Publications by authors named "Murdoch B"

Bighorn sheep (BHS) populations have been reported to experience high levels of morbidity and mortality following infection with . This contrasts with the subclinical presentation in domestic sheep (DS). Understanding this difference requires baseline knowledge of pre- and post-infection immune responses of both species.

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The dairy industry relies on reproductive efficiency to maintain efficient milk production. Spontaneous abortion (SA), defined as pregnancy loss between gestation days 42 and 260, occurred in 4.5% of the artificially inseminated (AI) Holstein heifers and 31.

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This study aimed to identify loci (p < 1 × 10) and gene sets (normalized enrichment score (NES) ≥ 3.0) associated with the number of times a heifer is bred to attain a successful pregnancy (TBRD) for Holstein heifers bred by artificial insemination (AI, n = 2754) or that were embryo transfer (ET, n = 1566) recipients. Eight loci were associated (p < 1 × 10) with TBRD in AI bred heifers and four loci were associated with TBRD in ET recipients.

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Article Synopsis
  • * A study using genotypes from 81 flocks found that nearly all genetic variation (99.9%) comes from a single ancestral population, suggesting a current population size of around 150, but the breed should actually target a reference population of 15,000 for better genomic prediction accuracy.
  • * The average inbreeding level was about 16.6%, with specific genomic regions linked to production traits showing high levels of shared genetic material; addressing these could help improve selection outcomes,
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The shift toward sustainable energy has fueled the development of advanced electrocatalysts to enable green fuel production and chemical synthesis. To date, no material outperforms Pt-group catalysts for key electrocatalytic reactions, necessitating advanced catalysts that minimize use of these rare and expensive constituents (i.e.

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Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a significant concern to society as it threatens the effectiveness of antibiotics and leads to increased morbidity and mortality rates. Innovative approaches are urgently required to address this challenge. Among promising solutions, two dimensional (2-D) nanomaterials with layered crystal structures have emerged as potent antimicrobial agents owing to their unique physicochemical properties.

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Reference genomes of cattle and sheep have lacked contiguous assemblies of the sex-determining Y chromosome. Here, we assemble complete and gapless telomere to telomere (T2T) Y chromosomes for these species. We find that the pseudo-autosomal regions are similar in length, but the total chromosome size is substantially different, with the cattle Y more than twice the length of the sheep Y.

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  • This study explores the relationship between maternal genetics, human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), and respiratory health in infants fed human milk.
  • Researchers quantified 19 HMOs from 980 mothers and identified genetic markers linked to HMOs on several chromosomes, including notable findings on chromosomes 19 and 3.
  • The study suggests that certain HMOs may help reduce the risk of respiratory issues, like recurrent wheezing, in preschoolers, depending on their genetic predispositions.
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Telomere-to-telomere (T2T) assemblies reveal new insights into the structure and function of the previously 'invisible' parts of the genome and allow comparative analyses of complete genomes across entire clades. We present here an open collaborative effort, termed the 'Ruminant T2T Consortium' (RT2T), that aims to generate complete diploid assemblies for numerous species of the Artiodactyla suborder Ruminantia to examine chromosomal evolution in the context of natural selection and domestication of species used as livestock.

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Background: Managing genetic diversity is critically important for maintaining species fitness. Excessive homozygosity caused by the loss of genetic diversity can have detrimental effects on the reproduction and production performance of a breed. Analysis of genetic diversity can facilitate the identification of signatures of selection which may contribute to the specific characteristics regarding the health, production and physical appearance of a breed or population.

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Skeletal muscle growth is an economically important trait in the cattle industry. Secreted muscle-derived proteins, referred to as myokines, have important roles in regulating the growth, metabolism, and health of skeletal muscle in human and biomedical research models. Accumulating evidence supports the importance of myokines in skeletal muscle and whole-body health, though little is known about the potential presence and functional significance of these proteins in cattle.

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Heifer conception rate to the first service (HCR1) is defined as the number of heifers that become pregnant to the first breeding service compared to the heifers bred. This study aimed to identify loci associated and gene sets enriched for HCR1 for heifers that were bred by artificial insemination (AI, = 2829) or were embryo transfer (ET, = 2086) recipients, by completing a genome-wide association analysis and gene set enrichment analysis using SNP data (GSEA-SNP). Three unique loci, containing four positional candidate genes, were associated ( < 1 × 10) with HCR1 for ET recipients, while the GSEA-SNP identified four gene sets (NES ≥ 3) and sixty-two leading edge genes (LEGs) enriched for HCR1.

