Is the Function of the Porcine Sperm Reservoir Restricted to the Ovulatory Period?

The uterotubal junction (UTJ) and caudal isthmus are recognized as a functional pre-ovulatory sperm reservoir (SR). Spermatozoa are released from the SR in a complex and concerted action. However, whether this functionality is restricted only to the ovulatory period is still open to debate. Our study was aimed to analyze the presence of spermatozoa within the UTJ (SR), isthmus (ISTH) and ampulla (AMP) after laparoscopic intrauterine insemination (LIUI) either in the peri- (PERI) or post-ovulatory (POST) period or at mid cycle (MID). Each uterine horn of estrus synchronized gilts (n=12) was inseminated with 20 ml sperm (29.5×10⁶ cells/ml). Oviducts were recovered 7 h after LIUI and separated into the UTJ, ISTH and AMP, and sections were flushed with 10 ml PBS+EDTA solution. After centrifugation, the sperm pellet was evaluated by Čeřovský staining. The median sperm numbers in the PERI, POST and MID groups were 578, 171 and 789 in the UTJ; 545, 233 and 713 in the ISTH; and 496, 280 and 926 in the AMP, respectively, and there were differences between the POST and MID groups (P<0.05) but not between the oviductal sections of each group (P>0.05). Compared with the MID group, the percent of intact sperm cells was higher (P<0.01) in the PERI and POST groups (32.8 vs. 66.4 and 76.8%). Also, the percentages of aberrations in the acrosome and tail were higher (P<0.05) in the MID group. Based on this, it can be assumed that the sperm reservoir is active during different phases of the estrus cycle. However, the mid-cycle oviduct environment considerably impairs sperm cell quality.     

Composition of grain and forage from corn rootworm-protected corn event MON 863 is equivalent to that of conventional corn (Zea mays l.)

Insect-protected corn hybrids containing event MON 863 protect corn plants against feeding damage from corn rootworm (Diabrotica), a major North American insect pest. Corn event MON 863 contains a gene that expresses an amino acid sequence variant of the wild-type Cry3Bb1 insecticidal protein from Bacillus thuringiensis. The purpose of this study was to compare the composition of corn containing event MON 863 with that of conventional nontransgenic corn. Compositional analyses were conducted to measure proximates, fiber, amino acids, fatty acids, minerals, folic acid, thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin E, antinutrients, and certain secondary metabolites in grain and proximates and fiber content in forage collected from a total of eight field sites in the U.S. and Argentina. Compositional analyses demonstrated that the grain and forage of event MON 863 are comparable in their nutritional content to the control corn hybrid and conventional corn. These comparisons, together with the history of the safe use of corn as a common component of animal feed and human food, support the conclusion that corn event MON 863 is compositionally equivalent to, and as safe and nutritious as, conventional corn hybrids grown commercially today.     

Compositional equivalence of insect-protected glyphosate-tolerant soybean MON 87701 × MON 89788 to conventional soybean extends across different world regions and multiple growing seasons

The soybean product MON 87701 × MON 89788 expresses both the cry1Ac gene derived from Bacillus thuringiensis and the cp4 epsps (5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase) gene derived from Agrobacterium sp. strain CP4. Each biotechnology-derived trait confers specific benefits of insect resistance and glyphosate tolerance, respectively. The purpose of this study was to compare the composition of seed and forage from this combined-trait product to those of conventional soybean grown in geographically and climatically distinct regions. Field trials were conducted in the United States during the 2007 growing season, in Argentina during the 2007-2008 growing season, and in the northern and southern soybean regions of Brazil during the 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 growing seasons. Results demonstrated that the compositional equivalence of MON 87701 × MON 89788 to the conventional soybean extended across all regions and growing seasons. Further evaluation of the data showed that natural variation (region and growing season) contributed more to compositional variability in soybean, particularly for such components as isoflavones, fatty acids, and vitamin E, than transgene insertion.     

