Restricted Maximum Likelihood Method Research Articles

Reliability generalization meta-analysis of orthorexia nervosa using the ORTO-11/12/15/R scale in all populations and language versions

BackgroundThe ORTO scale was developed in 2004 as a self-report questionnaire to assess symptoms of orthorexia nervosa (ON). ON is an unhealthy preoccupation with eating healthy food. The scale aims to measure obsessive attitudes and behaviors related to the selection, purchase, preparation, and consumption of pure, healthy food. Since its development, the ORTO-15 has been adapted into several shorter versions. The objective was to conduct a reliability generalization meta-analysis of the ORTO scale and its variant versions in all populations and languages.MethodsA systematic literature search was conducted to identify studies reporting the internal consistency of ORTO. Random-effect models were used to evaluate summary statistics of reliability coefficients, weighting the coefficients by the inverse variance using the restricted maximum likelihood method. The heterogeneity among the reliability coefficients was evaluated and assessed using numerous statistical metrics. The tau (τ), tau2 (τ2), I2, H2, R2, df, and the Q-statistic are among those obtained. Meta-regression analyses were used to examine moderators such as age and sex.ResultsTwenty-one studies (k = 21) involving 11,167 participants (n = 11,167) were analyzed. The overall effect estimate on internal consistency was 0.59 (95% CI 0.49–0.68), with a minimum reliability coefficient of 0.23 and a maximum reliability coefficient of 0.83. The heterogeneity statistics were found to have an I2 of 99.31%, which suggested high heterogeneity owing to a decrease in the confidence interval (95% CI) and an increase in variability. Sensitivity analysis revealed that a few studies strongly influenced the overall estimate. Egger’s test suggested possible publication bias. Neither age nor sex significantly moderated reliability via meta-regression.ConclusionsThe ORTO scale has a relatively low pooled reliability coefficient. Alternative ON assessment tools with enhanced psychometric properties are needed. Clinicians should not base diagnoses or treatment decisions on ORTO alone. Comprehensive psychiatric assessment is essential for accurate ON evaluation.

Do statistical heterogeneity methods impact the results of meta- analyses? A meta epidemiological study.

Orthodontic systematic reviews (SRs) use different methods to pool the individual studies in a meta-analysis when indicated. However, the number of studies included in orthodontic meta-analyses is relatively small. This study aimed to evaluate the direction of estimate changes of orthodontic meta-analyses (MAs) using different between-study variance methods considering the level of heterogeneity when few trials were pooled. Search and study selection: Systematic reviews (SRs) published over the last three years, from the 1st of January 2020 to the 31st of December 2022, in six main orthodontic journals with at least one MA pooling five or lesser primary studies were identified. Data collection and analysis: Data were extracted from each eligible MA, which was replicated in a random effect model using DerSimonian and Laird (DL), Paule-Mandel (PM), Restricted maximum-likelihood (REML), Hartung Knapp and Sidik Jonkman (HKSJ) methods. The results were reported using median and interquartile range (IQR) for continuous data and frequencies for categorical data and analyzed using non-parametric tests. The Boruta algorithm was used to assess the significant predictors for the significant change in the confidence interval between the different methods compared to the DL method, which was only feasible using the HKSJ method. 146 MAs were included, most applying the random effect model (n = 111; 76%) and pooling continuous data using mean difference (n = 121; 83%). The median number of studies was three (range 2, 4), and the overall statistical heterogeneity (I2 ranged from 0 to 99% with a median of 68%). Close to 60% of the significant findings became non-significant when HKSJ was applied compared to the DL method and when the heterogeneity was present I2>0%. On the other hand, 30.43% of the non-significant meta-analyses using the DL method became significant when HKSJ was used when the heterogeneity was absent I2 = 0%. Orthodontic MAs with few studies can produce different results based on the between-study variance method and the statistical heterogeneity level. Compared to DL, HKSJ method is overconservative when I2 is greater than 0% and may result in false positive findings when the heterogeneity is absent.

Genetic association between fat-to-protein ratio and traits of economic interest in early lactation Holstein cows in Brazil.

