To clarify the relationship between ovarian reserve and the developmental competence of bovine oocytes, oocyte-granulosa complexes (OGCs) collected from early antral follicles (≤ 1 mm) in ovaries with high (≥ 25) and low (<25) antral follicle counts (AFCs) were used. OGCs derived from different AFC groups were cultured for growth followed by maturation, fertilization and blastocyst formation. V...

RATIONALE Pulmonary infections can impair alveolar fluid clearance (AFC), contributing to formation of lung edema. Effects of influenza A virus (IAV) on AFC are unknown. OBJECTIVES To determine effects of IAV infection on AFC, and to identify intercellular signaling mechanisms underlying influenza-mediated inhibition of AFC. METHODS BALB/c mice were infected intranasally with influenza A/WS...

In this study, to clarify the relationship between ovarian reserve and oocyte quality, cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) were collected repeatedly by ovum pick-up (OPU) from cows with high and low antral follicle counts (AFCs) at short (3-4 days) and long (7 days) intervals, and COC morphologies and oocyte fertilizability were examined. The relationship between AFC and follicular growth after OPU...

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most common cause of lower respiratory tract disease in infants and children worldwide. Intranasal infection of BALB/c mice with RSV strain A2, but not ultraviolet-inactivated RSV, for 2 or 4 days reduced basal alveolar fluid clearance (AFC), a seminal function of bronchoalveolar epithelium, and caused loss of AFC sensitivity to amiloride inhibition. Red...

High tidal volume ventilation is detrimental to alveolar fluid clearance (AFC), but effects of ventilation pressure (P) on AFC are unknown. In anesthetized BALB/c mice ventilated at constant tidal volume (8 ml/kg), mean AFC rate was 12.8% at 6 cmH(2)O P, but increased to 37.3% at 18 cmH(2)O P. AFC rate declined at 22 cmH(2)O P, which also induced lung damage. Increased AFC at 18 cmH(2)O P did n...

We propose two new asynchronous algorithms for solving Distributed Constraint Satisfaction Problems (DisCSPs). The first algorithm, AFC-ng, is a nogood-based version of Asynchronous Forward Checking (AFC). The second algorithm, Asynchronous Inter-Level Forward-Checking (AILFC), is based on the AFC-ng algorithm and is performed on a pseudo-tree ordering of the constraint graph. AFC-ng and AILFC ...

Antibody-forming cells (AFC), developing in toad spleen after stimulation with polymerized flagellin, were studied with an immune adherence assay. Differentiation was followed by several parameters: thymidine uptake to monitor dividing cells; equilibrium density centrifugation in albumin gradients to monitor cell density; microscopic measurements and sedimentation velocity separation to monitor...

Antibody-forming cells (AFC), developing in toad spleen after stimulation with polylnerized flagellin, were studied with an immune adherence assay. Differentiation was followed by several parameters : thymidine uptake to monitor dividing cells ; equilibrium density centrifugation in albumin gradients to monitor cell density ; microscopic measurements and sedimentation velocity separation to mon...

Antibody-forming cells (AFC), developing in toad spleen after stimulation with polylnerized flagellin, were studied with an immune adherence assay. Differentiation was followed by several parameters : thymidine uptake to monitor dividing cells ; equilibrium density centrifugation in albumin gradients to monitor cell density ; microscopic measurements and sedimentation velocity separation to mon...