The high frequency properties of brain tissue

Computer modeling is becoming increasingly important in the realm of brain biomechanics and injury. New computer simulations range from modeling of brain surgery, a low frequency, high strain event, to predicting injury as a result of an impact to the head, a high frequency event with varying strain magnitudes. This range of modeling efforts requires characterization of the tissue over as wide a frequency and strain range as possible. Research done to date has concentrated on the low frequency properties of the tissue. Complex compression and complex shear moduli have been measured at frequencies up to 350 Hz. Impact modeling requires use of frequency data at significantly higher frequencies than these. The "wave-in-a-tube" ultrasonic method was applied to brain tissue to determine mechanical properties at frequencies between 100 kHz and 10 MHz. Of these properties, only complex bulk modulus |K*| is fairly invariant (2133 MPa) with respect to frequency. Complex shear and complex Young's moduli vary with frequency and approach an asymptotic upper limit. Some variation in complex Poisson's ratio was also observed.     

A comprehensive experimental study on material properties of human brain tissue

A comprehensive study on the biomechanical response of human brain tissue is necessary to investigate traumatic brain injury mechanisms. Published brain material property studies have been mostly performed under a specific type of loading, which is insufficient to develop accurate brain tissue constitutive equations. In addition, inconsistent or contradictory data in the literature made it impossible for computational model developers to create a single brain material model that can fit most, if not all, experimental results.     

Effects of high temperature on reproduction

The significance of seasonal fluctuations in the components of the reproductive cycle is complex. In mammals, high environmental temperature may cause delayed puberty, delayed onset of sexual season, irregularity in cycle length, duration of estrus, ovulation rate, frequency of anovulatory estrus,morphological abnormalities in ova, fetal size and semen characteristics. High temperatures, in birds, may affect rate of egg laying, egg weight, shell quality, fertility, size of blastoderm and hatchability. Animals have developed effective thermoregulatory mechanisms for the testis. The effects of extremes of temperatures on reproduction vary with the species,breed, age, stage of reproductive cycle,period of temperature exposure, nature of temperature fluctuation and altitude. Effects of low temperature on reproduction have been little studied.

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Zusammenfassung Die Bedeutung von jahreszeitlichen Schwankungen der Komponenten im Fortpflanzungszyklus ist komplex. Bei SÄugetieren kann hohe Temperatur eine verspÄtere PubertÄt bewirken, spÄten Beginn der Brunst, UnregelmÄssigkeiten in der ZykluslÄnge,Oestrusdauer, Ovulationsrate und HÄufigkeit von anovulatorischen Oestrus, morphologische AbnormalitÄten der Eier, der Fötengrösse und des Samens.Bei Vögeln können hohe Temperaturen die LegetÄtigkeit, Eigewicht, SchalenqualitÄt, Fruchtbarkeit, Grösse des Blastoderms und Ausbrütbarkeit beeinflussen. Tiere haben wirksame thermoregulatorische Mechanismen für die Hoden entwickelt.Die Einflüsse von Temperaturextremen auf die Fortpflanzung variiert mit der Tierart, Zucht, Alter,Stadium im Fortpflanzungszyklus, Temperatureinwirkungszeit, Art der Temperaturschwankungen und Höhe. Die Bedeutung niedriger Temperatur für die Fortpflanzung ist noch wenig untersucht.

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Resume L'importance des fluctuations saisonnières sur le cycle de reproduction est complexe. Chez les mammifères, une température élevée peut causer un retard de la puberté et du rut des irrégularités de la durée du cycle et de l'oestrus ainsi que de la fréquence des ovulations; les cycles anovulatoires, les anomalies morphologiques de l'oeuf, de la semence et les variations de la grandeur fétale sont plus frequents. Chez les oiseaux les hautes températures peuvent influencer la ponte, le poids de l'oeuf, la qualité de la coquille, la fertilité, la grandeur de blastoderme et la tendance à couver. Les animaux ont développé des mécanismes thermorégulateurs efficaces pour les testicules. Les influences des extrÊmes de température sur la reproduction varient avec l'espèce, la race, l'âge,le stade du cycle de reproduction, la nature et la durée des différences de température et l'altitude. L'influence des basses températures sur la reproduction n'a pas encore été bien étudiée.

