Synchronization techniques to increase the utilization of artificial insemination in beef and dairy cattle

Abstract The main objective of the implementation of Artificial Insemination (AI) in cattle is to produce a sustained genetic progress in the herd. Although AI is an old reproductive biotechnology, its widespread implementation is very recent and is mainly due to the use of protocols that allows the AI without heat detection, commonly called fixed-time artificial insemination (FTAI). The development of FTAI protocols also allowed the application of AI in larger, extensively managed, herds and especially in suckled cows instead of just reducing the breeding programs to the heifers. FTAI treatments are widely used in South America, with about 2,500,000 cows inseminated in the last season in Argentina and about 6,500,000 in Brazil. This manuscript aims to present and describe several treatments available and some of the factors that may affect pregnancy rates

Asociación entre las características morfológicas y la producción de leche en vacas Holstein

El objetivo de este estudio fue identificar las características morfológicas de tipo que contribuyen a explicar la variación de la producción en vacas Holstein. Se calificaron morfométricamente 1.290 vacas de la raza Holstein de cuatro tambos comerciales de la Provincia de Buenos Aires (Argentina). Los 15 caracteres morfológicos calificados fueron: inserción anterior de ubre (FU); altura de ubre posterior (RUH); ancho ubre posterior (RUW); ligamento suspensorio medio (UC); profundidad de la ubre (UD); colocación de pezones posterior (TP); longitud de los pezones (TL); estatura (ST); angulosidad (ANG); fortaleza (SG); ancho de grupa (RW); ángulo de grupa (RA); patas posteriores, vista posterior (RLRV); patas posteriores, vista lateral (RLS) y ángulo de pezuña (FA). El sistema de clasificación utilizado fue el propuesto por ACHA. Se aplicó el algoritmo de partición correspondiente a un árbol de clasificación sobre las dos categorías de producción de leche extremas (alta y baja producción) previamente definidas según los percentiles 33 y 66 de la variable 305 días equivalente maduro (305EM). Esta técnica multivariada constituye una alternativa a los modelos clásicos de regresión ya que sus resultados no se ven afectados por correlaciones entre las variables explicativas. Los resultados sugieren que valoraciones altas del ancho de ubre combinado con valoraciones altas de la fortaleza, son las métricas de tipo que más contribuyen a explicar mayores promedios de producción de leche en esta raz

The effect of Zr and Sn additions on the microstructure of Ti-Nb-Fe gum metals with high elastic admissible strain

An open challenge on structural biomaterials is to obtain low-cost Ti-alloys with high elastic admissible strength (the ratio of yield strength to modulus). To reach this goal, we designed and characterized three quaternary alloys from the Ti-Nb-Fe system with additions of Zr and Sn. The samples were solution-treated and tested under two conditions: water-quenched and aged at 450 °C. Microstructures were analyzed with aid of scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Tensile tests performed at room-temperature confirmed a remarkable yield strength of 1271 MPa with an elastic modulus close to 90 GPa among aged Ti-19Nb-2.5Fe-6Sn (wt%) samples. Solution-treated Ti-19Nb-2.5Fe-10Zr samples presented a good combination of yield-strength and elastic modulus (1027 MPa and 69 GPa, respectively), displaying an elastic admissible strength close to 1.5. Although Zr and Sn are equally distributed between matrix and precipitates, the diffusion of Nb and Fe seem to be inhibited by the presence of Sn. As a result, Sn allows higher yield-strengths and more refined secondary α-phase, while Zr has a stronger effect on reducing the elastic modulus. In the end, a materials selection chart is presented to help designers to select materials for orthopedic implants considering the elastic admissible strain and cost as major guidelines16011861195CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICO - CNPQFUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO - FAPESPNão tem2014/24449-0; 2016/22714-3; 2016/24693-3Funding: This work was supported by FAPESP (São Paulo State Research Foundation, grants numbers 2014/24449-0, 2016/22714-3 and 2016/24693-3) and CNPq (National Council for Scientific and Technological Development). The authors gratefully acknowledge Prof. Hamish Fraser for the use of experimental facilities at the Center for Electron Microscopy and Analysis (CEMAS), at the Ohio State University, USA, and thank CBMM Co. for the Nb supply. The raw/processed data required to reproduce these findings cannot be shared at this time as the data also forms part of an ongoing study. Data will be made available upon reques

