Titanium diffusion in shinbone of rats with osseointegrated implants

Dental implants are composed of commercially pure Ti (which is actually an alloy of titanium, and minor or trace components such as aluminium and vanadium). When the implant is inserted, its surface undergoes a number of chemical and mechanical processes, releasing particles of titanium to the medium. The metabolism of free ions of titanium is uncertain; the uptaking processes in the body are not well known, nor their toxic dose. In addition, physical properties of newly formed bone, such as diffusivity and activation energy, are scarce and rarely studied. In this study, we analysed the diffusion of titanium in the titanium‐implanted shinbones of six adult male Wistar rats by spatially resolved micro x‐ray fluorescence. The measurements were carried out at the microfluorescence station of the x‐ray fluorescence (XRF) beamline of the Brazilian synchrotron facility LNLS (from Portuguese ‘Laboratorio Nacional de Luz Sincrotron’). For each sample, XRF spectra were taken by linear scanning in area near the new bone formed around the Ti implant. The scanning line shows a clear effect of titanium diffusion whereas calcium intensity presents a different behaviour. Moreover, a clear correlation among the different structures of bones is observed in the Ti and Ca intensities. The results obtained in these measurements may allow determining quantitatively the parameters of diffusion rates and other physical properties of new bone like diffusion coefficients.     

Evidence of multimicrometric coherent γ′ precipitates in a hot‐forged γ–γ′ nickel‐based superalloy

This paper demonstrates the existence of large γ’ precipitates (several micrometres in diameter) that are coherent with their surrounding matrix grain in a commercial γ–γ’ nickel‐based superalloy. The use of combined energy dispersive X‐ray spectrometry and electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) analyses allowed for revealing that surprising feature, which was then confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Coherency for such large second‐phase particles is supported by a very low crystal lattice misfit between the two phases, which was confirmed thanks to X‐ray diffractograms and TEM selected area electron diffraction patterns. Dynamic recrystallization of polycrystalline γ–γ’ nickel‐based superalloys has been extensively studied in terms of mechanisms and kinetics. As in many materials with low stacking fault energy, under forging conditions, the main softening mechanism is discontinuous dynamic recrystallization. This mechanism occurs with preferential nucleation on the grain boundaries of the deformed matrix. The latter is then being consumed by the growth of the newly formed grains of low energy and by nucleation that keeps generating new grains. In the case of sub‐solvus forging, large γ’ particles usually pin the migrating boundaries and thus limit grain growth to a size which is determined by the distribution of second‐phase particles, in good agreement with the Smith–Zener model. Under particular circumstances, the driving force associated with the difference in stored energy between the growing grains and the matrix can be large enough that the pinning forces can be overcome, and some grains can then reach much larger grain sizes. In the latter exceptional case, some intragranular primary γ’ particles can be observed, although they are almost exclusively located on grain boundaries and triple junctions otherwise. In both cases, primary precipitates have no special orientation relationship with the surrounding matrix grain(s). This paper demonstrates the existence of high fractions of large γ’ precipitate (several micrometres in diameter) that are coherent with their surrounding matrix grain, in a commercial γ–γ’ nickel‐based superalloy. Such a configuration is very surprising, because there is apparently no reason for the coherency of such particles.     

Mechanical Relaxation of a Ti_(36.2)Zr_(30.3)Cu_(8.3)Fe_4Be_(21.2) Bulk Metallic Glass: Experiments and Theoretical Analysis

The dynamic mechanical relaxation behavior of Ti_(36.2)Zr_(30.3)Cu_(8.3)Fe_4Be_(21.2) bulk metallic glass with good glass-forming ability was investigated by mechanical spectroscopy. The mechanical relaxation behavior was analyzed in the framework of quasi-point defects model. The experimental results demonstrate that the atomic mobility of the metallic glass is closely associated with the correlation factor χ. The physical aging below the glass transition temperature T g shows a non-Debye relaxation behavior, which could be well described by stretched Kohlrausch exponential equation. The Kohlrausch exponent β_(aging) reflects the dynamic heterogeneities of the metallic glass. Both concentration of "defects" and atomic mobility decrease caused by the in situ successive heating during the mechanical spectroscopy experiments.     

Molecular Networking for Drug Toxicities Studies: The Case of Hydroxychloroquine in COVID-19 Patients

Using drugs to treat COVID-19 symptoms may induce adverse effects and modify patient outcomes. These adverse events may be further aggravated in obese patients, who often present different illnesses such as metabolic-associated fatty liver disease. In Rennes University Hospital, several drug such as hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) have been used in the clinical trial HARMONICOV to treat COVID-19 patients, including obese patients. The aim of this study is to determine whether HCQ metabolism and hepatotoxicity are worsened in obese patients using an in vivo/in vitro approach. Liquid chromatography high resolution mass spectrometry in combination with untargeted screening and molecular networking were employed to study drug metabolism in vivo (patient’s plasma) and in vitro (HepaRG cells and RPTEC cells). In addition, HepaRG cells model were used to reproduce pathophysiological features of obese patient metabolism, i.e., in the condition of hepatic steatosis. The metabolic signature of HCQ was modified in HepaRG cells cultured under a steatosis condition and a new metabolite was detected (carboxychloroquine). The RPTEC model was found to produce only one metabolite. A higher cytotoxicity of HCQ was observed in HepaRG cells exposed to exogenous fatty acids, while neutral lipid accumulation (steatosis) was further enhanced in these cells. These in vitro data were compared with the biological parameters of 17 COVID-19 patients treated with HCQ included in the HARMONICOV cohort. Overall, our data suggest that steatosis may be a risk factor for altered drug metabolism and possibly toxicity of HCQ.     

