Improved reproductive response of sheep in intrauterine insemination program with the use of royal jelly

The objective of the present study was to evaluate estrus and conception rates obtained with the use of progesterone (P4) cream in intravaginal sponges in conjunction with equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) or eCG plus royal jelly (RJ) given at the time of sponge withdrawal. A total of 365 fat tailed ewes were assigned randomly to two treatment groups: insertion of intravaginal sponge containing 30 mg (LNP; n = 188) or 60 mg (HNP; n = 177) progesterone for 12 days. For each treatment, 300 or 600 IU of eCG were compared with 100 or 300 IU of eCG plus 500 mg of RJ to assess the effect on reproductive parameters of ewes inseminated laparoscopically in the anoestrus season. Ewes in each group were inseminated with fresh diluted semen (10 × 107 sperm per insemination dose). Inseminations were carried out 11 to 18 h after the first detection of estrus. Pregnancy diagnosis was done at approximately 55 days after insemination. For the 30 and 60 mg natural progesterone treated groups, estrous (22.3 versus 30.5%) and conception rates (50.0% for both treatments) did not differ significantly. Ewes that received 300 IU eCG plus 500 mg RJ had higher (P>0.05) conception rates (66.7 versus 47.6 and 40.0%) than those treated with only eCG (300 or 600 IU) at sponge removal. There was a significant (P≤0.05) delay in onset of estrus in ewes treated with 100 IU eCG plus 500 mg RJ when compared with the other treatment groups.Keywords: Royal jelly, equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG), natural progesterone, artificial insemination, ew

Activities of two Major Lichen Compounds, Diffractaic Acid and Usnic Acid against Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say, 1824 (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

Two major lichen compounds (diffractaic and usnic acids), isolated from Usnea longissima Ach. were tested against 4th instar larvae and adults of the Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say for 24, 48, 72 and 96 h under laboratory conditions. Durations and mortalities were recorded at various concentrations (1.25, 2.5, 5, and 10 mg. ml-1). Results showed that secondary metabolites of U. longissima had a significant insecticidal potential against larvae and adults of L. decemlineata. Mortality rates after 96 h of treatment, with the highest concentration (10 mg. ml-1) of diffractaic and usnic acids, were 100 and 70% for adults and 100 and 80% for larvae, respectively. No mortality was observed in the control treatment. Bioassay tests with diffractaic and usnic acids revealed that the 96 h median lethal concentration (LC50) values were 1.783 and 4.048 mg. ml-1 for adults and 1.509 and 2.759 mg. ml-1, for larvae of L. decemlineata, respectively. The present results suggest that the lichen secondary metabolites may have a potential action for control of L. decemlineata 4th instar larvae and adults

Laparoscopic artificial insemination in dairy sheep with chilled semen stored for up to 26 h

Adult East Freisan crossbred (n = 220) and Chios ewes (n = 105) were divided into four groups and inseminated with chilled semen, which had been stored for 7, 13, 20 or 26 h at 5°C. Unilateral intrauterine insemination (50 x 106 spermatozoa in 0.25 ml) was performed with the aid of a laparoscope. Inseminations were carried out 48 – 52 h after pessary removal (30 mg FGA) without detecting estrus. The lambing rates after intrauterine insemination with chilled semen were found to be similar in East Fresian crossbred (40%) and Chios ewes (30%). Intrauterine insemination with chilled semen stored up to 26 h resulted in similar lambing rates; whereas, fertility of Chios ewes tended to decline with increased holding time of chilled semen. From this study, it is concluded that decreasing the storage time of chilled semen at 5°C improves pregnancy in Chios ewes and that East Fresian crossbred ewe’s conception rates to intrauterine insemination with chilled semen was relatively higher than Chios ewes.Key words: Dairy sheep, chilled semen, time of insemination, lambing rate

Insecticidal Activity of Lichens against the Maize Weevil, Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky (Coleoptera: Curculionidae

Extracts of Letharia vulpina (L.) Hue and Peltigera rufescens (Weiss) Humb. lichen species and two major lichen compounds (diffractaic and usnic acids), isolated from Usnea longissima Ach., were tested against adults of the maize weevil, Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky under laboratory conditions at various concentrations (2.5, 5, 10, 20 mg.ml-1 for extracts and 1.25, 2.5, 5, 10 mg.ml-1 for major compounds) and at 24, 48, 72, and 96 h period. Results showed that both the extracts and the secondary metabolites of U. longissima had significant insecticidal effects on adults of S. zeamais. Mortality rate was the highest at 96 h period at the treatment of maximum concentration of extracts (20 mg.ml -1) and compounds (10 mg.ml-1). The mortality rates attained 96.97, 95.96, 96.97 and 76.77% for L. vulpine, P. rufescens, diffractaic and usnic acids, respectively. No mortality was found in the control. The present results suggest that the lichen extracts and the secondary metabolites can provide a good potential for the control of S. zeamais adults

Chronic ringworm infestation and Marjolin’s ulcer, an association unknown in the literature

