Added value of inflammatory plasma biomarkers to pathologic biomarkers in predicting preclinical Alzheimer's disease.

Background: Plasma biomarkers have recently emerged for the diagnosis, assessment, and disease monitoring of Alzheimer's disease (AD), but have yet to be fully validated in preclinical AD. In addition to AD pathologic plasma biomarkers (amyloid-β (Aβ) and phosphorylated tau (p-tau) species), a proteomic panel can discriminate between symptomatic AD and cognitively unimpaired older adults in a dementia clinic population.

Objective: Examine the added value of a plasma proteomic panel, validated in symptomatic AD, over standard AD pathologic plasma biomarkers and demographic and genetic (apolipoprotein () ɛ4 status) risk factors in detecting preclinical AD.

Integrin alpha 6 homozygous splice-site mutation causes a new form of junctional epidermolysis bullosa in Charolais cattle.

Background: Inherited epidermolysis bullosa (EB) is a group of painful and life-threatening genetic disorders that are characterized by mechanically induced blistering of the skin and mucous membranes. Congenital skin fragility resembling EB was recently reported in three Charolais calves born in two distinct herds from unaffected parents. Phenotypic and genetic analyses were carried out to describe this condition and its molecular etiology.

Detailed analysis of mortality rates in the female progeny of 1,001 Holstein bulls allows the discovery of new dominant genetic defects.

Reducing juvenile mortality in cattle is important for both economic and animal welfare reasons. Previous studies have revealed a large variability in mortality rates between breeds and sire progeny groups, with some extreme cases due to dominant mutations causing various syndromes among the descendants of mosaic bulls. The purpose of this study was to monitor sire-family calf mortality within the French and Walloon Holstein populations, and to use this information to detect genetic defects that might have been overlooked by lack of specific symptoms.

Hydroxyapatite catalyzed hydrothermal liquefaction transforms food waste from an environmental liability to renewable fuel.

Food waste is an abundant and inexpensive resource for the production of renewable fuels. Biocrude yields obtained from hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of food waste can be boosted using hydroxyapatite (HAP) as an inexpensive and abundant catalyst. Combining HAP with an inexpensive homogeneous base increased biocrude yield from 14 ± 1 to 37 ± 3%, resulting in the recovery of 49 ± 2% of the energy contained in the food waste feed.

Lung tissue biomechanics imaged with synchrotron phase contrast microtomography in live rats.

The magnitude and distribution of strain imposed on the peripheral airspaces by mechanical ventilation at the microscopic level and the consequent deformations are unknown despite their importance for understanding the mechanisms occurring at the onset of ventilator-induced lung injury. Here a 4-Dimensional (3D + time) image acquisition and processing technique is developed to assess pulmonary acinar biomechanics at microscopic resolution. Synchrotron radiation phase contrast CT with an isotropic voxel size of 6 µm is applied in live anesthetized rats under controlled mechanical ventilation.

Pituitary adenoma in patients with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1: a cohort study.

Objective: Pituitary adenoma (PA) is one of the three major components of multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1). Recent studies have suggested that MEN1-associated PAs are less aggressive than initially estimated. We propose an analysis of the outcome of PAs with a standard of care treatment in a nationwide cohort of MEN1 patients.

Influence of production, reproduction, morphology, and health traits on true and functional longevity in French Holstein cows.

In the long term, resilient animals are able to maintain their normal biological processes when confronted with environmental perturbations, reducing their risk of being culled. Therefore, longevity can be proposed as an indicator of long-term resilience. Decisions to remove a given dairy cow from the herd are mainly related to low milk production (i.

Copper sulfate and sodium selenite lipid-microencapsulation modifies ruminal microbial fermentation in a dual-flow continuous-culture system.

Undesirable interactions between trace mineral elements and ruminal contents may occur during digestion when mineral salts are supplemented. Antimicrobial effects of copper sulfate (CuSO) may affect ruminal digestibility of nutrients when fed as a source of copper (Cu), while sodium selenite (NaSeO) may be reduced in the rumen to less available forms of selenium (Se). Our objective was to evaluate if protection of CuSO and NaSeO by lipid-microencapsulation would induce changes on ruminal microbial fermentation.

Estimation of genetic parameters for dairy traits and somatic cell score in the first 3 parities using a random regression test-day model in French Alpine goats.

Lactation curve shape can affect an animal's health, feed requirements, and milk production throughout the year. We implemented a random regression model for the genetic evaluation of lactation curve shapes of dairy traits in French Alpine goats for their first 3 parities. Milk, fat, and protein yields, fat and protein contents, somatic cell score, and fat/protein ratio were considered.

Genetic parameters for first lactation dairy traits in the Alpine and Saanen goat breeds using a random regression test-day model.

Background: Random regression models (RRM) are widely used to analyze longitudinal data in genetic evaluation systems because they can better account for time-course changes in environmental effects and additive genetic values of animals by fitting the test-day (TD) specific effects. Our objective was to implement a random regression model for the evaluation of dairy production traits in French goats.

Results: The data consisted of milk TD records from 30,186 and 32,256 first lactations of Saanen and Alpine goats.

Genomic analysis of claw lesions in Holstein cows: Opportunities for genomic selection, quantitative trait locus detection, and gene identification.

Claw lesions are the third most important health issue in dairy cattle, after mastitis and reproductive disorders, and genomic selection is a key component for long-term improvement of claw health. The objectives of this study were to assess the feasibility of a genomic evaluation for claw health in French Holstein cows, explore possibilities to increase evaluation accuracy, and gain a better understanding of the genetic determinism of claw health traits. The data set consisted of 48,685 trimmed Holstein cows, including 9,646 that were genotyped; 478 genotyped sires were also used.

