Search results for "testing"

84 Enhanced Characterization of the Thickness and Bone Mineral Density of the Radius and Tibia by Low-Frequency Guided-Wave Ultrasound

2009

Defective expression of CD95 (FAS/APO-1) molecule suggests apoptosis impairment of T and B cells in HLA-B8, DR3-positive individuals.

1997

Activation-induced apoptosis is one of the primary control mechanisms for the negative selection of an immune response, leading to maintenance of immune homeostasis and selective T cell deletion. The interaction between the surface molecule Fas and its ligand (FasL) has been proposed as a primary mechanism initiating T cell apoptosis. The T cell receptor modulates the expression and function of these molecules. Defects in the Fas/FasL apoptosis pathway have been shown to result in autoimmune disease in humans and in murine models. Because subjects carrying the HLA-B8, DR3 haplotype show a number of immune dysfunctions, including membrano-proliferative glomerulonephritis, systemic lupus eryt…

Data Compression Approach for Long-Term Monitoring of Pavement Structures

2019

Pavement structures are designed to withstand continuous damage during their design life. Damage starts as soon as the pavement is open to traffic and increases with time. If maintenance activities are not considered in the initial design or considered but not applied during the service life, damage will grow to a point where rehabilitation may be the only and most expensive option left. In order to monitor the evolution of damage and its severity in pavement structures, a novel data compression approach based on cumulative measurements from a piezoelectric sensor is presented in this paper. Specifically, the piezoelectric sensor uses a thin film of polyvinylidene fluoride to sense the ener…

Risk factors associated with adverse fetal outcomes in pregnancies affected by Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): a secondary analysis of the WAPM …

2020

Abstract Objectives To evaluate the strength of association between maternal and pregnancy characteristics and the risk of adverse perinatal outcomes in pregnancies with laboratory confirmed COVID-19. Methods Secondary analysis of a multinational, cohort study on all consecutive pregnant women with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 from February 1, 2020 to April 30, 2020 from 73 centers from 22 different countries. A confirmed case of COVID-19 was defined as a positive result on real-time reverse-transcriptase-polymerase-chain-reaction (RT-PCR) assay of nasal and pharyngeal swab specimens. The primary outcome was a composite adverse fetal outcome, defined as the presence of either abortion (pre…

Influence of different biomaterials on the viability of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans

2011

Abstract Objectives The aim of the present in vitro study was to evaluate the effects of different biomaterials used for regenerative periodontal surgery on the growth of the periodontopathogen Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans . Methods Three commercially available biomaterials of synthetic origin (hydroxyapatite/beta-tricalcium phosphate, nanostructured hydroxyapatite paste, oily calcium hydroxide suspension), a bovine-derived xenograft as well as an enamel matrix derivative (EMD) were added in different concentrations to calibrated suspensions of A. actinomycetemcomitans ATCC 43718/33384 (serotype b/c). Equal aliquots (0.1 ml) for the viability assay were taken after 5 min, 1 h, 3 h,…

An injectable bone substitute composed of beta-tricalcium phosphate granules, methylcellulose and hyaluronic acid inhibits connective tissue influx i…

2011

In this study, the in vivo tissue reaction to a new triphasic and injectable paste-like bone-substitute material composed of beta-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP), methylcellulose and hyaluronic acid was analyzed. Using a subcutaneous implantation model, the interaction of these materials and the peri-implant tissue reaction were tested in Wistar rats for up to 60 days by means of established histological methods, including histomorphometrical analysis. The study focused on tissue integration, classification of the cellular inflammatory response and the degradation of the material. Groups composed of animals injected only with β-TCP granules, sham-operated animals and animals injected with sali…

Crystallized nano-sized alpha-tricalcium phosphate from amorphous calcium phosphate: microstructure, cementation and cell response

2015

New insight on the conversion of amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) to nano-sized alpha tricalcium phosphate (α-TCP) provides a faster pathway to calcium phosphate bone cements. In this work, synthesized ACP powders were treated with either water or ethanol, dried, crystallized between 700 and 800 °C, and then cooled at different cooling rates. Particle size was measured in a scanning electron microscope, but crystallite size calculated by Rietveld analysis. Phase composition and bonding in the crystallized powder was assessed by x-ray diffraction and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. Results showed that 50 nm sized α-TCP formed after crystallization of lyophilized powders. Water trea…

Biocompatibility studies of endothelial cells on a novel calcium phosphate/SiO 2 -xerogel composite for bone tissue engineering

2008

The bone biomaterial BONITmatrix®, a nanoporous, granular scaffold composed of hydroxylapatite, calcium phosphate and SiO2, linked by a dense collagen mesh, was tested for its biocompatibility using endothelial cells (EC) in the form of macrovascular HUVEC, microvascular HDMEC and the endothelial cell line ISOHAS-1. Cells were examined for their adherence and growth on the biomaterial and this was followed by confocal laser scanning microscopy after vital staining or immunocytochemical reactions, as well as by scanning electron microscopy. Macro- and microvascular ECs predominantly spread on BONITmatrix®-collagen mesh-covered surfaces and fibres and maintained their typical morphology. As E…

In vitro evaluation of biomimetic chitosan-calcium phosphate scaffolds with potential application in bone tissue engineering.

2013

This work reports on the physicochemical properties and in vitro cytotoxicity assessment of chitosan–calcium phosphate (Cs–CP) scaffolds for bone tissue engineering, which were synthesized by a novel biomimetic co-precipitation method. X-ray diffraction (XRD) along with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis confirmed the porous morphology of the scaffolds and the amorphous nature of the inorganic phase with different crystallite sizes and the formation of various forms of calcium phosphate. Compressive mechanical testing revealed that the Young’s modulus of the biomaterials is in the range of human trabecular bone. In vitro tests were performed on the biomaterials for up to 14 days to…

Microstructure, mechanical characteristics and cell compatibility of β-tricalcium phosphate reinforced with biodegradable Fe–Mg metal phase

2015

The use of beta-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) ceramic as a bioresorbable bone substitute is limited to non-load-bearing sites by the material׳s brittleness and low bending strength. In the present work, new biocompatible β-TCP-based composites with improved mechanical properties were developed via reinforcing the ceramic matrix with 30 vol% of a biodegradable iron-magnesium metallic phase. β-TCP-15Fe15Mg and β-TCP-24Fe6Mg (vol%) composites were fabricated using a combination of high energy attrition milling, cold sintering/high pressure consolidation of powders at room temperature and annealing at 400 °C. The materials synthesized had a hierarchical nanocomposite structure with a nanocrystal…