Genomic evaluation for breeding and genetic management in Cordia africana, a multipurpose tropical tree species.

BACKGROUND: Planting tested forest reproductive material is crucial to ensure the increased resilience of intensively managed productive stands for timber and wood product markets under climate change scenarios. Single-step Genomic Best Linear Unbiased Prediction (ssGBLUP) analysis is a cost-effective option for using genomic tools to enhance the accuracy of predicted breeding values and genetic parameter estimation in forest tree species. Here, we tested the efficiency of ssGBLUP in a tropical multipurpose tree species, Cordia africana, by partial population genotyping. A total of 8070 trees from three breeding seedling orchards (BSOs) were phenotyped for height. We genotyped 6.1% of the phenotyped individuals with 4373 single nucleotide polymorphisms. The results of ssGBLUP were compared with pedigree-based best linear unbiased prediction (ABLUP) and genomic best linear unbiased prediction (GBLUP), based on genetic parameters, theoretical accuracy of breeding values, selection candidate ranking, genetic gain, and predictive accuracy and prediction bias. RESULTS: Genotyping a subset of the study population provided insights into the level of relatedness in BSOs, allowing better genetic management. Due to the inbreeding detected within the genotyped provenances, we estimated genetic parameters both with and without accounting for inbreeding. The ssGBLUP model showed improved performance in terms of additive genetic variance and theoretical breeding value accuracy. Similarly, ssGBLUP showed improved predictive accuracy and lower bias than the pedigree-based relationship matrix (ABLUP). CONCLUSIONS: This study of C. africana, a species in decline due to deforestation and selective logging, revealed inbreeding depression. The provenance exhibiting the highest level of inbreeding had the poorest overall performance. The use of different relationship matrices and accounting for inbreeding did not substantially affect the ranking of candidate individuals. This is the first study of this approach in a tropical multipurpose tree species, and the analysed BSOs represent the primary effort to breed C. africana.

Chemical composition of two mineralogically contrasting Arctic bivalves' shells and their relationships to environmental variables.

The main goal of this study was to determine the concentrations of trace elements in the mineralogically contrasting shells of two Arctic bivalves: Chlamys islandica and Ciliatocardium ciliatum. Aragonite shells seem to be more susceptible to the binding of metal ions, which is most likely a result of their crystal lattice structure. We suggest that less biologically controlled aragonite mineralization tends to incorporate more metal impurities into the crystal lattice in waters with a lower pH, where metal ions are more available. Higher concentrations of impurities may further increase the lattice distortion causing lower crystal lattice stability and higher susceptibility to dissolution. Calcitic shells seem to be less prone to bind metal ions than aragonite shells most likely because under strict biological control, the uptake of ions from ambient seawater is more selective; thus, the final crystal lattice is less contaminated by other metals and is more resistant to dissolution.

Hyperlipoproteinemia (acc. to Fredrickson's classification) in patients with myocardial infarction and imminent infarction.

In 500 cases (379 men and 121 women) of ischemic heart disease, including 428 patients with myocardial infarction and 72 -- with imminent infarction, blood lipid levels were determined. Blood samples were taken on fasting, by the end of hospitalization, from patients with myocardial infarction on the 18th-21st day of disease, and from those with imminent infarction after cessation of pain. In 152 patients (30.4%), including 87 with infarction and 65 with imminent infarction, disturbances in the blood lipid pattern were found and classified according to Fredrickson. When expressed as percentage against the material of 152 patients with blood lipid disturbances, type II A was found in 103 cases (67.8%), type II B -- in 25 cases (16.4%), and type IV -- in 24 cases (15.8%). When calculated against the whole material of 500 patients, type II A accounted for 20.6%, type II B -- for 5%, and type IV -- 4.8% of cases.

Prognostic value of central venous pressure in acute myocardial infarction.

The investigations were carried out in 296 patients with myocardial infarction (238 men and 58 women) aged 24-91 years, admitted to an intensive care unit on the 1st or 2nd day of the disease. In all patients the catheter for determination of central venous pressure was introduced into the right atrium through the cephalic vein the the first 100 cases, and through the subclavian vein in 196 cases. The catheter was kept in the atrium for 3-4 days. Values of c.v.p. between 50 and 120 mm Hg were accepted as normal.

Early diagnosis of myocardial infarction by arginase activity determination.

In blood serum of healthy persons the activity of arginase (EC 3.5.3.1) is very low, whereas in patients with myocardial infarction it increases within a few hours after the first attack of coronary pain, and returns to normal values after 3-5 days. No increase of arginase activity was observed in sera of patients with angina pectoris, coronary insufficiency or cardiac failure. Determination of arginase activity in blood serum may serve as a useful test in early differential diagnosis of myocardial infarction.

Results of hospital rehabilitation of 1000 patients with myocardial infarction.

Hospital rehabilitation of patients with myocardial infarction was conducted according to the model worked out by the Institute of Cardiology in Warsaw and modified at the Department of Cardiology of the Medical Academy in Lublin. According to their clinical condition, the patients were divided into 3 groups. Group A comprised patients with extensive myocardial infarction and complications; duration of hospital stay was 28 days. Group B included patients with extensive infarction without complications; hospital stay was 21 days. Group C included patients with limited myocardial necrosis and a mild course of the disease, and duration of stay of 14 days. Out of 1000 patients with myocardial infarction 134 (13.4%) died within the first 4 days after admission, i.e. before the beginning of rehabilitation treatment; 56 (5.6%) died during rehabilitation. The group of patients undergoing rehabilitation treatment comprised 866 patients (86.6%), including 382 (44.1%) in group A, 404 (46.6%) In group B, and 80 (9.3%) in group C. The mean duration of hospital stay of all patients with myocardial infarction was 24.3 days; in 80 cases (9.9%) it was 14 days, in 397 cases (49.0%) 21 days, and in 236 cases (29.1%) 28 days. In 97 cases (12.0%) hospitalization was longer than 28 days. Work was resumed by 30% of white and blue collar workers and 89.5% or farmers within the productive age groups.

Electrocardiogram of posterior wall infarction.

The purpose of the study was to assess the frequency of infarction of the posterior wall of the left ventricle which shows a high R wave in leads V1-2 on electrocardiogram. Serial electrocardiograms of 1 452 patients with myocardial infarction were analyzed. Features of posterior wall infarction were found in 106 cases (7.3%). In 13 cases, the area of infarction was limited to the posterior wall; in 12 cases, concomitant features of lateral wall infarction were found; in 38 cases, the changes involved the inferior wall as well, and in 43 cases, the inferior and lateral walls were involved concomitantly. A high R wave in V1-2 was observed already in the first ECG obtained on the day of the onset of the disease in 32 out of 106 cases, while in 74 cases it appeared only in the subsequent days. High voltage of R wave was found in V1 exclusively in 20 cases, in V2 exclusively in 36 cases, and simultaneously in V1 and V2 in 50 cases. The analysis suggests that posterior wall infarction is fairly frequent (7.3%) but occurs in only 1% of cases as an isolated process. Knowledge of the features of posterior wall infarction is of practical importance; simultaneous detection of features of infarction of the posterior and the inferior or lateral walls is proof of a widespread myocardial necrosis and may be of prognostic significance.