Social Experiments in the Mesoscale: Humans Playing a Spatial Prisoner's Dilemma

Background: The evolutionary origin of cooperation among unrelated individuals remains a key unsolved issue across several disciplines. Prominent among the several mechanisms proposed to explain how cooperation can emerge is the existence of a population structure that determines the interactions among individuals. Many models have explored analytically and by simulation the effects of such a structure, particularly in the framework of the Prisoner’s Dilemma, but the results of these models largely depend on details such as the type of spatial structure or the evolutionary dynamics. Therefore, experimental work suitably designed to address this question is needed to probe these issues. Methods and Findings: We have designed an experiment to test the emergence of cooperation when humans play Prisoner’s Dilemma on a network whose size is comparable to that of simulations. We find that the cooperation level declines to an asymptotic state with low but nonzero cooperation. Regarding players ’ behavior, we observe that the population is heterogeneous, consisting of a high percentage of defectors, a smaller one of cooperators, and a large group that shares features of the conditional cooperators of public goods games. We propose an agent-based model based on the coexistence of these different strategies that is in good agreement with all the experimental observations. Conclusions: In our large experimental setup, cooperation was not promoted by the existence of a lattice beyond a residual level (around 20%) typical of public goods experiments. Our findings also indicate that both heterogeneity and a ‘‘moody’

How a firm can induce legislators to adopt a bad policy

This paper shows why a majority of legislators may vote for a policy that benefits a firm but harms all legislators. The firm may induce legislators to support the policy by suggesting that it is more likely to invest in a district where voters or their representative support the policy. In equilibrium, no one vote may be decisive, so each legislator who seeks the firm’s investment votes for the policy, though all legislators would be better off if they all voted against the policy. And when votes reveal information about the district, the firm’s implicit promise or threat can be credible. Unlike influence mechanisms based on contributions or bribes, the behavior considered is time consistent and in line with the low campaign contributions by special interests

Follicular dynamics and pregnancy rates in Bos taurus x Bos indicus embryo transfer recipients treated to increase plasma progesterone concentrations

Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of GnRH, LH, hCG or exogenous progesterone administration on plasma progesterone concentrations and pregnancy rates following embryo transfer in Bos taurus x Bos indicus cross-bred heifers. In Experiment 1, animals with body condition scores 3.5 (1 to 5 scale) were synchronized with two injections of a prostaglandin F2 analog 13 days apart. Heifers detected in estrus (day 0; n = 37) were randomly assigned on day 7 to receive one of five treatments: Control (2 ml saline im; n = 6), GnRH (10 g Buserelin im; n = 8), hCG (1500 IU Chorulon im; n = 8), LH (25 mg pLH im; n = 7) or a CIDR-B device for 13 days (n = 8). Ovarian ultrasonography was performed daily from day 6 until the subsequent estrus. Heifers in the GnRH, hCG and LH groups were evaluated every 12 h between days 7 and 9 to confirm ovulation of the first-wave dominant follicle. Blood samples were collected daily for determination of P4 levels. Estrus detection was performed daily with the aid of androgenized cows. Ovulation rate for the first wave dominant follicle was 100% for heifers treated with GnRH, hCG and LH. Between days 13 and 17, the mean diameter of original CLs, diameter of accessory CLs and P4 concentrations were greater in heifers treated with hCG than in heifers in all other groups (P < 0.05). Duration of the luteal phase (number of days with a P4 concentration 1.0 ng/ml) was similar in hCG (14.3 ± 0.6), LH (13.4 ± 0.6), GnRH (13.4 ± 0.4), CIDR-B (14.5 ± 0.2) and Control (12.8 ± 0.5) groups. In Experiment 2, animals were kept on a grazing regimen at commercial farms in Brazil and were synchronized with one injection of a prostaglandin F2 analog. The same hormonal treatments as in Experiment 1 were given on day 7 after estrus at the time of transfer of frozen/thawed embryos to Bos taurus x Bos indicus recipients (n = 485). Pregnancy rates were higher in GnRH-(53.5%; 53/99) and hCG-(51.0%; 49/96) treated heifers (P < 0.05) than in control heifers (28.6%; 28/98), but were similar to heifers treated with CIDR devices (41.1%; 39/95) and LH (45.4%; 44/97). It was concluded that the improvement in conception rates in hCG treated Bos taurus x Bos indicus cross-bred heifers receiving frozen/thawed embryos were due to both P4-dependent and P4-independent mechanisms

Using social and behavioural science to support COVID-19 pandemic response

The COVID-19 pandemic represents a massive global health crisis. Because the crisis requires large-scale behaviour change and places significant psychological burdens on individuals, insights from the social and behavioural sciences can be used to help align human behavior with the recommendations of epidemiologists and public health experts. Here we discuss evidence from a selection of research topics relevant to pandemics, including work on navigating threats, social and cultural influences on behaviour, science communication, moral decision-making, leadership, and stress and coping. In each section, we note the nature and quality of prior research, including uncertainty and unsettled issues. We identify several insights for effective response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and also highlight important gaps researchers should move quickly to fill in the coming weeks and months