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Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of different concentration of butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) on sperm membrane surface protein "P25b" from cryopreserved bull semen in either lecithin based Bioxcell® (BX) or two egg-yolk based extenders, tris-egg yolk (TEY), and citrate-egg yolk (CEY). Materials and Methods: Forty-five semen samples, 15 each were extended with either BX, TEY, or CEY extender which contained different concentrations (0.0 - control, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, and 3.0 mM/mL) of BHT. The extended semen samples were frozen at a concentration of 20×106/mL in 0.25 mL straws and stored in liquid nitrogen for 2 weeks. The frozen samples were thereafter thawed, proteins extracted and analyzed for quantities of protein P25b through direct sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis gel densitometry. Peptides were confirmed by Western blotting (WB). Results: Results showed that supplementation of BHT improved (p

Inflammatory activation, a major driver of preterm birth and subsequent neonatal morbidity, is an attractive pharmacological target for new preterm birth therapeutics. Inflammation elicited by intraamniotic infection is causally associated with preterm birth, particularly in infants delivered ≤34 weeks’ gestation. However, sterile triggers of PTB, including placental ischaemic injury, uterine distention, cervical disease, or imbalance in the immune response, also act through inflammatory mediators released in response to tissue damage. Toll-like Receptors (TLRs) are critical upstream gate-keepers controlling the inflammatory activation that precedes preterm delivery, as well as in normal term labour. In particular, TLR4 is implicated for its capacity to sense and integrate a range of disparate infectious and sterile pro-inflammatory triggers, and so acts as a point-ofconvergence through which a range of infectious and sterile agents can activate and accelerate the parturition cascade. Recent studies point to the TLR4 signalling complex as a tractable target for the inhibition of fetal, placental & intraamniotic inflammatory cytokine production. Moreover, studies on mice show that novel small molecule antagonists of TLR4 signalling are highly effective in preventing preterm birth induced by bacterial mimetic LPS, heat-killed E. coli or the TLR4-dependent pro-inflammatory lipid, Platelet Activating Factor (PAF). In this review, we discuss the role of TLR4 in regulating the timing of birth and the potential utility of TLR4 antagonists as novel therapeutics for preterm delivery.

This study examines the dielectric properties of filled PVDF film and filled PVDF-TrFE film incorporated with 1, 3, 5, and 7 weight percentages of magnesium oxide (MgO) nanofillers. The metal-insulator-metal (MIM) configuration demonstrates PVDF/MgO with 7 weight percent of MgO which produced high dielectric constant (1 kHz) with low dielectric loss. The ATR-FTIR spectra of PVDF/MgO (7%) indicate wide bonding peaks at 840 cm-1 and 880 cm-1, assigned to -CH2 and -CF2 groups, respectively. This implies the presence of high content of β-crystals in the PVDF/MgO (7%) film. A shift in the peak was observed in the same film, from 1170 cm-1 to 1180 cm-1 suggesting possible transformation from γ-crystals to β-crystals. This film showed no apparent defect on its film surface. Thus, it established that PVDF incorporated with 7% MgO can be used to produce nanocomposite thin film for low-frequency electronic devices.

Tobacco extract had been proven to have antimicrobial activity against Streptococcus mutans. To maximize the use of tobacco extract on topical use as an antibacterial, it could be formulated into a pharmaceutical preparation. This study aimed to formulate tobacco extract in gel preparation by using Hidroxy Propyl Methyl Cellulose (HPMC) as a gelling agent and to test its activity on S. mutans . The tobacco extract gel was prepared in 3 formulas with variations of HPMC concentration of 1.5% (F1), 2% (F2) and 2.5% (F3). The research began with tobacco extraction, then continued with characteristics evaluation. The extract was formulated in gel form and evaluated for 12 weeks of physical stability. Antibacterial activity was tested using the diffusion method. The evaluation results of tobacco extract gel showed that all formulas were stable during 12 weeks storage. Antimicrobial activity against S.mutans showed inhibitory diameter of F1, F2 and F3, were 9,07 mm, 19,53 mm, and 11,57 mm respectively. The test was continued by determining the relative potential of F2 compared to erythromycin. The test results showed 1.2 x 10 -2 relative potential compare to erythromycin. Based on the results of this study, it can be concluded that HPMC concentration difference did not give significant difference to the physical stability of tobacco gel, with the best antibacterial activity on S. mutans obtained from F2.

