Asset® RS, HydraHumeTM and SuperBio® Ag Blend were evaluated during several sequential alfalfa harvests for their effects on alfalfa yields and quality. Addition of Hydra-HumeTM or AgBlend when applied via chemigation appear to have slightly increased hay yields over the three cutting period by 0.12-0.22 tons/acre respectively when compared with an area of the field that received 10-34- 0 but was a different soil type. Addition of Asset® RS to Hydra-HumeTM did not provide any additional consistent yield increase in this study. Addition of Asset® RS resulted in increased hay quality as measured by protein levels, acid detergent fiber, total digestible nutrients, neutral detergent fiber and relative feed value. These parameters were often statistically different than the Hydra-HumeTM treatments. It is unknown if application of Asset® RS would result in similar or greater quality and yeild response alone or on another soil type. Different results for all products may occur if heavier soils are used for experimentation rather than sandy soils, as nutrient availability is affected by soil type and pH.

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Microsprinkler irrigation offers excellent flexibility for site-specific management of water and nitrogen inputs for citrus orchards in the southwestern United States. Escalating water costs, declining water availability, and increasing regulation of nitrogen (N) fertilizer use are causing growers to adopt practices to improve water and N use efficiency. A three-year field experiment was initiated in the spring of 1996 on six-year-old pink grapefruit trees at the University of Arizona Citrus Agricultural Center. The objectives of this experiment are to i) evaluate the effects of fertigation frequency and fluid N application rate on the yield and fruit quality of microsprinkler irrigated grapefruit, and ii) develop best management guidelines for fluid N application frequency and rate for microsprinkler irrigated citrus. Treatments include a factorial combination of two N rates (recommended and 2 the recommended rate) and three fertigation frequencies (weekly, monthly, and tri-monthly). Minimal treatment effects were observed during the first season due to the influence of previous management practices. During the second season, fertilized trees yielded greater than the control trees. There was no significant difference between N rates, but fruit yield was generally higher with monthly or weekly fertigation. Leaf tissue samples collected during the second and third growing seasons showed increasing leaf N with increasing fertigation frequency at the high N rate.

Darbo tikslas - uždaruose gruntuose integruotai auginamiems pomidorams parinkti optimalų tręšimo būdą, užtikrinantį gerą produkcijos kokybę ir derlių. Stebėjimai buvo atliekami 2009 metais Alytaus mieste, polietilenu dengtame privačiame šiltnamyje. Šiltnamio plotas 36 m2. Pomidorai – viena svarbiausių ir populiariausių šiltnamių daržovių, auginamų ne tik ūkininkų, bet ir daržininkų mėgėjų. Tyrimui parinktas Enza Zaden firmos pomidorų hibridas Buran H. Daigai pasodinti polietileniniuose 20 litrų talpos puoduose, užpildytuose dviejų skirtingų gruntų: mineralinio (1 bandymas) ir organinio (2 bandymas). Augimo ir derėjimo metu papildomai kartą per savaitę tręšiama mineralinėmis (1 bandymas) arba organinėmis (2 bandymas) trąšomis. Vertinant pomidoro savybes nustatoma vaisių rūgštingumas, vitaminas C, nitratai, sausos medžiagos ir skonio savybės. Skaičiuojamas vidutinė vaisiaus masė, pomidorų skaičius kekėje, derlingumas ir sutrūkusių vaisių skaičius. Tyrimo metu nustatyta, kad subalansuotame grunte, papildomai tręšiant mažomis normomis kaip N34P8K50 ir N103P24K151, vaisių kokybiniai rodikliai praktiškai nesiskiria nuo organiniame grunte ir papildomai tręštų raugintomis dilgėlėmis pomidorų kokybinių rodiklių. Didinimas mineralinių trąšų normos skatino greitesnį pomidorų brendimą, vaisių odelės trūkimą, vitamino C kiekio didėjimą ir nitratų kaupimąsi. Augalus auginant 20 litrų polietileniniuose puoduose užtikrino mažą drėgmę šiltnamyje, kas neleido plisti ligoms ir kenkėjams... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The investigation of soil substratum and fertilization impact on the properties of tomato was carried out at the private greenhouse in Alytus in 2009. Buran H breed was selected for the growing experiment in special isolated 20L plastic containers filled with two different kinds of soil substratum: mineral (1 trial) and organic (2 trial). The analyses of tomato acidity, nitrate quantity, vitamin C amount, dray matter harvest, level of technical maturity (evaluated by cracked tomato number) and comparative taste characteristics carried out. It was established that application of well-balanced complex fertilizers in quantities as small as N34P8K50 and N103P24K151 conditioned quality of tomato in mineral soil substratum identically to that of vegetables grown in the organic soil substratum. The increasing mineral fertilizer rates stimulated faster tomato maturing process and cracking of its skin. As a result of increasing fertilizer application the larger amounts of vitamin C and nitrate accumulated in the fruits. From the other hand, unfavorable conditions for tomato deceases and pest were tested in the experiment due to the vegetables growing in the special isolated 20L plastic containers. This treatment was highly effective in order to obtain all plants very healthy and therefore might be recommended for the farmers growing vegetables in light and poor soils of the Dzūkija region.

