White Bulls Research Articles

Modern methods of using industrial crossing, keeping conditions and obtaining additional energy carriers from purebred and crossbred animals

This topic covers a wide range of aspects, including improving the genetic potential of animals through industrial crossbreeding, ensuring optimal housing conditions, and developing technologies for efficient use of the energy generated by these animals. Modern methods of industrial crossbreeding are determined by strategic plans to improve the genetic pool of animals to obtain more productive and disease-resistant offspring. Using advanced genetic technologies and modern breeding methods enhances product quality and ensures resistance to adverse factors. Considering the physiological needs of different breeds, providing appropriate nutrition and maintenance following current standards helps maintain high productivity and ensure the harmonious development of animals. In obtaining additional energy carriers, the latest technologies for using livestock waste in biogas, compost, and other energy resources are being studied. This contributes not only to the improvement of the environmental sustainability of farms but also to the use of internal resources for additional energy production. Summing up, modern approaches to the use of industrial crossing, housing conditions, and obtaining other energy carriers help solve complex tasks in animal husbandry, providing an optimal balance between productivity, efficiency, and environmental sustainability. It was established that the dynamics of live weight gains were more incredible in ½ Charolais steers when kept on deep litter, and on average up to 15 months, the average daily gains amounted to 947.9 g per day, and in purebreds under box keeping – 815.9 g; the absolute gains in live weight of purebred bulls of the Ukrainian black-spotted dairy breed, when kept in boxes for up to 15 months, reached 367.1 kg, which is 16.18 % less than that of ½ Charolais bulls when kept on deep bedding, with a probable difference of Р < 0.001. Innovative approaches to the use of the effect of heterosis and the conditions of keeping overrepair bulls in the production of beef have positive results, where ½ Charolais crossbreeds in conditions of keeping on deep bedding reach 453.9 kg by the age of 15 months, and their purebred counterparts – 406.7 kg, with a probable difference of P < 0.001. The results of the economic efficiency of the use of industrial crossbreeding, keeping conditions of purebred and crossbred bulls, show additional profits per head of 1,468.8 UAH ½ Charolais (maintenance on deep litter) and an increase in the level of profitability by 34.40 % compared to purebred Ukrainian black and white bulls dairy breed (maintenance boxing).

Arterial Blood Gases and Cardiorespiratory Parameters in Etorphine-Medetomidine-Midazolam Immobilized Free-Ranging and Game-Farmed Southern White Rhinoceroses (Ceratotherium simum simum) Undergoing Electro-Ejaculation.

With the rapid loss of individuals in the wild, semen cryopreservation has gained importance to safeguard the genetic diversity of white rhinoceroses (Ceratotherium simum). For semen collection via electro-ejaculation, immobilization of free-ranging individuals requires the potent opioid etorphine, which is routinely combined with azaperone, but causes hypoxemia, hypercarbia, acidemia, muscle rigidity, tachycardia, and systemic hypertension. In this study, the suitability of two alternative immobilization protocols including etorphine, medetomidine, and midazolam at different doses (high vs. low etorphine) was evaluated in adult white rhinoceros bulls in two different management systems (free-ranging vs. game-farmed) and undergoing electro-ejaculation. Fourteen free-ranging (Group 1) and 28 game-farmed rhinoceroses (Group 2) were immobilized with ≈2.5 μg/kg etorphine (high dose), ≈2.5 μg/kg medetomidine, ≈25 μg/kg midazolam and 1,500–1,700 IU hyaluronidase and received ≈2.5 μg/kg of butorphanol intravenously at first handling. Twenty game-farmed animals (Group 3) received ≈1 μg/kg etorphine (low dose), ≈5 μg/kg medetomidine, ≈25 μg/kg midazolam and 1,700 IU hyaluronidase. Respiratory rate, heart rate and peripheral hemoglobin oxygen saturation (SpO2) were measured at 5-min intervals; non-invasive oscillometric blood pressures and arterial blood gases at first handling and before reversal of the immobilization; serum clinical chemistry analytes and hematocrit at first handling. Generalized mixed models (fixed factors: group, time, recumbency; random factor: individual rhinoceros) were applied to compare longitudinal changes between free-ranging and game-farmed rhinoceroses immobilized with the higher etorphine dose (Groups 1 and 2), and between the two protocols tested in the game-farmed rhinoceroses (Groups 2 and 3). All animals were successfully immobilized, presented with normal lactate concentrations (<5 mmol/L), experienced no muscle tremors and recovered uneventfully. Hypoxemia and hypertension persisted throughout the immobilization in all groups. Acidemia and hypercarbia were absent in Group 1, but present in the game-farmed animals. The lower etorphine dose in Group 3 resulted in significantly longer induction times, however, tachycardia was not observed. SpO2 was higher for sternal vs. lateral recumbency. Semen-rich fractions were recovered following electro-stimulation in 46 out of the 62 animals. Our findings suggest that etorphine-medetomidine-midazolam provides effective immobilization with fewer side effects compared to previous reports in white rhinoceroses and is suitable for successful electro-ejaculation.

