text:
11-02-2009, 03:37 PM #1Web Hosting Guru
- Join Date
- Mar 2003
- Location
- South Bend, Indiana, USA
- Posts
- 320
Home computer/network lab/testing environment
I am looking to put together a new home computer/network lab to better my configuration skills. As I keep hearing that experience is looked at more(in most cases) than education when looking for a job. I currently have a full time job doing computer support at a healthcare company for the past 3 years. At my current job we run our core infrastructure on some Dell PowerConnect 6224 switches, Dell MD3000i SAN and some Dell PowerEdge ESX servers. At home I currently have a PC I built that has a 3Ware 9650SE RAID 10(4x500GB drives) for storage, server install of Ubuntu Hardy and VMware Server 1. This machine has ran beautifully for the past year that I have had it, but as any IT person, I want more.
I would like to setup a similar system at home to what I have at work but I think that it would not be cost affective for me. I am just starting my search for equipment and am thinking about doing the following. Getting a NAS that supports iSCSI to create remote storage for 2 whitebox ESXi servers. Then get 2 managed network switches to learn how to setup redundant connections to the NAS(if possible) and to the ESXi servers. Then setup all the VMs I want to continue learning new skills.
My question to all of you is:
1. Do you have a home/work testing environment that you learn new skills on?
2. What kind of equipment do you have?
3. What kind of equipment would you recommend to me for learning?
11-02-2009, 04:58 PM #2Junior Guru
- Join Date
- Oct 2009
- Posts
- 188
I have had a home lab for about 12 years now (well, not the same lab, off course, it has evolved). Anyway, I use to go for "cheap" solutions, because I don't have a lot of money, so, what I'm aiming to get now is (this is what I want, but I don't have it yet):
+ Desktop Computer with some nice amount of RAM: 4~8GB DDR2 is a good choice + some good processor: Quad-core Phenom II socket AM3 or at least am2+.
+ Hard drives: 2~3 750GB DD.
+ At least two network cards (this will not be my main firewall, for that, I already got a cheap Atom mini-itx card).
Inside of that computer I could actually test pretty much all kind of stuff, included, but not limited to: "home-made" SAN (virtual), server configurations (all kind, control panels, LDAP-integrated services), Network configurations (Linux) (firewall, load balancers, IDS, IDS with active response), video systems (zoneminder, mythtv, ...), I have already tested all of this, but with the new computer I could be able to run, say, OSSIM + two or three "web" servers, and a couple of "client" computers.
As for more specialized learning, I use to ask permission at some customers to use their equipment (managed network switches, core switches), most of the time they have no problem with it (that's how I learned how to connect a server with several NICs to a Cisco switch using FastEtherChannel, or PortChannel).
Anyway, my current equipment is:
Athlon 64, 768MB RAM, 750GB DD
Turion 64x2 laptop with 3GB RAM and 250GB DD.
Both of them running Debian, 64 bits, and I'm using KVM and/or OpenVZ for "virtual" test machines. I use VMWare Server 2 some times, but not very often, when I'm near the limit of my hardware node, performance decays too fast (on the hardware node, virtual machines are all right). As for KVM: performance is about the same, with 1, 2, 3 or 4 VMs running.
With these two, I can do about 90% of home testing, the other 10%, I can do it with some client equipment (after asking permission), after you are trusted by a customer, it is likely that they will let you test with their network, as long as you don't break anything: you will have a cheap and complete lab.
Luck with your lab!
Ildefonso Camargo
11-02-2009, 06:48 PM #3Junior Guru Wannabe
- Join Date
- Aug 2009
- Location
- Posts
- 47
By using Linux/FreeBSD you can learn with just the cost of equipment. For example you can build yourself a router and use vyatta to learn routing fundamentals. Vyatta is a router OS based on Linux and it is free. Once you have a router you can play with having multiple networks and routing them back and forth and out to the internet etc... I think you are also on the right track utilizing virtual technology. Have you looked into Linux KVM? You may like to stick with VMware but KVM is definately worth looking at.
All the best.
11-02-2009, 07:03 PM #4Junior Guru
- Join Date
- Jun 2009
- Location
- Baile Átha Cliath
- Posts
- 186
Not sure i'd call it a lab, but i've had a small LAN in my flat for just under 10 years. Started as a RedHat box between my cablemodem and my Win98 machine, and now includes multiple machines running DHCP/DNS/SSH/Samba/etc, as well as isolated subnets for guests. Hardware is mostly random bits of consumer kit i obtained over the years. I also run 2 VPSs. Although i occasionally experiment (eg i recently tried out OpenBSD on a Sparc Ultra 10), i tend not to mess around with my core network unless i have to (eg when my fileserver died).
Although useful, i think there are also limits to what can be learned on a home setup. Having to adapt to unfavourable hardware means you end up learning about all the tricks that are not well documented, but unless you also use your setup for real work it can also be very unrepresentative of how systems are used in reality. Safe to say i've learnt the most when things have not gone to plan.
11-03-2009, 10:37 AM #5Web Hosting Guru
- Join Date
- Mar 2003
- Location
- South Bend, Indiana, USA
- Posts
- 320
soulhunter, I have a system very close to what you are wanting to get now. I can say that it has come in handy. My current test server specs are:
* AMD Athlon 64 X2 5600+ Brisbane 2.9GHz Socket AM2 65W Dual-Core Processor Model ADO5600DOBOX
* MSI K9A2 Platinum AM2+/AM2 AMD 790FX ATX AMD Motherboard
* 5x Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD5000AAKS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
* 3ware 9650SE-4LPML PCI Express Lanes: 4 SATA II Controller Card with battery backup unit
* CORSAIR Dominator 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model TWIN2X2048-8500C5D
I should be upgrading the RAM in the box up to 4 or 8GB here shortly as I have found that 2GB is not enough for me. All of my documents, VM images and such are stored on the RAID drives. Then I have a 500GB boot drive that I use for backups and a local Ubuntu apt-get mirror for super quick network install of Ubuntu machines.
As things are now I use all of my VMs for running my network at home. I have the following running at home now:
1. Linux VM running BIND for DNS and DHCP, I disabled the DHCP and DNS on my WRT54GL(with DD-WRT).
2. Linux box running MySQL 5 only
3. Linux box running Apache for a web server
4. Windows Server 2003 setup as a domain controller
5. Windows XP box setup as a client to the domain for testing group policies, software deployment, .....
I will have to look into vyatta.
I have not really looked to much into Linux KVM. I have stuck with VMware products as we run ESX at my main work place.
Would you suggest instead of purchasing some generic machine that fits the compatibility requirements for ESXi that I buy a supported machine from some place like Dell to closer meet a production level environment?
11-03-2009, 10:50 AM #6Junior Guru
- Join Date
- Oct 2009
- Posts
- 188
wow, nice, I believe I'll be able to get my new "testbench" in about one or two months.
Would you suggest instead of purchasing some generic machine that fits the compatibility requirements for ESXi that I buy a supported machine from some place like Dell to closer meet a production level environment?
If you get "supported" hardware, you will be in "an ideal world", and, in my experience, it is almost never the case, people some times just buy "the cheapest server" they can, there even happier if you can work with "the old machine sitting around in the corner", trust me: I have some clients who are happy running their firewall on an old PII that they was about to trash, and yes: I have warned them that "if the computer hardware fails...." but, they wanted to go that way anyway.
So... if you have to do lots of tricks to get things to work: better, you will be more valuable at troubleshooting than the people who always live "in an ideal world".
11-03-2009, 11:50 AM #7Web Hosting Guru
- Join Date
- Mar 2003
- Location
- South Bend, Indiana, USA
- Posts
- 320
11-03-2009, 12:00 PM #8Junior Guru
- Join Date
- Oct 2009
- Posts
- 188
11-04-2009, 10:18 AM #9Junior Guru
- Join Date
- Jun 2008
- Location
- Milton keynes
- Posts
- 212
I have a small lan with two desktops connected via UTP to a wireless router with 4 port switch and one laptop having wireless connection. my wireless router is also connected to two adsl modems. I dont have RAID solution to protect my data, instead I do backups on different drives.
Similar Threads
How to emulate a VPS environment at home?By gunemalli in forum VPS HostingReplies: 10Last Post: 07-20-2009, 03:45 PM
How to create a web service testing environment (mini production enviroment)By dan0 in forum Hosting Security and TechnologyReplies: 3Last Post: 07-15-2009, 02:30 PM
Testing environmentBy WLHosting in forum Programming DiscussionReplies: 0Last Post: 03-25-2005, 05:10 PM
Your Computer Network at home?By Darktwist in forum Web Hosting LoungeReplies: 7Last Post: 09-12-2004, 02:27 AM
Need to restart computer to maintain internet on home network...arghBy DannyITR in forum Web Hosting LoungeReplies: 10Last Post: 07-29-2003, 01:18 PM