Poly (vinylideneflouride)/nanomagnesium oxide (PVDF/MgO) film with MgO loading percentage of 7% were annealed with various annealing temperatures ranging from 70°C to 170°C. The PVDF/MgO(7%) thin films were fabricated using spin coating technique with metal-insulator-metal (MIM) configuration and the dielectric constant of PVDF/MgO(7%) with respect to annealing temperatures was studied. The PVDF/MgO nanocomposite thin films annealed at temperature of 70°C (AN70) showed an improvement in the dielectric constant of 27 at 103 Hz compared to un-annealed sample (UN), which is 21 at the same frequency. As the annealing temperatures were increased from 90°C (AN90) to 150oC (AN150), the dielectric constant of PVDF/MgO(7%) were found to gradually decreased from 25 to 12 respectively, interestingly lower than the UN thin films. AN70 also produced low value of tangent loss (tan δ) at frequency of 103 Hz. The resistivity value of AN70 was also found to increase from 3.08×104Ω.cm (UN-PVDF) to 1.05×105Ω.cm. The increased in dielectric constant, with low tangent loss and high resistivity value suggests that 70°C was the favourable annealing temperature for PVDF/MgO(7%) for application in electronic devices such as low frequency capacitor.

Metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitors based on lead titanate (PbTiO3) nanofilms were prepared using a novel method involving modified spin coating onto the bare electrodes of a coated glass. Different solutions were prepared by adding different concentrations of lead acetate (PbAc) powder to improve the electrical properties of the PbTiO3 films. The nanofilms were characterized in terms of their surface morphology, dielectric properties, and current-voltage characteristics. Physical and dielectric properties are related to the increased PbAc content in the films prepared within the range of 5-25 wt.%. The films with 10 wt.% PbAc provide acceptable dielectric permittivity, low loss factor, and improved capacitance density at frequencies lower than 100 kHz. Low leakage current densities and high resistivity behavior can be obtained at approximately 10(-7) A cm(2). Therefore, the resultant films are suitable for MIM capacitor applications and exhibit potential for memory storage applications.

This study was carried out to determine different types of luteal sub-function in relation to pregnancy rate in Nelore cattle. Fifty seven cows were used. Blood samples were collected twice per week for determining progesterone concentration within estrous cycle. Seven progesterone profiles were found normal progesterone profiles, delayed progesterone profiles, insufficient progesterone profiles, short luteal phase, long luteal phase, basal progesterone profile, and non-response to prostaglandin F2 treatment. Normal progesterone profiles (52.8 %) were higher than abnormal progesterone profiles. Therefore, pregnancy rate was significant higher in normal progesterone profile (45.6 %) compare to other abnormal progesterone profiles. In conclusion, Different progesterone profiles were observed in individual animal after AI. In addition to, it was observed that the post insemination progesterone profile has an effect on the pregnancy rates in Nelore cattle. Keywords: progesterone profiles, pregnancy rate, artificial insemination, Nelore cattle

This study aims to assess the effect of Eurycoma longifolia aqueous extract on chilled and cryopreserved quality of bull sperm. Semen samples were obtained from four Simmental-Brangus. Each sample was divided into two fractions: the first fraction was used for chilling the semen, and the second fraction was used for the freezing process. Both fractions were extended with Tris-egg yolk extender supplemented with 0.0, 0.25, 0.5, 1.0, 2.5, 5.0, and 7.5 mg/ml Eurycoma longifolia aqueous extract. The diluted chilled fraction was chilled at 5 °C for 6 days, whereas the frozen-thawed fraction was frozen in liquid nitrogen. Data revealed that 1 mg/ml E. longifolia aqueous extract yielded significantly (p .05) higher sperm motility, morphology, viability, and sperm membrane integrity compared with the control group and other treated groups in chilled semen evaluation. For cryopreserved sperm, a significant difference (p .05) in sperm motility, viability, sperm membrane integrity, DNA integrity, and lipid peroxidation was observed between 5 mg/ml E. longifolia aqueous extract and other treated and control groups. However, no significant difference in the percentage of sperm exhibiting normal sperm morphology was observed among the groups. In conclusion, the addition of 0.25 and 1 mg/ml E. langifolia extract to chilled semen and 5 mg/ml E. longifolia aqueous extract to cryopreserved sperm into Tris-egg yolk extender helps in maintaining superior quality of bull spermatozoa during chilling and freezing.

