WorldWideScience

Sample records for parentage

  1. The genetic truth of surrogate parentage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goswami, Gajendra K

    2015-12-01

    Old family laws presume that the husband is the father of any child born to a married couple; a socio-legal fiction. A social and biological father is presumed to be one and the same. The cocoon of legitimacy protects marriage but the child born outside valid marriage is recognised as 'illegitimate'. Assisted reproduction technologies strengthened reproductive rights but confuse purity of lineage and genetically divorce socio-legal parentage from biological parentage. The lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender reproductive rights, surrogacy, gamete donation, delayed pregnancies using cryopreserved embryos, single parentage, virgin mothers (virgin birth), live-in relationship are increasingly recognised under the cover of human dignity but obscure parentage. In contrast to parental rights of reproductive autonomy, equity demands the child's right to know its biological parentage, recognised under Article 7 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1989. DNA profiling may clarify the genetic parentage with virtual certainty but with multiple limitations. DNA forensics ascertains the genetic makeup of a child linking putative parents irrespective of any social relationship between them. The right to know biological linkages gained paramount significance in cases like displacement, adoption, child trafficking and variants of cross-genetic in vitro fertilization including complete surrogacy. The 'reproductive tourism' promotes crossing borders and bodies, enabling conception in the countries with extreme religious and legal barriers. © The Author(s) 2015.

  2. Extra-pair parentage and personality in a cooperatively breeding bird

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Edwards, Hannah A; Dugdale, Hannah L; Richardson, David S; Komdeur, Jan; Burke, Terry

    Abstract: Why so much variation in extra-pair parentage occurs within and among populations remains unclear. Often the fitness costs and benefits of extra-pair parentage are hypothesised to explain its occurrence; therefore, linking extra-pair parentage with traits such as personality (behavioural

  3. Pretense of parentage by siblings in immigration: Polesky's paradox reconsidered.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wenk, Robert E; Shao, Alison

    2014-02-01

    Older and younger siblings occasionally attempt to impersonate parent and child to expedite immigration under US family-based visa policies. The rate with which full siblings escape detection by current relationship tests is unknown. Retrospective study of full-sibling immigrant pairs was undertaken to determine the proportion that show insufficient genetic evidence to exclude parentage. Sibship and parentage indices (SI and PI) were compared/case in unexcluded sibling cases and true parent-child cases. Alleles shared per short-tandem-repeat locus were compared in sibling and parent-child pairs. The proportion of successful parentage fraud by siblings was estimated from the parentage exclusion rate among immigrants and the proportion of sibships without genetic inconsistencies (GIs). When 11 to 25 independent loci were tested per two-sibling case to verify or refute parentage, tests failed to demonstrate any GI in 9% and PI was greater than SI in seven of 10 of these cases. Another 29% of full-sibling pairs demonstrated insufficient evidence (fewer than two GIs) to exclude parentage. Thus, 0.4% of sibling pairs could falsely claim a parent-child relationship and show no GIs. Another 1.4% could make that false claim and not present sufficient evidence to be excluded. At present, with no evidence of parentage exclusion in a full-sibling pair, the relative magnitudes of PI and SI are misleading relationship indicators because too few loci are examined and rates of sharing one and two alleles/locus vary greatly in parentage and sibling pairs. Only evidence of exclusion ascertains false parentage claims by siblings. Nevertheless, the expected rate of successful fraud is quite low. © 2013 American Association of Blood Banks.

  4. Intermarriage, children of mixed parentage and mental health

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Singla, Rashmi; Bang, Helene

    in the mixed parentage population. The terms ‘mixed parentage’; ‘biracial’, ‘mixed ethnicity’ are used to describe offspring of parents of different ‘races’/ ethnicity. Identity formation is crucial for mixed parentage children who challenge the ‘white /black binary’ and essentialising of the ‘race’, which has...... recently received increasing attention in the UK and the USA. This paper deals primarily with the mental health with focus on the identity formation among mixed parentage children, although most manage to achieve integrated identities, some experience identity conflicts. The latter pose a growing challenge...

  5. On marker-based parentage verification via non-linear optimization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boerner, Vinzent

    2017-06-15

    Parentage verification by molecular markers is mainly based on short tandem repeat markers. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) as bi-allelic markers have become the markers of choice for genotyping projects. Thus, the subsequent step is to use SNP genotypes for parentage verification as well. Recent developments of algorithms such as evaluating opposing homozygous SNP genotypes have drawbacks, for example the inability of rejecting all animals of a sample of potential parents. This paper describes an algorithm for parentage verification by constrained regression which overcomes the latter limitation and proves to be very fast and accurate even when the number of SNPs is as low as 50. The algorithm was tested on a sample of 14,816 animals with 50, 100 and 500 SNP genotypes randomly selected from 40k genotypes. The samples of putative parents of these animals contained either five random animals, or four random animals and the true sire. Parentage assignment was performed by ranking of regression coefficients, or by setting a minimum threshold for regression coefficients. The assignment quality was evaluated by the power of assignment (P[Formula: see text]) and the power of exclusion (P[Formula: see text]). If the sample of putative parents contained the true sire and parentage was assigned by coefficient ranking, P[Formula: see text] and P[Formula: see text] were both higher than 0.99 for the 500 and 100 SNP genotypes, and higher than 0.98 for the 50 SNP genotypes. When parentage was assigned by a coefficient threshold, P[Formula: see text] was higher than 0.99 regardless of the number of SNPs, but P[Formula: see text] decreased from 0.99 (500 SNPs) to 0.97 (100 SNPs) and 0.92 (50 SNPs). If the sample of putative parents did not contain the true sire and parentage was rejected using a coefficient threshold, the algorithm achieved a P[Formula: see text] of 1 (500 SNPs), 0.99 (100 SNPs) and 0.97 (50 SNPs). The algorithm described here is easy to implement

  6. Concept of fractional parentage for arbitrary molecular point groups

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koenig, E.; Kremer, S.

    1977-01-01

    The method of fractional parentage is extended to the general case of mixed configurations in arbitrary nonsimply reducible groups, G is contained in SO(3). Particular attention is devoted to the calculation of coefficients of fractional parentage (CFP) and expressions are provided for the matrix elements of F and G type operators between N electron functions. 29 references

  7. Mixed parentage

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bang Appel, Helene; Singla, Rashmi

    2016-01-01

    Despite an increase in cross border intimate relationships and children of mixed parentage, there is little mention or scholarship about them in the area of childhood and migrancy in the Nordic countries. The international literature implies historical pathologisation, contestation and current...... of identity formation in the . They position themselves as having an “in-between” identity or “ just Danes” in their every day lives among friends, family, and during leisure activities. Thus a new paradigm is evolving away- from the pathologisation of mixed children, simplified one-sided categories...

  8. RESEARCH NOTE Parentage identification of Odontobutis ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    44738

    Microsatellite-based parentage identification technology has been widely used .... (201505059), Jiangsu Province Six Talent Peaks of High Level Talents Project ... Kalinowski S. T., Taper M. L., Marshall T. C. 2007 Revising how the computer.

  9. Relations between coefficients of fractional parentage

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zamick, L.

    2007-01-01

    For each of the (9/2) (11/2), and (13/2) single j shells we have only one state with J=j v=3 for a five particle system. For four identical particles there can be more than one state of seniority four. We note some 'ratio' relations for the coefficients of fractional parentage for the four and five identical particle systems, which are found in the works of de Shalit and Talmi [Nuclear Shell Theory (Academic Press, New York, 1963)] and Talmi [Simple Models of Complex Nuclei (Harwood Academic, Reading, UK, 1993)] to be useful for explaining the vanishing of a five particle coefficients of fractional parentage (cfp). These relations are used to show that there is a special (g 9/2 ) 4 I=4 v=4 wave function that cannot be admixed with an I=4 v=2 wave function, even with seniority violating interactions

  10. Parentage determination in three breeds of Indian goat using heterologous microsatellite markers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ganai, N.A.; Yadav, B.R.

    2005-01-01

    Parentage verification in Indian goat breeds addresses dubious parentage of three types: 1, exclusion of a putative parent when the genotype of one parent and offspring are known; 2, exclusion of a putative parent when the genotype of the other parent is not available; and 3, exclusion of both the parents of an offspring if falsely recorded. The investigation used 116 unrelated goats and six pedigreed families of three breeds of goat (Jamnapari, Barbari and Sirohi). A set of 12 bovine microsatellite markers was analysed for parentage determination in goats for different types of misidentifications. For Type 1 dubious parentage, the exclusion probability for each marker varied widely, from as low as 13.4% (locus BM-5004 in Jamnapari) to as high as 67% (locus BMS-1237 in Sirohi). For type 2, the values of probability of exclusion ranged from 5% (locus BMS-1237 in Barbari) to 50.1% (locus BMS-1237 in Sirohi). For Type 3, exclusion values ranged from 21.6% to 84%. The exclusion probabilities of falsely recorded parents were estimated for different combinations of 5 markers sets with 12, 8, 6, 5 and 4 markers, respectively. (author)

  11. On minimizing assignment errors and the trade-off between false positives and negatives in parentage analysis

    KAUST Repository

    Harrison, Hugo B.

    2013-11-04

    Genetic parentage analyses provide a practical means with which to identify parent-offspring relationships in the wild. In Harrison et al.\\'s study (2013a), we compare three methods of parentage analysis and showed that the number and diversity of microsatellite loci were the most important factors defining the accuracy of assignments. Our simulations revealed that an exclusion-Bayes theorem method was more susceptible to false-positive and false-negative assignments than other methods tested. Here, we analyse and discuss the trade-off between type I and type II errors in parentage analyses. We show that controlling for false-positive assignments, without reporting type II errors, can be misleading. Our findings illustrate the need to estimate and report both the rate of false-positive and false-negative assignments in parentage analyses. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  12. On minimizing assignment errors and the trade-off between false positives and negatives in parentage analysis

    KAUST Repository

    Harrison, Hugo B.; Saenz Agudelo, Pablo; Planes, Serge; Jones, Geoffrey P.; Berumen, Michael L.

    2013-01-01

    Genetic parentage analyses provide a practical means with which to identify parent-offspring relationships in the wild. In Harrison et al.'s study (2013a), we compare three methods of parentage analysis and showed that the number and diversity of microsatellite loci were the most important factors defining the accuracy of assignments. Our simulations revealed that an exclusion-Bayes theorem method was more susceptible to false-positive and false-negative assignments than other methods tested. Here, we analyse and discuss the trade-off between type I and type II errors in parentage analyses. We show that controlling for false-positive assignments, without reporting type II errors, can be misleading. Our findings illustrate the need to estimate and report both the rate of false-positive and false-negative assignments in parentage analyses. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  13. Effectiveness of 10 polymorphic microsatellite markers for parentage and pedigree analysis in plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhang Yanming

    2010-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae is an underground-dwelling mammal, native to the Tibetan plateau of China. A set of 10 polymorphic microsatellite loci has been developed earlier. Its reliability for parentage assignment has been tested in a plateau pika population. Two family groups with a known pedigree were used to validate the power of this set of markers. Results The error in parentage assignment using a combination of these 10 loci was very low as indicated by their power of discrimination (0.803 - 0.932, power of exclusion (0.351 - 0.887, and an effectiveness of the combined probability of exclusion in parentage assignment of 99.999%. Conclusion All the offspring of a family could be assigned to their biological mother; and their father or relatives could also be identified. This set of markers therefore provides a powerful and efficient tool for parentage assignment and other population analyses in the plateau pika.

  14. Parentage assignment of progeny in mixed milt fertilization of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Administrator

    2011-06-13

    Jun 13, 2011 ... individuals. Overall, 98.8% of progeny were assigned to their parents using Family Assignment. Program (FAP). Selection of hyper-variable microsatellites in Caspian brown trout to identify unique alleles was effective for unambiguous parentage determination and estimation of genetic diversity in this study.

  15. Parentage assignment of progeny in mixed milt fertilization of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Parentage of a stock of mixed milt produced progeny in current artificial breeding protocol of endangered Caspian brown trout, Salmo trutta caspius, was determined using three microsatellite loci chosen after a primary analysis of genetic diversity at nine microsatellite loci in the eight used breeder individuals. Overall ...

  16. Parentage assignment of progeny in mixed milt fertilization of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Administrator

    2011-06-13

    Jun 13, 2011 ... Fernández, 2008). In the last decade, parentage determination has been proven successful in some species including Gilthead sea bream Sparus aurata using five ... All PCR reactions were conducted in a MJ research ..... Garcia-Marin JL, Guyomard R, Hansen MM, Hindar K, Koljonen ML,. Largiader C ...

  17. Partnering across border and mixed parentage young people in globalised Denmark

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Singla, Rashmi; Bang, Helene

    interviews with ten ‘ordinary’ persons in mixed families combined with a couple of clinical cases, while the youth study involves 10 participants. Through illustrative narratives of Danish women married to Indian men, the major results are presented. The gender positions are affected by both the internal...... and also in the field of Family Studies as they are absent among the themes for this conference The major research questions covered in this are :what are the gender position dynamics among the couples when spouses originate from different parts of the world – India and Denmark?. How do the negotiations...... between the partners interplay with the dominant gender patterns in the both spouses country of origin? How about the young children of mixed parentage? Based on two empirical studies conducted in Denmark among intermarried couples and children/ youth of ethnically mixed parentage these issues...

  18. Verifying Parentage and Confirming Identity in Blackberry with a Fingerprinting Set

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parentage and identity confirmation is an important aspect of clonally propagated crops outcrossing. Potential errors resulting misidentification include off-type pollination events, labeling errors, or sports of clones. DNA fingerprinting sets are an excellent solution to quickly identify off-type ...

  19. Genetic diversity and parentage in farmer selections of cacao from Southern Sulawesi, Indonesia revealed by microsatellite markers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dinarti, Diny; Susilo, Agung W; Meinhardt, Lyndel W; Ji, Kun; Motilal, Lambert A; Mischke, Sue; Zhang, Dapeng

    2015-12-01

    Indonesia is the third largest cocoa-producing country in the world. Knowledge of genetic diversity and parentage of farmer selections is important for effective selection and rational deployment of superior cacao clones in farmers' fields. We assessed genetic diversity and parentage of 53 farmer selections of cacao in Sulawesi, Indonesia, using 152 international clones as references. Cluster analysis, based on 15 microsatellite markers, showed that these Sulawesi farmer selections are mainly comprised of hybrids derived from Trinitario and two Upper Amazon Forastero groups. Bayesian assignment and likelihood-based parentage analysis further demonstrated that only a small number of germplasm groups, dominantly Trinitario and Parinari, contributed to these farmer selections, in spite of diverse parental clones having been used in the breeding program and seed gardens in Indonesia since the 1950s. The narrow parentage predicts a less durable host resistance to cacao diseases. Limited access of the farmers to diverse planting materials or the strong preference for large pods and large bean size by local farmers, may have affected the selection outcome. Diverse sources of resistance, harbored in different cacao germplasm groups, need to be effectively incorporated to broaden the on-farm diversity and ensure sustainable cacao production in Sulawesi.

  20. Genetic diversity and parentage in farmer selections of cacao from Southern Sulawesi, Indonesia revealed by microsatellite markers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dinarti, Diny; Susilo, Agung W.; Meinhardt, Lyndel W.; Ji, Kun; Motilal, Lambert A.; Mischke, Sue; Zhang, Dapeng

    2015-01-01

    Indonesia is the third largest cocoa-producing country in the world. Knowledge of genetic diversity and parentage of farmer selections is important for effective selection and rational deployment of superior cacao clones in farmers’ fields. We assessed genetic diversity and parentage of 53 farmer selections of cacao in Sulawesi, Indonesia, using 152 international clones as references. Cluster analysis, based on 15 microsatellite markers, showed that these Sulawesi farmer selections are mainly comprised of hybrids derived from Trinitario and two Upper Amazon Forastero groups. Bayesian assignment and likelihood-based parentage analysis further demonstrated that only a small number of germplasm groups, dominantly Trinitario and Parinari, contributed to these farmer selections, in spite of diverse parental clones having been used in the breeding program and seed gardens in Indonesia since the 1950s. The narrow parentage predicts a less durable host resistance to cacao diseases. Limited access of the farmers to diverse planting materials or the strong preference for large pods and large bean size by local farmers, may have affected the selection outcome. Diverse sources of resistance, harbored in different cacao germplasm groups, need to be effectively incorporated to broaden the on-farm diversity and ensure sustainable cacao production in Sulawesi. PMID:26719747

  1. Relative accuracy of three common methods of parentage analysis in natural populations

    KAUST Repository

    Harrison, Hugo B.; Saenz Agudelo, Pablo; Planes, Serge; Jones, Geoffrey P.; Berumen, Michael L.

    2012-01-01

    Parentage studies and family reconstructions have become increasingly popular for investigating a range of evolutionary, ecological and behavioural processes in natural populations. However, a number of different assignment methods have emerged in common use and the accuracy of each may differ in relation to the number of loci examined, allelic diversity, incomplete sampling of all candidate parents and the presence of genotyping errors. Here, we examine how these factors affect the accuracy of three popular parentage inference methods (colony, famoz and an exclusion-Bayes' theorem approach by Christie (Molecular Ecology Resources, 2010a, 10, 115) to resolve true parent-offspring pairs using simulated data. Our findings demonstrate that accuracy increases with the number and diversity of loci. These were clearly the most important factors in obtaining accurate assignments explaining 75-90% of variance in overall accuracy across 60 simulated scenarios. Furthermore, the proportion of candidate parents sampled had a small but significant impact on the susceptibility of each method to either false-positive or false-negative assignments. Within the range of values simulated, colony outperformed FaMoz, which outperformed the exclusion-Bayes' theorem method. However, with 20 or more highly polymorphic loci, all methods could be applied with confidence. Our results show that for parentage inference in natural populations, careful consideration of the number and quality of markers will increase the accuracy of assignments and mitigate the effects of incomplete sampling of parental populations. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  2. Relative accuracy of three common methods of parentage analysis in natural populations

    KAUST Repository

    Harrison, Hugo B.

    2012-12-27

    Parentage studies and family reconstructions have become increasingly popular for investigating a range of evolutionary, ecological and behavioural processes in natural populations. However, a number of different assignment methods have emerged in common use and the accuracy of each may differ in relation to the number of loci examined, allelic diversity, incomplete sampling of all candidate parents and the presence of genotyping errors. Here, we examine how these factors affect the accuracy of three popular parentage inference methods (colony, famoz and an exclusion-Bayes\\' theorem approach by Christie (Molecular Ecology Resources, 2010a, 10, 115) to resolve true parent-offspring pairs using simulated data. Our findings demonstrate that accuracy increases with the number and diversity of loci. These were clearly the most important factors in obtaining accurate assignments explaining 75-90% of variance in overall accuracy across 60 simulated scenarios. Furthermore, the proportion of candidate parents sampled had a small but significant impact on the susceptibility of each method to either false-positive or false-negative assignments. Within the range of values simulated, colony outperformed FaMoz, which outperformed the exclusion-Bayes\\' theorem method. However, with 20 or more highly polymorphic loci, all methods could be applied with confidence. Our results show that for parentage inference in natural populations, careful consideration of the number and quality of markers will increase the accuracy of assignments and mitigate the effects of incomplete sampling of parental populations. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  3. A recursion relation for coefficients of fractional parentage in the seniority scheme

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Evans, T.

    1985-01-01

    A recursion relations for coefficients as fractional parentage in the seniority scheme are discussed. Determinated dependence of recursion relations from the particle number permit to evaluate matrix elements of creation and annihilation operators for fermions or bosons. 10 refs. (author)

  4. Parentage of overlapping offspring of an arboreal-breeding frog with no nest defense: implications for nest site selection and reproductive strategy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tung, Wan-Ping; Chen, Yi-Huey; Cheng, Wei-Chun; Chuang, Ming-Feng; Hsu, Wan-Tso; Kam, Yeong-Choy; Lehtinen, Richard M

    2015-01-01

    Overlapping offspring occurs when eggs are laid in a nest containing offspring from earlier reproduction. Earlier studies showed that the parentage is not always obvious due to difficulties in field observation and/or alternative breeding tactics. To unveil the parentage between overlapping offspring and parents is critical in understanding oviposition site selection and the reproductive strategies of parents. Amplectant pairs of an arboreal-breeding frog, Kurixalus eiffingeri, lay eggs in tadpole-occupied nests where offspring of different life stages (embryos and tadpoles) coexist. We used five microsatellite DNA markers to assess the parentage between parents and overlapping offspring. We also tested the hypothesis that the male or female frog would breed in the same breeding site because of the scarcity of nest sites. Results showed varied parentage patterns, which may differ from the phenomenon of overlapping egg clutches reported earlier. Parentage analyses showed that only 58 and 25% of the tadpole-occupied stumps were reused by the same male and female respectively, partially confirming our prediction. Re-nesting by the same individual was more common in males than females, which is most likely related to the cost of tadpole feeding and/or feeding schemes of females. On the other hand, results of parentage analyses showed that about 42 and 75% of male and female respectively bred in tadpole-occupied stumps where tadpoles were genetically unrelated. Results of a nest-choice experiment revealed that 40% of frogs chose tadpole-occupied bamboo cups when we presented identical stumps, without or with tadpoles, suggesting that the habitat saturation hypothesis does not fully explain why frogs used the tadpole-occupied stumps. Several possible benefits of overlapping offspring with different life stages were proposed. Our study highlights the importance of integrating molecular data with field observations to better understand the reproductive biology and nest

  5. A high throughput single nucleotide polymorphism multiplex assay for parentage assignment in New Zealand sheep.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shannon M Clarke

    Full Text Available Accurate pedigree information is critical to animal breeding systems to ensure the highest rate of genetic gain and management of inbreeding. The abundance of available genomic data, together with development of high throughput genotyping platforms, means that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs are now the DNA marker of choice for genomic selection studies. Furthermore the superior qualities of SNPs compared to microsatellite markers allows for standardization between laboratories; a property that is crucial for developing an international set of markers for traceability studies. The objective of this study was to develop a high throughput SNP assay for use in the New Zealand sheep industry that gives accurate pedigree assignment and will allow a reduction in breeder input over lambing. This required two phases of development--firstly, a method of extracting quality DNA from ear-punch tissue performed in a high throughput cost efficient manner and secondly a SNP assay that has the ability to assign paternity to progeny resulting from mob mating. A likelihood based approach to infer paternity was used where sires with the highest LOD score (log of the ratio of the likelihood given parentage to likelihood given non-parentage are assigned. An 84 "parentage SNP panel" was developed that assigned, on average, 99% of progeny to a sire in a problem where there were 3,000 progeny from 120 mob mated sires that included numerous half sib sires. In only 6% of those cases was there another sire with at least a 0.02 probability of paternity. Furthermore dam information (either recorded, or by genotyping possible dams was absent, highlighting the SNP test's suitability for paternity testing. Utilization of this parentage SNP assay will allow implementation of progeny testing into large commercial farms where the improved accuracy of sire assignment and genetic evaluations will increase genetic gain in the sheep industry.

  6. Implementation of a parentage control system in Portuguese beef-cattle with a panel of microsatellite markers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Inês Carolino

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available A study was conducted to assess the feasibility of applying a panel of 10 microsatellite markers in parentage control of beef cattle in Portugal. In the first stage, DNA samples were collected from 475 randomly selected animals of the Charolais, Limousin and Preta breeds. Across breeds and genetic markers, means for average number of alleles, effective number of alleles, expected heterozygosity and polymorphic information content, were 8.20, 4.43, 0.733 and 0.70, respectively. Enlightenment from the various markers differed among breeds, but the set of 10 markers resulted in a combined probability above 0.9995 in the ability to exclude a random putative parent. The marker-set thus developed was later used for parentage control in a group of 140 calves from several breeds, where there was the suspicion of possible faulty parentage recording. Overall, 76.4% of the calves in this group were compatible with the recorded parents, with most incompatibilities due to misidentification of the dam. Efforts must be made to improve the quality of pedigree information, with particular emphasis on information recorded at the calf's birth.

  7. Analytical and statistical consideration on the use of the ISAG-ICAR-SNP bovine panel for parentage control, using the Illumina BeadChip technology: example on the German Holstein population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schütz, Ekkehard; Brenig, Bertram

    2015-02-05

    Parentage control is moving from short tandem repeats- to single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) systems. For SNP-based parentage control in cattle, the ISAG-ICAR Committee proposes a set of 100/200 SNPs but quality criteria are lacking. Regarding German Holstein-Friesian cattle with only a limited number of evaluated individuals, the exclusion probability is not well-defined. We propose a statistical procedure for excluding single SNPs from parentage control, based on case-by-case evaluation of the GenCall score, to minimize parentage exclusion, based on miscalled genotypes. Exclusion power of the ISAG-ICAR SNPs used for the German Holstein-Friesian population was adjusted based on the results of more than 25,000 individuals. Experimental data were derived from routine genomic selection analyses of the German Holstein-Friesian population using the Illumina BovineSNP50 v2 BeadChip (20,000 individuals) or the EuroG10K variant (7000 individuals). Averages and standard deviations of GenCall scores for the 200 SNPs of the ISAG-ICAR recommended panel were calculated and used to calculate the downward Z-value. Based on minor allelic frequencies in the Holstein-Friesian population, one minus exclusion probability was equal to 1.4×10⁻¹⁰ and 7.2×10⁻²⁶, with one and two parents, respectively. Two monomorphic SNPs from the 100-SNP ISAG-ICAR core-panel did not contribute. Simulation of 10,000 parentage control combinations, using the GenCall score data from both BeadChips, showed that with a Z-value greater than 3.66 only about 2.5% parentages were excluded, based on the ISAG-ICAR recommendations (core-panel: ≥ 90 SNPs for one, ≥ 85 SNPs for two parents). When applied to real data from 1750 single parentage assessments, the optimal threshold was determined to be Z = 5.0, with only 34 censored cases and reduction to four (0.2%) doubtful parentages. About 70 parentage exclusions due to weak genotype calls were avoided, whereas true exclusions (n = 34) were

  8. Fractional parentage analysis and a scale-free reproductive network of brown trout.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koyano, Hitoshi; Serbezov, Dimitar; Kishino, Hirohisa; Schweder, Tore

    2013-11-07

    In this study, we developed a method of fractional parentage analysis using microsatellite markers. We propose a method for calculating parentage probability, which considers missing data and genotyping errors due to null alleles and other causes, by regarding observed alleles as realizations of random variables which take values in the set of alleles at the locus and developing a method for simultaneously estimating the true and null allele frequencies of all alleles at each locus. We then applied our proposed method to a large sample collected from a wild population of brown trout (Salmo trutta). On analyzing the data using our method, we found that the reproductive success of brown trout obeyed a power law, indicating that when the parent-offspring relationship is regarded as a link, the reproductive system of brown trout is a scale-free network. Characteristics of the reproductive network of brown trout include individuals with large bodies as hubs in the network and different power exponents of degree distributions between males and females. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Validation of microsatellite multiplexes for parentage analysis in a coral reef fish (Lutjanus carponotatus, Lutjanidae)

    KAUST Repository

    Harrison, Hugo B.; Feldheim, Kevin Andrew; Jones, Geoffrey P.; Mansour, Hicham; Perumal, Sadhasivam; Williamson, David H.; Berumen, Michael L.

    2014-01-01

    simulated dataset, we conclude that the complete marker set provides sufficient resolution to resolve parent–offspring relationships in natural populations with 99.6 ± 0.1 % accuracy in parentage assignments. This multiplex assay provides an effective means

  10. Parentage assignment and extra-group paternity in a cooperative breeder : the Seychelles warbler (Acrocephalus sechellensis)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Richardson, DS; Jury, FL; Blaakmeer, K; Komdeur, J; Burke, T

    We describe the development and initial application of a semiautomated parentage testing system in the Seychelles warbler (Acrocephalus sechellensis). This system used fluorescently labelled primers for 14 polymorphic microsatellite loci in two multiplex loading groups to genotype efficiently over

  11. Validation of microsatellite multiplexes for parentage analysis in a coral reef fish (Lutjanus carponotatus, Lutjanidae)

    KAUST Repository

    Harrison, Hugo B.

    2014-05-25

    Parentage analysis is an important tool for identifying connectivity patterns in coral reef fishes, but often requires numerous highly polymorphic markers. We isolated 21 polymorphic microsatellite markers from the stripey snapper, Lutjanus carponotatus and describe their integration into three multiplex PCRs. All markers were highly polymorphic with a mean of 24.9 ± 1.8 SE alleles per locus and an average observed heterozygosity of 0.797 ± 0.038 SE across 285 genotyped individuals. Using a simulated dataset, we conclude that the complete marker set provides sufficient resolution to resolve parent–offspring relationships in natural populations with 99.6 ± 0.1 % accuracy in parentage assignments. This multiplex assay provides an effective means of investigating larval dispersal and population connectivity in this fishery-targeted coral reef fish species and informing the design of marine protected area networks for biodiversity conservation and fisheries management.

  12. Parentage assignment with genomic markers: a major advance for understanding and exploiting genetic variation of quantitative traits in farmed aquatic animals

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marc eVandeputte

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Since the middle of the 1990s, parentage assignment using microsatellite markers has been introduced as a tool in aquaculture breeding. It now allows close to 100% assignment success, and offered new ways to develop aquaculture breeding using mixed family designs in industry conditions. Its main achievements are the knowledge and control of family representation and inbreeding, especially in mass spawning species, above all the capacity to estimate reliable genetic parameters in any species and rearing system with no prior investment in structures, and the development of new breeding programs in many species. Parentage assignment should not be seen as a way to replace physical tagging, but as a new way to conceive breeding programs, which have to be optimized with its specific constraints, one of the most important being to well define the number of individuals to genotype to limit costs, maximize genetic gain while minimizing inbreeding. The recent possible shift to (for the moment more costly SNP markers should benefit from future developments in genomics and MAS selection to combine parentage assignment and indirect prediction of breeding values.

  13. Wenatchee Chinook Parentage - Evaluate the reproductive success of hatchery and wild Chinook salmon in the Wenatchee River

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — We are using genetic parentage analysis to measure the relative fitness of hatchery and wild spring run Chinook salmon that spawn in the Wenatchee River. In addition...

  14. SNP Data Quality Control in a National Beef and Dairy Cattle System and Highly Accurate SNP Based Parentage Verification and Identification

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matthew C. McClure

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available A major use of genetic data is parentage verification and identification as inaccurate pedigrees negatively affect genetic gain. Since 2012 the international standard for single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP verification in Bos taurus cattle has been the ISAG SNP panels. While these ISAG panels provide an increased level of parentage accuracy over microsatellite markers (MS, they can validate the wrong parent at ≤1% misconcordance rate levels, indicating that more SNP are needed if a more accurate pedigree is required. With rapidly increasing numbers of cattle being genotyped in Ireland that represent 61 B. taurus breeds from a wide range of farm types: beef/dairy, AI/pedigree/commercial, purebred/crossbred, and large to small herd size the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF analyzed different SNP densities to determine that at a minimum ≥500 SNP are needed to consistently predict only one set of parents at a ≤1% misconcordance rate. For parentage validation and prediction ICBF uses 800 SNP (ICBF800 selected based on SNP clustering quality, ISAG200 inclusion, call rate (CR, and minor allele frequency (MAF in the Irish cattle population. Large datasets require sample and SNP quality control (QC. Most publications only deal with SNP QC via CR, MAF, parent-progeny conflicts, and Hardy-Weinberg deviation, but not sample QC. We report here parentage, SNP QC, and a genomic sample QC pipelines to deal with the unique challenges of >1 million genotypes from a national herd such as SNP genotype errors from mis-tagging of animals, lab errors, farm errors, and multiple other issues that can arise. We divide the pipeline into two parts: a Genotype QC and an Animal QC pipeline. The Genotype QC identifies samples with low call rate, missing or mixed genotype classes (no BB genotype or ABTG alleles present, and low genotype frequencies. The Animal QC handles situations where the genotype might not belong to the listed individual by identifying: >1 non

  15. Using probability modelling and genetic parentage assignment to test the role of local mate availability in mating system variation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blyton, Michaela D J; Banks, Sam C; Peakall, Rod; Lindenmayer, David B

    2012-02-01

    The formal testing of mating system theories with empirical data is important for evaluating the relative importance of different processes in shaping mating systems in wild populations. Here, we present a generally applicable probability modelling framework to test the role of local mate availability in determining a population's level of genetic monogamy. We provide a significance test for detecting departures in observed mating patterns from model expectations based on mate availability alone, allowing the presence and direction of behavioural effects to be inferred. The assessment of mate availability can be flexible and in this study it was based on population density, sex ratio and spatial arrangement. This approach provides a useful tool for (1) isolating the effect of mate availability in variable mating systems and (2) in combination with genetic parentage analyses, gaining insights into the nature of mating behaviours in elusive species. To illustrate this modelling approach, we have applied it to investigate the variable mating system of the mountain brushtail possum (Trichosurus cunninghami) and compared the model expectations with the outcomes of genetic parentage analysis over an 18-year study. The observed level of monogamy was higher than predicted under the model. Thus, behavioural traits, such as mate guarding or selective mate choice, may increase the population level of monogamy. We show that combining genetic parentage data with probability modelling can facilitate an improved understanding of the complex interactions between behavioural adaptations and demographic dynamics in driving mating system variation. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  16. [Assisted human reproduction techniques: determination of parentage and users in comparative law].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Germán Zurriaráin, Roberto

    2011-01-01

    The paper undertakes the determination of parentage and users of assisted reproduction techniques in comparative law, particularly in three European Union countries: Italy, France and Spain. The idea of artificially conceived child protection, present in the Italian provision, is substituted, partially in French law, and totally in Spanish law, by an exclusively individualistic outlook, configuring a true ″right to maternity″ for married women and for those not living with a male partner (single women, divorced or widowed) or with a female partner (lesbians), and for women inseminated artificially by the semen of the husband before or after their death, and for women already having culminated their fertile life.

  17. A computer program for two-particle intrinsic coefficients of fractional parentage

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deveikis, A.

    2012-06-01

    A Fortran 90 program CESOS for the calculation of the two-particle intrinsic coefficients of fractional parentage for several j-shells with isospin and an arbitrary number of oscillator quanta (CESOs) is presented. The implemented procedure for CESOs calculation consistently follows the principles of antisymmetry and translational invariance. The approach is based on a simple enumeration scheme for antisymmetric many-particle states, efficient algorithms for calculation of the coefficients of fractional parentage for j-shells with isospin, and construction of the subspace of the center-of-mass Hamiltonian eigenvectors corresponding to the minimal eigenvalue equal to 3/2 (in ℏω). The program provides fast calculation of CESOs for a given particle number and produces results possessing small numerical uncertainties. The introduced CESOs may be used for calculation of expectation values of two-particle nuclear shell-model operators within the isospin formalism. Program summaryProgram title: CESOS Catalogue identifier: AELT_v1_0 Program summary URL:http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/summaries/AELT_v1_0.html Program obtainable from: CPC Program Library, Queen's University, Belfast, N. Ireland Licensing provisions: Standard CPC licence, http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/licence/licence.html No. of lines in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 10 932 No. of bytes in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 61 023 Distribution format: tar.gz Programming language: Fortran 90 Computer: Any computer with a Fortran 90 compiler Operating system: Windows XP, Linux RAM: The memory demand depends on the number of particles A and the excitation energy of the system E. Computation of the A=6 particle system with the total angular momentum J=0 and the total isospin T=1 requires around 4 kB of RAM at E=0,˜3 MB at E=3, and ˜172 MB at E=5. Classification: 17.18 Nature of problem: The code CESOS generates a list of two-particle intrinsic coefficients of fractional parentage for several

  18. Gametic phase disequilibrium between the syntenic multiallelic HTG4 and HMS3 markers widely used for parentage testing in Thoroughbred horses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Machado, Filipe Brum; de Vasconcellos Machado, Luana; Bydlowski, Cynthia Rachid; Bydlowski, Sergio Paulo; Medina-Acosta, Enrique

    2012-02-01

    Validation of parentage and horse breed registries through DNA typing relies on estimates of random match probabilities with DNA profiles generated from multiple polymorphic loci. Of the twenty-seven microsatellite loci recommended by the International Society for Animal Genetics for parentage testing in Thoroughbred horses, eleven are located on five chromosomes. An important aspect in determining combined exclusion probabilities is the ascertainment of the genetic linkage status of syntenic markers, which may affect reliable use of the product rule in estimating random match probabilities. In principle, linked markers can be in gametic phase disequilibrium (GD). We aimed at determining the extent, by frequency and strength, of GD between the HTG4 and HMS3 multiallelic loci, syntenic on chromosome 9. We typed the qualified offspring (n (1) = 27; n (2) = 14) of two Quarter Bred stallions (registered by the Brazilian Association of Quarter Horse Breeders) and 121 unrelated horses from the same breed. In the 41 informative meioses analyzed, the frequency of recombination between the HTG4 and HMS3 loci was 0.27. Consistent with genetic map distances, this recombination rate does not fit to the theoretical distribution for independently segregated markers. We estimated sign-based D' coefficients as a measure of GD, and showed that the HTG4 and HMS3 loci are in significant, yet partial and weak, disequilibrium, with two allele pairs involved (HTG4 M/HMS3 P, D'(+) = 0.6274; and HTG4 K/HMS3 P, D'(-) = -0.6096). These results warn against the inadequate inclusion of genetically linked markers in the calculation of combined power of discrimination for Thoroughbred parentage validation.

  19. Cluster analysis of historical and modern hard red spring wheat cultivars based on parentage and HPLC analysis of gluten forming proteins

    Science.gov (United States)

    In this study, 30 hard red spring (HRS) wheat cultivars released between 1910 and 2013 were analyzed to determine how they cluster in terms of parentage and protein data, analyzed by reverse-phase HPLC (RP-HPLC) of gliadins, and size-exclusion HPLC (SE-HPLC) of unreduced proteins. Dwarfing genes in...

  20. A computer program for two-particle generalized coefficients of fractional parentage

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deveikis, A.; Juodagalvis, A.

    2008-10-01

    We present a FORTRAN90 program GCFP for the calculation of the generalized coefficients of fractional parentage (generalized CFPs or GCFP). The approach is based on the observation that the multi-shell CFPs can be expressed in terms of single-shell CFPs, while the latter can be readily calculated employing a simple enumeration scheme of antisymmetric A-particle states and an efficient method of construction of the idempotent matrix eigenvectors. The program provides fast calculation of GCFPs for a given particle number and produces results possessing numerical uncertainties below the desired tolerance. A single j-shell is defined by four quantum numbers, (e,l,j,t). A supplemental C++ program parGCFP allows calculation to be done in batches and/or in parallel. Program summaryProgram title:GCFP, parGCFP Catalogue identifier: AEBI_v1_0 Program summary URL:http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/summaries/AEBI_v1_0.html Program obtainable from: CPC Program Library, Queen's University, Belfast, N. Ireland Licensing provisions: Standard CPC licence, http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/licence/licence.html No. of lines in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 17 199 No. of bytes in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 88 658 Distribution format: tar.gz Programming language: FORTRAN 77/90 ( GCFP), C++ ( parGCFP) Computer: Any computer with suitable compilers. The program GCFP requires a FORTRAN 77/90 compiler. The auxiliary program parGCFP requires GNU-C++ compatible compiler, while its parallel version additionally requires MPI-1 standard libraries Operating system: Linux (Ubuntu, Scientific) (all programs), also checked on Windows XP ( GCFP, serial version of parGCFP) RAM: The memory demand depends on the computation and output mode. If this mode is not 4, the program GCFP demands the following amounts of memory on a computer with Linux operating system. It requires around 2 MB of RAM for the A=12 system at E⩽2. Computation of the A=50 particle system requires around 60 MB of

  1. Genetic variability in common wheat germplasm based on coefficients of parentage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fernanda Bered

    2002-01-01

    Full Text Available The characterization of genetic variability and an estimate of the genetic relationship among varieties are essential to any breeding program, because artificial crosses among less similar parents allow a larger segregation and the combination of different favorable alleles. Genetic variability can be evaluated in different ways, including the Coefficient of Parentage (COP, which estimates the probability of two alleles in two different individuals being identical by descent. In this study, we evaluated the degree of genetic relationship among 53 wheat genotypes, and identified the ancestor genotypes which contributed the most to the current wheat germplasm, as a prediction of the width of the genetic base of this cereal. The results revealed a mean COP of 0.07 and the formation of 22 similarity groups. The ancestor genotypes Ciano 67 and Mentana were those which contributed the most to the current wheat germplasm. According to the COP analyses, the genetic base of wheat rests on a small number of ancestral genotypes.

  2. Institution of Parentage in Polish Family Law in the Years 1946–1965 [Instytucja pochodzenia dziecka w polskim prawie rodzinnym w latach 1946–1965

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ewa JURCZYK-ROMANOWSKA

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available The paper constitutes a description of the evolution of the system of presumptions pertaining to institution of parentage in Polish family law in the years 1946– 1965. The following three legal acts were analysed: Family Law of 1946, constituting the first attempt at unification of regulations connected with this matter since 1918, when Poland regained independence, Family Code of 1950, abolishing the division into legitimate and illegitimate children, and the Family and Guardianship Code of 1964, with its legal regulations still in force (with subsequent amendments. The innovative analysis encompasses such problems as: division into legitimate and illegitimate children and its consequences, presumption of paternity, establishment of paternity in court, as well as legitimisation, recognition, and equalisation of a child. The changing situation of the legal entities connected with the institution of parentage, i.e. child, mother, father, and mother’s husband is also discussed in the article.

  3. Polymorphic DNA microsatellite markers for forensic individual identification and parentage analyses of seven threatened species of parrots (family Psittacidae).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jan, Catherine; Fumagalli, Luca

    2016-01-01

    The parrot family represents one of the bird group with the largest number of endangered species, as a result of habitat destruction and illegal trade. This illicit traffic involves the smuggling of eggs and animals, and the laundering through captive breeding facilities of wild-caught animals. Despite the huge potential of wildlife DNA forensics to determine with conclusive evidence illegal trade, current usage of DNA profiling approaches in parrots has been limited by the lack of suitable molecular markers specifically developed for the focal species and by low cross-species polymorphism. In this study, we isolated DNA microsatellite markers in seven parrot species threatened with extinction (Amazona brasiliensis, A. oratrix, A. pretrei, A. rhodocorytha, Anodorhynchus leari, Ara rubrogenys and Primolius couloni). From an enriched genomic library followed by 454 pyrosequencing, we characterized a total of 106 polymorphic microsatellite markers (mostly tetranucleotides) in the seven species and tested them across an average number of 19 individuals per species. The mean number of alleles per species and across loci varied from 6.4 to 8.3, with the mean observed heterozygosities ranging from 0.65 to 0.84. Identity and parentage exclusion probabilities were highly discriminatory. The high variability displayed by these microsatellite loci demonstrates their potential utility to perform individual genotyping and parentage analyses, in order to develop a DNA testing framework to determine illegal traffic in these threatened species.

  4. Polymorphic DNA microsatellite markers for forensic individual identification and parentage analyses of seven threatened species of parrots (family Psittacidae

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Catherine Jan

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available The parrot family represents one of the bird group with the largest number of endangered species, as a result of habitat destruction and illegal trade. This illicit traffic involves the smuggling of eggs and animals, and the laundering through captive breeding facilities of wild-caught animals. Despite the huge potential of wildlife DNA forensics to determine with conclusive evidence illegal trade, current usage of DNA profiling approaches in parrots has been limited by the lack of suitable molecular markers specifically developed for the focal species and by low cross-species polymorphism. In this study, we isolated DNA microsatellite markers in seven parrot species threatened with extinction (Amazona brasiliensis, A. oratrix, A. pretrei, A. rhodocorytha, Anodorhynchus leari, Ara rubrogenys and Primolius couloni. From an enriched genomic library followed by 454 pyrosequencing, we characterized a total of 106 polymorphic microsatellite markers (mostly tetranucleotides in the seven species and tested them across an average number of 19 individuals per species. The mean number of alleles per species and across loci varied from 6.4 to 8.3, with the mean observed heterozygosities ranging from 0.65 to 0.84. Identity and parentage exclusion probabilities were highly discriminatory. The high variability displayed by these microsatellite loci demonstrates their potential utility to perform individual genotyping and parentage analyses, in order to develop a DNA testing framework to determine illegal traffic in these threatened species.

  5. The Family Courts and parentage of children conceived through overseas commercial surrogacy arrangements: A child-centred approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sifris, Adiva

    2015-12-01

    This article adopts a child-centred approach to the vexed issue of commercial surrogacy. These arrangements are prohibited throughout Australia. Nevertheless, Australians are travelling overseas and entering into commercial surrogacy arrangements. This article addresses the dilemma confronting the Family Courts when the commissioning parents and the child return to Australia. Should the Family Courts make parenting orders enabling the commissioning parents to raise the child? Alternatively, should they make parentage orders legally recognising the commissioning parents as the child's parents? After exploring the existing legislative structure and its application, the interest theory of children's rights is utilised to justify changes to the law so that the commissioning parents are regarded as the child's legal parents.

  6. Genetic evidence for polygynandry in the black-striped pipefish Syngnathus abaster: a microsatellite-based parentage analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hübner, Kerstin; Gonzalez-Wanguemert, Mercedes; Diekmann, Onno E; Serrão, Ester A

    2013-01-01

    Sexual selection theory predicts that, in organisms with reversed sex roles, more polyandrous species exhibit higher levels of sexual dimorphism. In the family Syngnathidae (pipefish, seahorses, and seadragons), males provide all parental care by carrying developing embryos on their ventral surfaces, and females develop secondary sex characters. Syngnathids exhibit a variety of genetic mating patterns, making them an ideal group to test predictions of sexual selection theory. Here, we describe the mating system of the black-striped pipefish Syngnathus abaster, using 4 highly variable microsatellites to analyze parentage of 102 embryos. Results revealed that 1) both sexes mate multiple times over the course of a pregnancy (polygynandrous mating system), 2) eggs are spatially segregated by maternity within each brood pouch, and 3) larger females have higher mating success (Kolmogorov-Smirnov test; P sexual dimorphism.

  7. Validation of software for calculating the likelihood ratio for parentage and kinship.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Drábek, J

    2009-03-01

    Although the likelihood ratio is a well-known statistical technique, commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) software products for its calculation are not sufficiently validated to suit general requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories (EN/ISO/IEC 17025:2005 norm) per se. The software in question can be considered critical as it directly weighs the forensic evidence allowing judges to decide on guilt or innocence or to identify person or kin (i.e.: in mass fatalities). For these reasons, accredited laboratories shall validate likelihood ratio software in accordance with the above norm. To validate software for calculating the likelihood ratio in parentage/kinship scenarios I assessed available vendors, chose two programs (Paternity Index and familias) for testing, and finally validated them using tests derived from elaboration of the available guidelines for the field of forensics, biomedicine, and software engineering. MS Excel calculation using known likelihood ratio formulas or peer-reviewed results of difficult paternity cases were used as a reference. Using seven testing cases, it was found that both programs satisfied the requirements for basic paternity cases. However, only a combination of two software programs fulfills the criteria needed for our purpose in the whole spectrum of functions under validation with the exceptions of providing algebraic formulas in cases of mutation and/or silent allele.

  8. Parentage Reconstruction in Eucalyptus nitens Using SNPs and Microsatellite Markers: A Comparative Analysis of Marker Data Power and Robustness.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Emily J Telfer

    Full Text Available Pedigree reconstruction using molecular markers enables efficient management of inbreeding in open-pollinated breeding strategies, replacing expensive and time-consuming controlled pollination. This is particularly useful in preferentially outcrossed, insect pollinated Eucalypts known to suffer considerable inbreeding depression from related matings. A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP marker panel consisting of 106 markers was selected for pedigree reconstruction from the recently developed high-density Eucalyptus Infinium SNP chip (EuCHIP60K. The performance of this SNP panel for pedigree reconstruction in open-pollinated progenies of two Eucalyptus nitens seed orchards was compared with that of two microsatellite panels with 13 and 16 markers respectively. The SNP marker panel out-performed one of the microsatellite panels in the resolution power to reconstruct pedigrees and out-performed both panels with respect to data quality. Parentage of all but one offspring in each clonal seed orchard was correctly matched to the expected seed parent using the SNP marker panel, whereas parentage assignment to less than a third of the expected seed parents were supported using the 13-microsatellite panel. The 16-microsatellite panel supported all but one of the recorded seed parents, one better than the SNP panel, although there was still a considerable level of missing and inconsistent data. SNP marker data was considerably superior to microsatellite data in accuracy, reproducibility and robustness. Although microsatellites and SNPs data provide equivalent resolution for pedigree reconstruction, microsatellite analysis requires more time and experience to deal with the uncertainties of allele calling and faces challenges for data transferability across labs and over time. While microsatellite analysis will continue to be useful for some breeding tasks due to the high information content, existing infrastructure and low operating costs, the multi

  9. Parentage Reconstruction in Eucalyptus nitens Using SNPs and Microsatellite Markers: A Comparative Analysis of Marker Data Power and Robustness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Telfer, Emily J; Stovold, Grahame T; Li, Yongjun; Silva-Junior, Orzenil B; Grattapaglia, Dario G; Dungey, Heidi S

    2015-01-01

    Pedigree reconstruction using molecular markers enables efficient management of inbreeding in open-pollinated breeding strategies, replacing expensive and time-consuming controlled pollination. This is particularly useful in preferentially outcrossed, insect pollinated Eucalypts known to suffer considerable inbreeding depression from related matings. A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) marker panel consisting of 106 markers was selected for pedigree reconstruction from the recently developed high-density Eucalyptus Infinium SNP chip (EuCHIP60K). The performance of this SNP panel for pedigree reconstruction in open-pollinated progenies of two Eucalyptus nitens seed orchards was compared with that of two microsatellite panels with 13 and 16 markers respectively. The SNP marker panel out-performed one of the microsatellite panels in the resolution power to reconstruct pedigrees and out-performed both panels with respect to data quality. Parentage of all but one offspring in each clonal seed orchard was correctly matched to the expected seed parent using the SNP marker panel, whereas parentage assignment to less than a third of the expected seed parents were supported using the 13-microsatellite panel. The 16-microsatellite panel supported all but one of the recorded seed parents, one better than the SNP panel, although there was still a considerable level of missing and inconsistent data. SNP marker data was considerably superior to microsatellite data in accuracy, reproducibility and robustness. Although microsatellites and SNPs data provide equivalent resolution for pedigree reconstruction, microsatellite analysis requires more time and experience to deal with the uncertainties of allele calling and faces challenges for data transferability across labs and over time. While microsatellite analysis will continue to be useful for some breeding tasks due to the high information content, existing infrastructure and low operating costs, the multi-species SNP resource

  10. Quantitative analysis of low-density SNP data for parentage assignment and estimation of family contributions to pooled samples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Henshall, John M; Dierens, Leanne; Sellars, Melony J

    2014-09-02

    While much attention has focused on the development of high-density single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) assays, the costs of developing and running low-density assays have fallen dramatically. This makes it feasible to develop and apply SNP assays for agricultural species beyond the major livestock species. Although low-cost low-density assays may not have the accuracy of the high-density assays widely used in human and livestock species, we show that when combined with statistical analysis approaches that use quantitative instead of discrete genotypes, their utility may be improved. The data used in this study are from a 63-SNP marker Sequenom® iPLEX Platinum panel for the Black Tiger shrimp, for which high-density SNP assays are not currently available. For quantitative genotypes that could be estimated, in 5% of cases the most likely genotype for an individual at a SNP had a probability of less than 0.99. Matrix formulations of maximum likelihood equations for parentage assignment were developed for the quantitative genotypes and also for discrete genotypes perturbed by an assumed error term. Assignment rates that were based on maximum likelihood with quantitative genotypes were similar to those based on maximum likelihood with perturbed genotypes but, for more than 50% of cases, the two methods resulted in individuals being assigned to different families. Treating genotypes as quantitative values allows the same analysis framework to be used for pooled samples of DNA from multiple individuals. Resulting correlations between allele frequency estimates from pooled DNA and individual samples were consistently greater than 0.90, and as high as 0.97 for some pools. Estimates of family contributions to the pools based on quantitative genotypes in pooled DNA had a correlation of 0.85 with estimates of contributions from DNA-derived pedigree. Even with low numbers of SNPs of variable quality, parentage testing and family assignment from pooled samples are

  11. DNA polymorphism of Arabian, Thoroughbred and Anglo-Arab horses in Morocco. Application to identification and parentage verification of individual horses

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ouragh, L.

    2005-01-01

    New techniques of molecular biology used in analysing DNA polymorphism give access to the whole genetic variability of a given individual, while traditional blood typing (red cell typing and biochemical polymorphisms) gives access only to the transcribed Fraction, which is then translated to protein. In addition, this fraction represents only a tiny part (5 to 10%) of the genome's coding fraction. One of the newer testing methods in identifying horses is a DNA-based test using microsatellite marker analysis. The objective of this work was to evaluate the efficacy of this new technology in the identification and parentage verification of Arabian, Thoroughbred and Anglo-Arab horses in Morocco. The Anglo-Arab horse is a crossbreed between Arabian and Thoroughbred. Three samples from the three breeds were analysed for 12 microsatellites (HMS2, HMS3, HMS6, HMS7, HTG4, HTG6, HTG7, AHT4, AHTS, VHL20, HTGlO and ASB2). Blood samples were gathered from a total of 1541 horses: 804 Arabians, 559 Thoroughbreds and 178 Anglo-Arabs. Allelic frequencies of the 12 loci studied were calculated in the three groups. The results allowed the determination of intra-population genetic parameters: heterozygosity ratio (h), probability of identification (P i ) and probability of exclusion (P e ). Based on mean heterozygosity values, variability was relatively lower in Thoroughbred horse (0.7036), while it was almost the same in Arabian and Anglo-Arab horses (respectively 0.7217 and 0.7232). Probabilities of exclusion obtained with the 12 systems were greater than 99.9% for the three populations studied, and probabilities of identification of individual horses were 15.4 x 10 -12 , 3 .5 x 10 -12 and 3.2 x 10 -12 in the Thoroughbred, Arabian and Anglo-Arab breeds, respectively. These results indicate that the test using microsatellite marker analysis constitutes a highly efficient and reliable alternative for the identification and parentage verification of individual horses and so it is a

  12. Evaluating realized seed dispersal across fragmented tropical landscapes: a two-fold approach using parentage analysis and the neighbourhood model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ismail, Sascha A; Ghazoul, Jaboury; Ravikanth, Gudasalamani; Kushalappa, Cheppudira G; Uma Shaanker, Ramanan; Kettle, Chris J

    2017-05-01

    Despite the importance of seed dispersal for survival of plant species in fragmented landscapes, data on seed dispersal at landscape scales remain sparse. Effective seed dispersal among fragments determines recolonization and plant species persistence in such landscapes. We present the first large-scale (216-km 2 ) direct estimates of realized seed dispersal of a high-value timber tree (Dysoxylum malabaricum) across an agro-forest landscape in the Western Ghats, India. Based upon an exhaustive inventory of adult trees and a sample of 488 seedlings all genotyped at 10 microsatellite loci, we estimated realized seed dispersal using parentage analysis and the neighbourhood model. Our estimates found that most realized seed dispersal was within 200 m, which is insufficient to effectively bridge the distances between forest patches. We conclude that using mobility of putative animal dispersers can be misleading when estimating tropical tree species vulnerability to habitat fragmentation. This raises serious concerns about the potential of many tropical trees to recolonize isolated forest patches where high-value tree species have already been removed. © 2017 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2017 New Phytologist Trust.

  13. Genetic assessments and parentage analysis of captive Bolson tortoises (Gopherus flavomarginatus inform their "rewilding" in New Mexico.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Taylor Edwards

    Full Text Available The Bolson tortoise (Gopherus flavomarginatus is the first species of extirpated megafauna to be repatriated into the United States. In September 2006, 30 individuals were translocated from Arizona to New Mexico with the long-term objective of restoring wild populations via captive propagation. We evaluated mtDNA sequences and allelic diversity among 11 microsatellite loci from the captive population and archived samples collected from wild individuals in Durango, Mexico (n = 28. Both populations exhibited very low genetic diversity and the captive population captured roughly 97.5% of the total wild diversity, making it a promising founder population. Genetic screening of other captive animals (n = 26 potentially suitable for reintroduction uncovered multiple hybrid G. flavomarginatus×G. polyphemus, which were ineligible for repatriation; only three of these individuals were verified as purebred G. flavomarginatus. We used these genetic data to inform mate pairing, reduce the potential for inbreeding and to monitor the maintenance of genetic diversity in the captive population. After six years of successful propagation, we analyzed the parentage of 241 hatchlings to assess the maintenance of genetic diversity. Not all adults contributed equally to successive generations. Most yearly cohorts of hatchlings failed to capture the diversity of the parental population. However, overlapping generations of tortoises helped to alleviate genetic loss because the entire six-year cohort of hatchlings contained the allelic diversity of the parental population. Polyandry and sperm storage occurred in the captives and future management strategies must consider such events.

  14. The Commission White Paper on a Strategy for a Future EU Chemicals Policy: the view of European companies of American parentage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Montfort, Jean-Philippe

    2003-04-01

    After years of good service, EU legislation on chemicals is currently subject to a major review. This process, initiated by the Council of Ministers at Chester in April 1998, will soon lead to new legislative proposals. In the meantime, a review of the Commission's White Paper on "Strategy for a Future Chemicals Policy," published in February 2001, clearly shows that the regulatory landscape in this area will be significantly reshaped and that a new burden will be imposed on industry to demonstrate that the production and use of chemicals indeed conform to high standards of protection of human health and the environment. In the view of industry, on both sides of the Atlantic, while the objectives of the proposed reform can be supported, the measures proposed in the White Paper to implement these objectives are not properly balanced and will lead to substantial societal and economic drawbacks, unless significant adjustments are made. The purpose of this article is to present the pitfalls and difficulties of the reform as they are perceived by the EU Committee of the American Chamber of Commerce in Brussels, an organization that regroups about 150 European companies of American parentage, belonging to a broad range of European business sectors, including producers and users of chemicals. In view of the transatlantic and cross-business character of its membership, the EU Committee offers a different perspective on the debate.

  15. Validation of microsatellite multiplexes for parentage analysis and species discrimination in two hybridizing species of coral reef fish (Plectropomus spp., Serranidae)

    KAUST Repository

    Harrison, H.B.

    2014-04-24

    Microsatellites are often considered ideal markers to investigate ecological processes in animal populations. They are regularly used as genetic barcodes to identify species, individuals, and infer familial relationships. However, such applications are highly sensitive the number and diversity of microsatellite markers, which are also prone to error. Here, we propose a novel framework to assess the suitability of microsatellite datasets for parentage analysis and species discrimination in two closely related species of coral reef fish, Plectropomus leopardus and P. maculatus (Serranidae). Coral trout are important fisheries species throughout the Indo-Pacific region and have been shown to hybridize in parts of the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. We first describe the development of 25 microsatellite loci and their integration to three multiplex PCRs that co-amplify in both species. Using simulations, we demonstrate that the complete suite of markers provides appropriate power to discriminate between species, detect hybrid individuals, and resolve parent-offspring relationships in natural populations, with over 99.6% accuracy in parent-offspring assignments. The markers were also tested on seven additional species within the Plectropomus genus with polymorphism in 28-96% of loci. The multiplex PCRs developed here provide a reliable and cost-effective strategy to investigate evolutionary and ecological dynamics and will be broadly applicable in studies of wild populations and aquaculture brood stocks for these closely related fish species. 2014 The Authors. Ecology and Evolution published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  16. Validation of microsatellite multiplexes for parentage analysis and species discrimination in two hybridizing species of coral reef fish (Plectropomus spp., Serranidae)

    KAUST Repository

    Harrison, H.B.; Feldheim, K.A.; Jones, G.P.; Ma, K.; Mansour, H.; Perumal, S.; Williamson, D.H.; Berumen, Michael L.

    2014-01-01

    Microsatellites are often considered ideal markers to investigate ecological processes in animal populations. They are regularly used as genetic barcodes to identify species, individuals, and infer familial relationships. However, such applications are highly sensitive the number and diversity of microsatellite markers, which are also prone to error. Here, we propose a novel framework to assess the suitability of microsatellite datasets for parentage analysis and species discrimination in two closely related species of coral reef fish, Plectropomus leopardus and P. maculatus (Serranidae). Coral trout are important fisheries species throughout the Indo-Pacific region and have been shown to hybridize in parts of the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. We first describe the development of 25 microsatellite loci and their integration to three multiplex PCRs that co-amplify in both species. Using simulations, we demonstrate that the complete suite of markers provides appropriate power to discriminate between species, detect hybrid individuals, and resolve parent-offspring relationships in natural populations, with over 99.6% accuracy in parent-offspring assignments. The markers were also tested on seven additional species within the Plectropomus genus with polymorphism in 28-96% of loci. The multiplex PCRs developed here provide a reliable and cost-effective strategy to investigate evolutionary and ecological dynamics and will be broadly applicable in studies of wild populations and aquaculture brood stocks for these closely related fish species. 2014 The Authors. Ecology and Evolution published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  17. Application of large-scale parentage analysis for investigating natal dispersal in highly vagile vertebrates: a case study of American black bears (Ursus americanus).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moore, Jennifer A; Draheim, Hope M; Etter, Dwayne; Winterstein, Scott; Scribner, Kim T

    2014-01-01

    Understanding the factors that affect dispersal is a fundamental question in ecology and conservation biology, particularly as populations are faced with increasing anthropogenic impacts. Here we collected georeferenced genetic samples (n = 2,540) from three generations of black bears (Ursus americanus) harvested in a large (47,739 km2), geographically isolated population and used parentage analysis to identify mother-offspring dyads (n = 337). We quantified the effects of sex, age, habitat type and suitability, and local harvest density at the natal and settlement sites on the probability of natal dispersal, and on dispersal distances. Dispersal was male-biased (76% of males dispersed) but a small proportion (21%) of females also dispersed, and female dispersal distances (mean ± SE  =  48.9±7.7 km) were comparable to male dispersal distances (59.0±3.2 km). Dispersal probabilities and dispersal distances were greatest for bears in areas with high habitat suitability and low harvest density. The inverse relationship between dispersal and harvest density in black bears suggests that 1) intensive harvest promotes restricted dispersal, or 2) high black bear population density decreases the propensity to disperse. Multigenerational genetic data collected over large landscape scales can be a powerful means of characterizing dispersal patterns and causal associations with demographic and landscape features in wild populations of elusive and wide-ranging species.

  18. Application of large-scale parentage analysis for investigating natal dispersal in highly vagile vertebrates: a case study of American black bears (Ursus americanus.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jennifer A Moore

    Full Text Available Understanding the factors that affect dispersal is a fundamental question in ecology and conservation biology, particularly as populations are faced with increasing anthropogenic impacts. Here we collected georeferenced genetic samples (n = 2,540 from three generations of black bears (Ursus americanus harvested in a large (47,739 km2, geographically isolated population and used parentage analysis to identify mother-offspring dyads (n = 337. We quantified the effects of sex, age, habitat type and suitability, and local harvest density at the natal and settlement sites on the probability of natal dispersal, and on dispersal distances. Dispersal was male-biased (76% of males dispersed but a small proportion (21% of females also dispersed, and female dispersal distances (mean ± SE  =  48.9±7.7 km were comparable to male dispersal distances (59.0±3.2 km. Dispersal probabilities and dispersal distances were greatest for bears in areas with high habitat suitability and low harvest density. The inverse relationship between dispersal and harvest density in black bears suggests that 1 intensive harvest promotes restricted dispersal, or 2 high black bear population density decreases the propensity to disperse. Multigenerational genetic data collected over large landscape scales can be a powerful means of characterizing dispersal patterns and causal associations with demographic and landscape features in wild populations of elusive and wide-ranging species.

  19. MATESOFT: a program for deducing parental genotypes and estimating mating system statistics in haplodiploid species

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Moilanen, A.; Sundström, L.; Pedersen, Jes Søe

    2004-01-01

    breeding system, mating system, parentage analysis, paternity assignment, polyandry, social insects......breeding system, mating system, parentage analysis, paternity assignment, polyandry, social insects...

  20. Hybrid Origins of Citrus Varieties Inferred from DNA Marker Analysis of Nuclear and Organelle Genomes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kitajima, Akira; Nonaka, Keisuke; Yoshioka, Terutaka; Ohta, Satoshi; Goto, Shingo; Toyoda, Atsushi; Fujiyama, Asao; Mochizuki, Takako; Nagasaki, Hideki; Kaminuma, Eli; Nakamura, Yasukazu

    2016-01-01

    Most indigenous citrus varieties are assumed to be natural hybrids, but their parentage has so far been determined in only a few cases because of their wide genetic diversity and the low transferability of DNA markers. Here we infer the parentage of indigenous citrus varieties using simple sequence repeat and indel markers developed from various citrus genome sequence resources. Parentage tests with 122 known hybrids using the selected DNA markers certify their transferability among those hybrids. Identity tests confirm that most variant strains are selected mutants, but we find four types of kunenbo (Citrus nobilis) and three types of tachibana (Citrus tachibana) for which we suggest different origins. Structure analysis with DNA markers that are in Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium deduce three basic taxa coinciding with the current understanding of citrus ancestors. Genotyping analysis of 101 indigenous citrus varieties with 123 selected DNA markers infers the parentages of 22 indigenous citrus varieties including Satsuma, Temple, and iyo, and single parents of 45 indigenous citrus varieties, including kunenbo, C. ichangensis, and Ichang lemon by allele-sharing and parentage tests. Genotyping analysis of chloroplast and mitochondrial genomes using 11 DNA markers classifies their cytoplasmic genotypes into 18 categories and deduces the combination of seed and pollen parents. Likelihood ratio analysis verifies the inferred parentages with significant scores. The reconstructed genealogy identifies 12 types of varieties consisting of Kishu, kunenbo, yuzu, koji, sour orange, dancy, kobeni mikan, sweet orange, tachibana, Cleopatra, willowleaf mandarin, and pummelo, which have played pivotal roles in the occurrence of these indigenous varieties. The inferred parentage of the indigenous varieties confirms their hybrid origins, as found by recent studies. PMID:27902727

  1. An evaluation of the International Society for Animal Genetics recommended parentage and identification panel for the domestic pigeon (Columba livia domestica).