text:
NRLM Recruitment December 2013 – Apply Online for Junior Specialist Posts
NRLM Recruitment 2013 – Apply Online for 205 Junior Specialist Vacancies: National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM)/ National Rural Livelihood Project (NRLP) has issued a recruitment notification for the recruitment of Junior Specialist Posts. Online applications are invited for filling up 205 Junior Specialist and PFT Specialist vacancies on contract basis. Eligible and interested candidates may send their application on or before 25th December 2013.
NRLM Vacancy Details
I.) Junior Specialist: 45 Posts
- Institution Building
- Income Generation
- Financial Inclusion
II.) Junior PFT Specialist: 160 Posts
- Microfinance
- Community Mobilization and Capacity Building
- Livelihood and Environment
- Management Information System (MIS)/ Accounts
Age Limit: There is no age limitation for all posts. Age relaxations are different for all posts. Refer to notification page for details.
Educational Qualifications: Candidates must possess the qualification of Post Graduate with at least 50% marks in RD/Sociology/MBA/MSW with relevant post qualification experience for Junior Specialist posts and Graduation in Commerce with Accounting a main Subject with minimum of 50% marks or BSC (IT)/ Computer Since /Advance course in Computer Application from Government institute for MIS (Accounts) posts.
Application Fee: No Application Fee for this opening in NRLM. Candidates don't need to pay any amount.
Selection Process: Selections of candidates will be done on the basis of their performance written examination and Interview.
How to Apply: All those candidates who wish to apply for Junior Specialist and PFT Specialist posts in National Rural Livelihoods Mission, they are required to apply through filling online application form on its official website at sids.co.in on or before 25th December 2013.
Important Dates:
Last Date for Online Registration: 25-12-2013
For more details Click Here.
Click here to Apply Online.
NRLM Recruitment December 2013 – Apply Online for Junior Specialist Posts Reviewed by Job today on 08:45 Rating:

subset: commoncrawl


text:
a super overpriced caribou
a super overpriced caribou
I wouldn't say super over priced... If the body and frame are still good, $6000 is more than reasonable. In mint or restored condition, a Caribou can sell for upwards of $20,000, so there is a lot of profit for anybody with the time.
Someone will pay 20k for those restored...right.Originally Posted by sven914
Besides, sitting derelict in a field of weeds at a body shop isn't exactly what I would call the makings of a "promising" car to restore.
BTW, anyone notice the camaro convertibles sitting on the ground in the background of the 4th pic?
Yeah, I saw that ad a few months ago. The caribous do go for much much more than stock. That one is pretty rough for it's price though.
A friend of mine sent me this link to a Craigslist add. I had sold my 96 and just found out that it has been totaled... Anyways, this car does look absolutely mint like it states. Just thought I would share this link in case someone happens to be looking for one.
Wow, that thing is clean!! Looks like mine, minus a golden Crown.
Hi Mr Recovery21. Hope all is well!! Sorry to hear about your 96.
Howdy! All is well and I am loving my truck! I still check in here, just don't post too much... As far as the car goes, it was definitely salvageable, but it was the fault of the other person involved who hit my old car. His insurance company totaled it out probably to get it off the road. Here is the carnage that took place and the sad end to a great car, but it took the hit so my friends daughter didn't. I'm just glad that nothing happened to her.
Ouch. I have everything needed to fix that car sitting in my driveway...
Not sure what you had in mind, but this doesn't look as simple as just replacing the fenders/doors. It looks like the windshield is cracked in the corner. my guess is the A pillar is toast down by the hinges.
I'm betting it has floorpan damage and possibly a bent frame.Originally Posted by j2rossit
Oh, I agree, I'm sure it was a write off. I was joking...
Yeah, it's done. Floor pan was damaged and isn't fixable now. Too bad it is going to be crushed... Motor was strong with 90K miles on it. At least they took the 100 spoke rims off of it before this accident happened. LOL!
I also saw this one also on craigslist. This one is more that likely in storage already though...
This one too is a beauty! Just don't know why they would take pictures in a cemetery...
Here are some pictures I found of my Friend's '79 CDV in east TN. It's gorgeous. Needs the right whitewalls though.
so it's for sale?


text: This letter was written by Oswald McNiece to his cousin Vickie. McNiece was an explorer who ran away from home at the age of 14 years and who, among other adventures, lived for three years at the South Pole (and may have been on one of Shackleton's expeditions). He also served for a time as a pilot in the Australian Airforce from where he wrote to his cousin who was the contributor's grandmother. The letter has been carefully preserved and passed down through the family.


