Investigating Scur Candidate Genes in Bos taurus cattle

Scurs are loose horns that are inherited in a sex-influenced manner and appear in cattle that are heterozygous (Pp) for the polled mutation. Beef producers find them undesirable, but they are difficult to eradicate because of a complex inheritance. The aims of this study were: 1) to confirm the polled/horned genotype in scurred families from a Canadian beef research herd (CBRH), scurred cattle families from producers, and feedlot steers using the Celtic poll test (PC) and Friesen poll test (PF), and 2) to identify new candidate genes near microsatellite BMS2142 on BTA19. Through PCR amplification, the PC genotype was confirmed in the phenotyped CBRH, Simmental and Blonde D’Aquitaine (BA) scurred families, and in 625 feedlot steers. One hundred and forty nine scurred animals (out of 692) had one PC allele. PCR amplification revealed that the PF allele was present in four polled steers that were horned using the PC test. Five scur candidate genes (CTDNEP1, FGF11, SOX15, SHBG, and DHRS7C) were chosen based on position and function on BTA19. To identify SNPs segregating with scurs, 16 animals were chosen from the PC genotyped feedlot steers, 8 Pp scurred steers and 8 Pp polled steers. Two SNP’s found in CTDNEP1 and DHRS7C were examined in the CBRH and BA with PCR-RFLP using BseRI and AciI, respectively, but did not segregate with scurs. Multipoint analysis calculated by CRI-MAP 2.5.4, determined that there was significant linkage of the scur locus to two microsatellites on BTA19 (BMS2142 LOD=5.42; IDVGA42 LOD=3.47). In conclusion, this study’s fine mapping of the scur locus has increased the LOD scores of surrounding loci and was linked to two microsatellites on BTA19. Also, to identify scurs the animals should be carefully phenotyped and genotyped for PC, using the PF for inconsistent results in beef breeds

Evidence-based assessment in adapted physical education- affective outcomes: A meta-analysis

Currently there is a lack of evidence about assessment in adapted physical education (APE) settings concerning the justification for methods or curricula being implemented by teachers in their classrooms, that is perhaps due to a lack of understanding of the central notion of evidence-based practices (Jin & Yun, 2010). The purpose of the current investigation was to conduct a meta-analytic review that evaluates assessment practices to determine the overall effect on specific student affective outcomes. A secondary purpose was to evaluate the moderating effects of different methodological, sample, and study variables. Electronic database searches were performed in SPORT Discus, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, Pub Med (Medline), Cochrane Database, Omni File Full Text Mega, ProQuest, Child Development and Adolescent Studies, and ERIC using variations of the keywords: assessment, testing, test, measurement, evaluation, formative assessment, summative assessment, norm-referenced, criterion-referenced, affective, cognitive, psychomotor, mastery learning, rubrics, testing, on-going, and standardized. Articles retained for the current meta-analysis met the following criteria: (a) Study is conducted in Physical Education/ Physical activity setting in which inclusion of students with disabilities occurs between the age 3-22, (b) describes or uses an assessment practice, method, instrument, or intervention for students during participation in the physical education/ physical activity setting to measure progress, learning, and/or levels of functioning, (c) includes quantitative descriptive statistics and/or correlations to estimate an effect size, and (d) is in the English language and was conducted/published between January 1970 and February 2015. The average treatment effect for all evidence-based assessments (across all affective outcomes) was small (g = -0.43; SE =.24; 95% C.I.= -0.89, 0.04; p \u3e 0.05) and non-significant favoring control groups or conditions. There was n significant heterogeneous distribution for affective outcomes and moderator (Subgroup) analyses, however, given that the confidence interval was both positive and negative results and not tenable. As a result of the findings, more research, with quantitative data, needs to be done to prove the effectiveness of evidence-based assessments in adapted physical education

Evaluation of Integrated Pest Management Systems for the Control of Fungal Diseases Under Consideration of Sustainable Wheat Production and Climate Change in a Long-Term Survey of 26 Years

Foliar diseases are a major threat to worldwide wheat production, especially during the vegetative period in maritime climates. Despite advancements in agronomic practices, infestations by foliar diseases are possible under favourable weather conditions, thus, fungicides are essential for maintaining control. Stage-oriented applications are therefore common in farm practices. The optimization of fungicide use according to biological–epidemiological thresholds, reduces the total amount of fungicides used, which is of political interest, especially in the European Union. Therefore, the efficiency and effectivity of the fungicides used to control the six major foliar diseases (Septoria tritici blotch, glume blotch, tan spot, powdery mildew, stripe rust, and leaf rust) were analysed in a long-term study of 26 years in northern Germany under favourable maritime conditions. Of those diseases, Septoria tritici blotch was the most dominant recurring disease, with high severity noted in every year of the study. The threshold-based disease management system was compared to a fungicide untreated control and a healthy-standard fungicide treatment (according to growth stages). The usage of the threshold-based system reduced the disease severities significantly compared to the fungicide untreated control, without any loss of yield compared to the healthy-standard fungicide treatment. Thereby, the use of fungicides was reduced by two thirds compared to the stage-oriented healthy-standard treatment. Thus, the advantages of the threshold-based system were obvious, and this approach will be an important tool for future evaluations of current farm practices

Caseworker's discretion and the effectiveness of welfare-to-work programs

In this paper we focus on the role of caseworkers in the assignment and take-up of welfare-to-work programs. We conduct a field experiment that generates exogenous variation in the assignment of caseworkers to different policy regimes. The experiment allows us to provide evidence on the effectiveness of welfare-to-work programs and to study how caseworkers exploit their discretion in assigning these programs to welfare recipients. We find substantial heterogeneity in how caseworkers assign welfare-to-work programs. Participation in the experiment and learning about the effectiveness of the different programs do not induce caseworkers to focus more on the effective programs. Obtaining knowledge about welfare-to-work programs is thus not enough to improve policy, also effort on implementation is required

