Parity Condition Research Articles

Circulating progesterone at insemination and accessory spermatozoa are associated with fertilization and embryo quality five or six days post insemination in dairy cattle

This study aimed to evaluate animal and ovarian parameters that affected fertilization and embryo development up to the morula stage. The data were combined from four studies in which cows were inseminated between 46 and 60 days in milk, following a synchronization protocol, and flushed for embryo collection five or six days later. Parity and body condition score on the day of insemination were recorded. Cyclicity, ovarian structures, and circulating hormone concentrations before and on the day of insemination were also assessed. The recovered structures were graded on a 5-point scale (excellent-good quality, fair quality, poor quality, degenerated, and not fertilized). For recovered embryos, the total number of blastomeres, the number of nonviable blastomeres, and the number of accessory spermatozoa were assessed by epifluorescence microscopy. The risk factors for fertilization and embryo quality were identified using cumulative link mixed models. A total of 418 structures from 389 lactating Holstein cows (34% primiparous and 66% multiparous) were recovered. Thirty-five percent of the recovered structures were excellent-good quality embryos, 21% were fair quality embryos, 11% were poor quality embryos, 16% were degenerated embryos, and 17% were unfertilized oocytes. Structures from primiparous cows, from those with greater progesterone concentration at insemination, and from cows with seven or less accessory spermatozoa were less likely to be fertilized or of better quality than structures from multiparous cows, from those with lower progesterone concentration in plasma, and from those with more than seven accessory spermatozoa, respectively. Embryos with more blastomeres or without nonviable blastomeres were more likely to be of better quality than embryos with fewer blastomeres or with nonviable blastomeres. The results of this analysis highlight the importance of low circulating concentrations of progesterone near artificial insemination and potential positive association with number of accessory spermatozoa reaching the embryo and improvement of embryo development up to the morula stage.

Association of breed and non-genetic factors with freezing point and milkattributes of Zebu cattle

The present experiment was conducted to study the milk quality of indigenous cattle which are important for farmers, manufactures and consumers. For this study, we have collected 150 milk samples of three different indigenous cattle breeds viz. Kankrej, Sahiwal, and Rathi from semi-arid region of Rajasthan, India. The samples were evaluated for the milk fat, protein, lactose, solid not fat (SNF), somatic cell count (SCC), pH, electric conductivity and freezing point, and observed the relationship of breed, stage of lactation, parity and body condition score (BCS) with their milk constituents and freezing point. Total Protein, freezing point and electric conductivity of milk differed significantly (P<0.01) among the breeds. Freezing point, fat and protein contents of milk were significantly affected by parity and body condition score of the cattle. From this study it can be concluded that the milk constituents differs among the breeds of indigenous cattle and affected by many non genetic factors, therefore these are the factors which influences the quality of milk in different Zebu cattle breeds.

Can rewards induce corresponding forms of theft? Introducing the reward‐theft parity effect

AbstractRewards are reinforcement mechanisms that organizations use to shape desirable employee behaviors. However, rewards may also have unintended consequences, such as building expectations for receiving extra benefits and weakening employee barriers to unethical acts. This article investigates the dark side of the reward–behavior association, and exploring what is referred to as the reward–theft parity effect (RTPE). The authors hypothesize that receiving rewards induces a corresponding type of theft. In Study 1, survey results (n = 634) show initial support for the RTPE between rewards and same‐category theft, and that perceptions of procedural justice attenuate this association. Study 2 involved a 2 (reward) × 2 (theft opportunity) between‐subjects experimental design (n = 300) and provides further support for the RTPE by revealing greater theft under a reward–theft parity condition than under a reward–theft disparity condition. Study 3 replicates these findings in a field experiment (n = 285) and finds that the RTPE is exacerbated when the reward–behavior task is perceived as unjust. Collectively, these findings provide new theoretical insights while also giving managers a more complete understanding of the dark side of behavioral reinforcement mechanisms.

