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PubMed2005

Male song quality affects circulating but not yolk steroid concentrations in female canaries (Serinus canaria).

Male song complexity is a sexually selected trait found in many songbirds, including strains of the domestic canary. Studies on several species have shown that male song can affect the hormonal state of females and may also influence concentrations of maternal hormones in the yolk of their eggs. In this study, we show that the level of circulating androgens and oestrogens of female canaries, as measured in faeces, varies with the quality of male song to which they are exposed. The female-perceived quality of male canary song depends on the production of special 'sexy syllables' to which females respond with more sexual displays. Using playback of synthetic song we show that females hearing songs with sexy syllables have higher levels of faecal testosterone than control females hearing songs without them. However, unlike previous studies on the canary, we found no evidence that such females laid eggs with more testosterone (or other steroids) in their egg yolks. We discuss these results in relation to the evolution of male signalling and maternal investment strategies.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

The effect of phosphorus, phytase enzyme, and calcium on the performance of layers fed corn-based diets.

An experiment employing a factorial arrangement of two levels of Ca, two levels of available P (AP), and three levels of phytase enzyme was carried out with 360 ISA White layers from 18 to 67 wk of age. The Ca levels were maintained at 3.7 and 4.0% throughout the experiment. The AP levels were 0.2 and 0.4% for the high and low treatments until 55 wk of age and were reduced to 0.11 and 0.22% thereafter. Phytase enzyme levels were 0, 250, and 500 phytase units (FTU)/kg of feed. In the period before Week 55, either level of AP was likely adequate for maximum production. However, when lower levels of AP were fed after this time, low AP was associated with reduced BW and egg production, and enzyme supplementation was able to compensate for low AP. In this period, high AP and the highest level of phytase produced negative effects on BW, egg weight, and the feed conversion ratio. The ratio of Ca to AP was important; shell quality was best with high or low levels of both. With high levels of Ca, enzyme supplementation compensated for low levels of AP and overcompensated with a high level of AP. These effects were reduced or absent with low levels of Ca. It is clear from this study that phytase enzyme can compensate for low levels of AP in diets based on corn and soybean meal, but that the optimum level of supplementation depends as well on the Ca level.

6-Phytase↗
PubMed2003

Factors that determine discordant outcome from shared oocytes.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the factors that may be related to pregnancy in oocyte recipients who shared oocytes from the same donor and showed discordant pregnancy outcome. DESIGN: Matched pair analysis. SETTING: IVF academic center. PATIENT(S): Five hundred forty-two oocyte donation cycles that shared oocytes from 197 donors with discordant outcome. INTERVENTION(S): Egg donation and embryo transfer. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Pregnancy rate and implantation rate. RESULT(S): Three hundred sixty-five matched-paired discordant outcome oocyte recipients were analyzed. Pregnant and nonpregnant recipients were similar in terms of age, serum E(2) levels, endometrial thickness, indications for oocyte donation, and abnormal sperm parameters. No differences were found in the number of oocytes received per patient, fertilization rate, IVF/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) distribution, embryo quality, or on embryo transfer difficulty. CONCLUSION(S): Discordant pregnancy outcome could not be explained by the different egg recipients and cycle factors studied. In addition to chance, other factors must be investigated that could explain discordant outcome in egg recipients sharing oocytes from single donors.

Adult↗
PubMed2026

Genomic and Structural Analysis of Gamete Recognition Proteins in a Broadcast Spawning Echinoderm Mesocentrotus franciscanus.

Gamete recognition proteins are expressed on the surfaces of sperm and eggs, where they mediate interactions between gametes. The genetic basis for gamete recognition proteins, as well as their structure and interactions, have yet to be fully resolved. Using a new high-quality de novo genome assembly for the sea urchin Mesocentrotus franciscanus, we investigated the genomic structure, expression, and protein forms of several gamete recognition proteins: sperm bindin, egg receptor for sperm (HSP110), and egg bindin receptor (EBR1), as well as the receptor for egg jelly (REJ) and its paralogs. To inform future population genetic and evolutionary studies, we resolve the genomic structure of the large EBR1 protein, identifying fewer tandem CUB-TSP1 repeats in EBR1 compared to the initial characterization of this protein. As expected for an egg receptor for sperm, EBR1 is highly expressed in female reproductive tissues (eggs and female gonad), compared to other tissues. In contrast, HSP110 shows similar levels of expression across male and female reproductive tissues, as well as across non-reproductive tissues and development stages. HSP110 might be a pleiotropic gene that in part influences fertilization. Using protein structural modeling and functional domain predictions, we propose hypotheses about potential interactions among EBR1, bindin, and HSP110 proteins that may provide insight into sperm-egg interactions in sea urchins. Resolving the genomic structure of genes encoding gamete recognition proteins, in combination with functional annotations and protein structural modeling, enables deeper investigation into the consequences of variation in gamete recognition proteins and the evolution of reproductive isolation.