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Two-dimensional (2D) wide bandgap materials are gaining significant interest for next-generation optoelectronic devices. However, fabricating electronic-grade 2D nanosheets from non-van der Waals (n-vdW) oxide semiconductors poses a great challenge due to their stronger interlayer coupling compared with vdW crystals. This strong coupling typically introduces defects during exfoliation, impairing the optoelectronic properties.

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Improving ewe longevity is an important breeding and management goal, as death loss and early culling of mature ewes are economic burdens in the sheep industry. Ewe longevity can be improved by selecting for positive reproductive outcomes. However, the breeding approaches for accomplishing this come with the challenge of recording a lifetime trait.

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Photodetector technology has evolved significantly over the years with the emergence of new active materials. However, there remain trade-offs between spectral sensitivity, operating energy, and, more recently, an ability to harbor additional features such as persistent photoconductivity and bidirectional photocurrents for new emerging application areas such as switchable light imaging and filter-less color discrimination. Here, we demonstrate a self-powered bidirectional photodetector based on molybdenum disulfide/gallium nitride (MoS/GaN) epitaxial heterostructure.

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Reference genomes of cattle and sheep have lacked contiguous assemblies of the sex-determining Y chromosome. We assembled complete and gapless telomere to telomere (T2T) Y chromosomes for these species. The pseudo-autosomal regions were similar in length, but the total chromosome size was substantially different, with the cattle Y more than twice the length of the sheep Y.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study provided a comprehensive functional annotation of the bovine genome, identifying 160,820 unique transcripts across various tissues, with 50% being protein-coding and a significant portion validated by multiple sequencing technologies.
  • - A large number of identified transcripts (69%) were unannotated, suggesting extensive undiscovered functional elements in the genome, and highlighted that many genes produced both coding and noncoding isoforms depending on the tissue type.
  • - The findings expanded existing gene annotations significantly and integrated with quantitative trait loci data, aiding in the exploration of tissue connections related to specific traits and establishing a new trait similarity network for bovine research.
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Infection by gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN), particularly Haemonchus contortus, can be detrimental to sheep health and performance. Genetic susceptibility to GIN varies between breeds, with those lacking high levels of natural resistance often requiring frequent anthelmintic treatment when facing parasitic challenge. Genetic technology can serve as a tool to decrease GIN susceptibility via selection for sheep with reduced fecal egg count (FEC) estimated breeding values (EBVs).

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The myokines interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 15 (IL-15), myonectin (CTRP15), fibronectin type III domain containing protein 5/irisin (FNDC5), and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) are associated with skeletal muscle cell proliferation, differentiation, and muscle hypertrophy in biomedical model species. This study evaluated whether these myokines are produced by cultured bovine satellite cells (BSCs) harvested from 3- and 11-month-old commercial black Angus steers and if the expression and secretion of these targets change across 0, 12, 24, and 48 h in vitro. , , and expression were greater ( ≤ 0.

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Purpose Of Review: Precision tools that ensure molecular compatibility can help prevent rejection and improve kidney transplantation outcomes. However, these tools will generate controversy because they are perceived to and can in fact impact equity in the ethics of allocation. They may also affect the extent to which physicians can advocate for their patient fiduciaries, as generally required by Canadian professional ethics and law.

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  • The paper emphasizes the need for simultaneous advancements in genomics (measuring genetic variation) and phenomics (measuring trait variation) for agricultural populations to improve agricultural productivity.
  • It discusses the Agricultural Genome to Phenome Initiative (AG2PI) and its efforts to coordinate with government agencies and stakeholders to improve agricultural outcomes through research collaboration.
  • A workshop was held to identify challenges and innovation opportunities in AG2P research, resulting in a vision for future advancements and six specific goals for immediate implementation.
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  • * A study analyzed extensive pedigree records (n=92,030) from 1984-2019 to evaluate the pedigree's completeness, diversity statistics, and the impact of diversity on genomic selection among Katahdin sheep.
  • * Findings indicated over 300 effective founders and sufficient diversity, with effective population size averaging 111, low inbreeding rates, and improved prediction accuracies as reference populations increased from 1k to 15k sheep.
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