text:
Congratulations on your achievement!
As you must be aware there are different specializations that one can consider like Socio-cultural Anthropology, Prehistoric Anthropology or Archaeology, Physical or Biological Anthropology, Linguistic Anthropology and Applied Anthropology.
You can find employment in academics, at various universities/institutes, or conduct research at organisations like the Archaeological Survey of India, the WHO, UNESCO, UNICEF etc. You can always work with NGOs working in under-developed areas. The other interesting career opportunity can be in corporate houses in the Human Resource Development sector as anthropologists can balance the relation between society and industry.
There are employment opportunities in museums, art galleries, libraries, archives, and also as curators, linguists, social workers, tour guides, in publishing houses and in social service organisations. Even forensic science departments and criminal investigation departments hire anthropologists.
The remuneration although varies widely across the profiles.
The career although has a lot of demand outside India.
Hope this helps.
© 2013 Copyright Youngbuzz. All Rights Reserved.


text:
Ericdress Elegant Appliques Sweetheart A Line Wedding Dress
Ericdress Solid Color Slim Pants
United throughout the world dealer, Ericdress offers a number ofbolero jacket weddingwith excellent quality and also sweeping price.with the development of the society, the online shopping is popular with the young people.bolero jacket weddingall have uncommon sizes so these jeans are not suitable for everyone but they have the same quality with the normal size jeans. there are different designs that you can buy.bolero jacket weddingare so different from another dress.i think its not that complicated with ericdress. merely check out this page currently and click on push button to get the idea.Whatever you want to obtain, take a look at Ericdress and you may still find it.
Elegant Evening Jackets with Rhinestones Decoration
Attractive 3/4-length Sleeve Wedding/ Party Jackets
Comfortable Winter Wedding Jacket
Comfortable Lacing Wedding Jacket
Lace Half Sleeves Wedding Jacket
Fur Long Sleeves Wedding Jacket
Comfortable Long Sleeves Wedding Jacket
Long Sleeve Red Fax Fur Wedding Jacket
Short Sleeve Ivory Fax Fur Wedding Jacket
Charming Lace Appliques Long Sleeves Wedding Jacket
Ericdress Beautiful Appliques Long Sleeves Wedding Jacket
3/4 Long Sleeves Appliques Wedding Jacket
Pretty Short Sleeves White Wedding Jacket
Delicate Lace Long Sleeves Wedding Jacket
Ericdress Comely Cap Sleeves Lace Wedding Jacket
Admirable Long Sleeves Appliques Wedding Jacket
Graceful Long Sleeves Short Wedding Jacket
Short Sleeves Short Length Wedding Jacket
Charming Lace Long Sleeves Wedding Jacket
Ericdress Comely Long Sleeves Lace Wedding Jacket
Ericdress Beautiful Long Sleeves Wedding Jacket


text:
Brown Pre-Season Sale - Apparel women from Babolat for Women(1 Product)
Order byNewest first
- Your choice:
- Babolat
- Women
- Brown
- Reset selection
Babolat Tennis Apparel
Performance Racerback Dress Women - Brown
Save 39 %Available sizes:
* All prices incl. VAT
The crossed out prices are the RRP.
The crossed out prices are the RRP.


text:
Your cart is currently empty.
Reply To: how straight SteveC
Home / Forum / Assembly / how straight / Reply To: how straight
December 8, 2015 at 7:58 am
Post count: 133
#4710 |
I use a shirt box bottom with a rectangle cut out to shield the rest of the printer from overspray. I'm also a bit OCD about it and clean off the build plate with water or wood alcohol between prints. So I only have one layer of Aquanet. I never even tried painter tape.


text:
As we approach the warm, beautiful and sunny weather, there is always a time that you are in a mood for some good gelato. But you know what else is better than gelato on a sunny day? How about gelato by the lake? Yeah that's right. Located at 16 Brookers Lane by the Humber Shores, the shop is literally next to the boardwalk which is the perfect setting for you to enjoy your treat. But let's get into the flavours and taste of Lola's gelato. It is without a doubt that you should go for the Ferrero Rocher. The creamy, crunchy, chocolaty taste is the perfect cold desert for a sunny hot day on the board walk.
We also tried the dark chocolate and green apple. The green apple wasn't too tart and it was the perfect balance between sweet and tart. The dark chocolate was rich and not too creamy, however it consisted of the right amount of bitterness. It is advised that you don't order dark chocolate for your kids, they tend to like the sweets more.
Don't even get us started on the baked good! Most of the treats along the back counter are made in house. We treated ourselves to the Marshmallow Chocolate Chip cookie and the Dark Chocolate Shortbread and OH. MY. G*D. The s'mores themed cookie had so many different levels of tastiness, with the marshmallow turning into candy within while remaining gooey and toasted on top. And the shortbread literally melted in our mouths.
All in all, Lola's Gelato is the place to go for freshly made gelato. The owner, Daniela Zomparelli, was very warm and welcoming and gave us all of her suggestions on what flavours to try. Daniela even shared her favorite signature flavour, Elvis which consisted of banana flavoured gelato topped with a peanut butter crunch and grape jelly. We highly recommend you stop by if you're in the area. Better yet if you are trying to find a place to take your date, go to Lola's! It's the perfect dessert that goes with the perfect setting.


text:
With Instructables you can share what you make with the world, and tap into an ever-growing community of creative experts.
Tell us about yourself!
Ultimate Workbench
My take on the Make: birdfeeder webcam.
Join 2 million + to receive instant DIY inspiration in your inbox.
Download our apps!
© 2016 Autodesk, Inc.


