Life Sciences Commons^™

Butterhead Lettuce Variety Performance Trial In A Hydroponic Nft System, Leah Worth, Mary Rogers, Amanda Reardon

Midwest Vegetable Trial Reports

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) is a cool-season crop grown exclusively for fresh consumption. The intensive consumer demand of pre-packaged and living butterheads in the market today has been supported by the shift of soil production methods to soilless hydroponic systems. Hydroponic varietal and fertility recommendations for living butterhead optimization are limited to small-scale growers, however. To increase understanding of butterhead lettuce fertility preference, we examined two different water reservoir fertility concentrations across 12 replicated nutrient film technique (NFT) systems planted with six butterhead lettuce varieties. No differences were found between varieties grown in either recommended or high fertility concentrations, …

Prenatal Transportation Stress Did Not Impact Ovarian Follicle Count For Three Generations Of Female Brahman Offspring, Lacey K. Quail, Ronald D. Randel, Thomas H. Welsh Jr., Robert A. Cushman, Hannah K. Yake, Rui A. D'Orey Branco, Donald A. Neuendorff, Charles R. Long, George A. Perry

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

As prenatal transportation stress altered behavior and adrenal glucocorticoid secretion of calves, we hypothesized that prenatal transportation stress would decrease ovarian reserve size and negatively impact female offspring fertility. The impact of prenatal transportation stress on ovarian follicle numbers in female offspring for three generations was studied. Brahman cows were transported for 2 h on day 60 ± 5, 80 ± 5, 100 ± 5, 120 ± 5, and 140 ± 5 of gestation. Ovaries were collected from offspring of transported or non-transported dams at multiple ages. Primordial, primary, secondary, and antral follicles were histologically analyzed. Antral follicle numbers were …

Can Gdp Be Predictive Of Fertility Rates In Sweden?, Hannah Coleman

Honors Theses

Fertility rates in a country vary and can be influenced by numerous different aspects of an individual’s life and the society in which they live. One aspect that may influence fertility rates at the national level is the gross domestic product (GDP). GDP is an indicator of a country’s economic productivity. Because fertility is linked to both economic development and individual resources, GDP may be a useful indicator of fertility rates. If so, knowing or predicting GDP could be used to project the fertility rates of a population years into the future. To determine if a reasonable connection between GDP …

Comparison Of Performance Of F1 Romanov Crossbred Ewes With Wool And Hair Breeds During Fall Lambing And Body Weight And Longevity Through Six Production Years, Thomas W. Murphy, Brad A. Freking

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

The objective of this study was to evaluate wool (Dorset and Rambouillet) and hair (Dorper, Katahdin, and White Dorper) breeds for their ability to complement Romanov germplasm in an annual fall lambing system by estimating direct maternal grandsire and sire breed effects on economically important lamb and ewe traits. After 3 yr of evaluation under spring lambing, ewes of the five F1 types were transitioned to spring mating, exposed to composite terminal sires, and evaluated under a barn lambing system at 4, 5, and 6 yr of age. A total of 527 first generation crossbred (F1) ewes produced 1,151 litters …

Does Biochar Improve All Soil Ecosystem Services?, Humberto Blanco-Canqui

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Biochar is considered to sequester C and deliver other soil ecosystem services, but an overview that synthesizes the current knowledge of biochar implications on all essential soil ecosystem services is difficult to find in the ample biochar literature. Most previous research and review articles on this topic focused on a single ecosystem service and did not integrate all essential soil ecosystem services. This overview paper (1) synthesizes the impacts of biochar on water and wind erosion, C sequestration, soil water, nutrient leaching, soil fertility, crop yields, and other soil ecosystem services based on published literature and (2) highlights remaining research …

Sperm Fate Is Promoted By The Mir-44 Microrna Family In The Caenorhabditis Elegans Hermaphrodite Germline, Katherine Ann Maniates, Benjamin S. Olson, Allison L. Abbott

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Posttranscriptional regulation of gene expression, typically effected by RNA-binding proteins, microRNAs (miRNAs), and translation initiation factors, is essential for normal germ cell function. Numerous miRNAs have been detected in the germline; however, the functions of specific miRNAs remain largely unknown. Functions of miRNAs have been difficult to determine as miRNAs often modestly repress target mRNAs and are suggested to sculpt or fine tune gene expression to allow for the robust expression of cell fates. In Caenorhabditis elegans hermaphrodites, cell fate decisions are made for germline sex determination during larval development when sperm are generated in a short window before the …

