Sperm viability in the reproductive tract of females in a population of Sceloporus mucronatus exhibiting asynchronous reproduction

Asynchronous reproduction is a common phenomenon in high-elevation populations of lizards from Central México. Sperm storage in the reproductive tract of females is the mechanism for making oocyte fertilization possible. Our study addresses questions related to functional oviductal sperm storage of females mating on different dates throughout the reproductive season. A population of Sceloporus mucronatus with copulation in the summer and ovulation in the fall was chosen for this experiment. Eleven females that copulated in the field during June and 13 females that copulated in captivity during August were maintained in the laboratory until parturition. The number of pregnant females and the litter sizes produced in each experimental group were indicative of the viability of the stored sperm. Sperm stored in the reproductive tract of females were able to fertilize eggs after 4 months. No significant differences were found in the number of pregnant females between the 2 experimental groups nor in the litter sizes that they produced. We found that the amount of time sperm were held in the female reproductive tract (ca. 3 months) had no effect on the capacity of sperm to fertilize eggs. Histological examination of 8 oviducts collected before the mating season eliminated the possibility of sperm storage from one year to the next. In this system, sperm retention could have evolved as a response mechanism to deal with the asynchrony between sexes in the reproductive cycles. However, we cannot rule out alternative hypotheses.     

Use of interstate highway overpasses and billboards for nesting by the common raven ( Corvus corax )

Common ravens are usually rather shy birds around their nests and avoid nesting too near human activity. We here report the use of overpasses along heavily traveled Interstate Highway 84 in Idaho and Utah for nest placement. Nests are within 6 m of passing vehicles.     

Vaccination against and treatment of tuberculosis, the leishmaniases and AIDS: perspectives from basic immunology and immunity to chronic intracellular infections

The occurrence of infectious disease represents a failure of the immune system, a failure that must be prevented by effective vaccination or remedied by treatment. Vaccination against acute diseases such as smallpox and polio are very effective, due to the rapid and increased immune response of vaccinated individuals upon natural infection. In contrast, effective vaccination against intracellular pathogens that cause chronic diseases, such as the leishmaniases, tuberculosis and AIDS, has not been achieved. Clinical observations suggest cell-mediated, Th1 responses, exclusive of antibody production and the generation of Th2 cells, are optimally protective against these intracellular pathogens. Effective vaccination must ensure the generation of such a protective response. We explore here whether understanding very broad features of the regulation of the immune response can accommodate modern findings on the immunological features of these diseases, and provide a perspective within which strategies for effective vaccination and treatment can be developed.     

Sulfatase activities towards the regulation of cell metabolism and signaling in mammals

In higher vertebrates, sulfatases belong to a conserved family of enzymes that are involved in the regulation of cell metabolism and in developmental cell signaling. They cleave the sulfate from sulfate esters contained in hormones, proteins, and complex macromolecules. A highly conserved cysteine in their active site is post-translationally converted into formylglycine by the formylglycine-generating enzyme encoded by SUMF1 (sulfatase modifying factor 1). This post-translational modification activates all sulfatases. Sulfatases are extensively glycosylated proteins and some of them follow trafficking pathways through cells, being secreted and taken up by distant cells. Many proteoglycans, glycoproteins, and glycolipids contain sulfated carbohydrates, which are sulfatase substrates. Indeed, sulfatases operate as decoding factors for a large amount of biological information contained in the structures of the sulfated sugar chains that are covalently linked to proteins and lipids. Modifications to these sulfate groups have pivotal roles in modulating specific signaling pathways and cell metabolism in mammals.     

A Unified Framework for Multilingual Text-to-Speech Synthesis with SSML Specification as Interface

This paper describes the design of a unified framework for a multilingual text-to-speech (TTS) synthesis engine – Crystal. The unified framework defines the common TTS modules for different languages and/or dialects. The interfaces between consecutive modules conform to the speech synthesis markup language (SSML) specification for standardization, interoperability, multilinguality, and extensibility. Detailed module divisions and implementation technologies for the unified framework are introduced, together with possible extensions for the algorithm research and evaluation of the TTS synthesis. Implementation of a mixed-language TTS system for Chinese Putonghua, Chinese Cantonese, and English demonstrates the feasibility of the proposed unified framework.     

Effect of Si on austenite stabilization,martensite morphology,and magnetic properties in Fe-26%Ni-x%Si alloys

The effect of Si on the austenite stabilization, martensite morphology, and magnetic properties in Fe-26%Ni-x%Si (x=3.5, 5, and 6) alloys have been studied by means of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and M?ssbauer spectroscopy techniques. TEM observations reveal that the martensite morphology is closely dependent on the Si content. The volume fraction changes of martensite and austenite phases, the hyperfine magnetic field, and isomer shift values have been determined by Mssbauer spectroscopy. The M?ssbauer study reveals that the hyperfine magnetic field, the isomer shift values and the volume fraction of martensite decrease with increasing Si content.