Cytoarchitecture, myeloarchitecture, and parcellation of the chimpanzee inferior parietal lobe.

The parietal lobe is a region of especially pronounced change in human brain evolution. Based on comparative neuroanatomical studies, the inferior parietal lobe (IPL) has been shown to be disproportionately larger in humans relative to chimpanzees and macaques. However, it remains unclear whether the underlying histological architecture of IPL cortical areas displays human-specific organization. Chimpanzees are among the closest living relatives of humans, making them an ideal comparative species to investigate potential evolutionary changes in the IPL. We parcellated the chimpanzee IPL using cytoarchitecture and myeloarchitecture, in combination with quantitative comparison of cellular features between the identified cortical areas. Four major areas on the lateral convexity of the chimpanzee IPL (PF, PFG, PG, OPT) and two opercular areas (PFOP, PGOP) were identified, similar to what has been observed in macaques. Analysis of the quantitative profiles of cytoarchitecture showed that cell profile density was significantly different in a combination of layers III, IV, and V between bordering cortical areas, and that the density profiles of these six areas supports their classification as distinct. The similarity to macaque IPL cytoarchitecture suggests that chimpanzees share homologous IPL areas. In comparison, human rostral IPL is reported to differ in its anatomical organization and to contain additional subdivisions, such as areas PFt and PFm. These changes in human brain evolution might have been important as tool making capacities became more complex.

From Zirconium Nanograins to Zirconia Nanoneedles.

Combinations of three simple techniques were utilized to gradually form zirconia nanoneedles from zirconium nanograins. First, a physical vapor deposition magnetron sputtering technique was used to deposit pure zirconium nanograins on top of a substrate. Second, an anodic oxidation was applied to fabricate zirconia nanotubular arrays. Finally, heat treatment was used at different annealing temperatures in order to change the structure and morphology from nanotubes to nanowires and subsequently to nanoneedles in the presence of argon gas. The size of the pure zirconium nanograins was estimated to be approximately 200-300 nm. ZrO2 nanotubular arrays with diameters of 70-120 nm were obtained. Both tetragonal and monoclinic ZrO2 were observed after annealing at 450 °C and 650 °C. Only a few tetragonal peaks appeared at 850 °C, while monoclinic ZrO2 was obtained at 900 °C and 950 °C. In assessing the biocompatibility of the ZrO2 surface, the human cell line MDA-MB-231 was found to attach and proliferate well on surfaces annealed at 850 °C and 450 °C; however, the amorphous ZrO2 surface, which was not heat treated, did not permit extensive cell growth, presumably due to remaining fluoride.

Surface modification by alkali and heat treatments in titanium alloys.

Pure titanium and titanium alloys are normally used for orthopedic and dental prostheses. Nevertheless, their chemical, biological, and mechanical properties still can be improved by the development of new preparation technologies. This has been the limiting factor for these metals to show low affinity to living bone. The purpose of this study is to improve the bone-bonding ability between titanium alloys and living bone through a chemically activated process and a thermally activated one. Two kinds of titanium alloys, a newly designed Ti-In-Nb-Ta alloy and a commercially available Ti-6Al-4V ELI alloy, were used in this study. In this study, surface modification of the titanium alloys by alkali and heat treatments (AHT), alkali treated in 5.0M NaOH solution, and heat treated in vacuum furnace at 600 degrees C, is reported. After AHT, the effects of the AHT on the bone integration property were evaluated in vitro. Surface morphologies of AHT were observed by optical microscopy (OM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Chemical compositional surface changes were investigated by X-ray diffractometry (XRD), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and auger electron spectroscopy (AES). Titanium alloys with surface modification by AHT showed improved bioactive behavior, and the Ti-In-Nb-Ta alloy had better bioactivity than the Ti-6Al-4V ELI alloy in vitro.