The study was conducted to evaluate the effects of α-linolenic acid (ALA) on frozen-thawed quality and fatty acid composition of bull sperm. For that, twenty-four ejaculates obtained from three bulls were diluted in a Tris extender containing 0 (control), 3, 5, 10 and 15 ng/ml of ALA. Extended semen was incubated at 37°C for 15 min, to allow absorption of ALA by sperm cell membrane. The sample was chilled for 2 h, packed into 0.25-ml straws and frozen in liquid nitrogen for 24 h. Subsequently, straws were thawed and evaluated for total sperm motility (computer-assisted semen analysis), membrane functional integrity (hypo-osmotic swelling test), viability (eosin-nigrosin), fatty acid composition (gas chromatography) and lipid peroxidation (thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS)). A higher (p < 0.05) percentage of total sperm motility was observed in ALA groups 5 ng/ml (47.74 ± 07) and 10 ng/ml (44.90 ± 0.7) in comparison with control (34.53 ± 3.0), 3 ng/ml (34.40 ± 2.6) and 15 ng/ml (34.60 ± 2.9). Still, the 5 ng/ml ALA group presented a higher (p < 0.05) percentage of viable sperms (74.13 ± 0.8) and sperms with intact membrane (74.46 ± 09) than all other experimental groups. ALA concentration and lipid peroxidation in post-thawed sperm was higher in all treated groups when compared to the control group. As such, the addition of 5 ng/ml of ALA to Tris extender improved quality of frozen-thawed bull spermatozoa.

Poly(vinylidene flouride)/nano-magnesium oxide (PVDF/MgO) nanocomposites with MgO loading percentage of (7% wt. %) were annealed with various annealing temperatures ranging from 70°C to 170°C with rapid removal from the oven. From dielectric constant, the samples annealed at temperature of 70°C showed an improvement in the dielectric constant from 21 to 23 at frequency 103 Hz for UN and AN70 respectively. However, as the temperatures were increased, the dielectric constant of PVDF/MgO (7%) was found to decrease. XRD showed the presence of β-phase for PVDF/MgO(7%) sample annealed at 70°C in comparison to unannealed sample, hence PVDF/MgO(7%) film is suitable to be used for low frequency capacitor application.

A placebo double blind pre-post human study was conducted in apparently healthy adults. There were two treatment groups consisting of Group A and B representing probiotic and placebo group, respectively. Twenty four participants were randomly assigned, each supplemented with either placebo or probiotic Lactobacillus plantarum IS-10506. The micro encapsulated powder was given at a dose of 2.6x1010 CFU/day for 21 consecutive days. Stool samples were collected before and after the supplementation. The fresh stool samples were analyzed for the viability of Lactobacillus sp. by conventional plate count method in MRS agar. Some stool samples were kept frozen to be analyzed by using real time PCR to trace back the availability of Lactobacillus plantarum with species specific primer. The Lactobacillus sp. in stools of healthy adults given microencapsulated probiotic Lactobacillus plantarum IS-10506 powder was significantly more than those who consumed microencapsulated placebo powder. Molecular detection by qPCR confirmed the availability of Lactobacillus plantarum in fecal samples of the probiotic group after given the supplementation for 21 days. The molecular detection validation confirmed that probiotic Lactobacillus plantarum was available in the fecal samples of the probiotic group of healthy adults. However, the availability and viability of Lactobacillus plantarum were not consistently found in the intestinal tract.

