The effect of leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF) on bovine embryo development in vitro : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Agricultural Science in Animal Science at Massey University

The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of Leukaemia Inhibitory Factor (LIF) either during in vitro maturation (IVM) or in vitro culture (IVC) on bovine embryo development. Three main experiments were conducted using oocytes aspirated from 2-8 mm diameter follicles collected from cows slaughtered at local abattoirs, Hamilton. The oocytes were matured in a modified TCM-199 containing 10 µ/ml of FSH and LH, and 1 µg/ml E2, fertilised in TALP and cultured in SOF/AA/BSA. Experiment 1 examined the effect of LIF (0, 500, 1000 or 2000 U/ml) and various time periods of IVM (18, 22 or 28 h), in a 4 × 3 factorial design on oocyte maturation. Following maturation, oocytes were stripped out of cumulus cells, then denuded oocytes were stained in 1% lacmoid for determination of maturation stage while the cumulus cells were examined for the incidence of apoptosis by observation of DNA fragmentation using gel electrophoresis procedures. Experiment 2 comprised two parts, (a) the effect of LIF (0, 500, 1000 or 2000 U/ml) at 24 h IVM in a randomised block design on in vitro development of embryos, (b) comparison of 20 vs 24 h IVM in the presence of LIF (0, 500, 1000 or 2000 U/ml) in a 2 × 4 factorial experiment on embryo development. In the two studies, the proportion of bovine oocytes that cleaved and developed to blastocyst stage was recorded. In addition, cell numbers of blastocysts after Giemsa staining were counted. Experiment 3 examined the effect of LIF during IVM (0 vs 1000 U/ml) or IVC (0, 500, 1000 or 2000 U/ml) in a 2 × 4 factorial design on development of embryos. The incidence of cleavage and blastocyst development and cell numbers of blastocysts were recorded. In addition, blastocysts were further categorised into early, expanded and hatched blastocyst stages and cell numbers of blastocyst inner cell mass (ICM) and trophectoderm (TE) after differential staining with Hoechst 33342 and propidium iodide were determined. In Experiment One, an interaction of LIF concentration and duration of IVM was not observed for the proportion of immature oocytes reaching metaphase II (P>0.05). The presence of LIF (500, 1000 or 2000 U/ml) increased the proportion of oocytes at metaphase II at 18 h (50%, 52% or 58%, respectively, compared to without LIF= 27%), indication that LIF may accelerate the maturation process in vitro. Supplementation of LIF during IVM did not affect the incidence of apoptosis of the cumulus cells. In Experiment Two, compared to 24 h IVM in the presence of LIF, 20 h IVM significantly increased blastocyst rates (Σ blastocysts : Σ cleaved, P0.05), however the data show that treatment groups of 20 h IVM in LIF resulted in higher cell numbers of blastocysts than achieved by 24 h IVM. In Experiment Three, there was a correlation between LIF during IVM and LIF during IVC in the proportion of blastocysts (P0.05). However, blastocysts derived from oocytes matured without LIF had significantly increased cell numbers (121 cells) compared to those matured in 1000 U/ml LIF (109 cells, P0.05). However, a concentration of 2000 U/ml LIF during IVC accelerated blastocyst development with more blastocysts hatching (60%, P0.05). A concentration of 1000 U/ml LEF during IVC resulted in higher cell numbers of ICM (P<0.05). This study suggests that LIF of 500, 1000 or 2000 U/ml increased the proportion of metaphase II bovine oocytes and even reduced the time course of IVM. Supplementation of LIF during IVM may suppress the incidence of apoptosis of the cumulus cells. IVM for 20 h in the presence of LIF resulted in a higher number of blastocysts and 1000 U/ml LIF during IVM and culture in LIF increased the proportion of blastocysts. A higher concentration of LIF is required for reaching the hatched blastocyst stage. A level of 1000 U/ml LIF during IVC promoted higher cell numbers of ICM