The aims of this study were to estimate the genetic parameters for fat-to-protein ratio (F:P) within the first 90days of lactation and to examine their genetic associations with daily milk yield (MY), somatic cell score (SCS), and calving interval between the first and second calving (IFSC) and between the second and third calving (ISTC) during the first three lactations of Holstein cows. We utilized 200,626 production-related data officially recorded from 77,436 cows milked two or three times a day from 2012 to 2022, sourced from the Holstein Cattle Breeders Association of Paraná State, Brazil. The (co)variance components were estimated using animal models, adopting the restricted maximum likelihood (REML) method with single-trait analysis (for heritability and repeatability) and two-trait analysis (for genetic and phenotypic correlations), per lactation. Regardless of lactation number, heritability estimates were relatively low, ranging from 0.08 ± 0.005 to 0.10 ± 0.003 for F:P; 0.08 ± 0.01 to 0.18 ± 0.005 for MY; 0.04 ± 0.01 to 0.07 ± 0.004 for SCS; and 0.03 ± 0.01 for both IFSC and ISTC. Repeatability estimates within the same lactation were low for F:P (ranging from 0.17 ± 0.002 to 0.19 ± 0.03), high for MY (between 0.50 ± 0.003 and 0.53 ± 0.002), and moderate to high for SCS (between 0.39 ± 0.003 and 0.44 ± 0.004). Genetic correlations between F:P and MY ranged from -0.26 ± 0.03 to -0.15 ± 0.02; F:P and SCS, from -0.06 ± 0.03 to -0.03 ± 0.08; F:P and IFSC, 0.31 ± 0.01; F:P and ISTC, 0.20 ± 0.01; MY and IFSC, 0.24 ± 0.05; and MY and ISTC, 0.13 ± 0.08. The fat-to-protein ratio during early lactation showed low genetic variability, regardless of lactation number. Furthermore, it was genetically correlated with MY, IFSC, and ISTC, although there is an antagonistic and unfavorable correlation between traits that can limit genetic progress.

Sex-specific genetic parameter estimates of body weight in Mazandaran indigenous chickens.

Body weight is an economically important trait in poultry that shows sexual dimorphism (SD). In the present study, variation in SD in Mazandaran native chickens was investigated in terms of the (Co) variance components and genetic parameters of body weight between males and females. Studied traits were body weights at hatch (BW1), 8 weeks (BW8) and 12 weeks of age (BW12). Also, for weight at sexual maturity (WSM) covariance components were only estimated in females. Cross-sex direct and maternal correlations were also estimated for studied traits except for WSM. For this purpose, a deep 21-generation pedigree and body weight data (57,576 BW1, 72,925 BW8, 62,727 BW12 and, 42,496 WSM) were used. Evaluation of SD of body weight was performed using six bivariate animal models with and without considering the genetic and permanent maternal environmental effects under the restricted maximum likelihood method in WOMBAT software. Model with direct additive genetic effects and maternal genetic effects without covariance between them was identified as the best model for BW1 and BW8. The Model including direct additive genetic effects and permanent maternal environmental effects was the best model for BW12 and WSM. Direct heritability (h2 ) estimates for BW1, BW8 and, BW12 were, respectively, 0.05 ± 0.013, 0.17 ± 0.02 and, 0.25 ± 0.03 in males and, 0.05 ± 0.012, 0.15 ± 0.01 and 0.21 ± 0.01 in females. Also, the direct heritability of WSM based on univariate analysis in females was estimated to be 0.40 ± 0.01. Maternal heritability ( ) varied from 0.39 ± 0.01 (BW1) to 0.04 ± 0.009 (BW8) in males, and 0.36 ± 0.10 (BW1) to 0.04 ± 0.006 (BW8) in females. The correlation between direct genetic effects between males and females for BW1 was not significantly different from one. The direct genetic correlation between the two sexes for BW8 and BW12 was significantly different from 1 concluding that these traits are dimorphic in terms of direct genetic effects and therefore independent selection in both sexes is possible.

Decompressive craniectomy versus craniotomy for acute subdural hematoma: Updated meta-analysis of real-world clinical outcome after RESCUE-ASDH trial.