Where Butterflies Fill the Sky: A Story of Immigration, Family, and Finding Home by Zahra Marwan

Reviewed by: Where Butterflies Fill the Sky: A Story of Immigration, Family, and Finding Home by Zahra Marwan Betty Bush Where Butterflies Fill the Sky: A Story of Immigration, Family, and Finding Home Written and illustrated by Zahra Marwan Home is shaped as much by region and culture as it is small, unique details, and it’s those specific, special elements that make a place feel truly our own. Drawing from her experiences in Kuwait and then New Mexico, Marwan offers a soothing tribute to homes old and new, as well as encouragment to child readers displaced from familiar turf and trying to gain a foothold on new ground. The interplay of simple, literal prose and complex, figurative illustration here lifts this sensitive and useful picture book on immigration into an inviting exploration of how experiences are transformed by time and memory. Young Zahra knows she lives in the perfect place, where the sky hosts butterflies and where “my ancestors live and are always watching.” She really cannot comprehend why her father insists they must leave, telling her only that they are not welcome anymore: “I say my goodbyes without knowing why.” While the new place across the ocean has no seashore, its air carries music and joy, the people look beyond her language struggles and make her feel at home, and long distance phone calls keeps her in touch with her beloved aunties: “In this new place of high desert, I have found a home.” Viewers will readily see why Zahra’s homeland is hard to leave. The golden warmth of the earthen buildings harmonizes with the rich turquoise of the sea, dotted with boats and under a sky filled with colorful butterflies. Friends and family gather on rooftops, and if the aunties look a bit intimidating in their black garb, there are clear signs of familial belonging in their close, protective body language and their streaming dark hair that matches Zahra’s own. Fortunately, her new home is equally beautiful, with lush green along a river and buildings made of new shapes but familiar earthen walls. There’s music and dancing and the possibility of a new friend as bright hot air balloons cheerfully float above. The concreteness of these there-and-here images notwithstanding, Marwan nudges viewers slightly off-balance. Exactly where are these places? Why do proportions shift? What are those white bulls that trail Zahra from old home to new? Essential back matter answers these questions, suppling not only the specifics of Marwan’s personal immigration experience, but also keys and clues to interpreting her evocative paintings. Marwan explains in accessible terms how nomadic movements, illiteracy, and lack of contact with formal government structures in 1989 led families like hers, with a Kuwaiti mother and a stateless father, to end up unregistered and pressured to emigrate. Absent observable catastophes such as [End Page 211] war or famine or natural disaster, it’s understandable a little girl would be baffled by political disturbance to her own happy life. Now, under adult reflection, she remembers the experience as “…dreamlike. A collage of different people, places, and things that all appear at once.” With a few contextual clues, the imagery isn’t difficult to parse: the smoking box carried by a looming auntie is myrrh incense for protection; the family’s airborne drift away from Kuwait and tumble into New Mexico, literally portrayed, is quite probably an airplane flight; the balloon-embellished sailboat far out to sea is a tribute to friends whose immigration stories did not share the happy ending of her own. Perhaps the most important recurring image is a playful one: the white bulls Marwan envisions as ancestors. Fore- or backgrounded, they watch her while she sleeps, carry packing boxes before her departure, and nap contentedly as she acclimates, which invites younger viewers to play seek and find, and older readers to appreciate that home never leaves you. Readers who use the contextual and symbolic keys can unlock discussion of what makes memory potent, what they might miss from a home left behind, and what they might value most in a new one—topics that can bridge age and experience within families on the move...

Midazolam Alters Acid-Base Status Less than Azaperone during the Capture and Transport of Southern White Rhinoceroses (Ceratotherium simum simum).

