Predicting Difficult Intubation by using Modified Mallampati (MMT) with or without Thyromental Height Test (TMHT).

Failed Tracheal Intubation with Subsequent inability to maintain an open airway and adequate oxygenation is the most frequent cause of brain damage or death during anesthesia. Recognizing before anesthesia the potential for difficult intubation allows time for optimal preparation. Proper Selection of equipment and techniques is needed to avoid unwanted situation. To find out difficulties associated with endotracheal intubation using Modified Mallampati Test (MMT) combined with Thyromental Height Test (TMHT) and MMT without TMHT. This prospective observational study was conducted at the Department of Anesthesia in Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Dhaka, Bangladesh from April 2018 to September 2018. Two hundred two patients with different surgical procedures under general anaesthesia in different operation theaters of BSMMU, Dhaka were selected as study population. After taking written consents from each patient or his/her attendant elaborate history of illness, meticulous clinical examinations were performed and relevant laboratory investigations were done. All information was recorded in a preformed data sheet and statistical analysis was done by SPSS-22.0. Mean age ±SD of the study subjects was 42.49±14.29 years in MMT with TMHT group and 43.40±15.39 years in MMT without TMHT group. Females were enrolled more than males in both the groups. BMI was 28.75±3.59kg/m² in MMT with TMHT group and 29.44±8.64kg/m² in MMT without TMHT group. There were no significant differences in age, gender and BMI between the groups. Sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV and accuracy were 100.0%, 96.0%, 96.2%, 100.0% and 98.0% respectively of MMT with TMHT in predicting intubation difficulty. Sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV and accuracy were 100.0%, 96.0%, 96.2%, 100.0% and 98.0% respectively of MMT only in predicting intubation difficulty. MMT combined with TMHT is a better predictor of intubation difficulty than MMT alone.

Hypothyroidism in Bangladesh: Is Autoimmunity the Next Big Threat?

In many low and middle-income countries, iodine-deficient hypothyroidism leads to complex public health consequences. However, increasing evidence from population-based studies has linked thyroid autoimmunity with excess iodine intake. The iodine supplementation program in Bangladesh was a success story. This cross-sectional study aims to assess the pattern and predictors of autoimmunity among Bangladeshi hypothyroid patients. In this study, 154 consecutive, newly detected, biochemically-confirmed patients with primary hypothyroidism were recruited from the Endocrinology outpatient department of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University and tested for anti-thyroid peroxidase and anti-thyroglobulin antibody levels from October 2015 and November 2016. Patterns of thyroid autoimmunity were assessed via descriptive statistics. Predictors of autoimmunity were assessed with multivariable mixed-effect logistic regression. The mean age of participants was 36.1±11.0 years, and 70.1% were female. The frequency of thyroid autoimmunity in the study subjects was very high, 89.0% were positive for either anti-TPO or anti-Tg antibodies and 48.7% were positive for both. More participants were positive for anti-TPO antibodies (82.5%) than anti-Tg antibodies (55.2%). The risk of autoimmunity was associated with the thyroid's structural abnormalities but not with functional status. Weight gain and hypertension were associated with autoimmunity, whereas diabetes was protective against autoimmunity.

A Case of Brain Tuberculosis With an Unusual Presentation Mimicking Viral Fever During a Dengue Outbreak in Bangladesh.

Both dengue and tuberculosis are endemic in South Asian countries, including Bangladesh. Here we report an interesting case presenting as suspected dengue fever and eventually diagnosed as a case of brain tuberculosis. A 27-year-old immunocompetent male presented to us with fever, headache, retro-orbital pain, and photophobia for five days. He had no other complaints, and clinical examination findings were normal. Full blood count revealed neutrophilic leukocytosis; dengue antigen test and anti-dengue antibody test were negative. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain showed both supra and infra-tentorial multiple small (2-4 mm) gadolinium-enhancing lesions suggestive of tuberculomas. A cerebrospinal fluid study revealed lymphocytic pleocytosis with raised protein, low sugar level, and positive Gene Xpert MTB/RIF (Cepheid, California, US) assay test. Investigations did not reveal the involvement of other organs except for the brain. We started standard anti-tuberculosis therapy (HRZE) along with steroids and pyridoxine, and the patient became symptom-free within one week. The patient was discharged with the advice of follow-up after one month. The clinical course and all investigation findings of this case are presented. Central nervous system tuberculosis may present with non-specific signs and symptoms and may be misdiagnosed as other infections, including dengue, particularly during an ongoing epidemic. It may cause significant morbidity and mortality when the diagnosis is delayed due to its vague clinical presentation.