The Randomized Evaluation of Surgery with Craniectomy for Patients Undergoing Evacuation of Acute Subdural Hematoma trial found that disability and quality-of-life outcomes were similar between craniotomy and decompressive craniectomy for traumatic acute subdural hematoma (ASDH), contrasting previous literature. This meta-analysis aimed to validate the applicability of RESCUE-ASDH results using real-world data in ASDH patients. We searched Chocrane, Embase, and MEDLINE for relevant articles reporting clinical outcomes of craniotomy and decompressive craniectomy. Meta-analysis used R software (Ross Ihaka and Robert Gentleman at the University of Auckland, New Zealand) with the restricted maximum likelihood method for random-effects meta-analyses, presenting odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) with Hartung-Knapp-Sidik-Jonkman adjustment for heterogeneity. Besides RESCUE-ASDH, five retrospective studies were included, spanning 2006 to 2016. A total of 961 patients with traumatic ASDH were included in this study (craniotomy, 467; decompressive craniotomy, 494). The pooled analysis of retrospective studies showed no significant difference in poor clinical outcomes between the two groups (OR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.32-1.10). These findings align with the RESCUE-ASDH trial (OR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.58-1.23). Mortality rate was significantly higher in patients undergoing craniectomy in pooled result of retrospective studies (OR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.32-1.10). In RESCUE-ASDH trial, reoperation rate was higher in the craniotomy group, but the pooled result of retrospective did not show significant difference between the craniotomy and craniectomy group. This real-world evidence confirms the RESCUE-ASDH trial results. Both craniotomy and decompressive craniectomy yielded similar disability and quality-of-life outcomes for traumatic ASDH patients. Systematic Review/Meta-Analysis; Level III.

Restricted estimators of repeated measurements model for unbalanced data

The model of one-way repeated measurements for imbalanced data, as the number of explanations are not the same at some levels, is the subject of this research. We used two methods to estimate the model parameters: the restricted maximum likelihood method and maximum likelihood approach, and we considered some of their characteristics. The Experiment’s practical research goal is to determine how the experimental elements and their interactions affect date palm productivity. The Experiment included the factor of irrigation method with three treatments: drip irrigation, basin irrigation, and the regular tidal method, while the irrigation interval factor included three treatments: 3, 6 and 9 days.

Assessing Water Quality Spatial Heterogeneity from Multiple Pollution Sources in the Boung Cheung Ek Wetland, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, as with many other world megacities, is exposed to multiple major ecological and environmental hazards. Without a proper wastewater treatment facility, it is difficult for local residents to obtain a health-compliant water supply. In this study, a hybrid aggregation method using principal component analysis (PCA) and weighted means was used to calculate a water quality index (WQI) to map the water quality of the entire Boeung Cheung Ek (BCE) wetland region. We used Universal Kriging to map eight water quality parameters: DO, pH, TDS, F, Cl, NO3−, PO43−, and NH4+. The restricted maximum likelihood method was used for model fitting. Data were collected from groundwater and surface water for different rainfall seasons between March 2017 and February 2018. The principal component analysis (PCA) used to compute a water quality index (WQI) is based on the resulting dimensions of the highest variation among all water quality parameters. The results show that the northern part of the study area has a worse water quality than the southern region, which is caused by the discharge of municipal wastewater directly into the BCE wetland area. The results for different rainfall seasons also show that groundwater has a relatively better quality than surface water. The results of this analysis can serve as a supplementary study to support sustainable development goals because they might confirm the need for a wastewater treatment facility being under construction at the time of writing this article with funding from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Unraveling phenotypic variance in metabolic syndrome through multi-omics.

