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This page shows you the most recent publications within this specialty of the MedWorm directory. This is page number 26.

Capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella) let lesser rewards pass them by to get better rewards.
This study introduced a new task that could be used comparatively to measure self-control in an intuitive context that involved responses that required no explicit training. Capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella) were given a choice between two food items that were presented on a mechanized, revolving tray that moved those foods sequentially toward the monkeys. A monkey could grab the first item or wait for the second, but was only allowed one item. Most monkeys in the study waited for a more highly preferred food item or a larger amount of the same food item when those came later, and they inhibited the prepotent response to gra...
Source: Animal Cognition - June 12, 2012 Category: Zoology Authors: Bramlett JL, Perdue BM, Evans TA, Beran MJ Tags: Anim Cogn Source Type: research

Generation and characterization of an inducible transgenic model for studying mouse esophageal biology
Conclusions: We show that the esophagus-specific promoter ED-L2 is expressed only in the differentiated cells above the basal layer. Moreover, we confirmed that esophageal turn-over in the adult mouse does not exceed 7-10 days.
Source: BMC Developmental Biology - Latest articles - June 12, 2012 Category: Zoology Authors: Sabrina RothPatrick FrankenKim MonkhorstJohn Kong a SanRiccardo Fodde Source Type: research

Road to Royalty – Transition of Potential Queen to Queen in the Primitively Eusocial Wasp Ropalidia marginata
In this study, we therefore trace the road to royalty in R. marginata, that is, the transition of the PQ during queen establishment, in terms of her ovaries, aggression, and Dufour's gland hydrocarbons. Our study focuses on queen establishment, which is important for understanding how reproductive conflict can be manifested and resolved.
Source: Ethology - June 11, 2012 Category: Zoology Authors: Aniruddha Mitra, Raghavendra Gadagkar Tags: Research Paper Source Type: research

Innate Adjustment of Visitation Behavior to Rewarding and Reward‐Minimized Petunia axillaris (Solanacea) Plants by Hawkmoth Manduca sexta (Sphingidae)
In conclusion, the foraging decision rules of hawkmoths that may reduce the fitness of reward‐minimized plants appear to be innate, with little scope for additional learning.
Source: Ethology - June 11, 2012 Category: Zoology Authors: Anna Brandenburg, Cris Kuhlemeier, Redouan Bshary Tags: Research Paper Source Type: research

Ethology Investigates: Cooperation – An Online Conference
Source: Ethology - June 11, 2012 Category: Zoology Authors: Suzanne Albrecht, Stephan Druskat Tags: Editorial Source Type: research

Male and female proboscis monkey, Nasalis larvatus, just after copulation which attracted the attention of two other group members
Source: Ethology - June 11, 2012 Category: Zoology Tags: Front Cover Source Type: research

beta-catenin/Tcf-signaling appears to establish the murine ovarian surface epithelium (OSE) and remains active in selected postnatal OSE cells
Conclusions: The study raises the possibility that wnt/beta-catenin-signaling cells constitute a progenitor cell population and could underlie the pronounced histopathology observed for human ovarian cancer
Source: BMC Developmental Biology - Latest articles - June 8, 2012 Category: Zoology Authors: Macalister UsongoRiaz Farookhi Source Type: research

Histone deacetylase-4 is required during early cranial neural crest development for generation of the zebrafish palatal skeleton
Histone deacetylase-4 (hdac4) is required for the correct migration of cranial neural crest-derived precursor cells during zebrafish early embryogenesis, with loss resulting in skeletal defects such as shortening of the face of young larvae.
Source: BMC Developmental Biology - Latest articles - June 7, 2012 Category: Zoology Authors: April DeLaurierYukio NakamuraIngo BraaschVishesh KhannaHiroyuki KatoShigeyuki WakitaniJohn PostlethwaitCharles Kimmel Source Type: research

Revisiting the Ants of Melanesia and the Taxon Cycle: Historical and Human-Mediated Invasions of a Tropical Archipelago.
The American Naturalist, Volume 180, Issue 1, Page E1-E16, July 2012.
Source: The American Naturalist - June 6, 2012 Category: Zoology Tags: article E-Articles Source Type: research

Did Pollination Shifts Drive Diversification in Southern African Gladiolus? Evaluating the Model of Pollinator-Driven Speciation.
The American Naturalist, Volume 180, Issue 1, Page 83-98, July 2012.
Source: The American Naturalist - June 6, 2012 Category: Zoology Tags: article Articles Source Type: research

