Physical characteristics affecting the tensile failure properties of compact bone

Compact bone specimens from a wide variety of reptiles, birds, and mammals were tested in tension, and their failure properties related to mineral volume fraction, porosity and histological orientation. The principal findings were that the ultimate strain and the work under the stress-strain curve declined sharply with mineralisation, as did the stress and strain appearing after the specimen had yielded. Ultimate tensile strength was not simply related to any combination of the possible explanatory variables, but some relatively poorly mineralised bones, notably antlers, had high stresses at failure. These high strengths were allowed by a great increase in stress after the bones had yielded at quite low stresses.     

两种壳聚糖仿生复合材料对家兔桡骨骨缺损修复的实验研究

目的:评价壳聚糖/碳酸钙三维复合材料(CS/CaCO3)和壳聚糖/羟基磷灰石复合材料(CS/HA)用于骨缺损修复的可行性.方法:家兔24只,随机分为对照、CS/CaCO3、CS/HA三组.左前肢去毛后,2%巴比妥钠(30mg/kg,iv)麻醉,距桡骨远端3cm处截骨1cm,形成骨缺损,分别植入相应材料.术后4w、8w、12w分别处死动物,X线摄片后,取骨缺损标本,进行大体与组织学观察.结果:术后4周植入块颜色变红,周围有较多量的新生骨样组织包裹,骨痂增多,向植入块内移行;术后8周,植入块周围有明显新骨生成,将材料分隔包围,新骨中央区可见材料呈蜂窝状残留.术后12周缺损区大部分编织骨被成熟的板层骨组织替代,并形成髓腔.结论:CS/CaCO3和CS/HA两种仿生复合材料能明显促进兔桡骨骨缺损修复,诱导骨痂生成.     

Post-irradiation thymocyte regeneration after bone marrow transplantation. II. Physical characteristics of thymocyte progenitor cells

Bone marrow cells were separated according to buoyant density, velocity sedimentation and cell surface charge. Fractionated (C3H x AKR)F1 bone marrow cells were transplanted into lethally-irradiated C3H recipients. In all fractions, the CFUs content and the capacity to restore the thymus cell population were determined. For all the physical parameters tested, the thymocyte progenitor cells show the same distribution as CFUs. The relationship between number of thymocyte progenitor cells and number of CFUs is dependent on density. Bone marrow progenitors of PHA responsive cells are of low buoyant density and show a distribution which resembles the distribution of the progenitors of Thy 1 positive cells. After transplantation of large numbers of bone marrow cells into irradiated mice, no significant change in the CFUs content of the thymus was observed.     

Physical characteristics of Chinese Hakka

Using standard and internationally validated methods,86 anthropologic characteristics were determined in 650 male(305 from urban areas and 345 from rural areas) and 704 female(331 from urban areas,373 from rural areas) Chinese Hakka adults living in Guangdong and Jiangxi.The data were used to calculate 24 anthropologic indices,which were analyzed statistically.The physical characteristics of Hakka subjects were analyzed and compared with reference ethnic data.There were four main findings of this study.First,a small proportion of Hakka adults had an eye fold on the upper eyelid,but a large proportion had a mongoloid fold.The eye slits were narrow in most adults,had a medium nasal root height and straight bridges,and most of the external angles were prominent.The nasal base was upturned in most men.The distributions of the three types of nasal base in women were similar.The proportions of subjects with middle and high alae nasi heights were high and similar.Males with a maximum nostril diameter were mostly classified as transverse and oblique,while many women were classified as transverse and had relatively wide alae nasi.The round lobe type was the most common.Upper lip skin height was mostly classified as medium.Lips were classified as thin.The hair was black,eyes were brown,and the skin was yellowish.Second,the head length was long in male Hakka.The minimum frontal breadth,face breadth,lip height,and interocular breadth were similar to those of North-Asian populations.Meanwhile,head breadth,morphological facial height,nose breadth,mouth breadth,and nose height were similar to those of South-Asian populations.Head length was long in female Hakka.The minimum frontal breadth,face breadth,lip height,and interocular breadth were similar to those of North-Asian populations.Head breadth,nose breadth,and mouth breadth were similar to those of South-Asian populations.Third,the stature of male and female Hakka in urban and rural areas was classified as medium.The proportions of male and female Hakka classified as mesocephaly(length-breadth index of the head),hypsicephalic type,metriocephalic type(breadth-height index of the head) mesorrhiny,long trunk,subbrachyskelic type,broad shoulder breadth,and narrow distance between iliac crests were higher than those of other types.Finally,principal component analyses showed that the physical characteristics of Hakka were between those of South-Asian and North-Asian ethnic populations,but were generally closer to those of North-Asian populations in China.     

