Journal of Reproduction and Development 

About: Journal of Reproduction and Development is an academic journal published by Japanese Society of Animal Reproduction. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Blastocyst & Estrous cycle. It has an ISSN identifier of 0916-8818. It is also open access. Over the lifetime, 3486 publications have been published receiving 52338 citations.

Foundations for smarter cities

Abstract: This paper describes the information technology (IT) foundation and principles for Smarter Cities™. Smarter Cities are urban areas that exploit operational data, such as that arising from traffic congestion, power consumption statistics, and public safety events, to optimize the operation of city services. The foundational concepts are instrumented, interconnected, and intelligent. Instrumented refers to sources of near-real-time real-world data from both physical and virtual sensors. Interconnected means the integration of those data into an enterprise computing platform and the communication of such information among the various city services. Intelligent refers to the inclusion of complex analytics, modeling, optimization, and visualization in the operational business processes to make better operational decisions. This approach enables the adaptation of city services to the behavior of the inhabitants, which permits the optimal use of the available physical infrastructure and resources, for example, in sensing and controlling consumption of energy and water, managing waste processing and transportation systems, and applying optimization to achieve new efficiencies among these resources. Additional roles exist in intelligent interaction between the city and its inhabitants and further contribute to operational efficiency while maintaining or enhancing quality of life.

Monitoring Metabolic Health of Dairy Cattle in the Transition Period

Abstract: This paper reviews the importance of energy metabolism in transition dairy cows, its associations with disease and reproduction, and strategies for monitoring cows under field conditions during this critical time. Essentially all dairy cattle experience a period of insulin resistance, reduced feed intake, negative energy balance, hypocalcemia, reduced immune function, and bacterial contamination of the uterus soon before, or in the weeks after calving. One-third of dairy cows may be affected by some form of metabolic or infectious disease in early lactation. Routine, proactive actions, observations, or analysis are intended to accurately and efficiently provide early detection of problems, to provide an opportunity for investigation and intervention in order to limit the consequences and costs of health problems and reduced animal performance or welfare. Methods of early detection include monitoring of disease and culling records, feed intake, milk production, body condition, and simple metabolic tests. Methods, strategies, and interpretation of measurement of peripartum concentrations of non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) and beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) as indicators of aspects of energy status and disease risk are reviewed. High NEFA (> 0.4 mmol/l) in the last 7 to 10 days before expected calving is associated with increased risk of displaced abomasum (DA), retained placenta, culling before 60 days in milk, and less milk production in the first 4 months of lactation. Subclinical ketosis (serum BHB >1200 to 1400 micromol/l) in the first or second week after calving is associated with increased risk of DA, metritis, clinical ketosis, endometritis, prolonged postpartum anovulation, increased severity of mastitis, and lower milk production in early lactation. There are several validated and practical tools for cow-side measurement of ketosis.

Involvement of anteroventral periventricular metastin/kisspeptin neurons in estrogen positive feedback action on luteinizing hormone release in female rats.

Abstract: Metastin/kisspeptin, the KiSS-1 gene product, has been identified as an endogenous ligand of GPR54 that reportedly regulates GnRH/LH surges and estrous cyclicity in female rats. The aim of the present study was to determine if metastin/kisspeptin neurons are a target of estrogen positive feedback to induce GnRH/LH surges. We demonstrated that preoptic area (POA) infusion of the anti-rat metastin/kisspeptin monoclonal antibody blocked the estrogen-induced LH surge, indicating that endogenous metastin/kisspeptin released around the POA mediates the estrogen positive feedback effect on GnRH/LH release. Metastin/kisspeptin neurons in the anteroventral periventricular nucleus (AVPV) may be responsible for mediating the feedback effect because the percentage of c-Fos-expressing KiSS-1 mRNA-positive cells to total KiSS-1 mRNA-positive cells was significantly higher in the afternoon than in the morning in the anteroventral periventricular nucleus (AVPV) of high estradiol (E(2))-treated females. The percentage of c-Fos-expressing metastin/kisspeptin neurons was not different between the afternoon and morning in the arcuate nucleus (ARC). Most of the KiSS-1 mRNA expressing cells contain ERalpha immunoreactivity in the AVPV and ARC. In addition, AVPV KiSS-1 mRNA expressions were highest in the proestrous afternoon and lowest in the diestrus 1 in females and were increased by estrogen treatment in ovariectomized animals. On the other hand, the ARC KiSS-1 mRNA expressions were highest at diestrus 2 and lowest at proestrous afternoon and were increased by ovariectomy and decreased by high estrogen treatment. Males lacking the surge mode of GnRH/LH release showed no obvious cluster of metastin/kisspeptin-immunoreactive neurons in the AVPV when compared with high E(2)-treated females, which showed a much greater density of these neurons. Taken together, the present study demonstrates that the AVPV metastin/kisspeptin neurons are a target of estrogen positive feedback to induce GnRH/LH surges in female rats.

Follicular Growth and Atresia in Mammalian Ovaries: Regulation by Survival and Death of Granulosa Cells

Abstract: The mammalian ovary is an extremely dynamic organ in which a large majority of follicles are effectively eliminated throughout their reproductive life. Due to the numerous efforts of researchers, mechanisms regulating follicular growth and atresia in mammalian ovaries have been clarified, not only their systemic regulation by hormones (gonadotropins) but also their intraovarian regulation by gonadal steroids, growth factors, cytokines and intracellular proteins. Granulosa cells in particular have been demonstrated to play a major role in deciding the fate of follicles, serving molecules that are essential for follicular growth and maintenance as well as killing themselves by an apoptotic process that results in follicular atresia. In this review, we discuss the factors that govern follicular growth and atresia, with a special focus on their regulation by granulosa cells. First, ovarian folliculogenesis in adult life is outlined. Then, we explain about the regulation of follicular growth and atresia by granulosa cells, in which hormones, growth factors and cytokines, death ligand-receptor system and B cell lymphoma/leukemia 2 (BCL2) family members (mitochondria-mediated apoptosis) are further discussed.

Introduction to This is Watson

Abstract: In 2007, IBM Research took on the grand challenge of building a computer system that could compete with champions at the game of Jeopardy!™. In 2011, the open-domain question-answering (QA) system, dubbed Watson, beat the two highest ranked players in a nationally televised two-game Jeopardy! match. This paper provides a brief history of the events and ideas that positioned our team to take on the Jeopardy! challenge, build Watson, IBM Watson™, and ultimately triumph. It describes both the nature of the QA challenge represented by Jeopardy! and our overarching technical approach. The main body of this paper provides a narrative of the DeepQA processing pipeline to introduce the articles in this special issue and put them in context of the overall system. Finally, this paper summarizes our main results, describing how the system, as a holistic combination of many diverse algorithmic techniques, performed at champion levels, and it briefly discusses the team's future research plans.