Single layer colloid centrifugation technique improves motility, viability and chromatin integrity of ram spermatozoa after thawing.

The cell membrane of ram spermatozoa is more sensitive to the freezing process than in other species due to its composition. As a result, the quality and viability of frozen thawed ram spermatozoa are often poor, which together with the specific structure of the ewe's cervix are the main reasons for lower fertility in ewes after intracervical insemination. In the present study we investigated the effects of semen centrifugation through a single layer of a species-specific colloid (Androcoll-O) on post-thaw quality of ram spermatozoa.

Long-term leptin fluctuations in female donkeys.

Reasons For Performing Study: The interest in donkeys is growing due to their integration in the systems of ecological farming, among other reasons.

Objectives: Due to limited reports on leptin concentrations in donkeys, the aim of the present study was to examine age-dependent and seasonal changes in the circulating leptin concentration in female donkeys (jennies) and thus contribute to knowledge about the physiological characteristics of this species.

Study Design: Prospective longitudinal study.

Superoxide dismutase: a predicting factor for boar semen characteristics for short-term preservation.

Superoxide dismutase (SOD), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) in seminal plasma were evaluated on the basis of receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis as predictors for distinguishing satisfactory from unsatisfactory boar semen samples after storage. SOD on day 0 correlated significantly with progressive motility (r=-0.686; P<0.

Lipid mobilisation and oxidative stress as metabolic adaptation processes in dairy heifers during transition period.

The objective of this study was to evaluate metabolic disorders and oxidative stress in dairy heifers during the transition period. Possible relationships between lipid mobilisation indicators and oxidative stress markers were investigated as well. Nineteen dairy heifers were included in the study.

Characterization of a spectrograph based hyperspectral imaging system.

A significant part of the uniformity degradation in the acquired hyperspectral images can be attributed to the coregistration distortions and spectrally and spatially dependent resolution arising from the misalignments and the operation principle of the spectrograph based hyperspectral imaging system. The aim of this study was the development and validation of a practical method for characterization of the geometric coregistration distortions and position dependent resolution. The proposed method is based on modeling the imaging system response to several affordable reference objects.

Value of semen parameters, with special reference to TNF-α, in predicting the quality of boar semen after short-term storage.

The aim of this study was to address the question whether changes in boar semen quality after short-term storage could be predicted on the basis of standard semen parameters and TNF-α level determined on the day of semen collection under commercial conditions. Progressive motility showed the highest positive correlation with morphology on day 0 of collection, and progressive motility on day 3 (P < 0.05) showed a negative correlation with acrosome abnormalities (P < 0.

Automated model-based calibration of short-wavelength infrared (SWIR) imaging spectrographs.

Among the variety of available hyperspectral imaging systems, the line-scan technique stands out for its short acquisition time and good signal-to-noise ratio. However, due to imperfections in the camera lens and, in particular, optical components of the imaging spectrograph, the acquired images are spatially and spectrally distorted, which can significantly degrade the accuracy of the subsequent hyperspectral image analysis. In this work, we propose and evaluate an automated method for correction of spatial and spectral distortions introduced by a line-scan hyperspectral imaging system operating in the short wavelength infrared (SWIR) spectral range from 1000 nm to 2500 nm.

Interactions between lead-zirconate titanate, polyacrylic acid, and polyvinyl butyral in ethanol and their influence on electrophoretic deposition behavior.

Electrophoretic deposition (EPD) is an attractive method for the fabrication of a few tens of micrometer-thick piezoelectric layers on complex-shape substrates that are used for manufacturing high-frequency transducers. Niobium-doped lead-zirconate titanate (PZT Nb) particles were stabilized in ethanol using poly(acrylic acid) (PAA). With Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), we found that the deprotonated carboxylic group from the PAA is coordinated with the metal in the perovskite PZT Nb structure, resulting in a stable ethanol-based suspension.

Lift-off PMN-PT Thick Film for High Frequency Ultrasonic Biomicroscopy.

Piezoelectric 0.65Pb(Mg(1/3)Nb(2/3))O(3)-0.35PbTiO(3) (PMN-35PT) thick film with a thickness of approximately 12 µm has been deposited on the platinum buffered Si substrate via a sol-gel composite method.

High-performance PMN-PT thick films.

This article describes some of our work on ₀.₆₅Pb(Mg₁/₃Nb(₂/₃)O₃-₀.₃₅PbTiO₃ (0.

Lattice dynamics and phase transitions in KNbO3 and K0.5Na0.5NbO3 ceramics.

Phonons in both ceramic samples KNbO(3) (KN) and K(0.5)Na(0.5)NbO(3) (KNN-50) were investigated from 10 to 900 K by means of Raman, infrared, and THz spectroscopy.

Compositional and structural study of a (K0.5Na0.5)NbO3 single crystal prepared by solid state crystal growth.

In this work we investigated the chemical composition and structure of (K0.5Na0.5)NbO3 (KNN) single crystals grown by the solid state crystal growth method.

Acoustic wave transmission through piezoelectric structured materials.

This paper deals with the transmission of acoustic waves through multilayered piezoelectric materials. It is modeled in an octet formalism via the hybrid matrix of the structure. The theoretical evolution with the angle and frequency of the transmission coefficients of ultrasonic plane waves propagating through a partially depoled PZT plate is compared to finite element calculations showing that both methods are in very good agreement.

Serum leptin concentrations in Lipizzan fillies.

