Intraspecific hybridization in Pinus caribaea var. hondurensis II. Genetic parameters

Genetic parameters of growth and stemstraightness to seven years of age wereestimated from two field populations ofpure Pinus caribaea var. hondurensis provenances and theirintraspecific hybrids, (Mountain Pine Ridge(MPR) × coastal provenances). There were noconsistent differences in the geneticparameter estimates obtained for theparental provenances compared to those fromthe MPR × coastal inter-provenance hybridcrosses. Narrow-sense heritabilities ofgrowth traits (0.06–0.33) andstraightness (0.21–0.50) were within therange of estimates that have beenpreviously reported for this species andother tropical pines. In general, additivevariance was found to be more importantthan dominance variance for growth andstraightness traits. There was no strongevidence to affirm that the superiority ofthe MPR × coastal hybrid could be caused bydominance variance. The low magnitude ofthe type-B genetic correlations within theMPR × coastal hybrid crosses suggested thatthe genotype-by-environment interactionmight be of practical importance inbreeding. For future hybridization of theMPR and coastal provenances, a recurrentselection scheme based on the utilizationof additive genetic variance of both parentpopulations is recommended.     

Effects of GnRH treatment on scrotal surface temperatures in bulls.

Two experiments were conducted to characterize scrotal surface temperature (SST) in bulls treated with gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH). In Experiment 1, Angus bulls (n = 10, 18 mo, 597 kg) were given GnRH (400 ng/kg) or saline, IV. Bottom SST increased approximately 1.7 degrees C (P < 0.005) over time (0 to 90 min) at an ambient temperature of 5 degrees C. However, there was no significant effect of GnRH treatment and temperature increases were attributed to stress. When the experiment was repeated at an ambient temperature of 25 degrees C, SST was elevated prior to treatment, with no subsequent significant increase. Experiment 2 was conducted with Charolais bulls (n = 6, 12-14 mo, 517 kg) with an emphasis on minimizing stress. Bottom SST increased approximately 2 degrees C (P < 0.05) between 0 and 45 min after GnRH treatment, supporting the hypothesis that GnRH treatment increases SST in bulls. In conclusion, it was apparent that stress, high ambient temperatures, and GnRH treatment can all increase SST in bulls.     

Comparison of commercial ELISA blood tests for early pregnancy detection in dairy cows

The objective of the present study was to compare two commercially available blood-based pregnancy tests, namely BioPRYN, an ELISA for pregnancy-specific protein B (PSPB), and an ELISA for pregnancy-associated glycoprotein (PAG), for early pregnancy diagnosis in dairy cattle using transrectal ultrasonography as a gold standard. Transrectal ultrasonography was conducted 26-58 days after artificial insemination (AI) in 197 cattle from 19 farms. Concurrently, a blood sample was collected for determination of serum PSPB and PAG. Transrectal palpation was performed approximately 120 days after AI to verify that pregnancy was maintained. For PSPB and PAG, there were no significant differences (P>0.05) in sensitivity (98.0 and 97.8%), specificity (97.1 and 91.2%), positive predictive values (99.3 and 97.8%), negative predictive values (91.9 and 91.2%) and accuracy (97.8 and 96.4%). In conclusion, the two blood pregnancy assays were equally efficacious and were highly accurate (based on transrectal ultrasonography as the gold standard).