Successful fertilization depends upon the activation of metaphase II arrested oocytes by sperm-borne oocyte activating factor (SOAF). Failure of oocyte activation is considered as the cause of treatment failure in a proportion of infertile couples. SOAF induces the release of intracellular calcium in oocyte which leads to meiotic resumption and pronuclear formation. Calcium release is either in the form of single calcium transient in echinoderm and amphibian oocytes or several calcium oscillations in ascidian and mammalian oocytes. Although the SOAF attributes are established, it is not clear which sperm protein(s) play such role. Sperm postacrosomal WW binding protein (PAWP) satisfies a developmental criteria set for a candidate SOAF. This study shows that recombinant human PAWP protein or its transcript acts upstream of calcium release and fully activates the amphibian and mammalian oocytes. Interference trials provided evidence for the first time that PAWP mediates sperm-induced intracellular calcium release through a PPXY/WWI domain module in Xenopus, mouse and human oocytes. Clinical applications of PAWP were further investigated by prospective study on the sperm samples from patients undergoing intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). PAWP expression level, analyzed by flow cytometry, was correlated to ICSI success rate and embryonic development. This study also explored the developmental expression of the other SOAF candidate, PLCζ in male reproductive system and its function during fertilization. Our findings showed for the first time that PLCζ most likely binds to the sperm head surface during epididymal passage and is expressed in epididymis. We demonstrated that PLCζ is also compartmentalized early in spermiogenesis and thus could play an important role during spermiogenesis. Detailed analysis of in vitro fertilization revealed that PLCζ disappears from sperm head during acrosome reaction and is not detectable during sperm incorporation into the oocyte cytoplasm. In conclusion, this dissertation provides evidence for the essential non-redundant role of sperm PAWP in amphibian and mammalian fertilization; recommends PAWP as a biomarker for prediction of ICSI outcomes in infertile couples; and proposes that sperm PLCζ may have functions other than inducing oocyte activation during fertilization. / Thesis (Ph.D, Anatomy & Cell Biology) -- Queen's University, 2013-09-29 23:45:35.395

Infertilitet är en utbredd problematik som drabbar många par världen över. Olika behandlingsformer finns att tillgå för att hjälpa infertila par att uppnå en graviditet. IVF-behandling är en vanlig behandlingsform. Många studier visar att IVF-behandling påverkar kvinnan mer än mannen psykiskt. Syftet med denna studie var att beskriva hur kvinnor upplever processen att genomgå IVF-behandling. Metod: En litteraturstudie gjordes på tio kvalitativa artiklar för att besvara syftet. En innehållsanalys gjordes på dessa artiklar, där meningsbärande enheter identifierades i artiklarnas resultat. Dessa enheter kondenserades, grupperades och formade sub-kategorier och teman. Livsvärldsperspektivet användes som en teoretisk referensram. Resultatet av denna litteraturstudie blev sju teman; Tro på behandlingen; Okunskap; Påverkan på vardagen; Bemötande i relationer; Negativ hantering; Rädsla, samt Väntan. Slutsatser som drogs av denna litteraturstudie var att kvinnornas upplevelser var övervägande negativt präglade, men en tro på behandlingen var ändå en central upplevelse. Det är viktigt för berörda kvinnors omgivning att inneha ett livsvärldsperspektiv inför kvinnornas upplevelser av behandlingen. En ökad förståelse från kvinnornas omgivning skulle kunna ge kvinnorna bättre upplevelser av att genomgå behandlingen. / Infertility is a widespread problem that affects many couples worldwide. Various treatments are available to help infertile couples achieve conception, and IVF is a common form of treatment. The psychological impact of the IVF-treatment affects the woman more than the man. The aim of this study was to describe how women experience the process of going through IVF treatment. Method: A literature review was done on ten qualitative articles to answer the aim of the study. A content analysis was done on these articles, and meaningful units were identified in the articles‟ results. These units were condensed, grouped and then formed into sub-categories and themes. A Life-World perspective was used as a theoretical framework. The result of this study was seven themes: Faith in the treatment; Ignorance: The impact on daily life; Responding in relationships, Negative handling, Fear, and Wait. Conclusions of this study were that women's experiences were predominantly negatively characterized, but a faith in the treatment was still a central experience. It is important for the women‟s surroundings to hold a Life-World perspective to women's experiences of the treatment. A greater understanding from the women's surroundings may improve the women‟s experiences of going through the treatment.