Birds and Anthropogenic Noise: Singing Higher May Matter (A Comment on Nemeth and Brumm, “Birds and Anthropogenic Noise: Are Urban Songs Adaptive?”)
The American Naturalist, Volume 180, Issue 1, Page 142-145, July 2012.
Source: The American Naturalist - June 6, 2012 Category: Zoology Tags: article Notes and Comments Source Type: research

Do Animals Living in Larger Groups Experience Greater Parasitism? A Meta-Analysis.
The American Naturalist, Volume 180, Issue 1, Page 70-82, July 2012.
Source: The American Naturalist - June 6, 2012 Category: Zoology Tags: article Articles Source Type: research

Capital Breeding and Allocation to Life-History Demands Are Highly Plastic in Lizards.
The American Naturalist, Volume 180, Issue 1, Page 130-141, July 2012.
Source: The American Naturalist - June 6, 2012 Category: Zoology Tags: article Articles Source Type: research

Effect Sizes and the Integrative Understanding of Urban Bird Song (A Reply to Slabbekoorn et al.)
The American Naturalist, Volume 180, Issue 1, Page 146-152, July 2012.
Source: The American Naturalist - June 6, 2012 Category: Zoology Tags: article Notes and Comments Source Type: research

Genetic Effects on Mating Success and Partner Choice in a Social Mammal.
The American Naturalist, Volume 180, Issue 1, Page 113-129, July 2012.
Source: The American Naturalist - June 6, 2012 Category: Zoology Tags: article Articles Source Type: research

Changing Seascapes, Stochastic Connectivity, and Marine Metapopulation Dynamics.
The American Naturalist, Volume 180, Issue 1, Page 99-112, July 2012.
Source: The American Naturalist - June 6, 2012 Category: Zoology Tags: article Articles Source Type: research

The Contribution of Rare Species to Community Phylogenetic Diversity across a Global Network of Forest Plots.
The American Naturalist, Volume 180, Issue 1, Page E17-E30, July 2012.
Source: The American Naturalist - June 6, 2012 Category: Zoology Tags: article E-Articles Source Type: research

Successional Dynamics in the Seasonally Forced Diamond Food Web.
The American Naturalist, Volume 180, Issue 1, Page 1-16, July 2012.
Source: The American Naturalist - June 6, 2012 Category: Zoology Tags: article Articles Source Type: research

Plant Preference for Ammonium versus Nitrate: A Neglected Determinant of Ecosystem Functioning?
The American Naturalist, Volume 180, Issue 1, Page 60-69, July 2012.
Source: The American Naturalist - June 6, 2012 Category: Zoology Tags: article Articles Source Type: research

The Evolution of Patch Selection in Stochastic Environments.
The American Naturalist, Volume 180, Issue 1, Page 17-34, July 2012.
Source: The American Naturalist - June 6, 2012 Category: Zoology Tags: article Articles Source Type: research

Niche Specialization Influences Adaptive Phenotypic Plasticity in the Threespine Stickleback.
The American Naturalist, Volume 180, Issue 1, Page 50-59, July 2012.
Source: The American Naturalist - June 6, 2012 Category: Zoology Tags: article Articles Source Type: research

Local Adaptation along Smooth Ecological Gradients Causes Phylogeographic Breaks and Phenotypic Clustering.
The American Naturalist, Volume 180, Issue 1, Page 35-49, July 2012.
Source: The American Naturalist - June 6, 2012 Category: Zoology Tags: article Articles Source Type: research

Toral lateral line units of goldfish, Carassius auratus, are sensitive to the position and vibration direction of a vibrating sphere
Abstract We recorded the responses of lateral line units in the midbrain torus semicircularis of goldfish, Carassius auratus, to a 50-Hz vibrating sphere and determined the unit’s spatial receptive fields for various distances between fish and sphere and for different directions of sphere vibration. All but one unit responded to the vibrating sphere with an increase in discharge rate. Only a proportion (25 %) of the units exhibited phase-locked responses. Receptive fields were narrow or broad and contained one, two or more areas of increased discharge rate. The data show that the receptive fields of to...
Source: Journal of Comparative Physiology A: Neuroethology, Sensory, Neural, and Behavioral Physiology - June 6, 2012 Category: Physiology Tags: Journal of Comparative Physiology A: Neuroethology, Sensory, Neural, and Behavioral Physiology Source Type: research