Complex multi-omics effects drive the clustering of cardiometabolic risk factors, underscoring the imperative to comprehend how individual and combined omics shape phenotypic variation. Our study partitions phenotypic variance in metabolic syndrome (MetS), blood glucose (GLU), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and blood pressure through genome, transcriptome, metabolome, and exposome (i.e., lifestyle exposome) analyses. Our analysis included a cohort of 62,822 unrelated individuals with white British ancestry, sourced from the UK biobank. We employed linear mixed models to partition phenotypic variance using the restricted maximum likelihood (REML) method, implemented in MTG2 (v2.22). We initiated the analysis by individually modeling omics, followed by subsequent integration of pairwise omics in a joint model that also accounted for the covariance and interaction between omics layers. Finally, we estimated the correlations of various omics effects between the phenotypes using bivariate REML. Significant proportions of the MetS variance were attributed to distinct data sources: genome (9.47%), transcriptome (4.24%), metabolome (14.34%), and exposome (3.77%). The phenotypic variances explained by the genome, transcriptome, metabolome, and exposome ranged from 3.28% for GLU to 25.35% for HDL-C, 0% for GLU to 19.34% for HDL-C, 4.29% for systolic blood pressure (SBP) to 35.75% for TG, and 0.89% for GLU to 10.17% for HDL-C, respectively. Significant correlations were found between genomic and transcriptomic effects for TG and HDL-C. Furthermore, significant interaction effects between omics data were detected for both MetS and its components. Interestingly, significant correlation of omics effect between the phenotypes was found. This study underscores omics' roles, interaction effects, and random-effects covariance in unveiling phenotypic variation in multi-omics domains.

Modeling the Yield of Glycine max (L.) Merrill Using Mixture Process Variable Model within an Optimal Split-Plot Design

A mixture design has become famous in statistical modeling in a mixture process variable experiment owing to its usefulness in modeling the blending surface that predicts the response of any mixture empirical. The mixture blends included manure from cows, chickens, goats, and sheep while the process variable was seeding rate of Glycine max seeds and the pH of the soil. The effect of variety of the seed used was established through variation of seeds per acre with uniform application of organic and inorganic fertilizer. This study's main aim was to determine the best desirable split-plot design for performing the Glycine max experiment with the settings mixture-process variables. The split-plot design (SPD) was used to solve the problem of restricted randomization. It constituted a simplex centroid design (SCD) of four design points of mixture components and factorial design with a central composite design (CCD) of the process variable. We formulated a new Scheffe model and the proposed design for SPD for the combined second-order mixture process variable model with CCD. We used the restricted maximum likelihood method to approximate values for parameter models within the SPD. We also found the effect of mixture component at vertices of components of the mixture plus with interaction effect between mixture and process variable to have the highest impact on the growth and pod development of Glycine max. The optimum total yield of Glycine max for variety R184 and Blyvoor used in Bushel per acre was 180.53 and 219. 217, respectively on the Whole Plot with a pH of soil being 5.4. The mean response maximum optimum yield for the total number of pods per plant and seeds per pod of Glycine max were found to be 32.30 and 2.331, respectively. We recommend using SPDs in experiments involving mixture settings formulations to measure the interaction effects of both the mixture components and the processing conditions like a pH of the soil and seeding rate.

A REML method for the evidence-splitting model in network meta-analysis.

Checking for possible inconsistency between direct and indirect evidence is an important task in network meta-analysis. Recently, an evidence-splitting (ES) model has been proposed, that allows separating direct and indirect evidence in a network and hence assessing inconsistency. A salient feature of this model is that the variance for heterogeneity appears in both the mean and the variance structure. Thus, full maximum likelihood (ML) has been proposed for estimating the parameters of this model. Maximum likelihood is known to yield biased variance component estimates in linear mixed models, and this problem is expected to also affect the ES model. The purpose of the present paper, therefore, is to propose a method based on residual (or restricted) maximum likelihood (REML). Our simulation shows that this new method is quite competitive to methods based on full ML in terms of bias and mean squared error. In addition, some limitations of the ES model are discussed. While this model splits direct and indirect evidence, it is not a plausible model for the cause of inconsistency.

Glme: An R package for mixed effects model inference by the generalized approach

This article documents the use of the glme package, which performs generalized inferences based on exact distributions and exact probability statements, provided by such papers as Weerahandi and Yu (2020) under the widely used Compound Symmetric Covariance structure. The underlying model and comparative results of the simulation study for the model with the counterparts are the maximum likelihood method and restricted maximum likelihood method, and illustrative examples; desired future research is also provided.

