Maturation of the posterolateral spinal fusion and its effect on load-sharing of spinal instrumentation. An in vivo sheep model

We investigated the temporal relationship among the biomechanical, radiographic, and histological properties of a posterolateral spinal fusion mass to elucidate the changes in load-sharing of the spinal instrumentation and that of the fusion mass throughout the healing process. Destabilization of the posterior spinal column and transpedicular screw fixation at the segments between the third and fourth and the fifth and sixth lumbar vertebrae was performed in twenty-four sheep. A posterolateral spinal arthrodesis with use of autologous corticocancellous bone graft was done randomly at one of the two segments; the other segment (without bone graft) served as the instrumented control. Six animals each were killed at four, eight, twelve, and sixteen weeks postoperatively. Biomechanical testing showed that the posterolateral fusion mass had increased mechanical stiffness after the fourth week. The strain on the hardware, measured with use of rods instrumented with strain-gauges, decreased significantly (p < 0.01) beginning at eight weeks. Radiographically, three independent observations of each of the six animals at each time-period showed that, although all of the fusion masses were considered solid unions at sixteen weeks, bridging of trabecular bone was noted during only ten of eighteen observations at twelve weeks, three of eighteen observations at eight weeks, and none of eighteen observations at four weeks. Computerized tomography and histomorphometric analyses demonstrated that mineralization in the fusion mass increased in a linear fashion even after eight weeks. Histologically, the fusion mass consisted predominantly of woven bone at eight weeks; thereafter, it was gradually trabeculated. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: We found a great discrepancy between biomechanical stability and histological maturation of the posterolateral fusion mass. The biomechanical properties of a stable spinal fusion preceded the radiographic appearance of a solid fusion by at least eight weeks, suggesting that immature woven bone provided substantial stiffness to the fusion mass. The spinal instrumentation was subjected predominantly to bending stress rather than to axial stress, and the load-sharing of the spinal instrumentation decreased concurrently with the development of the spinal fusion.     

Attentional control within 3-D space

Four experiments investigated whether directing attention to a particular plane in depth enables observers to filter out information from another depth plane. Observers viewed stereoscopic displays and searched for a red line segment among green line segments. The results showed that directing attention to a particular depth plane cannot prevent attentional capture from another depth plane when the colors of the target and distractor are identical. However, it can prevent attentional capture by a singleton from another depth plane when the colors of the target and distractor are different. These results indicate that only when both color and depth information are selective in guiding attention to the target singleton can attentional capture by irrelevant singletons be prevented. The results also suggest that retinal disparity does not have the same special status as location information in two dimensions and should be considered as just another feature along which selection may occur.     

Clinical and functional evaluation of health status of workers exposed to infrasound, noise and general vibration

The article covers complex evaluation of health state in building industry workers engaged into ferro-concrete production in St. Petersburg. The health state was considered under combined action of infrasound, noise and general vibration. Clinical and functional evaluation included medical examination by doctors, blood biochemistry and CBC, ECG, computer integral rheography, voice audiometry. Data for 62 moulders helped to assess acoustic environment at workplace and to reveal the morbidity structure.     

Breed group effects on milk production of Brazilian crossbred dairy cows

Lactation records (n = 2362) of 1402 crossbred cows in 22 cooperating dairy herds in southeastern Brazil were evaluated. Cows were mixtures of Zebu (Gir, Guzera, and unknown) and European breeding (mostly Holstein). Lactation milk yields were expressed as total, 3050-d, or deviated 305-d yields, either adjusted or unadjusted for days in milk (DIM). Mean DIM was 280. Arithmetic means unadjusted for DIM were 1942, 1666, and 5 kg per record. Milk yields of daughters from sires of 6/8 and 7/8 European breeds were higher than yields of daughters from sires of 5/8 European breeds when data were either adjusted or unadjusted for DIM. The differences associated with breed group of sire were only slightly reduced when records were adjusted for DIM. There was no evidence of a decline in milk yield as the fraction of European breeding of the sire increased from 6/8 to 7/8. For a given breed group of sire, whether the grandsire was purebred or crossbred had no detectable effect. These results should be useful in determining strategies for crossbreeding of dairy cows in tropical areas, particularly when crossbred sires are used.     

What do we mean by “catalytic activity”?

The relative reactivities of the lower alkanes in hydrogenolysis on a Pt/Al₂O₃ catalyst depend on the H₂ pressure used, as do those of a Ru/Al₂O₃ catalyst, pretreated in various ways, for propane hydrogenolysis. Apparent activation energies also vary with H₂ pressure. No single rate measurement adequately represents catalytic activity, which is properly defined as the rateconstant for the slow step.     

