Whole Genome Scan Uncovers Candidate Genes Related to Milk Production Traits in Barka Cattle.

In this study, our primary aim was to explore the genomic landscape of Barka cattle, a breed recognized for high milk production in a semi-arid environment, by focusing on genes with known roles in milk production traits. We employed genome-wide analysis and three selective sweep detection methods (ZFST, θπ ratio, and ZHp) to identify candidate genes associated with milk production and composition traits. Notably, ACAA1, P4HTM, and SLC4A4 were consistently identified by all methods. Functional annotation highlighted their roles in crucial biological processes such as fatty acid metabolism, mammary gland development, and milk protein synthesis. These findings contribute to understanding the genetic basis of milk production in Barka cattle, presenting opportunities for enhancing dairy cattle production in tropical climates. Further validation through genome-wide association studies and transcriptomic analyses is essential to fully exploit these candidate genes for selective breeding and genetic improvement in tropical dairy cattle.

Fingerprinting Breast Milk; insights into Milk Exosomics.

Breast milk, often referred to as "liquid gold," is a complex biofluid that provides essential nutrients, immune factors, and developmental cues for newborns. Recent advancements in the field of exosome research have shed light on the critical role of exosomes in breast milk. Exosomes are nanosized vesicles that carry bioactive molecules, including proteins, lipids, nucleic acids, and miRNAs. These tiny messengers play a vital role in intercellular communication and are now being recognized as key players in infant health and development. This paper explores the emerging field of milk exosomics, emphasizing the potential of exosome fingerprinting to uncover valuable insights into the composition and function of breast milk. By deciphering the exosomal cargo, we can gain a deeper understanding of how breast milk influences neonatal health and may even pave the way for personalized nutrition strategies.

Whole genome sequences of 70 indigenous Ethiopian cattle.

Indigenous animal genetic resources play a crucial role in preserving global genetic diversity and supporting the livelihoods of millions of people. In Ethiopia, the majority of the cattle population consists of indigenous breeds. Understanding the genetic architecture of these cattle breeds is essential for effective management and conservation efforts. In this study, we sequenced DNA samples from 70 animals from seven indigenous cattle breeds, generating about two terabytes of pair-end reads with an average coverage of 14X. The sequencing data were pre-processed and mapped to the cattle reference genome (ARS-UCD1.2) with an alignment rate of 99.2%. Finally, the variant calling process produced approximately 35 million high-quality SNPs. These data provide a deeper understanding of the genetic landscape, facilitate the identification of causal mutations, and enable the exploration of evolutionary patterns to assist cattle improvement and sustainable utilization, particularly in the face of unpredictable climate changes.

SNP and Structural Study of the Notch Superfamily Provides Insights and Novel Pharmacological Targets against the CADASIL Syndrome and Neurodegenerative Diseases.

The evolutionary conserved Notch signaling pathway functions as a mediator of direct cell-cell communication between neighboring cells during development. Notch plays a crucial role in various fundamental biological processes in a wide range of tissues. Accordingly, the aberrant signaling of this pathway underlies multiple genetic pathologies such as developmental syndromes, congenital disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer. Over the last two decades, significant data have shown that the Notch signaling pathway displays a significant function in the mature brains of vertebrates and invertebrates beyond neuronal development and specification during embryonic development. Neuronal connection, synaptic plasticity, learning, and memory appear to be regulated by this pathway. Specific mutations in human Notch family proteins have been linked to several neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease, CADASIL, and ischemic injury. Neurodegenerative diseases are incurable disorders of the central nervous system that cause the progressive degeneration and/or death of brain nerve cells, affecting both mental function and movement (ataxia). There is currently a lot of study being conducted to better understand the molecular mechanisms by which Notch plays an essential role in the mature brain. In this study, an in silico analysis of polymorphisms and mutations in human Notch family members that lead to neurodegenerative diseases was performed in order to investigate the correlations among Notch family proteins and neurodegenerative diseases. Particular emphasis was placed on the study of mutations in the Notch3 protein and the structure analysis of the mutant Notch3 protein that leads to the manifestation of the CADASIL syndrome in order to spot possible conserved mutations and interpret the effect of these mutations in the Notch3 protein structure. Conserved mutations of cysteine residues may be candidate pharmacological targets for the potential therapy of CADASIL syndrome.

Use of in silico approaches, synthesis and profiling of Pan-filovirus GP-1,2 preprotein specific antibodies.