     

Alpha-tocopherol in the brain tissue preservation of stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats

Oxidative stress has an important role in neuronal damage during cerebral ischemia and can lead to cognitive and behavioral impairment. Alpha-tocopherol, a powerful antioxidant, may be able to preserve neuronal tissue and circumvent neurological deficits. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the influence of alpha-tocopherol in the preservation of brain tissue and the maintenance of memory formation in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP). To achieve this aim, twenty-four 15-week-old male SHRSP rats were separated into the following four groups (n?=?6 each) that received different treatments over a 4-week period: the alpha-tocopherol group, the control group, the L-NAME group, and the L-NAME?+?alpha-tocopherol group. We evaluated the physiological parameters (body weight, diuresis, and food and water intake), an oxidative stress marker (malondialdehyde levels), and neurological responses (the Morris Water Maze and Novel Objects Recognition tests). Afterwards, the brains were removed for histopathological analysis and quantification of the number of cells in the hippocampus. Statistically, the alpha-tocopherol group demonstrated better results when compared to all groups. The data indicated a reduction in oxidative stress and the preservation of neurological responses in groups treated with alpha-tocopherol. In contrast, the L-NAME group exhibited increased malondialdehyde levels, impairment of neurological responses, and several hippocampus tissue injuries. The others groups exhibited nerve tissue changes that were restricted to the glial nodes. No significant alterations were observed in the physiologic parameters. Based on these findings, we suggest that alpha-tocopherol can prevent stroke, preserve the structure of the hippocampus, and maintain both memory and cognition functions.     

Effects of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin exposure on bone material properties

Dioxins are known to decrease bone strength, architecture and density. However, their detailed effects on bone material properties are unknown. Here we used nanoindentation methods to characterize the effects of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) on nanomechanical behaviour of bone matrix.Pregnant rats were treated with a single intragastric dose of TCDD (1 μg/kg) or vehicle on gestational day 11. Tibias of female offspring were sampled on postnatal day (PND) 35 or 70, scanned at mid-diaphysis with pQCT, and evaluated by three-point bending and nanoindentation.TCDD treatment decreased bone mineralization (p<0.05), tibial length (p<0.01), cross-sectional geometry (p<0.05) and bending strength (p<0.05). Controls showed normal maturation pattern between PND 35 and 70 with decreased plasticity by 5.3% and increased dynamic hardness, storage and complex moduli by 26%, 13% and 12% respectively (p<0.05), while similar maturation was not observed in TCDD-exposed pups.In conclusion, for the first time, we demonstrate retardation of bone matrix maturation process in TCDD-exposed animals. In addition, the study confirms that developmental TCDD exposure has adverse effects on bone size, strength and mineralization. The current results in conjunction with macromechanical behaviour suggest that reduced bone strength caused by TCDD is more associated with the mineralization and altered geometry of bones than with changes at the bone matrix level.     

Mechanical properties of brain tissue in tension

This paper contains experimental results of in vitro, uniaxial tension of swine brain tissue in finite deformation as well as proposes a new hyper-viscoelastic constitutive model for the brain tissue. The experimental results obtained for two loading velocities, corresponding to strain rates of 0.64 and 0.64 x 10(-2)s(-1), are presented. We believe that these are the first ever experiments of this kind. The applied strain rates were similar to those applied in our previous study, focused on explaining brain tissue properties in compression. The stress-strain curves are convex downward for all extension rates. The tissue response stiffened as the loading speed increased, indicating a strong stress-strain rate dependence. Swine brain tissue was found to be considerably softer in extension than in compression. Previously proposed in the literature brain tissue constitutive models, developed based on experimental data collected in compression are shown to be inadequate to explain tissue behaviour in tension. A new, non-linear, viscoelastic model based on the generalisation of the Ogden strain energy hyper-elastic constitutive equation is proposed. The new model accounts well for brain tissue deformation behaviour in both tension and compression (natural strain in <-0.3,0.2>) for strain rates ranging over five orders of magnitude.     

The compressive material properties of the plantar soft tissue

The plantar soft tissue is the primary means of physical interaction between a person and the ground during locomotion. Dynamic loads greater than body weight are borne across the entire plantar surface during each step. However, most testing of these tissues has concentrated on the structural properties of the heel pad. The purpose of this study was to determine the material properties of the plantar soft tissue from six locations beneath: the great toe (subhallucal), the 1st, 3rd and 5th metatarsal heads (submetatarsal), the lateral midfoot (lateral submidfoot) and the heel (subcalcaneal). We obtained specimens from these locations from 11 young, non-diabetic donors; the tissue was cut into 2 cm x 2 cm blocks and the skin was removed. Stress relaxation experiments were conducted and the data were fit using the quasi-linear viscoelastic (QLV) theory. To determine tissue modulus, energy loss and the effect of test frequency, we also conducted displacement controlled triangle waves at five frequencies ranging from 0.005 to 10 Hz. The subcalcaneal tissue was found to have an increased relaxation time compared to the other areas. The subcalcaneal tissue was also found to have an increased modulus and decreased energy loss compared to the other areas. Across all areas, the modulus and energy loss increased for the 1 and 10 Hz tests compared to the other testing frequencies. This study is the first to generate material properties for all areas of the plantar soft tissue, demonstrating that the subcalcaneal tissue is different than the other plantar soft tissue areas. These data will have implications for foot computational modeling efforts and potentially for orthotic pressure reduction devices.     

