Skeletal Muscle Expression of Actinin-3 () in Relation to Feed Efficiency Phenotype of F - Steers.

In this study, actinin-3 () gene expression was investigated in relation to the feed efficiency phenotype in - crossbred steers. A measure of relative feed efficiency based on residual feed intake relative to predictions from the NRC beef cattle model was analyzed by the use of a mixed linear model that included sire and family nested within sire as fixed effects and age, animal type, sex, condition, and breed as random effects for 173 F Nellore-Angus steers. Based on these residual intake observations, individuals were ranked from most efficient to least efficient.

High-Temperature and Drought-Resilience Traits among Interspecific Chromosome Substitution Lines for Genetic Improvement of Upland Cotton.

Upland cotton ( L.) growth and development during the pre-and post-flowering stages are susceptible to high temperature and drought. We report the field-based characterization of multiple morpho-physiological and reproductive stress resilience traits in 11 interspecific chromosome substitution (CS) lines isogenic to each other and the inbred line TM-1.

Genomic diversifications of five Gossypium allopolyploid species and their impact on cotton improvement.

Polyploidy is an evolutionary innovation for many animals and all flowering plants, but its impact on selection and domestication remains elusive. Here we analyze genome evolution and diversification for all five allopolyploid cotton species, including economically important Upland and Pima cottons. Although these polyploid genomes are conserved in gene content and synteny, they have diversified by subgenomic transposon exchanges that equilibrate genome size, evolutionary rate heterogeneities and positive selection between homoeologs within and among lineages.

Variation in diabetes care among states: do patient characteristics matter?

Objective: To examine state variability in diabetes care for Medicare beneficiaries and the impact of certain beneficiary characteristics on those variations.

Research Design And Methods: Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes, aged 18-75 years, were identified from 1997 to 1999 claims data. Claims data were used to construct rates for three quality of care measures (HbA(1c) tests, eye examinations, and lipid profiles).