In Search of Dominant Drivers of the Real Exchange Rate

We uncover the major drivers of each macroeconomic variable and the real exchange rate at the business cycle frequency in G7 countries. In each country, the main drivers of key macro variables resemble each other and none of those account for a large fraction of the real exchange rate variances. We then estimate the dominant driver of the real exchange rate and find that (i) the shock is largely orthogonal to macro variables and (ii) the shock generates a significant deviation of the uncovered interest parity condition. We analyze international business cycle models that are consistent with our findings.

121 Effects of Total Dietary Fiber Content During Gestation on Sow Reproductive Performance

Abstract The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of total dietary fiber (TDF) levels during gestation on sow and litter performance. A total of 397 (Camborough, PIC) individual-housed sows were used. Sows were balanced by parity (P4-P10) and body condition score (BCS, 1-5) at breeding and allocated to 2 treatments: Low Fiber (TDF = 9%, LF) or High Fiber (TDF = 18%, HF) with similar insoluble to soluble fiber ratios 7.4 and 7.5 respectively. During gestation, all sows were fed according to their BCS (BCS 1 and 2 = 2.7 kg/d, BCS 3 = 2kg/d and BCS 4 and 5 = 1.6 kg/d). From d 90 of gestation thin sows (BCS 1 or 2) received an additional 0.9 kg/d. During lactation sows received a common diet, 1.81 kg/d pre-farrow, and then ad libitum. Diets were milo based with wheat midds and soy hulls as fiber sources. Dietary treatments were isonutrient and isocaloric and formulated to meet or exceed NRC (2012) nutrients. Data were analyzed for main effects of treatment and within body condition category. Overall, sows that received the LF diet were heavier at placement in lactation (306.6 and 280.6 kg; P = 0.012, for LF and HF, respectively). Similarly, the estimated post-partum BW was heavier for those fed the LF diet (283.1 and 256.1 kg; P = 0.008) and at wean BW (271.3 and 257.1 kg; P = 0.003). However, sows fed a HF gestation diet tended to lose less weight during lactation (17.0 and 4.0 kg; P = 0.080). There were no differences for total born (P = 0.767), born alive (P = 0.821), stillborn (P = 0.850) or weaned pigs (P = 0.620). In conclusion, elevating TDF during gestation did not improve litter performance, but did reduce weight and body condition loss during lactation.

154 Impact of Post-Breeding Feeding Level on the Reproductive Performance of Sows

Abstract The objective of this study was to determine the impact of feeding sows different feed levels during the first 7 d of gestation on the reproductive performance of sows. A total of 483 sows (Camborough, PIC) were used, equally balanced by parity (3-10) and body condition score (BCS) and placed on 1 of 2 treatments after breeding. Treatments consisted of: 1) feed a common level of 1.81 kg/d regardless of BCS from breeding to d 7, then feed levels were adjusted according to BCS thereafter; and 2) adjustment of feed level at breeding according to BCS. Sows were fed either 3.63, 2.72, 2.04, or 1.59 kg/d according to their BCS (1-5), respectively. Body condition, measured by the sow caliper, was reassessed, and feed levels were adjusted as needed on d 45 and 90 of gestation. Diets consisted of a standard milo and wheat midds based gestation diet which met or exceeded NRC (2012) recommendations for nutrient levels. Feeding thin (BCS 1, 2) pregnant sows elevated feed levels from breeding to d 7 of gestation tended to reduce the return rate (% sows that returned to estrus: bred) (P = 0.098; 8.85 vs. 3.68%, respectively); but not the farrow rate (% sows that farrowed: bred; P = 0.265, 87.61 vs. 91.91%, respectively). There was no difference in litter size at farrowing (P > 0.10). In conclusion, feeding weaned sows according to body condition compared with feeding 1.81 kg/d during the first 7 d of gestation decreased the number of thin sows returning to estrus.

