Early maternal undernutrition programs increased feed intake, altered glucose metabolism and insulin secretion, and liver function in aged female offspring.

Insulin resistance and obesity are components of the metabolic syndrome that includes development of cardiovascular disease and diabetes with advancing age. The thrifty phenotype hypothesis suggests that offspring of poorly nourished mothers are predisposed to the various components of the metabolic syndrome due to adaptations made during fetal development. We assessed the effects of maternal nutrient restriction in early gestation on feeding behavior, insulin and glucose dynamics, body composition, and liver function in aged female offspring of ewes fed either a nutrient-restricted [NR 50% National Research Council (NRC) recommendations] or control (C: 100% NRC) diet from 28 to 78 days of gestation, after which both groups were fed at 100% of NRC from day 79 to lambing and through lactation.

Differential roles of GABAergic and glycinergic input on FM selectivity in the inferior colliculus of the pallid bat.

Multiple mechanisms have been shown to shape frequency-modulated (FM) selectivity within the central nucleus of the inferior colliculus (IC) in the pallid bat. In this study we focus on the mechanisms associated with sideband inhibition. The relative arrival time of inhibition compared with excitation can be used to predict FM responses as measured with a two-tone inhibition paradigm.

Maternal obesity induces fibrosis in fetal myocardium of sheep.

Maternal obesity (MO) has harmful effects on both fetal development and subsequent offspring health. The impact of MO on fetal myocardium development has received little attention. Fibrogenesis is regulated by the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β)/p38 signaling pathway.

Maternal obesity markedly increases placental fatty acid transporter expression and fetal blood triglycerides at midgestation in the ewe.

Obesity of women at conception is increasing, a condition associated with offspring obesity. We hypothesized that maternal obesity increases placental fatty acid transporter (FATP) expression, enhancing delivery of fatty acids to their fetuses. Sheep are a commonly utilized biomedical model for pregnancy studies.

Facilitatory mechanisms shape selectivity for the rate and direction of FM sweeps in the inferior colliculus of the pallid bat.

The inferior colliculus (IC) of the pallid bat has a large percentage of neurons that respond selectively to the rate and direction of the bat's echolocation pulse, a downward FM sweep. Three underlying mechanisms have been previously described. Here we describe a fourth mechanism, facilitation, that shapes selectivity for both sweep rate and direction.

Internet-delivered lifestyle physical activity intervention: limited inflammation and antioxidant capacity efficacy in overweight adults.

Overweight and physical inactivity are associated with elevated reactive oxygen species and chronic low-grade inflammation. Exercise training studies have measured changes in systemic inflammatory and oxidative/antioxidative biomarkers but predominantly at moderate-high intensities. Few low-intensity, lifestyle-based physical activity (PA) studies have been conducted.

Up-converted 1/f PM and AM noise in linear HBT amplifiers.

In this paper we describe a technique to predict the 1/f phase modulation (PM) and 1/f amplitude modulation (AM) noise due to up-conversion of 1/f baseband current noise in microwave heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) amplifiers. We obtain an accurate model for the amplifier and find the expression for voltage gain in terms of DC bias, transistor parameters, and circuit components. Theoretical 1/f PM and AM noise sensitivities to 1/f baseband current noise are then found by applying the definitions of PM and AM noise to the gain expression of the amplifier.

Soil and plant responses from land application of saline-sodic waters: implications of management.

Land application of co-produced waters from coalbed natural gas (CBNG) wells is one management option used in the Powder River Basin (PRB) of Wyoming and Montana. Unfortunately, the co-produced CBNG waters may be saline and/or sodic. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of irrigation with CBNG waters on soils and plants in the PRB.

Dietary sodium manipulation during critical periods in development sensitize adult offspring to amphetamines.

This study examined critical periods in development to determine when offspring were most susceptible to dietary sodium manipulation leading to amphetamine sensitization. Wistar dams (n = 6-8/group) were fed chow containing low (0.12% NaCl; LN), normal (1% NaCl; NN), or high sodium (4% NaCl; HN) during the prenatal or early postnatal period (birth to 5 wk).

Cardiac-specific overexpression of insulin-like growth factor 1 attenuates aging-associated cardiac diastolic contractile dysfunction and protein damage.