Simple SummaryCapture and transport are important tools for rhinoceros conservation but are associated with morbidity and even mortality. Changes in acid-base status represent major life-threatening risks during rhinoceros capture and transport. In order to reduce these risks it is important to understand the nature of, and mechanisms contributing to, these acid-base changes. Usually, the tranquilizer azaperone is combined with the immobilizing drug etorphine for rhinoceros capture and is also administered as a tranquilizer during transport. In this study we describe changes in acid-base status during rhinoceros capture and transport and determine whether these changes can be reduced by administering the sedative midazolam, instead of azaperone. Twenty-three wild white rhinoceros bulls were captured with either etorphine-azaperone or etorphine-midazolam. During a 280 km road-transport, either azaperone or midazolam was re-administered every 2 h. All rhinoceroses experienced an increased acidity (low pH) in the blood (acidemia) during capture. Rhinoceroses captured with midazolam suffered less from acidemia than rhinoceroses administered azaperone. In all animals, recovery from the acidemia occurred rapidly after capture and pH remained within normal limits throughout transport. We show that using midazolam instead of azaperone, with the etorphine, may help reduce the risks associated with rhinoceros capture and thus, improve animal welfare during transportation operations.Acidemia represents a major life-threatening factor during rhinoceros capture. The acid-base status during rhinoceros transport is unknown. The purpose of this study was to describe changes in acid-base status during rhinoceros capture and transport and compare these changes between rhinoceroses sedated with azaperone or midazolam. Twenty-three wild white rhinoceros bulls were road-transported 280 km for reasons unrelated to this study. Rhinoceroses were captured with etorphine-azaperone (Group A) or etorphine-midazolam (Group M). During transport, azaperone (Group A) or midazolam (Group M) was re-administered every 2 h and venous blood collected. Changes in blood pH and associated variables were compared over time and between groups using a general linear mixed model. Rhinoceroses of both groups experienced a respiratory and metabolic acidosis during capture (pH 7.109 ± 0.099 and 7.196 ± 0.111 for Group A and Group M, respectively) that was quickly compensated for by the start of transport (pH 7.441 ± 0.035 and 7.430 ± 0.057) and remained stable throughout the journey. Rhinoceroses from Group M showed a smaller decrease in pH and associated variables at capture than rhinoceroses from Group A (p = 0.012). The use of midazolam instead of azaperone could therefore improve the success of rhinoceros capture and thus, contribute to the outcome of important conservation translocations.

Comparative behavior studies of growing dairy and beef bulls from two different breeds

This study aimed at comparing the behaviour of growing bulls from two different breeds – Lithuanian black and white (dairy cattle breed, n=22) and Aubrac (beef cattle breed, n=17). The hypothesis tested in this study was that breed differences would result in differences in the behaviour of the bulls and that a clear understanding of such differences could lead to improved husbandry to meet their needs. Animals were raised in insulated barn in pens with deep litter, both breeds under similar conditions (animals were 11 to 14 month old, each group in separate 100 m2 pen). Aubrac bulls spent more time in standing, ruminating, drinking and aggressive behaviour and less time in eating than the Lithuanian black and white bulls. There were no significant differences in lying and moving behaviour. These differences possibly related to different breed of animals, and should inform decision making about the management of the two breeds studied.

Variation of greenhouse gas emissions and identification of their drivers during the fattening of Belgian Blue White bulls based on a LCA approach

Greenhouse gas emission intensity (GHGI; kilograms carbon dioxide equivalents/kilograms liveweight gain) have to be reduced so as to limit the impact of human activities on global warming while furnishing food to human. In this respect, performances of 654 Belgian Blue double-muscled bulls (BBdm) during their fattening phase were recorded. On this basis, their greenhouse gas emissions were modelled to estimate variation in GHGI and investigate mitigation options at that level. The relevance of theses option is discussed, taking into account the whole life and production system scales. Large variations (mean (s.d.)) were observed (from 7.2 (0.4) to 10.0 (0.7) kg carbon dioxide equivalents/kg liveweight gain) for, respectively, the 1st- and 4th-quantile groups defined for GHGI. Early culling, low liveweight and age at start of the fattening phase of the bulls would lead to a reduction of GHGI. Nevertheless, more than 32% of the variation remained unexplained. However, decision leading to reduction of GHG intensity at this stage of the life may be compensated in the early stage of BBdm. Attention is drawn on the necessity to encompass the whole life of BBdm for investigating mitigation options and on the sensitivity of the results on models and methodological choices.

