Secondary Creep Analysis of FG Rotating Cylinder with Exponential,Linear and Quadratic Volume Reinforcement

Creep is an irreversible time-dependent deformation in which a material under constant mechanical stress and elevated temperature for a considerably prolonged period of time, starts to undergo permanent deformation. Creep deformation occurs in three stages namely, primary, secondary and tertiary. Out of these three stages, secondary or steady state creep is particularly an area of engineering interest as it has almost a constant creep rate. Creep deformation plays a significant role in understanding effective service life of an engineering component working under high temperature conditions as such components such as super-heater and re-heater tubes and headers in a boiler, jet engines operating at temperature as high as 1200 ∘C, usually experience a failure or rupture due to creep phenomenon. Design engineers keep a close attention on working stress conditions and elevated temperature under which an engineering component is expected to work as these conditions determine the onset of creep behavior in an engineering component. By recognizing the parameters of material response to creep behavior, engineers can analyse the useful service life and hazardous working conditions for an engineering components. Recognizing the creep phenomenon as high temperature design limitation, ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code have provided guidelines on maximum allowable stresses for materials to be used in creep range. One of the criteria for determination of allowable stresses is 1% creep deformation of material in 100,000 h of service. Thus, the study of creep behavior in engineering components pertaining to high stress and temperature working conditions is very important as it affects the reliability and performance of the engineering components. The aim of our study is to understand the behavior of secondary creep deformation so that an advanced reinforced functionally graded material with better creep resistance, can be designed. In this paper, a secondary creep analysis of functionally graded (FG) thick-walled rotating cylinder under internal and external pressure is conducted. The novelty of the model intends to specify secondary creep stresses and strains by employing exponential, linear and quadratic volume reinforcement for SiCp ceramic in Al metal matrix in radial direction. This will help us to understand the effect of volume reinforcement in FG cylinder under internal/external pressure and rotating centrifugal body force by obtaining secondary creep stresses and strains. The response of the FG cylinder with isotropic material is analyzed and the solution for stress–strain rates in radial and tangential directions are obtained in closed form. Comparison of steady state creep stresses and strains under exponential, linear and quadratic volume reinforcement profiles are discussed and presented graphically.     

Branches of the splenic artery and splenic arterial segments

In 200 adult autopsy specimens, the arterial supply to the pancreas and spleen was studied radiologically and by manual dissection. The splenic artery divided into two or three lobar arteries, which supplied its corresponding lobe; each lobar artery subsequently divided into two to four lobular branches. Six to twelve lobular branches were observed entering the splenic substance at the hilum. Lobar arteries did not anastomose with each other, hence, the lobes of the spleen are also termed segments. The lobules, however, were not found to be independent segments and the arteries of one lobule anastomosed with those of other lobules. The branching pattern of the splenic artery varied from one specimen to another, so much so that a prevailing pattern could not be identified. Polar arteries, particularly to the superior pole, arose quite proximal to the hilum in 51% of cases and were occasionally missed. In 45% of males and 40% of females, the posterior gastric artery arose from about the middle of the splenic artery. The splenic artery was not found to be tortuous in fetuses, newborns, and young children. Tortuosity was seen in only 10% of adults; thus, the characteristic tortuosity of the splenic artery appears to develop with age.     

Identifying infants at risk for sudden infant death syndrome

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This review examines recent research relevant to the underlying pathophysiology and risk factors for sudden infant death syndrome. RECENT FINDINGS: Current research focuses on the linkage between known risk factors and vulnerability, genetic contributions, and the role of dysfunctional brainstem neurotransmission in the pathogenesis of this syndrome. While social inequalities, prematurity, maternal smoking, infant sleeping practices and sleep environment, arousal failures and environmental pollutants remain important risk factors, new evidence is emerging that certain genetic polymorphisms may contribute to vulnerability. New neuropathological studies have provided strong support for abnormal brainstem serotonergic function. Since serotonin influences a wide range of physiological systems including breathing, the cardiovascular system, temperature, and sleep-wake cycles, this finding strongly supports the hypothesis that sudden infant death syndrome is the result of dysregulation of the autonomic nervous system and provides biological plausibility for certain risk reduction strategies. SUMMARY: Despite a putative diagnostic shift, sudden infant death syndrome remains the most common cause of death from 1 month to 1 year of age. Recent studies confirmed established risk factors and have suggested new genetic vulnerabilities. Finally, new evidence supports a key role for abnormalities in brainstem serotonin systems in the pathophysiology of this syndrome.     

