Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Melbourne, Political Science Dept., 2004. / Typescript (photocopy). Includes bibliographical references (leaves 388-413).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 449-459).

Thesis (M.A. (Health Social Science))--Mahidol University, 2007. / LICL has E-Thesis 0024 ; please contact computer services.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--McMaster University, 2004. / Advisor: Charlene Miall. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 274-282)

Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) is a global disease which takes a significant toll on the pork industry and the welfare of pigs. The causative agent – PRRS virus (PRRSV) – is a single-stranded, positive-sense RNA virus of the Nidovirales order. In the process of replication, PRRSV induces the rearrangement of cellular membranes to form double-membrane vesicles (DMVs). These structures are thought to have a role in a) concentrating viral structures to increase their chances of interacting with one another, and b) preventing elements of the cellular immune response from detecting viral structures. Previous work has suggested that the DMV originates from the autophagy pathway – a highly-conserved mechanism for cells to recycle extraneous organelles and proteins during times of stress. Other work suggests that the DMV may be a co-opted EDEMosome – a recently-discovered vesicle which is involved in regulating the level of endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation (ERAD). This thesis explores these possibilities – using immunofluorescent imaging as well as examining the proteomic and ribonucleic acid composition of the DMV as isolated by flow cytometry or separated from other organelles by density gradient – calling both candidate pathways into question and suggesting other candidate structures such as exosomal vesicles.

One of the major healthcare issues found almost worldwide, especially in the United States, is the obesity epidemic. Obesity is known to have deleterious effects on many body/organ systems. C1q TNF-related protein-3 (CTRP3) is effective at preventing high-fat diet-induced fatty liver. With these two factors taken into consideration, this study explores the possible effects of a high caloric diet on the muscle wall of the uterus, i.e., the myometrium, and how over-expression of CTRP3 may modify those effects. We hypothesize that consumption of excessive amounts of fat and sugar will have detrimental effects on the dual layers of the mouse myometrium. For this study, 17 mice were divided into 4 treatment groups: wild type/low fat diet, wild type/high fat diet, CTRP3-overexpressing/low fat diet, and CTRP3-overexpressing/high fat diet. The mice were placed on their respective diets at 7 weeks of age with a feeding duration of 12 weeks. At the conclusion of the feeding protocol, the female reproductive tissues were harvested and fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde and subsequently paraffin embedded. The uterine horns of each mouse were painstakingly paraffin embedded in a vertical position so that cross sections of the uterus could be obtained and measured. These 4µ sections were stained using standard H&E staining techniques and visualized under light microscopy. A randomization grid was utilized to determine measurement locations on the tissue. For each animal, 15 measurements were made of the outer longitudinal layer of the uterine horn, as well as 15 measurements of the inner circular layer, and 15 measurements of the thickness of the two layers combined. Two-way ANOVA was used to determine if any changes seen were statistically significant. At the time of the writing of this abstract, no appreciable differences have been found between the treatment groups, although there will be more data and final statistics completed before the presentation of our findings.

Thesis advisor: Lisa S. Cahill / Weaving qualitative interview analysis together with ethical inquiry, this project traces the trajectories of Catholic women and couples who hope to form families but contend with infertility and consider whether and how to treat it. Motivating this study is the challenge of balancing individual agency with the role of powerful social forces that shape agency. Examining and critiquing the social forces that shape the circumstances in which Catholic women and couples in the U.S. contend with infertility, this dissertation demonstrates how agential freedom is conditioned by familial, clinical, and ecclesial cultures and structures. It harnesses sociological tools and theological resources to argue for an account of agency that prioritizes critical engagement of contextual factors and suggests that the Church as a moral teacher ought to support the cultivation of this agency. Chapter one challenges the model of moral agency found in magisterial teachings that oppose the use of contraception and reproductive technologies, which suggests that lay Catholics ought to obey magisterially prescribed norms regardless of context. The chapter argues that the magisterial model of moral agency does not adequately account for the role of context in shaping agency, and it instead proposes an account of contextually situated agency that resonates with Pope Francis’ prioritization of contextual realties in his apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia. The second chapter demonstrates how various social forces, including structures supporting heterosexual marriage, cultural ideals related to biological childbearing, and ecclesial structures of marital formation all contribute to U.S. Catholic couples’ family formation choices and can intensify burdens of infertility. The chapter proposes a reorientation of Catholic support for families centered on justice in relationships and Christian discipleship instead of family structure. The third chapter examines how cultural ideals related to childbearing, the medicalization of infertility, and social location all contribute to shaping how Catholic women in the U.S. make sense of infertility. Contesting the cultural notion that women are responsible for infertility with reference to a criterion of justice, it describes infertility as a kind of biological bad luck also shaped by systemic forces. Structural injustices related to sexism and racism in healthcare function to distribute the bad luck of infertility unjustly based on societal vulnerabilities, which constitutes a kind of social sin. The fourth chapter considers how two different understandings of Catholic identity shape treatment trajectories of Catholics contending with infertility toward either secular fertility clinics or Catholic clinics. It then examines these two clinical settings, demonstrating how contextual pressures shape how Catholics make treatment choices and underscoring how Catholic moral commitments can support moral agents’ resistance to these pressures. Its final section considers the social forces at work in adoption and fostering. The final chapter turns to the role of the Church in supporting the moral agency of Catholics making decisions regarding family formation and infertility treatment. After analyzing and critiquing the dominant ideals found in Catholic and secular support group settings, it suggests that synodal commitments of mutual listening and inclusive dialogue can support the development of new structures of moral discernment in the Church. It concludes by considering how the social witness of the Church can contribute to the transformation of sinful social forces that constrain the freedom of women and couples contending with infertility. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2023. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Theology.

