In vitro biomechanical properties of linear, circular, and hybrid external skeletal fixation devices for use in large ruminants

OBJECTIVE: To report the biomechanical properties of 3 external skeletal fixation (ESF) devices for use in large ruminants. STUDY DESIGN: In vitro biomechanical testing of ESF constructs. SAMPLE POPULATION: Adult buffalo (weighing, 250-350 kg) tibiae (n=27). METHODS: ESF constructs (bilateral linear fixator [BLF], 4-ring circular external fixator [CEF], and hybrid fixator [HF]) were made using mild (low carbon) steel implants plated with nickel and cadaveric buffalo tibiae. After ESF application, a 1 cm mid-diaphyseal gap was created. Constructs were loaded to failure, on a materials testing machine, in axial compression (n=5/ESF type) and craniocaudal bending (n=3/ESF type). In addition, 3 CEF constructs were tested in intact tibiae under craniocaudal bending. RESULT: In compression, HF was the strongest and most rigid construct; yield load was significantly higher for HF than for BLF or CEF. Under bending, both CEF and HF had similar strength and modulus of elasticity. Strength for BLF was higher than CEF and HF, whereas the reverse was true for modulus of elasticity. CONCLUSIONS: ESF made from mild steel for use in large ruminants could withstand相似文献   

A technique of cotton bale laydown using clustering algorithm

A new technique of cotton bale management using clustering algorithm has been proposed. The method is based on the grouping cotton bales of similar kind into respective categories using k-mean square clustering algorithm. A set of 500 cotton bales were clustered into 5 categories by minimizing the total within-group squared Euclidean distance around the 5 centroids. In order to cluster bales of different categories, 8 fibre properties, viz., strength, elongation, upper half mean length, length uniformity, short fibre content, micronaire, reflectance and yellowness of each bale have been considered. Once the bales are clustered into different categories, it is possible to prepare consistent bale mix for consecutive laydowns on the basis of frequency relative picking method.     

Application of analytic hierarchy process for the selection of cotton fibers

In many engineering applications, the final decision is based on the evaluation of a number of alternatives in terms of a number of criteria. This problem may become very intricate when the selection criteria are expressed in terms of different units or the pertinent data are difficult to be quantified. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is an effective way in dealing with such kind of complicated problems. Cotton fiber is selected or graded, in the spinning industries, based on several quality criteria. However, the existing selection or grading method based on Fiber quality Index (FqI) is rather crude and ambiguous. This paper presents a novel approach of cotton fiber selection using the AHP methodology of Multi Criteria Decision Making.     

Ascaridia galli: effect of some anthelmintics on amino acid uptake and macromolecular synthesis in vitro.

L-(U-14C) aspartic acid, L-(U-14C) alanine and L-(U-14C) leucine uptake by Ascaridia galli was found to be a non-linear function of time and limiting substrate concentration. The uptake was rapid initially but achieved steady state thereafter, possibly owing to the saturation of transport loci. Linear transformations of substrate saturation kinetics by Lineweaver-Burk plots of L-(U-14C) aspartic acid, L-(U-14C) alanine and L-(U-14C) leucine gave Kt values of 4.76, 3.03 and 2.0 mM and Jmax of 5.0, 3.57 and 2.08 m moles/100 mg dry weight/2 min, respectively. D1-tetramisole and 1-tetramisole (levamisole) inhibited the uptake of amino acids. The uptaken amino acids were readily metabolized into different tissue fractions. D1-tetramisole and levamisole significantly inhibited the incorporation of the three amino acids into the nematode's total protein, RNA and lipid fractions in an in vitro incubation system.     

