Impact of probing the reproductive tract during early pregnancy on fertility of beef cows.

This short communication reports the impact of endometrial biopsies, uterine flushings and follicular fluid aspiration procedures at day 6 post artificial insemination (AI) on pregnancy rates. In Experiment 1, cows were timed AI (TAI) and assigned to the following treatment groups: control (n = 37), uterine flushing (n = 35) and endometrial biopsy (n = 38). On day 30 post AI, pregnancy rates were 40.5%, 33% and 28.5%, respectively (p > 0.1). Pregnancy rate on day 60 was lower (p < 0.004) in flushed cows than in the controls. In Experiment 2, oestrus was detected and cows were assigned to flushing (n = 32) or biopsy (n = 33) treatments 6 days after AI, which resulted in pregnancy rates of 31% and 36%, respectively (p > 0.1). In Experiment 3, cows were, 6 days after TAI, randomly assigned to the following treatments: control (n = 84) or aspiration of the largest follicle (n = 73). Pregnancy rates on day 30 post AI were 63.5% for the control group and 53% for the aspirated group (p > 0.1). In conclusion, uterine flushing and endometrial biopsy negatively affect pregnancy rates, but neither procedure can be considered to be incompatible with pregnancy maintenance. Follicular aspiration during pregnancy does not interact with pregnancy success. The amount and quality of samples obtained are compatible with the use of cellular and molecular analysis of uterine variables from cows that failed or succeeded on maintaining pregnancy.

Corpus luteum development and function after supplementation of long-acting progesterone during the early luteal phase in beef cattle.

Strategic supplementation of P4 may be used to increase conception rates in cattle, but timing of supplementation in relation to ovulation, mass of supplementary P4 and formulation of the P4-containing supplement has not been determined for beef cattle. Effects of supplementation of long-acting progesterone (P4) on Days 2 or 3 post-ovulation on development, function and regression of corpus luteum (CL) were studied in beef cattle. Cows were synchronized with an oestradiol/P4-based protocol and treated with 150 or 300 mg of long-acting P4 on Day 2 or 3 post-ovulation (6-7 cows/group). Colour-doppler ultrasound scanning and blood sample collection were performed from Day 2-21.5. Plasma P4 concentrations were greater (p < 0.05) from Day 2.5-5.5 in the Day 2-treated groups and from Day 3.5-5.5 in the Day 3-treated cows than in the control group. CL area and blood flow during Day 2-8.5 did not differ (p > 0.05) among groups, suggesting no effect of P4 treatment on luteal development. The frequency of cows that began luteolysis before Day 15 was greater (p < 0.04) in cows treated with 300 mg than in the controls, but there were no differences between non-treated and 150 mg-treated cows. The interval from pre-treatment ovulation to functional and structural luteolysis was shorter (p < 0.01) in the combined P4-treated groups than in the control cows. In conclusion, was showed for the first time that long-acting P4 supplementation on Day 2 or 3 post-ovulation increases P4 concentrations for ≥3 day, has no effect on luteal development, but anticipates the beginning of luteolysis in beef cattle.

Probing the uterine microenvironment through Systems Biology approaches

In cattle, the developing preimplantation conceptus depends solely on its surrounding environment for supplying nutrients and growth stimuli. Also, throughout gestation, it is during the preimplantation stage of gest ation that most conceptus mortality is observed. Thus, one could rationalize that the composition of the uterine environment plays a major role on conceptus survival. However, the biochemical composition of the uterine environment is only just starting to be deciphered and conditions associated with optimal conceptus development are virtually unknown. In this review we attempt to briefly review and discuss issues associated with sampling and analyzing the uterine envir onment. We suggest that modern, holistic approaches such as Systems Biology are necessary to characterize the uterine functions associated with pregnancy success in cattle.(AU)

Probing the uterine microenvironment through Systems Biology approaches

In cattle, the developing preimplantation conceptus depends solely on its surrounding environment for supplying nutrients and growth stimuli. Also, throughout gestation, it is during the preimplantation stage of gest ation that most conceptus mortality is observed. Thus, one could rationalize that the composition of the uterine environment plays a major role on conceptus survival. However, the biochemical composition of the uterine environment is only just starting to be deciphered and conditions associated with optimal conceptus development are virtually unknown. In this review we attempt to briefly review and discuss issues associated with sampling and analyzing the uterine envir onment. We suggest that modern, holistic approaches such as Systems Biology are necessary to characterize the uterine functions associated with pregnancy success in cattle.

