Modelling aspects of oviduct fluid formation in vitro

© 2017 Society for Reproduction and Fertility. Oviduct fluid is the microenvironment that supports early reproductive processes including fertilisation, embryo cleavage and genome activation. However, the composition and regulation of this critical environment remain rather poorly defined. This study uses an in vitro preparation of the bovine oviduct epithelium to investigate the formation and composition of in vitro-derived oviduct fluid (ivDOF) within a controlled environment. We confirm the presence of oviduct-specific glycoprotein 1 in ivDOF and show that the amino acid and carbohydrate content resembles that of previously reported in vivo data. In parallel, using a different culture system, a panel of oviduct epithelial solute carrier genes and the corresponding flux of amino acids within ivDOF in response to steroid hormones were investigated. We next incorporated fibroblasts directly beneath the epithelium. This dual culture arrangement represents more faithfully the in vivo environment and impacts on ivDOF composition. Lastly, physiological and pathophysiological endocrine states were modelled and their impact on the in vitro oviduct preparation was evaluated. These experiments help clarify the dynamic function of the oviduct in vitro and suggest a number of future research avenues, such as investigating epithelial-fibroblast interactions, probing the molecular aetiologies of subfertility and optimising embryo culture media

Development of auditing standards in Australia

The development of auditing standards in Australia occurred in three phases. The primary professional initiatives have come from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia. The first phase was marked by F. E. Trigg\u27s presentation to the Australian Congress on Accounting in 1948. In this work Trigg relied heavily on English practice and thought. The second phase was largely a period of inactivity so far as auditing standards were concerned because of concern for other matters of greater urgency. The third phase was marked by the adoption of American ideas and, partly in response to continuing criticism of accounting, a commitment to the continuing review of auditing standards

Scientific Theology, Vol. I: Nature (Book Review)

Reviewed Title: A Scientific Theology, Vol. I: Nature, by Alister E. McGrath (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2001). 325 pp. Cloth $40.00. ISBN 0-8028-3925-8

Vegetation Change and Seed Banks in Marshes: Ecological and Management Implications

Natural waterfowl habitat management (Weller 1981) involves the use of natural forces (e.g., water levels, muskrat activity) to develop a mosaic of native plant communities, i.e., a habitat complex. Such a complex is designed to provide the nutritional and structural requirements for not only waterfowl, but also for a large variety of migratory bird and nongame species (Fredrickson and Taylor 1982). Natural management is less costly, more permanent, more esthetically pleasing, and provides more resources for wildlife than do standard agronomic practices (Fredrickson and Taylor 1982). Because natural marsh management is primarily the application of ecological principles, the successful development of a habitat complex requires a conceptual grasp of vegetation dynamics and a detailed understanding of the biological and physical factors that produce vegetation changes in wetlands

A Time Like No Other: 4-H Youth Development and COVID-19

In this thought leader commentary, we review the potential devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on young people, including trauma, impacts on mental health, socioemotional distress, and changes in academic learning. Stating that 4-H is uniquely positioned to mitigate these effects through intentional positive youth development efforts, we present a call to action for 4-H educators and Extension administrators as we move from initial reaction to recovery and beyond. We recommend four research-based strategies to ensure that youths not only survive, but thrive, in this time like no other

Law and Quantitative Multivariate Analysis: An Encounter

This Article chronicles one attempt to blend the sophisticated science of statistics with the mysterious art of the law in an antitrust case. Once again, we hope to provide lawyers with an understanding of a tool which can be used in resolving complex factual questions wherever they arise, not merely in an antitrust context. Although the lawyer will not emerge from this encounter as an accomplished statistician or economist, he may be able to talk to his fellow social scientists and to achieve a more fruitful application of social science techniques to the law

When is quality assurance a constructive force in engineering education?

Quality assurance processes in education have been a key area of engineering education development for several decades. ABET, ENQA - The European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education, as well as other agencies in Europe and the Asia Pacific have largely converged on a set of high level graduate outcomes, widely considered to be those most relevant to the engineering professions. We suggest that outcome assessment can be classified into four major approaches, education as a service (with the focus on identifying customers), as a process (with a focus on describing the formative impact of curriculum on learners), as a Body of Knowledge (with a focus on transmission of that knowledge and the generation of artefacts), and finally as expansion of the individual (focusing on holistic development of the intellect)