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Introduction: Identifying genomic regions under selection is the most challenging issue for improving important traits in animals. Few studies have focused on identifying genomic regions under selection in sheep. The aim of this study was to identify selective sweeps and to explore the relationship between these and quantitative trait loci (QTL) in both domestic and wild sheep species using single nucleotide polymorphism markers (SNPs). Methods: Genomic data were obtained from the NextGen project, which included genotyping 20 domestic and 14 wild sheep using the Illumina Ovine SNP50K BeadChip. The XP-EHH, iHS, and RSB methods were employed to detect signatures of positive selection. Results: The results of the iHS method indicated 405 and 275 selective sweeps in domestic and wild sheep, respectively. Additionally, RSB and XP-EHH analyses revealed approximately 398 and 479 selective sweeps in domestic and wild sheep, respectively. Some of the genes associated with important QTL traits in domestic sheep include ADGRB3, CADM1, CAPN2, GALNT10, MTR, RELN , and USP25 , while in wild sheep, the relevant genes include ACAN, ACO1, GADL1, MGST3 , and PRDM16. Selective sweeps identified in domestic sheep were associated with body weight, muscle weight, milk protein percentage, and milk yield. In contrast, selective sweeps found in wild sheep were linked to average daily gain, bone weight, carcass fat percentage, and dressing percentage. Discussion: These results indicate that selection by humans and the environment have largely progressed in harmony, highlighting the importance of both economic and environmental traits for survival. Additionally, the identification of potential candidate genes associated with economic traits and genomic regions that have experienced selection can be utilized in sheep breeding programs. However, due to the incomplete information regarding the functional annotation of genes in sheep and the limited sample size, further research with a larger sample group is essential to gain a deeper understanding of the candidate genes linked to economic traits in both domestic and wild sheep. Advancing knowledge in this area can significantly enhance the effectiveness of breeding strategies. The quantitative trait loci identified in this study have the potential to be incorporated into breeding plans for both domestic and wild sheep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Joint Polar Satellite System 3 (JPSS-3) and -4 (JPSS-4) Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instruments are the last in the series (S-NPP VIIRS launched in October 2011, JPSS-1 VIIRS launched in November 2017, and JPSS-2 VIIRS launched in November 2022) of highly advanced polar-orbiting environmental satellites. Both instruments underwent a comprehensive sensor-level thermal vacuum (TVAC) testing at the Raytheon Technologies El Segundo facility to characterize the spatial, spectral, and radiometric aspects of the VIIRS sensor performance. This paper focuses on the radiometric performance of the 14 reflective solar bands (RSBs) that cover the wavelength range from 0.41 to 2.3 µm. Key instrument calibration parameters such as instrument gain, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), dynamic range, and radiometric calibration uncertainty were derived from the TVAC measurements for both the primary and redundant electronics at three instrument temperature plateaus: cold, nominal, and hot. This paper shows that all the JPSS-3 and -4 VIIRS RSB detectors have been well characterized, with key performance metrics comparable to the previous VIIRS instruments on-orbit. The radiometric calibration uncertainty of the RSBs is within the 2% requirement, except in the case of band M1 of JPSS-4. Comparison of the radiometric performance to sensor requirements, as well as a summary of key instrument testing and performance issues, is also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Research on Animal Production is the property of Sari Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources University (SANRU) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Rice sheath blight (RSB) disease became one of the major threats to rice crops worldwide. The causal agent of RSB is the necrotrophic fungus Rhizoctonia solani. Finding appropriate management strategies to combat the disease to minimize rice yield losses and reduce global food security threats is challenging. However, scientists are still figuring out the best way to safeguard rice crops from RSB. Recently various pathogenesis-related (PR) viz. PR-3, PR-5, PR-9, PR-10, PR-12, and PR-13 and WRKY genes have been discovered in rice crops which are engaged in plant defensive responses and responsible for various biological processes, including growth, development, stress, embryogenesis, and resistance to RSB disease. Conventional fungicides are now being replaced with eco-friendly fungicides and biological agents, including mycoviruses that can effectively control RSB disease and minimize the hazardous effects of chemicals. Here, we summarize the disease cycle, symptoms, and effects of environmental variables on RSB disease development. Furthermore, recent advances in studies on the management of disease using cultural, chemical, and biological approaches including mycoviruses, transgenic approaches, gene loci/markers, gene silencing, and genome editing are also summarized. Finally, the expression of resistant-related genes in rice crops and biological agent mechanisms of action are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identification of selection signatures may provide a better understanding of domestication process and candidate genes contributing to this process. In this study, two populations of domestic and wild goats from Iran were analyzed to identify selection signatures. RSB, iHS, and XP‐EHH statistics were