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Groot, M; van Haeringen, W A

    2017-08-01

    In this study, the International Society for Animal Genetics (ISAG) recommended panel for the identification of the domestic pigeon (Columba livia domestica) is characterized based on commonly used statistical parameters. The marker panel is based on 16 short tandem repeat (STR) loci (PIGN15, PIGN10, PIGN57, PIGN26, CliμD16, CliμD19, PIGN12, CliμD17, CliμT17, PIGN04, CliμD01, CliμD11, CliμD35, CliμT02, CliμT13, CliμT43). The alleles of the 16 loci consist of a mixture of tri-, tetra-, penta- and hexameric repeat patterns. A sex determination marker was included in the multiplex for quality control. The repeat sequence of the PIGN markers was previously unpublished and therefore sequenced to reveal the sequence pattern. In total, 1421 pigeons were genotyped on 16 STR loci to generate allele frequency data for each locus. For all 16 markers combined, a PE1 (combined non-exclusion probability, first parent) of 0.9986 and PE2 (combined non-exclusion probability, second parent) of >0.9999 was observed. Comparing the alleged father and mother, a PE value of >0.9999 was observed. Two of the markers, CliμD19 and PIGN12, were found to have relatively high Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium and F(null) values. Therefore these markers may be considered to be replaced by other STRs. Another point of discussion may be to add a gender identification marker to the recommended ISAG panel. Not only can this serve as an extra identification marker, but this can also confirm the sex of a sample, because it is challenging to determine the sex based on phenotypical characteristics, especially for chicks. In conclusion, the set of 16 STR markers can be used in routine parentage verification and the identification of individuals. © 2017 Stichting International Foundation for Animal Genetics.

  2. Nature v. Nurture: Children Left Fatherless and Family-Less When Nature Prevails in Paternity Actions

    OpenAIRE

    Niccol Kording

    2004-01-01

    Those words describe the feeling many parents get from parenthood and from being part of a family, regardless of whether the child is their biological offspring, stepchild, surrogate child, or adopted child. All these families and children born of biological connections or traditional families enjoy some protection under statutory or common law paternity or parentage laws. The Uniform Parentage Act and similar paternity laws protect traditional families under the marital or legitimacy presump...

  3. Paternity of subordinates raises cooperative effort in cichlids.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rick Bruintjes

    Full Text Available In cooperative breeders, subordinates generally help a dominant breeding pair to raise offspring. Parentage studies have shown that in several species subordinates can participate in reproduction. This suggests an important role of direct fitness benefits for cooperation, particularly where groups contain unrelated subordinates. In this situation parentage should influence levels of cooperation. Here we combine parentage analyses and detailed behavioural observations in the field to study whether in the highly social cichlid Neolamprologus pulcher subordinates participate in reproduction and if so, whether and how this affects their cooperative care, controlling for the effect of kinship.We show that: (i male subordinates gained paternity in 27.8% of all clutches and (ii if they participated in reproduction, they sired on average 11.8% of young. Subordinate males sharing in reproduction showed more defence against experimentally presented egg predators compared to subordinates not participating in reproduction, and they tended to stay closer to the breeding shelter. No effects of relatedness between subordinates and dominants (to mid-parent, dominant female or dominant male were detected on parentage and on helping behaviour.This is the first evidence in a cooperatively breeding fish species that the helping effort of male subordinates may depend on obtained paternity, which stresses the need to consider direct fitness benefits in evolutionary studies of helping behaviour.

  4. On the secondly quantized theory of the many-electron atom

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gaigalas, Gediminas; Rudzikas, Zenonas

    1996-01-01

    The traditional theory of many-electron atoms and ions is based on the coefficients of fractional parentage and matrix elements of tensorial operators, composed of unit tensors. The calculation of spin-angular coefficients of radial integrals appearing in the expressions of matrix elements of arbitrary physical operators of atomic quantities has two main disadvantages: (i) the numerical codes for the calculation of spin-angular coefficients are usually very time consuming; (ii) f-shells are often omitted from programs for matrix element calculations since the tables for their coefficients of fractional parentage are very extensive. The authors assume that a series of difficulties persisting in the traditional approach to the calculation of spin-angular parts of matrix elements can be avoided by using this secondly quantized methodology, based on angular momentum theory, on the concept of the irreducible tensorial sets, on a generalized graphical method, on quasispin and on the reduced coefficients of fractional parentage. (author)

  5. Male parentage in army ants

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kronauer, Daniel J C; Schöning, Caspar; Boomsma, Jacobus J

    2006-01-01

    of active research in insect sociobiology. Here we present microsatellite data for 176 males from eight colonies of the African army ant Dorylus (Anomma) molestus. Comparison with worker genotypes and inferred queen genotypes from the same colonies show that workers do not or at best very rarely reproduce...

  6. Reproduction: Plant Parentage à Trois.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dresselhaus, Thomas; Johnson, Mark A

    2018-01-08

    Blocks to polyspermy are thought to be universally adaptive because they prevent lethal genome imbalance and chromosome segregation defects. However, two recent reports show that plants with two male parents are viable and could contribute significantly to polyploid speciation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Danish apple cultivars

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Larsen, Bjarne; Pedersen, Carsten; Ørgaard, Marian

    2017-01-01

    Abstract We made a genetic analysis of about 500 apple cultivars, which either originate from Denmark or have been of greater importance in Denmark. To study the diversity and parentage among the cultivars, 15 SSR markers were used. A new PCR-based protocol for identification of S-alleles was dev......Abstract We made a genetic analysis of about 500 apple cultivars, which either originate from Denmark or have been of greater importance in Denmark. To study the diversity and parentage among the cultivars, 15 SSR markers were used. A new PCR-based protocol for identification of S...

  8. Between-site differences in the scale of dispersal and gene flow in red oak.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Emily V Moran

    Full Text Available Nut-bearing trees, including oaks (Quercus spp., are considered to be highly dispersal limited, leading to concerns about their ability to colonize new sites or migrate in response to climate change. However, estimating seed dispersal is challenging in species that are secondarily dispersed by animals, and differences in disperser abundance or behavior could lead to large spatio-temporal variation in dispersal ability. Parentage and dispersal analyses combining genetic and ecological data provide accurate estimates of current dispersal, while spatial genetic structure (SGS can shed light on past patterns of dispersal and establishment.In this study, we estimate seed and pollen dispersal and parentage for two mixed-species red oak populations using a hierarchical bayesian approach. We compare these results to those of a genetic ML parentage model. We also test whether observed patterns of SGS in three size cohorts are consistent with known site history and current dispersal patterns. We find that, while pollen dispersal is extensive at both sites, the scale of seed dispersal differs substantially. Parentage results differ between models due to additional data included in bayesian model and differing genotyping error assumptions, but both indicate between-site dispersal differences. Patterns of SGS in large adults, small adults, and seedlings are consistent with known site history (farmed vs. selectively harvested, and with long-term differences in seed dispersal. This difference is consistent with predator/disperser satiation due to higher acorn production at the low-dispersal site. While this site-to-site variation results in substantial differences in asymptotic spread rates, dispersal for both sites is substantially lower than required to track latitudinal temperature shifts.Animal-dispersed trees can exhibit considerable spatial variation in seed dispersal, although patterns may be surprisingly constant over time. However, even under

  9. Imputation of microsatellite alleles from dense SNP genotypes for parental verification

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matthew eMcclure

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available Microsatellite (MS markers have recently been used for parental verification and are still the international standard despite higher cost, error rate, and turnaround time compared with Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNP-based assays. Despite domestic and international interest from producers and research communities, no viable means currently exist to verify parentage for an individual unless all familial connections were analyzed using the same DNA marker type (MS or SNP. A simple and cost-effective method was devised to impute MS alleles from SNP haplotypes within breeds. For some MS, imputation results may allow inference across breeds. A total of 347 dairy cattle representing 4 dairy breeds (Brown Swiss, Guernsey, Holstein, and Jersey were used to generate reference haplotypes. This approach has been verified (>98% accurate for imputing the International Society of Animal Genetics (ISAG recommended panel of 12 MS for cattle parentage verification across a validation set of 1,307 dairy animals.. Implementation of this method will allow producers and breed associations to transition to SNP-based parentage verification utilizing MS genotypes from historical data on parents where SNP genotypes are missing. This approach may be applicable to additional cattle breeds and other species that wish to migrate from MS- to SNP- based parental verification.

  10. Multiplicities of states od equivalent fermion shells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Savukinas, A.Yu.; Glembotskij, I.I.

    1980-01-01

    Classification of states of three or four equivalent fermions has been studied, i.e. possible terms and their multiplicities have been determined. For this purpose either the group theory or evident expressions for the fractional-parentage coefficients have been used. In the first approach the formulas obtained by other authors for the multiplicities of terms through the characters of the transformation matrices of bond moments have been used. This approach happens to be more general as compared with the second one, as expressions for the fractional-parentage coefficients in many cases are not known. The multiplicities of separate terms have been determined. It has been shown that the number of terms of any multiplicity becomes constant when l or j is increased [ru

  11. A model for estimating the minimum number of offspring to sample in studies of reproductive success.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anderson, Joseph H; Ward, Eric J; Carlson, Stephanie M

    2011-01-01

    Molecular parentage permits studies of selection and evolution in fecund species with cryptic mating systems, such as fish, amphibians, and insects. However, there exists no method for estimating the number of offspring that must be assigned parentage to achieve robust estimates of reproductive success when only a fraction of offspring can be sampled. We constructed a 2-stage model that first estimated the mean (μ) and variance (v) in reproductive success from published studies on salmonid fishes and then sampled offspring from reproductive success distributions simulated from the μ and v estimates. Results provided strong support for modeling salmonid reproductive success via the negative binomial distribution and suggested that few offspring samples are needed to reject the null hypothesis of uniform offspring production. However, the sampled reproductive success distributions deviated significantly (χ(2) goodness-of-fit test p value reproductive success distribution at rates often >0.05 and as high as 0.24, even when hundreds of offspring were assigned parentage. In general, reproductive success patterns were less accurate when offspring were sampled from cohorts with larger numbers of parents and greater variance in reproductive success. Our model can be reparameterized with data from other species and will aid researchers in planning reproductive success studies by providing explicit sampling targets required to accurately assess reproductive success.

  12. Wenatchee River steelhead reproductive success - Estimate the relative reproductive success of hatchery and wild steelhead in the Wenatchee River, WA

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This project uses genetic parentage analysis to estimate the relative reproductive success of hatchery and wild steelhead spawning in the Wenatchee River, WA. The...

  13. Microsatellite primers in Oenothera harringtonii (Onagraceae), an annual endemic to the shortgrass prairie of Colorado.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skogen, Krissa A; Hilpman, Evan T; Todd, Sadie L; Fant, Jeremie B

    2012-08-01

    Microsatellite markers were developed in the annual herb, Oenothera harringtonii, to investigate patterns of genetic diversity, gene flow, and parentage within and among populations of this Colorado endemic. Ten polymorphic loci were identified in O. harringtonii and tested in four populations sampled across the range of the species. These loci contained trinucleotide repeats with 7-29 alleles per locus. Nine of the 10 loci also amplified in O. caespitosa subsp. macroglottis, O. caespitosa subsp. marginata, and O. caespitosa subsp. navajoensis. In addition, we optimized three markers developed for O. biennis and provide reports of their effectiveness in all four taxa. These results indicate the utility of these markers in O. harringtonii for future studies of genetic structure, gene flow, and parentage as well as their applicability in other members of the O. caespitosa species complex.

  14. Blood Typing

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... article The Universe of Genetic Testing: The Basics , Identity Testing , and Parentage Testing . What does the test ... Pagana, Kathleen D. & Pagana, Timothy J. (© 2006). Mosby's Manual of Diagnostic and Laboratory Test 3rd Edition: Mosby, ...

  15. Parentage identification of Odontobutis potamophlia based on ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Peipei Wang

    2018-05-25

    May 25, 2018 ... based selective breeding of O. potamophila. The selective breeding is an ..... genetic relationship has gained recognition and attention in aquaculture ... which will benefit for estimating the actual number of loci and the ...

  16. Intermarriages, children of mixed parentage & mental health

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Singla, Rashmi

    This paper presents some aspects of the ongoing project about the persons in cross border intimate partnerships and their children. Researchers, health-care professionals and policy-makers are increasingly recognising the challenge presented by the increasing ethnic diversity in the Nordic...

  17. Persistence of self-recruitment and patterns of larval connectivity in a marine protected area network

    KAUST Repository

    Berumen, Michael L.; Almany, Glenn R; Planes, Serge; Jones, Geoffrey P; Saenz Agudelo, Pablo; Thorrold, Simon R

    2012-01-01

    to maintain local populations while simultaneously supplying larvae to other MPA nodes in the network that might otherwise suffer local extinction. Here, we use genetic parentage analysis to demonstrate that patterns of self-recruitment of two reef fishes

  18. Evaluation of 13 short tandem repeated loci for use in personal identification applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hammond, H.A.; Caskey, C.T. (Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX (United States)); Jin, L.; Zhong, Y.; Chakraborty, R. (Univ. of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX (United States))

    1994-07-01

    Personal identification by using DNA typing methodologies has been an issue in the popular and scientific press for several years. The authors present a PCR-based DNA-typing method using 13 unlinked short tandem repeat (STR) loci. Validation of the loci and methodology has been performed to meet standards set by the forensic community and the accrediting organization for parentage testing. Extensive statistical analysis has addressed the issues surrounding the presentation of [open quotes]match[close quotes] statistics. The authors have found STR loci to provide a rapid, sensitive, and reliable method of DNA typing for parentage testing, forensic identification, and medical diagnostics. Valid statistical analysis is generally simpler than similar analysis of RFLP-VNTR results and provides powerful statistical evidence of the low frequency of random multilocus genotype matching. 54 refs., 4 figs., 6 tabs.

  19. Fine-tuned modulation of competitive behaviour according to kinship in barn swallow nestlings

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Boncoraglio, Giuseppe; Caprioli, Manuela; Saino, Nicola

    2009-01-01

    Kin selection theory predicts that, in species where progeny members compete for limiting parental care, individual offspring should be more prone to monopolize parental resources as their genetic relatedness to brood competitors decreases. Mixed parentage among broodmates may arise as a

  20. The Basket Girl, Limbe: Popular 116 Book review

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    most beautiful woman of easy virtue [Rose]? The action sets into motion a series of reactions, discoveries of parentage, adoptions ... which appears to be an unlikely solution for a man in Winston's position. .... which his characters move. I found ...

  1. Wheat and barley seed system in Syria: How diverse are wheat and barley varieties and landraces from farmer’s fields?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bishaw, Z.; Struik, P.C.; Gastel, van A.J.G.

    2015-01-01

    The present study described the diversity of wheat and barley varieties and landraces available in farmer’s fields in Syria using different indicators. Analysis of spatial and temporal diversity and coefficient of parentage along with measurements of agronomic and morphological traits were employed

  2. Seasonal variation in male alternative reproductive tactics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Monroe, M J; Amundsen, T; Utne-Palm, A C; Mobley, K B

    2016-12-01

    Genetic parentage analyses reveal considerable diversity in alternative reproductive behaviours (e.g. sneaking) in many taxa. However, little is known about whether these behaviours vary seasonally and between populations. Here, we investigate seasonal variation in male reproductive behaviours in a population of two-spotted gobies (Gobiusculus flavescens) in Norway. Male two-spotted gobies guard nests, attract females and care for fertilized eggs. We collected clutches and nest-guarding males early and late in the breeding season in artificial nests and used microsatellite markers to reconstruct parentage from a subset of offspring from each nest. We hypothesized that mating, reproductive success and sneaking should be more prevalent early in the breeding season when competition for mates among males is predicted to be higher. However, parentage analyses revealed similar values of mating, reproductive success and high frequencies of successful sneaking early (30% of nests) and late (27% of nests) in the season. We also found that multiple females with eggs in the same nest were fertilized by one or more sneaker males, indicating that some males in this population engage in a satellite strategy. We contrast our results to previous work that demonstrates low levels of cuckoldry in a population in Sweden. Our results demonstrate marked stability in both the genetic mating system and male alternative reproductive tactics over the breeding season. However, sneaking rates may vary geographically within a species, likely due to local selection influencing ecological factors encountered at different locations. © 2016 European Society For Evolutionary Biology. Journal of Evolutionary Biology © 2016 European Society For Evolutionary Biology.

  3. The role of marine reserves in the replenishment of a locally-impacted population of anemonefish on the Great Barrier Reef

    KAUST Repository

    Bonin, Mary C.; Harrison, Hugo B.; Williamson, David H.; Frisch, Ashley J.; Saenz Agudelo, Pablo; Berumen, Michael L.; Jones, Geoffrey P.

    2015-01-01

    The development of parentage analysis to track the dispersal of juvenile offspring has given us unprecedented insight into the population dynamics of coral reef fishes. These tools now have the potential to inform fisheries management and species conservation, particularly for small fragmented populations under threat from exploitation and disturbance. In this study we resolve patterns of larval dispersal for a population of the anemonefish Amphiprion melanopus in the Keppel Islands (southern Great Barrier Reef). Habitat loss and fishing appear to have impacted this population and a network of no-take marine reserves currently protects 75% of the potential breeders. Using parentage analysis, we estimate that 21% of recruitment in the island group was generated locally, and that breeding adults living in reserves were responsible for 79% (31 out of 39) of these of locally-produced juveniles. Overall, the network of reserves was fully connected via larval dispersal; however one reserve was identified as a critical source of larvae for the island group. The population in the Keppel Islands also appears to be well-connected to other source populations at least 60 km away, given that 79% (145 out of 184) of the juveniles sampled remained unassigned in the parentage analysis. We estimated the effective size of the A. melanopus metapopulation to be 745 (582-993 95% CI) and recommend continued monitoring of its genetic status. Maintaining connectivity with populations beyond the Keppel Islands and recovery of local recruitment habitat, potentially through active restoration of host anemone populations, will be important for its long-term persistence.

  4. Repeated exposure to enhanced UV-B radiation in successive generations increases developmental instability (leaf fluctuating asymmetry) in a desert annual

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Midgley, G.F.; Wand, S.J.E.; Musil, C.F.

    1998-01-01

    Populations of the desert annual Dimorphotheca sinuata, derived from a common seed stock, were exposed concurrently over four successive generations to either ambient (representing no stratospheric ozone depletion) or elevated (representing 20% stratospheric ozone depletion) UV-B levels during their complete life cycle. Leaf fluctuating asymmetry (FA) was measured in populations of plants grown from seeds of selected generations which had experienced different UV-B exposure histories, and from seeds collected from a wild population of this species which grows in a naturally enhanced UV-B environment. These measured plants had been grown in a greenhouse under essentially UV-B-free conditions. Leaf FA was significantly increased by greater numbers of enhanced UV-B exposures in the parentage of the seed. There was a linear to exponential dose–response relationship between number of UV-B exposure iterations in seed parentage and leaf FA, suggesting that damage to DNA caused by UV-B exposure during plant development may not be fully repaired, and thus be inherited by offspring and accumulated over successive generations in this species. Leaf FA of plants grown from seed from the wild population was not significantly greater than that of control plants whose parentage experienced only ambient UV-B exposures, although this negative result may have been due to low sampling intensity and measurement resolution, and the relatively low UV-B enhancement experienced by the wild population. We conclude that leaf FA may constitute a relatively sensitive yet inexpensive means of quantifying UV-B damage to plants. (author)

  5. The role of marine reserves in the replenishment of a locally-impacted population of anemonefish on the Great Barrier Reef

    KAUST Repository

    Bonin, Mary C.

    2015-11-21

    The development of parentage analysis to track the dispersal of juvenile offspring has given us unprecedented insight into the population dynamics of coral reef fishes. These tools now have the potential to inform fisheries management and species conservation, particularly for small fragmented populations under threat from exploitation and disturbance. In this study we resolve patterns of larval dispersal for a population of the anemonefish Amphiprion melanopus in the Keppel Islands (southern Great Barrier Reef). Habitat loss and fishing appear to have impacted this population and a network of no-take marine reserves currently protects 75% of the potential breeders. Using parentage analysis, we estimate that 21% of recruitment in the island group was generated locally, and that breeding adults living in reserves were responsible for 79% (31 out of 39) of these of locally-produced juveniles. Overall, the network of reserves was fully connected via larval dispersal; however one reserve was identified as a critical source of larvae for the island group. The population in the Keppel Islands also appears to be well-connected to other source populations at least 60 km away, given that 79% (145 out of 184) of the juveniles sampled remained unassigned in the parentage analysis. We estimated the effective size of the A. melanopus metapopulation to be 745 (582-993 95% CI) and recommend continued monitoring of its genetic status. Maintaining connectivity with populations beyond the Keppel Islands and recovery of local recruitment habitat, potentially through active restoration of host anemone populations, will be important for its long-term persistence.

  6. Archaeological Investigations of the San Antonio Terrace, Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, in Connection with MX Facilities Construction. Appendix I. Ethnohistoric Background.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1984-01-01

    is necessary to reveal a sufficient number of words possessing identical roots to render their common parentage obvious [ Heizer 1955:861. Fages did not...placenames. On file, National Archives, Smithsonian Institution. Washington D.C. Heizer , Robert F. (Ed.) 1955 California Indian Linguistic Records: The

  7. Unitary bases for x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Patterson, C.W.; Harter, W.G.; Schneider, W.D.

    1979-01-01

    A Gelfand basis is used to derive the coefficients of fractional parentage (CFP's) used to calculate intensities for x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy of atoms. Using associated Gelfand bases, we show that it is easy to derive the Racah CFP relations between particles and holes

  8. Preliminary evidence suggests extra-pair mating in the endangered ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This study utilized four microsatellite genetic markers, originally developed for the African grey parrot. Parentage testing was undertaken using genotype comparisons with the dominant pair within the breeding group as well as auxiliary males where available. Although four markers were insufficient to provide conclusive ...

  9. Journal of Earth System Science | Indian Academy of Sciences

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    High-Ti type N-MORB parentage of basalts from the south Andaman ophiolite suite, India · Rajesh K Srivastava ... pp 509-523. Geochemical characteristics of Mesoproterozoic metabasite dykes from the Chhotanagpur Gneissic Terrain, eastern India: Implications for their emplacement in a plate margin tectonic environment.

  10. Assessment of on-farm diversity of wheat varieties and landraces: Evidence from farmer’s fields in Ethiopia

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bishaw, Z.; Struik, P.C.; Gastel, van A.J.G.

    2014-01-01

    Analysis of spatial diversity, temporal diversity and coefficient of parentage (COP) were carried out along with measurements of agronomic and morphological traits to explain on-farm diversity of modern varieties or landraces of wheat (Triticum aestivum L. and Triticum durum L.) grown by farmers in

  11. A Proper Perspective on the Twin Deficits

    Science.gov (United States)

    1989-05-01

    deficit twins, the relation between them, and their consanguine parentage. The trade deficit or, to be more accurate, the current account deficit, is...In general, there is a small negative, but statistically significant, relationship between the size of the federal deficit in one year and the

  12. Genetic mating systems and reproductive natural histories of fishes: lessons for ecology and evolution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Avise, John C; Jones, Adam G; Walker, DeEtte; DeWoody, J Andrew

    2002-01-01

    Fish species have diverse breeding behaviors that make them valuable for testing theories on genetic mating systems and reproductive tactics. Here we review genetic appraisals of paternity and maternity in wild fish populations. Behavioral phenomena quantified by genetic markers in various species include patterns of multiple mating by both sexes; frequent cuckoldry by males and rare cuckoldry by females in nest-tending species; additional routes to surrogate parentage via nest piracy and egg-thievery; egg mimicry by nest-tending males; brood parasitism by helper males in cooperative breeders; clutch mixing in oral brooders; kinship in schooling fry of broadcast spawners; sperm storage by dams in female-pregnant species; and sex-role reversal, polyandry, and strong sexual selection on females in some male-pregnant species. Additional phenomena addressed by genetic parentage analyses in fishes include clustered mutations, filial cannibalism, and local population size. All results are discussed in the context of relevant behavioral and evolutionary theory.

  13. 451 An International Multi-Disciplinary Journal, Ethiopia Vol. 4 (1 ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    FIRST LADY

    Association (NPTA) & National Education Association (NEA), 2008). This is similar to Cooper's (1989) ..... Single parentage, especially the divorced or widowed, may experience more financial stress to take care of ... the revelation that majority of the parents are either self-employed or are farmers, both accounting for 56.22.

  14. Dítě jako objekt i subjekt výchovného působení rodičů

    OpenAIRE

    BEDNÁŘOVÁ, Ivana

    2009-01-01

    This bachelor work invents on importance of stable emocional primary family education and education for elementary values of life and does not omit social aspects and importance of school education. The key problem is disturb of parentage. Such parents are in principal relation to emotional problems their children.

  15. Characterizing source-sink dynamics with genetic parentage assignments

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Peery, M. Zachariah; Beissinger, Steven R.; House, Roger F.; Berube, Martine; Hall, Laurie A.; Sellas, Anna; Palsboll, Per J.

    2008-01-01

    Source-sink dynamics have been suggested to characterize the population structure of many species, but the prevalence of source-sink systems in nature is uncertain because of inherent challenges in estimating migration rates among populations. Migration rates are often difficult to estimate directly

  16. Concepts of Kinship Relations and Inheritance in Childhood and Adolescence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Williams, Joanne M.; Smith, Lesley A.

    2010-01-01

    This paper examines the development and consistency of children's (4, 7, 10, and 14 years) naive concepts of inheritance using three tasks. A modified adoption task asked participants to distinguish between biological and social parentage in their predictions and explanations of the origins of different feature types (physical characteristics,…

  17. 8 CFR 103.21 - Access by individuals to records maintained about them.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... a copy of a birth certificate showing parentage or a court order establishing the guardianship. (d... individual (such as the alien file number or Social Security Account Number), date and place of birth, and... notarized signature along with their address, date of birth, place of birth, and alien or employee...

  18. Estimating differential reproductive success from nests of related individuals, with application to a study of the Mottled Sculpin, Cottus bairdi

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beatrix Jones; Gary D. Grossman; Daniel C.I. Walsh; Brady A. Porter; John C. Avise; Anthony C. Flumera

    2007-01-01

    Understanding how variation in reproductive success is related to demography is a critical component in understanding the life history of an organism. Parentage analysis using molecular markers can be used to estimate the reproductive success of different groups of individuals in natural populations. Previous models have been developed for cases where offspring are...

  19. Minority Youth's Mastery of Academic Vocabulary and Its Implications for Their Educational Achievements: The Case of "Multicultural Adolescents" in South Korea

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shin, Jaran

    2018-01-01

    As a way to examine the validity of deficit perspectives on multicultural children in South Korea--namely, children of mixed parentage who are said to suffer from speech problems and school failure, this study examined their everyday and academic Korean proficiency and its association with their educational achievements. The primary data sources…

  20. Breaking the rules: sex roles and genetic mating system of the pheasant coucal.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maurer, G; Double, M C; Milenkaya, O; Süsser, M; Magrath, R D

    2011-10-01

    Generally in birds, the classic sex roles of male competition and female choice result in females providing most offspring care while males face uncertain parentage. In less than 5% of species, however, reversed courtship sex roles lead to predominantly male care and low extra-pair paternity. These role-reversed species usually have reversed sexual size dimorphism and polyandry, confirming that sexual selection acts most strongly on the sex with the smaller parental investment and accordingly higher potential reproductive rate. We used parentage analyses and observations from three field seasons to establish the social and genetic mating system of pheasant coucals, Centropus phasianinus, a tropical nesting cuckoo, where males are much smaller than females and provide most parental care. Pheasant coucals are socially monogamous and in this study males produced about 80% of calls in the dawn chorus, implying greater male sexual competition. Despite the substantial male investments, extra-pair paternity was unusually high for a socially monogamous, duetting species. Using two or more mismatches to determine extra-pair parentage, we found that 11 of 59 young (18.6%) in 10 of 21 broods (47.6%) were not sired by their putative father. Male incubation, starting early in the laying sequence, may give the female opportunity and reason to seek these extra-pair copulations. Monogamy, rather than the polyandry and sex-role reversal typical of its congener, C. grillii, may be the result of the large territory size, which could prevent females from monopolising multiple males. The pheasant coucal's exceptional combination of classic sex-roles and male-biased care for extra-pair young is hard to reconcile with current sexual selection theory, but may represent an intermediate stage in the evolution of polyandry or an evolutionary remnant of polyandry.

  1. DNA fingerprinting sets for four southern pines

    Science.gov (United States)

    Craig Echt; Sedley Josserand

    2018-01-01

    DNA markers can provide valuable genetic information for forest tree research, breeding, conservation, and restoration programs. When properly evaluated, selected sets of DNA markers can be used to efficiently get information about genetic diversity in regions, forests, or stands, or in seed lots and orchards. Selected markers also can be used to determine parentage or...

  2. Different collectivity in the two signatures of the i13/2 stemming band in 167Yb

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Petkov, P; Gladnishki, K A; Dewald, A; Fransen, C; Hackstein, M; Jolie, J; Pissulla, Th; Rother, W; Zell, K O; Möller, O; Reese, M; Deloncle, I

    2014-01-01

    Six lifetimes have been determined in the 5/2 + [642] band from vi 13/2 parentage in 167 Yb by means of Recoil distance Doppler-shift (RDDS) measurements carried out at the Cologne FN tandem. The deduced transition strengths and the level scheme are reasonably described by Particle plus triaxial rotor model (PTRM) calculations except for the behavior of the quadrupole collectivity in the two signatures of the 5/2 + [642] band. In that band, the quadrupole collectivity of the favored signature is appreciably larger than this of the unfavored signature. The effect increases with increasing the spin. Naturally, the rigid PTRM cannot explain these features, but the structure of its wave functions suggests a possible solution. It is associated with the enhanced contribution of low-Ω orbitals from vi 13/2 parentage in the favored signature compared to the unfavored one. This could selectively increase the deformation of the favored signature band members and give rise to a dynamic shape coexistence taking place between the two signatures which needs quantitative explanation by future theoretical work.

  3. New approach to multishell calculations in multiple angular momentum coupling schemes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, J.; Novoselsky, A.; Vallieres, M.; Gilmore, R.

    1989-01-01

    The procedure developed recently to calculate single-shell wave functions and matrix elements for multiple angular momentum shell-model calculations is extended to the multishell case. This was based on a factorization procedure introduced by Jahn. As a consequence of the factorization, coefficients of fractional parentage between states of arbitrary symmetry must be constructed to build up single-shell N-particle states from single-shell N-1-particle states. Multishell N-particle states are built up recursively from multishell N-1-particle states by using outer-product isoscalar factors. Symmetrized multishell states in one angular momentum subspace are combined with states of conjugate symmetry in a second angular momentum subspace to construct fermion wave functions. This is done using inner-product isoscalar factors. The coefficients of fractional parentage, outer-product isoscalar factors, and inner-product isoscalar factors are computed recursively using a matrix diagonalization algorithm. Shell-model matrix elements are constructed from these factors by using a new sum over path overlaps method. This computational procedure involving factorization is substantially more efficient than computational procedures which do not exploit factorization

  4. Assisted Reproduction and the Courts: The Case of California

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maule, Linda S.; Schmid, Karen

    2006-01-01

    In this article, the authors analyze appellate court cases heard in California between 1960 and 2000 that focus on the status of children conceived through reproductive technology in an effort to examine the role of the courts in defining parentage and family in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. In the absence of legislation, the primary…

  5. Breeding resource distribution affects selection gradients on male phenotypic traits: experimental study on lifetime reproductive success in the bitterling fish (Rhodeus amarus)

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Reichard, Martin; Ondračková, Markéta; Bryjová, Anna; Smith, C.; Bryja, Josef

    2009-01-01

    Roč. 63, č. 2 (2009), s. 377-390 ISSN 0014-3820 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR KJB600930501 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60930519 Keywords : directional selection gradient * individual and population consequences of behavior * opportunity for selection * parentage analysis * sexual selection * reproductive effort Subject RIV: EG - Zoology Impact factor: 5.429, year: 2009

  6. Intermarriage, Children of Mixed Parentage and their Mental Health

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Singla, Rashmi

    and theory in the area. Research about understudied persons who are not even recognized as a category in the statistics, presents many dilemmas, including the terms used to depict these off springs such as ‘mixed parentage’; ‘biracial’,‘ multiracial, ‘mixed ethnicity. Despite community based research...... inspiration, subjects’ involvement is problematic as they don’t belong to a specific “community”. The white /black binary and essentialising of the ‘race’ is challenged by identity formation of these children, while most of them manage integrated identities and some may experience conflicts, the latter need...

  7. Parentage verification and identity test of Ghezel sheep using ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Jane

    2011-06-29

    Jun 29, 2011 ... The Ghezel sheep is a fat tail high weight Iranian breed which is raised in the North-west of Iran. To design an efficient improvement program and genetic evaluation system for this indigenous breed, accurate estimates of the population genetic parameters is per-required and all pedigrees and relationships ...

  8. Surrogacy, Compensation, and Legal Parentage: Against the Adoption Model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Zyl, Liezl; Walker, Ruth

    2015-09-01

    Surrogate motherhood is treated as a form of adoption in many countries: the birth mother and her partner are presumed to be the parents of the child, while the intended parents have to adopt the baby once it is born. Other than compensation for expenses related to the pregnancy, payment to surrogates is not permitted. We believe that the failure to compensate surrogate mothers for their labour as well as the significant risks they undertake is both unfair and exploitative. We accept that introducing payment for surrogates would create a significant tension in the adoption model. However, we recommend rejecting the adoption model altogether rather than continuing to prohibit compensation to surrogates.

  9. Patterns of male parentage in the fungus-growing ants

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Villesen, Palle; Boomsma, JJ

    2003-01-01

    Ant queens from eight species, covering three genera of lower and two genera of higher attine ants, have exclusively or predominantly single mating. The ensuing full-sib colonies thus have a strong potential reproductive conflict between the queen and the workers over male production...

  10. Genetic evidence for monogamy in the dwarf seahorse, Hippocampus zosterae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rose, Emily; Small, Clayton M; Saucedo, Hector A; Harper, Cristin; Jones, Adam G

    2014-01-01

    Syngnathid fishes (pipefishes, seahorses, and seadragons) exhibit a wide array of mating systems ranging from monogamy with long-term pair bonds to more promiscuous mating systems, such as polyandry and polygynandry. Some seahorses, including the dwarf seahorse Hippocampus zosterae, have been found to be socially monogamous. Although several seahorse species have also been shown to be genetically monogamous, parentage analysis has not yet been applied to the dwarf seahorse. We developed 8 novel microsatellites for the dwarf seahorse to conduct genetic parentage analysis to confirm that this species is indeed monogamous. Using 4 selected loci and a total of 16 pregnant male seahorses, with 8 collected in Florida and 8 sampled in Texas, we genotyped all of the offspring within each male's brood to determine the maternal contributions to each brood. We found a maximum of 4 alleles per locus segregating within each pregnant male's brood, a pattern consistent with each brood having exactly 1 mother and 1 father. These results support previous laboratory-based behavioral studies and indicate that the dwarf seahorse, H. zosterae, is genetically monogamous. © The American Genetic Association 2014. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  11. Baby M Turns 30: The Law and Policy of Surrogate Motherhood.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feldman, Eric A

    2018-03-01

    This article marks the 30 th anniversary of the Supreme Court of New Jersey's Baby M decision by offering a critical analysis of surrogacy policy in the United States. Despite fundamental changes in both science and society since the case was decided, state courts and legislatures remain bitterly divided on the legality of surrogacy. In arguing for a more uniform, permissive legal posture toward surrogacy, the article addresses five central debates in the surrogacy literature. First, should the legal system accommodate those seeking conception through surrogacy, or should it prohibit such arrangements? Second, if surrogacy is permitted, what steps can be taken to minimize the potential exploitation of women who are willing to rent their wombs for income? Third, what criteria should govern the eligibility to serve as a surrogate mother and an intended parent? Fourth, what principle(s) should serve as the basis for determining the parentage of children born through surrogacy? Fifth, is regulatory uniformity in the surrogacy realm desirable? Is it achievable? The article concludes that courts and legislatures should accept the validity of surrogacy contracts, determine parentage according to intent, and identify transparent criteria for the eligibility of both surrogates and intended parents.

  12. Coulomb states in atoms and solids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ortalano, D.M.

    1988-05-01

    In this dissertation, an empirical quantum defect approach to describe the valence excitons of the rare gas solids is developed. These Coulomb states are of s-symmetry and form a hydrogen-like series which converges to the bottom of the lowest conduction band. A non-zero quantum defect is found for all of the excitons of neon, argon and xenon. For these systems, then, there exists, in addition to the screened Coulombic component, a non-Coulombic component to the total exciton binding energy. The Wannier formalism is, therefore, inappropriate for the excitons of Ne, Ar and Xe. From the sign of the quantum defect, the non-Coulombic potential is repulsive for Ne and Ar, attractive for Xe, and nearly zero for Kr. This is opposite to that for the Rydberg states of the corresponding rare gas atoms, where the non-Coulombic potential between the electron and the cation is attractive for all of the atoms. The excitons then, are not simply perturbed Rydberg states of the corresponding rare gas atoms (i.e., the excitons do not possess atomic parentage). Interatomic term value/band gap energy correlations and reduced term value/reduced band gap correlations were performed. These correlations were exploited to provide further evidence against both the Wannier formalism and the atomic parentage view point. From these correlations, it was also discovered that the non-Coulombic potential varies smoothly across the valence isoelectronic series of solids, and that it becomes more attractive (or less repulsive) in going from neon to xenon. In order to address the atomic parentage controversy, it was necessary to compare the excitons to the low-n Rydberg states of the rare gas atoms. A review of the quantum defect description of the atomic Rydberg states is, therefore, presented. Also, Rydberg term value/ionization energy correlations are discussed and compared with the analogous exciton correlations. 7 refs., 10 figs., 5 tabs

  13. Distribution of the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes in the western part of the Sea of Okhotsk

    Science.gov (United States)

    Terekhova, V. E.; Sosnin, V. A.; Buzoleva, L. S.; Shakirov, R. B.

    2010-04-01

    The Amur River’s influence on the distribution of the opportunistic bacteria Listeria monocytogenes in the western part of the Sea of Okhotsk is discussed. The presence of Listeria in the seawater, sea ice, and sediments on the northeastern Sakhalin shelf and slope supports the idea of its connection with the Amur River discharge. The hypothesis of the allochtonic parentage of L. monocytogenes in the sea’s development is proved.

  14. Molecular Genetic Insights on Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) Ecology and Conservation in Namibia

    OpenAIRE

    Marker, Laurie L.; Wilkerson, Alison J. Pearks; Sarno, Ronald J.; Martenson, Janice; Breitenmoser-Würsten, Christian; O'Brien, Stephen J.; Johnson, Warren E.

    2017-01-01

    The extent and geographic patterns of molecular genetic diversity of the largest remaining free-ranging cheetah population were described in a survey of 313 individuals from throughout Namibia. Levels of relatedness, including paternity/maternity (parentage), were assessed across all individuals using 19 polymorphic microsatellite loci, and unrelated cheetahs (n = 89) from 7 regions were genotyped at 38 loci to document broad geographical patterns. There was limited differentiation among regi...

  15. Parentage and host preference in the common cuckoo Cuculus canorus

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Skjelseth, S.; Moksnes, A.; Roskaft, E.; Gibbs, H. L.; Taborsky, M.; Taborsky, B.; Honza, Marcel; Kleven, O.

    2004-01-01

    Roč. 35, č. 1 (2004), s. 21-24 ISSN 0908-8857 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA206/00/P046; GA ČR GA206/97/0168 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z6093917 Keywords : egg mimicry * behavior * nests Subject RIV: EG - Zoology Impact factor: 1.658, year: 2004

  16. Global change and upward shift of treeline in the Alps: genetic consequences of pastures colonization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Piotti A

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available In the Alps global warming and change in land use, in particular the drastic reduction in cattle grazing, are causing a progressive treeline ecotone upwards shift. The colonization dynamics of woody species are modulated by high selective pressure on seedlings due to the extreme ecological conditions of this habitat. We studied the colonization dynamics of Norway spruce in a treeline plot, at the upper limit of the Paneveggio forest (Trentino, Italy. We have exhaustively sampled the study stand, collecting needle tissue from all the adults and the juveniles detected, and we have genotyped all the samples (376 with 4 SSR markers. Parentage relationships between the few adults presents in the stand (23 and the juveniles were established. Our results indicate that, in spite of extreme ecological condition of the treeline environment, local adaptations do not seem to favour local parents: only 4% of juveniles have both parents among local adult trees, while 96% of juveniles are completely or partially sired outside the sampling area. Assessing parentage relationship also allowed the estimation of relative reproductive success of local adult trees. Out of a total of 23 adult trees, 5 trees were involved in the 59% of successful reproductive events detected inside the sampling area.

  17. Molecular genetic insights on cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) ecology and conservation in Namibia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marker, Laurie L; Pearks Wilkerson, Alison J; Sarno, Ronald J; Martenson, Janice; Breitenmoser-Würsten, Christian; O'Brien, Stephen J; Johnson, Warren E

    2008-01-01

    The extent and geographic patterns of molecular genetic diversity of the largest remaining free-ranging cheetah population were described in a survey of 313 individuals from throughout Namibia. Levels of relatedness, including paternity/maternity (parentage), were assessed across all individuals using 19 polymorphic microsatellite loci, and unrelated cheetahs (n = 89) from 7 regions were genotyped at 38 loci to document broad geographical patterns. There was limited differentiation among regions, evidence that this is a generally panmictic population. Measures of genetic variation were similar among all regions and were comparable with Eastern African cheetah populations. Parentage analyses confirmed several observations based on field studies, including 21 of 23 previously hypothesized family groups, 40 probable parent/offspring pairs, and 8 sibling groups. These results also verified the successful integration and reproduction of several cheetahs following natural dispersal or translocation. Animals within social groups (family groups, male coalitions, or sibling groups) were generally related. Within the main study area, radio-collared female cheetahs were more closely interrelated than similarly compared males, a pattern consistent with greater male dispersal. The long-term maintenance of current patterns of genetic variation in Namibia depends on retaining habitat characteristics that promote natural dispersal and gene flow of cheetahs.

  18. Legalizing altruistic surrogacy in response to evasive travel? An Icelandic proposal

    OpenAIRE

    Kristinsson, Sigurður

    2017-01-01

    Surrogate motherhood has been prohibited by Icelandic law since 1996, but in recent years, Icelandic couples have sought transnational surrogacy in India and the United States despite uncertainties about legal parental status as they return to Iceland with infants born to surrogate mothers. This reflects global trends of increased reproductive tourism, which forces restrictive regimes not only to make decisions concerning the citizenship and parentage of children born to surrogate mothers abr...

  19. Jet morphology and coma analysis of comet 103P/Hartley 2

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vaughan, Charles M.

    In 2010, comet 103P/Hartley 2 was observed pre- and post-perihelion using the George and Cynthia Mitchell Integral Field Spectrometer on the 2.7-m telescope at McDonald Observatory in Texas. Data for gaseous radicals C2, C3, CH, CN, and NH2 were collected over six nights from 15 July to 10 November. The spectral data were used to create coma maps for each of the observed species, and the maps were processed using radial and azimuthal mean division techniques to create enhanced images of the coma, revealing subtle morphological features. 340 enhanced coma images were created for each observation and species. Visual inspection reveals that the coma is heterogeneous between the five detected radicals, and statistical analyses verify this result. To compliment the ongoing investigation of Hartley 2 as studied by the EPOXI flyby mission, findings from other researchers (Belton et al., 2012; Syal et al., 2012; and Thomas et al., 2012) are used to characterize the nucleus spin state and identify dust jet locations on the nucleus. With rotational period measurements from EPOXI, dust jet vectors on the nucleus surface are rotated to relevant observation times in November to compare the computed jet directions with the radical densities in the coma. Dust jet sites on the smaller nucleus lobe show a stronger correlation with high radical concentrations than the dust sites on the larger nucleus lobe. Production rates for potential parentage of radical species are calculated using the radial outflow Haser model (Haser, 1957), which are compared to mixing ratios relative to water from separate campaigns to constrain parentage. NH3 is likely the sole producer of NH2, whereas CN may be produced from a combination of HCN, C2N2, and CH3CN. Traditional parentage of C2, C3, and CH do not yield acceptable fits or suitable mixing ratios with the Haser model, and it is possible that extended coma ices having relatively short scale lengths greatly contribute to production of these

  20. Náhradní mateřství

    OpenAIRE

    Masaříková, Andrea

    2011-01-01

    Surrogate maternity ABSTRACT This graduation theses deals with surrogacy, which is really an actual and discussed issue at the present time. The thesis is divided into three main chapters, the first one is devoted to assisted reproduction, the second one belongs to surrogacy, the third chapter deals with determining parentage of artificial insemination. The first part considering assisted reproduction contains a short analysis of this issue from the medical and juridical point of view and als...

  1. Use of genotyping by sequencing data to develop a high-throughput and multifunctional SNP panel for conservation applications in Pacific lamprey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hess, Jon E; Campbell, Nathan R; Docker, Margaret F; Baker, Cyndi; Jackson, Aaron; Lampman, Ralph; McIlraith, Brian; Moser, Mary L; Statler, David P; Young, William P; Wildbill, Andrew J; Narum, Shawn R

    2015-01-01

    Next-generation sequencing data can be mined for highly informative single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to develop high-throughput genomic assays for nonmodel organisms. However, choosing a set of SNPs to address a variety of objectives can be difficult because SNPs are often not equally informative. We developed an optimal combination of 96 high-throughput SNP assays from a total of 4439 SNPs identified in a previous study of Pacific lamprey (Entosphenus tridentatus) and used them to address four disparate objectives: parentage analysis, species identification and characterization of neutral and adaptive variation. Nine of these SNPs are FST outliers, and five of these outliers are localized within genes and significantly associated with geography, run-timing and dwarf life history. Two of the 96 SNPs were diagnostic for two other lamprey species that were morphologically indistinguishable at early larval stages and were sympatric in the Pacific Northwest. The majority (85) of SNPs in the panel were highly informative for parentage analysis, that is, putatively neutral with high minor allele frequency across the species' range. Results from three case studies are presented to demonstrate the broad utility of this panel of SNP markers in this species. As Pacific lamprey populations are undergoing rapid decline, these SNPs provide an important resource to address critical uncertainties associated with the conservation and recovery of this imperiled species. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  2. Relatedness and social organization of coypus in the Argentinean pampas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tunez, J.I.; Guichon, M.L.; Centron, D.; Henderson, A.P.; Callahan, C.; Cassini, M.H.

    2009-01-01

    Behavioural and trapping studies of the social organization of coypus have suggested the occurrence of kin groups and a polygynous mating system. We used 16 microsatellite markers to analyse parentage and relatedness relationships in two populations (J??uregui and Villa Ruiz) in the Argentinean Pampas. At J??uregui, a dominant male monopolized most paternities, leading to a high variance in reproductive success between males and a high level of polygyny. At Villa Ruiz, variance in reproductive success was low among resident males and males were the fathers of zero to four offspring each. For females, no significant differences were found. Two different social groups in each study site were used to assess genetic relatedness within and between groups. These groups were neighbouring at J??uregui but not at Villa Ruiz. At Villa Ruiz, coypus were significantly more related within than between groups, suggesting that behavioural groups were also genetic ones, and adult females were more related within than between groups, as should be expected for kin groups. This relationship was not found at J??uregui. Our results provide support to previous studies based on behavioural and trapping data, which indicate that coypus form social groups and have a polygynous mating system. However, we found differences in social organization between the two populations. This is the first study to determine parentage and/or relatedness in coypus. ?? 2008 The Authors.

  3. High seed dispersal ability of Pinus canariensis in stands of contrasting density inferred from genotypic data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Unai López de Heredia

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Aim of the study: Models that combine parentage analysis from molecular data with spatial information of seeds and seedlings provide a framework to describe and identify the factors involved in seed dispersal and recruitment of forest species. In the present study we used a spatially explicit method (the gene shadow model in order to assess primary and effective dispersal in Pinus canariensis. Area of study: Pinus canariensis is endemic to the Canary Islands (Spain. Sampling sites were a high density forest in southern slopes of Tenerife and a low density stand in South Gran Canaria. Materials and methods: We fitted models based on parentage analysis from seeds and seedlings collected in two sites with contrasting stand density, and then compared the resulting dispersal distributions. Main results: The results showed that: 1 P. canariensis has a remarkable dispersal ability compared to other pine species; 2 there is no discordance between primary and effective dispersals, suggesting limited secondary dispersal by animals and lack of Janzen-Connell effect; and 3 low stand densities enhance the extent of seed dispersal, which was higher in the low density stand. Research highlights: The efficient dispersal mechanism of P. canariensis by wind inferred by the gene shadow model is congruent with indirect measures of gene flow, and has utility in reconstructing past demographic events and in predicting future distribution ranges for the species.

  4. Life course and psycho social intervention prepectives

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Singla, Rashmi

    2010-01-01

      Intermarriages, children of mixed parentage & Mental Health   Rashmi Singla Associate Professor Department of Psychology & Educational Studies & Interdisciplinary studies in Health Promotion and Health Strategies Roskilde University, Denmark rashmi@ruc.dk       Abstract This paper presents some...... aspects of the ongoing project about the persons in cross border intimate partnerships and their children. Researchers, health-care professionals and policy-makers are increasingly recognising the challenge presented by the increasing ethnic diversity in the Nordic countries, among others the increased...

  5. Forensic DNA testing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Butler, John M

    2011-12-01

    Forensic DNA testing has a number of applications, including parentage testing, identifying human remains from natural or man-made disasters or terrorist attacks, and solving crimes. This article provides background information followed by an overview of the process of forensic DNA testing, including sample collection, DNA extraction, PCR amplification, short tandem repeat (STR) allele separation and sizing, typing and profile interpretation, statistical analysis, and quality assurance. The article concludes with discussions of possible problems with the data and other forensic DNA testing techniques.

  6. A new autosomal STR nineplex for canine identification and parentage testing

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    van Asch, Barbara; Alves, Cíntia; Gusmão, Leonor

    2009-01-01

    -breed origin. Co-dominant inheritance of STR alleles was investigated in 101 father, mother and son trios. Expected heterozygosity values vary between 0.5648 for REN214L11 and 0.9050 for C38. The high level of genetic diversity observed for most markers provides this multiplex with a very high discriminating...

  7. Novel and cross-species microsatellite markers for parentage analysis in Sanderling

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Luttikhuizen, P.C.; Bol, A.; Witte, H.; van Bleijswijk, J.; Haddrath, O.; Baker, A.J.; Piersma, T.; Reneerkens, J.; Piersma, T.

    2011-01-01

    We isolated and tested six novel microsatellite loci in Sanderling (Calidris alba) from Greenland for paternity analyses. In addition, we tested 11 already published microsatellite markers which were originally developed for the congeneric species, the Pectoral Sandpiper (C. melanotos). All loci

  8. Psychosocial aspects of 'mixedness' in Scandinavia

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Singla, Rashmi

    , characterised by ambivalence and exclusion of ethnic diversity. The theoretical framework combines transnationalism, narrative approach and life-course understandings. The project is conducted through statistical exploration and in-depth interviews. Discussing the concept of mixed race/ethnicity, some results...... aspects of native Danes and Asian including members of the South Asian diaspora and children of mixed parentage, based on an ongoing empirical project in Denmark. They face both possibilities and difficulties in relation to their self understandings, family and network in interplay with the broad society...

  9. Overlooked Childhoods in the Nordic States characterised by Homogeneity

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Singla, Rashmi

    . It is primarily based on empirical projects conducted in Denmark.The project focuses on the visible ethnically different families (Phoenix, 2011), where the couples are formed across the ‘colour’ divisions- one partner is native Danish, while the other originated from South Asia (India, Pakistan). Additionally...... , a similar project about children of mixed parentage is invoked (Bang, 2011). The theoretical framework of the project is interdisciplinary, combining cultural psychology with everyday life, transnationalism, and different ways of experiencing, negotiating, and reconstructing borders between ethnic groups...

  10. Polymorphic microsatellite DNA markers for the Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pause, K.C.; Nourisson, C.; Clark, A.; Kellogg, M.E.; Bonde, R.K.; McGuire, P.M.

    2007-01-01

    Florida manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris) are marine mammals that inhabit the coastal waters and rivers of the southeastern USA, primarily Florida. Previous studies have shown that Florida manatees have low mitochondrial DNA variability, suggesting that nuclear DNA loci are necessary for discriminatory analyses. Here we report 10 polymorphic microsatellite loci with an average of 4.2 alleles per locus, and average heterozygosity of 50.1%. These loci have been developed for use in population studies, parentage assignment, and individual identification. ?? 2007 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  11. Marine protected area restricts demographic connectivity: Dissimilarity in a marine environment can function as a biological barrier.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sato, Masaaki; Honda, Kentaro; Uy, Wilfredo H; Baslot, Darwin I; Genovia, Tom G; Nakamura, Yohei; Bernardo, Lawrence Patrick C; Kurokochi, Hiroyuki; Pantallano, Allyn Duvin S; Lian, Chunlan; Nadaoka, Kazuo; Nakaoka, Masahiro

    2017-10-01

    The establishment of marine protected areas (MPAs) can often lead to environmental differences between MPAs and fishing zones. To determine the effects on marine dispersal of environmental dissimilarity between an MPA and fishing zone, we examined the abundance and recruitment patterns of two anemonefishes ( Amphiprion frenatus and A. perideraion ) that inhabit sea anemones in different management zones (i.e., an MPA and two fishing zones) by performing a field survey and a genetic parentage analysis. We found lower levels of abundance per anemone in the MPA compared to the fishing zones for both species ( n  = 1,525 anemones, p  = .032). The parentage analysis also showed that lower numbers of fishes were recruited from the fishing zones and outside of the study area into each anemone in the MPA than into each anemone in the fishing zones ( n  = 1,525 anemones, p  fishing zones ( n  = 384 females, p  = .516). Because the ocean currents around the study site were unlikely to cause a lower settlement intensity of larvae in the MPA, the ocean circulation was not considered crucial to the observed abundance and recruitment patterns. Instead, stronger top-down control and/or a lower density of host anemones in the MPA were potential factors for such patterns. Our results highlight the importance of dissimilarity in a marine environment as a factor that affects connectivity.

  12. Frankenstein’s Monster Comes Home : The ‘Two Cultures’ in Remix

    OpenAIRE

    Barrett, James

    2013-01-01

    Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley (1818) is the starting point for this reading of remix in relation to authorship and its implications for creative work. The monster in Frankenstein has no single author, or father, and is damned by his mixed parentage as much as by his inability to recreate himself. Alone, he falls into the waste as a product of the divide between poetry and science. The ‘two cultures’ coined by C. P. Snow (1956) address this same divide and lament its do...

  13. High-Ti type N-MORB parentage of basalts from the south Andaman ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    R. Narasimhan (Krishtel eMaging) 1461 1996 Oct 15 13:05:22

    by Irvine and Baragar (1971) or MacDonald and. Katsura (1964) were not included here because of the considerable uncertainty that exists in such a classification scheme (see Sheth et al 2002 for more explanation). The Andaman ophiolite samples are mainly basalts (20 samples), with some basaltic andesites.

  14. Spectroscopic studies of the molecular parentage of radical species in cometary comae

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lewis, Benjamin; Pierce, Donna; Cochran, Anita

    2015-11-01

    We have observed several comets using an integral-field unit spectrograph (the George and Cynthia Mitchell Spectrograph) on the 2.7m Harlan J. Smith telescope at McDonald Observatory. Full-coma spectroscopic images were obtained for various radical species (C2, C3, CH, CN, NH2). By constructing azimuthal average profiles from the full-coma spectroscopic images we can test Haser model parameters with our observations. The Haser model was used to determine production rates and possible parent lifetimes that would be consistent with the model. By iterating through a large range of possible parents lifetimes, we can see what range of values in which the Haser model is consistent with observations. Also, this type of analysis gives us perspective on how sensitive the model's fit quality is to changes in parent lifetimes. Here, we present the work completed to date, and we compare our results to other comet taxonomic surveys.

  15. An improved 10-SSR pyrus fingerprinting DNA test to confirm parentage [abstract

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pedigree confirmation is a critical part of breeding, managing genetic resources, and developing genetic mapping populations for out-crossing plants, such as the genus Pyrus. Individuals which are not progeny of a biparental cross can cause mapping errors or result in the costly genotyping of indivi...

  16. DNA testing for parentage verification in a conservation nucleus of Pantaneiro horse

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fabiana Tavares Pires de Souza Sereno

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available We investigated the genealogy of the in situ conservation nucleus of the Pantaneiro horse using DNA microsatellites by evaluating 101 horses, the group consisting of 71 adult horses (3 stallions, 40 male and 31 mares and 27 foals (14 colts and 13 fillies. Genomic DNA was extracted from hair roots and genotyped using 12 microsatellite markers (AHT4, AHT5, ASB2, ASB17, ASB23, HMS3 HMS6, HMS7, HTG4, HTG10, LEX33 and VHL20. The number of alleles per locus varied from 6 to 13, with a mean of 7.8 and the expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.544 to 0.734 (mean 0.644. The VLH20, ASB2, HTG10, ASB23 markers had a high (> 0.8 polymorphism information content and the total exclusion probability of the 12 microsatellite loci was 0.99. The genealogical study of the Pantaneiro horse using genetic markers was efficient in detecting mistakes during paternity and maternity designation and is an important tool which can be used together with traditional systems of animal identification. The use of genetic markers is recommended in the systematic control of the genealogical registrations and conservation plans to improve genetic aspects of the Pantaneiro horse.

  17. UK-born ethnic minority women and their experiences of feeding their newborn infant.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Twamley, Katherine; Puthussery, Shuby; Harding, Seeromanie; Baron, Maurina; Macfarlane, Alison

    2011-10-01

    to explore the factors that impact on UK-born ethnic minority women's experiences of and decisions around feeding their infant. in-depth semi-structured interviews. 34 UK-born women of Black African, Black Caribbean, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Indian and Irish parentage and 30 health-care professionals. women and health-care professionals were recruited primarily from hospitals serving large numbers of ethnic minority women in London and Birmingham. despite being aware of the benefits of exclusive breast feeding, many women chose to feed their infant with formula. The main barriers to breast feeding were the perceived difficulties of breast feeding, a family preference for formula feed, and embarrassment about breast feeding in front of others. Reports from women of South Asian parentage, particularly those who lived with an extended family, suggested that their intentions to breast feed were compromised by the context of their family life. The lack of privacy in these households and grandparental pressure appeared to be key issues. Unlike other participants, Irish women reported an intention to feed their infant with formula before giving birth. The key facilitators to breast feeding were the self-confidence and determination of women and the supportive role of health-care professionals. these findings point to common but also culturally specific mechanisms that may hinder both the initiation and maintenance of breast feeding in UK-born ethnic minority women. They signal potential benefits from the inclusion of family members in breast-feeding support programmes. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Identification of larvae: The zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha), quagga mussel (Dreissena rosteriformis bugensis), and Asian clam (Corbicula fluminea)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nichols, S. Jerrine; Black, M.G.

    1994-01-01

    There are presently four freshwater bivalves in the United States that produce larvae or veligers commonly found in the water column: two forms of Asian clams and two species of dreissenids. Portions of the geographic range of three of these bivalves, one species of Asian clam (Corbicula fluminea), zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha), and quagga mussels (Dreissena rosteriformis bugensis), overlap, causing problems with larval identification. To determine which characteristics can be used to separate larval forms, adult Asian clams, quaggas, and zebra mussels were brought into the laboratory and induced to spawn, and the resulting larvae were reared. Hybrids between quaggas and zebra mussels were also produced, but not reared to maturity. Characteristics allowing for the most rapid and accurate separation of larvae were hinge length, shell length/height, shell shape, shell size, and the presence or absence of a foot and velum. These characteristics were observed in laboratory-reared larvae of known parentage and field-caught larvae of unknown parentage. In most cases, larvae of the Asian clam can be readily separated from those produced by either type of dreissenid on the basis of shell size and presence of a foot. Separating the gametes and embryos of the two types of dreissenids is not possible, but after shell formation, most of the larval stages can be distinguished. Hinge length, shell length/height, and the similarity in size of the shell valves can be used to separate straight-hinged, umbonal, pediveliger, and plantigrade larvae. Quagga × zebra mussel hybrids show characteristics of both parents and are difficult to identify.

  19. Social network analysis of mating patterns in American black bears (Ursus americanus).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moore, Jennifer A; Xu, Ran; Frank, Kenneth; Draheim, Hope; Scribner, Kim T

    2015-08-01

    Nonrandom mating can structure populations and has important implications for population-level processes. Investigating how and why mating deviates from random is important for understanding evolutionary processes as well as informing conservation and management. Prior to the implementation of parentage analyses, understanding mating patterns in solitary, elusive species like bears was virtually impossible. Here, we capitalize on a long-term genetic data set collected from black bears (Ursus americanus) (N = 2422) in the Northern Lower Peninsula (NLP) of Michigan, USA. We identified mated pairs using parentage analysis and applied logistic regression (selection) models that controlled for features of the social network, to quantify the effects of individual characteristics, and spatial and population demographic factors on mating dynamics. Logistic regression models revealed that black bear mating was associated with spatial proximity of mates, male age, the time a pair had coexisted, local population density and relatedness. Mated pairs were more likely to contain older males. On average, bears tended to mate with nearby individuals to whom they were related, which does not support the existence of kin recognition in black bears. Pairwise relatedness was especially high for mated pairs containing young males. Restricted dispersal and high male turnover from intensive harvest mortality of NLP black bears are probably the underlying factors associated with younger male bears mating more often with female relatives. Our findings illustrate how harvest has the potential to disrupt the social structure of game species, which warrants further attention for conservation and management. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  20. Insights into population ecology and sexual selection in snakes through the application of DNA-based genetic markers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gibbs, H L; Weatherhead, P J

    2001-01-01

    Hypervariable genetic markers have revolutionized studies of kinship, behavioral ecology, and population biology in vertebrate groups such as birds, but their use in snakes remains limited. To illustrate the value of such markers in snakes, we review studies that have used microsatellite DNA loci to analyze local population differentiation and parentage in snakes. Four ecologically distinct species of snakes all show evidence for differentiation at small spatial scales (2-15 km), but with substantial differences among species. This result highlights how genetic analysis can reveal hidden aspects of the natural history of difficult-to-observe taxa, and it raises important questions about the ecological factors that may contribute to restricted gene flow. A 3-year study of genetic parentage in marked populations of the northern water snake showed that (1) participation in mating aggregations was a poor predictor of genetic-based measures of reproductive success; (2) multiple paternity was high, yet there was no detectable fitness advantage to multiple mating by females; and (3) the opportunity for selection was far higher in males than in females due to a larger variance in male reproductive success, and yet this resulted in no detectable selection on morphological variation in males. Thus genetic markers have provided accurate measures of individual reproductive success in this species, an important step toward resolving the adaptive significance of key features including multiple paternity and reversed sexual size dimorphism. Overall these studies illustrate how genetic analyses of snakes provide previously unobtainable information of long-standing interest to behavioral ecologists.

  1. Patterns and persistence of larval retention and connectivity in a marine fish metapopulation

    KAUST Repository

    Saenz Agudelo, Pablo

    2012-08-14

    Connectivity, the demographic linking of local populations through the dispersal of individuals, is one of the most poorly understood processes in population dynamics, yet has profound implications for conservation and harvest strategies. For marine species with pelagic larvae, direct estimation of connectivity remains logistically challenging and has mostly been limited to single snapshots in time. Here, we document seasonal and interannual patterns of larval dispersal in a metapopulation of the coral reef fish Amphiprion polymnus. A 3-year record of larval trajectories within and among nine discrete local populations from an area of approximately 35 km was established by determining the natal origin of settled juveniles through DNA parentage analysis. We found that spatial patterns of both self-recruitment and connectivity were remarkably consistent over time, with a low level of self-recruitment at the scale of individual sites. Connectivity among sites was common and multidirectional in all years and was not significantly influenced by seasonal variability of predominant surface current directions. However, approximately 75% of the sampled juveniles could not be assigned to parents within the study area, indicating high levels of immigrations from sources outside the study area. The data support predictions that the magnitude and temporal stability of larval connectivity decreases significantly with increasing distance between subpopulations, but increases with the size of subpopulations. Given the considerable effort needed to directly measure larval exchange, the consistent patterns suggest snapshot parentage analyses can provide useful dispersal estimates to inform spatial management decisions. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  2. Who's your daddy? Using RADseq to explore survival and paternity in the clownfish, Amphiprion clarkii.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stuart, M. R.; Pinsky, M. L.

    2016-02-01

    The ability to use DNA to identify individuals and their offspring has begun to revolutionize marine ecology. However, genetic mark-recapture and parentage studies typically require large numbers of individuals and associated high genotyping costs. Here, we describe a rapid and relatively low-cost protocol for genotyping non-model organisms at thousands of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) using massively parallel sequencing. We apply the approach to a population of yellowtail clownfish, Amphiprion clarkii, to detect genetic mark-recaptures and parent-offspring relationships. We test multiple bioinformatic approaches and describe how this method could be applied to a wide variety of marine organisms.

