Classificação etnológica dos ovinos churros portugueses

Um total de 57 medidas morfométricas do esqueleto cefálico e do osso metacarpo principal, efectuadas sobre um conjunto de 210 indivíduos, 30 de cada uma das sete raças ovinas do grupo Churro Português, foram utilizadas para obter informação acerca da sua estrutura morfométrica e contribuir para a classificação etnológica destas populações. Ainda que a possibilidade de máxima discriminação seja de ll9,05%, mediante 18 variáveis morfométricas (13 cranianas e 5 metacarpianas) é possível, com significado estatístico, discriminar 79,52% das raças ovinas Churras Portuguesas. Assim, os resultados obtidos são indicadores do elevado interesse destes suportes ósseos para discriminar populações ovinas, proporcionando informação que, adicionada a outras fontes é de grande utilidade para a classificação etnológica dos ovinos Churros Portugueses. Neste contexto, verifica-se com alta significação estatística, a existência de dois grupos especialmente homogéneos morfometricamente: Churro Bragançano - Churro Mirandês e Churro da Terra Quente - Churro Badano - Churro Mondegueiro. A raça Churro Algarvio é a de maior identidade morfométrica. Em relação ao grupo Churro do Campo, o seu espaço morfométrico é a expressão do seu isolamento geográfico e da adaptação ao meio ambiente em que tem sido explorado

Genetic evaluation for subjective traits in the Pirenaica Breed

Ponencia publicada en ITEA, vol.104Los esquemas de selección en las especies ganaderas utilizan una amplia variedad de caracteres. En algunos casos, los registros fenotípicos se obtienen a partir de una valoración subjetiva por parte de evaluadores expertos. Esta valoración implica una clasificación en una escala arbitraria, y, por este motivo, puede diferir considerablemente de la distribución Normal. Por otra parte, cada evaluador puede utilizar criterios de clasificación específicos, y diferentes de los otros evaluadores. En este trabajo se propone un modelo multi-umbral para el análisis de datos procedentes de valoraciones subjetivas. El modelo asume una escala observable diferente para cada evaluador o grupo de evaluadores, y una escala subyacente común. El modelo propuesto se ha aplicado a datos de conformación de la canal de la Raza Bovina Pirenaica procedentes del sistema de valoración SEUROP en 12 mataderos del País Vasco y Navarra.Selection programs in livestock populations made use of a wide variety of traits. Among them, phenotypic records for some traits are obtained by a subjective evaluation from a set of experts, like sensory, type, carcass or fat score traits. Data from subjective evaluation usually involves a classification under an arbitrary predefined scale. The output of this process can lead to strong departures from the Gaussian distribution. Moreover, different criteria can be achieved for each expert. In this study, we propose a Slaughterhouse Specific Ordered Category Threshold Model, that assumes a specific observable scale for each specialist, and a common subjacent scale. The procedure is applied to SEUROP conformation score data from the Pirenaica Beef Cattle Breed evaluated at 12 different slaughterhouses from the Basque Country and Navarre

On plane subgraphs of complete topological drawings

Topological drawings are representations of graphs in the plane, where vertices are represented by points, and edges by simple curves connecting the points. A drawing is simple if two edges intersect at most in a single point, either at a common endpoint or at a proper crossing. In this paper we study properties of maximal plane subgraphs of simple drawings Dnof the complete graph Knon n vertices. Our main structural result is that maximal plane subgraphs are 2-connected and what we call essentially 3-edge-connected. Besides, any maximal plane subgraph contains at least [3n/2] edges. We also address the problem of obtaining a plane subgraph of Dnwith the maximum number of edges, proving that this problem is NP-complete. However, given a plane spanning connected subgraph of Dn, a maximum plane augmentation of this subgraph can be found in O(n3) time. As a side result, we also show that the problem of finding a largest compatible plane straight-line graph of two labeled point sets is NP-complete. © 2021 Society of Mathematicians, Physicists and Astronomers of Slovenia. All rights reserved

Consequences of paternally inherited effects on the genetic evaluation of maternal effects

Background: Mixed models are commonly used for the estimation of variance components and genetic evaluation of livestock populations. Some evaluation models include two types of additive genetic effects, direct and maternal. Estimates of variance components obtained with models that account for maternal effects have been the subject of a long-standing controversy about strong negative estimates of the covariance between direct and maternal effects. Genomic imprinting is known to be in some cases statistically confounded with maternal effects. In this study, we analysed the consequences of ignoring paternally inherited effects on the partitioning of genetic variance. Results: We showed that the existence of paternal parent-of-origin effects can bias the estimation of variance components when maternal effects are included in the evaluation model. Specifically, we demonstrated that adding a constraint on the genetic parameters of a maternal model resulted in correlations between relatives that were the same as those obtained with a model that fits only paternally inherited effects for most pairs of individuals, as in livestock pedigrees. The main consequence is an upward bias in the estimates of the direct and maternal additive genetic variances and a downward bias in the direct-maternal genetic covariance. This was confirmed by a simulation study that investigated five scenarios, with the trait affected by (1) only additive genetic effects, (2) only paternally inherited effects, (3) additive genetic and paternally inherited effects, (4) direct and maternal additive genetic effects and (5) direct and maternal additive genetic plus paternally inherited effects. For each scenario, the existence of a paternally inherited effect not accounted for by the estimation model resulted in a partitioning of the genetic variance according to the predicted pattern. In addition, a model comparison test confirmed that direct and maternal additive models and paternally inherited models provided an equivalent fit. Conclusions: Ignoring paternally inherited effects in the maternal models for genetic evaluation can lead to a specific pattern of bias in variance component estimates, which may account for the unexpectedly strong negative direct-maternal genetic correlations that are typically reported in the literature

