Initial stability of press-fit acetabular cups--an in-vitro study]

AIM OF THE STUDY: Mechanical lever-out tests were performed in vitro to investigate the initial stability of press fit acetabular cups. METHOD: Five different uncemented, hemispherical press-fit cups were implanted in a standardized manner into Sawbones, Polyurethane foam blocks. Each cup was levered-out by using a 250 mm stainless steel rod, which was connected to the acetabular cup. Loads were then applied to the rod causing the cup to be diplaced. Lever-out forces were recorded by a computer. RESULTS: The results of the lever-out forces ranged between 39,2 and 50,8 Nm. The highest initial stability was achieved by two Titanium cups with a Titanium plasmaspray coating, a flattened pole and a sharp equatorial edge. According to our trials the equatorial rim of the polyurethane cavity is the crucial area for the implant's initial stabilty. There the highest amount of attrition was observed. CONCLUSION: To guarantee a high reproducibilty of the tests it is essential to pay particular attention to the quality of the polyurethane foam blocks, to the exactness of the reaming procedure and to a defined cup insertion. However as our trials were carried out under optimized labaratory conditions one must be careful not to over-interpret its results. Intraoperatively primary stability is also influenced by the quality of the bone.     

Biochemical and Cytochemical Evidence for the Polar Concentration of Periplasmic Enzymes in a “Minicell” Strain of Escherichia coli

A number of "surface" enzymes of Escherichia coli (i.e., among those selectively released by osmotic shock) all displayed higher specific activities in extracts of minicells than in extracts of typical rod forms; these enzymes included alkaline phosphatase, cyclic phosphodiesterase, acid hexose monophosphatase, 5'-nucleotidase, and ribonuclease I. In addition, alkaline phosphatase, cyclic phosphodiesterase, and acid hexose monophosphatase were cytochemically localized to regions of minicell periplasm that resembled reactive polar enlargements of the periplasm in rod forms. In contrast, a number of "internal" cytoplasmic enzymes (inorganic pyrophosphatase, beta-galactosidase, glutamine synthetase, polynucleotide phosphorylase, and ribonuclease II) showed elevated or similar specific activities in extracts of rod forms versus extracts of minicells. A specific heat-labile inhibitor for 5'-nucleotidase, known to occur in the cytoplasm, also showed no enrichment in minicells. These findings indicate that the "surface" enzymes are segregated in vivo into the terminal minicell buds, possibly because these enzymes are concentrated in the polar enlargements of the periplasm in typical rod forms.     

Beitrag zur kenntnis der trichodina pediculus EHRBG. (infusoria peritricha)

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Decomposition and CO2 Evolution from Standing Litter of the Emergent Macrophyte Erianthus giganteus

Abstract Decomposition of standing litter of the emergent macrophyte Erianthus giganteus (plumegrass) was quantified in a small freshwater wetland in Alabama, USA. Living green shoots of E. giganteus were tagged and periodically retrieved for determination of leaf and culm mass loss, litter-associated fungal biomass (ergosterol), and nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations. Laboratory studies were also conducted to examine the effects of plant litter moisture content and temperature on rates of CO₂ evolution from plant litter. Culm and leaf material lost 25 and 32% AFDM, respectively, during plant senescence and early litter decay. Fungal biomass, as determined by ergosterol concentrations, increased significantly in both leaf and culm litter during decomposition, with maximum biomass accounting for 3.7 and 6.7% of the total detrital weight in culm and leaf litter, respectively. Spatial differences in fungal biomass were observed along the culm axis, with upper regions of the culm accumulating significantly greater amounts of fungal mass than basal regions (p < 0.01, ANOVA). Rates of CO₂ evolution from both leaf and culm litter increased rapidly after wetting (0 to 76 μg CO₂−C g⁻¹ AFDM h⁻¹ within 5 min). In addition, rates of CO₂ evolution from water saturated culms increased exponentially as the temperature was increased from 10 to 30°C. These results provide evidence that considerable microbial colonization and mineralization of standing emergent macrophyte litter can occur before collapse of senescent shoot material to the water and sediment surface. Received: 5 December 1998; Accepted: 31 March 1999     