Odd diagrams, Bruhat order, and pattern avoidance

The odd diagram of a permutation is a subset of the classical diagram with additional parity conditions. In this paper, we study classes of permutations with the same odd diagram, which we call odd diagram classes. First, we prove a conjecture relating odd diagram classes and 213- and 312-avoiding permutations. Secondly, we show that each odd diagram class is a Bruhat interval. Instrumental to our proofs is an explicit description of the Bruhat edges that link permutations in a class.Mathematics Subject Classifications: 05A05, 05A15

Covered interest rate parity deviations in the Asia-Pacific

Recent evidence has documented a failure in the covered interest rate parity (CIP) condition post Global Financial Crisis (post-GFC). Using a model which incorporates the transaction costs embedded in the bid-ask spread, we find evidence that while raw deviations from this relation have increased, market makers spreads have also widened, resulting in a decreasing trend in both the magnitude and duration of CIP deviations after adjusting for transaction costs. This finding, however, is highly market specific and varies considerably between developed and emerging market countries. These conclusions are robust to the post-GFC period and trading strategies designed to exploit these deviations were found to generally perform poorly.

Vitamin D Levels in Sows from Five Danish Outdoor Herds.

Simple SummaryA cross-sectional study on vitamin D3 status was conducted in five Danish outdoor sow herds throughout August 2020. The aim was to determine the vitamin D status of outdoor sows during the peak sunshine season. The average 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 concentration in serum was 67 ± 16 ng 25(OH)D3/mL in outdoor sows, which is considerably higher than levels found in sows housed indoors and fed a standard diet supplemented with vitamin D.Vitamin D is essential for sow health and productivity. Standard sow feed is therefore supplemented with vitamin D3 or 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25(OH)D3). However, it is uncertain whether the levels achieved are adequate for optimal performance. Currently, information on serum levels of vitamin D in pigs reared under both indoor and outdoor conditions is lacking. In August 2020, we obtained blood samples from 97 organic newly weaned sows housed outdoors during pregnancy and farrowing and used these to test for vitamin D in serum. The average concentration was 67 ± 16 ng 25(OH)D3/mL with a range of 32 to 134 ng 25(OH)D3/mL. The vitamin D3 content was 21 ± 7 ng/mL, ranging from 9 to 48 ng/mL. The average number of hours of sun from June to August was 7.0 ± 0.5 h/day. Parity, farm and body condition score did not significantly affect serum levels of 25(OH)D3.

THE ROLE OF PUBLIC GOVERNANCE OF THE SECURITY LEVEL OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF REGIONS

Abstract. Nowadays, the crisis in Ukraine leads to deterioration of socio-economic conditions. Therefore, the formation of socio-economic security of the regions should be the priority. An effective tool for this is public administration, which promotes the participation of civil society in the process of regulating the development of regions. Therefore, there is an urgent task to study the prerequisites for its implementation, the ability of public administration to achieve appropriate results. The purpose of the article is to study the peculiarities, pace and effectiveness of public administration for the formation of an appropriate level of security of socio-economic development of regions. The methodology is based on a systematic approach to the application of public administration and its impact on the formation of an appropriate level of security of regional development; formalization of levels, goals, consequences of application of regulatory instruments, algorithms of involvement in the regulation of civil society: a comparative analysis of the level of subsidies of territorial communities. Prerequisites for the formation of socio-economic security of the regions are established. The structural scheme of application of regulatory tools of development of the region for formation of an appropriate level of safety is developed. To this end, regulatory instruments are segmented in accordance with the political, economic, social, environmental, spatial levels, which detail the relevant areas of development and their results. In addition, the structural and functional scheme of algorithm of introduction of public management of development of regions is developed. It is established that the extension of public administration to perform certain tasks should correspond to the level of social responsibility. A high level of subsidies to the budgets of territorial communities was revealed, which leads to an increase in the level of socio-economic danger. Therefore, it is stated that the balanced development of territorial communities should be the main goal of public administration. It is offered to estimate efficiency of management according to the author’s analytical representation based on the rates of budget balancing and as the degree of achievement of the purposes on the condition of an effective parity of the achieved result and expenses. Keywords: public administration, safety level, socio-economic development, decentralization, civil society, efficiency evaluation criterion. JEL Classification R10, R50 Formulas: 3; fig.: 2; tabl.: 1; bibl.: 20.

Safer motherhood - birth preparedness and complication readiness assessment among pregnant women residing in urban slums of Marathwada region.

