Um componente considerado crítico para o manejo bem sucedido de populações silvestres é a manutenção da variação genética. No intuito de avaliar a magnitude e a distribuição da variabilidade genética existente em populações de Caiman latirostris, nove populações distribuídas ao longo do eixo latitudinal da distribuição da espécie no Brasil e uma população em cativeiro foram estudadas com auxílio de onze locos microssatélites. A diversidade gênica média (He=h) e a heterozigosidade média observada (Ho) apresentaram valores elevados, 0,628 e 0,567, respectivamente, denotando existência de elevada variabilidade genética para esta espécie nas regiões de estudo. A população paulista mesmo estando na zona intermediária de distribuição geográfica no Brasil não possui a maior variabilidade genética. O valor FST estimado foi 0,270 e o RST foi 0,342. Ambas as medidas de diferenciação entre as populações foram significativas (P<0,05). As altas estimativas de FST e RST sugerem a ausência ou fluxo gênico restrito entre essas populações, exceção feita entre as populações de Natal (RN) e João Pessoa (PB), onde não houve diferenciação significativa entre as populações, sugerindo assim que há fluxo gênico entre elas, fato confirmado pelo coeficiente de parentesco. Pôde-se concluir neste trabalho que a distância genética entre a população do litoral é afetada pela existência da Serra do Mar como barreira geográfica pelo fato desta população apresentar as maiores diferenciações genéticas e não se agrupar a nenhuma população pelo método de agrupamento UPGMA, mesmo estando próxima das populações paulista. A distância genética entre as populações parece não acompanhar a distância geográfica, em termos de gradiente latitudinal (r=0,206). Entretanto quando retiramos a população da Ilha do Cardoso esta correlação aumenta significativamente (r=0,540), indicando haver um certo padrão espacial da variabilidade genética entre as populações. O coeficiente médio de parentesco foi baixo entre e dentro das populações estudadas. Com estes resultados podemos começar a entender a dinâmica e estrutura social de populações de Caiman latirostris, e quanto mais se compreende sobre a biologia destes animais mais precisa serão decisões visando condições que permitam a existência continua da espécie. / A component considered critical for the managment well succeed of wild populations it is the maintenance of genetic variation. In the intention of evaluating the extend and the distribution of the existent genetic variability in populations of Caiman latirostris, nine populations distributed along the latitudinal axis of the distribution of the species in Brazil and a population in captivity they were studied with aid of eleven locos microsatellite. The genic mean diversity (He=h) and the observed mean heterozygosity (Ho) across all loci for all populations ranged from 0,628 and 0,567, respectively, denoting existence high genetic variability. The population from São Paulo being in the intermediate zone of geographical distribution in Brazil doesn't possess the largest genetic variability. The value dear FST was 0,270 and RST it was 0,342. Both differentiation measures among the populations were significant (P < 0,05). The higher estimates of FST and RST suggested a absence or low gene flow among those populations, exception done between the populations of Natal (RN) and João Pessoa (PB), where there was not significant differentiation among the populations, suggesting a gene flow pattern among them, fact confirmed by the related coefficient. It could be concluded in this work that the genetic distance among the population of the coast is affected by the existence of the Mountain of the Sea as geographical barrier for the fact of this population to present the largest genetic differentiations and not to group the any population for the grouping method UPGMA, same being close of the populations from São Paulo. The genetic distance among the populations seems not to accompany the geographical distance, in terms of latitudinal gradient (r=0,206). However when we removed the population of Cardoso's Island this correlation it increases significantly (r= 0,540), indicating there to be a certain space pattern of the genetic variability among the populations. The medium coefficient of related was low among and inside of the studied populations. With these results we can begin to understand the dynamics and it structures social of populations of Caiman latirostris.