After Pompeii, and: Following the Animals, and: Sprawl, and: Punishment

After Pompeii, and: Following the Animals, and: Sprawl, and: Punishment Ishion Hutchinson (bio) After Pompeii When the rivers sing in this country of drunk rivers, the ovens dance; the city’s heart splayed on that cobbled lane was transplanted from Pompeii, the Pompeii great rains fell coins fullones took and spun into silk, so we that walk in daylight are walking on the cries of a wild feast; when we walk the smoke-pummeled sky, women sizzle like seltzer and bells striking noon on terraces. The squares are melting gelatos; pageants of tankers glide to General Sulla’s order; war pigeons drop Morse to submarines buried under a Medici’s robe; an out-of-work professor, who is also an assassin, hangs a bag of oranges on a tree in the park, crosses his legs and sleeps and dreams an orchard of orange trees on the Orange Blossom Coast. The alley shadows are not shy: tenderness opens in their cool darkness and under flowering marquees and in cafés and pizza joints; [End Page 17] tenderness is affordable, and we spend like nothing, for the day when a breeze shakes us in twilight, like it shook the leaves on the villa of the baker Terentius Neo—but that was no breeze; a sigh of the first flame from an oil lamp licking mirrors, the river, the curtains; strummed a vase, the hills: Neo’s wife in her red cloak, a rock guitar solo dashing white bulls into the sea and we, we sink into the fray of a bright, brass music. Following the Animals Ephphatha, please. In flight of green and yellow fields going to see Giotto’s fresco in the Scrovegni Chapel, I lost faith to the trees chattering Ge’ez on the train’s sliding glass through towns still as Dis; graffiti flicker on station walls, life-glints, that arch-heretics live on in the Sixth Circle. I arrive to the usual cobbled alleys, the usual fountains encrusted with pigeons, the panic, unusual, but there when I turn a corner, to someone, something just leaving. I follow the animals [End Page 18] inside the church to Joachim’s expulsion, a man barren as his wife. I conceive of his desert, since my Anne, fed up, stings me nightly with her asp tongue, our crib of reed reeking with weed in a closet. I hurry to Christ’s birth and life, then that out-of-order scene: Judas’s pact with the priests; behind him, a black devil, blacker beside his sienna robe, grins at me with blessed recognition; well, that devil exited with me into the murmur of tourists and cypress spindling a distant hill. The end of April. The month Rome was founded, and as I head back to the station with my new pal, rumors broke of the pope’s death and Christ’s resurrection. Sprawl Amid ice and granite sea hush and crash and profit and the loss the prophet Xeroxed in his tamarind shade and wasp buzz and saw in the hills crashed leaves and virgins’ suicides right after the election [End Page 19] and November’s Janus and Pontius Pilate’s maggot snipers’ amen and fortunately I forgot to be afraid and kept my fear in the salt chiseling my face when I read Keats and loved the ash and put two coins in my right palm amid the crashed crop century of wheat drought rosary terra cotta Kali reconnaissance renaissanced my nipples torpedoed and rocked the strobe-lit stage show the Gorgon’s scintillated romance foiled the constable’s peace and Herodotus slept as the prophet rose his chalice and put on his mongrel pelt and it rained softly and blessed nothing scarce of breath and grated nutmeg and the tyranny of sugar and pure cream soda [End Page 20] enclosed in cinders shook burst fizzed and I found my shape shifted ciphered raw my total reversal my total reversal my total reversal Punishment All the dead eyes of the dead on portraits behind her looked down as she ate donuts off a spread-out napkin, her mouth sugared, I saw myself possessed by myself in her glasses’ milky lens that possessed...

Detection of Cocaine and Amphetamine Regulated Transcript in the abomasum of slaughtered bulls with different daily body weight gains

Despite numerous published studies, the relationship between the amount of secreted cocaine and amphetamine regulated transcript and the daily body weight gain has still not been well explained. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of cocaine and amphetamine regulated transcript in the outlet wall of the abomasum of bulls with different daily weight gains. The study was performed on 15 bulls, breed crosses of local black and white milk cattle and Limousin bulls. The animals were slaughtered at the mean age of 543–549 days and body weight of 441.0–491.4 kg. Fragments of the outlet wall of the abomasum were sampled for analyses during routine slaughter. Immunohistochemical assays showed that slowly growing bulls (803 g/day) had significantly (P ≤ 0.05) fewer positive structures of cocaine and amphetamine regulated transcript (by 1.65 × on average) compared to bulls with large daily weight gains (905 g/day). This tendency was also observed in the case of cocaine and amphetamine regulated transcript distribution in particular layers of the abomasum wall. The most numerous positive structures of cocaine and amphetamine regulated transcript were found in the nerve fibres of the muscularis and in the muscle plexus, whereas they were evidently less numerous in the submucous plexus. Our results suggest that the number of cocaine and amphetamine regulated transcript immunopositive structures is associated with the growth intensity of the animals, and frequent occurrence of this neuropeptide in the nerve fibres and the muscular plexus proves its role in the control of stomach emptying.