We report here a case of Marjolin’s ulcer developing in a long-standing, inadequately treated, chronic ringworm infestation of the lower limb. A 35-year-old female patient with a ten-year history of a chronic ringworm infestation had developed a nonhealing ulcer in an area of infestation on the right leg. A biopsy revealed well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma associated with the ringworm infection. A below-knee amputation by an inguinal block dissection was performed. We conclude that proper and timely treatment of fungal infections of the skin is needed to allow for healing of dermal infections and thus the prevention of the disastrous consequences that recurrent mechanical trauma from scratching of the affected area, leading to occult malignancy, which may occur in a small number of patients

Sex ratio of lambs born from assisted reproductive technologies

The objective of the present study was to investigate sex ratio of offspring resulting from superstimulated donors from two different breeds and artificially inseminated ewes from three different breeds. Romanov (n = 5) and Charollais (n = 6) (2 - 7 years of age) donors were superovulated using FSH-p with 400 mg NIH-FSH-P1 (total of 20 mg). Six days embryos were recovered surgically and grade 1 embryos (IETS classification) were  frozen in ethylene glycol. Embryos (n = 154) were transferred into recipient ewes in pairs. A total 267 fat tailed ewes were synchronized (60 mg MAP and 600 I.U. PMSG) and inseminated with fresh diluted semen (10 x 107). Percentage for female sex ratio (64%) of offspring born from frozen thawed embryos differed significantly (P < 0.05) than expected ratio of 50:50. Lambing rates for recipient carried Romanov embryos (73.8%) was significantly higher (P < 0.05) than those carried Charollais embryos (57.1%). Pregnancy rates of artificially inseminated ewes were differed (P < 0.05) at time of insemination. Sex ratios of offspring were found similar among ewes with different breeds, inseminated in different times and with different vaginal mucus electric resistance. In summary, there is an advantage in the sex ratio obtained when using superstimulated ewes

Fumigant toxicity of essential oils from fifteen plant species against sitophilus zeamais motschulsky (coleoptera: curculionidae)

WOS:000331597600009Essential oils obtained from fifteen different plant species (Achillea biserrata M. Bieb., Achillea coarctata Poir., Achillea gypsicola Hub-Mor., Achillea wilhemsii C. Koch, Artemisia santonicum L., Hypericum perforatum L., Melilotus officinalis (L.) Lam., Origanum acutidens (Hand.-Mazz), Origanum onites L., Origanum rotundifolium L., Origanum syriacum L., Satureja hortensis L., Satureja spicigera (C. Koch)., Salvia nemorosa L., and Tanacetum agrophyllum (L.) C. Koch were tested against adults of Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Obtained results showed that the tested essential oils isolated from all plant species, except that from S. nemorosa had significant insecticidal effects against S. zeamais adults, compared with the control. Mortality rate of S. zeamais adults increased significantly (p < 0.01), as the concentration (mu l/L air) level and/or exposure time increased. Treatments with the essential oils of A. coarctata, A. gypsicola, O. onites, S. hortensis, and S. spicigera showed highest percentages of adult mortalities, when they were applied at the high concentrations (10 & 20 mu l/L air) and at all the post treatment periods or at a moderate concentration (5 mu l/L air) with long exposure periods (48 or 96 hs). The essential oil of S. nemorosa had lowest effect. After 96 h of exposure, at the maximum concentration (20 mu l/L air essential oil) of A. biserrata, A. coarctata, A. gypsicola, A. santonicum, H. perforatum, M officinalis, O. onites, O. rotundifolium, S. hortensis, S. spicigera, T. agrophyllum recorded 100% mortality, while O. syriacum, O. acutidens, A. wilhemsii, and S. nemorosa attained 99-76.77 mortality. After 96 h of treatment, 100% mortality was achieved at the concentration of 5 mu l/L air essential oil of A. gypsicola. Essential oils of M officinalis, H. perforatum, and O. rotundifolium possessed the most effective fumigant toxicity against S. zeamais adults, with LC50 values of 0.289, 0.526, and 0.573 mu l/L air, respectively

Static analysis of laterally arbitrarily loaded non-planar non-symmetrical coupled shear walls

et al.;Numerical Applications in Engineering (IUSIANI) at ULPGC;Spanish Society for Applied Mathematics (SEMA);Spanish Society for Numerical Methods in Eng. (SEMNI);Univ. Institute of Intelligent Syst. and;University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC)8th International Conference on Computational Structures Technology, CST 2006 --12 September 2006 through 15 September 2006 -- Las Palmas de Gran Canaria --This paper describes the static analysis of non-planar non-symmetrical coupled shear walls, employing the Continuous Connection Method in conjunction with Vlasov's theory of thin-walled beams. All previous authors concerning themselves with symmetrical systems, the present authors give particular attention to nonsymmetrical systems in both the formulation and the numerical applications. The method of analysis presented was compared with SAP2000 structural analysis program. The results obtained showed good agreement, verifying the accuracy of the proposed method, which can efficiently be used for the predesign computations of tall buildings. © 2006 Civil-Comp Press.The financial support of the Scientific Research Projects Units of Near East University and Akdeniz University are gratefully acknowledged