Longitudinal Half Research Articles

Use of digital image correlation to quantify the different fracture modes in the Longitudinal Half Fixed Beam (LHFB) test

Use of digital image correlation to quantify the different fracture modes in the Longitudinal Half Fixed Beam (LHFB) test

EFFECTIVENESS OF A UNANI REGIMEN IN THE TREATMENT OF FALIJ-E-NISFI (Hemiplegia): CASE SERIES

Falij-e-Nisfi(Hemiplegia) is a condition in which there is loss of movement and sensation in longitudinal half of the either side of the body. It is the commonest form of paralysis, occurring due to stroke or cerebrovascular accident. Stroke is the leading cause of disability worldwide and second most common cause of death. Post stroke hemiplegia is most common causes of disability in adults. In India its prevalence is 56.9 per 100,000.Unani scholars from various part of the world have been treating the condition of Falij-e-Nisfi (Hemiplegia) since centuries successfully. Different effective regimes are available in Unani system of medicine (USM) for the treatment of Falij-e-Nisfi (Hemiplegia). Those treatments are effective and having fewer side effects. In the present paper the case studies of two female patients suffering from Falij-e-Nisfi(Hemiplegia) due to stroke treated with Unani formulations is reported. This case series documented the successful treatment and prevention of recurrence of hemiplegia through Unani medicines .It concluded that the Unani regimen was effective and safe in the management of hemiplegia.

EFFICACY OF A UNANI REGIMEN IN THE TREATMENT OF FALIJ-E-NISFI (HEMIPLEGIA): CASE SERIES

Falij-e-Nisfi (Hemiplegia) is a condition in which there is loss of movement and sensation in longitudinal half of the either side of the body. It is the commonest form of paralysis, occurring due to stroke or cerebrovascular accident. Stroke is the leading cause of disability worldwide and second most common cause of death. Post stroke hemiplegia is most common causes of disability in adults. In India its prevalence is 56.9 per 100,000.Unani scholars from various part of the world have been treating the condition of Falij-e-Nisfi (Hemiplegia) since centuries successfully. Different effective regimes are available in Unani system of medicine (USM) for the treatment of Falij-e-Nisfi (Hemiplegia). Those treatments are effective and having fewer side effects. In the present paper the case studies of two female patients suffering from Falij-e-Nisfi (Hemiplegia) due to stroke treated with Unani formulations is reported.This case series documented the successful treatment and prevention of recurrence of hemiplegia through Unani medicines. It concluded that the Unani regimen was effective and safe in the management of hemiplegia.

En Bloc Resection and Pelvic Ring Reconstruction for Primary Malignant Bone Tumors Involving Sacroiliac Joint.

ObjectiveTo observe the process of sacroiliac joint invasion by primary malignant tumors of sacrum and iliac bone, and to explore the methods of surgical resection and reconstruction.MethodsFrom January 2009 to November 2017, there were nine patients with primary malignant bone tumors involving sacroiliac joints, five males and four females, aged from 16 to 63 years, with an average age of 35 years. Of these there were three cases of primitive neuroectodermal tumors, three cases of chondrosarcoma, and three cases of osteosarcoma. Pelvic ring reconstruction was performed with longitudinal half sacrum, sacroiliac joint and partial iliac bone block excision and screw‐rod system combined with bone grafting.ResultsThe operation time was 155–310 min, with an average of 245 ± 55 min, and the bleeding volume was 1400–8500 ml, with an average of 3111 ± 2189 ml. Follow‐up ranged from 5 to 108 months, with a median follow‐up of 24 months. Three patients (33.3%) had local recurrence, three patients (33.3%) survived without tumors, and one patient had lung metastasis 2 years after operation, and survived with tumors. Five patients (55.6%) died, of which four died of lung metastasis and one died of brain metastasis. Survival analysis showed that the 3‐year overall survival rate was 57%. Bone grafts did not heal in four patients, and bone grafts healed in five patients. The healing time ranged from 5 to 7 months, with an average of 6.2 months. Complications: one patient developed deep infection 2 months after operation; one patient had skin edge necrosis; titanium rod loosening and displacement were found in two patients with nonunion of bone graft, and no fracture of nail rod was found. The MSTS 93 functional score of nine patients ranged from 20% to 50%, with an average of 34%.ConclusionThe tumors around the sacroiliac joint often invade the contralateral bone by ligament, and the en bloc resection and pelvic ring reconstruction for primary malignant bone tumors involving sacroiliac joint was feasible.