text:
May 2014
Dublin is a city with a fascinating history dating back to the Vikings (Dubh Linn is Viking for "black pool"), but modern Dublin is a city of culture and literary greats. George Bernard Shaw was born in its Portobello neighborhood. Oscar Wilde lived there and loved it, William Butler Yeats was born and is celebrated in it, and James Joyce followed his most famous character, Leopold Bloom, through a day in it.
After touring Ireland for two weeks with Grand Circle Travel, my husband and I decided to spend several days exploring the city on our own. We had seen the better known tourist sights, watched how Guinness is made, admired the lovely new exhibit of The Book of Kells in Trinity College and learned the history of St Patrick's Cathedral. We had also spent a day in the lovely fishing village of Howth, and we were now ready to go off on a cultural adventure.
We visited Christ Church Cathedral (6 euro entry fee for seniors) where Handel's Messiah was first performed in 1742. There is also an excavation of the chapel built by the Norse king Sitric dating back to 1028, and a fascinating medieval crypt.
We discovered that there is a reading of James Joyce most days in the Sweny Pharmacy on Lincoln Street which is immortalized in Ulysses, so we went there to meet some very interesting people and to read two stories from Dubliners. The owner of the shop, P. J. Murphy is a cousin of Samuel Beckett. He distributes copies of a chosen book and people, sitting in chairs placed along the walls of the small shop, take turns reading and discussing whatever comes to mind.
The National Library of Ireland has a wonderful free William Butler Yeats exhibit containing original manuscripts and letters to his loves. Yeats had several unrequited loves before he married. Maud Gonne, the first of his loves, was his muse. There is a multimedia exhibit in which his poems are read by various people as the words and evocative pictures are projected on a screen. The poignant poems are about Ireland and love.
We visited The Little Museum of Dublin located in a three story townhouse at 15 St. Stephen's Green. One floor is dedicated to U-2 and Bono memorabilia. I was happy to learn that Bono was awarded, among other things, a Nobel 'Man of Peace' Prize in 2008 for his humanitarian efforts. On the second floor is a touching photo exhibit by Brendan Walsh showing Dublin in the 70's when carriage by container was changing the shipping industry and many people lost their jobs. The first floor is dedicated to an extremely clever history of Brian Boru (who defeated the Vikings and united Ireland at the Battle of Clontar) in cartoon form by Fergal McCarthy. Children are encouraged to make their own cartoons and they are then posted on the walls. The entrance fee is waived if you have a three day hop on hop off bus pass.
Oscar Wilde lived across the street from Merrion Park. There is a delightful statue of him in a rakish pose facing his home. The statue is flanked by two nudes - one a female and the other a male torso which are mounted on columns inscribed with many of his best witty quotations. We learned that Wilde was upset because the park was
locked and available only to rich locals with keys, so he wrote a lovely little children's story, "The Selfish Giant" about a mean giant who wouldn't allow people into his garden. Everything stopped growing there until he learned to share. The park is now open to all. Incidentally, they are currently in the process of building a new playground in the park.
We completed our literary experience of Ireland with an outstanding performance of Wilde's The Ideal Husband at the Gate Theatre (32 euros.) The acting, set and costumes made a perfect dessert to our cultural meal.
Recent ActivityView all Europe activity »
- 1 Puglia or La Langhe
- 2 What to expect over Christmas
- 3 14 days in Greece itinerary ???
- 4 English Countryside
- 5 First time in France
- 6 Manchester Christmas Markets 2016
- 7 Getting from Ljubljana to Plitvice Lakes
- 8 Britain's contactless public transport revolution moves to Oxford
- 9 Are you looking Benefits Webdesign Hull?
- 10 did anyone familiar with p-airbus for airport transportation?
- 11 Italy/Greece with kids
- 12 Our week in Scotland—"againn san t-seachdain ann an Alba"
- 13 Rome
- 14 Europe in the Winter for a week
- 15 Thoughts on an unusual itinerary for Northern Spain please
- 16 Prague hotels
- 17 Need help in travel planning
- 18 The Princess Diaries: My Three Week Odyssey In Poland And Romania
- 19 Munich
- 20 How beautiful is Lisbon compared to other european ciites?
- 21 Northern lights in December
- 22 Booking hotels before trains
- 23 Flights from Croatia
- 24 One month in southern Spain with little ones. Where to stay?
- 25 Best European Cities for Walking Challenged
A Few Days in Cultural Dublin
May 2014
Report Abuse
That is so interesting, thank you for posting. I always have to visit Oscar! I want to go to the Gate Theatre next visit. I did not know about Sweny Pharmacy.
Report Abuse
What a great report - your interests are just what mine would be.
"We discovered that there is a reading of James Joyce most days in the Sweny Pharmacy on Lincoln Street which is immortalized in Ulysses, so we went there to meet some very interesting people and to read two stories from Dubliners." Sounds like fun.
Obviously, you folks did a great deal of research beforehand, eh? Good for you.
May I ask, did you enjoy the Grand Circle tour? Plusses and minuses??? Have you ever done Road Scholar tours or other similar junkets? Just wondering.
Thanks so much for sharing....
Report Abuse
Thanks so much for sharing. Great ideas.
Report Abuse
Hi, LateDay,
The positives of the Grand Circle tour are that it gave us a lot of free time to explore on our own. We usually rent a car and do our own research and itinerary. We have not taken a land tour with Grand Circle in many years, although we have taken several of their river cruises. The negatives are that there are too many optionals which add considerably to the expense of the trip. Depending on your taste, you might like the fact that not too many dinners are included. We enjoy exploring on our own and finding our own restaurants, so this was good for us, but again, it adds to the cost. We have never done Road Scholar. We have traveled with OAT to some places that we could not do on our own, such as an African safari, India, Egypt (before the problems, thank goodness), Machu Picchu Australia and New Zealand. We were actually planning to go to the Ukraine with OAT this spring, but since that was cancelled we chose to go to Ireland with GCT which is the same company.
Report Abuse
PARTYPOET1, thanks for your informative reply - there are pluses and minuses with any form of travel. You folks really get around - many more happy travels. I leave for London in a few hours.
Report Abuse
Terrific way to visit Dublin. We added the Writers Museum and the library at Trinity College there is one of the most equisite we have seen.
Report Abuse
The library at Trinity college was part of our GCT itinerary. It is a magnificent place! Enjoy London, LateDay Traveler!
Sign in to comment.


