Volume Gain Research Articles

Influence of Vanadium on the Oxidation Resistance of the Intermetallic Phase Nb5Si3

The influence of vanadium additions on the oxidation resistance of the intermetallic phase Nb5Si3 was examined. Samples were produced by compacting mechanically alloyed powders using the field-assisted sintering technique. Oxidation experiments were performed under isothermal conditions at 800, 1000 and 1200 °C for oxidation times up to 100 h. Linear oxidation rate constants were found for all temperatures tested and the influence of the oxide scale morphology is discussed. At 800 °C very promising low weight gains were obtained and this particular oxide scale was examined thoroughly using scanning electron microscopy, electron dispersive spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis to determine the oxide phases formed. As expected from the phase diagram the mixed oxide V2O5·9Nb2O5 was found as the major phase constituting the scale. No spallation of this mixed oxide was observed which is likely due to its lower volume gain as compared to pure Nb2O5. Together with the slower formation kinetics, Vanadium addition in the amount used seems to positively alter the oxidation behaviour of Nb5Si3.

Horizontal bone augmentation in full-arch maxillary implant-supported restorations: a preliminary clinical report.

The purpose of this study was to describe a technique for horizontal maxillary bone grafting in combination with implant placement for full arch. Patients requiring complete rehabilitation of the edentulous maxillae were included. Two axial mesial implants and 2 tilted distal ones were placed approximately 2 mm buccally about the centre of the bone crest. A graft made of a mixture of deproteinized bovine bone and platelet-rich plasma was placed buccally covering bony dehiscence. Horizontal bone gain and differences in bone volume were evaluated 6 months after surgical intervention, at the time of prosthetic loading, through comparison of standardized cone beam computed tomographic scans. A total of 10 patients were consecutively treated after the proposed protocol. After 6 months, the mean horizontal bone gain was 1.87 ± 0.54 mm for the left side and 1.79 ± 0.78 mm for the right side without any significant difference between them. The bone volume increased by 610.5 ± 27.57 mm after 6 months. It can be postulated that the proposed protocol may provide a significant horizontal bone gain for minimizing the anterior cantilever in full-arch prosthesis.

The role of phospholipid headgroup composition and trehalose in the desiccation tolerance of Caenorhabditis elegans.

Anhydrobiotic organisms have the remarkable ability to lose extensive amounts of body water and survive in an ametabolic state. Distributed to various taxa of life, these organisms have developed strategies to efficiently protect their cell membranes and proteins against extreme water loss. Recently, we showed that the dauer larva of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is anhydrobiotic and accumulates high amounts of trehalose during preparation to harsh desiccation (preconditioning). Here, we have used this genetic model to study the biophysical manifestations of anhydrobiosis and show that, in addition to trehalose accumulation, dauer larvae dramatically reduce their phosphatidylcholine (PC) content. The chemical composition of the phospholipids (PLs) has key consequences not only for their interaction with trehalose, as we demonstrate with Langmuir-Blodgett monolayers, but also, the kinetic response of PLs to hydration transients is strongly influenced as evidenced by time-resolved FTIR spectroscopy. PLs from preconditioned larvae with reduced PC content exhibit a higher trehalose affinity, a stronger hydration-induced gain in acyl chain free volume, and a wider spread of structural relaxation rates of their lyotropic transitions and sub-headgroup H-bond interactions. The different hydration properties of PC and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) headgroups are crucial for the hydration-dependent rearrangement of the trehalose-mediated H-bond network. As a consequence, the compressibility modulus of PLs from preconditioned larvae is about 2.6-fold smaller than that from non-preconditioned ones. Thus, the biological relevance of reducing the PC:PE ratio by PL headgroup adaptation should be the preservation of plasma membrane integrity by relieving mechanical strain from desiccated trehalose-containing cells during fast rehydration.