Correlation between the number of adult male Pectinophora gossypiella (Saund.) (Lep., Gelechidae) catches on pheromone traps and the rate of infestation in fruiting bodies of cotton plants by young larvae in three regions of central Greece

In order to evaluate the influence of the number of catches in pheromone-baited traps on the percentage of larval infestation, six delta traps equipped with sex attractant were placed in each of three regions in Central Greece (Farkadona, Farsala, Almyros) in cotton fields from 20 June until 30 September 1995. The collection of fruiting bodies took place weekly and the counting of adults in the traps was carried out each day. The population fluctuation in all three regions was similar with their peak during the first weeks of August. In Farkadona the infestation level was low (1% at the first sampling of August) with a maximum of 9% in the last sampling of September. In Farsala and Almyros, the infestation level was already high (10% and above) in early August. There was a significant positive linear correlation between the number of moth catches and the infestation percentage from first- and second-stage larvae on the first (R = 0694) and second (R = 0.7399) boll-feeding generations.     

Fruit structure of Amborella trichopoda (Amborellaceae)

The indehiscent fruitlets of the apparently basalmost extant angiosperm, Amborella trichopoda, have a pericarp that is differentiated into five zones, a thin one‐cell‐layered skin (exocarp), a thick fleshy zone of 25–35 cell layers (outer mesocarp), a thick, large‐celled sclerenchymatous zone (unlignified) of 6–18 cell layers (middle mesocarp), a single cell layer with thin‐walled (silicified?) cells (inner mesocarp), and a 2–4‐cell‐layered, small‐celled sclerenchymatous zone (unlignified) derived from the inner epidermis (endocarp). The border between inner and outer mesocarp is not even but the inner mesocarp forms a network of ridges and pits; the ridges support the vascular bundles, which are situated in the outer mesocarp. In accordance with previous observations by Bailey & Swamy, no ethereal oil cells were observed in the pericarp; however, lysigenous cavities as mentioned by these authors are also lacking; they seem to be an artefact caused by re‐expanding dried fruits. The seed coat is not sclerified. The fruitlets of Amborella differ from externally similar fruits or fruitlets in other basal angiosperms, such as Austrobaileyales or Laurales, in their histology. © 2005 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2005, 148 , 265–274.     

Global diversity of oligochaetous clitellates (“Oligochaeta”; Clitellata) in freshwater

One of the predicted consequences of climate change is an increase in the occurrence of extreme rainfall and a subsequent increase in frequency of high flow events in rivers. High flow events have the potential to impact estuarine communities like mussel assemblages due to decreased salinity and/or the transport of sediments, organic matter and nutrients from the terrestrial environment to the estuary. The impact of two high flow events was investigated using mussels located within the Conwy estuary, North Wales, using the ‘Beyond BACI’ approach. Three study sites were chosen, the potentially impacted site (Conwy) and two control sites located outside the estuary. Sampling took place over 18 months with samples being collected before and after each event. On each sampling occasion, the following data were collected: the total haemocyte count (THC) and condition index (CI) of the mussels and the diversity (Hlog_e) of their associated macrofauna. A significant effect of the first event (22nd October 2004) was found on the CI of the Conwy mussels, whereas a significant effect of the second event (10th October 2005) was found on mussel THC. No effect of either event was found on the diversity of the associated fauna. The results of this study suggest that any increase in the number or intensity of heavy precipitation or high flow events have potential implications for the health and resilience of estuarine mussel populations. Guest editors: J. Davenport, G. Burnell, T. Cross, M. Emmerson, R. McAllen, R. Ramsay & E. Rogan Challenges to Marine Ecosystems