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PubMed1990

Freezability, enzyme leakage and fertility of buffalo spermatozoa in relation to the quality of semen ejaculates and extenders.

Forty-eight semen ejaculates from four Surti buffalo bulls were studied under split sample technique to establish the effects of initial semen quality and tris fructose yolk glycerol (TFYF), egg yolk citrate glycerol (EYCG) and lactose yolk glycerol (LYG) extenders on the freezability, fertility (based on 3412 AI) and extracellular release of spermatozoal enzymes pre and postfreezing. The overall mean activity of GOT, GPT, AKP, ACP and LDH enzymes in the postthaw seminal plasma increased significantly (P<0.01) above prefreeze levels, whereas sperm motility decreased. Freezability and the release of these enzymes were not influenced by the types of extenders used except for AKP release, which was significantly (P<0.01) lower in TFYG diluent. The pre and postfreeze sperm motility was significantly higher (P<0.01) and the leakage of GOT, AKP and ACP was lower in 36 semen samples with an initial motility above 70% than in the 12 samples in which initial motility was between 60 and 70%. The effects of interactions between motility groups, diluents and freezing periods were statistically nonsignificant for both freezability and leakage of all five enzymes. Fertility rate of frozen semen produced in TFYG diluent was significantly (P<0.05) higher (42.69%) than in the other diluents and was followed by that of EYCG (39.78%) and LYG (37.50%) with an overall mean of 40%. Sperm post-thaw motility had significantly (P<0.01) negative correlations with the release of enzymes: GOT (-0.948); GPT (-0.859); AKP (-0.673); ACP (-0.951) and LDH (-0.764). Fertility rates showed high negative correlations with the release of all five enzymes. Freezability was positively correlated with fertility (+0.405). Significant positive correlations were also observed for the release of GOT with that of GPT (+0.944); AKP (+0.574); ACP (+0.911) and LDH (+0.839): GPT with ACP (+0.795) and LDH (+0.870): and ACP with AKP (+0.725) and LDH (+0.577). These findings stressed the use of simple estimates of GOT and AKP leakage as markers for the assessment of freezability and fertility, and also the importance of initial good quality semen and the suitablity of extenders (TFYG) in the production of frozen buffalo bull semen for better fertility rates.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1978

Effect of dietary protein on urinary excretion of 3-methylhistidine in rat.

The excretion of the amino acid 3-methylhistidine in urine has been shown to be correlated with protein catabolism in skeletal muscle. In rats, 3-methylhistidine is partly acetylated (N-acetyl-3-methylhistidine) and it has been proposed that the relative amounts of 3-methylhistidine and N-acetyl-3-methylhistidine in urine is age dependent. In this experiment the effect of dietary protein quality on urine excretion of 3-methylhistidine and N-acetyl-3-methylhistidine was studied. Six groups of rats (mean weight 80 g) were fed diets containing 10% protein of different quality, the net protein utilization ranging from 76.7 for egg albumin to 28.9 for wheat gluten. The excretion of non-acetylated 3-methylhistidine was not dependent on the diet. There was, however, a good correlation between protein quality and total urine 3-methylhistidine (3-methylhistidine plus N-acetyl-3-methylhistidine), the higher the protein quality, the greater being the excretion of total 3-methylhistidine. The relative amounts of 3-methylhistidine and N-acetyl-3-methylhistidine correlated with the mean body weight, but not the age, of the animals. This study therefore demonstrates that a relationship exists between the nutritive quality of the dietary protein and the urinary excretion of 3-methylhistidine in rats.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Validation of the potentially avoidable hospital readmission rate as a routine indicator of the quality of hospital care.

