Improving Feed Efficiency Through Genetics

Feed efficiency is not a new topic to the beef industry. Historically this topic has been revisited by the industry every 10 to 15 years with little benefit to the producer. The lack of progress in understanding the genetics of feed efficiency stems from the difficulty in trying to accurately measure individual intakes, coupled with extreme costs and a long generation interval. Feed efficiency is difficult to define and needs to be evaluated in the producing female, as well as the growing/finishing animal. Heritability of feed efficiency has been estimated to be moderate, with values ranging from .28-.44. These values indicate that variation among and within beef cattle populations do exist for feed efficiency. This means genetic selection will work as a tool to improve feed efficiency. The main benefit of understanding the genetics of feed efficiency and developing tools to improve efficiency is reduced production costs. With 70-80% of the total variable costs in beef production being feed costs, the slightest improvement in feed efficiency will have a significant impact in profitability in multiple areas of beef production. Technology has developed to a point that we can better measure, record, analyze and implement selection for energy efficiency

Oncological and clinical outcomes after conventional right hemicolectomy

Purpose: Complete mesocolic excision (CME) has been proposed for better local control of colon cancer and to improve cancer-specific survival (CSS). However, CME may be associated with increased morbidity from bleeding during central vascular ligation. This study aimed to investigate the outcome of conventional right hemicolectomy, a traditional anatomical dissection along anatomical planes with radical excision of the central lymph nodes at the level of the origin of colic artery but without exposure of superior mesenteric vein and artery (SMV/SMA). Method: This was a retrospective review of a cohort of all elective right hemicolectomies performed at a specialist tertiary unit during a five-year period (2011–2015). Results: Five-hundred-nineteen patients (271 female, a median age of 73.0 years (interquartile range (IQR) 65.0–80.0)) were included (Stage I disease: 2.7%, stage II: 53.2%, stage III: 33.3%, stage IV: 10.8%). At the latest follow-up (a median 47 months (IQR 29–67)), local recurrence occurred in 34 patients (6.6%). Three-year overall survival was 74.4% and 3-year CSS was 85.9%. Subgroup analysis for stage I–III showed local recurrence in 6.0%, sole distant recurrence in 7.6% while 19 patients (4.1%) suffered concomitant local and distant recurrence. The anastomotic leak rate was 1.0% and perioperative bleeding occurred in 1.2%. Conclusions: Oncological outcomes comparable to those of CME can be achieved by conventional surgery but with low rates of bleeding complications and anastomotic leakage. The proposed advantages of CME should be carefully considered and balanced against patients’ co-morbidities and potential complications

Inhibition of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Manipulates Follicles in Beef Females

Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) is produced by cells surrounding the egg in the follicle. If VEGF is inhibited, ovulation does not occur. Understanding how VEGF regulates follicle development may allow for manipulation of estrous cycles. In previous studies in our laboratory, blocking the actions of VEGF decreased activation of early stage follicles in neonatal rat ovary cultures. Therefore, we hypothesized inhibition of VEGF actions would also inhibit follicle activation in bovine ovarian cortical cultures. Inhibition of VEGF did inhibit follicle progression, thus regulation of VEGF may be a way to manipulate follicle development and more accurately time ovulation

Inhibition of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Manipulates Follicles in Beef Females

Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) is produced by cells surrounding the egg in the follicle. If VEGF is inhibited, ovulation does not occur. Understanding how VEGF regulates follicle development may allow for manipulation of estrous cycles. In previous studies in our laboratory, blocking the actions of VEGF decreased activation of early stage follicles in neonatal rat ovary cultures. Therefore, we hypothesized inhibition of VEGF actions would also inhibit follicle activation in bovine ovarian cortical cultures. Inhibition of VEGF did inhibit follicle progression, thus regulation of VEGF may be a way to manipulate follicle development and more accurately time ovulation

Multi-tissue coexpression networks reveal unexpected subnetworks associated with disease

Tissue-to-tissue coexpression networks between genes in hypothalamus, liver or adipose tissue enable identification of obesity-specific genes

Glutamate Decarboxylases in Nonneural Cells of Rat Testis and Oviduct: Differential Expression of GAD 65 and GAD 67

Γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) and its synthetic enzyme, glutamate decarboxylase (GAD), are not limited to the nervous system but are also found in nonneural tissues. The mammalian brain contains at least two forms of GAD (GAD 67 and GAD 65 ), which differ from each other in size, sequence, immunoreactivity, and their interaction with the cofactor pyridoxal 5′-phosphate (PLP). We used cDNAs and antibodies specific to GAD 65 and GAD 67 to study the molecular identity of GADs in peripheral tissues. We detected GAD and GAD mRNAs in rat oviduct and testis. In oviduct, the size of GAD, its response to PLP, its immunoreactivity, and its hybridization to specific RNA and DNA probes all indicate the specific expression of the GAD 65 gene. In contrast, rat testis expresses the GAD 67 gene. The GAD in these two reproductive tissues is not in neurons but in nonneural cells. The localization of brain GAD and GAD mRNAs in the mucosal epithelial cells of the oviduct and in spermatocytes and spermatids of the testis shows that GAD is not limited to neurons and that GABA may have functions other than neurotransmission.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/66211/1/j.1471-4159.1992.tb09763.x.pd

Modeling seabird group size: implications for ecological impact assessments

The purpose of this project is to model seabird flock size data to provide recommendations to the Bureau of Ocean and Energy Management for offshore wind turbine placement. Our hypothesis is that ecological characteristics influence which statistical distribution will provide the best fit to seabird flock size data. To test this, seabird species can be grouped based on shared ecological traits, such as foraging mechanism or diet

Antitumor Activity of Gold(I), Silver(I) and Copper(I) Complexes Containing Chiral Tertiary Phosphines

The in vitro cytotoxicities of a number of gold(I), silver(I) and copper(I) complexes containing chiral tertiary phosphine ligands have been examined against the mouse tumour cell lines P815 mastocytoma, B16 melanoma [gold(I) and silver(I) compounds] and P388 leukaemia [gold(I) complexes only] with many of the complexes having IC50 values comparable to that of the reference compounds cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(ll), cisplatin, and bis[1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino) ethane]gold(I) iodide. The chiral tertiary phosphine ligands used in this study include (R)-(2-aminophenyl)methylphenylphosphine; (R,R)-, (S,S)- and (R*,R*)-1,2-phenylenebis(methylphenylphosphine); and (R,R)-, (S,S)- and (R*,R*)-bis{(2-diphenylphosphinoethyl)phenylphosphino}ethane. The in vitro cytotoxicities of gold(I) and silver(I) complexes containing the optically active forms of the tetra(tertiary phosphine) have also been examined against the human ovarian carcinoma cell lines 41M and CH1, and the cisplatin resistant 41McisR, CH1cisR and SKOV-3 tumour models. IC50 values in the range 0.01 - 0.04 μM were determined for the most active compounds, silver(I) complexes of the tetra(tertiary phosphine). Furthermore, the chirality of the ligand appeared to have little effect on the overall activity of the complexes: similar IC50 data were obtained for complexes of a particular metal ion with each of the stereoisomeric forms of a specific ligand

Multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging in mucosal primary head and neck cancer: A prospective imaging biomarker study

Background: Radical radiotherapy, with or without concomitant chemotherapy forms the mainstay of organ preservation approaches in mucosal primary head and neck cancer. Despite technical advances in cancer imaging and radiotherapy administration, a significant proportion of patients fail to achieve a complete response to treatment. For those patients who do achieve a complete response, acute and late toxicities remain a cause of morbidity. A critical need therefore exists for imaging biomarkers which are capable of informing patient selection for both treatment intensification and de-escalation strategies. Methods/design: A prospective imaging study has been initiated, aiming to recruit patients undergoing radical radiotherapy (RT) or chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for mucosal primary head and neck cancer (MPHNC). Eligible patients are imaged using FDG-PET/CT before treatment, at the end of week 3 of treatment and 12 weeks after treatment completion according to local imaging policy. Functional MRI using diffusion weighted (DWI), blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD ) and dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE) sequences is carried out prior to, during and following treatment. Information regarding treatment outcomes will be collected, as well as physician-scored and patient-reported toxicity. Discussion: The primary objective is to determine the correlation of functional MRI sequences with tumour response as determined by FDG-PET/CT and clinical findings at 12 weeks post-treatment and with local control at 12 months post-treatment. Secondary objectives include prospective correlation of functional MRI and PET imaging with disease-free survival and overall survival, defining the optimal time points for functional MRI assessment of treatment response, and determining the sensitivity and specificity of functional MRI sequences for assessment of potential residual disease following treatment. If the study is able to successfully characterise tumours based on their functional MRI scan characteristics, this would pave the way for further studies refining treatment approaches based on prognostic and predictive imaging data