Genetic analysis of an F2 intercross between two strains of Japanese quail provided evidence for quantitative trait loci affecting carcass composition and internal organs

The purpose of this study was to identify genomic regions, quantitative trait loci (QTL), affecting carcass traits on chromosome 1 in an F2 population of Japanese quail. For this purpose, two white and wild strains of Japanese quail (16 birds) were crossed reciprocally and F1 generation (34 birds) was created. The F2 generation was produced by intercrossing of the F1 birds. Phenotypic data including carcass weight, internal organs and carcass parts were collected on F2 animals (422 birds). The total mapping population (472 birds) was genotyped for 8 microsatellite markers on chromosome 1. QTL analysis was performed with interval mapping method applying the line-cross model. Significant QTL were identified for breast weight at 0 (P < 0.01), 172 (P < 0.05) and 206 (P < 0.01), carcass weight at 91 (P < 0.05), carcass fatness at 0 (P < 0.01), pre-stomach weight at 206 (P < 0.01) and uropygial weight gland at 197 (P < 0.01) cM on chromosome 1. There was also evidence for imprinted QTL affecting breast weight (P < 0.01) on chromosome 1. The proportion of the F2 phenotypic variation explained by the significant additive, dominance and imprinted QTL effects ranged from 1.0 to 7.3 %, 1.2 to 3.3 % and 1.4 to 2.2 %, respectively.     

Absolute Configuration of Oplopanone Derivatives From Serphidium stenocephalum: ECD Spectra of Acyclic Ketones With Front‐Octant Contributions

The electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra of two sesquiterpenoids ( 1 and 2 ) related to oplopanone, obtained from a methanolic extract of the plant Serphidium stenocephalum (Artemisia stenocephala), were measured and reproduced by means of time‐dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) calculations, establishing their absolute configuration. The application of ketone octant rule for carbonyl n‐π* ECD band to compounds 1 and 2 , which include an acyclic carbonyl group, was critically assessed. The peculiar oplopanone skeleton makes a straightforward application of the octant rule impossible, because of the uncertainty related to the shape of the so‐called third nodal surface separating front and back octants. The various group contributions to the carbonyl n‐π* ECD band were estimated with TDDFT calculations on selected molecular models obtained by consecutive dissections from 1 . Chirality 26:39–43, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Study of rust resistance genes in wheat germplasm with DNA markers

Wheat is a vital dietary component for human health and widely consumed in the world. Wheat rusts are dangerous pathogens and contribute serious threat to its production. In present study, PCR-Based DNA Markers were employed to check the rust resistance genes among 20 wheat genotypes and 22 markers were amplified. NTSYS-pc 2.2 was used to calculate genetic diversity and Nei and Li''s coefficients ranged from 0.55 to 0.95. Cluster analysis was obtained using UPGMA (Unweighted Pair Group Method of Arithmetic Average) algorithm. Maximum no. of genes (23) was amplified from TW-760010 genotype whereas minimum no of genes (14) were amplified from TW-76005 genotype. The data gained from present study open up new ways to produce new varieties by breeding rust resistant germplasm to avoid the economic and food loss and varieties with improved characteristics.     

Predator–prey relationships in a middle Asian Montane steppe: Persian leopard versus urial wild sheep in Northeastern Iran