Study of the influence of the type of matrix used in carbon-epoxy composites on fatigue delamination under mode III fracture

The fatigue delamination process of three different aeronautical quality composites subject to mode III fracture loading is studied experimentally in this paper with the aim of analysing the effect of the type of matrix used under this fatigue fracture mode. In all cases, the main difference between the composite materials considered in this study is the type of epoxy resin used as the matrix.The test method used to produce the delamination process under mode III fracture is known as the Longitudinal Half Fixed Beam (LHFB) method, used in previous studies by the authors, which was shown to be a valid method for generating the delamination process in composite sheet materials subject to mode III fatigue loading.The experimental data from the fatigue tests were treated with a probabilistic model based on the Weibull distribution. This model facilitates the identification of relevant aspects of the fatigue behaviour of these materials, such as the estimation of fatigue strength for periods of time greater than those tested here, as well as the reliability of the results.The results thus obtained reflect important differences in the fatigue behaviour of the materials under study, the type of matrix being the predominant parameter of the fracture process under mode III loading.

Finite element analysis of the Longitudinal Half Fixed Beam method for mode III characterization

In this work, the Longitudinal Half Fixed Beam test (LHFB) for mode III characterization is analysed by means of Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and optical microscopy. The obtained results were compared with experimental data and analytical formulations obtained in previous works. The objective of this study is to determine the energy distribution across the crack front and to understand the micromechanics that give rise to the delamination failure in unidirectional carbon/epoxy composites.It was found that for samples with long initial crack lengths (i.e. a0 = 30 mm), pure mode III takes place in the central part of the delamination front. Nevertheless, these samples present a significant contribution of mode II at the edges of the specimen. As a0 decreases, pure mode III increases in extension across the delamination front and mode II decreases at the sample edges. When the initial crack length (a0) is quite small, the sample presents pure mode III practically on the entire length of the crack front. Nevertheless, when the initial crack is very small, the applied force exercises a local influence on the tip of the crack at the edge of the sample and mode III distribution loses its uniformity across the crack front.The concordance between the analytical results and the numerical results obtained by the Finite Element Method (FEM) was variable depending on the length of the crack and if the comparison was made with GIII or GT as reference.Intralaminar cracks at approximately 45° with respect to the midplane were observed in planes perpendicular to the direction of delamination propagation (planes perpendicular to the fibre direction). Other authors also found this type of intralaminar cracks in other mode III test configurations.

Use of a LHFB Device for Testing Mode III in a Composite Laminate.

The present paper studies the fatigue delamination behaviour of an epoxy/carbon composite material under mode III loading using a longitudinal half fixed beam (LHFB) device initially designed for mode III static tests of composite materials formed by the stacking of plies. For this purpose, a series of tests was carried out at different levels of loading representative of the fatigue behaviour of the material, from the crack onset phase through the delamination phase to final fracture. The experimental results were treated statistically, obtaining the values of the fatigue limit for probabilities of fracture of 5% and 50%. Finally, a fractographic analysis of the fracture surfaces was performed which allowed us to identify the same characteristic patterns of static mode III fracture, namely broken fibres, cusps and saw-teeth, in addition to a new morphology consisting of the formation of agglomerations of resin produced by the friction between the lips of the specimen in the fracture zone that point to dynamic mode III fracture. These agglomerations eventually crack and become detached from the fibres, leaving these free of resin.

Validation of the Longitudinal Half Fixed Beam method for characterizing mode III delamination of composite laminates

For some time now, delamination has been the subject of study as a major failure mechanism in composite materials formed by the stacking of successive layers or plies. Although three fracture modes have been identified within this mechanism, mode III has been studied and analyzed the least by researchers. The reason is none other than the difficulty that has always existed of designing a test that enables a specimen of any type of geometry to be subjected to pure mode III loading. In the present study, two separate techniques, digital image correlation and scanning electron microscope fractography, are used to verify that the device designed by the authors allows working with pure mode III loading.