Birth Preparedness and Complication Readiness (BPACR) is the intervention for planning of normal birth and anticipating the actions needed in case of complications. It is a comprehensive strategy to improve the use of skilled providers at birth, the key measure to reduce maternal mortality. To assess the status of BPACR and associated sociodemographic factors among pregnant women in community. A community-based descriptive longitudinal study undertaken at urban slums among 156 pregnant women with >28 weeks of gestation. They were interviewed for BPACR components. BPACR index was observed to be lower 48.3%. About 88% were aware about any one danger signs of pregnancy. Nearly, 77% of women availed antenatal care service in first trimester. About 85% women identified skilled birth attendant and mode of transport for delivery, 66% women saved money for delivery. Most common danger sign noted was abdominal pain (65.38%). Mother's education, occupation, parity, and socioeconomic condition were significantly associated with three out of four components of BPACR. Low level of BPACR index was attributed to low level of awareness regarding government sponsored schemes and danger signs of pregnancy. This highlights need of more efforts in services provided by health care providers and workers. There is need of intense Information, Education and Communication activity focused on pregnant women and their family members.

A Cross-sectional Study on the Prevalence and Clinico-social Profile of High Risk Pregnancies in Rural Tamil Nadu, India

Introduction: Around 10-30% of mother during their antenatal period can be classified as high risk and out of these 70-80% accounts to perinatal morbidity or mortality. Special care must be given to women with high risk pregnancies to make sure the best possible outcomes. Early identification and regular followup of high risk pregnancies will reduce the loss of mother as well as newborn. Aim: To identify the prevalence of high risk pregnancies and factors associated with it in rural Tamil Nadu, India. Materials and Methods: Community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in rural field practice area of Department of Community Medicine, Annapoorana Medical College, Salem, Tamil Nadu, India. High risk pregnancies were identified using a pretested semi-structured questionnaire and a scoring system developed by Dutta and Das (1990) on a 235 women of more than 20 weeks of pregnancy. The association between high risk pregnancies and socio-demographic variables were analysed. The frequency, percentage and analytical statistics was done using Pearson Chi-square test. Results: Total of 235 pregnant mothers who were interviewed for the prevalence of high risk pregnancy was found to be 15.32%, Moderate and high risk pregnancies combined were 42.13% whereas 57.87% were of low risk pregnancy with no known risk factors. Major risk factors identified were anaemia (33.19%), undernutrition (31.06%), previous Lower Segment Caesarean Section (LSCS) (13.62%), abortion (8.51%). Early and late age at pregnancy was not associated with moderate to high risk pregnancy. Parity and high socio-economic condition were significantly associated with high risk pregnancy. Conclusion: The present study found that 42.13% pregnancies were moderate to high risk pregnancies. Early detection of these high risk pregnancies must be done at primary healthcare level using a uniform scoring system by a trained health workers, which may reduce the adverse events.

On the distribution of lattice points on hyperbolic circles

We study the fine distribution of lattice points lying on expanding circles in the hyperbolic plane $\mathbb{H}$. The angles of lattice points arising from the orbit of the modular group $PSL_{2}(\mathbb{Z})$, and lying on hyperbolic circles, are shown to be equidistributed for generic radii. However, the angles fail to equidistribute on a thin set of exceptional radii, even in the presence of growing multiplicity. Surprisingly, the distribution of angles on hyperbolic circles turns out to be related to the angular distribution of $\mathbb{Z}^2$-lattice points (with certain parity conditions) lying on circles in $\mathbb{R}^2$, along a thin subsequence of radii. A notable difference is that measures in the hyperbolic setting can break symmetry - on very thin subsequences they are not invariant under rotation by $\frac{\pi}{2}$, unlike the Euclidean setting where all measures have this invariance property.

