Factors determining semen sample collection and semen quality parameters in African penguins Spheniscus demersus.

Our research focuses on semen collection from 42 African penguin males, grouped by age, habituation levels, and reproductive season timing. We assess behavioral and physiological responses to dorso-abdominal massage, evaluating species-specific seminal traits using conventional and advanced methods. Positive behavioral responses corresponded with successful semen collection.

Peripheral Intravenous Therapy in Internal Medicine Department-Antibiotics and Other Drugs' Consumption and Characteristics of Vascular Access Devices in 2-Year Observation Study.

Background: The aim of the study was to characterize the procedure of peripheral intravenous therapy (IT), including the characteristics of vascular access and related complications and qualitative and quantitative analyses of drug consumption.

Materials And Methods: A two-year, retrospective, single-center observational study was conducted. The criterion for including a patient in the study was the use of peripheral intravenous catheters (PIVCs) upon admission or during the stay at the internal medicine department (IMD).

Composition and fatty acid profile of milk from cows fed diets supplemented with raw and n-3 PUFA-enriched fish oil.

Dietary supplementation of ruminants with fish oil is a strategy for favorably modifying the fatty acid composition of milk fat. This study investigated the effect of supplementing cows' diet with fish oil after low-temperature crystallisation (LTC-FO) compared to its raw form (FO) on milk yield, milk components (fat, protein, and lactose), and milk fatty acid profile. Twenty-four mid-lactating multiparous Polish Holstein-Friesian cows fed a total-mix ration were randomly assigned to two homogeneous groups (n = 12 cows each) and supplemented with LTC-FO or FO at 1% of dry matter.

Quality of life and anxiety 12 and 36 months after surgical SUI treatment in postmenopausal women.

Background: Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is a common condition that affects a significant group of postmenopausal women, lowering quality of life, leading to embarrassment, social isolation, and decreased physical activity. SUI can be treated with medication, behavioral changes, pelvic floor muscle exercises, or surgical intervention. This study aimed to assess the changes in quality of life, acceptance of illness, and impact on physical activity, in patients after the transobturator tape (TOT) procedure following long-term assessment.

Breeding behavior analysis in a large captive colony of African penguins (Spheniscus demersus) and its implications for population management and conservation.

The African penguin Spheniscus demersus, frequently housed in zoos, holds potential for future reintroduction efforts due to its declining wild population. This paper aims to explore various aspects of reproductive performance in African penguins within a large ex situ colony at Zoo Wrocław in Poland, covering 9 years of breeding behaviors. The analysis reveals parallels in colony growth and partner change patterns with those observed in the wild.

Genetic basis of sow hyperprolificacy and litter size optimization based on a genome-wide association study.

Over the last few decades, there has been a constant increase in sow litter size, the consequences of which include parturition duration extension, an increase in the percentage of stillborn and hypoxic piglets, and increased variation in piglet birth weight, which reduces their vitality. As such, it seems clear that further increasing sow fertility will generate difficulties and costs in rearing numerous litters with low birth weights. Therefore, the current study aimed to analyze the genetic background of sow hyperprolifcacy using a genome-wide association study (GWAS).

Addition of low concentration of cholesterol-loaded cyclodextrin (CLC) has a positive effect on cryopreserved canine spermatozoa evaluated by andrological and biophysical methods.

Background: This study was conducted to find the best concentration of cholesterol-loaded cyclodextrin (CLC) which has a positive impact on canine post thaw semen quality. Three different concentrations of CLC (0.83 mg/ml; 1.

Identification of SNP markers for canine mammary gland tumours in females based on a genome-wide association study - preliminary results.

Introduction: The development of genetic research over recent decades has enabled the discovery of new genetic markers, such as single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). This, as well as the full sequencing of the dog genome, has enabled genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to be used in the search for genetic causes of canine mammary tumours (CMTs).

Material And Methods: Genotypic data containing 175,000 SNPs, which had been obtained using the Illumina CanineHD BeadChip microarray technique, were available for analysis in this study.

What to Do if the qPCR Test for SARS-CoV-2 or Other Pathogen Lacks Endogenous Internal Control? A Simple Test on Housekeeping Genes.

Some of the products for the molecular diagnosis of infections do not have an endogenous internal control, and this is necessary to ensure that the result is not a false negative. The aim of the project was to design a simple low-cost RT-qPCR test that can confirm the expression of basic metabolism proteins, thus confirming the quality of genetic material for molecular diagnostic tests. Two successful equivalent qPCR assays for the detection of the GADPH and ACTB genes were obtained.

Does Better Post-Thaw Motility of Dog Sperm Frozen with CLC Mean Better Zona Pellucida Binding Ability?

Even though the search for methods improving cryopreservation of canine spermatozoa led to an improvement of post-thaw quality, fertilizing results after insemination with frozen-thawed semen are still not satisfying. In this study, we focused on modification of spermatozoa membrane fluidity and investigated whether kinematic parameters as assessed by computer-assisted semen analyzer (CASA) can be improved. The primary aim of our study was to investigate whether the use of cholesterol-loaded cyclodextrins (CLC; 0.

The Relationship between Anxiety and Depression Levels and General Health Status before and 12 Months after SUI Treatment in Postmenopausal Women from the Lower Silesian Population.

Menopause is often the cut-off point from which most cases of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) in women begin. This dysfunction affects not only the physical experience of the patient, but is also related to the psychological aspects, leading to a reduced quality of life. Despite the large number of patients with SUI and the frequent use of surgical treatment for this condition, there are few scientific reports evaluating the effectiveness of the procedure in terms of reducing depressive symptoms or improving overall health.