Haematological, serum biochemical and tissue pathological changes induced by γ-irradiated millet

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of γ-irradiation (2, 4 and 8 kGy) of millet on some haematological, serum biochemical and tissue pathological parameters of Wistar rats. Wistar rats in different groups were fed with non-irradiated and irradiated (2–8 kGy) millet on daily basis for 4 weeks. Packed cell volume (39–45 %), haemoglobin concentration (13.4–15.12 g/L), albumin (1.16–1.48 μL), platelets (12.0–13.4 g/dL), mean corpuscular volume (26.0–54.0 fl), mean corpuscular haemoglobin (8.0–17.56 pg), neutrophils (34.0–45.4 × 109 L), and monocytes (1.0 × 109–1.5 × 109 L) increased significantly (p < 0.05) during the 4-week feeding period. Packed cell volume and body weight gain increased in the group of rats fed with γ-irradiated millet. The increased lymphocytes, platelets, albumin and globulin values during the feeding period indicated that feeding of rats with pre-irradiated millet did not adversely affect the haematological and serum biochemical parameters. The liver, kidney, heart and lungs showed no visible gross lesions over this period, indicating that the feeding on irradiated millet by Wistar rats might not have posed toxic hazard.

Quantitative three-dimensional methodology to assess volumetric and profilometric outcome of subepithelial connective tissue grafting at pontic sites: a prospective pilot study.

The aim of this study was to describe a technique for the assessment of soft tissue volumetric and profilometric changes. The technique has been applied at the alveolar contour of mild to moderate horizontal ridge defects after soft tissue augmentation at pontic sites. A quantitative three-dimensional (3D) analysis based on laser scanning was used for the measurement of volume gain and horizontal changes of alveolar profile 5 months after a subepithelial connective tissue graft using a pouch approach in five patients. All the surgical sites healed uneventfully. A mean soft tissue volume increase of 35.9 mm3 was measured 5 months after the grafting procedure. The linear measurements showed that, in the area where the augmentation was performed, the distance between the preoperative vestibular profile and the postoperative one ranged from 0.16 to 2 mm. The described quantitative measurements based on 3D laser scanning appear to be an effective method for assessment of soft tissue changes in future studies. Additionally, within the limitation of a small sample size, the present data suggest that the investigated surgical technique can be considered when corrections of mild to moderate alveolar horizontal ridge atrophies at maxillary lateral incisor edentulous gaps are necessary.

Influence of Soxhlet-extractable bitumen and oil on porosity in thermally maturing organic-rich shales

Porosity in shales is important for storage of shale gas in reservoirs. As organic-rich shale thermally matures and enters the oil window, generated bitumen and oil can fill pore spaces, block pore connectivity, and reduce porosity. Low-pressure N2 and CO2 adsorption techniques were used to quantify mesoporosity (pore size 2–50nm, accessible to N2 and CO2) and microporosity (pore size <2nm, accessible to CO2 only) in New Albany Shale samples of Devonian and Mississippian age from Indiana and Illinois ranging from marginally mature (vitrinite reflectance Ro=0.55%) to post-mature (Ro=1.41%). After measuring their original porosity, the shale samples were Soxhlet-extracted in refluxing dichloromethane (DCM, boiling temperature 39.6°C) to remove soluble oil/bitumen, vacuum-dried, and then re-measured for meso and microporosities. Subsequently, the same samples were Soxhlet-extracted in toluene (boiling temperature 111°C, with enhanced solubility of oil/bitumen), vacuum-dried, and again characterized porosimetrically.The maturation sequence of the original, non-extracted shales expresses a higher mesoporosity in lower maturity samples (vitrinite reflectance Ro 0.55%, and 0.65%), and an intermittent decrease in mesoporosity in samples of post-mature stage (Ro 1.15%) in two size fractions (4-mesh and 60-mesh). The intermittent decrease in mesoporosity is consistent with partial filling of pore spaces with bitumen and oil until secondary cracking reclaims some of the lost open pore space from liquid hydrocarbon phases. Organic matter (OM) transformation is thus a pivotal cause for the observed evolution of mesoporosity in original, non-extracted shales. Micropore volumes display a varying trend throughout thermal maturation, and are significantly controlled by total organic carbon content. Compared to 4-mesh sample fractions, a reduction in grain size of 60-mesh fractions for gas adsorption porosimetry prominently enhances mesopore volumes, whereas the effects on micropore volumes are variable. These findings may be associated with the fact that for smaller particles it is easier to attain equilibrium during gas adsorption porosimetry.Solvent extraction of soluble bitumen and oil from the shale samples generally opens additional pore space for N2 and CO2 adsorption, although the specific effects on mesoporosity and microporosity depend on maturity, total organic carbon (TOC) content, type of solvent, and grain size of the Soxhlet-extracted shales. The mesopore volume increases more in extracted samples with higher maturity, whereas the strongest gain in micropore volume is observed at elevated TOC content and highest maturity.Comparative porosities of original and Soxhlet-extracted shale samples constrain the evolution of porosity along maturation, as well as the effect of partial oil/bitumen filling and blocking of pores. This study also employs FTIR analyses of DCM and toluene Soxhlet extracts to differentiate low-temperature DCM-extractable, mostly aliphatic OM from higher-temperature toluene-soluble OM containing condensed cross-linked polyaromatic structures.

