Vascular morphology of the bovine spermatic cord and testis

Summary The highly coiled testicular artery within the bovine spermatic cord has a constant luminal diameter but a continuously decreasing mural thickness. The pampini form plexus is composed of three interconnected venous networks differing in mesh sizes and calibres. The large veins of the first network display pouches and permanent constrictions, which may serve as throttle devices. The constitutents of the third network are venules or venous capillaries with diameters between 10 and 20 m; they favor a periarterial position or even occupy the media-adventitia border of the testicular artery. All plexus veins are devoid of valves. The existence of true arteriovenous anastomoses between smaller branches of the testicular artery and plexus veins was established by serial sections. The vascular morphology of the spermatic cord is discussed with special attention to a postulated venous-arterial steroid transfer in this region.Supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft and the Stiftung zur Förderung der wissenschaftlichen Forschung an der Universität Bern     

Renal vascular anatomy of the toad (Bufo marinus)

The renal vasculature of the toad, Bufo marinus, was studied mainly by means of scanning electron microscopy of vascular corrosion casts. All arterial branches terminated in a glomerulus. Each glomerulus was supplied by only one afferent arteriole. No shunts between afferent and efferent arterioles were observed. The glomerular channels appeared to be permanent capillaries. No evidence supporting the theory of freely shifting glomerular blood channels was found. Efferent arterioles radiated out towards the dorsal surface of the kidney where they connected with peritubular vessels. The renal portal veins produced an anastomosing plexus on the dorsal surface of the kidney, giving rise to the peritubular vessels. Peritubular vessels ran radially toward the ventral surface of the kidney, where they formed the roots of the renal veins. Attention is drawn to the possibility of hairpin countercurrent exchange between the capillary-like efferent arterioles and the peritubular vessels in the dorsal kidney.     

The vascularization of the neural stalk and the pars nervosa of the hypophysis in the toad,Bufo bufo (L.) (amphibia,anura)

The angioarchitecture of the neural stalk and the encephaloposthypophysial portal system of the hypophysis of the toad, Bufo bufo (L.), was studied using three different methods. The neural stalk is mainly supplied by branches of the arteria infundibularis superficialis which form a widemeshed vascular network. Dorsally this network continues into the plexus of the pars nervosa. The vascularization of the pars nervosa is made up of the encephalo-posthypophysial portal system. This portal system consists of a hypothalamic branch (=portion), a mesencephalic and a mesencephalicbulbar branch (=portion). The hypothalamic branch was found to drain the pars ventralis of the tuber cinereum as well as more dorsal regions of the diencephalon. The mesencephalic-bulbar trunk enters the hypothalamic branch. The resulting common stem of the encephalo-posthypophysial portal vein the curves around the retroinfundibular communicating artery, crosses its ventral side and runs caudally. The secondary capillary plexus of the pars nervosa is characterized by well defined capillary plexus of the pars nervosa is characterized by well defined capillary networks which are located at the periphery of the parenchyma of the pars nervosa, thus forming a rostral, dorsal and ventro-caudal net. The central region of the parenchyma of the pars nervosa is supplied only by main branches of the encephalo-postpophysial portal vein. The venous drainage of the pars nervosa is via the vena hypophysea transversa.     

Effects of selection and fate of substrates supplied to anaerobic bacteria involved in the corrosion of pipe-line steel

Summary The corrosion of AISI C1020 carbon steel in an anoxic, marine, sulphide-containing environment was examined as a function of bacterial physiology and consortial complexity. The carbon steel was exposed to three organism;Eubacterium limosum, Desulfovibrio sp. andDesulfobacter sp. which were provided with H₂/CO₂, butanol, glucose, and acetate as carbon and electron sources. A consortium of these bacteria utilizing hydrogen gave rise to relatively high corrosion rates (5.7×10^–4 mhos cm^–2) with respect to corrosion resulting from bacteria supplied with organic electron sources (0.6–1.6×10^–4 mhos cm^–2). Disproportionation of electrons between sulphate reduction and fermentation had a significant effect on the corrosion rate in the case ofDesulfovibrio. Surface examination using scanning electron microscopy coupled with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy supported the hypothesis that the corrosion rate was controlled by the relative intactness of a ferrous sulphide film in which the bacteria were embedded.     

氟对镍钛拉簧的腐蚀性研究

目的:研究模拟应用氟化物防龋的口腔环境下,不同浓度氟化物对镍钛拉簧的应力衰减的影响。方法:选取两种国内常用品牌0.010 inch镍钛拉簧各40根,随机将每种拉簧平均分入四个浓度组(0.05%、0.10%、0.15%和对照组),将相同浓度组的不同品牌弹簧分别固定于间距为20 mm的四个支架的两端。将四个支架分别放入37℃人工唾液中水浴。将实验组按浓度分组放入不同浓度氟化人工唾液(0.05%、0.10%、0.15%)中处理5 min,每天三次。分别于实验前、实验后1周、2周、3周、4周用拉伸机测量每根弹簧拉伸至20 mm时的应力。对实验结果使用重复测量的方差分析。结果:时间因素对两种镍钛拉簧拉伸应力的衰减的影响有统计学意义,氟化物浓度有辅助效应,二者有交互作用。氟化物作用下不同品牌镍钛拉簧的应力腐蚀变化不同。(P0.05)。结论:1.氟化物的存在可以增加镍钛拉簧的应力衰减。2.在正畸治疗的临床工作中在使用氟化物时应考虑增加镍钛拉簧的更换频率。     