Asymptotic symmetries in Carrollian theories of gravity

Asymptotic symmetries in Carrollian gravitational theories in 3+1 space and time dimensions obtained from “magnetic” and “electric” ultrarelativistic contractions of General Relativity are analyzed. In both cases, parity conditions are needed to guarantee a finite symplectic term, in analogy with Einstein gravity. For the magnetic contraction, when Regge-Teitelboim parity conditions are imposed, the asymptotic symmetries are described by the Carroll group. With Henneaux-Troessaert parity conditions, the asymptotic symmetry algebra corresponds to a BMS-like extension of the Carroll algebra. For the electric contraction, because the lapse function does not appear in the boundary term needed to ensure a well-defined action principle, the asymptotic symmetry algebra is truncated, for Regge-Teitelboim parity conditions, to the semidirect sum of spatial rotations and spatial translations. Similarly, with Henneaux-Troessaert parity conditions, the asymptotic symmetries are given by the semidirect sum of spatial rotations and an infinite number of parity odd supertranslations. Thus, from the point of view of the asymptotic symmetries, the magnetic contraction can be seen as a smooth limit of General Relativity, in contrast to its electric counterpart.

Does the swap-covered interest parity still hold in long-term capital markets after the financial crisis? Evidence from cross-currency basis swaps

This paper analyzes the swap-covered interest parity condition by comparing US Treasury bonds with USD-denominated foreign assets replicated using cross-currency basis swaps. We find that the deviations of these yield spreads declined substantially after the financial crisis, suggesting that the swap-covered interest parity still holds. To reconcile our paradoxical findings with the previous literature that insists upon the failure of covered interest parity, we empirically confirm that the regulatory costs of cross-currency basis swaps are cancelled out by the costs of swaps spread under swap-covered interest parity.

Takagi topological insulator with odd PT pairs of corner states

We present a novel class of topological insulators, termed the Takagi topological insulators (TTIs), which is protected by the sublattice symmetry and spacetime inversion ($\mathcal P\mathcal T$) symmetry. The required symmetries for the TTIs can be realized on any bipartite lattice where the inversion exchanges sublattices. The protecting symmetries lead to the classifying space of Hamiltonians being unitary symmetric matrices, and therefore Takagi's factorization can be performed. Particularly, the global Takagi's factorization can (cannot) be done on a $3$D ($2$D) sphere. In 3D, there is a $\mathbb{Z}_2$ topological invariant corresponding to the parity of the winding number of Takagi's unitary-matrix factor over the entire Brillouin zone, where the $\mathbb Z_2$ nature comes from the $O(N)$ gauge degrees of freedom in Takagi's factorization. In 2D, the obstruction for a global Takagi's factorization is characterized by another $\mathbb{Z}_2$ topological invariant, equivalent to the second Stiefel-Whitney number. For the third-order topological phases, the $3$D TTIs feature a parity condition for corner zero-modes, i.e., there always exist odd $\mathcal P\mathcal T$ pairs of corners with zero-modes. Moreover, for any $\mathcal P\mathcal T$ invariant sample geometry, all configurations of corner zero-modes satisfying the parity condition can exist with the same nontrivial bulk topological invariant. Actually, without closing the bulk gap, the boundary phase diagram have a cellular structure, where each topological boundary phase associated with a particular (cross-order) boundary-mode pattern corresponds to a contractible cell with certain dimension in the parameter space.

Effects of Administering Exogenous Bovine Somatotropin During the First Trimester of Pregnancy Altered Uterine Hemodynamics in Suckled Beef Cows

The objective of this study was to examine the effects of recombinant bovine somatotropin (bST) administration on uterine hemodynamics and subsequent fetal programming in suckled cows during the first trimester of gestation. Crossbred beef cows (n = 152) were stratified by breed, days postpartum, parity, cyclicity status, and body condition score (BCS) before being assigned to either receive injections of bST every other week (BST; 500-mg/14 d) starting at fixed-time artificial insemination (TAI; d 0) until d 97 or to receive no bST (CTL). Blood samples were collected until d 97 for analysis of plasma concentrations of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). Pregnancy was assessed via transrectal ultrasonography on d 41 and 173. A subset of pregnant cows (BST, n = 24; CTL, n = 28) were selected for assessment of uterine arterial blood flow (BF), pulsatility index, and resistance index (RI) of the uterine arteries ipsilateral and contralateral to the conceptus via color Doppler ultrasonography on d 97 and 233 of gestation. No differences (P = 0.99) were detected in body weight (BW) or BCS of dams; however, plasma concentrations of IGF-1 were greater (P < 0.001) in BST-treated cows. Color Doppler ultrasonography parameters differed whereby a treatment × day interaction (P = 0.007) was detected for RI on d 97 (P = 0.048); however, on d 233, RI did not differ (P > 0.10) but ipsilateral BF for BST-treated cows was greater (P = 0.0319) than controls. Mean heart girth diameter, crown-to-rump length, and neonate BW at 7 ± 5 d of calf age did not differ (P > 0.10). Liver tissue samples from each calf were collected for analysis of mRNA expression of target insulin-like growth factor system ligands. There was no difference in gene expression of hepatic IGF-1 between treatments (P = 0.99). A treatment × sex interaction was determined, where BST heifers had increased mRNA expression of IGFR1 compared to BST bulls (P = 0.03). Bi-weekly administration of bST until d 97 of pregnancy increased plasma concentrations of IGF-1, altered uterine hemodynamics in dams, induced sex-specific changes in liver gene expression of the offspring but failed to alter calf morphometries or calf performance until weaning.

