Evaluating Heat Stress Effects on Growth in Tunisian Local Kids: Enhancing Breeding Strategies for Arid Environments.

This study evaluates the impact of thermal load on the weights of Tunisian local kids using 24 models with cubic and quadratic Legendre polynomials, based on daily temperatures (Tmin, Tmax, and Tavg) on the day of weight recording and averaged over 7, 14, and 21 days before weighing. The deviance information criterion (DIC) consistently shows that cubic polynomial models offer a better fit than quadratic models, highlighting their superior accuracy in studying the effects of thermal load on kid weights. The models with the best fit utilized average or maximum temperatures over 14 or 21 days.

Assessment of inbreeding coefficients and inbreeding depression on complex traits from genomic and pedigree data in Nelore cattle.

Background: Nelore cattle play a key role in tropical production systems due to their resilience to harsh conditions, such as heat stress and seasonally poor nutrition. Monitoring their genetic diversity is essential to manage the negative impacts of inbreeding. Traditionally, inbreeding and inbreeding depression are assessed by pedigree-based coefficients (F), but recently, genetic markers have been preferred for their precision in capturing the inbreeding level and identifying animals at risk of reduced productive and reproductive performance.

Modelling heat stress effects on milk production traits in Tunisian Holsteins using a random regression approach.

This study investigated the impact of temperature and humidity on milk production traits in Tunisian dairy cows, analysing population-level trends and individual cow responses using various modelling techniques and heat stress (HS) indices. Two distinct datasets were used for this purpose: the first included 551,139; 331,654 and 302,396 test-day records for milk, fat and protein yields, respectively. The second supplemented the production information with daily average (THIavg) and maximum (THImax) temperature-humidity index (THI) data.

Assessing Environmental Effects upon Modeling the Individual Lactation Curve of a Local Goat Population in a Pastoral System.

The present study aims to use Wood's model to determine the parameters of individual lactation curves in a local goat population and their factors of variation under a pastoral system. A total of 137,927 records from 432 local goats were collected to assess the impact of litter size, year and month of kidding, herd and the age of the dam on lactation curve parameters. Wood's model parameters were estimated using non-linear regression, and individual curves were fitted.

Whole slide images as non-fungible tokens: A decentralized approach to secure, scalable data storage and access.

Background: Distributed ledger technology (DLT) enables the creation of tamper-resistant, decentralized, and secure digital ledgers. A non-fungible token (NFT) represents a record on-chain associated with a digital or physical asset, such as a whole-slide image (WSI). The InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) represents an off-chain network, hypermedia, and file sharing peer-to-peer protocol for storing and sharing data in a distributed file system.

Prediction of birth weight using body measurements of local caprine population kids raised in a low-input breeding mode under arid environment.

The aim of this study is to establish linear measurements of local goat kids at birth and their factors of variation, as well as their possible correlations with birth weight. Additionally, the study analyses statistical models and barymetric functions to predict birth weight of kids based on their morphometric data. The database includes data on 128 goat kids born to 89 goats and 9 bucks in the experimental goat herd at the El GORDHAB station of IRA.

Are farmers motivated to select for heat tolerance? Linking attitudinal factors, perceived climate change impacts, and social trust to farmers' breeding desires.

This study provides an understanding of dairy farmers' willingness to include heat tolerance in breeding goals and the modulating effect of sociopsychological factors and farm profile. A survey instrument including a choice experiment was designed to specifically address the trade-off between heat tolerance and milk production level. A total of 122 farmers across cattle, goat, and sheep farms were surveyed face-to-face.

Association of HLA-A, B, and C alleles and cancer susceptibility in 179 solid malignancies.

Background: The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes are known to be capable of influencing the susceptibility of many cancers. All mammalian cells, including cancer cells, express MHC class I molecules consisting of human leukocyte antigens (HLA) A, B, and C. The tumor susceptibility of HLA-A, B, and C alleles has not been studied extensively in solid tumors.

Random regression models to estimate genetic parameters for milk yield, fat, and protein contents in Tunisian Holsteins.

This study aimed to find the parsimonious random regression model (RRM) to evaluate the genetic potential for milk yield (MY), fat content (FC), and protein content (PC) in Tunisian Holstein cows. For this purpose, 551,139; 331,654; and 302,396 test day records for MY, FC, and PC were analysed using various RRMs with different Legendre polynomials (LP) orders on additive genetic (AG) and permanent environmental (PE) effects, and different types of residual variances (RV). The statistical analysis was performed in a Bayesian framework with Gibbs sampling, and the model performances were assessed, mainly, on the predictive ability criteria.

Assessing heat tolerance through productive vs physiological indicators. Data from dairy sheep under on-farm conditions.

The search for criteria that allow the quantification of the level of thermotolerance of an animal is a major challenge in animal production. Different criteria have been proposed to date, mainly the use of routine milk recording and weather information or the collection of physiological measures related with heat stress. This study aimed at quantifying the association between indicators of heat tolerance derived from productive and physiological traits.

Effectiveness of a fluid immersion simulation system in the acute post-operative management of pressure ulcers: A prospective, randomised controlled trial.

The fluid immersion simulation system (FIS) has demonstrated good clinical applicability. This is the first study to compare surgical flap closure outcomes of FIS with an air-fluidised bed (AFB), considered as standard of care. The success of closure after 14 days post-op was the primary endpoint.

On the modelling of weights of kids to enhance growth in a local goat population under Tunisian arid conditions: the maternal effects.

