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Background Survival from birth to slaughter is an important economic trait in commercial pig productions. Increasing survival can improve both economic efficiency and animal welfare. The aim of this study is to explore the impact of genotyping strategies and statistical models on the accuracy of genomic prediction for survival in pigs during the total growing period from birth to slaughter. Results We simulated pig populations with different direct and maternal heritabilities and used a linear mixed model, a logit model, and a probit model to predict genomic breeding values of pig survival based on data of individual survival records with binary outcomes (0, 1). The results show that in the case of only alive animals having genotype data, unbiased genomic predictions can be achieved when using variances estimated from pedigree-based model. Models using genomic information achieved up to 59.2% higher accuracy of estimated breeding value compared to pedigree-based model, dependent on genotyping scenarios. The scenario of genotyping all individuals, both dead and alive individuals, obtained the highest accuracy. When an equal number of individuals (80%) were genotyped, random sample of individuals with genotypes achieved higher accuracy than only alive individuals with genotypes. The linear model, logit model and probit model achieved similar accuracy. Conclusions Our conclusion is that genomic prediction of pig survival is feasible in the situation that only alive pigs have genotypes, but genomic information of dead individuals can increase accuracy of genomic prediction by 2.06% to 6.04%.

Records on groups of individuals could be valuable for predicting breeding values when a trait is difficult or costly to measure on single individuals, such as feed intake and egg production. Adding genomic information has shown improvement in the accuracy of genetic evaluation of quantitative traits with individual records. Here, we investigated the value of genomic information for traits with group records. Besides, we investigated the improvement in accuracy of genetic evaluation for group-recorded traits when including information on a correlated trait with individual records. The study was based on a simulated pig population, including three scenarios of group structure and size. The results showed that both the genomic information and a correlated trait increased the accuracy of estimated breeding values (EBVs) for traits with group records. The accuracies of EBV obtained from group records with a size 24 were much lower than those with a size 12. Random assignment of animals to pens led to lower accuracy due to the weaker relationship between individuals within each group. It suggests that group records are valuable for genetic evaluation of a trait that is difficult to record on individuals, and the accuracy of genetic evaluation can be considerably increased using genomic information. Moreover, the genetic evaluation for a trait with group records can be greatly improved using a bivariate model, including correlated traits that are recorded individually. For efficient use of group records in genetic evaluation, relatively small group size and close relationships between individuals within one group are recommended.

Additional file 1: Figure S1. Scatter plot of Pearson’s correlations of (genomic) estimated breeding value ((G)EBV) based on full and reduced datasets ( $$\rho_{f,r}$$ ρ f , r ) versus the absolute difference in (G)EBV between the full and reduced datasets ( $$d_{f,r}$$ d f , r ) for all 323 groups for univariate PBLUP (panel A), bivariate PBLUP (panel B), univariate ssGBLUP (panel C), and bivariate ssGBLUP (panel D).

Additional file 1. Investigation of predictive performance.

Additional file 2: Figure S2. Manhattan plot of GWAS in Yorkshire pigs for (a) FRONT, (b) BACK, (c) HIND and (d) CONF. The data provided represent the Manhattan plot of single-trait association analyses in Yorkshire pigs for four traits studied.

Additional file 3: Figure S3. Manhattan plot of GWAS in Duroc pigs for (a) FRONT, (b) BACK, (c) HIND and (d) CONF. The data provided represent the Manhattan plot of single-trait association analyses in Duroc pigs for four traits studied.

Additional file 4: Figure S4. Manhattan plot of within-breed multi-trait meta-analyses in (a) Landrace, (b) Yorkshire and (c) Duroc. The data provided represent the Manhattan plot of within-breed multi-trait meta-analyses in three breeds studied.

Additional file 1: Figure S1. Manhattan plot of GWAS in Landrace pigs for (a) FRONT, (b) BACK, (c) HIND and (d) CONF. The data provided represent the Manhattan plot of single-trait association analyses in Landrace pigs for four traits studied.