REGIONAL FLUX ANALYSIS OF LONGITUDINAL ATROPHY IN ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE

Background. The longitudinal analysis of the brain morphology in Alzheimer's disease (AD) is fundamental for discovering and quantifying the dynamics of the pathology. We can broadly identify two main paradigms for the analysis of time series of structural magnetic resonance images (MRIs): hypothesis-free and regional analysis. In the former case, the longitudinal atrophy is modeled at fine scales on the whole brain such as in the voxel/tensor based morphometry and cortical thickness analysis.These methods are useful for exploratory purposes, but usually lack robustness for a reliable quantification of the changes at the subject level. On the other hand, the regional analysis identifies volume changes in preliminary segmented regions. It is however limited to previously defined regions of interest, and therefore it might fail to detect the complex and spread pattern of changes which is likely to underlie the evolution of the pathology. In this study we propose the regional flux analysis, a new approach for the study of the brain longitudinal changes. The aim of regional flux analysis is twofold: consistently unify hypothesis-free and regional approaches to 1) reliably discovery the dynamics of brain morphological changes, and 2) at the same time provide statistically powered measures of longitudinal atrophy. Methods. We encode the morphological differences of follow-up images by longitudinal deformations estimated by non-linear image registration. We compute the scalar pressure potential associated to the non-linear deformations, and we identify the regions of maximal apparent volume change by the loci of extremal pressure. Maximum pressure points identify significant areas of volume loss (deformation sinks), while minimum pressure points identify significant areas of volume gain (deformation sources). We build an atlas of probabilistic regions of group-wise significant sources and sinks of longitudinal atrophy, which is used as reference for quantifying the volume changes of given patients as the flux of the longitudinal deformation across these regions. We tested our method on the discovery and measurement of the yearly longitudinal atrophy of 200 healthy controls, 150 subjects with mild congnitive impairment (MCI) and 142 AD patients. For each subject, baseline and 1-year images were non-linearly registered with the LCC-logDemons algorithm. The probabilistic atlas was estimated from a subset of longitudinal deformations estimated for 20 AD patients, and the resulting regions were used for the quantification of the longitudinal atrophy in the remaining subjects. Statistical power of the resulting measures was assessed by sample size analysis. Results. The estimated probabilistic atlas was composed by 44 and 18 regions of respectively deformation sink and sources. The sink regions of apparent volume loss mapped to grey/withe matter regions, and included hippocampi (bilateral), temporal areas (Sup,Mid and Inf temporal gyrus), Insula and Parahippocampal gyrus. The source regions of apparent volume gain were localized exclusively in CSF areas, among the which Posterior, Anterior and Temporal horns of the ventricles. Longitudinal atrophy measured in hippocampi, temporal regions, and temporal horn of the ventricles was the most discriminative between controls and respectively MCI and AD. Based on the whole set of longitudinal atrophy measurements, sample size analysis required 243 (95% CI: 151,441) and 556 (95% CI: 244,1273) subjects per arm when considering respectively AD and MCI for a randomized two-arm placebo controlled clinical trial for detecting 25% atrophy reduction by controlling for normal aging (80% power, p=0.05). On the head-to-head comparison, the proposed flux analysis outperformed in terms of reduced sample size previously validated quantification methods based on longitudinal hippocampal volumetry. Conclusions. Regional flux analysis of deformations is a novel approach to deformation based morphometry which combines the flexibility of voxel based methods (like tensor based morphometry) with the robustness of segmentation based methods for the quantification of longitudinal atrophy. We showed that regional flux analysis enables a fully automated and powered analysis of longitudinal atrophy in AD, and favorably compares with validated methods for the regional quantification of longitudinal atrophy. Flux analysis thus represents a promising candidate for detecting and robustly quantifying potential drugs effects in clinical trials.