Intermolecular interactions of protein-protein complexes play a principal role in the process of discovering new substances used in the diagnosis and treatment of many diseases. Among such complexes of proteins, we have to mention antibodies; they interact with specific antigens of two genera of single-stranded RNA viruses belonging to the family Filoviridae-Ebolavirus and Marburgvirus; both cause rare but fatal viral hemorrhagic fever in Africa, with pandemic potential. In this research, we conduct studies aimed at the design and evaluation of antibodies targeting the filovirus glycoprotein precursor GP-1,2 to develop potential targets for the pan-filovirus easy-to-use rapid diagnostic tests. The in silico research using the available 3D structure of the natural antibody-antigen complex was carried out to determine the stability of individual protein segments in the process of its formation and maintenance. The computed free binding energy of the complex and its decomposition for all amino acids allowed us to define the residues that play an essential role in the structure and indicated the spots where potential antibodies can be improved. Following that, the study involved targeting six epitopes of the filovirus GP1,2 with two polyclonal antibodies (pABs) and 14 monoclonal antibodies (mABs). The evaluation conducted using Enzyme Immunoassays tested 62 different sandwich combinations of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), identifying 10 combinations that successfully captured the recombinant GP1,2 (rGP). Among these combinations, the sandwich option (3G2G12* - (rGP) - 2D8F11) exhibited the highest propensity for capturing the rGP antigen.

Haplotype-resolved genome of heterozygous African cassava cultivar TMEB117 (Manihot esculenta).

Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is a vital tropical root crop providing essential dietary energy to over 800 million people in tropical and subtropical regions. As a climate-resilient crop, its significance grows as the human population expands. However, yield improvement faces challenges from biotic and abiotic stress and limited breeding. Advanced sequencing and assembly techniques enabled the generation of a highly accurate, nearly complete, haplotype-resolved genome of the African cassava cultivar TMEB117. It is the most accurate cassava genome sequence to date with a base-level accuracy of QV > 64, N50 > 35 Mbp, and 98.9% BUSCO completeness. Over 60% of the genome comprises repetitive elements. We predicted over 45,000 gene models for both haplotypes. This achievement offers valuable insights into the heterozygosity genome organization of the cassava genome, with improved accuracy, completeness, and phased genomes. Due to its high susceptibility to African Cassava Mosaic Virus (ACMV) infections compared to other cassava varieties, TMEB117 provides an ideal reference for studying virus resistance mechanisms, including epigenetic variations and smallRNA expressions.

Advancing microbiome research with machine learning: key findings from the ML4Microbiome COST action.

The rapid development of machine learning (ML) techniques has opened up the data-dense field of microbiome research for novel therapeutic, diagnostic, and prognostic applications targeting a wide range of disorders, which could substantially improve healthcare practices in the era of precision medicine. However, several challenges must be addressed to exploit the benefits of ML in this field fully. In particular, there is a need to establish "gold standard" protocols for conducting ML analysis experiments and improve interactions between microbiome researchers and ML experts. The Machine Learning Techniques in Human Microbiome Studies (ML4Microbiome) COST Action CA18131 is a European network established in 2019 to promote collaboration between discovery-oriented microbiome researchers and data-driven ML experts to optimize and standardize ML approaches for microbiome analysis. This perspective paper presents the key achievements of ML4Microbiome, which include identifying predictive and discriminatory 'omics' features, improving repeatability and comparability, developing automation procedures, and defining priority areas for the novel development of ML methods targeting the microbiome. The insights gained from ML4Microbiome will help to maximize the potential of ML in microbiome research and pave the way for new and improved healthcare practices.

Whole-Genome Resequencing Reveals Selection Signatures of Abigar Cattle for Local Adaptation.

Over time, indigenous cattle breeds have developed disease resistance, heat tolerance, and adaptability to harsh environments. Deciphering the genetic mechanisms underlying adaptive traits is crucial for their improvement and sustainable utilization. For the first time, we performed whole-genome sequencing to unveil the genomic diversity, population structure, and selection signatures of Abigar cattle living in a tropical environment. The population structure analysis revealed that Abigar cattle exhibit high nucleotide diversity and heterozygosity, with low runs of homozygosity and linkage disequilibrium, suggesting a genetic landscape less constrained by inbreeding and enriched by diversity. Using nucleotide diversity (Pi) and population differentiation (FST) selection scan methods, we identified 83 shared genes that are likely associated with tropical adaption. The functional annotation analysis revealed that some of these genes are potentially linked to heat tolerance (HOXC13, DNAJC18, and RXFP2), immune response (IRAK3, MZB1, and STING1), and oxidative stress response (SLC23A1). Given the wider spreading impacts of climate change on cattle production, understanding the genetic mechanisms of adaptation of local breeds becomes crucial to better respond to climate and environmental changes. In this context, our finding establishes a foundation for further research into the mechanisms underpinning cattle adaptation to tropical environments.