Ultrasonographic examination of equine fetal growth parameters throughout gestation in pony for Equine-Assisted Therapy.

Equine-Assisted Therapy (EAT) is gaining popularity. Ultrasound examination is used to decrease the abortion rate in horses. In this study, to monitor fetal well-being throughout the gestation for EAT, we measured fetal heart rate (FHR), fetal eye orbit (FEO), fetal gonad length (FGL), fetal kidney length (FKL), and the combined thickness of the uterus and placenta (CTUP) by ultrasonography in pony mares. Additionally, we measured the plasma progesterone (P4) and estradiol (E2) concentrations in pregnant horses using enzyme immunoassay. The FGL peaked at week 32 and then decreased to term, and a strong correlation (r=0.72, P<0.001) between the FGL and E2 concentration was observed. A strong correlation with gestational age was detected among the FEO (r=0.96, P<0.001), FKL (r=0.85, P<0.001), and CTUP (r=0.96, P<0.001). The P4 concentration peaked at week 10, decreased to low levels (below 5 ng/ml), and peaked before parturition. In conclusion, this study provides information on fetal growth throughout gestation in pony mares for EAT. In addition, it revealed the relationship between ultrasonographic profile and plasma hormone concentrations during gestation.

An improved model and performance analysis for grid-connected photovoltaic system in Oman.

The PV systems' sources are environmentally friendly, but at the same time, they are constantly changing with time. When evaluating solar energy resources, it is necessary to consider the variability and effects of different environmental operation parameters like solar irradiances, ambient temperature, and module temperature. The study introduces a method to simulate an existing photovoltaic system using a mathematical model that permits intelligent strategies to optimise the efficiency and adjust the most effective operational parameters for the solar energy systems. A mathematical analysis for the data framework, including correlation and regression coefficients, was calculated to identify and chart the relationships between the system's most influential parameters and the generated power from the PV system. An improved mathematical model was built with the most influential parameters. The improved model was simple, accurate, and based on the loss ratio by eliminating the unknown parameters. The system's efficiency was analysed using an existing data framework-recorded hourly from 1st January 2017 to December 2018 for a grid-connected photovoltaic system installed in the south of Oman. The results showed that the most influential parameters on the efficiency were the module's solar irradiance and surface temperature. The operating parameters such as ambient temperature, wind speed, and air humidity had a negligible effect on the generated power compared to the cell temperatures and solar radiation. The dissipation factor was used in the new output current and voltage equations to stimulate the output power of the PV model. The improved model was validated in a MATLAB Simulink and showed a more promising output with a lower RMSE of 5 %.

Deep learning approach towards accurate state of charge estimation for lithium-ion batteries using self-supervised transformer model.

Accurate state of charge (SOC) estimation of lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries is crucial in prolonging cell lifespan and ensuring its safe operation for electric vehicle applications. In this article, we propose the deep learning-based transformer model trained with self-supervised learning (SSL) for end-to-end SOC estimation without the requirements of feature engineering or adaptive filtering. We demonstrate that with the SSL framework, the proposed deep learning transformer model achieves the lowest root-mean-square-error (RMSE) of 0.90% and a mean-absolute-error (MAE) of 0.44% at constant ambient temperature, and RMSE of 1.19% and a MAE of 0.7% at varying ambient temperature. With SSL, the proposed model can be trained with as few as 5 epochs using only 20% of the total training data and still achieves less than 1.9% RMSE on the test data. Finally, we also demonstrate that the learning weights during the SSL training can be transferred to a new Li-ion cell with different chemistry and still achieve on-par performance compared to the models trained from scratch on the new cell.

Correction: Particle swarm optimization algorithm-based PI inverter controller for a grid-connected PV system.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0243581.].

Multi-dimensional optimization of In0.53Ga0.47As thermophotovoltaic cell using real coded genetic algorithm.