A high-power ultrasonic microreactor and its application in gas-liquid mass transfer intensification.

The combination of ultrasound and microreactor is an emerging and promising area, but the report of designing high-power ultrasonic microreactor (USMR) is still limited. This work presents a robust, high-power and highly efficient USMR by directly coupling a microreactor plate with a Langevin-type transducer. The USMR is designed as a longitudinal half wavelength resonator, for which the antinode plane of the highest sound intensity is located at the microreactor. According to one dimension design theory, numerical simulation and impedance analysis, a USMR with a maximum power of 100 W and a resonance frequency of 20 kHz was built. The strong and uniform sound field in the USMR was then applied to intensify gas-liquid mass transfer of slug flow in a microfluidic channel. Non-inertial cavitation with multiple surface wave oscillation was excited on the slug bubbles, enhancing the overall mass transfer coefficient by 3.3-5.7 times.

Proposal of intestinal tissue engineering combined with Bianchi’s procedure

AimThe aim of this study is to examine the feasibility of the small intestinal submucosa (SIS) when the longitudinal staples during Bianchi’s procedure are replaced with SIS graft. MethodsThe mesentery of the bowel was separated based on the bifurcated vessels in five beagles. A 2×7-cm longitudinal half of the bowel was excised and the defect was repaired using SIS with similar blood supply in Bianchi’s operation. Six months later, intestinal motility in the SIS-grafted area was recorded. Tissue preparations were obtained from the reorganized area. An organ bath technique with electrical field stimulation was applied. Both the native small intestine and grafted area were morphologically investigated using immunohistochemistry. Main resultsAll dogs survived and thrived with no anastomotic leakage. Isoperistaltic migrating contractility during fasting was observed through the grafted segment including the reorganized area. The SIS-reorganized tissue contracted in response to an acetylcholine agonist and electrical field stimulation. The mucosa was covered with normal epithelium. Reorganization of neural and smooth muscle cells was observed. ConclusionsSIS has the potential for use as a scaffold that promotes the formation of a physical and physiological neointestine. Our present proposal approaches a novel surgical treatment in patients with short bowel syndrome.

Vibration and stability of ring-stiffened thin-walled cylindrical shells conveying fluid

Based on the Flügge shell theory, equations of motion of ring-stiffened thin-walled cylindrical shells conveying fluid are developed with the aid of the Hamilton's principle. Analysis is carried out on the vibration and stability of the ring-stiffened shells conveying fluid, and the effects of fluid velocity, the Young modulus, the size, and the number of the ring stiffeners on the natural frequency and the instability characteristics are examined. It is found that stiffeners can reduce the number of circumferential waves for the fundamental mode, and increase the shell's natural frequency, and thus the critical fluid velocity. For the number of longitudinal half waves being equal to one, the natural frequency and the corresponding critical fluid velocity are the largest for the internal-ring stiffened shell and are the smallest for the symmetrical-ring stiffened shell. The natural frequencies and the corresponding critical fluid velocity predicted by the established model increase with the increase in the Young modulus, the size, or the number of the stiffeners.

Effect of suspension spring stiffness on vehicle dynamics

Vehicle suspension systems and suspension working space are of great interest to designers and researchers of road vehicles. This paper deals with an investigation into the influence of suspension spring stiffness on vehicle dynamics. A mathematical model of a quarter vehicle for twin spring, passive and active suspension systems is developed. These systems are compared in terms of their relative performance capabilities. The vehicle itself is treated as a rigid body undergoing vertical motions. Also, a longitudinal half vehicle model for passive suspension is used to investigate the effect of front and rear spring stiffness on the vehicle dynamics. A chassis dynamometer was used to perform the experimental work. The predicted results were compared with experimental measurements. The experimental and theoretical results obtained indicate that the mathematical model produces optimistic results for the vertical direction of body acceleration and suspension working space. The effect of using active suspension elements to obtain improved ride is discussed. The results obtained give a solution to the vehicle dynamics problem and show optimum values of spring stiffness and damping coefficient.