Poly (vinylideneflouride)/nanomagnesium oxide (PVDF/MgO) nanocomposites with MgO loading percentage of 7% were annealed with various annealing temperatures ranging from 70oC to 170oC. The PVDF/MgO(7%) thin films were fabricated using spin coating technique with MIM structure. The dielectric constant of PVDF/MgO(7%) was studied over a wide range of annealing temperatures with rapid removal from the oven once the annealing was utilized. The nanocomposites thin films annealed at temperature of 70oC (AN70) shows an improvement in the dielectric constant of 23 at 103 Hz compared to unannealed sample (UN), which was 21 at the same frequency. However, as the annealing temperatures were increased from 90oC (AN90) to 170o C (AN170), the dielectric constant of PVDF/MgO(7%) were found to decrease from 16 to 7 respectively, which were lower than the UN thin films. AN70 also produced low value of tangent loss at low frequency˼˰˸̱̈́̾˰δ˹˰̴̷̹̹̳̱̹̾̈́̾˰̸̱̈́̈́˼˰̵̷̱̱̼̹̾̾̾˰̱̈́˰temperatures 70oC is favourable temperature used to improve the dielectric constant of PVDF/MgO(7%).

The aim of this study was to compare the estrus response and pregnancy rate between the indigenous beef cows of Malaysia; Kedah-Kelantan (KK) and the exotic beef cows; Brangus (BR) following progesterone and prostaglandin-based estrus synchronization treatments. A total of 40 KK and 30 BR open cows were selected and each breed group was randomly divided equally into two. Cows in KK1 and BR1 were treated with estradiol benzoate (Cidirol, 1 mg, im) each at the time CIDR® was inserted (Day 0). Cloprostenol (Estrumate, 250 μg,im) was administered at the time of CIDR® removal on Day 9 while 1 mg of Estradiol Benzoate (EB) was injected on Day 10. On the other hand, KK2 and BR2 cows received intramuscular injections of 500 and 250 ug of cloprostenol, on Day 0 and 11, respectively. All cows were then observed for estrus signs and scanned per rectum for ovulation followed by AI upon detection of estrus. Pregnancy status was diagnosed 45 days after AI. Both treatments were effective in inducing observable estrus in all groups with synchrony of ovulation resulting in CL development and pregnancy. In the progesterone4)ased treatment groups, 84.2% of KK1 and 78.8% of BR1 responded. In the prostaglandingsed treatment groups, KK2 responded with the highest proportion (80.0%) compared with BR2 (50.0%). However, there was no significant difference in rate of ovulation (84.2 vs. 64.3%; 70.0 vs. 42.9%) and pregnancy (31.6 vs. 14.3%; 45.0 vs. 21.4%) among all the four experimental groups. The interval to ovulation from the last treatment time varied significantly among all the treatment groups with a higher variation observed in BR, ranging from 48 h when treated with CIDR to 84 h after treatment with PGF2α. These variations could be explained by the difference in ovarian status at the time of treatment. In conclusion, the result of this data showed KK cows had a better rate of ovulation and pregnancy than BR cows in both treatments though not statistically significant. It can therefore be gathered that KK and BR responded effectively to estrus synchronization and produce acceptable pregnancy rates by both progesterone and prostaglandn-based protocols for breeding and genetic improvement.

