Hundreds of thousands of piglets are castrated without anesthesia in Sweden every year so that we may be guaranteed meat without boar odor. The smell appears while cooking meat of boar and is described as urine- and sweat-like. High levels of androstenone and skatole are considered the main factors behind boar odor. Skatole is a metabolite of the amino acid tryptophan, which is formed in the colon of all pigs. Androstenone is a steroid hormone that is released from the Leydig cells in the testes of boars.

Juvertumörer är de vanligaste tumörerna hos tikar och det finns olika typer av både benigna och maligna juvertumörer. De hormonella fluktuationerna som sker under östralcykeln driver utvecklingen av juvervävnaden och behandling med progestiner (syntetiska ekvivalenter till progesteron) för uppskjutande av löp har kopplats samman med förekomst av juvertumörer, vilket har lett till ett intresse för den hormonella påverkan på juvertumörutvecklingen. Hormonerna är i sin tur beroende av uttrycket av receptorer för att kunna ha effekt i vävnaden. Syftet med den här litteraturstudien är att utreda uttrycket av hormoner och receptorer för progesteron, tillväxthormon (growth hormone, GH) och insulinliknande tillväxtfaktor (insulin-like growth factor, IGF) i normal juvervävnad och i benigna och maligna tumörer, såväl som deras påverkan på juvertumörutvecklingen. De intracellulära signalvägarna för progesteronreceptorer (PR), GH-receptorer (GHR) och IGF-I-receptorn (IGF-IR) är kopplade till cellproliferation och genreglering. De komplexa nätverken av signalvägar interagerar med varandra och en obalans i uttryck och reglering av hormoner, receptorer eller molekyler i cellen kan leda till att tumörer uppstår. Vid progestinbehandling har ökade nivåer av GH och IGF-I uppmätts och högst nivåer sågs i maligna tumörer.

The purpose of this review was to study the cow eye physiology, focusing on how it registers light, and to see how light affects the cow?s milk yield. It has been showed in studies that more hours of light per day (16 hours of light a day) as opposed to about 9-12 hours of light a day, increases milk yield for dairy cows. This review contains suggestions on how this is connected with the physiology of the eye. Vision is an important sense for many mammals, and is used to check out the animals surroundings. Sensor cells in the eyeball help in turning photons from the light into signals to the brain.

The purpose of this literature study was to describe the seasonal reproduction in sheep and the presence of genetic variation in fertility traits. Methods to induce oestrus are described and the possibilities to change the reproduction season through breeding are discussed. Sheep have a pronounced seasonality in their reproduction. Mating season starts in the fall and the lambs are born during the spring because this is the most beneficial time. The market request for lamb meat has increased and therefore it is desirable with ewes that could get pregnant all year round.

Approximately 20% of the milk within the udder of a cow is stored in the cistern and immediately available for milk removal, while activation of the milk ejection reflex is required for removing the remaining milk stored in the alveolar compartment. The aim of this literature review is to describe, evaluate and consider implications of the three different suckling activities that the calf displays during a suckling bout. In terms of milking, these phases are represented by pre-stimulation, stimulation during milking and post-stimulation. Pre-stimulation is commonly performed in order to induce the milk ejection reflex, whereby the hormone oxytocin is released and the alveoli in the secretory tissue are contracted. Time requirements regarding pre-stimulation must be considered in relation to lactation stage and milking interval.

Small pieces of plastic, termed ?micro plastic? in the oceans derive mainly from degradation of big plastics such as beach littering, but also from sources of direct emission from e.g. beauty scrubbers and synthetic sand-blasting. These micro plastics are ingested by marine animals ? mistaking them for plankton ? or via prey.

Today evidence exist that environmental chemicals deteriorate male sperm quality and that testicular cancer is increasing. Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical with estrogenic effects used in the manufacture of polycarbonate plastic and are found in, for instance, plastic boxes, feeding bottles and food containers. Much of the research on how men's reproductive ability is influenced are performed on rats. This review article complies how male rat reproduction is affected by BPA as a model for humans. Studies have investigated how sperm are affected, hormonal changes during reproduction and how reactive oxygen species (ROS) affects sperm.

Hormonersättningsterapi (HRT) används för att lindra vasomotoriska och urogenitala symtom associerade med klimakteriet. Eftersom behandling med enbart östrogen förknippats med endometriell hyperplasi och livmodercancer, tillsätts progestagener till östrogen-beredningar i HRT hos kvinnor med intakt livmoder för att motverka den proliferativa effekten av östrogen och förebygga cancerutveckling i livmodern. Sådan kombinerad HRT har emellertid associerats med ökad risk för bröstcancer. Vid kombinerad HRT används olika typer av progestagener och olika behandlingsregimer (kontinuerlig eller sekventiell tillförsel).Syftet med detta arbete var att undersöka vad som ökar risken för bröstcancer vid kombinerad HRT: valet av progestagen-typ eller vilken behandlingsregim (kontinuerlig/sekventiell) som används.Metoden som användes var en litteraturstudie som omfattade sju studier om HRT och bröstcancerrisk, vilka hämtades från databasen PubMed.Utifrån undersökta studier kan man dra slutsats att ökad risk för bröstcancer associeras med kombinerad östrogen-progestagen HRT jämfört med HRT med enbart östrogen och framför allt om man jämför kontinuerlig kombinerad HRT med sekventiell kombinerad HRT med ett dos-responsförhållande som bakomliggande grund. Progestagen-typ kan ha effekt på risken för bröstcancer men detta behöver undersökas ytterligare..

