BACKGROUND IZUMO1 is the only sperm protein which is proven to be essential for sperm-egg fusion. However, the IZUMO1 is a structurally simple protein with single Ig domain and seems not to include either a "fusogenic peptide" or a fusion machinery domain. This led us to assume the existence of an IZUMO1-interacting protein(s) which makes a functional fusion machine interacting with IZUMO1. M...

BACKGROUND The presence of anti-sperm antibodies (ASA) in males can reduce fecundity. However, it has been shown that there is a diversity of ASA bound to the sperm surface. This study was performed to investigate the inhibitory effects on fertilization by ASA in males. METHODS ASA were detected using the direct-immunobead test (D-IBT) in 509 semen samples. In some cases, the direct-sperm imm...

Starting with my acquaintance with W. Ross Ashby, this paper offers an account of one aspect of his work, information theory. It shows his motivation to embrace information theory, how he extended it, where it failed while fertilizing reconstructability analysis, and what it took for a solution to emerge. Based on Ashby‘s recognition of the material limits of computation, the paper continues hi...

Wheat is one of the world's most favoured food sources, reaching millions of people on a daily basis. However, its production has climatic consequences. Fuel, inorganic fertilizers and pesticides used in wheat production emit greenhouse gases that can contribute negatively to climate change. It is unknown whether adopting alternative farming practices will increase crop yield while reducing car...

In the context of demographic increase and climate change, issue ensuring food security is becoming increasingly important, which why use chemical fertilizers in agriculture main means increasing quantity quality agricultural production. Alongside basic mineral (root) fertilization, indispensable, foliar fertilization a measure both terms yields quality. Foliar provide surplus fertilizing eleme...