Rumen-protected B vitamin complex supplementation during the transition period and early lactation alters endometrium mRNA expression on day 14 of gestation in lactating dairy cows.

Greater metabolic demands in high-producing dairy cows are believed to be a cause of sub-fertility in these animals. Previously, supplementation with vitamin B complex molecules has shown benefits in improving milk production, health, and reproductive efficiency of dairy cows. The primary aim of this project was to determine the effects of rumen-protected vitamin B complex supplementation of 100 g of Transition VB (Jefo, St.

Effect of rumen-protected B vitamins and choline supplementation on health, production, and reproduction in transition dairy cows.

The objectives were to determine the effects of a rumen-protected blend of B vitamins and choline (RPBC) on the incidence of health disorders, milk yield, and reproduction in early lactation and the effects on gene expression and liver fat infiltration. A randomized controlled trial in 3 commercial dairy herds (n = 1,346 cows with group as the experimental unit; experiment 1) and a university research herd (n = 50 cows with cow as the experimental unit; experiment 2) evaluated the use of 100 g/cow per d of commercially available proprietary RPBC supplement (Transition VB, Jefo, St. Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada), or a placebo, fed 3 wk before to 3 wk after calving.

Genetic analysis of calf health in Charolais beef cattle.

The objective of this study was to investigate the factors that influence calf health and survival in Charolais cattle. Data from 2,740 calves, originating from 16 French farms and observed from birth until 30 d of age, were analyzed using models that took account of direct genetic, maternal genetic, and common environmental effects. Both direct and maternal genetic parameters were estimated for birth weight (BW), calving ease (CE), neonatal vitality (NV), survival at 30 d (Surv), and umbilical infection and diarrhea at different ages (0 to 5 d: Umb1 and Diar1; 6 to 20 d: Umb2 and Diar2; and 21 to 30 d: Umb3 and Diar3).

Rapid Discovery of De Novo Deleterious Mutations in Cattle Enhances the Value of Livestock as Model Species.

In humans, the clinical and molecular characterization of sporadic syndromes is often hindered by the small number of patients and the difficulty in developing animal models for severe dominant conditions. Here we show that the availability of large data sets of whole-genome sequences, high-density SNP chip genotypes and extensive recording of phenotype offers an unprecedented opportunity to quickly dissect the genetic architecture of severe dominant conditions in livestock. We report on the identification of seven dominant de novo mutations in CHD7, COL1A1, COL2A1, COPA, and MITF and exploit the structure of cattle populations to describe their clinical consequences and map modifier loci.

Individual responses of dairy cows to a 24-hour milking interval.

Some dairy farmers opt to omit one milking, either incidentally or weekly, without changing other milking times. This practice entails an extended milking interval of 24h (24h-MI), which is associated with a decrease in milk yield. This decrease varies among cows and could be partly due to factors such as stage of lactation and milk yield level.

Inbreeding and crossbreeding parameters for production and fertility traits in Holstein, Montbéliarde, and Normande cows.

Breed differences and nonadditive genetic effects for milk production traits, somatic cell score (SCS), conception rate (CR), and days to first service (DFS) were estimated for Holstein × Montbéliarde and Holstein × Normande crossbreds, using an animal model adapted from the French genetic evaluation and extended to across-breed analysis. Inbreeding and breed differences were estimated from all purebred recorded cows. Only records from 1,137 herds with Holstein × Montbéliarde crossbred cows and from 1,033 herds with Holstein × Normande crossbred cows were used to estimate crossbreeding parameters.

Modelling and estimation of genotype by environment interactions for production traits in French dairy cattle.

Background: Genotype by environment interactions are currently ignored in national genetic evaluations of dairy cattle. However, this is often questioned, especially when environment or herd management is wide-ranging. The aim of this study was to assess genotype by environment interactions for production traits (milk, protein, fat yields and fat and protein contents) in French dairy cattle using an original approach to characterize the environments.

Characterization of French dairy farm environments from herd-test-day profiles.

Genotype by environment interactions are ignored in national genetic evaluations of dairy cattle. However, some breeders consider that the genetic merit of top sires is not correctly estimated for use in their own particular environment or with their own herd management. With the objective of later investigating genotype by environment interactions at the national level, we studied the relationship between herd management (e.

Infrared study of the influence of reducible iron(III) metal sites on the adsorption of CO, CO2, propane, propene and propyne in the mesoporous metal-organic framework MIL-100.

The present study illustrates the importance of the oxidation state of iron within the mesoporous iron trimesate [{Fe(3)O(H(2)O)(2)F(0.81)(OH)(0.19)}{C(6)H(3)(CO(2))(3)}(2)] denoted MIL-100(Fe) (MIL= Material from Institut Lavoisier) during adsorption of molecules that can interact with the accessible metal sites through π-back donation.

The use of multiple probe molecules for the study of the acid-base properties of aluminium hydroxyfluoride having the hexagonal tungsten bronze structure: FTIR and [36Cl] radiotracer studies.

The combination of several probe molecules has enabled the construction of a detailed picture of the surface of aluminium hydroxyl fluoride, AlF(2.6)(OH)(0.4), which has the hexagonal tungsten bronze (HTB) structure.

A general method to validate breeding value prediction software.

The validity of national genetic evaluations depends on the quality of input data, on the model of analysis, and on the correctness of genetic evaluation software. A general strategy was developed to validate national breeding value prediction software: performances from a real data file were replaced with simulated ones, created from simulated fixed and random effects and residuals in such a way that BLUP estimates from the evaluation software must be equal to the simulated effects. This approach was implemented for a multiple-trait model and a random regression test-day model.