The genetic diversity and structure of 18 sheep breeds exposed to isolation and selection

The phylogenetic layout of the genotyped (30 microsatellite) 18 sheep breeds in this study demands and provides the opportunity to evaluate both neutral and adaptive components of genetic diversity in a naturally and artificially selected and subdivided sheep population. Seven Pramenka strains from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia characterized by a very low intensity of artificial selection, preserved the highest neutral genetic variability. Eight central and north‐western European breeds under considerable artificial isolation and selection preserved the lowest genetic variability. Only combinations of various phylogenetic parameters offer a reasonable explanation for underlying evolutionary forces working in the investigated island and mainland sheep breeds under variable natural and artificial selection. More than 60% of total genetic, diversity was allocated to virtually unselected Pramenka strains, and an additional 25% to native moderately selected Graue Gehoernte Heidschnucke and intensively selected Ostfriesische Milchschafe. Some economically very important breeds and strains did not contribute to a pool with maximal genetic diversity, while they play an important role in the cultural heritage of respective countries.     

新麦草遗传多样性等位酶分析

采用不连续系统的聚丙烯酰胺垂直板凝胶电泳(VPAGE)对新疆新麦草的5个天然居群和1个栽培种遗传多样性和居群结构进行了分析.测定的6个酶系统中,确定了9个等位酶位点,多态位点百分率平均值为90.48%,平均等位基因数为2.920 7,平均预期杂合值为0.542 7.总的基因多样性中,86%存在于居群内,14%来自居群间.聚类分析以遗传距离D=0.14为分界线将6份材料明显地分为2组.研究表明,新麦草具有丰富的遗传多样性,其多样性可能与生境、人工驯化、风媒异交等因素有关.     

Using genetic tools to inform conservation of fragmented populations of Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) across their range in China

A herd of 15 Chinese elephants attracted international attention during their 2021 northward trek, motivating the government to propose establishment of an Asian elephant national park. However, planning is hampered by a lack of genetic information on the remaining populations in China. We collected DNA from 497 dung samples from all 5 populations encompassing the entire range of elephants in China and used mitochondrial and microsatellite markers to investigate their genetic and demographic structure. We identified 237 unique genotypes (153 females, 84 males), representing 81% of the known population. However, the effective population size was small (28, range 25–32). Historic demographic contraction appeared to account for low haplotype diversity (H_d = 0.235), but moderate nucleotide and nuclear diversity (π = 0.6%, H_e = 0.55) was attributable to post-bottleneck recovery involving recent population expansion plus historical gene exchange with elephants in Myanmar, Lao PDR, and Vietnam. The 5 populations fell into 3 clusters, with Nangunhe elephants differing consistently from the other 4 populations (F_ST = 0.23); elephants from Mengyang, Simao, and Jiangcheng belonged to a single population (henceforth, MSJ), and differed from the Shangyong population (F_ST = 0.11). Interpopulation genetic variation reflected isolation by distance and female-biased dispersal. Chinese elephants should be managed as 2 distinct units: Nangunhe and another combining Shangyong and MSJ; their long-term viability will require restoring gene flow between Shangyong and MSJ, and between elephants in China and neighboring countries. Our results have the potential to inform conservation planning for an iconic megafaunal species.     

Genetic and non-genetic factors influencing KLH binding natural antibodies and specific antibody response to Newcastle disease in Kenyan chicken populations

This study aimed at investigating the influence of genetic and non-genetic factors on immune traits to inform on possibilities of genetic improvement of disease resistance traits in local chicken of Kenya. Immune traits such as natural and specific antibodies are considered suitable indicators of an individual's health status and consequently, used as indicator traits of disease resistance. In this study, natural antibodies binding to Keyhole Limpet Hemocyanin (KLH-NAbs) was used to measure general disease resistance. Specific antibodies binding to Newcastle disease virus (NDV-IgG) post vaccination was used to measure specific disease resistance. Titers of KLH-NAbs isotypes (KLH-IgM, KLH-IgG and KLH-IgA) and NDV-IgG were measured in 1,540 chickens of different ages ranging from 12 to 56 weeks. A general linear model was fitted to determine the effect of sex, generation, population type, phylogenetic cluster, line, genotype and age on the antibody traits. A multivariate animal mixed model was fitted to estimate heritability and genetic correlations among the antibody traits. The model constituted of non-genetic factors found to have a significant influence on the antibody traits as fixed effects, and animal and residual effects as random variables. Overall mean (±SE) concentration levels for KLH-IgM, KLH-IgG, KLH-IgA and NDV-IgG were 10.33 ± 0.04, 9.08 ± 0.02, 6.00 ± 0.02 and 10.12 ± 0.03, respectively. Sex, generation and age (linear covariate) significantly (p < 0.05) influenced variation across all the antibody traits. Genotype effects (p < 0.05) were present in all antibody traits, apart from KLH-IgA. Interaction between generation and line was significant (p < 0.05) in KLH-IgM and NDV-IgG while nesting phylogenetic cluster within population significantly (p < 0.05) influenced all antibody traits, apart from KLH-IgA. Heritability estimates for KLH-IgM, KLH-IgG, KLH-IgA and NDV-IgG were 0.28 ± 0.08, 0.14 ± 0.06, 0.07 ± 0.04 and 0.31 ± 0.06, respectively. There were positive genetic correlations (0.40–0.61) among the KLH-NAbs while negative genetic correlations (−0.26 to −0.98) were observed between the KLH-NAbs and NDV-IgG. Results from this study indicate that non-genetic effects due to biological and environmental factors influence natural and specific antibodies and should be accounted for to reduce bias and improve accuracy when evaluating the traits. Subsequently, the moderate heritability estimates in KLH-IgM and NDV-IgG suggest selection possibilities for genetic improvement of general and specific immunity, respectively, and consequently disease resistance. However, the negative correlations between KLH-NAbs and NDV-IgG indicate the need to consider a suitable approach that can optimally combine both traits in a multiple trait selection strategies.     