Marketing practices like Money-Back Guarantees (MBGs) and warranties are quite controversial in the health care market. Despite their professed intention to improve consumer welfare, MBGs are often decried for taking advantage of consumers who might not have the correct information. This concern is valid especially given the salient features of health care markets: a) customization, b) expert service, and c) difficulty in measuring service quality. For instance, in the context of in-vitro fertilization (IVF)-a medical procedure to assist infertile couples in having children-many health care and policy experts argue that MBGs offered by fertility clinics are nothing but marketing gimmicks and that these clinics either sort and treat only the more fertile patients or overtreat patients with more aggressive and risky treatment protocols. This concern, however, is in stark contrast with the signaling literature in marketing and economics. The central idea of the signaling theory is that the cost of offering MBGs can be so high that low-quality clinics are not able to afford mimicking the high-quality clinics' offering of MBGs. Essentially then, only high-quality clinics would be able to afford MBGs. Given these contrasting viewpoints, my dissertation aims to advance our understanding of the strategic MBG decisions in the health care market. Utilizing data from the U.S. IVF market, I investigate the relationship between MBGs and clinic capability, which contains two aspects: a) service quality, i.e., the effectiveness in transforming input to treatment outcome (or quality output), and b) service productivity, i.e., the efficiency in transforming input to production possibility (or quantity output). Considering the nature of the IVF market, my findings have natural extension to other health care and expert service markets. In chapter 2 (essay one), I empirically examine the underlying mechanism of MBGs-whether MBGs in the IVF market can act as credible signals of quality or simply marketing gimmicks-by investigating the relationship between MBG offers and treatment outcomes at the clinic level. The analysis is conducted on a large and unique longitudinal dataset that includes a) clinic-level treatment and outcome statistics for almost all IVF clinics in the U.S., b) fertility clinic characteristics and MBG decisions, c) information on state-level insurance mandates, and d) demographic characteristics. Using an instrument variable approach to account for the endogeneity of MBG decisions made by fertility clinics, I find that compared to clinics not offering MBGs, clinics offering MBGs secure better treatment outcomes (i.e., higher live birth rate) and use less aggressive treatment (i.e., transferring fewer embryos) without sorting higher fertility patients or imposing higher long-term risk (i.e., multiple birth rate). These results taken together suggest that MBGs can work as signals of quality despite the incentives for clinics to engage in opportunistic behaviors.In chapter 3 (essay two), I empirically examine the relationship between MBG decisions and clinic productivity. To quantify the unobserved productivity, I first incorporate the quantity-quality tradeoff into the production function and then estimate it using a non-parametric structural model approach recently developed in the economics literature. Empirically, to handle the endogeneity challenge caused by unobserved productivity, I use input change decision (i.e., hiring and investment) as a proxy for productivity. Then, I use an instrument variable approach to deal with the attenuation bias caused by measurement error in quality output. The results show that a) the quantity-quality tradeoff exists in the IVF market, b) expert labor plays a more important role than capital in determining the production quantity, and c) clinics with higher productivity are more likely to be offering MBGs, being non-profit, with longer experience, providing service to single woman, with higher competition, and in states with IVF insurance mandates. Compared to non-MBG clinics, MBG clinics have higher capability because they are not only more effective in transforming resource to successful outcome, but also more efficient in transforming capital and labor to production capacity. Shedding light on the public policy debate over MBG practice in the IVF industry, my study indicates that traditional marketing strategies deserve nuanced analysis in the health care and expert service markets.

Mammalian fertilization is a sequence of unique and fascinating events, during which seminal proteins are of crucial role. In case of bull (Bos taurus), proteins of seminal plasma (BSP), especially its major component PDC-109, are known to be in aggregated forms, but little is known about mechanism of forming aggregates and their biological function. In present thesis we discovered some interesting properties of PDC-109 and BSP proteins. We found that concentration of these proteins influences their aggregation state significantly, which can be of great biological importance. Separation of seminal proteins by size exclusion chromatography revealed three main fractions denoted I, II and III, with apparent molecular weights of Mr > 150 000, Mr = 30 000 and Mr = 13 000, respectively. In case of PDC-109, molecular weights of theese fractions were retained even after purification procedure, which implies very stable interactions in forming of aggregates. In addition, there was a difference in distribution of PDC-109 glycoforms among fractions, which can be related to the fact, that theese fractions have different sperm membrane binding patterns as we determined by fluorescence microscopy. However, further experiments are needed for better understanding this issue.