Assessment of the Effectiveness of the Sonofeedback Method in the Treatment of Stress Urinary Incontinence in Women-Preliminary Report.

Urinary incontinence is a common problem that affects postmenopausal women. This ailment has a negative impact on many aspects of life, significantly limiting everyday functioning related to professional work, physical activity or the intimate sphere. The aim of the study was to assess the effectiveness of the sonofeedback method in reducing the severity of urinary incontinence in postmenopausal women with a urinary incontinence problem.

Quality of Life of Physically Active and Inactive Women Who Are Older after Surgery for Stress Urinary Incontinence Using a Transobturator Tape (TOT).

Urinary incontinence is a major health problem. According to various authors, it concerns 30-40% of the population and grows with age, affecting approximately 50% of women aged over 70. According to the recommendations of the International Continence Society, the treatment of urinary incontinence should commence with conservative treatment and, above all, with physiotherapy.

A Prospective Study of the Quality of Life of Patients with Stress Incontinence before and after a Transobturator Tape (TOT) Procedure-Preliminary Report.

Background: Urinary incontinence (UI) is a significant social problem. The latest figures show that it affects as many as 17-60% of the female population, and it is one of the most common chronic diseases. Incontinence substantially decreases the quality of patients' lives.

Isolation and Characterization of Phages Active against Causing American Foulbrood in Honeybees in Poland.

The aim of this study was the isolation and characterization, including the phage effect on honeybees in laboratory conditions, of phages active against , the causative agent of American Foulbrood-a highly infective and easily spreading disease occurring in honeybee larva, and subsequently the development of a preparation to prevent and treat this dangerous disease. From the tested material (over 2500 samples) 35 spp. strains were obtained and used to search for phages.

Insight into the Genetic Population Structure of Wild Red Foxes in Poland Reveals Low Risk of Genetic Introgression from Escaped Farm Red Foxes.

In this study we assessed the level of genetic introgression between red foxes bred on fur farms in Poland and the native wild population. We also evaluated the impact of a geographic barrier and isolation by distance on gene flow between two isolated subpopulations of the native red fox and their genetic differentiation. Nuclear and mitochondrial DNA was collected from a total of 308 individuals (200 farm and 108 wild red foxes) to study non-native allele flow from farm into wild red fox populations.

How Selective Breeding Has Changed the Morphology of the American Mink ()-A Comparative Analysis of Farm and Feral Animals.

In this study, we performed a comparative analysis of the morphological traits between feral ( = 43) and farm ( = 200) individuals of the American mink in Poland to address the question of how multigenerational intensive selective breeding has morphologically differentiated these two populations. Nine body measurements and two proportion coefficients were obtained using adult individuals. The significance of differences between population means was assessed using the Wilcoxon test for independent samples, while the Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare sex-population groups.

Relationships between Selected Physiological Factors and Milking Parameters for Cows Using a Milking Robot.

The aim of the study was to determine the effect of the number and stage of lactations, time of day and calving season of cows on milk yield from a single milking, average milking time, average milking per minute, daily milking frequency and the relationship between the tested parameters of quarter milking. The study included a herd of 65 Polish Holstein Friesian black and white cows used in a free-range barn located in south-west Poland. The animals were kept in proper welfare conditions, fed using the partly mixed ration (PMR) method on the feeding table.

The assessment of quality of life and satisfaction with life of patients before and after surgery of an isolated apical defect using synthetic materials.

Background: Pelvic floor static disorders constitute a significant clinical and social problem. The incidence of the problem increases with the age of female patients up to 80 years of age. Due to various methods of procedural treatment, eligibility for surgery should be carefully discussed with the patient.

Admixture analyses and phylogeographic relationships reveal complete genetic distinctiveness of Polish farm and wild red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and the North American origin of farm-bred individuals.

A number of studies showed that many mtDNA haplotypes were shared among contemporary farm red foxes bred on different continents and the historical wild red foxes of North American origin. Therefore, in this study, the population genetic structure and phylogeographic relationships of Polish red foxes kept on fur farms and their wild conspecifics were investigated to assess the ancestry of the farm red foxes in Poland. A total of 330 tissue samples (200 from farm foxes and 130 from wild foxes) were used for the genetic analyses.

High-frequency marker haplotypes in the genomic selection of dairy cattle.

The aim of this study was to predict the genomic breeding value (DGV) of production, selected conformation and reproductive traits, and somatic cell score of dairy cattle in Poland using high-frequency marker haplotypes. The dataset consisted of phenotypic, genotypic, and pedigree data of 1216 Polish Holstein-Friesian bulls. The genotypic data consisted of 54,000 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs).

Microsatellite polymorphism and its association with body weight and selected morphometrics of farm red fox (Vulpes vulpes L.).

Polymorphism of 30 canine-derived microsatellites was studied in a group of 200 red foxes kept on 2 Polish farms. 22 out of 30 microsatellites were selected to study association between marker genotypes and body weight (BW), body length (BL), body circumference (BC), tail length (TL), ear height (EH), length of the right front limb (FRLL), length of the right rear limb (RRLL), length of the right front foot (FRFL) and length of the right rear foot (RRFL). A total of 112 alleles and 243 genotypes were found at 22 autosomal microsatellite loci.

Linear models for breeding values prediction in haplotype-assisted selection - an analysis of QTL-MAS Workshop 2011 Data.

Background: The aim of this study was to estimate haplotype effects and then to predict breeding values using linear models. The haplotype based analysis enables avoidance of loosing information due to linkage disequilibrium between single markers. There are also less explanatory variables in the linear model which makes the estimation more reliable.