Associations between the K232A polymorphism in the diacylglycerol-O-transferase 1 (DGAT1) gene and performance in Irish Holstein-Friesian dairy cattle

peer-reviewedSelection based on genetic polymorphisms requires accurate quantification of the effect or association of the polymorphisms with all traits of economic importance. The objective of this study was to estimate, using progeny performance data on 848 Holstein-Friesian bulls, the association between a non-conservative alanine to lysine amino acid change (K232A) in exon 8 of the diacylglycerol-O-transferase 1 (DGAT1) gene and milk production and functionality in the Irish Holstein-Friesian population. The DGAT1 gene encodes the diacylglycerol-O-transferase microsomal enzyme necessary to catalyze the final step in triglyceride synthesis. Weighted mixed model methodology, accounting for the additive genetic relationships among animals, was used to evaluate the association between performance and the K232A polymorphism. The minor allele frequency (K allele) was 0.32. One copy of the K allele was associated (P < 0.001) with 77 kg less milk yield, 4.22 kg more fat yield, 0.99 kg less protein yield, and 1.30 and 0.28 g/kg greater milk fat and protein concentration, respectively; all traits were based on predicted 305-day production across the first five lactations. The K232A polymorphism explained 4.8%, 10.3% and 1.0% of the genetic variance in milk yield, fat yield and protein yield, respectively. There was no association between the K232A polymorphism and fertility, functional survival, calving performance, carcass traits, or any conformation trait with the exception of rump width and carcass conformation. Using the current economic values for the milk production traits in the Irish total merit index, one copy of the K allele is worth €5.43 in expected profitability of progeny. Results from this study will be useful in quantifying the cost-benefit of including the K232A polymorphism in the Irish national breeding programme

Impairment of spatial cognitive function with preservation of verbal performance during spatial disorientation

Spatial disorientation, which is responsible for up to 30% of aircraft accidents causes impairment of cognitive function which may further compromise a pilot's ability to think his way out of the situation and regain control [1,]. The functional-anatomical separation of spatial and verbal processing [10,11] raises the possibility of selective interference between the task of resolving spatial disorientation and the ability to perform concurrent spatial, as opposed to verbal, secondary tasks. We report for the first time a degradation of spatial task performance with preservation of verbal performance when subjects in a simulator are disoriented by conflict between self- motion and visual flow in the view of the external environment

Onshore carboniferous basins : third review report

focussed on achieving a better understanding of the Bowland Shale in northern England. The broad aim is to understand the geological variability of the formation from a basin- through to microscale, and assess the impact of variability on hydrocarbon generation, storage and production (for example, the co-incidence or otherwise of factors including organic content and kerogen type; mineralogy; and engineering behaviour). This report is the third summary report describing activities of the consortium, covering the period October 2015 – June 2016. A series of 3 inter-related work packages are designed to improve understanding of the Bowland Shale of northern England. The original numbering of these is retained to allow continuity between previous progress reports. Specifically, these work packages address: 1. Work Package 1,2: Basin analysis of the Pennine Basin; Characterization of shale facies; 2. Work Package 3: Development of chemical stratigraphies through prospective parts of the stratigraphic column; 3. Work Package 4: Hydromechanical behaviour of shales. Two work packages outside the consortium are also considered, namely 4. Retrieval of new materials to test 5. Reprocessing of 3D seismic data to assess rock properties Descriptions of previous activities have been released, covering the period July 2014 to March 2015 (Hough et al., 2015a), and the period April 2015 to September 2015 (Hough et al., 2015b). The consortium currently has 4 sponsors who each contribute £25 000 per year; BGS contributes around £200 000 annually, which results in an annual budget of approximately £300 000. The consortium is planned to last 3 years initially, and started in July 2014 with a scheduled end date of June 2017

D* Production in Deep Inelastic Scattering at HERA

This paper presents measurements of D^{*\pm} production in deep inelastic scattering from collisions between 27.5 GeV positrons and 820 GeV protons. The data have been taken with the ZEUS detector at HERA. The decay channel $D^{*+}\to (D^0 \to K^- \pi^+) \pi^+$ (+ c.c.) has been used in the study. The $e^+p$ cross section for inclusive D^{*\pm} production with $5<Q^2<100 GeV^2$ and $y<0.7$ is 5.3 \pms 1.0 \pms 0.8 nb in the kinematic region {$1.3<p_T(D^{*\pm})<9.0$ GeV and $| \eta(D^{*\pm}) |<1.5$}. Differential cross sections as functions of p_T(D^{*\pm}), $\eta(D^{*\pm}), W$ and $Q^2$ are compared with next-to-leading order QCD calculations based on the photon-gluon fusion production mechanism. After an extrapolation of the cross section to the full kinematic region in p_T(D^{*\pm}) and $\eta$(D^{*\pm}), the charm contribution $F_2^{c\bar{c}}(x,Q^2)$ to the proton structure function is determined for Bjorken $x$ between 2 $\cdot$ 10$^{-4}$ and 5 $\cdot$ 10$^{-3}$.Comment: 17 pages including 4 figure

