FE-SEM images of the ZnO films constructed on glass substrate with a magnification of (a) ×800, (b) ×20000, (c) ×40000, (d) ×80000.

<p>FE-SEM images of the ZnO films constructed on glass substrate with a magnification of (a) ×800, (b) ×20000, (c) ×40000, (d) ×80000.</p

Different water droplet configurations.

<p>(a) Water droplet spread on the superhydrophilic ZnO film, and (b) a water bead standing on a Teflon-modified ZnO surface.</p

Droplet shapes on the prepared samples.

<p>Image (a) indicates the case before Teflon treatment and (b) indicates the case after Teflon treatment.</p

Expressions of <i>Alpl</i> mRNA and alkaline phosphatase (AP) activity in the early pregnant uterus.

<p>(A) The levels of <i>Alpl</i> mRNA were determined by qRT-PCR. Results were normalized to the housekeeping gene <i>Rpl7</i> and presented as the mean ± SD of three separate experiments, with different letters (a, b, c) indicating statistical difference (p < 0.05; one-way ANOVA and Tukey’s test). (B) Cell-type specific localization of <i>Alpl</i> mRNA was determined by <i>in situ</i> hybridization (n = 3). Inserts show higher magnification (200X) of <i>Alpl</i> mRNA accumulations. (C) AP activity patterns in the periimplantation uterus (n = 6). (D) Levamisole and L-phenylalanine were used as inhibitors of tissue-nonspecific AP (TNAP) and tissue-specific AP (TSAP), respectively. (E) TNAP activity localization in cells of the deciduum and deciduomata (n = 5). The embryo-induced decidua (deciduum) was collected on day 6 of pregnancy. The oil-induced decidua (deciduomata) was collected 48 h after intrauterine instillation of oil in day 4 pseudopregnant mouse. bl, blastocyst; em, embryo; ge, glandular epithelium; le, luminal epithelium; pdz, primary decidual zone; s, stroma; sdz, secondary decidual zone.</p

Primers used for gene cloning and qRT-PCR.

<p>Primers used for gene cloning and qRT-PCR.</p

Alkaline phosphatase attenuates LPS-induced early pregnancy defects.

<p>Mice treated with vehicle, MPLA, bIAP, LPS or bIAP + LPS were analyzed for: % of mice with embryo implantation sites (EISs; A); Number of EISs (B); Wet weight of individual EIS (C). Morphological appearance (D) and histological analysis (E) of day 8 uteri from mice treated with vehicle, MPLA, bIAP, LPS or bIAP plus LPS. Bovine IAP (bIAP; 150 units) was administered intravenously (tail vein) 5 min before LPS (100 μg) injection. Mice in bIAP and bIAP + LPS groups received an additional injection of bIAP (i.p., 5 units) on day 5 (1800 h) and days 6 and 7 (0900 h) of pregnancy. * Results are presented as mean ± SEM. p<0.05 (ANOVA followed by Tukey test).</p

Expression of <i>MyD88</i> and <i>Trif</i> mRNAs in the early pregnant uterus.

<p>Uterine horns or implantation sites were collected from gestational days 1 to 8. (A) The levels of <i>MyD88</i> and <i>Trif</i> mRNA were determined by qRT-PCR, normalized to the housekeeping gene <i>Rpl7</i> and presented as the mean ± SD of three separate experiments (*,^#p < 0.05; one-way ANOVA and Tukey’s test). Cell specific expression of <i>MyD88</i> (B) and <i>Trif</i> (C) mRNAs was determined by <i>in situ</i> hybridization. Dark-field photographs were representative of three experiments. No hybridization signals were observed in sections hybridized with sense probes. Inserts show higher magnification (200X) of <i>MyD88</i> or <i>Trif</i> mRNA accumulations. bl, blastocyst; em, embryo; ge, glandular epithelium; le, luminal epithelium; pdz, primary decidual zone; s, stroma; sdz, secondary decidual zone.</p

Effects of LPS on uterine <i>MyD88</i>, <i>Trif</i>, <i>Tnfα</i>, <i>Il6</i> and <i>Il1β</i> mRNA expressions.

<p>Relative expression of <i>MyD88</i> (*p < 0.05) and <i>Trif</i> (*p < 0.05) mRNAs in ovariectomized uteri (A) and day 5 EISs (C), respectively. Relative expression of <i>Tnfα</i> (*p < 0.05), <i>Il6</i> (^#p < 0.05) and <i>Il1β</i> (⁺p < 0.05) mRNA in ovariectomized uteri (B) and day 5 EISs (D), respectively. All uteri were collected 6 h after vehicle, LPS (100 μg) or MPLA (100 μg) injection. Data were normalized to <i>Rpl7</i> and expressed as mean ± SD (n = 4), and one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s test, was used for statistical analysis.</p

Accumulation of bIAP isozyme in the decidua following its systemic injection.

<p>Alkaline phosphatase (AP) histochemical staining in sections from the liver and embryo implantation site (EIS) from either vehicle or bIAP-treated day 7 pregnant mice. AP staining in the absence (left 4 panels) or presence (right 4 panels) of levamisole in the EIS (top, 40X) and liver (bottom, 100X) from the bIAP-treated mouse. pv = portal vein</p

Finite Element Study of the Mechanical Response in Spinal Cord during the Thoracolumbar Burst Fracture

<div><h3>Background</h3><p>The mechanical response of the spinal cord during burst fracture was seldom quantitatively addressed and only few studies look into the internal strain of the white and grey matters within the spinal cord during thoracolumbar burst fracture (TLBF). The aim of the study is to investigate the mechanical response of the spinal cord during TLBF and correlate the percent canal compromise (PCC) with the strain in the spinal cord.</p> <h3>Methodology/Principal Findings</h3><p>A three-dimensional (3D) finite element (FE) model of human T12-L1 spinal cord with visco-elastic property was generated based on the transverse sections images of spinal cord, and the model was validated against published literatures under static uniaxial tension and compression. With the validated model, a TLBF simulation was performed to compute the mechanical strain in the spinal cord with the PCC. Linear regressions between PCC and strain in the spinal cord show that at the initial stage, with the PCC at 20%, and 45%, the corresponding mechanical strains in ventral grey, dorsal grey, ventral white, dorsal white matters were 0.06, 0.04, 0.12, 0.06, and increased to 0.14, 0.12, 0.23, and 0.13, respectively. At the recoiled stage, when the PCC was decreased from 45% to 20%, the corresponding strains were reduced to 0.03, 0.02, 0.04 and 0.03. The strain was correlated well with PCC.</p> <h3>Conclusions/Significance</h3><p>The simulation shows that the strain in the spinal cord correlated well with the PCC, and the mechanical strains in the ventral regions are higher than those in the dorsal regions of spinal cord tissue during burst fracture, suggesting that the ventral regions of the spinal cord may susceptible to injury than the dorsal regions.</p> </div