Mesocentrotus franciscanus↗
PubMed2000

Producing a low ovomucoid egg white preparation by precipitation with aqueous ethanol.

A novel method for producing a low ovomucoid egg white preparation is proposed. Egg white powder (0.5 g) was dissolved in a 10-fold weight of distilled water and adjusted to pH 5, and ethanol was added to the solution at a final concentration of 20% (v/v). The mixture was vigorously stirred and centrifuged. The precipitate was washed three times with 20% ethanol (6.25 ml each), with about 65% of egg white proteins occurring in the precipitate. The use of ELISA demonstrated that 70% of ovomucoid was recovered from the supernatant fraction. However, functionally important proteins such as ovalbumin, ovotransferrin, and lysozyme still remained in the precipitate. These results may be due primarily to the much higher solubility of ovomucoid in this aqueous ethanol. Food quality evaluation showed that high whippability and foam stability were retained in the low ovomucoid preparation as in its material egg white. This product would thus be applicable as a new processed food for ovomucoid-sensitive allergic patients.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Molecular dynamics simulation of hen egg white lysozyme: a test of the GROMOS96 force field against nuclear magnetic resonance data.

Biomolecular force fields for use in molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of proteins, DNA, or membranes are generally parametrized against ab initio quantum-chemical and experimental data for small molecules. The application of a force field in a simulation of a biomolecular system, such as a protein in solution, may then serve as a test of the quality and transferability of the force field. Here, we compare various properties obtained from two MD simulations of the protein hen egg white lysozyme (HEWL) in aqueous solution using the latest version, GROMOS96, of the GROMOS force field and an earlier version, GROMOS87+, with data derived from nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments: NOE atom-atom distance bounds, (3)J(HNalpha)-coupling constants, and backbone and side-chain order parameters. The convergence of these quantities over a 2-ns period is considered, and converged values are compared to experimental ones. The GROMOS96 simulation shows better agreement with the NMR data and also with the X-ray crystal structure of HEWL than the GROMOS87+ simulation, which was based on an earlier version of the GROMOS force field.

Animals↗
PubMed1968

Growth and destruction of Salmonella typhimurium in egg white foam products cooked by microwaves.

Currently, in both home and institutional food preparation, attempts are being made to produce high quality foods with a minimum of time and effort. Research is being carried out to develop equipment capable of cooking foods in a fraction of the time required by conventional methods; as a result, the problem arises as to the bacteriological safety of these products. We investigated the microbiological aspects of lemon and chocolate foam pies before and after cooking by microwaves for less than 2 min. Pies prepared with sterile equipment under sanitary conditions were inoculated with washed cells from a 24-hr broth culture of Salmonella typhimurium and were incubated for 24, 48, and 72 hr at 33 C. The same procedures were followed in model systems to determine the effects of various sugar and pH levels on the survival of S. typhimurium. No S. typhimurium was detected in inoculated cooked or uncooked lemon pies by the plating method; with the Lactose Broth pre-enrichment method, survivors were detected in lemon pies immediately after preparation. After electronic cooking, no survivors were detected in lemon pies by plate counts, whereas cells were recovered from chocolate pies by the Lactose Broth method. Both chocolate and lemon pies had lower counts throughout the 72-hr incubation period than the model systems compared to them. With the model systems, at pH 7.3, media containing sugar inhibited the growth of S. typhimurium but did not cause a significant reduction in counts during the incubation times studied. At pH 3.7, media without sugar yielded no cells with the Lactose Broth pre-enrichment method after 48 hr of incubation, whereas media with sugar were not sterile until after 72 hr of incubation. Apparently, the presence of sugar in the medium had a protective influence which made the lethal effect of the low pH less severe.

Cooking↗
PubMed1994

The protein quality of some enteral products is inferior to that of casein as assessed by rat growth methods and digestibility-corrected amino acid scores.