Laboratory Evaluation Of The Effectiveness Of The Fertility Control Bait Contrapest® On Wild-Captured Black Rats (Rattus Rattus), Shane Siers, Robert T. Sugihara, Israel Leinbach, Brandy R. Pyzyna, Gary Witmer

Proceedings of the Twenty-Ninth Vertebrate Pest Conference (2020)

A non-toxic liquid fertility control bait for rats has recently become commercially available (ContraPest® from SenesTech, Inc.). This product contains two chemicals, both of which impair spermatogenesis in male and reduce ovulations in female rats. We tested the efficacy of this bait in wild-caught adult black rats from the island of Hawai’i in a short-term laboratory trial. A control group (n = 25) was offered placebo bait and the treatment group (n = 25) was offered fertility control bait, both ad libitum, during a 15-day introduction period and during the first of four breeding rounds, for a total of 58 …

Fertility, Belief, And Sexuality, Madison F. Von Deylen, Kaylynne M. Glover, Vincent M. Cassone

Posters-at-the-Capitol Presentations

The human ovulatory cycle lasts an average of 28 days and is highly variable both within and among women, making ovulation and the fertile window difficult to estimate in humans. Commonly used methods for estimating fertility assume length consistency during various cycle phases, an assumption that often miscategorizes women as fertile when not and vice versa. This experiment analyzes several of the common methods used to estimate fertility, including forwards and backwards-counting methods and actuarial methods, and compares them against hormonal testing to determine the most accurate method for fertility identification. Additionally, we used hormonal ovulation tests combined with daily …

The Effect Of Varicocele On Semen Quality In Boars Exposed To Heat Stress, Tasha R. Gruhot, Brett White, Benny Mote

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Semen quality has a dramatic impact on reproductive efficiency in the swine industry, influencing both conception rate and litter size. The objective of this study was to assess whether the presence of varicocele hinders semen quality in both thermoneutral and heat stress (HS) conditions. At approximately 6 mo of age, ultrasonography was used to measure left and right pampiniform plexus area in order to detect varicocele in maternal line boars at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Between 10 and 12 mo of age, semen was collected from each boar (n = 28) twice weekly. Boars were collected under thermoneutral conditions, were …

Imatinib Mesylate Effects On Zebrafish Reproductive Success: Gonadal Development, Gamete Quality, Fertility, Embryo-Larvae Viability And Development, And Related Genes, Nader Ahmadi, Seyed-Mohammadreza Samaee, Robert A. Yokel, Aliasghar Tehrani

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Imatinib (IM) is a tyrosine kinase (TK) inhibitor (TKI) used to treat chronic myeloid leukemia. Clinical case reports and a few laboratory mammal studies provide inconclusive evidence about its deleterious effects on reproduction. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the potential of zebrafish to characterize IM-induced effects on reproduction and clarify IM effects on reproductive success. To this end, we exposed adult zebrafish to four concentrations of IM for 30 days followed by a 30-day depuration period. IM exposure caused a concentration-dependent, irreversible, suppression of folliculogenesis, reversible decrease in sperm density and motility, decreased fecundity and fertility, …

Horse Y Chromosome Assembly Displays Unique Evolutionary Features And Putative Stallion Fertility Genes, Jan E. Janečka, Brian W. Davis, Sharmila Ghosh, Nandina Paria, Pranab J. Das, Ludovic Orlando, Mikkel Schubert, Martin K. Nielsen, Tom A. E. Stout, Wesley Brashear, Gang Li, Charles D. Johnson, Richard P. Metz, Al Muatasim Al Zadjali, Charles C. Love, Dickson D. Varner, Daniel W. Bellott, William J. Murphy, Bhanu P. Chowdhary, Terje Raudsepp

Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Dynamic evolutionary processes and complex structure make the Y chromosome among the most diverse and least understood regions in mammalian genomes. Here, we present an annotated assembly of the male specific region of the horse Y chromosome (eMSY), representing the first comprehensive Y assembly in odd-toed ungulates. The eMSY comprises single-copy, equine specific multi-copy, PAR transposed, and novel ampliconic sequence classes. The eMSY gene density approaches that of autosomes with the highest number of retained X–Y gametologs recorded in eutherians, in addition to novel Y-born and transposed genes. Horse, donkey and mule testis RNAseq reveals several candidate genes for stallion …

