An algorithm for the computation of mode I stress intensity factors of a square crack together with an error estimate is presented. The algorithm is based on a hypersingular integral equation. The leading singular behavior of the crack opening displacement in the corners is taken into account. The maximum value of the normalized stress intensity factor, Fmax, is estimated to Fmax=0.7534±0.0002. Pr

Objective: To evaluate the effects of eccentric isokinetic training on knee range of motion (ROM) of healthy subjects. Methods: The knee extensor and flexor isokinetic peak torques and ROM of flexion/extension and varus/valgus knee movements during gait of 18 healthy men (21.7 +/- 2.2 years; 1.73 +/- 0.10m; 68.7 +/- 9.4kg; body mass index: 22.6 +/- 2 kg/m(2)) were analyzed, before and after six we

One hundred fifty-eight Porous-Coated Anatomic (Howmedica, Rutherford, NJ) primary total knee prostheses were evaluated clinically and radiographically to measure the remaining thickness of the plastic insert. Anteroposterior radiographs were taken with the beam guided parallel to the tibial plate by a fluoroscope. The knees were forced into varus and valgus, and the heights of the medial and late

The purpose of the study was to explore the possibilities of using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and tractography (DTT) for the differential diagnosis and monitoring of disease progression in idiopathic Parkinson's disease (IPD), compared with the atypical parkinsonian disorders multiple system atrophy (MSA) and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). A 3.0-T MR scanner was used. DTI was acquired u

Information on floral resource costs is fundamental for understanding how selection operates on floral morphology. In this study, I explored the cost of maturing flowers in a self-incompatible population of the ligulate composite Crepis tectorum L. by experimentally manipulating floral investment and then monitoring the response in reproductive effort. Plants on which the heads were removed during

The hydraulic conductivity of smectitic buffer clays is determined by the volume fraction and continuity of permeable parts of the microstructure, i.e., soft and medium-dense clay gels. The bulk conductivity calculated by use of microstructural parameters agrees well with experimental data except for soft Ca bentonite, which is significantly less permeable than predicted. The microstructural stabi

The role of ectomycorrhizal (EM) fungi in increasing apatite dissolution was tested in a pot system with Pinus sylvestris (L.) seedlings growing in a sand/peat mixture. Non-mycorrhizal seedlings and seedlings inoculated with one of three different isolates of EM fungi were grown for 210 days in pots divided into a root-containing and a root-free compartment. The EM mycelium was allowed to colonise

Bi-isonicotinic acid ~2,28-bipyridine–4,48-dicarboxylic acid! is the ligand of several organometallic dyes, used in photoelectrochemical applications. Therefore the atomic scale understanding of the bonding of this molecule to rutile TiO2(110) should give insight into the crucial dye–surface interaction. High resolution x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy ~XPS!, near edge x-ray absorption fine struct

Argon clusters have been doped with krypton atoms in a pick-up setup and investigated by means of ultraviolet and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS and XPS). The width of the krypton surface feature in the XPS spectra from mixed krypton/argon clusters has been studied and found to be narrower than in the case of homogeneous krypton clusters. By considering known spectral broadening mechanisms

A new approach to attack A5/1 is proposed. The proposed attack is a refinement of a previous attack by Ekdahl and Johansson. We make two important observations that lead to a new attack with improved performance

Purpose: Histologic grade, Nottingham Prognostic Index (NPI), estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PSR) status, and tumor size have previously been shown to be important prognostic indicators for distant recurrence of breast cancer. The purpose of this study was to compare the prognostic value of these factors with flow cytometric S-phase fraction (SPF), urokinase plasminogen activato

Recent experiments and numerical studies have showed that piston geometry has a significant effect on the homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) process. There are two effects generated by the combustor geometry: the geometry affects the flow/turbulence in the cylinder; the geometry also affects the temperature stratification. The temperature stratification is more directly responsible for

The lecticans are a family of chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans including aggrecan, versican, neurocan, and brevican. The C-terminal globular domains of lecticans are structurally related to selectins, consisting of a C-type lectin domain flanked by epidermal growth factor and complement regulatory protein domains. The C-type lectin domain of versican has been shown to bind tenascin-R, an extracel

The c-Myc and MYCN oncogenes strongly induce cell proliferation. Although a limited series of cell cycle genes were found to be induced by the myc transcription factors, it is still unclear how they mediate the proliferative phenotype. We therefore analysed a neuroblastoma cell line with inducible MYCN expression. We found that all members of the minichromosome maintenance complex (MCM2 - 7) and M

Background: Abdominal surgery for cancer carries a high risk of venous thromboembolism, but the optimal duration of postoperative thromboprophylaxis is unknown. Methods: We conducted a double-blind, multicenter trial in which patients undergoing planned curative open surgery for abdominal or pelvic cancer received enoxaparin (40 mg subcutaneously) daily for 6 to 10 days and were then randomly assi

Activated Factor V (FVa) functions as a membrane-bound cofactor to the enzyme factor Xa (FXa) in the conversion of prothrombin to thrombin, increasing the catalytic efficiency of FXa by several orders of magnitude. To map regions on FVa that are important for binding of FXa, site-directed mutagenesis resulting in novel potential glycosylation sites on FV was used as strategy. The consensus sequenc

Background— Inflammation is an important pathophysiological feature of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA). Whether elevated levels of inflammation-sensitive plasma proteins (ISPs) predict the long-term risk of fatal or repaired AAA is largely unknown. Methods and Results— Five ISPs (fibrinogen, orosomucoid, {alpha}1-antitrypsin, haptoglobin, and ceruloplasmin) were measured in 6075 healthy men, mea