Intensity and Duration of Vibration Emissions during Shipping as Interacting Factors on the Quality of Boar Semen Extended in Beltsville Thawing Solution.

Vibration emissions during the transport of boar semen for artificial insemination (AI) affect sperm quality. In the present study, the common influence of the following factors was investigated: vibrations (displacement index (D) = 0.5 to 6.

Comparison of NUCLEOCOUNTER, ANDROVISION with Leja chambers and the newly developed ANDROVISION eFlow for sperm concentration analysis in boars.

Exact analysis of sperm concentration in raw and diluted semen is of major importance in swine artificial insemination, as sperm concentration is one of the most important characteristics of an ejaculate determining the value of the ejaculate and the productive life of the boar. The study compares different methods for sperm concentration analysis in raw and diluted boar semen: NUCLEOCOUNTER SP-100, the ANDROVISION with Leja chambers and the new ANDROVISION eFlow system. The Concordance Correlation Coefficient (CCC) between NUCLEOCOUNTER and ANDROVISION eFlow was 0.

Relations between the time of ovulation and fecal estrogen concentration in sows.

Artificial insemination (AI) is the most important biotechnology in pig reproduction. To achieve the best possible fertility results, appropriate timing of the insemination is essential. The optimal time for AI is 12 h before to 4 h after ovulation.

Boar Semen Shipping for Artificial Insemination: Current Status and Analysis of Transport Conditions with a Major Focus on Vibration Emissions.

In the modern pig reproduction system, artificial insemination (AI) doses are delivered from AI centers to sow farms via logistics vehicles. In this study, six breeding companies in three countries (Brazil, Germany, and the USA) were interviewed about their delivery process. It was found that there is currently no comprehensive monitoring system for the delivery of semen.

Detection and characterization of Lactobacillus spp. in the porcine seminal plasma and their influence on boar semen quality.

The presence of pathogenic bacteria in ejaculates has been a topic in boar semen preservation over the last decades. Since little information is available on commensal bacteria in boar semen, the aim of the present study was to identify commensal lactobacilli in fresh cryopreserved boar semen and to examine their influence on boar semen quality. Therefore, 111 boar ejaculates were investigated for the presence of Lactobacillus species.

The Munich MIDY Pig Biobank - A unique resource for studying organ crosstalk in diabetes.

Objective: The prevalence of diabetes mellitus and associated complications is steadily increasing. As a resource for studying systemic consequences of chronic insulin insufficiency and hyperglycemia, we established a comprehensive biobank of long-term diabetic transgenic pigs, a model of mutant gene-induced diabetes of youth (MIDY), and of wild-type (WT) littermates.

Methods: Female MIDY pigs (n = 4) were maintained with suboptimal insulin treatment for 2 years, together with female WT littermates (n = 5).