The right to ignore: An epistemic defense of the nature/culture divide

This paper addresses whether the often-bemoaned loss of unity of knowledge about humans, which results from the disciplinary fragmentation of science, is something to be overcome. The fragmentation of being human rests on a couple of distinctions, such as the nature-culture divide. Since antiquity the distinction between nature (roughly, what we inherit biologically) and culture (roughly, what is acquired by social interaction) has been a commonplace in science and society. Recently, the nature/culture divide has come under attack in various ways, in philosophy as well as in cultural anthropology. Regarding the latter, for instance, the divide was quintessential in its beginnings as an academic dis-cipline, when Alfred L. Kroeber, one of the first professional anthropologists in the US, rallied for (what I call) the right to ignore—in his case, human nature—by adopting a separationist epistemic stance. A separationist stance will be understood as an epistemic research heuristic that defends the right to ignore a specif-ic phenomenon (e.g., human nature) or a specific causal factor in an explanation typical for a disciplinary field. I will use Kroeber’s case as an example for making a general point against a bias towards integration (synthesis bias, as I call it) that is exemplified, for instance, by defenders of evolutionary psychology. I will claim that, in principle, a separationist stance is as good as an integrationist stance since both can be equally fruitful. With this argument from fruitful sepa-ration in place, not just the separationist stance but also the nature/culture di-vide can be defended against its critics

Improving the Lives of Young Children: Opportunities for Care Coordination and Case Management for Children Receiving Services for Developmental Delay

Summarizes new opportunities for states to develop a coordinated system of care for children receiving early childhood intervention and services and how providers can support effective care coordination and case management policies

Bureaucracy and Pro-poor Change

Based on the premise that a functioning state is a necessary pre-requisite for pro-poor change, it is critical to investigate the role of the bureaucracy as a key catalyst in this process. Weber (1968) ascribes bureaucracies to be anchors of the modern nation state as their conduct is based on rational-legal norms. Bureaucracies, according to this ideal type, temper the populist urges of politicians who wish to execute policy unencumbered by rules and procedures. State success or failure in many cases, therefore, can be gauged by the degree to which this tensionbetween the rules based bureaucratic form of administration and populist politicsis resolved. Prognosis on pro-poor change in the light of the present and anticipated balance between bureaucratic procedures and political compulsions is thus an important area of inquiry. There is consensus that the disconnect between policy formulation and execution in Pakistan has widened considerably in the last three decades or so. And this is in spite of the fact of the generally acclaimed view that Pakistan inherited a well functioning and competent bureaucracy from the British Raj [Braibanti (1966)]. While part of the blame for this disconnect can be ascribed to incoherence in policy formulation on the part of the political leadershipboth civil and militarybut bureaucratic malfeasance, incompetence and corruption have been critical factors in the level of governance declining over time. This paper takes a political economy perspective in analysing the nature and causes on the decline in bureaucratic conduct. Section 1 lays out the details of this structure. Based on a logical model which places the bureaucracy within the larger context of the objective function of the state, the nature of the political process, the degree of centralisation and fragmentation of the bureaucratic structure and processes for monitoring and accountability of the bureaucracy, this model provides the basis for subsequent analysis. Section 2 provides a historical overview with regard to changes in the bureaucratic and political structure and the impact it had on the above mentioned balance between bureaucratic conduct and political compulsions. Section 3 then analyses the consequences on service delivery that this systematic weakening of the bureaucratic structure has had. Section 4 then critically assesses some of the recent attempts at bureaucratic reform in the light of the framework developed in Section 1. The conclusion then summarises the paper and draws implications for pro-poor change of the structure and conduct of the bureaucratic structure in Pakistan.bureaucracy, pro-poor change, consequences on service