Comparing Strip Trials Of Chicken Litter, Compost, Hog Manure, And Wet Cattle Manure On Soil Fertility, Tanner Douma, Emily Hummel, Wendi Jo Vande Voort

Student Work

Utilizing agriculture animal and biodegradable waste can reduce the input costs of fertilizers while enhancing the soil. This comparative study focuses on the nutrient values soil receives from agricultural waste. The central objective was, “Due to the historical over-application of manure leading to environmental concerns, a comparative study of soil fertility and economic viability of manures and compost are analyzed in a one-year study”. On an 18.7 acre corn plot, 11 strips were applied with four different manure types, which were randomized, during the 2017 growing season. Chicken litter, compost, hog manure, wet cattle manure, and control strips were replicated …

Antral Follicular Count Is A Tool That May Allow The Selection Of More Precocious Bradford Heifers At Weaning, R. Santa Cruz, R. A. Cushman, C. Viñoles

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

Although antral follicle count is a repeatable parameter across life that is positively associated with fertility, its use at weaning as a tool to discard less fertile heifers has not been extensively evaluated. The hypotheses of this work are: 1) maximum antral follicle count (MAFC) is repeatable between weaning and pre breeding evaluations, allowing selection of more fertile heifers at an early age, 2) heifers with high MAFC have growth and development parameters linked to an earlier puberty and pregnancy, 3) MAFC has a positive correlation with AMH concentrations, so that both could be used inter changeably. In this study, …

Triennial Reproduction Symposium: Looking Back And Moving Forward—How Reproductive Physiology Has Evolved, Deb L. Hamernik, Andrea S. Cupp, John S. Davis

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

In honor of the 50th anniversary of the Society for the Study of Reproduction (SSR), a Triennial Reproduction Symposium was cosponsored by SSR and the American Society of Animal Science (ASAS). The Society for the Study of Reproduction was formed in 1967 when a group of reproductive biologists that were members of ASAS met with physician scientists and decided to organize a new scientific society. The goal of SSR was to promote the study of reproduction by fostering interdisciplinary communication among scientists, holding conferences, and publishing meritorious studies. Today after its 50th anniversary, the mission for SSR is to harness …

Male Mate Preference As An Agent Of Fecundity Selection In A Polymorphic Salamander, Kortney E. Jaworski, Matthew S. Lattanzio, Cari-Ann M. Hickerson, Carl D. Anthony

2018 Faculty Bibliography

Color polymorphisms are associated with variation in other traits which may affect individual fitness, and these color‐trait associations are expected to contribute to nonrandom mating in polymorphic species. The red‐backed salamander (Plethodon cinereus) exhibits a polymorphism in dorsal pattern: striped and unstriped, and previous studies have suggested that they may mate nonrandomly. However, the mechanism(s) contributing to this behavior remain unclear. Here we consider the role that male preference may have in driving mating behavior in P. cinereus. We limit our focus to striped individuals because this morph is most likely to be choosy given their dominant, aggressive behavioral profiles …

Impact Of Sublethal Exposure To A Pyrethroid-Neonicotinoid Insecticide On Mating, Fecundity And Development In The Bed Bug Cimex Lectularius L. (Hemiptera: Cimicidae), Sydney E. Crawley, Jennifer R. Gordon, Katelyn A. Kowles, Michael F. Potter, Kenneth F. Haynes

Entomology Faculty Publications

Sublethal exposure to an insecticide may alter insect feeding, mating, oviposition, fecundity, development, and many other life history parameters. Such effects may have population-level consequences that are not apparent in traditional dose-mortality evaluations. Earlier, we found that a routinely used combination insecticide that includes a pyrethroid and a neonicotinoid (Temprid^® SC) had deleterious effects on multiple bed bug (Cimex lectularius, L.) behaviors. Here, we demonstrate that sublethal exposure impacts physiology and reproduction as well. We report that sublethal exposure to Temprid SC has variable aberrant effects on bed bugs depending on the strain, including: a reduction in …