Management controversies arise when both of the prey and predator in an ecosystem are species of conservation concern. We investigated trophic interactions between the endangered Persian leopard (Panthera pardus saxicolor) and a declining mountain ungulate, urial wild sheep (Ovis vignei), on a high-altitude steppe of Iran. During two consecutive photo-trapping seasons of 1,300 nights in total, a minimum population of four adult leopards (one female and three males) was documented. Scat analysis indicated that urial wild sheep was the staple of the leopard diet with 48.44 % of total biomass consumed. Remains of domestic livestock in leopard scats were negligible yet alarming (14.53 % biomass consumed), followed by wild pigs (8.13 %) and wild goat (1.26 %). Financial costs of leopard depredation to livestock breeders during our study period were comparatively lower than livestock–leopard conflict hotspots across Iran. Using distance sampling, urial density was 15.8 individuals km^?2 (±SE 6.2), and a total biomass of 47,621.5 kg for wild ungulates in the study area was estimated. We estimated that the annual removal rate of urial by leopards during our study period was 9.4 % of the total urial population. We suggest that continuous monitoring of the leopard and prey populations to assess predation impact should be considered, particularly in areas where a single species comprises a remarkable proportion of the leopard diet. In the meantime, assessing probable conflicts with local communities is recommended as a parallel management action to ensure long-term human–leopard coexistence. Our findings will aid wildlife managers in prey-depleted arid environments of western Asia to identify susceptible wild prey populations to predation by large carnivores; hence, significantly contribute in development and implementation of effective conservation measures to mitigate management conflicts.     

Mechanical and In Vitro Biological Performance of Graphene Nanoplatelets Reinforced Calcium Silicate Composite

Calcium silicate (CaSiO₃, CS) ceramic composites reinforced with graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) were prepared using hot isostatic pressing (HIP) at 1150°C. Quantitative microstructural analysis suggests that GNP play a role in grain size and is responsible for the improved densification. Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy showed that GNP survived the harsh processing conditions of the selected HIP processing parameters. The uniform distribution of 1 wt.% GNP in the CS matrix, high densification and fine CS grain size help to improve the fracture toughness by ∼130%, hardness by ∼30% and brittleness index by ∼40% as compared to the CS matrix without GNP. The toughening mechanisms, such as crack bridging, pull-out, branching and deflection induced by GNP are observed and discussed. The GNP/CS composites exhibit good apatite-forming ability in the simulated body fluid (SBF). Our results indicate that the addition of GNP decreased pH value in SBF. Effect of addition of GNP on early adhesion and proliferation of human osteoblast cells (hFOB) was measured in vitro. The GNP/CS composites showed good biocompatibility and promoted cell viability and cell proliferation. The results indicated that the cell viability and proliferation are affected by time and concentration of GNP in the CS matrix.     

Australian Hajj pilgrims' knowledge about MERS-CoV and other respiratory infections

正Dear Editor,With the intense crowding in mass gatherings such as Hajj,there is a high risk of acquisition of airborne in-fections with the potential for its transmission in the pilgrims’country of origin(Memish Z A,et al.,2014).The risk of importing serious infections from Hajj has escalated since the emergence of the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus(MERS-CoV)in Saudi Arabia and other neighbouring countries from September2012.Active surveillance of Hajj pilgrims in 2012 and 2013     

IFNγ-induced suppression of β-catenin signaling: evidence for roles of Akt and 14.3.3ζ

The proinflammatory cytokine interferon γ (IFNγ ) influences intestinal epithelial cell (IEC) homeostasis in a biphasic manner by acutely stimulating proliferation that is followed by sustained inhibition of proliferation despite continued mucosal injury. β-Catenin activation has been classically associated with increased IEC proliferation. However, we observed that IFNγ inhibits IEC proliferation despite sustained activation of Akt/β-catenin signaling. Here we show that inhibition of Akt/β-catenin–mediated cell proliferation by IFNγ is associated with the formation of a protein complex containing phosphorylated β-catenin 552 (pβ-cat552) and 14.3.3ζ. Akt1 served as a bimodal switch that promotes or inhibits β-catenin transactivation in response to IFNγ stimulation. IFNγ initially promotes β-catenin transactivation through Akt-dependent C-terminal phosphorylation of β-catenin to promote its association with 14.3.3ζ. Augmented β-catenin transactivation leads to increased Akt1 protein levels, and active Akt1 accumulates in the nucleus, where it phosphorylates 14.3.3ζ to translocate 14.3.3ζ/β-catenin from the nucleus, thereby inhibiting β-catenin transactivation and IEC proliferation. These results outline a dual function of Akt1 that suppresses IEC proliferation during intestinal inflammation.     

