The volume transition induced by the addition of calcium into lightly cross-linked fully neutralized sodium polyacrylate hydrogels, swollen in 40 mM NaCl solutions, is investigated by osmotic swelling pressure and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) measurements. In this reversible transition, the polymer volume fraction æ changes by more than an order of magnitude. The longitudinal osmotic m...

A field trial was conducted to compare the fertility predicting capacity of different sperm assays applying classical semen analysis, sperm function and the homologous in vitro penetration test (hIVP) to 60 ejaculates from four boars collected over a period of 15 weeks. No differences were found between the groups of fertility (Low Fertility: < 20%; Intermediate: 40-60% and High: > 80%) for spe...

This study examined the mechanism of swelling for high acyl (HA) gellan gum and impacts on hydrogel mechanical properties release a model drug (glucose). Controlling material entrapped drugs during use in aqueous environments, such as stomach or bodily fluids, are crucial designing functional applications. Swelling HA was controlled by varying osmotic environment with salts solvents, effects ge...

DNA solutions and gels exhibit a wide range of phenomena, many of which have not yet been fully understood. In the presence of multivalent counterions, attraction between charged DNA strands occurs. Increasing the concentration of multivalent ions leads to a decrease of the osmotic pressure, and a sufficiently high ion concentration results in the precipitation of the polymer. Replacing the mon...

Biological tissues like intervertebral discs and articular cartilage primarily consist of interstitial fluid, collagen fibrils and negatively charged proteoglycans. Due to the fixed charges of the proteoglycans, the total ion concentration inside the tissue is higher than in the surrounding synovial fluid (cation concentration is higher and the anion concentration is lower). This excess of ion ...

AIM To detect the anti-follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) antibody in idiopathic infertile patients and fertile subjects in order to determine the role of this antibody in patients with spermatogenic dysfunction. METHODS The anti-FSH antibody in serum was detected by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The functional and structural integrity of the sperm membrane was evaluated with ...

Submit Manuscript | http://medcraveonline.com This process may be initiated by the loss of intracellular calcium homeostasis which could activate a number of proteolytic and lipolytic systems [2]. Infiltration of mononuclear cells also occurs in the days after unaccustomed exercise. Release of secondary degradation products may increase osmotic pressures in the vicinity of the damage, and this ...

The roles of apical and basolateral transport mechanisms in the regulation of cell volume and the hydraulic water permeabilities (Lp) of the individual cell membranes of the Amphiuma early distal tubule (diluting segment) were evaluated using video and optical techniques as well as conventional and Cl-sensitive microelectrodes. The Lp of the apical cell membrane calculated per square centimeter...

Previously, we demonstrated that there were effects of elevated plasma osmolality on both early cell swelling and eventual cell necrosis in ischemic cardiac muscle. The present study quantifies the extent of cell volume derangement, determines whether or not there is a quantitative relationship between cell swelling and eventual necrosis, and defines the time limits of ischemia within which pre...

Sperm motility is an important parameter for success in intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) treatment. The sperm motility is due to its tail. If the sperm is not moving, it could be dead or alive. Normal live births have been obtained after ICSI with immotile sperm [1,2]. Various procedures have been applied to pick viable sperm for ICSI including, hypo-osmotic swelling (HOS) test [3], addi...