Carcass traits of Charolais, Limousin, Black and White and crossbreeds of Charolais, Limousin and Belgian Blue x Black and White young bulls in Slovenia

The effect of crossing of Black and White (BW) cows with Charolais (CHA), Limousin (LIM) and Belgian Blue (BB) sires on carcass traits of their crossbred male offspring was evaluated. The crossbred bulls were compared with pure breed BW, CHA and LIM bulls. Bulls younger than 24 months and slaughtered in Slovenian slaughterhouses from 2005 to 2008 were included in the comparison. All crossbred genotypes had heavier carcass weight and better net daily gain than pure breed BW bulls. Within crossbred groups the CHAxBW bulls had the heaviest carcasses and the greatest net daily gain. Among all genotypes the best carcass conformation had CHA and the worst BW bulls. In the comparison to pure breeds the BBxBW bulls had for 1.1 of the class better conformation than BW and for 0.5 worse than CHA bulls. Within crossbreeds the BBxBW bulls had for 0.12 and 0.30 of the class better conformation than CHAxBW and LIMxBW bulls. Carcass fatness varied from 2.3 to 2.6 among genotypes, where the BBxBW buls had the lowest fatness score.

Meat productivity of Red and White bulls of a new Volga type

The characteristics of the growth and formation of meat production of first-generation bulls of a new Volga type of Red and White breed obtained by using Dutch-bred Holstein Red and White gene pool are studied.

Statistical Modeling of Candidate Gene Effects on Milk Production Traits in Dairy Cattle

A major objective of dairy cattle genomic research is to identify genes underlying the variability of milk production traits that could be useful in breeding programs. The candidate gene approach provides tools for searching for causative polymorphisms affecting quantitative traits. Genes with a possible effect on milk traits in cattle can be involved in different physiological pathways, such as triglyceride synthesis [acyl-CoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferase 1 gene (DGAT1)], fat secretion from the mammary epithelial tissue (butyrophilin), or entire-body energy homeostasis regulation (leptin and leptin receptor). In this study, based on data from 252 Black and White bulls from the active Polish dairy population, effects and potential interactions of 9 single nucleotide polymorphisms in the butyrophilin, DGAT1, leptin, and leptin receptor genes were investigated. Additionally, the effect of the number of additive, dominance, and epistatic genetic effects fitted into the model on the estimates of model parameters and model selection was illustrated. Phenotypic records were daughter yield deviations for milk, fat, and protein yields, obtained from a routine national genetic evaluation. Out of all the analyzed polymorphisms, DGAT1 K232A had a much larger effect on milk traits than the other single nucleotide polymorphisms considered. Estimates of the additive genetic effect of K232A expressed as half of the difference between Lys- and Ala-encoding variants were −107.4kg of milk, 5.4kg of fat, and −1.6kg of protein at first parity, as well as −120kg of milk and 6.8kg of fat at second parity. In terms of model selection, it was demonstrated that the modified version of Bayesian information criterion selects models with the parameterization reflecting the genetic background of the analyzed trait, while the Bayesian information criterion chooses models that are too highly parameterized.

Phenotypic relationships between hair whorl characteristics and spermatozoal attributes in Holstein bulls

The objective of this study was to characterize facial whorl characteristics in Holstein stud bulls ( n = 485) and to investigate their association with measures of semen quantity and quality. Bulls had 1 ( n = 454), 2 ( n = 21) or no facial hair whorls ( n = 5). Some 39% of bulls had whorls in the middle of their forehead, whereas 43% had whorls very low down on their forehead. Spiral whorls were present on 77% of bulls while 22% had elongated whorls. Abnormally shaped whorls were found more often on bulls with low whorls (27% versus 17%, P = 0.01) than on bulls with high or middle whorls. Semen production data were obtained from the AI center database to provide a representative sample of each sires most recent semen production characteristics. The number of semen collections per bull averaged 38 with a range of 1 ( n = 9) to 272 ( n = 1). The average number of days between collections was 5 but varied from 1 to 425 days. Average age of bulls at first recorded collection was 679 days and ranged from 307 to 4555 days. There were no significant differences between black and white bulls in semen quality or quantity. Semen quality over the summer months was reduced in comparison to the winter months. Age of the bull at time of collection had no effect on any of the semen quality traits. Older bulls had larger scrotal circumference and produced more semen ( P > 0.01). Bulls with whorls located in the center of the forehead were not significantly different in semen quality or quantity for the 10 traits considered when compared to bulls with whorls located outside the center. In contrast to previous research findings with Angus cattle, semen attributes were not significantly different between bulls characterized with round (or spiral) epicenters and those with abnormally shaped whorls. The difference between the two studies may be due to the fact that Angus bulls have a higher percentage of abnormal elongated whorls compared to Holsteins.

