Analysis of Reinforced Concrete and Composite Columns With and Without Steel Fibers

Analysis of eccentrically loaded plain and steel fiber high strength reinforced concrete and concrete-encased composite columns is presented. In the analysis procedure, the experimental nonlinear stress−strain relations are used for plain and steel fiber concrete material. The concrete compression zone of the section is divided into segmental subdivisions parallel to the neutral axis. The compression stress resultants of the concrete material and structural steel have been calculated in the centre of each segment. In the presented study, a computer program has been developed based on the proposed procedure for the prediction of ultimate strength analysis of eccentrically loaded steel fiber high strength reinforced concrete and composite columns. The main parameters of this study are the concrete compressive strength, load eccentricity, steel yield stress, slenderness effect and steel fiber content. The results show that adding steel fibers into high strength concrete significantly improves the ductility and deformability of reinforced concrete and composite columns under biaxial bending and axial load

Evaluating clinical and laboratory effects of ozone in non-surgical periodontal treatment: a randomized controlled trial

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the clinical and biochemical (oxidative stress and pro-inflammatory mediators) effects of the gaseous ozone use accompanied by scaling and root planning (SRP) in periodontal treatment. Material and Methods: The study population consisted of 40 patients with chronic periodontitis (CP) randomly sorted into two groups of 20. The experimental group received SRP plus 3 watts gaseous ozone in two separate applications five days apart, whereas the control group received SRP plus placebo. Clinical periodontal parameters were assayed and saliva samples were taken before the initial and one month after the second treatment. Periodontal examination assessed plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI), probing depth, and clinical attachment level (CAL). Total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS), nitric oxide (NO), 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), myeloperoxidase (MPO), glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA), and transforming growth factorbeta (TGF-β) levels were evaluated from saliva samples. Results: Changes following treatment in PI, GI, probing depth, and CAL scores were similar for both groups (p>0.05). Of note, TGF-β levels were observed to be higher in the treatment group than in controls (p<0.05). Changes in 8-OHdG, TAS, TOS, NO, MPO, GSH and MDA levels, however, were not significantly different between groups (p>0.05). Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate that SRP plus gaseous ozone versus SRP alone does not correlate to a significant improvement in periodontal recovery

Ocena zależności między ciśnieniem centralnym w aorcie a zesztywniającym zapaleniem stawów kręgosłupa

Introduction. Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease with an unknown etiology that belongs to the group of spondyloarthropathies. Patients with AS have an increased cardiovascular mortality but the reason is controversial. Central aortic pressure (CAP) is defined as the blood pressure in the aortic root and can be measured non-invasively via arteriography. Inflammation in the aortic root, which also causes aortic regurgitation in late sta ges of AS, possibly causes increased levels of central aortic pressure and this may explain the increased mortality rates from cardiovascular events in patients with AS. We investigated the CAP levels in patients with AS compared to healthy age- and sex-matched control group in this novel study. Material and methods. This is an observational case-control study composed of 30 patients with ankylosing spondylitis without conventional cardiovascular risk factors (such as known diabetes, hypertension, and smoking) or heart failure, peripheral or coronary artery disease. The peripheral blood pressures and CAP measurements were obtained with ‘arteriograph’ (TensioMed, Budapest, Hungary).Pulse wave velocity (PWV), peripheral and central augmentation index (pAIx and cAIx) and systolic central aortic pressure (sCAP) of both the AS and control group were compared. Results. There was no statistically significant difference between the groups for pAIx, cAIx, PWV or PP. Patient with AS had higher sCAP values but there wasn’t any statistically significant difference for sCAP. Conclusion. Our objective was to investigate the relationship between the AS and sCAP. There was an increase in sCAP in AS group compared to controls. But this was not statistically significant. This result can be due to the small population size and should be verified in larger population.Wstęp. Zesztywniające zapalenie stawów kręgosłupa (AS) to przewlekła choroba zapalna o nieznanej etiologii należąca do spondyloartropatii. U chorych z AS obserwuje się zwiększoną śmiertelność sercowo-naczyniową, jednak przyczyny tego zjawiska nie są znane. Ciśnienie centralne w aorcie (CAP) jest definiowane jako ciśnienie krwi w korzeniu aorty. Możliwy jest nieinwazyjny pomiar CAP metodą arteriografii. Zapalenie w obrębie korzenia aorty, będące również przyczyną niedomykalności w późnym stadium AS, może powodować wzrost ciśnienia centralnego w aorcie, co może tłumaczyć zwiększoną śmiertelność z powodu zdarzeń sercowo-naczyniowych w grupie chorych z AS. Autorzy zbadali wartości CAP u chorych z AS w porównaniu z wartościami uzyskanymi w grupie kontrolnej złożonej ze zdrowych osób dobranych pod względem wieku i płci. Materiał i metody. Tym obserwacyjnym badaniem kliniczno-kontrolnym objęto 30 chorych z AS, u których nie występowały tradycyjne czynniki ryzyka sercowo-naczyniowego (rozpoznana cukrzyca, nadciśnienie tętnicze, palenie tytoniu), niewydolność serca, choroba tętnic obwodowych ani choroba wieńcowa. Wartości obwodowego ciśnienia tętniczego i pomiary CAP uzyskano metodą arteriografii (TensioMed, Budapeszt, Węgry). Porównano wartości następujących parametrów w grupie AS i grupie kontrolnej: szybkość fali tętna (PWV), wskaźnik wzmocnienia ciśnienia obwodowego i centralnego (pAIx, cAIx) i skurczowe ciśnienie centralne w aorcie (sCAP). Wyniki. Nie stwierdzono statystycznie istotnych różnic między grupami pod względem wartości pAIx, cAIx, PWV ani PP. U chorych z AS zaobserwowano wyższe wartości sCAP, jednak różnice nie osiągnęły poziomu istotności statystycznej. Wnioski. Badanie przeprowadzono w celu zbadania zależności między AS a sCAP. W grupie chorych na AS wartości sCAP były wyższe niż w grupie kontrolnej. Jednak różnice nie były istotne statystycznie. Wyniki te mogą być spowodowane niewielką liczebnością badanej populacji i powinny zostać zweryfikowane w badaniu z większą liczbą uczestników

