BACKGROUND Surplus oocytes in assisted reproduction treatment cycles could be saved and donated to other couples. ICSI is usually performed for oocytes that have been stored frozen, considering possible exocytosis of cortical granules (CG). The unavoidability of ICSI merits further study. METHODS We used a slow method to freeze excess oocytes from infertile couples. After thawing, oocytes wer...

AIMS To investigate treatment with glycerol/washing as a potential substitute for freeze-thawing in the production of leucocyte depleted red cell concentrates for patients with a history of non-haemolytic reactions following transfusion. METHODS The standard procedure of treatment with glycerol/-80 degrees C freezing/thawing/washing was compared with a similar procedure in which freezing was ...

BACKGROUND We designed this study to detect the cryoinjury rate on human sperm after serial freezing and thawing, taking into consideration the effects of using cryovials and straws. MATERIALS AND METHODS In this experimental study, semen specimens obtained from 15 subjects were divided into normozoospermic and oligozoospermic groups. Each of the normozoospermic and oligozoo spermic semen spe...

Although bioprosthetic heart valves offer the benefits of a natural opening and closing, better hemodynamics, and avoidance of life-long anticoagulant therapy, they nevertheless tend to fail in 10-15 years from tears and calcification. Several authors, including the present ones, have identified the rigid stent as a factor contributing to these failures. The ultimate solution is an artificial h...

After freezing and thawing, Pseudomonas aeruginosa harboring a drug resistance plasmid (Hg2+r, Strr), became acutely sensitive to mercuric ions but not to streptomycin in the plating medium, whereas its sensitivity to both agents became more pronounced indicating a synergistic effect. This freeze-thaw-induced sensitivity was transient and capable of being repaired to a simple salts medium. Tran...

BACKGROUND We studied the ultrastructural characteristics of human mature oocytes frozen/thawed (F/T) using different concentrations of sucrose. Fresh human mature oocytes were used as controls. METHODS The oocytes (n = 48) were fixed in 1.5% glutaraldehyde at sampling (n = 16) or after freeze/thawing performed using a slow cooling method with propane-1,2-diol 1.5 mol/l and sucrose at either ...

Cellular level freeze injury was investigated after controlled freezing of an Eker rat uterine fibroid cell line in both the presence and absence of oestradiol. The connection between thermal history and cell injury in single ELT-3 cells in suspension (without oestradiol) was studied through a two-level, four-parameter (2(4)) experiment with membrane dye exclusion as the end-point. The four par...

The aim of this study was to use biochemical markers to evaluate the quality of fresh and cryopreserved semen from the arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus). Twenty-three manually collected ejaculates were analysed for the main indicators of semen quality (sperm concentration and ejaculate volume). Sperm motility and percentage of morphologically normal and abnormal spermatozoa were determined according ...

Freezing thawing cycles are known to play an important role in fracture propagation on rock mass and thus slope instabilities. In laboratories, this phenomenon can be studied through the measurement of velocities elastic waves. Seven types rocks differing by their mineralogy texture were tested (gneiss, basalt, amphibolite, dolomite, sandstone, marble limestone calcite). Five samples each teste...