The Simmental Breed: Population Structure and Generation Interval Trends

Pedigree data from the American Simmental Association from 1986-2008 were used to analyze the pedigree structure and changes in generation intervals over time within the Simmental breed. The number of breeders that accounted for 10% of sires of sires (SS), sires of dams (SD), dams of sires (DS), and dams of dams (DD) were 3, 5, 5, and 16, respectively. States with the greatest influenceon the four pathways of selection (SS, SD, DS, and DD) included Montana, South Dakota, Kansas, and Texas. In general, generation intervals for the four pathways decreased by year of birth over the time span of the data analyzed, albeit numerically slight. Averagegeneration intervals for sires and dams also decreased by year of birth, while animals increased slightly

Pseudomonas aeruginosa: arsenal of resistance mechanisms, decades of changing resistance profiles, and future antimicrobial therapies

Antimicrobial resistance is one of the most serious public health issues facing humans since the discovery of antimicrobial agents. The frequent, prolonged, and uncontrolled use of antimicrobial agents are major factors in the emergence of antimicrobial-resistant bacterial strains, including multidrug-resistant variants. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a leading cause of nosocomial infections. The abundant data on the increased resistance to antipseudomonal agents support the need for global action. There is a paucity of new classes of antibiotics active against P. aeruginosa. Here, we discuss recent antibacterial resistance profiles and mechanisms of resistance by P. aeruginosa. We also review future potential methods for controlling antibiotic-resistant bacteria, such as phage therapy, nanotechnology and antipseudomonal vaccines