Effect of pre-soaked superabsorbent polymer on shrinkage of high-strength concrete

Pre-soaked super-absorbent polymer (SAP) was incorporated into high-strength concrete (HSC) as an internal curing agent to study its effects on early-age shrinkage and mechanical properties. On the basis of the capillary stress based model for shrinkage prediction of concrete, together with the experimental results of cement hydration kinetics, evolution of internal temperature and humidity, development of pore structure and mechanical properties, the working mechanism of SAP was discussed. Results indicate that the addition of pre-soaked SAP significantly reduces the autogenous shrinkage as well as the early-age shrinkage of HSC under drying condition. In sealed HSC specimens, the drop of internal humidity caused by the self-desiccation effect is notably postponed by addition of pre-soaked SAP. The addition of pre-soaked SAP slightly reduces the compressive strength of HSCs and this effect is more pronounced in early-age concrete. Furthermore, an insightful comparison of the behaviours of the internal curing water introduced by the pre-soaked SAP and the additional free mixing water in concrete was made. Results indicate that the internal curing water behaves differently from the additional mixing water in influencing the cement hydration kinetics, pore structure of hardened cement pastes and the mechanical strength of concrete, due to the different spatial distribution of the two types of water in the concrete bodies. The shrinkage-reducing effect on HSC due to the addition of extra internal curing water incorporated by pre-soaked SAP is much stronger than that of the additional mixing water. Besides, the internal curing water shows much less strength-reducing effect than the additional mixing water. In virtue of the shrinkage prediction model, the working mechanism of pre-soaked SAP in reducing autogenous shrinkage of HSC is proposed on the basis of the following two aspects. The participation of internal curing water in cement hydration process leads to a total volume gain of the hardening cement pastes. Meanwhile, the release of internal curing water from the pre-soaked SAP postpones the drop of internal humidity. The synergistic effect of these two factors effectively reduces the autogenous shrinkage of HSC.

The use of acellular dermal matrix membrane for vertical soft tissue augmentation during submerged implant placement: a case series.

To evaluate the efficiency of acellular dermal matrix membrane to augment vertical peri-implant soft tissue thickness during submerged implant placement. Forty acellular dermal matrix-derived allogenic membranes (AlloDerm, BioHorizons, Birmingham, AL, USA) and 42 laser-modified surface internal hex implants (BioHorizons Tapered Laser Lok, Birmingham, AL, USA) were placed in submerged approach in 40 patients (15 males and 25 females, mean age 42.5 ± 1.7) with a thin vertical soft tissue thickness of 2 mm or less. After 3 months, healing abutments were connected to implants, and the augmented soft tissue thickness was measured with periodontal probe. The gain in vertical soft tissue volume was calculated. Mann-Whitney U-test was applied and significance was set to 0.05. All 40 allografts healed successfully. Thin soft tissue before augmentation had an average thickness of 1.54 ± 0.51 mm SD (range, 0.5-2.0 mm, median 1.75 mm), and after soft tissue augmentation with acellular dermal matrix, thickness increased to 3.75 ± 0.54 mm SD (range, 3.0-5.0 mm, median 4.0 mm) at 3 months after placement. This difference between medians was found to be statistically significant (P < 0.001). Mean increase in soft tissue thickness was 2.21 ± 0.85 mm SD (range, 1.0-4.5 mm, median 2.0 mm). It can be concluded that acellular dermal matrix membrane can be successfully used for vertical soft tissue augmentation.

Comparison of Dynamic Changes in Anterior Ocular Structures Examined With Anterior Segment Optical Coherence Tomography in a Cohort of Various Origins

