BACKGROUND/CONTEXT Across the United States, secondary school curricula are intensifying as a growing proportion of students enroll in high-level academic math courses. In many districts, this intensification process occurs as early as eighth grade, where schools are effectively constraining their mathematics curricula by restricting course offerings and placing more students into Algebra I. Th...

Background: Omega-3 fatty acids can modify gene and protein expression through altering the function of transcription factors controlling gene expression. Cumulus expansion, is a critical process for normal oocyte development, ovulation, and fertilization. This event needs to the synthesis of hyaluronic acid and its production is controlled by the enzyme hyaluronic acid synthase 2 (HAS2). The a...

In this paper, an idealized, high-resolution simulation of a gradually forced transition from shallow, nonprecipitating to deep, precipitating cumulus convection is described; how the cloud and transport statistics evolve as the convection deepens is explored; and the collected statistics are used to evaluate assumptions in current cumulus schemes. The statistical analysis methodologies that ar...

oocyte maturation and embryo development are controlled by intra-ovarian factors such as steroid hormones. progesterone (p4) exists in the follicular fluid that contributes to normal mammalian ovarian function and has several critical functions during embryo development and implantation, including endometrial receptivity, embryonic survival during gestation and transformation of the endometrial...

Background: The cryopreservation of immature oocytes at the germinal vesicle (GV) stage would create an easily accessible, nonseasonal source of female gametes for research and reproduction. The present study investigated the ability of ovine oocytes vitrified at the GV stage using a cryoloop to be subsequently matured, fertilized and cultured in vitro to blastocyst-stage embryos. Materials and...

OBJECTIVE To determine whether the incidence of apoptosis in mature oocyte cumulus cells changes after insemination related to infertility. DESIGN Prospective study. SETTING Public hospital and university. PATIENT(S) One hundred women undergoing in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET). INTERVENTION(S) Collection of cumulus cells from IVF-ET cycles with different infertility ...

We investigated the ability of reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), hydroxyl radical (OH), and hypochlorous acid (HOCl) to overcome the defensive capacity of cumulus cells, and elucidate the mechanism through which ROS differentially deteriorate oocyte quality. Metaphase II mouse oocytes with (n=1634) and without cumulus cells (n=1633) were treated with increasing co...

BACKGROUND Bone morphogenetic protein-15 (BMP15) is a maternal gene necessary for mammalian reproduction. BMP15 expression increased in oocytes accompanied by follicle growth and development. The function and regulation mechanism of BMP15 in porcine cumulus cell apoptosis process is still unclear now. METHODS In this study, flow cytometry (FCM) was used to analyze the effects of BMP15 with di...

The authors sought to determine whether developmental differences in the magnitude of embryonic mortality caused by heat stress in vivo are caused by changes in resistance of embryos to elevated temperature. In this regard, responses of oocytes, two-cell embryos, four-to eight-cell embryos, and compacted morulae to heat shock were compared. An additional goal was to define further the role of c...