Gene Networks and Pathways Involved in LPS-Induced Proliferative Response of Bovine Endometrial Epithelial Cells.

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a component of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria involved in the pathogenic processes leading to mastitis and metritis in animals such as dairy cattle. LPS causes cell proliferation associated with endometrium inflammation. Former in vitro studies have demonstrated that LPS induces an intense stimulation of the proliferation of a pure population of bovine endometrial epithelial cells. In a follow-up transcriptomic study based on RNA-sequencing data obtained after 24 h exposure of primary bovine endometrial epithelial cells to 0, 2, and 8 µg/mL LPS, 752 and 727 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected between the controls and LPS-treated samples that encode proteins known to be associated with either proliferation or apoptosis, respectively. The present bioinformatic analysis was performed to decipher the gene networks involved to obtain a deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying the proliferative and apoptosis processes. Our findings have revealed 116 putative transcription factors (TFs) and the most significant number of interactions between these TFs and DEGs belong to NFKß1, TP53, STAT1, and HIF1A. Moreover, our results provide novel insights into the early signaling and metabolic pathways in bovine endometrial epithelial cells associated with the innate immune response and cell proliferation to Escherichia coli-LPS infection. The results further indicated that LPS challenge elicited a strong transcriptomic response, leading to potent activation of pro-inflammatory pathways that are associated with a marked endometrial cancer, Toll-like receptor, NFKß, AKT, apoptosis, and MAPK signaling pathways. This effect may provide a mechanistic explanation for the relationship between LPS and cell proliferation.

Cassava Brown Streak Viruses express second 6-kilodalton (6K2) protein with varied polarity and three dimensional (3D) structures: Basis for trait discrepancy between the virus species.

Cassava Brown Streak Virus (CBSV) and Ugandan Cassava Brown Streak Virus (UCBSV) are the two among six virus species speculated to cause the most catastrophic Brown Streak Disease of Cassava (CBSD) in Africa and Asia. Cassava Brown Streak Virus (CBSV) is hard to breed resistance for compared to Ugandan Cassava Brown Streak Virus (UCBSV) species. This is exemplified by incidences of CBSV species rather than UCBSV species in elite breeding line, KBH 2006/0026 at Bagamoyo, Tanzania. It is not yet understood as to why CBSV species could breakdown CBSD-resistance in the KBH 2006/0026 unlike the UCBSV species. This marks the first in silico study conducted to understand molecular basis for the trait discrepancy between CBSV and UCBSV species from structural biology view point. Following ab initio modelling and analysis of physical-chemical properties of second 6-kilodalton (6K2) protein encoded by CBSV and UCBSV species, using ROBETTA server and Protein Parameters tool, respectively we report that; three dimensional (3D) structures and polarity of the protein differs significantly between the two virus species. (95% and 5%) and (85% and 15%) strains of 20 CBSV and 20 UCBSV species respectively, expressed the protein in homo-trimeric and homo-tetrameric forms, correspondingly. 95% and 85% of studied strain population of the two virus species expressed hydrophilic and hydrophobic 6K2, respectively. Based on findings of the curent study, we hypothesize that; (i) The hydrophilic 6K2 expressed by the CBSV species, favour its faster systemic movement via vascular tissues of cassava host and hence result into higher tissue titres than the UCBSV species encoding hydrophobic form of the protein. t and (ii) The hydrophilic 6K2 expressed byCBSV species have additional interaction advantage with Nuclear Inclusion b protease domain (NIb) and Viral genome-linked protein (VPg), components of Virus Replication Complex (VRC) and hence contributing to faster replication of viral genome than the hydrophobic 6K2 expressed by the UCBSV species. Experimental studies are needed to resolve the 3D structures of the 6K2, VPg and NIb and comprehend complex molecular interactions between them. We suggest that, the 6K2 gene should be targeted for improvement of RNA interference (RNAi)-directed transgenesis of virus-resistant cassava as a more effective way to control the CBSD besides breeding.

Cross-Sectional Variations in Structure and Function of Coral Reef Microbiome With Local Anthropogenic Impacts on the Kenyan Coast of the Indian Ocean.

Coral reefs face an increased number of environmental threats from anthropomorphic climate change and pollution from agriculture, industries and sewage. Because environmental changes lead to their compositional and functional shifts, coral reef microbial communities can serve as indicators of ecosystem impacts through development of rapid and inexpensive molecular monitoring tools. Little is known about coral reef microbial communities of the Western Indian Ocean (WIO). We compared taxonomic and functional diversity of microbial communities inhabiting near-coral seawater and sediments from Kenyan reefs exposed to varying impacts of human activities. Over 19,000 species (bacterial, viral and archaeal combined) and 4,500 clusters of orthologous groups of proteins (COGs) were annotated. The coral reefs showed variations in the relative abundances of ecologically significant taxa, especially copiotrophic bacteria and coliphages, corresponding to the magnitude of the neighboring human impacts in the respective sites. Furthermore, the near-coral seawater and sediment metagenomes had an overrepresentation of COGs for functions related to adaptation to diverse environments. Malindi and Mombasa marine parks, the coral reef sites closest to densely populated settlements were significantly enriched with genes for functions suggestive of mitigation of environment perturbations including the capacity to reduce intracellular levels of environmental contaminants and repair of DNA damage. Our study is the first metagenomic assessment of WIO coral reef microbial diversity which provides a much-needed baseline for the region, and points to a potential area for future research toward establishing indicators of environmental perturbations.

Why has permanent control of cassava brown streak disease in Sub-Saharan Africa remained a dream since the 1930s?

Effective control of ipomoviruses that cause cassava brown streak disease (CBSD) in Africa has remained problematic despite eight remarkable decades (1930-2021) of research efforts. Molecular mechanisms underlying resistance breakdown in genetically improved cassava are still unknown. The vast genetic diversity of cassava brown streak viruses, which is crucial for the improvement of routine reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) assays in CBSD-endemic regions of Africa, is controversial and underrepresented. From a molecular epidemiology viewpoint, this review discusses the reasons for why permanent control of CBSD is difficult in the modern era, even with the presence of diverse in silico and omics tools, recombinant DNA, and high throughput next-generation sequencing technologies. Following an extensive nucleotide data search in the National Centre for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) database and a literature review in PubMed and Scopus, we report that genomic data of 87.62% (474/541) strains of cassava brown streak virus are missing due to poor sequencing capacity in Africa. The evolution dynamics of viral virulence and pathogenicity has not yet been fully explored from the available 67 (12.38%) genomic sequences, owing to poor bioinformatics capacity. Tanzania and Zambia have the highest and lowest disease inoculum pressure, correspondingly. Knowledge gaps in molecular biology and the overall molecular pathogenesis of CBSD viruses impede effective disease control in Africa. Recommendations for possible solutions to the research questions, controversies, and hypotheses raised in this study serve as a roadmap for the invention of more effective CBSD control methods.

Metagenomics workflow for hybrid assembly, differential coverage binning, metatranscriptomics and pathway analysis (MUFFIN).

Metagenomics has redefined many areas of microbiology. However, metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) are often fragmented, primarily when sequencing was performed with short reads. Recent long-read sequencing technologies promise to improve genome reconstruction. However, the integration of two different sequencing modalities makes downstream analyses complex. We, therefore, developed MUFFIN, a complete metagenomic workflow that uses short and long reads to produce high-quality bins and their annotations. The workflow is written by using Nextflow, a workflow orchestration software, to achieve high reproducibility and fast and straightforward use. This workflow also produces the taxonomic classification and KEGG pathways of the bins and can be further used for quantification and annotation by providing RNA-Seq data (optionally). We tested the workflow using twenty biogas reactor samples and assessed the capacity of MUFFIN to process and output relevant files needed to analyze the microbial community and their function. MUFFIN produces functional pathway predictions and, if provided de novo metatranscript annotations across the metagenomic sample and for each bin. MUFFIN is available on github under GNUv3 licence: https://github.com/RVanDamme/MUFFIN.

The heart microbiome of insectivorous bats from Central and South Eastern Europe.

Host associated microbiome not only may affect the individual health-status or provide insights into the species- or group specific bacterial communities but may act as early warning signs in the assessment of zoonotic reservoirs, offering clues to predict, prevent and control possible episodes of emerging zoonoses. Bats may be carriers and reservoirs of multiple pathogens such as viruses, bacteria and parasites, showing in the same time robust immunity against many of them. The microbiota plays a fundamental role on the induction, training and function of the host immune system and the immune system has largely evolved in order to maintain the symbiotic relationship of the host with these diverse microbes. Thus, expanding our knowledge on bat-associated microbiome it can be usefully in understanding bats' outstanding immune capacities. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of different bacterial communities in heart tissue of insectivorous bats, Nyctalus noctula, Pipistrellus pipistrellus and Rhinoplophus hipposideros, from Central and Eastern Europe using high-throughput sequencing of variable regions of the 16S rRNA. In addition, species-specific PCRs were used to validate the presence of the vector-borne pathogens Bartonella spp. and Rickettsia spp. In this study we identified a wide variety of bacterial groups, with the most abundant phyla being Proteobacteria and Firmicutes. The results showed that at individual level, the year or location had no effect on the diversity and composition of the microbiome, however host species determined both structure and abundance of the bacterial community. We report the presence of vector-borne bacteria Bartonella spp. in samples of N. noctula and indications of Rickettsia spp. in R. hipposideros. Our results provide a first insight into the bacterial community found in heart tissue of bats from Central and South Eastern Europe.

Ebola Virus Disease and Current Therapeutic Strategies: A Review.

The Ebola virus disease is a severe hemorrhagic fever that affects humans and other primates. Ebola virus, the causative agent of the disease, is transmitted to humans from wild animals and is highly contagious and aggressive with an estimated fatality rate to be around 50%. Since 1976, 11 outbreaks of Ebola virus disease have been reported in total, affecting mostly sub-Saharan Africa, while the most recent ongoing outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has more than 3000 reported cases and 72 deaths. Although an effective vaccine against Ebola virus disease has become available, no targeted treatment with proven efficacy upon infection is developed. Herein, we review the epidemiology of Ebola virus and the current situation in terms of prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of the disease.

Factors associated with risk of preterm delivery in Tanzania: A case-control study at Muhimbili National Hospital.

OBJECTIVE: To determine factors associated with risk of preterm delivery among pregnant women delivering at Muhimbili National Hospital in Tanzania. METHODS: A 1:1 case-control study was conducted to assess maternal sociodemographic, lifestyle, and current and previous obstetric factors associated with risk of preterm delivery. Mothers of preterm infants were regarded as cases and those of term infants were controls. Chi-square test and logistic regression were used to assess association between the factors and risk of preterm delivery. RESULTS: A total of 222 case-control pairs were studied. Maternal type of employment (P = 0.039), previous preterm delivery (P = 0.002), previous spontaneous abortion (P = 0.004), uterine scar (P < 0.001), parity (P = 0.034), number of prenatal care visits (P = 0.032), premature rupture of membranes (PROM) (P < 0.001), placenta previa (P = 0.002), bleeding during second trimester (P = 0.004), pre-eclampsia (P < 0.001), and maternal anemia (P = 0.033) were associated with risk of preterm delivery. The main risk factors associated with preterm delivery included previous preterm delivery (odds ratio [OR] 13.23, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.72-101.95), placenta previa (OR 12.63, 95% CI 1.63-97.98), and PROM (OR 8.77, 95% CI 1.33-4.60). CONCLUSION: Close monitoring of pregnant women who present any of the risk factors is important to prevent or reduce the risk of preterm delivery in Tanzania.

High-Throughput Sequencing and Unsupervised Analysis of Formyltetrahydrofolate Synthetase (FTHFS) Gene Amplicons to Estimate Acetogenic Community Structure.

The formyltetrahydrofolate synthetase (FTHFS) gene is a molecular marker of choice to study the diversity of acetogenic communities. However, current analyses are limited due to lack of a high-throughput sequencing approach for FTHFS gene amplicons and a dedicated bioinformatics pipeline for data analysis, including taxonomic annotation and visualization of the sequence data. In the present study, we combined the barcode approach for multiplexed sequencing with unsupervised data analysis to visualize acetogenic community structure. We used samples from a biogas digester to develop proof-of-principle for our combined approach. We successfully generated high-throughput sequence data for the partial FTHFS gene and performed unsupervised data analysis using the novel bioinformatics pipeline "AcetoScan" presented in this study, which resulted in taxonomically annotated OTUs, phylogenetic tree, abundance plots and diversity indices. The results demonstrated that high-throughput sequencing can be used to sequence the FTHFS amplicons from a pool of samples, while the analysis pipeline AcetoScan can be reliably used to process the raw sequence data and visualize acetogenic community structure. The method and analysis pipeline described in this paper can assist in the identification and quantification of known or potentially new acetogens. The AcetoScan pipeline is freely available at https://github.com/abhijeetsingh1704/AcetoScan.