used in order to identify robust selection signatures in the goat genome. Genotype data of domestic and wild goats from the NextGen project was used. The data was related to 18 Capra aegagrus (wild goat) and 20 Capra hircus (domestic goat) from Iran. The iHS method indicated 675 and 441 selection signatures in C. aegagrus and C. hircus, respectively. RSB and XP‐EHH methods showed about 370 and 447 selection signatures in C. aegagrus and C. hircus, respectively. These selection signatures were mainly associated with milk production, fleece trait, mammary epithelial cells, reproduction, and immune system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instruments on-board the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (S-NPP) and Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) spacecrafts 1 and 2 provides calibrated sensor data record (SDR) reflectance, radiance, and brightness temperatures for use in environment data record (EDR) products. The SDRs and EDRs are used in weather forecasting models, weather imagery and climate applications such as ocean color, sea surface temperature and active fires. The VIIRS has 22 bands covering a spectral range 0.4–12.4 µm with resolutions of 375 m and 750 m for imaging and moderate bands respectively on four focal planes. The bands are stratified into three different types based on the source of energy sensed by the bands. The reflective solar bands (RSBs) detect sunlight reflected from the Earth, thermal emissive bands (TEBs) sense emitted energy from the Earth and the day/night band (DNB) detects both solar and lunar reflected energy from the Earth. The SDR calibration uses a combination of pre-launch testing and the solar diffuser (SD), on-board calibrator blackbody (OBCBB) and space view (SV) on-orbit calibrator sources. The pre-launch testing transfers the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) traceable calibration to the SD, for the RSB, and the OBCBB, for the TEB. Post-launch, the on-board calibrators track the changes in instrument response and adjust the SDR product as necessary to maintain the calibration. This paper will discuss the pre-launch radiometric calibration portion of the SDR calibration for the RSBs that includes the dynamic range, detector noise, calibration coefficients and radiometric uncertainties for JPSS-2 VIIRS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instruments on board both the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (S-NPP) and the first Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS-1) spacecraft provides calibrated reflectance, radiance, and brightness temperature products for weather and climate applications. It has 22 bands with resolutions of 375 and 750 m for imaging and moderate bands, respectively, on 4 focal planes covering a spectral range of 400–12,490 nm. The bands are stratified into reflective solar bands (RSBs), thermal emissive bands (TEBs), and the Day/Night Band (DNB). VIIRS has three on-board calibration sectors: the solar diffuser (SD), on-board calibrator blackbody (OBCBB), and space view (SV). The on-board calibrator targets are used to track on-orbit degradation and background offset drift. Extensive prelaunch radiometric testing of the RSB, TEB, and DNB detector's radiometric sensitivity and noise was performed for both S-NPP and JPSS-1 VIIRS. The combination of prelaunch testing and on-orbit calibrators is used to produce calibrated sensor data record (SDR) reflectance, radiance, and brightness temperatures for use in environmental data record (EDR) products. This paper will discuss the prelaunch radiometric calibration activities for the RSBs only and includes the dynamic range, calibration coefficients, detector noise, and radiometric uncertainties for JPSS-1 VIIRS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The obligate intracellular bacterial pathogen Chlamydia trachomatis is a leading cause of sexually transmitted infections and infectious blindness. Chlamydia undergo a biphasic developmental cycle alternating between the infectious elementary body (EB) and the replicative reticulate body (RB). The molecular mechanisms governing RB growth and RB-EB differentiation are unclear. We hypothesize that the bacterium senses host cell and bacterial energy levels and metabolites to ensure that development and growth coincide with nutrient availability. We predict that a partner switching mechanism (PSM) plays a key role in the sensing and response process acting as a molecular throttle sensitive to metabolite levels. Using purified wild type and mutant PSM proteins, we discovered that metal type impacts enzyme activity and the substrate specificity of RsbU and that RsbW prefers ATP over GTP as a phosphate donor. Immunoblotting analysis of RsbV1/V2 demonstrated the presence of both proteins beyond 20 hours post infection and we observed that an RsbV1-null strain has a developmental delay and exhibits differential growth attenuation in response to glucose levels. Collectively, our data support that the PSM regulates growth in response to metabolites and further defines biochemical features governing PSM-component interactions which could help in the development of novel PSM-targeted therapeutics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Computer Engineering & Science / Jisuanji Gongcheng yu Kexue is the property of Computer Engineering & Science and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Anaesthesiology & Rescue Medicine / Anestezjologia i Ratownictwo is the property of Akademia Medycyny Publishing House and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The Aqua Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) has been chosen by the Global Space-based Inter-Calibration System operational community as the reference sensor in cross-sensor calibration. A number of geostationary orbit and low-earth orbit sensors use the 0.64-μm band from Aqua MODIS as