Although etiology and pathogenesis of congenital dislocation of the hip (CDH) is of broad interest in orthopaedics, basic questions still remain obscure. Advances in high-resolution ultrasound technology now permit investigation of the fetal hip joint in vivo. Standard values of intrauterine hip development have been established by investigating 146 fetuses (141 pregnancies) in vivo by ultrasound. Standard values describe the development from 20th weeks of gestation until birth. Prenatal Alpha- values suggest influence of intrauterine posture and spatial fetal conditions on hip development. Alpha-angles of 59.7 (SD 8.9) are achieved at the end of pregnancy. These angles meet standards of Graf's calculations for the postnatal hip development. Standard values of intrauterine hip development are of basic interest for interpretation of hip joints in premature children.
The results of different statistical analysis (simple and multiple regressions, multivariate analysis according to the method of centred data) show that the improvement of conformation leads to an increase in the muscle to bone ratio and to changes in the muscle distribution (increase in the percentage of ]B,1.Semimembranosus, decrease in the percentage of thigh muscles).The variation of conformation thus appreciably modify the commercial and technological value of pork carcasses.Objective method for measuring ham conformation
In vitro expanded neural precursor cells could provide a renewable source of dopaminergic (DAergic) neurons for cell replacement therapy. In the present study immortalized cell line CSM14.1 was investigated in vitro. Cells were derived from the ventral mesencephalic area of a 14-day-old rat embryo and immortalized retrovirally with the temperature-sensitive mutant of the SV40 Large T-antigen. We investigate the proliferation and differentiation of these cells under various culture conditions, at different temperatures and serum conditions. For differentiation were propagated cells at 39 degrees C in medium supplemented with 1% FCS with or without cytokines. At chosen time points cells were investigated for the expression of different markers by western blot and immunocytochemistry. As controls cells cultured at 33 degrees C with 10% FCS for 3 days were used. We have shown that serum reduction alone is not sufficient for CSM14.1-cells to stop proliferating and begin differentiation. Following serum reduction and elevation of the temperature cells changed their morphology began to express specific band of the neuronal marker NeuN. Following cytokines treatment the mean length of cellular processes increased from 319 to 385 microm per cell, whereas the expression of neuronal markers such as NeuN and TH was not markedly changed. In conclusion, the differentiation cocktail consisting of interleukin 1(Il-1), Il-11, leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and GDNF, does influence the outgrowth of neuritis but does not change the expression of mature neuronal markers at the protein level in CSM14.1 cells.