Aging is associated with hepatic growth hormone resistance resulting in a fall in serum insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) level. However, whether loss of IGF-1 contributes to cardiac aging is unclear. This study was designed to examine the effect of cardiac overexpression of IGF-1 on cardiomyocyte contractile function in young (3 mo) and old (26-28 mo) mice.

Agonist and hypertonic saline-induced trafficking of the NK3-receptors on vasopressin neurons within the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus.

The neurokinin 3 receptor (NK3R) is colocalized with vasopressinergic neurons within the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and intraventricular injections of NK3R agonists stimulate vasopressin (VP) release. Our objectives were to test the hypotheses that intraventricular injections of the selective NK3R agonist, succinyl-[Asp6, N-Me-Phe8] substance P (senktide), activate NK3R expressed by vasopressinergic neurons within the PVN, and see whether NK3R expressed by vasopressinergic neurons in the PVN are activated by hyperosmolarity. NK3R internalization was used as a marker of receptor activation.

Control of Listeria monocytogenes Contamination in Ready-to-Eat Meat Products.

The ubiquitous nature of Listeria monocytogenes and its ability to grow at refrigerated temperature makes L. monocytogenes a significant threat to the safety of ready-to-eat (RTE) meat products. The contamination by L.

Stochastical analysis of surfactant-enhanced remediation of denser-than-water nonaqueous phase liquid (DNAPL)-contaminated soils.

Stochastical analysis was performed to assess the effect of soil spatial variability and heterogeneity on the recovery of denser-than-water nonaqueous phase liquids (DNAPL) during the process of surfactant-enhanced remediation. UTCHEM, a three-dimensional, multicomponent, multiphase, compositional model, was used to simulate water flow and chemical transport processes in heterogeneous soils. Soil spatial variability and heterogeneity were accounted for by considering the soil permeability as a spatial random variable and a geostatistical method was used to generate random distributions of the permeability.

Assessment of the Fate of Two Herbicides in a Wyoming Rangeland Soil: Column Studies.

Extensive use of dicamba (2-methoxy-3,6-dichlorobenzoic acid) and picloram (4-amino-3,5,6-trichloropicolinic acid) in arid Wyoming, along with large volumes of irrigation water used in some areas, has created a concern for the potential contamination of surface and groundwaters by these herbicides. Persistence and mobility of dicamba and picloram were investigated in a Wyoming rangeland soil using batch adsorption and soil column studies. The objectives of this study were to characterize soil chemical and physical properties that affect herbicide transport, examine herbicide sorption, model herbicide movement, and estimate degradation rate constants.

Effects of age, castration, and season on difficulty of pelt removal in lambs.

Sixty-four white-faced rams and wethers were dressed with the aid of a commercial pelt puller. The effects of age, castration, and season on difficulty of pelt removal and pelt damage were evaluated. Lambs were divided into two age groups (5 and 12 mo) within gender (ram and whether) and season (spring and fall).

Bone ossification and carcass characteristics of wethers given silastic implants containing estradiol.

Administration of growth promotants with estrogenic activity via hastening closure of the growth plate could have an economic impact on lambs because closure results in ovine carcasses being classified as yearlings. Twelve wether lambs approximately 12 mo old were given silastic implants filled with estradiol-17 beta and allotted randomly to be slaughtered 30, 60, 90, or 220 d after implantation to determine time of growth plate closure in relation to date of implanting. Seven comparable wethers not implanted served as controls.

Assessment of the potential of the blue light gradient in soybean pulvini as a leaf orientation signal.

Blue light gradients in the pulvini of soybean (Glycine max var. Northrup King S1346) leaves with different laminar orientations were examined with a fiber optic microprobe. The gradients changed markedly as a function of both incident light angle and leaf position and were determined largely by the amount of light present in the adaxial side of the pulvinus.

Spontaneous, field tested and tethered flight in healthy and infected Magicicada septendecim L.

Flight capabilities of healthy and fungus infected Magicicada septendecim L. (Homoptera: Cicadidae) were compared using 3 complementary techniques: 1) observations of spontaneous flights, 2) field-tested flights, and 3) tethered flights in which endurance was measured. Spontaneous flight distances are much lower than those obtained on field tested fliers.