Subject-specific planning of femoroplasty: A combined evolutionary optimization and particle diffusion model approach

A potential effective treatment for prevention of osteoporotic hip fractures is augmentation of the mechanical properties of the femur by injecting it with agents such as (PMMA) bone cement – femoroplasty. The operation, however, is only in research stage and can benefit substantially from computer planning and optimization. We report the results of computational planning and optimization of the procedure for biomechanical evaluation. An evolutionary optimization method was used to optimally place the cement in finite element (FE) models of seven osteoporotic bone specimens. The optimization, with some inter-specimen variations, suggested that areas close to the cortex in the superior and inferior of the neck and supero-lateral aspect of the greater trochanter will benefit from augmentation. We then used a particle-based model for bone cement diffusion simulation to match the optimized pattern, taking into account the limitations of the actual surgery, including limited volume of injection to prevent thermal necrosis. Simulations showed that the yield load can be significantly increased by more than 30%, using only 9 ml of bone cement. This increase is comparable to previous literature reports where gross filling of the bone was employed instead, using more than 40 ml of cement. These findings, along with the differences in the optimized plans between specimens, emphasize the need for subject-specific models for effective planning of femoral augmentation.     

Effects of protease activated receptor (PAR)2 blocking peptide on endothelin-1 levels in kidney tissues in endotoxemic rat mode

Aims

Septic shock, the severe form of sepsis, is associated with development of progressive damage in multiple organs. Kidney can be injured and its functions altered by activation of coagulation, vasoactive-peptide and inflammatory processes in sepsis. Endothelin (ET)-1, a potent vasoconstrictor, is implicated in the pathogenesis of sepsis and its complications. Protease-activated receptors (PARs) are shown to play an important role in the interplay between inflammation and coagulation. We examined the time-dependent alterations of ET-1 and inflammatory cytokine, such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α in kidney tissue in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced septic rat model and the effects of PAR2 blocking peptide on the LPS-induced elevations of renal ET-1 and TNF-α levels.

Main methods

Male Wistar rats at 8 weeks of age were administered with either saline solution or LPS at different time points (1, 3, 6 and 10 h). Additionally, we treated LPS-administered rats with PAR2 blocking peptide for 3 h to assess whether blockade of PAR2 has a regulatory role on the ET-1 level in septic kidney.

Key findings

An increase in ET-1 peptide level was observed in kidney tissue after LPS administration time-dependently. Levels of renal TNF-α peaked (around 12-fold) at 1 h of sepsis. Interestingly, PAR2 blocking peptide normalized the LPS-induced elevations of renal ET-1 and TNF-α levels.

Significance

The present study reveals a distinct chronological expression of ET-1 and TNF-α in LPS-administered renal tissues and that blockade of PAR2 may play a crucial role in treating renal injury, via normalization of inflammation, coagulation and vaso-active peptide.     

Sampling Time and Performance in Rat Whisker Sensory System

We designed a behavioural paradigm for vibro-tactile detection to characterise the sampling time and performance in the rat whisker sensory system. Rats initiated a trial by nose-poking into an aperture where their whiskers came into contact with two meshes. A continuous nose-poke for a random duration triggered stimulus presentation. Stimuli were a sequence of discrete Gaussian deflections of the mesh that increased in amplitude over time – across 5 conditions, time to maximum amplitude varied from 0.5 to 8 seconds. Rats indicated the detected stimulus by choosing between two reward spouts. Two rats completed more than 500 trials per condition. Rats'' stimulus sampling duration increased and performance dropped with increasing task difficulty. For all conditions the median reaction time was longer for correct trials than incorrect trials. Higher rates of increment in stimulus amplitude resulted in faster rise in performance as a function of stimulus sampling duration. Rats'' behaviour indicated a dynamic stimulus sampling whereby nose-poke was maintained until a stimulus was correctly identified or the rat experienced a false alarm. The perception was then manifested in behaviour after a motor delay. We thus modelled the results with 3 parameters: signal detection, false alarm, and motor delay. The model captured the main features of the data and produced parameter estimates that were biologically plausible and highly similar across the two rats.