Scans for signatures of selection in Russian cattle breed genomes reveal new candidate genes for environmental adaptation and acclimation

Domestication and selective breeding has resulted in over 1000 extant cattle breeds. Many of these breeds do not excel in important traits but are adapted to local environments. These adaptations are a valuable source of genetic material for efforts to improve commercial breeds. As a step toward this goal we identified candidate regions to be under selection in genomes of nine Russian native cattle breeds adapted to survive in harsh climates. After comparing our data to other breeds of European and Asian origins we found known and novel candidate genes that could potentially be related to domestication, economically important traits and environmental adaptations in cattle. The Russian cattle breed genomes contained regions under putative selection with genes that may be related to adaptations to harsh environments (e.g., AQP5, RAD50, and RETREG1). We found genomic signatures of selective sweeps near key genes related to economically important traits, such as the milk production (e.g., DGAT1, ABCG2), growth (e.g., XKR4), and reproduction (e.g., CSF2). Our data point to candidate genes which should be included in future studies attempting to identify genes to improve the extant breeds and facilitate generation of commercial breeds that fit better into the environments of Russia and other countries with similar climates

Modified polypropylene fibres for the medical use

Opracowano dwustopniową metodę otrzymywania antybakteryjnych włókien oraz siatek polipropylenowych PP przepuklinowych, na które są wrażliwe bakterie Gram+ i Gram-. Modyfikacja polegała na wprowadzeniu, w pierwszym etapie, do makrocząsteczek polimeru grup karboksylowych. W drugim etapie modyfikacji wyroby PP napawano roztworem biocydu. Na podstawie badań stwierdzono, że siatki zawierające w swej budowie biocyd są w dużym stopniu aktywne w stosunku do badanych bakterii, nie wykazując przy tym działania cytotoksycznego. Wstępne badania (in vivo), wykazały, że modyfikowane siatki nie wykazują działania drażniącego.The aim of this dissertation was to obtain fibres and polypropylene materials for medical use with prolonged biocidal acivity. The assumption was that biocide should be able to bond to the polypropylene fibre material through chemical bonds. This creates the possibility for biocide at appropriate concentration to detach at a certain time, keeping however, its activity against pathogenic microorganisms. Due to the fact that polypropylene fibres do not have appropriate functional groups that would be able to bond the drug so as to provide them with antibacterial properties, a two-stage modification of polypropylene fibres and hernia nesh was carried out. Modification was based on introducing carboxylic groups at the first stage into the macroparticles of the polymer through PAA grafting. At the second stage of modification, polypropylene materials that included carboxylic groups were imbued with the biocidal solution of: cephalosphorine of the third generation (Cephoperazone), amicoglicozydes (Netylmycyne) and non-organic salts - silver nitrate (each medicine individually). Grafting reaction parameters were adjusted in such a way that a by-product would be created in slight amounts only, thus this method proves to leave practically no by-products behind and is also very economical. There was also an in vitro microbiological evaluation carried out of the antibacterial properties and cytotoxic activity of the modified hernia nesh. It has been concluded that hernia nesh that included biocide in their structure, are highly active against standardized Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria strains, e.g. S aureus, E-coli and P. aeruginosa, without showing any cytotoxic activity at the same time. Introductory tests (in vivo) shown that modified PP nesh do not present any irritating activities

Technological and sensory quality of defective pork meat

Celem badań było porównanie wartości technologicznej i sensorycznej mięsa wieprzowego należącego do różnych klas jakościowych. Badania przeprowadzono selekcjonując materiał spośród 390 tuczników. W mięsie badanych tuczników oznaczono: pH, barwę, wyciek naturalny, wskaźnik RTN, wydajność po gotowaniu. Przeprowadzono również ocenę sensoryczną mięsa surowego i gotowanego. Na podstawie wartości pH (1, 3, 24 h) próby mięsa podzielono na: PSE, częściowo PSE, kwaśne, normalne i częściowo DFD. Wyniki przeprowadzonych badań wykazały stosunkowo dobrą jakość technologiczną i sensoryczną mięsa. Najniższą jakość technologiczną wykazywało mięso uznane za PSE, częściowo PSE i ASE. Mięso DFD charakteryzowało się najwyższą wydajnością po gotowaniu i peklowaniu, najmniejszym wyciekiem oraz najwyższą jakością sensoryczną mięsa gotowanego, która nie różnicowała go jednak istotnie od mięsa normalnego.The objective of the study was to compare the technological and sensory value of pork meat from different quality classes. The research was performed on the meat material selected from among 390 fatteners. The following meat parameters of the fatteners were analysed: pH value, meat colour, natural drip loss, Napole technological yield (RTN), and cooking yield. Moreover, both the raw and the cooked meat samples were sensory evaluated. Based on the pH values (1h, 3h, and 24h post mortem), the meat samples were divided into five quality classes: PSE, partially PSE, acidic, normal, and partially DFD. The results of the analyses performed showed a relatively good technological and sensory quality of the meat studied. The lowest technological value had the meat described as PSE, partially PSE, and ASE. The DFD meat was characterized by the highest cooking and curing yields, the lowest drip loss, and the highest sensory quality of cooked meat, which, however, was not significantly different than that of the normal meat

