scholarly journals A Short-Term Altrenogest Treatment Post-weaning Followed by Superovulation Reduces Pregnancy Rates and Embryo Production Efficiency in Multiparous Sows

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henar Gonzalez-Ramiro ◽  
Cristina Cuello ◽  
Josep M. Cambra ◽  
Alejandro Gonzalez-Plaza ◽  
Juan M. Vazquez ◽  
...  

Although embryo transfer (ET) is a biotechnology ready for the swine industry, there are factors to be solved, the availability of embryo donors as one. Multiparous sows as donors ought to be considered since weaning is a natural and efficient method for estrus synchronization. In addition, superovulation treatments at weaning are effective in increasing the efficiency of donor embryo production. However, ET programs typically require more donors than those available from a single weaning, imposing grouping several weanings to establish a batch for ET. Since short-term administration of Altrenogest is effective in delaying estrus after weaning without effects on ovulation and embryo development, we investigated how Altrenogest combined with superovulation would affect reproductive parameters and embryo quality and quantity of weaned multiparous donor sows. The sows were administered Altrenogest from the day of weaning for 14 (SS-14 group; N = 26), 7 (SS-7 group; N = 31) and 4 (SS-4 group; N = 32) days. The sows were superovulated with eCG 24 h after the last administration of Altrenogest and with hCG at the onset of estrus. Sows not treated with Altrenogest that were superovulated with eCG 24 h post-weaning and hCG at the onset of estrus (SC group; N = 37) and sows with natural estrus after weaning (C group; N = 34) were used as control groups. The percentage of sows showing estrus within 10 days was not affected by the treatment, but the interval from Altrenogest withdrawal to estrus was longer (P < 0.05) in the SS groups than the interval from weaning to estrus in the controls. SS treatments increased (P < 0.05) the percentage of sows with ovarian cysts and the development of polycystic ovaries. The pregnancy and the fertilization rates, and the overall embryo production efficiency were also negatively affected by the SS treatments (P < 0.05). Interestingly, almost 70% of the structures classified as unfertilized oocytes or degenerated embryos in sows from the SS groups were immature oocytes. In conclusion, although superovulation of weaned sows was highly efficient, short-term administration of Altrenogest in combination with superovulation had negative effects on most of the reproductive parameters assessed, particularly affecting the overall efficiency of pregnancy and embryo production.

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 154
Author(s):  
G. Vichera ◽  
R. Jordan ◽  
V. Arnold ◽  
D. Dobler ◽  
R. Olivera

During a commercial horse cloning program, a critical point is the availability and maintenance of suitable recipient mares for a large quantity of embryo transfers. Usually, pregnancy rates and viable births off the breeding season decrease significantly, whereas the rate of in vitro embryo production remains constant. For this reason, an efficient vitrification system allows continuous embryo production throughout the year with the advantage of doing the transfers only during the breeding season. The vitrification technique evaluated in this study was the one described by Kuwayama et al. (2007 Theriogenology 67, 73-80). By using this method, we compared post-warming recovery efficiency, pregnancy rates, and viable foaling rates in 2 experimental groups: cloned blastocysts vitrified off-season and transferred in breeding season (VC, n = 337), and non-vitrified cloned blastocysts also transferred in breading season (no-VC, n = 516). To achieve this, equine oocytes were collected from slaughterhouse ovaries, matured, enucleated, and fused to a donor cell according to Olivera et al. (2016 PLoS One 11, e0164049, 10.1371/journal.pone.0164049). The reconstructed embryos (RE) were cultured in a well-of-the-well system by adding 3 RE per well for 7 to 8 days to reach the blastocyst stage, at which they were vitrified as mentioned above. During the breeding season, blastocysts were warmed and transferred in couples in a single cycling receptive mare. Pregnancies were confirmed by transrectal ultrasonography 15 days post-transfer. All variables were analysed by Fisher test (P < 0.05). The warming recovery rate was 91% (308/337) for cloned blastocysts. In addition, pregnancy and viable birth rates were similar for the VC and no-VC groups: 15.6% (24/154) v. 16.7% (43/258) for pregnancy rates, respectively, and 37.5% (9/24) v. 37.2% (16/43) for foaling rates, respectively. In summary, 9 viable cloned foals were obtained with off-season embryos warmed and transferred during the breeding season, showing that vitrification did not affect embryo quality. Hence, the proposed strategy provides the ability to maximize production efficiency of equine clones by generating a large number of pregnancies without stopping in vitro embryo production at any time of the year.


2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (10) ◽  
pp. 472-480 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geir A. Hjorthaug ◽  
Endre Søreide ◽  
Lars Nordsletten ◽  
Jan E. Madsen ◽  
Finn P. Reinholt ◽  
...  

