Distinct deviations from bulk polystyrene in thermal expansion of the free volume holes and the glass transition

temperature associated with free volume behavior were observed for the thinnest film with 22 nm thickness, indicating its exclusively high chain mobility. Comparison of the polystyrene concentration in the precursor solution around the overlap concentration suggests that the high chain mobility is due to less entangled chains caused by rapid removal BAY 57-1293 concentration of the solvent from the diluted solution in order to prepare very thin film. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“Successful production of high quality blastocysts depends on the use of a culture system that ensures the acquisition of developmental competence by the maturing oocyte followed by an efficient in vitro fertilization. In the present work the effect of FSH and pyruvate in an EGF containing medium for ovine oocyte maturation prior to insemination with fresh (F) or frozen-thawed (FT) semen on embryo

developmental competence and cryosurvival was determined. Sheep oocytes were matured in two culture media (M1 and M2, respectively; M1 = CM + EGF, n = 836 and M2 – CM + EGF + pyruvate + FSH, n = 850) for 22 h and then fertilized using FT or F spermatozoa (M1 x FT = 371, M2 x FT = 359, M1 x F = 353 and M2 Histone Methyltransf inhibitor x F = 372, 9 replicates) from Merino rams (n = 3). After embryo culture and evaluation, good quality blastocysts (grade 1) were vitrified in OPS. Post-thawed embryo integrity, re-expansion and number of total and viable cells were assessed. Oocyte maturation rates presented no differences (P > 0.05) between treatments (M1 = 87.0 +/- 14.1 and M2 = 86.7 +/- 13.9%) as well as embryo developmental rates either for maturation media or semen status. However, fresh semen improved blastocyst quality (grade 1 embryos F = 52.5 +/- 4.8% and FT = 39.0 +/- 4.4%, P = 0.01). Grade 1 blastocysts presented similar post-thawed integrity and re-expansion rates. After 3 h of culture,

expansion rates were higher (P = 0.05) for M2 x F warmed embryos AZD5363 molecular weight (80.0 +/- 8.3%) than for M1 x F (54.3 +/- 10.4%). Results seem to confirm the existence of a synergistic effect between FSH, EGF and pyruvate upon cytoplasmic maturation of ovine oocytes. Moreover, in vitro fertilization by fresh semen clearly improves ovine embryo developmental competence by enhancing morphological blastocyst quality. The beneficial effect of M2 on cryosurvival was only observed in embryos derived from fresh semen. Therefore these combined strategies enhance embryo cryosurvival. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.”
“Background: EphA2 tyrosine kinase plays an important role in tumor angiogenesis, but whether targeting this pathway can affect response to ionizing radiation (IR) remains unknown.