132 research outputs found
Investigating candidate regions that may affect embryonic survival outcomes in New Zealand dairy cattle
No full textSubstantial gains in the productivity, efficiency and health of dairy cattle have been influenced by the adoption of genomic evaluation and artificial insemination in selective breeding schemes. Over the past decade, intensified selection efforts for production traits have been accompanied by declines in reproductive performance with a negative correlation between milk yield and fertility. Here, we investigate recessive embryonic lethal mutations as a source of failed pregnancy and reproductive decline. In this study, we aimed to detect genomic regions which may harbour embryonic lethal mutations and identify candidate mutations within these regions. For the first time in this population, a ‘haplotype depletion analysis’ was performed using medium density genotype data on over 42,000 New Zealand Holstein-Friesian cattle. Previously discovered embryonic lethal mutations, or ‘fertility variants’, in this population were used as positive methodology controls at each stage of this study. Three approaches to haplotype construction for the analysis were compared to assess the best approach for this analysis in our population. We discovered eight regions of homozygous depletion, mapping to chromosomes 3, 7, 8, 9, 11, 13, 18, and 19. Further investigation of these depleted regions using whole genome sequence data revealed 30 candidate non-synonymous mutations distributed across candidate loci on chromosomes 3, 8, 11, and 13. Of these, 17 candidate mutations mapped to annotated genes and were investigated systematically. For depleted regions on chromosome 3, 8, 11, 13 the most likely candidate mutations mapped to RABGGTB, RNF20, TTF1 and PCED1A respectively. The effectiveness of our methods was supported by the ability to detect all three known fertility variants (i.e., RABGGTB, RNF20 and TTF1) at each stage of the study. The genomic loci defined by significantly depleted haplotypes in the population, and their associated mutations identified in this study can immediately be used in the national genomic evaluation scheme to decrease their prevalence and improve dairy cattle reproductive success and profitability. This information can be applied through sire selection or the prevention of genetically informed at-risk matings
A tropical cow: The investigation of genetic variants that contribute toward coat characteristics and thermoregulation in New Zealand dairy cows
No full textFull Text is available to authenticated members of The University of Auckland only.Heat stress is an increasingly relevant issue facing the dairy industry and has previously beenassociated with reduced fertility, milk production, and immune function in dairy cattle. Coatcolouration and morphology play a large role in heat load and heat dissipation, thus directlycontributing to heat stress. The aims of this study were to uncover genetic variants that associate withcoat characteristics relevant to heat stress, including phenotypes such as coat colour, the proportion ofwhite spotting on the coat, coat patterning traits and hair morphology in the New Zealand dairy cowpopulation. These phenotypes were derived from on-farm video footage and hair samples taken fromNew Zealand Holstein-Friesian, Jersey and Kiwi cross dairy cows and used to conduct genome-wideassociation analysis with imputed whole genome sequence data. We uncovered a variety of geneticsignals impacting these traits, including novel associations unique to this study. Based on our findings,we hypothesise that the proportion of white spotting, the presence of a white belly and white legs maybe controlled by the same KIT allele, whilst the presence of a black muzzle ring, a black face and awhite spot on the rump may be controlled by another KIT allele. We have identified several variantsupstream of the MITF gene associating with a verity of coat patterning traits, and have stronglyimplicated the MC1R gene in the black muzzle and differentially coloured saddle phenotypes.Additionally, we have implicated PAX3 in proportion of white spotting and ADAMTS9 in the blackface phenotype for the first time in cattle. We have also implicated the PRLR gene and an additionalregion on chromosome 1 in mean hair length determination. The identification of these associationshas the potential to provide commercial opportunities domestically and off-shore by potentiallyincreasing productivity and welfare of dairy cows in heat stress conditions. These results alsocontribute insight into physiological and biological aspects of coat pigmentation and morphology,enhancing our understanding of these processes with relevance across mammals
The genetic characterisation of coat colour and patterning traits in cattle : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Animal Science at Massey University, AL Rae Centre for Genetics and Animal Breeding, Hamilton, New Zealand