Effects of high temperature on body temperature and hormonal adjustments in piglets

Effects of a high (33 degrees C) or thermoneutral (23 degrees C) temperature on body temperature and endocrine parameters were studied in weaned piglets. Rectal and skin temperatures were measured in four ad libitum fed animals per temperature during three weeks. After this acclimation period, 11 blood samples were withdrawn on a 24-h period. Over the acclimation period, rectal and skin temperatures were 0.6 and 2.9 degrees C higher, respectively, at 33 degrees C than at 23 degrees C (P < 0.01), this change occurring from the 1st day at 23 or 33 degrees C. A tendency of serum leptin concentrations to be lower after meals at 33 degrees C than at 23 degrees C was also displayed (P = 0.09). Plasmatic concentrations in Insulin-like growth factor I and thyroxine were decreased at 33 degrees C relative to 23 degrees C (P < 0.01 and P < 0.06, respectively), and triiodothyronine concentrations tended to be lower at 33 degrees C than at 23 degrees C (P = 0.1), which could account for the lower heat production and growth observed in pigs exposed to high temperatures.     

Effects of air movement on swine at high temperature

Sixty pigs were used to study the effects of air movement (0.05, 0.5, and 1.0 m/s) at constant air temperatures of either 5.6 or 11.1°C above optimum, and at 3 different weight ranges (36–50kg, 54–68 kg, and 73–86 kg) during the growing-finishing stages. An air velocity of 0.5 m/s produced significantly greater weight gain and feed conversion than did 0.05 m/s. An air velocity of 1.0 m/s produced intermediate results.     

Enhancement of structural preservation and immunocytochemical staining in low temperature embedded pancreatic tissue

The recently developed low temperature embedding procedure with the resin Lowicryl K4M (Carlemalm E, Garavito M, Villiger W: Proc 7th Eur Cong Electron Microsc, 1980, p 656; Garavito M, Carlemalm E, Villiger W: Proc 7th Eur Cong Electron Microsc, 1980, p 658) was tested for its suitability for embedding of glutaraldehyde-fixed rat pancreatic tissue and for postembedding staining of thin sections with the protein A-gold (pAg) technique (Roth J, Bendayan M, Orci L: J Histochem Cytochem 26:1074, 1978) for amylase. Compared to conventional Epon embedding of glutaraldehyde fixed tissue, the low temperature embedding method with Lowicryl K4M resulted in a superior preservation of the general cellular fine structure, particularly in the Golgi apparatus. For low temperature embedded tissue, the quantitative evaluation of the immunocytochemical labeling for amylase showed a more specific staining of the rough endoplasmic reticulum, the Golgi apparatus, and the zymogen granules. This was due to a significant lowering of the background staining over all cellular organelles. The use of Lowicryl K4M at low temperature, due to the superior preservation, yields improved resolution and specificity in immunocytochemical postembedding staining.     

采后预温处理对草莓果实贮藏保鲜效果的影响

研究了采后预温处理对草莓果实贮藏保鲜的影响,结果表明,冷藏(5℃)条件下,贮前50℃预热处理30m in的果实腐烂率最低;室温贮藏(19℃~21℃)条件下,50℃预热处理30m in、5℃预冷处理30m in的果实腐烂率最低;贮藏前期,果实中超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)活性、丙二醛(MDA)含量不断上升,预热处理能明显提高果实的SOD活性;贮藏后期,果实SOD活性不断下降、MDA含量持续上升,预处理能显著抑制果实SOD活性的下降和MDA含量的增加。     

低温等因素对枇杷种质离体保存的影响

初步研究了低温条件下枇杷(Eriobotrya japonica Lindl.)试管苗离体保存的效果.结果表明:在常温(25℃)条件下,枇杷试管苗生长速度快,保存时间短,10个月后全部死亡;而在低温条件下,试管苗生长缓慢,保存时间较长.在11℃和15℃条件下,品种‘解放钟'和‘早钟6号'1 a后的死亡率分别为20%、25%和15%、20%,表明低温有利于枇杷种质资源的离体保存.在试管包扎物的选择中,白纸 塑料薄膜和锡箔纸等材料封口对保存有利,而棉花、软木塞、橡皮塞等封口材料不利于试管苗的保存.     

