Preimplantation embryos from cattle, sheep, and goats may be cryopreserved for short- or long-term storage. Preimplantation embryos consist predominantly of water, and the avoidance of intracellular ice crystal formation during the cryopreservation process is of paramount importance to maintain embryo viability. Embryos are placed into a hypertonic solution (1.4 - 1.5 M) of a cryoprotective age...

This study investigated the efficacy of a simplified repeated superovulation treatment (eCG plus FSH in a single dose, rather than the usual protocol of six decreasing doses of FSH) in the in vivo embryo production in Ojalada donor ewes during the breeding season. In vitro viability after vitrification and warming of embryos recovered from both treatments was also assessed. In addition, the stu...

Sources of variation in Finnish Landrace and Targhee birth weights from pregnancies following natural matings and intra-breed, inter-breed and 2-breed embryo transfers were studied. Birth weights were recorded on 94 lambs from naturally mated ewes and 117 transfer lambs. Two analyses were done, one on observed weights, and one on deviations of observed weights from weights predicted from litter...

Factors affecting ewe prolificacy (number of lambs born per ewe lambing) were evaluated using records on 9705 Targhee, 12,721 Suffolk, and 7231 Polypay lambings from flocks participating in the US National Sheep Improvement Program. Factors considered were ewe age and season of lambing. Prolificacy was affected by age of the ewe (P<0.001) and was highest for ewes lambing between 4 and either 7 ...

embryo culture were used to produce inter specific walnut hybrid plants between juglans nigra l. and j. regia l. developed ovaries were collected from j. rejia female flowers which were pollinated with j. nigra pollen grain by high dusting on a mature tree. in order to isolate embryos, exocarps were aseptically removed. isolated embryos from ovules at different developmental stages were transfe...

Background: Oocyte in vitro maturation success rate is still low in compareision to oocyte in vivo maturation. Thus prediction and improvement of oocyte competency are two critical issues in assisted reproductive technology. New insights into oocyte-cumulus cell regulatory loop may assist our optimization of in vitro maturation technique. Maturation and developmental competency of cumulus oocyt...

the society for assisted reproductive technology (sart) method of embryo grading is unique, simple, and widely practiced, and its use has been mandatory for sart membership programs since 2010. developed by sart in 2006, the current embryo grading system categories, “good, fair, and poor,” are limited because they do not describe the best 1-2 embryos in the interest of keeping pace with the shi...