A novel approach to synchronize ovulation of dairy heifers for the second and subsequent inseminations.

L-carnitine and vitamin C improve the quality of sheep oocytes after in vitro maturation and subsequent pregnancy outcome.

The aim of this study was to assess the time to live birth following fertility treatments among couples attending fertility centres in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and to identify associated factors that could contribute to improving fertility treatment outcomes. A retrospective record review SETTINGS FERTILITY: Treatment centres that are found in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. 411 infertile couples who have undergone fertility treatment at St. Paul's Hospital Millennium Medical College (SPHMMC) and Ethio Fertility and IVF Center in Addis Ababa from 2021 to 2023. A retrospective record review was conducted using data from patient charts among 411 couples who received fertility treatments at SPHMMC and the Ethio Fertility and IVF Center in Addis Ababa. A simple random sampling technique was used to select samples from participants who started fertility treatments from March 2021 to February 2023. Data were collected by three nurses who work at the facilities using the data abstraction format under close supervision. Kaplan-Meier, life table, log-rank test and Cox regression were used to analyse the time-to-live birth and associated factors. Among the 411 couples who underwent fertility treatments, 33.1% achieved live birth, with most occurring between 8 and 12 months after treatment initiation. Women aged ≥35 years had a 63% lower adjusted hazard of live birth compared with those aged <35 years (adjusted HR (AHR)=0.63, 95% CI 0.40 to 0.99, p=0.047). Longer duration of infertility was associated with reduced hazards: 5-9 years (AHR=0.59, 95% CI 0.39 to 0.90, p=0.013) and 10-14 years (AHR=0.46, 95% CI 0.22 to 0.98, p=0.043) compared with <5 years. Intrauterine insemination was associated with a 52% lower hazard of live birth compared with in vitro fertilisation (AHR=0.48, 95% CI 0.27 to 0.85, p=0.011). Couples with ≥4 treatment cycles had significantly higher hazards of live birth compared with one cycle: four cycles (AHR=3.02, 95% CI 1.09 to 8.35, p=0.033) and five cycles (AHR=4.06, 95% CI 1.28 to 12.88, p=0.017). Fresh embryo transfer was associated with a 57% higher hazard of live birth compared with frozen transfer (AHR=1.57, 95% CI 1.11 to 2.22, p=0.012). Younger women and couples undergoing multiple treatment cycles achieve higher live birth rates, and assisted reproductive technology in Addis Ababa attains outcomes comparable to international standards. Expanding early infertility intervention, ensuring access to repeated treatment cycles nationwide and raising public awareness are essential.

Aging bodies, future technologies: Health insurance coverage and stratified biomedicalization.

Subchronic exposure to Voliam Targo® affects ovarian histology and reproductive performance in rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus).

Medical care effect in assisted reproductive technology on couple's sexuality

Gene dysregulation impairs placental angiogenesis in allogeneic pig pregnancies.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of IDEXX rapid visual PAG ELISA kit for early diagnosis of pregnancy in Buffaloes. The study was carried out with 148 Murrah graded buffaloes in a private dairy farm in Nalgonda district, Telangana state. Artificial Insemination was done for all the buffaloes with good quality frozen thawed semen and breeding records were maintained. Pregnancy diagnosis was done on day 30 post insemination in all animals by means of ultrasonography device with a 5-Mhz Trans rectal probe, Blood samples were collected from all the animals to study the presence of bovine pregnancy-associated glycoproteins (bPAGs) with IDEXX rapid visual kit. The results were determined based on bPAGs levels and it is compared with USG findings. In present study, 54 animals were confirmed pregnant by ultrasonography. In IDEXX rapid visual kit method, 49 buffaloes out of 54 animals were shown positive for pregnancy, while 5 of them were found to show false negative. However, all the animals that were declared non-pregnant based on ultrasonographical findings, showed negative result with the kit. The accuracy rate for pregnancy diagnosis using IDEXX rapid visual PAG ELISA test was 96% in case of pregnancy and 100% in case of non-pregnant status. It can be concluded that the IDEXX rapid visual kit may be utilised as a next option for early pregnancy in buffaloes under field conditions where ultrasound facilities are not available, as the accuracy rate is 100% especially in identifying non pregnant animals.

Impact of early resynchronization in combination with color Doppler ultrasonography on cumulative pregnancy rates and calving distribution in postpartum beef cows.

Modeling heat stress effects on first service to conception rates in Canadian Holstein dairy cattle.