No full textListed in 2022 Dean's List of Exceptional ThesesCoat colour and patterning traits have been of interest to cattle breeders for centuries and have undergone intense selection due to their ability to provide easy means of breed identification. The striking coat colour and patterning traits observed in modern-day cattle breeds have reached fixation in many breed populations, and causal mutations for almost all major coat patterning traits in cattle have been resolved, with the exception of the white spotting trait characteristic of Holstein cattle. Despite this, the molecular mechanisms through which these mutations modulate pigmentation, and how they might interact with each other to produce different patterning traits, remain poorly understood. The aims of this thesis were to uncover the causal variants that contribute toward the proportion of white spotting on the coat, identify epistatic interactions between coat colour loci, and explore the implementation of alternative breeding solutions to introgress favourable coat-colour relevant genetic variants with minimal genetic drag. A combination of molecular, quantitative, and bioinformatic tools were utilised to discover a mutation in the protein-coding sequence of the PAX3 gene, a mutation within a highly conserved region of the MITF gene, and a novel structural variant upstream of the KIT gene, that all likely contribute towards the proportion of white spotting on the coat. Using genome-wide association analyses we also described an epistatic interaction between the MITF and KIT loci that causes a splotchy face in cattle with Hereford parentage, and an epistatic interaction between two mutations at the KIT locus that causes pigmentation around the eyes in white-faced Hereford cattle. Finally, unbiased whole-genome sequence analysis and long-molecule sequencing demonstrated that CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing could be used to introgress a PMEL coat colour dilution mutation into a Holstein-Friesian background with no detectable off-target mutagenesis or genetic drag. This thesis reports novel candidate causal mutations and epistatic interactions previously unreported, and also the first study in cattle to investigate off-target mutations with the application of CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing technologies. The results presented here provide insight into biological and physiological aspects of pigment biology, and enhance our understanding of these processes with relevance across mammals
How perception of status differences affects our decision making
No full textAs human beings, we aspire higher to achieve greater security in our lives. We assess our standing in society in relative terms. Past studies have shown that our subjective social status relative to society can determine health consequences (Operario et al, 2004). Yet, we have a limited understanding of how to measure our subjective status and how that affects our decision making and behavior. Understanding these may reveal important information about how perception of status differences affects behavior. Therefore, the primary goal of this dissertation is to closely examine perception of status in order to evaluate its subsequent effect on decision making. Four studies were conducted to examine the relationship between status perceptions and decision making. In the first study, we established a laboratory manipulation of status, designed and validated appropriate questionnaires, and probed its effects on decision making via an economic game called the Ultimatum Game. In study 2, we examined how perception of status affected choice of an experimental status symbol. Both of these studies showed a negative relationship with decision making. In study 1, the low status subjects, who felt inferior to their partner, shared more with their high status partners. And in study 2, we observed that in certain contexts, the low status subjects, who felt inferior to their partner, chose the experimental status symbol more. However, in study 3, when we made the experimental situation riskier, subjects who perceived themselves to be inferior to their partner chose the status symbol less than their high status counterparts. In addition, low status subjects showed more affinity for risk at specific levels. In study 4, we examined if these effects were due to self-esteem and found no effect of self-esteem. Together, these studies showed that laboratory manipulations of status can capture psychological aspects of the status experience and may induce a compensatory tendency. These compensatory tendencies may vary depending on both status of the subject and riskiness of the situation. Studying status in a laboratory setting allows researchers to understand these behaviors more closely and speculate on how to best address status concerns for the betterment of society.Ph. D.Includes bibliographical referencesIncludes vitaby Swati Bhattachary
Analyzing Advancement in Crowdfunding Research and Envisioning its Future: A Bibliometric Approach
