows on day 97. Upon calving, INR cows had greater (P ≤ 0.01) liver Cu and Zn concentrations compared with AAC cows. No other treatment differences were noted (P ≥ 0.17) for cow and calf liver trace mineral concentrations. Cows receiving AAC had greater (P = 0.04) hepatic mRNA expression of metallothionein 1A at calving, and their calves had greater (P = 0.04) hepatic mRNA expression of superoxide dismutase at weaning. Milk production did not differ between AAC and INR cows (P = 0.70). No treatment effects were detected (P ≥ 0.29) for mRNA expression of LM genes associated with adipogenic or muscle development activities in calves at birth and weaning. Calf birth and weaning BW also did not differ (P ≥ 0.19) between treatments. In summary, supplementing AAC or INR to beef cows during the last 5 mo of gestation yielded similar cow–calf productive responses until weaning.     

Genetic diversity and structure of Ethiopian,Yemen and Brazilian C<Emphasis Type="Italic">offea arabica</Emphasis> L. accessions using microsatellites markers

Genetic diversity among 115 coffee accessions from the Coffea Germplasm Collection of IAC was assessed using SSR markers. The germplasm represents 73 accessions of Coffea arabica derived from spontaneous and subspontaneous plants in Ethiopia and Eritrea, species center of origin and diversity, 13 commercial cultivars of C. arabica developed by the Breeding Program of IAC, 1 accession of C. arabica cv. ‘Geisha’, 13 accessions of C. arabica from Yemen, 5 accessions of C. eugenioides, 4 accessions of C. racemosa and 6 accessions of C. canephora. Genetic analysis was performed using average number of alleles per locus (A), proportion of polymorphic loci (P), Shannon’s genetic index (H′ and G′_ST) and clustering analysis. All evaluated species were distinguished by a cluster analysis based on Jaccard’s coefficient. Differentiation between the cultivated plants of C. arabica and accessions derived from spontaneous and subspontaneous plants was observed. Spontaneous and subspontaneous accessions from Ethiopia were separated according to the geographical origin: east and west of the Great Rift Valley. Cultivated plants showed a low genetic diversity with a division in two groups: accessions from Yemen (H′=0,028) and Brazilian commercial cultivars (H′=0,030). The results agreed with previously reported narrow genetic basis of cultivated plants of C. arabica and supported the hypotheses about domestication of the species. This study also showed a significant genetic diversity among accessions from Ethiopia and Eritrea present in the Germplasm Collection of IAC. This diversity is specially observed in accessions from Sidamo (H′=0,143), Kaffa (H′=0,142) and Illubabor (H′=0,147) indicating their importance as source of genetic variability for coffee breeding programs.     

Carbon dynamics of North American boreal forest after stand replacing wildfire and clearcut logging

Boreal forest carbon (C) storage and sequestration is a critical element for global C management and is largely disturbance driven. The disturbance regime can be natural or anthropogenic with varying intensity and frequency that differ temporally and spatially the boreal forest. The objective of this review was to synthesize the literature on C dynamics of North American boreal forests after most common disturbances, stand replacing wildfire and clearcut logging. Forest ecosystem C is stored in four major pools: live biomass, dead biomass, organic soil horizons, and mineral soil. Carbon cycling among these pools is inter-related and largely determined by disturbance type and time since disturbance. Following a stand replacing disturbance, (1) live biomass increases rapidly leading to the maximal biomass stage, then stabilizes or slightly declines at old-growth or gap dynamics stage at which late-successional tree species dominate the stand; (2) dead woody material carbon generally follows a U-shaped pattern during succession; (3) forest floor carbon increases throughout stand development; and (4) mineral soil carbon appears to be more or less stable throughout stand development. Wildfire and harvesting differ in many ways, fire being more of a chemical and harvesting a mechanical disturbance. Fire consumes forest floor and small live vegetation and foliage, whereas logging removes large stems. Overall, the effects of the two disturbances on C dynamics in boreal forest are poorly understood. There is also a scarcity of literature dealing with C dynamics of plant coarse and fine roots, understory vegetation, small-sized and buried dead material, forest floor, and mineral soil.     

Prevalence of Malassezia spp. yeasts in feline nail folds: a cytological and mycological study

Malassezia spp. yeasts are commensal organisms of mammal and avian skin, but little is known about their presence on the skin of healthy cats. The purposes of this study were to evaluate the prevalence of Malassezia spp. yeasts in feline nail folds and to identify the different species. Forty-six cats of different breeds were evaluated by cytological examination, and Malassezia spp. yeasts were seen in 61% of them. Yeasts were found in 100% of Devon Rex cats [mean 8.63/oil immersion field (high-power field - HPF)]. Conversely, only 42% of cats of other breeds (domestic short-haired and Persian) were positive (mean 0.59/HPF). Twenty-one cats of different breeds were subsequently evaluated by fungal culture. Malassezia pachydermatis was isolated from 52%, M. furfur from 38%, and M. sympodialis from 9.5% of the cats. More than one species was observed in eight of 21 cats, six of which were Devon Rex. Malassezia spp. yeasts are common inhabitants of feline nail folds, especially in Devon Rex cats, and the presence of a high number of yeasts on cytology correlates with the clinical observation of brown, greasy material in the nail folds. M. pachydermatis and two lipid-dependent species were isolated from both Devon Rex cats and cats of other breeds.