  3. Non-pathological complete paternal uniparental isodisomy of chromosome 2 revealed in a maternity testing case.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Man; Jiang, Jian; Li, Chen; Ren, He; Chen, Wei; Liu, Zhiyong; Cheng, Feng; Zhao, Jing; Chen, Tong; Chen, Chuguang; Yan, Jiangwei

    2018-05-25

    We present a duo paternity test case to assess the biological relationship between a woman and her female child. After analyzing 57 autosomal and 19 X-chromosomal short tandem repeat loci, mother-daughter exclusions were discovered at four loci, which were all located on chromosome 2. Further testing of whole-genome single nucleotide polymorphisms confirmed that the daughter had complete uniparental disomy (UPD) of chromosome 2. This study presents a cautionary case demonstrating that hasty decisions of parentage exclusion should not be made when genetic markers on the same chromosome do not conform to Mendel's laws due to UPD.

  4. Partial conservation of seniority in the j=9/2 shell: Analytic and numerical studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qi Chong

    2011-01-01

    Recent studies show that for systems with four identical fermions in the j=9/2 shell, two special states, which have seniority v=4 and total spins I=4 and 6, are eigenstates of any two-body interaction. These states have good seniority for an arbitrary interaction. In this work, an analytic proof is given to this peculiar occurrence of partial conservation of seniority, which is the consequence of the special property of certain coefficients of fractional parentage. Further calculations did not reveal its existence in systems with other n and/or I for shells with j≤15/2.

  5. Microsatellite marker isolation and development for the giant Pacific Octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Toussaint, Rebecca K.; Sage, G. Kevin; Talbot, Sandra L.; Scheel, David

    2012-01-01

    We isolated and developed 18 novel microsatellite markers for the giant Pacific octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini) and examined them for 31 individuals from Prince William Sound (PWS), Alaska. These loci displayed moderate levels of allelic diversity (averaging 11 alleles per locus) and heterozygosity (averaging 65%). Seven loci deviated from Hardy–Weinberg Equilibrium (HWE) due to heterozygote deficiency for the PWS population, although deviations were not observed for all these loci in other populations, suggesting the PWS population is not in mutation-drift equilibrium. These novel microsatellite loci yielded sufficient genetic diversity for potential use in population genetics, individual identification, and parentage studies.

  6. HARLEQUIN ICTHYOSIS: A RARE CASE REPORT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pradipprava Paria

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Harlequin ichthyosis is the most severe form of congenital ichthyosis. It is a rare autosomal recessive disorder (1:300,000. The vast majority of affected individuals are due to mutation in the ABCA12 gene, which cause a deficiency of the epidermal lipid transporter, resulting in hyperkeratosis and abnormal barrier function of skin. Infants are very susceptible to metabolic abnormalitites and infections. They usually do not survive for very long. we report here a case of a new born with harlequin ichthyosis of consaguinious parentage who had a history of similar birth previously.

  7. Short communication: relationship of call rate and accuracy of single nucleotide polymorphism genotypes in dairy cattle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cooper, T A; Wiggans, G R; VanRaden, P M

    2013-05-01

    Call rates on both a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) basis and an animal basis are used as measures of data quality and as screening tools for genomic studies and evaluations of dairy cattle. To investigate the relationship of SNP call rate and genotype accuracy for individual SNP, the correlation between percentages of missing genotypes and parent-progeny conflicts for each SNP was calculated for 103,313 Holsteins. Correlations ranged from 0.14 to 0.38 for the BovineSNP50 and BovineLD (Illumina Inc., San Diego, CA) and GeneSeek Genomic Profiler (Neogen Corp., Lincoln, NE) chips, with lower correlations for newer chips. For US genomic evaluations, genotypes are excluded for animals with a call rate of call rate for 220,175 Holstein, Jersey, and Brown Swiss genotypes was 99.6%. Animal genotypes with a call rate of ≤99% were examined from the US Department of Agriculture genotype database to determine how genotype call rate is related to accuracy of calls on an animal basis. Animal call rate was determined from SNP used in genomic evaluation and is the number of called autosomal and X-specific SNP genotypes divided by the number of SNP from that type of chip. To investigate the relationship of animal call rate and parentage validation, conflicts between a genotyped animal and its sire or dam were determined through a duo test (opposite homozygous SNP genotypes between sire and progeny; 1,374 animal genotypes) and a trio test (also including conflicts with dam and heterozygous SNP genotype for the animal when both parents are the same homozygote; 482 animal genotypes). When animal call rate was ≤ 80%, parentage validation was no longer reliable with the duo test. With the trio test, parentage validation was no longer reliable when animal call rate was ≤ 90%. To investigate how animal call rate was related to genotyping accuracy for animals with multiple genotypes, concordance between genotypes for 1,216 animals that had a genotype with a call rate of ≤ 99

  8. Monitoring the Reproductive Success of Naturally Spawning Hatchery and Natural Spring Chinook Salmon in the Wenatchee River, 2008-2009 Progress Report.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ford, Michael J.; Williamson, Kevin S. [Northwest Fisheries Science Center

    2009-05-28

    We investigated differences in the statistical power to assign parentage between an artificially propagated and wild salmon population. The propagated fish were derived from the wild population, and are used to supplement its abundance. Levels of genetic variation were similar between the propagated and wild groups at 11 microsatellite loci, and exclusion probabilities were >0.999999 for both groups. The ability to unambiguously identify a pair of parents for each sampled progeny was much lower than expected, however. Simulations demonstrated that the proportion of cases the most likely pair of parents were the true parents was lower for propagated parents than for wild parents. There was a clear relationship between parentage assignment ability and the degree of linkage disequilibrium, the estimated effective number of breeders that produced the parents, and the size of the largest family within the potential parents. If a stringent threshold for parentage assignment was used, estimates of relative fitness were biased downward for the propagated fish. The bias appeared to be largely eliminated by either fractionally assigning progeny among parents in proportion to their likelihood of parentage, or by assigning progeny to the most likely set of parents without using a statistical threshold. We used a DNA-based parentage analysis to measure the relative reproductive success of hatchery- and natural-origin spring Chinook salmon in the natural environment. Both male and female hatchery-origin fish produced far fewer juvenile progeny per parent when spawning naturally than did natural origin fish. Differences in age structure, spawning location, weight and run timing were responsible for some of the difference in fitness. Male size and age had a large influence on fitness, with larger and older males producing more offspring than smaller or younger individuals. Female size had a significant effect on fitness, but the effect was much smaller than the effect of size on

  9. Novel and cross-species microsatellite markers for parentage analysis in Sanderling Calidris alba

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Luttikhuizen, Pieternella C.; Bol, Anneke; Witte, Harry; van Bleijswijk, Judith; Haddrath, Oliver; Baker, Allan J.; Piersma, Theunis; Reneerkens, Jeroen

    We isolated and tested six novel microsatellite loci in Sanderling (Calidris alba) from Greenland for paternity analyses. In addition, we tested 11 already published microsatellite markers which were originally developed for the congeneric species, the Pectoral Sandpiper (C. melanotos). All loci

  10. Mating systems and sexual selection in male-pregnant pipefishes and seahorses: insights from microsatellite-based studies of maternity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, A G; Avise, J C

    2001-01-01

    In pipefishes and seahorses (family Syngnathidae), the males provide all postzygotic care of offspring by brooding embryos on their ventral surfaces. In some species, this phenomenon of male "pregnancy" results in a reversal of the usual direction of sexual selection, such that females compete more than males for access to mates, and secondary sexual characteristics evolve in females. Thus the syngnathids can provide critical tests of theories related to the evolution of sex differences and sexual selection. Microsatellite-based studies of the genetic mating systems of several species of pipefishes and seahorses have provided insights into important aspects of the natural history and evolution of these fishes. First, males of species with completely enclosed pouches have complete confidence of paternity, as might be predicted from parental investment theory for species in which males invest so heavily in offspring. Second, a wide range of genetic mating systems have been documented in nature, including genetic monogamy in a seahorse, polygynandry in two species of pipefish, and polyandry in a third pipefish species. The genetic mating systems appear to be causally related to the intensity of sexual selection, with secondary sex characters evolving most often in females of the more polyandrous species. Third, genetic studies of captive-breeding pipefish suggest that the sexual selection gradient (or Bateman gradient) may be a substantially better method for characterizing the mating system than previously available techniques. Finally, these genetic studies of syngnathid mating systems have led to some general insights into the occurrence of clustered mutations at microsatellite loci, the utility of linked loci in studies of parentage, and the use of parentage data for direct estimation of adult population size.

  11. Persistence of long-distance, insect-mediated pollen movement for a tropical canopy tree species in remnant forest patches in an urban landscape.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Noreen, A M E; Niissalo, M A; Lum, S K Y; Webb, E L

    2016-12-01

    As deforestation and urbanization continue at rapid rates in tropical regions, urban forest patches are essential repositories of biodiversity. However, almost nothing is known about gene flow of forest-dependent tree species in urban landscapes. In this study, we investigated gene flow in the insect-pollinated, wind-dispersed tropical tree Koompassia malaccensis in and among three remnant forest patches in the urbanized landscape of Singapore. We genotyped the vast majority of adults (N=179) and a large number of recruits (N=2103) with 8 highly polymorphic microsatellite markers. Spatial genetic structure of the recruit and adult cohorts was significant, showing routine gene dispersal distances of ~100-400 m. Parentage analysis showed that 97% of recruits were within 100 m of their mother tree, and a high frequency of relatively short-distance pollen dispersal (median ~143-187 m). Despite routine seed and pollen dispersal distances of within a few hundred meters, interpatch gene flow occurred between all patches and was dominated by pollen movement: parentage analysis showed 76 pollen versus 2 seed interpatch dispersal events, and the seedling neighborhood model estimated ~1-6% seed immigration and ~21-46% pollen immigration rates, depending on patch. In addition, the smallest patch (containing five adult K. malaccensis trees) was entirely surrounded by >2.5 km of 'impervious' substrate, yet had the highest proportional pollen and seed immigration estimates of any patch. Hence, contrary to our hypothesis, insect-mediated gene flow persisted across an urban landscape, and several of our results also parallel key findings from insect-pollinated canopy trees sampled in mixed agricultural-forest landscapes.

  12. Effects of chronic wasting disease on reproduction and fawn harvest vulnerability in Wisconsin white-tailed deer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blanchong, Julie A.; Grear, Daniel A.; Weckworth, Byron V.; Keane, Delwyn P.; Scribner, Kim T.; Samuel, Michael D.

    2012-01-01

    Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal, transmissible spongiform encephalopathy that affects free-ranging and captive North American cervids. Although the impacts of CWD on cervid survival have been documented, little is known about the disease impacts on reproduction and recruitment. We used genetic methods and harvest data (2002–04) to reconstruct parentage for a cohort of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) fawns born in spring 2002 and evaluate the effects of CWD infection on reproduction and fawn harvest vulnerability. There was no difference between CWD-positive and CWD-negative male deer in the probability of being a parent. However, CWD-positive females were more likely to be parents than CWD-negative females. Because our results are based on harvested animals, we evaluated the hypothesis that higher parentage rates occurred because fawns with CWD-positive mothers were more vulnerable to harvest. Male fawns with CWD-positive mothers were harvested earlier (>1 mo relative to their mother’s date of harvest) and farther away from their mothers than male fawns with CWD-negative mothers. Male fawns with CWD-positive mothers were also harvested much earlier and farther away than female fawns from CWD-positive mothers. Most female fawns (86%) with CWD-positive mothers were harvested from the same section as their mothers, while almost half of male and female fawns with CWD-negative mothers were farther away. We conclude that preclinical stages of CWD infection do not prohibit white-tailed deer from successfully reproducing. However, apparently higher harvest vulnerability of male fawns with CWD-positive mothers suggests that CWD infection may make females less capable of providing adequate parental care to ensure the survival and recruitment of their fawns.

  13. Self-Recruitment in the Bumphead Parrotfish Under Different Levels of Fishing Pressure in the Solomon Islands

    KAUST Repository

    Lozano-Cortés, Diego

    2014-12-01

    Knowledge in the spatial patterns of fish larval dispersal is crucial for the establishment of a sustainable management of fisheries and species conservation. Direct quantification of larval dispersal is a challenging task due to the difficulty associated with larval tracking in the vast ocean. However, genetic approaches can be used to estimate it. Here, I employed genetic markers (microsatellites) as a proxy to determine dispersal patterns and self-recruitment levels using parentage analysis in the bumphead parrotfish (Bolbometapon muricatum) in the Solomon Islands. Tissue samples of 3924 fish (1692 juveniles, 1121 males and 1111 females) were collected from a spear-fishery at the Kia District in Santa Isabel Island. The samples come from three distinct zones with different fishing pressure histories (lightly fished, recently fished, and heavily fished). The mean dispersal distance estimated for the bumphead parrotfish was 36.5 Km (range 4 – 78 Km) and the genetic diversity for the population studied was low in comparison with other reef fishes. The parentage analysis identified 68 parent–offspring relationships, which represents a self-recruitment level of almost 50 %. Most of the recruits were produced in the zone that recently started to be fished and most of these recruits dispersed to the heavily fished zone. Comparisons of genetic diversity and relatedness among adults and juveniles suggested the potential occurrence of sweepstakes reproductive success. These results suggest that management measures must be taken straightaway to assure the sustainability of the spear-fishery. These measures may imply the ban on juveniles fishing in the heavily fished zone and the larger adults in the recently fished zone. Overall, the population dynamics of the studied system seem to be strongly shaped by self-recruitment and sweepstakes reproduction events.

  14. Connectivity of the Longfin Grouper (Epinephelus Quoyanus) in a marine reserve in the Great Keppel Island Group

    KAUST Repository

    Al-Salamah, Manalle

    2014-12-01

    With a dramatic decrease of biodiversity as a result of the increase in exploitation of marine ecosystems, the establishment of marine protected areas (MPAs) serves as an important means of protecting those resources. Although there is support for the effectiveness of these MPAs and MPA networks, there is room for improvement in terms of MPA management and design. For example, a better understanding of the dispersal dynamics of targeted species across these MPAs will serve as a more accurate means of reserve as well as fisheries management. While there have been many methods used to determine the larval dispersal of a certain species, parentage analysis is becoming the most robust. In this thesis, I attempt to determine the patterns of self-recruitment and larval dispersal of the Longfin Grouper (Epinephelus quoyanus) in one focal marine reserve within the Great Keppel Island group through the method of parentage. For this, I developed 14 microsatellite markers and with those, genotyped 610 adults as well as 478 juveniles from the study site. These genotypes allowed me to assign offspring to their potential parents, which then allowed me to measure the self-recruitment, local retention as well as larval dispersal percentages of this species from and within the reserve. My results indicate that there is 32% local retention to the reserve while 68% of the assigned juveniles were dispersed to other areas (4% of which dispersed to another reserve). Previous studies conducted in the same area showed higher reserve self-recruitment rates for both Plectropomus maculatus (~30%) and Lutjanus carponotatus (64%) despite their similar life history traits. The results from this study add to the growing evidence that dispersal patterns cannot be generalized across marine systems or even between species within a single system.

  15. Self-Recruitment in the Bumphead Parrotfish Under Different Levels of Fishing Pressure in the Solomon Islands

    KAUST Repository

    Lozano-Corté s, Diego

    2014-01-01

    Knowledge in the spatial patterns of fish larval dispersal is crucial for the establishment of a sustainable management of fisheries and species conservation. Direct quantification of larval dispersal is a challenging task due to the difficulty associated with larval tracking in the vast ocean. However, genetic approaches can be used to estimate it. Here, I employed genetic markers (microsatellites) as a proxy to determine dispersal patterns and self-recruitment levels using parentage analysis in the bumphead parrotfish (Bolbometapon muricatum) in the Solomon Islands. Tissue samples of 3924 fish (1692 juveniles, 1121 males and 1111 females) were collected from a spear-fishery at the Kia District in Santa Isabel Island. The samples come from three distinct zones with different fishing pressure histories (lightly fished, recently fished, and heavily fished). The mean dispersal distance estimated for the bumphead parrotfish was 36.5 Km (range 4 – 78 Km) and the genetic diversity for the population studied was low in comparison with other reef fishes. The parentage analysis identified 68 parent–offspring relationships, which represents a self-recruitment level of almost 50 %. Most of the recruits were produced in the zone that recently started to be fished and most of these recruits dispersed to the heavily fished zone. Comparisons of genetic diversity and relatedness among adults and juveniles suggested the potential occurrence of sweepstakes reproductive success. These results suggest that management measures must be taken straightaway to assure the sustainability of the spear-fishery. These measures may imply the ban on juveniles fishing in the heavily fished zone and the larger adults in the recently fished zone. Overall, the population dynamics of the studied system seem to be strongly shaped by self-recruitment and sweepstakes reproduction events.

  16. Reef-fish larval dispersal patterns validate no-take marine reserve network connectivity that links human communities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abesamis, Rene A.; Saenz-Agudelo, Pablo; Berumen, Michael L.; Bode, Michael; Jadloc, Claro Renato L.; Solera, Leilani A.; Villanoy, Cesar L.; Bernardo, Lawrence Patrick C.; Alcala, Angel C.; Russ, Garry R.

    2017-09-01

    Networks of no-take marine reserves (NTMRs) are a widely advocated strategy for managing coral reefs. However, uncertainty about the strength of population connectivity between individual reefs and NTMRs through larval dispersal remains a major obstacle to effective network design. In this study, larval dispersal among NTMRs and fishing grounds in the Philippines was inferred by conducting genetic parentage analysis on a coral-reef fish ( Chaetodon vagabundus). Adult and juvenile fish were sampled intensively in an area encompassing approximately 90 km of coastline. Thirty-seven true parent-offspring pairs were accepted after screening 1978 juveniles against 1387 adults. The data showed all types of dispersal connections that may occur in NTMR networks, with assignments suggesting connectivity among NTMRs and fishing grounds ( n = 35) far outnumbering those indicating self-recruitment ( n = 2). Critically, half (51%) of the inferred occurrences of larval dispersal linked reefs managed by separate, independent municipalities and constituent villages, emphasising the need for nested collaborative management arrangements across management units to sustain NTMR networks. Larval dispersal appeared to be influenced by wind-driven seasonal reversals in the direction of surface currents. The best-fit larval dispersal kernel estimated from the parentage data predicted that 50% of larvae originating from a population would attempt to settle within 33 km, and 95% within 83 km. Mean larval dispersal distance was estimated to be 36.5 km. These results suggest that creating a network of closely spaced (less than a few tens of km apart) NTMRs can enhance recruitment for protected and fished populations throughout the NTMR network. The findings underscore major challenges for regional coral-reef management initiatives that must be addressed with priority: (1) strengthening management of NTMR networks across political or customary boundaries; and (2) achieving adequate population

  17. Reef-fish larval dispersal patterns validate no-take marine reserve network connectivity that links human communities

    KAUST Repository

    Abesamis, Rene A.

    2017-03-24

    Networks of no-take marine reserves (NTMRs) are a widely advocated strategy for managing coral reefs. However, uncertainty about the strength of population connectivity between individual reefs and NTMRs through larval dispersal remains a major obstacle to effective network design. In this study, larval dispersal among NTMRs and fishing grounds in the Philippines was inferred by conducting genetic parentage analysis on a coral-reef fish (Chaetodon vagabundus). Adult and juvenile fish were sampled intensively in an area encompassing approximately 90 km of coastline. Thirty-seven true parent-offspring pairs were accepted after screening 1978 juveniles against 1387 adults. The data showed all types of dispersal connections that may occur in NTMR networks, with assignments suggesting connectivity among NTMRs and fishing grounds (n = 35) far outnumbering those indicating self-recruitment (n = 2). Critically, half (51%) of the inferred occurrences of larval dispersal linked reefs managed by separate, independent municipalities and constituent villages, emphasising the need for nested collaborative management arrangements across management units to sustain NTMR networks. Larval dispersal appeared to be influenced by wind-driven seasonal reversals in the direction of surface currents. The best-fit larval dispersal kernel estimated from the parentage data predicted that 50% of larvae originating from a population would attempt to settle within 33 km, and 95% within 83 km. Mean larval dispersal distance was estimated to be 36.5 km. These results suggest that creating a network of closely spaced (less than a few tens of km apart) NTMRs can enhance recruitment for protected and fished populations throughout the NTMR network. The findings underscore major challenges for regional coral-reef management initiatives that must be addressed with priority: (1) strengthening management of NTMR networks across political or customary boundaries; and (2) achieving adequate population

  18. Isolation and characterization of 20 microsatellite loci for laurel species (Laurus, Lauraceae).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arroyo, Juan M; Rigueiro, Cristina; Rodríguez, Rocío; Hampe, Arndt; Valido, Alfredo; Rodríguez-Sánchez, Francisco; Jordano, Pedro

    2010-05-01

    Microsatellite primers were developed for the evergreen tree Laurus to investigate population genetic structure and patterns of gene flow via animal-dispersed pollen and seeds. Twenty polymorphic nuclear microsatellite markers were developed using CA, GA, AAC, and ATG n-enriched genomic libraries. Given the tetraploidy of the sampled populations, we analyzed our data both as dominant loci and as codominant genotypic data to calculate allele frequencies and genetic diversity. A total of 196 and 222 alleles were found in 37 Mediterranean (L. nobilis) and 26 Macaronesian islands (L. azorica) individuals, respectively. Levels of polymorphism of the reported markers are adequate for studies of diversity and parentage in natural populations of this Tertiary relict tree.

  19. Quality of 'Sharpblue' blueberries after electron beam irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Miller, W.R.; McDonald, R.E.; Smittle, B.J.

    1995-01-01

    Freshly harvested 'Sharpblue' blueberries (Vaccinium spp.), a hybrid of complex parentage (Sharpe and Sherman, 1976), were irradiated by electron beam at 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, or 1.0 kGy to determine its effects on condition and quality after treatment and subsequent storage. Berry firmness was not affected by increased doses following 1 or 3 days of storage at 1C, but it declined with higher doses when stored for 7 days at 1C. In general, berry flavor and texture declined as dosage increased; however, neither flavor nor texture were rated unacceptable by a sensory panel. Weight loss, decay, soluble solids concentration, acidity, pH, skin color, or waxy bloom were not affected by dosage or storage

  20. Development and characterization of microsatellite loci in the endangered species Taxus wallichiana (Taxaceae).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gajurel, Jyoti Prasad; Cornejo, Carolina; Werth, Silke; Shrestha, Krishna Kumar; Scheidegger, Christoph

    2013-03-01

    Microsatellite primers were developed in the endangered tree species Taxus wallichiana from Nepal to investigate regional genetic differentiation, local genetic diversity, and gene flow for the conservation of this species under climate- and land-use change scenarios in mountain regions of Nepal. • We developed 10 highly polymorphic microsatellite markers from 454 DNA sequencing. Characterization of the new microsatellite loci was done in 99 individuals collected from three valleys with different climatic regimes. The number of alleles per locus varied from four to 12. Observed heterozygosity of populations, averaged across loci, ranged from 0.30 to 0.59. • The new markers provided by this study will substantially increase the resolution for detailed studies in phylogeography, population genetics, and parentage analysis.

  1. Estimation of breeding values using selected pedigree records.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morton, Richard; Howarth, Jordan M

    2005-06-01

    Fish bred in tanks or ponds cannot be easily tagged individually. The parentage of any individual may be determined by DNA fingerprinting, but is sufficiently expensive that large numbers cannot be so finger-printed. The measurement of the objective trait can be made on a much larger sample relatively cheaply. This article deals with experimental designs for selecting individuals to be finger-printed and for the estimation of the individual and family breeding values. The general setup provides estimates for both genetic effects regarded as fixed or random and for fixed effects due to known regressors. The family effects can be well estimated when even very small numbers are finger-printed, provided that they are the individuals with the most extreme phenotypes.

  2. Treatment of surrogacyin Comparative Law.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ángela Ruiz SÁENZ

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The progress in the life sciences and medicine driven by modern advances and discoveries of science and technology has led to the development of assisted reproductive technology as a solution to the problem of infertility, replacing adoption as a traditional alternative to biological parenthood. In this context, deserves special mention surrogacy by the disputes generated from a social standpoint, ethical, legal and biomedical. The disparate regulation of this practice into national law has led to the “reproductive tourism”, that is, the transfer of couples from countries where the practice of surrogacy is illegal in other countries where the practice is legal, leading private international law issues relating to the recognition of the parentage of children born through the use of these techniques.

  3. Low level of pollen-mediated gene flow from cultivated to wild grapevine: consequences for the evolution of the endangered subspecies Vitis vinifera L. subsp. silvestris.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Di Vecchi-Staraz, Manuel; Laucou, Valérie; Bruno, Gérard; Lacombe, Thierry; Gerber, Sophie; Bourse, Thibaut; Boselli, Maurizio; This, Patrice

    2009-01-01

    A parentage and a paternity-based approach were tested for estimation of pollen-mediated gene flow in wild grapevine (Vitis vinifera L. subsp. silvestris), a wind-pollinated species occurring in Mediterranean Europe and southwestern Asia. For this purpose, 305 seedlings collected in 2 years at 2 locations in France from 4 wild female individuals and 417 wild individuals prospected from France and Italy were analyzed using 20 highly polymorphic microsatellite loci. Their profiles were compared with a database consisting of 3203 accessions from the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique Vassal collection including cultivars, rootstocks, interspecific hybrids, and other wild individuals. Paternity was assigned for 202 (66.2%) of the 305 seedlings, confirming the feasibility of the method. Most of the fertilizing pollen could be assigned to wild males growing nearby. Estimates of pollen immigration from the cultivated compartment (i.e., the totality of cultivars) ranged from 4.2% to 26% from nearby vineyards and from hidden pollinators such as cultivars and rootstocks that had escaped from farms. In an open landscape, the pollen flow was correlated to the distance between individuals, the main pollinator being the closest wild male (accounting for 51.4-86.2% of the pollen flow). In a closed landscape, more complex pollination occurred. Analysis of the parentage of the 417 wild individuals also revealed relationships between nearby wild individuals, but in the case of 12 individuals (3%), analysis revealed pollen immigration from vineyards, confirming the fitness of the hybrid seedlings. These pollen fluxes may have a significant effect on the evolution of wild populations: on the one hand, the low level of pollen-mediated gene flow from cultivated to wild grapevine could contribute to a risk of extinction of the wild compartment (i.e., the totality of the wild individuals). On the other hand, pollen dispersal within the wild populations may induce inbreeding

  4. A conceptual framework for patient-centered fertility treatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duthie, Elizabeth A; Cooper, Alexandra; Davis, Joseph B; Schoyer, Katherine D; Sandlow, Jay; Strawn, Estil Y; Flynn, Kathryn E

    2017-09-07

    Patient-centered care is a pillar of quality health care and is important to patients experiencing infertility. In this study we used empirical, in-depth data on couples' experiences of infertility treatment decision making to inform and revise a conceptual framework for patient-centered fertility treatment that was developed based on health care professionals' conceptualizations of fertility treatment, covering effectiveness, burden, safety, and costs. In this prospective, longitudinal mixed methods study, we collected data from both members (separately) of 37 couples who scheduled an initial consult with a reproductive specialist. Data collection occurred 1 week before the initial consultation, 1 week after the initial consultation, and then roughly 2, 4, 8, and 12 months later. Data collection included semi-structured qualitative interviews, self-reported questionnaires, and medical record review. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and content analyzed in NVivo. A single coder analyzed all transcripts, with > 25% of transcripts coded by a second coder to ensure quality control and consistency. Content analysis of the interview transcripts revealed 6 treatment dimensions: effectiveness, physical and emotional burden, time, cost, potential risks, and genetic parentage. Thus, the revised framework for patient-centered fertility treatment retains much from the original framework, with modification to one dimension (from safety to potential risks) and the addition of two dimensions (time and genetic parentage). For patients and their partners making fertility treatment decisions, tradeoffs are explicitly considered across dimensions as opposed to each dimension being considered on its own. Patient-centered fertility treatment should account for the dimensions of treatment that patients and their partners weigh when making decisions about how to add a child to their family. Based on the lived experiences of couples seeking specialist medical care for

  5. Development and Characterization of Microsatellite Loci in the Endangered Species Taxus wallichiana (Taxaceae

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jyoti Prasad Gajurel

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available Premise of the study: Microsatellite primers were developed in the endangered tree species Taxus wallichiana from Nepal to investigate regional genetic differentiation, local genetic diversity, and gene flow for the conservation of this species under climate- and land-use change scenarios in mountain regions of Nepal. Methods and Results: We developed 10 highly polymorphic microsatellite markers from 454 DNA sequencing. Characterization of the new microsatellite loci was done in 99 individuals collected from three valleys with different climatic regimes. The number of alleles per locus varied from four to 12. Observed heterozygosity of populations, averaged across loci, ranged from 0.30 to 0.59. Conclusions: The new markers provided by this study will substantially increase the resolution for detailed studies in phylogeography, population genetics, and parentage analysis.

  6. Characterization of microsatellite markers for the Restinga Antwren, Formicivora littoralis (Thamnophilidae), an endangered bird endemic to Brazil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chaves, F G; Vecchi, M B; Webster, M S; Alves, M A S

    2015-07-17

    Molecular markers are important tools in determining parentage, gene flow, and the genetic structure of species. In the case of rare, endemic, and/or threatened species, these markers can be used to understand key ecological questions and support conservation actions. We developed seven microsatellite markers for the only bird endemic to the Restinga ecosystem. Microsatellite loci were isolated from a library that was based on 10 individuals (six males and four females). Primers were tested in 107 individuals of the same population. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 4 to 19, and the observed and expected heterozygosity varied from 0.15 to 0.84 and from 0.60 to 0.89, respectively. We expect that the polymorphic microsatellite loci we describe will be useful for other studies, particularly in the Tropics.

  7. Analytic proof of partial conservation of seniority in j=9/2 shells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chong Qi; Xu, Z.X.; Liotta, R.J.

    2012-01-01

    A partial conservation of the seniority quantum number in j=9/2 shells has been found recently in a numerical application. In this paper an analytic proof for this problem is derived as an extension of the work [L. Zamick, P. Van Isacker, Phys. Rev. C 78 (2008) 044327]. We analyze the properties of the non-diagonal interaction matrix elements with the help of the one-particle and two-particle coefficients of fractional parentage (cfp's). It is found that all non-diagonal (and the relevant diagonal) matrix elements can be re-expressed in simple ways and are proportional to certain one-particle cfp's. This remarkable occurrence of partial dynamic symmetry is the consequence of the peculiar property of the j=9/2 shell, where all v=3 and 5 states are uniquely defined.

  8. Breeding Potential in Danish Apple Cultivar

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Larsen, Bjarne

    The diversity in plant genetic resources is a prerequisite for genetic improvement of cultivated crop species. Lack of in-depth characterization and evaluation of gene bank accessions is a major obstacle for their potential utilization. The Danish apple (Malus domestica L.) gene bank collection...... understanding of the link between phenotypes and the underlying gene-tic background which is crucial in plant breeding. We found a considerable genetic diversity in the collection and no genetic structure. We exposed a high number of accessions in admix and revealed several putative cultivar parentages, never......, including several rare alleles. Using historical gene bank records, including aroma volatile analysis, sugar and acid data and other fruit- and tree character records, we established genotype-phenotype relationships, performing a genome-wide association study. A number of SNP markers are presented that can...

  9. Genetical structure of populations of modelling species of terrestrial mollusks in conditions of the urbanized landscape on example Сhondrula tridens Müll (Gastropoda, Pulmonata

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eduard A Snegin

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available On the basis of the analysis of the morphological and genetical variability revealed by a method of gel-electrophoresis of proteins in PAAG, the state of gene pools of populations of modeling species Сhondrula tridens Müll (threedens snail in conditions of the urbanized forest-steppe landscape of the south of Mid-Russia Upland is investigated. In the majority of the investigated bunches authentic decrease of a level of heterozygosity and the decrease of an allelic diversification caused, both is fixed by natural historical factors, and factors of an anthropogenic parentage. The genetic-automatic processes in populations are considered and vectors of natural selection are defined. Calculation of effective number of researched bunches is spent.

  10. Conflicts and alliances in insect families

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sundström, L.; Boomsma, Jacobus Jan

    2001-01-01

    to forgo reproduction and instead help others reproduce. Social Hymenoptera are also special because relatedness patterns within families can be asymmetrical, so that optimal sex-ratios, preferred male parentage or preferred mating frequencies become objects of reproductive conflict. The now extensive...... inclusive fitness theory provides precise qualitative predictions with respect to the emergence of such conflicts. Recent advances in the power of genetic markers applied to resolve family structure in insect societies have brought about a series of studies that have tested these predictions. In support...... of kin selection as a major evolutionary force, the results suggest that workers frequently control sex allocation. However, the very establishment of such worker control has made new conflicts come to light, between mothers and fathers and between adult individuals and brood. Evidence...

  11. In re Marriage of Moschetta.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1994-06-10

    Cynthia Moschetta petitioned to obtain separation from her husband, Robert Moschetta, and to establish her maternity as to Marissa Moschetta, who was conceived pursuant to a traditional surrogacy contract. Elvira Jordan, the surrogate mother, sought to join the dissolution action, and Robert Moschetta requested judgment of dissolution. The Orange County Superior Court awarded joint legal and physical custody to Elvira Jordan and Robert Moschetta. Robert Moschetta appealed, challenging the determination that Jordan is the legal mother of Marissa and contending that Cynthia Moschetta is the legal mother of the child by virtue of the Uniform Parentage Act. The appellate court affirmed Jordan's parental rights, reversed the awarding of joint physical custody, remanded the latter question for reevaluation, and called for legislative guidance on the problems arising from surrogacy arrangements.

  12. Reproductive success of bromadiolone-resistant rats in absence of anticoagulant pressure

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Heiberg, Ann-Charlotte; Leirs, Herwig; Siegismund, Hans Redlef

    2006-01-01

    Resistance to anticoagulant rodenticides in brown rats (Rattus norvegicus Berk.) is associated with pleiotropic effects, notably with an increased dietary vitamin K requirement. Owing to this disadvantage, resistance is believed to be selected against if anticoagulant selection is absent. In small...... experimental populations of wild brown rats, an investigation was carried out to establish whether tolerance to anticoagulant exposure changed over a period of 2 years. In the same populations, DNA microsatellite markers were used to infer parentage, and this made it possible to estimate reproductive success...... of sensitive and resistant rats and estimate effective population size, Ne. Even though there was evidence for a selection against resistant rats with high vitamin K requirement, anticoagulant tolerance was not seen to be significantly influenced in the absence of bromadiolone selection. As the population size...

  13. Male reproductive competition in spawning aggregations of cod ( Gadus morhua , L.)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bekkevold, Dorte; Hansen, Michael Møller; Loeschcke, V.

    2002-01-01

    Reproductive competition may lead to a large skew in reproductive success among individuals. Very few studies have analysed the paternity contribution of individual males in spawning aggregations of fish species with huge census population sizes. We quantified the variance in male reproductive...... success in spawning aggregations of cod under experimental conditions over an entire spawning season. Male reproductive success was estimated by microsatellite-based parentage analysis of offspring produced in six separate groups of spawning cod. In total, 1340 offspring and 102 spawnings distributed...... across a spawning season were analysed. Our results show that multiple males contributed sperm to most spawnings but that paternity frequencies were highly skewed among males, with larger males on average siring higher proportions of offspring. It was further indicated that male reproductive success...

  14. Risk of schizophrenia in second-generation immigrants: a Danish population-based cohort study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Cantor-Graae, Elizabeth; Pedersen, Carsten Bøcker

    2007-01-01

    Background. Urban birth, a risk factor for schizophrenia, is more frequent among second-generation immigrants. The aim of the current study was to determine whether the increased risk for schizophrenia found in second-generation immigrants is explained by the degree of urbanization of birthplace...... for urbanization of birthplace and parental characteristics reduced these risks slightly. However, urbanization had a lesser effect in second-generation immigrants than in Danes. History of residence abroad was a risk factor for schizophrenia, regardless of whether parents were foreign-born or native Danes...... and/or factors related to parentage, such as geographic origin or history of residence abroad during upbringing.Method. Using data from the Danish Civil Registration System (CRS), we established a population-based cohort of 2.0 million Danes (persons born in Denmark). Schizophrenia in cohort members...

  15. The impact of SNP fingerprinting and parentage analysis on the effectiveness of variety recommendations in cacao

    Science.gov (United States)

    Evidence for the impact of mislabeling and/or pollen contamination on consistency of field performance has been lacking to reinforce the need for strict adherence to quality control protocols in cacao seed garden and germplasm plot management. The present study used SNP fingerprinting at 64 loci to ...

  16. Isolation and characterization of 29 microsatellite markers for the bumphead parrotfish, Bolbometopon muricatum, and cross amplification in 12 related species

    KAUST Repository

    Priest, Mark

    2014-10-14

    We isolated and characterized 29 microsatellite loci for the bumphead parrotfish, Bolbometopon muricatum, a wide-ranging parrotfish listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The 29 loci were tested on 95 individuals sampled from the Solomon Islands. The number of alleles ranged from two to ten. Evidence of linkage disequilibrium was found for only one pair of loci (Bm54 and Bm112). Two loci (Bm20 and Bm119) showed significant departure from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. We also tested each locus for amplification and polymorphism on 11 other scarine labrid species and one labrid species. Amplification success ranged from zero to ten loci per species. These microsatellite loci are the first specific set for B. muricatum and will be a useful tool for assessing genetic population structure, genetic diversity, and parentage in future studies.

  17. Ancient conservation of trinucleotide microsatellite loci in polistine wasps

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ezenwa, V O; Peters, J M; Zhu, Y

    1998-01-01

    Microsatellites have proven to be very useful genetic markers for studies of kinship, parentage, and gene mapping. If microsatellites are conserved among species, then those developed for one species can be used on related species, which would save the time and effort of developing new loci. We...... evaluated conservation of 27 trinucleotide loci that were derived from 2 species of Polistes wasps in cross-species applications on 27 species chosen from the major lineages of the Vespidae, which diverged as much as 144 million years ago. We further investigated cross-species polymorphism levels for 18...... of the loci. There was a clear relationship between cladistic distance and both conservation of the priming sites and heterozygosity. However the loci derived from P. bellicosus were much more widely conserved and polymorphic than were those derived from P. annularis. The disparity in cross-species utility...

  18. Predictors of dental anxiety in Brazilian 5-7 years old children

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Soares, Fernanda Cunha; Lima, R. A.; Santos, Carolina da Franca Bandeira Ferreira

    2016-01-01

    Objectives: The aim of this study was to analyze the predictors of dental anxiety in 5 to 7-year-old children in a two years follow-up. Materials and methods: This is a longitudinal study conducted with 784 children with 5 to 7 years old. A face-to-face interview was conducted with the parents....... The Dental Anxiety Question (DAQ) answers were categorized as presence or absence of dental anxiety. The possible predictor factors analyzed were: related to the children (age, sex, parentage, childbirth, physical activity, body satisfaction, psychological well-being, physical well-being, dentist visit......); and related to the parents or guardians (excessive alcohol consumption, smoke, family income, number of children). Forward stepwise logistic binary regression was performed for the multivariate analysis. The analysis was controlled by gender. Results: The prevalence of dental anxiety was 17.4%. Children...

  19. The circle of life: A cross-cultural comparison of children's attribution of life-cycle traits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burdett, Emily R R; Barrett, Justin L

    2016-06-01

    Do children attribute mortality and other life-cycle traits to all minded beings? The present study examined whether culture influences young children's ability to conceptualize and differentiate human beings from supernatural beings (such as God) in terms of life-cycle traits. Three-to-5-year-old Israeli and British children were questioned whether their mother, a friend, and God would be subject to various life-cycle processes: Birth, death, ageing, existence/longevity, and parentage. Children did not anthropomorphize but differentiated among human and supernatural beings, attributing life-cycle traits to humans, but not to God. Although 3-year-olds differentiated significantly among agents, 5-year-olds attributed correct life-cycle traits more consistently than younger children. The results also indicated some cross-cultural variation in these attributions. Implications for biological conceptual development are discussed. © 2015 The British Psychological Society.

  20. Establishing the identity of the massacred tigress in a case of wildlife crime.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gupta, Sandeep Kumar; Bhagavatula, Jyotsna; Thangaraj, Kumarasamy; Singh, Lalji

    2011-01-01

    We report a case study, where we have established the identity from a challenging biological sample of a deceased tigress by parentage analysis. A wildlife crime was committed in one of the zoological parks in India in the year 2000, where one young tigress was killed for its claws. This was of media interest for several days and remained an unsolved case for four years. A framed claw and decomposed tiger hide were seized from the accused in 2005. Biological samples of the victim tigress was not available for further forensics examination, therefore; DNA samples of the biological parents and a male sibling were used to establish the identity of the claw using STRs and mitochondrial DNA markers. Our analysis indicates that the seized claw belongs to the victim tigress. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Reliable effective number of breeders/adult census size ratios in seasonal-breeding species: Opportunity for integrative demographic inferences based on capture-mark-recapture data and multilocus genotypes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sánchez-Montes, Gregorio; Wang, Jinliang; Ariño, Arturo H; Vizmanos, José Luis; Martínez-Solano, Iñigo

    2017-12-01

    The ratio of the effective number of breeders ( N b ) to the adult census size ( N a ), N b / N a , approximates the departure from the standard capacity of a population to maintain genetic diversity in one reproductive season. This information is relevant for assessing population status, understanding evolutionary processes operating at local scales, and unraveling how life-history traits affect these processes. However, our knowledge on N b / N a ratios in nature is limited because estimation of both parameters is challenging. The sibship frequency (SF) method is adequate for reliable N b estimation because it is based on sibship and parentage reconstruction from genetic marker data, thereby providing demographic inferences that can be compared with field-based information. In addition, capture-mark-recapture (CMR) robust design methods are well suited for N a estimation in seasonal-breeding species. We used tadpole genotypes of three pond-breeding amphibian species ( Epidalea calamita , Hyla molleri, and Pelophylax perezi , n  =   73-96 single-cohort tadpoles/species genotyped at 15-17 microsatellite loci) and candidate parental genotypes ( n  =   94-300 adults/species) to estimate N b by the SF method. To assess the reliability of N b estimates, we compared sibship and parentage inferences with field-based information and checked for the convergence of results in replicated subsampled analyses. Finally, we used CMR data from a 6-year monitoring program to estimate annual N a in the three species and calculate the N b / N a ratio. Reliable ratios were obtained for E. calamita ( N b / N a  = 0.18-0.28) and P. perezi (0.5), but in H. molleri, N a could not be estimated and genetic information proved insufficient for reliable N b estimation. Integrative demographic studies taking full advantage of SF and CMR methods can provide accurate estimates of the N b / N a ratio in seasonal-breeding species. Importantly, the SF method provides results that can be

  2. A test for the relative strength of maternal and stock effects in spring Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) from two different hatcheries (Study site: Warm Springs Hatchery; Stocks: Warm Springs Hatchery and Carson Hatchery; Year class: 1993): Chapter 10

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wetzel, Lisa A.; Rubin, Stephen P.; Reisenbichler, Reginald R.; Stenberg, Karl D.; Rubin, Stephen P.; Reisenbichler, Reginald R.; Wetzel, Lisa A.; Hayes, Michael C.

    2012-01-01

    An experiment was undertaken to determine the relative strength of maternal and stock effects in Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) reared in a common environment, as a companion study to our investigation of hatchery and wild Chinook salmon. Pure-strain and reciprocal crosses were made between two hatchery stocks (Carson and Warm Springs National Fish Hatcheries). The offspring were reared together in one of the hatcheries to the smolt stage, and then were transferred to a seawater rearing facility (USGS-Marrowstone Field Station). Differences in survival, growth and disease prevalence were assessed. Fish with Carson parentage grew to greater size at the hatchery and in seawater than the pure-strain Warm Springs fish, but showed higher mortality at introduction to seawater. The analyses of maternal and stock effects were inconclusive, but the theoretical responses to different combinations of maternal and stock effects may be useful in interpreting stock comparison studies.

  3. γ-ray spectroscopy of N=Z nuclei

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lister, C. J.

    1999-01-01

    The use of γ-ray spectroscopy to probe the properties of marginally bound nuclear states has evolved from being a curiosity a decade ago to being the mainstream use for these devices. The key to this success has been the development of ultra-sensitive channel selection techniques which allow the parentage of each emitted γ-ray to be established. With these techniques, and the enhanced efficiency of the arrays themselves, the level of sensitivity for nuclear spectroscopy has increased by several orders of magnitude, in some special cases reaching the 10's nanobarns level, 1000 times more sensitive than was possible a decade ago. In this paper I will discuss some recent developments in light nuclear spectroscopy, on nuclei with N=Z, below mass 100. These examples have been chosen to compliment other presentations at this conference which have covered similar experiments in heavier nuclei

  4. CERTAINS ASPECTS JURIDIQUES CONCERNANT LA “MÈRE PORTEUSE”

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gabriela LUPŞAN

    2006-09-01

    Full Text Available The maternity substitution was created as an unnatural means to allow a woman to become a parent, being nothing else but a technical procreation medically assisted, that involves the participation of three subjects: the husband and the wife wanting to become parents and the woman who agrees to bear the child and to give birth to it, for that couple. In legal terms, the legal parentage or filiation of the child so conceived is established, regardless the genetic material that was the basis of conception, to the woman who carried the child and gave birth to it, legal importance having the fact of birth. We consider that, by lex lata (law as it is any convention whose object is to establish the maternity of the child to a woman other than the one that gave birth to it, is absolutely null and void.

  5. International adoption among families in the United States: considerations of social justice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hollingsworth, Leslie Doty

    2003-04-01

    The practice of international adoption of children is critiqued, using Rawls' egalitarian concept of a distributive method of social justice. From this perspective, international adoption may be perceived as contradictory to principles of social justice by ignoring the social context within which it occurs. Social contexts that frequently surround international adoption are severe poverty and the disenfranchisement of the adopted child's biological family; the disenfranchisement of certain children because of their lower social status; gender oppression and discrimination against female children; risk to children's rights to the knowledge of their birth history and parentage; risk to children's rights to identification with their ethnic, cultural, and national group; and practices that may involve abduction, deceit, and trafficking in children. The article presents alternate views, including libertarian and utilitarian perspectives. Solutions from two international conventions are critiqued and implications are discussed for social work policy advocacy, practice, and research.

  6. Heritability estimates for growth-related traits using microsatellite parentage assignment in juvenile common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.)

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Vandeputte, M.; Kocour, Martin; Mauger, S.; Duppont Nivet, M.; De Guerry, D.; Rodina, Marek; Gela, David; Vallod, D.; Chevassus, B.; Linhart, Otomar

    2004-01-01

    Roč. 235, - (2004), s. 223-236 ISSN 0044-8486 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z5045916 Keywords : common carp * Cyprinus carpio * heritability Subject RIV: ED - Physiology Impact factor: 1.627, year: 2004

  7. Maternal parentage influences spore production but not spore pigmentation in the anisogamous and hermaphroditic fungus Neurospora crassa

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zimmerman, Kolea; Levitis, Daniel; Pringle, Anne

    2014-01-01

    . In this fungus, pigmented spores are viable and unpigmented spores are inviable. These results show that while both parents influence all these traits, maternal influence is strongest on both fertility and mortality traits until the spores are physiologically independent of the maternal cytoplasm.......In this study, we tested the hypothesis that maternal effects on offspring production and quality are greater than paternal effects in both offspring number (fertility) and offspring viability (mortality). We used the model filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa. This fungus is anisogamous......, and various ascospore characteristics. Mixed effects models of these data show that the female parent accounts for the majority of variation in perithecial production, number of spores produced, and spore germination. Surprisingly, both sexes equally influence the percentage of spores that are pigmented...

  8. Coevolution of parental investment and sexually selected traits drives sex-role divergence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fromhage, Lutz; Jennions, Michael D

    2016-08-18

    Sex-role evolution theory attempts to explain the origin and direction of male-female differences. A fundamental question is why anisogamy, the difference in gamete size that defines the sexes, has repeatedly led to large differences in subsequent parental care. Here we construct models to confirm predictions that individuals benefit less from caring when they face stronger sexual selection and/or lower certainty of parentage. However, we overturn the widely cited claim that a negative feedback between the operational sex ratio and the opportunity cost of care selects for egalitarian sex roles. We further argue that our model does not predict any effect of the adult sex ratio (ASR) that is independent of the source of ASR variation. Finally, to increase realism and unify earlier models, we allow for coevolution between parental investment and investment in sexually selected traits. Our model confirms that small initial differences in parental investment tend to increase due to positive evolutionary feedback, formally supporting long-standing, but unsubstantiated, verbal arguments.

  9. Persistence of self-recruitment and patterns of larval connectivity in a marine protected area network

    KAUST Repository

    Berumen, Michael L.

    2012-02-01

    The use of marine protected area (MPA) networks to sustain fisheries and conserve biodiversity is predicated on two critical yet rarely tested assumptions. Individual MPAs must produce sufficient larvae that settle within that reserve\\'s boundaries to maintain local populations while simultaneously supplying larvae to other MPA nodes in the network that might otherwise suffer local extinction. Here, we use genetic parentage analysis to demonstrate that patterns of self-recruitment of two reef fishes (Amphiprion percula and Chaetodon vagabundus) in an MPA in Kimbe Bay, Papua New Guinea, were remarkably consistent over several years. However, dispersal from this reserve to two other nodes in an MPA network varied between species and through time. The stability of our estimates of self-recruitment suggests that even small MPAs may be self-sustaining. However, our results caution against applying optimization strategies to MPA network design without accounting for variable connectivity among species and over time. 2012 The Authors.

  10. Esegi�l 16: Weggooikind, spogbruid of ontroue vrou?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. G. Swanepoel

    1990-08-01

    Full Text Available Ezekiel 16: Abandoned child, bride adorned or unfaithful wife? Ezekiel 16:1-63 uses different metaphors in bringing its message home. For instance it uses the shocking metaphor of immorality in order to eliminate the false confidence in human merit. We find Yahweh in this text as an outraged and exasperated lover. The pendulum swings in Ezekiel 16. metaphorically, from an abandoned child of suspect parentage (judgement to ceremonies of fetching the bride (restoration; from a wedding (restoration to a prostitute who pays her lovers (judgement; and from the disgraceful conduct of her daughters (judgement to a new everlasting covenant (restoration. This is a mirror image from life with a meaning for life. Opposites meet in this text: Here is magnificent mercy, regardless of filth and vileness; and then the love of Yahweh in spite of the evil of man. The purpose: A new understanding and appreciation of Yahweh.

  11. Effects of gamma irradiation on the development and reproduction of the greasy cutworm, Agrotis ipsilon (Hufn.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    H.M. Salem

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Three substerilizing doses 50, 100 and 150 Gy of gamma radiation were tested against full – grown male and female pupae or against full-grown male or female pupae of Agrotis ipsilon. The results showed that fecundity of irradiated females crossed with irradiated males was decreased by increasing irradiation dose. The decrease in egg – hatchability % and increase in sterility % induced by gamma radiation were found to be positively correlated with the dose level. The parentage of larval and pupal mortality increased significantly (p ≤ 0.05 with the increase of used doses. In addition, larval and pupal durations were found to be significantly prolonged as a result of gamma- irradiation treatment. In general, the results obtained indicated that the biological action of gamma irradiation against A. ipsilon larvae was more remarkable when both crossed females and males were irradiated followed by irradiated females crossed with non-irradiated males.

  12. Trapped in the extinction vortex? Strong genetic effects in a declining vertebrate population

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Larsson Mikael

    2010-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Inbreeding and loss of genetic diversity are expected to increase the extinction risk of small populations, but detailed tests in natural populations are scarce. We combine long-term population and fitness data with those from two types of molecular markers to examine the role of genetic effects in a declining metapopulation of southern dunlins Calidris alpina schinzii, an endangered shorebird. Results The decline is associated with increased pairings between related individuals, including close inbreeding (as revealed by both field observations of parentage and molecular markers. Furthermore, reduced genetic diversity seems to affect individual fitness at several life stages. Higher genetic similarity between mates correlates negatively with the pair's hatching success. Moreover, offspring produced by related parents are more homozygous and suffer from increased mortality during embryonic development and possibly also after hatching. Conclusions Our results demonstrate strong genetic effects in a rapidly declining population, emphasizing the importance of genetic factors for the persistence of small populations.

  13. Results from an extensive study of the ( pi /sup -/, 2n) reaction

    CERN Document Server

    Bassalleck, B; Furic, M; Klotz, W D; Takeutchi, F; Ullrich, H

    1979-01-01

    Abstract only given, substantially as follows: An extensive study of the ( pi /sup -/,2n) reaction with stopped pi /sup -/ was completed at the CERN-SC. Target nuclei were from the 1p-shell ranging from /sup 6 /Li to /sup 16/0 and also /sup 40/Ca. Large-area neutron counters with subnanosecond time resolution were used in the kinematically complete experiment. Distributions in different variables were investigated in order to extract information on reaction mechanism and nuclear structure. Among the most important are the excitation energy of the residual nucleus showing the location of observed two-hole states as well as angular and momentum distributions giving information on the quantum state and dynamical characteristics of the nucleon pair involved in the absorption. Transitions to low excitation energies proved to be dominated by the direct quasifree reaction mechanism. In general the strongest observed two-hole strength agreed with theoretical predictions on coefficients of fractional parentage for two...

  14. Contributions of long-distance dispersal to population growth in colonising Pinus ponderosa populations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lesser, Mark R; Jackson, Stephen T

    2013-03-01

    Long-distance dispersal is an integral part of plant species migration and population development. We aged and genotyped 1125 individuals in four disjunct populations of Pinus ponderosa that were initially established by long-distance dispersal in the 16th and 17th centuries. Parentage analysis was used to determine if individuals were the product of local reproductive events (two parents present), long-distance pollen dispersal (one parent present) or long-distance seed dispersal (no parents present). All individuals established in the first century at each site were the result of long-distance dispersal. Individuals reproduced at younger ages with increasing age of the overall population. These results suggest Allee effects, where populations were initially unable to expand on their own, and were dependent on long-distance dispersal to overcome a minimum-size threshold. Our results demonstrate that long-distance dispersal was not only necessary for initial colonisation but also to sustain subsequent population growth during early phases of expansion. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd/CNRS.

  15. Nonmarital Fertility, Union History, and Women's Wealth.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Painter, Matthew; Frech, Adrianne; Williams, Kristi

    2015-02-01

    We use more than 20 years of data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 to examine wealth trajectories among mothers following a nonmarital first birth. We compare wealth according to union type and union stability, and we distinguish partners by biological parentage of the firstborn child. Net of controls for education, race/ethnicity, and family background, single mothers who enter into stable marriages with either a biological father or stepfather experience significant wealth advantages over time (more than $2,500 per year) relative to those who marry and divorce, cohabit, or remain unpartnered. Sensitivity analyses adjusting for unequal selection into marriage support these findings and demonstrate that race (but not ethnicity) and age at first birth structure mothers' access to later marriage. We conclude that not all single mothers have equal access to marriage; however, marriage, union stability, and paternity have distinct roles for wealth accumulation following a nonmarital birth.

  16. Geochemical studies of granitic rocks of Kallur area, Manvi Taluk, Raichur district, Karnataka (India).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raghavendra, N R; Reddy, R Purushottam; Nijagunappa, R

    2011-01-01

    The geochemical data is much widely used in establishing the overall chemical relation existing between the different rock types with their parentage. A major impetus for this shift comes not only from the need to understand and quantify better the spatial and temporal evolution, with emphasis on the younger greenstone belts (Kallur copper formations), but also from the recognition that such knowledge could form the basis for the sustainable development of our natural resources. In addition, the recurrence of natural hazards has reinforced the need to learn more about the mechanics and to develop predictive modeling with advanced technical tools. This paper is emphasizing on Granodiorites of Kallur area of Manvi Taluk, Raichur District to substantiate the classical approaches of exploration and data gathering through quantitative methods of data processing and interpretation. The trilinear diagram indicates that the granites are rich in Potash and Soda. This clearly indicates that Granites are fairly rich in K2O than Na2O.

  17. Contributions from assited human reproduction techniques' socio-legal research to the legislative field

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marisa Herrera

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available This paper’s intention is to share some of the main results of two field-based research projects regarding assisted human reproduction practices in Argentina. Both projects have been developed in a dynamic legislative context involving medical coverage regulation, parentage determination and the right to know one's origins for children born with third party genetic material. Also, in this context, the Draft Civil and Commercial Code reform introduced two figures that were then removed in the parliamentary debate: post mortem fertilization and surrogate motherhood. All these issues concerning the use of assisted human reproduction challenge the legal field and are addressed in these research projects, one of them more from an explorative perspective and the other from a qualitative one. Therefore, this article aims to introduce some of the measured variables and the findings obtained to serve as relevant contributions to achieve a more appropriate legislation according with the medical and social reality.

  18. Differences between easy- and difficult-to-mill chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) genotypes. Part I: broad chemical composition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wood, Jennifer A; Knights, Edmund J; Campbell, Grant M; Choct, Mingan

    2014-05-01

    Ease of milling is an important quality trait for chickpeas (Cicer arietinum L.) and involves two separate processes: removal of the seed coat and splitting of cotyledons. Four chickpea genotypes (two desi types, one kabuli type and one interspecific hybrid with 'wild' C. echinospermum parentage) of differing ease of milling were examined to identify associated seed composition differences in the seed coat, cotyledons and their junctions (abaxial and adaxial). Several components in different fractions were associated with ease of milling chickpea seeds: primarily soluble and insoluble non-starch polysaccharides (including pectins) and protein at the seed coat and cotyledon junctions, and the lignin content of the seed coat. This study shows that the chemical composition of chickpea does vary with seed type (desi and kabuli) and within desi genotypes in ways that are consistent with physical explanations of how seed structure and properties relate to milling behaviour. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry.

  19. A novel reliable method of DNA extraction from olive oil suitable for molecular traceability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raieta, Katia; Muccillo, Livio; Colantuoni, Vittorio

    2015-04-01

    Extra virgin olive oil production has a worldwide economic impact. The use of this brand, however, is of great concern to Institutions and private industries because of the increasing number of fraud and adulteration attempts to the market products. Here, we present a novel, reliable and not expensive method for extracting the DNA from commercial virgin and extra virgin olive oils. The DNA is stable overtime and amenable for molecular analyses; in fact, by carrying out simple sequence repeats (SSRs) markers analysis, we characterise the genetic profile of monovarietal olive oils. By comparing the oil-derived pattern with that of the corresponding tree, we can unambiguously identify four cultivars from Samnium, a region of Southern Italy, and distinguish them from reference and more widely used varieties. Through a parentage statistical analysis, we also identify the putative pollinators, establishing an unprecedented and powerful tool for olive oil traceability. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Study of highly excited high spin states via the (HI, α) reaction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kubono, S.

    1982-01-01

    Three subjects are discussed in this paper. 1) The mechanism of (HI, α) reactions is briefly studied. 2) Possible excitation of molecular resonance states of 12 C- 12 C in 24 Mg through the 12 C( 16 O, α) 24 Mg reaction were investigated. A precise measurement of the level widths in 24 Mg did not support the previous report that the molecular states seen in 12 C + 12 C scattering had been excited in the transfer reaction 12 C( 16 O, α) 24 Mg. 3) Highly excited states in 28 Si, which have a large parentage of 12 C- 16 O, were also studied via the 12 C( 20 Ne, α) 28 Si reaction. An angular correlation measurement revealed the lowest 8 + and 10 + states at 14.00 and 15.97 MeV, respectively, which were selectively excited in the 12 C( 20 Ne, α) reaction. These results suggest a possible new band in 28 Si. (author)

  1. Steelhead Kelt Reconditioning and Reproductive Success, 2008 Annul Report.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hatch, Douglas R. [Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission

    2009-04-02

    Iteroparity, the ability to repeat spawn, is a natural life history strategy that is expressed by some species from the family Salmonidae. Current rates of observed steelhead Oncorhynchus mykiss iteroparity rates in the Columbia River Basin are severely depressed due to anthropogenic development which includes operation of the hydropower system and other habitat degradations. Artificial reconditioning, which is the process of culturing post-spawned fish (kelts) in a captive environment until they are able to reinitiate feeding, growth, and redevelop mature gonads, is evaluated in this study as method to restore depressed steelhead populations. To test the efficacy of steelhead kelt reconditioning as a management and recovery tool different scenarios were investigated ranging from very low intensity (collect and transport fish) to high intensity (collect and feed fish in captivity until rematuration). Examinations of gamete and progeny viability were performed for first-time spawners and reconditioned kelt steelhead. We have continued to examine reproductive success of reconditioned kelt steelhead in Omak Creek using microsatellite loci to perform parentage analysis on juvenile O. mykiss . The groundwork has also begun on developing a genetic analysis of the Yakima subbasin in order to determine steelhead kelt contribution by utilizing parentage analysis on a larger scale. A research and study plan has been developed cooperatively with the University of Idaho to determine the feasibility of steelhead kelt reconditioning program in the Snake River Basin. Analysis of management scenarios indicated that while no-term and short-term reconditioned kelts continue to perform well outmigrating to the ocean but returns from these groups have been low ranging from 0-12% during 2002-2008. Survival (56%) of fish in the long-term treatment in 2008 was the highest we have observed in this project. Analyzing the three different management scenarios within the Yakima River subbasin

  2. Evaluating realized seed dispersal across fragmented tropical landscapes : a two-fold approach using parentage analysis and the neighbourhood model

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ismail, Sascha A.; Ghazoul, Jaboury; Ravikanth, Gudasalamani; Kushalappa, Cheppudira G.; Uma Shaanker, Ramanan; Kettle, Chris J.

    2017-01-01

    Despite the importance of seed dispersal for survival of plant species in fragmented landscapes, data on seed dispersal at landscape scales remain sparse. Effective seed dispersal among fragments determines recolonization and plant species persistence in such landscapes. We present the first

  3. Cluster analysis of historical and modern hard red spring wheat cultivars based on parentage and HPLC of gluten protein

    Science.gov (United States)

    There have been substantial breeding efforts in North Dakota to produce wheat cultivars that are well adapted to weather conditions and disease resistance. In this study, 30 hard red spring (HRS) wheat cultivars released between 1910 and 2013 were analyzed with regard to how they cluster in terms of...

  4. Polymorphic DNA microsatellite markers for forensic individual identification and parentage analyses of seven threatened species of parrots (family Psittacidae).

    OpenAIRE

    Jan, C.; Fumagalli, L.

    2016-01-01

    The parrot family represents one of the bird group with the largest number of endangered species, as a result of habitat destruction and illegal trade. This illicit traffic involves the smuggling of eggs and animals, and the laundering through captive breeding facilities of wild-caught animals. Despite the huge potential of wildlife DNA forensics to determine with conclusive evidence illegal trade, current usage of DNA profiling approaches in parrots has been limited by the lack of suitable m...

  5. Efficiency of semi-automated fluorescent multiplex PCRs with 11 microsatellite markers for genetic studies of deer populations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bonnet, A; Thévenon, S; Maudet, F; Maillard, J C

    2002-10-01

    Thirty bovine and eight ovine microsatellite primer pairs were tested on four tropical deer species: Eld's and Swamp deer (highly threatened) and Rusa and Vietnamese Sika deer (economically important). Thirty markers gave an amplified product in all four species (78.9%). The number of polymorphic microsatellite markers varied among the species from 14 in Eld's deer (47%) to 20 in Swamp deer (67%). Among them, 11 microsatellite loci were multiplexed in three polymerase chain reactions (PCRs) and labelled with three different fluorochromes that can be loaded in one gel-lane. To test the efficiency of the multiplex, primary genetic studies (mean number of alleles, expected heterozygosities and Fis values) were carried out on four deer populations. Parentage exclusion probability and probability of identity were computed and discussed on a Swamp deer population. These multiplexes PCRs were also tested on several other deer species and subspecies. The aim of this study is to establish a tool useful for genetic studies of population structure and diversity in four tropical deer species which with few modifications can be applied to other species of the genus Cervus.

  6. Allele frequencies of 23 autosomal short tandem repeat loci in the Philippine population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodriguez, Jae Joseph Russell Beltran; Salvador, Jazelyn M; Calacal, Gayvelline C; Laude, Rita P; De Ungria, Maria Corazon A

    2015-07-01

    We characterized diversity and forensic descriptive parameters of 23 autosomal STR loci (CSF1PO, D13S317, D16S539, D5S818, D7S820, TPOX, D18S51, D21S11, D3S1358, D8S1179, FGA, TH01, vWA, D1S1656, D10S1248, D12S391, D2S441, D22S1045, D19S433, D2S1338, D6S1043, Penta D and Penta E) among 167 unrelated Filipinos. The most variable autosomal STR loci observed is Penta E (observed heterozygosity: 0.9222, match probability: 0.0167). Results reveal matching probability of 8.21×10(-28) for 23 autosomal STR loci. This dataset for the Philippine population may now be used in evaluating the weight of DNA evidence for forensic applications such as in human identification, parentage/kinship testing, and interpretation of DNA mixtures. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Frankenstein’s Monster Comes Home: The ‘Two Cultures’ in Remix

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    James Barrett

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley (1818 is the starting point for this reading of remix in relation to authorship and its implications for creative work. The monster in Frankenstein has no single author, or father, and is damned by his mixed parentage as much as by his inability to recreate himself. Alone, he falls into the waste as a product of the divide between poetry and science. The ‘two cultures’ coined by C. P. Snow (1956 address this same divide and lament its dominance in mid twentieth-century intellectual life. But contemporary remix culture that relies on digital media closes this gap as poets now write code and artists are technicians. In my close reading of five remixes I show that origin is no longer relevant in the mixed material realization of processes that are performed or ‘re-authored’ in reception. In these remixes the creator reinterprets by changing the context of remixed elements in the works. The result is textual hybrids that are remixed further in reception.

