Organisms with external fertilization are often sperm limited, and in echinoids, larger eggs have a higher probability of fertilization than smaller eggs. This difference is thought to be a result of the more frequent sperm-egg collisions experienced by larger targets. Here we report how two components of egg target size, the egg cell and jelly coat, contributed to fertilization success in a se...

Complex life cycles have evolved independently numerous times in marine animals as well as in disparate algae. Such life histories typically involve a dispersive immature stage followed by settlement and metamorphosis to an adult stage on the sea floor. One commonality among animals exhibiting transitions of this type is that their larvae pass through a 'precompetent' period in which they do no...

Climate change is altering sea level rise rates and precipitation patterns worldwide. Coastal wetlands are vulnerable to these changes. System responses to stressors are important for resource managers and environmental stewards to understand in order to best manage them. Thin layer sand or sediment application to drowning and eroding marshes is one approach to build elevation and resilience. T...

The surface of insulators accumulates charge during subject to high voltage stresses electrically.The surface charging causes deteriorations of electrical performance and durability of high voltage insulators in gas. In this paper, we describe a result of visual analysis of electric fields with accumulation charge on complex insulator surface to clear the effect of surface charging on the diele...

Extreme storms and storm surges may induce major changes along sandy barrier coastlines, potentially causing substantial environmental and economic damage.We show that themost destructive storm (the 1634 AD storm) documented for the northern Wadden Sea within the last thousand years both caused permanent barrier breaching and initiated accumulation of up to several metres of marine sand. An agg...

the aim of this study was to compare the effect of six weeks of volleyball specific training on the sand and hard surface (sport hall) on the resting levels and responses of lactate, creatine kinase (ck) and lactate dehydrogenase (ldh) to acute exercise in volleyball players. for this purpose, 18 male volleyball players (mean±sd; age, 23.7±3.7; weight, 75.3± 1.7) were randomly assigned to two g...

Introduction: The eolian bedform within Gale Crater referred to as "Rocknest" was investigated by the science instruments of the Curiosity Mars rover. Physical, chemical and mineralogical results are consistent with data collected from soils at other landing sites, suggesting a globally-similar composition. Results from the Curiosity payload from Rocknest should be considered relevant beyond a ...

Both competition and burial are important factors that influence plant growth and structuring plant communities. Competition intensity may decline with increased burial stress. However, experimental evidence is scarce. The aim of this study was to elucidate the role of burial stress in influencing plant competition by investigating biomass accumulation, biomass allocation, and clonal growth per...

Mega-dunes in the lake group area of Badain Jaran Sand Sea, China, are generally taller than dunes non-lake area. This spatial distribution dune heights may provide a new perspective on controversy regarding dunes’ formation mechanism. In this study, we calculated relative and slopes individual based digital elevation model, confirmed height abnormally tall sand sea. It was also found that more...