Problem statement: The attachment of biopolymers such as collagen on inert polymeric template created great challenge due to hydrophobic nature of polymeric material. The modification of PVDF for improved adhesion and introduction of specific functionalities have been widely recognized in various industrial applications. Typical methods for modifying polymer surface such as chemical etching and UV irradiation are not favorable as it requires high temperature and the use of chemical solvents. However plasma modification is suitable as it utilizes low heat and a clean environment, thus preventing contamination on the deposited collagen. Approach: Free standing orientated Poly (Vinylidene Fluoride) (PVDF) films were fabricated by solution casting method and dried in a convention oven. The dried PVDF films were orientated in a tensile machine at temperature 70°C enclosed in a custom made environmental chamber. The pulling rates of 5 mm min-1 were utilized with a draw ratio of 2 (R = Lfinal/Linitial). The PVDF film was plasma treated for 60 sec to enhance the hydrophilic property of PVDF and utilized as template for collagen deposition. The deposited collagen on surface of PVDF was left in desiccators at temperature of 24°C for complete drying. Results: The untreated and plasma-treated PVDF template were observed for water contact angle measurement, the functional group and dielectric properties of collagen were observed and measured by FTIR and SOLARTRON respectively. Conclusion: The orientated PVDF films were produced at pulling speed of 5 mm min-1 and temperature of 70°C. The hydrophobic PVDF surface was transformed to a hydrophilic surface by plasma treatment for collagen deposition. The FTIR result shows the overlapping peaks of C-H and C-F in range 1500-1000 cm-1 which indicates the C-C bonding of collagen and PVDF. The significant increase in dielectric constant is a result from the favorable bonding between collagen and PVDF template.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of different cryodevices (Open Pulled Straw (OPS), Electron Microscopy Grid (EMG) and cryotop for vitrification of immature bovine oocytes. Polar body, MII stage, survivability and subsequent developmental rates were compared. Only oocytes with 4-5 layers of cumulus cells were used. Oocytes were equilibrated in the first vitrification solution (VS1; HS+10% DMSO+10% Ethylene Glycol (EG)) for 30-45 sec and then in the second vitrification solution (VS2; 20% DMSO+20% EG+0.5 M Sucrose) for 25 sec. Within 30 sec they were mounted on one of the cryodevices and directly plunged into Liquid Nitrogen (LN2) for 10 days. Immature oocytes vitrified using cryotop represented higher rate of polar body extrusion and nuclear maturity (p

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), a lipid-soluble anti-oxidant added in different concentrations to the Tris egg yolk extenders on semen cytological parameters pre freezing and post thawing (motility, morphology, viability, acrosome integrity and membrane integrity) of Boer goat spermatozoa. A total of 40 ejaculates from four Boer goat bucks were collected using an artificial vagina. Ten replicates of the ejaculates were diluted with a Tris egg yolk based extender which contained various concentrations (0.5mM, 1.0mM, 2.0mM and 3.0mM) of butylated hydroxytoluene while one sample was processed without supplementation of antioxidant and served as control. The diluted semen was cooled at 4°C and loaded into the straw and then stored in liquid nitrogen. It was evident that supplementation of BHT produces positive effect in terms of motility, membrane integrity and acrosome integrity in comparison with the control group in cooled and frozen Boer goat semen. Results showed significant differences in motility, membrane integrity, acrosome integrity and viability of cooled and frozen Boer goat spermatozoa at different concentrations. Motility, membrane integrity, acrosome integrity and viability was significantly higher in all treated groups than the control group (P0.05) while there was no significant differences (P0.05) in morphology trait between all group in cooled semen. However, improvement (P0.05) was observed only in terms of the membrane integrity and acrosome integrity compared to the control and other treated groups in frozen semen. In conclusion, BHT can be used in cryopreservation of Boer goat semen in order to reduce the oxidative stress on spermatozoa.

The effectiveness of different cryodevices (open-pulled straw (OPS), electron microscopy grid (EMG), and Cryotop was evaluated for vitrification of immature bovine oocytes. Polar body, metaphase II stage (MII), survivability, and subsequent developmental rates were determined. Only oocytes with four or five layers of cumulus cells were used. Oocytes were equilibrated in two vitrification solutions - 1: 10% DMSO + 10% ethylene glycol (EG) for 30-45sec and 2: 20% DMSO + 20% EG +0.5M sucrose for 25sec -, mounted on one of the cryodevices and directly plunged into liquid nitrogen for 10 days. Immature vitrified oocytes using Cryotop showed the highest rates of polar body extrusion (PB) and nuclear maturity (MII); 41 and 58% respectively. Vitrified oocytes using OPS and EMG showed 26 and 32%; and 35 and 46% of PB and MII rates, respectively. The highest survivability resulted from Cryotop and EMG groups and no significant difference was found between them. Vitrified oocytes using Cryotop had the highest cleavage and blastocyst rates. All of the mean rates for vitrified immature oocytes were significantly lower than that of control group (P