The optimization of thermophotovoltaic (TPV) cell efficiency is essential since it leads to a significant increase in the output power. Typically, the optimization of In0.53Ga0.47As TPV cell has been limited to single variable such as the emitter thickness, while the effects of the variation in other design variables are assumed to be negligible. The reported efficiencies of In0.53Ga0.47As TPV cell mostly remain < 15%. Therefore, this work develops a multi-variable or multi-dimensional optimization of In0.53Ga0.47As TPV cell using the real coded genetic algorithm (RCGA) at various radiation temperatures. RCGA was developed using Visual Basic and it was hybridized with Silvaco TCAD for the electrical characteristics simulation. Under radiation temperatures from 800 to 2000 K, the optimized In0.53Ga0.47As TPV cell efficiency increases by an average percentage of 11.86% (from 8.5 to 20.35%) as compared to the non-optimized structure. It was found that the incorporation of a thicker base layer with the back-barrier layers enhances the separation of charge carriers and increases the collection of photo-generated carriers near the band-edge, producing an optimum output power of 0.55 W/cm2 (cell efficiency of 22.06%, without antireflection coating) at 1400 K radiation spectrum. The results of this work demonstrate the great potential to generate electricity sustainably from industrial waste heat and the multi-dimensional optimization methodology can be adopted to optimize semiconductor devices, such as solar cell, TPV cell and photodetectors.

Proximal Myopathy With Hypercalcemic Crisis and Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma in a 38-Year-Old Female.

Although proximal myopathy is a well-known manifestation of primary hyperparathyroidism (PHP), it is usually not the first one. Here, we present the case of a 38-year-old female who presented to the neurology outpatient department with proximal myopathy as the presenting feature of PHP along with a hypercalcemic crisis. Her serum calcium and intact parathyroid hormone levels were very high. Her symptoms and calcium levels improved with adequate hydration and bisphosphonate therapy. Ultrasonography of the thyroid and parathyroid glands and Tc99m sestamibi single-photon emission computed tomography-computed tomography of the parathyroid glands suggested adenoma or carcinoma of the parathyroid gland on the right side with another irregular right-sided thyroid nodule. Electromyography showed low-amplitude polyphasic potentials suggestive of myopathy. Subsequently, the patient underwent surgical resection of both the right parathyroid glands and the thyroid nodule. Histopathology report was suggestive of parathyroid adenoma and papillary thyroid carcinoma. Hypercalcemic crisis is a rare clinical scenario, which needs prompt diagnosis and treatment. Otherwise, the condition may have a fatal outcome. Due to its diverse presentation, physicians should be aware of this condition. Moreover, we need to be cautious in treating a patient having hyperparathyroidism with thyroid nodule due to possible concomitant thyroid malignancy.

Particle swarm optimization algorithm-based PI inverter controller for a grid-connected PV system.

The lack of control in voltage overshoot, transient response, and steady state error are major issues that are frequently encountered in a grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) system, resulting in poor power quality performance and damages to the overall power system. This paper presents the performance of a control strategy for an inverter in a three-phase grid-connected PV system. The system consists of a PV panel, a boost converter, a DC link, an inverter, and a resistor-inductor (RL) filter and is connected to the utility grid through a voltage source inverter. The main objective of the proposed strategy is to improve the power quality performance of the three-phase grid-connected inverter system by optimising the proportional-integral (PI) controller. Such a strategy aims to reduce the DC link input voltage fluctuation, decrease the harmonics, and stabilise the output current, voltage, frequency, and power flow. The particle swarm optimisation (PSO) technique was implemented to tune the PI controller parameters by minimising the error of the voltage regulator and current controller schemes in the inverter system. The system model and control strategies were implemented using MATLAB/Simulink environment (Version 2020A) Simscape-Power system toolbox. Results show that the proposed strategy outperformed other reported research works with total harmonic distortion (THD) at a grid voltage and current of 0.29% and 2.72%, respectively, and a transient response time of 0.1853s. Compared to conventional systems, the PI controller with PSO-based optimization provides less voltage overshoot by 11.1% while reducing the time to reach equilibrium state by 32.6%. The consideration of additional input parameters and the optimization of input parameters were identified to be the two main factors that contribute to the significant improvements in power quality control. Therefore, the proposed strategy effectively enhances the power quality of the utility grid, and such an enhancement contributes to the efficient and smooth integration of the PV system.

Inhibitory effects of long-term repeated treatments of a sustainable GnRH antagonist, degarelix acetate, on caprine testicular functions.