Subtle membrane changes in cryopreserved bull semen in relation with sperm viability, chromatin structure, and field fertility

This study investigated the use of annexin-V/PI assay to assess sub lethal changes in bull spermatozoa post-thawing, and to further relate these changes to results obtained by fluorometric assessment of sperm viability and sperm chromatin structure assay (SCSA), as well as field fertility (as 56-day non-return rates, 56-day NRR) after AI. Frozen-thawed semen samples were obtained from 18 Swedish Red and White bulls (one to three semen batches/bull) and fertility data was based on 6900 inseminations. The annexin-V/PI assay revealed that post-thaw semen samples contained on average 41.8+/-7.5% annexin-V-positive cells. Most of the annexin-V-positive cells were dying cells, i.e. also PI-positive. The incidence of annexin-V-positive cells was negatively related (r=-0.59, P<0.01) to the percentage of viable cells, as detected by fluorometry. The incidence of annexin-V-positive spermatozoa significantly correlated to the SCSA variable xalphat (r=0.53, P<0.05). The incidence of annexin-V-negative, dead cells was the only annexin-V/PI assay variable that correlated significantly with fertility both at batch (r=-0.40, P<0.05), and bull (r=-0.56, P<0.05) levels. Among sperm viability variables, subjectively assessed sperm motility (r=0.52-0.59, P<0.01), CASA-assessed sperm motility (r=0.43-0.61, P<0.05), and the incidence of live spermatozoa, expressed as total numbers (r=0.39-0.54, P<0.05), or percentage values (r=0.68-0.68, P<0.01), correlated significantly with field fertility both at batch, and bull levels. Among the SCSA variables, only the COMP alphat correlated significantly (r=0.33-0.51, P<0.05) with fertility results. The results indicate a certain proportion of bull spermatozoa express PS on their surface after thawing, e.g. they have altered membrane function, and that the incidence of such cells is inversely correlated to sperm viability, and positively correlated to abnormal sperm chromatin condensation since they eventually undergo necrosis.

Assessment of sperm quality through fluorometry and sperm chromatin structure assay in relation to field fertility of frozen-thawed semen from Swedish AI bulls

We investigated fluorometry to study sperm viability and flow cytometry to study sperm chromatin structure. We also assessed sperm quality after thawing relative to field fertility after AI as shown by 56-day non-return rates (56-d NRR). Frozen-thawed semen samples were obtained from 20 Swedish Red and White bulls (1 to 3 semen batches/bull) and the fertility data were based on 6,369 AIs. Fluorometry enables simultaneous detection of sperm viability and concentration in Hoechst 33258-stained semen samples. Sperm chromatin structure assay (SCSA) evaluated denaturability of sperm nuclear DNA in situ after acid treatment. The intensity of fluorescence in non-permeabilized samples was negatively (r=−0.60, P < 0.001) correlated with microscopically-assessed sperm viability, and the fluorescence of permeabilized semen samples significantly (r = 0.67, P < 0.001) correlated with sperm concentration as assessed by hemocytometry. From the fluorescence output, the calculated percentage of damaged cells was negatively (r = −0.71, P < 0.001) correlated with the number of live cells derived from the microscopic assessment of sperm viability and concentration. This variable was significantly correlated with fertility results both at batch (r = −0.39, P < 0.05), and bull (r = −0.57, P < 0.01) levels. The SCSA variables SDαt and COMPαt were significantly (r = −0.59–0.64, P < 0.001) correlated with sperm viability variables after thawing but only the COMPαt correlated significantly (r = −0.53, P < 0.05) with fertility results and solely at the bull level. The results indicate that fluorometric assessment is in good agreement with other practiced procedures and can be performed with sufficient accuracy. The SCSA may be a valuable complement for routinely practiced microscopic evaluation of sperm morphology of AI bull semen.