Elucidation of the genetic determination of clutch traits in Chinese local chickens of the Laiwu Black breed

BackgroundEgg laying rate (LR) is associated with a clutch, which is defined as consecutive days of oviposition. The clutch trait can be used as a selection indicator to improve egg production in poultry breeding. However, little is known about the genetic basis of clutch traits. In this study, our aim was to estimate genetic parameters and identify quantitative trait single nucleotide polymorphisms for clutch traits in 399 purebred Laiwu Black chickens (a native Chinese breed) using a genome-wide association study (GWAS).MethodsIn this work, after estimating the genetic parameters of age at first egg, body weight at first egg, LR, longest clutch until 52 week of age, first week when the longest clutch starts, last week when the longest clutch ends, number of clutches, and longest number of days without egg-laying until 52 week of age, we identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and potential candidate genes associated with clutch traits in Laiwu Black chickens. The restricted maximum likelihood method was used to estimate genetic parameters of clutch pattern in 399 Laiwu Black hens, using the GCTA software.ResultsThe results showed that SNP-based heritability estimates of clutch traits ranged from 0.06 to 0.59. Genotyping data were obtained from whole genome re-sequencing data. After quality control, a total of 10,810,544 SNPs remained to be analyzed. The GWAS revealed that 421 significant SNPs responsible for clutch traits were scattered on chicken chromosomes 1–14, 17–19, 21–25, 28 and Z. Among the annotated genes, NELL2, SMYD9, SPTLC2, SMYD3 and PLCL1 were the most promising candidates for clutch traits in Laiwu Black chickens.ConclusionThe findings of this research provide critical insight into the genetic basis of clutch traits. These results contribute to the identification of candidate genes and variants. Genes and SNPs potentially provide new avenues for further research and would help to establish a framework for new methods of genomic prediction, and increase the accuracy of estimated genetic merit for egg production and clutch traits.

Genetic relationships between reproductive and production traits in Jersey crossbred cattle

The study aimed to estimate the genetic parameters of different reproductive traits namely age at first calving (AFC), calving interval (CI), days open (DO) and number of service per conception (NSPC) and their associations with productive traits including 305-day milk yield (305DMY), total lactation milk yield (TLMY) and lactation length (LL) of Jersey crossbred cattle maintained at Kalyani, Nadia, West Bengal, India. Genetic parameters of reproductive traits and their correlations with productive traits were estimated by Restricted Maximum Likelihood method and Bayesian approach. Using both analytical approaches, the estimates of heritability for AFC, CI, DO and NSPC ranged from 0.12 −0.15, 0.05–0.08, 0.08–0.09 and 0.04–0.06, respectively. Low proportion of variances associated with permanent environmental effect of animals (c2 effect) were detected for CI (0.08–0.10), DO (0.09–0.11) and NSPC (0.05–0.06) in both the methods. Repeatability measures for all the reproductive traits considered in this study were low to moderate in nature, which ranged from 0.09 to 0.17. Genetic correlations between different reproductive traits were positive and low (0.05) to high (0.98) in magnitude except AFC-NSPC. Low and negative genetic correlations of AFC with 305DMY and TLMY were favourable and indicated animals with high milk yield had early age of maturity. Positive genetic correlations between CI, DO and NSPC with all production traits implied the antagonism relationships among these traits, therefore in any breeding program for improvement of production traits via selection, the reproductive traits should be taken into account as well.

Environmental variables influencing occurrence and distribution ofDelphinus delphisin the eastern Aegean Sea (eastern Mediterranean Sea)