As scientific discovery and human presence push further into space, it is necessary to investigate the effects of spaceflight on physiological systems. Research into the effects of the space flight environment on the human body is still in its relative infancy. Although initial studies have indicated harmful effects of spaceflight environments on certain body systems, this phenomenon still needs illumination with regards to the female reproductive system. Better understanding of these consequences can change the way society views space travel and colonization of other planets. The spaceflight environment consists of at least two major factors that could confer negative effects on physiology, namely radiation and microgravity. In this experiment, uterine smooth muscle, or the myometrium, was analyzed in 6-month old female C57BL/6 mice that were exposed to 21 days of low dose/low dose rate whole-body radiation with γ-radiation using 57Co plates (0.04 Gy at 0.01 cGy/h) and/or simulated microgravity (via hind limb unloading). Tissue samples were harvested 4 months after the 21-day simulated spaceflight period. Following embedding, sectioning, and hematoxylin and eosin staining (H&E), the tissues were examined, and the average thicknesses of the myometrial layers were measured. Three types of measurements were made 1 – outer longitudinal layer, 2 – inner circular layer, and 3 –total muscle layer thickness (outer and inner combined). Two-way ANOVA statistical tests were used to compare the thicknesses of the myometrial muscle layers between the various treatment groups. A statistical difference was found between the thicknesses in the outer longitudinal layer of smooth muscle between the control animals and the unloaded animals (P: 0.051).

Despite an increase in domestic milk production, the dairy industry in the Dominican Republic (D. R.) has not been able to adequately meet the demand of the ever-growing Dominican population, prompting the government and milk processing plants to sponsor programs which will increase the national production of milk and eventually lead to milk self-sufficiency. One obstacle to this goal is a very low reproductive rate in cows and heifers due in part to the tropical setting. Year-round heat stress may result in abnormal follicular dynamics and decreased oocyte and sperm quality causing reproductive efficiency to decline drastically. The specific purpose of this project was to examine and characterize the reproductive practices and outcomes of the Dominican dairy industry by region and to attempt to identify factors that influence dairy reproductive efficiency. During the course of the study, 43 farms were visited over a 10-week period and evaluated. Farms were chosen throughout 4 of the 5 regions of the country and were selected based on their size (preferably 40 adult cows or more), availability of data, and demonstrated motivation by the owner in improving the herd. Individual herd evaluation was broken into four major components: owner interview, farm evaluation, collection of individual cow reproductive data, and adult cow evaluation. Once observations had been made and catalogued, all data were summarized on the herd level and analyzed descriptively. In addition to descriptive analysis, multiple regression techniques were used to select independent variables which explain most of the variance for each of four reproductive outcomes: days to first service, services per pregnancy, projected calving interval, and service rate. In general, reproductive management practices varied depending on region and farm size. Average lameness within the herd was the most important factor in explaining the variability within services per pregnancy and projected calving interval. As average herd lameness increases by 1 point (based on a 1 to 4 scale), services per pregnancy and projected calving interval increase by 0.65 services per pregnancy and 61.1 days respectively according to the model formulated. Increase in the number of employees involved in estrus detection resulted in higher days to first service. The Santo Domingo region had lower days to first service possibly due to widespread reproductive hormone use within the region. The percentage of Holsteins within the herd was associated with increased services per pregnancy and projected calving interval. Increases in service rate were most closely associated with the type of record category used, indicating that a larger sample population with thorough insemination records may be needed to adequately assess this outcome. In part, reproductive efficiency in the Dominican Republic can be potentially improved by enhancing methods for estrus detection. Mechanical aids to estrus detection (tailhead chalk, K-mar® patches, etc.) may help increase estrus detection efficiency in herds currently only relying on visual observation. Assigning 1-2 people primarily to estrus detection and increasing the frequency of hormone usage may also improve estrus detection efficiency. The main emphasis for Dominican dairy producers, however, should be on preventing new lameness and culling chronically lame cows once it is economically feasible to do so. Reducing the incidence of lameness could, in itself, dramatically improve reproductive efficiency in the Dominican Republic. / Master of Science

Reproductive interference occurs when individuals direct sexual behaviours towards other species and this causes a reduction in the fitness of one or both of the participants. While initially considered to be little more than an aberration, reproductive interference is increasingly recognised, not just as a factor in determining species co-existence and community dynamics, but also as an opportunity to further our understanding of sexual selection. In this thesis I investigate the causes and consequences of reproductive interference between several species of true bugs (Order: Hemiptera) in the family Lygaeidae. These species have a polgynandrous mating system, in which both males and females mate multiple times. I found that the interspecific mating attempts often witnessed in these bugs is likely a consequence of this mating system, as potential cues for species discrimination, in the form of cuticular hydrocarbons, are available and can be utilised by the bugs in some contexts. This is further supported by the finding that pre-copulatory selection on factors such as diet and chemical protection are weak in these insects. Furthermore, my work highlights the context-dependant nature of both the fitness costs associated with reproductive interference, and also of the bugs' intra-specific behaviour. When housed in groups, female Lygaeus equestris did not show consistent fitness losses in response to harassment by either conspecific or heterospecific males, despite previous evidence showing that such males inflict costs on both egg production and longevity when interacting one-to-one. This, combined with the finding that male L. equestris alter their mate-guarding behaviour in the presence of other males, highlights the potential of behavioural flexibility to influence the outcome of inter-species interactions, and the importance of context when attempting to measure phenomena such as reproductive interference.