ABSTRACT
The present investigation recorded that the average litter size was 2.03 per doe and the prolificacy rate being 202.92%. The result indicates that the litter size proportion for single, twin and triplet were 28.3%, 40.4% and 31.3% respectively. The present study revealed substantial phenotypic variations among the goats bearing single, twin and triplet foetus. Based on stepwise discriminant function to find out month wise phenotypic descriptors, some important linear traits namely Punch girth (PG), Body Weight (BW), Rump Length (RL), Croup Height (CrH), Clearance of Sternum (CS), Distance between Tuber coxae (DTC), Distance between Trochanter major (DTM), Head-Rump Length (HRL), Body Length (BL), Curved Head-Rump Length (HRCL), Heart girth (HG, Pelvic Triangle (PLVT) and Wither Height (WH); were identified to be significant in discriminating the foetal numbers between groups. Out of these, HRL measurement might be considered as one of the best indicator for higher Litter Size (LZ) during the second, third, fourth, fifth parity. Other best suitable phenotypic descriptors like BL, CS, PG, PLVT and BW could be used to predict probable kidding size.
ABSTRACT
The present investigation recorded that the average litter size was 2.03 per doe and the prolificacy rate being 202.92%. The result indicates that the litter size proportion for single, twin and triplet were 28.3%, 40.4% and 31.3% respectively. There was a tendency of increasing body weight with higher litter size and such variation was highly significant (P<0.01). The result revealed that the overall mean age of first estrus was 209.08±2.06 days. Maximum age of first conception was 226.18±5.39 days when the animal gave single birth and the minimum AC was 216.65±4.9 days when it produced triplet indicating that failure of conception was more in single bearing does. Service period were recorded to very significantly (P<0.01) among different litter bearing groups, the highest value was observed in triplet producing does (80.88±4.68 days). This is an important finding to understand that, less Age of Puberty (AP), Age at 1stConception (AC), Days Open (DO) & Kidding Interval (KI) has prominent benefit for multiple foetuses and thus achieving economic benefit.
ABSTRACT
Serum hormone level was estimated to find out FSH, LH and total estrogen for all the animals under three treatment groups from 20 to 55 week. The FSH level (from 0.56 to 1.32 ng/ml; 0.91 to 1.91 ng/ml and 0.46 to 1.36 ng/ml for first, second and third treatment group, respectively) was higher in the second group; and third group had lowest level out of the three groups. The serum LH level (0.46 to 1.40 ng/ml and 0.27 to 1.91 ng/dl in first and second treatment group, respectively) showed similar pattern like FSH. The total estrogen was higher in the first treatment group (1.08 to 4.2 pg/ml) than that of the second group (0.14 to 2.30pg/ml) and third group ((0.04 to 2.37 pg/ml)). The serum biochemical profiles of the animals under three groups were estimated by serum glucose, total protein in blood and serum cholesterol levels. The glucose level varied from 65.66 to 77.11, 50.03 to 63.78 and 55.22 to 68.66 mg/dl for the first, second and third group, respectively, with higher value at the time of service. The total protein level did not vary much among the animals under three treatment groups (64.45 to 78.55 g/l). The serum cholesterol level varied between 50.17 to 110.05 mg/dl among all the animals irrespective of groups. During prepubertal period this value was low, but it was higher during pubertal period, time of several other services and towards pregnancy for all groups of animals. Regarding the serum trace mineral status, serum copper level showed higher value from 7 months onwards; serum zinc and iron level were almost similar in first and second group; and the third group showed lower value for all the trace minerals. All the good effects noticed in the first treatment group were due to the non-hormonal factors applied to them through nutrition and buck. The effects in the second group of animals was due to the nutritional effect, whereas, the third group showed poor performance without any support from nutrition and social interaction through buck.
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To determine ocular changes and sequelae following cryotherapy for threshold retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). METHODS: This is a retrospective study of 49 eyes of 26 premature babies with threshold ROP treated with cryotherapy between 1995 and 1998. All eyes included in the study had favourable structural outcome after cryotherapy. Follow-up examination of all babies was done 12 - 62 months (average 28 months) after cryotherapy. Visual axis, fixation pattern, anterior segment examination, cycloplegic refraction and dilated fundus examination with indirect ophthalmoscopy were undertaken in all eyes during follow-up. RESULTS: Posterior pole retinal residuae observed following cryotherapy were tortousity of blood vessels in 32 (65.3%), narrow temporal arcade in 22 (44.89%), temporal crescent in 17 (34.69%), disc drag in 13 (26.53%) and macular heterotopia in 7 (14.28%) eyes. Myopia was observed in 20 (40.82%) eyes and strabismus in 5 (19.23%) babies. The significant risk factor for ocular changes was ROP with more clock hours of involvement (p < 0.05). Higher period of gestation was associated with posterior pole changes (p< 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: All premature babies with threshold ROP treated with cryotherapy require frequent and long-term follow up to look for retinal residuae, refractive status, and ocular motility disorders.
Subject(s)
Cryotherapy , Female , Gestational Age , Humans , Infant, Newborn , Infant, Premature , Male , Retinopathy of Prematurity/physiopathology , Retrospective Studies , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
A trypsin like serine-proteinase of M(r) 16,000 Da, optimally active at pH 8.4 on N-benzoyl-arginine ethyl ester (BAEE) was purified from 4-day old germinated seeds of rice bean, Vigna umbellata (Thunb), by ammonium sulphate precipitation, gel filtration, ion-exchange chromatography and by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The purity of the enzyme was checked by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). The enzyme activity was studied on natural substrates like casein, haemoglobin and vicilin, a rice bean storage protein. The activity of the enzyme was completely inhibited by phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, but not by iodoacetamide and HgCl2, suggesting it to be a serine protease. Loss of activity in presence of EDTA was reversed by addition of Ca2+.