Objectives Experimental studies indicate that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may have negative effects on fracture healing. This study aimed to assess the effect of immediate and delayed short-term administration of clinically relevant parecoxib doses and timing on fracture healing using an established animal fracture model. Methods A standardized closed tibia shaft fracture was induced and stabilized by reamed intramedullary nailing in 66 Wistar rats. A ‘parecoxib immediate’ (Pi) group received parecoxib (3.2 mg/kg bodyweight twice per day) on days 0, 1, and 2. A ‘parecoxib delayed’ (Pd) group received the same dose of parecoxib on days 3, 4, and 5. A control group received saline only. Fracture healing was evaluated by biomechanical tests, histomorphometry, and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) at four weeks. Results For ultimate bending moment, the median ratio between fractured and non-fractured tibia was 0.61 (interquartile range (IQR) 0.45 to 0.82) in the Pi group, 0.44 (IQR 0.42 to 0.52) in the Pd group, and 0.50 (IQR 0.41 to 0.75) in the control group (n = 44; p = 0.068). There were no differences between the groups for stiffness, energy, deflection, callus diameter, DXA measurements (n = 64), histomorphometrically osteoid/bone ratio, or callus area (n = 20). Conclusion This study demonstrates no negative effect of immediate or delayed short-term administration of parecoxib on diaphyseal fracture healing in rats. Cite this article: G. A. Hjorthaug, E. Søreide, L. Nordsletten, J. E. Madsen, F. P. Reinholt, S. Niratisairak, S. Dimmen. Short-term perioperative parecoxib is not detrimental to shaft fracture healing in a rat model. Bone Joint Res 2019;8:472–480. DOI: 10.1302/2046-3758.810.BJR-2018-0341.R1.


2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (8) ◽  
pp. 1249 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Gamarra ◽  
C. Ponsart ◽  
S. Lacaze ◽  
B. Le Guienne ◽  
P. Humblot ◽  
...  

Rapid genetic improvement in cattle requires the production of high numbers of embryos of excellent quality. Increasing circulating insulin and/or glucose concentrations improves ovarian follicular growth, which may improve the response to superovulation. The measurement of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) can help predict an animal’s response to superovulation treatment. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether increasing circulating insulin concentrations, through propylene glycol (PG) drenches, could improve in vitro embryo production in oestrus-synchronised superovulated heifers with different AMH profiles. Holstein heifers were grouped according to pre-experimental AMH concentrations as low (L) or high (H). The PG drench increased circulating insulin and glucose concentrations and reduced β-hydroxybutyrate and urea concentrations compared with the control group. AMH was a good predictor of follicle and oocyte numbers at ovum pick-up (OPU), and of oocyte and embryo quality (AMH H > AMH L). PG in the AMH H group increased the number of follicles and blastocyst quality above that in the control group, but did not improve these parameters in the AMH L group. These results indicate that short-term oral PG supplementation modifies an animal’s metabolic milieu and is effective in improving in vitro embryo production, after superovulation–OPU, more markedly in heifers with high rather than low AMH concentrations.


Author(s):  
Cyrus Jalili ◽  
Shiva Roshankhah ◽  
Mohammad Reza Salahshoor ◽  
Mohammad Mehdi Mohammadi

Objective: Malathion is the most organophosphates which capable to produce free radicals and induce disturbance on some of male reproductive parameter. Resveratrol is an herbal polyphenol and it has been beneficial antioxidant effects during short-term administration. This study was designed to evaluate the effects of Resveratrol against damage induced by Malathion to the reproductive parameter of male rats. Materials and methods: In this experimental study, 48 male rats were randomly assigned to 8 groups: normal control (saline) and Malathion control (250 mg/kg) groups; Resveratrol groups (2, 8, 20 mg/kg) and Malathion + Resveratrol (2, 8, 20 mg/kg). Treatments were administered intraperitoneally and gavage daily for 65 days. The sperm parameters, testis malondialdehyde (MDA), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), testosterone level and germinal layer height were evaluated and statistically analyzed. Results: The results displayed that the values of all parameters except MDA level (which increased) reduced significantly in the Malathion control group compared to the normal control group (p < 0.001). The Resveratrol and Resveratrol + Malathion treatments at all doses increased significantly all parameters except MDA level (which decreased) compared to the Malathion control group (p < 0.001). No significant modifications were observed in all Resveratrol groups compared to the normal control group (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Resveratrol attenuates toxic effect of Malathion on some of male reproductive parameters.


2001 ◽  
Vol 120 (5) ◽  
pp. A314-A314
Author(s):  
K HADERSLEV ◽  
P JEPPESEN ◽  
B HARTMANN ◽  
J THULESEN ◽  
J GRAFF ◽  
...  

Symmetry ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 1063 ◽  
Author(s):  
Horng-Lin Shieh ◽  
Fu-Hsien Chen

Energy efficiency and renewable energy are the two main research topics for sustainable energy. In the past ten years, countries around the world have invested a lot of manpower into new energy research. However, in addition to new energy development, energy efficiency technologies need to be emphasized to promote production efficiency and reduce environmental pollution. In order to improve power production efficiency, an integrated solution regarding the issue of electric power load forecasting was proposed in this study. The solution proposed was to, in combination with persistence and search algorithms, establish a new integrated ultra-short-term electric power load forecasting method based on the adaptive-network-based fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) and back-propagation neural network (BPN), which can be applied in forecasting electric power load in Taiwan. The research methodology used in this paper was mainly to acquire and process the all-day electric power load data of Taiwan Power and execute preliminary forecasting values of the electric power load by applying ANFIS, BPN and persistence. The preliminary forecasting values of the electric power load obtained therefrom were called suboptimal solutions and finally the optimal weighted value was determined by applying a search algorithm through integrating the above three methods by weighting. In this paper, the optimal electric power load value was forecasted based on the weighted value obtained therefrom. It was proven through experimental results that the solution proposed in this paper can be used to accurately forecast electric power load, with a minimal error.