text:
vw /audi a3/a4 1.8t alternator ''AGU''
Post an ad like this for FREE!
Date Listed 12/10/2016
For Sale By Owner
vw/ audi 1.8 t alternator from a ''AGU'' motor call 0731957017
Gumtree User (More ads from this seller)
User since Mar 2010
Verified Email
407 Published
353 Active
Add to Watchlist
Safety Tips - Your safety is important to us and we believe that you can stay safe. Learn More Report this ad
Randburg, South Africa
You might be interested in these similar ads
Contact for Price
High Quality Parts Delivered Nationwide – Door to DoorVW Golf IV Sharan 1.8T AGU Audi A3 1.8T AGU Fuel Injector OE 06A906031 0280150464Please Call our National Call Centre: +27117946009 | +27835619381 (Also on WhatsApp)We have limited stock. Please call now!Delivery Nationwide – Overnight Express Door to DoorWe also deliver to Namibia | Botswana | Zimbabwe | Mozambique | Zambia | SwazilandAll Prod ...
Contact for Price
High Quality Parts Delivered Nationwide – Door to DoorAudi A3 1.8T AGU 98- TT 1.8T AUM 98-03 Clutch Kit with Flywheel Set FW-417901911Please Call our National Call Centre: +2711 794 6009 | +2783 561 9381 (Also on WhatsApp)We have limited stock. Please call now!Delivery Nationwide – Overnight Express Door to DoorAll Products fully guaranteed.Electrical items have limited guarantee.Online Car Parts ...
Contact for Price
High Quality Alternators and Regulators Bosch Valeo Mitsubishi DensoWe Deliver Nationwide – Door to DoorCall us now! – +27117946009 | +27835619381 (Also WhatsApp)Online Car Parts have the widest range of Alternators and Regulators Bosch Valeo Mitsubishi DensoAlfa Romeo Audi BMW CAM Chana Chevrolet Chery Chrysler CMC Citroen Daewoo Daihatsu Dodge Fiat Foton Ford Golden Journey Gonow Geely GWM Hafei ...
Contact for Price
Best Quality Starters and Alternators Full 12 Month Guarantee - Bosch Valeo Prestolite Caterpillar Mitsubishi Delco Remy Nikko Lucas Leece Neville Nationwide Delivery - Door to DoorCall us now! – +2781 769 1982 or 061 425 6381 (Also WhatsApp)Or Call our National Call Centre on – +27117946009We have the widest range of Starters and Alternators in South Africa. Every Starter and Alternator comes wit ...
Contact for Price
We supply Korean automotive parts country wide. Korean Automotive Parts (PTY) LTD 23 Kajak Street, Lazer Park, Honeydew, Gauteng Contact for price Tel : 071 207 9986 Cell : 011 794 4602 Our prices are highly competitive as we import your parts directly from Korea. We supply parts for Kia, Hyundai, Ssanyong & Chevrolet(Daewoo) We welcome Wholesales Inquiries.... En ...
Ford Ranger V . Load body from 2012 LWB 4x4 . Rubberised rear taillights and fuel cap.R16000.00 Cattle rails for same load body R1500 .00. Complete tow bar with wiring harnes (approved by Ford)R2500.00.. Complete rear bumper .Black R1800
Contact for Price
HYUNDAI/KIA/DAEWOO/SSANGYONG PARTS SPECIALIST210 BRAM FISCHER DRIVE, RANDBURG(NEXT TO SANDTON MEDI-CLINIC, OPPOSITE BP GARAGE-blue building)011-781-2881~3, 076-300-6000(Whatsapp)E-MAIL firstname.lastname@example.com/K2700ACCENT/ATOS/AZERA/COUPE/ELANTRA(J1, J2)/GETZ/H-/i10/i20/i30/iX35/MATRIX/SANTAFE/SONATA/TERRACAN/TRAJET/TUCSONH-100/K2700CARENS/CEED/CERATO/CLARUS/MAGENTIS/OPIRUS/OPTIMA/PICANTO/PREGIO ...


text:
Jul 30, 2014 6:58 PM
BOSTON (AP) - The Boston Red Sox have traded left-hander Felix Doubront to the Chicago Cubs for a player to be named.
The Red Sox announced the deal before Wednesday night's game against Toronto.
The 26-year-old Doubront was 2-4 with a 6.07 ERA in 17 games. He began the season in the rotation and was moved to the bullpen in late June.
(Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
1 day ago


text:
JobsNorth makes job searching easier for people seeking Customer Service, Call Centre jobs in Edinburgh.
You can also increase your chances of finding Customer Service, Call Centre jobs in Edinburgh by using our free CV Matching service as well as the hundreds of jobs from local employers and recruitment agencies.
A new fantastic opportunity has become available working for a global web based organisation in Edinburgh City Centre. As part of an award winning client support team, you will have the opportunity to travel whilst providing administration support to sales teams across Europe. Your key duties will include: Provide training and support to new and existing clients by understanding specific needs or challengesAssist the sales force and build up the client relationsProvide feedback to client to help with their return on investment by providing performance data analysis and industry trends...
You have not attached any documents to your application. Click the 'OK' button below to send your application anyway or click the 'Cancel' button and attach documents before submitting your application again
Job ad toolbox
Open as PDF
Print job
Tip a friend
Jobs from this employer
Digital Graphic Designer
Accounts Assistant
IT Business Development Manager (Public Sector) IT_FPSG
More jobs like this
Team Manager
Welcome to Jobs North. We are the primary online resource for recruitment and jobs in Inverness and surrounding areas. We have a large selection of jobs in the Highland, Moray, Caithness and further afield. Jobs North offers the best services for employers, recruitment agencies and jobseekers searching for Inverness jobs, Highland jobs and Moray jobs.
We cover a wide range of job sectors, including jobs in marketing, office, driving, IT, hotel, cleaning, building and construction, engineering, plus finance and accounting. We also have jobs in sales, research, senior executive positions, social services, housing, education and childcare, health services and many other careers.
Contact the Jobs North Team
Tel: 01463 732261