Beside cooling/warming rates and composition of vitrification solution, developmental stage of immature oocytes may also affect their vitrification outcome. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the selection effect of developmentally competent immature bovine oocytes by Brilliant Cresyl Blue (BCB) on maturity of oocytes after vitrification. Oocytes were obtained from slaughterhouse ovaries. Only oocytes with 4-5 layers of cumulus cells and homogenous cytoplasm were used. After exposure to BCB stain, immature oocytes were divided into colored (BCB+) and colorless (BCB-) cytoplasm groups. Immature oocytes were equilibrated in VS1 (7.5 Ethylene Glycol (EG)+7.5% DMSO) for 10-12 min and then exposed to VS2 (15% EG+ 15% DMSO+0.5M sucrose) for 1 min. Thereafter, oocytes were loaded on Cryotop and directly plunged into liquid nitrogen. After warming, oocytes were examined for presence of polar body and nuclear maturity. Higher number of oocytes in BCB+group extruded first polar body in comparison with other vitrified groups but not significantly (p>0.05). Compared to the BCB- oocytes, there was significantly lower percentage of degeneration for BCB+oocytes (p

Problem statement: Vitrification is replacing conventional slow freezing to cryopreserve gametes and embryos especially for in vitro production of embryo in domestic animal species. However, the results are still not satisfactory. The aim of this experiment was to study the effect of different equilibration temperatures on in vitro viability of immature bovine oocytes after vitrification. Approach: Oocytes were obtained from slaughterhouse ovaries. Only grade one oocytes were used. Oocytes were equilibrated in three different temperatures: 32, 37, or 41°C. Immature oocytes were equilibrated in VS1 (7.5 Ethylene Glycol (EG) + 7.5% DMSO) for 10-12 min and then exposed to VS2 (15% EG + 15%DMSO + 0.5M sucrose) for one min. Thereafter oocytes were loaded on hand-made Cryotop and directly plunged into liquid nitrogen. After warming, oocytes were examined for viability, maturation, cleavage and blastocyst production. Results: Oocytes that were equilibrated at 37°C had significantly higher (p

Hybrid composited material like polymer-ceramic will improve the reliability factor of the device. Yet, the motivation still goes on to produce high performance device. In this study, the impedance analysis on bilayer films lead titanate and poly(vinyledenefluoride-trifluoroethylene) yield to the semicircle cole-cole plot with added slanted spike results. This presents the double layer capacitance which occurred between dielectrc-electrode. The bilayer films obtains about ∼105Ω which determines the films are high resistive dielectric material. The bilayer films were fabricated at maximum of 105 nm thickness on top of electrode coated glass substrate. Structural property of bilayer films obtain distinguish behavior compared to the single layer films. Moreover, the line profile observed on each layer presents low surface roughness for bilayer prepared films. Thus, this study highlights the importance of bilayer films denoted for capacitor application.

The aims of this study were to evaluate the effects of anti-oxidant butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), when added at different concentrations into lecithin-based Bioxcell(®) (BX) and two egg-yolk-based; Tris (TY) and citrate (CE) semen extenders, on post-thaw bull sperm quality and oxidative stress. A total of 30 ejaculates from three bulls were collected using an electro ejaculator. Ejaculates were extended with one of the BX, TY and CE extenders, which contained different concentrations (0.0 - control, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 and 3.0mM/ml) of BHT. The extended semen samples were chilled to 4 °C, and then frozen slowly to -196 °C in 0.25 ml straws before being stored in liquid nitrogen for 2 weeks. Results showed that supplementation of BHT improved (P

—Poly (vinylideneflouride)/nano-magnesium oxide (PVDF/MgO) film with 7% MgO loading percentage was annealed at various annealing temperatures ranging from 70°C to 150°C. The PVDF/MgO thin film was fabricated using spin coating technique with a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) configuration. The dielectric and electric properties of PVDF/MgO with respect to annealing temperatures was studied. The PVDF/MgO nanocomposites thin films annealed at temperature of 70°C (AN70-PVDF/MgO) showed an improvement in the properties; dielectric constant value of 26 at 1 kHz frequency compared to un-annealed sample (UN-PVDF/MgO), which is 21 at the same frequency. As the annealing temperatures were increased from 90°C (AN90) to 150°C (AN150-PVDF/MgO), the dielectric constant values were found to gradually decreased from 25 to 12 respectively, which was lower than the UN-PVDF/MgO thin films. AN70-PVDF/MgO also produced relatively low tangent loss (tan δ). The resistivity value of AN70-PVDF/MgO was also found to increase from 3.08x104 Ω.cm (UN- PVDF/MgO) to 4.55x104 Ω.cm. The increased in the dielectric constant, with low tangent loss and high resistivity value suggests that 70°C was the favorable annealing temperature for PVDF/MgO film suitable for the application in electronic devices such as low frequency capacitor.