The Effects Of Androgens On Bovine And Human Granulosa Cells, Katelyn C. Griger, Sarah Romereim, Renata Spuri- Gomes, Mohamed A. Abedal- Majed, Mariah Hart, Scott G. Kurz, Robert A. Cushman, John S. Davis, Jennifer R. Wood, Andrea S. Cupp

UCARE Research Products

A subpopulation of cows in the Physiology herd has been identified as subfertile due to sporadic or chronic anovulation. This decrease in fertility could be lost profits for farmers and raises questions about ovulation disorders in women. Granulosa cells, a type of cell that is essential to ovarian follicle development, was investigated to determine if high concentrations of a hormone, androstenedione, could impact the follicular environment enough to cause anovulation disorders. Previous studies suggested that excess androgen may decrease the number of functioning granulosa cells by preventing them from proliferating within the follicle. Fewer granulosa cells mean fewer cells that …

Reproductive Potential Of Spodoptera Eridania (Stoll) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) In The Laboratory: Effect Of Multiple Couples And The Size, Alexandre Specht, Débora G. Montezano, Daniel Ricardo Sosa-Gómez, S. Paula-Moraes, Vânia F. Roque-Specht, Neiva M. Barros

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of keeping three couples in the same cage, and the size of adults emerged from small, medium-sized and large pupae (278.67 mg; 333.20 mg and 381.58 mg, respectively), on the reproductive potential of S. eridania (Stoll, 1782) adults, under controlled conditions (25 ± 1 °C, 70% RH and 14 hour photophase). We evaluated the survival, number of copulations, fecundity and fertility of the adult females. The survival of females from these different pupal sizes did not differ statistically, but the survival of males from large pupae was statistically shorter than from small pupae. …

Evaluation Of Reduced Subsets Of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms For The Prediction Of Age At Puberty In Sows, Katherine L. Lucot, Matthew L. Spangler, Melanie D. Trenhaile, Stephen D. Kachman, Daniel C. Ciobanu

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Genomic information could be used efficiently to improve traits that are expensive to measure, sex limited or expressed late in life. This study analyzed the phenotypic variation explained by major SNPs and windows for age at puberty in gilts, an indicator of reproductive longevity. A genome-wide association study using 56,424 SNPs explained 25.2% of the phenotypic variation in age at puberty in a training set (n = 820). All SNPs from the top 10% of 1-Mb windows explained 33.5% of the phenotypic variance compared to 47.1% explained by the most informative markers (n = 261). In an evaluation population, consisting …

The Relationship Of Female Physical Attractiveness To Body Fatness, Guanlin Wang, Kurosh Djafarian, Chima A. Egedigwe, Asmaa El Hamdouchi, Robert Ojiambo, Harris Ramuth, Sandra Johanna Wallner-Liebmann, Sonja Lackner, Adama Diouf, Justina Sauciuvenaite, Catherine Hambly, Lobke M. Vaanholt, Mark D. Faries, John R. Speakman

Faculty Publications

Aspects of the female body may be attractive because they signal evolutionary fitness. Greater body fatness might reflect greater potential to survive famines, but individuals carrying larger fat stores may have poor health and lower fertility in non-famine conditions. A mathematical statistical model using epidemiological data linking fatness to fitness traits, predicted a peaked relationship between fatness and attractiveness (maximum at body mass index (BMI) = 22.8 to 24.8 depending on ethnicity and assumptions). Participants from three Caucasian populations (Austria, Lithuania and the UK), three Asian populations (China, Iran and Mauritius) and four African populations (Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria and Senegal) …

2013 Wild Blueberry Project Reports, Vivian Wu, Dorothy J. Klimis-Zacas, Frank A. Drummond, Judith A. Collins, Alex Bajcz, Lee Beers, Brianne Looze, Cyndy Loftin, Aaron Hoshide, Sara Bushmann, Kalyn Bickerman, Alison Dibble, Lois Berg Stack, Gabriel Al-Najjar, Elissa Ballman, Seanna L. Annis, Caleb Slemmons, David E. Yarborough, Jennifer L. D'Appollonio, Mary Ellen Camire, Jennifer R. Chadbourne, Michael Dougherty, Katherine Davis-Dentici, Edward Bernard, Tamara Levitsky, Tsutomu Ohno, Erika Lyon, Ellen Mallory, Katie Mcphee, Hannah Griffin, Marianne Sarrantonio