Molecular diversity, metabolic transformation, and evolution of carotenoid feather pigments in cotingas (Aves: Cotingidae)
Abstract Carotenoid pigments were extracted from 29 feather patches from 25 species of cotingas (Cotingidae) representing all lineages of the family with carotenoid plumage coloration. Using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), mass spectrometry, chemical analysis, and 1H-NMR, 16 different carotenoid molecules were documented in the plumages of the cotinga family. These included common dietary xanthophylls (lutein and zeaxanthin), canary xanthophylls A and B, four well known and broadly distributed avian ketocarotenoids (canthaxanthin, astaxanthin, α-doradexanthin, and adonixanthin), rhodoxanthin,...
Source: Journal of Comparative Physiology B: Biochemical, Systemic, and Environmental Physiology - June 6, 2012 Category: Physiology Tags: Journal of Comparative Physiology B: Biochemical, Systemic, and Environmental Physiology Source Type: research

Commensal bacteria coated by secretory immunoglobulin A and immunoglobulin G in the gastrointestinal tract of pigs and calves
In this study, we evaluated the distribution of S‐IgA‐coated commensal intestinal bacteria in each portion of the gastrointestinal tracts of pigs and calves. Immunoglobulin G (IgG)‐coated bacteria were also analyzed because a considerable amount of IgG is secreted in the gastrointestinal tracts of pigs, and in particular, calves. S‐IgA‐ or IgG‐coated bacteria were detected in all the segments of the gastrointestinal tracts of pigs and calves. The proportion of S‐IgA‐coated bacteria to total bacteria (i.e. S‐IgA coating ratio) varied in the segments of the gastrointestinal tract in pigs, whereas those of c...
Source: Animal Science Journal - June 6, 2012 Category: Zoology Authors: Takeshi TSURUTA, Ryo INOUE, Takamitsu TSUKAHARA, Mitsunori NAKAMOTO, Hiroshi HARA, Kazunari USHIDA, Takaji YAJIMA Source Type: research

Relationships between muscle growth potential, intramuscular fat content and different indicators of muscle fibre types in young Charolais bulls
In conclusion, the metabolic muscle characteristics which respond to the selection process in favor of muscle growth clearly differ from the muscle characteristics which allow muscle types to be differentiated.
Source: Animal Science Journal - June 6, 2012 Category: Zoology Authors: Jean‐François HOCQUETTE, Isabelle CASSAR‐MALEK, Catherine JURIE, Dominique BAUCHART, Brigitte PICARD, Gilles RENAND Source Type: research

Objectives and applications of phenotyping network set‐up for livestock
ABSTRACTProviding phenotypic information, which is accurate, reliable, repeatable and comparable across countries or laboratories, is critical to gain a better understanding of the relationship between genes and phenotypes. So far, it is indeed extremely difficult to combine different sources of phenotypic data from multiple origins, partly because of the variability in the methods of phenotyping. The phenotyping program of livestock involves the definition of complex phenotypes obtained from data integration at different levels (from molecules to herds), the implementation of the latest technologies to accurately characte...
Source: Animal Science Journal - June 6, 2012 Category: Zoology Authors: Jean‐François HOCQUETTE, Carine CAPEL, Valérie DAVID, Daniel GUÉMENÉ, Joël BIDANEL, Claire PONSART, Pierre‐Louis GASTINEL, Pierre‐Yves Le BAIL, Philippe MONGET, Pierre MORMÈDE, Maurice BARBEZANT, Florian GUILLOU, Jean‐Louis PEYRAUD Source Type: research

The involvement of N‐glycosylation of zona glycoproteins during meiotic maturation in sperm–zona pellucida interactions of porcine denuded oocytes
ABSTRACTThe present study was conducted to delineate whether N‐glycosylation of zona pellucida (ZP) glycoproteins occurred during meiotic maturation and whether this N‐glycosylation played a role in sperm–ZP interactions of porcine cumulus denuded oocytes (DOs). After mechanical removal of cumulus cells from cumulus oocyte complexes (COCs), DOs were cultured for 44 h in in vitro maturation (IVM) culture. The experiments were carried out to determine the effects of tunicamycin, a specific N‐glycosylation inhibitor, for various intervals during IVM on sperm–ZP interactions in porcine DOs. The results determined t...
Source: Animal Science Journal - June 6, 2012 Category: Zoology Authors: Khin Mar LAY, Tadashi NAKADA, Hideki TATEMOTO Source Type: research

