The effect of prior victory or defeat in the same site as that of subsequent encounter on the determination of dyadic dominance in the domestic hen

We examined the effect of prior victory or defeat in the same site as that of a subsequent encounter on the outcome of dyadic encounter of domestic hens by placing them in two situations: In the first set of dyads, two unacquainted hens having experienced prior victory were introduced in the site where one had experienced victory. In the second set, two unacquainted hens having experienced defeat were introduced in the site where one had recently lost. Results indicate that victories are equally shared between individuals with prior victory experiences, while familiarity with the meeting site did not give any advantage. However, hens having previously lost were disadvantaged when the encounter occurred in the same site as that of their prior defeat. This demonstrates that previous social experience in a site is more important on the outcome of subsequent encounters for losers than winners. Losers seem to associate the site with the stressful effect of losing or being more easily dominated

Genome wide SNP discovery in flax through next generation sequencing of reduced representation libraries

BACKGROUND: Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) is a significant fibre and oilseed crop. Current flax molecular markers, including isozymes, RAPDs, AFLPs and SSRs are of limited use in the construction of high density linkage maps and for association mapping applications due to factors such as low reproducibility, intense labour requirements and/or limited numbers. We report here on the use of a reduced representation library strategy combined with next generation Illumina sequencing for rapid and large scale discovery of SNPs in eight flax genotypes. SNP discovery was performed through in silico analysis of the sequencing data against the whole genome shotgun sequence assembly of flax genotype CDC Bethune. Genotyping-by-sequencing of an F(6)-derived recombinant inbred line population provided validation of the SNPs. RESULTS: Reduced representation libraries of eight flax genotypes were sequenced on the Illumina sequencing platform resulting in sequence coverage ranging from 4.33 to 15.64X (genome equivalents). Depending on the relatedness of the genotypes and the number and length of the reads, between 78% and 93% of the reads mapped onto the CDC Bethune whole genome shotgun sequence assembly. A total of 55,465 SNPs were discovered with the largest number of SNPs belonging to the genotypes with the highest mapping coverage percentage. Approximately 84% of the SNPs discovered were identified in a single genotype, 13% were shared between any two genotypes and the remaining 3% in three or more. Nearly a quarter of the SNPs were found in genic regions. A total of 4,706 out of 4,863 SNPs discovered in Macbeth were validated using genotyping-by-sequencing of 96 F(6) individuals from a recombinant inbred line population derived from a cross between CDC Bethune and Macbeth, corresponding to a validation rate of 96.8%. CONCLUSIONS: Next generation sequencing of reduced representation libraries was successfully implemented for genome-wide SNP discovery from flax. The genotyping-by-sequencing approach proved to be efficient for validation. The SNP resources generated in this work will assist in generating high density maps of flax and facilitate QTL discovery, marker-assisted selection, phylogenetic analyses, association mapping and anchoring of the whole genome shotgun sequence

Association mapping of seed quality traits using the Canadian flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) core collection

KEY MESSAGE: The identification of stable QTL for seed quality traits by association mapping of a diverse panel of linseed accessions establishes the foundation for assisted breeding and future fine mapping in linseed. ABSTRACT: Linseed oil is valued for its food and non-food applications. Modifying its oil content and fatty acid (FA) profiles to meet market needs in a timely manner requires clear understanding of their quantitative trait loci (QTL) architectures, which have received little attention to date. Association mapping is an efficient approach to identify QTL in germplasm collections. In this study, we explored the quantitative nature of seed quality traits including oil content (OIL), palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid (LIO) linolenic acid (LIN) and iodine value in a flax core collection of 390 accessions assayed with 460 microsatellite markers. The core collection was grown in a modified augmented design at two locations over 3 years and phenotypic data for all seven traits were obtained from all six environments. Significant phenotypic diversity and moderate to high heritability for each trait (0.73–0.99) were observed. Most of the candidate QTL were stable as revealed by multivariate analyses. Nine candidate QTL were identified, varying from one for OIL to three for LIO and LIN. Candidate QTL for LIO and LIN co-localized with QTL previously identified in bi-parental populations and some mapped nearby genes known to be involved in the FA biosynthesis pathway. Fifty-eight percent of the QTL alleles were absent (private) in the Canadian cultivars suggesting that the core collection possesses QTL alleles potentially useful to improve seed quality traits. The candidate QTL identified herein will establish the foundation for future marker-assisted breeding in linseed. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00122-014-2264-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Rapport à l’activité éducative et identité professionnelle chez les directeurs d’établissement des ordres d’enseignement préscolaire et primaire