To identify risk factors associated with primary angle closure (AC) using anterior segment optical coherence tomography (ASOCT) measurements of the iris and to determine if these risk factors differ according to geographic origin. Anterior segment OCT images were collected on 267 persons (eyes) whose family origin was determined by a standardized method. In the 257 eyes with pupil diameter increase in the dark of 0.5 mm or more, findings were compared between bright light conditions and those in a dark room. In 130 eyes, comparison was made after pharmacological pupil dilation. After marking the position of the scleral spur, an automated program quantified many angle and iris parameters, with use of a manual method for a minority that the software could not analyze. Iris area in bright light was larger with increasing age (univariate regression, P = 0.0005), largest in European and African-derived, and smallest in Korean and Chinese eyes (multivariable regression, P = 0.0001), and was significantly larger in AC groups compared with normal and open angle glaucoma groups (univariate regression, P < 0.0001). The absolute iris area loss per mm pupil dilation was significantly less in Chinese persons than African-derived persons (multivariable regression, P < 0.05 adjusted Tukey). Furthermore, in persons with past acute AC attack, the baseline iris area was not different from others, but their iris area lost per millimeter dilation was significantly less than in persons without past acute AC attack (multivariable regression, P = 0.04). The odds of AC disease significantly increased in eyes with smaller percent iris area lost and percent iris area lost per millimeter pupil increase, but when adjusted for geographic origin, this was significant only in persons of Chinese origin (interaction regression model). Apparent gain of iris volume on pupil dilation, due to an artifact in calculation from iris area loss, may indicate a detrimental shift in iris tissue toward the angle. Chinese persons in this cohort had relatively low baseline iris area, but less loss of iris area on pupil dilation than other groups, a feature also associated with greater prevalence of past acute AC attack. Disproportionate peripheral redistribution of iris area on dilation may contribute to AC.

Efficacy of soft tissue augmentation around dental implants and in partially edentulous areas: a systematic review

To review the dental literature in terms of efficacy of soft tissue augmentation procedures around dental implants and in partially edentulous sites. A Medline search was performed for human studies augmenting keratinized mucosa (KM) and soft tissue volume around implants and in partially edentulous areas. Due to heterogeneity in between the studies, no meta-analyses could be performed. Nine (KM) and eleven (volume) studies met the inclusion criteria. An apically positioned flap/vestibuloplasty (APF/V) plus a graft material [free gingival graft (FGG)/subepithelial connective tissue graft (SCTG)/collagen matrix (CM)] resulted in an increase of keratinized tissue (1.4-3.3 mm). Statistically significantly better outcomes were obtained for APF/V plus FGG/SCTG compared with controls (APF/V alone; no treatment) (p < 0.05). For surgery time and patient morbidity, statistically significantly more favourable outcomes were reported for CM compared to SCTGs (p < 0.05) in two randomized controlled clinical trials (RCTs), even though rendering less keratinized tissue. SCTGs were the best-documented method for gain of soft tissue volume at implant sites and partially edentulous sites. Aesthetically at immediate implant sites, better papilla fill and higher marginal mucosal levels were obtained using SCTGs compared to non-grafted sites. An APF/V plus FGG/SCTG was the best-documented and most successful method to increase the width of KM. APF/V plus CM demonstrated less gain in KM, but also less patient morbidity and surgery time compared to APF/V plus SCTG based on two RCTs. Autogenous grafts (SCTG) rendered an increase in soft tissue thickness and better aesthetics compared to non-grafted sites.

Indications and Limits for Associating Liver Partition and Portal Vein Ligation for Staged Hepatectomy (ALPPS). Lessons Learned from 15 Cases at a Single Centre