Protein digestibility and quality of six enteral nutrition products sold in Canada were studied by rat balance and growth methods. Casein+L-methionine, 0.2 g/100 g diet (control) and six enteral products (freeze-dried) were fed as the sole source of protein in diets containing 8.61-9.12 g/100 g protein (N x 6.25) to weanling and 18-mo-old rats for a period of 2 and 1 wk, respectively. A protein-free diet was also included in the feeding studies to permit calculations of true protein digestibility and net protein ratio values. Values for true digestibility of protein as determined in old rats for the control diet and the test products were 95 and 89-93%, respectively. Compared with old rats, protein digestibility values were 5-7 percentage units higher in young rats. The 2-wk relative protein efficiency ratio values (42-56%) or the relative net protein ratio values (61-74%) of the enteral products were considerably lower compared to those of the control (100). Supplementation of an enteral product with cysteine, cysteine + tryptophan, cysteine + threonine or cysteine + tryptophan + threonine caused significant improvement in protein quality; suggesting that the product was limiting in these three amino acids. The protein digestibility-corrected amino acid scores for the enteral products were 43-46, 69-75 and 86-93% by using whole egg, casein and the FAO-WHO (1991) pattern as reference proteins, respectively. The results indicate that these enteral products are inferior to casein in protein quality.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed2000

Vitellin and vitellogenin in the soldier bug, Podisus maculiventris: identification with monoclonal antibodies and reproductive response to diet.

A 171,000 M(r )polypeptide of Podisus maculiventris (Say) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) that constituted 16% of the protein in eggs also constituted up to 25% of the protein in hemolymph of fed females. It was identified as the major or sole apoprotein of vitellogenin. Eggs contained major polypeptides of 171, 106, and 51 kDa. The hemolymph polypeptide was identified with a polypeptide (vitellin) in egg extracts by comparing molecular weights, specificity of occurrence in fed females, and immunological reactivities. Females, starved for 5 days after eclosion to assure complete previtellogenic development, produced vitellogenin within a day after feeding on larval Galleria mellonella, and within 4 days after feeding on an artificial diet. Appearance of vitellogenin preceded ovarian growth by 2-3 days. Two monoclonal antibodies raised against egg proteins of P. maculiventris were selected for their strong reaction against egg extract and female hemolymph and null reaction against male hemolymph. Only one 170-kDa band in egg and hemolymph reacted with the antibodies on denaturing Western blots. These monoclonal antibodies are being used to develop an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to quantitate reproductive response of females to diets of differing quality.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Enigmas of mammalian gamete form and function.

The gametes of man and some other Eutheria have been manipulated successfully for practical reasons, but many gaps remain in our basic understanding of the way that they function. This situation stems not least from a failure to recognize the extent to which eutherian spermatozoa and eggs, and elements related to their operation, have come to differ from those of other groups. Novel features in the male that reflect this include a radical design of the sperm head with the acrosome seeming to function primarily in egg-coat binding rather than its lysis, a multifaceted post-testicular sperm maturation and an androgen/low-temperature-regulated system of sperm storage--both tied to the epididymis, a variable male accessory sex gland complex, and descent of the testis and epididymis to a scrotum. In the female, such novelties are represented in a need for sperm capacitation, in an unusual regulation of sperm transport within the oviduct, in the cumulus oophorus and character of the zona pellucida around the small egg, and in a unique configuration of gamete fusion. The collective evidence now suggests that many of these features reflect a new fertilisation strategy or its consequences, with most being causally linked. One initial 'domino' in this regard appears to be the small yolkless state of the egg and its intolerance for polyspermy, as determinants of the unusual mode of oviductal sperm transport and possibly the existence and form of the cumulus oophorus. However, a particularly influential first 'domino' appears to be the physical character of the eutherian zona pellucida. This differs from the egg coats of other animal groups by virtue of a resilient elasticity and thickness. These qualities allow this primary and often only coat to stretch and so persist during later expansion of the blastocyst, usually until close to implantation. At the same time, the dimensions, physical character, and particularly the relative protease-insensitivity of the zona appear to have had profound effects on sperm form and function and, more indirectly, on sperm-related events in the male and the female tract. Marsupials display some similarities and also some strikingly different features, against which the enigmas of the eutherian situation can be evaluated.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

Early body-weight selection of broiler breeder males in relation to reproductive and growth performance of their offspring.

