Infertility is a disease generally recognized as a complication of the reproductive system, impacting both men and women. It has undoubtedly been acknowledged as a universal health issue for several years, and within each year, it has been quite observable to identify the increasing rates of infertility attributable to disease, hormonal imbalances, chemical exposures, and lifestyle choices. Across the years, there have been increasing developments of fertility treatments readily available, and of the numerous treatments, the most effective and prominent treatments include intrauterine insemination (IUI) and in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments. The processes of carrying out these treatments vary in nature and, in particular, possess a variety of ethical issues, such as the accessibility of these treatments for targeted individuals like the disadvantaged, single women, and same-sex couples. Throughout this paper, comprehensive research will be brought forth towards introducing such fertility treatments and their prominence in the United States vs Spain, along with their accessibility, success rates, religious viewpoints, and a generalized examination regarding the relationship between infertility and mental health.

The morning of a monumental AA meeting, one of the nine members intended on receiving their five-year chip until they relapsed the night prior. Left feeling hopeless, they struggle to find a reason to retain sobriety. A 60-page script following an Alcoholics Anonymous support group meeting set in Newark, New Jersey. The narrative follows the members as they mirror the levels of Dante's Inferno. Writing about the struggles of addiction and how it not only affects the individual but affects others around them. The script focuses on the idea of identity and belonging, which is two of the four pillars of recovery. The theme focuses on trying to reconnect/find the character's identity without a controlled substance.

Despite thousands of hectares of reforestation in Costa Rica, the landscape across the country remains fragmented by patches of large-scale commercial plantations and human communities. These patchy areas have a lack of suitable habitat and prey, meaning there is very little gene flow within meta populations of many mammal & predator species. This study aims to establish a baseline for mammal presence and diversity in the Las Tablas protected zone in order to better inform conservation and habitat restoration efforts. In a camera trap study conducted from January 2023 - May 2023, 37 non-baited cameras were placed across a study area of 328 square kilometers. Sites were selected using a stratified study design, with cameras deployed in forest, farm, and fragment habitat. A total of 839 independent videos captured 29 species of mammals and large-bodied ground birds from 10 different taxa. Videos were analyzed using the Sanderson Method (Harris et al. 2010), for relative abundance, naive occupancy, and absence-presence matrices. White-nosed coati (Nasua narica) had both the highest relative abundance and naive occupancy. Pearson’s correlation used to analyze the relationship between species richness at a site against camera effort as well as different landscape covariates (distance to national park border, distance to a riparian corridor, and patch size) showed effort and patch size to be the strongest predictor of a site’s richness. Shannon-weiner alpha diversity indices were calculated for the three different landscape types. Forest land types had the highest diversity indices while fragments had the lowest. This research provides a comprehensive baseline for mammal presence and diversity to better inform habitat restoration and jaguar conservation efforts in the Las Tablas region.

The use of genetic management in conservation has sparked much debate around the ethical and environmental impacts of the plans. A case study on the conservation of leopard frogs in Arizona was analyzed to better understand the benefits and issues surrounding genetic management plans. The first part of the case focuses on the recent management plan for Chiricahua Leopard Frogs implemented by the Arizona Game and Fish Department. The goal of the plan is to better understand the genetic dynamics of the established Chiricahua Leopard Frog populations to develop a more effective management plan. The second part of the case focuses on the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s management of the Northern Leopard Frog. There was little success with the initial breed and release program of the native species, however a nonnative subspecies of Northern Leopard Frog was able to establish a thriving population. This case study exemplifies the many complications with genetic management plans and the importance of careful assessment of options when deciding on a genetic management plan. Despite the complexity of genetic management plans, it is an important method to consider when discussing the conservation of a species.

The reproductive biology of Aspidoscelis, particularly the known parthenogenetic species, has fascinated herpetologists for decades. In order to understand parthenogenesis within Aspidoscelis, which has evolved multiple times following hybridization events between distinct sexual species within the genus, it is imperative to comprehend underlying reproductive mechanisms and strategies inherent in the sexual ancestors. Through comprehensive genomic analyses, including RADseq data and synteny mapping, this study investigates sex determination mechanisms and identifies punitive sex-linked loci in two sexual Aspidoscelis species. The analysis reveals markers potentially associated with sex differentiation, offering insights into the chromosomal evolution and genetic basis of reproduction in these lizards. Despite challenges in identifying sex-linked loci using existing methods, the FST-based approach adopted here proved promising, with its ability to highlight genomic regions potentially involved in sex determination. Our findings suggest that chromosome 13 in A. gularis is homologous to the previously identified sex chromosome 3 in A. tigris. This study contributes to understanding the intricate genetic processes underlying parthenogenesis and karyotypic evolution in Aspidoscelis, paving the way for future studies elucidating the complexities of reproduction in vertebrates.

Previous literature in forensic entomology usually features blow fly research, making literature on forensically relevant beetles hard to find. Although some species of dermestid beetles have been well-studied in regions like Hawaii or the eastern portion of the United States, there has been little forensically focused research regarding dermestid beetles found in the southwestern United States. We were able to report the presence of three species of forensically relevant dermestid beetles on carrion studied in Phoenix, Arizona as well as their relative abundance and wild sex ratios in the spring and summer seasons. Understanding the species of dermestid beetles found in Arizona will aid researchers in determining what beetle species are most important. Knowing the natural sex ratios of commonly found dermestid beetles will be invaluable for optimizing dermestid beetle colony performance for researchers breeding dermestid beetles. The detection of specific species of dermestid beetles will help determine which species of beetles need to be studied first.