Percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) is a decompression procedure for malignant proximal biliary obstruction. In this research, over a six-year period, 89 patients underwent PTBD procedure for jaundice caused by malignant disease to restart chemotherapy or for palliative intent. Clinical outcomes after PTBD procedure in the two groups of patients, according to the adequate bilirubin decline (ABD) needed for subsequent chemotherapy, are presented in this paper. Survival and logistic regression were plotted and compared using Kaplan–Meier survival multivariate analysis with a long-range test. Results were processed by MEDCALC software. In the series, 58.4% (52/89) of patients were in good performance status (ECOG 0/1), and PTBD was performed with the intention to (re)start chemotherapy. The normalization of the bilirubin level was seen in 23.0% (12/52), but only 15.4% (8/52) received chemotherapy. The median survival time after PTBD was 9 weeks. In patients with ABD that received chemotherapy, the median survival time was 64 weeks, with 30-day mortality of 27.7%, and 6.4% of death within 7 days. The best outcome was in patients with good performance status (ECOG 0–1), low bilirubin (<120 µmol/L) and LDH (<300 µmol/L) levels and elevated leukocytes at the time of the procedures. PTBD is considered in ABD patients who are candidates for chemotherapy.

The study was conducted on a commercial pig farm located in Serbia. Thirty Duroc or Landrace breed boars were randomly selected for this study. The experimental group was fed a compound feed with added organic selenium and Oxynat 3D. The antioxidant status parameters of boar seminal plasma were evaluated using a biochemical analyzer and commercial Randox kits. The sperm chromatin structure assay (SCSA) using flow cytometry (FC) provided information about spermatozoa’s DNA status. Additionally, the total number of motile spermatozoa and spermatozoa kinematic parameters were measured using the computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA) system. The aim of this study was to improve the parameters of semen by combining two preparations that have a potential antioxidant effect, but also to establish the level of various antioxidant enzymes in native sperm. There was no statistically significant difference in total antioxidant capacity and glutathione peroxidase activity in the seminal plasma obtained from the experimental and control groups of boars. Regarding the superoxide dismutase activity, the research results showed a difference in the control group compared to the experimental one. Moreover, spermatozoa DNA fragmentation and the total number of motile spermatozoa showed statistically significant lower and higher values, respectively, in experimental compared to the control groups. The combination of these two preparations shows significantly enhanced vital parameters of semen. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first in which the ejaculate parameters were examined after the application of a combination of these two antioxidant supplements.

The effect of age at first calving (AFC) and various non-genetic factors i.e. season of calving, farm and system of housing on longevity and production traits were investigated. Longevity traits were studied using total lifetime (TL), length of productive life (LPL) and number of lactations (NL) while production was researched using lifetime milk yield (LMY). Data of 2037 Holstein dairy cows were provided by the main breeding organizations at the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad. The average values and variability of examined traits as well as the effect of factors on longevity and production traits were investigated using fixed effect model by general linear model (GLM) procedure in software package Statistica 13. Results showed highly significant effect of the AFC, calving season and farm, on all studied longevity traits (P less than 0.01), while non- significant effect was expressed on lifetime milk yield (P greater than 0.05). The mean of AFC, TL, LPL, NL and LMY for Holstein cows were 27.3, 67.5, 40.2 months, 2.45 and 18798.0 kg, respectively. The maximum values of LPL, NL and LMY were noticed for cows with age at first calving before 23 months of age. The LPL ranged from 47.88 (AFC less than 23 m) to 35.84 m (AFC>29 m) and declined progressively when the AFC is increased, particularly in cows calving at more than 29 m.

Due to the prolonged preinsemination anoestrus (the sings of oestrus were not found even after eight months of age) 25 to 40% of gilts are culled on the farms in Vojvodina. The question is if those gilts did not reach puberty at all or if it was the result of an inadequate technology in oestrus detection. Concerning this issue, a morphological examination of the genital organs of 175 gilts, in which oestrus was not detected during the first 8 to 9 months of age, was carried out. The average age of these gilts was, at sacrifice, 267 days (242 to 278 days). In further research, the treatment of delayed puberty gilts and control gilts was carried out with hormone preparations from the progestin group (Regumate, Altrenogest) or placental gonadotropin (PMSG - 'Folligon'). Based on examination of the gilts' genital organs, in which oestrus was not detected even after 8 months of age, it was established that 38.9% of those gilts did not reach sexual maturity at all, i.e. did not have cyclic ovarian activity. With the other 61.1% of the examined gilts, the puberty ovarian cyclicity was established, as their ovaries had the functional structures (preovulatary follicles, corpora hemorrhagica, corpora lutea and corpora albicantia). Thus, one oestrus cycle was reached by 57.9% while two oestrous cycles were reached by 42.1% out of the total number of sexually mature gilts. A high degree of oestrous reaction (80%), a high farrowing rate (87.5%) and a satisfactory average number of live-born piglets per litter were established in the delayed puberty gilts treated with the Regumate preparation. The obtained results distinctly show that a great number of gilts reached the puberty cyclic ovarian activity while the absence of oestrus detection was the result of inadequate technology in oestrus detection on farms

The aim of this research was to determine the influence of lactation number and parity on milk yield of Saanen goat’s breed. It has been concluded that milk yield was higher for goats that had given birth to twins and three kids than for goats that had given birth to a single kid (P<0.05). The longevity has a great positive impact on production, given that goats in the fifth lactation produced more milk than goats in first or second lactation (P<0.05), while goats in the sixth lactation still produced more milk than goats in first lactation (P<0.05). During the period from 2014- 2019, the research was conducted on a farm of multiparous Saanen goats in Vojvodina (northern part of Serbia). In the observed period, the farm had between 350 and 400 goats per milking, and the research included a total of 1,628 concluded lactations, within which the first lactations were the most 484, then the second 381. According to the number of lactations, goats were grouped into classes from one to seven and from one to three for parity. By comparing each individual lactation, it was determined that in first lactation goats produced significantly lower milk than goats in the rest lactations(P<0.05), except the seventh. Research has shown that lactation number has a significant influence on milk yield (P=0.00). Increasing the fertility of goats significantly affects the production capacity of dairy goats, since does with a larger number of kids in the litter had a significantly higher milk production (P<0.05). Due to the larger number of kids in the litter, milk production also increases. Likewise, it is assumed that the increase in milk yield of goats with two and three kids is a consequence of a larger placenta, i.e. stronger lactogenic activity during pregnancy.