1. The effectiveness of selection of broiler breeder males for body weight at 3 weeks of age on later growth, semen quality and performance of progeny has been tested. 2. Correlation between 3- and 20-week body weights in the breeders was poor but significant. 3. On the basis of 3-week body weight males were divided into heavy birds (mean + 0.5 standard deviation) and all birds. 4. Semen quality was not different between the two groups, but some selection for semen quality was practised within groups. 5. There were no differences in fertility and hatchability of eggs produced from hens artificially inseminated with diluted, stored semen from both groups. 6. There was a small, positive, but non-significant, effect of selection of breeder males on body weight of progeny at 6 weeks of age.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1975

Amino acid composition of the diet in a region of Southern Tunisia.

As part of a study of the effects of lysine supplementation of wheat products in Southern Tunisia one qualitative and four quantitative surveys of food consumption were carried out. The average diet provided 7.1 MJ (1,670 kcal), 42 g of protein and 1,280 mg of lysine per person per day. The overall dietary protein thus supplied only 31 mg of lysine/g of protein, or about 56% of the level recommended by the FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Protein Requirements. Addition of lysine to all wheat products to a final effective concentration of 0.2% would raise the dietary lysine level to 45 mg/g protein, or 82% of the FAO/WHO recommended level, at which time threonine would become limiting. Irrespective of whether the FAO/WHO pattern of 1973, breast milk, cow's milk, whole egg or a modification of the FAO pattern of 1957 was used to assess the quality of the protein in the diet, lysine was the first, and threonine the second limiting amino acid (except in comparison with breast milk, which showed tryptophan as the second limiting amino acid). In no case did there appear to be any problem with the sulfur-containing amino acids.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Hoof kick injuries in unmounted equestrians. Improving accident analysis and prevention by introducing an accident and emergency based relational database.

OBJECTIVE: To assess injury patterns attributable to horse kicks, to raise the issue of preventive measures, and to evaluate the role of modern accident and emergency department computer software. METHODS: Data analysis using a new kind of full electronic medical record. RESULTS: Seventeen kicked equestrians were unmounted at the time of injury. Eight of seventeen patients sustained contusions of the extremities, the back, and the trunk. In nine patients an isolated facial injury was diagnosed. Five of nine patients needed referrals to the department of plastic surgery because of the complexity of the facial soft tissue wounds. Three underwent maxillofacial surgery. CONCLUSION: Clinical: the equestrian community may underestimate the risk of severe injuries attributable to hoof kicks, especially while handling the horse. Educational lectures and the distribution of educational literature should be promoted. The introduction of additional face shields may be protective. Software related issue: the handling of an increasing amount of medical data makes a development in computerisation of emergency units necessary. Thus the increasing utilisation of new computer technology could have a significant influence on accident analysis and prevention and the quality of research in the future.

Accident Prevention↗
PubMed2000

Trichogramma exiguum (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) releases in North Carolina cotton: evaluation of heliothine pest suppression.

Field studies were conducted in 1996 and 1997 to reevaluate the use of augmentative releases of Trichogramma wasps for heliothine management in cotton. In 1996, nine releases of Trichogramma exiguum Pinto & Platner, spaced 3-4 d apart, were made into three 0.4-ha cotton plots. Six weekly releases were made in 1997, each containing two T. exiguum cohorts developmentally staggered by 45 degrees C degree-days. Field release rates, estimated from laboratory and field quality control data, averaged 108,357 T. exiguum female female per hectare per cohort per release in 1996 and 193,366 female female per hectare per cohort per release in 1997. In 1996, mean +/- SD adult emergence under laboratory conditions for released cohorts was 92 +/- 7%; 62 +/- 5% of emerged adults were females, 3 +/- 2% of females displayed brachyptery (nonfunctional wings), mean female longevity under laboratory conditions was 15 +/- 4 d, and mean +/- SD field emergence was 97 +/- 2%. Quality control measurements were similar in 1997. In 1996, mean +/- SD percent parasitism of heliothine eggs in field plots on the sampled dates ranged from 67 +/- 4 to 83 +/- 5% in T. exiguum release plots and 25 +/- 9 to 55 +/- 8% in control plots. In 1997, parasitism levels ranged from 74 +/- 4 to 89 +/- 5% in T. exiguum release plots and 18 +/- 18 to 69 +/- 11% in control plots. Despite increased parasitism levels in T. exiguum release plots, there were no significant differences in density of fifth instars, boll damage, or yield between T. exiguum release and control plots. Therefore, it is concluded that Trichogramma augmentation is not an effective heliothine management tool in North Carolina cotton.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Estuarine and habitat-related differences in growth rates of young-of-the-year winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus) and tautog (Tautoga onitis) in three northeastern US estuaries.

