The objective of this study was to determine the ability of a passive temperature monitoring system consisting of radio frequency identification (RFID) boluses with thermistors and receiver panels to detect ovulation in high performing dairy cows. The twice-daily reticulo-rumen temperature (Trr) acquisitions of 41 early-lactation Holstein dairy cows were analyzed. The data were analyzed using two criteria: six baseline days (2d, 3d, 4d, 5d, 6d, 7d) and four temperature deviations (0.2°C, 0.3°C, 0.4°C, 0.5°C). The best criteria were chosen by selecting the baseline/deviation combination that gave the best positive predictive value (PPV). The system detected 93 true positive and 267 false positive alerts of ovulation, with a monitoring rate (MR) of 47% and a PPV of 46.2%. There were indications that the Cow Temperature Monitoring System could have a future as an ovulation detection aid, but due to the unreliability of the Wi-Fi transmission of acquisitions, more research needs to be conducted before definite conclusions can be drawn.

A microcomputer system called ovulocomputer is proposed. The system is used to predict and detect ovulation of women. It will use image processing and analysis, pattern recognition theory, spectrophotometry, ionometry and conductometry to measure various physical and chemical properties of cervical mucus that are related to blood hormone levels. The functions and characteristics of cervical mucus are introduced in this thesis. Among them, the identification of cervical mucus images, named the ferning test, and related features, are well described. A new idea, called ferning test automation, which has been neither proposed nor developed before, is presented and explained in detail in this thesis.

Submitted by Cássia Santos (cassia.bcufg@gmail.com) on 2017-04-13T11:31:15Z No. of bitstreams: 2 Tese - Reinaldo Satoru Azevedo Sasaki - 2017.pdf: 17522623 bytes, checksum: 77ee39d0dc2c95c62a360ec39d490fab (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Luciana Ferreira (lucgeral@gmail.com) on 2017-04-13T13:26:59Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 Tese - Reinaldo Satoru Azevedo Sasaki - 2017.pdf: 17522623 bytes, checksum: 77ee39d0dc2c95c62a360ec39d490fab (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-04-13T13:26:59Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 Tese - Reinaldo Satoru Azevedo Sasaki - 2017.pdf: 17522623 bytes, checksum: 77ee39d0dc2c95c62a360ec39d490fab (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-04-03 / Background: Obesity affects the hypothalamus-pituitary-ovarian axis, and thus ovulation and menstrual cycle. As ovarian function is closely related to endocrine physiology, the ovulation association study with the body mass index will help to quantify the chance of anovulation in overweight patients. Objective: To evaluate the association between anovulation in the ultrasonographic monitoring and changes of weight of infertile patients without polycystic ovary of infertility's ambulatory of a university, where the outcome's factors were anovulation present or absent, and exposure factors: BMI nomal or above normal. Methods: Case-control study with 228 patients treated at a university in the city of Goiânia, divided into two groups according to the absence (group 1, cases = 110) or the presence of ovulation (group 2, control = 119) and assessed for normal body weight or above normal. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 22.0. Differences in proportions were assessed by Pearson's chi-square test (with Fisher correction where necessary) and Wilcoxon test. The value of p <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Among the patient groups were matched the average of the variables: age (1 = 32.45 years ± 4.13; 2 = 32.66 years ± 3.95), menarche (1 = 12.56 years ± 1.75; 2 = 12.61 years ± 1.6), FSH (6,11UI/L ± 1.98; 2 = 5.92 IU/L ± 1.61), prolactin (1 = 12.17 mcg/L ± 4.04; 2 = 12.09 mcg/L ± 3.98), TSH (1 = 1,824 mIU/L ± 0.749; 2 = 1.775 mU/L ± 0.844). Results: The anovulatory patients were likely to have irregular cycles 6.3 times more than the ovulatory patients. Among the ovulatory patients, those overweight had an average ovulation in 14.62° day of the cycle, and patients with normal BMI at 14.21°, with no statistical significance. The maximum mean follicular diameter reached before ovulation was 18.62 mm in patients with overweight. Among those with normal BMI, the average was 19.10 mm, with no statistical difference. In the group of anovulatory patients, the mean BMI was 25.64 kg/m² ± 4.24, and in the ovulatory patients, the mean BMI was 24.76 kg/m² ± 3.81. Among the anovulatory patients, 57 were overweight, while among ovulatory patients, 44 were in this same category of BMI. The odds ratio was 1.8655, with significant p value (p <0.05). Conclusion: There was association of anovulation with BMI above normal. Among the patients who ovulated, there was no association of the day of ovulation and maximum follicle diameter with BMI. There was association of anovulation with the report of irregularity of the cycle. / Introdução: A obesidade afeta o eixo hipotálamo-hipófise-ovariano, e portanto, a ovulação e o ciclo menstrual. Como a função ovariana está intimamente relacionada à fisiologia endócrina, o estudo da associação da ovulação com o índice de massa corpórea auxiliará na quantificação da chance de anovulação em pacientes com excesso de peso. Objetivo: Avaliar a associação entre a anovulação à monitorização ultrassonográfica e alterações do peso de pacientes inférteis sem ovários policísticos de um serviço universitário de infertilidade. Métodos: Estudo caso-controle com 228 pacientes atendidas em um centro universitário na cidade de Goiânia. Os fatores de desfecho foram: ovulação ausente (casos= 110) ou presente (controles= 118); e os fatores de exposição: IMC nomal ou acima do normal. A análise de dados foi realizada pelo programa estatístico SPSS 22.0. As diferenças de proporções foram avaliadas por teste Qui-quadrado de Pearson (com correção de Fisher onde necessário) e teste Wilcoxon. O valor de p< 0,05 foi considerado estatisticamente significante. Entre os grupos de pacientes, estavam pareadas as médias das variáveis: idade (1= 32,45 anos ± 4,13; 2= 32,66 anos ± 3,95), menarca (1= 12,56 anos ± 1,75; 2= 12,61 anos ± 1,6), FSH (1= 6,11UI/L ± 1,98; 2= 5,92 UI/L ± 1,61), prolactina (1= 12,17 mcg/L ± 4,04; 2= 12,09 mcg/L ± 3,98), TSH (1= 1,824 mUI/L ± 0,749; 2= 1,775 mU/L ± 0,844). Resultados: As pacientes anovulatórias tiveram chance de terem ciclos irregulares 6,3 vezes a mais que as pacientes ovulatórias. Entre as pacientes ovulatórias, aquelas acima do peso tiveram a ovulação em média no 14,62° dia do ciclo, e as pacientes com IMC normal no 14,21°, sem significância estatística. A média do diâmetro folicular máximo alcançado antes da ovulação foi de 18,62 mm nas pacientes com acima do peso. Entre aquelas com IMC normal, a média foi de 19,10 mm, não havendo diferença estatística. No grupo das pacientes anovulatórias, a média do IMC foi de 25,64 Kg/m² ± 4,24, e no das pacientes ovulatórias, a média do IMC foi de 24,76 Kg/m² ± 3,81. Dentre as pacientes anovulatórias, 51,82% estavam acima do peso, enquanto entre as pacientes ovulatórias, 37,29% estavam nesta mesma categoria de IMC. O Odds Ratio foi de 1,8087, com valor de p significativo (p= 0,0273). Conclusão: Houve associação de anovulação com IMC acima do normal. Entre as pacientes que ovularam, não houve associação do dia da ovulação e do diâmetro máximo do folículo com o IMC. Houve associação de anovulação com o relato de irregularidade do ciclo.

