Effects of environmental factors, age and genotype on sperm production and semen quality in Bos indicus and Bos taurus AI bulls in Brazil

The effects of ambient temperature and humidity, month, age and genotype on sperm production and semen quality in AI bulls in Brazil were evaluated. Data from two consecutive years were analyzed separately. Seven Bos indicus and 11 Bos taurus bulls from one artificial insemination (AI) center were evaluated in Year 1 and 24 B. indicus and 16 B. taurus bulls from three AI centers were evaluated in Year 2. Ambient temperature and humidity did not significantly affect sperm production and semen quality, probably because there was little variation in these variables. Month accounted for less than 2% of the variation in sperm production and semen quality. Increased bull age was associated with decreased sperm motility (P < 0.10) and increased minor sperm defects (P < 0.001) in Year 1. B. indicus bulls had greater (P < 0.005) sperm concentration than B. taurus bulls in both years (1.7 x 10(9)/ml versus 1.2 x 10(9)/ml in Year 1 and 1.6 x 10(9)/ml versus 1.2 x 10(9)/ml in Year 2, respectively). Ejaculate volume was not significantly affected by genotype in Year 1 (6.6 ml versus 6.9 ml in B. indicus and B. taurus bulls, respectively), but B. indicus bulls had greater (P < 0.05) total (11.4 x 10(9) versus 8.2 x 10(9)) and viable (6.7 x 10(9) versus 4.9 x 10(9)) numbers of spermatozoa in the ejaculate than B. taurus bulls. In Year 2, B. taurus bulls had greater (P < 0.05) ejaculate volume than B. indicus bulls (8.2 ml versus 6.7 ml, respectively) and total and viable number of spermatozoa in the ejaculate were not significantly different between genotypes (10.3 x 10(9) versus 9.1 x 10(9) and 6.1 x 10(9) versus 5.4 x 10(9) in B. indicus and B. taurus bulls, respectively). Sperm motility was not significantly affected by genotype (mean, 59%). In Year 1, B. indicus bulls tended (P < 0.10) to have more major sperm defects and had more (P < 0.05) total sperm defects than B. taurus bulls (11.8% versus 8.7% and 13.6% versus 10.0%, respectively). In Year 2, B. indicus bulls tended (P < 0.10) to have more total sperm defects than B. taurus bulls (16.2% versus 13.3%, respectively). In conclusion, neither ambient temperature and humidity nor month (season) significantly affected sperm production and semen quality. B. indicus bulls had significantly greater sperm concentration and B. taurus bulls had significantly fewer morphologically defective spermatozoa. (C) 2002 Elsevier B.V. B.V. All rights reserved.

Fenvalerate, A Pyrethroid Insecticide, Adversely Affects Sperm Production and Storage in Male Rats

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Ecological study of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis in soil: growth ability, conidia production and molecular detection

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Propolis effects on pro-inflammatory cytokine production and Toll-like receptor 2 and 4 expression in stressed mice

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Xylanolytic complex from Aspergillus giganteus: production and characterization

An Aspergillus giganteus strain was isolated as an excellent producer of xylanase associated with low levels of cellulase. Optimal xylanase production was obtained in liquid VOGEL medium containing xylan as carbon source, pH 6.5 to 7.0, at 25degreesC and. under shaking at 120 rpm during 84h. Among the several carbon sources tested, higher xylanase production was verified in xylan, xylose, sugar-cane bagasse, wheat bran and corn cob cultures, respectively. Optimal conditions for activity determination were 50degreesC and pH 6.0. The xylanolytic complex of A. giganteus showed low thermal stability with T-50 of 2 h, 13 min and I min when it was incubated at 40, 50 and 60degreesC, respectively, and high stability from pH 4.5 to 10.5, with the best interval between 7.0 to 7.5. This broad range of stability in alkali pH indicates a potential applicability in some industrial processes, which require such condition. Xylanolytic activity of A. giganteus was totally inhibited by Hg+2, Cu+2 and SDS at 10 mm. The analysis of the products from the oat spelts xylan hydrolysis through thin-layer chromatography indicated endoxylanase activity, lack of debranching enzymes and P-xylosidase activity in assay conditions.

Production and characteristics comparison of crude beta-glucosidases produced by microorganisms Thermoascus aurantiacus e Aureobasidium pullulans in agricultural wastes

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Production and characterization of cellulase-free xylanase from Trichoderma inhamatum

The production of extracellular cellulase-free xylanase from Trichoderma inhamatum was evaluated in liquid Vogel medium with different carbon sources as natural substrates and agricultural or agro-industrial wastes. Optimal production of 244.02 U/mL was obtained with xylan as carbon source, pH 6.0 at 25 degrees C, 120 rpm, and 60-h time culture. Optimal conditions for enzyme activity were 50 degrees C and pH 5.5. Thermal stability of T. inhamatum xylanolytic complex expressed as T(1/2) was 2.2 h at 40 degrees C and 2 min at 50 degrees C. The pH stability was high from 4.0 to 11.0.These results indicate possible employment of such enzymatic complex in some industrial processes which require activity in acid pH, wide-ranging pH stability, and cellulase activity absence.

Production and purification of an Endo–1,4-beta-Xylanase from Humicola grisea var. thermoidea by electroelution

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Production and characterization of glucoamylase from fungus Aspergillus awamori expressed in yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae using different carbon sources

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Production and characterization of a milk-clotting protease in the crude enzymatic extract from the newly isolated Thermomucor indicae-seudaticae N31 (Milk-clotting protease from the newly isolated Thermomucor indicae-seudaticae N31)

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Production and partial characterization of polygalacturonases produced by thermophilic Monascus sp N8 and by thermotolerant Aspergillus sp N12 on solid-state fermentation

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Z gamma production and limits on anomalous ZZ gamma and Z gamma gamma couplings in pp collisions at root s=1.96 TeV

We present a study of eey and mu mu gamma events using 1109 (1009) pb-(1) of data in the electron (muon) channel, respectively. These data were collected with the DO detector at the Fermilab Tevatron pp collider at Is = 1.96 TeV. Having observed 453 (515) candidates in the eey (jtAy) final state, we measure the Z gamma production cross section for a photon with transverse energy ET > 7 GeV, separation between the photon and leptons Delta Rey > 0.7, and invariant mass of the di-lepton pair Mee > 30 GeV/(2)(c), to be 4.96 0.30(stat. + syst.) zE 0.30(lumi.) pb, in agreement with the Standard Model prediction of 4.74 0.22 pb. This is the most precise Zy cross section measurement at a hadron collider. We set limits on anomalous trilinear Zyy and ZZy gauge boson couplings of -0.085 < h(30)(y) < 0.084, -0.0053 < h(40)(y) < 0.0054 and -0.083 < h(30)(Z) < 0.082, 30 40 30 -0.0053 < h(40)(Z) < 0.0054 at the 95% C.L. for the form-factor scale A = 1.2 TeV. 40 Published by Elsevier B.V.