ABSTRACT
This study aims to investigate the relationship between metabolic parameters and the number of embryos produced in superovulated cows with high genetic characteristics in milk yield. Eighteen Holstein donors were treated with classic superovulation protocols, AI and flushing. During superovulation, decreasing doses of FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone) were administered at 12-h intervals for 4 days. Plasma insulin-like growth factor (IGF1), glucose (GLU), beta-hydroxybutyric acid (BHB), non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and total protein (TP) levels were determined by using an autoanalyzer. The mixed model analysis of variance was used for statistical analysis. As a result, plasma IGF1, BHB and BUN had significant interactions with both groups and days (p < .05). Additionally, plasma TP-days interactions were significant (p < .05). Furthermore, there was a negative correlation between the number of embryos and plasma BHB levels (p < .05). In conclusion, under appropriate environmental conditions, metabolic profile control of donors can contribute to the embryo production process and to the studies on the metabolic infrastructure.
Subject(s)
3-Hydroxybutyric Acid , Superovulation , Animals , Cattle/physiology , Female , 3-Hydroxybutyric Acid/blood , Fatty Acids, Nonesterified/blood , Follicle Stimulating Hormone/blood , Insulin-Like Growth Factor I/metabolism , Insulin-Like Growth Factor I/analysis , Blood Glucose/analysis , Blood Urea Nitrogen , Insemination, Artificial/veterinary , PregnancyABSTRACT
This paper summarizes results from excavations at Uçagizli Cave (Hatay, Turkey) between 1999 and 2002 and 2005. This collapsed karstic chamber contains a sequence of early Upper Paleolithic deposits that span an interval between roughly 29,000 and 41,000 (uncalibrated) radiocarbon years BP. Lithic assemblages can be assigned to two major chronostratigraphic units. The earliest assemblages correspond with the Initial Upper Paleolithic, whereas the most recent ones fit within the definition of the Ahmarian. Substantial assemblages of stone tools, vertebrate faunal remains, ornaments, osseous artifacts, and other cultural materials provide an unusually varied picture of human behavior during the earliest phases of the Upper Paleolithic in the northern Levant. The sequence at Uçagizli Cave documents the technological transition between Initial Upper Paleolithic and Ahmarian, with a high degree of continuity in foraging and technological activities. The sequence also documents major shifts in occupational intensity and mobility.