text:
Let's log you in.
Don't have a StudySoup account? Create one here!
Create a StudySoup account
Be part of our community, it's free to join!
Already have a StudySoup account? Login here
Managing For Quality
Managing For Quality MGMT 4650
Popular in Course
Class Notes
Antonietta Pacocha
verified elite notetaker
Study Guide
Aashika Ashok
verified elite notetaker
Class Notes
KUMIKO Notetaker
verified elite notetaker
Popular in Business, management
This 6 page Class Notes was uploaded by Antonietta Pacocha on Wednesday September 30, 2015. The Class Notes belongs to MGMT 4650 at Western Michigan University taught by Damodar Golhar in Fall. Since its upload, it has received 33 views. For similar materials see /class/216976/mgmt-4650-western-michigan-university in Business, management at Western Michigan University.
Reviews for Managing For Quality
Report this Material
What is Karma?
Karma is the currency of StudySoup.
You can buy or earn more Karma at anytime and redeem it for class notes, study guides, flashcards, and more!
Date Created: 09/30/15
Competition crates quality ocusing on Customer Needs Customer Expectations are increasing Performance Improvement uallty ch A Qcycle Time vamabllwi m r H a a U ie outsourced i i Changing workforce ECommerce Consumer Reports Role of Quality Control Dept is changing What is Quality7 0 Deming Apredictable degree of uniformity o Crosby Confonnrty to specifications 0 Juran Fitness foruse 39 New De nitions l lleetuig oi e pectauuii tcu tuiiiei changing 2 Delighting the customer iBranding lssue Critical Elements of Quality Management 0 Leadership Customer Focus Continuous improvement Employeelnvolvement Who is a Customer 0 Anyone who depends on the goodsservices the company provides 39 lntemal Customer win the boundanes of the organization divisions 39 External Customer end users consumers wholesalers retailers suppliers i DEMING s 14 POINTS n H H r ii Hi im in business and provide Jobs Adopt a new philosophy Mgmt must learn that it is a new economic age and awaken to the challenge learn their responsibilities and take on leadership for change at i i v i n u o 000 r i i 1 Stop awarding contracts on the basis of low bids T and orevei f i my r 9 plain and productivity and this consLantly reduce costs l SlJtUtelTai i on the Job institute leadership The purpose of leadership should be to help people and technology work better Drive out fear so that everyone may work e ectivel Break down barriers bw depts so that people can work as a team Eliminate lovan exhortations and tar et iui the uikiui w W E imrnate quobas and mgmt by objectives Substitute eadership Remove barriers that rob employees of theirpnde of workmanship institute a vigorous program of education and selfimprovement Make the transformation everyone s Job and put everyone to work on it t DEMING s 7DEADLY DISEASES O y i ooooooooo p ha eamarket ufficient business and provide Jobs quot l i l P l i Ui dii eiib teat ui frorhbankers and shareholders to produce dividends o monalreview mm ii 1 ieouice to f mentmtin H nfthedisease o Jobhoppingbymanagers 0 quotmg nl f inotknown orcannotbeknown o Excessivemedicalcosts 0 Excessive costs of liability driven up by lawyers that work on contingency fees J39URAN s 10 STEPS TO QUALITY IMPROVEMENT Build awareness of both the need for 39 Set goals for improvement Organize to meet the goals that have been set Provide training Implement projects aimed at solving problems Report progress Give recognition Communicate results Keep score 0 Maintain momentum by building improvement into the company s regular systems CROSBY s l4 STEPS TO QUALITY IMPROVEMENT 7 Quality is FREE Make it clear that mgmt is committed to quality for the long term Form crossdepartmental quality teams Identify where the current and potential problems exist Assess the cost of quality and explain how it is used as a management tool Take immediate action to correct problems identified Establish a Zero defects program Train supervisors to carry out their responsibilities in the quality program Hold a Zero Defects Day to ensure all employees are aware there is a new direction Encourage individuals and teams to establish both personal and team improvement goals Encourage employees to tell management about obstacles they face in trying to meet quality goals Recognize employees who participate Implement quality councils to promote continual communication Repeat everything to illustrate the quality improvement is a neverending process r 11 r OOOOOOOOO O OOOOOOOOOOOO Standing in Marketplace 7 How you compete amongst the rest Quality Culture win the Organization Operational Policies amp Procedures Cost of Poor Quality Internal and External Failure Developing Long Term Strategies 0 Internal Failure Costs Defective Product caught in production before shipped t customer scrapped cost reinspect cost of rework lower pricedowngrade cost External Failure Costs Customer received product and found defective I Cost incurred Warranty Customer Dissatisfaction Lawsuits o Appraisal Cost Inspection of Working raw goods finished production costs maintaining equipment costs 0 Prevention Costs Planning for quality training cost supplier evaluation Visible Cost 7 Reprocessing Rejects Customer Returns etc Hidden Costs 7 Lost Sales Delays Damaged Goods etc Top Management always understands figures in 39 figures as opposed to figures 0 Customers given opportunity to evaluate product vs competition 0 Constantly do market studies Customers define quality Organizational Culture Win Company Ask employees how they perceive quality win the company use focus groups Assessing Current Activities are being practiced to improve Quality ASK EMPLOYEES ISO 9000 Certified Europe 460 countries have ISO standards 50000 US Companies 600000 Worldwide 0 Say What you do Do What you say Document Everything 922 New Standard ISO 9000 vs Old one ISO 2000 o W Customer Satisfaction analyzed Continuous improvement in whole process Customer Satisfaction Resource MGMT HR is req to document training and effectiveness of it Adequate Comm System in place MGMT has to be responsible for quality Difficulties encountered w ISO 9000 in Spain I Compliance w customer satisfaction Interpretation was left to companies vs Auditors discrepancy Top MGMT is implementing changes but employees aren t following Only customer complaints are used as customer satisfaction s Info collected only stays w Quality MGMT amp not being heard by the employees No increase in financial gains Lots of falsifying training time to auditors O 0 Companies collect data but don t act on it Crosby I Prevention Costs Appraisal Costs Failure Costs I If on make every product right the rst time you will cut down cost of manufacturing and improve quality 0 Continuous Incremental Improvement Gilmore In the long run quality of serviceproduct goes up cost goes down Customer Satisfaction Goes Up Employee Involvement Goes Up 0 Rule of Thumb External Internal Failure CostsZ Appraisal Costs Prevention Costs 0 Managing for Quality in the US and in Japan Flynn o l Nationality has nothing to do w quality Quality Culture 2 Top MGMT has to be behind culture provide training to employees 0 Implementation of SPC 7 US lack of mathematical skills 0 1 Quality teams implemented 2 Getting CrossFunctional Teams 3 Employees come together to solve problems 0 Sharing of information w individuals doing the work 0 1 Cut down inventory 2 Have a better buyersupplier relationship QUALITY IMPROVEMENT Continuous Improvement 7 Kaizen Sporadic Problem comes and goes VS Chronic Problem w system forever W39hen we are part of the system chronic we don t realize the problem SPORADIC lAre obvious or dramatic amp very visible 2Need immediate attentionaddressed right away 3Payoffs are marginal if you solve the problem 4Obj ectivity is to restore status quo 5 Like putting out a re 7 Prevention 61520 of all problems 7An individual or team can solve problems 8 You use control charts to monitor activity CHRONIC lOccur over a long period oftime therefore not dramatic 2Canbe ignored for the time being 3Ifsolved the payoffs are tremendous 4Change statusquo 5Elimination of the problem 68085 of all problems 7Need crossfunctional teams amp a strategy to solve them longterm 8PDAC cycle amp 6 Sigma 9Project by project approach 0 Steps 0 1 Verify Project Needs amp Problems 2 Identify Root Causes of the Problem 0 Fish Bone Diagram Material an a Metbmd Ma me uses Find a solution 0 6 SIGMA APPROACH 5 Phases of6 Sigma DMAIC steps 1 1 De ne the project Higher PPI better the project for improvement pp Probability of Succes savings 4 ufyears to implement Cost 2 Measure the performance of the current system Baseline Performance DPMO Defects per million opportunities rotal afgefec trsr r 7 total of uppur tunites to produce defects 3 Analyze nding root cause of problem There are diff types of errors conscious subconscious technique com 4 Improve Conduct formal experiment if necessary to focus on the most important process variables an determine the process settings to optimize product results 5 Control Measures the new process capability documents the improved process and institutes controls to maintain the gain 2 Example of 6 Sigma I DEFINE Survey of 100 Customers found Complaint Related 17 Service 5 Account 3 Wait Time 25 DPMO X 10A5 I MEASURE 7 mm a E x1moaasoo 3x100 I ANALYZE Causes Customer Service 0 Wages are low amp low morale Lack ofTraining Account Enor 0 Computers are outdated Poor overhead lighting Wait Time Few tellers during peak time 2575 lcwem 5 sigma level I LMIPROVEr 1 Provide Training 2 Increase Wages 3 change Computers4 Imprch Lighting 5 Add more telleis during peak time w Afterwards Check w anothei Survcy mu 1 i Example Watcrbot c Company oz Level m Lau EvSausunlm um usLMeisi unuuuuuv P 39 quot 4Kee I 6Workwthc n i W opposition Quid Pro Quo 4 6Sigma Performance is correlated whigh set goals 4Dif typcsofproposi ons Training is impoitaut to sueeess Ifyou don t have target set impiovements llout Rcvmrd Recognition is vital TrialByFirc Tiausfomiatiou Globe Metallurgical 1 Problems Union deeisious made from top equipment outdated 39 39 Millionby1995 Cut salaried work force by 13 Computedzed furnaces a saves additional 3 Million Trained employees on ual39 shaiihg Information Guaranteed Full Employment Gainshan39 39 39 ng opportunl es Let go ofmarkcting him allowedto get closer to the customers TQM DOES WORK 1 Har eeds to be NOT top downrNccd frombottomup s Man s arm tbcing evaluated on Quality No ielatiouship w supp ieis PUBLIC SECTOR 1 Problems ofcmployccs went down ofvchiclcs weutu Budget was going to be out by 3 em found unmt Philosophy Ifit ain t luoke don t x it i Actions taken from survey Instituted preventach maintenance piogiam I Quality Planning 2 Why Assumptions are Flawed I C omplete customer satisfaction is key to developing customer loyalty Established priority list of vehicles Brought in more employees to counter other agencies customer complaints about low priority Competitive Benchm arking Benchmark is a point of reference by which performance is judged or measured 0 Strategic plans are developed and then prepared to develop or adapt the best practices 0 Process 0 Product I WHY SATISFIED CUSTOMERS DEFECT l 3 Beliefs applies to subjects such as products customer services and internal processes Identify the benchmark subjects Identify the benchmark partners Determine the data collection method and collect the data Determine the competitive gap Project the future performance of the industry and out company Communicate the results Establish functional goals Develop action plans Implement plans and monitor the results Recalibrate the benchmarks time and cost to make perform the productservice As long as customers are satisfied we are ok 7 total satisfaction not needed Won t provide financial gain Pay more attention to dissatisfied customers vs satisfied Only sure way to achieve is by providing outstanding value Loyalty is in correlation w custom er satisfaction Poor service may not be a result of service satisfaction it could be that the wrong customers are using the productservice Entire process may be incorrect 3 Different Satisfaction Levels Require Different Approaches DO NOT RELY ONLY ON CUSTOMER SATISFACTION SURVEYS Use Market Research interview customers time of arrival amp departure Frontline Personnel train employees how to interact with customers Feedback customer comment cards Strategic Activities invite customers into the hiring process CustomerSatisfaction Indices survey customers about level of satisfaction they tend to quantitative which makes this a useful tool for comparing results from different time periods locations e c 4 LOYALTY If you ask a customer if they will buy the product 50 will buy Intent to Repurchase Primary Behavior 5 categories that show actual repurchasing behavior recency frequency amount retention and longevity Secondary Behavior Customer referrals endorsements and spreading the word are extremely important forms of consumer behavior for a company Frequently it is easier for a customer to respond honestly to a question about whether he or she intended to repurchase the product or service Such indications of loyalty are often ignored bc hey are soft measures of behavior However since secondary behavior significantly leverages positive experiences it is very important to understand what type of experiences create such behav1o 139 5 TQM s Challenge to Management Theory and Practice TQM Difference Intellectual Origins 7 statistics oriented psychology Sources of Innovation 7 RampD Business schools Engineers National Origins 7 US then to Japan then back to the US Dissemination Process 7 hierarchy topdown process SPC to TQM Role of Mgmt 7 they become more of a coach than a manager Effects of Integration 7 activities working together Challenge to Management Theory Organizational Goals 0 Profit Maximization maximization of shareholder wealth 0 Firms primary objective is providing customer satisfaction o TQM doesn t reject the firm should be the pursuit of profit maximization but views it as long term profitability I 8 CRITICAL DIMENSIONS OF QUALITY l 9 Performance product s primary operating characteristics ie Auto Company handling acceleration Brands can usually be ranked objectively on individual aspects of performance Features often a secondary dimension of performance They are the bells and Whistles of products and services those that supplement their basic functionin Reliability re ects the profitability of a product malfunctioning or failing win a specific field of time Bc it requires that a product to be used for a specified period of time it is more relevant to durable goods than to services or products consumed instantly Reliability becomes more important to consumers as downtime and maintenance become more expensive Conformance the degree to which a product s design and operating characteristics meet established standards All products and services involve specifications of some sort Durability a measure of product life durability has both economic and technical dimensions Amount of use one gets from a product before it deteriorates An increase in product life may not be a result of technical improvements or the use of longerlived materials Rather the underlying economic environment simply may have changed Serviceability speed courtesy competence and ease of repair Consumers are concerned not only about a product breaking down but also about the time before service is restored timeliness of service appts are kept Customers may remain dissatisfied even after completion of repairs How these complaints are handled is important to a company s reputation for quality and service Aesthetics how a product looks sounds tastes or smells is clearly a matter of personal judgment and re ection of individual preference Aesthetic choices are not nearly universal Companies have to search for a niche On this dimension it is impossible to please everyone Perceived Quality consumers don7t always have complete information about a product or service s attributes indirect measures may be their only basis for comparing brands For instance durability can seldom be observed directly Images brand names advertising are critical Reputation in the primary stuff of perceived quality
Buy Material
Are you sure you want to buy this material for
25 Karma
BOOM! Enjoy Your Free Notes!
We've added these Notes to your profile, click here to view them now.
You're already Subscribed!
Looks like you've already subscribed to StudySoup, you won't need to purchase another subscription to get this material. To access this material simply click 'View Full Document'
Why people love StudySoup
"I was shooting for a perfect 4.0 GPA this semester. Having StudySoup as a study aid was critical to helping me achieve my goal...and I nailed it!"
"I made $350 in just two days after posting my first study guide."
"Knowing I can count on the Elite Notetaker in my class allows me to focus on what the professor is saying instead of just scribbling notes the whole time and falling behind."
"It's a great way for students to improve their educational experience and it seemed like a product that everybody wants, so all the people participating are winning."
Refund Policy
All subscriptions to StudySoup are paid in full at the time of subscribing. To change your credit card information or to cancel your subscription, go to "Edit Settings". All credit card information will be available there. If you should decide to cancel your subscription, it will continue to be valid until the next payment period, as all payments for the current period were made in advance. For special circumstances, please email email@example.com
StudySoup has more than 1 million course-specific study resources to help students study smarter. If you're having trouble finding what you're looking for, our customer support team can help you find what you need! Feel free to contact them here: email@example.com
Recurring Subscriptions: If you have canceled your recurring subscription on the day of renewal and have not downloaded any documents, you may request a refund by submitting an email to email@example.com
Satisfaction Guarantee: If you're not satisfied with your subscription, you can contact us for further help. Contact must be made within 3 business days of your subscription purchase and your refund request will be subject for review.
Please Note: Refunds can never be provided more than 30 days after the initial purchase date regardless of your activity on the site.