Genetic Evaluation for Longevity of Dutch Dairy Bulls

Parameters needed for survival analysis of longevity records of cows to predict breeding values of their sires were estimated with data on Dutch Black and White and Red and White cows. The heritabilities of functional productive life were 0.041 and 0.036 on the log scale for Black and White and Red and White cows, respectively. Although the heritabilities and other parameters differed between both breeds, the resulting breeding values were hardly affected: the correlation between breeding values of Red and White bulls using either Red and White parameters or Black and White parameters was 0.992. Genetic correlations between the direct breeding value for functional longevity (based solely on longevity of sires’ daughters) and breeding values for conformation, health, and fertility traits were calculated. Several alternative selection indices were investigated using these correlations. Based on the resulting reliabilities, it was concluded that the Dutch breeding value for functional longevity should be based on longevity, rump angle, teat placement, udder depth, feet and legs, and somatic cell count. The index was expressed on a scale with average of 100 and a standard deviation of 4 points (at 80% reliability). The economic value was Dfl. 65 per genetic standard deviation, which was 0.46 times the economic value of INET (Net Milk Revenue Index). For the breeding value for functional longevity that was first published in August 1999, slight modifications in the model were made.

Relationship between Sperm Response to Glycosaminoglycans in vitro and Non-return Rates of Swedish Dairy AI Bulls

Contents In this study, the relations between fertility (56-day non-return rates, 56-day NRR) after artificial insemination (AI) and bull sperm characteristics post-thaw, after swim-up and after co-incubation with heparin (Hep) and hyaluronan (HA), respectively, were determined, attempting to determine if such a procedure could be of value to evaluate the potential fertilizing ability of frozen-thawed AI bull spermatozoa. Spermatozoa from 20 semen batches derived from 20 Swedish Red and White AI bulls ranging widely in their field fertility after AI (55–79% 56-day NRRs) were evaluated with regards to post-thaw motility, membrane integrity, and migration through a simple swim-up procedure. Sperm viability and capacitation status were evaluated by two different vital staining procedures and chlortetracycline hydrochloride staining. Sperm motility and membrane integrity post-thaw (e.g. indicators of sperm viability) were significantly correlated (r = 0.53, p < 0.05 and r = 0.59, p < 0.01, respectively) with fertility. Heparin (5 µg/ml) significantly (p lt; 0.001) increased the frequencies of capacitation and acrosome-reaction (AR) among swim-up separated spermatozoa, whereas HA at a concentration of 50 ng/ml did not have any significant capacitating effect. The incidences of capacitated or AR-spermatozoa following Hep-treatment were not correlated with fertility. On the other hand, the percentage of viable spermatozoa was significantly (p < 0.001) lower in Hep-treated samples than in control and HA-treated samples and was significantly (r = 0.49, p < 0.05) correlated with fertility after AI (56-day NRR). The results indicate that the percentage of viable spermatozoa after swim-up separation and heparin-exposure from a selected population of AI bulls were significantly and positively related to the AI fertility of the donors and thus could be used as a parameter to determine the fertilizing ability of frozen—thawed AI bull spermatozoa.

Archimedes' Cattle Problem

(1998). Archimedes' Cattle Problem. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 105, No. 4, pp. 305-319.

Relationship between sperm-zona pellucida binding assays and the 56-day nonreturn rate of cattle inseminated with frozen-thawed bull semen

Assays based on sperm-zona pellucida binding have been developed as diagnostic tests to predict the fertilizing potential of mammalian spermatozoa. Recently, we reported on the development of a sperm-zona pellucida binding assay (SZBA) for bull spermatozoa. The aim of the present study was to develop a hemi-zona assay (HZA) for bull spermatozoa and to investigate the relationship between SZBA and HZA outcomes and in vivo fertility. Frozenthawed semen samples from 8 fertile Swedish Red and White bulls (one ejaculate per bull) designated as the test semen samples and a single ejaculate from a fertile Holstein-Friesian bull designated as the control semen sample were used in this study. In the SZBA, 2 groups of 20 oocytes per semen test sample and in the HZA a minimum of 6 matching pairs of hemizonae were used for comparison of sperm binding with control semen. Sperm binding to matching hemi-zonae of individual semen samples was equal, and clearly demonstrated the feasibility of the HZA for cattle. A significant correlation was found between the SZBA and the HZA indices obtained from the different semen test samples (r = 0.42, P < 0.001; n = 67). There was no significant relation between the SZBA indices and the 56-d nonreturn rate of the test samples. However, the HZA indices of the semen test samples and the 56-d nonreturn rate were significantly correlated (r = 0.46, P < 0.0001; n = 67). It is concluded that HZA can be regarded as a potential assay for predicting the fertilizing ability of bovine semen samples. However, further studies using more semen samples are necessary to confirm this view.