We investigated the effects of long-term repeated treatments with a sustainable gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist, degarelix acetate, on testicular hormonal secretion, size, ultrasound images, histology and spermatogenesis in goats to assess its efficacy as a chemical castration method. Male Shiba goats (3-6 months of age) were treated subcutaneously with degarelix acetate every 4 weeks for 24 weeks. Plasma testosterone and insulin-like peptide 3 concentrations decreased (P < 0.05) within 2 days after the first treatment and remained low until 29 weeks (P < 0.05). Scrotal circumference and testicular pixel intensity were lower from 2-6 months and from 1-6 months, respectively, compared to the pretreatment values (P < 0.05). The testis and epididymis weights were lower at 24 weeks compared to those in untreated goats (P < 0.05). There were no sperm in the seminiferous tubules of testicular tissue sections or in homogenates of the epididymis at 24 weeks. These results suggest that repeated treatment with degarelix acetate is an effective chemical castration method for goats.

Role of optimization algorithms based fuzzy controller in achieving induction motor performance enhancement.

Three-phase induction motors (TIMs) are widely used for machines in industrial operations. As an accurate and robust controller, fuzzy logic controller (FLC) is crucial in designing TIMs control systems. The performance of FLC highly depends on the membership function (MF) variables, which are evaluated by heuristic approaches, leading to a high processing time. To address these issues, optimisation algorithms for TIMs have received increasing interest among researchers and industrialists. Here, we present an advanced and efficient quantum-inspired lightning search algorithm (QLSA) to avoid exhaustive conventional heuristic procedures when obtaining MFs. The accuracy of the QLSA based FLC (QLSAF) speed control is superior to other controllers in terms of transient response, damping capability and minimisation of statistical errors under diverse speeds and loads. The performance of the proposed QLSAF speed controller is validated through experiments. Test results under different conditions show consistent speed responses and stator currents with the simulation results.

Serum concentrations and testicular expressions of insulin-like peptide 3 and Anti-Müllerian hormone in normal and cryptorchid male horses.

Insulin-like peptide 3 (INSL3) is an important hormone for testicular descent during embryonic development and a factor for assessing functional status of Leydig cells of testes, but there is limited number of equine studies. Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) is a useful diagnostic marker for cryptorchidism in horses. This study aimed to compare serum concentrations and testicular expression intensity of INSL3 and AMH in intact and cryptorchid male horses. Serum INSL3 concentrations in intact (n = 9; mean ± SEM, 19.9 ± 5.9 ng/mL) and noncastrated unilateral cryptorchid (UC) male horses (n = 16; mean ± SEM, 16.8 ± 4.1 ng/mL) were higher compared with hemicastrated unilateral cryptorchid (HCUC) male horses (n = 9; mean ± SEM, 3.8 ± 0.7 ng/mL) (P < 0.05). And serum INSL3 in bilateral cryptorchid (BC) male horses (n = 4; 1.9 ± 0.4; mean ± SEM, ng/mL) were lower compared with intact male horses (P < 0.05). Serum AMH concentrations in BC male horses (n = 3; mean ± SEM, 30.6 ± 4.8 ng/mL) were higher compared with intact male horses (n = 5; mean ± SEM, 12.2 ± 3.9 ng/mL) (P < 0.05). Immunostaining of scrotal and cryptorchid testis showed that Sertoli cells were positive for AMH, and Leydig cells were positive for INSL3. Staining intensity of AMH was higher in cryptorchid testis than in scrotal testis (P < 0.05). Furthermore, AMH expression intensity was higher in abdominal testis than in inguinal testis (P < 0.05). Immunostaining intensity of INSL3 in the testis was positively correlated with serum INSL3 (r, 0.7; P < 0.01), seminiferous tubule area (r, 0.727; P < 0.01), and Johnsen score for spermatogenesis (r, 0.604; P < 0.05), whereas immunostaining intensity of AMH in the testis was negatively correlated with seminiferous tubule area (r, -0.814; P < 0.01) and Johnsen score for spermatogenesis (r, -0.807; P < 0.01). Our findings suggested that AMH is a good biomarker for diagnosing cryptorchidism in male horses, in addition to INSL3 values to assess the testis of intact and cryptorchid male horses.

Toward Enhanced State of Charge Estimation of Lithium-ion Batteries Using Optimized Machine Learning Techniques.

State of charge (SOC) is a crucial index used in the assessment of electric vehicle (EV) battery storage systems. Thus, SOC estimation of lithium-ion batteries has been widely investigated because of their fast charging, long-life cycle, and high energy density characteristics. However, precise SOC assessment of lithium-ion batteries remains challenging because of their varying characteristics under different working environments. Machine learning techniques have been widely used to design an advanced SOC estimation method without the information of battery chemical reactions, battery models, internal properties, and additional filters. Here, the capacity of optimized machine learning techniques are presented toward enhanced SOC estimation in terms of learning capability, accuracy, generalization performance, and convergence speed. We validate the proposed method through lithium-ion battery experiments, EV drive cycles, temperature, noise, and aging effects. We show that the proposed method outperforms several state-of-the-art approaches in terms of accuracy, adaptability, and robustness under diverse operating conditions.