BACKGROUND: The hospital readmission rate has been proposed as an important outcome indicator computable from routine statistics. However, most commonly used measures raise conceptual issues. OBJECTIVES: We sought to evaluate the usefulness of the computerized algorithm for identifying avoidable readmissions on the basis of minimum bias, criterion validity, and measurement precision. RESEARCH DESIGN AND SUBJECTS: A total of 131,809 hospitalizations of patients discharged alive from 49 hospitals were used to compare the predictive performance of risk adjustment methods. A subset of a random sample of 570 medical records of discharge/readmission pairs in 12 hospitals were reviewed to estimate the predictive value of the screening of potentially avoidable readmissions. MEASURES: Potentially avoidable readmissions, defined as readmissions related to a condition of the previous hospitalization and not expected as part of a program of care and occurring within 30 days after the previous discharge, were identified by a computerized algorithm. Unavoidable readmissions were considered as censored events. RESULTS: A total of 5.2% of hospitalizations were followed by a potentially avoidable readmission, 17% of them in a different hospital. The predictive value of the screen was 78%; 27% of screened readmissions were judged clearly avoidable. The correlation between the hospital rate of clearly avoidable readmission and all readmissions rate, potentially avoidable readmissions rate or the ratio of observed to expected readmissions were respectively 0.42, 0.56 and 0.66. Adjustment models using clinical information performed better. CONCLUSION: Adjusted rates of potentially avoidable readmissions are scientifically sound enough to warrant their inclusion in hospital quality surveillance.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

The hydration of phospholipids and phospholipid-cholesterol complexes.

The hydration characteristics of phosphatidylcholines and the effect of cholesterol on these were studied with differential thermal analysis and water vapour adsorption experiments. Also the water adsorption of egg phosphatidylethanolamine and the effect of cholesterol on this was studied and compared with corresponding qualities of phosphatidylcholine. The differential thermal analysis study showed that the monohydrates of egg, dipalmitoyl, and dioleoyl phosphatidylcholine tightly bind approximately 9 molecules of water per phosphatidylcholine molecule. Cholesterol is proved to somewhat increase the water binding of the phospholipids. Cholesterol is also shown to decrease the heat change of the chain melting transition of dioleoyl phosphatidylcholine, but not to abolish it completely. The water adsorption experiments indicate that the hydration of phosphatidylcholines takes place in two steps; a strong initial water binding and a second phase of weak binding. The adsorption isotherm of egg phosphatidylethanolamine is strikingly different from that of egg phosphatidylcholine. Cholesterol is shown, also by this method, to increase the hydration of phospholipids especially that of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine. The results in this study are in good agreement with those presented by many other authors. Starting with the accumulated information of the hydration characteristics of phosphatidylcholines the organization of the bound water around the polar group is discussed and the most probable model is evaluated.

Adsorption↗
PubMed1997

Analysis of fibronectin on human sperm.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to localize fibronectin on human sperm and correlate its distribution with the morphological and functional integrity of sperm. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Semen samples were collected and sperm fractionated by swim-up. Subsets of the swim-up sperm were capacitated and acrosome reacted. Damage to swim-up sperm was induced by freezing and thawing. The presence of fibronectin on the surface of sperm was determined by immunocytochemistry. RESULTS: FN immunoreactivity was variable but staining on the sperm tail was consistently highest, whereas FN immunoreactivity over the acrosome and equatorial band was consistently lowest. Capacitation and acrosome reaction did not substantially change the distribution of FN staining. However, swim-up sperm had significantly less FN immunoreactivity (4%) than sperm that were unable to swim-up (12%; p < 0.01). Sperm that were deliberately damaged by freeze/thaw showed significantly increased FN binding (p < 0.01). FN immunoreactivity was inversely correlated with sperm viability (r = -0.68), motility (r = -0.70), and morphology (r = -0.63). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that only a minority of the sperm in an ejaculate stain positive for FN and the localization of FN in positive sperm is primarily to the tail. Inferior sperm stain more frequently for FN leading to an inverse correlation between FN staining and sperm quality. Taken together, these results do not support a role for FN in sperm-egg binding. However, FN staining may provide a method for selecting the highest quality sperm for use in assisted reproduction techniques.

Fibronectins↗
PubMed2006

Reproductive tradeoffs and yolk steroids in female leopard geckos, Eublepharis macularius.

Life history theory predicts tradeoffs among reproductive traits, but the physiological mechanisms underlying such tradeoffs remain unclear. Here we examine reproductive tradeoffs and their association with yolk steroids in an oviparous lizard. Female leopard geckos lay two eggs in a clutch, produce multiple clutches in a breeding season, and reproduce for several years. We detected a significant tradeoff between egg size and the number of clutches laid by females during their first two breeding seasons. Total reproductive effort was strongly condition-dependent in the first season, but much less so in the second season. Although these and other tradeoffs were unmistakable, they were not associated with levels of androstenedione, oestradiol, or testosterone in egg yolk. Female condition and egg size, however, were inversely related to dihydrotestosterone (DHT) levels in egg yolk. Finally, steroid levels in egg yolk were not directly related to steroid levels in the maternal circulation when follicles were developing, indicating that steroid transfer to eggs is regulated. These findings suggest that maternal allocation of DHT could mitigate tradeoffs that lead to poor offspring quality (i.e. poor female condition) and small offspring size (i.e. small egg size).