text:
Click Here To Watch Carl and Veja Posted in Uncategorized Teen Se Reality Andrejka and Carl Teen Se Reality Andrejka and Carl are caught on cam.asics volleyball shoes indonesia murah For many years I have specialised in advising family or privately owned and managed businesses, from the small to the very large. Carla Martin, who is co founder of Truth Seekers for India Kager, believes comprehensive changes to law enforcement practices are needed.
Fleet Tracking st News Hallberg Rassy 46' BELLE – Available to see, touch and write a cheque for – and you can also read the book. Whenever you try to interact with others, do so from their point of view and you'll see far much better outcomes.gel-kinsei 4 da asics colorido 2016 In the last 15 years Tim has been completely dedicated to the school of Shadow Yoga, as founded by Zhander Remete.asics purple sneakers 76
READ MORE Building Your Community Build your social media community across multiple channels is time consuming but necessary if your business. James Fagan finds nursery rhymes, alchemy and transformation powering the heart of the Bluecoat's Art of the Lived Experiment exhibition. She first studied pilates in the early 70s when it was introduced to England by Alan Herdman at the London School Of Contemporary Dance.
Subscribe Shopping Personal Account Sign in to My Account Delivery Returns Site Map Other Services Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy How we use cookies Buyers Guides Blogs Articles Go to Mirror.asics running shoes online canada weed We collect biographical information on each girl and there is also a description of what happened at each and every series as well, so you get to know the girls a bit better as well as being able to follow the pictures' story line. A couple of hot blonde MILFs that are excited to go down on each other's pussies, in a very enticing lady on lady action.