Reproductive biology in the “omics” era: what can be done?

The term “omics” have been widely used in science nowadays. The current nomenclature of “omics” sciences includes genomics for DNA, transcriptomics for mRNA, proteomics for proteins, lipidomics for lipids, metabolomics for intermediate products of metabolism and more recently interactome for the whole set of molecular interactions in cells. All these “omics” are encompasses in the high-dimensional biology approach (HDB), which refers to the simultaneous study of the different biological levels of an organ, tissue or an organism. HDB fundamental premise is that the complexity of biological systems renders them difficult to comprehensively understand using only a reductionist approach, studying just units of the whole. The integration of “omic” techniques can be called Systems Biology and it aim is to define the interrelationships of several or, if possible, all the elements in a biological system. The HDB and System Biology have been used widely for biomarker discover in several diseases, once they allow for a global description of changes in biological systems and do not require a specific hypothesis. Unfortunately despite the fact that achieves HDB studies is not so difficult nowadays, the use of this approach together with systems biology is rare in the reproductive biology field. The main goal of this review is to introduce the reader to the HDB and mass spectrometry and how they could benefit the reproductive biology field.(AU)

Reproductive biology in the “omics” era: what can be done?

The term “omics” have been widely used in science nowadays. The current nomenclature of “omics” sciences includes genomics for DNA, transcriptomics for mRNA, proteomics for proteins, lipidomics for lipids, metabolomics for intermediate products of metabolism and more recently interactome for the whole set of molecular interactions in cells. All these “omics” are encompasses in the high-dimensional biology approach (HDB), which refers to the simultaneous study of the different biological levels of an organ, tissue or an organism. HDB fundamental premise is that the complexity of biological systems renders them difficult to comprehensively understand using only a reductionist approach, studying just units of the whole. The integration of “omic” techniques can be called Systems Biology and it aim is to define the interrelationships of several or, if possible, all the elements in a biological system. The HDB and System Biology have been used widely for biomarker discover in several diseases, once they allow for a global description of changes in biological systems and do not require a specific hypothesis. Unfortunately despite the fact that achieves HDB studies is not so difficult nowadays, the use of this approach together with systems biology is rare in the reproductive biology field. The main goal of this review is to introduce the reader to the HDB and mass spectrometry and how they could benefit the reproductive biology field.

[Disability and rehabilitation outcome in hemiplegia with global aphasia and neglect]. / Disabilità e outcome riabilitativo nell'emiplegico con afasia globale ed eminattenzione.

PURPOSE: Global aphasia and neglect are considered to be the neuropsychological disorders mostly affecting the hemiplegia outcome. The aim of this study is to examine which of the two disorders is making worse the recovery from hemiplegia. METHODS: The study was conduced on 45 patients suffering from hemiplegia: 15 subject with global aphasia, 15 with neglect and 15 without neuropsychological disorders (control group). All patients were subject to rehabilitation treatment. Before and after rehabilitation, the assessment of patients was made using neuropsychological tests, Fugl-Meyer scale and Functional Independence Measure (FIM). At admission, all patients were not self-sufficient. RESULTS: At the end of the rehabilitation period the recovery of motor function was poor in both groups. The damage on limbs motion was severe in 93.4% and marked in 6.6% of both patients with global aphasia and neglect. At discharge, the FIM motor score of patients with global aphasia (44.6 +/- 13) was higher than in those with neglect (37.2 +/- 10) and was not statistically different from control group (51.2 +/- 18) (p = 0.493). The FIM motor score of patients with neglect was significantly lower than control group (p = 0.036). In patients with global aphasia effectiveness was 35.5% and efficiency 0.40 while in patients with neglect effectiveness was 18% and efficiency 0.22. The final disability was lower in patients subject to global aphasia than neglect. CONCLUSIONS: The study showed that neglect limits the recovery from stroke more than global aphasia.e.

Gain measurements in stimulated rotational Raman scattering in para hydrogen.

The dependence on CO(2)-laser pump energy of the output Stokes radiation obtained through stimulated rotational Raman scattering in para hydrogen is studied experimentally. The effective plane-wave gain for this process was determined as a function of the scattered wavelength by using a theoretical expression for the scattered pulse energy. Experimental values for the gain follow an inverse-wavelength law and are in close agreement with theory.