Microbial growth on fiber reinforced composite materials

Microorganisms may be responsible for physical and chemical changes in composite materials. Inoculation of a fungal consortium to pre-sterilized coupons of five composites resulted in deep penetration into the interior of all materials at a temperature of approximately 22°C within 5 weeks. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that the inoculated composites were etched by the microorganisms. None of the five composites tested resisted fungal attack. Inoculation of extracts of these composites with the same fungi resulted in higher growth compared to the control, suggesting that chemical compounds leached from the composites were utilized by microorganisms as a source of carbon and energy. Studies with pure fibers used in the manufacture of composite materials showed that the fungi grew rapidly on both glass and carbon fibers in the presence of the fungal consortium. Our study indicates that microorganisms pose a threat to composite materials. We are currently investigating chemical and physical changes induced in these materials by the growth of fungi.     

Kinetic structures in multi-phase liquid-crystalline composite materials

A mesoscopic kinetic model for phase separation in the presence of liquid crystalline order has been formulated and solved using high performance numerical methods. The thermodynamic phase diagram on temperature–polymer concentration plane indicates the presence of coexistence regions between isotropic and liquid crystalline phases. These regions are partitioned by the phase-separation spinodal and the phase-ordering spinodal. We characterize the morphologies following temperature quenches in the phase diagram. The scenario is completely different from isotropic mixing since the continuous phase exhibits liquid crystalline ordering. Microdomains of the dispersed phase induce long- and short-range forces affecting the kinetics of the phase separation and the emerging structures. Presence of topological defects and elastic distortions around the microdomains formed during the phase separation dominate the morphology. The free energy of the system establishes dynamics and correlations of the morphological structures.     

临高人的体质特征

应用《人体测量方法》调查了海南省临高成人417例(男211例,女206例)的71项体质指标,对18项体质指数进行计算,统计指数分型情况,并与我国部分族群体质资料进行比较,分析临高人的体质特征。结果显示:1)临高人头面部特征为圆头型、高头型、中头型、阔面型和中鼻型。临高人体部特征为中等型身材、中腿型、中胸型、宽肩型、中骨盆型、长躯干型。2)临高人以长躯干型、中腿型、宽肩型、中骨盆型、高头型、中头型、中鼻型出现率最高。3)临高人与海南其他族群比较头部、面部及五官部较宽,面部、鼻部高度值较小,身材宽而高。4)聚类分析显示,临高人体质特征与中国北方少数民族和其他地区汉族较接近。     

骨生物材料通过细胞途径降解的研究进展

生物材料作为移植物已广泛应用于骨组织修复,在应用生物材料时需要考虑材料各个方面的性能,如生物兼容性、力学强度、可塑性等。材料的可降解性也是骨修复材料不得不考虑的方面。既往研究表明,生物材料可以通过物理、化学和生物三种方式进行降解。在材料的生物降解过程中,经细胞途径降解是其中重要的一环。这种降解途径主要是通过巨噬细胞、破骨细胞的生物学行为及其所分泌的生物活性氧、酶、酸性代谢物等作用机制进行。认识细胞作用对生物材料的降解有助于更好地理解细胞的生物学行为,精准设计、制造更合理的骨修复材料,既利于材料植入时的初始稳定,也可以符合材料降解与新骨形成的匹配,促进骨再生和骨修复。     

Surface porous fibre-reinforced composite bulk bone substitute

The aim of this study was to describe and evaluate the significance of a porous surface with bioactive glass granules (S53P4) covering an artificial bulk material based on polymethylmetacrylate (PMMA) and fibre-reinforced composite (FRC) technology. Effort was focused particularly on characters of the porous surface and biomechanical properties of the material in vitro, and test in vivo the implant in reconstruction in an experimental long bone segment defect model. The defect, 10 mm in length, created in the shaft of rabbit tibia, was reconstructed by the implant and fixed by intramedullary K-wires. The implant was incorporated within 4 weeks by new bone growth from the host bone covering particularly its posterior surface and cortex/implant junctions with bridging trabecular bone. Later, at 8 weeks, new bone was found also at the cortex/implant interface and in the medullary canal of the implant. Histometric measurements revealed direct bone/implant surface contact in 34% at the interface. Bioactive glass granules in the porous surface evoked the most direct contact with bone. The implants manufactured from PMMA only served as a control group, and showed significantly lower osteoconductive properties. Biomechanical measurements in vitro of fibre-reinforced PMMA specimens revealed values for bending strength and the flexural modulus to match them to human bone. This artificial bulk bone material based on PMMA/FRC technology seems to have proposing properties to be used as a bone substitute on load-bearing conditions. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Development of an injectable composite for bone regeneration

