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At least 343 records · Page 19Linked to original sources
PubMed1989

Gonadotropin stimulation protocols in the Norfolk IVF program--1988.

A standard FSH/hMG stimulation protocol applied to all patients does not yield optimum results. In the Norfolk program it has been found that the determination of FSH/LH ratio on day 3 of the menstrual cycle provides a predictive signal of the likelihood of a good or bad response to a standard protocol. If the FSH is high in relation to LH, the patient will likely be a low responder and/or approaching the menopause. A regime of high-dose pure FSH seems to improve the number of eggs in this group and therefore the pregnancy rate. On the other hand, if the FSH/LH ratio is very low, that is, the patient has a high LH, the patient is generally a high responder and produces many eggs, but in some instances the quality of eggs is suspect, and the pregnancy rate is low in a particular subset of high responders. The use of GnRHa and/or minimal stimulation with FSH or hMG seems to improve the pregnancy rate.

Female↗
PubMed2005

Egg geometry calculation using the measurements of length and breadth.

Egg geometrical calculations that include estimations of volume and surface areas are important for the poultry industry and in biological studies, as they can be used in research on population and ecological morphology, and to predict chick weight, egg hatchability, shell quality characteristics, and egg interior parameters. The research reported here is directed at the prediction of egg volume and surface area, and develops a formula that could be both accurate and suitable for calculations. The objective of this research was to improve the accuracy of the calculations of egg volume and surface area based on the measurements of the egg length and breadth. The experiment was carried out with 90 fresh eggs from a flock of Hy-Line Brown chicks at the age of 65 wk. The resulting formula for egg volume, V, was V = (0.6057 - 0.0018B)LB2 in which L is the egg length in millimeters, and B is the egg maximum breadth in millimeters. Egg surface area, S, was calculated as S = (3.155 - 0.0136L + 0.0115B)LB, in which both L and B are taken in millimeters.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Mycoplasma gallinarum infection in commercial layers and onset of fatty liver hemorrhagic syndrome.

Fatty liver hemorrhagic syndrome (FLHS) was observed in each of three trials in which commercial layers were utilized to determine the effect of Mycoplasma gallinarum (MGn) on egg and eggshell quality parameters and egg production. In each of three trials, FLHS occurred 31-54 days later in MGn-inoculated hens as compared with the Mycoplasma-clean (control) hens. In trials 1 and 2, no therapeutic intervention was initiated to ameliorate FLHS. In trial 3, therapeutic intervention was instituted and consisted of the addition of 1 pound of choline chloride/ton of feed. Total mortality recorded throughout the duration of each trial and attributable to FLHS was not significantly different between the control and the MGn-inoculated treatment. However, FLHS-associated mortality in each of the three trials was numerically greater for the control treatment.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

[Influence of ovarian cysts during controlled ovarian hyperstimulation].

BACKGROUND: The use of gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonist and purified follicular stimulating hormone increases the incidence of ovarian cysts during in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer cycles. The aetiopathogenesis and the effects of ovarian cysts on controlled ovarian hyperstimulation is unclear; most authors observed no-detrimental influence of ovarian cysts in controlled ovarian hyperstimulation cycles for IVF. The aim of this study was the evaluation of the real incidence and effects of ovarian cysts during in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer cycles. METHODS DESIGN: retrospective study. SETTING: reproductive medicine units. PATIENTS: 130 women. INTERVENTIONS: r-FSH--225 U.I. was administered to 130 women i.m. after a long protocol of down regulation with GnRH-a (Triptoreline 3.75). The drug administration was personalized on the basis of: pre-existent patients pathologies; E2 blood levels; ultrasound evaluation of the follicular development. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: E2 levels, number and quality of oocytes retrieved, fertilization rate, number of embryos developed, pregnancy rate. RESULTS: At the end of stimulation ovarian cyst was observed in eighteen cases. There was no difference, between the cycles with or without cysts, in the follicular development, number and quality of eggs retrieved, fertilization rate, number and quality of the transferred embryos, pregnancy and miscarriage rate. CONCLUSIONS: The conclusion is drawn that the incidence of ovarian cysts during COH can be reduced observing some simple rules like: to exclude from the stimulation protocols patients with follicles of more than 12 mm diameters as observed at the preliminary ultrasound control; to personalize the therapeutic regime with the pre-existent patients pathologies; ultrasound evaluation of the follicular development; determination of the E2 serum levels, every two days.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Using response surface analysis to optimize the quality of ultrapasteurized liquid whole egg.