a calibration reference. After over 15 years on-orbit, the performance characteristics of the MODIS instrument have changed, with effects evident at short wavelengths. MODIS employs a reflectance-based calibration using the solar diffuser measurements with the monthly lunar observations facilitating a response versus scan angle characterization on-orbit. As the instrument continues to operate beyond its design lifetime of 6 years, the on-board calibrators alone are insufficient to accurately characterize the instrument's response at all scan angles. This results in a long-term reflectance drift, particularly observed in the 0.64- and 0.85-μm bands, while observing the temporally invariant desert sites. Long-term reflectance drifts of up to 2% and 3% are observed at the beginning of scan for the 0.64- and 0.85-μm bands, respectively. An approach using earth-view response to supplement the on-board calibrator measurements has been shown to overcome these inadequacies and is now implemented for the 0.64-, 0.85-, 0.46-, and 0.55-μm land bands of Aqua MODIS. This paper presents the details related to the algorithm implementation and an independent evaluation using the Dome Concordia site and deep-convective clouds. This approach has been reviewed, tested, and approved by the MODIS science team and has been implemented in the forward production of the MODIS L1B Collection 6 starting July 9, 2016. This enhanced approach has also been adopted in the MODIS L1B Collection 6.1 reprocess for the entire mission to facilitate an improved quality of downstream science products. The results with the enhanced approach reduce the reflectance drifts to within 0.5% for most cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A refined intersensor comparison study is carried out to evaluate the radiometric stability of the 2257 nm channel (M11) of the first Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) aboard the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (SNPP) satellite. This study is initiated as part of the examination into the performance of key shortwave infrared (SWIR) bands for SNPP VIIRS ocean color data processing and applications, with Band M11 playing key role over turbid and inland waters. The evaluation utilizes simultaneous nadir overpasses (SNOs) to compare SNPP VIIRS Band M11 against Band 7 of the MODerate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) in the Aqua satellite over concurrently observed scenes. The standard result of the radiance comparison is a seemingly uncontrolled and inconsistent time series unsuitable for further analyses, in great contrast to other matching band-pairs whose radiometric comparisons are typically stable around 1.0 within 1% variation. The mismatching relative spectral response (RSR) between the two respective bands, with SNPP VIIRS M11 at 2225 to 2275 nm and Aqua MODIS B7 at 2125 to 2175 nm, is demonstrated to be the cause of the large variation because of the different dependence of the spectral responses of the two bands over identical scenes. A consistent radiometric comparison time series, however, can be extracted from SNO events that occur over snowy surfaces. A customized selection and analysis procedure successfully identifies the snowy scenes within the SNO events and builds a stable comparison time series. Particularly instrumental for the success of the comparison is the use of the half-kilometer spatial resolution data of Aqua MODIS B7 that significantly enhances the statistics. The final refined time series of Aqua MODIS B7 radiance over the SNPP VIIRS M11 radiance is stable at around 0.39 within 2.5% showing no evidence of drift. The radiometric ratio near 0.39 suggests the strong presence of medium-grained snow of a mixed-snow condition in those SNO scenes leading to successful comparison. The multi-year stability indicates the correctness of the on-orbit RSB calibration of SNPP VIIRS M11 whose result does not suffer from long-term drift. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) onboard the Aqua satellite, unlike its predecessor Terra MODIS, had always been thought to have been spared from significant deleterious impacts of electronic crosstalk on its imagery. However, recent efforts brought to our attention the presence of striping artifacts in Aqua MODIS images from band 24 ( 4.47~\mu \textm ), which upon further inspection proved to have a noticeable impact on the quality of the L1B product and to have been present since the beginning of the mission, in 2002. Using images of the moon from scheduled lunar observations, we linked the artifacts with electronic crosstalk contamination of the response of detector 1 of band 24 by signal sent from the detector 10 of band 26 ( 1.375~\mu \textm ), a neighboring band in the same focal plane assembly. In this letter, we report on these findings, the artifact mitigation strategy adopted by us, and on our success in restoring band 24 detector 1 behavior and image quality. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Identifying genomic regions with unusually high local haplotype homozygosity represents a powerful strategy to characterize candidate genes responding to natural or artificial positive selection. To that end, statistics measuring the extent of haplotype homozygosity within (e.g. EHH, iHS) and between (Rsb or XP- EHH) populations have been proposed in the literature. The rehh package for r was previously developed to facilitate genome-wide scans of selection, based on the analysis of long-range haplotypes. However, its performance was not sufficient to cope with the growing size of available data sets. Here, we propose a major upgrade of the rehh package, which includes an improved processing of the input files, a faster algorithm to enumerate haplotypes, as well as multithreading. As illustrated with the analysis of large human haplotype data sets, these improvements decrease the computation time by more than one order of magnitude. This new version of rehh will thus allow performing iHS-, Rsb- or XP- EHH-based scans on large data sets. The package rehh 2.0 is available from the CRAN repository () together with help files and a detailed manual. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identification of selection signatures is one of the current endeavors of evolutionary genetics. Admixed populations may be used to infer post-admixture selection. We calculated local ancestry for Swiss Fleckvieh, a composite of Simmental ( SI) and Red Holstein Friesian ( RHF), to infer such signals. Illumina Bovine SNP50 BeadChip data for 300 admixed, 88 SI and 97 RHF bulls were used. The average RHF ancestry across the whole genome was 0.70. To identify regions with high deviation from average, we considered two significance thresholds, based on a permutation test and extreme deviation from normal distribution. Regions on chromosomes 13 (46.3-47.3 Mb) and 18 (18.7-25.9 Mb) passed both thresholds in the direction of increased SI. Extended haplotype homozygosity within ( iHS) and between (Rsb) populations was calculated to explore additional patterns of pre- and post-admixture selection signals. The Rsb score of admixed and SI was significant in a wide region of chromosome 18 (6.6-24.6 Mb) overlapped with one area of strong local ancestry deviation. FTO, with pleiotropic effect on milk and fertility, NOD2 on dairy and NKD1 and SALL1 on fertility traits are located there. Genetic differentiation of RHF and SI ( Fst), an alternative indicator of pre-admixture selection in pure populations, was calculated. No considerable overlap of peaks of local ancestry deviations and Fst was observed. We found two regions with significant signatures of post-admixture selection in this very young composite, applying comparatively stringent significance thresholds. The signals cover relatively large genomic areas and did not allow pinpointing of the gene(s) responsible for the apparent shift in ancestry proportions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) onboard the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (SNPP) has successfully operated on-orbit for nearly ten years since its launch in October 2011, continuously making global observations and improving studies of changes in the Earth's climate and environment. VIIRS has 22 spectral bands, among which 14 are reflective solar bands (RSBs) covering a spectral range from 0.41 to 2.25 μm. The SNPP VIIRS RSBs are primarily calibrated by the onboard solar diffuser (SD), with its on-orbit degradation tracked by an onboard SD stability monitor (SDSM). The near-monthly scheduled lunar observations, together with the sensor responses over stable ground targets, have contributed to the sensor's mission-long on-orbit calibration and characterization. Numerous improvements have been made in the RSB calibration methodology since SNPP VIIRS was launched, and the RSB calibration has reached a mature stage after almost ten years of on-orbit operation. SNPP is a joint NASA/NOAA mission and there are two teams, the NASA VIIRS Calibration Support Team (VCST) and the NOAA VIIRS Sensor Data Record Team, which are dedicated to SNPP VIIRS on-orbit calibration. In this paper, we focus on the calibration performed by the NASA VCST. The SNPP VIIRS RSB calibration methodologies used to produce the calibration coefficient look up tables for the latest NASA Level 1B Collection 2 products are reviewed and the calibration improvements incorporated in this collection are described. Recent calibration changes include the removal of image striping caused by non-uniform degradation of the SD, improvements to the method for combining lunar and SD data, mitigation of the effects due a recent anomaly in the SD measurements, estimation of the SD degradation beyond 935 nm, and fitting strategy improvements for look-up table delivery. Overall, the SNPP VIIRS RSBs have performed well since its launch and continue to meet design specifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A "nadir-only" framework of the radiometric intercomparison of multispectral sensors using simultaneous nadir overpasses (SNOs) is examined at the 1-km regimes and below using four polar-orbiting multispectral sensors: the twin MODerate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) in the Terra and Aqua satellites, the Visible Imaging Infrared Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) in the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (SNPP) satellite, and the Ocean and Land Colour Instrument (OLCI) in the Sentinel-3A satellite. The study is carried out in the context of isolating the on-orbit calibration of the reflective solar bands (RSBs) under the "nadir-only" restriction. With a homogeneity-ranked, sample size constrained procedure designed to minimize scene-based variability and noise, the overall approach successfully stabilizes the radiometric ratio and tightens the precision of each SNO-generated comparison event. Improvements to the multiyear comparison time series are demonstrated for different conditions of area size, sample size, and other refinements. The time series demonstrate the capability at 1% precision or better under general conditions but can attain as low as 0.2% in best cases. Solar zenith angle is examined not to be important in the "nadir-only" framework, but the spectral mismatch between two bands can give rise to significant yearly modulation in the comparison time series. A broad-scaled scene-based variability of ~2%, the "scaling phenomenon", is shown to have pervasive presence in both northern and the southern polar regions to impact inter-RSB comparison. Finally, this paper highlights the multi-instrument cross-comparisons that are certain to take on a more important role in the coming era of high-performing multispectral instruments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]