Orientador: Mary Anne Heidi Dolder / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Biologia / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-17T22:42:21Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Gomes_MarcosdeLuccaMoreira_D.pdf: 17022356 bytes, checksum: 8f52bd976bb7a3f25e260b1c7c06dc69 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011 / Resumo: A espécie Heteropterys aphrodisiaca é amplamente utilizada como afrodisíaca. Estudos mostram o potencial efeito estimulante sobre o tamanho das vesículas seminais e de populações de células de Leydig em ratos, ambos andrógenos dependentes. Neste trabalho foi proposto o tratamento com a infusão de H. aphrodisiaca aliado ao exercício de resistência física com o intuito de observar seus efeitos nos testículos de ratos. Foram utilizados ratos Wistar (90 dias) divididos em 4 grupos (n=10, cada): controles - água, sedentário e com treinamento físico; tratados com H. aphrodisiaca (104mg/kg/dia) sedentário e com treinamento físico. O experimento teve duração total de 56 dias. Foi realizada dosagem de testosterona plasmática e avaliados parâmetros morfométricos e estereológicos do parênquima testicular. No epitélio seminífero, foram contados os números de células germinativas e somáticas, calculando-se o rendimento da espermatogênese, índices mitótico e meiótico e eficiência e capacidade de células de Sertoli. Foi realizado Western Blotting para quantificação da concentração de receptores de andrógeno, e TUNEL para determinação de porcentagem de células apoptóticas. A concentração de testosterona circulante foi significativamente maior nos animais tratados e sedentários. Os diâmetros médios tubulares dos animais treinados foram maiores quando comparados aos dos animais sedentários. Não ocorreram variações significativas quanto ao volume do tecido intersticial, na proporção de macrófagos, espaço linfático e vasos sanguíneos. Entretanto, ocorreram diminuições significativas na proporção de tecido conjuntivo em ambos os grupos que receberam a infusão vegetal. Houve aumentos significativos do diâmetro e volume nucleares das células de Leydig dos animais treinados. Houve diminuição significativa do número de células de Leydig por grama de parênquima testicular nos animais controle/treinados quando comparados aos outros grupos experimentais. O grupo tratado/treinado apresentou o maior índice de mitoses espermatogoniais, sendo significativamente maior que a média do grupo sedentário/tratado. As curvas de rendimento e índice mitótico possuem mesmo padrão de distribuição, entretanto, para o índice meiótico, o grupo sedentário/tratado mostrou as maiores médias quando comparado aos dois grupos controle, sedentário e treinado. Não houve alteração de índices apoptóticos tampouco na concentração de receptores androgênicos entre os grupos experimentais. O protocolo de treinamento aplicado no presente experimento não acarretou em danos no parênquima testicular, como tem sido afirmado em outros experimentos envolvendo exercício aeróbico. Contudo, a infusão de nó-de-cachorro parece influenciar tanto no estímulo de células de Leydig, com aumento do volume celular, quanto no comportamento espermatogonial, induzindo mitoses e aumentando o rendimento geral do processo espermatogênico / Abstract: The species Heteropterys aphrodisiaca is traditionally used as an aphrodisiac. Some studies showed its stimulating potential of seminal vesicle and Leydig cell population growth, both androgen dependent. In this study, we proposed to observe the effects of H. aphrodisiaca infusion treatment combined with endurance exercise protocol. For this investigation, 40 adult Wistar rats (90 days) were used (4 groups, n = 10 each): two controls receiving water, sedentary and trained, and two treated with H. aphrodisiaca (104mg/kg/dia), sedentary and trained. The experiment lasted for 56 days. Plasma testosterone concentration was measured by radioimmunoassay. Morphometrical and stereological parameters were evaluated from the testicular parenchyma. The numbers of somatic and germ cells were estimated by counting the seminiferous epithelium cell population. Also, the spermatogenic yield, meiotic and mitotic index, efficiency and capacity of Sertoli cells were estimated. Western blotting was performed to quantify the concentration of androgen receptors, and TUNEL technique to determine the percentage of apoptotic cells within the seminiferous tubules. Control/trained animals showed a significant decrease in body mass gain compared to sedentary animals. The testosterone concentrations were significantly higher in treated/sedentary animals. The mean tubular diameters of trained animals were higher when compared to sedentary animals. There were no significant differences regarding the volume of interstitial tissue, the proportion and volume of macrophages, lymphatic space and blood vessels. However, the treated/sedentary group showed lower connective tissue content compared with the control/sedentary, as well as the diminished volume of Leydig cells, compared with the treated/trained group. There was a significant increase of both nuclear diameter and volume of Leydig cells in trained animals. On the other hand, there was a significant decrease of Leydig cell number per gram of testicular parenchyma in control/trained animals. Considering the spermatogenesis dynamics, both treated groups showed the highest spermatogenic yield, in relation to the control/trained group. The treated/trained group showed the highest index of spermatogonial mitosis - significantly higher than the sedentary/treated one. Spermatogenic yield and mitotic index showed the same distribution pattern when plotted on graphs; however, the meiotic index was significantly higher only in the sedentary/treated group. The apoptotic indexes, as well as the androgen receptor concentrations were not affected by the protocols employed. Treatment with the plant infusion did not lead to an increase of the parameters analyzed. However, the infusion seems to stimulate either the Leydig cell (increase of cell volume) or the spermatogonial behavior, inducing more mitosis and increasing the spermatogenic yield / Doutorado / Biologia Celular / Doutor em Biologia Celular e Estrutural

This Diploma Thesis focuses on the issue of reproduction of animals and the non- profit organisations and subjects working in this field. The cat and dog reproduction is a primary cause of their overpopulation in the Czech Republic which becomes an ever- increasing issue as the abandoned animal shelter network fails to provide enough capacity for local demand. The thesis is focused on the activities of such organisations and tools they use for mobilising the necessary resources as well as the issue of animal reproduction itself. The theory basis is in the general theory of resource mobilisation supported with the explanation of the civil initiatives dedicated to this phenomenon as well as the overview of the phenomenon of the animal reproduction as well. The thesis is composed of five qualitative interviews with organisations or movements that are dedicated to effective reduction of animal reproduction. The empiric part of the thesis presents selected organisations and then analyses the collected data. The financial and human resources are mostly utilised by organisations which physically treat animals and the majority of the funds is consumed by providing care for them. On the other hand, organisations dedicated to enlightenment and education are able to function as self-funded and self-organised...