With the development of minimally invasive surgical techniques, there is a growing interest in the research and development of injectable biomaterials especially for orthopedic applications. In a view to enhance the overall surgery benefits for the patient, the BIOSINJECT project aims at preparing a new generation of mineral-organic composites for bone regeneration exhibiting bioactivity, therapeutic activity and easiness of use to broaden the application domains of the actual bone mineral cements and propose an alternative strategy with regard to their poor resorbability, injectability difficulties and risk of infection. First, a physical-chemical study demonstrated the feasibility of self-setting injectable composites associating calcium carbonate-calcium phosphate cement and polysaccharides (tailor-made or commercial polymer) in the presence or not of an antibacterial agent within the composite formulation. Then, bone cell response and antimicrobial activity of the composite have been evaluated in vitro. Finally, in order to evaluate resorption rate and bone tissue response an animal study has been performed and the histological analysis is still in progress. These multidisciplinary and complementary studies led to promising results in a view of the industrial development of such composite for dental and orthopaedic applications.     

Mechanical validation of whole bone composite tibia models

Composite synthetic models of the human tibia have recently become commercially available as substitutes for cadaveric specimens. Their use is justified by the advantages they offer as a substitute for real tibias. The present investigation concentrated on an extensive experimental validation of the mechanical behaviour of the whole bone composite model, compared to human specimens for different loading conditions. The stiffness of the tibias was measured with a torsional load applied along the long axis, and with a bending load applied both in the latero-medial and in the antero-posterior direction. The bending stiffness of the composite tibias matched well with that of the cadaveric specimens. This was not true for the torsional stiffness. In fact, the composite tibias were much stiffer than the cadaveric specimens, possibly due to the structure of the reinforcement material. The inter-specimen variability for the composite tibias was much lower than that for the cadaveric specimens. Thus, it seems that the composite tibias are suitable to replace cadaveric specimens for certain types of test, whereas they might be unsuitable for others, depending on the loading regimen.     

Predicting the structural integrity of bone defects repaired using bone graft materials

Bone defects create stress concentrations which can cause fracture under impact or cyclic loading. Defects are often repaired by filling them with a bone graft material; this will reduce the stress concentration, but not completely, because these materials have lower stiffness than bone. The fracture risk decreases over time as the graft material is replaced by living bone. Many new bone graft materials are being developed, using tissue engineering and other techniques, but currently there is no rational way to compare these materials and predict their effectiveness in repairing a given defect. This paper describes, for the first time, a theoretical model which can be used to predict failure by brittle fracture or fatigue, initiating at the defect. Preliminary results are presented, concentrating on the prediction of stress fracture during the crucial post-operative period. It is shown that the likelihood of fracture is strongly influenced by the shape of the defect as well as its size, and also by the level of post-operative exercise. The most important finding is that bone graft materials can be successful in preventing fracture even when their mechanical properties are greatly inferior to those of bone. Future uses of this technique include pre-clinical assessment of bone replacement materials and pre-operative planning in orthopaedic surgery.     

Predicting the structural integrity of bone defects repaired using bone graft materials

Bone defects create stress concentrations which can cause fracture under impact or cyclic loading. Defects are often repaired by filling them with a bone graft material; this will reduce the stress concentration, but not completely, because these materials have lower stiffness than bone. The fracture risk decreases over time as the graft material is replaced by living bone. Many new bone graft materials are being developed, using tissue engineering and other techniques, but currently there is no rational way to compare these materials and predict their effectiveness in repairing a given defect. This paper describes, for the first time, a theoretical model which can be used to predict failure by brittle fracture or fatigue, initiating at the defect. Preliminary results are presented, concentrating on the prediction of stress fracture during the crucial post-operative period. It is shown that the likelihood of fracture is strongly influenced by the shape of the defect as well as its size, and also by the level of post-operative exercise. The most important finding is that bone graft materials can be successful in preventing fracture even when their mechanical properties are greatly inferior to those of bone. Future uses of this technique include pre-clinical assessment of bone replacement materials and pre-operative planning in orthopaedic surgery.     

Physical characteristics of mouse sperm nuclei.