Ce texte part des perceptions des directeurs d’établissement des ordres d’enseignement préscolaire et primaire du Québec pour étudier les ressemblances dans la conception de leur rôle vis-à-vis de l’activité éducative. Les données de 31 entrevues réalisées au Québec montrent que les avis des directeurs divergent sur l’importance à accorder à la gestion de l’activité éducative. Ces directeurs estiment qu’il leur revient de donner une orientation inspirante à ladite activité en créant un environnement propice au changement. Des divergences subsistent cependant quant aux limites de leur intervention et au respect de la zone de compétence professionnelle des enseignants. Dans tous les cas, le rapport des directeurs à l’activité éducative est fortement conditionné par l’importance que prennent plusieurs de leurs activités d’intendance.Based on the perceptions of primary-level school directors in Quebec, this study investigates similarities in the conception of their role regarding educational activities. Data from 31 interviews shows divergence in their views regarding the importance accorded to the management of educational activities. These directors feel that their role is to give an inspiring vision to educational activities by creating an environment that encourages change. These divergences remain when describing limitations in their interventions and in regards to respecting the zone of teachers’ professional competencies. In all cases, the relationship of school directors to educational activities is largely conditioned by the importance accorded to their administrative activities.El presente texto resulta de las percepciones de los directores de establecimiento educativo a nivel primaria en Quebec para estudiar las semejanzas en la concepción de su papel hacia la actividad educativa. Los datos conseguidos a partir de 31 entrevistas realizadas en Quebec demuestran que las opiniones de los directores difieren en cuanto a la importancia que se debe conceder a la gestión de la actividad educativa. Estos directores consideran que les pertenece proporcionar una orientación inspiradora a la dicha actividad, creando un entorno propicio al cambio. Sin embargo, algunas divergencias subsisten en cuanto a los límites de su intervención y al respeto de la zona de competencia profesional de los docentes. En todos los casos, la relación que tienen los directores con la actividad educativa está altamente acondicionada por la importancia que toman varias de sus actividades administrativas.Dieser Beitrag geht von den Vorstellungen der Québecker Grundschulleiter aus und untersucht die Ähnlichkeiten ihres Rollenkonzepts angesichts der schulischen Tätigkeit. Die Daten aus 31 in Québec durchgeführten Umfragen zeigen, dass die Ansichten der Befragten über die Bedeutung der Schulleitung divergieren. Die Schulleiter sind der Auffassung, dass es ihre Aufgabe ist, den schulischen Aktivitäten inspirierende Impulse zu verleihen, indem sie eine Atmosphäre schaffen, die sich für Neuansätze als günstig erweist. Die Divergenzen zeigen sich dort, wo es um die Grenzen ihrer Befugnisse und den Respekt vor der fachlichen Kompetenz der Lehrer geht. Allgemein kann man sagen, dass das Verhalten der Schulleiter in starkem Maße von der Bedeutung konditioniert wird, die sie ihrer Verwaltungsarbeit beimessen

Exploring the association between eating a whole food plant-based diet and reducing chronic diseases: a critical literature synthesis