Secretion of equine chorionic gonadotropin and its association with supplementary corpus luteum formation and progesterone concentration in Hokkaido native pony recipient mares.

The objectives of this study were to determine the plasma profile of equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) and its association with the formation of supplementary corpus luteum (CL) and plasma progesterone concentrations in embryo transfer Hokkaido native pony recipient mares. Blood samples and transrectal ultrasound examination of the reproductive tract were carried out weekly from the day of ovulation until week 32 of gestation (n = 4). Plasma concentrations of eCG and progesterone were measured by enzyme immunoassays. The eCG concentration was first detectable at week 5 for 2 mares and at week 6 for another 2 mares. Immediately after detection, the mean plasma eCG concentrations were observed to rise sharply and reach a peak at week 8. The concentrations then declined dramatically to a baseline (<0.5 IU/mL) by week 21. Plasma progesterone p=p concentrations increased in 2 phases. First, a sharp increase from 0.18 ± 0.05 ng/mL at ovulation to 15.9 ± 4.6 ng/mL at week 1 was observed, then a decrease to 9.69 ± 2.27 ng/mL by week 2, and maintained at this level until week 5 of gestation. The onset of the second rise occurred at week 6 and was observed to peak to 58.3 ± 21.8 ng/mL at week 10, then gradually declined to <10 ng/mL by week 26. The supplementary CLs were first detectable by pregnancy week 6 and 7 for 2 mares each. All supplementary and primary CLs regressed by week 26 for 3 mares and by week 30 for the remaining mare. The mean number of supplementary CL was 4.5 ± 0.8 and their formation in the right ovary (66.7%, 12/18) was higher (P < 0.05) than that in the left ovary (33.3%, 6/18). Among the mares, 1 mare that developed only 2 supplementary CL had 35% lower level of peak eCG and 65% lower concentration of peak progesterone compared with other 3 mares that had 5 or 6 supplementary CL. In conclusion, development of supplementary CL and blood concentrations of progesterone from around day 40 of gestation were associated with eCG concentration. The total number of supplementary CL formation in the present study in embryo transfer Hokkaido native pony recipient mares seemed higher than previously reported supplementary CL number in pregnant mares, with a greater rate in the right ovary than in left.

Birth of first foals through embryo transfer after artificial insemination using frozen semen in Japan.

Until now, there have been no reports of foals born through embryo transfer after artificial insemination using frozen semen in Japan. The aims of this study were to develop a riding crossbred horse and evaluate the prospects of embryo transfer technology in multiplying horse population. In both donor and recipient mares, luteolysis was induced by the administration of 0.1 mg Cloprostenol to synchronize the onset of estrus, and ovulation was induced by administering 2000 IU human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) or 0.75 mg Deslorelin. Frozen semen from an Irish Connemara pony stallion was used to breed a Hokkaido native pony mare by deep-horn artificial insemination (dose, 400 × 106 sperm). A non-surgical technique was used to collect embryos from the donor mare at day 7 post-ovulation and transfer them transcervically into the uterus of recipient mares (n = 4) immediately after collection. Weekly blood samples were collected from the recipients throughout pregnancy. A total of four embryos were recovered from seven collection attempts (57% recovery) from a donor mare in a single breeding season. Three of the four transferred embryos maintained successful pregnancy and delivered a healthy live foal (75% birth). A normal progesterone profile was observed throughout gestation in recipient mares. In conclusion, for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, this study describes the birth of foals through non-surgical transcervical embryo transfer in Japan after artificial insemination using frozen semen. We expect that this new crossbreed (Connemara pony × Hokkaido native pony) will be a good riding breed.

Applications of Photonics in Agriculture Sector: A Review.