Background: One of the most important aspects of artificial insemination in animals is the practical design of long-term preservation of sperm. Although there are many reports on canine sperm storage methods, an improved system for chilling canine spermatozoa is required for successful breeding programs in companion and working dog colonies. Objectives: This study aimed to compare the effects of incubation temperature at 37 °C on dog sperm parameters before cooling. Methods: Around 1-2 mL ejaculated sperm from the testes of 5 mature, healthy dogs were collected and divided into two groups: C: TRIS+egg yolk 20% (control, without incubation at 37 °C), T: TRIS+egg yolk 20% (treatment group, incubation at 37 °C for 10 minutes). Evaluation of cooled sperm was done by computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA) for motility test, morphology, eosin-nigrosin vital staining and hypo-osmotic swelling test (HOST) after cooling. Results: In the treatment group, total and progressive motility (PM), curvilinear velocity, straight line velocity, average path velocity (VAP), linearity (LIN), straightness (STR), the proportion of sperm with normal morphology, the proportion of viable sperm and the proportion of sperm positive for HOST were not affected by the interaction of group by time. However, they were lower in treatment than the control group (P&lt;0.05) and they decreased throughout preservation (P&lt;0.001). Conclusion: Keeping sperm at a temperature of 37 °C and applying heat shock by bain-marie has highly adverse effects on the quality of ejaculated sperm.

The most important prerequisite for improving the productive and breeding qualities of dairy cattle is: - conducting research on improving economic and useful traits and increasing the genetic potential of priority breeds (types) of dairy cattle using domestic and global gene pools; - scientific and methodological foundations for increasing the number of dairy cattle and improving the technology of reproduction of new domestic types and imported cows of the desired type by using advances in biotechnology. Therefore, the purpose of the studies was to analyze the milk productivity of cows and to study the effectiveness of artificial insemination of heifers with sexed sperm in farms of different regions. The studies were conducted in the LLP "Ice" of Aktobe, LLP "Pervomaysky" of Atyrau, and KKh "Aidarbayev E.S." of Almaty regions. The research materials included primary zootechnical and breeding records (from the IAS system), as well as the results of experimental studies, visual assessments, weighings, measurements, and control milking of the animals. All the animals were kept under the same feeding and housing conditions. The research findings showed that in three experimental farms in different regions of Kazakhstan, the average milk production of the cows was 9,549±95 kg of milk, with a fat content of 3.70±0.01% and a protein content of 3.27±0.01%. In Ice LLP, the fertility rate of heifers from the first insemination was 35 heads, or 66.0% of the total number of inseminated animals, and in Aydarbayev E.S. Farm, it was 31 heads, or 57.4%. In Ice LLP, 48 heads were fertilized after two inseminations, which is 88.9% of the total number of inseminated animals. In Aydarbayev E.S. Farm, 38 heifers calved, or 70.3%, and in Pervomaysky LLP, 32 heifers calved, or 61.5%. The use of sexed semen in Ice LLP and the production of 93% heifers on average, with a market value of at least 1,200 tenge per kilogram of live weight at 12 months of age, will result in a profit of 76,109.2 thousand tenge, minus the cost of insemination. If conventional semen is used and 50% of the heifers are produced, the profit will be 66,069.0 thousand tenge, resulting in an additional profit of over 10 million tenge.

Evaluation of an artificial intelligence system for bull sperm morphology evaluation.

The present study was aimed to compare the behavioral estrus signs and uterine tone exhibited by buffaloes subjected to traditional heat synch and a modified heat synch (G6G-Heatsynch) protocol in which a gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) injection was administered two days after prostaglandin (PGF2α) and six days prior to the Heat synch protocol. A total of 50 postpartum clinically healthy and cyclic buffaloes were randomly divided into two groups. Buffaloes of Group 1 (n=25) were treated with G6G-Heatsynch protocol whereas Group 2 (n=25) buffaloes received the traditional Heat synch protocol. Various behavioral estrus signs viz. frequent urination, vulvar swelling, cervical-vaginal mucus (CVM) discharge, bellowing and uterine tonicity were recorded on the day of fixed time artificial insemination (FTAI) and a comparison was carried out between both groups based on display of these estrus signs. Frequent urination, vulvar swelling and bellowing were present in all the animals of both groups whereas CVM was observed in 80 and 68% buffaloes of Group 1 and 2, respectively. High uterine tone was exhibited by 44% buffaloes of Group 1 compared to 32% buffaloes of Group 2. Furthermore, frequent urination, vulvar swelling and bellowing were observed in all the animals of both groups irrespective of their subsequent pregnancy status. On the other hand, higher proportion of pregnant buffaloes showed CVM discharge compared to non-pregnant ones in Group 1 (P&lt;0.01) and 2 (P&lt;0.05). Pregnant buffaloes also had higher uterine tonicity at the time of FTAI than non-pregnant buffaloes of Group 1 (P&lt;0.05) and 2 (P&lt;0.01). In conclusion, estradiol-based synchronization methods were successful in eliminating estrus detection problem. Further, CVM discharge and high uterine tonicity at the time of AI were prominent signs to predict successful pregnancy in buffaloes subjected to estradiol-based synchronization protocols.

