13 ESOPHAGEAL MOTILITY TESTING Occasionally endoscopy and barium esophagogram reports contain information about esophageal motility. Still, esophageal manometry is considered the gold standard in evaluating and quantifying esophageal motility. Esophageal manometry in patients with GERD is recommended to investigate the presence of esophageal motility abnormalities associated with GERD and to lo...

Ventricular myosin (βMys) is the motor protein in cardiac muscle generating force using ATP hydrolysis free energy to translate actin. In the cardiac muscle sarcomere, myosin and actin filaments interact cyclically and undergo rapid relative translation facilitated by the low duty cycle motor. It contrasts with high duty cycle processive myosins for which persistent actin association is the pri...

Mutual relationships between selected chemical elements (Na, K, Fe, Cu, Mg, and Zn), basic motility characteristics (motility and progressive motility), and markers of the oxidative balance (superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione, albumin, and malondialdehyde) were investigated in bovine seminal plasma and spermatozoa. Computer assisted sperm analysis was used to assess the motility parame...

BACKGROUND Disorders of gastrointestinal (GI) transit and motility are common, and cause either delayed or accelerated transit through the stomach, small intestine or colon, and affect one or more regions. Assessment of regional and/or whole gut transit times can provide direct measurements and diagnostic information to explain the cause of symptoms, and plan therapy. PURPOSE Recently, severa...

The proposed functions of the interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) are to 1) pace the slow waves and regulate their propagation, 2) mediate enteric neuronal signals to smooth muscle cells, and 3) act as mechanosensors. In addition, impairments of ICC have been implicated in diverse motility disorders. This review critically examines the available evidence for these roles and offers alternate expla...

Male fertility assessment is performed in the context of WHO guidelines. Currently the 5th edition of the WHO guidelines have been published and technicians and clinicians are confronted with a new set of criteria. Apart from coming to grips with these criteria it is accepted/assumed that human fertility is declining? However, both aspects are debatable. The accuracy/consistency of semen evalua...

Imaging at high resolution and subsequent image analysis with modified mobile phones have the potential to solve problems related to microscopy-based diagnostics of parasitic infections in many endemic regions. Diagnostics using the computing power of "smartphones" is not restricted by limited expertise or limitations set by visual perception of a microscopist. Thus diagnostics currently almost...

Fundamental cryobiological characteristics of rhesus spermatozoa must be determined for successful cryopreservation techniques to be established. The main objectives of the present study were to determine the osmotic behavior and osmotic tolerance limits of rhesus macaque spermatozoa. Cell volume changes over anisotonic conditions were assessed using an electronic particle counter and sperm mot...

OBJECTIVE Comparison of human sperm motility, morphology, and sperm membrane integrity using two cryoprotective media, Test-yolk buffer with glycerol and glycerol alone. METHODS Semen samples from 10 healthy donors were divided and frozen with either glycerol or a combination of glycerol and TEST-yolk buffer. Semen characteristics were evaluated before freezing and after thawing. Motility was...