PA-X基因的长度变化对H3N2犬流感病毒复制能力和致病性的影响

H3N2犬流感病毒(canine influenza virus, CIV)已在中国多地的犬群中流行,是禽流感跨宿主感染并形成新分支的近期案例。研究表明,PA-X基因与甲型流感病毒适应新宿主的能力相关,且其长度能够影响甲型流感病毒的复制及致病能力。为了解PA-X基因的长度变化对H3N2 CIV复制能力及致病力的影响,本研究利用H3N2 CIV的8质粒操作系统,拯救了三株重组H3N2 CIV毒株：PA-X基因表达大小为232个氨基酸多肽的亲本病毒CIV＿PA-X＿232;对PA编码区第191、192位氨基酸的密码子进行改造,PA-X基因不表达蛋白的重组病毒CIV＿PA-X＿Knock;对PA+1编码区第232位氨基酸进行突变,PA-X基因表达大小为252个氨基酸多肽的重组病毒CIV＿PA-X＿252。通过比较3株重组病毒的聚合酶活性,在MDCK细胞中的复制效率及对小鼠致病性的差异,来评价表达不同长度的PA-X基因对H3N2 CIV的影响。结果显示,CIV＿PA-X＿252和CIV＿PA-X＿Knock的聚合酶活性显著(P<0.05)高于CIV＿PA-X＿232,且CIV＿PA-X＿...     

Wavelet Application in Algorithms of Data Mining

Wavelets have been widely applied in such research areas as image processing, computer vision, network management and data mining. Wavelets have many favorable properties, which are hierarchical and multiresolution decomposition structure, linear time and space complexity of the transformations. The paper presents wavelet application on the algorithms of data mining, in cluding as clustering, classification, distributed data mining, similarity search, approximate query processing, visualization and so on. Finally, the paper concludes by discussing the impact of wavelets on data mining research and outlining potential future research directions and applications.     

A MIMD PARALLEL ALGORITHM TO SOLVE TRIDIAGONAL TOEPLITZ LINEAR EQUATIONS

The rank one updating formula and the parallel eliminating algorithm for linear recurrence systems ane combined fo form a MTMD parallel algorithm fo solve tridiagonal Toeplitz Cinear equations. This algorithm has a simple strictire and requires onlty a few storages as well as in-terprocessor communications. There is no special demand on the number of processors in the parallel system. The speedup can come dose to p12 comparing with the LU decomposition method (p is the number of processors). It is worth pointing out that it is proposed algcmthn that considels and organizes the parallel arithmetic in the first order linear ricurrence systems with constant coefficients.     

A FINITE ELEMENT ALGORITHM FOR PARALLEL PROCESSING OF MULTI-FRONTS

In this paper,a new algorithm for solving large-scale finite element system is presented, which utilizes the architecture of parallel processing. Firstly, the structure is partitioned into sub-regions. Then multi-fronts are used to assemble and eliminate concurrently in every sub-region. Thus the condensed interface stiffness matrices and load vectors are obtained. By serially assembling and solving global equation to get interface displacements and backing to every sub-region, the inter-nodal displacements and element stresses can be solved. The results of computation show that it can not only increase the speed of computation,but also save the memory space of computer effectively. This algorithm is an effective method for solving large-scale structural finite element systems.     

NETWORK FEOW APPROACH TO RELIABILITY EVALUATION IN IARGE SCALE NETWORKS BY MIXING INCREASING ELOW WITH DECREASING FLOW

Based on the maximum flow principle about networks, a network flow approach to reliability evaluation in large scale netwerks ty mixing inereasing flow with decreasing flow is proposed in this paper.This approach gets the initial flow of each branch in a r.etwork associated with a state of the retwork by decreasing flows of some branches correlative to another state of the network.As a result, the number of flow compute required can be reduced enormously.The numerical example shows that the approach is powerful. The comparison of this approach with the minimal cutset one is also given in this paper.