Swine (Sus scofa domestica) lagoon effluent is a valuable resource. In the U.S. Mid-South it is applied from April to September to fertilize grass hay in spray-irrigated fields. Lagoon levels of nutrients and bacteria, and soil levels of nutrients have been documented, but little was known of effluent bacterial levels in soil. The present study examined levels of selected effluent bacteria and ...

BRAINSTORMS is a monthly section of The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry aimed at providing updates of novel concepts emerging from the neurosciences that have relevance to the practicing psychiatrist. From the Clinical Neuroscience Research Center in San Diego and the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California San Diego. Reprint requests to: Stephen M. Stahl, M.D., Ph.D., Editor, B...

spermatogenesis and spermiogenesis, mam-malian spermatozoa leaving the testis appear to be morphologically mature but clearly are immature from a functional standpoint; that is, they have acquired neither progressive motility nor the ability to fertilize a metaphase II–arrested egg. Although progressive motil-ity is acquired and signaling pathways mature during sperm transit through the epididy...

In the mouse and other mammals studied, including man, ejaculated spermatozoa cannot immediately fertilize an egg. They require a certain period of residence in the female genital tract to become functionally competent cells. As spermatozoa traverse through the female genital tract, they undergo multiple biochemical and physiological changes collectively referred to as capacitation. Only capaci...

The quality of sperm DNA is very important in maintaining the reproductive potential of men. Sperm DNA is resistant to many types of insults that occur during its journey from the testis to time it reaches the oocyte for fertilization. During natural conception, a selection process occurs that allows only sperm with intact DNA to fertilize an oocyte. When assisted reproductive techniques (ART) ...

Sperm competition, in which the ejaculates of multiple males compete to fertilize a female's ova, results in strong selection on sperm traits. Although sperm size and swimming velocity are known to independently affect fertilization success in certain species, exploring the relationship between sperm length, swimming velocity and fertilization success still remains a challenge. Here, we use the...