Job search periods for welfare applicants:Evidence from a randomized experiment

We combine a randomized experiment with administrative data to study the effects of mandatory job search periods in the Dutch welfare system. Job search periods postpone the first welfare benefits payment and encourage applicants to start searching for jobs actively. Job search periods substantially reduce benefits take up. The decline in benefits receipt is permanent, but fully compensated by increased earnings because of higher reemployment rates. We do not find detectable effects on health and crime outcomes, nor do we observe income declines for more vulnerable applicants. Our results suggest that job search periods are an effective instrument for targeting benefits to welfare applicants

Experimental investigation of the Landau-Pomeranchuk-Migdal effect in low-Z targets

In the CERN NA63 collaboration we have addressed the question of the potential inadequacy of the commonly used Migdal formulation of the Landau-Pomeranchuk-Migdal (LPM) effect by measuring the photon emission by 20 and 178 GeV electrons in the range 100 MeV - 4 GeV, in targets of LowDensityPolyEthylene (LDPE), C, Al, Ti, Fe, Cu, Mo and, as a reference target, Ta. For each target and energy, a comparison between simulated values based on the LPM suppression of incoherent bremsstrahlung is shown, taking multi-photon effects into account. For these targets and energies, we find that Migdal's theoretical formulation is adequate to a precision of better than about 5%, irrespective of the target substance.Comment: 8 pages, 13 figure

e+e−e^{+}e^{-} pairs from a nuclear transition signaling an elusive light neutral boson

Electron-positron pairs have been observed in the 10.95-MeV $0^-\to0^+$ decay in $^{16}$O. The branching ratio of the e$^+$e$^-$ pairs compared to the 3.84-MeV $0^-\to2^+$ $\gamma$ decay of the level is deduced to be $20(5)\times10^{-5}$. This magnetic monopole (M0) transition cannot proceed by $\gamma$-ray decay and is, to first order, forbidden for internal pair creation. However, the transition may also proceed by the emission of a light neutral $0^{-}$ or $1^{+}$ boson. Indeed, we do observe a sharp peak in the $e^{+}e^{-}$ angular correlation with all the characteristics belonging to the intermediate emission of such a boson with an invariant mass of 8.5(5) MeV/c$^2$. It may play a role in the current quest for light dark matter in the universe.Comment: 6 page

Callus and cell culture of Tagetes species in relation to production of thiophenes

The production of thiophene-biocides by cell cultures invitro was simultaneously investigated with Tageteserecta , T.patula and T.minuta . The calli from which the liquid cultures had to be derived differed between species in the appearance of organoid structure, texture, and colour, Independently of the nutrition of the plants and explants. In particular, the difference between the friability of calli of different species Is obviously related to the expression of the activity of silent genes In only a late phase of the callus andlor the cell suspension culture. Therefore 'origin effects' may eventually determine the suitability of calli to Initiate liquid cultures (Chapter 1). The differences between calli, however, showed that the production of thiophenes In the calli was positively related with the measure of differentiation. Rapidly growing and fine granular cell sus~ pensions, for Instance obtained from smooth calli of T.minuta , did not produce thiophenes (Chapters II and III).Differentiated calli of T.erecta did not provide suitable material to initiate cell cultures In liquid medium. However, minced cauliflower-like calli of T.patula with irregularly occurring small root- or shoot-like differentiations, formed large cell aggregates (3- 8 mm) in liquid media. These cell aggregates accumulated non-polar thiophenes and released spontaneously relatively high amounts of a water-soluble thiophene (BBTOH) in to the medium (Chapter VII). Apparently, the Increased morphological dedifferentation of calli runs parallel with a decreased production of thiophenes In the cell suspensions derived from them. The long-term accumulation of thiophenes In cell aggregates and the release of such compounds into the mediom open perspectives for the commercial production of such compounds under fermentor conditions.Embedding of the fine granular suspension cells of T.minuta in alginate resulted in the release of secondary metabolites into the liquid medium, but did not provide adequate conditions to reinitiate the production of thiophenes (Chapter V). In contrast, naturally formed cell aggregates which can be considered as a natural system of entrapment, as formed by T.patula cells, obviously provide suitable conditions for the production of thiophenes.Genetic transformation of intact Tagetes by means of infection with wild-type and mutant strains of Agrobacteriumtumefaciens and A . rhizogenes , induced neoplastic outgrowth of various organized and unorganized tissues without added growth regulators (Chapter VI). The change in this potential may be related to an altered synthesis of endogenously formed phytohormones. The species-dependent relationship between morphological differentiation and thiophene production persisted In all transformed tissues examined.In conclusion, the results of the present experiments on thiophene production in cell cultures of Tagetes species support the view that, despite the totipotency of plant cells (Chapter IV), major differences exist between closely related species in the ability to serve as a biotechnological unit invitro . Consequently, extensive research to adapt a certain recalcitrant plant species for plant cell biotechnology should be avoided by looking for a better producing species.</TT

Field of study and partner choice

© 2021There is strong assortative mating by field of study. To examine to which extent this is due to self selection or to a causal effect of access to specific ”marriage markets”, we use data from participants in admission lotteries of four oversubscribed studies in the Netherlands. For each of the four studies, we find that the winning compliers of an admission lottery are significantly more likely than the losing compliers to have a partner from the lottery study, whereas losing compliers are only marginally more likely to have a partner from the lottery study than would occur under random matching. These results indicate that assortative mating by field of study is largely due to marriage market access and that self selection plays a minor role. JEL-codes: I26, J12, J13