Characterization of Gene Expression in Double-Muscled and Normal-Muscled Bovine Embryos

Myostatin, a member of the transforming growth factor-beta superfamily, is a negative regulator of skeletal muscle growth. Cattle with mutations that inactivate myostatin exhibit a remarkable increase in mass of skeletal muscle called double muscling that is accompanied by an equally remarkable decrease in carcass fat. Although a mouse knockout model has been created which results in mice with a 200% increase in skeletal muscle mass, molecular mechanisms whereby myostatin regulates skeletal muscle and fat mass are not fully understood. Using suppressive subtractive hybridization, genes that were differentially expressed in double-muscled vs. normal-muscled cattle embryos were identified. Genetic variation at other loci was minimized by using embryonic samples collected from related Piedmontese x Angus dams or Belgian Blue x Hereford dams bred to a single sire of the same breed composition. Embryos were collected at 31-33 days of gestation, which is 2-4 days after high-level expression of myostatin in the developing bovine embryo. The suppressive subtraction resulted in 30 clones that were potentially differentially expressed, 19 of which were confirmed by macroarray analysis. Several of these genes have biological functions that suggest that they are directly involved in myostatin\u27s regulation of skeletal muscle development. Furthermore, several of these genes map to quantitative trait loci known to interact with variation in the myostatin gene

Which Past for the Soldier? Military History, Historical Education, and the Ethics of Democracy in Germany Today

 The construction of tradition in the military depends on the meaning given to certain aspects of the past in the light of the pres- ent. West Germany’s history of tradition-building since 1955 is a case in point. After the end of Nazism, the new democratic armed forces, the Bundeswehr, was supposed to distance itself from the Wehrmacht by emphasizing the “civil” role of soldiers. Communicating historical knowledge became part of their democratic education rather than a guideline for military performance. Institutions such as the Center for Military History and the Museum of Military History, travel exhibitions, as well as popular scientific journals have contributed to an understand- ing of what is worthy of tradition – in particular the Prussian reforms, the plot of 20 July 1944, and the history of the Bundeswehr itself. Such references to the past – so the argument goes – help soldiers in combat to better grasp the ethical framework of military operations, provide orientation, and support their identity. Whether and how traditions should be adjusted according to changing military conditions remains controversial

Digestion, rumen fermentation and circulating concentrations of insulin, growth hormone and IGF-1 in steers fed diets based on different proportions of maize silage and grass silage

Replacing grass silage with maize silage results in a fundamental change in the ratio of structural to non-structural carbohydrates with commensurate changes in rumen fermentation patterns and nutrient utilisation. This study investigated the effects of feeding four forage mixtures, namely grass silage (G); 67 g/100 g grass silage133 g/100 g maize silage (GGM); 67 g/100 g maize silage133/100 g grass silage (MMG); maize silage (M) to four ruminally and duodenally canulated Holstein Friesian steers. All diets were formulated to be isonitrogenous (22.4 g N/kg DM) using a concentrate mixture. Dietary dry matter (DM) and organic matter (OM) digestibility increased with ascending maize silage inclusion (P,0.1) whereas starch and neutral detergent fibre digestibility declined (P,0.05). Ratio of non-glucogenic to glucogenic precursors in the rumen fluid increased with maize silage inclusion (P,0.01) with a commensurate reduction in rumen pH (P,0.05). Mean circulating concentrations of insulin were greatest and similar in diets MMG and GGM, lower in diet M and lowest in diet G (P,0.01). There were no effects of diet on the mean circulating concentration of growth hormone (GH), or the frequency, amplitude and duration of GH pulses, or the mean circulating concentrations of IGF-1. Increasing levels of DM, OM and starch intakes with the substitution of grass silage with maize silage affected overall digestion, nutrient partitioning and subsequent circulating concentrations of insulin

A Simple Method for Freezing Bovine Embryos

Deep freezing (cryopreservation) of bovine embryos provides an efficient economical method for storing embryos until suitable recipient cows (surrogate mothers) are available, or for transporting embryos to recipient cows at a distant location (e.g., exportation or importation of embryos between continents or geographic areas). Pregnancy rates achieved with frozen bovine embryos have increased steadily during the past five years and are approaching those obtained with fresh bovine embryos. However, acceptable pregnancy rates are only achieved when Grades 1 and 2 quality (excellent and good quality) embryos are frozen; survivability of Grade 3 (fair quality) embryos is considerably higher if the embryos are transferred fresh rather than frozen. A simplified method for freezing and thawing bovine embryos is described, and pregnancy rates obtained are compared with those for fresh embryos

