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This thesis studies the workings of markets in the specific context of the international trade in bovine genetics in the dairy industry and with a particular focus on the Global North. It draws upon the examples of trade in breeding stock – cows – at auction sales and trade in bovine semen. Inspired by the work of economic sociologist and actor network theorist Michel Callon on "marketization", the thesis uses a performative approach to the market economy. Hence it does not address animals and their live body parts as simply being commodities. Rather it looks at processes that "make" them become commodities. Engaging with the question of how animals and their live body parts are turned into commodities, it is primarily concerned with valuation and bio-securitization processes and with the role of the animals themselves in the commodification process. Examining mechanisms that allow for the workings of markets in spite of not only pre-existing obstacles but of differences, resistances and instabilities – potential limitations – arising in the process of trading itself, the thesis focuses on the iterative character of markets. Based on findings derived from three empirical case studies, it shows how various forms of distinction are created in the marketization process of dairy genetics, and it demonstrates how these distinctions allow for trade. But the thesis also reveals mechanisms of distraction, suggesting that if markets operate on the basis of various forms of distinction, they do so simultaneously via mechanisms that distract us from the very distinctions created. It highlights the role of the human-animal divide in such processes. The thesis is based upon ethnographic and interview-based fieldwork mainly conducted in Germany and in New Zealand. Triangulating between work on "marketization", the political economies of nature and nonhuman "lively commodities" in economic geography, and also on biosecurity, it seeks to make a contribution to these geographical literatures.

Chapter 1 - Introduction -- Section 1 - Background and Technical Notes -- Chapter 2 - Conservation status of Neotropical mammals: A review -- Chapter 3 - The use of molecular markers in Neotropical mammal conservation -- Chapter 4 - Non-invasive genetic sampling techniques applied to conservation genetic studies in mammals -- Chapter 5 - Landscape Genomics in wildlife conservation -- Chapter 6 - The use of forensic DNA on the conservation of Neotropical mammals -- Chapter 7 - Leveraging conservation through massive sequencing technologies -- Chapter 8 - The importance of considering genetic factors in population viability analysis -- Section 2 - Case studies -- Chapter 9 - Effects of the sample sizes in the determination of the true number of haplogroups within a species with conservation purposes: the case of the Cebus albifrons in Ecuador, and the cases of the jaguarundi, the kinkajou and the coati throughout Latin America -- Chapter 10 - Molecular Ecology Approaches to Study Neotropical Bats -- Chapter 11 - Phylogeographic approximation of the subspecies Odocoileus virginianus veraecrusis (Goldman & Kellogg 1940) in the South Eastern Coastal Plain, Mexico.-Chapter 12 - Perspectives on Neotropical primate's conservation genetics -- Chapter 13 - The use of Genetic Footprints as a tool to trace the origin of the heavily trafficked White-footed tamarins (Saguinus leucopus) in Colombia -- Chapter 14 - Schrödinger's cat in genetics for the conservation of species in the tropical Andes: bibliographical review of the order Carnivora -- Chapter 15 - Conservation genetics of rodents in Argentina -- Chapter 16 - Conservation genetics of caviomorphs and sigmodontine rodents in the Neotropics.-Chapter 17 - Aquatic Mammals of the Amazon: a review of gene diversity, population structure and phylogeography -- Conclusion -- Chapter 18 - Concluding remarks.

This book contains 16 chapters. Topics covered are: patents, trade secrets and other forms of intellectual property rights; advent of animal patents: innovation and controversy in the engineering and ownership of life; economics of patents; access to data and intellectual property; global intellectual property: international developments in animal patents; public university, intellectual property and agricultural R and D; lessons from the patenting of plants; patenting and sequencing the genome; open source and other software intellectual property models; animals, ethics and patents; development of a genetic marker for litter size in the pig: a case study; development and commercialization of a genetic marker for marbling of beef in cattle: a case study; research and patent perspective of nuclear transfer cloning: case studies; dairy cattle test day models: a case study; development and commercialization of software for genetic improvement programmes: a case study; final thoughts.

