Mammalian sperm require time in the female tract in order to be able to fertilize an egg. The physiological changes that render the sperm able to fertilize are known as capacitation. Capacitation is associated with an increase in intracellular pH, an increase in intracellular calcium and phosphorylation of different proteins. This process is also accompanied by the hyperpolarization of the sper...

When females mate promiscuously, sperm from rival males compete within the female reproductive tract to fertilize ova. Sperm competition is a powerful selective force that has shaped sexual behavior, sperm production, and sperm morphology. However, nothing is known about the influence of sperm competition on fertilization-related processes, because it has been assumed that sperm competition onl...

Mixed-mating systems, in which hermaphrodites can either self-fertilize or outcross, are common in many species of plants and invertebrates and have been informative models for studying the selective forces that can maintain both inbreeding and outbreeding in populations. Here, we document a remarkable instance of evolutionary convergence to an analogous mixed mating system by a vertebrate, the...

Sperm competition is now recognised as a potent selective force shaping many male reproductive traits. While the influence of sperm competition on sperm number is widely accepted, its effects upon sperm size remain controversial. It had been traditionally assumed that there is a trade-off between sperm number and sperm size, so that an increase in sperm number would result in a decrease in sper...

Abstract Background Nitrogen (N) deposition alters litter decomposition and soil carbon (C) sequestration by influencing the microbial community its enzyme activity. Natural atmospheric N comprises of inorganic (IN) organic (ON) compounds. However, most studies have focused on IN effect C cycling, whereas ON activity is poorly understood. Here we studied effects different forms externally suppl...

Climate change mitigation strategies have increased the demand for wood products, resulting in an urgent need to increase production. One approach is fertilize forest land, but this can influence greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes within ecosystem. The aim of study was examine effects N fertilization on soil CH4 and N2O young Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) stands southern Sweden. were measure...

In Cameroon, the consumption of bakery products, especially bread, occupies a preponderant place in diet populations, even non-wheat-producing countries. These products are becoming increasingly dependent on wheat-producing nations, particularly during economic crises where wheat is very expensive to import. To remedy this situation, technologies being developed replace flour with obtained from...