SammanfattningSyftet med den här litteraturstudien var att ta reda på vad det finns för möjligheter och svårigheter att producera ål i fångenskap. Med nya hållbara metoder att föda upp konsumtionsål skulle utfiskningen av glasålar minska i världen och man skulle kunna fortsätta äta den goda rökta ålen med gott samvete.Det finns välutvecklade metoder för att inducera könsmognad hos han- och honålar. Detta utförs genom att injicera hormoner och man kan därför fråga sig om det är hållbart i en produktion för framtiden. Efter kläckning av larverna finns flera viktiga faktorer att ta ställning till, så som utfodring och optimal hållning av ålarna. Även ägg- och mjölkekvaliteten spelar en stor roll när det gäller att hålla ålarna vid liv.Abstract The aim with this study was to find out how far we have come to develop reproduction strategies in eel culturing.

The prime aim of this thesis was to investigate whether high or low iodine intake during certain periods of life was, or was not a strong risk factor for the development of canine lymphocytic thyroiditis (CLT). And secondly, if a high or low selenium intake in a combination with high or low iodine intake also may have an influence on that risk factor. To investigate this, a dietary questionnaire was sent out to dog owners. The dogs were selected from an ongoing genetic study of CLT. The questions investigated brand and type of feed during different life stages (puppy, junior and adult) and also if there were any use of dietary supplements.

The calcium homeostasis in the body is normally strict regulated to be kept within very narrow limits. This regulation is due to the action of parathyroid hormone (PTH) which is synthesized in the chief cells of the parathyroid glands. In different diseases, the calcium homeostasis is disturbed and this could either be due to a dysfunction of the parathyroid gland itself, or it could have a completely different explanation. To investigate disturbed calciumhomeostasis, ionized calcium and PTH can be analyzed from a blood sample. There are a lot of different assays to measure PTH in humans.

Testosterone is a steroid and anabolic hormone found in all mammals. Previous research indicates that testosterone levels correlates with physical capacities related to physical performance. However, these studies refers only to men and boys. The aim of present study was therefore to investigate the potential relationship between body composition, strength, power and endurance capabilities in relation to blood levels of testosterone and DHEAS in young female football players. Seventeen female elite football (age: 15,4 ± 0,6, body mass: 57,2 ± 7,4kg, height 1,65 ±0,04m) players volunteered for the study.

Background: More than half of the elderly (65-84 years) in Sweden have problems with hearing. In some studiesit?s discussed if age related hearing loss or presbyacusis is a part of natural aging or if it depends on underlyingfactors.The purpose of this literature study was to analyse scientific papers which illustrate correlations between lessknown underlying factors and presbyacusis, defined from psychoacoustic and/or neurofysiological tests.Material and method; Literature study where scientific papers, relevant to the purpose of the study and thequestions at issue were found in the database PubMed.The result shows that cardiovascular disease, hormones, diet and drugs have an influence on presbyacusis. Thehealth condition of the individual and their lifestyle matters, likewise estrogen which according to the results of 2studies has a protective effect on hearing.Conclusion; The studies show that heart attack and high systolic blood pressure in women have a correlation topresbyacusis, but not in men, - the hormone estrogen, - some vitamins, antioxidants and diet have a protectiveeffect on hearing and studies show that smoking and alcohol have negative effects..

The aim of this review was to examine scientific literature to determine what kind of physiological and psychological benefits derive from human-dog interaction, as well as attempt to uncover a possible mechanism behind these benefits and whether or not they are mutually beneficial. A growing body of research indicates there are physiological and psychological benefits associated with human-dog interaction. Significant cardiovascular benefits have been linked with human-dog interaction, as have lowered blood pressure, cortisol and heart rate. Interaction with dogs is often associated with a feeling of social support and well-being, and dogs also seem to facilitate social interaction between people. Dogs? ability to buffer and reduce stress is also well documented. A strong indication was found regarding a relationship between physical contact and benefits associated with human-dog interaction.

Today there are many system development projects that break both budget and time plan. Often this depends on defects in the information systems that could have been prevented. The cost of test can in some cases be as high as 50 % of the projects total cost and it's at the same time an important part of development. Test as such has moved its focus from the software it self and its faults to a wider perspective on whole infrastructures of information systems where assure a good quality is important. Sogeti in the Netherlands have developed a test method called TMap (Test Management approach) that can be used for structured testing of information systems.