To provide the local goat population with an adequate breeding scheme under an arid environment, this study aimed to evaluate the use of alternative models attempting to dissect the additive genetic (AG) and permanent environmental (PE) components of direct and maternal effects on weights of kids up to weaning. Records of 903 local kids over a period of 16 years were used in this study. Data were split into four groups corresponding to four periods along weight recording.

Exploring the ovine sperm transcriptome by RNAseq techniques. I Effect of seasonal conditions on transcripts abundance.

Understanding the cell molecular changes occurring as a results of climatic circumstances is crucial in the current days in which climate change and global warming are one of the most serious challenges that living organisms have to face. Sperm are one of the mammals' cells most sensitive to heat, therefore evaluating the impact of seasonal changes in terms of its transcriptional activity can contribute to elucidate how these cells cope with heat stress events. We sequenced the total sperm RNA from 64 ejaculates, 28 collected in summer and 36 collected in autumn, from 40 Manchega rams.

Representation of African American Patients in Social Media for Breast Reconstruction.

Background: Social media use by plastic surgeons may contribute to the overall increase in breast reconstruction in the United States. However, recent data show a concerning decrease in breast reconstruction in African American women. The purpose of this study was to analyze the inclusion of African American women in social media posts for breast reconstruction, with the premise that this may be a possible contributing factor to decreasing rates of breast reconstruction in this population.

Breeding Strategies for Weather Resilience in Small Ruminants in Atlantic and Mediterranean Climates.

Many efforts are being made to cope with negative consequences of climate change (CC) on livestock. Among them, selective breeding of resilient animals to CC is presented as an opportunity to maintain high levels of performance regardless of variation in weather. In the present work, we proposed a set of breeding strategies to improve weather resilience in dairy goats raised in north-western European Atlantic conditions and dairy sheep raised in Mediterranean conditions while improving production efficiency at the same time.

Genetic basis of thermotolerance in 2 local dairy sheep populations in the Iberian Peninsula.

Sheep milk production in the Northern Mediterranean countries heavily relies on local breeds subject to selection schemes to improve milk production. Climate change may shift the range of thermal loads on the animals and challenge their adaptation to the new thermal gradient. The objective of this study was to characterize the genetic component of thermal tolerance of 2 local breeds from the Iberian Peninsula, Latxa and Manchega, belonging to different genetic types that have evolved under different climatic environments (Oceanic for Latxa and Continentalized Mediterranean for Manchega).

Understanding the seasonality of performance resilience to climate volatility in Mediterranean dairy sheep.

As future climate challenges become increasingly evident, enhancing performance resilience of farm animals may contribute to mitigation against adverse weather and seasonal variation, and underpin livestock farming sustainability. In the present study, we develop novel seasonal resilience phenotypes reflecting milk production changes to fluctuating weather. We evaluate the impact of calendar season (autumn, winter and spring) on animal performance resilience by analysing 420,534 milk records of 36,908 milking ewes of the Chios breed together with relevant meteorological data from eastern Mediterranean.

The Use of Botulinum Toxin to Prevent Anastomotic Thrombosis and Promote Flap Survival: A Bridge to Developing Clinical Studies.

Background: Despite the possibility of using botulinum toxin to improve perfusion and prevent vasospasm, only a few studies have examined the use of botulinum toxin in the setting of flap surgery and thrombosis, and the mechanisms have not been fully explained.

Objective: The primary objective of this study was to provide a comprehensive review of the effectiveness of botulinum toxin in anastomotic thrombosis prevention and surgical flap survival to determine the value of conducting large-scale human trials.

Methods: Using the SYRCLE and CAMRADES criteria, a systematic review was performed.

Up-to-date role of the dehydrated human amnion/chorion membrane (AMNIOFIX) for wound healing.

Introduction: Chronic wounds pose a significant burden on patients, society, and the health-care setup. Higher costs, protracted clinical course, and increased risk of complications necessitate identifying novel treatment modalities that hasten healing and wound closure.

Areas Covered: This article covers newer available treatment modalities for chronic wounds, namely the dehydrated amniotic membrane products, biological skin substitutes, and similar therapies aimed at the healing of chronic non-healing wounds.

Genetic analysis of live weight of local kids to promote genetic evaluations in the arid areas of Tunisia.

Goat meat production, a widely extended activity in the more arid areas of Tunisia, relies on local breeds. These breeds are well adapted to produce under harsh conditions but have a very small size and low productivity. The aim of this study was to establish the basis for future genetic evaluations to improve growth potential of this local stock.

BREEDING AND GENETICS SYMPOSIUM: Breeding for resilience to heat stress effects in dairy ruminants. A comprehensive review.

Selection for heat tolerant (HT) animals in dairy production has been so far linked to estimation of declines in production using milk recording and meteorological information on the day of control using reaction norms. Results from these models show that there is a reasonable amount of genetic variability in the individual response to high heat loads, which makes feasible selection of HT animals at low costs. However, the antagonistic relationship between level of production and response to heat stress (HS) implies that selection for HT animals under this approach must be done with caution so that productivity is not damaged.

Linkage disequilibrium, persistence of phase, and effective population size in Spanish local beef cattle breeds assessed through a high-density single nucleotide polymorphism chip.

Linkage disequilibrium (LD) and persistence of phase are fundamental approaches for exploring the genetic basis of economically important traits in cattle, including the identification of QTL for genomic selection and the estimation of effective population size () to determine the size of the training populations. In this study, we have used the Illumina BovineHD chip in 168 trios of 7 Spanish beef cattle breeds to obtain an overview of the magnitude of LD and the persistence of LD phase through the physical distance between markers. Also, we estimated the time of divergence based on the persistence of the LD phase and calculated past from LD estimates using different alternatives to define the recombination rate.