  8. Organelle Genome Inheritance in Deparia Ferns (Athyriaceae, Aspleniineae, Polypodiales

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Li-Yaung Kuo

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Organelle genomes of land plants are predominately inherited maternally but in some cases can also be transmitted paternally or biparentally. Compared to seed plants (>83% genera of angiosperms and >12% genera of gymnosperms, plastid genome (plastome inheritance has only been investigated in fewer than 2% of fern genera, and mitochondrial genome (mitogenome from only one fern genus. We developed a new and efficient method to examine plastome and mitogenome inheritance in a fern species—Deparia lancea (Athyriaceae, Aspleniineae, Polypodiales, and found that plastid and mitochondrial DNAs were transmitted from only the maternal parentage to a next generation. To further examine whether both organelle genomes have the same manner of inheritance in other Deparia ferns, we sequenced both plastid and mitochondrial DNA regions of inter-species hybrids, and performed phylogenetic analyses to identify the origins of organellar DNA. Evidence from our experiments and phylogenetic analyses support that both organelle genomes in Deparia are uniparentally and maternally inherited. Most importantly, our study provides the first report of mitogenome inheritance in eupolypod ferns, and the second one among all ferns.

  9. Fourth intercomparison of personal dosemeters used in US Department of Energy accelerator facilities

    CERN Document Server

    Stewart, R D; Otto, T; Loesch, R M

    2000-01-01

    Personal neutron dosemeters from seven US Department of Energy (DOE) laboratories were mailed to the European Laboratory for Particle Physics (CERN) and irradiated using the well-characterised CERN reference radiation facility (CERF). Neutron dose equivalents determined using the DOE personal dosemeters have been compared to the reference dose equivalent as determined using a tissue-equivalent proportional counter (TEPC). In the 0.5 to 5 mSv dose equivalent range, the comparison of results suggests that the neutron personal dosemeters in use at DOE facilities are capable of estimating dose equivalents for high energy neutrons to within a factor of at least 2 or 3. If a field-specific calibration factor is used to correct the dose equivalent responses, the agreement with the reference dose equivalent for these dosemeters can be improved to better than about 25 to 65at is decoupled from the core in /sup 183,185/Au, becomes the 3/2[532] state (h9/2 parentage) strongly coupled in the doubly-odd /sup 184/Au nucleu...

  10. Genetic evidence for extreme polyandry and extraordinary sex-role reversal in a pipefish.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, A G; Walker, D; Avise, J C

    2001-12-22

    Due to the phenomenon of male pregnancy, the fish family Syngnathidae (seahorses and pipefishes) has historically been considered an archetypal example of a group in which sexual selection should act more strongly on females than on males. However, more recent work has called into question the idea that all species with male pregnancy are sex-role reversed with respect to the intensity of sexual selection. Furthermore, no studies have formally quantified the opportunity for sexual selection in any natural breeding assemblage of pipefishes or seahorses in order to demonstrate conclusively that sexual selection acts most strongly on females. Here, we use a DNA-based study of parentage in the Gulf pipefish Syngnathus scovelli in order to show that sexual selection indeed acts more strongly on females than on males in this species. Moreover, the Gulf pipefish exhibits classical polyandry with the greatest asymmetry in reproductive roles (as quantified by variances in mating success) between males and females yet documented in any system. Thus, the intensity of sexual selection on females in pipefish rivals that of any other taxon yet studied.

  11. Development of a multiplex PCR assay for fine-scale population genetic analysis of the Komodo monitor Varanus komodoensis based on 18 polymorphic microsatellite loci.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ciofi, Claudio; Tzika, Athanasia C; Natali, Chiara; Watts, Phillip C; Sulandari, Sri; Zein, Moch S A; Milinkovitch, Michel C

    2011-05-01

    Multiplex PCR assays for the coamplification of microsatellite loci allow rapid and cost-effective genetic analyses and the production of efficient screening protocols for international breeding programs. We constructed a partial genomic library enriched for di-nucleotide repeats and characterized 14 new microsatellite loci for the Komodo monitor (or Komodo dragon, Varanus komodoensis). Using these novel microsatellites and four previously described loci, we developed multiplex PCR assays that may be loaded on a genetic analyser in three separate panels. We tested the novel set of microsatellites for polymorphism using 69 individuals from three island populations and evaluated the resolving power of the entire panel of 18 loci by conducting (i) a preliminary assignment test to determine population(s) of origin and (ii) a parentage analysis for 43 captive Komodo monitors. This panel of polymorphic loci proved useful for both purposes and thus can be exploited for fine-scale population genetic analyses and as part of international captive breeding programs directed at maintaining genetically viable ex situ populations and reintroductions. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  12. On the need of regulating surrogacy: Recent case law and activities in 2014

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bordaš Bernadet

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The paper discusses three important events for a future possible international instrument on surrogacy with cross-border effects. The Hague Conference document 'The desirability and feasibility of further work on the Parentage / Surrogacy Project', the first two judgments of the European Court of Human Rights on the effects of cross-border surrogate motherhood and two judgments of the Court of the European Union on the right of intended mothers to maternity leave suggest that international regulation of the issues is desirable, but large differences between internal laws of states require further study on the possibility of reaching a consensus to draw up and accept a binding or not-binding multilateral instrument on the subject matter. The Mennesson v France ECHR judgment is particularly important, because it establishes violation of the right to respect private life of children who were given birth by a surrogate mother, and creates by this a contradiction between the margin of appreciation of a respective State and the principle of best interests of the child.

  13. Orbitally-driven magnetism in light actinide systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cooper, B.R.; Los Alamos National Lab.

    1987-01-01

    We are interested in understanding the solid-state behavior characteristic of the transition regime between itinerant (bonding) and localized (correlated ionic) f-electron behavior in light actinide (uranium, neptunium and plutonium) systems. For the light actinides, the degree of f-electron localization is sensitive to chemical environment and varies widely depending on specific compound or alloy. It is important for any meaningful theory to reflect this sensitivity to chemical environment. We have focussed our attention initially on magnetic behavior, since the pertinent orbitally-driven magnetic behavior is both interesting in itself and valuable as a diagnostic tool for the f-electron behavior and sensitivity to chemical environment. The key aspect of the electronic behavior is the hybridization (mixing) of the f electrons with band electrons of other than f atomic parentage. To treat effects of hybridization quantitatively, we transform the physical mixing mathematically to resonant scattering of band electrons off f electrons. Anisotropic magnetic properties provide a way to measure the weighting of resonant scattering channels, and this weighting reflects the sensitivity to chemical environment. (orig.)

  14. Seascape and life-history traits do not predict self-recruitment in a coral reef fish

    KAUST Repository

    Herrera Sarrias, Marcela

    2016-08-10

    The persistence and resilience of many coral reef species are dependent on rates of connectivity among sub-populations. However, despite increasing research efforts, the spatial scale of larval dispersal remains unpredictable for most marine metapopulations. Here, we assess patterns of larval dispersal in the angelfish Centropyge bicolor in Kimbe Bay, Papua New Guinea, using parentage and sibling reconstruction analyses based on 23 microsatellite DNA loci. We found that, contrary to previous findings in this system, self-recruitment (SR) was virtually absent at both the reef (0.4-0.5% at 0.15 km2) and the lagoon scale (0.6-0.8% at approx. 700 km2). While approximately 25%of the collected juveniles were identified as potential siblings, the majority of sibling pairs were sampled from separate reefs. Integrating our findings with earlier research from the same system suggests that geographical setting and life-history traits alone are not suitable predictors of SR and that high levels of localized recruitment are not universal in coral reef fishes. © 2016 The Authors.

  15. Molecular characterization of a peanut variety and its derivatives based on SSR and COP analysis

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Xiaoping REN; Boshou LIAO; Huifang JIANG; Zhongyuan YUAN; Yuning CHEN; Xiaojing ZHOU; Li HUANG; Jiaquan HUANG; Yong LEI; Liying YAN

    2016-01-01

    Despite the economic importance of the peanut,no studies have been carried out to determine the correlation between genetic distances based on molecular markers and on coefficient of parentage (COP) data.In this study,simple sequence repeat (SSR) and pedigree data were used to assess the genetic distance between the Fuhuasheng variety and its derivative cultivars.A total of 39 SSR polymorphism primers were used,and 151 bands were obtained,with an average of 2.04 bands in each primer.The genetic SSR-based distance (GD) values ranged from 0.02 to 0.81,while the COP-based GD ranged from 0.25 to 0.98.Certain Fuhuasheng loci displayed higher transmission rates.These loci or nearby chromosomal regions might be associated with desirable traits in Fuhuasheng variety,thus being frequently selected in breeding programs.Therefore,it can be suggested that COP analysis should be the preferred method for estimating genetic diversity invarieties with available complete pedigree information and parents.In this case,marker analysis would provide the best estimations.

  16. Stock characterization and improvement: DNA fingerprinting and cold tolerance of Populus and Salix clones

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lin, Dolly; Hubbes, M.; Zsuffa, L. [Toronto Univ., ON (Canada). Faculty of Forestry; Tsarouhas, V.; Gullberg, U. [Swedish Univ. of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala (Sweden). Dept. of Forest Genetics; Howe, G.; Hackett, W.; Gardner, G.; Furnier, G. [Minnesota Univ., St. Paul, MN (United States). Dept. of Forest Resources; Tuskan, G. [Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)

    1998-12-31

    Molecular characterization of advanced-generation pedigrees and evaluation of cold tolerance are two aspects of Populus and Salix genetic improvement programmes worldwide that have traditionally received little emphasis. As such, chloroplast DNA markers were tested as a means of determining multi-generation parental contributions to hybrid progeny. Likewise, greenhouse, growth chamber and field studies were used to assess cold tolerance in Populus and Salix. Chloroplast DNA markers did not reveal size polymorphisms among four tested Populus species, but did produce sequence polymorphisms between P. maximowiczii and P. trichocarpa. Additional crosses between multiple genotypes from each species are being used to evaluate the utility of the detected polymorphism for ascertaining parentage within interspecific crosses. Short-day, cold tolerance greenhouse studies revealed that bud set date and frost damage are moderately heritable and genetically correlated in Populus. The relationship between greenhouse and field studies suggests that factors other than short days contribute to cold tolerance in Populus. In Salix, response to artificial fall conditioning varied among full-sibling families, with the fastest growing family displaying the greatest amount of cold tolerance 26 refs, 3 tabs

  17. Technical and ethical challenges of fertility preservation in young cancer patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deepinder, Fnu; Agarwal, Ashok

    2008-06-01

    As cancer treatment improves, more young men and women survive, but they suffer from infertility as a major sequel of cancer treatment. Gamete and embryo cryopreservation are the only options available to these patients for preserving their fertility. Although cryopreservation of spermatozoa and embryos are already established, oocyte banking is still experimental. The advent of testicular tissue cryopreservation and spermatogonial stem cell transplantation in men, and ovarian tissue cryopreservation and in-vitro follicular maturation in women, has started a frenzy of experiments worldwide trying to demonstrate their potential use in fertility preservation. Although major improvements have been made in tissue cryobanking in the past decade, there are still many unresolved technical issues related to these procedures. Furthermore, the intersection of cancer and fertility preservation in young patients raises ethical, legal and policy issues for oncologists and cancer survivors. Informed consent of minor patients, legal parentage and medical negligence claims are some of the potential legal challenges faced by society and healthcare providers. This review summarizes the technical and ethical challenges of gamete cryopreservation in young cancer patients.

  18. Genetic distribution of 15 autosomal STR markers in the Punjabi population of Pakistan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shan, Muhammad Adnan; Hussain, Manzoor; Shafique, Muhammad; Shahzad, Muhammad; Perveen, Rukhsana; Idrees, Muhammad

    2016-11-01

    Genetic diversity of 15 autosomal short tandem repeat (STR) loci was evaluated in 713 unrelated individual samples of a Punjabi population of Pakistan. These loci were scrutinized to establish allelic frequencies and statistical parameters of forensic and paternity interests. A total of 165 alleles were observed with the corresponding allele frequencies ranging from 0.001 to 0.446. D2S1338 was found as the most informative locus while TPOX (0.611) was the least discriminating locus. The combined power of discrimination (CPD), the combined probability of exclusion (CPE), and cumulative probability of matching (CPM) were found equaled to 0.999999999999999998606227424808, 0.999995777557989, and 1.37543 × 10-18, respectively. All the loci followed the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium after the Bonferroni correction (p < 0.0033) except one locus D3S1358. The study revealed that these STR loci are highly polymorphic, suitable for forensic and parentage analyses. In comparison to different populations (Asians and non-Asians), significant differences were recorded for these loci.

  19. New version: GRASP2K relativistic atomic structure package

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jönsson, P.; Gaigalas, G.; Bieroń, J.; Fischer, C. Froese; Grant, I. P.

    2013-09-01

    A revised version of GRASP2K [P. Jönsson, X. He, C. Froese Fischer, I.P. Grant, Comput. Phys. Commun. 177 (2007) 597] is presented. It supports earlier non-block and block versions of codes as well as a new block version in which the njgraf library module [A. Bar-Shalom, M. Klapisch, Comput. Phys. Commun. 50 (1988) 375] has been replaced by the librang angular package developed by Gaigalas based on the theory of [G. Gaigalas, Z.B. Rudzikas, C. Froese Fischer, J. Phys. B: At. Mol. Phys. 30 (1997) 3747, G. Gaigalas, S. Fritzsche, I.P. Grant, Comput. Phys. Commun. 139 (2001) 263]. Tests have shown that errors encountered by njgraf do not occur with the new angular package. The three versions are denoted v1, v2, and v3, respectively. In addition, in v3, the coefficients of fractional parentage have been extended to j=9/2, making calculations feasible for the lanthanides and actinides. Changes in v2 include minor improvements. For example, the new version of rci2 may be used to compute quantum electrodynamic (QED) corrections only from selected orbitals. In v3, a new program, jj2lsj, reports the percentage composition of the wave function in LSJ and the program rlevels has been modified to report the configuration state function (CSF) with the largest coefficient of an LSJ expansion. The bioscl2 and bioscl3 application programs have been modified to produce a file of transition data with one record for each transition in the same format as in ATSP2K [C. Froese Fischer, G. Tachiev, G. Gaigalas, M.R. Godefroid, Comput. Phys. Commun. 176 (2007) 559], which identifies each atomic state by the total energy and a label for the CSF with the largest expansion coefficient in LSJ intermediate coupling. All versions of the codes have been adapted for 64-bit computer architecture. Program SummaryProgram title: GRASP2K, version 1_1 Catalogue identifier: ADZL_v1_1 Program summary URL: http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/summaries/ADZL_v1_1.html Program obtainable from: CPC Program Library

  20. Genetic identity, ancestry and parentage in farmer selections of cacao from Aceh, Indonesia revealed by single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) is the source of cocoa powder and butter used for chocolate and this species originated in the rainforests of South America. Indonesia is the 3rd largest cacao producer in the world with an annual cacao output of 0.55 million tons. Knowledge of on-farm genetic diversity is...

  1. Isolation and characterisation of a dinucleotide microsatellite set for a parentage and biodiversity study in domestic guinea pig (Cavia porcellus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Diana Aviles

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available The domestic guinea pig is a valuable genetic resource because it is part of local folklore and food tradition in many South American countries. The economic importance of the guinea pig is due to its high feed efficiency and the quality of animal protein produced. For these reasons, our study is aimed to design a complete dinucleotide microsatellite marker set following international recommendation to assess the genetic diversity and genealogy management of guinea pigs. We selected a total of 20 microsatellites, looking for laboratory efficiency and good statistical parameters. The set was tested in 100 unrelated individuals of guinea pigs from Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, Bolivia and Spain. Our results show a high degree of polymorphisms with a total of 216 alleles and a mean number of 10.80±3.49 for markers with a combined exclusion probability of 0.99.

  2. Population data and mutation rates of 20 autosomal STR loci in a Chinese Han population from Yunnan Province, Southwest China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Xiufeng; Liu, Linlin; Xie, Runfang; Wang, Guiyi; Shi, Yuan; Gu, Tao; Hu, Liping; Nie, Shengjie

    2018-07-01

    The genetic polymorphisms of 20 autosomal short tandem repeat (STR) loci included in the PowerPlex® 21 kit were evaluated from 2068 unrelated, healthy individuals from the Chinese Han population of Yunnan Province in southwest China. All of the loci reached Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. These loci were examined to determine allele frequencies and forensic statistical parameters. The genetic relationships among the Yunnan Han and other Chinese populations were also estimated. The combined discrimination power and probability of excluding paternity of the 20 STR loci were 0.99999999999999999999999126 and 0.999999975, respectively. In addition, mutation rates from 4363 parentage cases (2215 trios and 2148 duos) were investigated in this study. A total of 164 mutations were observed in 6578 meioses from the 20 loci. The highest mutation rate was observed in D12S391 (0.30%), and the lowest mutation rates were observed in D13S317 (0.03%) and TPOX (0.03%). The average mutation rate for the 20 loci was estimated to be 1.246 × 10 -3 per meiosis. The mutations were primarily single-step and paternal mutations.

  3. International filiation in the new Civil and Commercial Code of Argentina

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luciana BEATRIZ SCOTTI

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available The Argentine Private International Law omitted from yesteryear, legislate on international filiation, both in relation to jurisdiction and applicable law in matters of contesting paternity, establishment and recognition of parentage as regards the extraterritorial recognition of parental filiation. Indeed, given the particularities of this issue, the responses from our discipline were delayed. The Argentina did not have regulation of internal source, and conventional rules are scarce and inadequate for today.In comparative law and in a wide sector of the national and foreign doctrine, the tendency is to adopt a connecting element focused on the child: his domicile or habitual residence, with some nuances of different interpretation and potential accumulation of laws. Also on jurisdiction, we note a clear orientation towards the opening of forums available.In the present work, we try to provide some guidelines for coding this sensitive issue, which involves primarily the human rights of children, with special consideration the provisions of the recently adopted Civil and Commercial Code of Argentina, and the current context in which the techniques of assisted human reproduction claim a starring role, with serious and concrete effects on Private International Law.

  4. Whole genome amplification and microsatellite genotyping of herbarium DNA revealed the identity of an ancient grapevine cultivar

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malenica, Nenad; Šimon, Silvio; Besendorfer, Višnja; Maletić, Edi; Karoglan Kontić, Jasminka; Pejić, Ivan

    2011-09-01

    Reconstruction of the grapevine cultivation history has advanced tremendously during the last decade. Identification of grapevine cultivars by using microsatellite DNA markers has mostly become a routine. The parentage of several renowned grapevine cultivars, like Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, has been elucidated. However, the assembly of a complete grapevine genealogy is not yet possible because missing links might no longer be in cultivation or are even extinct. This problem could be overcome by analyzing ancient DNA from grapevine herbarium specimens and other historical remnants of once cultivated varieties. Here, we present the first successful genotyping of a grapevine herbarium specimen and the identification of the corresponding grapevine cultivar. Using a set of nine grapevine microsatellite markers, in combination with a whole genome amplification procedure, we found the 90-year-old Tribidrag herbarium specimen to display the same microsatellite profile as the popular American cultivar Zinfandel. This work, together with information from several historical documents, provides a new clue of Zinfandel cultivation in Croatia as early as the beginning of fifteenth century, under the native name Tribidrag. Moreover, it emphasizes substantial information potential of existing grapevine and other herbarium collections worldwide.

  5. Feral Pigeons (Columba livia Prefer Genetically Similar Mates despite Inbreeding Depression.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gwenaël Jacob

    Full Text Available Avoidance of mating between related individuals is usually considered adaptive because it decreases the probability of inbreeding depression in offspring. However, mating between related partners can be adaptive if outbreeding depression is stronger than inbreeding depression or if females gain inclusive fitness benefits by mating with close kin. In the present study, we used microsatellite data to infer the parentage of juveniles born in a French colony of feral pigeons, which allowed us to deduce parent pairs. Despite detectable inbreeding depression, we found that pairwise relatedness between mates was significantly higher than between nonmates, with a mean coefficient of relatedness between mates of 0.065, approximately half the theoretical value for first cousins. This higher relatedness between mates cannot be explained by spatial genetic structure in this colonial bird; it therefore probably results from an active choice. As inbreeding but not outbreeding depression is observed in the study population, this finding accords with the idea that mating with genetically similar mates can confer a benefit in terms of inclusive fitness. Our results and published evidence suggest that preference for related individuals as mates might be relatively frequent in birds.

  6. Otolith geochemistry does not reflect dispersal history of clownfish larvae

    KAUST Repository

    Berumen, Michael L.

    2010-07-01

    Natural geochemical signatures in calcified structures are commonly employed to retrospectively estimate dispersal pathways of larval fish and invertebrates. However, the accuracy of the approach is generally untested due to the absence of individuals with known dispersal histories. We used genetic parentage analysis (genotyping) to divide 110 new recruits of the orange clownfish, Amphiprion percula, from Kimbe Island, Papua New Guinea, into two groups: "self-recruiters" spawned by parents on Kimbe Island and "immigrants" that had dispersed from distant reefs (>10 km away). Analysis of daily increments in sagittal otoliths found no significant difference in PLDs or otolith growth rates between self-recruiting and immigrant larvae. We also quantified otolith Sr/Ca and Ba/Ca ratios during the larval phase using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Again, we found no significant differences in larval profiles of either element between self-recruits and immigrants. Our results highlight the need for caution when interpreting otolith dispersal histories based on natural geochemical tags in the absence of water chemistry data or known-origin larvae with which to test the discriminatory ability of natural tags. © 2010 Springer-Verlag.

  7. High levels of genetic differentiation and selfing in the Brazilian cerrado fruit tree Dipteryx alata Vog. (Fabaceae

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Roberto Tarazi

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Dipteryx alata is a native fruit tree species of the cerrado (Brazilian savanna that has great economic potential because of its multiple uses. Knowledge of how the genetic variability of this species is organized within and among populations would be useful for genetic conservation and breeding programs. We used nine simple sequence repeat (SSR primers developed for Dipteryx odorata to evaluate the genetic structure of three populations of D. alata located in central Brazil based on a leaf sample analysis from 101 adults. The outcrossing rate was evaluated using 300 open-pollinated offspring from 25 seed-trees. Pollen dispersal was measured by parentage analysis. We used spatial genetic structure (SGS to test the minimal distance for harvesting seeds in conservation and breeding programs. Our data indicate that the populations studied had a high degree of genetic diversity and population structure, as suggested by the high level of divergence among populations . The estimated outcrossing rate suggested a mixed mating system, and the intrapopulation fixation index was influenced by SGS. We conclude that seed harvesting for genetic conservation and breeding programs requires a minimum distance between trees of 196 m to avoid collecting seeds from related seed-trees.

  8. Reference-free SNP discovery for the Eurasian beaver from restriction site-associated DNA paired-end data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Senn, Helen; Ogden, Rob; Cezard, Timothee; Gharbi, Karim; Iqbal, Zamin; Johnson, Eric; Kamps-Hughes, Nick; Rosell, Frank; McEwing, Ross

    2013-06-01

    In this study, we used restriction site-associated DNA (RAD) sequencing to discover SNP markers suitable for population genetic and parentage analysis with the aim of using them for monitoring the reintroduction of the Eurasian beaver (Castor fibre) to Scotland. In the absence of a reference genome for beaver, we built contigs and discovered SNPs within them using paired-end RAD data, so as to have sufficient flanking region around the SNPs to conduct marker design. To do this, we used a simple pipeline which catalogued the Read 1 data in stacks and then used the assembler cortex_var to conduct de novo assembly and genotyping of multiple samples using the Read 2 data. The analysis of around 1.1 billion short reads of sequence data was reduced to a set of 2579 high-quality candidate SNP markers that were polymorphic in Norwegian and Bavarian beaver. Both laboratory validation of a subset of eight of the SNPs (1.3% error) and internal validation by confirming patterns of Mendelian inheritance in a family group (0.9% error) confirmed the success of this approach. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  9. Direct-to-consumer sales of genetic services on the Internet.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gollust, Sarah E; Wilfond, Benjamin S; Hull, Sara Chandros

    2003-01-01

    PURPOSE The increasing use of the Internet to obtain genetics information and to order medical services without a prescription, combined with a rise in direct-to-consumer marketing for genetic testing, suggests the potential for the Internet to be used to sell genetic services. METHODS A systematic World Wide Web search was conducted in May 2002 to assess the availability of genetic services sold directly to consumers on the Internet. RESULTS Out of 105 sites that offered genetic services directly, most offered non-health-related services, including parentage confirmation testing (83%), identity testing (56%), and DNA banking (24%); however, health-related genetic tests were offered through 14 sites (13%). The health-related genetic tests available ranged from standard tests, such as hemochromatosis and cystic fibrosis, to more unconventional tests related to nutrition, behavior, and aging. Of these 14 sites, 5 described risks associated with the genetic services and 6 described the availability of counseling. CONCLUSIONS The availability of direct sales of health-related genetic tests creates the potential for inadequate pretest decision making, misunderstanding test results, and access to tests of questionable clinical value.

  10. Granulitic orthogneisses geochemistry of Caraiba complex, in Riachao do Jacuipe region - Bahia state, Brazil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Teixeira, L.R.; Mello, R.C.

    1990-01-01

    This paper describes the granulitic orthogneisses of the Riachao do Jacuipe unit (Caraiba Complex) petrographicaly classified as tonalitic (predominating), trondhjemitic, granodioritic and quartz dioritic hyperstene gneisses. The chemical composition of the orthogneisses is dominantly tonalitic/granodioritic, that is typical of a calc-alkaline parentage depleted in K and enriched in Al sub(2) O sub(3). Their geochemical characteristics are very similar to those of the grey gneisses of other regions of the world, usually named TTG (tonalite-trondhhemite-granodiorite). In the sequence of orthogneiss coexist rocks both normal and depleted in LILE. The patterns of distribution of highly fractioned REE (La/YbN ratio up to 102) with Eu anomaly small or absent points against a direct mantle origin. On the other hand the only Rb-Sr age determination in the se rocks gives an age of 2,35 Ga with an initial ratio (Ro) of 0,702. This initial ratio suggests that the rocks did not originated from reworking of a much older continental crust. The available data suggest that the granulitized orthogneisses of the Caraiba Complex were formed by partial melt of basaltic material (amphibalitized oceanic crust). (author)

  11. Effects of radiation on the R/sub 1/ and R/sub 2/ progenies of Pennisetum typhoides S. and H

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Das, L D.V. [Tamil Nadu Agricultural Univ., Coimbatore (India)

    1978-05-01

    Dry seeds of cumbu strains HB3 and MS7625 were irradiated with different doses of X- and gamma rays. The survival, growth reduction and pollen sterility of R/sub 1/ plants were estimated. The seeds from each R/sub 1/ plant were sown in the field and all clearly deviating plants were scored as morphological mutants. Gamma rays were found to be more effective than X-rays with respect to R/sub 1/ lethality, growth reduction, pollen sterility, and R/sub 2/ mutant frequency. In addition, the survival frequency of the R/sub 1/ plants was reduced to zero per cent when the exposure was increased to 30 and 40 kR of gamma rays. The response of the two strains clearly deviated in X-rays and gamma rays. HB3 showed a lower percentage of lethality, lesser growth reduction and lower pollen sterility. While the relation between R/sub 1/ pollen sterility and the R/sub 2/ mutant frequency was established, it was found that HB3 segregates greater number of mutants than MS7625. The possibility for this might be due to the hybrid parentage of HB3.

  12. DETECTION OF POLLEN FLOW IN THE SEEDLING SEED ORCHARD OF Acacia mangium USING DNA MARKER

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vivi Yuskianti

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available Pollen pattern dispersal in seedling seed orchard (SSO is an essential part of a tree-improvement program. Two SSOs of Acacia mangium in South Kalimantan and South Sumatra that represent similar resources in different environments were used in this study.  Genotypes of all trees and seeds from a subset of 10 mother trees in each orchard were determined for 12 microsatellite loci, and parentage analysis was carried out. The results shows that the pollen dispersal pattern in both SSOs decrease with distance from mother tree. Patterns of pollen dispersal, dispersal distance and cumulative frequency of pollen dispersal distance were similar in both SSOs. Random pollen dispersal were found in both SSOs. About 80% of all crosses were found within a 40-m distance range with the most frequent pollination distance between mother tree and male male parents was 0-10 m. No self-pollinated seed was detected. Application of all these aspects found in this study such as random pollen dispersal and the effective pollen dispersal distance can be useful for establishing seedling seed orchard, clonal seed orchard and in other tree improvement activities of A. mangium.

  13. Dispersal of grouper larvae drives local resource sharing in a coral reef fishery

    KAUST Repository

    Almany, Glenn R.; Hamilton, Richard J.; Bode, Michael; Matawai, Manuai; Potuku, Tapas; Saenz Agudelo, Pablo; Planes, Serge; Berumen, Michael L.; Rhodes, Kevin L.; Thorrold, Simon R.; Russ, Garry Ronald; Jones, Geoffrey P.

    2013-01-01

    In many tropical nations, fisheries management requires a community-based approach because small customary marine tenure areas define the spatial scale of management [1]. However, the fate of larvae originating from a community's tenure is unknown, and thus the degree to which a community can expect their management actions to replenish the fisheries within their tenure is unclear [2, 3]. Furthermore, whether and how much larval dispersal links tenure areas can provide a strong basis for cooperative management [4, 5]. Using genetic parentage analysis, we measured larval dispersal from a single, managed spawning aggregation of squaretail coral grouper (Plectropomus areolatus) and determined its contribution to fisheries replenishment within five community tenure areas up to 33 km from the aggregation at Manus Island, Papua New Guinea. Within the community tenure area containing the aggregation, 17%-25% of juveniles were produced by the aggregation. In four adjacent tenure areas, 6%-17% of juveniles were from the aggregation. Larval dispersal kernels predict that 50% of larvae settled within 14 km of the aggregation. These results strongly suggest that both local and cooperative management actions can provide fisheries benefits to communities over small spatial scales. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

  14. The nasty neighbour in the striped mouse (Rhabdomys pumilio steals paternity and elicits aggression

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Schneider Carola

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Territoriality functions to monopolize access to resources including mates, but is costly in terms of energy and time investment. Some species reduce these costs by being less aggressive towards their neighbours than towards unfamiliar strangers, the so called dear enemy phenomenon. However, in other species individuals are more, not less aggressive towards their neighbours. It has been hypothesised that this is due to the fact that neighbours can impose a greater threat than strangers, but this has not been tested previously. Results We tested aggression in wild group-living male striped mice in a neutral test arena and demonstrate that breeders are more aggressive than non-breeding philopatrics, and that more aggression occurs during the breeding than during the non-breeding season. Male breeders were significantly more aggressive towards their neighbours than towards strangers, leading to the prediction that neighbours are the most important competitors for paternity. Using a molecular parentage analysis we show that 28% of offspring are sired by neighbouring males and only 7% by strangers. Conclusions We conclude that in male striped mice the main function of male aggression is defending paternity against their territorial neighbours.

  15. The nasty neighbour in the striped mouse (Rhabdomys pumilio) steals paternity and elicits aggression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schradin, Carsten; Schneider, Carola; Lindholm, Anna K

    2010-06-23

    Territoriality functions to monopolize access to resources including mates, but is costly in terms of energy and time investment. Some species reduce these costs by being less aggressive towards their neighbours than towards unfamiliar strangers, the so called dear enemy phenomenon. However, in other species individuals are more, not less aggressive towards their neighbours. It has been hypothesised that this is due to the fact that neighbours can impose a greater threat than strangers, but this has not been tested previously. We tested aggression in wild group-living male striped mice in a neutral test arena and demonstrate that breeders are more aggressive than non-breeding philopatrics, and that more aggression occurs during the breeding than during the non-breeding season. Male breeders were significantly more aggressive towards their neighbours than towards strangers, leading to the prediction that neighbours are the most important competitors for paternity. Using a molecular parentage analysis we show that 28% of offspring are sired by neighbouring males and only 7% by strangers. We conclude that in male striped mice the main function of male aggression is defending paternity against their territorial neighbours.

  16. Genetic approaches refine ex situ lowland tapir (Tapirus terrestris) conservation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gonçalves da Silva, Anders; Lalonde, Danielle R; Quse, Viviana; Shoemaker, Alan; Russello, Michael A

    2010-01-01

    Ex situ conservation management remains an important tool in the face of continued habitat loss and global environmental change. Here, we use microsatellite marker variation to evaluate conventional assumptions of pedigree-based ex situ population management and directly inform a captive lowland tapir breeding program within a range country. We found relatively high levels of genetic variation (N(total) = 41; mean H(E) = 0.67 across 10 variable loci) and little evidence for relatedness among founder individuals (N(founders) = 10; mean relatedness = -0.05). Seven of 29 putative parent-offspring relationships were excluded by parentage analysis based on allele sharing, and we identified 2 individuals of high genetic value to the population (mk

  17. Trends in contraceptive use among female adolescents in Ghana.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abdul-Rahman, Lutuf; Marrone, Gaetano; Johansson, Annika

    2011-06-01

    Within the past one and half decades many efforts have been made to improve the availability and access to adolescent sexual and reproductive health services. Despite these efforts, adolescents still face a number of sexual and reproductive health problems. This paper uses data from the 2003 and 2008 Ghana Demographic and Health Surveys to examine changes in contraceptive use among sexually active female adolescents (15-19 years old). The results show that between 2003 and 2008 there was a significant increase in the current use of any contraceptive method (from 23.7% to 35.1%, p = 0.03). It also indicates a shift from modern to traditional contraceptive methods. Traditional methods recorded about 60% (7.8 percentage points) increase as compared to 5.5% (2.6 percentage points) for modern methods. Also ever use of any traditional method recorded a higher increase as compared to any modem method. There was a slight decline 7% (4.4 parentage points) in the number of non-users who intended to use contraceptives in the future. On the whole the findings indicate increasing unmet need for modern contraception due to barriers such as limited access, cost and misconceptions about the effects of contraceptives.

  18. Development of Pedigree Classification Using Microsatellite and Mitochondrial Markers for Giant Grouper Broodstock (Epinephelus lanceolatus) Management in Taiwan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuo, Hsiao-Che; Hsu, Hao-Hsuan; Chua, Chee Shin; Wang, Ting-Yu; Chen, Young-Mao; Chen, Tzong-Yueh

    2014-01-01

    Most giant groupers in the market are derived from inbred stock. Inbreeding can cause trait depression, compromising the animals’ fitness and disease resistance, obligating farmers to apply increased amounts of drugs. In order to solve this problem, a pedigree classification method is needed. Here, microsatellite and mitochondrial DNA were used as genetic markers to analyze the genetic relationships among giant grouper broodstocks. The 776-bp fragment of high polymorphic mitochondrial D-loop sequence was selected for measuring sibling relatedness. In a sample of 118 giant groupers, 42 haplotypes were categorized, with nucleotide diversity (π) of 0.00773 and haplotype diversity (HD) of 0.983. Furthermore, microsatellites were used for investigation of parentage. Six out of 33 microsatellite loci were selected as markers based on having a high number of alleles and compliance with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Microsatellite profiles based on these loci provide high variability with low combined non-exclusion probability, permitting practical use in aquaculture. The method described here could be used to improve grouper broodstock management and lower the chances of inbreeding. This approach is expected to lead to production of higher quality groupers with higher disease resistance, thereby reducing the need for drug application. PMID:24796300

  19. Dispersal of grouper larvae drives local resource sharing in a coral reef fishery

    KAUST Repository

    Almany, Glenn R.

    2013-04-01

    In many tropical nations, fisheries management requires a community-based approach because small customary marine tenure areas define the spatial scale of management [1]. However, the fate of larvae originating from a community\\'s tenure is unknown, and thus the degree to which a community can expect their management actions to replenish the fisheries within their tenure is unclear [2, 3]. Furthermore, whether and how much larval dispersal links tenure areas can provide a strong basis for cooperative management [4, 5]. Using genetic parentage analysis, we measured larval dispersal from a single, managed spawning aggregation of squaretail coral grouper (Plectropomus areolatus) and determined its contribution to fisheries replenishment within five community tenure areas up to 33 km from the aggregation at Manus Island, Papua New Guinea. Within the community tenure area containing the aggregation, 17%-25% of juveniles were produced by the aggregation. In four adjacent tenure areas, 6%-17% of juveniles were from the aggregation. Larval dispersal kernels predict that 50% of larvae settled within 14 km of the aggregation. These results strongly suggest that both local and cooperative management actions can provide fisheries benefits to communities over small spatial scales. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

  20. Parentage analysis of Ansell’s mole-rat family groups indicates a high reproductive skew despite relatively relaxed ecological constraints on dispersal

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Patzenhauerová, Hana; Šklíba, J.; Bryja, Josef; Šumbera, R.

    2013-01-01

    Roč. 22, č. 19 (2013), s. 4988-5000 ISSN 0962-1083 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA601410802; GA ČR GAP506/10/0983 Institutional support: RVO:68081766 Keywords : African mole-rat * dispersal * eusociality * Fukomys * mating system * reproductive skew Subject RIV: EH - Ecology, Behaviour Impact factor: 5.840, year: 2013

  1. Effectiveness of microsatellite and SNP markers for parentage and identity analysis in species with low genetic diversity: the case of European bison

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Torskarska, M; Marshall, T; Kowalczyk, R

    2009-01-01

    The European bison (Bison bonasus) has recovered successfully after a severe bottleneck about 90 years ago. Pedigree analysis indicates that over 80% of the genes in the contemporary population descend from just 2 founder individuals and the pedigree-based inbreeding coefficient averages almost 0...

  2. Analytical equations for CT dose profiles derived using a scatter kernel of Monte Carlo parentage with broad applicability to CT dosimetry problems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dixon, Robert L.; Boone, John M.

    2011-01-01

    Purpose: Knowledge of the complete axial dose profile f(z), including its long scatter tails, provides the most complete (and flexible) description of the accumulated dose in CT scanning. The CTDI paradigm (including CTDI vol ) requires shift-invariance along z (identical dose profiles spaced at equal intervals), and is therefore inapplicable to many of the new and complex shift-variant scan protocols, e.g., high dose perfusion studies using variable (or zero) pitch. In this work, a convolution-based beam model developed by Dixon et al.[Med. Phys. 32, 3712-3728, (2005)] updated with a scatter LSF kernel (or DSF) derived from a Monte Carlo simulation by Boone [Med. Phys. 36, 4547-4554 (2009)] is used to create an analytical equation for the axial dose profile f(z) in a cylindrical phantom. Using f(z), equations are derived which provide the analytical description of conventional (axial and helical) dose, demonstrating its physical underpinnings; and likewise for the peak axial dose f(0) appropriate to stationary phantom cone beam CT, (SCBCT). The methodology can also be applied to dose calculations in shift-variant scan protocols. This paper is an extension of our recent work Dixon and Boone [Med. Phys. 37, 2703-2718 (2010)], which dealt only with the properties of the peak dose f(0), its relationship to CTDI, and its appropriateness to SCBCT. Methods: The experimental beam profile data f(z) of Mori et al.[Med. Phys. 32, 1061-1069 (2005)] from a 256 channel prototype cone beam scanner for beam widths (apertures) ranging from a = 28 to 138 mm are used to corroborate the theoretical axial profiles in a 32 cm PMMA body phantom. Results: The theoretical functions f(z) closely-matched the central axis experimental profile data 11 for all apertures (a = 28 -138 mm). Integration of f(z) likewise yields analytical equations for all the (CTDI-based) dosimetric quantities of conventional CT (including CTDI L itself) in addition to the peak dose f(0) relevant to SCBCT (allowing direct cross-comparison between CT scan modes and mathematical proofs of several hypotheses of practical utility in CT dosimetry). A fast, analytical dose simulator 6 is also demonstrated--successfully matching complex dose distributions measured using OSL and film dosimetry. Conclusions: The model described allows one to obtain analytical functions describing both the primary and scatter components of the axial dose profile. This model (using no empirical functions or adjustable fit parameters) provides a good match to the experimental data, as well as a complete analytical description of dose for both conventional (axial and helical) CT and cone beam CT. An efficient method whereby the complete data set for both modalities can be obtained from a single measurement of either CTDI 100 or f(0) is illustrated. This method is also flexible--allowing calculation of heretofore unattainable doses for recently-introduced shift-variant protocols [e.g., variable pitch (irregular scan spacing), variable aperture, shuttle mode acquisition, and mA modulation schemes].

  3. Analysis of historical and modern hard red spring wheat cultivars based on parentage and HPLC of gluten proteins using Ward's clustering method

    Science.gov (United States)

    There have been substantial breeding efforts in North Dakota to produce wheat cultivars that are well adapted to weather conditions and are disease resistant. In this study, 30 hard red spring (HRS) wheat cultivars released between 1910 and 2013 were analyzed with regard to how they cluster in terms...

  4. Evaluation of advanced multiplex short tandem repeat systems in pairwise kinship analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tamura, Tomonori; Osawa, Motoki; Ochiai, Eriko; Suzuki, Takanori; Nakamura, Takashi

    2015-09-01

    The AmpFLSTR Identifiler Kit, comprising 15 autosomal short tandem repeat (STR) loci, is commonly employed in forensic practice for calculating match probabilities and parentage testing. The conventional system exhibits insufficient estimation for kinship analysis such as sibship testing because of shortness of examined loci. This study evaluated the power of the PowerPlex Fusion System, GlobalFiler Kit, and PowerPlex 21 System, which comprise more than 20 autosomal STR loci, to estimate pairwise blood relatedness (i.e., parent-child, full siblings, second-degree relatives, and first cousins). The genotypes of all 24 STR loci in 10,000 putative pedigrees were constructed by simulation. The likelihood ratio for each locus was calculated from joint probabilities for relatives and non-relatives. The combined likelihood ratio was calculated according to the product rule. The addition of STR loci improved separation between relatives and non-relatives. However, these systems were less effectively extended to the inference for first cousins. In conclusion, these advanced systems will be useful in forensic personal identification, especially in the evaluation of full siblings and second-degree relatives. Moreover, the additional loci may give rise to two major issues of more frequent mutational events and several pairs of linked loci on the same chromosome. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Evidence of multiple paternity and cooperative parental care in the so called monogamous silver arowana Osteoglossum bicirrhosum (Osteoglossiformes: Osteoglossidae

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Júlia Tovar Verba

    Full Text Available Monogamy is rare in fishes and is usually associated with elaborate parental care. When parental care is present in fishes, it is usually the male that is responsible, and it is believed that there is a relationship between the high energetic investment and the certainty of paternity (except in the case of sneaker males. Osteoglossum bicirrhosum is considered a monogamous fish, and has particular behavioral traits that permit the study of mating systems and parental care, such as male mouthbrooding. We investigated the genetic relationships of males with the broods found in their oral cavities in Osteoglossum samples collected in a natural environment in the lower Purus river basin, Amazonas, Brazil. Fourteen broods were analyzed for parentage (268 young and 14 adult males using eight microsatellite loci. The results indicate that eleven broods show a monogamous system. In one brood, however, approximately 50% of the young were genetically compatible with being offspring of another male, and in another two broods, none of the subsampled young were compatible with the genotypes of the brooding male. The result of this first brood may be explained by the extra-parental contribution of a sneaker male, whereas cooperative parental care may explain the result in the other two broods.

  6. Hybridization rapidly reduces fitness of a native trout in the wild

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muhlfeld, C.C.; Kalinowski, S.T.; McMahon, T.E.; Taper, M.L.; Painter, S.; Leary, R.F.; Allendorf, F.W.

    2009-01-01

    Human-mediated hybridization is a leading cause of biodiversity loss worldwide. How hybridization affects fitness and what level of hybridization is permissible pose difficult conservation questions with little empirical information to guide policy and management decisions. This is particularly true for salmonids, where widespread introgression among non-native and native taxa has often created hybrid swarms over extensive geographical areas resulting in genomic extinction. Here, we used parentage analysis with multilocus microsatellite markers to measure how varying levels of genetic introgression with non-native rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) affect reproductive success (number of offspring per adult) of native westslope cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi) in the wild. Small amounts of hybridization markedly reduced fitness of male and female trout, with reproductive success sharply declining by approximately 50 per cent, with only 20 per cent admixture. Despite apparent fitness costs, our data suggest that hybridization may spread due to relatively high reproductive success of first-generation hybrids and high reproductive success of a few males with high levels of admixture. This outbreeding depression suggests that even low levels of admixture may have negative effects on fitness in the wild and that policies protecting hybridized populations may need reconsideration. ?? 2009 The Royal Society.

  7. Bunburra Rockhole: Exploring the Geology of a New Differentiated Basaltic Asteroid

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benedix, G.K.; Bland, P. A.; Friedrich, J. M.; Mittlefehldt, D.; Sanborn, M. E.; Yin, Q.-Z.; Greenwood, R. C; Franchi, L. A.; Bevan, A. W. R.; Towner, M. C.; hide

    2014-01-01

    Bunburra Rockhole (BR) is the first recovered meteorite of the Desert Fireball Network. It was initially classified as a basaltic eucrite, based on texture, mineralogy, and mineral chemistry but subsequent O isotopic analyses showed that BR's composition lies significantly far away from the HED group of meteorites. This suggested that BR was not a piece of the HED parent body (4 Vesta), but other explanations could also account for the observed oxygen signatures. Possible scenarios include contamination by components from other bodies (chondrites or other achondrites) or that 4 Vesta may not be as equilibrated as hypothesized. After examining multiple pieces with different instruments (CT scans and x-ray maps), no obvious evidence of contamination was found. If BR is not from Vesta, a conundrum exists as no unusual features were found in mineral and bulk trace element chemistry as exist for other anomalous basaltic achondrites such as Ibitira or Asuka 881394. These meteorites have distinct petrological and geochemical characteristics, in addition to their anomalous O isotope compositions, that set them apart from eucrites. Thus, early results provided a somewhat ambiguous picture of BR's petrogenesis and parentage. To clarify the nature of the relationship, if any, between BR and eucrites, we have performed a correlated stable isotope and bulk chemical study of several lithologic fragments.

  8. DNA polymorphisms in the Sahiwal breed of Zebu cattle revealed by synthetic oligonucleotide probes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shashikanth; Yadav, B.R.

    2005-01-01

    Genomic DNA of 15 randomly selected unrelated animals and from two sire families (11 animals) of the Sahiwal breed of Zebu cattle were investigated. Four oligonucleotide probes - (GTG) 5 , (TCC) 5 , (GT) 8 and (GT) 12 - were used on genomic DNA digested with restriction enzymes AluI, HinfI, MboI, EcoRI and HaeIII in different combinations. All four probes produced multiloci fingerprints with differing levels of polymorphisms. Total bands and shared bands in the fingerprints of each individual were in the range of 2.5 to 23.0 KB. Band number ranged from 9 to 17, with 0.48 average band sharing. Probes (GT) 8 , (GT) 12 and (TCC) 5 produced fingerprinting patterns of medium to low polymorphism, whereas probe (GTG) 5 produced highly polymorphic patterns. Probe (GTG) 5 in combination with the HaeIII enzyme was highly polymorphic with a heterozygosity level of 0.85, followed by (GT) 8 , (TCC) 5 and (GT) 12 with heterozygosity levels of 0.70, 0.65 and 0.30, respectively. Probe GTG 5 or its complementary sequence CAC 5 produced highly polymorphic fingerprints, indicating that the probe can be used for analysing population structure, parentage verification and identifying loci controlling quantitative traits and fertility status. (author)

  9. Reflections on the Maintenance Obligations from the Perspective of the European Law Enforcement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gabriela LUPŞAN

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available As stated, maintaining and developing an area of freedom, security and justice by the European Union, within which it is ensured the free movement of persons, requires the adoption of, among others, the measures relating to judicial cooperation in civil matters which have cross-border implications. These measures are designed to promote the compatibility of the rules applicable in the Member States concerning the conflict of laws and of jurisdiction. Based on the mobility of persons within the European Union, from the desire to protect both debtors of the maintenance, most often children, and the interest to favor a proper administration of justice within the European Union, there were adopted a number of community instruments relating to maintenance, which has provisions on conflicts of jurisdiction, conflict of laws, recognition and enforceability, enforcement of judgments, judicial assistance and cooperation between central authorities. In the first part of the study we analyzed the rules of jurisdiction according to which it is established the jurisdiction of the court hearing a claim for maintenance, when maintenance obligations arise from a family relationship, parentage, marriage or affinity. In the second part of the study, we limited the analysis to the choice of law applicable on in the case of the obligation between parents and their children.

  10. Can the UK's birth registration system better serve the interests of those born following collaborative assisted reproduction?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crawshaw, Marilyn A; Blyth, Eric D; Feast, Julia

    2017-06-01

    Current birth registration systems fail to serve adequately the interests of those born as a result of gamete and embryo donation and surrogacy. In the UK, changes to the birth registration system have been piecemeal, reactive and situation-specific and no information is recorded about gamete donors. Birth registration has thereby become a statement of legal parentage and citizenship only, without debate as to whether it should serve any wider functions. This sits uneasily with the increasingly accepted human right to know one's genetic and gestational as well as legal parents, and the duty of the State to facilitate that right. This commentary sets out one possible model for reform to better ensure that those affected become aware of, and/or have access to, knowledge about their origins and that such information is stored and released effectively without compromising individual privacy. Among other features, our proposal links the birth registration system and the information stored in the Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority's Register of Information, although further work than we have been able to undertake here is necessary to ensure a better fit where cross-border treatment services or informal arrangements have been involved. The time for debate and reform is well overdue.

  11. Can the UK’s birth registration system better serve the interests of those born following collaborative assisted reproduction?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marilyn A Crawshaw

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Current birth registration systems fail to serve adequately the interests of those born as a result of gamete and embryo donation and surrogacy. In the UK, changes to the birth registration system have been piecemeal, reactive and situation-specific and no information is recorded about gamete donors. Birth registration has thereby become a statement of legal parentage and citizenship only, without debate as to whether it should serve any wider functions. This sits uneasily with the increasingly accepted human right to know one’s genetic and gestational as well as legal parents, and the duty of the State to facilitate that right. This commentary sets out one possible model for reform to better ensure that those affected become aware of, and/or have access to, knowledge about their origins and that such information is stored and released effectively without compromising individual privacy. Among other features, our proposal links the birth registration system and the information stored in the Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority’s Register of Information, although further work than we have been able to undertake here is necessary to ensure a better fit where cross-border treatment services or informal arrangements have been involved. The time for debate and reform is well overdue.

  12. Phlorin screening in various citrus species and varieties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Louche, L M; Luro, F; Gaydou, E M; Lesage, J C

    2000-10-01

    Phlorin (3,5-dihydroxyphenyl beta-D-glucopyranoside), an orange peel marker, has been searched in 45 species and varieties of Citrus. The phlorin content was determined by high-pressure liquid chromatography in juices and aqueous peel extracts of these different fruits. The phlorin content in C. reticulata peel extract varies from 0 to 1012 mg L(-)(1) with a mean of 162 mg L(-)(1). On the contrary, phlorin was not found in mandarin and clementine juices except for mandarin "Commune" and "Beauty" (33 and 30 mg L(-)(1), respectively). In the 14 species of oranges and varieties, phlorin was detected in juices and peel extracts with a mean of 22 and 492 mg L(-)(1), respectively, while for grapefruits, means were 108 mg L(-)(1) in juices and 982 mg L(-)(1) for peel extracts. Tangors and tangelos which are hybrids (C. reticulata x C. sinensis and C. reticulata x C. paradisi, respectively) are characterized by the systematic presence of phlorin in peels (mean: 406 and 659 mg L(-)(1), respectively) while in juices its presence could be variable (0-73 mg L(-)(1)). These heterogeneity and values may be explained by the genetic variability of these hybrids and the phlorin content of their parentage group.

  13. [Preliminary study on self-concept psychological feature of cleft lip and palate adolescents].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liao, Rui; Zheng, Qian; Shi, Bing; Wang, Yan; Li, Ling; Dong, Rui; Shi, Jin; Yang, Chao

    2006-06-01

    To obtain the self-concept psychological feature of cleft lip and palate (CLP) adolescents further and accurately, and offer reasons for timely and pointed psychological intervention. Based on the procedure and criteria of development of psychological questionnaire, a psychological questionnaire for CLP adolescents was designed. 93 CLP and 88 healthy adolescents were studied by using it and their half-quantified score raging 0-9 were analyzed statistically. (1) There was no statistical difference between CLP and normal adolescents, scored 5.91 and 5.66 respectively, which demonstrated that the self-concept of CLP adolescents was at a normal level without obvious passive tendency. (2) There was no significant difference between genders, but boys were more extroversion while girls did better on being unyielding and releasing strain. (3) CLP adolescents had a higher ability of psychological regulation and could face failure more bravely. CLP patients were in a tendency of protective behavior inhibition, companied less, and maximized delight mood unconsciously to decrease harm from enviroment. (4) CLP adolescents had a good parentage. (5) A majority of patients had low expectation of life-quality. (6) Much of CLP patients considered that speech was more important than appearance. Self-concept of CLP adolescents have normal self-concept and do better in psychological regulation and dependence than normal ones.

  14. Temperate marine protected area provides recruitment subsidies to local fisheries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Le Port, A; Montgomery, J C; Smith, A N H; Croucher, A E; McLeod, I M; Lavery, S D

    2017-10-25

    The utility of marine protected areas (MPAs) as a means of protecting exploited species and conserving biodiversity within MPA boundaries is supported by strong empirical evidence. However, the potential contribution of MPAs to fished populations beyond their boundaries is still highly controversial; empirical measures are scarce and modelling studies have produced a range of predictions, including both positive and negative effects. Using a combination of genetic parentage and relatedness analysis, we measured larval subsidies to local fisheries replenishment for Australasian snapper ( Chrysophrys auratus : Sparidae) from a small (5.2 km 2 ), well-established, temperate, coastal MPA in northern New Zealand. Adult snapper within the MPA contributed an estimated 10.6% (95% CI: 5.5-18.1%) of newly settled juveniles to surrounding areas (approx. 400 km 2 ), with no decreasing trend in contributions up to 40 km away. Biophysical modelling of larval dispersal matched experimental data, showing larvae produced inside the MPA dispersed over a comparable distance. These results demonstrate that temperate MPAs have the potential to provide recruitment subsidies at magnitudes and spatial scales relevant to fisheries management. The validated biophysical model provides a cost-efficient opportunity to generalize these findings to other locations and climate conditions, and potentially informs the design of MPA networks for enhancing fisheries management. © 2017 The Author(s).

  15. Genotypic variation influences reproductive success and thermal stress tolerance in the reef building coral, Acropora palmata

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baums, I. B.; Devlin-Durante, M. K.; Polato, N. R.; Xu, D.; Giri, S.; Altman, N. S.; Ruiz, D.; Parkinson, J. E.; Boulay, J. N.

    2013-09-01

    The branching coral Acropora palmata is a foundation species of Caribbean reefs that has been decimated in recent decades by anthropogenic and natural stressors. Declines in population density and genotypic diversity likely reduce successful sexual reproduction in this self-incompatible hermaphrodite and might impede recovery. We investigated variation among genotypes in larval development under thermally stressful conditions. Six two-parent crosses and three four-parent batches were reared under three temperatures and sampled over time. Fertilization rates differed widely with two-parent crosses having lower fertilization rates (5-56 %, mean 22 % ± 22 SD) than batches (from 31 to 87 %, mean 59 % ± 28 SD). Parentage analysis of larvae in batch cultures showed differences in gamete compatibility among parents, coinciding with significant variation in both sperm morphology and egg size. While all larval batches developed more rapidly at increased water temperatures, rate of progression through developmental stages varied among batches, as did swimming speed. Together, these results indicate that loss of genotypic diversity exacerbates already severe limitations in sexual reproductive success of A. palmata. Nevertheless, surviving parental genotypes produce larvae that do vary in their phenotypic response to thermal stress, with implications for adaptation, larval dispersal and population connectivity in the face of warming sea surface temperatures.

  16. Development of Pedigree Classification Using Microsatellite and Mitochondrial Markers for Giant Grouper Broodstock (Epinephelus lanceolatus Management in Taiwan

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hsiao-Che Kuo

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Most giant groupers in the market are derived from inbred stock. Inbreeding can cause trait depression, compromising the animals’ fitness and disease resistance, obligating farmers to apply increased amounts of drugs. In order to solve this problem, a pedigree classification method is needed. Here, microsatellite and mitochondrial DNA were used as genetic markers to analyze the genetic relationships among giant grouper broodstocks. The 776-bp fragment of high polymorphic mitochondrial D-loop sequence was selected for measuring sibling relatedness. In a sample of 118 giant groupers, 42 haplotypes were categorized, with nucleotide diversity (π of 0.00773 and haplotype diversity (HD of 0.983. Furthermore, microsatellites were used for investigation of parentage. Six out of 33 microsatellite loci were selected as markers based on having a high number of alleles and compliance with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Microsatellite profiles based on these loci provide high variability with low combined non-exclusion probability, permitting practical use in aquaculture. The method described here could be used to improve grouper broodstock management and lower the chances of inbreeding. This approach is expected to lead to production of higher quality groupers with higher disease resistance, thereby reducing the need for drug application.

  17. The measure and significance of Bateman's principles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Collet, Julie M; Dean, Rebecca F; Worley, Kirsty; Richardson, David S; Pizzari, Tommaso

    2014-05-07

    Bateman's principles explain sex roles and sexual dimorphism through sex-specific variance in mating success, reproductive success and their relationships within sexes (Bateman gradients). Empirical tests of these principles, however, have come under intense scrutiny. Here, we experimentally show that in replicate groups of red junglefowl, Gallus gallus, mating and reproductive successes were more variable in males than in females, resulting in a steeper male Bateman gradient, consistent with Bateman's principles. However, we use novel quantitative techniques to reveal that current methods typically overestimate Bateman's principles because they (i) infer mating success indirectly from offspring parentage, and thus miss matings that fail to result in fertilization, and (ii) measure Bateman gradients through the univariate regression of reproductive over mating success, without considering the substantial influence of other components of male reproductive success, namely female fecundity and paternity share. We also find a significant female Bateman gradient but show that this likely emerges as spurious consequences of male preference for fecund females, emphasizing the need for experimental approaches to establish the causal relationship between reproductive and mating success. While providing qualitative support for Bateman's principles, our study demonstrates how current approaches can generate a misleading view of sex differences and roles.

  18. Larval export from marine reserves and the recruitment benefit for fish and fisheries

    KAUST Repository

    Harrison, Hugo B.; Williamson, David H.; Evans, Richard D.; Almany, Glenn R.; Thorrold, Simon R.; Russ, Garry Ronald; Feldheim, Kevin Andrew; Van Herwerden, Lynne Van; Planes, Serge; Srinivasan, Maya; Berumen, Michael L.; Jones, Geoffrey P.

    2012-01-01

    Marine reserves, areas closed to all forms of fishing, continue to be advocated and implemented to supplement fisheries and conserve populations [1-4]. However, although the reproductive potential of important fishery species can dramatically increase inside reserves [5-8], the extent to which larval offspring are exported and the relative contribution of reserves to recruitment in fished and protected populations are unknown [4, 9-11]. Using genetic parentage analyses, we resolve patterns of larval dispersal for two species of exploited coral reef fish within a network of marine reserves on the Great Barrier Reef. In a 1,000 km 2 study area, populations resident in three reserves exported 83% (coral trout, Plectropomus maculatus) and 55% (stripey snapper, Lutjanus carponotatus) of assigned offspring to fished reefs, with the remainder having recruited to natal reserves or other reserves in the region. We estimate that reserves, which account for just 28% of the local reef area, produced approximately half of all juvenile recruitment to both reserve and fished reefs within 30 km. Our results provide compelling evidence that adequately protected reserve networks can make a significant contribution to the replenishment of populations on both reserve and fished reefs at a scale that benefits local stakeholders. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd.

  19. Avoiding legal pitfalls in surrogacy arrangements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    James, Summer; Chilvers, Rebecca; Havemann, Dara; Phelps, John Y

    2010-12-01

    The goal of this article is to discuss the legal pitfalls that reproductive endocrinologists face when participating in gestational surrogacy contracts. This paper was composed using Westlaw and LexisNexis commercial legal search engines to perform a review of statutes and cases pertaining to gestational surrogacy. The search results demonstrated that in the absence of suitable preparation, there is significant potential for litigation while participating in gestational agreements. Providers caring for gestational carriers have been named as parties in lawsuits for failure to provide psychological screening, failure to screen for infectious disease and participation in gestational contracts that are not compliant with state law. There is great disparity in state laws and court rulings pertaining to gestational agreements. When legal disputes arise, individual state laws and court rulings are controlling over the Uniform Parentage Act. Likewise, recommendations by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Society for Reproductive Medicine do not supersede state laws. The failure to abide by individual state laws unnecessarily exposes reproductive endocrinologists and their IVF facilities to potential litigation. In order to lessen exposure to litigation, an understanding of individual state legislation or historical court rulings is advised. Copyright © 2010 Reproductive Healthcare Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. DNA profiling of pineapple cultivars in Japan discriminated by SSR markers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shoda, Moriyuki; Urasaki, Naoya; Sakiyama, Sumisu; Terakami, Shingo; Hosaka, Fumiko; Shigeta, Narumi; Nishitani, Chikako; Yamamoto, Toshiya

    2012-01-01

    We developed 18 polymorphic simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers in pineapple (Ananas comosus) by using genomic libraries enriched for GA and CA motifs. The markers were used to genotype 31 pineapple accessions, including seven cultivars and 11 breeding lines from Okinawa Prefecture, 12 foreign accessions and one from a related species. These SSR loci were highly polymorphic: the 31 accessions contained three to seven alleles per locus, with an average of 4.1. The values of expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.09 to 0.76, with an average of 0.52. All 31 accessions could be successfully differentiated by the 18 SSR markers, with the exception of ‘N67-10’ and ‘Hawaiian Smooth Cayenne’. A single combination of three markers TsuAC004, TsuAC010 and TsuAC041, was enough to distinguish all accessions with one exception. A phenogram based on the SSR genotypes did not show any distinct groups, but it suggested that pineapples bred in Japan are genetically diversed. We reconfirmed the parentage of 14 pineapple accessions by comparing the SSR alleles at 17 SSR loci in each accession and its reported parents. The obtained information will contribute substantially to protecting plant breeders’ rights. PMID:23341750

  1. Asymmetric dominance and asymmetric mate choice oppose premating isolation after allopatric divergence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sefc, Kristina M; Hermann, Caroline M; Steinwender, Bernd; Brindl, Hanna; Zimmermann, Holger; Mattersdorfer, Karin; Postl, Lisbeth; Makasa, Lawrence; Sturmbauer, Christian; Koblmüller, Stephan

    2015-04-01

    Assortative mating promotes reproductive isolation and allows allopatric speciation processes to continue in secondary contact. As mating patterns are determined by mate preferences and intrasexual competition, we investigated male-male competition and behavioral isolation in simulated secondary contact among allopatric populations. Three allopatric color morphs of the cichlid fish Tropheus were tested against each other. Dyadic male-male contests revealed dominance of red males over bluish and yellow-blotch males. Reproductive isolation in the presence of male-male competition was assessed from genetic parentage in experimental ponds and was highly asymmetric among pairs of color morphs. Red females mated only with red males, whereas the other females performed variable degrees of heteromorphic mating. Discrepancies between mating patterns in ponds and female preferences in a competition-free, two-way choice paradigm suggested that the dominance of red males interfered with positive assortative mating of females of the subordinate morphs and provoked asymmetric hybridization. Between the nonred morphs, a significant excess of negative assortative mating by yellow-blotch females with bluish males did not coincide with asymmetric dominance among males. Hence, both negative assortative mating preferences and interference of male-male competition with positive assortative preferences forestall premating isolation, the latter especially in environments unsupportive of competition-driven spatial segregation.

  2. Theoretical predictions for alpha particle spectroscopic strengths

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Draayer, J.P.

    1975-01-01

    Multinucleon transfers induced in heavy-ion reactions of the type ( 6 Li,d) furnish a selective probe with which to study the interplay between rotational and clustering phenomena so characteristic of the structure of the light sd-shell nuclei. For these nuclei, theoretical predictions for inter-band as well as intra-band transfer strengths can be made using recently tabulated results for angular momentum dependent SU 3 inclusion R 3 relative spectroscopic strengths and angular momentum independent SU 6 inclusion SU 3 coefficients of fractional parentage. The pure SU 3 (oscillator)-SU 4 (supermultiplet) symmetry limit agrees well with results obtained using available eigenfunctions determined in large shell model calculations. In particular, the scalar nature of a transferred ''alpha''-cluster insures that the effect of spatial symmetry admixtures in the initial and final states of the target and residual nuclei are minimized. Sum rule quantities provide a measure of the probable effects of symmetry breaking. Strength variations within a band are expected; transfers to core excited states are often favored. Results extracted from exact finite range DWBA analyses of ( 6 Li,d) data on 16 , 18 O, 20 , 21 , 22 Ne, 24 , 25 Mg show some anomalies in our understanding of the structure and/or reaction mechanisms. (18 figures) (U.S.)

  3. Larval export from marine reserves and the recruitment benefit for fish and fisheries

    KAUST Repository

    Harrison, Hugo B.

    2012-06-01

    Marine reserves, areas closed to all forms of fishing, continue to be advocated and implemented to supplement fisheries and conserve populations [1-4]. However, although the reproductive potential of important fishery species can dramatically increase inside reserves [5-8], the extent to which larval offspring are exported and the relative contribution of reserves to recruitment in fished and protected populations are unknown [4, 9-11]. Using genetic parentage analyses, we resolve patterns of larval dispersal for two species of exploited coral reef fish within a network of marine reserves on the Great Barrier Reef. In a 1,000 km 2 study area, populations resident in three reserves exported 83% (coral trout, Plectropomus maculatus) and 55% (stripey snapper, Lutjanus carponotatus) of assigned offspring to fished reefs, with the remainder having recruited to natal reserves or other reserves in the region. We estimate that reserves, which account for just 28% of the local reef area, produced approximately half of all juvenile recruitment to both reserve and fished reefs within 30 km. Our results provide compelling evidence that adequately protected reserve networks can make a significant contribution to the replenishment of populations on both reserve and fished reefs at a scale that benefits local stakeholders. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd.