Wild Blueberry Research Reports

The 2013 edition of the Wild Blueberry Project Reports was prepared for the Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine and the Wild Blueberry Advisory Committee by researchers at the University of Maine, Orono. Projects in this report include:

1. Development of effective intervention measures to maintain and improve food safety for wild blueberries

2. Do wild blueberries alleviate risk factors related to the Metabolic Syndrome?

3. Wild Blueberry consumption and exercise-induced Oxidative Stress: Inflammatory Response and DNA damage

4. Control tactics for blueberry pest insects, 2013

5. Pesticide residues on wild blueberry, 2013

6. Biology of pest insects and IPM, 2013 …

Practical Reproduction Strategies For Utah Beef Ranches, Kevin Heaton, Trent Wilde, Mark Nelson, Dale Zobell

All Current Publications

This fact sheet identifies opportunities for beef cattle producers to improve herd reproduction.

Heifer Calving Date Positively Influences Calf Weaning Weights Through Six Parturitions, R. A. Cushman, L. K. Kill, Richard N. Funston, E. M. Mousel, G.A. Perry

West Central Research and Extension Center, North Platte

Longevity and lifetime productivity are important factors influencing profitability for the cowcalf producer. Heifers that conceive earlier in the breeding season will calve earlier in the calving season and have a longer interval to rebreeding. Calves born earlier in the calving season will also be older and heavier at weaning. Longevity data were collected on 2,195 heifers from producers in South Dakota Integrated Resource Management groups. Longevity and weaning weight data were collected on 16,549 individual heifers at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center (USMARC). Data were limited to heifers that conceived during their first breeding season. Heifers were grouped …

2012 Wild Blueberry Project Reports, Dorothy J. Klimis-Zacas, Vivian Ch Wu, Frank A. Drummond, Judith A. Collins, Lee Beers, Eric Asare, Alex Bacjz, Kalyn Bickerman, Sara Bushmann, Shannon Chapin, Cyndy Loftin, Alison Dibble, Lois Berg Stack, Eric Venturini, Samuel Hanes, Aaron Hoshide, Matthew S. Jones, Brianne Looze, Seanna L. Annis, Caleb Slemmons, David E. Yarborough, Jennifer L. D'Appollonio, Tsutomu Ohno, Ellen Mallory, Hannah Griffin, Katie Mcphee

Wild Blueberry Research Reports

The 2012 edition of the Wild Blueberry Project Reports was prepared for the Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine and the Wild Blueberry Advisory Committee by researchers at the University of Maine, Orono. Projects in this report include:

1. Do wild blueberries alleviate risk factors related to the Metabolic Syndrome?

2. Development of effective intervention measures to maintain and improve food safety for wild blueberries

3. Control tactics for blueberry pest insects, 2012

4. Development and implementation of a wild blueberry thrips IPM program, 2012

5. IPM

6. Biology of blueberry and pest insects, 2012

7. Biology of beneficial insects and …

Wolbachia Strain Wpip Yields A Pattern Of Cytoplasmic Incompatibility Enhancing A Wolbachia-Based Suppression Strategy Against The Disease Vector Aedes Albopictus, Maurizio Calvitti, Riccardo Moretti, Amanda R. Skidmore, Stephen L. Dobson

Entomology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) is induced in nature by Wolbachia bacteria, resulting in conditional male sterility. Previous research demonstrated that the two Wolbachia strains (wAlbA and wAlbB) that naturally co-infect the disease vector mosquito Aedes albopictus (Asian tiger mosquito) can be replaced with the wPip Wolbachia strain from Culex pipiens. Since Wolbachia-based vector control strategies depend upon the strength and consistency of CI, a greater understanding is needed on the CI relationships between wPip, wAlbA and wAlbB Wolbachia in Ae. albopictus.