Preface -- Chapter 1. Geographic distribution, habitat, reproduction and conservation status of crocodilians in the Americas -- Chapter 2. Molecular markers applied to conservation genetics of American crocodilians -- Chapter 3. Molecular Phylogenetics of the New World Crocodylia -- Chapter 4. Biogeography and comparative phylogeography of New World Crocodilians -- Chapter 5. Genetic diversity of New World crocodilians -- Chapter 6. Crocodilians are promiscuous but not to the benefit of heterozygosity -- Chapter 7. Hybridization and speciation among New World crocodilians species -- Chapter 8. Crocodilian Genome Advances -- Chapter 9. How genetic tools can help crocodilians' management and governance -- Chapter 10. Perspectives and final considerations about the molecular ecology of New World crocodilians -- Index.

This authored monograph presents a mathematical description of the time evolution of neutral genomic regions in terms of the differential Lyapunov equation. The qualitative behavior of its solutions, with respect to different mutation models and demographic patterns, can be characterized using operator semi group theory. Mutation and drift are two of the main genetic forces, which act on genes of individuals in populations. Their effects are influenced by population dynamics. This book covers the application to two mutation models: single step mutation for microsatellite loci and single-base substitutions. The effects of demographic change to the asymptotic of the distribution are also covered. The target audience primarily covers researchers and experts in the field but the book may also be beneficial for graduate students

The book is on livestock with specific reference to heat stress and its alleviation. The topic is very pertinent in light of the impacts of climate change on livestock production and health. Work related to effect of heat stress on animal productivity, immunity and hormonal levels is discussed in detail. Heat stress occurs in animals when there is an imbalance between heat production within the body and its dissipation. Thermoregulation is the means by which an animal maintains its body temperature. Under heat stress, a number of physiological and behavioral responses vary in intensity and duration in relation to the animal genetic make-up and environmental factors. In response to stress, mammals set physical, biochemical, and physiological processes into play to try and counteract the negative effects of heat stress and maintain thermal equilibrium. Adaptation to heat stress requires the physiological integration of many organs and systems viz. endocrine, cardiorespiratory and immune system. Heat stress also lowers natural immunity making animals more vulnerable to disease in the following days and weeks. The decrease in fertility is caused by elevated body temperature that influences ovarian function, estrous expression, oocyte health, and embryonic development. The increasing concern with the thermal comfort of dairy cows is justifiable not only for countries occupying tropical zones, but also for nations in temperate zones in which high ambient temperatures are becoming an issue. Improving milk production is, therefore, an important tool for improving the quality of life particularly for rural people in developing countries. The environmental conditions necessitate reduction of heat stress due to solar radiation and heat.The book discusses all these aspects in detail. Recent works related to effect of heat stress on animal productivity, immunity and hormonal levels are also discussed in the book. Information on biological rhythm is also included. The book also discusses the methods for alleviation of heat stress in livestock, especially cows and buffaloes. It is be a ready reckoner for students, researchers, and academia and would pave way for further research.

International audience ; In this paper, we first draw on existing literature to identify how the bridging of institutional theory and valuation studies can help us better understand current changes in the commoditization and government of life. Second, through an empirical study we open the black box of breeding contracts to detect what they can reveal about how new evaluation devices contribute to the evolution of the evaluated objects / subjects, and the institutionalization of new social and biological entities. Third, we discuss the outputs and limits of this very early step in our empirical analysis of animal genetic markets under theinstitutional disruptions associated with the "genomic era". We conclude by drawing some lines of inquiry for further research.

International audience ; In this paper, we first draw on existing literature to identify how the bridging of institutional theory and valuation studies can help us better understand current changes in the commoditization and government of life. Second, through an empirical study we open the black box of breeding contracts to detect what they can reveal about how new evaluation devices contribute to the evolution of the evaluated objects / subjects, and the institutionalization of new social and biological entities. Third, we discuss the outputs and limits of this very early step in our empirical analysis of animal genetic markets under theinstitutional disruptions associated with the "genomic era". We conclude by drawing some lines of inquiry for further research.

