Propagation of a Fatigue Crack Through a Hole.

The stop-hole technique is a well-known strategy to extend the fatigue life of cracked components. The ability to estimate fatigue life after the hole is important for safety reasons. The objective here is to develop strategies for the accurate prediction of initiation and propagation life ahead of the stop-hole.

Evaluation of the interface of metallic-coated biodegradable polymeric stents with prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.

Polymeric coronary stents, like the ABSORB™, are commonly used to treat atherosclerosis due to their bioresorbable and cell-compatible polymer structure. However, they face challenges such as high strut thickness, high elastic recoil, and lack of radiopacity. This study aims to address these limitations by modifying degradable stents produced by additive manufacturing with poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) with degradable metallic coatings, specifically zinc (Zn) and magnesium (Mg), deposited via radiofrequency (rf) magnetron sputtering.

Evaluation of yeast-based additives on rumen fermentation in high- and low-concentrate diets using a dual-flow continuous culture system.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of using 3 yeast-based additives as an alternative to sodium monensin on rumen fermentation parameters using a dual-flow continuous fermentation system. Ten fermenters (1,223 ± 21 mL) were used in 2 simultaneous 5 × 5 Latin squares arrangement with 3 periods of 10 d each, with 7 d for diet adaptation and 3 d for sample collections. Each Latin square assigning either a low or high level of concentrate to beef cattle diets, with 5 specified treatments: Control: no additives; Blend 1: yeast culture (), beta-glucans, fructooligosaccharides, galactooligosaccharides, and mannanoligosaccharides [1,600 mg/kg dry matter (DM)]; Blend 2: Beta-glucan and mannanoligosaccharide fractions from (1,600 mg/kg DM); Yeast Cells: hydrolyzed, inactivated, and spray-dried yeast cells (; 2,133 mg/kg DM); monensin (25 mg/kg DM).

What Is New and Effective in Treating Refractory Trigeminal Neuralgia?

Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is a severe facial pain disorder characterized by brief, electric shock-like pain triggered by innocuous stimuli, commonly affecting middle-aged women. TN can be classified as classic, secondary, or idiopathic, with the secondary form linked to multiple sclerosis (MS). Treatment typically begins with carbamazepine or oxcarbazepine, but surgical and alternative treatments, including botulinum toxin type A (BoNT-A), may be considered for refractory cases.