Androstenedione↗
PubMed1984

[Various results of nonsurgical embryo transfer in lactating cattle under field conditions in the Netherlands].

Superovulation was induced in 129 lactating donor cows for embryo transfer under field conditions. Twenty-nine animals (22.5 per cent) responded with fewer than three corpora lutea. The number of animals flushed was ninety-nine, averaging 8.2 corpora lutea per donor cow. The average proportion of recoveries was 56.4 per cent. The quality of the embryos was satisfactory in 64 per cent of the cases. The average number of embryos and egg cells per donor was 4.6, which resulted in 2.9 good quality embryos per donor. The percentage of pregnant recipients was 56 in good quality embryos and 9 for fair quality embryos.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Enhancing protein crystallization through precipitant synergy.

Suitable conditions for protein crystallization are commonly identified by screening combinations of independent factors that affect crystal formation. Because precipitating agents are prime determinants of crystallization, we investigated whether a systematic exploration of combinations of mechanistically distinct precipitants would enhance crystallization. A crystallization screen containing 64 precipitant mixtures was devised. Tests with ten HIV envelope-related proteins demonstrated that use of precipitant mixtures significantly enhanced both the probability of crystallization as well as the quality of optimized crystals. Tests with hen egg white lysozyme generated a novel C2 crystal from a salt/organic solvent mixture; structure solution at 2 A resolution revealed a lattice held together by both hydrophobic and electrostatic dyad interactions. The results indicate that mechanistically distinct precipitants can synergize, with precipitant combinations adding unique dimensions to protein crystallization.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Egg viability and worker policing in honey bees.

In many species of social Hymenoptera, unmated workers can lay eggs that will produce males by parthenogenesis. Nevertheless, in queenright honey bee colonies (Apis mellifera), worker reproduction is low. One possible mechanism for this difference is worker policing, the removal of worker-laid eggs by other workers. This behavior can evolve in species in which queens are multiply mated, where workers are more closely related to the sons of their mother than those of their sisters. Another possible mechanism of the low level of worker reproduction is worker-laid eggs being less viable than queen-laid eggs. We show that this difference in quality is the case for honey bees.

Animals↗
PubMed2025

Refinement of Poultry Standing in Japan Based on Recent Anthropo-ornithological Perspectives.

Poultry meat and eggs are important sources of high-quality animal protein worldwide. However, poultry in Japan has historically been regarded as a symbolic or spiritual entity more than as a food source, as its roles are deeply embedded in Japanese consciousness and society. Current evidence indicates that chickens first appeared in Japan during the Yayoi period, approximately 2,000 years ago, coinciding with a period of active human migration to the Japanese archipelago. Since then, poultry has played notable roles in Japanese art, literature, mythology, and folktales. Recent advancements in molecular clock analysis or the detection of genomic modifications, such as introgression, deletions, mutations, and viral infection from trace fossil/live samples necessitate the continual revision and refinement of existing theories about human and animal history across several academic disciplines. Therefore, the objective of the present review was to elucidate the distinct and multilayered relationship between humans and poultry in Japan, incorporating recent anthropological and ornithological perspectives.

Anthropology↗
PubMed1986

Effect of short-term feed deprivation on shell quality in laying hens.

Hens with feed withheld for 24 hr had poorer shell quality for the next 3 days. Hens with feed withheld for the first 8 hr (0400 to 1200 hr) of the 16-hr light cycle showed no decline in shell quality, but those with feed withheld the last 8 hr (1200 to 2000 hr) had poorer shell quality on the following day. When the period from 1200 to 2000 hr was divided into 2 periods (1200 to 1600 hr and 1600 to 2000 hr), feed restriction during the 1600 to 2000-hr period caused a decline in shell quality on the next day, but removal during the 1200 to 1600-hr period had no effect on shell quality. Shell quality was related to the feed intake of the hens, because about 34% of their feed intake was during the period 1600 to 2000 hr. Hens fed a low Ca diet (.7%) from 1200 to 2000 hr had poorer shell quality but not as poor as those with feed withheld. Feeding a high Ca diet (7.6%) from 0400 to 1200 hr prior to feed restriction from 1200 to 2000 hr, or giving oyster shell during the period of feed removal, improved shell quality, but not to the level of the full-fed birds. Daily feed restriction from 1200 to 2000 hr caused a reduction in shell quality for the first 4 days after which shell quality returned, but a slight decline in egg production was noted. These hens were able to consume approximately 70% of the feed consumed by the full-fed birds.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Effects of eggshell quality and broiler breeder age on hatchability.