  4. The impact of kin availability, parental religiosity, and nativity on fertility differentials in the late 19th-century United States.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hacker, J David; Roberts, Evan

    2017-12-01

    Most quantitative research on fertility decline in the United States ignores the potential impact of cultural and familial factors. We rely on new complete-count data from the 1880 U.S. census to construct couple-level measures of nativity/ethnicity, religiosity, and kin availability. We include these measures with a comprehensive set of demographic, economic, and contextual variables in Poisson regression models of net marital fertility to assess their relative importance. We construct models with and without area fixed effects to control for unobserved heterogeneity. All else being equal, we find a strong impact of nativity on recent net marital fertility. Fertility differentials among second generation couples relative to the native-born white population of native parentage were in most cases less than half of the differential observed among first generation immigrants, suggesting greater assimilation to native-born American childbearing norms. Our measures of parental religiosity and familial propinquity indicated a more modest impact on marital fertility. Couples who chose biblical names for their children had approximately 3% more children than couples relying on secular names while the presence of a potential mother-in-law in a nearby households was associated with 2% more children. Overall, our results demonstrate the need for more inclusive models of fertility behavior that include cultural and familial covariates.

  5. Excited states of virtual clusters in a nucleus and the processes of quasi-elastic cluster knock-out at high energies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Golovanova, N.F.; Il'in, I.M.; Neudatchin, V.G.; Smirnov, Yu.F.; Tchuvil'sky, Yu.M.

    1976-01-01

    The quasi-elastic knock-out of nucleon clusters from nuclei by an incident high-energy hadron is considered within the framework of the Glauber-Sitenko multiple scattering theory. It is shown that the significant contribution to the cross section for the process comes not only from the hadron elastic scattering by a nonexcited virtual cluster but also from collisions with an excited virtual cluster, accompanied by de-excitation of this cluster. This necessitates modification of the usual theory of quasi-elastic cluster knock-out. First, the angular correlations of the knocked-out cluster and scattered hadron are no longer determined by the momentum distribution of the cluster in the nucleus. They are determined by another form factor F(q) which can be called the modified momentum distribution. Secondly, the meaning and values of the effective numbers of clusters Nsup(eff) have been changed. Thirdly, the characteristics of the processes depend not only on the modulus of momentum q, which the cluster had in the nucleus, but also on its direction relative to an incident beam. A method has been developed for the calculation of the fractional parentage coefficients, which are necessary for the calculation of the cluster knock-out from the p-shell nuclei. (Auth.)

  6. History of Lipizzan horse maternal lines as revealed by mtDNA analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dovč Peter

    2002-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Sequencing of the mtDNA control region (385 or 695 bp of 212 Lipizzans from eight studs revealed 37 haplotypes. Distribution of haplotypes among studs was biased, including many private haplotypes but only one haplotype was present in all the studs. According to historical data, numerous Lipizzan maternal lines originating from founder mares of different breeds have been established during the breed's history, so the broad genetic base of the Lipizzan maternal lines was expected. A comparison of Lipizzan sequences with 136 sequences of domestic- and wild-horses from GenBank showed a clustering of Lipizzan haplotypes in the majority of haplotype subgroups present in other domestic horses. We assume that haplotypes identical to haplotypes of early domesticated horses can be found in several Lipizzan maternal lines as well as in other breeds. Therefore, domestic horses could arise either from a single large population or from several populations provided there were strong migrations during the early phase after domestication. A comparison of Lipizzan haplotypes with 56 maternal lines (according to the pedigrees showed a disagreement of biological parentage with pedigree data for at least 11% of the Lipizzans. A distribution of haplotype-frequencies was unequal (0.2%–26%, mainly due to pedigree errors and haplotype sharing among founder mares.

  7. Pedigree analysis on the population of Gir cattle in Northeast Brazil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aracele Prates de Oliveira

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this study was to characterize the population genetic structure of the Gir breed in the Northeast of Brazil. The data used in this study were taken from pedigree information of 8,897 Gir animals between 1957 and 2007, obtained from the Brazilian Zebu Breeders Association (ABCZ. The program ENDOG was used to estimate the parameters based on the probability gene origin. From the amount of the studied animals, 67.22%, 18.41% and 3.15% had complete pedigree only on the first, second and third parentage, respectively. The number of ancestors that contributed for the reference population was 2,755, of which only 171 explain the 50% genetic variability of the population. The actual number of founder herds was 168 and the effective number of founder herds was 22.3. The number of sire supplier herds was 22.16, 8.66 and 5.36 for fathers, grandfathers and great-grandfathers, respectively. The average coefficient of relatedness was estimated at 0.22%; the highest individual coefficient was 1.49%. The little variability of the current population is a result of the small number of effective founders and ancestors indicating the population evolved from a narrow genetic base.

  8. Molecular and cytogenetic evidence for an allotetraploid origin of Chenopodium quinoa and C. berlandieri (Amaranthaceae).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kolano, Bozena; McCann, Jamie; Orzechowska, Maja; Siwinska, Dorota; Temsch, Eva; Weiss-Schneeweiss, Hanna

    2016-07-01

    Most of the cultivated chenopods are polyploids, but their origin and evolutionary history are still poorly understood. Phylogenetic analyses of DNA sequences of four plastid regions, nrITS and nuclear 5S rDNA spacer region (NTS) of two tetraploid chenopods (2n=4x=36), Andean C. quinoa and North American C. berlandieri, and their diploid relatives allowed inferences of their origin. The phylogenetic analyses confirmed allotetraploid origin of both tetraploids involving diploids of two different genomic groups (genomes A and B) and suggested that these two might share very similar parentage. The hypotheses on the origin of the two allopolyploid species were further tested using genomic in situ hybridization (GISH). Several diploid Chenopodium species belonging to the two lineages, genome A and B, suggested by phylogenetic analyses, were tested as putative parental taxa. GISH differentiated two sets of parental chromosomes in both tetraploids and further corroborated their allotetraploid origin. Putative diploid parental taxa have been suggested by GISH for C. quinoa and C. berlandieri. Genome sizes of the analyzed allotetraploids fit nearly perfectly the expected additive values of the putative parental taxa. Directional and uniparental loss of rDNA loci of the maternal A-subgenome was revealed for both C. berlandieri and C. quinoa. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Clone-Specific Response in Leaf Nitrate Reductase Activity among Unrelated Hybrid Poplars in relation to Soil Nitrate Availability

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    Julien Fortier

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available In this field study, we used in vivo NRA activity in hybrid poplar leaves as an indicator of NO3- assimilation for five unrelated hybrid poplar clones. We also examined if leaf NRA of these clones is influenced to the same extent by different levels of soil NO3- availability in two riparian agroforestry systems located in pastures. Leaf NRA differences of more than one order of magnitude were observed between the clones, clearly showing their different abilities to reduce NO3- in leaves. Clone DxN-3570, a P. deltoides x P. nigra hybrid (Aigeiros intrasectional hybrid, always had the highest leaf NRA during the field assays. This clone was also the only one to increase its leaf NRA with increasing NO3- soil availability, which resulted in a significant Site x Clone interaction and a positive relationship between soil NO3- concentration and NRA. All of the four other clones studied had one or both parental species from the Tacamahaca section. They had relatively low leaf NRA and they did not increase their leaf NRA when grown on the NO3- rich site. These results provide evidence that NO3- assimilation in leaves varies widely among hybrid poplars of different parentages, suggesting potential preferences for N forms.

  10. How cuckoldry can decrease the opportunity for sexual selection: Data and theory from a genetic parentage analysis of the sand goby, Pomatoschistus minutus

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Adam G.; Walker, DeEtte; Kvarnemo, Charlotta; Lindström, Kai; Avise, John C.

    2001-01-01

    Alternative mating strategies are common in nature and are generally thought to increase the intensity of sexual selection. However, cuckoldry can theoretically decrease the opportunity for sexual selection, particularly in highly polygamous species. We address here the influence of sneaking (fertilization thievery) on the opportunity for sexual selection in the sand goby Pomatoschistus minutus, a marine fish species in which males build and defend nests. Our microsatellite-based analysis of the mating system in a natural sand goby population shows high rates of sneaking and multiple mating by males. Sneaker males had fertilized eggs in ≈50% of the assayed nests, and multiple sneakers sometimes fertilized eggs from a single female. Successful males had received eggs from 2 to 6 females per nest (mean = 3.4). We developed a simple mathematical model showing that sneaking in this polygynous sand goby population almost certainly decreases the opportunity for sexual selection, an outcome that contrasts with the usual effects of cuckoldry in socially monogamous animals. These results highlight a more complex and interesting relationship between cuckoldry rates and the intensity of sexual selection than previously assumed in much of the literature on animal mating systems. PMID:11481481

  11. Body size correlates with fertilization success but not gonad size in grass goby territorial males.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jose Martin Pujolar

    Full Text Available In fish species with alternative male mating tactics, sperm competition typically occurs when small males that are unsuccessful in direct contests steal fertilization opportunities from large dominant males. In the grass goby Zosterisessor ophiocephalus, large territorial males defend and court females from nest sites, while small sneaker males obtain matings by sneaking into nests. Parentage assignment of 688 eggs from 8 different nests sampled in the 2003-2004 breeding season revealed a high level of sperm competition. Fertilization success of territorial males was very high but in all nests sneakers also contributed to the progeny. In territorial males, fertilization success correlated positively with male body size. Gonadal investment was explored in a sample of 126 grass gobies collected during the period 1995-1996 in the same area (61 territorial males and 65 sneakers. Correlation between body weight and testis weight was positive and significant for sneaker males, while correlation was virtually equal to zero in territorial males. That body size in territorial males is correlated with fertilization success but not gonad size suggests that males allocate much more energy into growth and relatively little into sperm production once the needed size to become territorial is attained. The increased paternity of larger territorial males might be due to a more effective defense of the nest in comparison with smaller territorial males.

  12. Body size correlates with fertilization success but not gonad size in grass goby territorial males.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pujolar, Jose Martin; Locatello, Lisa; Zane, Lorenzo; Mazzoldi, Carlotta

    2012-01-01

    In fish species with alternative male mating tactics, sperm competition typically occurs when small males that are unsuccessful in direct contests steal fertilization opportunities from large dominant males. In the grass goby Zosterisessor ophiocephalus, large territorial males defend and court females from nest sites, while small sneaker males obtain matings by sneaking into nests. Parentage assignment of 688 eggs from 8 different nests sampled in the 2003-2004 breeding season revealed a high level of sperm competition. Fertilization success of territorial males was very high but in all nests sneakers also contributed to the progeny. In territorial males, fertilization success correlated positively with male body size. Gonadal investment was explored in a sample of 126 grass gobies collected during the period 1995-1996 in the same area (61 territorial males and 65 sneakers). Correlation between body weight and testis weight was positive and significant for sneaker males, while correlation was virtually equal to zero in territorial males. That body size in territorial males is correlated with fertilization success but not gonad size suggests that males allocate much more energy into growth and relatively little into sperm production once the needed size to become territorial is attained. The increased paternity of larger territorial males might be due to a more effective defense of the nest in comparison with smaller territorial males.

  13. In vitro and in vivo anthelmintic activity of extracts from Artemisia parviflora and A. sieversiana

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Irum S.

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available In the northern areas of Pakistan, the use of Artemisia based therapeutics is a common practice. Plants of genus Artemisia are known to possess anthelmintic and therapeutic effect. Infections caused by gastrointestinal nematodes are major threat to livestock industry across the world resulting in loss of production and indirect economic losses due to high cost of anthelmintic drugs. Present study was carried out to evaluate in vitro and in vivo effect of Artemisia sieversiana and Artemisia parviflora on Haemonchus contortus, a parasitic nematode of small ruminants. Methanolic plant extract was tested against three different developmental stages using an egg hatch assay, infective larvae and adult worm motility assay. Different concentrations were used for the bioassays and post exposure mortality was recorded after 8 hr for adult worms and infective larvae, while egg inhibition percentage was observed after 27 hr. A highly significant ability to inhibit the egg hatching (100 % was recorded for both plant extracts while, the highest activity for adult worm assay and larvicidal assay was 90 % for A. sieversiana. The highest activity for adult motility and larvicidal assay for A. parviflora was 89 % and 86.6 % respectively. For in vivo trials maximum parentage reduction was 77.0 % for A. sieversiana and 73.6 % for A. parviflora. It is concluded that selected plant extracts were effective in reducing worm burden in animals.

  14. Mutation at the Human D1S80 Minisatellite Locus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kuppareddi Balamurugan

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Little is known about the general biology of minisatellites. The purpose of this study is to examine repeat mutations from the D1S80 minisatellite locus by sequence analysis to elucidate the mutational process at this locus. This is a highly polymorphic minisatellite locus, located in the subtelomeric region of chromosome 1. We have analyzed 90,000 human germline transmission events and found seven (7 mutations at this locus. The D1S80 alleles of the parentage trio, the child, mother, and the alleged father were sequenced and the origin of the mutation was determined. Using American Association of Blood Banks (AABB guidelines, we found a male mutation rate of 1.04×10-4 and a female mutation rate of 5.18×10-5 with an overall mutation rate of approximately 7.77×10-5. Also, in this study, we found that the identified mutations are in close proximity to the center of the repeat array rather than at the ends of the repeat array. Several studies have examined the mutational mechanisms of the minisatellites according to infinite allele model (IAM and the one-step stepwise mutation model (SMM. In this study, we found that this locus fits into the one-step mutation model (SMM mechanism in six out of seven instances similar to STR loci.

  15. Lineage and the rights of cloned child in the islamic jurisprudence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moeinifar, Mohaddeseh; Ardebeli, Faezeh Azimzadeh

    2012-10-01

    Lineage in the Islamic law is one of the most basic human rights each individual inherits from his family. When modern assisted reproductive technologies appeared in recent decades, the issue of lineage and the child's rights did not encounter serious challenges. But with the advent of these technologies, the issue of the child's lineage resulting from new technologies has become the center of attention. These technologies have a large share in the field of medicine. A new technique known as cloning has entered the realm of science and technology. Considering the possibility of the widespread use of this technique, the subject of cloned child's lineage and his/her rights would be one of the major issues related to this subject. In this paper, the authors have examined the various aspects of the subject and the opinions of theologians in this regard in order to present a best solution to this issue. In fact, the fundamental concern in this paper is to figure out the relationship between the cloned child, the cell donor, the egg donor and the owner of the uterus. In this paper, after considering the concepts of the parentage and identical twins' relationship would be explored and then a detailed analysis of the parental relationship and the Shiite jurisprudence scholars' opinion on these issues would be presented. Finally, the rights of cloned children would be taken into consideration.

  16. Genotype Reconstruction of Paternity in European Lobsters (Homarus gammarus).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ellis, Charlie D; Hodgson, David J; André, Carl; Sørdalen, Tonje K; Knutsen, Halvor; Griffiths, Amber G F

    2015-01-01

    Decapod crustaceans exhibit considerable variation in fertilisation strategies, ranging from pervasive single paternity to the near-ubiquitous presence of multiple paternity, and such knowledge of mating systems and behaviour are required for the informed management of commercially-exploited marine fisheries. We used genetic markers to assess the paternity of individual broods in the European lobster, Homarus gammarus, a species for which paternity structure is unknown. Using 13 multiplexed microsatellite loci, three of which are newly described in this study, we genotyped 10 eggs from each of 34 females collected from an Atlantic peninsula in the south-western United Kingdom. Single reconstructed paternal genotypes explained all observed progeny genotypes in each of the 34 egg clutches, and each clutch was fertilised by a different male. Simulations indicated that the probability of detecting multiple paternity was in excess of 95% if secondary sires account for at least a quarter of the brood, and in excess of 99% where additional sire success was approximately equal. Our results show that multiple paternal fertilisations are either absent, unusual, or highly skewed in favour of a single male among H. gammarus in this area. Potential mechanisms upholding single paternal fertilisation are discussed, along with the prospective utility of parentage assignments in evaluations of hatchery stocking and other fishery conservation approaches in light of this finding.

  17. Inbreeding avoidance, patch isolation and matrix permeability influence dispersal and settlement choices by male agile antechinus in a fragmented landscape.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Banks, Sam C; Lindenmayer, David B

    2014-03-01

    Animal dispersal is highly non-random and has important implications for the dynamics of populations in fragmented habitat. We identified interpatch dispersal events from genetic tagging, parentage analyses and assignment tests and modelled the factors associated with apparent emigration and post-dispersal settlement choices by individual male agile antechinus (Antechinus agilis, a marsupial carnivore of south-east Australian forests). Emigration decisions were best modelled with on data patch isolation and inbreeding risk. The choice of dispersal destination by males was influenced by inbreeding risk, female abundance, patch size, patch quality and matrix permeability (variation in land cover). Males were less likely to settle in patches without highly unrelated females. Our findings highlight the importance of individual-level dispersal data for understanding how multiple processes drive non-randomness in dispersal in modified landscapes. Fragmented landscapes present novel environmental, demographic and genetic contexts in which dispersal decisions are made, so the major factors affecting dispersal decisions in fragmented habitat may differ considerably from unfragmented landscapes. We show that the spatial scale of genetic neighbourhoods can be large in fragmented habitat, such that dispersing males can potentially settle in the presence of genetically similar females after moving considerable distances, thereby necessitating both a choice to emigrate and a choice of where to settle to avoid inbreeding. © 2013 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology © 2013 British Ecological Society.

  18. Genetic monogamy despite social promiscuity in the pot-bellied seahorse (Hippocampus abdominalis).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilson, A B; Martin-Smith, K M

    2007-06-01

    Sexual selection theory predicts a positive correlation between relative parental investment and mate choice. In syngnathid fishes (seahorses and pipefish), males brood offspring in specialized brooding structures. While female-female mating competition has been demonstrated in some pipefishes, all seahorses (genus Hippocampus) studied to date have been found to have conventional sex roles with greater male-male competition for access to mates despite possessing the most complex brood structures in the family. Although multiple mating is common in pipefish, seahorses are again exceptional, exhibiting strict genetic monogamy. Both demographic and behavioural explanations have been offered to explain the lack of multiple mating in seahorse species, but these hypotheses have not yet been explicitly addressed. We investigated mating systems and brood parentage of the pot-bellied seahorse, Hippocampus abdominalis, a temperate-water species that is socially promiscuous with conventional sex roles in laboratory populations. We observed promiscuous courtship behaviour and sex-role reversal in high density, female-biased field populations of H. abdominalis. We hypothesize that sex roles are plastic in H. abdominalis, depending on local population density and sex ratio. Despite promiscuous courtship behaviour, all assayed male seahorses were genetically monogamous in both laboratory and wild populations. Physiological limitations associated with embryo incubation may explain the absence of multiple mating in seahorses and may have played an important role in the development of the unique reproductive behaviour typical in these species.

  19. Prediction Equations for Spirometry for Children from Northern India.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chhabra, Sunil K; Kumar, Rajeev; Mittal, Vikas

    2016-09-08

    To develop prediction equations for spirometry for children from northern India using current international guidelines for standardization. Re-analysis of cross-sectional data from a single school. 670 normal children (age 6-17 y; 365 boys) of northern Indian parentage. After screening for normal health, we carried out spirometry with recommended quality assurance according to current guidelines. We developed linear and nonlinear prediction equations using multiple regression analysis. We selected the final models on the basis of the highest coefficient of multiple determination (R2) and statistical validity. Spirometry parameters: FVC, FEV1, PEFR, FEF50, FEF75 and FEF25-75. The equations for the main parameters were as follows: Boys, Ln FVC = -1.687+0.016*height +0.022*age; Ln FEV1 = -1.748+0.015*height+0.031*age. Girls, Ln FVC = -9.989 +(2.018*Ln(height)) + (0.324*Ln(age)); Ln FEV1 = -10.055 +(1.990*Ln(height))+(0.358*Ln(age)). Nonlinear regression yielded substantially greater R2 values compared to linear models except for FEF50 for girls. Height and age were found to be the significant explanatory variables for all parameters on multiple regression with weight making no significant contribution. We developed prediction equations for spirometry for children from northern India. Nonlinear equations were superior to linear equations.

  20. Juvenile corals can acquire more carbon from high-performance algal symbionts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cantin, N. E.; van Oppen, M. J. H.; Willis, B. L.; Mieog, J. C.; Negri, A. P.

    2009-06-01

    Algal endosymbionts of the genus Symbiodinium play a key role in the nutrition of reef building corals and strongly affect the thermal tolerance and growth rate of the animal host. This study reports that 14C photosynthate incorporation into juvenile coral tissues was doubled in Acropora millepora harbouring Symbiodinium C1 compared with juveniles from common parentage harbouring Symbiodinium D in a laboratory experiment. Rapid light curves performed on the same corals revealed that the relative electron transport rate of photosystem II (rETRMAX) was 87% greater in Symbiodinium C1 than in Symbiodinium D in hospite. The greater relative electron transport through photosystem II of Symbiodinium C1 is positively correlated with increased carbon delivery to the host under the applied experimental conditions ( r 2 = 0.91). This may translate into a competitive advantage for juveniles harbouring Symbiodinium C1 under certain field conditions, since rapid early growth typically limits mortality. Both symbiont types exhibited severe reductions in 14C incorporation during a 10-h exposure to the electron transport blocking herbicide diuron (DCMU), confirming the link between electron transport through PSII and photosynthate incorporation within the host tissue. These findings advance the current understanding of symbiotic relationships between corals and their symbionts, providing evidence that enhanced growth rates of juvenile corals may result from greater translocation of photosynthates from Symbiodinium C1.

  1. Development of genome- and transcriptome-derived microsatellites in related species of snapping shrimps with highly duplicated genomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gaynor, Kaitlyn M; Solomon, Joseph W; Siller, Stefanie; Jessell, Linnet; Duffy, J Emmett; Rubenstein, Dustin R

    2017-11-01

    Molecular markers are powerful tools for studying patterns of relatedness and parentage within populations and for making inferences about social evolution. However, the development of molecular markers for simultaneous study of multiple species presents challenges, particularly when species exhibit genome duplication or polyploidy. We developed microsatellite markers for Synalpheus shrimp, a genus in which species exhibit not only great variation in social organization, but also interspecific variation in genome size and partial genome duplication. From the four primary clades within Synalpheus, we identified microsatellites in the genomes of four species and in the consensus transcriptome of two species. Ultimately, we designed and tested primers for 143 microsatellite markers across 25 species. Although the majority of markers were disomic, many markers were polysomic for certain species. Surprisingly, we found no relationship between genome size and the number of polysomic markers. As expected, markers developed for a given species amplified better for closely related species than for more distant relatives. Finally, the markers developed from the transcriptome were more likely to work successfully and to be disomic than those developed from the genome, suggesting that consensus transcriptomes are likely to be conserved across species. Our findings suggest that the transcriptome, particularly consensus sequences from multiple species, can be a valuable source of molecular markers for taxa with complex, duplicated genomes. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  2. Physiology and transcriptomics of water-deficit stress responses in wheat cultivars TAM 111 and TAM 112.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reddy, Srirama Krishna; Liu, Shuyu; Rudd, Jackie C; Xue, Qingwu; Payton, Paxton; Finlayson, Scott A; Mahan, James; Akhunova, Alina; Holalu, Srinidhi V; Lu, Nanyan

    2014-09-01

    Hard red winter wheat crops on the U.S. Southern Great Plains often experience moderate to severe drought stress, especially during the grain filling stage, resulting in significant yield losses. Cultivars TAM 111 and TAM 112 are widely cultivated in the region, share parentage and showed superior but distinct adaption mechanisms under water-deficit (WD) conditions. Nevertheless, the physiological and molecular basis of their adaptation remains unknown. A greenhouse study was conducted to understand the differences in the physiological and transcriptomic responses of TAM 111 and TAM 112 to WD stress. Whole-plant data indicated that TAM 112 used more water, produced more biomass and grain yield under WD compared to TAM 111. Leaf-level data at the grain filling stage indicated that TAM 112 had elevated abscisic acid (ABA) content and reduced stomatal conductance and photosynthesis as compared to TAM 111. Sustained WD during the grain filling stage also resulted in greater flag leaf transcriptome changes in TAM 112 than TAM 111. Transcripts associated with photosynthesis, carbohydrate metabolism, phytohormone metabolism, and other dehydration responses were uniquely regulated between cultivars. These results suggested a differential role for ABA in regulating physiological and transcriptomic changes associated with WD stress and potential involvement in the superior adaptation and yield of TAM 112. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  3. Mating systems, reproductive success, and sexual selection in secretive species: a case study of the western diamond-backed rattlesnake, Crotalus atrox.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clark, Rulon W; Schuett, Gordon W; Repp, Roger A; Amarello, Melissa; Smith, Charles F; Herrmann, Hans-Werner

    2014-01-01

    Long-term studies of individual animals in nature contribute disproportionately to our understanding of the principles of ecology and evolution. Such field studies can benefit greatly from integrating the methods of molecular genetics with traditional approaches. Even though molecular genetic tools are particularly valuable for species that are difficult to observe directly, they have not been widely adopted. Here, we used molecular genetic techniques in a 10-year radio-telemetric investigation of the western diamond-backed rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox) for an analysis of its mating system and to measure sexual selection. Specifically, we used microsatellite markers to genotype 299 individuals, including neonates from litters of focal females to ascertain parentage using full-pedigree likelihood methods. We detected high levels of multiple paternity within litters, yet found little concordance between paternity and observations of courtship and mating behavior. Larger males did not father significantly more offspring, but we found evidence for size-specific male-mating strategies, with larger males guarding females for longer periods in the mating seasons. Moreover, the spatial proximity of males to mothers was significantly associated with reproductive success. Overall, our field observations alone would have been insufficient to quantitatively measure the mating system of this population of C. atrox, and we thus urge more widespread adoption of molecular tools by field researchers studying the mating systems and sexual selection of snakes and other secretive taxa.

  4. Situational variations in ethnic identity across immigration generations: Implications for acculturative change and cross-cultural adaptation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Noels, Kimberly A; Clément, Richard

    2015-12-01

    This study examined whether the acculturation of ethnic identity is first evident in more public situations with greater opportunity for intercultural interaction and eventually penetrates more intimate situations. It also investigated whether situational variations in identity are associated with cross-cultural adaptation. First-generation (G1), second-generation (G2) and mixed-parentage second-generation (G2.5) young adult Canadians (n = 137, n = 169, and n = 91, respectively) completed a questionnaire assessing their heritage and Canadian identities across four situational domains (family, friends, university and community), global heritage identity and cross-cultural adaptation. Consistent with the acculturation penetration hypothesis, the results showed Canadian identity was stronger than heritage identity in public domains, but the converse was true in the family domain; moreover, the difference between the identities in the family domain was attenuated in later generations. Situational variability indicated better adaptation for the G1 cohort, but poorer adaptation for the G2.5 cohort. For the G2 cohort, facets of global identity moderated the relation, such that those with a weaker global identity experienced greater difficulties and hassles with greater identity variability but those with a stronger identity did not. These results are interpreted in light of potential interpersonal issues implied by situational variation for each generation cohort. © 2015 International Union of Psychological Science.

  5. Genotype Reconstruction of Paternity in European Lobsters (Homarus gammarus.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Charlie D Ellis

    Full Text Available Decapod crustaceans exhibit considerable variation in fertilisation strategies, ranging from pervasive single paternity to the near-ubiquitous presence of multiple paternity, and such knowledge of mating systems and behaviour are required for the informed management of commercially-exploited marine fisheries. We used genetic markers to assess the paternity of individual broods in the European lobster, Homarus gammarus, a species for which paternity structure is unknown. Using 13 multiplexed microsatellite loci, three of which are newly described in this study, we genotyped 10 eggs from each of 34 females collected from an Atlantic peninsula in the south-western United Kingdom. Single reconstructed paternal genotypes explained all observed progeny genotypes in each of the 34 egg clutches, and each clutch was fertilised by a different male. Simulations indicated that the probability of detecting multiple paternity was in excess of 95% if secondary sires account for at least a quarter of the brood, and in excess of 99% where additional sire success was approximately equal. Our results show that multiple paternal fertilisations are either absent, unusual, or highly skewed in favour of a single male among H. gammarus in this area. Potential mechanisms upholding single paternal fertilisation are discussed, along with the prospective utility of parentage assignments in evaluations of hatchery stocking and other fishery conservation approaches in light of this finding.

  6. Nest materials as a source of genetic data for avian ecological studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pearce, J.M.; Fields, R.L.; Scribner, K.T.

    1997-01-01

    We examined the utility of feathers and egg shell membranes, deposited in the nests of Spectacled Eiders (Somateria fischeri), as a source of DNA for genetic studies at both the population and individual level. The potential for feather DNA contamination as a result of female behavioral interactions (e.g. nest parasitism), reuse of nest sites from previous years, or other unknown occurrences was acknowledged and specifically tested. DNA was successfully extracted from both feathers and egg shell membranes and waterfowl microsatellite loci were used to construct individual genotypes. We found no difference in the genotypes obtained from nest feathers or blood of the incubating female. Detection of nest feather contamination was possible with as little as one feather when samples from multiple females were intentionally mixed. Triplicate DNA extractions from 33 nests provided a means of detecting contamination in 3 nests. Egg membranes proved a viable source of offspring DNA and can contribute valuable data to investigations of parentage when assayed jointly with maternal feather DNA. Nest materials provide an efficient, non-invasive method of genetic sampling that can be readily incorporated into field research. However, the natural history traits and mating strategies of a species must be considered during sample collection to identify the possible sources of nest materials (e.g., paternal, maternal, parasite, etc.). Specific experiments should also be designed to test sampling assumptions.

  7. "Mortui vivos docent" or who gives his body to science? The analysis of the personal questionnaires of Polish donors in the Conscious Body Donation Program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bajor, Grzegorz; Likus, Wirginia; Kuszewski, Piotr; Kostro, Karol; Łoś, Andrzej; Kłakus, Piotr

    2015-01-01

    The Conscious Body Donation Program conducted since 2003 by the Department of Human Anatomy, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice was the first innovative project aimed at obtaining informed donors' bodies for the purpose of teaching anatomy in Poland. The aim of this prospective study was to determine the declared donors' characteristics and to establish the possible motivation for body donation. A total of 244 application files were reviewed and the following information was analyzed: donor's age, age at which the decision to donate the body was made, donor's place of residence and declared nationality, family background, education and profession, family structure and religion. Our results showed that mainly elderly people decided to donate their bodies (68.5 ± 11.84 years), living mostly in large and medium-sized cities. Men--donors often lived in small towns. Most of the donors were of blue-collar parentage, completed secondary education and at the time of taking decision to donate where married and retired. Widows were more likely to make the decision to donate than widowers. Most of our donors were Catholic. Our analysis of the profile of Polish donors may be useful to understand better for which groups of people death is not to be perceived as the end, and may become a value, which can be beneficial to living people.

  8. Identification of varieties and gene flow in Douglas fir exemplified in artificially established stands in Germany

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Barbara Fussi

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Douglas-fir [Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb. Franco] is an economically valuable non-native tree species in Germany and is considered very promising in view of global climate change. Therefore, the genetic characterization of Douglas-fir populations and seed stands in Germany is essential. We studied coastal and interior Douglas-fir varieties, both present in Germany, by using eleven isoenzyme and four microsatellite loci. By analyzing eight reference populations of known origin we were able to identify the two varieties on the population level using Bayesian and distance based methods. Seven populations present in Bavaria were then successfully assigned to one of the two varieties. Within varieties we found stronger grouping within the interior variety than within the coastal one. Despite lower differences within coastal Douglas-fir we have first indications for the origin of two populations. For two Bavarian populations, natural regeneration was included and genetic data revealed no significant genetic difference between adults and offspring. The parentage analysis for one of the studied stands revealed that a large proportion of adults took part in the reproduction, but some trees were more successful than others in transferring their genes to the next generation. Our study was able to improve variety identification of Douglas-fir using isoenzyme markers and nuclear microsatellites and study reproductive patterns, both are important issues for the management of Douglas-fir stands in Bavaria.

  9. Effects of endomycorrhizal infection, artificial herbivory, and parental cross on growth of Lotus corniculatus L.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Borowicz, V A; Fitter, A H

    1990-03-01

    We examined how combinations of parentage, fungicide application, and artificial herbivory influence growth and shoot phosphorus content in pre-reproductive Lotus corniculatus, using young offspring arising from three parental crosses, two of which had one parent in common. Soil with vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) fungi was treated with either water or benomyl, an anti-VAM fungicide, and added to trays containing groups of four full siblings. There were two experiments; in the first no plants were clipped while in the second two of the four plants were clipped to simulate herbivory. In both experiments plants of the two related crosses accumulated more biomass and total shoot P than did plants of the third cross. Plants inoculated with watertreated soil had greater shoot mass and P concentration than did fungicide-treated replicates but the extent of increase in P concentration varied among crosses. In Experiment 2, clipping reduced root mass and resulted in higher shoot P concentration. In this experiment there was a significant interaction of fungicide application and clipping: both unclipped and clipped plants grew better in soil not treated with fungicide, but the increase in shoot mass, total mass, and total P was greater in unclipped plants. Significant interaction of fungicide treatment and clipping is most likely due to reduced availability of carbon to the roots of clipped plants, resulting in poorer symbiotic functioning.

  10. Microsatellite Development for an Endangered Bream Megalobrama pellegrini (Teleostei, Cyprinidae Using 454 Sequencing

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    Zuogang Peng

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Megalobrama pellegrini is an endemic fish species found in the upper Yangtze River basin in China. This species has become endangered due to the construction of the Three Gorges Dam and overfishing. However, the available genetic data for this species is limited. Here, we developed 26 polymorphic microsatellite markers from the M. pellegrini genome using next-generation sequencing techniques. A total of 257,497 raw reads were obtained from a quarter-plate run on 454 GS-FLX titanium platforms and 49,811 unique sequences were generated with an average length of 404 bp; 24,522 (49.2% sequences contained microsatellite repeats. Of the 53 loci screened, 33 were amplified successfully and 26 were polymorphic. The genetic diversity in M. pellegrini was moderate, with an average of 3.08 alleles per locus, and the mean observed and expected heterozygosity were 0.47 and 0.51, respectively. In addition, we tested cross-species amplification for all 33 loci in four additional breams: M. amblycephala, M. skolkovii, M. terminalis, and Sinibrama wui. The cross-species amplification showed a significant high level of transferability (79%–97%, which might be due to their dramatically close genetic relationships. The polymorphic microsatellites developed in the current study will not only contribute to further conservation genetic studies and parentage analyses of this endangered species, but also facilitate future work on the other closely related species.

  11. Genotyping in the Brazilian Criollo Horse Stud Book: resources and perspectives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Costa, M A P; Bressel, R M C; Almeida, D B; Oliveira, P A; Bassini, L N; Moreira, C G A; Manzke, V H B; Siewerdt, F; Moreira, H L M

    2010-08-24

    The goal of this research was to evaluate the ability of the genotyping information available in the Brazilian Criollo Horse Stud Book to describe the genetic variability of the breed and the exclusion probability determined in comparative tests. Altogether, two softwares were used in the analyses of the available genotypes: Cervus 3.0.3 and Genepop 4.0. Eight microsatellite markers totaled 109 alleles, with an average of 13.6 +/- 0.6 alleles per locus. Large differences between expected and observed heterozygosity were ubiquitous (0.821 +/- 0.07 and 0.470 +/- 0.17, respectively). Although the estimated null allele frequency caused initial concern (0.284 +/- 0.199), it is likely that it was a reflection of the inbreeding coefficients found (0.432 +/- 0.184). All loci showed significant deviation from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, with heterozygote deficit (P < 0.0001) and genotypic linkage disequilibrium with at least one marker. The high polymorphic information content (0.798 +/- 0.088) could not warrant exclusion power for three loci (HMS7, HMS6 and HTG4) above 50% (0.491 +/- 0.158). However, combined exclusion probability reached 99.61%, a level close to ideal. The results demonstrate the excellent performance of the markers assessed in describing the genetic status of the breed and suggest the considerable ability to establish parentage.

  12. Conflicts and alliances in insect families.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sundström, L; Boomsma, J J

    2001-05-01

    Hamilton's principle of inclusive fitness implies that reproductive altruism can evolve, because individuals can pass on genes not only through their own offspring, but also through the offspring of their relatives. Social insects are spectacular examples of how some individuals may be selected to forgo reproduction and instead help others reproduce. Social Hymenoptera are also special because relatedness patterns within families can be asymmetrical, so that optimal sex-ratios, preferred male parentage or preferred mating frequencies become objects of reproductive conflict. The now extensive inclusive fitness theory provides precise qualitative predictions with respect to the emergence of such conflicts. Recent advances in the power of genetic markers applied to resolve family structure in insect societies have brought about a series of studies that have tested these predictions. In support of kin selection as a major evolutionary force, the results suggest that workers frequently control sex allocation. However, the very establishment of such worker control has made new conflicts come to light, between mothers and fathers and between adult individuals and brood. Evidence for these conflicts is only just beginning to be gathered. Recent studies tend to include issues such as 'information' and 'power' (i.e. the ability to perceive signals and the opportunity to act upon this information), and to address selection for selfishness at the individual level with costs of social disruption at the colony level.

  13. Tipologías de cuarzo como indicadores de la procedencia en areniscas: excepciones al método de Basu et al. (1975

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    Arribas, J.

    1988-12-01

    Full Text Available In this study we have analized the content of the different detrital quartz types (Basu et al., 1975 in recent sands derived from single source areas (granitic, gneissic and slate-schists lithologies in the Sistema Central. Following the methodology of Basu et al (1975, for sand provenance interpretation, we have observed Ibat, in these deposits, the content of monocrystaline quartz types is not useful to discriminate plutonic and high rank metamorphic sources. However, we can confirm the validity of the policrystaline types content to distinguish sands of low rank metamorphic parentage.En el presente trabajo se analiza el contenido de las distintas tipologías de cuarzo, definidas por Basu et al. (1975 para análisis de procedencia, en depósitos arenosos actuales, generados a partir de macizos del Sistema Central con distintas litologías (granitos, gneises, pizarras-esquistos. Aplicando la metodología de dichos autores se observa que, para los depósitos estudiados, pierde validez para discriminar áreas de procedencia plutónica y metamórfica de alto grado en función del contenido en las tipologías monocristalinas. No obstante, se corrobora la utilidad del contenido en las tipologías policristalinas para diferenciar áreas metamórficas de bajo grado.

  14. "Mortui vivos docent" or who gives his body to science? The analysis of the personal questionnaires of Polish donors in the Conscious Body Donation Program.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Grzegorz Bajor

    Full Text Available The Conscious Body Donation Program conducted since 2003 by the Department of Human Anatomy, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice was the first innovative project aimed at obtaining informed donors' bodies for the purpose of teaching anatomy in Poland. The aim of this prospective study was to determine the declared donors' characteristics and to establish the possible motivation for body donation. A total of 244 application files were reviewed and the following information was analyzed: donor's age, age at which the decision to donate the body was made, donor's place of residence and declared nationality, family background, education and profession, family structure and religion. Our results showed that mainly elderly people decided to donate their bodies (68.5 ± 11.84 years, living mostly in large and medium-sized cities. Men--donors often lived in small towns. Most of the donors were of blue-collar parentage, completed secondary education and at the time of taking decision to donate where married and retired. Widows were more likely to make the decision to donate than widowers. Most of our donors were Catholic. Our analysis of the profile of Polish donors may be useful to understand better for which groups of people death is not to be perceived as the end, and may become a value, which can be beneficial to living people.

  15. Assessment of spatial discordance of primary and effective seed dispersal of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) by ecological and genetic methods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Millerón, M; López de Heredia, U; Lorenzo, Z; Alonso, J; Dounavi, A; Gil, L; Nanos, N

    2013-03-01

    Spatial discordance between primary and effective dispersal in plant populations indicates that postdispersal processes erase the seed rain signal in recruitment patterns. Five different models were used to test the spatial concordance of the primary and effective dispersal patterns in a European beech (Fagus sylvatica) population from central Spain. An ecological method was based on classical inverse modelling (SSS), using the number of seed/seedlings as input data. Genetic models were based on direct kernel fitting of mother-to-offspring distances estimated by a parentage analysis or were spatially explicit models based on the genotype frequencies of offspring (competing sources model and Moran-Clark's Model). A fully integrated mixed model was based on inverse modelling, but used the number of genotypes as input data (gene shadow model). The potential sources of error and limitations of each seed dispersal estimation method are discussed. The mean dispersal distances for seeds and saplings estimated with these five methods were higher than those obtained by previous estimations for European beech forests. All the methods show strong discordance between primary and effective dispersal kernel parameters, and for dispersal directionality. While seed rain was released mostly under the canopy, saplings were established far from mother trees. This discordant pattern may be the result of the action of secondary dispersal by animals or density-dependent effects; that is, the Janzen-Connell effect. © 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  16. Assessment of genetic diversity on a sample of cocoa accessions resistant to witches' broom disease based on RAPD and pedigree data Avaliação da diversidade genética em uma amostra de acessos de cacau resistentes à doença vassoura-de-bruxa, com base em dados de RAPD e pedigree

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    Ronaldo Carvalho dos Santos

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available Genetic diversity in cocoa (Theobroma cacao L. has been assessed based on morphological and molecular markers for germplasm management and breeding purposes. Pedigree data is available in cocoa but it has not been used for assessing genetic relatedness. The geneitic diversity of 30 clonal cocoa accessions resistant to witche´ broom disease, from the CEPEC series, were studied on the basis of RAPD data and pedigree information. Twenty of these accessions descend from the TSA-644 clone, originated from a cross between the Upper Amazon germplasm called Scavina-6, the main source of resistance to witches' broom disease, and IMC-67. The ten remaining clones come from different sources including Amazon and Trinitario germplasm. RAPD data was collected using 16 primers and pedigree information was obtained from the International Cocoa Germplasm Database. Genetic similarities, genetic distances and coefficient of parentage were calculated using available software. Relatively low genetic diversity was observed in this germplasm set, probably because of great genetic relatedness amongst accessions studied and the poor representation of the germplasm. The TSA-644 descendants were more diverse than the other accessions used in the study. This might be due to the origin of the TSA clone, which was derived from highly divergent genotypes. Association between genetic similarities based on RAPD data and coefficient of parentage, based on pedigree data, was very low, probably due to the homogeneity of the breeding stocks and poor pedigree information. These findings are useful to cocoa breeders in planning crosses for the development of hybrid and clonal cultivars.A diversidade genética em cacau (Theobroma cacao L., embasada em dados morfológicos e em marcadores moleculares, tem sido avaliada com fins de manejo de germoplasma e uso no melhoramento genético. Dados de genealogia de cacau, embora disponíveis, não têm sido utilizados. Foi analisada a

  17. Properties of the fractional parentage coefficients and the reduced matrix elements of operators with respect to the transposition of the spin and quasispin quantum numbers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shpakauskas, V.V.; Kychkin, I.S.; Rudzikas, Z.B.

    1976-01-01

    Certain symmetry properties of standard quantities of the atomic shell theory for LS coupling are studied, namely, the commutation of quantum numbers of spin and quasispin in genealogical coefficients and in submatrix elements of irreducible tensor operators. The method of second quantization and quasispin has been used for obtaining new relations between genealogical coefficients. The similar relations have been also found for the submatrix elements of the irreducible tensor operators, as well as for genealogical coefficients with two and more split-off electrons. For the first time in special cases for the quantities under study the explicit algebraic expressions are obtained

  18. Torsion-rotation structure and quasi-symmetric-rotor behaviour for the CH3SH asymmetric CH3-bending and C-H stretching bands of E parentage

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lees, R. M.; Xu, Li-Hong; Guislain, B. G.; Reid, E. M.; Twagirayezu, S.; Perry, D. S.; Dawadi, M. B.; Thapaliya, B. P.; Billinghurst, B. E.

    2018-01-01

    High-resolution Fourier transform spectra of the asymmetric methyl-bending and methyl-stretching bands of CH3SH have been recorded employing synchrotron radiation at the FIR beamline of the Canadian Light Source. Analysis of the torsion-rotation structure and relative intensities has revealed the novel feature that for both bend and stretch the in-plane and out-of-plane modes behave much like a Coriolis-coupled l-doublet pair originating from degenerate E modes of a symmetric top. As the axial angular momentum K increases, the energies of the coupled "l = ±1" modes diverge linearly, with effective Coriolis ζ constants typical for symmetric tops. For the methyl-stretching states, separated at K = 0 by only about 1 cm-1, the assigned sub-bands follow a symmetric top Δ(K - l) = 0 selection rule, with only ΔK = -1 transitions observed to the upper l = -1 in-plane A‧ component and only ΔK = +1 transitions to the lower l = +1 out-of-plane A″ component. The K = 0 separation of the CH3-bending states is larger at 9.1 cm-1 with the l-ordering reversed. Here, both ΔK = +1 and ΔK = -1 transitions are seen for each l-component but with a large difference in relative intensity. Term values for the excited state levels have been fitted to J(J + 1) power-series expansions to obtain substate origins. These have then been fitted to a Fourier model to characterize the torsion-K-rotation energy patterns. For both pairs of vibrational states, the torsional energies display the customary oscillatory behaviour as a function of K and have inverted torsional splittings relative to the ground state. The spectra show numerous perturbations, indicating local resonances with the underlying bath of high torsional levels and vibrational combination and overtone states. The overall structure of the two pairs of bands represents a new regime in which the vibrational energy separations, torsional splittings and shifts due to molecular asymmetry are all of the same order, creating a challenging and complex vibration-torsion-rotation coupling environment.

  19. Identification, Characterization, and Mapping of a Novel SNP Associated with Body Color Transparency in Juvenile Red Sea Bream (Pagrus major).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sawayama, Eitaro; Noguchi, Daiki; Nakayama, Kei; Takagi, Motohiro

    2018-03-23

    We previously reported a body color deformity in juvenile red sea bream, which shows transparency in the juvenile stage because of delayed chromatophore development compared with normal individuals, and this finding suggested a genetic cause based on parentage assessments. To conduct marker-assisted selection to eliminate broodstock inheriting the causative gene, developing DNA markers associated with the phenotype was needed. We first conducted SNP mining based on AFLP analysis using bulked-DNA from normal and transparent individuals. One SNP was identified from a transparent-specific AFLP fragment, which significantly associated with transparent individuals. Two alleles (A/G) were observed in this locus, and the genotype G/G was dominantly observed in the transparent groups (97.1%) collected from several production lots produced from different broodstock populations. A few normal individuals inherited the G/G genotype (5.0%), but the A/A and A/G genotypes were dominantly observed in the normal groups. The homologs region of the SNP was searched using a medaka genome database, and intron 12 of the Nell2a gene (located on chromosome 6 of the medaka genome) was highly matched. We also mapped the red sea bream Nell2a gene on the previously developed linkage maps, and this gene was mapped on a male linkage group, LG4-M. The newly found SNP was useful in eliminating broodstock possessing the causative gene of the body color transparency observed in juvenile stage of red sea bream.

  20. Biomass and Volume Yield in Mature Hybrid Poplar Plantations on Temperate Abandoned Farmland

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    Benoit Truax

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available In this study, we developed clone-specific allometric relationships, with the objective of calculating volume and biomass production after 13 years in 8 poplar plantations, located across an environmental gradient, and composed of 5 unrelated hybrid poplar clones. Allometry was found to be very similar for clones MxB-915311, NxM-3729 and DNxM-915508, all having P. maximoviczii parentage. Clones DxN-3570 and TxD-3230 also had a similar allometry; for a given DBH they have a lower stem volume, stem biomass and branch biomass than P. maximoviczii hybrids. Strong Site × Clone interactions were observed for volume and woody biomass growth, with DxN and TxD hybrids only productive on low elevation fertile sites, whereas P. maximovizcii hybrids were also very productive on higher elevation sites with moderate to high soil fertility. At the site level (5 clones mean, yield reached 27.5 and 22.7 m3/ha/yr. on the two best sites (high fertility and low elevation, confirming the great potential of southern Québec (Canada for poplar culture. The productivity gap between the most and least productive sites has widened from year 8 to year 13, highlighting the need for high quality abandoned farmland site selection in terms of climate and soil fertility. Although clone selection could optimize yield across the studied environmental gradient, it cannot fully compensate for inadequate site selection.

  1. Accuracy of Genomic Evaluations of Juvenile Growth Rate in Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio Using Genotyping by Sequencing

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    Christos Palaiokostas

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Cyprinids are the most important group of farmed fish globally in terms of production volume, with common carp (Cyprinus carpio being one of the most valuable species of the group. The use of modern selective breeding methods in carp is at a formative stage, implying a large scope for genetic improvement of key production traits. In the current study, a population of 1,425 carp juveniles, originating from a partial factorial cross between 40 sires and 20 dams, was used for investigating the potential of genomic selection (GS for juvenile growth, an exemplar polygenic production trait. RAD sequencing was used to identify and genotype SNP markers for subsequent parentage assignment, construction of a medium density genetic map (12,311 SNPs, genome-wide association study (GWAS, and testing of GS. A moderate heritability was estimated for body length of carp at 120 days (as a proxy of juvenile growth of 0.33 (s.e. 0.05. No genome-wide significant QTL was identified using a single marker GWAS approach. Genomic prediction of breeding values outperformed pedigree-based prediction, resulting in 18% improvement in prediction accuracy. The impact of reduced SNP densities on prediction accuracy was tested by varying minor allele frequency (MAF thresholds, with no drop in prediction accuracy until the MAF threshold is set <0.3 (2,744 SNPs. These results point to the potential for GS to improve economically important traits in common carp breeding programs.

  2. Fitness effects of a selfish gene (the Mus t complex) are revealed in an ecological context.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carroll, Lara S; Meagher, Shawn; Morrison, Linda; Penn, Dustin J; Potts, Wayne K

    2004-06-01

    In wild house mice, genes linked to the t transmission distortion complex cause meiotic drive by sabotaging wild-type gametes. The t complex is consequently inherited at frequencies higher than 90%. Yet, for unclear reasons, in wild mouse populations this selfish DNA is found at frequencies much lower than expected. Here, we examine selection on the t complex in 10 seminatural populations of wild mice based on data from 234 founders and nearly 2000 progeny. Eight of the 10 populations decreased in t frequency over one generation, and the overall frequency of t haplotypes across all 10 populations was 48.5% below expectations based on transmission distortion and 34.3% below Mendelian (or Hardy-Weinberg) expectations. Behavioral and reproductive data were collected for 10 months for each population, and microsatellite genotyping was performed on seven of the populations to determine parentage. These combined data show t-associated fitness declines in both males and females. This is the first study to show evidence for a reduction in the ability of +/t males to maintain territories. Because females tend to mate with dominant males, impairment of territorial success can explain much of the selection against t observed in our populations. In nature, selection against heterozygote carriers of the t complex helps solve the puzzlingly low t frequencies found in wild populations. This ecological approach for determining fitness consequences of genetic variants has broad application for the discovery of gene function in general.

  3. Insight into the wild origin, migration and domestication history of the fine flavour Nacional Theobroma cacao L. variety from Ecuador.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Loor Solorzano, Rey Gaston; Fouet, Olivier; Lemainque, Arnaud; Pavek, Sylvana; Boccara, Michel; Argout, Xavier; Amores, Freddy; Courtois, Brigitte; Risterucci, Ange Marie; Lanaud, Claire

    2012-01-01

    Ecuador's economic history has been closely linked to Theobroma cacao L cultivation, and specifically to the native fine flavour Nacional cocoa variety. The original Nacional cocoa trees are presently in danger of extinction due to foreign germplasm introductions. In a previous work, a few non-introgressed Nacional types were identified as potential founders of the modern Ecuadorian cocoa population, but so far their origin could not be formally identified. In order to determine the putative centre of origin of Nacional and trace its domestication history, we used 80 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers to analyse the relationships between these potential Nacional founders and 169 wild and cultivated cocoa accessions from South and Central America. The highest genetic similarity was observed between the Nacional pool and some wild genotypes from the southern Amazonian region of Ecuador, sampled along the Yacuambi, Nangaritza and Zamora rivers in Zamora Chinchipe province. This result was confirmed by a parentage analysis. Based on our results and on data about pre-Columbian civilization and Spanish colonization history of Ecuador, we determined, for the first time, the possible centre of origin and migration events of the Nacional variety from the Amazonian area until its arrival in the coastal provinces. As large unexplored forest areas still exist in the southern part of the Ecuadorian Amazonian region, our findings could provide clues as to where precious new genetic resources could be collected, and subsequently used to improve the flavour and disease resistance of modern Ecuadorian cocoa varieties.

  4. Spruce colonization at treeline: where do those seeds come from?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Piotti, A; Leonardi, S; Piovani, P; Scalfi, M; Menozzi, P

    2009-08-01

    At treeline, selection by harsh environmental conditions sets an upward limit to arboreal vegetation. Increasing temperatures and the decline of traditional animal raising have favoured an upward shift of treeline in the last decades. These circumstances create a unique opportunity to study the balance of the main forces (selection and gene flow) that drive tree migration. We conducted a parentage analysis sampling and genotyping with five microsatellite markers in all Norway spruce individuals (342 juveniles and 23 adults) found in a recently colonized treeline area (Paneveggio forest, Eastern Alps, Italy). Our goal was to evaluate local reproductive success versus gene flow from the outside. We were able to identify both parents among local adults for only 11.1% of the juveniles. In the gamete pool we sampled, two-thirds were not produced locally. Effective seed dispersal distance distribution was characterized by a peak far from the seed source (mean 344.66 m+/-191.02 s.d.). Reproductive success was skewed, with six local adults that generated almost two-thirds (62.4%) of juveniles with local parents. Our findings indicate that, although a few local adults seem to play an important role in the colonization process at treeline, large levels of gene flow from outside were maintained, suggesting that the potential advantages of local adults (such as local adaptation, proximity to the colonization area, phenological synchrony) did not prevent a large gamete immigration.

  5. Are immigrants and nationals born to immigrants at higher risk for delayed or no lifetime breast and cervical cancer screening? The results from a population-based survey in Paris metropolitan area in 2010.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Claire Rondet

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVES: This study aims to compare breast cancer screening (BCS and cervical cancer screening (CCS practices of French women born to French parents with those of immigrants and nationals born to immigrants, taking their socioeconomic status into account. METHODS: The study is based on data collected in 2010 in the Paris metropolitan area among a representative sample of 3000 French-speaking adults. For women with no history of breast or cervical cancer, multivariate logistic regressions and structural equation models were used to investigate the factors associated with never having undergone BCS or CCS. RESULTS: We confirmed the existence of a strong gradient, with respect to migration origin, for delaying or never having undergone BCS or CCS. Thus, being a foreign immigrant or being French of immigrant parentage were risk factors for delayed and no lifetime screening. Interestingly, we found that this gradient persisted (at least partially after adjusting for the women's socioeconomic characteristics. Only the level of income seemed to play a mediating role, but only partially. We observed differences between BCS and CCS which suggest that organized CCS could be effective in reducing socioeconomic and/or ethnic inequities. CONCLUSION: Socioeconomic status partially explained the screening nonparticipation on the part of French women of immigrant origin and foreign immigrants. This was more so the case with CCS than with BCS, which suggests that organized prevention programs might reduce social inequalities.

  6. Analysis of microsatellite markers D18S70 and d20S116 in DNA isolated from dentin: Use in forensic medicine

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Puzović Dragana

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction. Short tandem repeats and more specifically microsatellites represent a powerful tool in forensic medicine. In the past years, they have been extensively used in human identification and paternity testing. Objective The aim of the present study was to analyze two microsatellite markers in the Serbian population, i.e. to determine the number of alleles and the relevant forensic parameters. Methods. DNA was isolated from teeth samples using standard proteinase K digestion and phenol/chloroform alcohol extraction. PCR products were analyzed on polyacrilamide gels and visualized by AgNO3 staining. Forensic parameters were calculated using the Cervus software. Results. The loci D18S70 and D20S116 were analyzed on a sample of 70 unrelated, healthy adult individuals from Serbia. The number of alleles was determined and Hardy Weinberg equilibrium was confirmed for both loci. D18S70 and D20S116 demonstrated 6 and 8 alleles, respectively. The power of discrimination (PD and the power of exclusion (PE for the tested STR loci, D18S70 and D20S116 were 0.92 (PD, 0.41 (PE and 0.95 (PD, 0.480 (PE, respectively. Conclusion. According to the presented data, D18S70 and D20S116 are most informative markers. Based on allelic frequencies and statistical parameters for forensic testing, it may be suggested that these two microsatellites represent useful markers for individual identification and parentage analysis in the Serbian population.

  7. Genetic diversity, identification, and certification of Chilean rice varieties using molecular markers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Viviana Becerra

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available It takes approximately 14 yr to produce a new rice (Oryza sativa L. variety, that is, from initial hybridization to its commercial release. Currently, new varieties are identified based on morphological descriptors, which have been efficient over time. However, due to the main constraints on seed type impose to other breeding objectives and the pressure of continuous release of varieties, high degree of parentage, and genetic and morphological uniformity has been observed in the breeding populations. The objectives of this study were: to determine the genetic variability of Chilean and foreign commercial rice varieties, and determine, identify, and certify the genetic relationships among varieties, using simple sequence repeat (SSR markers. A total of 16 commercial varieties, some of them closely related, were included in the study, which were genétically analyzed using 54 microsatellites. The 54 microsatellite loci allowed the discrimination among the 16 varieties. The number of alleles ranged between 2 and 8 with a mean of 3.54 alleles per locus, while the polymorphism information content (PIC presented a mean of 0.44. The genetic distance and diversity parameters between pairs of varieties indicate a limited diversity among these genotypes. The cluster analysis indicated that varieties were grouped according to their grain type and pedigree. Results demonstrate that the identification and certification of varieties using microsatellite markers could be a good complement to existing agro-morphological data when varieties are closed related.

  8. Genetic variation, relatedness, and effective population size of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in the southern Beaufort Sea, Alaska

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cronin, Matthew A.; Amstrup, Steven C.; Talbot, Sandra L.; Sage, George K.; Amstrup, Kristin S.

    2009-01-01

    Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) are unique among bears in that they are adapted to the Arctic sea ice environment. Genetic data are useful for understanding their evolution and can contribute to management. We assessed parentage and relatedness of polar bears in the southern Beaufort Sea, Alaska, with genetic data and field observations of age, sex, and mother–offspring and sibling relationships. Genotypes at 14 microsatellite DNA loci for 226 bears indicate that genetic variation is comparable to other populations of polar bears with mean number of alleles per locus of 7.9 and observed and expected heterozygosity of 0.71. The genetic data verified 60 field-identified mother–offspring pairs and identified 10 additional mother–cub pairs and 48 father–offspring pairs. The entire sample of related and unrelated bears had a mean pairwise relatedness index (rxy) of approximately zero, parent–offspring and siblings had rxy of approximately 0.5, and 5.2% of the samples had rxy values within the range expected for parent-offspring. Effective population size (Ne= 277) and the ratio of Ne to total population size (Ne/N = 0.182) were estimated from the numbers of reproducing males and females. Ne estimates with genetic methods gave variable results. Our results verify and expand field data on reproduction by females and provide new data on reproduction by males and estimates of relatedness and Ne in a polar bear population.

  9. A 'feather-trap' for collecting DNA samples from birds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maurer, Golo; Beck, Nadeena; Double, Michael C

    2010-01-01

    Genetic analyses of birds are usually based on DNA extracted from a blood sample. For some species, however, obtaining blood samples is difficult because they are sensitive to handling, pose a conservation or animal welfare concern, or evade capture. In such cases, feathers obtained from live birds in the wild can provide an alternative source of DNA. Here, we provide the first description and evaluation of a 'feather-trap', consisting of small strips of double-sided adhesive tape placed close to a nest with chicks, as a simple, inexpensive and minimally invasive method to collect feathers. The feather-trap was tested in tropical conditions on the Australian pheasant coucal (Centropus phasianinus). None of the 12 pairs of coucals on which the feather-trap was used abandoned the nest, and feeding rates did not differ from those of birds not exposed to a feather-trap. On average, 4.2 feathers were collected per trap over 2-5 days and, despite exposure to monsoonal rain, DNA was extracted from 71.4% of samples, albeit at low concentrations. The amount of genomic DNA extracted from each feather was sufficient to reliably genotype individuals at up to five microsatellite loci for parentage analysis. We show that a feather-trap can provide a reliable alternative for obtaining DNA in species where taking blood is difficult. It may also prove useful for collecting feather samples for other purposes, e.g. stable-isotope analysis. © 2009 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  10. Effects of chronic copper exposure on development and survival in the southern leopard frog (Lithobates [Rana] sphenocephalus).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lance, Stacey L; Erickson, Matthew R; Flynn, R Wesley; Mills, Gary L; Tuberville, Tracey D; Scott, David E

    2012-07-01

    Exposure to environmental contaminants contributes to the global decline of amphibian populations. The impacts of organic contaminants on amphibians are well documented. However, substantially less is known concerning the potential effects of metals on amphibian populations. Copper (Cu) is an essential element, but it can be toxic at concentrations only slightly higher than the normal physiological range. The present study examines the effects of chronic Cu exposure on embryos and larvae of southern leopard frogs, Lithobates (Rana) sphenocephalus. Groups of eggs from multiple clutches were collected from two wetlands and exposed to a range of Cu concentrations (0-150 µg/L) until they reached the free-swimming stage, and then individual larvae were reared to metamorphosis. Higher Cu concentrations significantly reduced embryo survival to the free-swimming stage but did not further reduce survival to metamorphosis. Larval period was affected by Cu treatment, but the clutch from which larvae originated (i.e., parentage) explained a higher proportion of the variation. Embryo survival to hatching varied significantly among clutches, ranging from 42.9 to 79.2%. Measurable levels of Cu were found in larvae with body burdens up to 595 µg Cu/g dry mass in the 100 µg/L treatment, and larval Cu body burdens were higher than in metamorphs. The present study also demonstrated that higher initial egg density ameliorated embryo mortality at higher Cu levels and should be accounted for in future studies. Copyright © 2012 SETAC.

  11. Draft genome sequence of Cicer reticulatum L., the wild progenitor of chickpea provides a resource for agronomic trait improvement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gupta, Sonal; Nawaz, Kashif; Parween, Sabiha; Roy, Riti; Sahu, Kamlesh; Kumar Pole, Anil; Khandal, Hitaishi; Srivastava, Rishi; Kumar Parida, Swarup; Chattopadhyay, Debasis

    2017-02-01

    Cicer reticulatum L. is the wild progenitor of the fourth most important legume crop chickpea (C. arietinum L.). We assembled short-read sequences into 416 Mb draft genome of C. reticulatum and anchored 78% (327 Mb) of this assembly to eight linkage groups. Genome annotation predicted 25,680 protein-coding genes covering more than 90% of predicted gene space. The genome assembly shared a substantial synteny and conservation of gene orders with the genome of the model legume Medicago truncatula. Resistance gene homologs of wild and domesticated chickpeas showed high sequence homology and conserved synteny. Comparison of gene sequences and nucleotide diversity using 66 wild and domesticated chickpea accessions suggested that the desi type chickpea was genetically closer to the wild species than the kabuli type. Comparative analyses predicted gene flow between the wild and the cultivated species during domestication. Molecular diversity and population genetic structure determination using 15,096 genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms revealed an admixed domestication pattern among cultivated (desi and kabuli) and wild chickpea accessions belonging to three population groups reflecting significant influence of parentage or geographical origin for their cultivar-specific population classification. The assembly and the polymorphic sequence resources presented here would facilitate the study of chickpea domestication and targeted use of wild Cicer germplasms for agronomic trait improvement in chickpea. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Kazusa DNA Research Institute.

  12. Theoretical study of diaquamalonatozinc(II) single crystal for applications in non-linear optical devices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chakraborty, Mitesh; Rai, Vineet Kumar

    2017-12-01

    The aim of the present paper is to employ theoretical methods to investigate the zero field splitting (ZFS) parameter and to investigate the position of the dopant in the host. These theoretical calculations have been compared with the empirical results. The superposition model (SPM) with the microscopic spin-Hamiltonian (MSH) theory and the coefficient of fractional parentage have been employed to investigate the dopant manganese(II) ion substitution in the diaquamalonatozinc(II) (DAMZ) single crystal. The magnetic parameters, viz. g-tensor and D-tensor, has been determined by using the ORCA program package developed by F Neese et al. The unrestricted Kohn-Sham orbitals-based Pederson-Khanna (PK) as the unperturbed wave function is observed to be the most suitable for the computational calculation of spin-orbit tensor (D^{SO}) of the axial ZFS parameter D. The effects of spin-spin dipolar couplings are taken into account. The unrestricted natural orbital (UNO) is used for the calculation of spin-spin dipolar contributions to the ZFS tensor. A comparative study of the quantum mechanical treatment of Pederson-Khanna (PK) with coupled perturbation (CP) is reported in the present study. The unrestricted Kohn-Sham-based natural orbital with Pederson-Khanna-type of perturbation approach validates the experimental results in the evaluation of ZFS parameters. The theoretical results are appropriate with the experimental ones and indicate the interstitial occupancy of Mn^{2+} ion in the host matrix.

