Bovine telomere dynamics and the association between telomere length and productive lifespan

Average telomere length (TL) in blood cells has been shown to decline with age in a range of vertebrate species, and there is evidence that TL is a heritable trait associated with late-life health and mortality in humans. In non-human mammals, few studies to date have examined lifelong telomere dynamics and no study has estimated the heritability of TL, despite these being important steps towards assessing the potential of TL as a biomarker of productive lifespan and health in livestock species. Here we measured relative leukocyte TL (RLTL) in 1,328 samples from 308 Holstein Friesian dairy cows and in 284 samples from 38 female calves. We found that RLTL declines after birth but remains relatively stable in adult life. We also calculated the first heritability estimates of RLTL in a livestock species which were 0.38 (SE = 0.03) and 0.32 (SE = 0.08) for the cow and the calf dataset, respectively. RLTL measured at the ages of one and five years were positively correlated with productive lifespan (p < 0.05). We conclude that bovine RLTL is a heritable trait, and its association with productive lifespan may be used in breeding programmes aiming to enhance cow longevity

Industrial closure, regional development and local planning: Multiple narratives of change from the experience of Longbridge, Birmingham

This article provides a critique of the policy response to the closure, in 2005, of the MG Rover factory in Longbridge, Birmingham. To date, the Longbridge 'narrative' has been dominated by the work of the Labour Government's MG Rover Task Force to secure the regional supply chain and support redundant workers. However, this represents a selective interpretation of the Longbridge experience. Important alternative narratives have been neglected, including the local impacts of closure, the role of front-line officials and voluntary and community groups in mitigating these, and future regeneration. The article considers these important issues and, thus, seeks to contribute to a more inclusive narrative of the Longbridge closure, the policy response to it and the lessons arising in light of the present crisis engulfing the European automotive industry. The article concludes that the nature and scope of the public policy response to industrial closure must be multi-level and multi-thematic in outlook and ensure investment in the resilience of local economy and society. © The Author(s) 2013 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav