Effects of inbreeding in the dam on dystocia and stillbirths in US Holsteins.

Dystocia scores were recorded by producers on 120,434 Holsteins (218,213 records) from 1985 through 1996; dystocia scores 3 to 5 were coded as difficult births. Stillbirths were recorded for deaths within the first 48 h after birth. Data were restricted to registered cows for pedigree completeness, and inbreeding coefficients were calculated using 5-generation pedigrees. Computational restrictions required that subsets of the data be created by choosing herds at random but using all records from selected herds. Effects of inbreeding in the dam were estimated in a sire-maternal grandsire (of the calf) threshold model using Gibbs sampling. The model included fixed effects of calf sex and inbreeding of the dam and random effects of herd-year-season of birth, additive genetic, and residual effects. First, second, and third parities were analyzed separately. Solutions for sex of calf and inbreeding from different parities were converted to expected change in probability of dystocia or stillbirth per 1% increase in inbreeding. Inbreeding effects were largest for first-parity cows giving birth to male calves at a 0.42% increase in probability of dystocia/1% increase in inbreeding. Effects of inbreeding for first-parity dams giving birth to female calves were smaller, 0.30%/1% increase in inbreeding. Incidence of stillbirths increased 0.25 and 0.20% for male and female calves/1% increase in inbreeding for first parity births. Effects of inbreeding on dystocia and stillbirths declined with parity. Effects of inbreeding were small, especially in later parities, but were consistently unfavorable.

A combined chemical and bioassay analysis of traffic-emitted polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

The objective of this study was to determine the concentrations of an extended series of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and nitrated PAHs in outdoor air samples collected in low-contaminated urban areas, affected mainly by traffic emissions, and to estimate in vitro mutagenic and dioxin-like toxicity of extracts from these samples. Data on concentrations of PAHs and toxic in vitro potencies were compared in extracts obtained by different sampling methods. PAHs and their derivatives were analysed by high performance liquid chromatography with diode array and fluorescence detection, as well as gas chromatography with mass spectrometry. The total sum of 39 PAHs under study ranged from 6.7 to 62.7 ng.m(-3); of this, the sum of 16 U.S. EPA priority PAHs in urban air samples ranged from 3.2 to 6.2 ng.m(-3). Phenanthrene was the prevalent PAH in all air samples tested, with concentrations up to 17.6 ng.m(-3), followed by fluorene, fluoranthene and pyrene present mostly in the gaseous phase. Also, other low molecular weight PAHs (with MW up to 228) were distributed mostly in gaseous phase. The particulate phase contained mostly carcinogenic PAHs, among which, benzo[a]pyrene, indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene and benzofluoranthenes were predominant compounds (with benzo[a]pyrene reaching levels up to 1.57 ng.m(-3)). Traffic emissions were confirmed as the major source of PAHs in the airborne samples due to the presence of elevated concentrations of benzo[ghi]perylene and coronene. The most abundant nitrated PAH derivatives were nitronaphthalenes, which were present exclusively in the vapor phase; 9-nitroanthracene, 9-nitrophenantrene and 3-nitrofluoranthene were associated mostly with particulate matter (PM(10)). Bioassays for detection of the Ah receptor-mediated activity and mutagenicity in vitro were used as a screen of potential adverse effects of air pollutants emitted from traffic. The major part of mutagenic and aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR)-mediated activities was found to be present in the PM(10) fraction. Although the PM(10) sampling technique was found to be a suitable method regarding the subsequent determination of mutagenic and AhR-mediated activities in vitro, relative toxic potencies, associated with low molecular weight PAHs (such as tumor promotion and other adverse effects), could be underestimated.

An integrated methodology to assess the benefits of urban green space.

The interrelated issues of urban sprawl, traffic congestion, noise, and air pollution are major socioeconomic problems faced by most European cities. A methodology is currently being developed for evaluating the role of green space and urban form in alleviating the adverse effects of urbanisation, mainly focusing on the environment but also accounting for socioeconomic aspects. The objectives and structure of the methodology are briefly outlined and illustrated with preliminary results obtained from case studies performed on several European cities.

Effect of incomplete pedigrees on estimates of inbreeding and inbreeding depression for days to first service and summit milk yield in Holsteins and Jerseys.

A method to measure completeness of pedigree information is applied to populations of Holstein (registered and grade) and Jersey (largely registered) cows. Inbreeding coefficients where missing ancestors make no contribution were compared to a method using average relationships for missing ancestors. Estimated inbreeding depression was from an animal model that simultaneously adjusted for breeding values. Inbreeding and its standard deviation increased with more information, from 0.04 +/- 0.84 to 1.65 +/- 2.05 and 2.06 +/- 2.22 for grade Holsteins with <31%, 31 to 70%, and 71 to 100% complete five-generation pedigrees. Inbreeding from the method of average relationships for missing ancestors was 2.75 +/- 1.06, 3.10 +/- 2.21, and 2.89 +/- 2.37 for the same groups. Pedigrees of registered Holsteins and Jerseys were over 97% and over 89% complete, respectively. Inbreeding depression in days to first service and summit milk yield was estimated from both methods. Inbreeding depression for days to first service was not consistently significant for grade Holsteins and ranged from -0.37 d/1% increase in inbreeding (grade Holstein pedigrees <31% complete) to 0.15 d for grade Holstein pedigrees >70% complete. Estimates were similar for both methods. Inbreeding depression for registered Holsteins and Jerseys were positive (undesirable) but not significant for days to first service. Inbreeding depressed summit milk yield significantly in all groups by both methods. Summit milk yield declined by -0.12 to -0.06 kg/d per 1% increase in inbreeding in Holsteins and by -0.08 kg/1% increase in inbreeding in Jerseys. Pedigrees of grade animals are frequently incomplete and can yield misleading estimates of inbreeding depression. This problem is not overcome by inserting average relationships for missing ancestors in calculation of inbreeding coefficients.

Maternal and fetal inbreeding depression for 70-day nonreturn and calving rate in Holsteins and Jerseys.

Inbreeding depression for 70-d nonreturn rate was estimated in 50,613 Holstein and 47,673 Jersey cows with five-generation pedigrees using an animal model. Heritabilities of 70-d nonreturn rate were very low for both breeds (1 to 2%). Maternal inbreeding depression was small (3% reduction for 10% inbreeding) and significant only for Jerseys. Fetal and maternal inbreeding depression was not significant for individual parities in Holsteins, but maternal inbreeding depression was significant in first parity only in Jerseys. Maternal and fetal inbreeding depression of calving rate (verified by a subsequent calving) was estimated on separate datasets by parity from 13,229 to 26,876 Holstein and 7374 to 11,742 Jersey cows. First-parity estimates for heritability of calving rate were 1% or less, whereas estimates for later parities varied from 1 to 6%. Significant inbreeding depression in first-parity Holsteins reduced calving rate by 4% per 10% maternal or fetal inbreeding, but effects, while undesirable, were not consistently significant in other parities. In Jerseys, maternal inbreeding significantly reduced calving rate by 6% per 10% inbreeding in first parity, and was undesirable but not significant for second through fourth parities. Fetal inbreeding depression was not significant in Jerseys. Maternal inbreeding depression of 70-d nonreturn and calving rate was small, undesirable, but not consistently significant across breeds and parities. The cumulative economic impact of maternal or fetal inbreeding on lifetime reproductive performance of Holstein or Jersey cows would be more dramatic than results for a single breeding.