AbstractCetaceans are considered bioindicators of the health state of marine ecosystems owing to their wide distribution across the different aquatic ecosystems in the world and their significant top‐down control role in the food chain, despite their low biomass. At the same time, effective management of wild cetacean populations severely affected by human pressure requires extensive knowledge on species distribution, habitat use, and associated threats. In this context, defining the factors that directly influence the local occurrence and distribution of cetaceans is one of the underlying challenges and is essential for their conservation and long‐term survival.Delphinus delphissightings data, collected between 2017 and 2021 during 284 standardized vessel‐based surveys, were used to set up a presence–absence distribution model in the eastern Aegean Sea, eastern Mediterranean Sea. Binomial generalized additive models with logit as link function were run using the R package mgcv (restricted maximum likelihood method) and different biogeochemical explanatory variables collected from different sources.Longitude, latitude, salinity, chlorophyll a, dissolved ammonium, and dissolved phosphate were selected as non‐collinear predictive variables. Through a model validation based on a 10‐fold cross‐validation approach and a random data splitting procedure of 70%/30% (train/test dataset), a model formula has been selected with an explained deviance of 38.10%, an Akaike information criterion value of 1,661.3, and an area under curve of 0.91.The study confirms that long‐term time series of satellite‐derived data are useful to assess the occurrence and the spatial distribution ofD. delphis, suggesting the need for a better understanding of the influence of these environmental factors especially in the framework of climate changes.Outcomes highlight the need to test further variables and further methods in order to provide increasingly reliable results in view of the conservation measures that must be adopted to stop or reduce the degree of pressure to which these species are subjected.

Clinical, immunological and microbiological evaluation of experimental peri-implant mucositis and gingivitis in subjects with Grade C, stage III/IV periodontitis background.

To compare individuals with a periodontitis background (Grade C, stage III/IV-formerly generalized aggressive periodontitis) (H-GAP) with periodontally healthy subjects (H-Health) in terms of molecular changes (immunological/microbiological) accompanying experimental peri-implant mucositis and gingivitis. H-GAP and control (H-Health) subjects were recruited, and experimental mucositis/gingivitis was induced around a single screw-retained implant and one contralateral tooth. Participants refrained from oral hygiene for 21 days in the selected areas, followed by professional prophylaxis and hygiene instructions for 21 days. Clinical parameters, immunological markers (multiplex analysis) and microbial data (16S rRNA gene sequencing) were collected at baseline, during induction (7, 14 and 21 days) and following remission (42 days). Clinically, no significant differences were observed between the groups (n = 10/each group) (H-GAP vs. H-Health) (p > .05, Mann-Whitney test) and the type of site (tooth vs. implant) (p > .05, Wilcoxon test) at the time of onset and resolution, or severity of gingival/mucosal inflammation. H-GAP displayed lower concentrations of the cytokines interleukin (IL)-1B, IL-4, IL-17, tumor necrosis factor-α and interferon-γ around implants than H-Health at baseline and during induction of mucositis (p < .05, Mann-Whitney test). In both groups, implants showed significantly higher inflammatory background at baseline and all subsequent visits when compared with teeth (p < .05, Wilcoxon test). Alpha and β-diversity metrics showed a significant shift in the microbiome composition and abundances of core species during induction and resolution of peri-implant mucositis and gingivitis (p < .05, restricted maximum likelihood method of Shannon and Bray-Curtis indices, respectively). Differences were not significant for these parameters between the H-Health and H-GAP groups when the periodontal and peri-implant microbiomes were compared separately; however, at each time point, the peri-implant microbiome differed significantly from the periodontal microbiome. Within the limitations of this pilot study (e.g. low power), it can be concluded that different microbial shifts contribute to the onset and progression of inflammatory responses around teeth and implants and that history of periodontal disease experience plays an additional role in modulating the immune response of peri-implant and periodontal tissues to biofilm accumulation.