Lipid metabolism and low molecular weight solute uptake in Ascaridia galli

Adult Ascaridia galli, an intestinal nematode parasite of fowl, reveals a large variety of complex lipids such as phospholipids containing choline, ethanolamine, inositol, serine and glycerol. Lysophospholipid species, vinyl ether phospholipid (plasmalogen), neutral acylglycerols, cholesterol and non-esterified fatty acids are also present. Sugar-containing lipids, such as cerebrosides, sulphatides and gangliosides are abundantly present. Female parasites contain more lipids, particularly acylglycerols and phospholipids. Acylglycerols, phosphatidyl choline, phosphatidyl ethanolamine and glycolipids incorporate a large amount of radiolabelled precursor substrate in A. galli. The presence of important enzymes of lipid biosynthesis like glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, malate dehydrogenase and hydroxymethyl glutaryl-CoA reductase as well as an enzyme of lipid ester hydrolysis, triacylglycerol lipase is detected in the parasite. These enzymes show subcellular distribution patterns and Michaelis-Menten kinetic characteristics comparable with that from rat liver homogenate. Studies on the uptake of labelled precursor molecules for lipid biosynthesis, glucose, acetate and palmitate show that the parasites can take up the isotopes readily in a time-dependent manner, showing substrate saturation kinetics, dependence upon Na ions, and can be inhibited by the presence of the bile salts sodium cholate and sodium deoxycholate. The substrate affinity constant (Kt) and maximum apparent velocity of glucose uptake in A. galli were found to be 9.09 mM and 26.67 mM per 100 mg tissue dry weight per min at 37 degrees C.     

Effect of thiabendazole and fenbendazole on glucose uptake and carbohydrate metabolism in Trichuris globulosa

14C-glucose uptake by adult Trichuris globulosa was found to be a non-linear function of time and limiting substrate concentration. The uptake was a two component process, an initial rapid burst, followed by a lower steady state. Linear transformation of the substrate saturation kinetics by Eadie plot gave a Kt value of 5 X 10(3) microM and Jmax of 5 mumol mg-1 dry weight min-1. Presence of the benzimidazole drugs, thiabendazole and fenbendazole, markedly inhibited the uptake process at concentrations in which the motility of the parasites was not affected. T. globulosa was found to possess the full complement of enzyme systems of glycolysis, Krebs cycle, phosphatases, transaminases and other NAD- and NADP-dependent enzymes. Thiabendazole and fenbendazole lowered the Vmax of most of these enzymes and affected the substrate-affinity constant (Km) in some of them. The mode of action of these drugs was discussed in the light of the data obtained.     

Identification of irradiated cashew nut by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy

Cashew nut samples were irradiated at gamma-radiation doses of 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1 kGy, the permissible dose range for insect disinfestation of food commodities. A weak and short-lived triplet (g = 2.004 and hfcc = 30 G) along with an anisotropic signal (g perpendicular = 2.0069 and g parallel = 2.000) were produced immediately after irradiation. These signals were assigned to that of cellulose and CO 2 (-) radicals. However, the irradiated samples showed a dose-dependent increase of the central line (g = 2.0045 +/- 0.0002). The nature of the free radicals formed during conventional processing such as thermal treatment was investigated and showed an increase in intensity of the central line (g = 2.0045) similar to that of irradiation. Characteristics of the free radicals were studied by their relaxation and thermal behaviors. The present work explores the possibility to identify irradiated cashew nuts from nonirradiated ones by the thermal behaviors of the radicals beyond the period, when the characteristic electron paramagnetic resonance spectral lines of the cellulose free radicals have essentially disappeared. In addition, this study for the first time reports that relaxation behavior of the radicals could be a useful tool to distinguish between roasted and irradiated cashew nuts.     

Transforming fusions of FGFR and TACC genes in human glioblastoma

The brain tumor glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is among the most lethal forms of human cancer. Here, we report that a small subset of GBMs (3.1%; 3 of 97 tumors examined) harbors oncogenic chromosomal translocations that fuse in-frame the tyrosine kinase coding domains of fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) genes (FGFR1 or FGFR3) to the transforming acidic coiled-coil (TACC) coding domains of TACC1 or TACC3, respectively. The FGFR-TACC fusion protein displays oncogenic activity when introduced into astrocytes or stereotactically transduced in the mouse brain. The fusion protein, which localizes to mitotic spindle poles, has constitutive kinase activity and induces mitotic and chromosomal segregation defects and triggers aneuploidy. Inhibition of FGFR kinase corrects the aneuploidy, and oral administration of an FGFR inhibitor prolongs survival of mice harboring intracranial FGFR3-TACC3-initiated glioma. FGFR-TACC fusions could potentially identify a subset of GBM patients who would benefit from targeted FGFR kinase inhibition.