Early post-mortem conditions and the calpain/calpastatin system in relation to tenderness of double-muscled beef

Early post mortem temperature, pH, sarcomere length, colour, water holding capacity, calpain/calpastatin activities and myofibrillar protein concentrations (semi-quantative SDS-PAGE), measured at different times post mortem on 153 double-muscled Belgian Blue White bulls, were related to shear force (SF) measurements. The M. longissimus thoracis tenderised up to 8 days post mortem. SF was slightly correlated with temperature at 3 h post mortem ( r = 0.20, p = 0.015), but not with pH early post mortem. Higher ultimate pH values measured at 24 h post mortem were related to darker meat, lower cooking losses and shorter sarcomere lengths. Sarcomere length was significantly related to SF, even after 12 days of ageing, suggesting that proteolytic activity was not able to overcome shortening. Up to 12 days post mortem, calpastatin and m-calpain activities were significantly correlated with SF suggesting a considerable role of calpains in meat tenderization of double-muscled Belgian Blue White bulls, although at 24 h post mortem, μ-calpain could no longer be detected. Titin, nebulin, filamin and troponin-T were degraded during the ageing period. Troponin-T was degraded by 80% between day 1 and 8. At 8 days post mortem its concentration was significantly correlated with 30 kDa ( r = 0.63, p = 0.00), shear force ( r = 0.39, p = 0.00), calpastatin activity at 1 day post mortem ( r = 0.29, p = 0.01) and with the m-calpain/ calpastatin activity ratio at 1 day post mortem ( r = −0.43, p = 0.00).

Påverkan av spermιeantalet per strån på uptιnιngs vιabιhtet och fertιlιtet hos SRB-semιn tjurar

Semen from 5 Swedish Red and White bulls, approved in the fertility and progeny testing programme of a bull center, was split-frozen to produce straws with 15 or 10 x 10(6) spermatozoa each (control and treatment dose, respectively). Post-thaw sperm viability was evaluated by visual assessment of sperm motility (MOT), measurement of ATP (Adeinosin Tri Phosphate) contents by luminometry, assessment of membrane integrity with combined fluorophore probes [Calcein AM (CAM)/Ethidium homodimer (EthD-1)] and by using a hyposmotic swelling test (ORT). The straws were used for a total of 16,651 artificial inseminations (A.I.). No statistically significant difference was recorded between the 2 treatments for any of the post-thaw sperm viability parameters. In addition, a significant bull effect was evident for most post-thaw sperm traits assayed. Significant variation in overall fertility (56-days NRR) was recorded among the bulls used. A.I. with a reduced number of spermatozoa (10 x 10(6)/straw) resulted in a 2%-units decrease (n.s.) compared with controls (67.8% +/- 4.8%, means +/- SD) in overall fertility. In the control split-sample (15 x 10(6) spermatozoa/straw), MOT did not show any statistically significant correlation with fertility (r = 0.41, p = 0.07). However, MOT was correlated with the percentage of spermatozoa depicting progressive motility (category A1, r = 0.45, p < 0.05) as assessed with CAM/EthD-1. The latter was correlated with ATP contents (r = 0.57, p < 0.01), expressed as the percentage of viable spermatozoa. Both CAM/EthD-1 and ATP contents showed a statistically significant correlation with ORT (r = 0.45, p < 0.05 and r = 0.61, p < 0.05, respectively). In the straws with the reduced sperm number (10 x 10(6) spermatozoa), post-thaw motility was significantly correlated with fertility (r = 0.50, p < 0.05) and ATP-total contents (r = 0.48, p < 0.05). CAM/EthD-1 and ATP contents (as million viable spermatozoa) were significantly correlated (r = 0.47, p < 0.05), CAM/EthD-1 was significantly correlated with ORT (r = 0.48, p < 0.05). In conclusion, the results indicated that the freezing-thawing of straws with a reduced sperm concentration (10 x 10(6) spermatozoa) did not alter the post-thaw viability or overall fertility of the bull semen used. However, in view of the significant bull effect found in the limited population studied, we recommend that such a reduction in sperm number/straw be based on the fertility of the bull in question.