Compositional variability in conventional and glyphosate-tolerant soybean (Glycine max L.) varieties grown in different regions in Brazil

The compositions of a diverse range of commercially available conventional and genetically modified (GM; glyphosate-tolerant) soybean varieties from maturity groups 8 and 5, respectively, grown in the northern and southern soybean regions of Brazil during the 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 growing seasons were compared. Compositional analyses included measurement of essential macro- and micronutrients, antinutrients, and selected secondary metabolites in harvested seed as well as measurement of proximates in both forage and harvested seed. Statistical comparisons utilized a mixed analysis of variance model to evaluate the relative contributions of growing season, soybean growing region, production site, phenotype (GM or conventional), and variety. The study highlighted extensive variability in the overall data set particularly for components such as fatty acids, vitamin E, and isoflavones. There were few differences between the GM and non-GM populations, and most of the variability in the data set could be attributed to regional and variety differences. Overall, the results were consistent with the expanding literature on the lack of any meaningful impact of transgene insertion on crop composition.     

Sperm migration in pigs after deep intrauterine and intraperitoneal insemination

Deep intrauterine insemination in pigs allows sperm deposition only into one uterine horn, but bilateral fertilization of oocytes occurs. How the sperm reach the contralateral oviduct remains disputable. The aim of this experiment was to study possible transperitoneal and/or transuterine sperm migration ways. Follicle growth and ovulation were induced in 24 peripubertal gilts with eCG and hCG 72 h after eCG. Endoscopic intrauterine insemination (IUI) was performed 32 h after hCG with 20 ml of extended semen (60 × 10(6) spermatozoa) as follows: Group CONTROL (n=8) received IUI into the right horn, and the left horn served as non-treated control; Group LIGATURE (n=8) received IUI into the right horn, and the left horn was closed by endoscopic double ligature close to the bifurcation; Group INTRAPERITONEAL (IPI; n=8) received IUI into the right uterine horn, the left horn was closed by double ligature and semen was deposited intraperitoneally at the surface of the left ovary. Genital tracts were removed 65-66 h after hCG, the oviducts were flushed and ova (n=299) were analyzed for fertilization and cleavage. Furthermore, the accessory spermatozoa count/oocyte was graded as 0, without spermatozoa, 1, <5 spermatozoa, 2, 5-50 spermatozoa, 3, 50-100 spermatozoa and 4, >100 spermatozoa. The results indicate that low dose IUI into one horn provides a lower grade of accessory spermatozoa in the contra-lateral side (1.6 vs. 2.8). No spermatozoa were found in ova flushed from oviducts of the ligated uterine horn, even after intraperitoneal insemination (P<0.05), and no fertilization occurred, respectively. Our results clearly indicate that after low dose IUI into one uterine horn, spermatozoa reach the contralateral oviduct via transuterine migration.     

Natural variability of metabolites in maize grain: differences due to genetic background

Understanding the impact of genetic diversity on crop biochemical composition is a prerequisite to the interpretation and potential relevance of biochemical differences experimentally observed between genotypes. This is particularly important in the context of comparative safety assessments for crops developed by new technologies such as genetic engineering. To interrogate the natural variability of biochemical composition, grain from seven maize hybrids grown at four geographically distinct sites in Europe was analyzed for levels of proximates (fat, protein, moisture, ash, and carbohydrates), fiber, amino acids, fatty acids, four vitamins, nine minerals, and secondary metabolites. Statistical evaluation of the compositional data at the p < 0.05 level compared each hybrid against every other hybrid (head-to-head) for all analytes at each site and then across all sites to understand the factors contributing to variability. Of the 4935 statistical comparisons made in this study, 40% (1986) were found to be significant. The magnitude of differences observed, as a percent, ranged between 0.84 and 149% when all individual sites and the combined sites were considered. The large number of statistically significant differences in the levels of these analytes between seven commercial hybrids emphasizes the importance of genetic background and environment as determinants of the biochemical composition of maize grain, reflects the inherent natural variability in those analytes across a representative sampling of maize hybrids, and provides a baseline of the natural range of these nutritional and antinutritional components in maize for comparative compositional assessments.     

Chemical changes of wood during steaming measured by IR spectroscopy

Black locust, poplar and spruce samples were steamed at 80°C and 120°C for 48 hours. IR difference spectra and the CIE Lab colour coordinates were measured for determining the chemical changes caused by the steaming. Steaming at 80°C caused only small changes in both IR spectra and colour. But steaming at 120°C produced intensive colour change and well-visible changes in IR spectra. The guaiacyl lignin in hardwoods underwent slight degradation but in spruce suffered substantial degradation during steaming at 120°C. The syringyl lignin absorbing around 1600 cm^?1 did not show any changes, indicating that it is more stable to steaming than guaiacyl lignin. The absorption decrease at 1175 cm^?1 indicated the cleavage of ether linkage in cellulose and hemicelluloses at both steaming temperatures.     