Instantaneous growth rates of young-of-the-year winter flounder Pseudopleuronectes americanus (Walbaum) (12.0-60.4 mm standard length, SL) and tautog Tautoga onitis (Linnaeus) (21.4-73.8 mm total length, TL) from three estuarine systems in New Jersey (Great Bay-Little Egg Harbor and Navesink River) and Connecticut (Hammonasset River) were used in an attempt to assess the relative quality of selected nominal habitats. A series of short-term field caging experiments were conducted during 1994 and 1995 in: macroalgae (primarily, Ulva lactuca), eelgrass (Zostera marina), unvegetated areas adjacent to macroalgae and eelgrass and tidal creeks in Spartina dominated marsh. Growth rates varied with habitat, estuary and year. Comparisons across nominal habitats within and among estuaries did not show any one habitat with consistently higher growth, and growth was relatively independent of whether a habitat was vegetated or adjacent to vegetation. The growth rates of winter flounder and tautog from the Hammonasset River were not different among habitats in either year of the study. In the Great Bay-Little Egg Harbor, both winter flounder and tautog had higher growth rates in macroalgae with growth in eelgrass varying significantly between years. Conversely, in the Navesink River both species had higher growth rates in eelgrass. Environmental changes associated with temperature and dissolved oxygen appeared to influence growth rates. Winter flounder growth rate and survival was depressed in tidal marsh creeks in the three estuaries and in vegetated macroalgae habitats in the Navesink River where dissolved oxygen levels were often very low (<2 mgl(-1)) for extended periods. In summary, the growth rates of the young-of-the-year of these two species varied temporally and were dependent on the interaction of both the specific estuary and habitat in which the experiments took place. Further, habitat quality, as defined by relative growth rate, was difficult to evaluate because it can be variable and nominal habitat designations are often not sufficient to define the boundaries of a species habitat requirements.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2004

Sexually attractive phrases increase yolk androgens deposition in Canaries (Serinus canaria).

The androgen concentration in birds' eggs varies with laying order, breeding conditions, and mate attractiveness. In passerine birds, mate attractiveness depends upon song quality. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of one criterion used by females to assess male song quality that is to say the presence of sexually attractive phrases on yolk androgen deposition. Twenty-five female Canaries were assigned to three experimental groups; in the first group, the females were allowed to hear songs made up with attractive phrases; in the second group, they were allowed to hear songs made up with non-attractive phrases; and in the control group, the females could not hear any song. Our results show that females allowed to hear songs with attractive phrases deposit significantly higher amounts of androgens (mostly testosterone) in their eggs than females without acoustical stimulation. The females exposed to songs with non-attractive phrases had androgen amounts halfway between the two other groups. This suggests that when females are paired with mates able to sing attractive phrases they can allocate more androgens in their eggs during the pre-laying period.

Acoustic Stimulation↗
PubMed2003

Supplementation of a corn-soybean meal diet with manganese, copper, and zinc from organic or inorganic sources improves eggshell quality in aged laying hens.

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects on eggshell quality of supplementing the diet of laying hens with a combination of Zn, Mn, and Cu from organic or inorganic sources. Three groups of hens, aged 32, 60, and 69 wk were fed a corn-soybean basal diet containing 32.6 mg/kg Zn, 24.7 mg/kg Mn, and 4.95 mg/kg Cu or a basal diet supplemented with 30-30-5 and 60-60-10 mg/kg of Zn, Mn, and Cu, respectively. Addition of Zn, Mn, and Cu in combination increased their concentrations in egg yolk and slightly decreased egg weight during some sampling from aged hens. The Zn, Cu, and Mn dietary supplementation did not affect the following measures of eggshell quality: percentage eggshell, eggshell index (shell weight per unit surface area), and eggshell stiffness. However, there was a small increase in elastic modulus of the eggs from one group of the older hens due to supplementation with Zn, Mn, and Cu. More consistently we observed improved breaking strength and fracture toughness (resistance to fracture) in the two oldest groups of hens at 1, 5, and 9 wk after introduction of the experimental diets. The effect was observed regardless of the source of trace elements.

Aging↗