To determine seasonal changes in circulating leptin concentrations, as well as leptin fluctuations in various patterns of seasonal ovarian activity, blood samples were taken in 107 Lipizzan fillies aged 1-4 years over the whole year from January to December. Serum concentrations were measured in samples obtained once a month (leptin) or twice a month (progesterone), and evaluated with respect to the age of animals (yearlings, 2-, 3- and 4-year olds) and the pattern of ovarian activity (anoestrous, seasonal cycle, prolonged cyclicity, continuous cyclicity). The mean and monthly leptin concentrations in 3- and 4-year olds were significantly higher than in yearlings and 2-year olds (p < 0.

Characterization of lead zirconate titanate--lanthanum ruthenate thin film structures prepared by chemical solution deposition.

In this work, the results of compositional and microstructural analysis of lead zirconate titanate--lanthanum ruthenate thin film structures prepared by chemical solution deposition are discussed. The cross-section transmission electron microscope (TEM) micrographs of the La-Ru-O film deposited on a SiO2/Si substrate and annealed at 700 degrees C revealed RuO2 crystals embedded in a glassy silicate matrix. When the La-Ru-O film was deposited on a Pt/TiO2/SiO2/Si substrate, RuO2 and La4Ru6O19 crystallized after annealing at 700 degrees C.

Comparison of different molecular methods for assessment of equine arteritis virus (EAV) infection: a novel one-step MGB real-time RT-PCR assay, PCR-ELISA and classical RT-PCR for detection of highly diverse sequences of Slovenian EAV variants.

In the present study, a new one-step real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) strategy with minor-groove-binder (MGB) technology for the detection of EAV from 40 semen samples of Slovenian carrier stallions was tested. A novel MGB probe (EAVMGBpr) and a reverse primer (EAV-R) based on the multiple sequence alignment of 49 different EAV strain sequences of the highly conserved ORF7 (nucleocapsid gene) were designed. The performance of the assay was compared with different molecular detection methods.

Electron microscopy studies of potassium sodium niobate ceramics.

Using electron microscopy, K0.5Na0.5NbO3 (KNN) ceramics sintered at 1030 degrees C for 8 h and 1100 degrees C for 2 and 24 h was studied.

High-frequency transducers based on integrated piezoelectric thick films for medical imaging.

A screen-printed PZT thick film with a final thickness of about 40 microm was deposited on a porous PZT substrate to obtain an integrated structure for ultrasonic transducer applications. This process makes it possible to decrease the number of steps in the fabrication of high-frequency, single-element transducers. The porous PZT substrates allow high acoustic impedance and attenuation to be obtained, satisfying transducer backing requirements for medical imaging.

Onset of puberty and duration of seasonal cyclicity in Lipizzan fillies.

Reasons For Performing Study: The onset of puberty and duration of seasonal cyclicity in Lipizzan fillies and young mares have been determined mostly by empirical data, but very little is known about the hormonal changes at puberty and during the seasonal cyclicity in this breed.

Objectives: To determine the onset of puberty and the course of the cyclicity in young Lipizzan mares from age 1-4 years.

Methods: Blood samples were collected twice a month for 2 years from 46 Lipizzan fillies age 1-4 years.

Determination of the diagnostic value of the resazurin reduction assay for evaluating boar semen by receiver operating characteristic analysis.

Aim: To assess that metabolic status of spermatozoa could provide a useful tool for evaluation of semen quality.

Methods: The accuracy of the spectrophotometric application of the resazurin reduction assay was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis.

Results: Areas under ROC curves (AUC) for motile sperm concentration and sperm index (SI) (sperm concentration multiplied by the square root of percentage sperm motility multiplied by the percentage normal sperm morphology) were 0.

Establishment of a pregnancy following intravaginal insemination with epididymal semen from a dog castrated due to benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia was diagnosed in an American Staffordshire Terrier of high breeding value presenting concurrent haematuria. Castration as a treatment was synchronized with the oestrus cycle of a bitch selected for insemination. After castration the cauda epididymis was flushed with Gent semen extender and collected spermatozoa were filtered and analysed by Hamilton Thorn computer assisted sperm analysis.

Freezability of equine semen after glass beads column separation.

Reasons For Performing Study: The success rate of artificial insemination following the freezing of stallion semen is limited; therefore, improving the stallion semen quality after the freezing and thawing process is a necessary objective.

Objectives: To investigate the influence of glass bead column separation on the freezability of stallion semen.

Hypothesis: Glass beads in a column separator remove damaged and dead spermatozoa in the ejaculate during centrifugation.

Spectrophotometric application of resazurin reduction assay to evaluate boar semen quality.

The resazurin reduction assay depends on the ability of metabolically active cells to reduce the resazurin redox dye to resorufin. In the present study we applied and made a diagnostic evaluation of a spectrophotometric application of the resazurin reduction assay to assess the colour change of resazurin reduction in butanol extracted colour to evaluate boar semen quality. Forty-one samples of boar semen from various breeds were included in the study.

The variations of white blood cell count in Lipizzan horses.

Total and differential leucocyte counts (lymphocytes, neutrophils, monocytes, eosinophils and basophils) were measured in 140 stallions, 101 mares and 25 foals of Lipizzan breed. The values fell in the normal ranges for warm-blooded horses. Differences between mares and stallions were not significant with the exception of foals, having higher white blood cell, neutrophil, lymphocyte, monocyte and basophil values in females than in males.