Identification of loci affecting sexually dimorphic patterns for height and recurrent laryngeal neuropathy risk in American Belgian Draft Horses.

Equine recurrent laryngeal neuropathy (RLN) is a bilateral mononeuropathy with an unknown etiology. In Thoroughbreds (TB), we previously demonstrated that the haplotype association for height (LCORL/NCAPG locus on ECA3, which affects body size) and RLN was coincident. In the present study, we performed a genome-wide association scan (GWAS) for RLN in 458 American Belgian Draft Horses, a breed fixed for the LCORL/NCAPG risk alelle. In this breed, RLN risk is associated with sexually dimorphic differences in height, and we identified a novel locus contributing to height in a sex-specific manner: MYPN (ECA1). Yet this specific locus contributes little to RLN risk, suggesting that other growth traits correlated to height may underlie the correlation to this disease. Controlling for height, we identified a locus on ECA15 contributing to RLN risk specifically in males. These results suggest that loci with sex-specific gene expression play an important role in altering growth traits impacting RLN etiology, but not necessarily adult height. These newly identified genes are promising targets for novel preventative and treatment strategies.

Integrated feathering for craniospinal irradiation improves patient safety and departmental efficiency.

This paper presents to the dosimetrist audience an integrated feathering technique for craniospinal irradiation which improves dosimetry, physics, physician and therapist efficiencies while increasing patient safety and decreasing portal imaging time. This technique has been presented by other authors in physics journals stressing technical and quality assurance aspects, this article is presented to the treatment planners with a focus on the planning process including field design and weighting, efficiency improvements and patient safety.