Additional file 5: Table S1. QTL regions and the most significant SNP within each region in across-breed meta-analyses. The data provided represent the QTL regions and the information of the most significant SNP within each region in across-breed meta-analyses.

A novel Horizontal model is presented for multitrait analysis of longitudinal traits through random regression analysis combined with single recorded traits. Weekly ADFI on test for Danish Duroc, Landrace, and Yorkshire boars were available from the national test station and were collected from 30 to 100 kg BW. Single recorded production traits of ADG from birth to 30 kg BW (ADG30), ADG from 30 to 100 kg BW (ADG100), and lean meat percentage (LMP) were available from breeding herds or the national test station. The Horizontal model combined random regression analysis of feed intake (FI) with single recorded traits of ADG100, LMP, and ADG30. In the Horizontal model, the FI data were horizontally structured with FI on each week as a "trait." The additive genetic and litter effects were modeled to be common across different FI records by reducing the rank of the covariance matrices using second- and first-order Legendre polynomials of age on test, respectively. The fixed effect and random residual variance were estimated for each weekly FI trait. Residual feed intake (RFI) was derived from the conditional distribution of FI given the breeding values of ADG100 and LMP. The heritability of FI varied by week on test in Duroc (0.12 to 0.19), Landrace (0.13 to 0.22), and Yorkshire (0.21 to 0.23). The heritability of RFI was lowest and highest in wk 6 (0.03) and 10 (0.10), respectively, in Duroc and wk 7 (0.04 and 0.02) and 1 (0.09 and 0.20), respectively, in Landrace and Yorkshire. The proportion of FI genetic variance explained by RFI ranged from 20 to 75% in Duroc, from 19 to 75% in Landrace, and from 11 to 91% in Yorkshire. Average daily gain from 30 to 100 kg BW and ADG30 heritabilities were moderate in Duroc (0.24 and 0.22, respectively), Landrace (0.34 and 0.25, respectively), and Yorkshire (0.34 and 0.22, respectively). Lean meat percentage heritability was moderate in Duroc (0.37) and large in Landrace (0.62) and Yorkshire (0.60). The genetic correlation of FI with ADG100 increased by week on test followed by a 32% decrease from wk 7 in Duroc and a 7% decrease in dam line breeds. Defining RFI as genetically independent of production traits leads to consistent and easy interpretable breeding values. The genetic parameters of traits in the feed efficiency complex and their dynamics over the test period showed breed differences that could be related to the fatness and growth potential of the breeds. The Horizontal model can be used to simultaneously analyze repeated and single recorded traits through proper modeling of the environmental variances and covariances.

Et nyt studie viser, at den relative havspejlsændring i det centrale Limfjordsområde har været relativt konstant omkring 1.2±0.2 m per 1000 år i de seneste 3000 år. I en arkæologisk sammenhæng betyder det, at udbredelse og placeringer af tørre enge, laguner og vinteroversvømmede arealer er muligt at belyse. Her præsenterer vi,hvordan denne nye viden påvirker forståelsen af 1) bosættelsesmønstre og udviklinger i infrastruktur i kystzonen, 2) ændringer i både arealer og kvalitet af græsningsområder,som er påvirket af både oversvømmelseshyppigheden og saliniteten samt endelig 3) placeringen af Aggersborg Ift. fjorden sidst i 900-tallet. Der vises også eksempler på, hvordan formen på kurven for de relative havspejlsændringer kan bidrage til forbedret forståelse for både kendte arkæologiske lokaliteter og potentialer for fund af lokaliteter fra dårligere belyste paleo-kystmiljøer

An apparatus including: a cover defining an exterior surface of the apparatus and including a first conductive cover portion; an antenna, connected to a feed point and configured to operate in at least a first resonant frequency band; a conductive member configured to couple with the first conductive cover portion, wherein the combination of the conductive member and the first conductive cover portion are operable in a second resonant frequency band, different to the first resonant frequency band and are configured to be contactlessly fed by the antenna.