A study of attached and oriented human periodontal ligament cells to periodontally diseased cementum and dentin after demineralizing with neutral and low pH etching solution.

This study aimed to evaluate quantitatively the migrated, attached, and oriented human periodontal ligament cells (HPLC) to periodontally diseased cementum and dentin after demineralization with low and neutral pH etching solution. Human teeth, extracted due to periodontal diseases, were scaled and root planed so that cementum remained on one longitudinal half of the root and dentin was exposed on the other half. Forty root slices of 200 microm thickness, obtained from the mid-third of these roots, were divided into four groups: group 1, demineralized with a saturated solution of citric acid (pH 1.20); group 2, with 24% EDTA (pH 7.04); group 3, with tetracycline HCl 100 mg/ml (pH 2.00); and group 4, only scaled and root planed (control). Root slices were placed over the confluent HPLC in 35 mm culture dishes and incubated. Phase contrast microscopic photographs of attached and oriented refractile HPLC to root surfaces were taken at days 1, 3, and 7. Quantitative analysis of attached and oriented HPLC from these photographs was done using special software. The results showed no significant difference in the attachment and orientation index of HPLC to cementum compared to dentin in any method of demineralization at each time point (P >0.05), although there was a significantly higher cell attachment and orientation index to demineralized dentin with EDTA and citric acid than to non-etched dentin and to all 3 demineralized cementum surfaces compared to non-etched cementum (P<0.05). EDTA and citric acid demineralization may enhance HPLC attachment and orientation to the root surface, and it is not always necessary to remove excessive cementum when the demineralizing procedure is used.

Periodic, Profound Peripheral Vasoconstriction—A New Marker of Obstructive Sleep Apnea

We report a novel approach to the determination of sleep apnea based on measuring the peripheral circulatory responses in a primary condition of disordered breathing. The apparatus is a finger plethysmograph coupled to a constant volume, variable pressure, pneumatic system. The plethysmograph's tip (measurement site) is composed of two parallel opposing longitudinal half thimbles, which is attached to a contiguous annular cuff. Each compartment consists of an internal membrane surrounded by an outer rigid wall. These provide a uniform pressure field and impart a two-point locking action preventing axial and longitudinal motion of the finger. Subdiastolic pressure is applied to prevent venous pooling, engorgement, and stasis, to inhibit retrograde venous shock wave propagation and partially unload arterial wall tension. The annular cuff extends the effective boundary of the pressure field beyond the measuring site. In 42 patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS) profound, transient vasoconstriction and tachycardia usually of a periodic nature, were clearly seen with each apneic event, possibly related to transient arousal. Good agreement was found between standard total apnea-hypopnea scoring, 129.5+/-22.4 (Mean +/- SEM), and transient vasoconstriction and tachycardia events, 121.2+/-19.4 (R = .92, p<.0001). We conclude that the finger tip exemplifies the scope of peripheral vascular responsiveness due to its high density of alpha sympathetic innervation, and its high degree of blood flow rate lability. Given that elevated peripheral resistance and tightly linked transient heart rate elevation is a consistent part of the hemodynamic response to arousal and OSAS, we believe that pulsatile finger blood flow patterns can be clearly diagnostic of OSAS and other sleep-disordered breathing conditions.

Involvement of lipoxygenase, lipoxygenase pathway volatiles, and lipid peroxidation during the hypersensitive reaction of pepper leaves to Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria

Lipoxygenase activity and protein, production of lipid-derived volatiles, and lipid peroxidation levels were determined in pepper (Capsicum annuum L., cv. Early Calwonder-10R) leaves during the hypersensitive reaction induced by avirulent race 2 of Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria. Lipoxygenase activity increased during the collapse phase of the hypersensitive reaction (8 to 12 h after inoculation), and an increase in electrolyte leakage occurred. However, Western blot analysis revealed that lipoxygenase proteins decreased during the same period. When only one longitudinal half of a pepper leaf was inoculated with the avirulent bacterium race, a significant increase in lipoxygenase activity was observed in both inoculated and noninoculated leaf halves, 10 h after inoculation. In addition, lipoxygenase protein decreased in inoculated leaf halves, but remained unchanged in noninoculated ones. The evolution of some volatile compounds derived from the lipoxygenase pathway [(E,E)-2,4-hexadienal, 1-hexanol, 3-hexen-1-ol, 2,4-hexadienal and 2,4-eptadienal] and carotenoid degradation (α- and β-ionone) increased in the incompatible interaction during the collapse phase of the hypersensitive reaction. The level of the oxidative index (A235/A205) of leaf lipid extracts, determined to estimate lipid peroxidation, significantly increased in the advanced stage of the hypersensitive reaction. Furthermore, determination of the oxidative index in neutral lipid, glycolipid and phospholipid fractions showed that the oxidative index was significantly increased only in the glycolipid fraction. Lipoxygenase activity and protein, electrolyte leakage, volatiles and lipid peroxidation were not changed in pepper leaves inoculated with the virulent race 1 of X. campestris pv.vesicatoria during the time interval considered (2–12 h after inoculations). The hypothesis that a lipoxygenase with chloroplastic location is induced in the incompatible interaction, and which is responsible for the increase in lipid peroxidation is advanced.

1031 Collimators in asymmetric mode and 3D planning. Applications in breast cancer

Introduction The possibility of use linear accelerators with two pairs of opposing collimators operating independently (asymmetric mode), allows beam modifications in habitual treatment planning. These modifications can be verified in 3D planning. We reported a variation in breast cancer treatment planning to avoid inhomogeneities at toracoclavicular fields’ junction. Technique 1.—Patient positioned in an adjustable inclined plane to maintain the chest wall in line with the treatment couch. This position avoids collimator rotation in the tangential fields. 2.—Treatment planning in a conventional simulator or CT. The 3D dosimetry with multi-image CT display allows us to know dose distribution in the whole target volume. 3.—Treatment delivered using a LILAC with two pairs of asymmetric collimators and three isocentrics beams. The isocenter was at the junction beams. (a) Superior longitudinal half beam in asymmetric mode, (with secondary field blocks to avoid humeral articulation) to treat the axilosupraclavicular fosse. (b) Inferiors longitudinals half beams in asymmetric mode, to cover the breast or the chest wail with two tangential fields. (i) They can be also in asymmetric mode in transversal collimator (a quarter of field) to avoid lung radiation. Conclusion Our dosymetric 3D study verifies the perfect dose homogeneity in treatment fields junction using collimators in asymmetric mode. This radiation technique allows to do diary treatment without moving the patient or the treatment couch. The progressive introduction of informatic control systems in treatment radiotherapy (performing collimators size, gantry angulation and other radiation parameters) makes easy to reproduce this technique diary.

Regulation of the second-messenger systems in the rat spinal cord during prolonged peripheral inflammation

Unilateral intraplantar injection of Freund's complete adjuvant (FCA) into 1 hind paw of rats was used as a model of peripheral inflammation and persistent pain in order to examine time course effects of a continuous barrage of nociceptive input on the second-messenger transducing systems in the spinal cord. cAMP, cGMP and inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (insP 3) were extracted from the lumbosacral cord at days 1, 7, 14, 21 and 42 following FCA injection and quantified by either radioreceptorassay (RRA) or radioimmunoassay (RIA). The lumbosacral contents of cAMP and cGMP when quantified in whole lumbosacral cord segment were not significantly changed by FCA treatment at all time points. InsP 3 accumulation was significantly increased on days 14, 21 and 42 following FCA injection relative to sham-treated time-matched controls. However, cGMP and insP 3 contents were significantly increased in the left longitudinal half of the lumbar enlargement ipsilateral to the injected paw on day 21 following FCA treatment, but not in the sham-treated time-matched controls. With [ 3H]insP 3 as a ligand, Scatchard (Rosenthal) analyses of the concentration-dependent saturation curves showed that the densities (B max) of insP 3 receptors (insP 3R) were significantly increased throughout the time course of adjuvant-induced peripheral inflammation. The binding affinities ( K D ) for insP 3R were significantly decreased on days 7, 14 and 21 following FCA injection corresponding to the times of most stable and peak inflammation. InsP 3R from the cerebelli of the same rats as used in the lumbosacral insP 3R characterization was used as a positive control in this study and did not show any change in both B max and K D as a result of FCA treatment, thus demonstrating that the changes in lumbosacral insP 3R characteristics might be specific to the nociceptive sensory pathway such as the spinal cord. Thus it appears that sustained afferent nociceptive input induced by FCA injection increased the accumulation of cGMP, insP 3 and insP 3R density in the spinal cord through increased neuronal activities of functional receptors coupled to major classes of chemical mediators of nociception including neuropeptides and excitatory aminoacids. Changes in insP 3 accumulation in the lumbosacral cord following FCA injection were significantly correlated with changes in insP 3R density. Changes in the ratios of lumbosacral insP 3 contents and insP 3R density were also significantly correlated with changes in body weight and hind paw size induced by FCA injection. Thus, a relationship is established between modulation in the spinal cord insP 3/insP 3R system, an intracellular calcium-mobilizing transduction system, and modifiable systemic variables induced by peripheral inflammation.