METHODS: This work consisted of a collaborative series of crosses carried out in Italy and in US to study …

Type-I Prenyl Protease Function Is Required In The Male Germline Of Drosophila Melanogaster, Katie Adolpsen, Amanda Amell, Nathan Havko, Sara Kevorkian, Kyle Mears, Dietmar Schwarz, Sandra R. Schulze

Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

Many proteins require the addition of a hydrophobic prenyl anchor (prenylation) for proper trafficking and localization in the cell. Prenyl proteases play critical roles in modifying proteins for membrane anchorage. The type I prenyl protease has a defined function in yeast (Ste24p/Afc1p) where it modifies a mating pheromone, and in humans (Zmpste24) where it has been implicated in a disease of premature aging. Despite these apparently very different biological processes, the type I prenyl protease gene is highly conserved, encoded by a single gene in a wide range of animal and plant groups. A notable exception is Drosophila melanogaster, where …

2011 Wild Blueberry Project Reports, Dorothy J. Klimis-Zacas, Frank A. Drummond, Judith A. Collins, Lee Beers, Sara Bushmann, Seanna L. Annis, David E. Yarborough, Kristen Mcgovern, Jennifer L. D'Appollonio, John M. Smagula, Ilse Wind Fastook, Brad Libby, James Patrick Santiago, Alfred A. Bushway, Katherine Davis-Dentici, Brian Perkins, Vivian Ch Wu, Ellen Mallory, Katherine Mcphee, Tsutomu Ohno, Matthew S. Jones

Wild Blueberry Research Reports

The 2011 edition of the Wild Blueberry Project Reports was prepared for the Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine and the Wild Blueberry Advisory Committee by researchers at the University of Maine, Orono. Projects in this report include:

1. Mechanisms through which wild blueberries affect functional characteristics of the arterial wall related to endothelial dysfunction in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

2. Do wild blueberries affect high blood lipids, high blood glucose and obesity as related to the Metabolic Syndrome?

3. Control tactics for blueberry pest insects, 2011

4. IPM strategies, 2011

5. Biology and ecology of pest insects, 2011

6. Biology and …

The Armadillo Repeat Protein Pf16 Is Essential For Flagellar Structure And Function In Plasmodium Male Gametes, Ursula Straschil, Arthur M. Talman, David J. P. Ferguson, Karen A. Bunting, Zhengyao Xu, Elizabeth Bailes, Robert E. Sinden, Anthony A. Holder, Elizabeth F. Smith

Dartmouth Scholarship

Malaria, caused by the apicomplexan parasite Plasmodium, threatens 40% of the world's population. Transmission between vertebrate and insect hosts depends on the sexual stages of the life-cycle. The male gamete of Plasmodium parasite is the only developmental stage that possesses a flagellum. Very little is known about the identity or function of proteins in the parasite's flagellar biology. Here, we characterise a Plasmodium PF16 homologue using reverse genetics in the mouse malaria parasite Plasmodium berghei. PF16 is a conserved Armadillo-repeat protein that regulates flagellar structure and motility in organisms as diverse as green algae and mice. We show that …

Effect Of Dietary Crude Protein Source On Hormone And Follicle Characteristics In Beef Heifers, J. L. Martin, D. M. Larson, H. L. Stroh, Andrea S. Cupp, Richard N. Funston

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Ground, raw soybeans (SB), or dried distillers grain plus solubles (DDGS) were utilized in heifer development diets to determine the effect of dietary fat and protein source on hormone and follicle characteristics and ADG. The experiment was conducted over 2 yr with 100 June-born heifers (199 ± 2 kg initial BW, n = 50 per yr). The experimental periods were 157 and 207 d in yr 1 and 2, respectively. Heifers were provided a dietary supplement (DM basis) of 1.23 kg of SB and 0.40 kg of corn or 1.65 kg of DDGS between weaning and breeding. Estrus was synchronized …

Evaluation Of Antral Follicle Count And Ovarian Morphology In Crossbred Beef Cows: Investigation Of Influence Of Stage Of The Estrous Cycle, Age, And Birth Weight, R. A. Cushman, M. F. Allan, Larry A. Kuehn, W. M. Snelling, Andrea S. Cupp, H. C. Freetly

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Depletion of the ovarian reserve is associated with reproductive senescence in mammalian females, and there is a positive relationship between the size of the ovarian reserve and the number of antral follicles on the surface of the ovary. Therefore, we conducted a series of experiments to investigate the influence of stage of the estrous cycle, age, and birth weight on antral follicle counts (AFC) in beef cows and heifers. Pairs of ovaries were collected from crossbred beef cows at slaughter (n = 72) or at necropsy (n = 333; 0 to 11 yr of age); all visible antral follicles were …