Understanding how axial loads on the spine influence segmental biomechanics for idiopathic scoliosis patients: A magnetic resonance imaging study

Background Segmental biomechanics of the scoliotic spine are important since the overall spinal deformity is comprised of the cumulative coronal and axial rotations of individual joints. This study investigates the coronal plane segmental biomechanics for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients in response to physiologically relevant axial compression. Methods Individual spinal joint compliance in the coronal plane was measured for a series of 15 idiopathic scoliosis patients using axially loaded magnetic resonance imaging. Each patient was first imaged in the supine position with no axial load, and then again following application of an axial compressive load. Coronal plane disc wedge angles in the unloaded and loaded configurations were measured. Joint moments exerted by the axial compressive load were used to derive estimates of individual joint compliance. Findings The mean standing major Cobb angle for this patient series was 46°. Mean intra-observer measurement error for endplate inclination was 1.6°. Following loading, initially highly wedged discs demonstrated a smaller change in wedge angle, than less wedged discs for certain spinal levels (+ 2,+1,− 2 relative to the apex, (p < 0.05)). Highly wedged discs were observed near the apex of the curve, which corresponded to lower joint compliance in the apical region. Interpretation While individual patients exhibit substantial variability in disc wedge angles and joint compliance, overall there is a pattern of increased disc wedging near the curve apex, and reduced joint compliance in this region. Approaches such as this can provide valuable biomechanical data on in vivo spinal biomechanics of the scoliotic spine, for analysis of deformity progression and surgical planning.

Proton magnetic resonance study of molecular dynamics in (NH4)2CdI4

Proton magnetic resonance and spin-lattice relaxation studies have been carried out on (NH4)2CdI4 as a function of temperature (77–400 K) and Larmor frequency (10, 20 and 30 MHz). The T1 data indicate isotropic tumbling of ammonium ions at equivalent sites till 160 K. There is an indication of a phase transition at 265 K, the activation energy for molecular reorientation increases from 2.8 kcal/mole to 4.6 kcal/mole. The relaxation results and the linewidth data support the presence of two inequivalent sites at low temperatures, one having an environment corresponding to near-rigid-lattice limit and the other undergoing fast reorientations. The behaviour of the free induction decay with temperature below 120 K suggests a coherent motion for the faster species.

Chlorine-35 Nuclear Quadrupole Resonance Studies in 2,3- and 3,5-Dichloroanisoles

The temperature variation of the 3’Cl n.q.r. frequencies in 3,5- and 2,3- dichloroanisoles has been reported here. Both compounds show two lines each, and these have been assigned to the two chlorines in the same molecule with the help of the additive model for the substituent effect. The temperature dependence has been analysed in terms of Bayer-Kushida-Brown model.The torsional frequencies and their temperature dependence have been calculated numerically under a two-mode approximation. 0.n comparing the results in 3,5-dichloroanisole with those in 3,5-dichlorophenol it can be seen that they show similar behaviour owing to the absence of hydrogen bonding in both.

Mordenite-incorporated PVA-PSSA membranes as electrolytes for DMFCs

Composite membranes with mordenite (MOR) incorporated in poly vinyl alcohol (PVA)–polystyrene sulfonic acid (PSSA) blend tailored with varying degree of sulfonation are reported. Such a membrane comprises a dispersed phase of mordenite and a continuous phase of the polymer that help tuning the flow of methanol and water across it. The membranes on prolonged testing in a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) exhibit mitigated methanol cross-over from anode to the cathode. The membranes have been tested for their sorption behaviour, ion-exchange capacity, electrochemical selectivity and mechanical strength as also characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. Water release kinetics has been measured by magnetic resonance imaging (NMR imaging) and is found to be in agreement with the sorption data. Similarly, methanol release kinetics studied by volume-localized NMR spectroscopy (point resolved spectroscopy, PRESS) clearly demonstrates that the dispersion of mordenite in PVA–PSSA retards the methanol release kinetics considerably. A peak power-density of 74 mW/cm2 is achieved for the DMFC using a PVA–PSSA membrane electrolyte with 50% degree of sulfonation and 10 wt.% dispersed mordenite phase. A methanol cross-over current as low as 7.5 mA/cm2 with 2 M methanol feed at the DMFC anode is observed while using the optimized composite membrane as electrolyte in the DMFC, which is about 60% and 46% lower than Nafion-117 and PVA–PSSA membranes, respectively, when tested under identical conditions.