Changes of fumonisin production in rice grain during ensiling
ABSTRACTWe assessed fumonisin production during the ensiling of rice grain. Rice grain was harvested at the full‐ripe stage and prepared as rough rice, crushed rough rice, brown rice or crushed brown rice. Each material was ensiled under six conditions: (1) no fungus, anaerobic; (2) no fungus, aerobic; (3) water added, anaerobic; (4) water and fumonisin‐producing fungus added, anaerobic; (5) water and fumonisin‐producing fungus added, aerobic; or (6) fumonisin‐producing fungus added to autoclaved material, aerobic. After 40 days of ensilage, we analyzed the silage fermentative quality and fumonisin concentration....
Source: Animal Science Journal - June 6, 2012 Category: Zoology Authors: Ryuichi UEGAKI, Hisami KOBAYASHI, Hidehiko INOUE, Masanori TOHNO, Takao TSUKIBOSHI Source Type: research

Distribution of protein disulfide isomerase during maturation of pig oocytes
In this study, we investigated the time course and illustrated the possible functional role of ER distribution during maturation of porcine oocytes by immunostaining with protein disulfide isomerase (PDI). PDI forms clusters in the cytoplasm of oocytes. After immunostaining, PDI clusters were identified throughout the cytoplasm from the GV to metaphase I (MI) stage; however, at the MII stage, the PDI formed large clusters (1–2 µm) in the animal pole around the first polar body. PDI distribution was prevented by bacitracin, a PDI inhibitor. Our experiments indicated that, during porcine oocyte maturation, PDI undergoes...
Source: Animal Science Journal - June 6, 2012 Category: Zoology Authors: Yumi OHASHI, Yumi HOSHINO, Kentaro TANEMURA, Eimei SATO Source Type: research

Sperm storage in caecilian amphibians
Conclusions: Our findings indicate short-term oviductal sperm storage in the oviparous Ichthyophis cf. kohtaoensis. We assume that in female caecilians exhibiting high levels of parental investment sperm storage has evolved in order to optimally coordinate reproductive events and to increase fitness.
Source: Frontiers in Zoology - June 6, 2012 Category: Zoology Authors: Susanne KuehnelAlexander Kupfer Source Type: research

Patterns of functional enzyme activity in fungus farming ambrosia beetles
Conclusion: Similar to closely related fungi associated with bark beetles in phloem, the microbial symbionts of ambrosia beetles do not degrade cellulose. Instead, their enzyme activity is directed mainly towards comparatively more easily accessible hemicellulose components of the ray-parenchyma cells in the wood xylem. Furthermore, the detection of xylanolytic enzymes exclusively in larvae and not in adults indicates that larvae (pre-) digest plant cell wall structures exclusively in larvae (which feed on fungus colonized wood) and not in adults (which feed only on fungi). This implies that in X. saxesenii and likely also...
Source: Frontiers in Zoology - June 6, 2012 Category: Zoology Authors: Henrik De Fine LichtPeter Biedermann Source Type: research

Fish immune responses against endoparasitic nematodes – experimental models
AbstractVertebrates mount a series of immune reactions when invaded by helminths but antihelmintic immune strategies allow, in many cases, the first invaders of the non‐immune host to survive for prolonged periods, whereas subsequent larval invaders of the same parasite species face increased host resistance and thereby decreased colonization success. This concomitant immunity may represent a trade‐off between adverse side effects (associated with killing of large helminths in the host tissue) and the need for future protection against invasion. Encapsulation and isolation of large live endoparasitic larvae may be asso...
Source: Journal of Fish Diseases - June 5, 2012 Category: Zoology Authors: K Buchmann Tags: Review Article Source Type: research

Peracetic acid is effective for controlling fungus on channel catfish eggs
This study determined the effectiveness of PAA for fungus control on channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus (Rafinesque), eggs. The study consisted of five PAA concentrations (2.5, 5, 10, 15 and 20 mg L−1) and an untreated control in a flow‐through system. A single spawn was used for each replication (N = 4). Eggs were treated twice daily until the embryos developed eyes. When hatching was complete for all viable eggs, fry were counted to determine the percent survival in each treatment. Fungal growth was severe in the untreated controls resulting in 11% survival. Treatments of 2.5, 5 and 10 mg L−1 PAA were...
Source: Journal of Fish Diseases - June 5, 2012 Category: Zoology Authors: D L Straus, T Meinelt, B D Farmer, A J Mitchell Source Type: research

