A whole-genome quantitative trait locus (QTL) scan for 31 phenotypes related to growth, carcass composition and meat quality was conducted using 1187 progeny of a commercial four-way cross. Animals were genotyped for 198 microsatellite markers that spanned the entire porcine genome. QTL analysis was conducted to extract information from paternal and maternal meioses separately using a rank-based nonparametric approach for half-sib designs. Nine QTL exceeded genome-wide significance: one QTL affecting growth (average daily gain on SSC1), two QTL influencing carcass composition (fatness on SSC3 and muscle mass on SSC15) and six QTL influencing meat quality (tenderness on SSC4 and SSC14; colour on SSC5, SSC6 and SSCX; and conductivity on SSC16). All but one of these coincided with previously reported QTL. In addition, we present evidence for 78 suggestive QTL with a combined false discovery rate of 40%.

To evaluate the extent of linkage disequilibrium in domestic pigs, we genotyped 33 and 44 unrelated individuals from two commercial populations for 29 and five microsatellite markers located on chromosomes 15 and 2 respectively. A high proportion of marker pairs up to 40 cM apart exhibited significant linkage disequilibrium in both populations. Pair-wise r(2) values averaged between 0.15 and 0.50 (depending on chromosome and population) for markers <1 cM apart and declined to values of 0.05 for more distant syntenic markers. Our results suggest that both populations underwent a bottleneck approximately 20 generations ago, which reduced the effective population size from thousands to <200 animals.

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-The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of body positioning immediately after delivery on respiratory and metabolic adaptation to extra-uterine life in newborn calves. One hundred and one Belgian White and Blue calves were delivered at term by an elective caesarean section and were assigned into three categories according to the body position imposed immediately after umbilical cord rupture: 71 calves were placed in lateral recumbency; 16 calves were placed in sternal recumbency and 14 calves were suspended by the hind legs for less than 90 seconds (75 ± 5 s). Following this initial body position, the calves were allowed to move without restraint. They were examined at birth, 5, 15, 30, 45 and 60 minutes, and 2, 3, 6, 12 and 24 hours after birth by the following measurements: physical examination, heart rate, arterial blood gas analysis, pulmonary function tests using the esophageal balloon catheter technique, arterial and venous blood acid-base balance analysis, rectal temperature, jugular venous blood sampling for the determination of blood glucose, plasma lactate and serum cortisol concentrations, haematologic variables and passive immune transfer variables. Body positioning immediately after delivery clearly influenced respiratory and metabolic adaptation to extra-uterine life in term calves delivered by an elective caesarean section. Systematic sternal recumbency and suspension by the hind legs for less than 90 seconds immediately after umbilical cord rupture had a positive functional impact on postnatal pulmonary mechanics and gas exchange and on postnatal correction of mixed acidosis present at birth, contributing in turn to an enhanced passive immune transfer. These two body positions should be encouraged to improve adaptation at birth in healthy term calves delivered by an elective caesarean section. Evaluation of possible side-effects is required before application in severely asphyxiated calves. Résumé -Confiner le veau en décubitus sternal ou le suspendre par les membres postérieurs à la naissance améliore son adaptation respiratoire et métabolique à la vie extra-utérine. L'objectif de cette étude était d'évaluer l'effet du décubitus sternal ou de la suspension systématique par les membres postérieurs immédiatement à la naissance sur l'adaptation respiratoire et métabolique chez le veau nouveau-né sain. Cent et un veaux de race Blanc-Bleu Belge à terme nés par césarienne ont été répartis en trois catégories selon la position dans laquelle ils ont été délibérément placés immédiate-ment après la rupture du cordon ombilical. La première catégorie comprend les veaux placés en décu-bitus latéral (n = 71) ; la seconde, ceux placés en décubitus sternal (n = 16) ; et la troisième, les veaux suspendus par les membres postérieurs pendant moins d'une minute trente secondes (75 ± 5 s) (n = 14). Les veaux ont été examinés à la naissance, à l'âge de 5, 15, 30, 45 et 60 minutes, 2, 3, 6, 12 et 24 heures après la naissance au moyen des tests suivants: un examen clinique, une analyse des gaz sangu...

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