The ALPSS procedure has been recently introduced as an alternative to PVE for liver volume augmentation in cases of planned right trisectionectomy with small future RLV and high risk of PHLF. We retrospectively analysed our single centre experience with 15 ALPPS procedures in order to better assess the limits and indications of the procedure. The following volumetric parameters were evaluated: total liver volume (TLV), remnant liver volume (RLV), remnant liver volume to total liver volume ratio (RLV/TLV), remnant liver volume to body weight ratio (RLV/BWR) and median volume gain. The ALPPS procedure was usually considered when RLV/TLV < 25 % or RLV/BWR < 0.5. The ALPPS procedure consisted of phase 1 (in situ splitting of the liver), interphase (waiting for liver regeneration) and phase 2 (completion of right trisectionectomy). Postoperative complications were reported according to the Dindo-Clavien classification. Patient survival, late complications and tumour recurrence were analysed. Between November 2010 and September 2013, we performed 15 ALPPS procedures in 10 patients with primary liver tumours (5 h-CCA, 4 i-CCA and 1 HCC) and in 5 with CRLM. The preoperative RLV/TLV ratio was 22.6 % (15.7 - 29.2) and the RLV/BWR 0.46 (0.22 - 0.66). After 10 days (range 8 - 16) the RLV/TLV ratio and RLV/BWR increased up to 36.3 % (30 - 59.2 %) and 0.67 (0.5 - 1.2) respectively, with a median volume gain of 87.2 % (23.8 - 161 %). The time interval between phases 1 and 2 was 13 days (9 - 18). An R0 status was reached in 13 patients and R1 in 2. The overall postoperative morbidity was 66.7 %. After phase 1, 8 patients experienced 19 complications and 7 none. After phase 2, 11 patients experienced 36 complications and 4 none. Four patients died postoperatively after 22 days (9 - 36 days) resulting in a postoperative mortality of 28.7 %. After a median follow-up of 17 months (1 - 33), 10 out of 15 patients are still alive (survival rate 66.6 %). Four patients (2 i-CCA, 1 CRLM, 1 HCC) developed tumour recurrences (2 intrahepatic and 2 extrahepatic). One patient with i-CCA died at POM 4 secondary to peritoneal carcinosis. The actual high morbidity and mortality rates related to the ALPPS procedure should lead us to a more cautious selection of the candidates for this operation and restriction of the indications through an accurate work-up based on interdisciplinary cooperation among hepatologists, oncologists, radiologists and surgeons.

Improved Hypertrophy of Future Remnant Liver after Portal Vein Embolization with Plugs, Coils and Particles

To retrospectively analyze efficacy as measured by volume gain of future remnant liver (FRL) after right portal vein embolization (PVE) using particles only versus particles and additional central plug and/or coil (CP/C) embolization. All patients who underwent PVE between July 2011 and December 2012 were retrospectively analyzed. Right PVE was performed either with particle-only (PO) embolization or additional CP/C embolization. All enrolled patients underwent computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging before PVE and surgery. The images were used for volumetry of the FRL. Of 75 patients, 40 had PO and 35 CP/C embolization. Age, sex, and tumor entities did not differ significantly between the two groups. Tumor entities included cholangiocarcinoma (n = 52), metastasis from colorectal cancer (n = 14), hepatocellular carcinoma (n = 2), and others (n = 7). Time from PVE to preoperative imaging was similar in both groups. FRL volume before PVE was 329 ± 121 ml in the PO group and 333 ± 135 ml in the CP/C group, and 419 ± 135 ml and 492 ± 165 ml before operation. The average percentage volume gain was significantly higher in the CP/C group than in the PO group, with 53.3 ± 34.5 % versus 30.9 ± 28.8 % (p = 0.002). Right PVE with additional CP/C embolization leads to a significantly higher gain in FRL volume than embolization with particles alone.

Evaluation of antiarthritic activity on Luffa echinata Roxb. fruits on rats

Luffa Echinata Roxb. fruits popularly known, as ‘Bindal’ in Hindi is a slender herb belonging to the Cucurbitaceae which grows widely in India. In traditional system of medicine, Luffa echinata Roxb. fruits were used for various ailments including inflammation, diabetes etc. To investigate the folkloric use of the fruits the present study was carried out on Freund’s adjuvant induced arthritic rats. The present study states the effect of the aqueous extract (LEFAE) and the alcoholic extract (LEFEE) of Luffa echinata Roxb. fruits on the Freund’s complete adjuvant (FCA) induced arthritic rat paw edema, body weight changes and alterations in haematological and biochemical parameters in both developing and developed phases of arthritis. Histopathology of proximal interphalangeal joints and radiology of hind legs were studied. In FCA induced arthritic rats, there was significant increase in rat paw volume and decrease in body weight increment, whereas LEFEE and LEFAE treated groups, showed significant reduction in paw volume and normal gain in body weight. The altered haematological parameters (Hb, RBC, WBC and ESR) in the arthritic rats were significantly brought back to near normal by the LEFEE and LEFAE treatment at the dose of 250 mg/kg/p.o in both developing and developed phases of arthritis. Further the histopathological and radiological studies revealed the antiarthritic activity of LEFEE and LEFAE by indicating fewer abnormalities in these groups when compared to the arthritic control group. The results of the current investigation concluded, ethanol extract of Luffa echinata Roxb. Fruits, extract possess a significant anti-arthritic activity against adjuvant induced arthritis and justifying its therapeutic role in arthritic condition. The observed antiarthritic activity may be due to the presence of phytoconstituents such as irridiod glycosides, alkaloids, phenolic compounds and flavonoids.