Response surface analysis (RSA) is used to show the effects of a range of heat pasteurization times and temperature combinations on several quality factors of liquid egg. The purpose of this paper is not to suggest the rigid processing time and temperature combinations to give maximum quality but to illustrate that RSA can be used as a tool to predict individual and multiple egg functional properties resulting from various processing conditions. The application of heat will change the quality and functional properties of the liquid egg. This paper describes the application of RSA to the changes in soluble protein, alpha-amylase, solids content, viscosity, and the height of cakes made with processed liquid whole egg (LWE). The Mallow's Cp statistic is used to determine the best model while minimizing the number of terms in the model. By using this method of choosing the model, the number of terms desired in the model can be first determined then the best fit can be determined from the possible models. The time and temperature combinations are in the ultra-high temperature range for eggs (30, 60, and 95 s each at 64, 68, and 72 C). The RSA may be used to optimize the quality and functionality of LWE while ensuring the safety of the product. This information can be used (with further testing) to maximize desirable and minimize undesirable product properties.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1994

In vitro kallikrein treatment of human spermatozoa: stimulation of sperm penetration into zona-free hamster eggs depends on the quality of initial semen parameters but not on constituents of the kallikrein-kinin system in seminal plasma.

We investigated the effect of an in vitro kallikrein treatment of human spermatozoa on their ability to penetrate zona-free hamster eggs. Sixty-four infertility patients were classified into four groups (normo-, oligo-, astheno-, and oligoasthenozoospermia) in order to find out which men would benefit most from this procedure. An aliquot of each ejaculate was diluted with Ham's F-10 medium supplemented with human serum albumin and kept at 22C for 1 hour. Another aliquot was incubated with kallikrein (5 KU/ml.) for one hour at 22C. These sperm suspensions were then washed twice, subjected to a swim-up preparation, and subsequently incubated at 37C for 2 hours. The mean penetration rates of kallikrein-treated samples were significantly higher than those of the corresponding control assays in all but the oligoasthenozoospermia group. Our results suggest a direct proteolytic action of kallikrein because the stimulation of penetration into hamster eggs was not correlated with the amount of constituents of the kallikrein-kinin system (kinins, kininogen, kininase) in seminal plasma.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Dietary levels of chia: influence on hen weight, egg production and sensory quality, for two strains of hens.

1. Laying hens, 225 white and 225 brown, were fed for 90 d to compare a control diet with diets containing 70, 140, 210 and 280 g/kg chia (Salvia hispanica L.) seed. 2. Hen weight was not significantly affected by diet; however, manure production was less for the hens fed on chia. 3. Egg weight and production, yolk weight, and yolk percentage were determined at d 0, 30, 43, 58, 72 and 90. 4. A sensory evaluation was conducted on eggs produced during the last week of the trial. 5. No significant differences in egg production were found among treatments for the brown hens. 6. With the 280 g/kg chia diet, the white hens produced fewer and lighter eggs than did the hens fed on the control diet. 7. No significant differences were detected in yolk weight until d 90. 8. On this date the yolks produced by the white hens fed on the 70 g/kg chia diet were significantly lighter in weight, whereas the brown hens produced significantly heavier yolks, compared with the hens fed on the control diet. 9. Yolk weight as a percentage of egg weight was lower for white hens throughout the trial except on d 58 with the 140 g/kg chia diet. Significant differences, however, were detected only with the 70 g/ kg chia diet on d 90 and with the 210 g/kg chia diet on d 58, 72 and 90. 10. No significant differences in taste preference or flavour were found among any of the chia treatments and the control.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Effect of inorganic versus organic selenium on hen production and egg selenium concentration.