High jugular bulb: different osseous landmarks and their clinical implications

Purpose

The purpose of this investigation was to compare the rate of high jugular bulb (HJB) in relation to internal acoustic meatus (IAM), round window (RW) and endolymphatic sac and to study their clinical implications.

Methods

Eighty-seven cadaveric non-pathologic human temporal bones were micro-dissected to expose the jugular fossa (JF) and RW. The minimum distance of JF from RW was measured. On the inner surface of petrous part of temporal bone, minimum vertical distance of JF from IAM and saccus endolymphaticus (E sac) was also measured. If the distance of summit of JF from RW or IAM was ≤2 mm or if there was no distance between JF and slit on which E sac opens, they were classified as HJB cases.

Results

The mean minimum distance of JF from the RW, IAM and E sac was found to be 2.85 ± 1.58, 3.83 ± 2.38 and 2.06 ± 2.38 mm and the rate of HJB was 32.2, 24.1 and 41.4 % respectively.

Conclusions

The rate of HJB varies even in a particular specimen using different landmarks i.e. the RW, IAM and E sac. The preoperative awareness in relation to these landmarks will be useful in cochlear implantation, surgical removal of vestibular schwanommas and clinical findings of Meniere’s disease.

     

Derivation and Biological Characterization of a Molecular Clone of SHIVKU-2 That Causes AIDS, Neurological Disease, and Renal Disease in Rhesus Macaques

Previously, we described the derivation of a pathogenic strain of simian-human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV(KU-2)) consisting of the tat, rev, vpu, and env genes of HIV-1 (strain HXB2) in a genetic background of SIV(mac)239 that causes AIDS and productive infection of the CNS in rhesus macaques (Macca mulatta) (Raghavan et al., 1997, Brain Pathol. 7, 851-861). We report here on the characterization of a molecular clone of SHIV(KU-2), designated SHIV(KU-2MC4), that caused CD4(+) T cell loss as well as neurological and renal disease in macaques. DNA sequence analysis of selected SIV regions of SHIV(KU-2MC4) revealed 10 nucleotide changes in the LTR, whereas Gag, Vif, Vpr, Vpx, and Nef had 1, 1, 1, 2, and 13 predicted amino acid substitutions, respectively, compared to SIV(mac)239. DNA sequence analysis of HIV-1 derived regions of SHIV(KU-2MC4) revealed 2, 1, 2, and 18 predicted amino acid substitutions in the Tat, Rev, Vpu, and Env proteins, respectively, when compared to SHIV-4. Unlike the parental SHIV-4, which is not tropic for macrophages, SHIV(KU-2MC4) replicated efficiently in macrophage cultures as determined by p27 assays. However, despite the numerous changes in the Env protein and newly acquired tropism for macrophages, SHIV(KU-2MC4), like the parental SHIV-4, used CXCR4 exclusively as its coreceptor for entry into susceptible cells. Inoculation of SHIV(KU-2MC4) into two rhesus macaques resulted in severe infection in which the numbers of circulating CD4(+) T cells in the blood declined rapidly by 2 weeks postinoculation and virus producing cells in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells were identified throughout the course of infection. At the time of euthanasia (20 and 22 weeks), both macaques had lost a significant amount of weight and had no circulating CD4(+) T cells. In addition, one macaque developed intension tremors and uncoordinated movements. Virological examination of tissues at necropsy revealed active virus replication in both lymphoid and nonlymphoid tissues such as the lung and brain. Histological examination revealed that the induced immunodeficiency was associated with lymphoid depletion of the lymph nodes and spleen, opportunistic infections, lentiviral encephalitis, and severe glomerulosclerosis of the kidney. This molecular clone will serve as the basis for analyzing the molecular determinants through which SHIV(KU-2) causes severe CD4(+) T cell loss, neurological disease, and SHIV nephropathy in rhesus macaques.     