No full textPublished online 24 July 2023. Published in print 1 August 2023.Academy of Management Annual Meeting Proceedings includes abstracts of all papers and symposia presented at the annual conference, plus 6-page abridged versions of the “Best Papers” accepted for inclusion in the program (approximately 10%). Papers published in the Proceedings are abridged because presenting papers at their full length could preclude subsequent journal publication. Please contact the author(s) directly for the full papers.Crowdfunding represents an emerging alternative means of marshaling resources which may prove to be a game-changer in the entrepreneurial finance landscape. Although the rapid growth in this field has yielded a multidisciplinary body of work, the scaffolding of this vast body of work is still largely unknown in the scholarly domain. We conduct a bibliometric analysis of 534 crowdfunding articles to uncover the intellectual landscape of crowdfunding research. Our comprehensive co-citation analysis reveals two generations of crowdfunding research, identifies the most researched themes in area, and highlights its theoretical and disciplinary anchors. In addition, our bibliographic cartography traces the shifts in areas of interest of scholars within the heterogeneous field. Overall, our critical analysis of the most influential conversations in crowdfunding research helps reveals gaps in the extant literature which act as fertile directions for its future inquiry
Biological and bio-inspired morphometry as a route to tunable and enhanced materials design
No full textThesis: Ph. D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, 2016.This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.Cataloged from student-submitted PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references.Structural materials in nature integrate classical materials selection rules with morphometry (geometry or shape-based rules) to create high-performance, multi-functional structures that exhibit tunable properties through extraordinary complexity, hierarchy, and precise structural control. This thesis explores the use of morphometry as a materials design parameter through the development of bio-inspired, flexible composite armor based on the articulated exoskeleton of an armored fish, Polypterus senegalus, which achieves uniform coverage and protection from predatory threats without restricting flexibility. First, the functional implications of shape and shape variation are examined as materials design parameters within the biological exoskeleton using a new method that integrates continuum strain analysis with landmark-based geometric morphometric analysis in 2D and 3D. Bioinspired flexible composite prototypes are fabricated using multi-material 3D printing and tested under passive loading (self-weight) and active loading (bending) to examine how the shape of scales contributes to local, interscale mobility mechanisms that generate anisotropic, global mechanical behavior. With one prototype design scheme, a wide array of mechanical behavior is generated with stiffness ranging over several orders of magnitude, including 'mechanical invisibility' of the scales, showing how morphometry can tune flexibility without varying the constituent materials. Finally, finite element models simulating the bending experiments are created to establish a computational framework for analyzing the mechanical response of the prototypes. The finite element models are then extended to examine the effect of different loading conditions, scale morphometry, multi-material architecture, and constituent material properties. The results show how morphometric-enabled materials design, inspired by structural biological materials, can allow for tunable behavior in flexible composites made of segmented scale assemblies to achieve enhanced user mobility, custom fit, and flexibility around joints for a variety of protective applications.by Swati Varshney.Ph. D
‘Diminishing Inequalities Is The Key To Robust Human Development’
No full textIn highly unequal regions, redistribution of opportunities and resources are essential for human development advances, author Swati Narayan says in this intervie
Pharmacological interventions for patients experiencing acute post-operative pain
No full textWhat is pain? It is an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage. What are goals for postoperative pain management?To increase a patients quality of life, to facilitate a full and healthy recovery, to decrease the risk for complications (Impaired mobility -
pneumonia, pressure ulcers, DVT), to allow for early discharge from the hospital. Conclusion: by using a combination of pharmacological interventions we can more accurately provide pain management to patients by addressing multiple types of pain at once. By performing a thorough pain assessment and using our clinical judgement to determine what pharmacological interventions are necessary, we can move closer to achieving our postoperative pain management goals.Not peer reviewedStudent Research Day Poster (2017
DBLP Records and Entries for Key Computer Science Conferences