Effects of tissue storage and freezing on brain glutamate uptake

Glutamate uptake appears to be stable when measured in rat striatal synaptosomes from tissue stored for up to four hours post-mortem at 25°C. Between four and eight hours storage at room temperature there is a sharp 70% decrease in uptake. Freezing of tissue on dry ice, storage at 4°C for up to 7 days and at ?80°C for 5 days results in 20–30% residual glutamate uptake. Quantitatively similar data can be obtained in eight extrastriatal brain areas. Kinetic analysis of glutamate uptake in stored and frozen tissue reveals the loss of the majority of both sodium-dependent high affinity and temperature-sensitive low affinity sites (v_max-values) while the respective K_m-values are not significantly changed. Pharmacological properties of the high affinity uptake versus a number of specific and metabolic uptake inhibitors remain unaltered by the storage and freezing procedure. The tissue treatment chosen for the present study roughly corresponds with the preparation of human post-mortem brain tissue for enzyme-, receptor-binding- or neuro-transmitter assays. It therefore seems conceivable that meaningful uptake studies can be performed on human autopsy material, thus adding an important parameter to the battery of neurochemical markers already accessible for post-mortem $\text{in}$$\text{vitro}$ examination.     

Effects of low-molecular-weight aluminum complexes on brain tissue calcium homeostasis

The in vitro effects of low-molecular-weight aluminum complexes (citrate, lactate, and ATP complex) on the Ca²⁺ uptake and aluminum-induced lipid peroxidation of brain tissue show that the modification of the calcium homeostasis is determined by the nature of the ligand and that there is no correlation between the aluminum-induced lipid peroxidation and the Ca²⁺ uptake. The same characteristics have been shown by a similar study performed with Ehrlich carcinoma cells. The electrophoretic analyses of the aluminum lactate-albumin and aluminum lactate-ATP interactions indicate an aluminum transfer from the lactate to the albumin and ATP ligands. The increased Ca²⁺ uptake when ATP is present in the incubation medium with aluminum citrate and aluminum lactate corroborates the suggested mediator role of ATP in cellular calcium homeostasis modification induced by iron.     

Effects of high temperature during grain filling under control conditions on the physicochemical properties of waxy maize flour

The effects of high temperature during different grain filling stages (1–15 d and 16–30 d after pollination) on the physicochemical properties of four varieties of waxy maize grain were studied. Heat stress during grain filling decreased grain weight and starch deposition, while it increased protein content, starch granule size, abnormal granule numbers and iodine binding capacity. These effects were more severe when heat stress was introduced at early development stage than at late grain filling stage. The peak intensities and crystallinities were decreased when plants were exposed to high temperature at early development stage. By contrast, responses to high temperature at late development stage were variety-dependent. High temperature during grain filling decreased the peak and breakdown viscosities and increased the gelatinization temperature and enthalpy, and retrogradation percentage of flours, especially during early development stage. In conclusion, high temperature during grain filling changed the grain proximate and starch structure, resulting in the deterioration of pasting and thermal properties.     

Effect of preservation period on the viscoelastic material properties of soft tissues with implications for liver transplantation

The liver harvested from a donor must be preserved and transported to a suitable recipient immediately for a successful liver transplantation. In this process, the preservation period is the most critical, since it is the longest and most tissue damage occurs during this period due to the reduced blood supply to the harvested liver and the change in its temperature. We investigate the effect of preservation period on the dynamic material properties of bovine liver using a viscoelastic model derived from both impact and ramp and hold experiments. First, we measure the storage and loss moduli of bovine liver as a function of excitation frequency using an impact hammer. Second, its time-dependent relaxation modulus is measured separately through ramp and hold experiments performed by a compression device. Third, a Maxwell solid model that successfully imitates the frequency- and time-dependent dynamic responses of bovine liver is developed to estimate the optimum viscoelastic material coefficients by minimizing the error between the experimental data and the corresponding values generated by the model. Finally, the variation in the viscoelastic material coefficients of bovine liver are investigated as a function of preservation period for the liver samples tested 1 h, 2 h, 4 h, 8 h, 12 h, 24 h, 36 h, and 48 h after harvesting. The results of our experiments performed with three animals show that the liver tissue becomes stiffer and more viscous as it spends more time in the preservation cycle.     

Effects of high temperature on Escherichia coli F pili.

The effects of high temperatures (46 to 50 degrees C) on the production of F pili by Escherichia coli were studied by electron microscopy. Attached F pili rapidly disappeared at 48 and 50 degrees C but not at 46 degrees C. Free pili were not denatured at these temperatures. The pili that disappeared from the cells at 50 degrees C did not appear as free pili in the culture supernatant fluid, indicating that the pili had retracted to the cell surface or into the cell. The adsorption of either R17 phage or F pili antibody to the sides of pili prevented retraction. The disappearance of pili was accompanied by a loss in the ability to adsorb R17 phage but not M13 phage, suggesting that the tip of a pilus remains exposed after retraction.