Genomic prediction for additive and dominance effects of censored traits in pigs

Age at the time of slaughter is a commonly used trait in animal breeding programs. Since studying this trait involves incomplete observations (censoring), analysis can be performed using survival models or modified linear models, for example, by sampling censored data from truncated normal distributions. For genomic selection, the greatest genetic gains can be achieved by including non-additive genetic effects like dominance. Thus, censored traits with effects on both survival models have not yet been studied under a genomic selection approach. We aimed to predict genomic values using the Cox model with dominance effects and compare these results with the linear model with and without censoring. Linear models were fitted via the maximum likelihood method. For censored data, sampling through the truncated normal distribution was used, and the model was called the truncated normal linear via Gibbs sampling (TNL). We used an F₂ pig population; the response variable was time (days) from birth to slaughter. Data were previously adjusted for fixed effects of sex and contemporary group. The model predictive ability was calculated based on correlation of predicted genomic values with adjusted phenotypic values. The results showed that both with and without censoring, there was high agreement between Cox and linear models in selection of individuals and markers. Despite including the dominance effect, there was no increase in predictive ability. This study showed, for the first time, the possibility of performing genomic prediction of traits with censored records while using the Cox survival model with additive and dominance effects.

Genomic selection for slaughter age in pigs using the Cox frailty model

The aim of this study was to compare genomic selection methodologies using a linear mixed model and the Cox survival model. We used data from an F2 population of pigs, in which the response variable was the time in days from birth to the culling of the animal and the covariates were 238 markers [237 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) plus the halothane gene]. The data were corrected for fixed effects, and the accuracy of the method was determined based on the correlation of the ranks of predicted genomic breeding values (GBVs) in both models with the corrected phenotypic values. The analysis was repeated with a subset of SNP markers with largest absolute effects. The results were in agreement with the GBV prediction and the estimation of marker effects for both models for uncensored data and for normality. However, when considering censored data, the Cox model with a normal random effect (S1) was more appropriate. Since there was no agreement between the linear mixed model and the imputed data (L2) for the prediction of genomic values and the estimation of marker effects, the model S1 was considered superior as it took into account the latent variable and the censored data. Marker selection increased correlations between the ranks of predicted GBVs by the linear and Cox frailty models and the corrected phenotypic values, and 120 markers were required to increase the predictive ability for the characteristic analyzed.

Avaliação das metaloproteinases de matriz -2 e -9 em gatos com desmineralização óssea secundária à tirotoxicose induzida

Observou-se significativo aumento de atividade das formas ativas das metaloproteinases -2 e -9 em gatos com tirotoxicose induzida e desmineralização óssea. As formas pró e intermediária da metaloproteinase -2 elevaram-se com 14 dias de administração hormonal, porém, posteriormente, houve uma tendência de queda. Observou-se correlação negativa entre a forma ativa das metaloproteinases de matriz -2 e -9 e a densidade mineral óssea da extremidade distal do rádio. Os resultados sugerem aumento da degradação da matriz colágena secundária com a elevação dos hormônios tiroidianos.

Multiple synostosis syndrome: study of a large Brazilian kindred

We report a large Brazilian kindred with 28 cases of the autosomal dominant multiple synostosis syndrome. The main anomalies were symphalangism and carpal and tarsal synostoses. Other common findings included synostosis involving other bones, absence of phalanges and nails, short metacarpals, pes planovalgus with prominent lateral border, hypoplastic alae of nose, short upper lip, and dermatoglyphic abnormalities. This may be a variant of the WL syndrome.