Crossbreeding effect on sexual dimorphism of body weight in intergeneric hybrids obtained between Muscovy and Pekin duck

From a factorial crossbreeding experiment between two Muscovy and Pekin duck strains it appears that the increased body weight sexual dimorphism in favour of males in the Muscovy growing duck depends on the Muscovy mother in pure breds and in the reciprocal cross. The ratio of male to female body weight averages took the values of 1.19, 1.47, 1.75, 1.77, 1.84 and 1.64, respectively, at 4, 10, 16, 20, 30 and 40 weeks of age in the Muscovy progeny. This tendency was similar in the Pekin x Muscovy progeny. On the contrary this ratio took the values of 1.07 and 1.11 at 10 and 16 weeks of age in the Pekin progeny, being similar in the Muscovy x Pekin progeny (1.06 1.07 and 1.08, respectively, at 16, 20 and 30 weeks of age). These results are evidence of a contribution of the Muscovy female duck to increase the body weight sexual dimorphism in duck by depressing the body weight growth in female progeny and not in the male progeny either in pure or crossbreeding. If the maternal effects are assumed to be similar in male and female progeny, the ranking of the four genotypes in the female progeny could be explained by adding to the effect of sex-linked genes (Z chromosome) the effect of genes on the W chromosome. Within a Mendelian inheritance pattern it may be suggested that, besides the usual sex-linked gene effects, coding genes of the non-pseudo-autosomal region (NPAR) of the Muscovy W chromosome depress growth when compared to the Pekin W chromosome.Dans une expérience de croisement factoriel entre deux souches de canards de Barbarie et Pékin, il apparaît que le dimorphisme sexuel en faveur des mâles sur les caractères de croissance semble dépendre de la mère Barbarie en pur et dans le croisement réciproque : le rapport entre les moyennes des poids corporels prennent les valeurs de 1,19 ; 1,47 ; 1,75 ; 1,77 ; 1,84 ; 1,64 respectivement aux âges de 4, 10, 16, 20, 30 et 40 semaines dans la descendance Barbarie. Les résultats sont comparables dans la descendance du croisement entre mâle Pékin et femelle Barbarie. Au contraire ce rapport, lorsque la différence entre poids des mâles et des femelles est significative, prend les valeurs de 1,07 et 1,11 aux âges de 10 et 16 semaines dans la descendance des Pékin. Cela est comparable dans la descendance du croisement entre le mâle Barbarie et la cane Pékin, avec des valeurs du rapport de 1,06 ; 1,07 et de 1,08 respectivement aux âges de 16, 20 et 30 semaines. Ces résultats mettent en évidence une contribution de la cane Barbarie, en pur et en croisement, à l’accroissement du dimorphisme sexuel en poids par un effet dépressif sur la croissance corporelle sur sa descendance femelle et non sur sa descendance mâle. Si les effets génétiques maternels sont supposés être comparables dans les descendances mâle et femelle, le classement des quatre génotypes dans le sexe femelle peut s’interpréter en additionnant aux effets de gènes liés au sexe (chromosome Z) un effet de gènes qui seraient situés sur le chromosome W. Dans le cadre de l’hérédité Mendélienne, on peut faire l’hypothèse, outre les effets habituels chez les oiseaux de gènes liés au sexe, d’un effet dépressif sur la croissance de gènes de la région non pseudo-autosomale du chromosome W du Barbarie, comparativement au W du Pékin, si celle-ci contient des gènes codants

Surface Effects During Pyrolysis of Normal and Iso-butanes Using a Continuous Flow Thermal Gravimetric Reactor

The coking processes on the various surfaces of coupons were examined during the pyrolysis of butane and isobutane. The results show that the polished surface can reduce coke formation significantly. Also, pretreatment with hydrogen sulfide on the metal surface inhibited the coke formation. A large difference in coke formation on the coupon surface between Incoloy 800 and Alonized 800 may be attributed to the change of chemical compositions on the surface. However, this study has provided informative data which can lead to a better understanding of coking processes during the pyrolysis of hydrocarbons.Chemical Engineerin

Selection responses for the number of fertile eggs of the Brown Tsaiya duck (Anas platyrhynchos) after a single artificial insemination with pooled Muscovy (Cairina moschata) semen

A seven-generation selection experiment comprising a selected (S) and a control (C) line was conducted with the objective of increasing the number of fertile eggs (F) of the Brown Tsaiya duck after a single artificial insemination (AI) with pooled Muscovy semen. Both lines consisted of about 20 males and 60 females since parents in each generation and each female duck was tested 3 times, at 26, 29 and 32 weeks of age. The fertile eggs were measured by candling at day 7 of incubation. The selection criterion in the S line was the BLUP animal model value for F. On average, 24.7% of the females and 15% of the males were selected. The direct responses to the selection for F, and correlated responses for the number of eggs set (Ie), the number of total dead embryos (M), the maximum duration of fertility (Dm) and the number of hatched mule ducklings (H) were measured by studying the differences across the generations of selection between the phenotypic value averages in the S and C lines. The predicted genetic responses were calculated by studying the differences between the S and C lines in averaged values of five traits of the BLUP animal model. The selection responses and the predicted responses showed similar trends. There was no genetic change for Ie. After seven generations of selection, the average selection responses per generation were 0.40, 0.33, 0.42, 0.41 genetic standard deviation units for F, M, Dm, and H respectively. Embryo viability was not impaired by this selection. For days 2–8 after AI, the fertility rates (F/Ie) were 89.2% and 63.8%, the hatchability rates (H/F) were 72.5% and 70.6%, and (H/Ie) were 64.7% and 45.1% in the S and C lines respectively. It was concluded that upward selection on the number of fertile eggs after a single AI with pooled Muscovy semen may be effective in ducks to increase the duration of the fertile period and the fertility and hatchability rates with AI once a week instead of twice a week