Exophytic Giant Cell Glioblastoma in a Patient with Neurofibromatosis Type 1: Case Report

Giant cell glioblastoma multiforme (GCGBM) is an uncommon subtype within the spectrum of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) tumors. Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) has an increased risk of developing neoplasms that generally are of a benign nature. We report a rare case of an exophytic GCGBM in a 43-year-old woman with NF1. The tumor located in the right frontal region was removed totally and the patient underwent radiotherapy with 60 Gy and chemotherapy with temozolomide

Evaluation of the effect of local Bovine Amniotic Fluid on Osseointegration of Titanium Implants: A Histologic and Histomorphometric Study

The aim of this study was to histologically and histomorphometrically investigate the effect of locally applied bovine amniotic fluid (BAF) on osseointegration levels in implants. Adult female Sprague–Dawley rats weighing 300–350 g were used as subjects. The rats were divided into two groups: the sham–operated control group (n=10) and the local BAF group (n=10). Implant cavities were created in the tibias of all subjects under sterile saline cooling with rotating instruments. Local BAF was applied to all implant sockets before the implants were placed. Rats were sacrificed after a four–week osseointegration period. Histological staining was performed using hematoxylin and eosin staining to analyze the osseointegration. Examinations of the bone implant connection (BIC) and peri–implant bone formation (PBF) were performed using a light microscope and an image analyzer. As a result of the analysis, the mean BIC value was 40.3 ± 4.9 for the sham–operated control group and 45.2 ± 7.7 for the local BAF group. The mean PBF was 39.9 ± 6.3 for the sham control group and 40.5 ± 5.7 for the local BAF group. A statistically significant difference was found between the sham control group and the local BAF group for the BIC and PBF values (P>0.05; P: 0.11; P: 0.83). The application of local BAF to the implant socket did not have a clear positive effect on implant osseointegration. More studies are needed to clarify the association between local BAF and osseointegration

The histopathological evaluation of effects of application of the bovine amniotic fluid with graft on peri-implant bone regeneration

