Metabolomic evolution of the postpartum dairy cow uterus.

High rates of early pregnancy loss are a critical issue in dairy herds, particularly in seasonal, grazing systems. Components of the uterine luminal fluid (ULF), on which the early embryo depends for sustenance and growth, partly determine early pregnancy losses. Here, changes in ULF from early to mid-postpartum in crossbred dairy cows were explored, linking them with divergent embryo development.

Cell wall and cytoskeletal contributions in single cell biomechanics of .

Studies on the mechanics of plant cells usually focus on understanding the effects of turgor pressure and properties of the cell wall (CW). While the functional roles of the underlying cytoskeleton have been studied, the extent to which it contributes to the mechanical properties of cells is not elucidated. Here, we study the contributions of the CW, microtubules (MTs) and actin filaments (AFs), in the mechanical properties of cells.

Structure and Biomechanics during Xylem Vessel Transdifferentiation in .

Individual plant cells are the building blocks for all plantae and artificially constructed plant biomaterials, like biocomposites. Secondary cell walls (SCWs) are a key component for mediating mechanical strength and stiffness in both living vascular plants and biocomposite materials. In this paper, we study the structure and biomechanics of cultured plant cells during the cellular developmental stages associated with SCW formation.

Comics, Corn, and the Queer Phenomenology of Depression.

Grounded in analyses of two graphic memoirs, Ellen Forney's Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo and Me and Allie Brosh's "Depression (Parts One & Two)," this article draws from Sara Ahmed's 2006 book, Queer Phenomenology: Objects, Orientations, Others, in order to theorize the "queer phenomenology" of what gets called depression within many Western psychiatric, medical, and cultural discourses. Arguing that queer desires orient the subject away from (hetero)normative objects (or "happy objects," as Ahmed calls them, because they promise a life of happiness), Queer Phenomenology suggests that the subsequent turn toward queer objects produces feelings of dis-orientation in the subject. Noting the similarities between Ahmed's idea of queer disorientations and my own disorienting experiences of depression, this essay posits that depression similarly constitutes a turn away from"happy objects" andtoward objects which, through their newfound prominence in the depressed person's life, may appear as strange or even queer.

A mathematical model of the interaction between bovine blastocyst developmental stage and progesterone-stimulated uterine factors on differential embryonic development observed on Day 15 of gestation.

A complex interaction between the developing bovine embryo and the growth potential of the uterine milieu it inhabits results in an embryo capable of developing past the maternal recognition stage and on to a successful pregnancy. Previously, we observed variation in the lengths of embryos recovered 8 d after bulk transfer of Day 7 in vitro-produced (IVP) blastocysts into the same uterus. Potential causes of the differential embryonic growth were examined and modeled using 2 rounds of bulk (n = 4-6) IVP transfers and recovery of these embryos 8 d later.

Effects of scrotal heating on sperm surface protein PH-20 expression in sheep.

Sperm surface protein PH-20 expression was studied during spermatogenesis in pubertal and adult sheep, using molecular and histological methods. The effects of 24 hr of insulation raising scrotal temperatures to 39 degrees C on PH-20 expression in ejaculated sheep sperm were also determined. A 282 nt cDNA fragment of ovine PH-20 was identified in total RNA extracts of sheep testes, which exhibited 76% identity at the nucleotide level with the equivalent region of the human sequence.

The effects of non-weight bearing on skeletal muscle in older rats: an interrupted bout versus an uninterrupted bout.

Age-related changes in skeletal muscle, in combination with bed rest, may result in a poorer rehabilitation potential for an elderly patient. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of non-weight bearing (hind limb unweighting [HU]) on the soleus and extensor digitorum longus (EDL) in older rats. Two non-weight bearing conditions were used: an uninterrupted bout of HU and an interrupted bout of HU.