INTRODUCTION Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) was first identified in the intervertebral disc (IVD) when its molecular upregulation was observed in sections of nucleus pulposus cultured under conditions of increased osmolarity. BDNF is now known to be involved in a number of biologic functions, including regulation of differentiation/survival of sensory neurons, regulation of nociceptiv...

Interpreting how far organisms within fossil assemblages may have been transported and if they all originated from the same location is fundamental to understanding whether they represent true palaeocommunities. In a three-factorial experimental design, we used an annular flume to generate actualistic sandy sediment-density flows that were fast (2 ms-1) and fully turbulent in order to test the ...

We present a case of tricuspid annulus calcification, documented by fluoroscopy, chest X-ray and cross sectional echocardiography. This case is interesting for two reasons: 1) Tricuspid annulus calcification is extremely rare and very few cases have been reported. 2) It is the third case described where two-dimensional echocardiography established the diagnosis of this very rare condition. Prev...

Mitral annulus calcification (MAC) is a chronic, degenerative process in the fibrous base of the mitral valve. Although MAC was initially thought to be an age-related degenerative process, there is accumulating evidence that other mechanisms, such as atherosclerosis and abnormal calcium-phosphorus metabolism, also contribute to the development of MAC. Despite its frequency, the clinical relevan...

We study Witten’s background independent open-string field theory in the presence of a constant B-field at one loop level. The Green’s function and the partition function with a constant B-field are evaluated for an annulus.

OBJECTIVES Mitral annuloplasty involves sewing a prosthetic ring to the mitral annulus. This involves a risk of damaging the surrounding structures in the left atrioventricular (AV) groove, particularly the left circumflex artery, which may be inadvertently sutured, causing an arterial occlusion. We have used cardiac computed tomography (CT) scans to study the three-dimensional relationship bet...

The inter-lamellar connectivity of the annulus fibrosus in the intervertebral disc has been shown to affect the prediction of the overall disc behaviour in computational models. Using a combined experimental and computational approach, the inter-lamellar mechanical behaviour of the disc annulus was investigated under conditions of radial loading. Twenty-seven specimens of anterior annulus fibro...

The annulus fibrosus of the intervertebral disc is a complex, radial-ply connective tissue consisting of concentric lamellae of oriented collagen. Whilst much is known of the structure of the mature annulus, less is known of how its complex collagenous architecture becomes established; an understanding of which could inform future repair/regenerative strategies. Here, using a rat disc developme...

The hypothesis that the observed fluid annulus outside the wall of some capillaries is the reservoir of plasma responsible for ratios of organ hematocrit to large vessel hematocrit less than 1 is examined hydrodynamically. The extent to which the hematocrits can be reconciled on the basis of flow through a single capillary is examined. Results show that ratios between 0.5 and 1.0 can be account...

STUDY DESIGN Mechanically induced annular disruption of lumbar intervertebral discs followed by microstructural investigation. OBJECTIVE To investigate the role that elevated nuclear pressures play in disrupting the lumbar intervertebral disc's annulus fibrosus. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA Compound mechanical loadings have been used to recreate clinically relevant annular disruptions in vitr...