Cystic ovarian disease is one of the leading causes of infertility in dairy cows. In this experimental field study, the comparative efficacy of the -3hCG/Ovsynch protocol (pre-treatment with hCG before Ovsynch) was investigated alongside the Ovsynch and the progestagen-based Ovsynch protocol. A total of 45 dairy cows with follicular cyst (FC) were enrolled in the study. The cows were randomly divided into three equal groups: in the first group, the Ovsynch-48 protocol (Day 0 GnRH, Day 7 PGF2α, Day 9 GnRH and fixed-time artificial insemination (FTAI) 16-20 h later); in the second group, the CIDR-synch protocol (Day 0 GnRH and the insertion of CIDR into the vagina for 7 days, Day 7 PGF2α, Day 9 GnRH and FTAI 16-20 h later); and in the third group, the -3hCG/Ovsynch protocol (3000 IU hCG pre-treatment before initiation of the Ovsynch-48 protocol) were applied. Blood samples were collected on Day -3, 0, 3 and 7, and serum progesterone levels were measured. Transrectal sonography of the ovaries was performed on Day -3, 0, 3 and 7 for ovarian dynamics (follicular development, presence of FC, measurement of diameter and wall thickness of FC) throughout the protocols. Cows were fixed-time artificially inseminated. On Day 13 (3 days after FTAI) and Day 45 (pregnancy diagnosis), ovarian ultrasonography was also performed to evaluate the cystic persistence (PC). hCG pre-treatment was found to be ineffective on follicular development in the early period of the -3hCG/Ovsynch protocol, but it significantly increased the diameter of the dominant follicle on Day 3 when compared to the Ovsynch and CIDR-synch protocols. The lifespan of the corpus luteum in the -3hCG/Ovsynch group was longer (> 4 days) than in the other protocols (< 4 days). Following the Ovsynch, CIDR-synch and -3hCG/Ovsynch protocols, the PC rates were found to be 54.5% (6/11), 45.4% (5/11) and 27.2% (3/11) on Day 13, and 27.2% (3/11), 27.2% (3/11) and 9.1% (1/11) on Day 45, respectively. Conception rates were found in Ovsynch (6/15), CIDR-synch (8/14) and -3hCG/Ovsynch (8/15) protocols as 40%, 57.1% and 53.3%, respectively. According to the findings, it was concluded that the -3hCG/Ovsynch protocol may be more effective than the Ovsynch protocol in the treatment of cows with FCs, can be used as an alternative to the CIDR-synch protocol and can be preferred especially in cows with uterine infection detected early in the postpartum period and in cases where the use of exogenous progesterone is contraindicated.

Aim: This study aims to evaluate the impact of luteal phase support (LPS) with progesterone on pregnancy and live birth rates in patients undergoing intrauterine insemination (IUI) treatment. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 88 patients who underwent IUI treatment at a tertiary center between 2019 and 2021. Patients were divided into two groups: Group 1 (n=49) received progesterone for luteal phase support, while Group 2 (n=39) did not receive any luteal support. Clinical, demographic, and biochemical parameters, including age, BMI, infertility duration, and ovarian reserve markers, were compared between the two groups. Treatment outcomes such as pregnancy rates, clinical pregnancy, and live birth rates were analyzed. Results: No significant differences were observed between Group 1 and Group 2 in terms of demographic characteristics (age, BMI, and infertility duration) or biochemical markers (AMH, FSH, estradiol, and progesterone). The pregnancy rate in Group 1 was 14.2%, compared to 12.8% in Group 2 (p=0.640). Live birth rates were also similar between the groups (12.2% in Group 1 vs. 10.2% in Group 2, p=0.510). Treatment parameters, including endometrial thickness and gonadotropin dosage, showed no significant differences. Conclusion: Progesterone supplementation for luteal phase support did not significantly improve pregnancy or live birth rates in IUI patients. These findings suggest that luteal phase support may not be necessary in routine IUI cycles, particularly when standard ovulation induction protocols are followed. Further research is needed to clarify its role in specific patient populations.