A 28-d experiment using 288 Hy-Line W-36 laying hens was conducted to compare sodium selenite (SS) with Se-enriched yeast (SY). The Se from SS or SY was supplemented into a corn-soybean meal basal diet at 0, 0.15, 0.30, 0.60, or 3.00 ppm, and the basal diet was formulated to provide 0.82% lysine and 2,950 kcal/kg of ME. Each treatment was replicated 4 times with 2 cages of 4 hens per cage in each replicate. Hen production was assessed daily, and 2 eggs per replicate were collected every 4 d for whole-egg Se analysis. Albumen quality was assessed at 2 egg storage temperatures (7.2 vs. 22.2 degrees C) with the eggs collected on d 24 and 28, respectively. The percentage of dirty and cracked eggs was greater (P < 0.04) in hens fed SY than in those fed SS. Percentage hen-day production was not affected (P > 0.05) by diet. Albumen quality of eggs stored at 22.2 degrees C was improved (P < 0.04) in eggs from hens fed SS, but there was no difference (P > 0.05) in albumen quality of eggs stored at 7.2 degrees C. Egg weight was linearly increased (P < 0.01) by SY. Whole-egg Se levels were linearly increased (P < 0.01) as dietary Se level increased for both sources of Se, but eggs from hens fed SY had higher (P < 0.01) Se concentrations than those fed SS. The results from this experiment indicate that percentage hen-day production is not affected by Se source, and that SY increases egg Se concentrations more than SS.

Animal Feed↗
PubMed1983

The relationship between body weight loss during an induced molt and postmolt egg production, egg weight, and shell quality in caged layers.

Two trials were conducted to determine the relationship between percent body weight loss (% BWL) during an induced molt and postmolt performance. The molt was induced by fasting and photoperiod manipulation. Four groups with 24, 27, 31, or 35% BWL (Trial 1) or 20, 25, 30, or 35% BWL (Trial 2) were utilized in each trial. Performance was evaluated on the basis of 24 weeks of egg production and determinations of egg weight (EW), specific gravity (SG), and shell weight (SW) conducted during Weeks 8 (Trial 2 only), 18, and 24 following the removal of feed. The 27 and 31% BWL groups of Trial 1 and the 30 and 35% BWL groups of Trial 2 produced significantly more eggs per hen housed than the remaining treatments in their respective trial. Differences in SG and SW at the end of the trial were most pronounced in Trial 1 where the 27 and 21% BWL groups exhibited significantly greater SG and SW at Week 24 than did the 24 or 35% BWL groups. No significant differences occurred for SG at Week 24 of Trial 2, but the 35% BWL group exhibited significantly improved SW when compared to the 25% BWL group with the remaining groups intermediate. The EW was greatest for the 31% BWL and least for the 35% BWL group at 24 weeks in Trial 1 but did not differ in Trial 2. It was concluded that a body weight loss of approximately 27 to 31% produced optimum postmolt performance.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effects of infectious bronchitis virus (Arkansas strain) on laying chickens.

Seventy-seven-week-old white leghorn layers were inoculated intraocularly with the Arkansas strain of infectious bronchitis virus (AIBV) to study the effects of the virus on egg production and on antibody response of the birds. Infected hens laid fewer eggs than the controls, and those eggs weighed less than eggs laid by controls. Further, the shell quality and internal quality of eggs laid by infected birds were inferior. The serum hemagglutination-inhibition (HI) titers of infected birds increased continuously through 4 weeks postinfection; serum HI titers of the controls were negligible.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Postmolt performance of laying hens molted by high dietary zinc, low dietary sodium, and fasting: egg production and eggshell quality.