Pressure dependence of 35Cl nuclear quadrupole resonance in 2,5-, 2,6- and 3,5-dichlorophenols

Pressure dependence of the 35Cl Nuclear Quadrupole Resonances (N.Q.R.) in 2,5-, 2,6- and 3,5-dichlorophenols (DCP) has been studied up to a pressure of about 6·5 kbar at room temperature. While the pressure dependence of the two resonance lines in 2,6-DCP is essentially similar, the lower frequency line in 2,5-DCP is almost pressure independent and the higher frequency line shows a linear variation with pressure upto about 3·5 kbar but shows a negative pressure coefficient beyond this pressure. The two lines in 3,5-DCP have a non-linear pressure dependence with the curvature changing smoothly with pressure. The pressure coefficient for both lines becomes negative beyond a pressure of 5 kbar. The pressure dependence of the N.Q.R. frequencies is discussed in relation to intra- and inter-molecular contacts. Also, a thermodynamic analysis of the data is carried out to determine the constant volume temperature derivative of the N.Q.R. frequency.

Zeeman effect of nuclear quadrupole resonance in 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene

The Zeeman effect of NQR was studied in 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene. A low value of the asymmetry parameter (0.10) was obtained. Four physically inequivalent field gradients were located and their orientations in the crystallographic abc system were determined using symmetry considerations. From these data the orientations of the molecules in the unit cell were determined. The results agree well with the two-dimensional x-ray structural data. The bond characters of the C[Single Bond]Cl bond were calculated, and the values compare well with those generally obtained for C[Single Bond]Cl bonds in chlorine derivatives of benzene. ©1973 The American Institute of Physics.

Tailoring polyolefin properties by metallocene catalysis

This doctoral thesis deals with the syntheses of olefin homo- and copolymers using different kind of metallocene catalyst. Ethene, propene, 1-hexene, 1-hexadecene, vinylcyclohexane and phenylnorbornene were homo- or copolymerized with the catalysts. The unbridged benzyl substituted zirconium dichloride catalysts (1-4), ansa- bridged acenaphtyl substituted zirconium dichloride catalysts, ( 5, 6), rac- and meso-ethylene-bis(1-indenyl)zirconium dichlorides, (rac- and meso-8), rac-ethylene-bis(1-indenyl)hafnium dichloride, ( 12), bis(9-fluorenyl)hafnium dichloride (14 ) enantiomerically pure (R)- phenylethyl[(9-fluorenyl-1-indenyl)]ZrCl2, (11), 14 and asymmetric dimethylsilyl[(3-benzylindenyl-(2-methylbenzen[e]indenyl)] zirconium dichloride, (13), were prepared in our laboratory. Dimethylsilyl-bis(1-indenyl)zirconium dichloride, (9), isopropylidene(9-fluorenyl-cyclopentadienyl)zirconium dichloride, (10), and were obtained commercially. The solid-state structures of the catalysts rac- and meso-1 were determined by X-ray crystallography. Computational methods were used for the structure optimization of the catalyst rac- and meso-1 in order to compare the theoretical calculations with the experimental results. Polymerization experiments were conducted in a highly purified autoclave system using low pressures (< 5 bar) of gaseous monomers. The experiments were designed to attain the optimal catalytic activity and a uniform copolymer composition. The prepared homo- and copolymers were characterized by the gel permeation chromatography, GPC, differential scanning calorimetry, DSC, nuclear magnetic resonance, NMR, and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, FTIR . Molar mass (Mw, Mn), molar mass distribution (Mw/Mn), tacticity, comonomer content, melting temperature, glass transition temperature, and end group structures and content were determined. A special attention was paid on the correlation of the polymer properties with the catalyst structures and polymerization conditions. An intramolecular phenyl coordination was found in phenyl substituted benzyl zirconocenes 1-3 explaining the decreased activity of the catalysts. Novel copolymers poly(propene-co-phenylnorbornene) and poly(propene co-vinylcyclohexane), were synthesized and high molar mass poly(ethene-co-1-hexene) and poly(ethene-co-1-hexadecene) copolymers with elastic properties were prepared. Activation of a hafnocene catalyst was studied with UV-Vis spectrometry and activation process for the synthesis of ultra high molar mass poly(1-hexene) was found out.