Design of a Novel Microstrip-Feed Waveguide Horn Antenna for Ku-Band Satellite Communications

Traditional land satellite communication system mostly use parabolic antenna, which is bulky and inflexible. Microtrip arraying antenna also can be used as the antenna of land satellite communication system, however, the microtrip antenna has a low gain and a large loss. In this paper, a novel waveguide horn antenna is designed. The radiation layer is perfect conductor with a octagonal hole in the center. the feeding layer is double orthogonal microstrip-feed plane to achieve bipolaron. The unit antenna size is only 21mm 21mm2.2mm. Gain of 2 2 array was 15dB. The antenna had a simple structure, small volume and high gain, particularly suitable for land satellite communications system.

Wnt Signaling Regulates Pulp Volume and Dentin Thickness

Odontoblasts, cementoblasts, ameloblasts, and osteoblasts all form mineralized tissues in the craniofacial complex, and all these cell types exhibit active Wnt signaling during postnatal life. We set out to understand the functions of this Wnt signaling, by evaluating the phenotypes of mice in which the essential Wnt chaperone protein, Wntless was eliminated. The deletion of Wls was restricted to cells expressing Osteocalcin (OCN), which in addition to osteoblasts includes odontoblasts, cementoblasts, and ameloblasts. Dentin, cementum, enamel, and bone all formed in OCN-Cre;Wls(fl/fl) mice but their homeostasis was dramatically affected. The most notable feature was a significant increase in dentin volume and density. We attribute this gain in dentin volume to a Wnt-mediated misregulation of Runx2. Normally, Wnt signaling stimulates Runx2, which in turn inhibits dentin sialoprotein (DSP); this inhibition must be relieved for odontoblasts to differentiate. In OCN-Cre;Wls(fl/fl) mice, Wnt pathway activation is reduced and Runx2 levels decline. The Runx2-mediated repression of DSP is relieved and odontoblast differentiation is accordingly enhanced. This study demonstrates the importance of Wnt signaling in the homeostasis of mineralized tissues of the craniofacial complex.

Maxillary Sinus Augmentation with Autologous and Heterologous Bone Graft: A Clinical and Radiographic Report of Immediate and Delayed Implant Placement.

The aim of this study was to evaluate cumulative survival rate of implants placed on augmented maxillary sinus using a mixture of autologous bone harvested from the maxillary tuberosity and bovine-derived HA and to assess the height of the grafted material through radiographic evaluation. Thirty-five patients were treated with maxillary sinus augmentation and 93 implant fixtures were installed. The height of the augmented sinus and the gain of bone volume were measured by Cone Beam CT Scan and intraoral radiographs immediately after augmentation and up to 48months subsequently. Changes in the height of the sinus graft material were calculated radiographically. The cumulative survival rate was 98.92% in all 93 implants. Additionally, normal healing process without any complication was observed in all patients. The original sinus height was a mean of 4.52mm (range 2.0-6.4mm) and the augmented sinus height was a mean of 14.1mm (range 12.0-16.5mm) after the surgery. The bone volume gain was a mean 9.613mm (range 7-13mm). Within the limitations of this study, it would appear from the clinical and radiographic results that the sinus lift procedure with autologous bone graft harvested from the maxillary tuberosity combined with deproteinized bovine bone allows for a predictable outcome regarding the amount of bone formation in sinus floor augmentation and the immediate placement of implants, when possible, is recommended.

Mathematical modeling of postmenopausal osteoporosis and its treatment by the anti‐catabolic drug denosumab