Single Comb White Leghorn (SCWL) hens, 65 weeks of age, were assigned to one of four dietary treatments: fasting to a body weight loss of 34% (FAST), administration of a diet containing less than or equal to 500 ppm sodium for 42 days (Lo Na), administration of a diet containing 20,000 ppm zinc for 10 days (Hi Zn), and a control (CON) diet. The hens were subjected to two photoperiod treatments, those receiving 17 hr (17-hr) of light per day throughout the 32-week experiment and those restricted to 8 hr of light per day for the first 42 days followed by a .5 hr/day increase until 17 hr was reached. Egg production and mortality were recorded daily. Feed consumption, feed conversion, and livability were determined weekly. Beginning on Day 56, eggs were collected at 28-day intervals for determination of egg weight, egg specific gravity, and shell weight. During the molt phase (1 to 6 weeks), the 17-hr light day significantly increased egg production, feed consumption, and decreased feed conversion (kg/doz) across all groups when compared with the 8-hr light/day treatments, but FAST treatments consumed identical amounts under both light treatments. From 7 to 32 weeks during the postmolt phase, egg production was significantly increased and feed conversion decreased by the FAST and Hi Zn treatments relative to CON, Lo Na treatment was intermediate. Feed consumption was significantly higher for the FAST treatment. Overall, there were not significant effects on egg production, feed consumption, and feed conversion.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1997

D values of Salmonella enteritidis isolates and quality attributes of shell eggs and liquid whole eggs treated with irradiation.

Irradiation sensitivity of five Salmonella enteritidis isolates inoculated either on the surface or inside of whole shell eggs were determined. The shell eggs were irradiated at doses of 0, 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 kGy. A minimal dose of 0.5 kGy was sufficient to eliminate all the isolates from the surface of whole eggs; however, the same isolates were more resistant to irradiation when present inside the eggs. The ATCC 13076 isolate was significantly more sensitive to irradiation, with a D value of 0.32 kGy, than the other four isolates from animal origin. Irradiation D values of the latter ranged from 0.39 to 0.41 kGy. Liquid whole eggs were also inoculated (2.4 x 10(6) cells per milliliter) with two S. enteritidis isolates and were heat-treated at 50 C for 0, 20, 40, or 60 min followed by irradiation at 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, or 1.0 kGy. The results indicate that mild heating prior to irradiation was ineffective in reducing the irradiation D values. However, on the basis of the D values obtained, an irradiation dose of 1.5 kGy should be sufficient to reduce Salmonella counts by approximately 4 log10 in both whole shell and liquid eggs. Results also indicate that color and thermal characteristics of the whole or liquid eggs were unaffected by a 1.5-kGy dose of irradiation.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Effect of supplementation of two different sources of phytase on egg production parameters in laying hens and nutrient digestiblity.

Hens were fed corn-soybean meal diets containing 0.35, 0.25, 0.15, or 0.10% nonphytate phosphorus (NPP) (40 to 60 wk). Phytases A and B were added at 0.25, 0.15, and 0.10% at 250 to 300 units of phytase (FTU)/kg feed in a 3 x 3 factorial; 0.35% was a control diet. Treatments were replicated with eight cages per treatment (five hens per cage) in a randomized complete block design. Phytase supplementation had a significant effect on several production parameters: feed intake, feed conversion, and egg mass. Results showed nonsignificant effects (P < 0.06) on feed intake when hens were supplemented with phytase A or B and consumed more feed compared to the basal diet at 0.10% NPP. The feed conversion of birds fed 0.10% NPP without phytase was the least efficient compared to the other nine treatments (P < 0.05). Egg mass was significantly greater for hens supplemented with phytases A and B than for hens fed the basal diet at low (0.10%) NPP (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in egg production, egg weight, specific gravity, Haugh units, wet shell, or dry yolk percentages. Dry shell percentage was higher among basal diets at 0.15 and 0.25% NPP in contrast to phytase, whereas albumen and dry yolk percentages were significantly higher for diets with phytase than for the basal diet at 0.10% NPP. Bone ash percentage was uncharacteristically high in hens fed 0.10% NPP without phytase; however, mortality was 22% in this group. Phytase supplementation improved Ca and P digestibilities to varying degrees. Supplementation of phytase in normal, corn-soybean meal diets improved feed intake, feed conversion, and egg mass and elicited a response in shell quality and egg components at the low (0.10%) NPP.

