Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was applied to elucidate the thermal behavior of fowl feather keratins (barbs, rachis, and calamus) with different morphological features. The DSC curves exhibited a clear and relatively large endothermic peak at about 110-160 degrees C in the wet condition. A considerable decrease in transition temperature with urea and its helical structure content esti...

The pig spine is widely used as a large animal model for preclinical research in human medicine to test new spinal implants and surgical procedures. Among them, pedicle screw is one of the most common method of fixation of those implants. However, the pedicle of the porcine vertebra is not as well defined and not as large as the pedicle of the human vertebra. Therefore, the position of the scre...

Technical description: Trophophore stalk 03 cm, 0-1.5 times length of trophophore rachis; blade dull to bright green to whitish green, linear to ovate oblong to oblong to fully triangular with pinnae arranged ternately, simple to 2(-3) pinnate, to 7 x 0.2 cm, fleshy to thin, papery or herbaceous. Pinnae or well-developed lobes to 7 pairs, spreading to ascending, approximate to widely separated,...

In vitro regeneration of shoots from leaf explants of the Paradise tree (Melia azedarach L.) was studied. Three different portions (proximal portion, distal portion and rachis of the leaflets) of three developmental stages (folded, young still expanding and completely expanded) of leaves of 10-15 year old plants of seven genotypes were cultured on Murashige and Skoog (1962) medium (MS) suppleme...

BACKGROUND The use of pedicle screws is the gold standard for supplemental posterior fixation in lateral interbody fusion. Information about the performance of transfacet pedicle screws compared to standard pedicle screws and rods in the upper lumbar spine with or without a lateral interbody fusion device in place is limited. METHODS Fifteen fresh frozen human cadaveric lumbar spine segments ...

The intralaminar screw construct has been recently introduced in C6-C7 fixation. The aim of the study is to compare the stability afforded by three different C7 posterior fixation techniques using a three-dimensional finite element model of a C6-C7 cervical spine motion segment. Finite element models representing three different cervical anchor types (C7 intralaminar screw, C7 lateral mass scre...

The earliest growth of post-metamorphic (postlarval) shells in two species of Eohadrotreta is described from the Cambrian Shuijingtuo Formation of South China. Two different growth patterns can be observed by quantifying developmental variations in size and shape of successive stages of post-metamorphic shell growth (including the pedicle foramen forming stage, pedicle foramen enclosing stage a...

INTRODUCTION: In a pedicle screw fixation, the degree of osseointegration between a screw and the bone is an essential factor for the stability and fusion. In patients with osteoporosis, however, there is a high possibility for a pedicle screw loosening. Owing to this, there is a difficulty in determining the surgical indications. Previous biomechanical studies have reported that a pedicle scre...

Introduction: Despite widespread use of pedicles in lumbar spine fixation, relatively little is known regarding variations in pedicle structure particularly in osteoporosis. It is valuable to understand this relationship because pedicles provide an important area for screw fixation and a point of complication when screws penetrate through weak pedicle walls into adjacent structures. Hirano et a...

A cortical bone graft on a muscle pedicle was taken from the ulna and transferred to bridge a complete defect of the radius in 16 dogs. In 14 control dogs a free graft was used, that is, one without a muscle pedicle. Union in the group with pedicle grafts was far superior to that in the group with free grafts, mainly because in those with pedicle grafts there was good subperiosteal new bone for...