Denosumab, a fully human monoclonal antibody, has been approved for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis. The therapeutic effect of denosumab rests on its ability to inhibit osteoclast differentiation. Here, we present a computational approach on the basis of coupling a pharmacokinetics model of denosumab with a pharmacodynamics model for quantifying the effect of denosumab on bone remodeling. The pharmacodynamics model comprises an integrated systems biology-continuum micromechanics approach, including a bone cell population model, considering the governing biochemical factors of bone remodeling (including the action of denosumab), and a multiscale micromechanics-based bone mechanics model, for implementing the mechanobiology of bone remodeling in our model. Numerical studies of postmenopausal osteoporosis show that denosumab suppresses osteoclast differentiation, thus strongly curtailing bone resorption. Simulation results also suggest that denosumab may trigger a short-term bone volume gain, which is, however, followed by constant or decreasing bone volume. This evolution is accompanied by a dramatic decrease of the bone turnover rate by more than one order of magnitude. The latter proposes dominant occurrence of secondary mineralization (which is not anymore impeded through cellular activity), leading to higher mineral concentration per bone volume. This explains the overall higher bone mineral density observed in denosumab-related clinical studies. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Salvage parenchymal liver transection for patients with insufficient volume increase after portal vein occlusion – An extension of the ALPPS approach

Portal vein ligation (PVL) or embolization (PVE) are standard approaches to induce liver hypertrophy of the future liver remnant (FLR) prior to hepatectomy in primarily non-resectable liver tumors. However, this approach fails in about one third of patients. Recently, the new "ALPPS" approach has been described that combines PVL with parenchymal transection to induce rapid liver hypertrophy. This series explores whether isolated parenchymal transection boosts liver hypertrophy in scenarios of failed PVL/PVE. A multicenter database with 170 patients undergoing portal vein manipulation to increase the size of the FLR was screened for patients undergoing isolated parenchymal transection as a salvage procedure. Three patients who underwent PVL/PVE with subsequent insufficient volume gain and subsequently underwent parenchymal liver transection as a salvage procedure were identified. Patient characteristics, volume increase, postoperative complications and outcomes were analyzed. The first patient underwent liver transection 16 weeks after failed PVL with a standardized FLR (sFLR) of 30%, which increased to 47% in 7 days. The second patient showed a sFLR of 25% 28 weeks after PVL and subsequent PVE of segment IV, which increased to 41% in 7 days after transection. The third patient underwent liver partition 8 weeks after PVE with a sFLR of 19%, which increased to 37% in six days. All patients underwent a R0 resection. Failed PVE or PVL appears to represent a good indication for the isolated parenchymal liver transection according to the newly developed ALPPS approach.

Addition of Mn to Ge quantum dot surfaces—interaction with the Ge QD {105} facet and the Ge(001) wetting layer

The interaction of Mn with Ge quantum dots (QD), which are bounded by {105} facets, and the strained Ge wetting layer (WL), terminated by a (001) surface, is investigated with scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). These surfaces constitute the growth surfaces in the growth of Mn-doped QDs. Mn is deposited on the Ge QD and WL surface in sub-monolayer concentrations, and subsequently annealed up to a temperature of 400 ° C. The changes in bonding and surface topography are measured with STM during the annealing process. Mn forms flat islands on the Ge{105} facet, whose shape and position are guided by the rebonded step reconstruction of the facet. Voltage-dependent STM images reflect the Mn-island interaction with the empty and filled states of the Ge{105} reconstruction. Scanning tunneling spectra (STS) of the Ge{105} facet and as-deposited Mn-islands show a bandgap of 0.8 eV, and the Mn-island spectra are characterized by an additional empty state at about 1.4 eV. A statistical analysis of Mn-island shape and position on the QD yields a slight preference for edge positions, whereas the QD strain field does not impact Mn-island position. However, the formation of ultra-small Mn-clusters dominates on the Ge(001) WL, which is in contrast to Mn interaction with unstrained Ge(001) surfaces. Annealing to T < 160 °C leaves the Mn-clusters on the WL unchanged, while the Mn-islands on the Ge{105} facet undergo first a ripening process, followed by a volume gain which can be attributed to the onset of intermixing with Ge. This development is supported by the statistical analysis of island volume, size and size distribution. Increasing the annealing temperature to 220° and finally 375 ° C leads to a rapid increase in the Mn-surface diffusion, as evidenced by the formation of larger, nanometer size clusters, which are identified as germanide Mn5Ge3 from a mass balance analysis. This reaction is accompanied by the disappearance of the original Mn-surface structures and de-wetting of Mn is complete. This study unravels the details of Mn–Ge interactions, and demonstrates the role of surface diffusion as a determinant in the growth of Mn-doped Ge materials. Surface doping of Ge-nanostructures at lower temperatures could provide a pathway to control magnetism in the Mn–Ge system.