The agricultural industry has made a tremendous contribution to the foundations of civilization. Basic essentials such as food, beverages, clothes and domestic materials are enriched by the agricultural industry. However, the traditional method in agriculture cultivation is labor-intensive and inadequate to meet the accelerating nature of human demands. This scenario raises the need to explore state-of-the-art crop cultivation and harvesting technologies. In this regard, optics and photonics technologies have proven to be effective solutions. This paper aims to present a comprehensive review of three photonic techniques, namely imaging, spectroscopy and spectral imaging, in a comparative manner for agriculture applications. Essentially, the spectral imaging technique is a robust solution which combines the benefits of both imaging and spectroscopy but faces the risk of underutilization. This review also comprehends the practicality of all three techniques by presenting existing examples in agricultural applications. Furthermore, the potential of these techniques is reviewed and critiqued by looking into agricultural activities involving palm oil, rubber, and agro-food crops. All the possible issues and challenges in implementing the photonic techniques in agriculture are given prominence with a few selective recommendations. The highlighted insights in this review will hopefully lead to an increased effort in the development of photonics applications for the future agricultural industry.

Age related and seasonal changes of plasma concentrations of insulin-like peptide 3 and testosterone from birth to early-puberty in Thoroughbred male horses.

The peripheral blood concentrations of insulin-like peptide 3 (INSL3) have been detected in many mammalian species, but the level of INSL3 in horse remains unknown. The objectives were to develop a time-resolved fluorescence immunoassay (TRFIA) to detect INSL3 concentrations from horse blood as well as to determine the age-related and seasonal changes of plasma concentrations of INSL3 and testosterone from birth to early-puberty in Thoroughbred male horse (n = 11). Monthly blood sample and measurement of body weight, height, chest and cannon bone size were done from birth until 16 mo. The TRFIA and EIA were used to measure plasma concentrations of INSL3 and testosterone, respectively. An increase in mean body weight, height, chest and cannon bone size was observed throughout the study. The monthly blood sampling revealed an increase in mean plasma INSL3 concentrations up to 2 mo, followed by a decreasing and increasing pattern until the end of experiment at 16 mo. A high testosterone level was detected at birth followed by a sharp decrease to basal level within 1 mo, maintained low level up to10 mo before a gradual rise until 16 mo. In case of seasonality, there was no difference in mean plasma INSL3 concentrations between breeding (March to September) and non-breeding (October to February) seasons, whereas a higher (P < 0.001) mean plasma testosterone concentrations in the second breeding season compared to non-breeding season was observed. In age categorized group, an increase (P < 0.01) in mean plasma INSL3 concentrations was noticed at pre-puberty (1-12 mo) and early-puberty (13-16 mo) compared to birth, but a lower (P < 0.001) mean plasma testosterone concentrations was observed at pre-puberty compared to birth and early-puberty. In conclusion, a TRFIA was developed to measure INSL3 levels in horse. An increase in plasma concentrations of INSL3 and testosterone were observed with the advancement of age, whereas for testosterone a very lower level was detected at the non-breeding season than in the second breeding season after birth in Thoroughbred male horse. The INSL3 secretions seemed independent of seasonal influence, at least before puberty.

Successful embryo transfer from Hokkaido native pony after artificial insemination with frozen semen.

There has been no report of equine embryo transfer in Japan for the last 24 years. Our objective was to establish an effective protocol for embryo transfer in domestic horse. A Hokkaido native pony was bred by deep-horn artificial insemination with frozen semen from a Connemara pony. Embryo collection was performed using a non-surgical method on day 7. Two embryos were obtained from three flushes (67% recovery) and were transferred fresh into crossbred recipient mares. Both recipient mares were diagnosed pregnant (100% pregnancy rate) 5 days after embryo transfer and had normal progesterone levels until the end of the observation on day 35 of gestation. This is the first successful embryo transfer in Japan by artificial insemination using frozen semen. Embryo transfer technology could be extremely useful in improving the productivity of Japanese domestic and special riding horses.

LH and testosterone secretions in response to GnRH challenge in pubertal Japanese Black beef bulls with normal and abnormal semen.

Plasma luteinizing hormone (LH) and testosterone concentrations were examined in Japanese Black beef bulls with normal and abnormal semen in response to gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) challenge at the start (10 months) and completion (20 months) of puberty. Bulls with normal semen had higher testosterone concentrations after GnRH treatment at 20 months than they did at 10 months, while LH concentrations did not differ between the two age groups. LH and testosterone concentrations were not different between bulls with normal and abnormal semen at 20 months. Thus, testosterone secretions in response to the GnRH challenge were higher for bulls with normal semen at pubertal completion compared to bulls at the start of puberty, but responsiveness of LH to GnRH and of testosterone to the LH increment was not altered in bulls with abnormal semen.