  13. Genetic variation, relatedness, and effective population size of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in the southern Beaufort Sea, Alaska.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cronin, Matthew A; Amstrup, Steven C; Talbot, Sandra L; Sage, George K; Amstrup, Kristin S

    2009-01-01

    Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) are unique among bears in that they are adapted to the Arctic sea ice environment. Genetic data are useful for understanding their evolution and can contribute to management. We assessed parentage and relatedness of polar bears in the southern Beaufort Sea, Alaska, with genetic data and field observations of age, sex, and mother-offspring and sibling relationships. Genotypes at 14 microsatellite DNA loci for 226 bears indicate that genetic variation is comparable to other populations of polar bears with mean number of alleles per locus of 7.9 and observed and expected heterozygosity of 0.71. The genetic data verified 60 field-identified mother-offspring pairs and identified 10 additional mother-cub pairs and 48 father-offspring pairs. The entire sample of related and unrelated bears had a mean pairwise relatedness index (r(xy)) of approximately zero, parent-offspring and siblings had r(xy) of approximately 0.5, and 5.2% of the samples had r(xy) values within the range expected for parent-offspring. Effective population size (N(e) = 277) and the ratio of N(e) to total population size (N(e)/N = 0.182) were estimated from the numbers of reproducing males and females. N(e) estimates with genetic methods gave variable results. Our results verify and expand field data on reproduction by females and provide new data on reproduction by males and estimates of relatedness and N(e) in a polar bear population.

  14. Double-digest RAD sequencing outperforms microsatellite loci at assigning paternity and estimating relatedness: A proof of concept in a highly promiscuous bird.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thrasher, Derrick J; Butcher, Bronwyn G; Campagna, Leonardo; Webster, Michael S; Lovette, Irby J

    2018-02-17

    Information on genetic relationships among individuals is essential to many studies of the behaviour and ecology of wild organisms. Parentage and relatedness assays based on large numbers of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) loci hold substantial advantages over the microsatellite markers traditionally used for these purposes. We present a double-digest restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (ddRAD-seq) analysis pipeline that, as such, simultaneously achieves the SNP discovery and genotyping steps and which is optimized to return a statistically powerful set of SNP markers (typically 150-600 after stringent filtering) from large numbers of individuals (up to 240 per run). We explore the trade-offs inherent in this approach through a set of experiments in a species with a complex social system, the variegated fairy-wren (Malurus lamberti) and further validate it in a phylogenetically broad set of other bird species. Through direct comparisons with a parallel data set from a robust panel of highly variable microsatellite markers, we show that this ddRAD-seq approach results in substantially improved power to discriminate among potential relatives and considerably more precise estimates of relatedness coefficients. The pipeline is designed to be universally applicable to all bird species (and with minor modifications to many other taxa), to be cost- and time-efficient, and to be replicable across independent runs such that genotype data from different study periods can be combined and analysed as field samples are accumulated. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  15. Genetic and experimental evidence for a mixed-age, mixed-origin bank of kelp microscopic stages in southern California.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carney, Laura T; Bohonak, Andrew J; Edwards, Matthew S; Alberto, Filipe

    2013-09-01

    Laboratory studies have demonstrated that the microscopic stages of kelps can rapidly resume development from a delayed state. Like terrestrial seeds or aquatic resting eggs, banks of delayed kelp stages may supplement population recovery after periods of stress, playing an important role for kelp populations that experience adult sporophyte absences due to seasonal or interannual disturbances. We found that removing the microscopic stages from natural rock substratum could prevent the appearance of juvenile kelp sporophytes for three months and the establishment of a diverse kelp assemblage for over four months within a southern California kelp forest. Juveniles were observed within one month in plots where microscopic stages were left intact, which may confer an advantage for the resulting sporophytes as they attain larger sizes before later recruiting neighbors. Microsatellite diversity was high (expected heterozygosity HE approximately 0.9) for juveniles and adults within our sites. Using a microsatellite-based parentage analysis for the dominant kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera, we estimated that a portion of the new M. pyrifera sporophyte recruits had originated from their parents at least seven months after their parents had disappeared. Similar delay durations have been demonstrated in recent laboratory studies. Additionally, our results suggest that zoospore dispersal distances > 50 m may be supported by including additional microsatellite loci in the analysis. We propose a mixed-age and, potentially, a mixed-origin bank of M. pyrifera gametophytes promotes maximal genetic diversity in recovering populations and reduces population genetic subdivision and self-fertilization rates for intact populations by promoting the survival of zoospores dispersed > 10 m and during inhospitable environmental conditions.

  16. A suite of microsatellite markers for genetic management of captive cracids (Aves, Galliformes).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Costa, M C; Camargo, C; Laganaro, N M; Oliveira, P R R; Davanço, P V; Azeredo, R M A; Simpson, J G P; Silveira, L F; Francisco, M R

    2014-11-27

    Cracids are medium to large frugivorous birds that are endemic to the Neotropics. Because of deforestation and overhunting, many species are threatened. The conservation of several species has relied on captive breeding and reintroduction in the wild, but captive populations may be inbred. Microsatellite tools can permit the construction of genetic pedigrees to reduce inbreeding, but only a few loci are available for this group of birds. Here, we present 10 novel polymorphic microsatellite loci and the cross-amplification of these and of 10 additional loci available in the literature in a panel of 5 cracid species, including 3 species with high conservation concern. We provide the first polymorphic loci for the jacutinga, Aburria jacutinga (N = 8), and red-billed curassow, Crax blumenbachii (N = 9), and additional loci for bare-faced curassow, C. fasciolata (N = 8), Alagoas curassow, Pauxi mitu (N = 5), and razor-billed curassow, P. tuberosa (N = 5). The average number of alleles was 2.9 for A. jacutinga, 2.7 for C. blumenbachii, 3.5 for C. fasciolata, 2.6 for P. mitu, and 5.7 for P. tuberosa. The mean expected heterozygosities were 0.42, 0.40, 0.48, 0.37, and 0.59, respectively. The average probabilities that the set of loci would not exclude a pair of parents of an arbitrary offspring were 2.9% in A. jacutinga, 1% in C. blumenbachii, 0.5% in C. fasciolata, 0.4% in P. mitu, and 0.002% in P. tuberosa suggesting that these loci may be adequate for parentage analysis and to implement ex situ genetic management plans.

  17. Transferability of retrotransposon primers derived from Persimmon (Diospyros kaki Thunb.) across other plant species.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Du, X Y; Hu, Q N; Zhang, Q L; Wang, Y B; Luo, Z R

    2013-06-06

    Retrotransposon-based molecular markers are powerful molecular tools. However, these markers are not readily available due to the difficulty in obtaining species-specific retrotransposon primers. Although recent techniques enabling the rapid isolation of retrotransposon sequences have facilitated primer development, this process nonetheless remains time-consuming and costly. Therefore, research into the transferability of retrotransposon primers developed from one plant species onto others would be of great value. The present study investigated the transferability of retrotransposon primers derived from 'Luotian-tianshi' persimmon (Diospyros kaki Thunb.) across other fruit crops, as well as within the genus using inter-retrotransposon amplified polymorphism molecular marker. Fourteen of the 26 retrotransposon primers tested (53.85%) produced robust and reproducible amplification products across all fruit crops tested, indicating their applicability across plant species. Four of the 13 fruit crops showed the best transferability performances: persimmon, grape, citrus, and peach. Furthermore, similarity coefficients and UPGMA clustering indicated that these primers could further offer a potential tool for germplasm differentiation, parentage identification, genetic diversity assessment, classification, and phylogenetic studies across a variety of plant species. Transferability was further confirmed by examining published primers derived from Rosaceae, Gramineae, and Solanaceae. This study is one of the few currently available studies concerning the transferability of retrotransposon primers across plant species in general, and is the first successful study of the transferability of retrotransposon primers derived from persimmon. The primers presented here will help reduce costs for future retrotransposon primer development and therefore contribute to the popularization of retrotransposon molecular markers.

  18. Population bottlenecks, genetic diversity and breeding ability of the three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) from three polluted English Rivers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Santos, Eduarda M; Hamilton, Patrick B; Coe, Tobias S; Ball, Jonathan S; Cook, Alastair C; Katsiadaki, Ioanna; Tyler, Charles R

    2013-10-15

    Pollution is a significant environmental pressure on fish populations in both freshwater and marine environments. Populations subjected to chronic exposure to pollutants can experience impacts ranging from altered reproductive capacity to changes in population genetic structure. Few studies, however, have examined the reproductive vigor of individuals within populations inhabiting environments characterized by chronic pollution. In this study we undertook an analysis of populations of three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus) from polluted sites, to determine levels of genetic diversity, assess for evidence of historic population genetic bottlenecks and determine the reproductive competitiveness of males from these locations. The sites chosen included locations in the River Aire, the River Tees and the River Birket, English rivers that have been impacted by pollution from industrial and/or domestic effluents for over 100 years. Male reproductive competitiveness was determined via competitive breeding experiments with males and females derived from a clean water site, employing DNA microsatellites to determine parentage outcome. Populations of stickleback collected from the three historically polluted sites showed evidence of recent population bottlenecks, although only the River Aire population showed low genetic diversity. In contrast, fish collected from two relatively unpolluted sites within the River Gowy and Houghton Springs showed weak, or no evidence of such bottlenecks. Nevertheless, males derived from polluted sites were able to reproduce successfully in competition with males derived from clean water exposures, indicating that these bottlenecks have not resulted in any substantial loss of reproductive fitness in males. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Genealogy of wine grape cultivars: "Pinot" is related to "Syrah".

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vouillamoz, J F; Grando, M S

    2006-08-01

    Since the domestication of wild grapes ca 6000 years ago, numerous cultivars have been generated by spontaneous or deliberate crosses, and up to 10 000 are still in existence today. Just as in human paternity analysis, DNA typing can reveal unexpected parentage of grape cultivars. In this study, we have analysed 89 grape cultivars with 60 microsatellite markers in order to accurately calculate the identity-by-descent (IBD) and relatedness (r) coefficients among six putatively related cultivars from France ("Pinot", "Syrah" and "Dureza") and northern Italy ("Teroldego", "Lagrein" and "Marzemino"). Using a recently developed likelihood-based approach to analyse kinship in grapes, we provide the first evidence of a genetic link between grapes across the Alps: "Dureza" and "Teroldego" turn out to be full-siblings (FS). For the first time in grapevine genetics we were able to detect FS without knowing one of the parents and identify unexpected second-degree relatives. We reconstructed the most likely pedigree that revealed a third-degree relationship between the worldwide-cultivated "Pinot" from Burgundy and "Syrah" from the Rhone Valley. Our finding was totally unsuspected by classical ampelography and it challenges the commonly assumed independent origins of these grape cultivars. Our results and this new approach in grape genetics will (a) help grape breeders to avoid choosing closely related varieties for new crosses, (b) provide pedigrees of cultivars in order to detect inheritance of disease-resistance genes and (c) open the way for future discoveries of first- and second-degree relationships between grape cultivars in order to better understand viticultural migrations.

  20. Relationship between transitional lumbosacral vertebrae and eight lumbar vertebrae in a breeding colony of Labrador Retrievers and Labrador Crosses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moeser, C F; Wade, C M

    2017-01-01

    Transitional lumbosacral vertebrae (TLSV) is a hereditary malformation of the spinal column diagnosed in various dog breeds. The aim of this study was to explore whether different lumbosacral phenotypes have an inherited basis. Radiographs of all dogs within a breeding colony were performed and assessed. A comparison of the incidence of TLSV, eight lumbar vertebrae (8LV), and fusion of the first caudal vertebrae to the sacrum or near fusion of this area was made between litters of normal parentage and litters where one or both of the parents had an anomaly. Of the 119 puppies included in the study, 69 had normal conformation, 9 had 8LV, 9 had TLSV and 32 had fusion of the first caudal vertebra (Ca1) to the caudal sacral segment or a reduced joint space in this area. Results indicated that all the abnormal types likely had common underlying genetic causes. Compared with the population as a whole, significantly more progeny were observed to have abnormalities of the sacral region when both parents were affected by either fusion of Ca1 to the third sacral vertebra (S3) and/or had 8LV. Significantly more progeny were normal compared with the entire study population when both parents were normal. Strong similarity between parental and progeny phenotypes suggested that the characteristics were heritable and likely influenced by major gene effects. When performing screening radiographs for TLSV, assessment for 8LV and fusion of Ca1 to S3 should be included. © 2017 Australian Veterinary Association.

  1. Paternity assignment in the polyploid Acipenser dabryanus based on a novel microsatellite marker system.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ya Liu

    Full Text Available Acipenser dabryanus is listed as a Critical Endangered species in the IUCN Red List and the first class protected animals in China. Fortunately, A. dabryanus specimens are being successfully bred in captivity for conservation. However, for effective ex situ conservation, we should be aware of the genetic diversity and the degree of relatedness of the individuals selected for breeding. In this study, we aimed at the development of novel and reliable microsatellites used for the genetic study of A. dabryanus. A total of 14,321 simple sequence repeats (SSRs were detected by transcriptome sequencing and screening. We selected 20 novel and polymorphic microsatellites (non-dinucleotide with good repeatability from the 100 tested loci for a subsequent genetic and paternity study. A set of captive broodstock (F1 stock, n = 43 and their offspring (F2 stock, n = 96 were used to examine the efficiency of the 20 SSRs for assigning parentage to offspring, with an allocation success of 91.7%. We also found that only a few families predominantly contributed to the progeny produced by the 43 breeders. In addition, mitochondrial DNA data showed that the captive broodstock (F1 individuals had an excellent probability of the same lineage, implying that a high level of inbreeding may have occurred in these individuals. Our research provides useful information on genetic diversity and reproductive pattern of A. dabryanus, and the 20 SSRs developed in this study can be applied to the future breeding program to avoid inbreeding for this stock or other related species of Acipenseriformes.

  2. Identification and characterization of microsatellite loci in two socially complex old world tropical babblers (Family Timaliidae).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaiser, Sara A; Danner, J E; Bergner, Laura; Fleischer, Robert C

    2015-11-24

    Although the highest diversity of birds occurs in tropical regions, little is known about the genetic mating systems of most tropical species. We describe microsatellite markers isolated in the chestnut-crested yuhina (Staphida everetti), endemic to the island of Borneo, and the grey-throated babbler (Stachyris nigriceps), widely distributed across Southeast Asia. Both species belong to the avian family Timaliidae and are highly social, putatively cooperatively breeding birds in which helpers attend the nests of members of their social group. We obtained DNA from individuals in social groups breeding in Kinabalu Park, Malaysian Borneo. We used a shotgun sequencing approach and 454-technology to identify 36 microsatellite loci in the yuhina and 40 in the babbler. We tested 13 primer pairs in yuhinas and 20 in babblers and characterized eight polymorphic loci in 20 unrelated female yuhinas and 21 unrelated female babblers. Polymorphism at the yuhina loci ranged from 3 to 9 alleles, observed heterozygosities from 0.58 to 1.00, and expected heterozygosities from 0.64 to 0.81. Polymorphism at the babbler loci ranged from 3 to 12 alleles, observed heterozygosities from 0.14 to 0.90 and expected heterozygosities from 0.14 to 0.87. One locus in the yuhina deviated significantly from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. We detected nonrandom allele associations between two pairs of microsatellite loci in each species. Microsatellite markers will be used to describe the genetic mating system of these socially complex species and to measure genetic parentage and relatedness within social groups.

  3. Complex offspring size effects: variations across life stages and between species.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Zhao; Hamel, Jean-François; Parrish, Christopher C; Mercier, Annie

    2015-03-01

    Classical optimality models of offspring size and number assume a monotonically increasing relationship between offspring size and performance. In aquatic organisms with complex life cycles, the size-performance function is particularly hard to grasp because measures of performance are varied and their relationships with size may not be consistent throughout early ontogeny. Here, we examine size effects in premetamorphic (larval) and postmetamorphic (juvenile) stages of brooding marine animals and show that they vary contextually in strength and direction during ontogeny and among species. Larger offspring of the sea anemone Urticina felina generally outperformed small siblings at the larval stage (i.e., greater settlement and survival rates under suboptimal conditions). However, results differed when analyses were conducted at the intrabrood versus across-brood levels, suggesting that the relationship between larval size and performance is mediated by parentage. At the juvenile stage (15 months), small offspring were less susceptible than large ones to predation by subadult nudibranchs and both sizes performed similarly when facing adult nudibranchs. In a sympatric species with a different life history (Aulactinia stella), all juveniles suffered similar predation rates by subadult nudibranchs, but smaller juveniles performed better (lower mortalities) when facing adult nudibranchs. Size differences in premetamorphic performance of U. felina were linked to total lipid contents of larvae, whereas size-specific predation of juvenile stages followed the general predictions of the optimal foraging strategy. These findings emphasize the challenge in gathering empirical support for a positive monotonic size-performance function in taxa that exhibit complex life cycles, which are dominant in the sea.

  4. Reduced population size does not affect the mating strategy of a vulnerable and endemic seabird

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nava, Cristina; Neves, Verónica C.; Andris, Malvina; Dubois, Marie-Pierre; Jarne, Philippe; Bolton, Mark; Bried, Joël

    2017-12-01

    Bottleneck episodes may occur in small and isolated animal populations, which may result in decreased genetic diversity and increased inbreeding, but also in mating strategy adjustment. This was evaluated in the vulnerable and socially monogamous Monteiro's Storm-petrel Hydrobates monteiroi, a seabird endemic to the Azores archipelago which has suffered a dramatic population decline since the XVth century. To do this, we conducted a genetic study (18 microsatellite markers) in the population from Praia islet, which has been monitored over 16 years. We found no evidence that a genetic bottleneck was associated with this demographic decline. Monteiro's Storm-petrels paired randomly with respect to genetic relatedness and body measurements. Pair fecundity was unrelated to genetic relatedness between partners. We detected only two cases of extra-pair parentage associated with an extra-pair copulation (out of 71 offspring). Unsuccessful pairs were most likely to divorce the next year, but genetic relatedness between pair mates and pair breeding experience did not influence divorce. Divorce enabled individuals to improve their reproductive performances after re-mating only when the new partner was experienced. Re-pairing with an experienced partner occurred more frequently when divorcees changed nest than when they retained their nest. This study shows that even in strongly reduced populations, genetic diversity can be maintained, inbreeding does not necessarily occur, and random pairing is not risky in terms of pair lifetime reproductive success. Given, however, that we found no clear phenotypic mate choice criteria, the part played by non-morphological traits should be assessed more accurately in order to better understand seabird mating strategies.

  5. Epigenetic Influences During the Periconception Period and Assisted Reproduction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amoako, Akwasi A; Nafee, Tamer M; Ola, Bolarinde

    2017-01-01

    The periconception period starts 6 months before conception and lasts until the tenth week of gestation. In this chapter, we will focus on epigenetic modifications to DNA and gene expression within this period and during assisted reproduction. There are two critical times during the periconception window when significant epigenetic 'reprogramming' occur: one during gametogenesis and another during the pre-implantation embryonic stage. Furthermore, assisted conception treatments, laboratory protocols and culture media can affect the embryo development and birth weights in laboratory animals. There is, however, an ongoing debate as to whether epigenetic changes in humans, causing embryo mal-development, placenta dysfunction and birth defects, result from assisted reproductive technologies or are consequences of pre-existing medical and/or genetic conditions in the parents. The periconception period starts from ovarian folliculogenesis, through resumption of oogenesis, fertilisation, peri-implantation embryo development, embryogenesis until the end of organogenesis. In men, it is the period from spermatogenesis to epididymal sperm storage and fertilisation. Gametes and developing embryos are sensitive to environmental factors during this period, and epigenetic modifications can occur in response to adverse lifestyles and environmental factors. We now know that lifestyle factors such as advanced parentage age, obesity or undernutrition, smoking, excessive alcohol and caffeine intake and recreational drugs used during gamete production and embryogenesis could induce epigenetic alterations, which could impact adversely on pregnancy outcomes and health of the offspring. Furthermore, these can also result in a permanent and irreversible effect in a dose-dependent manner, which can be passed on to the future generations.

  6. Experimental evaluation of imprinting and the role innate preference plays in habitat selection in a coral reef fish.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dixson, Danielle L; Jones, Geoffrey P; Munday, Philip L; Planes, Serge; Pratchett, Morgan S; Thorrold, Simon R

    2014-01-01

    When facing decisions about where to live, juveniles have a strong tendency to choose habitats similar to where their parents successfully bred. Developing larval fishes can imprint on the chemical cues from their natal habitat. However, to demonstrate that imprinting is ecologically important, it must be shown that settlers respond and distinguish among different imprinted cues, and use imprinting for decisions in natural environments. In addition, the potential role innate preferences play compared to imprinted choices also needs to be examined. As environmental variability increases due to anthropogenic causes these two recognition mechanisms, innate and imprinting, could provide conflicting information. Here we used laboratory rearing and chemical choice experiments to test imprinting in larval anemonefish (Amphiprion percula). Individuals exposed to a variety of benthic habitat or novel olfactory cues as larvae either developed a preference for (spent >50% of their time in the cue) or increased their attraction to (increased preference but did not spend >50% of their time in the cue) the cue when re-exposed as settlers. Results indicate not only the capacity for imprinting but also the ability to adjust innate preferences after early exposure to a chemical cue. To test ecological relevance in the natural system, recruits were collected from anemones and related to their parents, using genetic parentage analysis, providing information on the natal anemone species and the species chosen at settlement. Results demonstrated that recruits did not preferentially return to their natal species, conflicting with laboratory results indicating the importance imprinting might have in habitat recognition.

  7. Who eats whom, when and why? Juvenile cannibalism in fish Asian seabass

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaojun Liu

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available While juvenile cannibalism plays an important role in the evolution of organisms in natural populations, it is a serious problem in aquaculture. A number of genetic and environmental factors result in different rates of cannibalism. Whether there is kin recognition in juvenile cannibalism in fish is poorly understood. We studied cannibalism and kinship recognition in juveniles of Asian seabass using molecular parentage analysis with polymorphic microsatellites. In the three mass crosses, under an ordinary feeding scheme without size grading, the rate of juvenile loss due to cannibalism was 1.08% per day. In the group without feeding for 24 h, 2.30% ± 0.43% of offspring per day were lost within 24 h due to cannibalism. We detected that juveniles avoided cannibalizing their siblings when they were not hungry, whereas cannibalism among siblings increased when they were hungry. These data suggest that there is kin discrimination in fish cannibalism. Raising genetically closely related offspring in the same tanks and appropriate levels of feeding may reduce the rate of cannibalism. We hypothesized that the chemical cues for kin discrimination might be secreted by fish skins. To test this hypothesis, we analyzed gene expression profiles in the skins of juveniles under slightly and very hungry conditions using RNA sequencing and bioinformatics analysis. Genes differently expressed under slightly and very hungry conditions were identified. Among them, genes from the trypsin family were significantly down-regulated under starved conditions, suggesting that they may play a role in kin discrimination.

  8. Legalizing altruistic surrogacy in response to evasive travel? An Icelandic proposal.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kristinsson, Sigurður

    2016-12-01

    Surrogate motherhood has been prohibited by Icelandic law since 1996, but in recent years, Icelandic couples have sought transnational surrogacy in India and the United States despite uncertainties about legal parental status as they return to Iceland with infants born to surrogate mothers. This reflects global trends of increased reproductive tourism, which forces restrictive regimes not only to make decisions concerning the citizenship and parentage of children born to surrogate mothers abroad, but also to confront difficult moral issues concerning surrogacy, global justice, human rights and exploitation. In March 2015, a legislative proposal permitting altruistic surrogacy, subject to strict regulation and oversight, and prohibiting the solicitation of commercial surrogacy abroad, was presented in the Icelandic Parliament. The proposal aims to protect the interest of the child first, respect the autonomy of the surrogate second, and accommodate the intended parents' wishes third. After a brief overview of the development of the surrogacy issue in Iceland, this article describes the main features of this legislative proposal and evaluates it from an ethical and global justice perspective. It concludes that the proposed legislation is a response to problems generated by cross-border surrogacy in the context of evolving public attitudes toward the issue, and constitutes a valid attempt to reduce the moral hazards of surrogacy consistent with insights from current bioethical literature. Although the proposed legislation arguably represents an improvement over the current ban, however, difficult problems concerning evasive travel and global injustice are likely to persist until effective international coordination is achieved.

  9. Correlated band magnetism of cerium and actinide materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cooper, B.R.; Lin, Y.; Sheng, Q.G.

    1997-01-01

    We discuss (1) the effects to be expected by the introduction into the electronic structure of locally-based two-electron correlations between the f electrons and bonding electrons of p and d atomic origin centered off-site as well as f-f correlations, (2) the expected observable consequences of these two-electron correlations, and (3) how to perform electronic structure calculations including the two-electron correlations. We first review certain general features of the physics associated with capturing the dual energetically localized-delocalized nature of the f electron spectral density; and review model calculations involving a single on-site f electron and a single ligand p/d electron of off-site parentage which lead to the possibility of a narrow singlet and triplet (magnetic) band picture explaining heavy fermion phenomenology. We then show that the same singlet/magnetic state picture arises when we include two-electron f-l and f-f correlations for actinides, which have atomic f n configurations with n>1; and we describe a practical electronic structure scheme for real materials based on a sequence in which a conventional one-electron linearized combination of muffin-tin orbitals (LMTO) LDA+U calculation is followed by a calculation for the lattice with a helium like two-electron Hamiltonian at the f atom sites, i.e., two-electron atoms where initially for the core two electrons worth of charge are removed from the LMTO f-site atom. This procedure will reconstruct the LMTO bands to include two-electron texturing. copyright 1997 American Institute of Physics

  10. Legalizing altruistic surrogacy in response to evasive travel? An Icelandic proposal

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sigurður Kristinsson

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Surrogate motherhood has been prohibited by Icelandic law since 1996, but in recent years, Icelandic couples have sought transnational surrogacy in India and the United States despite uncertainties about legal parental status as they return to Iceland with infants born to surrogate mothers. This reflects global trends of increased reproductive tourism, which forces restrictive regimes not only to make decisions concerning the citizenship and parentage of children born to surrogate mothers abroad, but also to confront difficult moral issues concerning surrogacy, global justice, human rights and exploitation. In March 2015, a legislative proposal permitting altruistic surrogacy, subject to strict regulation and oversight, and prohibiting the solicitation of commercial surrogacy abroad, was presented in the Icelandic Parliament. The proposal aims to protect the interest of the child first, respect the autonomy of the surrogate second, and accommodate the intended parents’ wishes third. After a brief overview of the development of the surrogacy issue in Iceland, this article describes the main features of this legislative proposal and evaluates it from an ethical and global justice perspective. It concludes that the proposed legislation is a response to problems generated by cross-border surrogacy in the context of evolving public attitudes toward the issue, and constitutes a valid attempt to reduce the moral hazards of surrogacy consistent with insights from current bioethical literature. Although the proposed legislation arguably represents an improvement over the current ban, however, difficult problems concerning evasive travel and global injustice are likely to persist until effective international coordination is achieved.

  11. Low reproductive isolation and highly variable levels of gene flow reveal limited progress towards speciation between European river and brook lampreys.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rougemont, Q; Gaigher, A; Lasne, E; Côte, J; Coke, M; Besnard, A-L; Launey, S; Evanno, G

    2015-12-01

    Ecologically based divergent selection is a factor that could drive reproductive isolation even in the presence of gene flow. Population pairs arrayed along a continuum of divergence provide a good opportunity to address this issue. Here, we used a combination of mating trials, experimental crosses and population genetic analyses to investigate the evolution of reproductive isolation between two closely related species of lampreys with distinct life histories. We used microsatellite markers to genotype over 1000 individuals of the migratory parasitic river lamprey (Lampetra fluviatilis) and freshwater-resident nonparasitic brook lamprey (Lampetra planeri) distributed in 10 sympatric and parapatric population pairs in France. Mating trials, parentage analyses and artificial fertilizations demonstrated a low level of reproductive isolation between species even though size-assortative mating may contribute to isolation. Most parapatric population pairs were strongly differentiated due to the joint effects of geographic distance and barriers to migration. In contrast, we found variable levels of gene flow between sympatric populations ranging from panmixia to moderate differentiation, which indicates a gradient of divergence with some population pairs that may correspond to alternative morphs or ecotypes of a single species and others that remain partially isolated. Ecologically based divergent selection may explain these variable levels of divergence among sympatric population pairs, but incomplete genome swamping following secondary contact could have also played a role. Overall, this study illustrates how highly differentiated phenotypes can be maintained despite high levels of gene flow that limit the progress towards speciation. © 2015 European Society For Evolutionary Biology. Journal of Evolutionary Biology © 2015 European Society For Evolutionary Biology.

  12. Molecular evidence for high frequency of multiple paternity in a freshwater shrimp species Caridina ensifera.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gen Hua Yue

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available Molecular genetic analyses of parentage provide insights into mating systems. Although there are 22,000 members in Malacostraca, not much has been known about mating systems in Malacostraca. The freshwater shrimp Caridina ensifera blue, is a new species belonging to Malacostraca which was discovered recently in Sulawesi, Indonesia. Due to its small body size and low fecundity, this species is an ideal species to study the occurrence and frequency of multiple paternity and to understand of how the low fecundity species persist and evolve.In this study, we developed four polymorphic microsatellites from C. ensifera and applied them to investigate the occurrence and frequency of multiple paternity in 20 C. ensifera broods caught from Lake Matano, Sulawesi. By genotyping the mother and all offspring from each brood we discovered multiple paternity in all 20 broods. In most of the 20 broods, fathers contributed skewed numbers of offspring and there was an apparent inverse correlation between reproductive success of sires and their relatedness to mothers.Our results in combination with recent reports on multiple paternity in crayfish, crab and lobster species suggests that multiple paternity is common in Malacostraca. Skewed contribution of fathers to the numbers of offspring and inverse correlation between reproductive success of sires and their relatedness to mothers suggest that sperm competition occurred and/or pre- and postcopulatory female choice happen, which may be important for avoiding the occurrence of inbreeding and optimize genetic variation in offspring and for persistence and evolution of low fecundity species.

  13. Phylogeography of the wild and cultivated stimulant plant qat (Catha edulis, Celastraceae) in areas of historical cultivation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tembrock, Luke R; Simmons, Mark P; Richards, Christopher M; Reeves, Patrick A; Reilley, Ann; Curto, Manuel A; Meimberg, Harald; Ngugi, Grace; Demissew, Sebsebe; Al Khulaidi, Abdul Wali; Al-Thobhani, Mansoor; Simpson, Sheron; Varisco, Daniel M

    2017-04-01

    Qat ( Catha edulis , Celastraceae) is a woody plant species cultivated for its stimulant alkaloids. Qat is important to the economy and culture in large regions of Ethiopia, Kenya, and Yemen. Despite the importance of this species, the wild origins and dispersal of cultivars have only been described in often contradictory historical documents. We examined the wild origins, human-mediated dispersal, and genetic divergence of cultivated qat compared to wild qat. We sampled 17 SSR markers and 1561 wild and cultivated individuals across the historical areas of qat cultivation. On the basis of genetic structure inferred using Bayesian and nonparametric methods, two centers of origin in Kenya and one in Ethiopia were found for cultivated qat. The centers of origin in Ethiopia and northeast of Mt. Kenya are the primary sources of cultivated qat genotypes. Qat cultivated in Yemen is derived from Ethiopian genotypes rather than Yemeni wild populations. Cultivated qat with a wild Kenyan origin has not spread to Ethiopia or Yemen, whereas a small minority of qat cultivated in Kenya originated in Ethiopia. Hybrid genotypes with both Ethiopian and Kenyan parentage are present in northern Kenya. Ethiopian cultivars have diverged from their wild relatives, whereas Kenyan qat has diverged less. This pattern of divergence could be caused by the extinction of the wild-source qat populations in Ethiopia due to deforestation, undersampling, and/or artificial selection for agronomically important traits. © 2017 Tembrock et al. Published by the Botanical Society of America. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons public domain license (CC0 1.0).

  14. Insight into the wild origin, migration and domestication history of the fine flavour Nacional Theobroma cacao L. variety from Ecuador.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rey Gaston Loor Solorzano

    Full Text Available Ecuador's economic history has been closely linked to Theobroma cacao L cultivation, and specifically to the native fine flavour Nacional cocoa variety. The original Nacional cocoa trees are presently in danger of extinction due to foreign germplasm introductions. In a previous work, a few non-introgressed Nacional types were identified as potential founders of the modern Ecuadorian cocoa population, but so far their origin could not be formally identified. In order to determine the putative centre of origin of Nacional and trace its domestication history, we used 80 simple sequence repeat (SSR markers to analyse the relationships between these potential Nacional founders and 169 wild and cultivated cocoa accessions from South and Central America. The highest genetic similarity was observed between the Nacional pool and some wild genotypes from the southern Amazonian region of Ecuador, sampled along the Yacuambi, Nangaritza and Zamora rivers in Zamora Chinchipe province. This result was confirmed by a parentage analysis. Based on our results and on data about pre-Columbian civilization and Spanish colonization history of Ecuador, we determined, for the first time, the possible centre of origin and migration events of the Nacional variety from the Amazonian area until its arrival in the coastal provinces. As large unexplored forest areas still exist in the southern part of the Ecuadorian Amazonian region, our findings could provide clues as to where precious new genetic resources could be collected, and subsequently used to improve the flavour and disease resistance of modern Ecuadorian cocoa varieties.

  15. Sex-biased natal dispersal and inbreeding avoidance in American black bears as revealed by spatial genetic analyses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Costello, Cecily M; Creel, Scott R; Kalinowski, Steven T; Vu, Ninh V; Quigley, Howard B

    2008-11-01

    We tested the hypothesis that sex-biased natal dispersal reduces close inbreeding in American black bears, a solitary species that exhibits nearly complete male dispersal and female philopatry. Using microsatellite DNA and spatial data from reproductively mature bears (>or= 4 years old), we examined the spatial genetic structure of two distinct populations in New Mexico from 1993 to 2000. As predicted, relatedness (r) and the frequency of close relationships (parent-offspring or full siblings) decreased with distance among female dyads, but little change was observed among male or opposite-sex dyads. Neighbouring females were more closely related than neighbouring males. The potential for inbreeding was low. Most opposite-sex pairs that lived sufficiently close to facilitate mating were unrelated, and few were close relatives. We found no evidence that bears actively avoided inbreeding in their selection of mates from this nearby pool, as mean r and relationship frequencies did not differ between potential and actual mating pairs (determined by parentage analysis). These basic patterns were apparent in both study areas despite a nearly two-fold difference in density. However, the sex bias in dispersal was less pronounced in the lower-density area, based on proportions of bears with male and female relatives residing nearby. This result suggests that male bears may respond to reduced competition by decreasing their rate or distance of dispersal. Evidence supports the hypothesis that inbreeding avoidance is achieved by means of male-biased dispersal but also indicates that competition (for mates or resources) modifies dispersal patterns.

  16. (Mis)regulation--the case of commercial surrogacy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahajan, Tarang

    2015-01-01

    In the most recent attempt to regulate commercial surrogacy, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has issued a notice altering the category of visa for foreign nationals entering into commercial surrogacy arrangements from "tourist" to "medical". Upon close scrutiny, it becomes clear that this measure is a far too hasty and unprincipled step. Given the varying laws across different countries, commercial surrogacy has been an area marked by a fair amount of legal ambiguity and conflict, for example, with respect to the citizenship status of the child and legally accepted parentage of commissioning parents. The MHA's step towards addressing some of the dilemmas is, however, grossly inadequate and discriminatory. In spite of its seeming advantages, of some administrative and legal oversight of the industry, the notice will impact the existing practices in questionable ways since its provisions remain to be vetted through the lens of medical ethics and social justice. The measures, which are supposed to ensure legality, disambiguation and some degree of security for the commercial surrogate, end up giving a clean chit to the industry for the time being. If the step taken by the MHA was meant to be urgent, one wonders at the lack of motivation to strengthen public debate and produce a piece of legislation that can address the various concerns and dilemmas generated by the assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs). This is especially with reference to legislation that ensures the health and democratic rights of those who are at a disadvantage due to the power imbalance in commercial surrogacy arrangements.

  17. First Results in the Use of Bovine Ear Notch Tag for Bovine Viral Diarrhoea Virus Detection and Genetic Analysis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christian Quinet

    Full Text Available Infection due to bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV is endemic in most cattle-producing countries throughout the world. The key elements of a BVDV control programme are biosecurity, elimination of persistently infected animals and surveillance. Bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD is a notifiable disease in Belgium and an official eradication programme started from January 2015, based on testing ear notches sampled during the official identification and registration of calves at birth. An antigen-capture ELISA test based on the detection of BVDV Erns protein is used. Ear notch sample may also be used to characterize the genotype of the calf when appropriate elution/dilution buffer is added. Both BVDV antigen-ELISA analysis and animal traceability could be performed.With regards to the reference protocol used in the preparation of ear notch samples, alternative procedures were tested in terms of BVDV analytic sensitivity, diagnostic sensitivity and specificity, as well as quality and purity of animal DNA.The Allflex DNA Buffer D showed promising results in BVDV diagnosis and genome analyses, opening new perspectives for the livestock industry by the exploitation of the animal genome. Due to the high number of cattle involved in the Belgian official BVDV eradication programme based on ear notch tags sample, a large database on both BVDV status of newborn calves and cattle genome could be created for subsequent different uses (e.g. traceability, determination of parentage, genetic signatures throughout the genome associated with particular traits evolving through a more integrated animal health.

  18. Developing single nucleotide polymorphism markers for the identification of pineapple (Ananas comosus) germplasm.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Lin; Matsumoto, Tracie; Tan, Hua-Wei; Meinhardt, Lyndel W; Mischke, Sue; Wang, Boyi; Zhang, Dapeng

    2015-01-01

    Pineapple (Ananas comosus [L.] Merr.) is the third most important tropical fruit in the world after banana and mango. As a crop with vegetative propagation, genetic redundancy is a major challenge for efficient genebank management and in breeding. Using expressed sequence tag and nucleotide sequences from public databases, we developed 213 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers and validated 96 SNPs by genotyping the United States Department of Agriculture - Agricultural Research Service pineapple germplasm collection, maintained in Hilo, Hawaii. The validation resulted in designation of a set of 57 polymorphic SNP markers that revealed a high rate of duplicates in this pineapple collection. Twenty-four groups of duplicates were detected, encompassing 130 of the total 170 A cosmos accessions. The results show that somatic mutation has been the main source of intra-cultivar variations in pineapple. Multivariate clustering and a model-based population stratification suggest that the modern pineapple cultivars are comprised of progenies that are derived from different wild Ananas botanical varieties. Parentage analysis further revealed that both A. comosus var. bracteatus and A. comosus var. ananassoides are likely progenitors of pineapple cultivars. However, the traditional classification of cultivated pineapple into horticultural groups (e.g. 'Cayenne', 'Spanish', 'Queen') was not well supported by the present study. These SNP markers provide robust and universally comparable DNA fingerprints; thus, they can serve as an efficient genotyping tool to assist pineapple germplasm management, propagation of planting material, and pineapple cultivar protection. The high rate of genetic redundancy detected in this pineapple collection suggests the potential impact of applying this technology on other clonally propagated perennial crops.

  19. Who is the mother? Negotiating identity in an Irish surrogacy case.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Christiansen, Karin

    2015-08-01

    An Irish surrogacy case from 2013 illustrates how negotiations of the mother's identity in a given national and legal context are drawing on novel scientific perspectives, at a time when the use of new biotechnological possibilities (such as IVF) is becoming more widespread and commonplace. The Roman dictum, 'Mater Semper Certa Est' (the mother is always certain, i.e. proven by giving birth) is contested by the finding of this Irish court, in which the judge made a declaration of parentage stating that the genetic parents of twins born using a surrogate (the mother's sister) were the parents. This article critically examines the normative background assumptions involved in this ruling. It will argue that the particular deployment of arguments from genetics and epigenetics in this court case produces a naturalization of the mother's identity that is inherently reductive. A second surrogacy case is also examined, this time regarding the rights of a woman of Irish nationality to receive paid maternity leave or paid leave similar to adoptive leave after the birth of her daughter to a surrogate mother in the US state of California. This case, which was brought to the Equality Tribunal in Ireland and decided by the Court of Justice of the European Union, is used to illustrate the possible ramifications of conflicting definitions of motherhood in the legal system. In concluding, this article argues for the development and deployment of a more complex understanding of the evolving state of motherhood within the courts, in keeping with developments in the IVF industry and the various new mother-relations it makes possible.

  20. High-throughput microsatellite genotyping in ecology: improved accuracy, efficiency, standardization and success with low-quantity and degraded DNA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Barba, M; Miquel, C; Lobréaux, S; Quenette, P Y; Swenson, J E; Taberlet, P

    2017-05-01

    Microsatellite markers have played a major role in ecological, evolutionary and conservation research during the past 20 years. However, technical constrains related to the use of capillary electrophoresis and a recent technological revolution that has impacted other marker types have brought to question the continued use of microsatellites for certain applications. We present a study for improving microsatellite genotyping in ecology using high-throughput sequencing (HTS). This approach entails selection of short markers suitable for HTS, sequencing PCR-amplified microsatellites on an Illumina platform and bioinformatic treatment of the sequence data to obtain multilocus genotypes. It takes advantage of the fact that HTS gives direct access to microsatellite sequences, allowing unambiguous allele identification and enabling automation of the genotyping process through bioinformatics. In addition, the massive parallel sequencing abilities expand the information content of single experimental runs far beyond capillary electrophoresis. We illustrated the method by genotyping brown bear samples amplified with a multiplex PCR of 13 new microsatellite markers and a sex marker. HTS of microsatellites provided accurate individual identification and parentage assignment and resulted in a significant improvement of genotyping success (84%) of faecal degraded DNA and costs reduction compared to capillary electrophoresis. The HTS approach holds vast potential for improving success, accuracy, efficiency and standardization of microsatellite genotyping in ecological and conservation applications, especially those that rely on profiling of low-quantity/quality DNA and on the construction of genetic databases. We discuss and give perspectives for the implementation of the method in the light of the challenges encountered in wildlife studies. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  1. Forensic genetic informativeness of an SNP panel consisting of 19 multi-allelic SNPs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Zehua; Chen, Xiaogang; Zhao, Yuancun; Zhao, Xiaohong; Zhang, Shu; Yang, Yiwen; Wang, Yufang; Zhang, Ji

    2018-05-01

    Current research focusing on forensic personal identification, phenotype inference and ancestry information on single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) has been widely reported. In the present study, we focused on tetra-allelic SNPs in the Chinese Han population. A total of 48 tetra-allelic SNPs were screened out from the Chinese Han population of the 1000 Genomes Database, including Chinese Han in Beijing (CHB) and Chinese Han South (CHS). Considering the forensic genetic requirement for the polymorphisms, only 11 tetra-allelic SNPs with a heterozygosity >0.06 were selected for further multiplex panel construction. In order to meet the demands of personal identification and parentage identification, an additional 8 tri-allelic SNPs were combined into the final multiplex panel. To ensure application in the degraded DNA analysis, all the PCR products were designed to be 87-188 bp. Employing multiple PCR reactions and SNaPshot minisequencing, 511 unrelated Chinese Han individuals from Sichuan were genotyped. The combined match probability (CMP), combined discrimination power (CDP), and cumulative probability of exclusion (CPE) of the panel were 6.07 × 10 -11 , 0.9999999999393 and 0.996764, respectively. Based on the population data retrieved from the 1000 Genomes Project, Fst values between Chinese Han in Sichuan (SCH) and all the populations included in the 1000 Genomes Project were calculated. The results indicated that two SNPs in this panel may contain ancestry information and may be used as markers of forensic biogeographical ancestry inference. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Combining noninvasive genetics and a new mammalian sex-linked marker provides new tools to investigate population size, structure and individual behaviour: An application to bats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zarzoso-Lacoste, Diane; Jan, Pierre-Loup; Lehnen, Lisa; Girard, Thomas; Besnard, Anne-Laure; Puechmaille, Sebastien J; Petit, Eric J

    2018-03-01

    Monitoring wild populations is crucial for their effective management. Noninvasive genetic methods provide robust data from individual free-ranging animals, which can be used in capture-mark-recapture (CMR) models to estimate demographic parameters without capturing or disturbing them. However, sex- and status-specific behaviour, which may lead to differences in detection probabilities, is rarely considered in monitoring. Here, we investigated population size, sex ratio, sex- and status-related behaviour in 19 Rhinolophus hipposideros maternity colonies (Northern France) with a noninvasive genetic CMR approach (using faeces) combined with parentage assignments. The use of the DDX3X/Y-Mam sexual marker designed in this study, which shows inter- and intrachromosomal length polymorphism across placental mammals, together with eight polymorphic microsatellite markers, produced high-quality genetic data with limited genotyping errors and allowed us to reliably distinguish different categories of individuals (males, reproductive and nonreproductive females) and to estimate population sizes. We showed that visual counts represent well-adult female numbers and that population composition in maternity colonies changes dynamically during the summer. Before parturition, colonies mainly harbour pregnant and nonpregnant females with a few visiting males, whereas after parturition, colonies are mainly composed of mothers and their offspring with a few visiting nonmothers and males. Our approach gives deeper insight into sex- and status-specific behaviour, a prerequisite for understanding population dynamics and developing effective monitoring and management strategies. Provided sufficient samples can be obtained, this approach can be readily applied to a wide range of species. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  3. Bateman's Principle in Cooperatively Breeding Vertebrates: The Effects of Non-breeding Alloparents on Variability in Female and Male Reproductive Success.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hauber, Mark E; Lacey, Eileen A

    2005-11-01

    The sex-specific slopes of Bateman's gradients have important implications for understanding animal mating systems, including patterns of sexual selection and reproductive competition. Intersexual differences in the fitness benefits derived from mating with multiple partners are expected to yield distinct patterns of reproductive success for males and females, with variance in direct fitness predicted to be greater among males. These analyses assume that typically all adults are reproductive and that failure to produce offspring is non-adaptive. Among some species of cooperatively breeding birds and mammals, however, non-breeding adult alloparents are common and may comprise the majority of individuals in social groups. The presence of a large number of non-breeding adults, particularly when coupled with greater social suppression of reproduction among females, may alter the relative variance in direct fitness between the sexes, thereby generating an apparent contradiction to Bateman's Paradigm. To explore quantitatively the effects of non-breeding alloparents on variance in reproductive success, we used genetic estimates of parentage and reproductive success drawn from the literature to calculate the relative variability in direct fitness for females and males in alloparental and "other" societies of birds and mammals. Our analyses indicate that in mammals and, to a lesser extent, in birds, variability in direct fitness is greater among females in species characterized by the presence of non-breeding alloparents. These data suggest that social interactions, including social suppression of reproduction, are powerful determinants of individual direct fitness that may modify sex-specific patterns of reproductive variance from those described by Bateman.

  4. Detection of genetic variability in Basmati and non-Basmati rice varieties and their radiation induced mutants through random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Farooq, S; Iqbal, N; Arif, M [Nuclear Institute for Agriculture and Biology (NIAB), Faisalabad (Pakistan)

    1998-03-01

    Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPDs) markers were utilized to detect polymorphism between pure lines and commercially available Basmati rice varieties to assess variation which may be helpful in quality control and varietal identification (Basmati-370 and derived radiation induced mutants), differentiation of mutants and parents, and identification of RAPD markers co-segregating with important agronomic traits including plant height, days to flower and grain quality. Basmati varieties were distinguished from non-Basmati varieties with the help of five diagnostic markers which will be useful for detecting mixing of non-Basmati and Basmati rices, currently a serious marketing problem. Different Basmati cultivars were identified with the help of diagnostic RAPD markers which can be used in quality control as well as for ``fingerprinting`` of cultivars. Different radiation induced mutants were also successfully distinguished from the parents on the basis of variety specific and mutant specific markers which will be useful for varietal identification. In addition to this, other markers were also identified which can differentiate mutants from each other and are being, used for the fingerprinting of different mutants, particularly the dwarf mutants having similar appearance but different parentage. For identification of RAPD markers co-segregating with plant height and days to flower, 50 F{sub 2} plants and four F{sub 3} families were studied from a reciprocal cross made between Kashmir Basmati (tall and early) and Basmati-198 (dwarf and late). Segregating bands were observed within these populations, and indicating the possible use of RAPD markers for tagging gene(s) of agronomic importance in rice. (author). 38 refs, 6 figs, 3 tabs.

  5. Detection of genetic variability in Basmati and non-Basmati rice varieties and their radiation induced mutants through random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Farooq, S.; Iqbal, N.; Arif, M.

    1998-01-01

    Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPDs) markers were utilized to detect polymorphism between pure lines and commercially available Basmati rice varieties to assess variation which may be helpful in quality control and varietal identification (Basmati-370 and derived radiation induced mutants), differentiation of mutants and parents, and identification of RAPD markers co-segregating with important agronomic traits including plant height, days to flower and grain quality. Basmati varieties were distinguished from non-Basmati varieties with the help of five diagnostic markers which will be useful for detecting mixing of non-Basmati and Basmati rices, currently a serious marketing problem. Different Basmati cultivars were identified with the help of diagnostic RAPD markers which can be used in quality control as well as for ''fingerprinting'' of cultivars. Different radiation induced mutants were also successfully distinguished from the parents on the basis of variety specific and mutant specific markers which will be useful for varietal identification. In addition to this, other markers were also identified which can differentiate mutants from each other and are being, used for the fingerprinting of different mutants, particularly the dwarf mutants having similar appearance but different parentage. For identification of RAPD markers co-segregating with plant height and days to flower, 50 F 2 plants and four F 3 families were studied from a reciprocal cross made between Kashmir Basmati (tall and early) and Basmati-198 (dwarf and late). Segregating bands were observed within these populations, and indicating the possible use of RAPD markers for tagging gene(s) of agronomic importance in rice. (author)

  6. Not finding Nemo: limited reef-scale retention in a coral reef fish

    KAUST Repository

    Nanninga, Gerrit B.

    2015-02-03

    The spatial scale of larval dispersal is a key predictor of marine metapopulation dynamics and an important factor in the design of reserve networks. Over the past 15 yr, studies of larval dispersal in coral reef fishes have generated accumulating evidence of consistently high levels of self-recruitment and local retention at various spatial scales. These findings have, to a certain degree, created a paradigm shift toward the perception that large fractions of locally produced recruitment may be the rule rather than the exception. Here we examined the degree of localized settlement in an anemonefish, Amphiprion bicinctus, at a solitary coral reef in the central Red Sea by integrating estimates of self-recruitment obtained from genetic parentage analysis with predictions of local retention derived from a biophysical dispersal model parameterized with real-time physical forcing. Self-recruitment at the reef scale (c. 0.7 km2) was virtually absent during two consecutive January spawning events (1.4 % in 2012 and 0 % in 2013). Predicted levels of local retention at the reef scale varied temporally, but were comparatively low for both simulations (7 % in 2012 and 0 % in 2013). At the same time, the spatial scale of simulated dispersal was restricted to approximately 20 km from the source. Model predictions of reef-scale larval retention were highly dependent on biological parameters, underlining the need for further empirical validations of larval traits over a range of species. Overall, our findings present an urgent caution when assuming the potential for self-replenishment in small marine reserves.

  7. Reduced reproductive success of hatchery coho salmon in the wild: insights into most likely mechanisms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thériault, Véronique; Moyer, Gregory R; Jackson, Laura S; Blouin, Michael S; Banks, Michael A

    2011-05-01

    Supplementation of wild salmonids with captive-bred fish is a common practice for both commercial and conservation purposes. However, evidence for lower fitness of captive-reared fish relative to wild fish has accumulated in recent years, diminishing the apparent effectiveness of supplementation as a management tool. To date, the mechanism(s) responsible for these fitness declines remain unknown. In this study, we showed with molecular parentage analysis that hatchery coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) had lower reproductive success than wild fish once they reproduced in the wild. This effect was more pronounced in males than in same-aged females. Hatchery spawned fish that were released as unfed fry (age 0), as well as hatchery fish raised for one year in the hatchery (released as smolts, age 1), both experienced lower lifetime reproductive success (RS) than wild fish. However, the subset of hatchery males that returned as 2-year olds (jacks) did not exhibit the same fitness decrease as males that returned as 3-year olds. Thus, we report three lines of evidence pointing to the absence of sexual selection in the hatchery as a contributing mechanism for fitness declines of hatchery fish in the wild: (i) hatchery fish released as unfed fry that survived to adulthood still had low RS relative to wild fish, (ii) age-3 male hatchery fish consistently showed a lower relative RS than female hatchery fish (suggesting a role for sexual selection), and (iii) age-2 jacks, which use a sneaker mating strategy, did not show the same declines as 3-year olds, which compete differently for females (again, implicating sexual selection). © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  8. High Interannual Variability in Connectivity and Genetic Pool of a Temperate Clingfish Matches Oceanographic Transport Predictions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Teixeira, Sara; Assis, Jorge; Serrão, Ester A.; Gonçalves, Emanuel J.; Borges, Rita

    2016-01-01

    Adults of most marine benthic and demersal fish are site-attached, with the dispersal of their larval stages ensuring connectivity among populations. In this study we aimed to infer spatial and temporal variation in population connectivity and dispersal of a marine fish species, using genetic tools and comparing these with oceanographic transport. We focused on an intertidal rocky reef fish species, the shore clingfish Lepadogaster lepadogaster, along the southwest Iberian Peninsula, in 2011 and 2012. We predicted high levels of self-recruitment and distinct populations, due to short pelagic larval duration and because all its developmental stages have previously been found near adult habitats. Genetic analyses based on microsatellites countered our prediction and a biophysical dispersal model showed that oceanographic transport was a good explanation for the patterns observed. Adult sub-populations separated by up to 300 km of coastline displayed no genetic differentiation, revealing a single connected population with larvae potentially dispersing long distances over hundreds of km. Despite this, parentage analysis performed on recruits from one focal site within the Marine Park of Arrábida (Portugal), revealed self-recruitment levels of 2.5% and 7.7% in 2011 and 2012, respectively, suggesting that both long- and short-distance dispersal play an important role in the replenishment of these populations. Population differentiation and patterns of dispersal, which were highly variable between years, could be linked to the variability inherent in local oceanographic processes. Overall, our measures of connectivity based on genetic and oceanographic data highlight the relevance of long-distance dispersal in determining the degree of connectivity, even in species with short pelagic larval durations. PMID:27911952

  9. Self-recruitment in a coral reef fish population in a marine reserve

    KAUST Repository

    Herrera Sarrias, Marcela

    2014-12-01

    Marine protected areas (MPAs) have proliferated in the past decades to protect biodiversity and sustain fisheries. However, most of the MPA networks have been designed without taking into account a critical factor: the larval dispersal patterns of populations within and outside the reserves. The scale and predictability of larval dispersal, however, remain unknown due to the difficulty of measuring dispersal when larvae are minute (~ cm) compared to the potential scale of dispersal (~ km). Nevertheless, genetic approaches can now be used to make estimates of larval dispersal. The following thesis describes self-recruitment and connectivity patterns of a coral reef fish species (Centropyge bicolor) in Kimbe Bay, Papua New Guinea. To do this, microsatellite markers were developed to evaluate fine-scale genetics and recruit assignment via genetic parentage analysis. In this method, offspring are assigned to potential parents, so that larval dispersal distances can then be inferred for each individual larvae. From a total of 255 adults and 426 juveniles collected only 2 parentoffspring pairs were assigned, representing less than 1% self-recruitment. Previous data from the same study system showed that both Chaetodon vagagundus and Amphiprion percula have consistent high self-recuitment rates (~ 60%), despite having contrasting life history traits. Since C. bicolor and C. vagabundus have similar characteristics (e.g. reproductive mode, pelagic larval duration), comparable results were expected. On the contrary, the results of this study showed that dispersal patterns cannot be generalized across species. Hence the importance of studying different species and seascapes to better understand the patterns of larval dispersal. This, in turn, will be essential to improve the design and implementation of MPAs as conservation and management tools.

  10. Males and females gain differentially from sociality in a promiscuous fruit bat Cynopterus sphinx.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kritika M Garg

    Full Text Available Sociality emerges when the benefits of group living outweigh its costs. While both males and females are capable of strong social ties, the evolutionary drivers for sociality and the benefits accrued maybe different for each sex. In this study, we investigate the differential reproductive success benefits of group membership that males and females might obtain in the promiscuous fruit bat Cynopterus sphinx. Individuals of this species live in flexible social groups called colonies. These colonies are labile and there is high turnover of individuals. However, colony males sire more offspring within the colony suggesting that being part of a colony may result in reproductive benefits for males. This also raises the possibility that long-term loyalty towards the colony may confer additional advantage in terms of higher reproductive success. We used ten seasons of genetic parentage data to estimate reproductive success and relatedness of individuals in the colony. We used recapture data to identify long and short-term residents in the colony as well as to obtain rates of recapture for males and females. Our results reveal that males have a significantly higher chance of becoming long-term residents (than females, and these long-term resident males gain twice the reproductive success compared to short-term resident males. We also observed that long-term resident females are related to each other and also achieve higher reproductive success than short-term resident females. In contrast, long-term resident males do not differ from short-term resident males in their levels of relatedness. Our results re-iterate the benefits of sociality even in species that are promiscuous and socially labile and possible benefits of maintaining a colony.

  11. Males and females gain differentially from sociality in a promiscuous fruit bat Cynopterus sphinx.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garg, Kritika M; Chattopadhyay, Balaji; Swami Doss, D P; Kumar, A K Vinoth; Kandula, Sripathi; Ramakrishnan, Uma

    2015-01-01

    Sociality emerges when the benefits of group living outweigh its costs. While both males and females are capable of strong social ties, the evolutionary drivers for sociality and the benefits accrued maybe different for each sex. In this study, we investigate the differential reproductive success benefits of group membership that males and females might obtain in the promiscuous fruit bat Cynopterus sphinx. Individuals of this species live in flexible social groups called colonies. These colonies are labile and there is high turnover of individuals. However, colony males sire more offspring within the colony suggesting that being part of a colony may result in reproductive benefits for males. This also raises the possibility that long-term loyalty towards the colony may confer additional advantage in terms of higher reproductive success. We used ten seasons of genetic parentage data to estimate reproductive success and relatedness of individuals in the colony. We used recapture data to identify long and short-term residents in the colony as well as to obtain rates of recapture for males and females. Our results reveal that males have a significantly higher chance of becoming long-term residents (than females), and these long-term resident males gain twice the reproductive success compared to short-term resident males. We also observed that long-term resident females are related to each other and also achieve higher reproductive success than short-term resident females. In contrast, long-term resident males do not differ from short-term resident males in their levels of relatedness. Our results re-iterate the benefits of sociality even in species that are promiscuous and socially labile and possible benefits of maintaining a colony.

  12. Deficiency Mutations of Alpha-1 Antitrypsin. Effects on Folding, Function, and Polymerization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haq, Imran; Irving, James A; Saleh, Aarash D; Dron, Louis; Regan-Mochrie, Gemma L; Motamedi-Shad, Neda; Hurst, John R; Gooptu, Bibek; Lomas, David A

    2016-01-01

    Misfolding, polymerization, and defective secretion of functional alpha-1 antitrypsin underlies the predisposition to severe liver and lung disease in alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. We have identified a novel (Ala336Pro, Baghdad) deficiency variant and characterized it relative to the wild-type (M) and Glu342Lys (Z) alleles. The index case is a homozygous individual of consanguineous parentage, with levels of circulating alpha-1 antitrypsin in the moderate deficiency range, but is a biochemical phenotype that could not be classified by standard methods. The majority of the protein was present as functionally inactive polymer, and the remaining monomer was 37% active relative to the wild-type protein. These factors combined indicate an 85 to 95% functional deficiency, similar to that seen with ZZ homozygotes. Biochemical, biophysical, and computational studies further defined the molecular basis of this deficiency. These studies demonstrated that native Ala336Pro alpha-1 antitrypsin could populate the polymerogenic intermediate-and therefore polymerize-more readily than either wild-type alpha-1 antitrypsin or the Z variant. In contrast, folding was far less impaired in Ala336Pro alpha-1 antitrypsin than in the Z variant. The data are consistent with a disparate contribution by the "breach" region and "shutter" region of strand 5A to folding and polymerization mechanisms. Moreover, the findings demonstrate that, in these variants, folding efficiency does not correlate directly with the tendency to polymerize in vitro or in vivo. They therefore differentiate generalized misfolding from polymerization tendencies in missense variants of alpha-1 antitrypsin. Clinically, they further support the need to quantify loss-of-function in alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency to individualize patient care.

  13. A Multidisciplinary Phenotyping and Genotyping Analysis of a Mapping Population Enables Quality to Be Combined with Yield in Rice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mariafe Calingacion

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available In this study a mapping population (F8 of ca 200 progeny from a cross between the commercial rice varieties Apo and IR64 has been both genotyped and phenotyped. A genotyping-by-sequencing approach was first used to identify 2,681 polymorphic SNP markers which gave dense coverage of the genome with a good distribution across all 12 chromosomes. The coefficient of parentage was also low, at 0.13, confirming that the parents are genetically distant from each other. The progeny, together with both parents, were grown under irrigated and water restricted conditions in a randomised block design. All grain was harvested to determine variation in yield across the population. The grains were then polished following standard procedures prior to performing the phenotyping analyses. A Gas Chromatography—Mass Spectrometry approach was used to determine the volatile biochemical profiles of each line and after data curation and processing, discriminatory metabolites were putatively identified based on in-house and commercial spectral libraries. These data were used to predict the potential role of these metabolites in determining differences in aroma between genotypes. A number of QTLs for yield and for individual metabolites have been identified. Following these combined multi-disciplinary analyses, it proved possible to identify a number of lines which appeared to combine the favourable aroma attributes of IR64 with the favourable (higher yield potential of Apo. As such, these lines are excellent candidates to assess further as potential genotypes to work up into a new variety of rice which has both good yield and good quality, thus meeting the needs of both farmer and consumer alike.

  14. A novel genome-wide microsatellite resource for species of Eucalyptus with linkage-to-physical correspondence on the reference genome sequence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grattapaglia, Dario; Mamani, Eva M C; Silva-Junior, Orzenil B; Faria, Danielle A

    2015-03-01

    Keystone species in their native ranges, eucalypts, are ecologically and genetically very diverse, growing naturally along extensive latitudinal and altitudinal ranges and variable environments. Besides their ecological importance, eucalypts are also the most widely planted trees for sustainable forestry in the world. We report the development of a novel collection of 535 microsatellites for species of Eucalyptus, 494 designed from ESTs and 41 from genomic libraries. A selected subset of 223 was evaluated for individual identification, parentage testing, and ancestral information content in the two most extensively studied species, Eucalyptus grandis and Eucalyptus globulus. Microsatellites showed high transferability and overlapping allele size range, suggesting they have arisen still in their common ancestor and confirming the extensive genome conservation between these two species. A consensus linkage map with 437 microsatellites, the most comprehensive microsatellite-only genetic map for Eucalyptus, was built by assembling segregation data from three mapping populations and anchored to the Eucalyptus genome. An overall colinearity between recombination-based and physical positioning of 84% of the mapped microsatellites was observed, with some ordering discrepancies and sporadic locus duplications, consistent with the recently described whole genome duplication events in Eucalyptus. The linkage map covered 95.2% of the 605.8-Mbp assembled genome sequence, placing one microsatellite every 1.55 Mbp on average, and an overall estimate of physical to recombination distance of 618 kbp/cM. The genetic parameters estimates together with linkage and physical position data for this large set of microsatellites should assist marker choice for genome-wide population genetics and comparative mapping in Eucalyptus. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  15. Dispersal, mating events and fine-scale genetic structure in the lesser flat-headed bats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hua, Panyu; Zhang, Libiao; Guo, Tingting; Flanders, Jon; Zhang, Shuyi

    2013-01-01

    Population genetic structure has important consequences in evolutionary processes and conservation genetics in animals. Fine-scale population genetic structure depends on the pattern of landscape, the permanent movement of individuals, and the dispersal of their genes during temporary mating events. The lesser flat-headed bat (Tylonycteris pachypus) is a nonmigratory Asian bat species that roosts in small groups within the internodes of bamboo stems and the habitats are fragmented. Our previous parentage analyses revealed considerable extra-group mating in this species. To assess the spatial limits and sex-biased nature of gene flow in the same population, we used 20 microsatellite loci and mtDNA sequencing of the ND2 gene to quantify genetic structure among 54 groups of adult flat-headed bats, at nine localities in South China. AMOVA and F(ST) estimates revealed significant genetic differentiation among localities. Alternatively, the pairwise F(ST) values among roosting groups appeared to be related to the incidence of associated extra-group breeding, suggesting the impact of mating events on fine-scale genetic structure. Global spatial autocorrelation analyses showed positive genetic correlation for up to 3 km, indicating the role of fragmented habitat and the specialized social organization as a barrier in the movement of individuals among bamboo forests. The male-biased dispersal pattern resulted in weaker spatial genetic structure between localities among males than among females, and fine-scale analyses supported that relatedness levels within internodes were higher among females than among males. Finally, only females were more related to their same sex roost mates than to individuals from neighbouring roosts, suggestive of natal philopatry in females.

  16. Non-Random Sibling Cannibalism in the Marine Gastropod Crepidula coquimbensis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antonio Brante

    Full Text Available Sibling cannibalism is commonly observed in marine species. For instance, intrabrood cannibalism has been documented in marine gastropods with direct development, suggesting a relationship between embryo behavior and the evolution of life history strategies. However, there has been little effort to document the factors driving sibling cannibalism in marine species. The kin selection theory suggests that the level of relatedness plays an important role in cannibalism patterns. We examined Crepidula coquimbensis, a marine gastropod that broods and encloses its brooded offspring in capsules. Encapsulated embryos show sibling cannibalism and high levels of intracapsular multiple paternity. Given these features, cannibalistic behavior may be driven by kin-relatedness. To test this hypothesis, we constructed artificial aggregations of embryos to mimic three levels of relatedness: high, medium and low. For each category of aggregation, the cannibalism rate and benefits (i.e. size at hatching of surviving offspring were estimated. In addition, at the end of embryo development, we performed parentage analyses to determine if cannibalism was associated with the relatedness between cannibal and victim embryos. Our results show that the intensity of sibling cannibalism increased in aggregations characterized by the lowest level of relatedness. There were important benefits of cannibalism in terms of hatching cannibal size. In addition, cannibalism between embryos was not random: the variation in reproductive success between males increased over the course of the experiment and the effective number of fathers decreased. Altogether, these results suggest that polyandry may play an important role in the evolution of sibling cannibalism in C. coquimbensis and that kin selection may operate during early embryonic stages in this species.