Eleven generations of selection for the duration of fertility in the intergeneric crossbreeding of ducks

A 12-generation selection experiment involving a selected line (S) and a control line (C) has been conducted since 1992 with the aim of increasing the number of fertile eggs laid by the Brown Tsaiya duck after a single artificial insemination (AI) with pooled Muscovy semen. On average, 28.9% of the females and 17.05% of the males were selected. The selection responses and the predicted responses showed similar trends. The average predicted genetic responses per generation in genetic standard deviation units were 0.40 for the number of fertile eggs, 0.45 for the maximum duration of fertility, and 0.32 for the number of hatched mule ducklings' traits. The fertility rates for days 2–8 after AI were 89.14% in the S line and 61.46% in the C line. Embryo viability was not impaired by this selection. The largest increase in fertility rate per day after a single AI was observed from d5 to d11. In G12, the fertility rate in the selected line was 91% at d2, 94% at d3, 92% at days 3 and 4 then decreased to 81% at d8, 75% at d9, 58% at d10 and 42% at d11. In contrast, the fertility rate in the control line showed an abrupt decrease from d4 (74%). The same tendencies were observed for the evolution of hatchability according to the egg set rates. It was concluded that selection for the number of fertile eggs after a single AI with pooled Muscovy semen could effectively increase the duration of the fertile period in ducks and that research should now be focused on ways to improve the viability of the hybrid mule duck embryo

Overexpression of Nuclear Protein Kinase CK2 α Catalytic Subunit (CK2α) as a Poor Prognosticator in Human Colorectal Cancer

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignancies but the current therapeutic approaches for advanced CRC are less efficient. Thus, novel therapeutic approaches are badly needed. The purpose of this study is to investigate the involvement of nuclear protein kinase CK2 α subunit (CK2α) in tumor progression, and in the prognosis of human CRC. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Expression levels of nuclear CK2α were analyzed in 245 colorectal tissues from patients with CRC by immunohistochemistry, quantitative real-time PCR and Western blot. We correlated the expression levels with clinicopathologic parameters and prognosis in human CRC patients. Overexpression of nuclear CK2α was significantly correlated with depth of invasion, nodal status, American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging, degree of differentiation, and perineural invasion. Patients with high expression levels of nuclear CK2α had a significantly poorer overall survival rate compared with patients with low expression levels of nuclear CK2α. In multi-variate Cox regression analysis, overexpression of nuclear CK2α was proven to be an independent prognostic marker for CRC. In addition, DLD-1 human colon cancer cells were employed as a cellular model to study the role of CK2α on cell growth, and the expression of CK2α in DLD-1 cells was inhibited by using siRNA technology. The data indicated that CK2α-specific siRNA treatment resulted in growth inhibition. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Taken together, overexpression of nuclear CK2α can be a useful marker for predicting the outcome of patients with CRC

HuR cytoplasmic expression is associated with increased cyclin A expression and poor outcome with upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma

BACKGROUND: HuR is an RNA-binding protein that post-transcriptionally modulates the expressions of various target genes implicated in carcinogenesis, such as CCNA2 encoding cyclin A. No prior study attempted to evaluate the significance of HuR expression in a large cohort with upper urinary tract urothelial carcinomas (UTUCs). METHODS: In total, 340 cases of primary localized UTUC without previous or concordant bladder carcinoma were selected. All of these patients received ureterectomy or radical nephroureterectomy with curative intents. Pathological slides were reviewed, and clinical findings were collected. Immunostaining for HuR and cyclin A was performed and evaluated by using H-score. The results of cytoplasmic HuR and nuclear cyclin A expressions were correlated with disease-specific survival (DSS), metastasis-free survival (MeFS), urinary bladder recurrence-free survival (UBRFS), and various clinicopathological factors. RESULTS: HuR cytoplasmic expression was significantly related to the pT status, lymph node metastasis, a higher histological grade, the pattern of invasion, vascular and perineurial invasion, and cyclin A expression (p = 0.005). Importantly, HuR cytoplasmic expression was strongly associated with a worse DSS (p < 0.0001), MeFS (p < 0.0001), and UBRFS (p = 0.0370) in the univariate analysis, and the first two results remained independently predictive of adverse outcomes (p = 0.038, relative risk [RR] = 1.996 for DSS; p = 0.027, RR = 1.880 for MeFS). Cyclin A nuclear expression was associated with a poor DSS (p = 0.0035) and MeFS (p = 0.0015) in the univariate analysis but was not prognosticatory in the multivariate analyses. High-risk patients (pT3 or pT4 with/without nodal metastasis) with high HuR cytoplasmic expression had better DSS if adjuvant chemotherapy was performed (p = 0.015). CONCLUSIONS: HuR cytoplasmic expression was correlated with adverse phenotypes and cyclin A overexpression and also independently predictive of worse DSS and MeFS, suggesting its roles in tumorigenesis or carcinogenesis and potentiality as a prognostic marker of UTUC. High HuR cytoplasmic expression might identify patients more likely to be beneficial for adjuvant chemotherapy