Genetic parameters of selection criteria in horses. The effects of different calculative methods on the heritability estimates of racing ability of Thoroughbred horses

International audienc

Yerli Bir Sığır Irkının Fenotipik Özelliklerinin Tanımlanmasında Video Yardımlı Ölçme Yönteminin Kullanılması

This study aims to identify phenotypical traits of the Hungarian Grey (HG) and two more podolic breed (Maremmana, Anatolian Grey) with the Video Aided Measurement (VAM) method. The sample has been gathered from 1090 Hungarian Grey out of five herd and 26, and 30 from the Maremmana and Anatolian Grey. The measurements have been done by taking relevant pictures from videos recorded through the optometric VAM method. As the animal stands still in pictures, the measurements obtained via this method are safer, practical and reliable. The standard deviations and the average body size of Hungarian Grey cattle examined by this method were found to be: height at withers 133,0 cm (sd:5,7); height of back 131,5 cm (sd:5,7); rump height 133,7 cm (sd:6,1) trunk length 157,6 cm (sd:9,7); chest depth 76,9 cm (sd:4,3); body length 152,6 cm (sd:10,6); width of chest 45,5 cm (sd:4,3). The discriminant function analysis of intra- (Hungarian) and inter-breed dataset showed that there were statistically significant phenotypical differences among the herd. Based on the results, the VAM method can be a potential tool for conservation herds, primarily for obtaining the data of phenotypical aspects. New approaches like geometric morphometry can also be used for gaining phenotype data.Bu çalışmada amaç Hungarian Grey ile iki podolik ırkı olan Maremmana ve Boz Step (Anatolian Grey) sığır ırklarında, Video Destekli Ölçüm (VAM) yöntemiyle fenotipik bazı özelliklerin belirlenmesidir. Bu bağlamda Hungarian Grey sığır ırkından 5 sürüden 1090 birey ile Maremmana ve Boz Step ırklarından sırasıyla 26 ve 30 bireylik örneklerde çalışılmıştır. Optimetrik VAM yöntemi ile kaydedilen videolardan uygun resimler alınarak ölçümler yapılmıştır. Çünkü resimde hayvan sabit duruduğu için bu metotla elde edilen ölçümler daha hızlı, pratik ve güvenilirdir. Bu metotla incelenen Hungarian Grey sığır ırkındaki vücut ölçüleri ortalama ve standart sapmaları sırsıyla; cidago yüksekliği 133±5.7, sırt yüksekliği sağrı yüksekliği, gövde uzunluğu, göğüs derinliği ve vücut uzunluğu olarak bulunmuştur. Yapılan diskriminant analiz sonucunda sürü içerisinde istatistik olarak önemli fenotipik farklılıklar olduğu görülmüştür. Elde edilen sonuçlara gore VAM metodu koruma sürüleri başta olmak üzere fenotipik verilerin elde edilmesinde bir araç olarak kullanılabilir. Geometrik morfometri gibi yeni yaklaşımlar da fenotipik verilerin elde edilmesinde kullanılabilir

Transposon-Based Reporter Marking Provides Functional Evidence for Intercellular Bridges in the Male Germline of Rabbits

K

Thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) promotes wound re-epithelialisation in frog and human skin

There remains a critical need for new therapeutics that promote wound healing in patients suffering from chronic skin wounds. This is, in part, due to a shortage of simple, physiologically and clinically relevant test systems for investigating candidate agents. The skin of amphibians possesses a remarkable regenerative capacity, which remains insufficiently explored for clinical purposes. Combining comparative biology with a translational medicine approach, we report the development and application of a simple ex vivo frog (Xenopus tropicalis) skin organ culture system that permits exploration of the effects of amphibian skin-derived agents on re-epithelialisation in both frog and human skin. Using this amphibian model, we identify thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) as a novel stimulant of epidermal regeneration. Moving to a complementary human ex vivo wounded skin assay, we demonstrate that the effects of TRH are conserved across the amphibian-mammalian divide: TRH stimulates wound closure and formation of neo-epidermis in organ-cultured human skin, accompanied by increased keratinocyte proliferation and wound healing-associated differentiation (cytokeratin 6 expression). Thus, TRH represents a novel, clinically relevant neuroendocrine wound repair promoter that deserves further exploration. These complementary frog and human skin ex vivo assays encourage a comparative biology approach in future wound healing research so as to facilitate the rapid identification and preclinical testing of novel, evolutionarily conserved, and clinically relevant wound healing promoters

Inflammation and oxidative stress caused by nitric oxide synthase uncoupling might lead to left ventricular diastolic and systolic dysfunction in patients with hypertension

Objective: To investigate the role of oxidative stress, inflammation, hypercoagulability and neuroendocrine activation in the transition of hypertensive heart disease to heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFPEF). Methods: We performed echocardiography for 112 patients (≥ 60 years old) with normal EF (18 controls and 94 with hypertension), and determined protein carbonylation (PC), and tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4), C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), fibrinogen, plasminogen activator inhibitor type-I (PAI-I), von Willebrand factor, chromogranin A (cGA) and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels from their blood samples. Results: We found that 40% (38/94) of the patients with hypertension (HT) had no diastolic dysfunction (HTDD-), and 60% (56/94) had diastolic dysfunction (HTDD+). Compared to the controls, both patient groups had increased PC and BH4, TNF-α, PAI-I and BNP levels, while the HTDD+ group had elevated cGA and CRP levels. Decreased atrial and longitudinal left ventricular (LV) systolic and diastolic myocardial deformation (strain and strain rate) was demonstrated in both patient groups versus the control. Patients whose LV diastolic function deteriorated during the follow-up had elevated PC and IL-6 level compared to their own baseline values, and to the respective values of patients whose LV diastolic function remained unchanged. Oxidative stress, inflammation, BNP and PAI-I levels inversely correlated with LV systolic, diastolic and atrial function. Conclusions: In patients with HT and normal EF, the most common HFPEF precursor condition, oxidative stress and inflammation may be responsible for LV systolic, diastolic and atrial dysfunction, which are important determinants of the transition of HT to HFPEF