Nearly 70% of the population of the United States is at increased risk for chronic illness because of dietary related health conditions. Half of all adults, 117 million people, have one or more preventable diet associated chronic diseases. The current state of the nation’s health is a serious public health concern as 1.5 million Americans die annually due to conditions related to dietary intake. The risks for chronic disease, such as obesity, are greater for segments of the population unable to afford healthier, nutritionally-dense food, especially low populations with low socioeconomic status and communities of color. This has created serious and significant health inequities. In the United States, healthcare spending accounts for more than 17% of the US economy. Chronic diseases, related conditions, and the health risk behaviors that cause them now account for most health care costs making these diseases a significant public health concern. Eighty-six percent of all health care spending in 2010 was for people with one or more chronic medical conditions. A literature search was conducted in SCOPUS and PubMed to address the following re-search question: Is there an association between eating a whole food plant-based diet and reduced rates of chronic diseases? This thesis examines the effects of eating a WFPB diet on the risk of chronic diseases and the prevention and mitigation of chronic diseases after diagnosis. Increasing the dietary intake of whole plant-based diet may help to prevent, reduce or even reverse certain chronic illnesses in the population. A diet consisting largely of unprocessed or primarily unprocessed healthy vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, and beans might enable the US population to address the hyper-endemic level of chronic illnesses that have resulted from more than 40 years of eating the Western or Standard American Diet (SAD). These results have public health significance because they may help future researchers, public health and medical professionals, and policymakers as they look toward addressing and reducing the level of diet-related illnesses among the population, especially those who regularly experience health inequities

Mendelian Inheritance Pattern and High Mutation Rates of Microsatellite Alleles in the Diatom Pseudo-nitzchia multistriata

The diatom Pseudo-nitzschia multistriata exhibits a diplontic life cycle composed of an extensive phase of vegetative cell division and a brief phase of sexual reproduction. To explore genotypic stability, we genotyped seven polymorphic microsatellite loci in 26 monoclonal strains over 3–16 months in a culture maintenance regime. Moreover, to assess inheritance patterns of the microsatellite alleles, we genotyped 246 F1 strains resulting from four mating experiments between parental strains of know genotype. Results generally conformed expectations according to Mendelian inheritance patterns, but deviations were detected indicating mutations during sexual reproduction. A total of forty-two mutations were detected in the clonal cultures over time. Microsatellites with more core-repeats accumulated mutations faster. The mutation rate varied significantly across loci and strains. A binomial mass function and a computer simulation showed that the mutation rate was significantly higher during the first months of culture (μ≈3×10-3 per locus per cell division) and decreased to μ≈1×10-3 in the strains kept for 16 months. Our results suggest that genetic mutations acquired in both the vegetative phase and sexual reproduction add to the allelic diversity of microsatellites, and hence to the genotypic variation present in a natural population

Induced Mutagenesis in UGT74S1 Gene Leads to Stable New Flax Lines with Altered Secoisolariciresinol Diglucoside (SDG) Profiles

Flax secoisolariciresinol (SECO) diglucoside (SDG) lignan is an emerging natural product purported to prevent chronic diseases in humans. SECO, the aglycone form of SDG, has shown higher intestinal cell absorption but it is not accumulated naturally in planta. Recently, we have identified and characterized a UDP-glucosyltransferase gene, UGT74S1, that glucosylates SECO into its monoglucoside (SMG) and SDG forms when expressed in yeast. However, whether this gene is unique in controlling SECO glucosylation into SDG in planta is unclear. Here, we report on the use of UGT74S1 in reverse and forward genetics to characterize an ethyl methane sulfonate (EMS) mutagenized flax population from cultivar CDC Bethune and consisting of 1996 M2 families. EMS mutagenesis generated 73 SNP variants causing 79 mutational events in the UGT74S1 exonic regions of 93 M2 families. The mutation frequency in the exonic regions was determined to be one per 28 Kb. Of these mutations, 13 homozygous missense mutations and two homozygous nonsense mutations were observed and all were transmitted into the M3 and M4 generations. Forward genetics screening of the population showed homozygous nonsense mutants completely lacking SDG biosynthesis while the production of SMG was observed only in a subset of the M4 lines. Heterozygous or homozygous M4 missense mutants displayed a wide range of SDG levels, some being greater than those of CDC Bethune. No additional deleterious mutations were detected in these mutant lines using a panel of 10 other genes potentially involved in the lignan biosynthesis. This study provides further evidence that UGT74S1 is unique in controlling SDG formation from SECO and this is the first report of non-transgenic flax germplasm with simultaneous knockout of SDG and presence of SMG in planta