Militärgeschichte

Krieg und Militär sind die beiden Hauptkomponenten der Militärgeschichte. Das Feld umfasst Forschungen zu militärischen Konflikten, zur sozialen Gruppe und Großorganisation Militär ebenso wie zu den Abhängigkeiten und Wechselwirkungen zwischen Krieg und Militär auf der einen und der jeweiligen gesellschaftlichen Verfasstheit auf der anderen Seite. Jörg Echternkamp zeichnet in seinem Beitrag den thematischen und methodischen Wandel nach, der seit den 1990er-Jahren immer häufiger dazu führt, dass die Militärgeschichte ihren Blick vom Schlachtfeld auf die Kriegsgesellschaften richtet. Er beschreibt die wichtigsten Debatten und plädiert dafür, Militärgeschichte als zeithistorische Aufklärung zu verstehen

Silke Satjukow, Besatzer

Armée libératrice et non d’occupation : officiellement, la glorieuse Armée rouge avait libéré l’Allemagne du fascisme et du capitalisme. Grâce à cette présentation des faits, l’héroïsme soviétique devint la pièce maîtresse du mythe antifasciste servant à légitimer l’existence de la RDA. Plus d’un demi-million de soldats soviétiques vécurent en Allemagne de l’Est entre 1945 et 1994. Lorsque la présence du Groupe Ouest des troupes soviétiques en Allemagne prit fin comme prévu le 9 septembre 199..

Blood Flow to the Uterus

Pattern of blood flow to the bovine uterus was determined by using electromagnetic blood flow probes during the estrous cycle and early pregnancy to evaluate the effect of the early bovine conceptus on uterine blood supply. Pattern of blood flow through the middle uterine artery of pregnant and nonpregnant cows was similar until day 14 after mating or estrus. Between days 14 and 18 of pregnancy, blood flow to the uterine horn containing the conceptus increased two-to-threefold, whereas blood flow to the other uterine horn in these cows remained constant. By day 19 of pregnancy, blood to the pregnant horn had returned to the level on day 13. Blood flow to both uterine horns of pregnant cows was low from days 19 to 25 and then increased to the pregnant horn through the remainder of pregnancy. Uterine blood flow during the estrous cycle of nonpregnant cows was positively associated with systemic concentrations of estradiol, whereas during pregnancy blood flow was positively related with progesterone concentration. These data indicate local control of uterine blood flow by the bovine conceptus, which may function to create optimal conditions for the continuation of pregnancy

Ramsey-type phase control of free-electron beams

Quantum coherent evolution, interference between multiple distinct paths and phase-controlled sequential interactions are the basis for powerful multi-dimensional optical and nuclear magnetic resonance3 spectroscopies, including Ramsey’s method of separated fields. Recent developments in the quantum state preparation of free electrons suggest a transfer of such concepts to ultrafast electron imaging and spectroscopy. Here, we demonstrate the sequential coherent manipulation of free-electron superposition states in an ultrashort electron pulse, using nanostructures featuring two spatially separated near-fields with polarization anisotropy. The incident light polarization controls the relative phase of these near-fields, yielding constructive and destructive quantum interference of the subsequent interactions. Future implementations of such electron–light interferometers may provide access to optically phase-resolved electronic dynamics and dephasing mechanisms with attosecond precision

BesatzerSilke SATJUKOW

Silke SATJUKOW, Besatzer, «Die Russen» in Deutschland 1945-1994, Göttingen : Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2008, 405 p., 6 ill., 10 tabl. Armée libératrice et non d’occupation : officiellement, la glorieuse Armée rouge avait libéré l’Allemagne du fascisme et du capitalisme. Grâce à cette présentation des faits, l’héroïsme soviétique devint la pièce maîtresse du mythe antifasciste servant à légitimer l’existence de la RDA. Plus d’un demi-million de soldats soviétiques vécurent en Allemagne de l’Est ..