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Identifying influential sires and distinct clusters of selection candidates based on genomic relationships to reduce inbreeding in the US Holstein
Get PDFjournal articleHigh relatedness in the US Holstein breed can be attributed to the increased rate of inbreeding that resulted from strong selection and the extensive use of a few bulls via reproductive biotechnology. The objectives of this study were to determine whether clustering could separate selected candidates into genetically different groups and whether such clustering could reduce the expected inbreeding of the next generation. A genomic relationship matrix composed of 1,145 sires with the most registered progeny in the breed born after 1985 was used for principal component analysis and k-means clustering. The 5 clusters reduced the variance by 25% and contained 171 (C1), 252 (C2), 200 (C3), 244 (C4), and 278 (C5) animals, respectively. The 2 most predominant families were C1 and C2, while C4 contained the most international animals. On average, C1 and C5 contained older animals; the average birth year per cluster was 1988 (C1), 1996 (C2 and C3), 1999 (C4), and 1990 (C5). Increasing to 10 clusters allowed the separation of the predominant sons. Statistically significant differences were observed for indices (net merit index, cheese merit index, and fluid merit index), daughter pregnancy rate, and production traits (milk, fat, and protein), with older clusters having lower merit for production but higher for reproduction. K-means clustering was also used for 20,099 animals considered as selection candidates. Based on the reduction in variance achieved by clustering, 5 to 7 clusters were appropriate. The number of animals in each cluster was 3,577 (C1), 3,073 (C2), 3,302 (C3), 5,931 (C4), and 4,216 (C5). The expected inbreeding from within or across cluster mating was calculated using the complete pedigree, assuming the mean inbreeding of animals born in the same year when parents are unknown. Generally, inbreeding was highest within cluster mating and lowest across cluster mating. Even when 10 clusters were used, one cluster always gave low inbreeding in all scenarios. This suggests that this cluster contains animals that differ from all other groups but still contains enough diversity within itself. Based on lower across cluster inbreeding, up to 7 clusters were appropriate. Statistically significant differences in genomic estimated breeding values were found between clusters. The rankings of clusters for different traits were mostly the same except for reproduction and fat. Results show that diversity within the population exists and clustering of selection candidates can reduce the expected inbreeding of the next generations.journal articl
Preserving the Gobi : Identifying potential UNESCO world heritage in Mongolia’s Gobi Desert
Get PDFjournal articleThe Gobi Desert, Asia’s largest desert, covers roughly 1,300,000 square kilometers across southern Mongolia and northern China. One of the world’s most iconic deserts, the Gobi is a functioning, healthy ecosystem home to spectacular landscapes that support an impressive variety of biological diversity, including many rare and endangered species. Human activity in the Gobi has existed for at least 5,000 years and several culturally and historically significant archeological sites have been documented in the region; the Gobi continues to support an ancient and enduring nomadic lifestyle. Prehistoric traces of ancient life are also widespread, making the Gobi a hotspot for fossil discoveries. Despite a wealth of natural and cultural heritage the Gobi Desert in Mongolia lacks any recognition as UNESCO World Heritage. This article explores the natural and cultural heritage of the Gobi Desert in Mongolia and using UNESCO’s framework for “Outstanding Universal Value,” identifies several sites with exceptional geological, ecological, and ethnological features that we believe meet the criteria for World Heritage status. In the face of looming threats from human interference and climate change, increased recognition and appreciation of Gobi Desert landscapes is crucial to ensure the long-term protection of these irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration.journal articl
Positive Outcomes after Surgical Correction of Grade IV Medial Patellar Luxation in Small Breed Dogs
Get PDFjournal articleBackground: Medial patellar luxation (MPL) is a common orthopedic condition in dogs. After surgical correction, the recurrent rates appear to be higher and outcomes worse in grade IV than in lower grade MPL. Aim: To describe the outcomes of surgical correction of canine grade IV MPL. Methods: This retrospective study analyzed the medical records of 16 dogs (11 females, 5 males; mean age = 5.05 years) with 22 stifle joints (8 left and 14 right) that underwent MPL surgery at Rakuno Gakuen University between May 2015 and October 2020. The procedures included capsulorrhaphy, trochlear block recession, tibial tuberosity transposition, medial retinacular release, and lateral fabellotibial suturing. The types of postsurgical complications, including a recurrence of MPL, were recorded. Results: Twelve of the 16 (75 %) dogs had concurrent contralateral MPL, and 2 dogs (12.5%) had concurrent cranial cruciate ligament rupture. The mean follow-up was 12.1 months. No lameness was observed. The outcomes of surgery for grade IV MPL were not associated with bilateral surgery, age, sex, body weight, or the preoperative quadriceps angle. Although none of the dogs showed any major or catastrophic complications following surgery, postoperative minor and major complications were observed in 8 of the 22 stifle joints (36.4%). Conclusion: Grade IV MPL is a complex orthopedic disease in dogs, which requires surgical patellar realignment to improve limb function. The surgical techniques used in this study were associated with a good prognosis without a surgical revision.journal articl
An alternative method to consider a reference population in Single-Step SNP BLUP model without separating genomic terms
Get PDFjournal articleThis study proposed an alternative method to consider a reference population in the mixed model equations (MME) of single-step SNP BLUP (ssSNP-BLUP) model without separating genomic terms to estimate SNP effects. We adopted the preconditioned biconjugate gradient stabilized method to solve MME because this model was a nonsymmetric linear system. Overall conformation score in the first lactation for Japanese Holsteins was used to compare the original and modified ssSNP-BLUP models. Genotyped animals included in the dataset were 37,197 cows, 5,352 sires, 3,973 young bulls and 88,058 heifers. Three reference populations were defined as sires, cows and both. Our method can consider the reference population in the ssSNP-BLUP without separating genomic terms. The contribution of young animals to genomic predictions was small, and predictions varied when only sires or cows were considered in a reference population. On the other hand, considering the reference population may reduce the overestimation of the predictions.journal articl
SUSTAINABLE LAND MANAGEMENT IN CORN FARMLAND, SOUTHEAST KAZAKHSTAN: REPORT FROM KAZAKHSTAN AND CHINA BORDER
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Mastitis causes negative reproduction performance similar to genital diseases
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Neurotensin and xenin stimulates pancreatic exocrine secretion through the peripheral cholinergic nerves in conscious sheep
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Meteorological matters in elementary school curriculum guidelines after 2020
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