• Carbon letters
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.269-273
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• 2007

During a 4-year period (2001-2005) 09 animals were surgically treated because of abdominal wall defects (hernia). Out of 9 animals 8 were bovines and one caprine. In each case the defect was repaired with carbon fibre mesh. All the cases were successfully treated and no complication was observed up to six months postoperatively.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.127-133
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• 2024

Textile reinforced concrete (TRC) has gained attention as a viable alternative to conventional reinforced concrete due to its improved mechanical properties and design adaptability. Despite significant research into the mechanical properties of TRC, studies regarding the flexural effect of pre-stretching with different numbers of textile reinforcements are currently limited. Therefore, this research focuses on assessing the flexural characteristics of TRC panels with the incorporation of mesh pre-stretching. Additionally, the study compares the flexural behaviour between alkali-resistant (AR) glass fibre TRC and carbon fibre TRC. A three-point bending test was conducted to assess the flexural behaviour of TRC, investigating the impact of the number of textile layers and the application of pre-stretching on flexural strength and post-cracking stiffness. The findings, exhibited by the flexural stress vs. displacement curve, indicate that applying pre-stretching to carbon fibre TRC effectively increases the flexural strength of carbon textiles and enhances post-cracking stiffness. Moreover, the greater the number of carbon textiles, the higher the flexural stress of the specimens, provided the textiles are placed in the tensile zone. Nevertheless, when comparing carbon fibre TRC with AR glass fibre TRC, it is found that the increase in flexural strength is more significant for carbon fibre TRC. Overall, applying pre-stretching to carbon fibre significantly improves the TRC's flexural performance, specifically during the post-cracking stage and in crack distribution. Furthermore, due to the higher elastic modulus and tensile strength of carbon fibre, TRC reinforced with carbon textiles shows greater flexural strength and ductility compared to AR glass fibre TRC.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.1-13
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• 1986

The purpose of this study was to investigate the morphology and intercellular junctions of the odontoblast of dental pulp in the rat incisor by means of the freeze fracture electron microscopy. Twenty male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing $150{\sim}200g$ were used. After being anesthetized by an intraperitoneal injection of 0.5 ml sodium pentobarbital per kg in body weight(60 mg/ml) the animals were perfused with 2.5% glutaraldehyde-2% paraformaldehyde fixative in 0.1 M cacodylate buffer, pH 7.2 through the ascending aorta for one hour. The incisors were carefully extracted from the jaws and demineralized by suspending them in 0.1 M EDTA in 3% glutaraldehyde (pH 7.2) for two weeks. After demineralization, the specimens were obtained from the portion divided into five equal parts. For freeze-fracture replication, demineralized tissues were infiltrated for several hours with 10%, 25% glycerol in 0.1M cacodylate buffer as a cryoprotectant and then frozen in liquid Freon 22 and stored in liquid nitrogen. Fracturing and replication were done in Balzers BAF 400D high-vacuum freeze-fracture apparatus at $-120^{\circ}C$ under routine $5X10^{-7}$ Torr vacuum. The tissue was immediately replicated with platinum unidirectionally at $45^{\circ}$ angle and reinforced with carbon at $90^{\circ}$ angle unidirectionally or by using a rotary stage. The replication process was monitored by a quartz-crystal device. The replicas were immersed in 100% methanol overnight. The tissue was then digested from the replica by clorox (laundry bleach), placed into 5% EDTA, and washed repeatedly with distilled water. The replicas were picked up on 0.3% formvar-coated 75 mesh grids and examined in the JEOL 100B electron microscope. The results were as follows; 1. Both in thin sections and freeze-fracture replicas, three types of intercellular junctions were recognizable in the plasma membrane of odontoblast: gap junction, tight junction and desmosome-like junction. 2. The nuclear pores were evenly distributed over the nuclear envelope. The pore complex formed a ring about 70 nm in diameter. 3. Gap junctions were found between odontoblasts as well as odontoblasts and neighbouring pulp cells (fibroblast, subodontoblastic cell process, nerve-like fibre). Gap junctions, which were round, ellipsoid and pear-shaped and 600 nm in diameter, were observed in the odontoblast. 4. Numerous round and ellipsoid gap junctions could be frequently seen on the plasma membranes in cell body and apical part of the odontoblasts. On the P face, the junctions were recognized as a cluster of closely packed particles, measuring about 9 nm in diameter, and on the E face, the junctions were recognized as a shallow grooves.