Aim: Understanding the market dynamics of dairy cattle farming in Tanzania is vital for fostering a competitive and sustainable dairy industry. Contract farming is a prominent market structure in this realm, offering small-scale farmers improved breeds, veterinary services, feed, and extension support. However, the engagement of small-scale farmers in dairy cattle contract farming is currently limited. Encouraging its uptake requires a thorough understanding of the driving forces and impediments. Previous studies investigating the factors influencing the adoption of dairy cattle contract farming have overlooked the correlation between the liquidity constraints of vaccination and the barriers to its adoption. This study addresses this gap. Methods: The study analyzed data gathered using a structured questionnaire from 300 randomly selected small-scale dairy cattle farmers in the Mbeya Region and employed a double-probit model to correct sample selection biases. Results: The research uncovered that the adoption of dairy cattle contract farming by small-scale farmers is influenced by household size, risk aversion, access to extension services, radio ownership, quantity of dairy cattle owned, type of dairy cattle breed, liquidity constraints of vaccination, utilization of artificial insemination, and the application of veterinary treatment. Conclusions: The study emphasizes the efforts toward implementing initiatives that streamline farmers’ access to superior dairy cattle breeds, vaccination, veterinary treatment, and artificial insemination services.

This study evaluated the effects of three total mixed rations (TMRs) with varying energy levels and RDP:RUP ratios on reproductive performance and mineral status in early lactating crossbred dairy cows over 90days. Twenty-one cows were randomly assigned to three isonitrogenous dietary treatments: G1 (60 TDN, RDP:RUP ratio 70:30), G2 (65 TDN, RDP:RUP ratio 70:30), and G3 (70 TDN, RDP:RUP ratio 60:40). Parameters assessed included days in milk at first artificial insemination, service period, pregnancy rate and serum mineral concentrations. While no significant differences were observed among the groups, the results indicated that all diets adequately supported reproductive performance and maintained mineral balance in early lactating crossbred cows.

Simple SummaryGiant pandas are conservation reliant. Natural mating is more successful than artificial insemination. Mate preference is a critical factor in the natural reproduction of giant pandas, but it is poorly understood. Given the importance of improving the reproductive efficiency of the giant panda, this study focused on the physiological and metabolic changes in female giant pandas during mate preference trials conducted at estrus. In this study, we collected environmental biomarkers from 19 female pandas during mate preference trials with 3 males and performed metabolomics analysis. We identified several differential metabolites, including prostaglandin G2, prostaglandin E2, and estrone, which are potentially associated with female mate preference. In addition, through KEGG pathway enrichment analysis, we found that female mate preference was related to steroid hormone biosynthesis, phenylalanine metabolism, and tropane, piperidine and pyridine alkaloid biosynthesis. These results reveal potential physiological markers related to female mate preference, providing insights for formulating effective conservation and breeding strategies for the giant panda.The giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is a vulnerable animal in China, and it is crucial to improve the reproduction efficiency of the giant panda. Mate preference is an important part of natural mating. We hypothesized that AGS metabolites differ according to their mate preference. In this study, we determined estrus-associated hormone levels in the urine of 19 female giant pandas. After confirming estrus via hormone levels and behavioral observation, we collected environmental biomarkers for metabolomics analysis. A total of 19 samples were divided to two groups according to the mating preference of female giant pandas. Metabolomics analysis by LC-MS/MS showed that a total of 115 differentially expressed metabolites were identified, including 97 upregulated metabolites and 18 downregulated metabolites. We found that prostaglandin B2, palmitoylcarnitine, prostaglandin G2, and estrone may be the potential markers of female mate preference. Pathway enrichment analysis showed that steroid hormone biosynthesis, phenylalanine metabolism, and tropane, piperidine, and pyridine alkaloid biosynthesis were the top three pathways. These results revealed the physiological changes in female giant pandas during mate preference trials, providing a perspective for understanding their chemical communication system reliant on anal gland secretions and improving the success rate of natural mating of giant pandas.

Effects of GnRH administration on pregnancy rate and litter size in ewes subjected to a fixed time insemination program during the breeding season.