Population genetics of the hazel hen Bonasa bonasia in Poland assessed with non-invasive samples
Abstract Despite a severe decrease in the number of hazel hens during the 20th century, nowadays this grouse species is rather common in the forests of Northeastern and Southern Poland. We used mitochondrial control region and microsatellite markers to examine the genetic variability of Polish populations of hazel hens. We used non-invasively collected faeces to estimate genetic variability within populations, genetic differentiation among populations as well as genetic differentiation between two regions inhabited by two different subspecies of hazel hens. Our results confirm the usefulness of DNA from faec...
Source: Central European Journal of Biology - June 4, 2012 Category: Biology Tags: Central European Journal of Biology Source Type: research

Effect of acute heat stress on rat adrenal cortex — a morphological and ultrastructural study
Abstract The stereological structure of rat adrenal gland was analysed by light and electron microscopy after an acute (60 min) exposure to high ambient temperature (38°C). Under these conditions a significant increase in plasma corticotrophin (ACTH), serum corticosterone and aldosterone levels were observed. Histological and stereological investigation at light microscopy showed significant decrease in volume density of capsule and zona glomerulosa, increase in volume of fasciculata cells, and decrease of numerical density of zona fasciculata cells and mean diameter of blood vessels. At the ultrastructural...
Source: Central European Journal of Biology - June 4, 2012 Category: Biology Tags: Central European Journal of Biology Source Type: research

Effects of Exogenous Testosterone on Parental Care Behaviours in Male Bluegill Sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus)
AbstractAndrogens are known to mediate aggressive and defensive behaviour in many vertebrate species. However, high concentrations of androgens might also conflict with the expression of nurturing behaviours and therefore a trade‐off can exist between aggressive and nurturing behaviours during parental care. We explored the role of testosterone in paternal care in bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus), where males provide both sole defence of the young from predators and sole nurturing behaviour such as fanning of the eggs. At the onset of parental care, we manipulated testosterone levels in males using testosterone pro...
Source: Ethology - June 3, 2012 Category: Zoology Authors: Chandra M. C. Rodgers, Bryan D. Neff, Rosemary Knapp Tags: Research Paper Source Type: research

Development of Badges of Status in Captive Male House Sparrows (Passer domesticus) in Relation to the Relative Ornamentation of Flock‐Mates
AbstractThe development of quality signals is expected to be largely influenced by environmental conditions among which the social environment could be an important factor, particularly in gregarious animals. Here, we investigated the role of the presumed social environment on the development of badge size in moulting male House Sparrows (Passer domesticus) over a 3‐yr time span. House Sparrow badges are testosterone‐dependent ornaments that are typically argued to be ‘badges of status’ –that is, signals of competitive ability and aggression. Immediately prior to moult, we created several groups of males, either ...
Source: Ethology - June 3, 2012 Category: Zoology Authors: Silke Laucht, James Dale Tags: Research Paper Source Type: research

Pecking but Accepting the Parasitic Eggs may not Reflect Ejection Failure: The Role of Motivation
AbstractThe common cuckoo, Cuculus canorus, is an evictor brood parasite that generally reduces host fitness to zero, exerting strong selective pressure on hosts to evolve egg recognition and rejection. However, a great deal of variation in egg‐rejection efficiency exists, egg‐rejection behaviour being considered a flexible conditional response against parasitic eggs. Recently, it has been shown that some of the individuals that recognized (pecked) the parasitic egg finally accepted it. Here, we present the results of two egg‐recognition experiments made in two populations of rufous‐tailed scrub robins, Cercotricha...
Source: Ethology - June 3, 2012 Category: Zoology Authors: Manuel Soler, Jacob Fernández‐Morante, Francisco Espinosa, Manuel Martín‐Vivaldi Tags: Research Paper Source Type: research

