Clinical outcomes of Schatzker type II tibial plateau fractures using joint depression morphology: A cross-sectional study

Tibial plateau fracture is a common intra-articular fracture caused by axial compression and Varus or Valgus force. This study aimed at the relationship between Luo classification morphology of tibial plateau fractures with clinical outcomes and surgical complications. The cross-sectional study was conducted on patients with Schatzker type II tibial plateau fracture who underwent surgery between May 2018 and January 2021. Clinical outcomes were measured by the AKSS, VAS, Lysholm score, alignment, and ROM. A total of 65 patients with a mean age of 36.38 years were enrolled. There was a significant difference in AKSS (p=0.001), VAS score (p=0.011), and mechanical axis alignment (p=0.037) between the groups by pre-operative joint depression depth below and above 10 millimeters. The higher pre-operative or post- operative size of joint depression depth in patients with Schatzker type II tibial plateau fractures was associated with poor outcomes, more pain, and malalignment. A higher surface area of joint depression was associated with a lower clinical outcome score and more pain.

Calculation of the fuel composition and the deterministic reloading pattern in the second cycle of the BUSHEHR VVER-1000 reactor using the weighting factor method

To calculate the optimum reloading pattern in the second cycle of BUSHEHR VVER-1000 reactor, it was necessary to first calculate the burnup and fuel composition of each fuel assembly at the end of the first operational cycle so that the types of applicable fuel assemblies in the second cycle could be determined. Time-dependent calculations were performed using the WIMSD-5B and CITATION-LDI2 codes coupled with thermo-hydraulic computations during the first cycle. A weighting factor was defined for all 16 types of fuel assemblies in the second cycle based on their types and fuel compositions. In the process of calculating the deterministic reloading pattern, the number of probable arrangements was reduced from 7.55 × 1022 cases to just 1 856 cases by using a weighting-factor method and the structural constraints of the reactor core. The thermo-neutronic parameters of each of the 1 856 arrangements were then calculated by coupling the WIMSD-5B and CITATION-LDI2 codes with the thermo-hydraulic program. Afterwards, the processes of screening the probable arrangements and searching for the optimal reloading pattern were carried out based on the values of these parameters.

Realization of magnetic resonance current density imaging at 3 tesla

Magnetic Resonance Current Density Imaging (MRCDI) is an imaging modality, which reconstructs electrical current density distribution inside a material by using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) techniques. In this study, a current source with maximum current injection capability of 224.7mA, under 1kΩ resistive load is used. Experiments are performed with a 2D uniform phantom, in which a current steering insulator is inserted. Magnetic flux density distributions are measured, and current density images are reconstructed. The reconstructed images are in agreement with the reconstructions obtained with simulated measurements.

J-based Magnetic Resonance Conductivity Tensor Imaging (MRCTI) at 3 T

In this study, current density (J) - based Magnetic Resonance Conductivity Tensor Imaging (MRCTI) reconstruction algorithms namely, the Anisotropic Equipotential Projection (AEPP), the Anisotropic J-Substitution (AJS) and the Anisotropic Hybrid J-Substitution (AHJS) algorithms are implemented to reconstruct conductivity tensor images of a physical phantom using a 3T magnetic resonance imaging system. 10mA current pulses are injected in synchrony with a conventional spin-echo pulse sequence. Furthermore, a new J-based hybrid algorithm namely, the Anisotropic Hybrid Equipotential Projection (AHEPP) is proposed. In addition, reconstruction performances of the four algorithms are evaluated.

Effects of testosterone either alone or with IGF-I on growth of cells derived from the proliferation zone of regenerating antlers in vitro

Deer antlers are male secondary sexual characters and are the fastest growing mammalian tissue. As such, both androgens and growth factors play a major role in antler development. The timing of the antler cycle is controlled by the seasonal fluctuations of testosterone, and the actual growth of antlers is mainly stimulated by growth factors including insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-I). However, whether or not testosterone at low levels plays a growth-promoting role during antler formation is controversial. In the present study, we took an in vitro approach to investigate whether testosterone either alone or with IGF-I had mitogenic effects on mesenchymal or cartilaginous cells derived from the proliferation zone of regenerating antlers. In addition, a binding assay was carried out to determine whether the specific binding sites for testosterone were preserved after cell disaggregation. The results showed that testosterone either in physiological concentrations or at low levels did not exert direct mitogenic effects on antler cells derived from the proliferation zone in serum-free medium in vitro (P>0.05), even if the specific binding sites for testosterone in these cells were well preserved. Likewise, testosterone in a very wide range of concentrations not only failed to enhance (P>0.05), but at certain levels (0.1-5 nM) impaired the mitogenic effects of IGF-I on these antler cells in vitro (P<0.001). Therefore, these results support neither a conclusion that low level testosterone has growth-promoting effects on antler formation nor the hypothesis that testosterone effects may be achieved through sensitizing these antler cells to the mitogenic effects of IGF-I.