PSXIII-26 Investigating the Genetic Background of Juniper Consumption in Goats

Abstract Junipers (Juniperus spp.) are woody invasive plants that have caused encroachment problems in the U.S. western rangeland, decreasing forage productivity and biodiversity. A potential solution to this issue is the use of goats in target grazing programs. Selecting goats for juniper consumption is of great interest to rangeland farmers. Therefore, our main objectives were to 1) estimate genetic parameters, including heritability and repeatability, for juniper consumption in Angora (ANG) and Boer x Spanish (BxS) composite population of goats grazing on West Texas rangelands (USA); and, 2) perform a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to identify candidate genes associated with juniper consumption. Fecal samples were collected multiple times between 2008 and 2017 and analyzed using near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) to estimate the percentage of juniper in the diet of goats, using calibration equations previously developed in controlled studies. We analyzed a dataset comprising 2,327 records from 459 ANG and 8,714 records from 1,996 BxS. The pedigree file included 1,601 and 2,426 ANG and BxS goats, respectively. Genomic information for 50,957 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) from 93 ANG and 238 BxS goats was included in the analyses. Sampling date and sex were fitted as categorical fixed effects and age as a linear covariate in the statistical models. Animal direct additive genetic and permanent environment were considered as random effects. Genetic parameters were calculated based on the Restricted Maximum Likelihood method under the single-step genomic BLUP procedure implemented in the BLUPf90+ family of programs. We used de-regressed estimated breeding values and whole-genome sequence data for the GWAS analyses with 8 million SNP for the ANG and 5.3 million SNP for the BxS. The software GCTA was employed for these analyses. Juniper percentage in their diets varied across the years and ranged from 2.14% (± 7.51%) to 14.6% (± 11.0%) for ANG and from 10.5% (± 14.7) to 33.8% (± 18.1) for the BxS population. The heritability estimate for juniper consumption was 0.19 (± 0.038) for ANG and 0.28 (± 0.022) for BxS, indicating that juniper consumption can be increased through selection. The repeatability values were 0.21 for ANG and 0.37 for BxS. The GWAS revealed 1,257 significant SNP located within or close to 220 genes in ANG, and 878 SNP related to 159 genes in BxS, suggesting their association with juniper consumption. These findings suggest that juniper consumption is under genetic control and has a polygenic inheritance pattern influenced by multiple genes of small effect. The heritability and repeatability estimates indicate that genetic improvement of juniper consumption is feasible in both goat populations.

Frequency of red blood cell transfusions in preterm neonates in Brazil: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Red blood cell transfusions are frequent in preterm neonates. The proportion of preterm neonates transfused in Brazil remains unknown. We systematically reviewed the literature to estimate the frequency of red blood cell transfusions in preterm neonates in Brazil. The LILACS, EMBASE, Cochrane, SciELO, MEDLINE (PubMed), Web of Science, Scopus, BDTD and 27 national university institutional databases were searched for studies that analysed red blood cell transfusion in preterm neonates in Brazil without period restriction. The Preferred Reporting Items in Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were followed, and the GRADE methodology was applied. A random-effects model along with the restricted maximum likelihood method was used, and the Freeman-Tukey transformed proportion was used to estimate effect size. Nine studies, representing 6548 preterm neonates, were included in the qualitative and quantitative analyses. The mean gestational age ranged from 26.0 to 31.6 weeks. Most of the studies were from the Southeast region. The pooled estimated frequency of red blood cell transfusions was 58.0% (95% confidence interval = 52.0%-64.0%, p < 0.001) with low certainty. There was statistically significant heterogeneity among studies (I2 = 92.5%, p < 0.001). In this current meta-analysis of the evidence available, which included moderate and extremely preterm neonates, the observed frequency of red blood cell transfusions in preterm neonates in Brazil was 58.0% and this estimate can help health programming. Some Brazilian regions were not included in this study, and further research is needed to provide a more representative overview of Brazil.

Genetic Variance Estimation over Time in Broiler Breeding Programmes for Growth and Reproductive Traits.

Monitoring the genetic variance of traits is a key priority to ensure the sustainability of breeding programmes in populations under directional selection, since directional selection can decrease genetic variation over time. Studies monitoring changes in genetic variation have typically used long-term data from small experimental populations selected for a handful of traits. Here, we used a large dataset from a commercial breeding line spread over a period of twenty-three years. A total of 2,059,869 records and 2,062,112 animals in the pedigree were used for the estimations of variance components for the traits: body weight (BWT; 2,059,869 records) and hen-housed egg production (HHP; 45,939 records). Data were analysed with three estimation approaches: sliding overlapping windows, under frequentist (restricted maximum likelihood (REML)) and Bayesian (Gibbs sampling) methods; expected variances using coefficients of the full relationship matrix; and a "double trait covariances" analysis by computing correlations and covariances between the same trait in two distinct consecutive windows. The genetic variance showed marginal fluctuations in its estimation over time. Whereas genetic, maternal permanent environmental, and residual variances were similar for BWT in both the REML and Gibbs methods, variance components when using the Gibbs method for HHP were smaller than the variances estimated when using REML. Large data amounts were needed to estimate variance components and detect their changes. For Gibbs (REML), the changes in genetic variance from 1999-2001 to 2020-2022 were 82.29 to 93.75 (82.84 to 93.68) for BWT and 76.68 to 95.67 (98.42 to 109.04) for HHP. Heritability presented a similar pattern as the genetic variance estimation, changing from 0.32 to 0.36 (0.32 to 0.36) for BWT and 0.16 to 0.15 (0.21 to 0.18) for HHP. On the whole, genetic parameters tended slightly to increase over time. The expected variance estimates were lower than the estimates when using overlapping windows. That indicates the low effect of the drift-selection process on the genetic variance, or likely, the presence of genetic variation sources compensating for the loss. Double trait covariance analysis confirmed the maintenance of variances over time, presenting genetic correlations >0.86 for BWT and >0.82 for HHP. Monitoring genetic variance in broiler breeding programmes is important to sustain genetic progress. Although the genetic variances of both traits fluctuated over time, in some windows, particularly between 2003 and 2020, increasing trends were observed, which warrants further research on the impact of other factors, such as novel mutations, operating on the dynamics of genetic variance.