Zeeman effect of chlorine nuclear quadrupole resonance in mercuric chloride

Abstract is not available.

Proton magnetic resonance study of piezoelectric lithium formate monohydrate

Abstract is not available.

A proton magnetic resonance study of lithium acetate dihydrate, Li(CH3COO).2H20

Abstract is not available.

Nuclear quadrupole resonance in coordination compounds

Abstract is not available.

Estimating specific yield and transmissivity with magnetic resonance sounding in an unconfined sandstone aquifer (Niger)

The unconfined aquifer of the Continental Terminal in Niger was investigated by magnetic resonance sounding (MRS) and by 14 pumping tests in order to improve calibration of MRS outputs at field scale. The reliability of the standard relationship used for estimating aquifer transmissivity by MRS was checked; it was found that the parametric factor can be estimated with an uncertainty a parts per thousand currency sign150% by a single point of calibration. The MRS water content (theta (MRS)) was shown to be positively correlated with the specific yield (Sy), and theta (MRS) always displayed higher values than Sy. A conceptual model was subsequently developed, based on estimated changes of the total porosity, Sy, and the specific retention Sr as a function of the median grain size. The resulting relationship between theta (MRS) and Sy showed a reasonably good fit with the experimental dataset, considering the inherent heterogeneity of the aquifer matrix (residual error is similar to 60%). Interpreted in terms of aquifer parameters, MRS data suggest a log-normal distribution of the permeability and a one-sided Gaussian distribution of Sy. These results demonstrate the efficiency of the MRS method for fast and low-cost prospection of hydraulic parameters for large unconfined aquifers.

Microsurgical Aneurysm Model in Rats and Mice: Development of Endovascular Treatment and Optimization of Magnetic Resonance Imaging

The rupture of a cerebral artery aneurysm causes a devastating subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), with a mortality of almost 50% during the first month. Each year, 8-11/100 000 people suffer from aneurysmal SAH in Western countries, but the number is twice as high in Finland and Japan. The disease is most common among those of working age, the mean age at rupture being 50-55 years. Unruptured cerebral aneurysms are found in 2-6% of the population, but knowledge about the true risk of rupture is limited. The vast majority of aneurysms should be considered rupture-prone, and treatment for these patients is warranted. Both unruptured and ruptured aneurysms can be treated by either microsurgical clipping or endovascular embolization. In a standard microsurgical procedure, the neck of the aneurysm is closed by a metal clip, sealing off the aneurysm from the circulation. Endovascular embolization is performed by packing the aneurysm from the inside of the vessel lumen with detachable platinum coils. Coiling is associated with slightly lower morbidity and mortality than microsurgery, but the long-term results of microsurgically treated aneurysms are better. Endovascular treatment methods are constantly being developed further in order to achieve better long-term results. New coils and novel embolic agents need to be tested in a variety of animal models before they can be used in humans. In this study, we developed an experimental rat aneurysm model and showed its suitability for testing endovascular devices. We optimized noninvasive MRI sequences at 4.7 Tesla for follow-up of coiled experimental aneurysms and for volumetric measurement of aneurysm neck remnants. We used this model to compare platinum coils with polyglycolic-polylactic acid (PGLA) -coated coils, and showed the benefits of the latter in this model. The experimental aneurysm model and the imaging methods also gave insight into the mechanisms involved in aneurysm formation, and the model can be used in the development of novel imaging techniques. This model is affordable, easily reproducible, reliable, and suitable for MRI follow-up. It is also suitable for endovascular treatment, and it evades spontaneous occlusion.