Observation of Scaling Violations in Scaled Momentum Distributions at HERA

Charged particle production has been measured in deep inelastic scattering (DIS) events over a large range of $x$ and $Q^2$ using the ZEUS detector. The evolution of the scaled momentum, $x_p$, with $Q^2,$ in the range 10 to 1280 $GeV^2$, has been investigated in the current fragmentation region of the Breit frame. The results show clear evidence, in a single experiment, for scaling violations in scaled momenta as a function of $Q^2$.Comment: 21 pages including 4 figures, to be published in Physics Letters B. Two references adde

Search for the standard model Higgs boson decaying to a bbˉb\bar{b} pair in events with no charged leptons and large missing transverse energy using the full CDF data set

We report on a search for the standard model Higgs boson produced in association with a vector boson in the full data set of proton-antiproton collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 1.96$ TeV recorded by the CDF II detector at the Tevatron, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9.45 fb$^{-1}$. We consider events having no identified charged lepton, a transverse energy imbalance, and two or three jets, of which at least one is consistent with originating from the decay of a $b$ quark. We place 95% credibility level upper limits on the production cross section times standard model branching fraction for several mass hypotheses between 90 and $150 \mathrm{GeV}/c^2$. For a Higgs boson mass of $125 \mathrm{GeV}/c^2$, the observed (expected) limit is 6.7 (3.6) times the standard model prediction.Comment: Accepted by Phys. Rev. Let

Search for the standard model Higgs boson decaying to a bb pair in events with one charged lepton and large missing transverse energy using the full CDF data set

We present a search for the standard model Higgs boson produced in association with a W boson in sqrt(s) = 1.96 TeV p-pbar collision data collected with the CDF II detector at the Tevatron corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9.45 fb-1. In events consistent with the decay of the Higgs boson to a bottom-quark pair and the W boson to an electron or muon and a neutrino, we set 95% credibility level upper limits on the WH production cross section times the H->bb branching ratio as a function of Higgs boson mass. At a Higgs boson mass of 125 GeV/c2 we observe (expect) a limit of 4.9 (2.8) times the standard model value.Comment: Submitted to Phys. Rev. Lett (v2 contains clarifications suggested by PRL

Search for the standard model Higgs boson decaying to a bb pair in events with two oppositely-charged leptons using the full CDF data set

We present a search for the standard model Higgs boson produced in association with a Z boson in data collected with the CDF II detector at the Tevatron, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9.45/fb. In events consistent with the decay of the Higgs boson to a bottom-quark pair and the Z boson to electron or muon pairs, we set 95% credibility level upper limits on the ZH production cross section times the H -> bb branching ratio as a function of Higgs boson mass. At a Higgs boson mass of 125 GeV/c^2 we observe (expect) a limit of 7.1 (3.9) times the standard model value.Comment: To be submitted to Phys. Rev. Let

Revealing the hidden niche of cryptic bumblebees in Great Britain:Implications for conservation

Bumblebees are ecologically and economically important, and some species have suffered dramatic population declines. The absence of morphological diagnostic characters for the identification of some species creates difficulties for basic ecological studies, and for conservation management. The widespread and commercially exploited bumblebee subgenus Bombus sensu stricto contains a cryptic species complex, known as the lucorum complex, which in Europe comprises B. lucorum, B. cryptarum and B. magnus. Little is known about these species and much of what has been reported is likely to have suffered from incorrect identification. Although the lucorum complex as a whole is common in Great Britain, we aimed to determine whether the populations of the individual species are vulnerable and require conservation action. Using genetic methods to distinguish them, we determined the geographic distribution and abundance of the lucorum complex species in Great Britain, and assessed the extent of niche differentiation between these species. We detected major differences in the geographic range, forage use and sensitivity to summer temperatures of the three species. Bombus lucorum was found to have the broadest distribution and diet, being present throughout mainland Great Britain, whereas B. cryptarum and B. magnus were absent from large areas of central and southern England. Bombus cryptarum and B. magnus were more likely to be found at sites with lower summer temperatures. Bombus magnus, the least abundant species, was found to exhibit an unusually tight biotope association with heathland habitat. This has conservation implications for B. magnus given the current threats to this habitat type