Effect of glucose and triglyceride levels in blood serum on carcass and meat quality of porkers

Celem pracy było określenie zależności pomiędzy stężeniem lipidów i glukozy w surowicy krwi świń a parametrami charakteryzującymi jakość tuszy i mięsa wieprzowego. Badania wykonano na materiale 54 tuczników (36 wieprzków i 18 loszek) pochodzących z krzyżowania loszek Naïma z knurami P76 z linii hybrydowej P76-PenArLan. Bezpośrednio po uboju, z tętnic szyjnych pobrano próbki krwi tuczników. W surowicy krwi oznaczono stężenie: glukozy, triacylogliceroli (TG), cholesterolu całkowitego (CHOL) i HDL oraz wyliczono cholesterol LDL. Po uboju określono zawartość mięsa w tuszach aparatem CGM. W mięśniu longissimus dorsi (LD) oznaczono: wartość pH po 45 min, 3 h i 24 h od uboju (na wysokości ostatniego żebra), parametry barwy L*, a*, b*, wyciek naturalny i potencjał glikolityczny. Pomiędzy badanymi cechami obliczono współczynniki korelacji. Na podstawie zawartości glukozy w surowicy krwi wyodrębniono dwie grupy świń w badanej populacji, różniące się profilem lipidów i stężeniem glukozy oraz jakością mięsa. Mięso świń w grupie charakteryzującej się wyższym poziomem triacylogliceroli (103,13 mg/100 ml vs. 76,32 mg/100 ml) i glukozy (137,87 mg/100 ml vs. 81,98 mg/100 ml) charakteryzowało się niższym pH po 45 min (6,34 vs. 6,54 ), po 3 h (6,12 vs. 6,33) i po 24 h (5,50 vs. 5,58) post mortem oraz wyższym potencjałem glikolitycznym (148,36 μmol/g vs. 134,90 μmol/g) i większym wyciekiem naturalnym (5,11 % vs. 3,95 %). Wykazano istotne (p ≤ 0,05) zależności pomiędzy stężeniem lipidów w surowicy krwi i poziomem glukozy a cechami wartości rzeźnej i parametrami określającymi jakość mięsa (r = -0,28 ÷ 0,41).The objective of the research study was to determine the correlations between the lipid and glucose levels in blood serum of pigs and the parameters characterizing the quality of pork carcass and pork meat. The study performed covered 54 porkers (36 hogs barrows and 18 gilts/sows) derived from crossing the Naïma gilts and the P76-PenArLan hybrid boars. Immediately after slaughter, blood samples of the porkers were taken from their carotid arteries. In the blood serum, the levels of the following components were determined: glucose, triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (CHOL), and HD cholesterol; also, the LDL cholesterol was calculated. After slaughter, the content of meat was determined in the carcasses using a CGM apparatus. In the longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle, the following was determined: pH values 45 min., 3 h, and 24 h after slaughter (at the height of the last rib), L*a*b* colour parameters, normal drip loss, and glycolytic potential. The coefficients of correlations were calculated among the traits analyzed. On the basis of the glucose content in the blood serum, the pigs in the population studied were divided into two groups, which differed in their lipid profiles, levels of glucose in the blood serum, and meat quality. The meat of pigs in the group characterized by higher levels of triglycerides (103.13 mg/100 ml vs. 76.32 mg/100 ml) and glucose (137.87 mg/100 ml vs. 81.98 mg/100 ml) had a lower pH 45 min. (6.34 vs. 6.54), 3 h(6.12 vs. 6.33), and 24 h (5.50 vs 5.58) post mortem, and a higher glycolytic potential (148.36 μmol/g vs. 134.90 μmol/g) as well as a higher normal drip loss (5.11 % vs. 3.95%). Significant correlations were confirmed to exist among the levels of lipids and glucose in blood serum and the characteristics of slaughter value and meat quality parameters (r = -0.28 ÷ 0.41 p ≤ 0.05)