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Presents the results of a study of the genetic structure within and among populations of Atlantic salmon using analysis of microsatellite DNA from old, dried scale samples. Populations of Atlantic salmon sampled, sample size, life stage of fish and source of DNA; Summary of microsatellite data for the samples.

Whereas individual cost-effectiveness analyses of new agents for acute leukaemia should be performed in target populations, any meaningful pharmacoeconomic evaluation of treatment options for this condition should include the many types of costs and outcomes in unselected, representative groups of patients. Both direct costs (e.g. costs for medication and hospitalisation) and indirect costs (e.g. lost productivity costs and reduced quality of life) are important parameters to assess, as are the costs of chronic adverse effects, research and development costs for new agents, and costs of procedure-related deaths. Complete remission, cure and survival are the 'success' response criteria for acute leukaemia treatments, in addition to prolonged life with acceptable quality of life for patients with incurable acute leukaemia. Death is 'failure', caused either by resistant disease (relapse and progressive disease) inspite of optimal chemotherapy or, sometimes, by insufficient treatment. All of these parameters should be taken into account when a pharmacoeconomic evaluation is performed (either for administrative or scientific purposes) in order to ensure a comprehensive and reliable background for the evaluation in question. Treatment of acute leukaemia is expensive with a total cost of about $US3000 per patient per day during the induction. Although 80% of children with acute leukaemia are cured, only less than 50% of adults are cured. Thus, a great cost is associated with death during treatment and only optimal medical treatment with full-scale combination chemotherapy and full supportive treatment can keep the number of deaths to a minimum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genetic relationships between the only natural population of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) in Denmark and seven other European salmon populations were studied using RFLP analysis of PCR amplified mitochondrial DNA segments. Six different haplotypes were detected by restriction enzyme analyses of the NADH dehydrogenase 1 segment, employing four endonucleases. Significant genetic differentiation was observed among populations. A hierarchical analysis of the distribution of the mtDNA variability revealed that only a small part was distributed among geographical groups within the study area. No correlation was found between genetic and geographic distance among populations. The effective migration of females (Nm)[sub F] among rivers was estimated to be approximately one per generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Annotated genomes can provide new perspectives on the biology of species. We present the first de novo whole genome sequencing for the pink-footed goose. In order to obtain a high-quality de novo assembly the strategy used was to combine one short insert paired-end library with two mate-pair libraries. The pink-footed goose genome was assembled de novo using three different assemblers and an assembly evaluation was subsequently performed in order to choose the best assembler. For our data, ALLPATHS-LG performed the best, since the assembly produced covers most of the genome, while introducing the fewest errors. A total of 26,134 genes were annotated, with bird species accounting for virtually all BLAST hits. We also estimated the substitution rate in the pink-footed goose, which can be of use in future demographic studies, by using a comparative approach with the genome of the chicken, the mallard and the swan goose. A substitution rate of 1.38 × 10− 7 per nucleotide per generation was obtained when comparing the genomes of the two closely-related goose species (the pink-footed and the swan goose). Altogether, we provide a valuable tool for future genomic studies aiming at particular genes and regions of the pink-footed goose genome as well as other bird species. Highlights • First de novo whole genome sequencing and assembly of the pink-footed goose. • ALLPATHS-LG was the best assembler out of several assemblers tested. • Over 26,000 annotated, mostly to bird species. • Fast mutation rate estimated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Huntington's disease ( HD) is an autosomal dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disorder characterized by motor, psychiatric, and cognitive manifestations. HD is caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the Huntingtin ( HTT) gene but the exact pathogenesis remains unknown. Dopamine imbalance has previously been shown in HD, and furthermore dopamine is thought to be implicated in cognition, behavioral and motor disturbances. A substantiated inverse correlation between motor onset and the elongated CAG repeat in the HTT has been established. This relation does not account for the full variability of the motor onset, and efforts have been put into finding genetic modifiers of motor onset, however, mostly with unsuccessful outcome. In this study, we took an alternative approach focusing on symptom complexes and searched for modifiers of cognitive impairment and psychiatric symptoms in a well-described cohort of Danish HD gene-expansion carriers. We show that cognitive impairment and psychiatric symptoms in HD are modified by polymorphisms in the monoamine oxidase A ( MAOA) and catechol- O-methyltransferase ( COMT) genes and by the 4p16.3 B haplotype. These results support the theory of dopamine imbalance in HD, and point toward more personalized treatment modalities of HD in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]