Article ; In the past decade, biobanking has fuelled great scientific advances in the human medical sector. Well-established domesticated animal biobanks and integrated networks likewise harbour immense potential for great scientific advances with broad societal impacts, which are currently not being fully realised. Political and scientific leaders as well as journals and ethics committees should help to ensure that we are well equipped to meet future demands in livestock production, animal models, and veterinary care of companion animals. ; published version ; http://purl.org/eprint/status/PeerReviewed

Animal models of human disorders are a ubiquitous feature of contemporary biomedical research, but how is their value and role in understanding human disorders established? This article examines the dynamics of building up (and sometimes knocking down) claims about what a model can demonstrate in the field of animal behavior genetics. Drawing on long-standing analogies that describe scientific knowledge production as a process of construction, I introduce the metaphor of an 'epistemic scaffold' to illuminate how scientists create and contest claims about the utility of animal models. The flexible, temporary nature of scaffolding draws attention to the processes of building up claims to increasingly risky heights and reconfiguring the evidence supporting particular models by including or excluding particular facts and claims. As researchers include or exclude observations from epistemic scaffolds, to contest or build up different links, they gradually frame human disorders. Negotiations over how much to claim about the utility of animal models also reflect larger tensions in the discipline concerning what animal studies reveal about human disorders.

Front Cover -- Advances in Genetics -- ADVANCES IN GENETICS, VOLUME 98 -- ADVANCES IN GENETICS -- Contents -- CONTRIBUTORS -- One - Evolving Centromeres and Kinetochores -- 1. INTRODUCTION -- 2. CENTROMERES: FROM POINT TO HOLO -- 2.1 Fungal Centromeres -- 2.1.1 All the Centromere Diversity in One Kingdom -- 2.2 Plant Centromeres -- 2.2.1 Long and Retro -- 2.3 Animal Centromeres -- 2.4 Holocentrics -- 2.5 Centromere Summary -- 3. KINETOCHORE PROTEINS: SIMILAR YET SO DIVERSE -- 3.1 CENP-A -- 3.1.1 Building the Foundation for the Kinetochore -- 3.2 Inner Kinetochore -- 3.2.1 The Protein Web of Chromosome Segregation -- 3.3 The Outer Kinetochore -- 3.3.1 The Flexible, Load-Bearing Bridge-to-Spindle Microtubules -- 4. FUNGAL OPPORTUNITIES -- 5. SUMMARY AND OUTLOOK -- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS -- REFERENCES -- FURTHER READING -- Two - The Genetics of Parkinson Disease -- 1. TIMELINE OF PARKINSON DISEASE RESEARCH -- 2. ENVIRONMENTAL BASIS OF PARKINSON DISEASE -- 3. GENETIC BASIS OF PARKINSON DISEASE -- 4. AUTOSOMAL DOMINANT PARKINSON DISEASE -- 4.1 Pathogenic Role of SNCA -- 4.2 Pathogenic Role of LRRK2 -- 5. AUTOSOMAL RECESSIVE PARKINSON DISEASE -- 5.1 PRKN -- 5.2 PINK -- 5.3 DJ-1 -- 6. THE PAST AND THE FUTURE OF PARKINSON DISEASE THERAPIES -- 7. CONCLUSIONS -- REFERENCES -- Three - Genetics of Mitochondrial Disease -- 1. INTRODUCTION -- 2. EPIDEMIOLOGY -- 3. OXIDATIVE PHOSPHORYLATION -- 3.1 Structure and Function of the Oxidative Phosphorylation Apparatus, the Electron Transport Chain -- 3.2 Mitochondrial DNA Components of Oxidative Phosphorylation -- 4. MITOCHONDRIAL GENETICS -- 4.1 The Mitochondrial Genome -- 4.2 Mitochondrial DNA Inheritance -- 4.3 Mitochondrial DNA Segregation -- 4.4 Homoplasmy and Heteroplasmy -- 4.5 Transcription -- 4.6 Translation -- 5. MITOCHONDRIAL DNA-ENCODED MITOCHONDRIAL DISORDERS -- 5.1 Rearrangements in Mitochondrial DNA