Experimental West Nile virus infection in Eastern Screech Owls (Megascops asio)

Eastern Screech Owls (EASOs) were experimentally infected with the pathogenic New York 1999 strain of West Nile virus (WNV) by subcutaneous injection or per os. Two of nine subcutaneously inoculated birds died or were euthanatized on 8 or 9 days postinfection (DPI) after <24 hr of lethargy and recumbency. All subcutaneously inoculated birds developed levels of viremia that are likely infectious to mosquitoes, with peak viremia levels ranging from 10(5.0) to 10(9.6) plaque-forming units/ml. Despite the viremia, the remaining seven birds did not display signs of illness. All birds alive beyond 5 DPI seroconverted, although the morbid birds demonstrated significantly lower antibody titers than the clinically normal birds. Cagemates of infected birds did not become infected. One of five orally exposed EASOs became viremic and seroconverted, whereas WNV infection in the remaining four birds was not evident. All infected birds shed virus via the oral and cloacal route. Early during infection, WNV targeted skin, spleen, esophagus, and skeletal muscle. The two morbid owls had myocardial and skeletal muscle necrosis and mild encephalitis and nephritis, whereas some of the clinically healthy birds that were sacrificed on 14 DPI had myocardial arteritis and renal phlebitis. WNV is a significant pathogen of EASOs, causing pathologic lesions with varying clinical outcomes.     

Measurement of standard and off-axis elastic moduli and Poisson’s ratios of spruce and yew wood in the transverse plane

It is well known that in the radial–tangential plane of softwoods, the elastic modulus in the principal directions is clearly higher than the off-axis elastic moduli, which decrease to a minimum at a growth ring angle α of about 45°. However, this angular dependency was experimentally proven by only a few early publications. The aims of this study were (1) to analyze this relationship with up-to-date equipment in compression tests on miniature softwood specimens with varying growth ring angles and (2) to compare the experimental results with those calculated by a tensor transformation to assess whether it is admissible to treat the investigated wood species as orthotropic materials. Two softwoods with distinctly different anatomic structures (Norway spruce and common yew) were chosen, and further properties such as Poisson’s ratios were determined. The results confirm the above-mentioned angle-dependent tendency for spruce elasticity, but also show that it is not valid for softwoods in general since the behavior of yew was completely different. The tissue textures of both species, particularly density and density distribution, were discussed as possible reason for these observed differences. The determined Poisson’s ratios for principal and off-axis load directions may be useful for modeling of material behavior.     

Fish spawning aggregations: where well‐placed management actions can yield big benefits for fisheries and conservation

Marine ecosystem management has traditionally been divided between fisheries management and biodiversity conservation approaches, and the merging of these disparate agendas has proven difficult. Here, we offer a pathway that can unite fishers, scientists, resource managers and conservationists towards a single vision for some areas of the ocean where small investments in management can offer disproportionately large benefits to fisheries and biodiversity conservation. Specifically, we provide a series of evidenced‐based arguments that support an urgent need to recognize fish spawning aggregations (FSAs) as a focal point for fisheries management and conservation on a global scale, with a particular emphasis placed on the protection of multispecies FSA sites. We illustrate that these sites serve as productivity hotspots – small areas of the ocean that are dictated by the interactions between physical forces and geomorphology, attract multiple species to reproduce in large numbers and support food web dynamics, ecosystem health and robust fisheries. FSAs are comparable in vulnerability, importance and magnificence to breeding aggregations of seabirds, sea turtles and whales yet they receive insufficient attention and are declining worldwide. Numerous case‐studies confirm that protected aggregations do recover to benefit fisheries through increases in fish biomass, catch rates and larval recruitment at fished sites. The small size and spatio‐temporal predictability of FSAs allow monitoring, assessment and enforcement to be scaled down while benefits of protection scale up to entire populations. Fishers intuitively understand the linkages between protecting FSAs and healthy fisheries and thus tend to support their protection.