6-Phytase↗
PubMed2002

Host plant quality and fecundity in herbivorous insects.

Host plant quality is a key determinant of the fecundity of herbivorous insects. Components of host plant quality (such as carbon, nitrogen, and defensive metabolites) directly affect potential and achieved herbivore fecundity. The responses of insect herbivores to changes in host plant quality vary within and between feeding guilds. Host plant quality also affects insect reproductive strategies: Egg size and quality, the allocation of resources to eggs, and the choice of oviposition sites may all be influenced by plant quality, as may egg or embryo resorption on poor-quality hosts. Many insect herbivores change the quality of their host plants, affecting both inter- and intraspecific interactions. Higher-trophic level interactions, such as the performance of predators and parasitoids, may also be affected by host plant quality. We conclude that host plant quality affects the fecundity of herbivorous insects at both the individual and the population scale.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Effect of dwarf (dw) and frizzle (F) genes on the performance of layers under Senegalese conditions.

The influence of sex-linked dwarf (dw) and incompletely dominant frizzle (F) genes on growth, egg production and quality were investigated. The experimental stock comprised 100 chicks of four genotypes: normal feathered, normal size (ffDw): normal feathered, dwarf (ffdw); frizzle, normal size (FfDw); and frizzle, dwarf (Ffdw). The dwarf gene reduced the body weight, shank length, feed intake, egg production and egg weight. The frizzle gene also reduced most of these traits, except for egg production, the interaction between the two genes being positive only for growth traits and egg number. Neither of the two genes significantly influenced egg quality. It was concluded that the dwarf gene may have some practical interest in tropical environments, while more needs to be known about the frizzle gene.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Cestrum diurnum leaf as a source of 1,25(OH)2 Vitamin D3 improves egg shell thickness.

A continuing concern of the poultry industry is the high incidence (12%) of egg losses in the laying house due to poor egg shell quality. Calcium (Ca) homeostasis is a key factor in egg shell formation. The economy of Ca utilisation is under the control of Vitamin D(3), particularly its active metabolite 1,25-dihydroxy cholecalciferol [1,25(OH)(2)D(3)]. Supplementation of 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) has been shown to increase specific gravity, shell thickness and shell weight of the egg. However, commercially available synthetic 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) is very expensive. Earlier studies from our Institute [Phytochemistry 37 (1994) 677] have identified a cheap, natural and rich source of 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) in the leaves of Cestrum diurnum (CD), a member of the Solanaceae family. In this study, CD leaves were explored as a source of 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) in the feed of layer birds to improve the egg shell thickness. Fifteen-week-old white leghorn layers were divided into four treatments of 60 birds each and as follows: (I) normal diet with Vitamin D(3), (II) normal diet with Vitamin D(3) + CD, (III) normal diet without Vitamin D(3) and, (IV) normal diet without Vitamin D(3) + CD powder. CD leaf powder was incorporated in to the feed at 0.3% level. The experimental feeding was continued up to 72 weeks of age of the birds. Weekly food intake and daily egg production were noted throughout the experimental period and the specific gravity of the eggs, feed consumed to lay one egg and egg shell thickness were determined. Incorporation of CD leaves in the feed had the maximal effect on all the parameters studied. The feed consumed to lay one egg was 20 g less than the control group. The specific gravity of the egg was higher by 0.005, than the control egg, indicating a 5% decrease in the breakage of eggs in CD fed chicks. Also there was a significant increase (P < 0.001) in egg shell thickness. The data suggest that incorporation of CD leaf powder in the feed of poultry layers increased the egg shell thickness, which in turn could decrease the economic loss due to breakage of eggs.

Animals↗