The influence of probiotic fermented milk product on colon microbiota, hematological parameters and cell immunity in rats

Influence of probiotic fermented milk product on the intestinal microbiota, hematological parameters and immune status of the experiment in vivo at Wistar rats was studied. It was shown, that entering of probiotic strains of Bifidobacterium bifidum 791, Bifidobacterium longum B-379M and Lactobacillus acidophilus NK1 u Streptococcus thermophilus in composition fermented milk products in the total quantity of 2,1 x 10(7) CFU/ sm3 in digestive tract within three weeks has a positive influence on the resident of colon microbiota. Significant increasing of population levels of Bifidobacterium, Enterobacteriaceae with normal biochemical properties, registered a strong tendency to increase the content of Lactobacteria, which led to a decreasing the number of potential pathogenic transient flora with pathogenic factors. Monitoring of body mass in experimental animals has shown that including of fermented milk product with probiotic strains in diet has a positive influence on the feed uptake. Probiotic properties of the product also have stimulated effect on the immune status of the rat: improvements in cell immunity (increasing the relative amount of T-helper cells, immuneregulatory index) and hematological parameters (increase     

Oxidation of CO on hydrogen-loaded palladium

The oxidation of CO adsorbed on the surface of palladium electrodes loaded with different amounts of hydrogen was studied by single potential alteration infrared reflectance spectroscopy (SPAIRS). In the absence of hydrogen, only CO₂ was detected during anodic oxidation of CO. Adsorption of CO in the presence of hydrogen in palladium led to a more negative onset of its electrooxidation, and the formation of other products, such as ethanol and formaldehyde, as well as CO_{_2}. The results indicate that hydrogen occluded in palladium contributes to the displacement of carbon monoxide from the interface; this may assist in the continual electrooxidation of organic compounds at palladium electrodes.     

Landscaping Attributes and Property Buyers' Profiles: Their Joint Effect on House Prices

This paper investigates the effect of environmental features on house values while focusing on the interactions between landscaping attributes and home buyers' profile. The originality of this study rests on the assumption that, while neighbourhood characteristics translate into distinct sub-markets and primarily set the structure of house prices, individual home buyers' preferences, under specific market conditions, also affect values. The study benefits from two distinct, although related data sets on the single-family segment of Quebec City's housing market: while landscaping features were obtained via an extensive field survey of houses sold between 1993 and 2000, a detailed phone survey of related homeowners' family status, age and income profiles is being conducted since 2000. Findings suggest that household profile and structure do shape landscaping preferences and that utility patterns of homeowners may be best understood by looking at interactions between the two sets of variables. Considering that population aging is a major issue for economic and social planners, such a conclusion should be accounted for in housing policy design.     

AN APPLICATION OF THE DISCRETE MAXIMUM PRINCIPLE TO THE SEGMENTATION OF A WALL FOR NONLINEAR SLOPES

A problem consisting of the optimal design of a segmented wall on a surface having a nonlinear slope contour is considered. It is formulated as an optimal control problem and a solution procedure based on the Discrete Maximum Principle is developed. An application to a real case, which previously had been solved by a Dynamic Programming based method, is included together with some critical comments on the above-mentioned technique.     

Mechanochemical degradation of poly(vinyl fluoride) by sodium hydroxide measured by microindentation

The degradation of the mechanical properties of deformed PVDF during its mechanochemical ageing in sodium hydroxide (soda) was followed by microindentation measurements, especially the local reduction of the elastic modulus and the hardness. This allows measurements on a local scale of the mechanical properties on the surface and in-depth as a function of the strain level and the ageing time. Microindentation tests with Berkovich indenter have been performed with a Nanoindenter XP^® (MTS). Measurements are made at penetration depth less than 2 μm for an applied load of 10 mN. During ageing in soda (Ph 14) at 90 °C up to 16 days, various deformations ε (0, 22 and 38%) are imposed on PVDF tensile specimen. For the first two imposed deformations (ε = 0 and ε = 22%), mechanical degradation is limited to some percent (less than 7%). For the greatest deformation (ε = 38%), mechanical degradation continues to decrease with ageing time (more than 21%). Microindentation tests show that a range of low deformations exists in which the mechanochemical degradation is limited and no limitation is observed for larger imposed deformation.