<p dir="ltr">Nulliparous replacement beef heifers represent an opportunity to improve both genetic potential and lifetime production within the herd. However, advances in reproductive efficiency and synchrony in the herd require heifers to conceive earlier than multiparous cows in order to account for the extended postpartum interval following first-time parturition. Further, those heifers that achieve early calving dates continue to calve early throughout their lifetime. This early calving results in increased weaning weights and better synchrony in subsequent years. One obstacle producers face when breeding nulliparous heifers is the ability to identify which animals have reached puberty at the initiation of the breeding season. This results in the variation observed in synchronization success within a group of heifers. In Chapter 2 our laboratory formulated a study to analyze the efficacy of the 7-d CO-synch + CIDR protocol when utilizing short-term exposure to a progestin (melengestrol acetate, MGA) as a pre-synchronization protocol. Our hypothesis was that the heifers may respond more efficiently to an orally fed progestin as the increase in serum progesterone is less pronounced, when compared to the CIDR. This first study resulted in a protocol application error, in which MGA was fed an extra day (8 vs. 7). This additional day of treatment with MGA following the administration of a prostaglandin eliminated our laboratory’s opportunity to collect meaningful data from this first attempt. Thus, it was pertinent to restart the experiment in an attempt to obtain data for analysis. In order to avoid confounding data, half of the heifers in each treatment received a new treatment, while the other half remained on the treatment assigned during the first attempt. After completing the second round of experiments it was observed that at the first pregnancy check (study day 30), the heifers that were originally assigned to MGA, but were switched to a CIDR for the second attempt numerically outperformed their counterparts in the other three formulated treatment groups. In an attempt to replicate these results, a second study was formulated (Chapter 3), to mimic the timeline from the preliminary study. This resulted in a pre-synchronization treatment protocol prior to the initiation of the breeding season synchronization protocol. Previous studies that have been conducted with similar protocols were designed to provide heifers with a pre-synchronization period that would aid in the attainment of puberty prior to their first attempt at breeding through exposure to progesterone. The purpose of the Chapter 3 experiment was to evaluate the effects of feeding melengestrol acetate (MGA®) as a pre-synchronization for 10 days immediately prior to estrous synchronization and fixed-timed artificial insemination (FTAI). The ten days were chosen as this was a novel protocol that was the result of the preliminary study and the subsequent restart. Ninety-three crossbred heifers (395.67 ± 5.37 kg) were blocked by BW, genetics, and reproductive tract scores and allotted to 3 treatments. The 3 treatment groups were: 7-day CO-synch + CIDR without pre-synchronization (CON, n=31); 25 mg PGF2α (Lutalyse®) followed immediately by MGA feeding for 7 d prior to the start of the 7-day CO-synch + CIDR program (PRE, n=31); and 25 mg PGF2α followed immediately by MGA feeding for 7d followed 10 d later by the start of the 7-day CO-synch + CIDR program (PRE+10, n=31). The 7-day Co-synch + CIDR protocol in all three treatments was initiated on d 0 by administering a 2 cc IM injection of GnRH (Cystorelin®) and placing a CIDR into the vagina. The CIDRs were removed 7 days later and accompanied by 25 mg IM injection of PGF2α. An injection of GnRH occurred 60-66 hours following PGF2α at FTAI with frozen semen from a single bull. Ten days after FTAI, heifers were exposed to a bull. Estrotect® patches were applied throughout the study to assess estrous behavior. Ovaries were visualized by transrectal ultrasonography 24 hours post-FTAI to determine whether ovulation occurred. Pregnancy was determined on days 40, 64, and 109 post-FTAI via transrectal ultrasonography. Blood was collected via jugular venipuncture (d -19 and -12, MGA initiation and termination, days 0, 7, and 9) and serum progesterone determined. Performance data were analyzed using the MIXED procedure and conception data were analyzed using the GLIMMIX procedure of SAS. Heifers in the PRE+10 treatment group had higher levels of progesterone (P=0.04) at d 0 compared to PRE heifers. At d 7 (CIDR removal) there was a tendency (P=0.07) for PRE+10 heifers to have higher levels of progesterone than PRE, but did not differ by d 9 (FTAI, P=0.36). FTAI conception rates in heifers in the PRE treatment group (63%) tended (P = 0.09) to be higher compared to the controls (35%), but not different from PRE+10 (43%), with no differences in season-long pregnancy rates (P > 0.15). Pre-synchronization with MGA immediately prior to FTAI synchronization appears to increase conception rates early in the breeding season in beef heifers. In Chapter 4, our laboratory analyzed the efficacy of supplementation strategies post-insemination. Unlike the first two