Sperm Human Biobanking: An Overview.

The purpose of this article is to analyze in detail the advantages and disadvantages of sperm cryopreservation, focusing on the cellular and molecular changes that occur during these processes. The main issue is the cellular damage caused by ice crystal formation and osmotic imbalance, along with other secondary effects such as sperm motility and viability, as well as the acrosome reaction or oxidative stress. Another important aspect is the examination of how chromatin structure and DNA integrity affect sperm.

Tectonic extension and paleoelevation influence mammalian diversity dynamics in the Basin and Range Province of western North America.

Landscape properties have a profound influence on the diversity and distribution of biota, with present-day biodiversity hot spots occurring in topographically complex regions globally. Complex topography is created by tectonic processes and further shaped by interactions between climate and land-surface processes. These processes enrich diversity at the regional scale by promoting speciation and accommodating increased species richness along strong environmental gradients.

Information Flow between Parents and Offspring Is Essential for Successful Development.

Over the last several decades, the sciences of developmental biology and physiology have expanded and intertwined their scope enormously [...

The role of gravitational body forces in the development of metamorphic core complexes.

Within extreme continental extension areas, ductile middle crust is exhumed at the surface as metamorphic core complexes. Sophisticated quantitative models of extreme extension predicted upward transport of ductile middle-lower crust through time. Here we develop a general model for metamorphic core complexes formation and demonstrate that they result from the collapse of a mountain belt supported by a thickened crustal root.

Conservation Biology and Reproduction in a Time of Developmental Plasticity.

The objective of this review is to ask whether, and how, principles in conservation biology may need to be revisited in light of new knowledge about the power of epigenetics to alter developmental pathways. Importantly, conservation breeding programmes, used widely by zoological parks and aquariums, may appear in some cases to reduce fitness by decreasing animals' abilities to cope when confronted with the 'wild side' of their natural habitats. Would less comfortable captive conditions lead to the selection of individuals that, despite being adapted to life in a captive environment, be better able to thrive if relocated to a more natural environment? While threatened populations may benefit from advanced reproductive technologies, these may actually induce undesirable epigenetic changes.

Cryo-scanning electron microscopy demonstrates that ice morphology is not associated with the post-thaw survival of domestic boar (Sus domesticus) spermatozoa: A comparison of directional and conventional freezing methods.

Directional freezing (in 2 or 10 ml hollow glass tubes) has been reported to improve post-thaw sperm survival parameters compared to conventional methods (in 0.5 ml straws). However, the biophysical properties that increase post-thaw survival are poorly understood.

Coupled influence of tectonics, climate, and surface processes on landscape evolution in southwestern North America.

The Cenozoic landscape evolution in southwestern North America is ascribed to crustal isostasy, dynamic topography, or lithosphere tectonics, but their relative contributions remain controversial. Here we reconstruct landscape history since the late Eocene by investigating the interplay between mantle convection, lithosphere dynamics, climate, and surface processes using fully coupled four-dimensional numerical models. Our quantified depth-dependent strain rate and stress history within the lithosphere, under the influence of gravitational collapse and sub-lithospheric mantle flow, show that high gravitational potential energy of a mountain chain relative to a lower Colorado Plateau can explain extension directions and stress magnitudes in the belt of metamorphic core complexes during topographic collapse.

Repeating Nontectonic Seasonal Stress Changes and a Possible Triggering Mechanism of the 2019 Ridgecrest Earthquake Sequence in California.

Here we characterize the 13-year history of nontectonic horizontal strain anomalies across the regions surrounding Ridgecrest, CA, using cGPS data from January 2007. This time-dependent model reveals a seasonality in the nontectonic strain anomalies and the associated Coulomb stress changes of ∼±0.5-2 kPa.

Genome resource banking for wildlife conservation: promises and caveats.

The value of cryopreserved germplasm in agriculture, aquaculture and medicine was recognized in the mid-twentieth century following the discovery in the late 1940s of a method for recovering viable spermatozoa after freeze-thawing. Sir Alan Parkes (a founder of cryobiology as a discipline) remarked that "time and space has been abolished for cattle breeding", a phrase that continues to summarise the potential value of the Genetic Resource Bank (GRB) concept for all species. The underlying principle behind these remarks was based on the recognition that spermatozoa could remain viable for many years, and still achieve pregnancies even long after the semen donor had died.

How can mating systems inform future biobanking strategies? An illustration using two Indonesian bovids, banteng (Bos javanicus) and lowland anoa (Bubalus depressicornis).

Storing cryopreserved spermatozoa in a genome resource bank safeguards against the loss of heterozygosity in endangered species and provides opportunities to reincorporate genes into populations through the application of assisted reproductive technologies. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the effect of breeding strategy on ejaculate characteristics to illustrate how this information may be used to select appropriate methods for the storage and use of cryopreserved sperm. In the present study, ejaculates from a polygynous bovid, banteng (Bos javanicus), were characterized (motility 72.

Recent Progress in Spermatology Contributing to the Knowledge and Conservation of Rare and Endangered Species.

There is a remarkable diversity in the animal kingdom regarding mechanisms underlying the production, maturation, structure, and function of sperm cells. Spermatology studies contribute to the knowledge of species diversity and also provide information about individual or population fitness. Furthermore, this fundamental research is required before collected spermatozoa can be used for conservation breeding, including assisted reproduction and cryobanking.

Tectonic influence on Cenozoic mammal richness and sedimentation history of the Basin and Range, western North America.