The use of high dielectric material for thin films capacitor has been known since the first ferroelectric materials were introduced. The capability to store large energy density would be the ideal criteria to pursue nanoscaled films capacitor applications. Nowadays, capacitor device becomes complex device rather than just focus at single function where ferroelectric material get involves. In this study, lead based titanate thin films ceramic will be fabricated by sol-gel spin coating method with typical multicoating layers to investigate the ferroelectric, dielectric properties, and capacitance characteristic. The measurements were based on 100 kHz and 1 MHz frequencies application which there's lies the significant finding of the dielectric materials property. Other, like surface profiler (KLA Tencor) is used as films thickness measurement that reports under 200nm thickness. PbTiO 3 metal-ferroelectric-metal device is going to be prepared by involves the indium tin oxide coated glass as substrate, whereas Al metal will be deposited as top electrode through thermal evaporator method.

This study was conducted to determine the effect of antioxidants on standard semen parameters, lipid peroxidation and fertility of Boer goat semen after cryopreservation. Ejaculates from four bucks were collected, evaluated and pooled at 37°C. The pooled semen was diluted with Tris citric acid fructose for washing. Semen samples, which were diluted with a Tris-based extender containing the antioxidant ascorbic acid (8.5mg/ml), butylated hydroxytoluene (2mM), cysteine (5mM) and hypotaurine (10mM) and an extender without antioxidant supplementation were cooled to 4°C and frozen in 0.25 straws with programmable freezer and finally stored in liquid nitrogen. Data (10 replicates) were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance. Mean (±SEM) progressive motility was significantly higher in ascorbic acid than other supplement groups and control samples (P0.05). Best values were observed in ascorbic acid followed by BHT, cysteine, and hypotaurine. Antioxidant supplementation in extender showed significant (P0.05) better values than the control group for sperm membrane integrity, acrosome integrity and viability. The ability of antioxidants to reduce the lipid peroxidation (LPO) after freeze thawing was measured by the formation of malondialdehyde (MDA) using the thiobarbituric acid method. Results showed that addition of antioxidants significantly reduced the rate of LPO in comparison to control (P0.05). Ascorbic acid exhibited better values (1.27±0.28), than butylated hydroxytoluene, cysteine and hypotaurine 1.32±0.42, 2.27±0.16 and 2.38±0.17 respectively, which are significantly better than control (3.52±0.54). Higher pregnancy rate was observed with ascorbic acid followed by butylated hydroxtolune, hypotaurine and cysteine. However, differences in the fertility rate were non-significant with hypotaurine, cysteine and control groups.

In order to improve Boer goat semen quality during cryopreservation process, the influence of sugar supplementation on semen characteristics of sperm were investigated. Three experiments were carried out to investigate the effect of (a) addition of two monosaccharides (fructose and glucose) and two disaccharides sugars (trehalose and sucrose) (b) sugar combination (fructose and trehalose, sucrose and trehalose, glucose and trehalose), and control (glucose without trehalose) (c) different concentrations of trehalose on cryopreservation using Tris based extender. The total motility, forward motility, viability, normal spermatozoa, acrosome integrity and membrane integrity were assessed subjectively. Differences were not detected among monosaccharides, but glucose increased (P0.05) sperm forward motility in post-thaw goat semen compared to trehalose or sucrose supplementation. Semen quality did not differ (P0.05) among disaccharide sugar supplementation. Combination of glucose and trehalose significantly improved the characteristics of Boer spermatozoa after cryopreservation (P0.05). Supplementation of trehalose (198.24mM) into the glucose extender significantly increased total motility, forward motility, live spermatozoa, acrosome integrity and membrane integrity following cryopreservation (P0.05). In conclusion, glucose had the better ability to support Boer sperm motility and movement patterns. Combination of monosaccharide (glucose) and disaccharide (trehalose) improved semen quality following cryopreservation. Trehalose supplementation at the concentration of 198.24mM to the glucose extender conferred the greater improvement of semen quality for Boer semen cryopreservation.