Bureaucracy and Pro-poor Change

This paper takes a political economy perspective in analysing the nature and causes on the decline in bureaucratic conduct. Section 1 lays out the details of this structure. Based on a logical model which places the bureaucracy within the larger context of the objective function of the state, the nature of the political process, the degree of centralisation and fragmentation of the bureaucratic structure and processes for monitoring and accountability of the bureaucracy, this model provides the basis for subsequent analysis. Section 2 provides a historical overview with regard to changes in the bureaucratic and political structure and the impact it had on the above mentioned balance between bureaucratic conduct and political compulsions. Section 3 then analyses the consequences on service delivery that this systematic weakening of the bureaucratic structure has had. Section 4 then critically assesses some of the recent attempts at bureaucratic reform in the light of the framework developed in Section 1. The conclusion then summarises the paper and draws implications for pro-poor change of the structure and conduct of the bureaucratic structure in PakistanPoverty, Poor, Bureaucracy

The New Age of Hybridity and Clash of Norms: China, BRICS and Challenges of Global Governance in a Post-liberal International Order

This article sketches an analytical framework to account for new patterns of global governance. We characterize the emergent post-liberal international order as a new age of hybridity, which signifies that no overriding set of paradigms dominate global governance. Instead we have a complex web of competing norms, which creates new opportunities as well as major elements of instability, uncertainty and anxiety. In the age of hybridity, non-Western great powers (led by China) play an increasingly counter-hegemonic role in shaping new style multilateralism – ontologically fragmented, normatively inconsistent, and institutionally incoherent. We argue that democracy paradox constitutes the fundamental issue at stake in this new age of hybridity. On the one hand, global power transitions seem to enable ‘democratization of globalization’ by opening more space to the hitherto excluded non-Western states to make their voices heard. On the other hand, emerging pluralism in global governance is accompanied by the regression of liberal democracy and spread of illiberalism that enfeeble ‘globalization of democratization.

Effects of chronic buproprion and nicotine administration on cell genesis and DNA fragmentation in adult rat dentate gyrus

Previous experiments have shown that chronic subcutaneous administration of nicotine dose-dependently inhibits the acquisition and retention of a spatial task in the Morris water maze and reduces cell genesis in the dentate gyrus (DG) of adult rats.1 In the present study, the effects of nicotine and buproprion, an atypical antidepressant used in smoking cessation, on dentate gyrus cell genesis and DNA fragmentation were investigated. The results show that nicotine, chronically infused for 21 days, suppressed cell genesis and enhanced DNA fragmentation in the DG, an effect not attenuated by co-administration of buproprion.peer-reviewe

Metabolic fingerprinting to assess the impact of salinity on carotenoid content in developing tomato fruits

As the presence of health-promoting substances has become a significant aspect of tomato fruit appreciation, this study investigated nutrient solution salinity as a tool to enhance carotenoid accumulation in cherry tomato fruit (Solanum lycopersicum L. cv. Juanita). Hereby, a key objective was to uncover the underlying mechanisms of carotenoid metabolism, moving away from typical black box research strategies. To this end, a greenhouse experiment with five salinity treatments (ranging from 2.0 to 5.0 decisiemens (dS) m(-1)) was carried out and a metabolomic fingerprinting approach was applied to obtain valuable insights on the complicated interactions between salinity treatments, environmental conditions, and the plant's genetic background. Hereby, several hundreds of metabolites were attributed a role in the plant's salinity response (at the fruit level), whereby the overall impact turned out to be highly depending on the developmental stage. In addition, 46 of these metabolites embraced a dual significance as they were ascribed a prominent role in carotenoid metabolism as well. Based on the specific mediating actions of the retained metabolites, it could be determined that altered salinity had only marginal potential to enhance carotenoid accumulation in the concerned tomato fruit cultivar. This study invigorates the usefulness of metabolomics in modern agriculture, for instance in modeling tomato fruit quality. Moreover, the metabolome changes that were caused by the different salinity levels may enclose valuable information towards other salinity-related plant processes as well

Understanding evolutionary processes during past Quaternary climatic cycles: Can it be applied to the future?

Climate change affected ecological community make-up during the Quaternary which was probably both the cause of, and was caused by, evolutionary processes such as species evolution, adaptation and extinction of species and populations