Optimal utilization of modern reproductive technologies to maximize the gross margin of milk production.
In this study, a linear programming model was developed to maximize the gross margin of milk production by determining the optimal use of different reproductive technologies in a dairy herd. The model has the potential to vary the use of conventional artificial insemination, insemination with X-sorted sperm, and the use of unselected or sex-selected embryo recovery and transfer. Data from Finnish dairy herd recording systems were used to parameterize the model. This paper presents the results of 6 scenarios for a herd size of 60 dairy cows. In the basic scenario, the optimum economic combination for Finnish conditions was ...
Source: Animal Reproduction Science - June 1, 2012 Category: Zoology Authors: Heikkilä AM, Peippo J Tags: Anim Reprod Sci Source Type: research

Factors affecting fertility after cervical insemination with cooled semen in meat sheep.
Abstract Field results of 18,328 cervical artificial inseminations (AI) with cooled semen in Rasa Aragonesa meat sheep under field conditions in north-eastern Spain AI were analyzed. Logistic regression procedures were used including fertility at AI as the dependent variable (measured by lambing, 0 or 1) and year, month of AI, farm, hours between extraction and insemination, number of ewes inseminated in a set of AI, parity, lambing-treatment interval, total number of synchronization treatment per ewe, inseminating ram and AI technician as independent factors. Previous parturitions, lambing-AI interval, month, farm...
Source: Animal Reproduction Science - June 1, 2012 Category: Zoology Authors: Palacín I, Yániz JL, Fantova E, Blasco ME, Quintín-Casorrán FJ, Sevilla-Mur E, Santolaria P Tags: Anim Reprod Sci Source Type: research

Application of antioxidants and centrifugation for cryopreservation of boar spermatozoa.
Abstract Although cryopreserved boar semen has been available since 1975, a major breakthrough in commercial application has not yet occurred due to the high susceptibility of boar spermatozoa to damage during cryopreservation and the complicated process required for deep freezing. In recent years, the application of antioxidants during the cryopreservation of boar semen has been the subject of considerable research aimed at improving the quality of post-thaw semen. Centrifugation is necessary before using cryopreservation protocols for freezing boar spermatozoa. Studies of the effect of different centrifugation re...
Source: Animal Reproduction Science - June 1, 2012 Category: Zoology Authors: Zhang W, Yi K, Chen C, Hou X, Zhou X Tags: Anim Reprod Sci Source Type: research

Specificity of the extender used for freezing ram sperm depends of the spermatozoa source (ejaculate, electroejaculate or epididymis).
The objective of this study was to identify possible specificity in the extender formulation for the cryopreservation of ram spermatozoa recovered from three origins (ejaculate, electroejaculate or epididymis), by evaluating post-thawing sperm quality and fertility. Ejaculated, electroejaculated or epididymal spermatozoa samples obtained from identical rams (8) were cryopreserved in four different extenders (TES-Tris-fructose with one of two egg yolk concentrations: 10% Y10 and 20% Y20, and with one of two glycerol rates: 4% G4 and 8% G8). Samples were analyzed before and after cryopreservation by CASA (motility) and flow ...
Source: Animal Reproduction Science - June 1, 2012 Category: Zoology Authors: Alvarez M, Tamayo-Canul J, Martínez-Rodríguez C, López-Urueña E, Gomes-Alves S, Anel L, Martínez-Pastor F, de Paz P Tags: Anim Reprod Sci Source Type: research

Oral administration of an anti-inflammatory does not compromise the efficacy of intra-testicular injection of zinc gluconate as a contraceptive for dogs.
In conclusion, giving metamizole sodium concurrent with an intra-testicular injection of a zinc-based solution did not interfere with chemical sterilization and it improved animal welfare. PMID: 22682769 [PubMed - in process]
Source: Animal Reproduction Science - June 1, 2012 Category: Zoology Authors: Oliveira EC, Muller PM, Silva FL, Nery LT, de Sá MJ, Guerra MM, Oliveira-Esquerre KP, Kastelic JP, Douglas RH Tags: Anim Reprod Sci Source Type: research

Effect of dietary arginine and N-carbamoylglutamate supplementation on reproduction and gene expression of eNOS, VEGFA and PlGF1 in placenta in late pregnancy of sows.
The objectives of this study were to investigate the potential mechanisms of dietary arginine (Arg) and N-carbamoylglutamate (NCG) supplementation on reproductive performance of sows. Twenty-seven crossbred (Landrace×Large White) sows with similar body weight and parity at day (90±1) of gestation were assigned randomly into 3 groups (n=9) control group, Arg group, NCG group, and fed with the following diets: a control diet, and the control diet supplemented with 1.0% Arg or 0.1% NCG. Litter size was recorded. Blood samples were obtained for biochemical analyses. Placenta chorioallantoic membrane tissue collected immediat...
Source: Animal Reproduction Science - June 1, 2012 Category: Zoology Authors: Wu X, Yin YL, Liu YQ, Liu XD, Liu ZQ, Li TJ, Huang RL, Ruan Z, Deng ZY Tags: Anim Reprod Sci Source Type: research