PSXIII-17 Supplementing organic-complexed or inorganic Co, Cu, Mn, and Zn to beef cows during gestation: post-weaning responses of offspring reared as replacement heifers or feeder cattle

Abstract Beef cows and their progeny were used to evaluate the effects of supplementing organic-complexed or inorganic Co, Cu, Mn, and Zn during gestation: on offspring reared as replacement heifers or feeder cattle. Non-lactating, pregnant beef cows (n = 190) were ranked by parity, pregnancy type, body weight (BW) and body condition score (BCS), at 117 ± 2.2 d of gestation (d 0) and assigned to receive a supplement containing: 1) sulfate sources of Cu, Co, Mn, and Zn (INR; n = 95) or 2) an organic complexed source of Cu, Mn, Co, and Zn (AAC; Availa®4; Zinpro Corporation, Eden Prairie, MN; n = 95). From d 0 to calving, cows were maintained in a single pasture and individually offered treatments three times a week. Calves were weaned at 6 mo of age (d 367) and preconditioned for 45-d. Heifer puberty status was verified weekly (d 437 to d 619) based on plasma progesterone concentrations. Steer calves were shipped to a commercial feedlot on d 493, where they were managed as a single group until slaughter (d 724). Plasma cortisol concentration was greater (P = 0.05) in AAC calves at weaning but tended to be less (P = 0.10) on d 370 compared with INR calves. Mean plasma haptoglobin concentration was greater (P = 0.03) in INR vs. AAC calves during preconditioning, and no treatment effects were noted (P = 0.76) for preconditioning average daily gain (ADG). Puberty attainment was hastened in AAC heifers during the experiment (treatment × day; P < 0.01), despite similar (P = 0.39) ADG between treatments from d 412 to 620. No treatment effects were detected (P ≥ 0.24) for steer ADG from d 412 until slaughter, nor for carcass quality traits. Therefore, supplementing Co, Cu, Zn, and Mn as organic complexed instead of sulfate sources to beef cows during the last 5 mo of gestation did not improve performance of steer progeny until slaughter, but hastened puberty attainment in female progeny reared as replacement heifers.

On long-time behavior of solutions of the Zakharov–Rubenchik/Benney–Roskes system

We study decay properties for solutions to the initial value problem associated with the one-dimensional Zakharov–Rubenchik/Benney–Roskes (ZR/BR) system. We prove time-integrability in growing compact intervals of size t r , r < 2/3, centered on some characteristic curves coming from the underlying transport equations associated with the ZR/BR system. Additionally, we prove decay to zero of the local energy-norm in so-called far-field regions. Our results are independent of the size of the initial data and do not require any parity condition.

Sign-balances of Tableaux with at Most Three Rows

Let the sign of a standard Young tableau (SYT) be the sign of the permutation obtained by reading the entries row by row from left to right, starting from the top row. By a sign-reversing involution on the tableaux in terms of lattice paths, we obtain the sign-balance of $n$-cell SYTs of all shapes with at most three rows. For skew shapes, we obtain partial results on the sign-balance enumeration of $2n$-cell skew SYTs of all shapes with at most three rows, under a parity condition of the skew part.