No full textThe dataset ”DBLP-CSR.zip” is derived from September 17, 2015 snapshot of dblp bibliography database. It contains the last 16 years (2000 − 2015) of publications records of 81 Computer Science Research conferences used for a study conducted in our paper Women in Computer Science Research- What is Bibliography Data Telling Us? published in ACM SIGCAS Computers and Society Newsletter, Volume 46, Issue 1, February 2016. Link to the Newsletter Archive: http://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=J198The dataset contains 7 .sql files and a README file providing the description of dataset and attributes. The seven .sql files are primarily named as affiliation_coord.sql, affiliation.sql, author_gender.sql, authors.sql, editor_gender.sql, editor.sql and main.sql.The affiliation_coord.sql, affiliation.sql, authors.sql, editor.sql files create the tables with same name. While main.sql, editor_gender.sql and author_gender.sql create tables with the names general, genedit and genauth old respectively.Followings are the list and description of all attributes used in the dataset. Same attributes used in different tables are listed only once.1. Table- generalk- unique id of each article- primary key in the table.year- the year of publicationconf- abbreviation for conference name (HT for ACM HyperText)crossref- cross reference link to all articles published in a conference in a yearcs, de, se, th- a binary attribute denoting if a conference belongs to these domains (Computer Science, Data Engineering, Software Engineering, Theory)publisher- Name of the conference publisherlink- unique DOI link to the article that re-directs to conference publisher page.2. Table- authorspos- position of author in the paper. 0 denotes first authorname- unique name of author in dblp datasetgender- gender of authors. Hyphen (-) denotes that gender was not determined. Please refer to the paper for more details.prob- probability of a name to be M, F, -.3. Table- editorsk- foreign key for crossref attribute in general tablepos- position of editor in conference. 0 denotes the first editor.4. Table- genauth_old and genedit contain the records of gender information of authors and editors- derived from authors and editors tables.5. Table- affiliation affil- affiliation record of each author publishing in the 81 conferences mentioned above.year- year of publication6. Table- affiliation_coordcountry- country of the author extracted from affiliationcountry_code- code to be used for mapslat, lng- latitude and longitude information of affiliation
DBLP Publications Records and ACM Metadata for SIGWEB Conferences
No full textThe dataset ”DBLP-SIGWEB.zip” is derived from September 17, 2015 snapshot of dblp bibliography database. It contains all publications and authors records (available in dblp data) of 8 ACM SIGWEB conferences (HT, DL, DocEng, WebSci, CIKM, WSDM, UMAP, SIGIR): The dataset also contains the authors, chairs, affiliations and additional metadata information of conferences that are published in ACM digital library.dblp-sigweb.sql file creates 14 tables in mysql. Followings are the list and description of all attributes and tables used in the dataset. Same attributes used in different tables are listed only once.1. Table- papersdblp_key- unique id of each publication in dblp databasecrossref- unique id of each conference in dblp databasedoi- unique doi url to publisher pagepaper_id- unique id of each article in acm digital library (DL)cite_count- number of citations for each article calculated for the papers published in acm DLpages- number of pages for each article in conference proceedingsconf_id- unique id of each conference in acm DLfunding- funding source information of article. NULL- if no funcding source available2. Table- paper_authorsauthor_id- unique id of an author in acm DLaffiliation- affiliation information of author for associated article3. Table- conceptsconcept- concepts in an article- tagged by ACM4. Table- author_tagsauthor_tag- Keywords/tags provided by authors5. cited_bypaper_id- acm DL id of article A to be citedcite_id- unique id of article that has cited article A6. paper_referencesrefer_id- unique id of the articles (published in sigweb conferences) cited in article A.7. Table- conferencesdblp_key- unique id of each conference in dblp databaseyear- year of the conferencepublisher- publisher name of each conference (ACM, Springer, IEEE etc.)title- full name of the conference proceedingdoi- unique doi url to the conference publisher page8. Table- general_chairs, program_chairs, editorsauthor_id- unique id of author (as general chair, program chair or editor of conference conf_id)affiliation- affiliation of author9. authors_affiliation_history, colleaguesauthor_id- unique id of author A in ACM DLposition- index of affiliation- starts from 0affiliation- lists all affiliations of an authorcolleague_id- lists acm IDs of all authors publishing papers in ACM co-authored with A.11. authors_infoauthor_name- full name of author acquired from ACM publisher pageyear_first- year of first article publication in ACMyear_last- year of recent article publication in ACMpub_count- total number of publciations in ACM DLcite_count- total number of citations mentioned in ACM publciationsavg_cite- average number of citation in ACM publications12. affiliations_infoaffiliation- name of the affiliationaffiliation_type- type of affiliatioin (Industry, Academic Institution)city, state, country- geographical location of affiliationlat, lng- geocodes (latitude and longitude) of affiliatio
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