Biodegradation and corrosion behaviour of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Serratia marcescens</Emphasis> ACE2 isolated from an Indian diesel-transporting pipeline

A facultative anaerobic species Serratia marcescens ACE2 isolated from the corrosion products of a diesel-transporting pipeline in North West India was identified by 16S rDNA sequence analysis. The role of Serratia marcesens ACE2 on biodegradation of commercial corrosion inhibitor (CCI) and its influence on the corrosion of API 5LX steel has been enlightened. The degrading strain ACE2 is involved in the process of corrosion of steel API 5LX and also utilizes the inhibitor as organic source. The quantitative biodegradation efficiency of corrosion inhibitor was 58%, which was calculated by gas chromatography mass spectrum analysis. The effect of CCI on the growth of bacteria and its corrosion inhibition efficiency were investigated. Additionally, the role of this bacterium in corrosion of steel has been investigated by powder X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and scanning electron microscope studies. The presence of high-intensity ferric oxides and manganese oxides noticed from the XRD indicates that ACE2 enhances the corrosion process in presence of inhibitor as a carbon source. This basic study will be useful for the development of new approaches for the detection, monitoring and control of microbial corrosion in petroleum product pipelines.     

A quantitative study on magnesium alloy stent biodegradation

Insufficient scaffolding time in the process of rapid corrosion is the main problem of magnesium alloy stent (MAS). Finite element method had been used to investigate corrosion of MAS. However, related researches mostly described all elements suffered corrosion in view of one-dimensional corrosion. Multi-dimensional corrosions significantly influence mechanical integrity of MAS structures such as edges and corners. In this study, the effects of multi-dimensional corrosion were studied using experiment quantitatively, then a phenomenological corrosion model was developed to consider these effects. We implemented immersion test with magnesium alloy (AZ31B) cubes, which had different numbers of exposed surfaces to analyze differences of dimension. It was indicated that corrosion rates of cubes are almost proportional to their exposed-surface numbers, especially when pitting corrosions are not marked. The cubes also represented the hexahedron elements in simulation. In conclusion, corrosion rate of every element accelerates by increasing corrosion-surface numbers in multi-dimensional corrosion. The damage ratios among elements with the same size are proportional to the ratios of corrosion-surface numbers under uniform corrosion. The finite element simulation using proposed model provided more details of changes of morphology and mechanics in scaffolding time by removing 25.7% of elements of MAS. The proposed corrosion model reflected the effects of multi-dimension on corrosions. It would be used to predict degradation process of MAS quantitatively.     

Corrosion casts as a method for investigation of the insect tracheal system

Summary The tracheal systems of five insect species (two species of ants, worker bee, housefly and the cabbage butterfly) have been studied by scanning electron microscopy of corrosion casts. This technique, which is commonly used for the investigation of vertebrate vasculature, is adapted to demonstrate the ultrastructure of the insect respiratory organ. The problem of filling a blind ending system was solved by injecting the resin Mercox into the evacuated tracheae through a thoracal spiracle. After polymerization of the resin, the tissue was digested enzymatically and chemically. The three-dimensional structure of the tracheal system was investigated by scanning electron microscopy. The technique used here displays for the first time the complex morphology of the entire tracheal system in fine detail, especially the structure of spiracles, airsacs, tracheae and tracheoles. Smooth-walled terminal tracheoles show up in flight muscles. The finest tracheoles that could be identified have diameters of approximately 70 nm. This approaches the finest tracheoles portrayed by transmission electron micrographs.     

Microvasculature of the epididymis in the boar

Summary Microvasculature of the epididymis was investigated by scanning electron microscopy of vascular corrosion casts. The basic structure of blood supply to the boar epididymis consists of two superimposed vascular networks. Capillaries surrounding the epididymal duct constitute the inner level. They form polygonal meshes around the efferent ductules whereas circular capillaries strongly predominate in the subsequent region of the caput epididymidis. This annulate feature is progressively lost from corpus to cauda, where the capillary network once again has a polygonal appearance. The outer network is composed of feeding and draining vessels. Intertubular arteries pass between the loops of the epididymal duct and give rise to longitudinally oriented vessels attributable to only one adjacent duct segment. They feed the capillary network via circular ramifications debouching in different sectors of its circumference. The sparse veins draining the capillaries encircling the efferent ductules give way to a gradually increasing number of confluent veins up to the cauda.     

Three-dimensional aspects of blood vessels in thyroids from normal,low iodine diet-treated,TSH-treated,and PTU-treated rats

Summary Three-dimensional images of blood vessels in thyroid glands from normal, low iodine diet-treated, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH)-treated and propylthiouracil (PTU)-treated rats were investigated by use of the corrosion-cast method. The vascular casts made by the injection of methacrylate resin were observed with the scanning electron microscope. In normal animals, each follicle is surrounded by a clearly defined basket-like capillary network, which is generally independent of adjacent networks, though a few anastomoses or common capillaries are sometimes seen. In low iodine diet-treated or TSH-treated animals, the capillaries in the basket-like network become markedly dilated and fuse with one another. Though the vascular casts of PTU-treated animals are similar to those of low iodine diet-treated or TSH-treated ones in some aspects, most basket-like networks become distorted and irregular in shape, and the capillaries are heterogeneously dilated and show many buds, branches and anastomoses. We consider that these peculiar changes in the thyroid of the PTU-treated animals are due not only to the elevation of serum TSH but also to other unknown factors. It is clear that the distribution and morphology of the thyroid capillaries are extremely affected and changed by functional states of the gland.This study was supported in part by grant from the Research Fund of the Ministry of Education, Science, and Culture, Japan