Tectonic activity can drive speciation and sedimentation, potentially causing the fossil and rock records to share common patterns through time. The Basin and Range of western North America arose through widespread extension and collapse of topographic highlands in the Miocene, creating numerous basins with rich mammalian fossil records. We analyzed patterns of mammalian species richness from 36 to 0 million years ago in relation to the history of sediment accumulation to test whether intervals of high species richness corresponded with elevated sediment accumulation and fossil burial in response to tectonic deformation.

Opportunities and Limitations for Reproductive Science in Species Conservation.

Reproductive science in the context of conservation biology is often understood solely in terms of breeding threatened species. Although technologies developed primarily for agriculture or biomedicine have a potentially important role in species conservation, their effectiveness is limited if we regard the main objective of animal conservation as helping to support populations rather than to breed a small number of individuals. The global threats facing wild species include the consequences of climate change, population growth, urbanization, atmospheric and water pollution, and the release of chemicals into the environment, to cite but a few.

Sperm transport and male pregnancy in seahorses: An unusual model for reproductive science.

The Syngnathidae (seahorses and pipefishes) are a group of teleost fishes in which, uniquely, developing embryos are hosted throughout pregnancy by males, using a specialized brood pouch situated on the abdomen or tail. Seahorses have evolved the most advanced form of brood pouch, whereby zygotes and embryos are intimately connected to the host's circulatory system and also bathed in pouch fluid. The pouch is closed to the external environment and has to perform functions such as gaseous exchange, removal of waste and maintenance of appropriate osmotic conditions, much like the mammalian placenta.

Paths Toward Sustainable State and County Systems of Care.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's Children's Mental Health Initiative (CMHI) Cooperative Agreements support the development of children's systems of care (SOCs). The National Evaluation of CMHI interviewed representatives from Mental Health Authorities (MHA) and Medicaid agencies in 25 state, county, and municipal jurisdictions in the FY13 and FY14 grant cohorts in grant years 2 and 4. This paper analyzes funding for five services (wraparound planning; intensive care coordination; family peer support; youth peer support; and flexible funding) that are a core part of SOCs, and grantee descriptions of sustainability strategies and challenges.

Extracellular vesicles in the male reproductive tract of the softshell turtle.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are a heterogeneous group of cell-derived membranous structures comprising exosomes and microvesicles that originate from the endosomal system or are shed from the plasma membrane respectively. As mediators of cell communication, EVs are present in biological fluids and are involved in many physiological and pathological processes. The role of EVs has been extensively investigated in the mammalian male reproductive tract, but the characteristics and identification of EVs in reptiles are still largely unknown.

Crustal Strain Patterns Associated With Normal, Drought, and Heavy Precipitation Years in California.

We invert continuously operating Global Positioning System (cGPS) data obtained between 2007 and 2019 to quantify non steady-state horizontal strain anomalies in California. Our long-wavelength transient strain model shows seasonal and multiannual variations in horizontal strain anomalies within the plate boundary zone. During the summer, in general, a zone of extensional dilatation develops along the San Andreas Fault zone and Sierra Nevada, whereas contractional dilatation develops along the Eastern California Shear Zone (ECSZ) north of 36.

Collective dynamics of sperm cells.

While only a single sperm may fertilize the egg, getting to the egg can be facilitated, and possibly enhanced, by sperm group dynamics. Examples range from the trains formed by wood mouse sperm to the bundles exhibited by echidna sperm. In addition, observations of wave-like patterns exhibited by ram semen are used to score prospective sample fertility for artificial insemination in agriculture.

Family Organizations in Children's Mental Health Systems of Care: the Challenge of Maintaining Financial Sustainability.

Family-run organizations are an important source of support for families of children with serious emotional disturbance, yet little work has explored how these organizations sustain their work. The National Evaluation Team (NET) for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's Children's Mental Health Initiative grant program interviewed 20 family organizations in Grant Year 2 and 22 organizations in Year 4 to assess their main funding sources, the adequacy of this funding to support the organization, and changes in their funding and financial sustainability over time. Family organizations were supported mainly by mental health authority and other state agency funding and were in early stages of accessing Medicaid funding for peer services.

Data for "joint modeling of lithosphere and mantle dynamics: Sensitivity to viscosities within the lithosphere, asthenosphere, transition zone, and D" layers".

The article presents the data calculated from four different viscosity structures V1, V2 [1], SH08 [2], and GHW13 [3], as well as two tomography models S40RTS [4] and SAW642AN [5], using the joint modeling of lithosphere and mantle dynamics technique [3, 6-9]. Besides, the data contain the information on the viscosity variations of the lithosphere, asthenosphere, transition zone, and D″ layer based on the viscosity structure SH08.

Premature birth stunts early growth and is a possible driver of stress-induced maternal effects in the guppy Poecilia reticulata.

We tested the effects of gestational stress, principally in the form of alarm cue extracted from the skin of conspecifics, on reproduction in female guppies (Poecilia reticulata) and the growth and behaviour of their offspring. Offspring from mothers exposed to alarm cue exhibited stunted growth in the first few days post-partum, which appeared to be mediated by shortening of the gestation period, the length of which directly correlated with growth rate within the first 6 days post-partum. Mature offspring did not differ in behaviour or stress responses compared with controls and so the effects of maternal predation stress did not appear to persist into adulthood.

Honey as an Alternative to Antibiotics for Cryopreservation of Nili-Ravi Buffalo Bull Spermatozoa.

The antimicrobial properties of honey have stimulated interest in evaluating it as an alternative to antibiotics for cryopreserved buffalo semen. , and honey were analyzed and honey was found suitable in terms of quality and purity. Buffalo semen (24 ejaculates) was studied for dose tolerability to honey (0.