A novel genetic male sterile germplasm was developed by successively crossing of (C. annuum x C. chinense) x C. pubescens and by chemical mutagenesis in pepper. The sterile anthers showed morphological abnormalities, but pistils developed normally with fine pollination capability. We investigated fertility segregation through sib-crossing of the same strains and test crossing by male sterile pl...

Life history theory often assumes a trade-oV between dispersal and reproduction, and such a trade-oV is commonly observed in wing-dimorphic insects. The results are less consistent for wing-monomorphic species, for which it is more diYcult to assess dispersal capacity and rate. Three replicate experiments were carried out in consecutive years on the Glanville fritillary butterXy in a large outd...

Objective: University is a time for self-discovery, development of independence and transition to adulthood. It is not well examined whether childless university students also consider the potential of future personal infertility. The objective of this study was to document expectations and perceptions related to personal infertility in a sample of young adults. Methods: Using a qualitative app...

The architecture of machine self-reproduction proposed by John von Neumann is studied within an artificial life platform known as Avida. To shed light on the evolutionary potential of the von Neumann style self-reproduction within the Avida world, we preliminarily characterise a hand-designed self-reproducer by extensive single-point mutation analysis. Although not surprisingly, the vast majori...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Knowledge of pollen dispersal patterns and variation of fecundity is essential to understanding plant evolutionary processes and to formulating strategies to conserve forest genetic resources. Nevertheless, the pollen dispersal pattern of dipterocarp, main canopy tree species in palaeo-tropical forest remains unclear, and flowering intensity variation in the field suggests h...

The interplay of balancing selection within a species and rapid gene evolution between species can confound our ability to determine the functional equivalence of interspecific and intergeneric pairs of alleles underlying reproduction. In crucifer plants, mating specificity in the barrier to self-fertilization called self-incompatibility (SI) is controlled by allele-specific interactions betwee...

STUDY QUESTION What are the lifestyle choices and dietary aspects of women about to undergo fertility treatment in New Zealand? SUMMARY ANSWER A considerable proportion of women about to undergo fertility treatment make poor lifestyle choices, including the consumption of alcohol and caffeine. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Women undergoing fertility treatment are highly motivated to achieve pregnan...