Tensile Strength of the Achilles Tendon Allograft: A Comparative Study of Graft Preparation Technique.

: The Achilles tendon is a popular allograft option for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. Structurally, the tendon is known to have a 90-degree rotational fiber track. Preparation techniques, with this consideration, may influence the strength of the graft.

Predicting the Long-Term Stability of Biologics with Short-Term Data.

Understanding the long-term stability of biologics is crucial to ensure safe, effective, and cost-efficient life-saving therapeutics. Current industry and regulatory practices require arduous real-time data collection over three years; thus, reducing this bottleneck while still ensuring product quality would enhance the speed of medicine to patients. We developed a parallel-pathway kinetic model, combined with Monte Carlo simulations for prediction intervals, to predict the long-term (2+ years) stability of biotherapeutic critical quality attributes (aggregates, fragments, charge variants, purity, and potency) with short-term (3-6 months) data from intended, accelerated, and stressed temperatures.

Fracture resistance and failure pattern of endodontically treated maxillary premolars restored with transfixed glass fiber post: an and finite element analysis.

The aims of the study were to determine the effect of different types of endodontic sealers and the presence of a horizontal glass fiber post (HGFP) on the fracture resistance and fracture pattern of mesio-occluso-distal (MOD) restored upper premolars and to analyze the stress distribution. Sixty extracted upper premolars received root canal treatment (RCT) and a MOD cavity preparation. All MOD cavities were restored with the same composite resin (CR).

The effect of acclimation temperature and optimal temperature gradient for egg and larvae of silver moony (Monodactylus argenteus) during the early ontogenesis.

The early life history of a fish species is regulated by temperature, the most critical environmental cue. Thus, identifying the gradient of temperature that optimises the early development of a species is a prerequisite for standardising hatchery technology. Silver moony, Monodactylus argenteus is a tropical brackishwater ornamental fish that holds scope for the Indian and Global ornamental fish industry.

Seasonal changes in the milt quality of spotted scat, Scatophagus argus: Implications for artificial propagation.

The current study investigated the correlation among sperm production (milt volume, spermatocrit and sperm count), sperm motility characters and biochemical composition of seminal plasma during different seasons to estimate the quality of semen in the Spotted scat (Scatophagus argus). The sperm of 120 males were collected over a period of 2 years seasonally viz., summer, pre-monsoon, monsoon and post-monsoon.

Gonadal recrudescence and annual reproductive hormone pattern of captive female Spotted Scats (Scatophagus argus).

The Spotted Scat (Scatophagus argus), an important euryhaline fish inhabiting mangrove and coastal regions of Indo-Pacific waters, is both an ornamental and food fish in India. Detailed insight into maturation of Spotted Scat when maintained in aquaculture systems, therefore, needs to be elucidated. Lack of information on annual maturation dynamics of female scat collected from their natural habitat and reared in earthen ponds is the basis of this study.

Resistance of pearlspot larvae, Etroplus suratensis, to redspotted grouper nervous necrosis virus by immersion challenge.

Viral nervous necrosis (VNN) affects more than 120 species mostly belonging to the order Perciformes. However, none of the brackishwater species belonging to the family Cichlidae under the order Perciformes are reported to be susceptible. Hence, the present experiment was undertaken to study the susceptibility of the brackishwater cichlid, pearlspot, Etroplus suratensis to NNV.

Determination of Elastic Modulus in Mouse Bones Using a Nondestructive Micro-Indentation Technique Using Reference Point Indentation.

The determination of the elastic modulus of bone is important in studying the response of bone to loading and is determined using a destructive three-point bending method. Reference point indentation (RPI), with one cycle of indentation, offers a nondestructive alternative to determine the elastic modulus. While the elastic modulus could be determined using a nondestructive procedure for ex vivo experiments, for in vivo testing, the three-point bending technique may not be practical and hence RPI is viewed as a potential alternative and explored in this study.

Oral cancer radiotherapy affects enamel microhardness and associated indentation pattern morphology.

Objectives: The aim of this study is to determine the effects of in vitro and in vivo high-dose radiotherapy on microhardness and associated indentation pattern morphology of enamel.

Materials And Methods: The inner, middle, and outer microhardness of enamel was evaluated using three experimental groups: control (non-radiated); in vitro irradiated; in vivo irradiated. In vitro specimens were exposed to simulated radiotherapy, and in vivo specimens were extracted teeth from oral cancer patients previously treated with radiotherapy.

Stress analysis of irradiated human tooth enamel using finite element methods.

The objectives of this project were to use finite element methods to determine how changes in the elastic modulus due to oral cancer therapeutic radiation alter the distribution of mechanical stresses in teeth and to determine if observed failures in irradiated teeth correlate with changes in mechanical stresses. A thin slice section finite element (FE) model was constructed from micro CT sections of a molar tooth using MIMICS and 3-Matic software. This model divides the tooth into three enamel regions, the dentin-enamel junction (DEJ) and dentin.

The interrelationship of microstructure and hardness of human coronal dentin using reference point indentation technique and micro-Raman spectroscopy.

Objectives: The aim of this paper is to determine the interrelationship between the microstructure - in terms of chemical composition and crystallinity - to the microhardness of coronal dentin.

Methods: Dentin microhardness was tested by a novel reference point indenter and compared to the traditional Knoop hardness method. Micro-Raman spectroscopy was used to determine the chemical composition and crystallinity of dentin.

Anaplastic Pleomorphic Xanthoastrocytoma in a Case of Neurofibromatosis Type 1: A Case Report.

Pleomorphic Xanthoastrocytoma (PXA) is a rare brain tumour comprising only <1% of primary brain tumours which is seen in children and young adults. Only 9-20% of the PXA shows anaplastic features and this has a bad prognosis. PXA is a WHO grade II tumour while anaplastic PXA is a WHO grade III tumour.