The nuclei of epididymal sperm, isolated from C57BL/6J and CBA/J inbred mice by their resistance to trypsin digestion, retain the shape differences of the intact sperm head. Various physical characteristics of these nuclei were measured and compared. The measurement of the projected dimensions of nuclei showed that the CBA nuclei are 13.5% longer than C57BL/6 nuclei (8.64 +/- 0.02 mum compared with 7.61 +/- 0.02 mum), 0.8% narrower (3.51 +/- 0.01 vs. 3.54 +/-0.01 mum) with 6.8% more area (22.34 +/- 0.10 vs. 20.91 +/- 0.09 mum2). However, the volumes of the nuclei as based on reconstructing calibrated electronmicrographs of serial sections of the nuclei indicated that CBA are about 7% smaller than C57BL/6 nuclei (3.72 +/- 0.08 vs. 4.01 +/- 0.03 mum3). The buoyant density of the CBA nuclei is 1.435 +/- 0.002 g/cm3 compared with 1.433 +/- 0.002 g/cm3 for the C57BL/6 nuclei as determined on linear CsCl and Renografin-76 density gradients and confirmed by a technique utilizing physiological tonicities. Therefore, the average mass of the CBA nuclei is less than that of the C57BL/6 nuclei (5.34 +/- 0.12 vs. 5.75 +/- 0.05 pg). The sedimentation velocities at unit gravity of nuclei from 11 inbred strains differ over a range of more than 6% with CBA nuclei sedimenting about 2.0% more slowly than C57BL/6 nuclei. We show that for these nuclei the sedimentation velocity can be related to their buoyant density, volume and a sedimentation shape factor. Within the errors of our measurements of these various characteristics, it was found that C57BL/6 and CBA nuclei have similar sedimentation shape factors. Therefore, the difference in sedimentation velocity between these nuclei appears to be primarily a result of differences in volume. The possible applications of these techniques to the physical separation of sperm are evaluated in the discussion.     

Novel materials for bone and cartilage regeneration

Materials that enhance bone and cartilage regeneration promise to be valuable in both research and clinical applications. Both natural and synthetic polymers can be used to create scaffolds that support cells and incorporate cues which guide tissue repair. Recently, electrospinning, peptide self-assembly and biomineralisation have been employed to fabricate nanostructured scaffolds that better mimic the complex extracellular environment found within tissues, in vivo. The incorporation of peptide motifs recognised by cell receptors and the use of recombinant DNA technology have enabled the creation of scaffolds with new levels of biofunctionality. Advances in materials design will enhance our ability to create highly tailored cellular environments for bone and cartilage regeneration.     

Physical characteristics in eucaryotic promoters.

For a series of wild type and mutated eucaryotic gene prelude sequences (mainly "promoters" of SV40 early gene (Benoist and Chambon, Nature 290, 304 (1981); Moreau et al., Nuc. Acids Res. 9, 6047 (1982)) and of Herpes Simplex Virus TK gene (McKnight and Kingsbury, Science 217, 316 (1982)), in vivo promoter activity and local stability (denaturability) have been correlated. In agreement with the conclusions drawn in these papers, the correlation points to three major eucaryotic promoter elements and loci: (i) enzyme enabling by an enhancer sequence; SV40 and Moloney Sarcoma Virus enhancers have a striking stability homology; (ii) enzyme activation, occurring 50-70 b.p. upstream the cap site in a high stability domain; the enzyme apparently deactivates exponentially upon moving away to trap site; (iii) enzyme positioning at trap site, 30 +/- 5 b.p. upstream the cap site. The trap site contains the TATA box, or, when absent, other low stability domains downstream the activator. The number and occupancy of cap sites may depend on the stability and size of the trap site-cap site couple and its distance from the activator.     

藏族的体质类型和人种学特征

藏族的体质类型和人种学特征一直受到学术界的关注。2018-2021年,我们测量了1530例卫藏、康巴和安多三个藏族人群的体质数据,统计结果发现,藏族男性、女性均为超中等身材,体质量超重,均为圆头型、高头型、中头型、中鼻型、中躯干型、宽胸型、宽肩型、宽骨盆型、中腿型,多有上眼睑皱褶,有内眦褶。对中国15个族群测量指标均数的主成分分析显示,藏族与东亚类型的汉族位点距离近于多数北亚类型族群,更近于多数南亚类型族群。藏族数据与国外资料中的东亚、南亚、北亚、北极类型数据的主成分分析结果显示,藏族与东亚类型位点最为接近。研究证实,当代藏族具有东亚蒙古人种类型的体质特征。     

Instrumental neutron activation analysis of rib bone samples and of bone reference materials

The instrumental neutron activation analysis method was used for the determination of trace elements in rib bone samples taken from autopsies of accident victims. The elements Br, Ca, Cl, Cr, Fe, Mg, Mn, Na, P, Sr, Rb, and Zn were determined in cortical tissues by using short and long irradiations with thermal neutron flux of the IEA-R1m nuclear reactor. The reference materials NIST SRM 1400 Bone Ash and NIST SRM 1486 Bone Meal were also analyzed in order to evaluate the precision and the accuracy of the results. It was verified that lyophilization is the most convenient process for drying bone samples because it does not cause any element losses. Comparisons were made between the results obtained for rib samples and the literature values as well as between the results obtained for different ribs from a single individual and for bones from different individuals.