In response to LH surge, the selected dominant follicle undergoes a series of complex events viz., meiotic maturation of the oocyte, terminal differentiation of follicular cells, cumulus expansion and follicular rupture leading to ovulation (release of fertilizable oocyte) and formation of corpus luteum. These complex set of events are mediated by dramatic changes in the temporo-spatial transcriptional regulation of a large number of genes in the preovularory follicle. In the present thesis, attempts have been made to delineate the transcriptional changes occurring in the periovulatory follicle in response to gonadotropin surge in monovulatory species (bonnet monkeys and buffalo cows). Further, attempts have also been made to investigate effects of increased circulating IGF-I and glucose on the periovulatory events. Chapter I provides a review of available literature on regulation and factors influencing various aspects of growth and development of ovarian follicles. Chapter II describes initial studies carried out in the bonnet monkeys to examine expression patterns of various genes considered as markers of ovulation and luteinization in granulosa cells of multiple preovulatory-like follicles before and after exposure to luteinizing dose of hCG. Chapter III describes the standardization and validation of an induced ovulation model system in buffalo cows involving determination of the presence of a large follicle by ultrasonography before administering exogenous PGF2αon day 7 of the cycle to induce luteolysis and administration of hCG 36 h post PGF2αto mimic LH surge-like stimulus. Attempts made to characterize the responsiveness of buffalo cows to a range of exogenous doses of GnRH in terms of LH secretion during summer and winter seasons and determination of the exogenous dose of GnRH necessary to elicit a surge-like increase in circulating LH levels during breeding season in buffalo cows are described in Chapter IV. Chapter V describes the global changes in the gene expression pattern in the periovulatory follicle of buffalo cows before and at various time points after the onset of gonadotropin surges. IGF-I is known to regulate the proliferation and survival of follicular cells and play an important role in the selection of dominant follicle however, its role during the periovulatory events remains to be delineated. Chapter VI describes the effects of increased circulating and intrafollicular IGF-I levels on the periovulatory events. An ongoing study to delineate the effects of transient increase in circulating glucose levels on the periovulatory events are described in Appendix I. Thus, this thesis aims at delineating (i) changes in the gene expression patterns regulating periovulatory events and (ii) effects of increased circulating IGF-I and glucose on the periovulatory events.