The Future of Human-Food Interaction

There is an increasing interest in food within the HCI discipline, with many interactive prototypes emerging that augment, extend and challenge the various ways people engage with food, ranging from growing plants, cooking ingredients, serving dishes and eating together. Grounding theory is also emerging that in particular draws from embodied interactions, highlighting the need to consider not only instrumental, but also experiential factors specific to human-food interactions. Considering this, we are provided with an opportunity to extend human-food interactions through knowledge gained from designing novel systems emerging through technical advances. This workshop aims to explore the possibility of bringing practitioners, researchers and theorists together to discuss the future of human-food interaction with a particular highlight on the design of experiential aspects of human-food interactions beyond the instrumental. This workshop extends prior community building efforts in this area and hence explicitly invites submissions concerning the empirically-informed knowledge of how technologies can enrich eating experiences. In doing so, people will benefit not only from new technologies around food, but also incorporate the many rich benefits that are associated with eating, especially when eating with others

On biased inferences about variance components in the binary threshold model

International audienc

¡Descubriendo el paisaje!: propuesta didáctica para 3er ciclo de Primaria y 1o de ESO

La preocupación por la pérdida de paisajes europeos sufrió un punto de inflexión en el año 2000, gracias a la celebración del Convenio Europeo del Paisaje. En este encuentro se establecieron objetivos para lograr una adecuada gestión y protección de los paisajes y se hizo hincapié en la necesidad de sensibilizar y formar a la ciudadanía en este sentido. Una vía para alcanzar esta alfabetización paisajística es la implementación de cursos escolares en contextos formales y no formales. En este artículo se presenta una propuesta didáctica para la enseñanza del paisaje en 3er ciclo de Primaria y 1º de ESO

A bayesian model for the analysis of transgenerational epigenetic variation

477-485Epigenetics has become one of the major areas of biological research. However, the degree of phenotypic variability that is explained by epigenetic processes still remains unclear. From a quantitative genetics perspective, the estimation of variance components is achieved by means of the information provided by the resemblance between relatives. In a previous study, this resemblance was described as a function of the epigenetic variance component and a reset coefficient that indicates the rate of dissipation of epigenetic marks across generations. Given these assumptions, we propose a Bayesian mixed model methodology that allows the estimation of epigenetic variance from a genealogical and phenotypic database. The methodology is based on the development of a T matrix of epigenetic relationships that depends on the reset coefficient. In addition, we present a simple procedure for the calculation of the inverse of this matrix (T-1) and a Gibbs sampler algorithm that obtains posterior estimates of all the unknowns in the model. The new procedure was used with two simulated data sets and with a beef cattle database. In the simulated populations, the results of the analysis provided marginal posterior distributions that included the population parameters in the regions of highest posterior density. In the case of the beef cattle dataset, the posterior estimate of transgenerational epigenetic variability was very low and a model comparison test indicated that a model that did not included it was the most plausible

Objectives, organization and limiting factors of selection programs for indigenous breeds in Spain

Ponencia publicada en ITEA, vol.104En esta ponencia invitada se resumen las principales características de los programas de selección de las razas autóctonas que se están llevando a cabo en España. Se describen para cada una de ellas la población controlada, los caracteres registrados, los objetivos y criterios de selección, la valoración genética de los reproductores, los aspectos organizativos, la utilización de la información por parte de los ganaderos y los factores limitantes del progreso genético. Los más antiguos de estos programa comenzaron al principio de la década de los 80 del pasado siglo, la mayoría lo hicieron al final de dicha década o en la siguiente y unos pocos en la década actual. Debido a esta disparidad de fechas de iniciación y a otros factores estructurales y organizativos, sus niveles de desarrollo y efectividad son muy variables. Entre los factores limitantes de dicho desarrollo y efectividad más frecuentemente citados se encuentran los reducidos tamaños de los núcleos de selección, la reducida implantación de la I.A. y, consecuentemente, el bajo número de sementales en prueba de descendencia y las bajas fiabilidades de las valoraciones genéticas, la escasa utilización por parte algunos de los ganaderos de las valoraciones genéticas de sus animales para elegir la reposición en los rebaños y, en un cierto número de casos, la escasa participación e interés de los mismos.This invited contribution summarizes the most important characteristics of selection programs being applied to Spanish indigenous breeds. Population and traits being recorded, selection objectives and criteria, breeding values estimation, managing aspects, diffusion to and use of genetic information by breeders and constraints to genetic progress are synthetically described for each breed. The oldest programs started at the beginning of the eighties of the last century. Most of them began at the end of the eighties or in the nineties and a few were initiated within present decade. Due to these age differences, and to other structural and managing factors, their developmental and effectiveness levels are very variable. Small number of animals being registered and, therefore, selected, low number of dams inseminated an its consequence on the capacity to sire testing and on the reliability of estimated breeding values, the scanty use that some of the breeders make of the genetic evaluations and the low participation of farmers in the programs, are among the most important factors limiting their development and their effectiveness in terms of genetic progress obtained