LPS-treatment of bovine endometrial epithelial cells causes differential DNA methylation of genes associated with inflammation and endometrial function.

BACKGROUND: Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) endotoxin stimulates pro-inflammatory pathways and is a key player in the pathological mechanisms involved in the development of endometritis. This study aimed to investigate LPS-induced DNA methylation changes in bovine endometrial epithelial cells (bEECs), which may affect endometrial function. Following in vitro culture, bEECs from three cows were either untreated (0) or exposed to 2 and 8 µg/mL LPS for 24 h. RESULTS: DNA samples extracted at 0 h and 24 h were sequenced using reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (RRBS). When comparing DNA methylation results at 24 h to time 0 h, a larger proportion of hypomethylated regions were identified in the LPS-treated groups, whereas the trend was opposite in controls. When comparing LPS groups to controls at 24 h, a total of 1291 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) were identified (55% hypomethylated and 45% hypermethylated). Integration of DNA methylation data obtained here with our previously published gene expression data obtained from the same samples showed a negative correlation (r = - 0.41 for gene promoter, r = - 0.22 for gene body regions, p < 0.05). Differential methylation analysis revealed that effects of LPS treatment were associated with methylation changes for genes involved in regulation of immune and inflammatory responses, cell adhesion, and external stimuli. Gene ontology and pathway analyses showed that most of the differentially methylated genes (DMGs) were associated with cell proliferation and apoptotic processes; and pathways such as calcium-, oxytocin- and MAPK-signaling pathways with recognized roles in innate immunity. Several DMGs were related to systemic inflammation and tissue re-modelling including HDAC4, IRAK1, AKT1, MAP3K6, Wnt7A and ADAMTS17. CONCLUSIONS: The present results show that LPS altered the DNA methylation patterns of bovine endometrial epithelial cells. This information, combined with our previously reported changes in gene expression related to endometrial function, confirm that LPS activates pro-inflammatory mechanisms leading to perturbed immune balance and cell adhesion processes in the endometrium.

Benefits and risks of barefoot harness racing in Standardbred trotters.

There is a lack of research on the benefits and risks of shoeing conditions in harness racing. Thus, our objectives were to: (a) investigate whether velocity times (VT; s/km) are affected by racing unshod (N = 76,932 records on 5,247 horses); (b) determine the potential risks of galloping, being penalized, and disqualification when competing unshod (N = 111,755 records on 6,423 horses); and (c) identify additional environmental factors that affect VT and risks. VT was found to be significantly influenced by shoeing condition (e.g., unshod, shod front, shod hind, or fully shod), but also by sex, age, season, track, track condition, start method, start position, distance, and driver-horse performance level (p < 2e-16). The risks of galloping and disqualification were significantly influenced by shoeing condition, sex, age, season, track, start method, start position, or driver-horse performance level (p ≤ .05). Horses racing unshod had 0.7 s/km lower VT than fully shod horses and showed better performance when racing on neutral tracks during the late summer than horses with other shoeing conditions during the same period. However, racing unshod increased the relative risks of galloping and disqualification by 15%-35% in all seasons. Horses shod only on the hind hooves showed better performance than fully shod horses, without higher risks associated with competing unshod.

The Genome of Setaria digitata: A Cattle Nematode Closely Related to Human Filarial Parasites.

Here we present the draft genome sequence of Setaria digitata, a parasitic nematode affecting cattle. Due to its similarity to Wuchereria bancrofti, the parasitic nematode that causes lymphatic filariasis in humans, S. digitata has been used as a model organism at the genomic level to find drug targets which can be used for the development of novel drugs and/or vaccines for human filariasis. Setaria digitata causes cerebrospinal nematodiasis in goats, sheep, and horses posing a serious threat to livestock in developing countries. The genome sequence of S. digitata will assist in finding candidate genes to use as drug targets in both S. digitata and W. bancrofti. The assembled draft genome is ∼90 Mb long and contains 8,974 genomic scaffolds with a G+C content of 31.73%.