Cashmere is only produced from Maraz (Kurdi) goat breed in Iraqi Kurdistan Region. The objective of this study was to assess the genetic diversity of different Maraz color types, black goat and Shami breeds using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers. Fourteen primers were used and nine out of them were selected based on their number of bands (NB) and polymorphic characteristics. Thes...

Artificial insemination (AI) is one of the first reproductive biotechnologies has been established and developed in the pig production system. In most case, liquid stored semen or fresh semen is used for AI in commercial swine herds (Wagner and Thibier, 2000). The use of FT boar semen for AI is limited due to the low fertility outcomes compared to extended fresh semen (Johnson et al., 2000; Wag...

BACKGROUND Large studies on semen quality of the general healthy population from China are rare. METHODS A cross-sectional study was performed to evaluate the semen quality of 1346 healthy men residing in Chongqing area of southwest China in 2007. The semen parameters were measured and compared with the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. A linear regression model was used to examine th...

AIM The study was undertaken to find out the gross composition, nitrogen distribution, and selected mineral content in Surti goat milk, and its comparison was made between cow and buffalo milk. MATERIALS AND METHODS Goat milk samples of Surti breed and buffalo milk samples were collected during the period from July to January 2014 at Reproductive Biology Research Unit, Anand Agricultural Univ...

This study was done to determine the effects of processing techniques on the quality of semen from Dutch AI-bucks with the view on improving pregnancy rates after artificial insemination (AI) with liquid or frozen-thawed semen. Motility of spermatozoa was estimated under a microscope whereas the percentage live spermatozoa and the percentage live spermatozoa with intact acrosomes were determine...

Artificial insemination (AI) is the preferred method for reproduction in the majority of the intensive pig production systems Worldwide. To this end, fresh extended ready-to-use semen doses are either purchased from AI-centres or produced by boars kept on-farm. For profitable semen production, it is necessary to obtain a maximum amount of high quality semen from each boar. This paper reviews cu...

The objectives were to determine the effects of insemination with sexed semen at spontaneous and induced estrus, fixed-time insemination at synchronized estrus, the deposition site, estrous intensity, housing, age, body weight, and bull on the pregnancy rate in Holstein heifers, and to compare the quality traits of sexed sperm with those of unsexed semen. The study was conducted on 3206 heifers...

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of reproductive hormones in seminal plasma on the quality of the spermatozoa in men seeking infertility treatment. Of the 383 volunteers recruited, 123 had normal sperm parameters and 260 had either a single or a combination of sperm abnormalities as per WHO criteria. Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH), Luteinizing Hormone (LH) Prolactin (PRL)...

Sexual contact with HIV-infected semen is a major driving force behind the global HIV pandemic. Little is known regarding the immune correlates of virus shedding in this compartment, although HIV-1-specific CD8+ T cells are present in semen. We collected blood and semen from 27 chronically HIV-infected, therapy-naive men without common sexually transmitted infections or urethral inflammation an...

Results: Serum samples became PCR-positive before semen samples. During the first 6 days after inoculation, serum was PRRSV-positive in 36 of 40 boars, and semen was PRRSV-positive in four of 40 boars. Median time to detection was 36 and 48 hours for nested PCR and Taqman PCR, respectively. Results were inconsistent when a positive semen sample was pooled with negative semen. Elevated rectal te...