Prediction of fatigue screw loosening in anterior spinal fixation using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry

STUDY DESIGN: A biomechanical study was performed to investigate a relation between the bone mineral density of the vertebral body and the number of loading cycles to induce fatigue loosening of an anterior vertebral screw. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to investigate the potential usefulness of dual energy x-ray absorptiometry of measuring bone mineral density of the vertebral body in predicting the fatigue loosening of th anterior vertebral screw. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Loosening of the vertebral body screw is a well know failure in spinal instrumentation, and more commonly observed than pullout failure. The relation between bone mineral density and pullout strength of the screw has been investigated previously, but no studies are available on the fatigue loosening in anterior spinal fixation. METHODS: Bone mineral density was measured using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry and the screw loosening was produce by a cyclic loading in the cephalad-caudal direction. Screw loosening was defined as 1 mm displacement of the screw relative to bone, and the number of loading cycles to induce the screw loosening was obtained and statistically correlated with bone mineral density. RESULTS: There was a positive correlation between the number of loading cycles to induce screw loosening and bone mineral density (R = 0.8, P < 0.01). The average number of loading cycles to induce screw loosening was significantly less for specimens with bone mineral density < 0.45 g/cm2 compared to those with bone mineral density > or = g/cm2. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that bone mineral density may be a good predictor of anterior vertebral screw loosening. Bone mineral density < 0.45 g/cm2 may be critical value of loosening of the anterior vertebral body screw. However, further biomechanical and clinical studies are required before using threshold value clinically.     

The influence of laser power on the interfaces of functionally graded materials fabricated by powder-based directed energy deposition

Journal of Materials Science - Powder-based directed energy deposition (DED) technology with separate feeders for different individual materials enables the deposition of functionally graded...     

Changing patterns of localization of the tobacco mosaic virus movement protein and replicase to the endoplasmic reticulum and microtubules during infection

Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) derivatives that encode movement protein (MP) as a fusion to the green fluorescent protein (MP:GFP) were used in combination with antibody staining to identify host cell components to which MP and replicase accumulate in cells of infected Nicotiana benthamiana leaves and in infected BY-2 protoplasts. MP:GFP and replicase colocalized to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER; especially the cortical ER) and were present in large, irregularly shaped, ER-derived structures that may represent "viral factories." The ER-derived structures required an intact cytoskeleton, and microtubules appeared to redistribute MP:GFP from these sites during late stages of infection. In leaves, MP:GFP accumulated in plasmodesmata, whereas in protoplasts, the MP:GFP was targeted to distinct, punctate sites near the plasma membrane. Treating protoplasts with cytochalasin D and brefeldin A at the time of inoculation prevented the accumulation of MP:GFP at these sites. It is proposed that the punctate sites anchor the cortical ER to plasma membrane and are related to sites at which plasmodesmata form in walled cells. Hairlike structures containing MP:GFP appeared on the surface of some of the infected protoplasts and are reminiscent of similar structures induced by other plant viruses. We present a model that postulates the role of the ER and cytoskeleton in targeting the MP and viral ribonucleoprotein from sites of virus synthesis to the plasmodesmata through which infection is spread.     

Integrated fertilizer requirements of groundnut-wheat cropping system

Investigations were carried out in a long term field experiment from 1976 to 1982, on a loamy sand soil to find out the fertilizer requirements of groundnut and wheat grown in fixed rotation. Application of 26 kgP/ha to wheat alone was found to be sufficient for both wheat and succeeding groundnut. Application of phosphorus to both wheat and groundnut did not result in extra beneficial effect over P application to wheat alone. However, application of 26 kg P/ha to groundnut alone was not sufficient for succeeding wheat. There was no response from K application (25 kg K/ha) in either of these two crops. Increasing the dose of N from 50–150 kg/ha to wheat significantly increased the grain yield of wheat but the pod yield of succeeding groundnut were markedly lowered. Response of wheat to 150 kg N/ha was more marked when P was also applied to wheat and response was less when P was applied to preceding groundnut alone. Zinc application at 6.25 kg/ha to wheat alone resulted in significant increase in grain yield of wheat and pod yield of succeeding groundnut.     

Retrotransposable elements R1 and R2 in the rDNA units of Drosophila mercatorum: abnormal abdomen revisited

R1 and R2 retrotransposable elements are stable components of the 28S rRNA genes of arthropods. While each retrotransposition event leads to incremental losses of rDNA unit expression, little is known about the selective consequences of these elements on the host genome. Previous reports suggested that in the abnormal abdomen (aa) phenotype of Drosophila mercatorum, high levels of rDNA insertions (R1) in conjunction with the under-replication locus (ur), enable the utilization of different ecological conditions via a population level shift to younger age. We have sequenced the R1 and R2 elements of D. mercatorum and show that the levels of R1- and R2-inserted rDNA units were inaccurately scored in the original studies of aa, leading to several misinterpretations. In particular, contrary to earlier reports, aa flies differentially underreplicate R1- and R2-inserted rDNA units, like other species of Drosophila. However, aa flies do not undergo the lower level of underreplication of their functional rDNA units (general underreplication) that is seen in wild-type strains. The lack of general underreplication is expected to confer a selective advantage and, thus, can be interpreted as an adaptation to overcome high levels of R1 and R2 insertions. These results allow us to reconcile some of the apparently contradictory effects of aa and the bobbed phenotype found in other species of Drosophila.     

Structure of poly d(AI).poly d(CT) in two different packing arrangements

X-ray diffraction analysis of poly d(AI).poly d(CT) in oriented and polycrystalline fibers has revealed the DNA structure to be a 10-fold, right-handed, antiparallel, Watson-Crick base paired double helix in two distinct packing arrangements corresponding to one and two helices, respectively, in the unit cell. The helix pitch is 32.1 A and 32.4 A in the two cases, almost 1.5 A shorter than in classical B-DNA. The resulting B'-DNA geometry, described in terms of a tetranucleotide repeat which is conformationally similar to B-DNA, has its minor groove closely shut and major groove correspondingly widened, thus striking a sharp morphological contrast to B-DNA. According to difference electron density maps, a spine of hydration along the minor groove connects both strands and provides structural stability; ordered sodium ions and water molecules are actively involved in bridging the phosphate groups of neighboring helices. The crystallographic R-values for these two allomorphs are 0.26 and 0.20, respectively, for data up to 3.0 A resolution.     

Determining the cost of a clinical intervention through the use of shadow pricing

This article reviews the scientific literature in several areas important to the delivery of palliative care: multicultural issues, education, comprehensive outcome measures and ethics. Most of the research can be classified as fundamental rather than intervention research according to the Cancer Control Framework of the National Cancer Institute of Canada. Desired outcomes of interventions are most often defined from the health care professional's perspective but need to be defined from the patient's perspective. In areas such as multicultural issues and the effect of the volunteer on the patient, there is almost no research. The complexity of studying the best way to deliver palliative care would benefit from the input of colleagues who have experience addressing these issues in other patient populations.