Understanding Sow Sexual Behavior and the Application of the Boar Pheromone to Stimulate Sow Reproduction

In this chapter, we review the sexual behavior of domestic pigs, and the visible or measurable anatomical features of the pig that will contribute to detecting sows in estrus. We also summarize olfactory organs, and the effects of a sexual pheromone on pig’s biology and sow reproductive performance. We discuss the role of a live boar in the heat detection where the female is in breeding crates. However, there is an increasing interest in being able to breed sows without a boar present. Farm workers must be trained on the fine points of estrus detection so that they can work in a safe and productive setting. After a review of olfactory biology of the pig, the chapter explains how new pheromonal technology, such as BOARBETTER®, aids in the process of heat detection with or without a live boar. To achieve reproductive success, the persons breeding must assimilate all fine points of pig sexual behavior and possess a clear understanding of what they should be looking for in each sow they expect to breed

Chemical analysis of Hg0-containing Hindu religious objects.

Parad items used in Hindu practices and Ayurvedic medicines contain elemental mercury (Hg0) and have traditionally been used in prayer and to treat a variety of diseases including diabetes, heart conditions, and sexual dysfunction. These items are often referred to as amalgams of silver, and take the form of shivlings, statues of gods, necklaces, and other jewelry. Fourteen parad items were purchased from online vendors in India and the United States and analyzed. All items produced copious amounts of Hg0 vapor, with Hg0 concentrations exceeding 1,000,000 ng/m3 as measured using a Mercury Instruments Mercury Tracker 3000 IP atomic absorption spectrometer. Measured concentrations were highly variable, so a simple qualitative experiment employing a UV-C light source and a thin-layer chromatography plate impregnated with a fluorescent dye that glows green when irradiated at 254 nm allowed for the indirect visualization of the Hg0 being evolved. In addition, all items were screened using a hand-held X-ray fluorescence analyzer to estimate the concentration of Hg, Sn, Pb, As, and Cd on the surface of the item. Select samples were then digested in aqua regia and analyzed for Hg content using a direct mercury analyzer. All samples were found to exceed 20% by mass Hg. The digestates were analyzed using inductively-coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry and were determined to be between 10-55% by mass Pb and contain up to 0.3% by mass As. While Article 4 of the Minamata Convention on Mercury specifically requires parties to stop importing, exporting, and manufacturing Hg-added products, products used in traditional and religious practices are excluded