Auxin Movement in Strawberry Fruit Corresponds to Its Growth-promoting Activity

Abstract NAA at 10–3 m concentration plus 2% dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) in lanolin paste, applied to apices of unpollinated strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch. ‘Ozark Beauty’) flower receptacles, promoted growth and receptacle elongation resulting in full-sized fruit. Movement of [14C]NAA occurred predominantly in a basipetal direction from the treated apex to the receptacle base. Growth occurred only at the site of application when NAA was applied to the receptacle base or longitudinal half. Acropetal or lateral movement of [14C]NAA in receptacles was minimal. Movement of [14C]NAA out of receptacles and into pedicels was basipetal in nature and was slower than that noted within the receptacles. These data demonstrate that polar auxin movement in strawberry receptacles appears to promote uniform growth at some distance from the point of application. Chemical names used: 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA); indole-3-acetic acid (IAA); and 2,3,5-triiodobenzoic acid (TIBA).

GROWTH LAYER GROUPS (GLGs) IN THE TEETH OF AN ADULT BELUKHA WHALE (DELPHINAPTERUS LEUCAS) OF KNOWN AGE: EVIDENCE FOR TWO ANNUAL LAYERS

AbstractGrowth layer groups (GLGs) were counted in teeth from an adult male belukha whale (Delphinapterus leucas) that had lived for 23 yr in captivity and was estimated to have been 14 mo at capture. As defined here, GLGs are repeating areas of alternating opaque (denser) and translucent (less dense) dentin or cementurn, or nodes at the dentin‐cementum interface. A GLG involves at least one change from opaque to translucent, dense to less dense or ridge to groove, but may be further subdivided by incremental growth layers or laminations. Teeth were prepared by two techniques. Thick sections (longitudinal half sections) were examined with a dissecting microscope under reflected light. Thinner cross and longitudinal sections were x‐rayed and the plates scanned with a microdensitometer. Scanning electron photomicrographs were prepared from thick sections, but SEM proved to be the least useful technique. Counts of GLGs were variable because the laminations were numerous and some surface layers had been lost from wear. Thick‐ and thinner‐section techniques gave comparable results, and approximately 40 GLGs were counted consistently. Although captive environments are less variable than natural ones, our findings are further evidence that belukhas in the wild deposit more than one—and probably two—GLGs per year.

Countershading by physiological colour change in the fish louse Anilocra physodes L. (Crustacea: Isopoda).

Specimens of the fish louse Anilocra physodes L. from the Mediterranean Sea exhibited a striking colour asymmetry in their dorsal pigmentation: one longitudinal half of their back was dark, the opposite half was lightcoloured. The dark side corresponded with the physiological upper side when the fish louse was attached to the flank of a host fish.The colour pattern derives from the different shape (stellate/punctate) of chromatophores, which lie immediately beneath the epidermis. The appearance and distribution of the chromatophore stages indicate the possibility of physiological colour change in Anilocra. In this way the fish louse probably achieves adaptive countershading and thus additional protection from predators, advantageous for both parasite and host.