Role of biomechanical forces in hyperfiltration-mediated glomerular injury in congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract.

Congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT) including solitary kidney constitute the main cause of progressive chronic kidney disease (CKD) in children. Children born with CAKUT develop signs of CKD only during adolescence and do not respond to renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system blockers. Early cellular changes underlying CKD progression to end-stage renal disease by early adulthood are not well understood.

Comparison of strain measurement in the mouse forearm using subject-specific finite element models, strain gaging, and digital image correlation.

Mechanical loading in bone leads to the activation of bone-forming pathways that are most likely associated with a minimum strain threshold being experienced by the osteocyte. To investigate the correlation between cellular response and mechanical stimuli, researchers must develop accurate ways to measure/compute strain both externally on the bone surface and internally at the osteocyte level. This study investigates the use of finite element (FE) models to compute bone surface strains on the mouse forearm.

A comparison of biophysical characterization techniques in predicting monoclonal antibody stability.

With the rapid growth of biopharmaceutical product development, knowledge of therapeutic protein stability has become increasingly important. We evaluated assays that measure solution-mediated interactions and key molecular characteristics of 9 formulated monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapeutics, to predict their stability behavior. Colloidal interactions, self-association propensity and conformational stability were measured using effective surface charge via zeta potential, diffusion interaction parameter (kD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), respectively.

Non-contact strain measurement in the mouse forearm loading model using digital image correlation (DIC).

This study investigates the use of a non-contact method known as digital image correlation (DIC) to measure strains in the mouse forearm during axial compressive loading. A two camera system was adapted to analyze the medial and lateral forearm displacements simultaneously, and the derived DIC strain measurements were compared to strain gage readings from both the ulna and radius. Factors such as region-of-interest (ROI) location, lens magnification, noise, and out-of-plane motion were examined to determine their influence on the DIC strain measurements.

Biomechanical Comparison of 2 Methods of Intramedullary K-Wire Fixation of Transverse Metacarpal Shaft Fractures.

Purpose: To determine the relative importance of intramedullary wire (IMW) diameter and IMW number in conferring stability to a metacarpal fracture fixation construct. Our research hypothesis was that the stiffness of IMW fixation for metacarpal shaft fractures using a single 1.6-mm-diameter (0.

In vivo mechanical loading rapidly activates β-catenin signaling in osteocytes through a prostaglandin mediated mechanism.

The response of the skeleton to loading appears to be mediated through the activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and osteocytes have long been postulated to be the primary mechanosensory cells in bone. To examine the kinetics of the mechanoresponse of bone and cell types involved in vivo, we performed forearm loading of 17-week-old female TOPGAL mice. β-catenin signaling was observed only in embedded osteocytes, not osteoblasts, at 1h post-loading, spreading to additional osteocytes and finally to cells on the bone surface by 24h.

Experimental and finite element analysis of dynamic loading of the mouse forearm.

Bone formation is reported to initiate in osteocytes by mechanotransduction due to dynamic loading of bone. The first step towards this is to characterize the dynamic strain fields in the overall bone. Here, the previously developed mouse forearm ulna-radius model, subjected to static loading, has been further enhanced by incorporating a loading cap and applying a cyclic dynamic load to more closely approximate experimental biological conditions.

Nanoparticle toxicity assessment using an in vitro 3-D kidney organoid culture model.

Nanocarriers and nanoparticles remain an intense pharmaceutical and medical imaging technology interest. Their entry into clinical use is hampered by the lack of reliable in vitro models that accurately predict in vivo toxicity. This study evaluates a 3-D kidney organoid proximal tubule culture to assess in vitro toxicity of the hydroxylated generation-5 PAMAM dendrimer (G5-OH) compared to previously published preclinical in vivo rodent nephrotoxicity data.

A preliminary three-dimensional finite element analysis of mandibular implant overdentures.

A treatment protocol that may lead to reduced mandibular posterior residual ridge resorption in patients with overdentures retained and supported by two interforaminal implants was investigated. The treatment included the addition of short implants in the posterior edentulous mandible for the presumed purpose of favorable provision of mechanical load stimulus to alveolar bone. Three-dimensional finite element analysis was used to model cited effective strains that may stimulate bone remodeling in two selected models.

Poly(amido amine) dendrimers as absorption enhancers for oral delivery of camptothecin.

Oral delivery of camptothecin has a treatment advantage but is limited by low bioavailability and gastrointestinal toxicity. Poly(amido amine) or PAMAM dendrimers have shown promise as intestinal penetration enhancers, drug solubilizers and drug carriers for oral delivery in vitro and in situ. There have been very limited studies in vivo to evaluate PAMAM dendrimers for oral drug delivery.

Transcriptional responses of human aortic endothelial cells to nanoconstructs used in biomedical applications.

Understanding the potential toxicities of manufactured nanoconstructs used for drug delivery and biomedical applications may help improve their safety. We sought to determine if surface-modified silica nanoparticles and poly(amido amine) dendrimers elicit genotoxic responses on vascular endothelial cells. The nanoconstructs utilized in this study had a distinct geometry (spheres vs worms) and surface charge, which were used to evaluate the contributions of these parameters to any potential adverse effects of these materials.

Charge affects the oral toxicity of poly(amidoamine) dendrimers.

Poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers have been evaluated for the influence of surface functionality and size on the epithelial barrier of the gut with the goal of identifying safe carriers that can be used for oral drug delivery. Limited studies are conducted to date, however, to assess the toxicity of PAMAM dendrimers in vivo when administered by the oral route. The goal of this research was to conduct an oral acute toxicity study of PAMAM dendrimers as a function of size and charge in immune competent CD-1 mice.