This Book of Abstracts is the main publication of the 59th Annual Meeting of the European Association for Animal Production (EAAP) held in Vilnius, Lithuania, on 24-27 August, 2008. It contains abstracts of the invited papers and contributed presentations. The meeting addressed subjects relating to science and innovation, with the main theme "Efficient and environmentally friendly livestock farming".Also, important problems were discussed during the sessions of EAAP's nine Commissions: Animal Genetics, Animal Nutrition, Animal Management and Health, Animal Physiology, Cattle Production, Sheep and Goat Production, Pig Production, Horse Production and Livestock Farming Systems. In addition joint sessions on topics interesting several disciplines and species were included in the programme. A total of 1512 authors (580 abstracts) contributed to this publication

1 Ecological Genetics -- 2 Numerical Changes in Animal Populations -- Numerical fluctuations in a colony of Melitaea aurinia -- Numerical fluctuations in Panaxia dominula -- Numerical fluctuations in a Maniola jurtina population -- Some effects of climate and food on animal numbers -- The spread of species in new territories -- 3 Genetic Drift and the Founder Principle -- Random genetic drift -- The founder principle -- 4 Polygenic Characters Evolving in Isolation -- Selection for a balanced gene-complex in Panaxia dominula -- Selection for spotting in Maniola jurtina -- Maniola jurtina in the Isles of Scilly -- 5 Sympatric Evolution -- The transition between different stabilizations of Maniola jurtina -- 6 The Theory of Genetic Polymorphism -- Balanced polymorphism -- The evolution of polymorphism -- The formation of super-genes -- Human polymorphism -- Criticisms of the polymorphism concept -- 7 Balanced Polymorphism in Panaxia dominula -- Estimates of larval populations -- Estimates and analysis of imaginal populations -- Experimental populations -- 8 Polymorphism and the Effects of the Switch-gene -- Selection for the effects of the switch-gene -- Heterozygous advantage and multiple-phase polymorphism -- Sex-controlled polymorphism -- Polymorphism in hydrogen cyanide production -- The super-gene -- Protein variation and 'neutral' mutants -- 9 Polymorphism and the Super-gene in Snails -- The genetics of Cepaea nemoralis -- Natural selection in populations of C. nemoralis -- Selection and genetic drift in C. nemoralis and C. hortensis in England and France -- Partula and Achatinella on Pacific islands -- 10 The Heterostyle-Homostyle System -- The homostyle primrose in England -- Primrose pollination -- Tristylic and 'concealed' heterostyled conditions -- 11 Chromosome Polymorphism -- Drosophila -- Chromosome polymorphism and selection in Drosophila -- Heterozygous advantage in chromosome polymorphism -- Other organisms, and conclusion -- 12 Mimicry -- General survey -- Experimental proofs of mimicry -- Mimetic polymorphism in the Lepidoptera -- Mimicry in brood parasites -- Aggressive mimicry -- Sound and scent mimicry -- 13 Papilio dardanus and the Evolution of Mimicry -- The races of Papilio dardanus -- The genetics of Papilio dardanus -- The evolution of mimicry -- Monomorphic Batesian mimicry -- 14 Transient Polymorphism and Melanism -- Transient polymorphism -- The spread of melanic forms -- Explanations of industrial melanism -- Selective elimination by birds -- The insularia forms -- The evolution of melanic forms -- Melanism in Phigalia pedaria -- Melanism in the beetle Adalia bipunctata -- A comparison of melanism in three species -- Recessive melanism -- Melanism in Amathes glareosa -- 15 Isolation and Adaptation -- Mortality in small localities -- The evolution of local races and species -- Ecological genetics and adaptation -- Conclusion -- Plates -- References.