META-ANALYSIS OF THE ACTION OF FORSKOLIN DURING IN VITRO CULTURE OF BOVINE EMBRYOS AND ITS IMPLICATION ON CRYOPRESERVATION

Increased rates of embryonic re-expansion and implantation have been reported following the use of forskolin during embryo culture, primarily attributed to the reduction of intraplasmic lipids, which improves cryopreservation. The aim of this meta-analysis was to compare the occurrence of embryonic re-expansion among different studies that utilized forskolin in vitro for embryo production. Five articles, out of 159, assessing forskolin at concentrations of 2.5, 5.0, and/or 10µM in embryo culture were considered from 1980 to 2022, comparing them to the control group (in vitro culture with forskolin). The Restricted Maximum Likelihood Method (REML) was employed to compare the results of the articles. The Q test was used to identify heterogeneity among the studies, and the I² analysis was used to quantify the heterogeneity between the studies and to quantify the heterogeneity between the studies. Based on the statistical analysis, it is inferred that embryos cultivated with forskolin at a concentration of 10µM are 71% more likely to re-expand, compared to the control group, with a 95% confidence interval, ranging from 27 to 132%. There was no statistically significant difference in the likelihood of embryonic re-expansion when comparing embryos treated with a forskolin at 5µM, and the control group, suggesting that a concentration of 10µM would enhance the quality of cryopreserved bovine embryos. Further experiments are required to define the correct concentration of forskolin in vitro for bovine embryos.

Free amino acids in response to salinity changes in fishes: relationships to osmoregulation.

Free amino acids (FAAs) are believed to play important roles in osmoregulation and buffer capacity in some aquatic animals, such as fishes. However, the potential roles of FAAs have not been systematically summarized and characterized until now. In the present study, the meta-analysis was conducted to investigate the relationships between FAAs and environmental salinities. Twenty published documents were included, accounting for 106 study cases. The effect sizes of total free amino acids (TFAAs), total essential amino acids (TEAAs), and total non-essential amino acids (TNEAAs) to salinity increase were calculated and determined by the restricted maximum likelihood (REML) method. It clearly showed that the elevated salinities significantly induced the contents of TFAAs, TEAAs, and TNEAAs at the ratio of 36%, 27%, and 29%, respectively. Faced to the salinity changes, the contents of FAAs in fishes under freshwater and seawater varied significantly, while the individuals under brackish water displayed relatively constant contents of FAAs. When salinity elevated, the contents of 17 amino acids in muscles significantly increased, suggesting the important roles of FAA metabolism in osmoregulation in fishes. The results also indicated that the effect sizes of TFAAs were positively related to the rates of salinity increases, and exhibited a significant quadratic linear relationship with temperatures. Additionally, the contents of FAAs also showed positive correlation with osmotic pressure, concentrations of plasma Na+, Cl-, and urea, implying their potential roles of FAAs in osmoregulation in fishes. These findings suggested that elevated salinities greatly induced the contents of FAAs in fishes, making a great contribution to maintaining the homeostasis of fishes in response to environmental salinity changes.