Fertility after ovarian follicular wave synchronization and fixed-time natural mating compared to random natural mating in dromedary camels (Camelus dromedarius).
In conclusion, this is the first study demonstrating that favorable pregnancy rate can be achieved following ovarian follicular wave synchronization with repeated GnRH analog and fixed-time natural mating at 14 days intervals in dromedary camels. PMID: 22683027 [PubMed - in process]
Source: Animal Reproduction Science - June 1, 2012 Category: Zoology Authors: Nagy P, Juhasz J Tags: Anim Reprod Sci Source Type: research

The impact of dose of FSH (Folltropin) containing LH (Lutropin) on follicular development, estrus and ovulation responses in prepubertal gilts.
Abstract FSH is favored over chorionic gonadotropins for induction of estrus in various species, yet little data are available for its effects on follicle development and fertility for use in pigs. For Experiment 1, prepubertal gilts (n=36) received saline, 100mg FSH, or FSH with 0.5mg LH. Treatments were divided into six injections given every 8h on Days 0 and 1. Proportions of gilts developing medium follicles were increased for FSH and FSH-LH (P<0.05) compared to saline, but follicles were not sustained and fewer hormone-treated gilts developed large follicles (P<0.05). No gilts expressed estrus and few ov...
Source: Animal Reproduction Science - June 1, 2012 Category: Zoology Authors: Breen SM, Knox RV Tags: Anim Reprod Sci Source Type: research

Calcium/calmodulin and cAMP/protein kinase-A pathways regulate sperm motility in the stallion.
Abstract In spite of the importance of sperm motility to fertility in the stallion, little is known about the signaling pathways that regulate motility in this species. In other mammals, calcium/calmodulin signaling and the cyclic AMP/protein kinase-A pathway are involved in sperm motility regulation. We hypothesized that these pathways also were involved in the regulation of sperm motility in the stallion. Using immunoblotting, calmodulin and the calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II β were shown to be present in stallion sperm and with indirect immunofluorescence calmodulin was localized to the acrosome and fla...
Source: Animal Reproduction Science - June 1, 2012 Category: Zoology Authors: Lasko J, Schlingmann K, Klocke A, Mengel GA, Turner R Tags: Anim Reprod Sci Source Type: research

Advances on in vitro production and cryopreservation of porcine embryos.
Abstract There have been intensive attempts to establish reliable in vitro production (IVP) and cryopreservation methods of embryos in pigs. Although a great deal of progress has been made, current IVP systems and cryopreservation still suffer from insufficient cytoplasmic abilities of in vitro matured oocytes, polyspermic fertilization, poor quality of in vitro produced embryos and low efficiency of embryo cryopreservation. Compared to other mammalian species, pig oocytes and embryos are characterized by large amounts of lipid content stored mainly in the form of lipid droplets in the cytoplasm. This fact has a ne...
Source: Animal Reproduction Science - June 1, 2012 Category: Zoology Authors: Zhang W, Yi K, Yan H, Zhou X Tags: Anim Reprod Sci Source Type: research

Effects of different photoperiods and handling stress on spawning and reproductive performance of pikeperch Sander lucioperca.
In this study, 72 pikeperch broodstocks with an average weight of 1367±55.3g were exposed to different photoperiods including constant light (24L:0D), constant darkness (0L:24D), and 12h of light, 12h of darkness (12L:12D) for 40days. Half of the broodstocks of each photoperiod treatment were exposed to handling stress at a specific time of the day. Applying different photoperiods caused changes in the timing of broodstocks' spawning, so that fish under 24L:0D spawned earlier than those of other photoperiods, and stressed fish of the 0L:24D photoperiod had a delayed spawning compared to others. Also, the spawning of the b...
Source: Animal Reproduction Science - June 1, 2012 Category: Zoology Authors: Pourhosein Sarameh S, Falahatkar B, Takami GA, Efatpanah I Tags: Anim Reprod Sci Source Type: research