  17. Dispersal, mating events and fine-scale genetic structure in the lesser flat-headed bats.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Panyu Hua

    Full Text Available Population genetic structure has important consequences in evolutionary processes and conservation genetics in animals. Fine-scale population genetic structure depends on the pattern of landscape, the permanent movement of individuals, and the dispersal of their genes during temporary mating events. The lesser flat-headed bat (Tylonycteris pachypus is a nonmigratory Asian bat species that roosts in small groups within the internodes of bamboo stems and the habitats are fragmented. Our previous parentage analyses revealed considerable extra-group mating in this species. To assess the spatial limits and sex-biased nature of gene flow in the same population, we used 20 microsatellite loci and mtDNA sequencing of the ND2 gene to quantify genetic structure among 54 groups of adult flat-headed bats, at nine localities in South China. AMOVA and F(ST estimates revealed significant genetic differentiation among localities. Alternatively, the pairwise F(ST values among roosting groups appeared to be related to the incidence of associated extra-group breeding, suggesting the impact of mating events on fine-scale genetic structure. Global spatial autocorrelation analyses showed positive genetic correlation for up to 3 km, indicating the role of fragmented habitat and the specialized social organization as a barrier in the movement of individuals among bamboo forests. The male-biased dispersal pattern resulted in weaker spatial genetic structure between localities among males than among females, and fine-scale analyses supported that relatedness levels within internodes were higher among females than among males. Finally, only females were more related to their same sex roost mates than to individuals from neighbouring roosts, suggestive of natal philopatry in females.

  18. Early diagnosis of Werner’s syndrome using exome-wide sequencing in a single, atypical patient

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eleanor eRaffan

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available Genetic diagnosis of inherited metabolic disease is conventionally achieved through syndrome recognition and targeted gene sequencing, but many patients receive no specific diagnosis. Next generation sequencing allied to capture of expressed sequences from genomic DNA now offers a powerful new diagnostic approach. Barriers to routine diagnostic use include cost, and the complexity of interpreting results arising from simultaneous identification of large numbers of variants. We applied exome-wide sequencing to an individual, 16 year old daughter of consanguineous parents with a novel syndrome of short stature, severe insulin resistance, ptosis and microcephaly. Pulldown of expressed sequences from genomic DNA followed by massively parallel sequencing was undertaken. Single nucleotide variants (SNVs were called using SAMtools prior to filtering based on sequence quality and existence in control genomes and exomes. Of 485 genetic variants predicted to alter protein sequence and absent from control data, 24 were homozygous in the patient. One mutation – the p.Arg732X mutation in the WRN gene – has previously been reported in Werner’s syndrome (WS. On re-evaluation of the patient several early features of WS were detected including loss of fat from the extremities and frontal hair thinning. Lymphoblastoid cells from the proband exhibited a defective decatenation checkpoint, consistent with loss of WRN activity. We have thus diagnosed WS some 15 years earlier than average, permitting aggressive prophylactic therapy and screening for WS complications, illustrating the potential of exome-wide sequencing to achieve early diagnosis and change management of rare autosomal recessive disease, even in individual patients of consanguineous parentage with apparently novel syndromes.

  19. Low reproductive skew despite high male-biased operational sex ratio in a glass frog with paternal care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mangold, Alexandra; Trenkwalder, Katharina; Ringler, Max; Hödl, Walter; Ringler, Eva

    2015-09-03

    Reproductive skew, the uneven distribution of reproductive success among individuals, is a common feature of many animal populations. Several scenarios have been proposed to favour either high or low levels of reproductive skew. Particularly a male-biased operational sex ratio and the asynchronous arrival of females is expected to cause high variation in reproductive success among males. Recently it has been suggested that the type of benefits provided by males (fixed vs. dilutable) could also strongly impact individual mating patterns, and thereby affecting reproductive skew. We tested this hypothesis in Hyalinobatrachium valerioi, a Neotropical glass frog with prolonged breeding and paternal care. We monitored and genetically sampled a natural population in southwestern Costa Rica during the breeding season in 2012 and performed parentage analysis of adult frogs and tadpoles to investigate individual mating frequencies, possible mating preferences, and estimate reproductive skew in males and females. We identified a polygamous mating system, where high proportions of males (69 %) and females (94 %) reproduced successfully. The variance in male mating success could largely be attributed to differences in time spent calling at the reproductive site, but not to body size or relatedness. Female H. valerioi were not choosy and mated indiscriminately with available males. Our findings support the hypothesis that dilutable male benefits - such as parental care - can favour female polyandry and maintain low levels of reproductive skew among males within a population, even in the presence of direct male-male competition and a highly male-biased operational sex ratio. We hypothesize that low male reproductive skew might be a general characteristic in prolonged breeders with paternal care.

  20. Contribution to the study of alpha-alpha interaction; Contribution a l'etude de l'interaction alpha - alpha

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Darriulai, P [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

    1965-03-01

    Two sets of measurements of the {alpha}-{alpha} elastic scattering differential cross section are presented. The first set - angular distributions from 50 up to 120 MeV - shows two new resonances, 6{sup +} and 8{sup +}, at 25 and 57 MeV. Complex phase shifts are extracted from the data and a phenomenological potential is given. A description of the 3 {alpha}-particle 0{sup +} states in C{sup 12} is made with this interaction potential. The second set - excitation curves between 20 and 50 MeV - allows investigation of the Be{sup 8} level structure within this energy range - It identifies the 16.6 and 16.9 MeV states as 2{sup +}, but the rise of inelastic processes at higher energies makes further identification of spins and parities more and more difficult. (author) [French] Deux series de mesures de la section efficace differentielle de diffusion {alpha}-{alpha} sont presentees. La premiere - distributions angulaires entre 50 et 120 MeV - fait apparaitre deux nouvelles resonances, 6{sup +} et 8{sup +}, a 25 et 57 MeV d'excitation. Des dephasages complexes en sont extraits et un potentiel phenomenologique est presente. Une etude des etats 0{sup +} a parentage (3{alpha}) de {sup 12}C est faite a partir de ce potentiel. La seconde - courbes d'excitation s'etendant de 20 a 50 MeV - met en evidence la structure de {sup 8}Be dans cette region. Elle montre que les niveaux a 16,6 et 16,9 MeV sont des 2{sup +} mais l'importance des processus inelastiques rend difficile l'identification des niveaux d'excitation plus elevee. (auteur)

  1. Integrating gene flow, crop biology, and farm management in on-farm conservation of avocado (Persea americana, Lauraceae).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Birnbaum, Kenneth; Desalle, Rob; Peters, Charles M; Benfey, Philip N

    2003-11-01

    Maintaining crop diversity on farms where cultivars can evolve is a conservation goal, but few tools are available to assess the long-term maintenance of genetic diversity on farms. One important issue for on-farm conservation is gene flow from crops with a narrow genetic base into related populations that are genetically diverse. In a case study of avocado (Persea americana var. americana) in one of its centers of diversity (San Jerónimo, Costa Rica), we used 10 DNA microsatellite markers in a parentage analysis to estimate gene flow from commercialized varieties into a traditional crop population. Five commercialized genotypes comprised nearly 40% of orchard trees, but they contributed only about 14.5% of the gametes to the youngest cohort of trees. Although commercialized varieties and the diverse population were often planted on the same farm, planting patterns appeared to keep the two types of trees separated on small scales, possibly explaining the limited gene flow. In a simulation that combined gene flow estimates, crop biology, and graft tree management, loss of allelic diversity was less than 10% over 150 yr, and selection was effective in retaining desirable alleles in the diverse subpopulation. Simulations also showed that, in addition to gene flow, managing the genetic makeup and life history traits of the invasive commercialized varieties could have a significant impact on genetic diversity in the target population. The results support the feasibility of on-farm crop conservation, but simulations also showed that higher levels of gene flow could lead to severe losses of genetic diversity even if farmers continue to plant diverse varieties.

  2. The Practice and Development of the Recognition of Legal Parentage in Transnational Surrogacy%跨国代孕亲子关系认定的实践与发展

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    严红

    2017-01-01

    跨国代孕中亲子关系认定较为复杂,其对代孕儿的身份、国籍、抚养和继承等法律意义重大.各国法律对其规定的巨大差异以及国际条约的空白,导致法律冲突频发.未来应通过运用儿童最大利益原则和国际私法规则来解决,以保护当事人的合法权利.我国应对跨国代孕中亲子关系的认定在法律上作出相应的规定.

  3. Nature vs. Nurture: Evidence for Social Learning of Conflict Behaviour in Grizzly Bears.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morehouse, Andrea T; Graves, Tabitha A; Mikle, Nate; Boyce, Mark S

    2016-01-01

    The propensity for a grizzly bear to develop conflict behaviours might be a result of social learning between mothers and cubs, genetic inheritance, or both learning and inheritance. Using non-invasive genetic sampling, we collected grizzly bear hair samples during 2011-2014 across southwestern Alberta, Canada. We targeted private agricultural lands for hair samples at grizzly bear incident sites, defining an incident as an occurrence in which the grizzly bear caused property damage, obtained anthropogenic food, or killed or attempted to kill livestock or pets. We genotyped 213 unique grizzly bears (118 M, 95 F) at 24 microsatellite loci, plus the amelogenin marker for sex. We used the program COLONY to assign parentage. We evaluated 76 mother-offspring relationships and 119 father-offspring relationships. We compared the frequency of problem and non-problem offspring from problem and non-problem parents, excluding dependent offspring from our analysis. Our results support the social learning hypothesis, but not the genetic inheritance hypothesis. Offspring of problem mothers are more likely to be involved in conflict behaviours, while offspring from non-problem mothers are not likely to be involved in incidents or human-bear conflicts themselves (Barnard's test, p = 0.05, 62.5% of offspring from problem mothers were problem bears). There was no evidence that offspring are more likely to be involved in conflict behaviour if their fathers had been problem bears (Barnard's test, p = 0.92, 29.6% of offspring from problem fathers were problem bears). For the mother-offspring relationships evaluated, 30.3% of offspring were identified as problem bears independent of their mother's conflict status. Similarly, 28.6% of offspring were identified as problem bears independent of their father's conflict status. Proactive mitigation to prevent female bears from becoming problem individuals likely will help prevent the perpetuation of conflicts through social learning.

  4. Sex in the City: Breeding Behavior of Urban Peregrine Falcons in the Midwestern US.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Isabel C Caballero

    Full Text Available Peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus were extirpated from most of the continental United States by widespread use of the pesticide DDT in the 1960s. Populations have rebounded with banning of the pesticide and successful implementation of captive breeding and hacking programs. An essentially new population of Midwestern peregrines now exists that is comprised almost entirely of urban-nesting birds. The new population is considered to be of mixed ancestry, occurs at relatively high densities, and has nest sites in close proximity, factors that could influence breeding behaviors including mate fidelity, nest-site fidelity, extra-pair paternity, and natal dispersal. We investigated these behaviors using a combination of field observations and DNA microsatellite genotyping. Data for eleven microsatellite DNA markers, including eight newly developed for the species, were analyzed from a total of 350 birds from nine Midwestern cities, representing 149 broods collected at 20 nest sites. To document breeding behavior, parentage was inferred by likelihood techniques when both parents were sampled and by parental genotype reconstruction when only one parent was sampled. In cases where neither parent was sampled, a sibship reconstruction approach was used. We found high mate fidelity and nest-site fidelity in urban peregrines; in 122 nesting attempts made by long-term breeders, only 12 (9.8% mate changes and six (4.9% nest-site changes occurred. Only one brood (of 35 tested revealed extra-pair paternity and involved a male tending two offspring of a recently acquired mate. Natal dispersal patterns indicated that female peregrines dispersed on average 226 km, almost twice the distance of males (average 124 km. Despite the novel environment of cities, our results suggest that monogamous breeding, nest fidelity, and female natal dispersal are high in urban peregrines, not unlike other raptors living in non-urban habitats.

  5. Workers dominate male production in the neotropical bumblebee Bombus wilmattae (Hymenoptera: Apidae

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vandame Rémy

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Cooperation and conflict in social insects are closely linked to the genetic structure of the colony. Kin selection theory predicts conflict over the production of males between the workers and the queen and between the workers themselves, depending on intra-colonial relatedness but also on other factors like colony efficiency, sex ratios, cost of worker reproduction and worker dominance behaviour. In most bumblebee (Bombus species the queen wins this conflict and often dominates male production. However, most studies in bumblebees have been conducted with only a few selected, mostly single mated species from temperate climate regions. Here we study the genetic colony composition of the facultative polyandrous neotropical bumblebee Bombus wilmattae, to assess the outcome of the queen-worker conflict over male production and to detect potential worker policing. Results A total of 120 males from five colonies were genotyped with up to nine microsatellite markers to infer their parentage. Four of the five colonies were queen right at point of time of male sampling, while one had an uncertain queen status. The workers clearly dominated production of males with an average of 84.9% +/- 14.3% of males being worker sons. In the two doubly mated colonies 62.5% and 96.7% of the male offspring originated from workers and both patrilines participated in male production. Inferring the mother genotypes from the male offspring, between four to eight workers participated in the production of males. Conclusions In this study we show that the workers clearly win the queen-worker conflict over male production in B. wilmattae, which sets them apart from the temperate bumblebee species studied so far. Workers clearly dominated male production in the singly as well the doubly mated colonies, with up to eight workers producing male offspring in a single colony. Moreover no monopolization of reproduction by single workers occurred.

  6. Mutagenesis and haploid culture for disease resistance in Brassica napus

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    MacDonald, M V; Ahmad, I; Ingram, D S [Botany School, University of Cambridge, Cambridge (United Kingdom)

    1990-01-01

    Full text: Most winter oilseed rape cultivars share parentage and therefore show little genetic diversity. There is no known resistance to Alternaria spp. in oilseed rape or in any related Brassica species. Experiments with tissue culture yielded only transient, non-genetic resistance. Therefore, mutagenesis may be used to generate heritable resistance to Alternaria spp. Gamma irradiation was applied to seeds of 'Bienvenue', secondary embryoids of cvs 'Primor' and 'Rapora', and buds of cvs 'Primor' and 'Ariana'. Isolated microspores from cv 'Ariana' and rapid cycling B. napus were also treated. The doses used ranged from 0-100 Gy for isolated microspores and buds, up to 600 Gy for seeds and 960 Gy for secondary embryoids. EMS was used to treat seeds of line WRG-42 (supplied by Nickersons RPB) and microspores of cv 'Bienvenue' and rapid cycling B. napus. Seeds were treated with up to 2.0% EMS for 0.2 h. before plating them on the culture medium. Seed irradiation up to 600 Gy did not reduce germination. M{sub 1} and M{sub 2} progenies were tested both in the laboratory and in field trials, and none of these were found to be resistant to Alternaria. However, considerable variation for other characters was observed. Haploid cultures from these plants were extremely difficult to regenerate, and for this reason no regenerant plants have been tested for resistance. For irradiated secondary embryoids the regeneration capacity decreased with increasing dose. Regenerated plants have been tested for resistance to Alternaria, but stable resistance was not observed. Haploid cultures were obtained from irradiated buds, using both anther and microspore culture. Low irradiation treatment was beneficial to developing embryoids. Some regenerants have been obtained from EMS treated microspores and seeds. Four plants have repeatedly given increased levels of resistance to A. brassicicola, and progenies are being tested to determine the genetic nature of the resistance. (author)

  7. The ups and downs of coral reef fishes: the genetic characteristics of a formerly severely overfished but currently recovering Nassau grouper fish spawning aggregation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bernard, A. M.; Feldheim, K. A.; Nemeth, R.; Kadison, E.; Blondeau, J.; Semmens, B. X.; Shivji, M. S.

    2016-03-01

    The Nassau grouper ( Epinephelus striatus) has sustained large declines across its distribution, including extirpation of many of its fish spawning aggregations (FSAs). Within US Virgin Islands (USVI) waters, Nassau grouper FSAs were overfished until their disappearance in the 1970s and 1980s. In the early 2000s, however, Nassau grouper were found gathering at Grammanik Bank, USVI, a mesophotic coral reef adjacent to one of the extinct aggregation sites, and regulatory protective measures were implemented to protect this fledgling FSA. The population genetic dynamics of this rapid FSA deterioration followed by protection-facilitated, incipient recovery are unknown. We addressed two objectives: (1) we explored which factors (i.e., local vs. external recruitment) might be key in shaping the USVI FSA recovery; and (2) we examined the consequences of severe past overfishing on this FSA's current genetic status. We genotyped individuals (15 microsatellites) from the USVI FSA comprising three successive spawning years (2008-2010), as well as individuals from a much larger, presumably less impacted, Nassau grouper FSA in the Cayman Islands, to assess their comparative population dynamics. No population structure was detected between the USVI and Cayman FSAs ( F ST = -0.0004); however, a temporally waning, genetic bottleneck signal was detected in the USVI FSA. Parentage analysis failed to identify any parent-offspring matches between USVI FSA adults and nearby juveniles, and relatedness analysis showed low levels of genetic relatedness among USVI FSA individuals. Genetic diversity across USVI FSA temporal collections was relatively high, and no marked differences were found between the USVI and Cayman FSAs. These collective results suggest that external recruitment is an important driver of the USVI FSA recovery. Furthermore, despite an apparent genetic bottleneck, the genetic diversity of USVI Nassau grouper has not been severely compromised. Our findings also provide a

  8. Nature vs. Nurture: Evidence for Social Learning of Conflict Behaviour in Grizzly Bears.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrea T Morehouse

    Full Text Available The propensity for a grizzly bear to develop conflict behaviours might be a result of social learning between mothers and cubs, genetic inheritance, or both learning and inheritance. Using non-invasive genetic sampling, we collected grizzly bear hair samples during 2011-2014 across southwestern Alberta, Canada. We targeted private agricultural lands for hair samples at grizzly bear incident sites, defining an incident as an occurrence in which the grizzly bear caused property damage, obtained anthropogenic food, or killed or attempted to kill livestock or pets. We genotyped 213 unique grizzly bears (118 M, 95 F at 24 microsatellite loci, plus the amelogenin marker for sex. We used the program COLONY to assign parentage. We evaluated 76 mother-offspring relationships and 119 father-offspring relationships. We compared the frequency of problem and non-problem offspring from problem and non-problem parents, excluding dependent offspring from our analysis. Our results support the social learning hypothesis, but not the genetic inheritance hypothesis. Offspring of problem mothers are more likely to be involved in conflict behaviours, while offspring from non-problem mothers are not likely to be involved in incidents or human-bear conflicts themselves (Barnard's test, p = 0.05, 62.5% of offspring from problem mothers were problem bears. There was no evidence that offspring are more likely to be involved in conflict behaviour if their fathers had been problem bears (Barnard's test, p = 0.92, 29.6% of offspring from problem fathers were problem bears. For the mother-offspring relationships evaluated, 30.3% of offspring were identified as problem bears independent of their mother's conflict status. Similarly, 28.6% of offspring were identified as problem bears independent of their father's conflict status. Proactive mitigation to prevent female bears from becoming problem individuals likely will help prevent the perpetuation of conflicts through social

  9. Conservation genetics of threatened Hippocampus guttulatus in vulnerable habitats in NW Spain: temporal and spatial stability of wild populations with flexible polygamous mating system in captivity.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Almudena López

    Full Text Available This study was focused on conservation genetics of threatened Hippocampus guttulatus on the Atlantic coast of NW Iberian Peninsula. Information about spatial structure and temporal stability of wild populations was obtained based on microsatellite markers, and used for monitoring a captive breeding program firstly initiated in this zone at the facilities of the Institute of Marine Research (Vigo, Spain. No significant major genetic structure was observed regarding the biogeographical barrier of Cape Finisterre. However, two management units under continuous gene flow are proposed based on the allelic differentiation between South-Atlantic and Cantabrian subpopulations, with small to moderate contemporary effective size based on single-sample methods. Temporal stability was observed in South-Atlantic population samples of H. guttulatus for the six-year period studied, suggesting large enough effective population size to buffer the effects of genetic drift within the time frame of three generations. Genetic analysis of wild breeders and offspring in captivity since 2009 allowed us to monitor the breeding program founded in 2006 in NW Spain for this species. Similar genetic diversity in the renewed and founder broodstock, regarding the wild population of origin, supports suitable renewal and rearing processes to maintain genetic variation in captivity. Genetic parentage proved single-brood monogamy in the wild and in captivity, but flexible short- and long-term mating system under captive conditions, from strict monogamy to polygamy within and/or among breeding seasons. Family analysis showed high reproductive success in captivity under genetic management assisted by molecular relatedness estimates to avoid inbreeding. This study provides genetic information about H. guttulatus in the wild and captivity within an uncovered geographical range for this data deficient species, to be taken into account for management and conservation purposes.

  10. Weak polygyny in California sea lions and the potential for alternative mating tactics.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ramona Flatz

    Full Text Available Female aggregation and male territoriality are considered to be hallmarks of polygynous mating systems. The development of genetic parentage assignment has called into question the accuracy of behavioral traits in predicting true mating systems. In this study we use 14 microsatellite markers to explore the mating system of one of the most behaviorally polygynous species, the California sea lion (Zalophus californianus. We sampled a total of 158 female-pup pairs and 99 territorial males across two breeding rookeries (San Jorge and Los Islotes in the Gulf of California, Mexico. Fathers could be identified for 30% of pups sampled at San Jorge across three breeding seasons and 15% of sampled pups at Los Islotes across two breeding seasons. Analysis of paternal relatedness between the pups for which no fathers were identified (sampled over four breeding seasons at San Jorge and two at Los Islotes revealed that few pups were likely to share a father. Thirty-one percent of the sampled males on San Jorge and 15% of the sampled males on Los Islotes were assigned at least one paternity. With one exception, no male was identified as the father of more than two pups. Furthermore, at Los Islotes rookery there were significantly fewer pups assigned paternity than expected given the pool of sampled males (p<0.0001. Overall, we found considerably lower variation in male reproductive success than expected in a species that exhibits behavior associated with strongly polygynous mating. Low variation in male reproductive success may result from heightened mobility among receptive females in the Gulf of California, which reduces the ability of males to monopolize groups of females. Our results raise important questions regarding the adaptive role of territoriality and the potential for alternative mating tactics in this species.

  11. Genetic analyses involving microsatellite ETH10 genotypes on bovine chromosome 5 and performance trait measures in Angus- and Brahman-influenced cattle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    DeAtley, K L; Rincon, G; Farber, C R; Medrano, J F; Luna-Nevarez, P; Enns, R M; VanLeeuwen, D M; Silver, G A; Thomas, M G

    2011-07-01

    ETH10 is a dinucleotide microsatellite within the promoter of signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 (STAT6) gene on bovine chromosome 5. ETH10 is included in the panel of genetic markers used in parentage testing procedures of cattle breed associations. Allelic sizes of ETH10 PCR amplicons range from 199 to 225 bp. Objectives of this study were to use microsatellite data from beef cattle breed associations to investigate genetic distance and population stratification among Angus- and Brahman-influenced cattle and to use ETH10 genotypes and growth and ultrasound carcass data to investigate their statistical relationships. Three series of genotype to phenotype association analyses were conducted with 1) Angus data (n=5,094), 2) Brangus data (3/8 Brahman × 5/8 Angus; n=2,296), and 3) multibreed data (n=4,426) of Angus and Brangus cattle. Thirteen alleles and 38 genotypes were observed, but frequencies varied among breed groups. Tests of genetic identity and distance among 6 breed composition groups increasing in Brahman influence from 0 to 75% revealed that as Brahman-influence increased to ≥50%, genetic distance from Angus ranged from 18.3 to 43.5%. This was accomplished with 10 microsatellite loci. A mixed effects model involving genotype as a fixed effect and sire as a random source of variation suggested that Angus cattle with the 217/219 genotype tended to have 2.1% heavier (P=0.07) 205-d BW than other genotypes. In Brangus cattle, allele combinations were classified as small (≤215 bp) or large (≥217 bp). Brangus cattle with the small/large genotype had 2.0% heavier (PAngus and Brangus cattle. Results from this study provide support for STAT6 as one of the candidate genes underlying cattle growth QTL on chromosome 5. © 2011 American Society of Animal Science. All rights reserved.

  12. A genome-wide identification of chromosomal regions determining nitrogen use efficiency components in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cormier, Fabien; Le Gouis, Jacques; Dubreuil, Pierre; Lafarge, Stéphane; Praud, Sébastien

    2014-12-01

    This study identified 333 genomic regions associated to 28 traits related to nitrogen use efficiency in European winter wheat using genome-wide association in a 214-varieties panel experimented in eight environments. Improving nitrogen use efficiency is a key factor to sustainably ensure global production increase. However, while high-throughput screening methods remain at a developmental stage, genetic progress may be mainly driven by marker-assisted selection. The objective of this study was to identify chromosomal regions associated with nitrogen use efficiency-related traits in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) using a genome-wide association approach. Two hundred and fourteen European elite varieties were characterised for 28 traits related to nitrogen use efficiency in eight environments in which two different nitrogen fertilisation levels were tested. The genome-wide association study was carried out using 23,603 SNP with a mixed model for taking into account parentage relationships among varieties. We identified 1,010 significantly associated SNP which defined 333 chromosomal regions associated with at least one trait and found colocalisations for 39 % of these chromosomal regions. A method based on linkage disequilibrium to define the associated region was suggested and discussed with reference to false positive rate. Through a network approach, colocalisations were analysed and highlighted the impact of genomic regions controlling nitrogen status at flowering, precocity, and nitrogen utilisation on global agronomic performance. We were able to explain 40 ± 10 % of the total genetic variation. Numerous colocalisations with previously published genomic regions were observed with such candidate genes as Ppd-D1, Rht-D1, NADH-Gogat, and GSe. We highlighted selection pressure on yield and nitrogen utilisation discussing allele frequencies in associated regions.

  13. Genome resources for climate-resilient cowpea, an essential crop for food security.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muñoz-Amatriaín, María; Mirebrahim, Hamid; Xu, Pei; Wanamaker, Steve I; Luo, MingCheng; Alhakami, Hind; Alpert, Matthew; Atokple, Ibrahim; Batieno, Benoit J; Boukar, Ousmane; Bozdag, Serdar; Cisse, Ndiaga; Drabo, Issa; Ehlers, Jeffrey D; Farmer, Andrew; Fatokun, Christian; Gu, Yong Q; Guo, Yi-Ning; Huynh, Bao-Lam; Jackson, Scott A; Kusi, Francis; Lawley, Cynthia T; Lucas, Mitchell R; Ma, Yaqin; Timko, Michael P; Wu, Jiajie; You, Frank; Barkley, Noelle A; Roberts, Philip A; Lonardi, Stefano; Close, Timothy J

    2017-03-01

    Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.) is a legume crop that is resilient to hot and drought-prone climates, and a primary source of protein in sub-Saharan Africa and other parts of the developing world. However, genome resources for cowpea have lagged behind most other major crops. Here we describe foundational genome resources and their application to the analysis of germplasm currently in use in West African breeding programs. Resources developed from the African cultivar IT97K-499-35 include a whole-genome shotgun (WGS) assembly, a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) physical map, and assembled sequences from 4355 BACs. These resources and WGS sequences of an additional 36 diverse cowpea accessions supported the development of a genotyping assay for 51 128 SNPs, which was then applied to five bi-parental RIL populations to produce a consensus genetic map containing 37 372 SNPs. This genetic map enabled the anchoring of 100 Mb of WGS and 420 Mb of BAC sequences, an exploration of genetic diversity along each linkage group, and clarification of macrosynteny between cowpea and common bean. The SNP assay enabled a diversity analysis of materials from West African breeding programs. Two major subpopulations exist within those materials, one of which has significant parentage from South and East Africa and more diversity. There are genomic regions of high differentiation between subpopulations, one of which coincides with a cluster of nodulin genes. The new resources and knowledge help to define goals and accelerate the breeding of improved varieties to address food security issues related to limited-input small-holder farming and climate stress. © 2016 The Authors. The Plant Journal published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd and Society for Experimental Biology.

  14. En Route to Destruction: the Evolution in Composition of Ices in Comet D 2012 S1 (ISON) Between 1.2 and 0.34 Au from the Sun as Revealed at Infrared Wavelengths

    Science.gov (United States)

    Disanti, M. A.; Bonev, B. P.; Gibb, L. E.; Paganini, L.; Villanueva, G.; Mumma, M. J.; Keane, J. V.; Blake, G. A.; Dello Russo, N.; Meech, K. J.; hide

    2016-01-01

    We report production rates for H2O and eight trace molecules (CO, C2H6, CH4, CH3OH, NH3, H2CO, HCN, C2H2) in the dynamically new, Sun-grazing Comet C2012 S1 (ISON), using high-resolution spectroscopy at Keck II and the NASA IRTF on 10pre-perihelion dates encompassing heliocentric distances Rh1.210.34 AU. Measured water production rates spanned two orders of magnitude, consistent with a long-term heliocentric power law Q(H2O) Rh-3.10.1). Abundance ratios for CO, C2H6, and CH4 with respect to H2O remained constant with Rh and below their corresponding mean values measured among a dominant sample of Oort Cloud comets. CH3OH was also depleted for Rh 0.5 AU, but was closer to its mean value for Rh0.5 AU. The remaining four molecules exhibited higher abundance ratios within 0.5 AU: for Rh 0.8 AU, NH3 and C2H2 were consistent with their mean values while H2CO and HCN were depleted. For Rh 0.5 AU, all four were enriched, with NH3, H2CO, and HCN increasing most. Spatial profiles of gas emission in ISON consistently peaked sunward of the dust continuum, which was asymmetric antisunward and remained singly peaked for all observations. NH3 within 0.5 AU showed a broad spatial distribution, possibly indicating its release in the coma provided that optical depth effects were unimportant. The column abundance ratio NH2H2O at 0.83 AU was close to the typical NHOH from optical wavelengths, but was higher within 0.5 AU. Establishing its production rate and testing its parentage (e.g., NH3) require modeling of coma outflow.

  15. Two-generation analysis of pollen flow across a landscape. I. Male gamete heterogeneity among females.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smouse, P E; Dyer, R J; Westfall, R D; Sork, V L

    2001-02-01

    Gene flow is a key factor in the spatial genetic structure in spatially distributed species. Evolutionary biologists interested in microevolutionary processess and conservation biologists interested in the impact of landscape change require a method that measures the real time process of gene movement. We present a novel two-generation (parent-offspring) approach to the study of genetic structure (TwoGener) that allows us to quantify heterogeneity among the male gamete pools sampled by maternal trees scattered across the landscape and to estimate mean pollination distance and effective neighborhood size. First, we describe the model's elements: genetic distance matrices to estimate intergametic distances, molecular analysis of variance to determine whether pollen profiles differ among mothers, and optimal sampling considerations. Second, we evaluate the model's effectiveness by simulating spatially distributed populations. Spatial heterogeneity in male gametes can be estimated by phiFT, a male gametic analogue of Wright's F(ST) and an inverse function of mean pollination distance. We illustrate TwoGener in cases where the male gamete can be categorically or ambiguously determined. This approach does not require the high level of genetic resolution needed by parentage analysis, but the ambiguous case is vulnerable to bias in the absence of adequate genetic resolution. Finally, we apply TwoGener to an empirical study of Quercus alba in Missouri Ozark forests. We find that phiFT = 0.06, translating into about eight effective pollen donors per female and an effective pollination neighborhood as a circle of radius about 17 m. Effective pollen movement in Q. alba is more restricted than previously realized, even though pollen is capable of moving large distances. This case study illustrates that, with a modest investment in field survey and laboratory analysis, the TwoGener approach permits inferences about landscape-level gene movements.

  16. Assessment of iron status of Sudanese pregnant women by serum ferritin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eltayeb, E.A.; Khangi, F.A.; Satti, G.M.; Abu Salab, A.

    2004-03-01

    Eighty five normal pregnant women were included in the study at the start of the second trimester. Two blood samples were taken during the second trimester and two blood samples during the third trimester. The height of all subjects was measured. The weights of the subjects were under iron-supplementation throughout the gestation period. Sixty four normal non-parentage women were included in the study to serve as controls. Iron status was assessed for the groups with following parameters, haemoglobin (Hb), packed corpuscular volume (PCV), red blood cells count, peripheral blood film, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean cell haemoglobin (MCH), Mean haemoglobin concentration (MCH C), serum iron (Si), total iron binding capacity (T IBC), serum transferrin saturation (Ts) and serum ferritin (Sf). No significant difference was observed in the mean haemoglobin concentrations but the PCV of the non-pregnant women was higher than that of the pregnant women at different stages of gestation (p<0.05). MCV, MCH and MCH C values of the non-pregnant women were lower than those of the of the pregnant at different stages of gestation (p<0.05). Serum iron and transferrin saturation of the non-pregnant women were higher than those of the pregnant women, this difference was statistically significant at weeks (16-18) and (22-24) (p<0.05). Serum ferritin of the non-pregnant women was higher than that of the pregnant women and decreased continuously during the pregnancy, but this decrease was not statistically significant. Iron deficiency anaemia was observed in both pregnant and non-pregnant women. The best parameter that could be used as a marker for iron deficiency is serum ferritin. Iron supplementation s corrected for haemoglobin but not for iron status, but more studies were needed to cover this issue using different parameters.(Author)

  17. An ephemeral sexual population of Phytophthora infestans in the Northeastern United States and Canada.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Giovanna Danies

    Full Text Available Phytophthora infestans, the causal agent of late blight disease, has been reported in North America since the mid-nineteenth century. In the United States the lack of or very limited sexual reproduction has resulted in largely clonal populations of P. infestans. In 2010 and 2011, but not in 2012 or 2013, 20 rare and diverse genotypes of P. infestans were detected in a region that centered around central New York State. The ratio of A1 to A2 mating types among these genotypes was close to the 50∶50 ratio expected for sexual recombination. These genotypes were diverse at the glucose-6-phosphate isomerase locus, differed in their microsatellite profiles, showed different banding patterns in a restriction fragment length polymorphism assay using a moderately repetitive and highly polymorphic probe (RG57, were polymorphic for four different nuclear genes and differed in their sensitivity to the systemic fungicide mefenoxam. The null hypothesis of linkage equilibrium was not rejected, which suggests the population could be sexual. These new genotypes were monomorphic in their mitochondrial haplotype that was the same as US-22. Through parentage exclusion testing using microsatellite data and sequences of four nuclear genes, recent dominant lineages US-8, US-11, US-23, and US-24 were excluded as possible parents for these genotypes. Further analyses indicated that US-22 could not be eliminated as a possible parent for 14 of the 20 genotypes. We conclude that US-22 could be a parent of some, but not all, of the new genotypes found in 2010 and 2011. There were at least two other parents for this population and the genotypic characteristics of the other parents were identified.

  18. Data handling with SAM and art at the NOνA experiment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aurisano, A; Backhouse, C; Davies, G S; Illingworth, R; Mengel, M; Norman, A; Mayer, N; Rocco, D; Zirnstein, J

    2015-01-01

    During operations, NOvA produces between 5,000 and 7,000 raw files per day with peaks in excess of 12,000. These files must be processed in several stages to produce fully calibrated and reconstructed analysis files. In addition, many simulated neutrino interactions must be produced and processed through the same stages as data. To accommodate the large volume of data and Monte Carlo, production must be possible both on the Fermilab grid and on off-site farms, such as the ones accessible through the Open Science Grid. To handle the challenge of cataloging these files and to facilitate their off-line processing, we have adopted the SAM system developed at Fermilab. SAM indexes files according to metadata, keeps track of each file's physical locations, provides dataset management facilities, and facilitates data transfer to off-site grids. To integrate SAM with Fermilab's art software framework and the NOvA production workflow, we have developed methods to embed metadata into our configuration files, art files, and standalone ROOT files. A module in the art framework propagates the embedded information from configuration files into art files, and from input art files to output art files, allowing us to maintain a complete processing history within our files. Embedding metadata in configuration files also allows configuration files indexed in SAM to be used as inputs to Monte Carlo production jobs. Further, SAM keeps track of the input files used to create each output file. Parentage information enables the construction of self-draining datasets which have become the primary production paradigm used at NOvA. In this paper we will present an overview of SAM at NOvA and how it has transformed the file production framework used by the experiment. (paper)

  19. Mutagenesis and haploid culture for disease resistance in Brassica napus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    MacDonald, M.V.; Ahmad, I.; Ingram, D.S.

    1990-01-01

    Full text: Most winter oilseed rape cultivars share parentage and therefore show little genetic diversity. There is no known resistance to Alternaria spp. in oilseed rape or in any related Brassica species. Experiments with tissue culture yielded only transient, non-genetic resistance. Therefore, mutagenesis may be used to generate heritable resistance to Alternaria spp. Gamma irradiation was applied to seeds of 'Bienvenue', secondary embryoids of cvs 'Primor' and 'Rapora', and buds of cvs 'Primor' and 'Ariana'. Isolated microspores from cv 'Ariana' and rapid cycling B. napus were also treated. The doses used ranged from 0-100 Gy for isolated microspores and buds, up to 600 Gy for seeds and 960 Gy for secondary embryoids. EMS was used to treat seeds of line WRG-42 (supplied by Nickersons RPB) and microspores of cv 'Bienvenue' and rapid cycling B. napus. Seeds were treated with up to 2.0% EMS for 0.2 h. before plating them on the culture medium. Seed irradiation up to 600 Gy did not reduce germination. M 1 and M 2 progenies were tested both in the laboratory and in field trials, and none of these were found to be resistant to Alternaria. However, considerable variation for other characters was observed. Haploid cultures from these plants were extremely difficult to regenerate, and for this reason no regenerant plants have been tested for resistance. For irradiated secondary embryoids the regeneration capacity decreased with increasing dose. Regenerated plants have been tested for resistance to Alternaria, but stable resistance was not observed. Haploid cultures were obtained from irradiated buds, using both anther and microspore culture. Low irradiation treatment was beneficial to developing embryoids. Some regenerants have been obtained from EMS treated microspores and seeds. Four plants have repeatedly given increased levels of resistance to A. brassicicola, and progenies are being tested to determine the genetic nature of the resistance. (author)

  20. Large-scale, multidirectional larval connectivity among coral reef fish populations in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park

    KAUST Repository

    Williamson, David H.; Harrison, Hugo B.; Almany, Glenn R.; Berumen, Michael L.; Bode, Michael; Bonin, Mary C.; Choukroun, Severine; Doherty, Peter J.; Frisch, Ashley J.; Saenz-Agudelo, Pablo; Jones, Geoffrey P.

    2016-01-01

    Larval dispersal is the key process by which populations of most marine fishes and invertebrates are connected and replenished. Advances in larval tagging and genetics have enhanced our capacity to track larval dispersal, assess scales of population connectivity, and quantify larval exchange among no-take marine reserves and fished areas. Recent studies have found that reserves can be a significant source of recruits for populations up to 40 km away, but the scale and direction of larval connectivity across larger seascapes remain unknown. Here, we apply genetic parentage analysis to investigate larval dispersal patterns for two exploited coral reef groupers (Plectropomus maculatus and Plectropomus leopardus) within and among three clusters of reefs separated by 60–220 km within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, Australia. A total of 69 juvenile P. maculatus and 17 juvenile P. leopardus (representing 6% and 9% of the total juveniles sampled, respectively) were genetically assigned to parent individuals on reefs within the study area. We identified both short-distance larval dispersal within regions (200 m to 50 km) and long-distance, multidirectional dispersal of up to ~250 km among regions. Dispersal strength declined significantly with distance, with best-fit dispersal kernels estimating median dispersal distances of ~110 km for P. maculatus and ~190 km for P. leopardus. Larval exchange among reefs demonstrates that established reserves form a highly connected network and contribute larvae for the replenishment of fished reefs at multiple spatial scales. Our findings highlight the potential for long-distance dispersal in an important group of reef fishes, and provide further evidence that effectively protected reserves can yield recruitment and sustainability benefits for exploited fish populations.

  1. A common-garden experiment to quantify evolutionary processes in copepods: the case of emamectin benzoate resistance in the parasitic sea louse Lepeophtheirus salmonis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ljungfeldt, Lina Eva Robin; Espedal, Per Gunnar; Nilsen, Frank; Skern-Mauritzen, Mette; Glover, Kevin Alan

    2014-05-19

    The development of pesticide resistance represents a global challenge to food production. Specifically for the Atlantic salmon aquaculture industry, parasitic sea lice and their developing resistance to delousing chemicals is challenging production. In this study, seventeen full sibling families, established from three strains of Lepeophtheirus salmonis displaying differing backgrounds in emamectin benzoate (EB) tolerance were produced and quantitatively compared under a common-garden experimental design. Lice surviving to the preadult stage were then exposed to EB and finally identified through the application of DNA parentage testing. With the exception of two families (19 and 29%), survival from the infectious copepod to preadult stage was very similar among families (40-50%). In contrast, very large differences in survival following EB exposure were observed among the families (7.9-74%). Family survival post EB exposure was consistent with the EB tolerance characteristics of the strains from which they were established and no negative effect on infection success were detected in association with increased EB tolerance. Two of the lice families that displayed reduced sensitivity to EB were established from a commercial farm that had previously used this chemical. This demonstrates that resistant alleles were present on this farm even though the farm had not reported treatment failure. To our knowledge, this represents the first study where families of any multi-cellular parasite have been established and compared in performance under communal rearing conditions in a common-garden experiment. The system performed in a predictable manner and permitted, for the first time, elucidation of quantitative traits among sea lice families. While this experiment concentrated on, and provided a unique insight into EB sensitivity among lice families, the experimental design represents a novel methodology to experimentally address both resistance development and other

  2. Large-scale, multidirectional larval connectivity among coral reef fish populations in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park

    KAUST Repository

    Williamson, David H.

    2016-11-15

    Larval dispersal is the key process by which populations of most marine fishes and invertebrates are connected and replenished. Advances in larval tagging and genetics have enhanced our capacity to track larval dispersal, assess scales of population connectivity, and quantify larval exchange among no-take marine reserves and fished areas. Recent studies have found that reserves can be a significant source of recruits for populations up to 40 km away, but the scale and direction of larval connectivity across larger seascapes remain unknown. Here, we apply genetic parentage analysis to investigate larval dispersal patterns for two exploited coral reef groupers (Plectropomus maculatus and Plectropomus leopardus) within and among three clusters of reefs separated by 60–220 km within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, Australia. A total of 69 juvenile P. maculatus and 17 juvenile P. leopardus (representing 6% and 9% of the total juveniles sampled, respectively) were genetically assigned to parent individuals on reefs within the study area. We identified both short-distance larval dispersal within regions (200 m to 50 km) and long-distance, multidirectional dispersal of up to ~250 km among regions. Dispersal strength declined significantly with distance, with best-fit dispersal kernels estimating median dispersal distances of ~110 km for P. maculatus and ~190 km for P. leopardus. Larval exchange among reefs demonstrates that established reserves form a highly connected network and contribute larvae for the replenishment of fished reefs at multiple spatial scales. Our findings highlight the potential for long-distance dispersal in an important group of reef fishes, and provide further evidence that effectively protected reserves can yield recruitment and sustainability benefits for exploited fish populations.

  3. Characterization of the Gray Whale Eschrichtius robustus Genome and a Genotyping Array Based on Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms in Candidate Genes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    DeWoody, J Andrew; Fernandez, Nadia B; Brüniche-Olsen, Anna; Antonides, Jennifer D; Doyle, Jacqueline M; San Miguel, Phillip; Westerman, Rick; Vertyankin, Vladimir V; Godard-Codding, Céline A J; Bickham, John W

    2017-06-01

    Genetic and genomic approaches have much to offer in terms of ecology, evolution, and conservation. To better understand the biology of the gray whale Eschrichtius robustus (Lilljeborg, 1861), we sequenced the genome and produced an assembly that contains ∼95% of the genes known to be highly conserved among eukaryotes. From this assembly, we annotated 22,711 genes and identified 2,057,254 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Using this assembly, we generated a curated list of candidate genes potentially subject to strong natural selection, including genes associated with osmoregulation, oxygen binding and delivery, and other aspects of marine life. From these candidate genes, we queried 92 autosomal protein-coding markers with a panel of 96 SNPs that also included 2 sexing and 2 mitochondrial markers. Genotyping error rates, calculated across loci and across 69 intentional replicate samples, were low (0.021%), and observed heterozygosity was 0.33 averaged over all autosomal markers. This level of variability provides substantial discriminatory power across loci (mean probability of identity of 1.6 × 10 -25 and mean probability of exclusion >0.999 with neither parent known), indicating that these markers provide a powerful means to assess parentage and relatedness in gray whales. We found 29 unique multilocus genotypes represented among our 36 biopsies (indicating that we inadvertently sampled 7 whales twice). In total, we compiled an individual data set of 28 western gray whales (WGSs) and 1 presumptive eastern gray whale (EGW). The lone EGW we sampled was no more or less related to the WGWs than expected by chance alone. The gray whale genomes reported here will enable comparative studies of natural selection in cetaceans, and the SNP markers should be highly informative for future studies of gray whale evolution, population structure, demography, and relatedness.

  4. Restrictive concept of surrogacy in the draft text of the Civil Code of Serbia

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    Bordaš Bernadet I.

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The working draft of the Civil Code of Serbia, which was published in June 2015, includes model-provisions on surrogate motherhood, which is, at present, expressly prohibited by law. The paper gives a survey of the proposed provisions and examines particularly those that define which persons can conclude a contract on surrogacy. By limiting this right to persons holding the nationality of Serbia, or to these nationals and persons residing in the territory of Serbia for at least three (five years the legislator wish to avoid reproductive tourism. Surrogate mothering with cross-border effects gives rise to complicated legal problems as regards the definition and recognition of legal parentage of the intended parents both in the countries in which the surrogate mother gives birth to the child, as well as in countries in which the intended parents wish to live with their child. The restrictive concept which retains surrogate mothering within the borders of the domestic state and between domestic nationals disables outgoing cases of surrogate motherhood, but it is not quite true for persons who are not citizens of Serbia, but living on its territory. For these reasons the paper critically examines these limitations in the proposals, and indicates that the incoming cases of surrogate motherhood cannot be prevented due to the free movement of people. The paper also provides analysis of the legal issues of the incoming cases of surrogate motherhood, and suggests solution for them if in the future Civil Code the proposed ipso jure legal parenthood of intended parents will be adopted. With ipso jure legal parenthood of a child who is born to a surrogate mother abroad there is no need to restrict surrogacy cases to nationals of Serbia or to foreigners domiciled in Serbia for three (five years minimum.

  5. Manthar-03: a high-yielding cultivar of wheat released for general cultivation in Southern Punjab

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hussain, M.; Akhtar, L.H.; Nasim, M.

    2010-01-01

    We report the release of a new wheat variety Manthar-03. 'Manthar-03' is a high yielding and rust resistant variety of bread wheat with erect growth habit. It was released in the year 2003 as a general purpose variety. Manthar-03 is a selection from CIMMYT material (Entry No. 42 of 29 International Bread Wheat Screening Nursery) made at Regional Agricultural Research Institute (RARI), Bahawalpur during 1996-97. This strain has the famous CIMMYT line 'Kauz' in its parentage (KAUZ//ALTAR 84/AOS). Its pedigree is CM11163-6M-20Y-10M- 0M-0B. It is a more adapted and a high yielder. Genetically, this strain differs from existing commercial cultivars of Punjab. Resistance against leaf rust (5MRMS to 10MR), RRI value of 6.7 and 7.6 for leaf rust and ACI values of 3.4 and 0.7 for leaf rust) and high yield potential (6300 kg ha-1 ) are the major attributes of Manthar-03 that make it a superior variety for its target regions. Manthar-03 is tolerant to wheat aphid and Helicoverpa armigera. The thousand seed weight of this variety is 40-44 g. Seed is amber in color and contains 12.97% protein, 8.2% dry gluten and 1.55% ash. It has good chapati making quality. Plant type of Manthar-03 is erect with plant height 94 cm and droopy flag leaves. It is lodging resistant. It completes heading in 98 days and matures in 142 days. Manthar-03 performs better when planted from 15, November to 1, December, keeping 125 kg ha/sup -1/ seed rate and 125-85-50 kg NPK ha/sup -1/ are applied. (author)

  6. Terpenoid variations within and among half-sibling avocado trees, Persea americana Mill. (Lauraceae.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jerome Niogret

    Full Text Available Chemical analyses were conducted to determine the qualitative and quantitative differences in monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes in plant material from avocado trees, Persea americana Mill. (Lauraceae. The initial study analyzed plant material sampled from the trunk to the leaves through different branch diameters to quantify proximo-distal spatial differences within a tree. All trees were seedlings initiated from a single maternal tree. Two-way analysis of variance was conducted on 34 chemicals that comprised at least 3% of the total chemical content of at least one tree and/or location within a tree. There were significant interactions between genotype and location sampled for most chemicals. Parentage analysis using microsatellite molecular markers (SSR's determined that the four trees had three fathers and that they represented two full-siblings and two half-sibling trees. Descriptive discriminant analysis found that both genotype and location within a tree could be separated based on chemical content, and that the chemical content from full-siblings tended to be more similar than chemical content from half-siblings. To further explore the relationship between genetic background and chemical content, samples were analyzed from leaf material from 20 trees that included two sets of full-sibling seedling trees, the maternal tree and the surviving paternal tree. Descriptive discriminant analysis found good separation between the two full-sibling groups, and that the separation was associated with chemistry of the parental trees. Six groups of chemicals were identified that explained the variation among the trees. We discuss the results in relation to the discrimination process used by wood-boring insects for site-selection on host trees, for tree selection among potential host trees, and the potential use of terpenoid chemical content in chemotaxonomy of avocado trees.

  7. Ethical, Legal and Social Issues in Japan on the Determination of Blood Relationship via DNA Testing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Toya, Waki

    2017-01-01

    DNA paternity testing has recently become more widely available in Japan. The aim of this paper is to examine the issues surrounding (1) the implementing agency, whether the testing is conducted in a commercial direct-to-consumer (DTC) setting or a judicial non-DTC setting, and (2) the implementation conditions and more specifically the legal capacity of the proband (test subject). Literature research in Japanese and English was conducted. Some countries prohibit commercial DNA testing without the consent of the proband or her or his legally authorized representative. But as in some cases, the results of DTC paternity testing have proven to be unreliable. I propose a complete prohibition of DTC DNA paternity testing in Japan. In many cases of paternity testing, the proband is a minor. This has led to debate about whether proxy consent is sufficient for paternity testing or whether additional safeguards (such as a court order) are required. In cases where commercial DNA testing has been conducted and the test results are produced in court as evidence, the court must judge whether or not to admit these results as evidence. Another important issue is whether or not paternity testing should be legally mandated in certain cases. If we come to the conclusion that DNA test results are the only way to conclusively establish a parent-child relationship, then our society may prioritize even more genetic relatedness over other conceptions of a parent-child relationship. This prioritization could adversely affect families created through assisted reproductive technology (ART), especially in situations where children are not aware of their biological parentage. This paper argues for a complete prohibition of DTC DNA paternity testing in Japan, and highlights that broader ethical and legal deliberation on such genetic services is required.

  8. Nature vs. nurture: Evidence for social learning of conflict behaviour in grizzly bears

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morehouse, Andrea T.; Graves, Tabitha A.; Mikle, Nathaniel; Boyce, Mark S.

    2016-01-01

    The propensity for a grizzly bear to develop conflict behaviours might be a result of social learning between mothers and cubs, genetic inheritance, or both learning and inheritance. Using non-invasive genetic sampling, we collected grizzly bear hair samples during 2011–2014 across southwestern Alberta, Canada. We targeted private agricultural lands for hair samples at grizzly bear incident sites, defining an incident as an occurrence in which the grizzly bear caused property damage, obtained anthropogenic food, or killed or attempted to kill livestock or pets. We genotyped 213 unique grizzly bears (118 M, 95 F) at 24 microsatellite loci, plus the amelogenin marker for sex. We used the program COLONY to assign parentage. We evaluated 76 mother-offspring relationships and 119 father-offspring relationships. We compared the frequency of problem and non-problem offspring from problem and non-problem parents, excluding dependent offspring from our analysis. Our results support the social learning hypothesis, but not the genetic inheritance hypothesis. Offspring of problem mothers are more likely to be involved in conflict behaviours, while offspring from non-problem mothers are not likely to be involved in incidents or human-bear conflicts themselves (Barnard’s test, p = 0.05, 62.5% of offspring from problem mothers were problem bears). There was no evidence that offspring are more likely to be involved in conflict behaviour if their fathers had been problem bears (Barnard’s test, p = 0.92, 29.6% of offspring from problem fathers were problem bears). For the mother-offspring relationships evaluated, 30.3% of offspring were identified as problem bears independent of their mother’s conflict status. Similarly, 28.6% of offspring were identified as problem bears independent of their father’s conflict status. Proactive mitigation to prevent female bears from becoming problem individuals likely will help prevent the perpetuation of conflicts through social learning.

  9. An integrative mating system assessment of a nonmodel, economically important Pacific rockfish (Sebastes melanops) reveals nonterritorial polygamy and conservation implications for a large species flock.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karageorge, Kurt W; Wilson, Raymond R

    2017-12-01

    Characterizing the mating systems of long-lived, economically important Pacific rockfishes comprising the viviparous Sebastes species flock is crucial for their conservation. However, direct assignment of mating success to sires is precluded by open, offshore populations and high female fecundity. We addressed this challenge by integrating paternity-assigned mating success of females with the adult sex ratio (ASR) of the population, male evolutionary responses to receptive females, and reproductive life history traits-in the framework of sexual selection theory-to assess the mating system of Sebastes melanops . Microsatellite parentage analysis of 17 pregnant females, 1,256 of their progeny, and 106 adults from the population yielded one to four sires per brood, a mean of two sires, and a female mate frequency distribution with a truncated normal (random) pattern. The 11 multiple paternity broods all contained higher median allele richness than the six single paternity broods (Wilcoxon test: W  = 0, p  distributions that distinguish polygynandry and polyandrogyny mating systems, that is, variations of polygamy, but not polyandry. Inference for polygamy is consistent with weak premating sexual selection on males, expected in mid-water, schooling S. melanops , owing to polyandrous mating, moderately aggregated receptive females, an even ASR, and no territories and nests used for reproduction. Each of these characteristics facilitates more mating males and erodes conspicuous sexual dimorphism. Evaluation of male evolutionary responses of demersal congeners that express reproductively territorial behavior revealed they have more potential mechanisms for producing premating sexual selection, greater variation in reproductive success, and a reduced breeding effective population size of adults and annual effective size of a cohort, compared to S. melanops modeled with two mates per adult. Such divergence in behavior and mating system by territorial species may

  10. Terpenoid variations within and among half-sibling avocado trees, Persea americana Mill. (Lauraceae).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Niogret, Jerome; Epsky, Nancy D; Schnell, Raymond J; Boza, Edward J; Kendra, Paul E; Heath, Robert R

    2013-01-01

    Chemical analyses were conducted to determine the qualitative and quantitative differences in monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes in plant material from avocado trees, Persea americana Mill. (Lauraceae). The initial study analyzed plant material sampled from the trunk to the leaves through different branch diameters to quantify proximo-distal spatial differences within a tree. All trees were seedlings initiated from a single maternal tree. Two-way analysis of variance was conducted on 34 chemicals that comprised at least 3% of the total chemical content of at least one tree and/or location within a tree. There were significant interactions between genotype and location sampled for most chemicals. Parentage analysis using microsatellite molecular markers (SSR's) determined that the four trees had three fathers and that they represented two full-siblings and two half-sibling trees. Descriptive discriminant analysis found that both genotype and location within a tree could be separated based on chemical content, and that the chemical content from full-siblings tended to be more similar than chemical content from half-siblings. To further explore the relationship between genetic background and chemical content, samples were analyzed from leaf material from 20 trees that included two sets of full-sibling seedling trees, the maternal tree and the surviving paternal tree. Descriptive discriminant analysis found good separation between the two full-sibling groups, and that the separation was associated with chemistry of the parental trees. Six groups of chemicals were identified that explained the variation among the trees. We discuss the results in relation to the discrimination process used by wood-boring insects for site-selection on host trees, for tree selection among potential host trees, and the potential use of terpenoid chemical content in chemotaxonomy of avocado trees.

  11. Consequences for conservation: population density and genetic effects on reproduction of an endangered lagomorph.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Demay, Stephanie M; Becker, Penny A; Waits, Lisette P; Johnson, Timothy R; Rachlow, Janet L

    2016-04-01

    Understanding reproduction and mating systems is important for managers tasked with conserving vulnerable species. Genetic tools allow biologists to investigate reproduction and mating systems with high resolution and are particularly useful for species that are otherwise difficult to study in their natural environments. We conducted parentage analyses using 19 nuclear DNA microsatellite loci to assess the influence of population density, genetic diversity, and ancestry on reproduction, and to examine the mating system of pygmy rabbits (Brachylagus idahoensis) bred in large naturalized enclosures for the reintroduction and recovery of the endangered distinct population in central Washington, USA. Reproductive output for females and males decreased as population density and individual homozygosity increased. We identified an interaction indicating that male reproductive output decreased as genetic diversity declined at high population densities, but there was no effect at low densities. Males with high amounts (> 50%) of Washington ancestry had higher reproductive output than the other ancestry groups, while reproductive output was decreased for males with high northern Utah/Wyoming ancestry and females with high Oregon/Nevada ancestry. Females and males bred with an average of 3.8 and 3.6 mates per year, respectively, and we found no evidence of positive or negative assortative mating with regards to ancestry. Multiple paternity was confirmed in 81% of litters, and we report the first documented cases of juvenile breeding by pygmy rabbits. This study demonstrates how variation in population density, genetic diversity, and ancestry impact fitness for an endangered species being bred for conservation. Our results advance understanding of basic life history characteristics for a cryptic species that is difficult to study in the wild and provide lessons for managing populations of vulnerable species in captive and free-ranging populations.

  12. El cine de la Guerra Civil y la función de la vanguardia cinematográfica.

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    Luis Veres

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available Cet article analyse le cinéma espagnol consacré à la guerre civile espagnole (1936-1939, en le resituant dans le cadre de la naissance des avant-gardes historiques. Ainsi, il établit une évaluation critique des différents films réalisés tant par les républicains que par les franquistes. Il revient également sur leur fonction dans la diffusion de certains stéréotypes historiographiques et mémoriels au cœur de l'histoire récente de l'Espagne.This article is a tour through the achievements of Spanish cinema film on the subject of the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939 in connection with the birth and the consequences of the historical vanguards. Thus, the work is a critical assessment of films from the Republican side to the films of the national side in relation to their parentage avant-garde and its implications for the development of historiographical clichés and rote in the history of Spain.El presente artículo trata de realizar un recorrido a través de las realizaciones cinematográficas del cine español sobre el tema de la guerra civil española (1936-1939 en relación con el nacimiento y las consecuencias de las vanguardias históricas. De este modo, el trabajo trata de hacer una valoración crítica de las películas del bando republicano frente a las películas del bando nacional, en relación con su filiación vanguardista y sus consecuencias para la elaboración de los clichés historiográficos y memorísticos de la historia de España.

  13. RAPD markers utilization and other parameters in the determination of mango hybrids genitors Utilização de marcadores RAPD e outros parâmetros na determinação de genitores em híbridos de mangueira

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria Cristina Rocha Cordeiro

    2006-08-01

    Full Text Available Actually mango (Mangifera indica, L. is considered one of the largest Brazilian fruitbusiness for the export market. Cultivar selection having high fruit quality is a fundamental step to obtain excellent results in this business. A mango breeding program based on intervarietal hybridization may produce new improved cultivars for mango growers. Mango hybrids have been obtained by controlled or open crosses. In the last one, it is important to identify the male parent because it is useful for the genetic cultivar history, thus it is important for planning further improvements. This work presents a parentage test using among others parameters RAPD (Random amplified Polymorphic DNA markers to estimate the male parent of the selected hybrids in an open cross plot by using five mango cultivars densely planted in a latin square design.Atualmente, o cultivo da mangueira (Mangifera indica, L. é considerado um dos maiores agronegócios frutícolas brasileiros para o mercado externo. A seleção de cultivares com elevada qualidade de frutos é uma etapa fundamental para o sucesso deste negócio. O melhoramento genético da mangueira, baseado em hibridações intervarietais, pode originar cultivares superiores aos padrões disponíveis no mercado, ofertando uma nova alternativa ao produtor. Híbridos de mangueira têm sido obtidos por meio de cruzamentos controlados ou abertos. Neste último, é importante identificar o genitor masculino visando a obter a história genética da cultivar além de ser importante no planejamento do melhoramento subseqüente. Este trabalho apresenta um teste de paternidade, utilizando, entre outros parâmetros, marcadores RAPD (Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA, para estimar o genitor masculino de híbridos selecionados em uma área de cruzamento aberto contendo cinco cultivares de manga plantadas em alta densidade, no delineamento experimental do quadrado latino.

  14. Fuzzy classification of phantom parent groups in an animal model

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    Fikse Freddy

    2009-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Genetic evaluation models often include genetic groups to account for unequal genetic level of animals with unknown parentage. The definition of phantom parent groups usually includes a time component (e.g. years. Combining several time periods to ensure sufficiently large groups may create problems since all phantom parents in a group are considered contemporaries. Methods To avoid the downside of such distinct classification, a fuzzy logic approach is suggested. A phantom parent can be assigned to several genetic groups, with proportions between zero and one that sum to one. Rules were presented for assigning coefficients to the inverse of the relationship matrix for fuzzy-classified genetic groups. This approach was illustrated with simulated data from ten generations of mass selection. Observations and pedigree records were randomly deleted. Phantom parent groups were defined on the basis of gender and generation number. In one scenario, uncertainty about generation of birth was simulated for some animals with unknown parents. In the distinct classification, one of the two possible generations of birth was randomly chosen to assign phantom parents to genetic groups for animals with simulated uncertainty, whereas the phantom parents were assigned to both possible genetic groups in the fuzzy classification. Results The empirical prediction error variance (PEV was somewhat lower for fuzzy-classified genetic groups. The ranking of animals with unknown parents was more correct and less variable across replicates in comparison with distinct genetic groups. In another scenario, each phantom parent was assigned to three groups, one pertaining to its gender, and two pertaining to the first and last generation, with proportion depending on the (true generation of birth. Due to the lower number of groups, the empirical PEV of breeding values was smaller when genetic groups were fuzzy-classified. Conclusion Fuzzy

  15. Density, distribution, and genetic structure of grizzly bears in the Cabinet-Yaak Ecosystem

    Science.gov (United States)

    Macleod, Amy C.; Boyd, Kristina L.; Boulanger, John; Royle, J. Andrew; Kasworm, Wayne F.; Paetkau, David; Proctor, Michael F.; Annis, Kim; Graves, Tabitha A.

    2016-01-01

    The conservation status of the 2 threatened grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) populations in the Cabinet-Yaak Ecosystem (CYE) of northern Montana and Idaho had remained unchanged since designation in 1975; however, the current demographic status of these populations was uncertain. No rigorous data on population density and distribution or analysis of recent population genetic structure were available to measure the effectiveness of conservation efforts. We used genetic detection data from hair corral, bear rub, and opportunistic sampling in traditional and spatial capture–recapture models to generate estimates of abundance and density of grizzly bears in the CYE. We calculated mean bear residency on our sampling grid from telemetry data using Huggins and Pledger models to estimate the average number of bears present and to correct our superpopulation estimates for lack of geographic closure. Estimated grizzly bear abundance (all sex and age classes) in the CYE in 2012 was 48–50 bears, approximately half the population recovery goal. Grizzly bear density in the CYE (4.3–4.5 grizzly bears/1,000 km2) was among the lowest of interior North American populations. The sizes of the Cabinet (n = 22–24) and Yaak (n = 18–22) populations were similar. Spatial models produced similar estimates of abundance and density with comparable precision without requiring radio-telemetry data to address assumptions of geographic closure. The 2 populations in the CYE were demographically and reproductively isolated from each other and the Cabinet population was highly inbred. With parentage analysis, we documented natural migrants to the Cabinet and Yaak populations by bears born to parents in the Selkirk and Northern Continental Divide populations. These events supported data from other sources suggesting that the expansion of neighboring populations may eventually help sustain the CYE populations. However, the small size, isolation, and inbreeding documented by this study

  16. Hydrogen evolution under visible light over LaCoO3 prepared by chemical route

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Meziani, D.; Reziga, A.; Rekhila, G.; Bellal, B.; Trari, M.