Based on previous studies for vitrification of oocytes, it has been shown that short term exposure to DMSO during vitrification could improve the maturation rate and cause not spontaneous parthenogenesis (Isachenko et al., 2006). In addition, it was reported that DMSO in freezing media caused disassembly of microfilaments and chromosomal abnormalities in mouse oocytes (Vincent et al., 1990). On the other hand, DMSO is categorized as a potent glass former and its existence in vitrification solution seems necessary. The aim of this study was to determine the in vitro viability of immature bovine oocytes vitrified by short or long time exposure to DMSO. Materials and Methods: Cumulus oocytes complexes (COCs) with homogenous ooplasm were recovered from slaughterhouse ovaries and used in this study. The vitrification protocol was adapted from Kuwayama et al (2005) with minor modifications. Briefly, oocytes were washed twice in holding solution (HS, Hepes-buffered TCM medium supplemented with 20% fetal calf serum, FCS) and kept there for about 15 min. Group of four COCs were incubated in the first vitrification solution (VS1; 7.5% DMSO and 7.5% EG in HS) for 12 min. Equilibration in VS1 was performed in three steps of increasing concentration. First (F) and second (S) steps contained 1/3 and 2/3 of VS1 diluted in HS, and the third (T) step contained only pure VS1. Based on removal of DMSO from each step, five treatment groups were designed: (G1) control, (G2) VS1, (G3) F w/o DMSO, (G4) F+S w/o DMSO, and (G5) F+S+T w/o DMSO. For G3, G4 and G5, similar concentration of EG was added to replace DMSO in VS1. All treatment groups were equilibrated into the second vitrification solution (VS2; 15% DMSO, 15% EG and 0.5M sucrose in HS) for a further 60 sec. Two experiments were performed: (a) cytotoxicity after only exposure, and (b) in vitro viability after vitrification processes. In cytotoxicity test, immature oocytes were directly transferred to the warming solution (WS). In vitrification experiment, oocytes were instantly loaded on a Cryotop device and submerged into liquid nitrogen (LN2) for storage. The time of exposure from VS2 to LN2 was not longer than 90 s. Vitrified samples were maintained in LN2 for at least 10 days. Immediately after removing the Cryotop from LN2, thin strip of Cryotop was submerged in 3 ml HS plus 1M sucrose (WS; 39°C) and smoothly tried to detach oocytes from Cryotop device. Immature oocytes were left in WS for one minute and then transferred to HS plus 0.5M and 0.15M sucrose solution for 3 and 5 min, respectively. Finally, the immature oocytes were washed twice in HS for 5 min each and processed for in vitro maturation. Significant differences among treatments used in the experiment were revealed by one-way analysis of variance and followed by Duncan's multiple range test for mean comparisons (P < 0.05) using SAS software (ver. 9.1).

Aim: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of different concentrations of soybean lecithin (SL) and virgin coconut oil (VCO) in Tris-based extender on chilled and frozen-thawed bull semen quality parameters. Materials and Methods: A total of 24 ejaculates were collected from four bulls via an electroejaculator. Semen samples were diluted with 2% VCO in Tris-based extender which consists of various concentrations of SL (1, 1.25, 1.5, and 1.75%). A 20% egg yolk in Tris used as a positive control (C+). The diluted semen samples were divided into two fractions; one for chilling which were stored at 4°C for 24, 72, and 144 h before evaluated for semen quality parameters. The second fraction used for freezing was chilled for 3 h at 4°C, packed into 0.25 mL straws and then cryopreserved in liquid nitrogen. The samples were then evaluated after 7 and 14 days. Chilled and frozen semen samples were thawed at 37°C and assessed for general motility using computer-assisted semen analysis, viability, acrosome integrity and morphology (eosin-nigrosin stain), membrane integrity, and lipid peroxidation using thiobarbituric acid reaction test. Results: The results showed that all the quality parameters assessed were significantly (p