Expression of neurotrophin-3 in the growing velvet antler of the red deer Cervus elaphus

Antlers are organs of bone which regenerate each year from the heads of male deer. In addition to bone, support tissues such as nerves also regenerate. Nerves must grow at up to 1 cm/day. The control of this rapid growth of nerves is unknown. We examined the relative expression of neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) mRNA in the different tissues of the growing antler tip and along the epidermal/dermal layer of the antler shaft of the red deer Cervus elaphus, using semi-quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Expression in the tip was found to be highest in the epidermal/dermal layer and lowest in the cartilaginous layer in all developmental stages examined. These data correlate well with the density and pattern of innervation of these tissues. Along the epidermal/dermal layer of the antler shaft, expression was highest in the segments subjacent to the tip and lowest near the base, arguing for differences in the temporal expression of NT-3 in these segments. The expression of NT-3 in cells isolated from the different layers of 60-day antlers did not mirror that observed when whole tissues were used and may suggest regional specificity of NT-3 expression within antler tissues.

Effects of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and IGF-II on the growth of antler cells in vitro

The effects of insulin-like growth factors -I and -II (IGF-I and -II) on the growth of undifferentiated (fibroblast zone) cells from the growing tip of red deer velvet antlers and from cells 1.5 cm distal to the growing tip (cartilage zone) were investigated in primary cell culture. The addition of IGF-I or IGF-II to the medium of cultures preincubated in serum-free medium for 24 h increased the rate of [3H]thymidine uptake in a dose-dependent manner in both cell types, with maximal stimulation occurring when 1 nM-30 nM was added. The addition of IGF-II to the incubation medium containing IGF-I did not cause a further increase in [3H]thymidine uptake in either cell type over and above each growth factor alone, indicating that there were unlikely to be synergistic effects of IGF-II on the mitogenicity of IGF-I. Binding studies were carried out using 3 x 10(5) fibroblast zone cells and cartilage zone cells after they had been incubated in serum-free medium for 24 h. 125I-Labelled IGF-I (10(-9) M) in a final volume of 200 microliters was added to each culture and incubation carried out at 4 degrees C for a further hour. 125I-Labelled IGF-I bound specifically to both fibroblasts and cartilage zone cells; binding was displaced by both unlabelled IGF-I and by IGF-I antibody.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Isolation and sequencing of deer and sheep insulin-like growth factors-I and -II

We have developed a simple method for the isolation of highly purified cervine (c) and ovine (o) insulin-like growth factors-I (IGF-I) and -II. The IGFs were isolated from acidified serum by cation exchange chromatography and then purified by gel filtration, chromatofocusing, and reverse-phase chromatography. The IGF preparations are > 95% pure. The cIGF-I preparation contains < 0.056% cIGF-II and the oIGF-I preparation contains < 0.01% oIGF-II. Both the IGF-II preparations contain < 0.01% IGF-I. The amino acid sequence of cIGF-I has two differences when compared with human (h) IGF-I. The cIGF-II sequence, which is identical to bovine IGF-II, has three differences when compared with hIGF-II.

Phosphorylation of hormone sensitive phosphodiesterase in isolated adipocytes

Cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase in rat adipocytes is stimulated by insulin and also by agents that increase cyclic AMP levels. When the enzyme is immunoprecipitated from a solubilised microsomal preparation from adipocytes prelabelled with radioactive phosphate and separated on SDS polyacrylamide gels, label is found in a protein band at the expected Mr for adipose tissue phosphodiesterase. Treatment of the adipocytes with isoproterenol or methyl isobutylxanthine increased the labelling of this band. Insulin alone had no effect on its labelling but did decrease the incorporation of label caused by isoproterenol.