Publications by authors named "J Dekkers"
Improving the conversion of feed into product has been a key focus of genetic improvement in all livestock species. Livestock feed efficiency is the amount of product produced per unit of feed intake. Feed efficiency also depends on processes that are not directly related to economically important phenotypes, which can be considered 'waste' from a production point of view but are vital maintenance-related functions that are closely associated with environmental flexibility and adaptation.
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- - The text discusses the severe impact of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) on poultry, leading to high mortality rates, decreased egg production, and economic losses for farmers, particularly highlighted by a 2015 outbreak in the U.S. with over 99% mortality.
- - Researchers conducted an analysis of genetic data from chickens that survived the HPAI outbreak and compared it with uninfected controls to identify genomic regions that may confer resistance to the virus.
- - They found significant associations with survival on multiple chromosomes but did not pinpoint a single genetic locus responsible for resistance; the study suggests that HPAI resistance involves various genes related to the host's cellular response to the virus.
Article Synopsis
- The study analyzed three local chicken ecotypes in Ghana—Interior Savannah, Forest, and Coastal Savannah—using morphological traits and genetic data.
- Significant effects of ecotype and sex were found on body weight, with the Interior Savannah chickens being the heaviest.
- Despite exhibiting high genetic diversity, the three ecotypes showed similar morphological traits, and limited instances of heat-resistant feather phenotypes were noted.
Background: To address the limitations of commonly used cross-validation methods, the linear regression method (LR) was proposed to estimate population accuracy of predictions based on the implicit assumption that the fitted model is correct. This method also provides two statistics to determine the adequacy of the fitted model. The validity and behavior of the LR method have been provided and studied for linear predictions but not for nonlinear predictions.
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- Achieving complete tumor removal is difficult, but can be enhanced using real-time fluorescence-guided surgery with specially designed molecular probes.
- The traditional process of identifying and testing these probes is lengthy and complicated by the variation within tumors and between different patients.
- To address these challenges, researchers created a multispectral real-time 3D imaging platform that uses organoid technology to better mimic the diversity in patient tumors and how probes bind to healthy tissue.