Entropy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. 660
Author(s):  
Zhongshuo Hu ◽  
Jianwei Yang ◽  
Dechen Yao ◽  
Jinhai Wang ◽  
Yongliang Bai

In the signal processing of real subway vehicles, impacts between wheelsets and rail joint gaps have significant negative effects on the spectrum. This introduces great difficulties for the fault diagnosis of gearboxes. To solve this problem, this paper proposes an adaptive time-domain signal segmentation method that envelopes the original signal using a cubic spline interpolation. The peak values of the rail joint gap impacts are extracted to realize the adaptive segmentation of gearbox fault signals when the vehicle was moving at a uniform speed. A long-time and unsteady signal affected by wheel–rail impacts is segmented into multiple short-term, steady-state signals, which can suppress the high amplitude of the shock response signal. Finally, on this basis, multiple short-term sample signals are analyzed by time- and frequency-domain analyses and compared with the nonfaulty results. The results showed that the method can efficiently suppress the high-amplitude components of subway gearbox vibration signals and effectively extract the characteristics of weak faults due to uniform wear of the gearbox in the time and frequency domains. This provides reference value for the gearbox fault diagnosis in engineering practice.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul P. J. Gaffney ◽  
Mark H. Hancock ◽  
Mark A. Taggart ◽  
Roxane Andersen

AbstractThe restoration of drained afforested peatlands, through drain blocking and tree removal, is increasing in response to peatland restoration targets and policy incentives. In the short term, these intensive restoration operations may affect receiving watercourses and the biota that depend upon them. This study assessed the immediate effect of ‘forest-to-bog’ restoration by measuring stream and river water quality for a 15 month period pre- and post-restoration, in the Flow Country peatlands of northern Scotland. We found that the chemistry of streams draining restoration areas differed from that of control streams following restoration, with phosphate concentrations significantly higher (1.7–6.2 fold, mean 4.4) in restoration streams compared to the pre-restoration period. This led to a decrease in the pass rate (from 100 to 75%) for the target “good” quality threshold (based on EU Water Framework Directive guidelines) in rivers in this immediate post-restoration period, when compared to unaffected river baseline sites (which fell from 100 to 90% post-restoration). While overall increases in turbidity, dissolved organic carbon, iron, potassium and manganese were not significant post-restoration, they exhibited an exaggerated seasonal cycle, peaking in summer months in restoration streams. We attribute these relatively limited, minor short-term impacts to the fact that relatively small percentages of the catchment area (3–23%), in our study catchments were felled, and that drain blocking and silt traps, put in place as part of restoration management, were likely effective in mitigating negative effects. Looking ahead, we suggest that future research should investigate longer term water quality effects and compare different ways of potentially controlling nutrient release.


Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 722
Author(s):  
Jang-Hoon Jo ◽  
Jalil Ghassemi Nejad ◽  
Dong-Qiao Peng ◽  
Hye-Ran Kim ◽  
Sang-Ho Kim ◽  
...  

This study aims to characterize the influence of short-term heat stress (HS; 4 day) in early lactating Holstein dairy cows, in terms of triggering blood metabolomics and parameters, milk yield and composition, and milk microRNA expression. Eight cows (milk yield = 30 ± 1.5 kg/day, parity = 1.09 ± 0.05) were homogeneously housed in environmentally controlled chambers, assigned into two groups with respect to the temperature humidity index (THI) at two distinct levels: approximately ~71 (low-temperature, low-humidity; LTLH) and ~86 (high-temperature, high-humidity; HTHH). Average feed intake (FI) dropped about 10 kg in the HTHH group, compared with the LTLH group (p = 0.001), whereas water intake was only numerically higher (p = 0.183) in the HTHH group than in the LTLH group. Physiological parameters, including rectal temperature (p = 0.001) and heart rate (p = 0.038), were significantly higher in the HTHH group than in the LTLH group. Plasma cortisol and haptoglobin were higher (p < 0.05) in the HTHH group, compared to the LTLH group. Milk yield, milk fat yield, 3.5% fat-corrected milk (FCM), and energy-corrected milk (ECM) were lower (p < 0.05) in the HTHH group than in the LTLH group. Higher relative expression of milk miRNA-216 was observed in the HTHH group (p < 0.05). Valine, isoleucine, methionine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, tryptophan, lactic acid, 3-phenylpropionic acid, 1,5-anhydro-D-sorbitol, myo-inositol, and urea were decreased (p < 0.05). These results suggest that early lactating cows are more vulnerable to short-term (4 day) high THI levels—that is, HTHH conditions—compared with LTLH, considering the enormous negative effects observed in measured blood metabolomics and parameters, milk yield and compositions, and milk miRNA-216 expression.


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