The effects of eggshell quality and breeder age were assessed on egg weight loss during incubation, fertility, hatchability, and embryonic mortality. The trials involved hatching eggs from three commercial broiler breeder flocks of the same strain but of different ages. The eggs were divided according to specific gravity into two groups, thin-shelled (< or = 1.080) and thick-shelled (> 1.080). Thin-shelled eggs displayed a greater increase in weight with breeder age and greater weight loss during incubation. Thick-shelled eggs showed an increased hatchability as a result of greater fertility and lower intermediate and late embryonic mortalities. Percentage of culls, pips, and rots were not related to shell thickness. Eggs from the younger flock had a higher weight loss during incubation irrespective of shell thickness. Hatchability and viability (hatchability of fertile eggs) were lower in the younger flock due to increased early and late embryonic mortalities. Fertility, culls, and pips were not affected by breeder age. The data may indicate the extent to which recent innovations in breeder management and in incubation technology have changed patterns of fertility and embryonic mortality.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1996

An ELISA for the quantification of chicken immunoglobulin (IgY) in various liquid media.

The development of an assay for the quantification of chicken immunoglobulin (IgY) and data evaluation is being demonstrated. An enzyme immunoassay was established to perform the quality control of IgY purifications from the egg yolk and to control IgY producing cells in vitro. Each step of the test procedure and possible alternatives were described. The assay was characterized by special test parameters (sensitivity, detectability, accuracy, precision, specificity). Moreover, this simple and fast enzyme immunoassay is a special supplement to the alternative antibody production from egg yolk.

Journal Article↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Accessory sperm as an indication of fertilizing ability of rabbit spermatozoa frozen in egg yolk-acetamide with detergent.

Many factors besides initial semen quality affect fertilization rates as sperm interact with the environment of the female reproductive tract. One of these factors is sperm transport, which can be evaluated by accessory sperm counts. Dutch rabbits were used to test the effects on sperm transport, fertilization, and production of young when sodium and triethanolamine lauryl sulfate (STLS) detergent was added to a medium for sperm cryopreservation. When STLS was added in 10 concentrations ranging from 0% to 2.0% (vol/vol) to an egg yolk-acetamide semen extender, optimal post-thaw motility of rabbit sperm occurred when 0.2% to 0.7% STLS was included. However, when 0%, 0.2%, and 0.7% STLS was included to cryopreserve sperm used for insemination, the fertilization rates were 95%, 68%, and 75%, and the corresponding mean numbers of accessory sperm per embryo were 13.1, 1.7, and 0.4 (P < .05). In another experiment, increasing the acetamide concentration from 0.75 M to 1.25 M decreased fertilization rates from 66% to 35%, and was associated with 4.5 and 0.6 accessory sperm per embryo (P < .05). In the final experiment, 48 does inseminated with sperm cryopreserved with 0%, 0.35%, and 0.70% STLS were allowed to produce young. Corresponding pregnancy rates were 56%, 56%, and 31% (P < .05), and litter sizes were 5.6, 4.1, and 4.2 (P > .05). In these studies, low concentrations of STLS improved motility of frozen-thawed sperm, but fertilization and pregnancy rates were reduced. Sperm transport was correspondingly reduced, and the accessory sperm count provided a reliable measure of the effect of STLS on fertility in contrast to the assessment of the percentage of motile sperm.

Acetamides↗
PubMed1992

Nutrition situation in metro Manila.