Maturational changes in heart rate and heart rate variability in low birth weight infants

To provide insight into the maturation of neural mechanisms responsible for variability in heart rate during quiet and active sleep, 6-hour continuous electrocardiographic recordings and simultaneous minute-by-minute behavioral activity state assignments were performed in 61 healthy, growing low birth weight infants. The infants weighed 795-1600 g at birth and ranged between 31-38 weeks in postconceptional age. During this age interval there was a decrease in heart rate during quiet sleep and an increase in both time domain and frequency domain measures of the variability in cardiac interbeat intervals. In quiet sleep, global variability, measured as SD of R-R intervals, increased in relation to age, as did higher frequency variability, measured as the square root of the mean of squared successive differences in R-R intervals. Developmental changes in the 0.5-2.0 Hz spectral power band of RR-interval variability, another measure of high frequency variability, paralleled the changes seen in the time domain measure. Evaluation of patterns of changes in the magnitude and direction of successive interbeat intervals provided evidence that the incidence of sustained accelerations or decelerations increased whereas the incidence of no change in consecutive RR-intervals decreased as infants matured. Among the various measures of heart rate variability, the incidence of sustained change and no change in successive interbeat intervals were most closely related to postconceptional age in both sleep states. The overall decrease in heart rate, increase in heart rate variability, and increase in the pattern of changes in interbeat interval with postconceptional age are consistent with the maturation of the autonomic cardio-regulatory activity from 31-38 weeks age.     

Infant feeding with commercial milk formula in an urban community of central India

A study group composed of mothers of 250 infants who were being fed only commercial milk formula were observed in an urban Indian community. Most mothers estimated the amount of powder and water as they could not understand the directions for use of the commercial milk formula. The mothers were also purchasing daily or weekly feeding needs from open tins as they could not afford the price of full tins. The sterilization of bottles was not prevalent. Christians, as compared with Jain and Muslim communities, were more inclined to practice breast feeding. Many mothers used formula feeds because they believed they more easily digestible and better nutritionally. As well, many perceived, erroneously, that there was a greater economy to using formula feeds. Others believed that breast feeding caused liver trouble or recurring diarrhea in their infants and therefore switched to formula milk. Most of the women were influenced primarily by health personnel with only 14% being influenced by advertising. Thus, education of the benefits of breast feeding and the risks of commercial milk formula must begin within the medical schools of India and finally reach the affected population: mothers and infants.     

Influence of prostaglandins on contractility of the isolated human cervical muscle

The contractile activity of smooth muscle from the pregnant and nonpregnant human cervix uteri was studied in organ bath experiments. Several patterns of spontaneous activity with varying frequency and amplitude were observed. Prostaglandin E2 inhibited muscle activity in a concentration-dependent manner, and total inhibition was achieved in pregnant tissue at extremely low concentrations. Prostaglandin F2 alpha, on the other hand, did not influence spontaneous contractions. Prostaglandin I2 and 6-keto-prostaglandin F1 alpha had an inhibitory effect but only at comparatively high concentrations. 5,8,11,14-Eicosatetraynoic acid and indomethacin abolished spontaneous contractions, indicating a regulatory influence of endogenous prostanoids on cervical contractility. The extreme sensitivity to prostaglandin E2 and enhancement of its action during early pregnancy provide evidence for a specific role of this compound in controlling cervical smooth muscle activity in the human female.