experiments, the third study focused on reproductive failure that occurs after insemination. The overarching goal remained the same, increasing the reproductive efficiency within our nulliparous heifer herd. A common practice for beef producers in the United States is to use estrous synchronization, and immediately turn heifers out to lush spring pasture immediately following FTAI. The fresh forage is high in water content which lowers dry matter intake (DMI) and creates a negative energy balance. Ultimately, this reduced energy intake can result in a reduction in reproductive performance. In the Chapter 4 our laboratory formulated a supplementation strategy utilizing the SmartFeed™ technology to deliver soybean hulls to our treatment group following insemination for 45 days. The utilization of the SmartFeed® technology provided the opportunity to analyze the efficacy of the supplementation strategy using each individual animal as an experimental unit. Sixty-two nulliparous crossbred heifers were fed in drylot to obtain moderate body condition prior to breeding at d 0 via FTAI and trained to utilize the SmartFeed™ system.Heifers were blocked by weight and body condition score to either the soybean hull supplementation group (SOY) or the non-supplemented control group (CON). . Heifers in the treatment group received their supplementation by entering the SmartFeed™ system, allowing for RFID controlled release of 2.27 kg. per head each day for 45 days. Scales located beneath each feed pan sent real time weight data for regulation and analysis on individual animal feeding behavior. On study d 6, a subset of the nulliparous crossbred heifers (n = 12; n = 6/ treatment) were transported by trailer from the Feldun Purdue Agricultural Center to Purdue West Lafayette main campus (approximately 217.74 km.). The subset of heifers had embryos flushed and evaluated for embryo quality and number of live/dead cells. Ultrasonography was utilized to monitor ovarian activity throughout the duration of the study and to determine pregnancy status 30 days after FTAI and 30 days after the 45-day breeding season. Though conception rates were not statistically (P=0.17) different (SOY 16/25; 64% vs. CON 11/25; 44%) when comparing treatment groups, the numerical differences suggest there is potential in pursuing a similar supplementation strategy following breeding in nulliparous beef heifers. The supplementation of SBH resulted in greater weight gain over time (P = 0.04), potentially explaining the numeric improvement in conception rate. The two pre-synchronization studies from Chapters 2 and 3 resulted in numerical improvements in conception rate as a result of exposing replacement heifers to a source of progestin prior to the initiation of their synchronization protocol. The implementation of progesterone priming mitigates the occurrence of short cycles and immature oocyte maturation at the time of ovulation. Based on results from previous studies conducted by our laboratory, the source of progestin greatly determines the timing and concentration of P4 circulating in replacement heifers immediately following treatment. Additionally, the 7 & 7 estrous synchronization protocol has grown in popularity and implementation. This protocol when broken down is very similar to the pre-synchronization protocol our laboratory utilized for the first two studies. Several studies have been conducted to analyze the efficacy of the 7 & 7 and the conception data was comparable to the MGA derived protocol. Thus, one potential direction for the future would be to formulate a research study that compares the two protocols. Since the conception rates were similar, it may be hypothesized that the MGA protocol could be more widely accepted as there is a reduction number of times animals are handled.</p>

Prolificacy in sheep, under most types of flock management, may exert an overwhelming influence on profitability. Three major classes of sheep farming are found in New Zealand, namely Extensive farming, on high country and droughty areas where wool is the chief product, Store sheep farming, on harder hill country, where income is derived from sales of both wool and surplus stock, and Fat lamb farming, in the easier and improved areas, where sales of fat stock almost exclusively dictate the size of the income. In all three types, ewe fertility is of paramount importance. This investigation was undertaken as a pilot attempt to demonstrate, with more accuracy, the source of, or reason for, the additional lambs which result from flushing ewes, in as far as this practice may increase both ovulation rate and subsequent mortality or merely reduce mortality in developing ova at some as yet underdefined stage of early pregnancy. The nature of the experiment was such that a study of the time-relationships of ovum loss and embryo mortality at various stages in early pregnancy could be made. Thus the matings of 225 ewes in two separate mobs were observed and slaughter dates were measured for individual ewes from mating times. By this means a considerable collection of both field and laboratory data was made available for a study of comparative individual and group reactions to the flushing treatment applied.