Summarizing the general characteristics of food consumption pattern and dietary status of the country's central urban region, the following are brought to focus: Metro Manila as compared to all urban and rural areas consumes less cereal grains but more sugars and fats and oils; consumes more of the high quality protein foods such as meat, poultry, eggs, milk and dried beans; and consumes less of fruits and vegetables. Availability and affordability of foods in the respective sectors could have affected to a large extent the magnitude of consumption differences. Although urban households had the advantage of a more varied and quantitatively higher food consumption, their nutrient intake was not really very different from rural households. Metro Manila still had a 13.7 percent calorie gap in its intake in 1987, and intake of ascorbic acid was notably lower than the rural sector. However, intake of thiamin and riboflavin as well as fat was appreciably higher in the metropolis. Briefly identifying the trends in food consumption with reference to six survey year periods from 1974 to 1987 (excluding 1984 and 1985), Metro Manila diet disclosed the following: increasing trend for sugars and syrups as well as dried beans, nuts and seeds and decreasing trend for cereal products, fruits and vegetables and condiments and others. There was a decrease in overall food consumption among Metro Manila households during the economic crisis that transpired in 1984 and 1985. However, there was a steady consumption of rice which was under price control, and a significant increase in the intake of some food items particularly green leafy and yellow vegetables which were among the cheapest food items available in Metro Manila markets. Some food adjustments were evidently resorted to during the period of economic dislocation showing the resiliency of the urban population. Metro Manila has been apparently drawing inordinately large amounts of the food supply from the rest of the country. There is therefore an "urban bias" of food supply to Metro Manila, that is, there is a much higher demand capacity for Metro Manila to draw food supply because of its higher income level and bigger population. The impact of this situation in terms of nutrition and food supply in the rural areas should be carefully examined so as not to put the rural areas in extreme disadvantage. FNRI nutrition surveys have shown that dietary energy inadequacy remains rampant in Metro Manila, while protein continues to be a marginal problem.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

The second space experiment of protein crystallization with domestic facilities.

The second experiment of protein crystallization was performed on domestic re-entry satellite FSW-2 in 1994-07. The results are superior to the ones of the first mission in 1992: 9 of 10 different proteins were crystallized in space, and 70% of the total 48 samples yielded single crystals. Besides hen egg-white lysozyme which grew high-quality crystals on the first mission, an acidic phospholipase A2(aPLA2) from snake venom and hemoglobin from Anser Indicus produced good-quality crystals suitable for X-ray diffraction analyses. The positive effect of microgravity on protein crystal growth is verified again at this time.

Aerospace Medicine↗
PubMed2006

Do avian brood parasites eavesdrop on heterospecific sexual signals revealing host quality? A review of the evidence.

Eavesdropping can be defined as the extraction of information from the interactions between other individuals. It provides a relatively cheap way of gathering relevant information for fitness enhancement. Here, we propose that obligate avian brood parasites, which always lay their eggs in foreign nests of individuals of other species, may eavesdrop on their host sexual signals to locate nests of high quality individuals in which to lay their parasitic eggs. Sexual signal variation can honestly signal parental quality. Thus, by eavesdropping on sexual signals, parasites may select high quality foster parents for their own offspring. Such a use of sexual signals within host populations by brood parasites differs from signal exploitation theory that proposes that parasite only use signals to locate potential host independently from signaller quality. Here, we review the avian literature concerning host choice within a host species by obligate avian brood parasites and find evidence for host selection within individuals of a host species on the basis of cues potentially functioning as sexually selected traits, or at least revealing parental abilities. We have also found support for the existence of benefits linked to host selection by avian brood parasites. Finally, one study reported on the attenuation of a sexual ornament in host populations under strong pressure by brood parasites. Most of these findings have been interpreted as evidence for host selection by avian brood parasites based on the conspicuousness of sexual signals. We suggest, however, that these findings may in fact reveal eavesdropping on host signalling performance by brood parasites which would use the information extracted to choose the better individuals among conspecifics of a given host. This provides a new perspective for the study of host selection in obligate brood parasites, and raises interesting questions for the study of animal cognition that would deserve experimental studies.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA) as a tool for monitoring sperm quality in fish.

The use of motility as a measure of sperm quality in fish is reviewed. Computer assisted sperm analysis (CASA) provides a simple and rapid quantitative assessment of the quality of fish sperm and may predict its ability to fertilize eggs. It has been used to: monitor the effects of heavy metal pollutants, such as mercury and tributyltin, on sperm quality; to select broodstock; to improve the efficiency of cryopreservation and storage; and to optimise conditions for fertilisation. In combination with CASA, morphological measurements can be used to determine the causes of reduced sperm motility. Technical details for the use of CASA are described.

Animals↗