A Semi‐Batch Process for Nitroxide Mediated Radical Polymerization

Summary: A semi‐batch process using nitroxide mediated polymerization, was explored for the design of low molecular weight solvent‐borne coatings, typical of those used in the automotive industry. While living radical polymerization (LRP) offers many advantages in the control of polymer chain microstructure that may confer important physical and chemical property benefits to coatings, adapting LRP to a semi‐batch process poses significant challenges in the design and operation of the process. Using styrene monomer, various two‐component initiating systems (free radical initiator, 4‐hydroxy‐TEMPO) were studied to understand the effects of different initiators on the course of polymerization. In addition, an alkoxyamine was synthesized and used as the initiating source. The initiators Luperox 7M75 and Luperox 231 give higher polymerization rates and reasonable control over polymerization, while benzoyl peroxide (BPO), Vazo 67, and the alkoxyamine are less effective. The number of polymer chains in the final product is always less than the theoretical value, reflecting poor initiation efficiency, probably resulting from undesirable termination reactions that become important due to the nature of the semi‐batch process. Adding camphorsulfonic acid (CSA) or charging initiator concurrently with monomer during semi‐batch feed, can increase the polymerization rate while maintaining the living character of the polymerization. The copolymerization of styrene and butyl acrylate is also shown to exhibit living character.

Schematic representation of the exchange reaction to produce N‐TEMPO capped polymer chains.     

Structural analysis of Au/Mg(OH)2 during deactivation by Debye function analysis

Using a Debye function analysis, the presence of icosahedral and face centered cuboctahedral gold in a 1 1 ratio has been found in freshly prepared Au/Mg(OH)₂ catalyst. The results support earlier studies which suggest the icosahedral form to be more stable at small nanometer sizes. Interactions between the gold and the Mg(OH)₂ support appear to be weak, with the gold rapidly coagulating over a period of three months. Re-analysis of the aged sample shows the gold to be mainly in the form of truncated decahedra.     

Small-angle neutron scattering studies of polyethylene crystallized at high pressure

The technique of small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) has been used to study the chain configuration in pressure crystallized polyethylene. Two narrow molecular weight fractions of deuterated molecules (PED) of M_w 23 000 and 54 000 were solution blended with a protonated matrix polymer of M_w 81 500. Although pressure crystallization was shown to have produced a clustering of the PED molecules, the radii of gyration $\text{〈}\text{S}{}^2\text{〉}{}_{\mathrm{z}}{}^{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}$ were, nevertheless, shown to be consistent with a model in which the PED molecules possessed rod-like configurations. The predicted rod lengths were in close agreement with the molecular stem lengths of the PEH matrix polymer, which were independently determined by nitric acid etching. Furthermore, a doubling of the PED molecular weight produced no change in the value of $\text{〈S}{}^2\text{〉}{}_{\mathrm{z}}{}^{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}$. This was interpreted in terms of a chain folding mechanism in which a molecule is bounded by the surfaces of a lamellar block and is therefore unable to increase its' rod length.     

Preparation and properties of ABA block polymers of styrene and butadiene or isoprene made with sec-C4H9Li·2(C2H5)2O

ABA-type “tapered” block polymers were prepared from styrene (monomer A) and butadiene or isoprene, using an initiator of sec-butyllithium complexed with two molecules of ethyl ether. The stress–strain curves of polymers containing about 20–50% styrene show the usual resemblance to curves of crosslinked elastomers. The SBS polymers had higher tensile strengths than the SIS polymers. They also had slightly higher tensile strengths than comparable SBS polymers made with sec-butyllithium. The SIS polymers, however, had generally lower tensile strengths than those made with sec-butyllithium. This is probably caused by higher styrene content of the isoprene block, brought about by increased randomization of the styrene–isoprene copolymerization due to the presence of the ether. The A and B blocks become more compatible, producing loss of strength in the polymer. Infrared analyses of polydienes made with the sec-C₄H₉Li·2(C₂H₅)₂O initiator showed a 6% to 8% increase in 1,2-content (for polybutadiene) or 3,4-content (for polyisoprene), compared to polymers made with sec-butyllithium. The polymer microstructures still have high (>80%) total 1,4-content, however. Thus, this amount of ether can be tolerated in the polymerization system without great loss of rubbery properties or block structure in the resultant polymers.     

Influence of dry operating conditions: observation of oscillations and low temperature CO oxidation over Co3O4 and Au/Co3O4 catalysts

A Sm(III) exchanged NaY zeolite prepared from aqueous SmCl₃ was modified with various amounts of fluorine using NH₄F. These fluorinated zeolites exhibit enhanced catalytic activity for the dealkylation of cumene. The evaluation of acid sites by infrared spectroscopy and pyridine adsorption was correlated with fluorine content.