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Visible-light hydrogen evolution is achieved on the hetero-system LaCoO 3 /SnO 2 . • The crystal field splits the Co 3+ : 3d orbital by a value of 2.05 eV. • The capacitance plot shows p-type conduction with flat band potential of 0 V SCE. • The photo-electrochemistry yields a valence and conduction bands of 3d parentage. - Abstract: The semiconducting properties of the perovskite LaCoO 3 , prepared by nitrate route, are investigated for the first time by the photo-electrochemical technique. The oxide shows a direct optical transition at 1.33 eV, due to Co 3+ : 3d orbital splitting in octahedral site and possesses a chemical stability over a fair pH range (4–14). The conductivity follows an exponential type law with a hole mobility (8.3 × 10 −2 cm 2 V −1 s −1 ), thermally activated. The Mott–Schottky plot in KOH medium is characteristic of p type conduction with a flat band potential of 0 V SCE and a holes density of 1.35 × 10 17 cm −3 . The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy reveals the predominance of the bulk and grains boundaries contributions with a constant phase element and a multi-relaxation type nature. As application, the hydrogen evolution upon visible light is demonstrated on the hetero-junction LaCoO 3 /SnO 2 . The best performance occurs at pH ∼ 12.8 with an evolution rate of 0.25 cm 3 min −1 (mg LaCoO 3 ) −1 and a quantum yield of 0.11%. The improved activity is attributed to the wide depletion width of ∼10 nm and the potential of the conduction band of LaCoO 3 (−1.34 V SCE ), more negative than that of SnO 2 , the latter acts as electrons bridge for the interfacial water reduction. The relevance of 3d orbital of the performance of semi conducting photoelectrode is discussed

  17. A SNP resource for studying North American moose [version 1; referees: 2 approved, 1 approved with reservations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Theodore S. Kalbfleisch

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Moose (Alces alces colonized the North American continent from Asia less than 15,000 years ago, and spread across the boreal forest regions of Canada and the northern United States (US.  Contemporary populations have low genetic diversity, due either to low number of individuals in the original migration (founder effect, and/or subsequent population bottlenecks in North America.  Genetic tests based on informative single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP markers are helpful in forensic and wildlife conservation activities, but have been difficult to develop for moose, due to the lack of a reference genome assembly and whole genome sequence (WGS data. Methods:  WGS data were generated for four individual moose from the US states of Alaska, Idaho, Wyoming, and Vermont with minimum and average genome coverage depths of 14- and 19-fold, respectively.  Cattle and sheep reference genomes were used for aligning sequence reads and identifying moose SNPs. Results:  Approximately 11% and 9% of moose WGS reads aligned to cattle and sheep genomes, respectively.  The reads clustered at genomic segments, where sequence identity between these species was greater than 95%.  In these segments, average mapped read depth was approximately 19-fold.  Sets of 46,005 and 36,934 high-confidence SNPs were identified from cattle and sheep comparisons, respectively, with 773 and 552 of those having minor allele frequency of 0.5 and conserved flanking sequences in all three species.  Among the four moose, heterozygosity and allele sharing of SNP genotypes were consistent with decreasing levels of moose genetic diversity from west to east.  A minimum set of 317 SNPs, informative across all four moose, was selected as a resource for future SNP assay design. Conclusions:  All SNPs and associated information are available, without restriction, to support development of SNP-based tests for animal identification, parentage determination, and estimating

  18. The Performance of Early-Generation Perennial Winter Cereals at 21 Sites across Four Continents

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    Richard C. Hayes

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available A network of 21 experiments was established across nine countries on four continents and spanning both hemispheres, to evaluate the relative performance of early generation perennial cereal material derived from wheat, rye, and barley and to inform future breeding strategies. The experimental lines were grown in replicated single rows, and first year production and phenology characteristics as well as yield and persistence for up to three years were monitored. The study showed that the existing experimental material is all relatively short-lived (≤3 years, with environments that are milder in summer and winter generally conferring greater longevity. No pedigree was superior across this diverse network of sites although better performing lines at the higher latitude sites were generally derived from Thinopyrum intermedium. By contrast, at lower latitudes the superior lines were generally derived from Th. ponticum and Th. elongatum parentage. The study observed a poor relationship between year 1 performance and productivity in later years, highlighting the need for perennial cereal material with greater longevity to underpin future experimental evaluation, and the importance for breeding programs to emphasize post-year 1 performance in their selections. Hybrid lines derived from the tetraploid durum wheat generally showed greater longevity than derivatives of hexaploid wheat, highlighting potential for greater use of Triticum turgidum in perennial wheat breeding. We advocate a model in future breeding initiatives that develops perennial cereal genotypes for specific target environments rather than a generic product for one global market. These products may include a diversity of cultivars derived from locally adapted annual and perennial parents. In this scenario the breeding program may have access to only a limited range of adapted perennial grass parents. In other situations, such as at very high latitude environments, perennial crops derived

  19. Geochemistry of the mantle beneath the Rodriguez Triple Junction and the South-East Indian Ridge

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Michard, A.; Montigny, R.; Schlich, R.

    1986-01-01

    Rare earth element abundances and SR, Nd, Pb isotope compositions have been measured on zero-age dredge samples from the Rodriguez Triple Junction (RTJ) and the South-East Indian Ridge (SEIR). Along the SEIR, the geochemical ''halo'' of the St. Paul hot spot has a half-width of about 400 km and the data may be fairly well accounted for by a binary mixing between an Indian MORB-type component ( 87 Sr/ 86 Sr=0.7028, 143 Nd/ 144 Nd=0.51304, 206 Pb/ 204 Pb=17.8) and the plume type St. Paul component (0.7036, 0.5129 and 18.7 respectively). The alignment of the lead isotope data is particularly good with age of 1.95+-0.13 Ga and Th/U source value of 3.94. One sample dredged on the ridge 60 km southeast of St. Paul bears a definite Kertguelen isotopic signature. The RTJ has distinctive geochemical properties which contrast with those of the adjacent ridge segments. Low 206 Pb/ 204 Pb ratios which plots to the left of the geochron, rather high 208 Pb/ 204 Pb and 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios (17.4, 37.4, and 0.7031 respectively) a striking isotopic homogeneity, and variable LRE/HREE fractionation with (LA/S)sub(N) 0.3-0.8 make this triple junction an anomalous site. The geochemical properties of the Indian Ocean basalts have been examined using a three-component mantle model involving (a) a normal MORB-type source though to represent the depleted upper mantle matrix, (b) an OIB-type source of uncertain parentage (recycled oceanic crust), and (c) a component with low μ, Low Sm/Nd, high Rb/Sr (time-averaged value) which is tentatively assigned to ancient hydrothermal and abyssal sediments recycled in the mantle. The high 208 Pb/ 204 Pb and 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios typical of the Dupal anomaly are likely due to the widespread distribution of this latter component in the basalt source from this area, including that for MORBs. (orig.)

  20. Geochemistry of the mantle beneath the Rodriguez Triple Junction and the South-East Indian Ridge

    Science.gov (United States)

    Michard, A.; Montigny, R.; Schlich, R.

    1986-05-01

    Rare earth element abundances and Sr, Nd. Pb isotope compositions have been measured on zero-age dredge samples from the Rodriguez Triple Junction (RTJ) and the South-East Indian Ridge (SEIR), Along the SEIR. the geochemical "halo" of the St. Paul hot spot has a half-width of about 400 km and the data may be fairly well accounted for by a binary mixing between an Indian MORB-type component ( 87Sr/ 86Sr = 0.7028. 143Nd/ 144Nd = 0.51304. 206Pb/ 204Pb = 17.8) and the plume-type St. Paul component (0.7036, 0.5129, and 18.7 respectively). The alignment of the lead isotope data is particularly good with an apparent age of 1.95 ± 0.13 Ga and Th/U source value of 3.94. One sample dredged on the ridge 60 km southeast of St. Paul bears a definite Kerguelen isotopic signature. The RTJ has distinctive geochemical properties which contrast with those of the adjacent ridge segments. Low 206Pb/ 204Pb ratios which plots to the left of the geochron, rather high 208Pb/ 204Pb and 87Sr/ 87Sr ratios (17.4. 37.4, and 0.7031 respectively), a striking isotopic homogeneity, and variable LREE/HREE fractionation with (La/Sm) N, = 0.3-0.8 make this triple junction an anomalous site. The geochemical properties of the Indian Ocean basats have been examined using a three-component mantle model involving (a) a normal MORB-type source though to represent the depleted upper mantle matrix, (b) an OIB-type source of uncertain parentage (recycled oceanic crust?), and (c) a component with low μ. low Sm/Nd. high Rb/Sr (time-averaged value) which is tentatively assigned to ancient hydrothermal and abyssal sediments recycled in the mantle. The high 208Pb/ 204Pb and 87Sr/ 86Sr ratios typical of the Dupal anomaly are likely due to the widespread distribution of this latter component in the basalt source from this area. including that for MORBs.

  1. Two-proton pickup studies with the (6Li,8B) reaction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weisenmiller, R.B.

    1976-01-01

    The ( 6 Li, 8 B) reaction has been investigated on targets of 26 Mg, 24 Mg, 16 O, 13 C, 12 C, 11 B, 10 B, and 9 Be at a bombarding energy of 80.0 MeV, and on targets of 16 O, 12 C, 9 Be, 7 Li, and 6 Li at a bombarding energy of 93.3 MeV. Only levels consistent with direct, single-step two-proton pickup reaction mechanisms were observed to be strongly populated. On T/sub z/ = 0 targets, the spectroscopic selectivity of this reaction resembles that of the analogous (p,t) reaction. Additionally, these data demonstrate the dominance of spatially symmetric transfer of the two protons. On T/sub z/ greater than 0 targets the ( 6 Li, 8 B) reaction was employed to locate two previously unreported levels (at 7.47 +- 0.05 MeV and 8.86 +- 0.07 MeV) in the T/sub z/ = 2 nuclide 24 Ne and to establish the low-lying 1p-shell states in the T/sub z/ = 3 / 2 nuclei 11 Be, 9 Li, and 7 He. However, no evidence was seen for any narrow levels in the T/sub z/ = 3 / 2 nuclide 5 H nor for any narrow excited states in 7 He. The angular distributions reported here are rather featureless and decrease monotonically with increasing angle. This behavior can be shown by a semi-classical reaction theory to be a consequence of the reaction kinematics. A semi-classical approach also suggests that the kinematic term in the transition matrix element is only weakly dependent upon the angular momentum transfer (which is consistent with simple Distorted Wave Born Approximation calculations). However, only qualitative agreement was obtained between the observed relative transition yields and semi-classical predictions, using the two-nucleon coefficients of fractional parentage of Cohen and Kurath, probably due to the limitations of the semi-classical reaction theory

  2. Multi-Generational Kinship, Multiple Mating, and Flexible Modes of Parental Care in a Breeding Population of the Veery (Catharus fuscescens, a Trans-Hemispheric Migratory Songbird.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matthew R Halley

    Full Text Available We discovered variable modes of parental care in a breeding population of color-banded Veeries (Catharus fuscescens, a Nearctic-Neotropical migratory songbird, long thought to be socially monogamous, and performed a multi-locus DNA microsatellite analysis to estimate parentage and kinship in a sample of 37 adults and 21 offspring. We detected multiple mating in both sexes, and four modes of parental care that varied in frequency within and between years including multiple male feeders at some nests, and males attending multiple nests in the same season, each with a different female. Unlike other polygynandrous systems, genetic evidence indicates that multi-generational patterns of kinship occur among adult Veeries at our study site, and this was corroborated by the capture of an adult male in 2013 that had been banded as a nestling in 2011 at a nest attended by multiple male feeders. All genotyped adults (n = 37 were related to at least one other bird in the sample at the cousin level or greater (r ≥ 0.125, and 81% were related to at least one other bird at the half-sibling level or greater (r ≥ 0.25, range 0.25-0.60. Although our sample size is small, it appears that the kin structure is maintained by natal philopatry in both sexes, and that Veeries avoid mating with close genetic kin. At nests where all adult feeders were genotyped (n = 9, the male(s were unrelated to the female (mean r = -0.11 ± 0.15, whereas genetic data suggest close kinship (r = 0.254 between two male co-feeders at the nests of two females in 2011, and among three of four females that were mated to the same polygynous male in 2012. To our knowledge, this is the first evidence of polygynandry occurring among multiple generations of close genetic kin on the breeding ground of a Nearctic-Neotropical migratory songbird.

  3. Two-proton pickup studies with the (6Li,8B) reaction

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Weisenmiller, R.B.

    1976-12-03

    The (/sup 6/Li,/sup 8/B) reaction has been investigated on targets of /sup 26/Mg, /sup 24/Mg, /sup 16/O, /sup 13/C, /sup 12/C, /sup 11/B, /sup 10/B, and /sup 9/Be at a bombarding energy of 80.0 MeV, and on targets of /sup 16/O, /sup 12/C, /sup 9/Be, /sup 7/Li, and /sup 6/Li at a bombarding energy of 93.3 MeV. Only levels consistent with direct, single-step two-proton pickup reaction mechanisms were observed to be strongly populated. On T/sub z/ = 0 targets, the spectroscopic selectivity of this reaction resembles that of the analogous (p,t) reaction. Additionally, these data demonstrate the dominance of spatially symmetric transfer of the two protons. On T/sub z/ greater than 0 targets the (/sup 6/Li,/sup 8/B) reaction was employed to locate two previously unreported levels (at 7.47 +- 0.05 MeV and 8.86 +- 0.07 MeV) in the T/sub z/ = 2 nuclide /sup 24/Ne and to establish the low-lying 1p-shell states in the T/sub z/ = /sup 3///sub 2/ nuclei /sup 11/Be, /sup 9/Li, and /sup 7/He. However, no evidence was seen for any narrow levels in the T/sub z/ = /sup 3///sub 2/ nuclide /sup 5/H nor for any narrow excited states in /sup 7/He. The angular distributions reported here are rather featureless and decrease monotonically with increasing angle. This behavior can be shown by a semi-classical reaction theory to be a consequence of the reaction kinematics. A semi-classical approach also suggests that the kinematic term in the transition matrix element is only weakly dependent upon the angular momentum transfer (which is consistent with simple Distorted Wave Born Approximation calculations). However, only qualitative agreement was obtained between the observed relative transition yields and semi-classical predictions, using the two-nucleon coefficients of fractional parentage of Cohen and Kurath, probably due to the limitations of the semi-classical reaction theory.

  4. Gene flow of common ash (Fraxinus excelsior L. in a fragmented landscape.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Devrim Semizer-Cuming

    Full Text Available Gene flow dynamics of common ash (Fraxinus excelsior L. is affected by several human activities in Central Europe, including habitat fragmentation, agroforestry expansion, controlled and uncontrolled transfer of reproductive material, and a recently introduced emerging infectious disease, ash dieback, caused by Hymenoscyphus fraxineus. Habitat fragmentation may alter genetic connectivity and effective population size, leading to loss of genetic diversity and increased inbreeding in ash populations. Gene flow from cultivated trees in landscapes close to their native counterparts may also influence the adaptability of future generations. The devastating effects of ash dieback have already been observed in both natural and managed populations in continental Europe. However, potential long-term effects of genetic bottlenecks depend on gene flow across fragmented landscapes. For this reason, we studied the genetic connectivity of ash trees in an isolated forest patch of a fragmented landscape in Rösenbeck, Germany. We applied two approaches to parentage analysis to estimate gene flow patterns at the study site. We specifically investigated the presence of background pollination at the landscape level and the degree of genetic isolation between native and cultivated trees. Local meteorological data was utilized to understand the effect of wind on the pollen and seed dispersal patterns. Gender information of the adult trees was considered for calculating the dispersal distances. We found that the majority of the studied seeds (55-64% and seedlings (75-98% in the forest patch were fathered and mothered by the trees within the same patch. However, we determined a considerable amount of pollen flow (26-45% from outside of the study site, representing background pollination at the landscape level. Limited pollen flow was observed from neighbouring cultivated trees (2%. Both pollen and seeds were dispersed in all directions in accordance with the local

  5. Merging Approaches to Explore Connectivity in the Anemonefish, Amphiprion bicinctus, along the Saudi Arabian Coast of the Red Sea

    KAUST Repository

    Nanninga, Gerrit B.

    2013-09-01

    The field of marine population connectivity is receiving growing attention from ecologists worldwide. The degree to which metapopulations are connected via larval dispersal has vital ramifications for demographic and evolutionary dynamics and largely determines the way we manage threatened coastal ecosystems. Here we addressed different questions relating to connectivity by integrating direct and indirect genetic approaches over different spatial and ecological scales in a coral reef fish in the Red Sea. We developed 35 novel microsatellite loci for our study organism the two-band anemonefish Amphiprion bicinctus (Rüppel 1830), which served as the basis of the following approaches. First, we collected nearly one thousand samples of A. bicinctus from 19 locations across 1500 km along the Saudi Arabian coast to infer population genetic structure. Genetic variability along the northern and central coast was weak, but showed a significant break at approximately 20°N. Implementing a model of isolation by environment with chlorophyll-a concentrations and geographic distance as predictors we were able to explain over 90% of the genetic variability in the data (R2 = 0.92). For the second approach we sampled 311 (c. 99%) putative parents and 172 juveniles at an isolated reef, Quita al Girsh (QG), to estimate self-recruitment using genetic parentage analysis. Additionally we collected 176 juveniles at surrounding locations to estimate larval dispersal from QG and ran a biophysical dispersal model of the system with real5 time climatological forcing. In concordance with model predictions, we found a complete lack (c. 0.5%) of self-recruitment over two sampling periods within our study system, thus presenting the first empirical evidence for a largely open reef fish population. Lastly, to conceptualize different hypotheses regarding the underlying processes and mechanisms of self-recruitment versus long-distance dispersal in marine organisms with pelagic larval stages, I

  6. Genetic diversity of Halla horses using microsatellite markers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joo-Hee Seo

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Currently about 26,000 horses are breeding in Korea and 57.2% (14,776 horses of them are breeding in Jeju island. According to the statistics published in 2010, the horses breeding in Jeju island are subdivided into Jeju horse (6.1%, Thoroughbred (18.8% and Halla horse (75.1%. Halla horses are defined as a crossbreed between Jeju and Thoroughbred horses and are used for horse racing, horse riding and horse meat production. However, little research has been conducted on Halla horses because of the perception of crossbreed and people’s weighted interest toward Jeju horses. Method Using 17 Microsatellite (MS Markers recommended by International Society for Animal Genetics (ISAG, genomic DNAs were extracted from the hair roots of 3,880 Halla horses breeding in Korea and genetic diversity was identified by genotyping after PCR was performed. Results and conclusion In average, 10.41 alleles (from 6 alleles in HTG7 to 17 alleles in ASB17 were identified after the analysis using 17 MS Markers. The mean value of Hobs was 0.749 with a range from 0.612(HMS1 to 0.857(ASB2. Also, it was found that Hexp and PIC values were lowest in HMS1 (0.607 and 0.548, respectively, and highest in LEX3(0.859 and 0.843, respectively, and the mean value of Hexp was 0.760 and that of PIC was 0.728. 17 MS markers used in this studies were considered as appropriate markers for the polymorphism analysis of Halla horses. The frequency for the appearance of identical individuals was 5.90 × 10−20 when assumed as random mating population and when assumed as half-sib and full-sib population, frequencies were 4.08 × 10−15 and 3.56 × 10−8, respectively. Based on these results, the 17 MS markers can be used adequately for the Individual Identification and Parentage Verification of Halla horses. Remarkably, allele M and Q of ASB23 marker, G of HMS2 marker, H and L of HTG6 marker, L of HTG7 marker, E of LEX3 marker were the specific alleles

  7. Marker-assisted selection in fish and shellfish breeding schemes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martinez, V.

    2007-01-01

    The main goals of breeding programmes for fish and shellfish are to increase the profitability and sustainability of aquaculture. Traditionally, these have been carried out successfully using pedigree information by selecting individuals based on breeding values predicted for traits measured on candidates using an 'animal model'. This methodology assumes that phenotypes are explained by a large number of genes with small effects and random environmental deviations. However, information on individual genes with medium or large effects cannot be used in this manner. In selective breeding programmes using pedigree information, molecular markers have been used primarily for parentage assignment when tagging individual fish is difficult and to avoid causing common environmental effects from rearing families in separate tanks. The use of these techniques in such conventional breeding programmes is discussed in detail. Exploiting the great biological diversity of many fish and shellfish species, different experimental designs may use either chromosomal manipulations or large family sizes to increase the likelihood of finding the loci affecting quantitative traits, the so-called QTL, by screening the segregation of molecular markers. Using information on identified loci in breeding schemes in aquaculture is expected to be cost-effective compared with traditional breeding methods only when the accuracy of predicting breeding values is rather low, e.g. for traits with low heritability such as disease resistance or carcass quality. One of the problems facing aquaculture is that some of the resources required to locate QTL accurately, such as dense linkage maps, are not yet available for the many species. Recently, however, information from expressed sequence tag (EST) databases has been used for developing molecular markers such as microsatellites and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Marker-assisted selection (MAS) or genome-wide marker-assisted selection (G-MAS) using

  8. Gene flow of common ash (Fraxinus excelsior L.) in a fragmented landscape.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Semizer-Cuming, Devrim; Kjær, Erik Dahl; Finkeldey, Reiner

    2017-01-01

    Gene flow dynamics of common ash (Fraxinus excelsior L.) is affected by several human activities in Central Europe, including habitat fragmentation, agroforestry expansion, controlled and uncontrolled transfer of reproductive material, and a recently introduced emerging infectious disease, ash dieback, caused by Hymenoscyphus fraxineus. Habitat fragmentation may alter genetic connectivity and effective population size, leading to loss of genetic diversity and increased inbreeding in ash populations. Gene flow from cultivated trees in landscapes close to their native counterparts may also influence the adaptability of future generations. The devastating effects of ash dieback have already been observed in both natural and managed populations in continental Europe. However, potential long-term effects of genetic bottlenecks depend on gene flow across fragmented landscapes. For this reason, we studied the genetic connectivity of ash trees in an isolated forest patch of a fragmented landscape in Rösenbeck, Germany. We applied two approaches to parentage analysis to estimate gene flow patterns at the study site. We specifically investigated the presence of background pollination at the landscape level and the degree of genetic isolation between native and cultivated trees. Local meteorological data was utilized to understand the effect of wind on the pollen and seed dispersal patterns. Gender information of the adult trees was considered for calculating the dispersal distances. We found that the majority of the studied seeds (55-64%) and seedlings (75-98%) in the forest patch were fathered and mothered by the trees within the same patch. However, we determined a considerable amount of pollen flow (26-45%) from outside of the study site, representing background pollination at the landscape level. Limited pollen flow was observed from neighbouring cultivated trees (2%). Both pollen and seeds were dispersed in all directions in accordance with the local wind directions

  9. Determination of S-genotype in apple and sweet cherry cultivars released at Fruit Research Institute, Čačak

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marić Slađana

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Apples and sweet cherries are generally characterized by self-incompatibility, which is controlled by the multiallelic locus S with gametophytic action. Thus the identification of S-genotype represents crucial information for fruit breeders and growers. The aim of this study was to identify the S-genotype of two apple (‘Čačanska Pozna’ and ‘Čadel’ and two sweet cherry (‘Asenova Rana’ and ‘Čarna’ cultivars developed at Fruit Research Institute, Čačak using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR method with consensus and allele-specific primers. The S-genotype of apple cultivars ‘Čačanska Pozna’ (S7S9 and ‘Čadel’ (S2S7 were consistent with parental combinations ‘Starking Delicious’ (S9S28 × ‘Jonathan’ (S7S9 and ‘Golden Delicious’ (S2S3 × ‘Jonathan’ (S7S9, respectively. For sweet cherry cultivars ‘Asenova Rana’ [‘Drogans Gelbe’ (S1S5 × ‘Majova Rana’ (S1S4] and ‘Čarna’ [‘Majova Rana’ (S1S4 × ‘Bigarreau de Schrecken’ (S1S3], S3S9 and S1S4 were identified respectively, suggesting that the reported pedigree is erroneous. The trueness-to-type of DNA samples of both sweet cherry cultivars was confirmed by comparison of cultivar samples from more than one site. Upon this testing, the remaining inconsistency indicated that aforementioned parentages of the sweet cherry cultivars were incorrect. These discrepancies could be the result of possible pollen contamination, or mistakes either in breeders recording or in seed processing and seedling production. The results of S-genotyping of apple and sweet cherry cultivars provide relevant information on correct assignment of these cultivars to cross-compatibility groups, which are important for cross design in developing new cultivar, as well as for orchard management in the efficient production of fruits. [Project of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Grant no. TR-31064: Development and preservation

  10. Giving Back: A mixed methods study of the contributions of US-Based Nigerian physicians to home country health systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nwadiuko, Joseph; James, Keyonie; Switzer, Galen E; Stern, Jamie

    2016-06-14

    There is increased interest in the capacity of US immigrants to contribute to their homelands via entrepreneurship and philanthropy. However, there has been little research examining how immigrant physicians may support health systems and what factors facilitate or raise barriers to increased support. This study used an observational design with paper questionnaire and interview components. Our sample was drawn from attendees of a 2011 conference for US Based Nigerian physicians; respondents who were not US residents, physicians, and of Nigerian birth or parentage were excluded from further analysis. Respondents were randomly selected to complete a follow-up interview with separate scripts for those having made past financial contributions or medical service trips to support Nigerian healthcare (Group A) and those who had done neither (Group B). Survey results were analyzed using Fischer exact tests and interviews were coded in pairs using thematic content analysis. Seventy-five of 156 (48 %) individuals who attended the conference met inclusion criteria and completed the survey, and 13 follow-up interviews were completed. In surveys, 65 % percent of respondents indicated a donation to an agency providing healthcare in Nigeria the previous year, 57 % indicated having gone on medical service trips in the prior 10 years and 45 % indicated it was "very likely" or "likely" that they would return to Nigeria to practice medicine. In interviews, respondents tended to favor gifts in kind and financial gifts as modes of contribution, with medical education facilities as the most popular target. Personal connections, often forged in medical school, tended to facilitate contributions. Individuals desiring to return permanently focused on their potential impact and worried about health system under-preparedness; those not desiring permanent return centered on how safety, financial security and health systems issues presented barriers. This study demonstrates several

  11. Tadpole transport logistics in a Neotropical poison frog: indications for strategic planning and adaptive plasticity in anuran parental care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ringler, Eva; Pašukonis, Andrius; Hödl, Walter; Ringler, Max

    2013-11-09

    Individuals should aim to adjust their parental behaviours in order to maximize the success of their offspring but minimize associated costs. Plasticity in parental care is well documented from various bird, mammal and fish species, whereas amphibians were traditionally assumed as being highly instinct-bound. Therefore, little is known about 'higher' cognitive abilities of amphibians, such as strategic planning and behavioural flexibility. Dendrobatid frogs have evolved a remarkable diversity of parental behaviours. The most noticeable of these behaviours is tadpole transport, which is obligatory in almost all species. Nonetheless, there is limited knowledge about spatial and temporal patterns of tadpole transport and the possible existence of behavioural plasticity on the individual level. In this study, we investigated correlates of tadpole transport behaviour in a natural population of the dendrobatid frog Allobates femoralis during five years. Tadpole transport was predominantly observed during morning hours. Although tadpoles were carried almost exclusively by males (N = 119), we also observed ten females performing this task. The parentage analysis revealed that in all cases females transported their own offspring. In contrast, four tadpole-carrying males were not the genetic fathers of the larvae they were transporting. The average clutch size of 20 eggs and our observation of an average of 8 tadpoles on the back of transporting individuals indicate that frogs do not carry entire clutches at once, and/or that they distribute their larvae across several water bodies. Contrary to the predictions from a hypothetical random search for deposition sites, the number of transported tadpoles was higher in males that travelled over longer distances. Our results suggest a strong selective pressure on males to shift the time invested in tadpole transport to periods of low intra-specific competition. The number of tadpoles on the back of the males significantly

  12. Apollo rocks, fines and soil cores

    Science.gov (United States)

    Allton, J.; Bevill, T.

    identified and reduced; thus, improving Apollo 12 samples to 0.1 ng/g. Apollo sample documentation preserves the parentage, orientation, and location, packaging, handling and environmental histories of each of the 90,000 subsamples currently curated. Active research on Apollo samples continues today, and because 80% by weight of the Apollo collection remains pristine, researchers have a reservoir of material to support studies well into the future.

  13. Rhinometry: spectrum of nasal profile among Nigerian Africans Rinometria: espectro do perfil nasal entre os africanos da Nigéria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rabiu O. Jimoh

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available Nasal parameters measurements are useful in anthropology to distinguish people into racial and ethnic groups. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional survey among Nigerians aged 18 to 70 years of Nigerian parentage randomly selected at the ENT Clinic of the University of Ilorin teaching hospital (U.I.T.H., Ilorin, Nigeria without gender discrimination had measurement of their nasal parameters done using a sliding caliper: Nasal height, width, tip protrusion, alar thickness, nasal septal thickness and nares diameter. RESULTS: 105 subjects were seen, the age range 18 to 70 years (mean of 28.63 + 13.06 years. There was 58 males and 47 females with a male/female ratio of 1.2:1. The mean nasal width/height (Nasal index -NI was 90.7 in males and 88.2 in females. Males had a higher NI compared to female (p As medidas de parâmetros nasais são úteis em antropologia para distinguir pessoas em grupos étnicos e raciais. MATERIAIS E MÉTODOS: Pesquisa transversal entre nigerianos com idades entre 18 e 70 anos, filhos de pais nigerianos, aleatoriamente selecionados na clínica de otorrinolaringologia do Hospital Universitário de Ilorin (U.I.T.H., Ilorin, Nigéria; sem discriminação de gênero, tiveram seus parâmetros nasais medidos usando-se um compasso deslizante: altura nasal, largura, protrusão da ponta, espessura alar, espessura do septo nasal e diâmetro das narinas. RESULTADOS: 105 indivíduos foram avaliados, e suas idades variaram entre 18 e 70 anos (média de 28,63 + 13,06 anos. Havia 58 homens e 47 mulheres, com coeficiente entre homens de mulheres de: 1.2:1. A medida largura/ altura nasal média (Índice nasal - IN foi de 90,7 em homens e 88,2 em mulheres. Os homens tiveram IN mais alto quando comparados às mulheres (p < 0,03. O tipo mais comum de variabilidade nasal foi o Tipo A (70,5%, Platirrinia, Tipo B (26,7%, especialmente em mulheres, (mosorrinia e o Tipo C (leptorrinia (2,8%. CONCLUSÕES: Há associação significativa entre o g

  14. The British Geological Survey's Lexicon of Named Rock Units as Online and Linked Data

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCormick, T.

    2012-12-01

    about each unit includes its rank, parentage, previous and alternative names and usage, geochronological age, lithology, environment of deposition / mode of origin, thickness, boundaries, type and reference localities and sections, geographical distribution, associated landforms, and literature references. BGS geoscientists use a web-based 'sandbox' system to write and revise definitions. The Lexicon currently stores information on approximately 13,400 geological units that BGS considers to be 'current', with cross references to some 6,000 other names that are considered to be obsolete or alternative names. The entries span the entire preserved geological history of the UK from Archaean to Recent, onshore and offshore.

  15. Hematology, blood typing, and immunology of the neonatal foal.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Becht, J L; Semrad, S D

    1985-04-01

    Hematologic parameters change during the first 10 days of life. Erythrocytes increase in number but decrease in size and hemoglobin concentration. The PCV, hemoglobin, and platelet count also decrease. Total blood and plasma volume and, to lesser extent, erythrocyte volume decrease. Normal neonatal foals may have immature neutrophils (up to 5 per cent bands), and their early rapid rise in neutrophil numbers may be accompanied by a lymphopenia. Monocytes, eosinophils, and basophils are all absent or low initially. Infectious processes can cause rapid and variable changes in the leukogram. However, elevation of fibrinogen levels may lag behind the development of an inflammatory process, and this parameter should not be relied on for early evidence of infection. After 12 hours of life, there is generally a decrease in serum concentrations of Na, Cl, iron, creatinine, BUN, plasma protein, and possibly calcium. LDH, SAP, P, bilirubin, and glucose concentrations are all higher in foals than in mature horses. Creatinine may actually be elevated during the first 12 hours of life and then decreases. If azotemia, hypochloremia, hyponatremia, and hyperkalemia are found, ruptured bladder with uroperitoneum should be suspected. The creatinine concentration is preferable to BUN determination for diagnosis of this condition. Blood typing is useful for diagnosis of NI, determination of blood compatability between donor and transfusion recipient, and for verification of parentage for breed registries. Several techniques are available. Several tests are available for evaluation of the foal's immunoglobulin levels and confirmation of passive antibody transfer. Because foals suffering from FPT are more predisposed to infections, their immunoglobulin status should be determined as early as possible so that additional colostrum or plasma can be administered as needed. Neonatal isoerythrolysis is uncommon but is an important immunologic syndrome that often results in a fatal hemolytic

  16. Fingerprinting and genetic purity assessment of F1 barley hybrids and their salt-tolerant parental lines using nSSR molecular markers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ben Romdhane, Mériam; Riahi, Leila; Jardak, Rahma; Ghorbel, Abdelwahed; Zoghlami, Nejia

    2018-01-01

    Hybridity and the genuineness of hybrids are prominent characteristics for quality control of seeds and thereby for varietal improvement. In the current study, the cross between two local barley genotypes (Ardhaoui: female; Testour: male) previously identified as susceptible/tolerant to salt stress in Tunisia was achieved. The hybrid genetic purity of the generated F 1 putative hybrids and the fingerprinting of the parents along with their offspring were assessed using a set of 17 nuclear SSR markers. Among the analyzed loci, 11 nSSR were shown polymorphic among the parents and their offspring. Based on the applied 11 polymorphic SSR loci, a total of 28 alleles were detected with an average of 2.54 alleles per locus. The locus HVM33 presented the highest number of alleles. The highest polymorphism information content value was detected for the locus HVM33 (0.6713) whereas the lowest PIC value (0.368) was revealed by the loci BMAC0156 , EBMAC0970 and BMAG0013 with a mean value of 0.4619. The probabilities of identical genotypes PI for the 11 microsatellite markers were 8.63 × 10 -7 . Banding patterns among parents and hybrids showed polymorphic fragments. The 11 SSR loci had produced unique fingerprints for each analyzed genotype and segregate between the two parental lines and their four hybrids. Parentage analysis confirms the hybrid purity of the four analyzed genotypes. Six Tunisian barley accessions were used as an outgroup in the multivariate analysis to confirm the efficiency of the employed 11 nSSR markers in genetic differentiation among various barley germplasms. Thus, neighbor joining and factorial analysis revealed clearly the discrimination among the parental lines, the four hybrids and the outgroup accessions. Out of the detected polymorphic 11 nuclear SSR markers, a set of five markers ( HVM33 , WMC1E8 , BMAC0154 , BMAC0040 and BMAG0007 ) were shown to be sufficient and informative enough to discriminate among the six genotypes representing the two

  17. [The profile of neonaticide mothers in legal expertise].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vellut, N; Simmat-Durand, L; Tursz, A

    2013-10-01

    Neonaticide is the term used to refer to the killing of newborn infants within the first 24 hours of life. A recent study conducted by Inserm Unit 750 found a frequency of 2.1 cases of neonaticide for 100,000 births in France. The persistence of these crimes raises serious issues, and scientists have attempted to explain this by the profile of neonaticidal mothers: young, or even teenage, single, primiparous, and socially deprived. The present study sought to question this profile, and to suggest a new profile for neonaticidal mothers. This retrospective study over the years 1996-2000 comprised 32 cases of neonaticide perpetrated in three French regions. Seventeen solved cases of these 32 cases generated 54 documents by expert consultants, mainly psychiatric and psychological expertise, studied and analysed here using Modalisa software for quantitative analyses and Nvivo software for qualitative data. No single socio-demographic profile was observed. The mothers were in contrasting situations at the time of the event. There were few psychotic profiles. The other psychopathological disturbances detected were very often related to the event. The most surprising feature in the expert reports describing the neonaticidal mothers was the existence of what we have termed "descriptive absent-factors". These mothers had not experienced major trauma in childhood such as the death of persons close or foster care. They were not living in an environment of family violence. They did not exhibit addictive or self-harm behaviour. Their parents before them had similar profiles, except three cases of alcoholism. Their parentage, and that of the infants, was not an issue. The most widely described personality features were immaturity, dependency on others, withdrawal, inhibition, emptiness, lack of affectivity, non-expressiveness, and devaluation of self-image. The very impoverished relational environment of these mothers also appears in the expertise data. Their affective and

  18. Outbreeding lethality between toxic Group I and nontoxic Group III Alexandrium tamarense spp. isolates: Predominance of heterotypic encystment and implications for mating interactions and biogeography

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brosnahan, Michael L.; Kulis, David M.; Solow, Andrew R.; Erdner, Deana L.; Percy, Linda; Lewis, Jane; Anderson, Donald M.

    2010-02-01

    We report the zygotic encystment of geographically dispersed isolates in the dinoflagellate species complex Alexandrium tamarense, in particular, successful mating of toxic Group I and nontoxic Group III isolates. However, hypnozygotes produced in Group I/III co-cultures complete no more than three divisions after germinating. Previous reports have suggested a mate recognition mechanism whereby hypnozygotes produced in co-cultures could arise from either homotypic (inbred) or heterotypic (outbred) gamete pairs. To determine the extent to which each occurs, a nested PCR assay was developed to determine parentage of individual hypnozygotes. The vast majority of hypnozygotes from pairwise Group I/III co-cultures were outbred, so that inviability was a result of hybridization, not inbreeding. These findings support the assertion that complete speciation underlies the phylogenetic structure of the Alexandrium tamarense species complex. Additionally, the ribosomal DNA (rDNA) copy numbers of both hybrid and single ribotype hypnozygotes were reduced substantially from those of haploid motile cells. The destruction of rDNA loci may be crucial for the successful mating of genetically distant conjugants and appears integral to the process of encystment. The inviability of Group I/III hybrids is important for public health because the presence of hybrid cysts may indicate ongoing displacement of a nontoxic population by a toxic one (or vice versa). Hybrid inviability also suggests a bloom control strategy whereby persistent, toxic Group I blooms could be mitigated by introduction of nontoxic Group III cells. The potential for hybridization in nature was investigated by applying the nested PCR assay to hypnozygotes from Belfast Lough, Northern Ireland, a region where Group I and III populations co-occur. Two hybrid cysts were identified in 14 successful assays, demonstrating that Group I and III populations do interbreed in that region. However, an analysis of mating data

  19. ‘A Wonderfull Monster Borne in Germany’: Hairy Girls in Medieval and Early Modern German Book, Court and Performance Culture*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Katritzky, MA

    2014-01-01

    Human hirsuteness, or pathological hair growth, can be symptomatic of various conditions, including genetic mutation or inheritance, and some cancers and hormonal disturbances. Modern investigations into hirsuteness were initiated by nineteenth-century German physicians. Most early modern European cases of hypertrichosis (genetically determined all-over body and facial hair) involve German-speaking parentage or patronage, and are documented in German print culture. Through the Wild Man tradition, modern historians routinely link early modern reception of historical hypertrichosis cases to issues of ethnicity without, however, recognising early modern awareness of links between temporary hirsuteness and the pathological nexus of starvation and anorexia. Here, four cases of hirsute females are reconsidered with reference to this medical perspective, and to texts and images uncovered by my current research at the Herzog August Library and German archives. One concerns an Italian girl taken to Prague in 1355 by the Holy Roman Empress, Anna von Schweidnitz. Another focuses on Madeleine and Antonietta Gonzalez, daughters of the ‘Wild Man’ of Tenerife, documented at German courts in the 1580s. The third and fourth cases consider the medieval bearded Sankt Kümmernis (also known as St Wilgefortis or St Uncumber), and the seventeenth-century Bavarian fairground performer Barbara Urslerin. Krankhafter menschlicher Hirsutismus kann aufgrund unterschiedlicher Ursachen auftreten, zu denen u.a. genetische Veränderungen und Vererbung, verschiedene Krebserkrankungen und hormonelle Störungen gehören. Die moderne Hirsutismus-Forschung ist im 19. Jh. von deutschen Forschern initiiert worden. Die meisten europäischen frühneuzeitlichen Erscheinungen von Hypertrichose (dem genetisch bedingten Haarwuchs am gesamten Körper und im Gesicht) gehen auf deutschsprachige Eltern oder Förderer zurück und sind in Deutschland in den Druck gelangt. Bei Untersuchungen des Motivs des

  20. Statistical Investigation and Modeling of Sungrazing Comets Discovered with the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sekanina, Zdenek

    2002-02-01

    More than 300 sungrazing comets, most of them discovered with the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) coronagraphs since the beginning of 1996, are known to belong to the Kreutz group or system. Moving about the Sun in similar orbits, they are of indisputably common parentage and represent by far the most extensive data set in the history of investigations of cometary splitting. This study compares the SOHO sungrazers, which always disappear during their approach to the Sun, with the sungrazers detected earlier with the other space-borne coronagraphs (Solwind and Solar Maximum Mission [SMM]) as well as with the bright members of the Kreutz system, discovered from the ground between 1843 and 1970. Collected, summarized, and reviewed information on the sungrazers' light curves indicates that there is a difference of 20 mag (a factor of 108 in brightness) between the brightest sungrazer, C/1882 R1, and the faintest objects detectable with the SOHO instruments. The headless comet C/1887 B1 is suggested to be a transition object between the bright sungrazers and the coronagraphically discovered ones: its physical behavior was similar to that of the latter comets, but it survived the perihelion passage. This study also (1) examines temporal and spatial distributions of the SOHO sungrazers; (2) depicts correlations among their orbital elements; (3) distinguishes among tidally triggered, post-tidal, and terminal fragmentation; (4) reiterates the conclusion made in an earlier paper that post-tidal, secondary fragmentation events are occurring throughout the orbit, including the region of aphelion; (5) determines the relationship between a breakup's location in the orbit and the perturbations of the orbital elements of a fragment caused by the momentum it acquires during the separation from the parent; (6) shows that collisions of the Kreutz system comets with the Sun are clearly possible; (7) finds that minor fragments acquire enough extra momentum during each of the

  1. 'A WONDERFULL MONSTER BORNE IN GERMANY': HAIRY GIRLS IN MEDIEVAL AND EARLY MODERN GERMAN BOOK, COURT AND PERFORMANCE CULTURE.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Katritzky, M A

    2014-09-24

    Human hirsuteness, or pathological hair growth, can be symptomatic of various conditions, including genetic mutation or inheritance, and some cancers and hormonal disturbances. Modern investigations into hirsuteness were initiated by nineteenth-century German physicians. Most early modern European cases of hypertrichosis (genetically determined all-over body and facial hair) involve German-speaking parentage or patronage, and are documented in German print culture. Through the Wild Man tradition, modern historians routinely link early modern reception of historical hypertrichosis cases to issues of ethnicity without, however, recognising early modern awareness of links between temporary hirsuteness and the pathological nexus of starvation and anorexia. Here, four cases of hirsute females are reconsidered with reference to this medical perspective, and to texts and images uncovered by my current research at the Herzog August Library and German archives. One concerns an Italian girl taken to Prague in 1355 by the Holy Roman Empress, Anna von Schweidnitz. Another focuses on Madeleine and Antonietta Gonzalez, daughters of the 'Wild Man' of Tenerife, documented at German courts in the 1580s. The third and fourth cases consider the medieval bearded Sankt Kümmernis (also known as St Wilgefortis or St Uncumber), and the seventeenth-century Bavarian fairground performer Barbara Urslerin. Krankhafter menschlicher Hirsutismus kann aufgrund unterschiedlicher Ursachen auftreten, zu denen u.a. genetische Veländerungen und Vererbung, verschiedene Krebserkrankungen und hormonelle Störungen gehören. Die moderne Hirsutismus-Forschung ist im 19. Jh. von deutschen Forschern initiiert worden. Die meisten europäischen frühneuzeitlichen Erscheinungen von Hypertrichose (dem genetisch bedingten Haarwuchs am gesamten Körper und im Gesicht) gehen auf deutschsprachige Eltern oder Förderer zurück und sind in Deutschland in den Druck gelangt. Bei Untersuchungen des Motivs des Wilden

  2. Yakima/Klickitat Fisheries Project Genetic Studies; Yakima/Klickitat Fisheries Project Monitoring and Evaluation, 2000-2001 Annual Report.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Busack, Craig A.; Schroder, Steven L.; Young, Sewall F. (Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Olympia, WA)

    2002-11-01

    Genetic work for 2001 consisted of two major phases, both reported on here. The first is a DNA microsatellite analysis of several hundred juveniles from the experimental spawning channel at the Cle Elum Supplementation Research Facility, using the genetic markers to assign the juveniles to parents, and thus judge reproductive success of individual fish. The second is a reevaluation and revision of plans for studying domestication in the spring chinook supplementation effort. The pedigree analysis was significant in three respects. First, it showed that this approach can be successfully applied to the spawning channel research. Secondly it showed that this approach does indeed yield very useful information about the relative reproductive success of fish in the channel. Finally, it showed that this information can yield additional information about the experimental design. Of the 961 juveniles on which analysis was attempted, 774 yielded enough genetic information to be used in the pedigree analysis. Of these, 754 were assigned to males and females known to have been placed into the channel. Of the other 20, all were assignable to females, but sires were unknown. The genotypes of 17 of these were consistent with a single theoretical male genotype, suggesting a single precocial male sired them. The inferred parentage of the fish demonstrated that there had been substantial leakage of juveniles from one section of the channel into another. Reproductive success of females was fairly even, but success of males varied considerably. In a group of seven males (including the hypothetical one), one contributed 79% of the progeny analyzed, and three contributed none. The domestication experimental design evaluation was prompted by a critical review of the project by the Independent Scientific Review Panel (ISRP). The ISRP review set into motion a design revision process which extended beyond the contract period; the report presented here is intended to be an account of our

  3. Geochemistry and petrogenesis of Rajahmundry trap basalts of Krishna-Godavari Basin, India

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C. Manikyamba

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available The Rajahmundry Trap Basalts (RTB are erupted through fault-controlled fissures in the Krishna-Godavari Basin (K-G Basin of Godavari Triple Junction, occurring as a unique outcrop sandwiched between Cretaceous and Tertiary sediments along the east coast of India. Detailed geochemical studies have revealed that RTB are mid-Ti (1.74–1.92 to high-Ti (2.04–2.81 basalts with a distinct quartz tholeiitic parentage. MgO (6.2–13.12 wt.%, Mg# (29–50 and Zr (109–202 ppm suggest that these basalts evolved by fractional crystallization during the ascent of the parent magma along deep-seated fractures. Moderate to high fractionation of HREE, as indicated by (Gd/YbN ratios (1.71–2.31 of RTB, suggest their generation through 3–5% melting of a Fe-rich mantle corresponding to the stability fields of spinel and garnet peridotite at depths of 60–100 km. Low K2O/P2O5 (0.26–1.26, high TiO2/P2O5 (6.74–16.79, La/Nb (0.89–1.45, Nb/Th > 8 (8.35–13, negative anomalies at Rb reflect minimum contamination by granitic continental crust. (Nb/LaPM ratios (0.66–1.1 of RTB are attributed to endogenic contamination resulted through recycling of subducted oceanic slab into the mantle. Pronounced Ba enrichment with relative depletion in Rb indicates assimilation of Infra- and Inter-trappean sediments of estuarine to shallow marine character. Geochemical compositions such as Al2O3/TiO2 (3.88–6.83, medium to high TiO2 (1.74–2.81 wt.%, positive Nb anomalies and LREE enrichment of these RTB attest to their mantle plume origin and indicate the generation of parent magma from a plume-related enriched mantle source with EM I signature. Ba/Th (46–247, Ba/La (3.96–28.51 and Th/Nb (0.08–0.13 ratios suggest that the source enrichment process was marked by recycling of subduction-processed oceanic crust and lithospheric components into the mantle. Zr/Hf (37–41 and Zr/Ba (0.51–3.24 indicate involvement of an asthenospheric mantle source. The

  4. The Performance of Entik as Result Crossbreed of (Muscovy>

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Roesdiyanto

    2001-01-01

    Full Text Available A research has been conducted to investigate the performance of entik as result crossbreed of muscovy and duck as a meat producer. The method using of this research was experimental method. As the base design was Randomized Completely Design with factorial design (2x3x3 that consisted of the first factor was sex (S comprised : s1=male and s2=female. The second factor was feed from (P comprised: p1=mush, p2=crumble and p3=Paste, whereas the third factor was slaughtering age (U that comprised u1=six weeks and u2=eight weeks and u3=ten weeks. The investigated parameters were carcass weight, percentage of meat weight, meat weight of carcass. Result of the research obtained the lowest average of carcass weight for male entik aged 6.8 and 10 weeks respectively was 750.26 g, 1142.69 g, and the highest was 1024.93 g, 1336.08 g, and 760.40 g, 1098 g, 1180.26 g and the highest was 985.28 g, 1378.96 g and 1390.20 g. The lowest average parentage carcass for male entik respectively was 59.63%, 60.14% and 61.76%; the highest was 57.17%, 61.02% and 67.86%. Whereas for the female the lowest was 57.17%, 62.30%, and 61.02% and the highest was 68.99% ,67.59%, and 67.45 %. The average of meat carcass weight for the whole treatment was 733.99±158.23 g with range around 466.15 up to 956.42 g, and the highest average was reached by female entik aged eight weeks who was feeding by mash that was 916.95±39.36 g. The average of meat carcass weight was 64.57±1.35% with the range around 56.66 up to 73.60%. Result of the analysis of variances showed that the interaction factor between the sex, feed form ands slaughtering age affected no significantly (P>0.05 on the carcass weight, percentage of carcass weight, meat carcass weight and the percentage of carcass weight, meat carcass weight and the percentage of meat carcass weight and the percentage of meat carcass weight. Review for each treatment concludes that the sex factor highest effect just only for percentage of meat

  5. The Performance of Entik as Result Crossbreed of (Muscovy>

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Roesdiyanto Roesdiyanto

    2001-01-01

    Full Text Available A research has been conducted to investigate the performance of entik as result crossbreed of muscovy and duck as a meat producer. The method using of this research was experimental method. As the base design was Randomized Completely Design with factorial design (2x3x3 that consisted of the first factor was sex (S comprised : s1=male and s2=female. The second factor was feed from (P comprised: p1=mush, p2=crumble and p3=Paste, whereas the third factor was slaughtering age (U that comprised u1=six weeks and u2=eight weeks and u3=ten weeks. The investigated parameters were carcass weight, percentage of meat weight, meat weight of carcass. Result of the research obtained the lowest average of carcass weight for male entik aged 6.8 and 10 weeks respectively was 750.26 g, 1142.69 g, and the highest was 1024.93 g, 1336.08 g, and 760.40 g, 1098 g, 1180.26 g and the highest was 985.28 g, 1378.96 g and 1390.20 g. The lowest average parentage carcass for male entik respectively was 59.63%, 60.14%  and 61.76%; the highest was 57.17%, 61.02% and 67.86%. Whereas for the female  the lowest was 57.17%, 62.30%, and  61.02% and the highest was 68.99% ,67.59%, and 67.45 %. The average of meat carcass weight for the whole treatment was 733.99±158.23 g with range around 466.15 up to 956.42 g, and the highest average was reached by female entik aged eight weeks who was feeding by mash that was 916.95±39.36 g. The average of meat carcass weight was 64.57±1.35% with the range around 56.66 up to 73.60%. Result of  the analysis of variances showed that the interaction  factor between the sex, feed form ands slaughtering age affected no significantly (P>0.05 on the carcass weight, percentage of carcass weight, meat carcass weight and the percentage of carcass weight, meat carcass weight and the percentage of meat carcass weight and the percentage of meat carcass weight. Review for each treatment concludes that the sex factor highest effect just only for

  6. The major-ion composition of Carboniferous seawater

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holt, Nora M.; García-Veigas, Javier; Lowenstein, Tim K.; Giles, Peter S.; Williams-Stroud, Sherilyn

    2014-06-01

    The major-ion chemistry (Na+, Mg2+, Ca2+, K+, SO42-, and Cl-) of Carboniferous seawater was determined from chemical analyses of fluid inclusions in marine halites, using the cryo scanning electron microscopy (Cryo-SEM) X-ray energy-dispersive spectrometry (EDS) technique. Fluid inclusions in halite from the Mississippian Windsor and Mabou Groups, Shubenacadie Basin, Nova Scotia, Canada (Asbian and Pendleian Substages, 335.5-330 Ma), and from the Pennsylvanian Paradox Formation, Utah, USA, (Desmoinesian Stage 309-305 Ma) contain Na+-Mg2+-K+-Ca2+-Cl- brines, with no measurable SO42-, which shows that the Carboniferous ocean was a “CaCl2 sea”, relatively enriched in Ca2+ and low in SO42- with equivalents Ca2+ > SO42- + HCO3-. δ34S values from anhydrite in the Mississippian Shubenacadie Basin (13.2-14.0 ‰) and the Pennsylvanian Paradox Formation (11.2-12.6 ‰) support seawater sources. Br in halite from the Shubenacadie Basin (53-111 ppm) and the Paradox Basin (68-147 ppm) also indicate seawater parentages. Carboniferous seawater, modeled from fluid inclusions, contained ∼22 mmol Ca2+/kg H2O (Mississippian) and ∼24 mmol Ca2+/kg H2O (Pennsylvanian). Estimated sulfate concentrations are ∼14 mmol SO42-/kg H2O (Mississippian), and ∼12 mmol SO42-/kg H2O (Pennsylvanian). Calculated Mg2+/Ca2+ ratios are 2.5 (Mississippian) and 2.3 (Pennsylvanian), with an estimated range of 2.0-3.2. The fluid inclusion record of seawater chemistry shows a long period of CaCl2 seas in the Paleozoic, from the Early Cambrian through the Carboniferous, when seawater was enriched in Ca2+ and relatively depleted in SO42-. During this ∼200 Myr interval, Ca2+ decreased and SO42- increased, but did not cross the Ca2+-SO42- chemical divide to become a MgSO4 sea (when SO42- in seawater became greater than Ca2+) until the latest Pennsylvanian or earliest Permian (∼309-295 Ma). Seawater remained a MgSO4 sea during the Permian and Triassic, for ∼100 Myr. Fluid inclusions also record

  7. Earning and caring: demographic change and policy implications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Beaujot, Roderic

    2002-01-01

    Full Text Available EnglishSeeking to define families as groups of people who share earning and caringactivities, we contrast theoretical orientations that see advantages to a division of labour orcomplementary roles, in comparison to orientations that see less risk and greater companionship in acollaborative model based on sharing paid and unpaid work, or co-providing and co-parenting. It isimportant to look both inside and outside of families, or at the changing gendered links betweenearning and caring, to understand change both in families and in the work world. It is proposed thatequal opportunity by gender has advanced further in the public sphere associated with education andwork, than in the private family sphere associated with everyday life. Time-use data [from Canada]indicate that, on average, men carry their weight in terms of total productive time (paid plus unpaidwork, but that women make much more of the accommodations between family and work. Fertility islikely to be lowest in societies that offer women equal opportunity in the public sphere but wherefamilies remain traditional in terms of the division of work. Policies are discussed that would reducethe dependency between spouses, and encourage a greater common ground between men and women in earningand caring.FrenchEn cherchant à définir la famille comme étant un groupe de personnes partageant les activités relatives au fait de gagner de l'argent et de prendre soin des autres, nous nous distinguons des théories préconisant la division du travail ou les rôles complémentaires comparativement au modèle collaboratif qui a l'avantage de présenter moins de risque et plus de compagnonnage et qui est fondé sur le partage du travail rémunéré et non rémunéré, le travail à l'extérieur de la maison et le parentage. Il est important de voir ce qui se passe à l'intérieur et à l'extérieur de la famille ou de considérer les liens changeant d'après le sexe entre le rôle de pourvoyeur et

  8. "Research to Improve the Efficacy of Captive Broodstock Programs and Advance Hatchery Reform Throughout the Columbia River Basin." [from the Abstract], 2007-2008 Annual Progress Report.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Berejikian, Barry A. [National Marine Fisheries Service

    2009-04-08

    This project was developed to conduct research to improve the efficacy of captive broodstock programs and advance hatchery reform throughout the Columbia river basin. The project has three objectives: (1) maintain adaptive life history characteristics in Chinook salmon, (2) improve imprinting in juvenile sockeye salmon, and (3) match wild phenotypes in Chinook and sockeye salmon reared in hatcheries. A summary of the results are as follows: Objective 1: Adult and jack Chinook salmon males were stocked into four replicate spawning channels at a constant density (N = 16 per breeding group), but different ratios, and were left to spawn naturally with a fixed number of females (N = 6 per breeding group). Adult males obtained primary access to females and were first to enter the nest at the time of spawning. Jack male spawning occurred primarily by establishing satellite positions downstream of the courting pair, and 'sneaking' into the nest at the time of spawning. Male dominance hierarchies were fairly stable and strongly correlated with the order of nest entry at the time of spawning. Spawning participation by jack and adult males is consistent with a negative frequency dependent selection model, which means that selection during spawning favors the rarer life history form. Results of DNA parentage assignments will be analyzed to estimate adult-to-fry fitness of each male. Objective 2: To determine the critical period(s) for imprinting for sockeye salmon, juvenile salmon were exposed to known odorants at key developmental stages. Molecular assessments of imprinting-induced changes in odorant receptor gene expression indicated that regulation of odorant expression is influenced by developmental status and odor exposure history. The results suggest that sockeye salmon are capable of imprinting to homing cues during the developmental periods that correspond to several of current release strategies employed as part of the Captive Broodstock program

  9. 代孕行为中亲子关系认定问题研究——以全国首例失怙代孕龙凤胎监护权归属案为例%Research on the Cognizance of Parentage Relations in Surrogacy——the First Case of Custody of a Surrogate Pigeon Pair without Father

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    盛晓青

    2017-01-01

    随着医学技术的快速发展和不孕不育率的逐年上升,代孕行业作为一个灰色地带,联系着代孕妇女和不孕不育夫妇.代孕,给不孕不育夫妇带来生育希望的同时,也引发了一些法律问题和伦理道德问题,法律界对于代孕问题的讨论愈来愈激烈.本文以2015年10月份中国首例代孕龙凤胎引发的监护权纠纷一案为例,通过分析代孕母亲、血缘母亲、抚养母亲三者分离的情况,来探讨代孕行为的合法性、代孕所生子女的权益保障以及代孕所生子女的监护权认定.%With the rapid development of medical technology and the raising rate of infertility, surrogate industry is, as a gray area, connecting the surrogate women and infertile couples.Surrogacy brings fertility hope for infertile couples, and at the same time triggers some legal and ethical issues.The discussion on surrogacy in the field of law has become more and more intense.This paper takes the case of custody disputes of China's first surrogate pigeon pair in October 2015 as an example, discusses the legality of surrogate behavior, the right of surrogate children and the custody of surrogate children through the analysis on the separating state of a surrogate mother, a biological mother and a foster mother.

  10. Clinopyroxene application in petrogenesis identification of volcanic rocks associated with salt domes from Shurab (Southeast Qom

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Somayeh Falahaty

    2016-07-01

    Isfahan for its financial supports. Reference Adams, G.E. and Bishop, F.C., 1986. The olivine- clinopyroxene geobar- ometer: experimental results in the CaO- FeO- MgO- SiO2 system. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 94(2: 230-237. Droop, G.T.R., 1987. A general equation for estimating Fe3+ in ferromagnesian silicates and oxides from microprobe analysis, using stoichiometric criteria. Mineralogical Magazine, 51(361: 431-437. Helz, R.T., 1973. Phase relations of basalts in their melting range at PH2O= 5 kb as a function of oxygen fugacity. Journal of Petrolology, 17(2: 139-193. Kretz, R., 1994. Metamorphic Crystallization. Chichester and New York, New York, 530 pp. Kushiro, I., 1960. Si- AI relation in clinopyroxenes from igneous rocks. American Journal of Science, 258(5: 548-554. Lebas, N.J., 1962. The role of aluminous in igneous clinopyroxenes with relation to their parentage. American Journal of Science, 260(4: 267-88. Leterrier, J., Maury, R.C., Thonon, P., Girard, D. and Marchal, M., 1982. Clinopyroxene composition as a method of identification of the magmatic affinities of paleo- volcanic series. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 59(1: 139-154. Morimoto, N., 1988. Nomenclature of pyroxenes. Fortschr mineral, 66: 237-252. Nisbet, E.G. and Pearce, J.A., 1977. Clinopyroxene composition of mafic lavas from different tectonic settings. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 63(2: 161-173. Schweitzer, E.L., Papike, J.J. and bence, A. E., 1979. Statitical analysis of clinopyroxenes from deep sea basalts. American Mineralogist, 642: 501-513. Soesoo, A., 1997. A multivariate statistical analysis of clinopyroxene composition: empirical coordinates for the crystallisation PT-estimations. Geological Society of Sweden (Geologiska Föreningen, 119(1: 55-60. Verhooge, J., 1962. Distribution of titanium between silicates and oxydes in igneous rocks. American Journal of Science, 260(2: 211-220.

  11. Mineral chemistry of clinopyroxene: guidance on geo- thermobarometry and tectonomagmatic setting of Nabar volcanic rocks, South of Kashan

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rezvan Mehvari

    2017-02-01

    more than 10 percent. Therefore, pyroxenes of the Nabar rocks are in a range of low to medium pressure that shows crystallization of clinopyroxenes during ascending of magma in different depths. Moreover, the volcanic rocks in Nabar were formed in high oxygen fugacity. The chemical composition of clinopyroxenes reveals that these rocks are related to calc-alkaline series and orogenic settings. Acknowledgments The authors wish to thank the University of Isfahan for their financial supports. References Abbasi, S., 2012. Petrography and petrology of intermediate rocks in the East Nabar area (SW of Kashan. M.Sc. Thesis, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran, 177 pp. Aoki, K. and Shiba, I., 1973. Pyroxenes from lherzolite inclusions of Itinome- Gata, Japan. Lithos, 6(1: 41-51. Cameron, M. and Papike, J.J., 1981. Structural and chemical variations in pyroxenes. American Mineralogist, 66(1-2: 1-50. Emami, M.H., 1993. Geological Map of Kashan, scale 1:100,000. Geological Survey of Iran. Helz, R.T., 1973. Phase relations of basalts in their melting ranges at p H2O=5kb as a function of oxygen fugacity, Part I, Mafic phases. Journal of Petrology, 14(2: 249-302. Le Bas, M.J., 1962. The role of aluminum in igneous clinopyroxenes with relation to their parentage. American Journal of Science, 260(4: 267-288. Morimoto, N., Fabrise, J., Ferguson, A., Ginzburg, I.V., Ross, M., Seifert, F.A., Zussman, J., Aoki, K. and Gottardi, G., 1988. Nomenclature of pyroxene. Mineralogical Magazine, 52(367: 535-555. Putrika, K.D., 2008. Thermometers and barometers for volcanic systems. Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry, 69(1: 61-120. Ridolfi, F., Renzulli, A. and Puerini, M., 2010. Stability and chemical equilibrium of amphibole in calc- alkaline magmas: an overview, new thermobarometric formulations and application to subduction – related volcanoes. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 160(1: 45-66. Soesoo, A., 1997. A multivariate analysis of clinopyroxene composition: empirical

  12. Earth's glacial record and its tectonic setting

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eyles, N.

    1993-09-01

    clearly established glacial parentage. The same remarks apply to many successions of laminated and thin-bedded facies interpreted as "varvites". Despite suggestions of much lower values of solar luminosity (the weak young sun hypothesis), the stratigraphic record of Archean glaciations is not extensive and may be the result of non-preservation. However, the effects of very different Archean global tectonic regimes and much higher geothermal heat flows, combined with a Venus-like atmosphere warmed by elevated levels of CO 2, cannot be ruled out. The oldest unambiguous glacial succession in Earth history appears to be the Early Proterozoic Gowganda Formation of the Huronian Supergroup in Ontario; the age of this event is not well-constrained but glaciation coincided with regional rifting, and may be causally related to, oxygenation of Earth's atmosphere just after 2300 Ma. New evidence that oxygenation is tectonically, not biologically driven, stresses the intimate relationship between plate tectonics, evolution of the atmosphere and glaciation. Global geochemical controls, such as elevated atmospheric CO 2 levels, may be responsible for a long mid-Proterozoic non-glacial interval after 2000 Ma that was terminated by the Late Proterozoic glaciations just after 800 Ma. A persistent theme in both Late Proterozoic and Phanerozoic glaciations is the adiabatic effect of tectonic uplift, either along collisional margins or as a result of passive margin uplifts in areas of extended crust, as the trigger for glaciation; the process is reinforced by global geochemical feedback, principally the drawdown of atmospheric CO 2 and Milankovitch "astronomical" forcing but these are unlikely, by themselves, to inititiate glaciation. The same remarks apply to late Cenozoic glaciations. Late Proterozoic glacially-influenced strata occur on all seven continents and fall into two tectonostratigraphic types. In the first category are thick sucessions of turbidites and mass flows deposited along

  13. Environmental Impacts of Wind Power Development on the Population Biology of Greater Prairie-Chickens

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sandercock, Brett K. [Kansas State University

    2013-05-22

    abandoned lek sites were located <5 km from turbines. Probability of lek persistence was significantly related to habitat and number of males. Leks had a higher probability of persistence in grasslands than agricultural fields, and increased from ~0.2 for leks of 5 males, to >0.9 for leks of 10 or more males. Large leks in grasslands should be a higher priority for conservation. Overall, wind power development had a weak effect on the annual probability of lek persistence. 3. We used molecular methods to investigate the mating behavior of prairie chickens. The prevailing view for lek-mating grouse is that females mate once to fertilize the clutch and that conspecific nest parasitism is rare. We found evidence that females mate multiple times to fertilize the clutch (8-18% of broods, 4-38% of chicks) and will parasitize nests of other females during egg-laying (~17% of nests). Variable rates of parentage were highest in the fragmented landscapes at the Smoky Hills field site, and were lower at the Flint Hills field site. Comparisons of the pre- and postconstruction periods showed that wind energy development did not affect the mating behaviors of prairie chickens. 4. We examined use of breeding habitats by radio-marked females and conducted separate analyses for nest site selection, and movements of females not attending nests or broods. The landscape was a mix of native prairie and agricultural habitats, and nest site selection was not random because females preferred to nest in grasslands. Nests tended to be closer to turbines during the postconstruction period and there was no evidence of behavioral avoidance of turbines by females during nest site selection. Movements of females not attending nests or broods showed that females crossed the site of the wind power development at higher rates during the preconstruction period (20%) than the postconstruction period (11%), and that movements away from turbines were more frequent during the postconstruction period. Thus, wind