This study aimed to determine the effects of bovine amniotic fluid combined with bone graft in treating peri-implant bone defects with guided bone regeneration. Twenty female Sprague–Dawley rats were divided into two groups. Bone sockets with a diameter of 4 mm in the coronal part and a diameter of 2.5 mm in the apical part of the implant were created into the corticocancellous bone in the metaphyseal parts of the right tibia bones of all subjects. Implants with a length of 4 mm and a diameter of 2.5 mm were placed in the bone sockets. In the sham surgery group (n = 10) was the circumferential bone defect equivalent to half of the 4-mm implant length, which occurred between the implant and the bone, filled with bovine xenograft. Bovine xenografts were filled with amniotic fluid mixture in the experimental group (n = 10). After 8 weeks of recovery, all rats were sacrificed. The implants were extracted from the soft tissues and the surrounding bone. Subsequently, the bones were decalcified and prepared for histological analysis. The percentage of newly regenerated bone (NRB) formation and fibrosis in the bone defect area around the implant was calculated from all sections. NRB was found in 37.4±4.4% of controls and 41.4±2.63% of test animals (P<0.05 and P=0.024, respectively). Fibrosis formation was found at a rate of 38.6±5.06% in the control group and 33.2±5.38% in the test group (P<0.05 and P=0.033, respectively). It was considered that combining bovine amniotic fluid with bone transplant could be a useful way of treating bone abnormalities

Genome of Wild Olive and the Evolution of Oil Biosynthesis

Here we present the genome sequence and annotation of the wild olive tree (Olea europaea var. sylvestris), called oleaster, which is considered an ancestor of cultivated olive trees. More than 50,000 protein-coding genes were predicted, a majority of which could be anchored to 23 pseudochromosomes obtained through a newly constructed genetic map. The oleaster genome contains signatures of two Oleaceae lineage-specific paleopolyploidy events, dated at similar to 28 and similar to 59 Mya. These events contributed to the expansion and neo-functionalization of genes and gene families that play important roles in oil biosynthesis. The functional divergence of oil biosynthesis pathway genes, such as FAD2, SACPD, EAR, and ACPTE, following duplication, has been responsible for the differential accumulation of oleic and linoleic acids produced in olive compared with sesame, a closely related oil crop. Duplicated oleaster FAD2 genes are regulated by an siRNA derived from a transposable element-rich region, leading to suppressed levels of FAD2 gene expression. Additionally, neofunctionalization of members of the SACPD gene family has led to increased expression of SACPD2,3, 5, and 7, consequently resulting in an increased desaturation of steric acid. Taken together, decreased FAD2 expression and increased SACPD expression likely explain the accumulation of exceptionally high levels of oleic acid in olive. The oleaster genome thus provides important insights into the evolution of oil biosynthesis and will be a valuable resource for oil crop genomics

Load-Deflection Curves of Reinforced Concrete Columns Subjected to Biaxial Bending and Axial Load

WOS: 000276283900003In the presented study, a theoretical method is proposed for the determination of the load deflection curves of reinforced concrete columns subjected to biaxial bending and axial load. The proposed method can be applicable to the polygonal sections consisted of various reinforcing steel configurations. In the proposed procedure the nonlinear behaviour of the materials are considered. Therefore, the concrete compression zone is divided into segments for the computation of concrete stresses. The proposed procedure has been compared with the results of square and L-shaped reinforced concrete columns tested under biaxial bending and axial load. The theoretical load deflection curves computed using test parameters of concrete compression strength, yield strength of steel, cross section properties and eccentricities of column specimens have been compared with the experimental curves and the results are found to be in good agreement

Investigation of the behavior of carbon fiber reinforced polymer confined standard cylinder concrete specimens under axial load

WOS: 000443171200006The use of fiber reinforced polymer composites for strengthening in concrete structures has become quite prevalent in recent years. Especially, to provide ductile behavior from the structural elements that produced by using the high strength concrete under the load effects, the externally wrapping of these elements with using the fiber reinforced polymer materials comes into prominence as an alternative method for strengthening. These materials with high tensile strength can often be preferred due to their lightweight and easy to apply. In this study, cylinder-shaped concrete specimens with compressive strengths range between 53.13 similar to 74.87 MPa, are wrapped one or two layer with using bi-directional carbon fiber reinforced fabric (CFRP). These wrapped specimens were tested under the axial comprehensive loads and the effects of the CFRP wrapping on concrete strength and ductility was investigated. In addition, stress-strain relations obtained from the tested specimens were compared with the results of existing models for strengthened cylindrical specimen with CFRP in literature. As a result a significant increase was obtained in the compressive strength and deformation capacity of CFRP wrapped specimens. Especially, it was observed that the stress-strain values obtained from the two layers CFRP wrapped specimens show good agreement with the values obtained from the models