text:
AJN in November: Skin Tears, Veteran Women's Mental Health, Supporting Family Caregivers, More
The November issue of AJN is now live. Here are some articles we'd like to bring to your attention.
CE Feature: "Preventing, Assessing, and Managing Skin Tears: A Clinical Review"
Although skin tears are common, particularly among older adults and neonates, they are often inadequately documented and poorly managed, resulting in complications, extended hospital stays, and negative patient outcomes. In this article, the first in a series on wound care in collaboration with the World Council of Enterostomal Therapists, the authors describe the complications that developed in an elderly patient whose skin tear was improperly dressed and discuss best practices for preventing, assessing, documenting, and managing skin tears.
CE Feature: "Veteran Women: Mental Health–Related Consequences of Military Service"
The last two decades have seen increasing numbers of women entering all branches of the U.S. armed forces. Many are exposed to traumatic events that place them at higher risk for mental health conditions. It's essential for all nurses to be knowledgeable about the mental health issues commonly seen in this population. The author of this article reviews research confirming that both active-duty and veteran women are at increased risk for postdeployment mental health problems, including posttraumatic stress disorder, military sexual trauma, and suicide—and also addresses the nursing practice implications, including screening.
Supporting Family Caregivers: "Managing Complex Medication Regimens"
This first installment in a series published in collaboration with the AARP Foundation offers an overview of how nurses can provide medication management education to family caregivers of older adults.


text:
Lufthansa German Airlines
6450 Old Airport Way, Fairbanks, AK 99709
(907) 474-8144
Compliment this business
Street address:
6450 Old Airport Way
City / suburb:
Fairbanks North Star
ZIP code:
(907) 474-8144
Contact name:
Wolfgang Kobitz
Contact title:
GPS Longitude:
GPS Latitude:
Places nearby
0 miles away
Passenger Car Rental
0 miles away
Air Transportation, Scheduled
General information
- Transportation, Communications, Electric, Gas, And Transportation By Air Air Transportation, Scheduled
Business data
|Standard industrial classification code:
|Estimated number of employees:
|Annual sales estimate:
|City / suburb:
|Fairbanks, AK
|Fairbanks North Star
Not quite what you're looking for? See recommended web results
Is this your business? Claim this profile to get thousands of free views!
QR code with Lufthansa German Airlines contacts
Install a QR code reading app on your smartphone to scan and convert it to Lufthansa German Airlines contact information.
There are no reviews on Lufthansa German Airlines yet.
Be the first to write a review about your experience with the company.
Be the first to write a review about your experience with the company.
More details about Lufthansa German Airlines
According to our records, this business is located at 6450 Old Airport Way in Fairbanks (in Fairbanks North Star County), Alaska 99709, the location GPS coordinates are: 64.8204782 (latitude), -147.8652347 (longitude). Lufthansa German Airlines is categorized under Air Transportation, Scheduled (SIC code 4512). Known organization manager is Wolfgang Kobitz. Current estimates show that the unit has a sales volume of $644,000 and staff of approximately 2 people. You can contact the company by phone at (907) 474-8144.
Not satisfied? Select a reason•Rate this page•Send feedback
Or try our search form or quick navigation by category and location
Recommended categories in Fairbanks, AK
Similar companies
Alaska Airlines Inc
1741 Ahkovak, North Slope, AK
Air Transportation, Scheduled
Air Transportation, Scheduled
Bay Air
Bea Ave # 9, Dillingham, AK
Air Transportation, Scheduled
Air Transportation, Scheduled
Cargolux Airlines
6450 Airport Way # 19, Fairbanks North Star, AK
Air Transportation, Scheduled
Air Transportation, Scheduled
Also viewed
Deitra L Ennis Law Offices
880 H St # 200, Anchorage, AK
Legal Services
Legal Services
Webster's Outdoor Adventures
Sterling Hwy, Kenai Peninsula, AK
Amusement And Recreation, Nec
Amusement And Recreation, Nec
5541 Windflower Cir, Anchorage, AK
Health And Allied Services, Nec
Health And Allied Services, Nec
Rio Olympics might be a mess, but Tokyo 2020 has some cool high-tech plans
Driverless taxis for athletes and holograms for info.
Thu, Jul 07 2016
Clinton takes big step toward easing tensions with Sanders
With new college affordability plan, the presumptive Democratic nominee won praise from rival.
Thu, Jul 07 2016
US urges aerial spraying amid jump in Puerto Rico Zika cases
The U.S. territory is debating whether to fumigate with the insecticide Naled.
Wed, Jul 06 2016


text:
Non-display of tax and insurance
Published 09/10/2012 | 12:40
A WOMAN who drove a car which had no insurance or tax discs displayed has been fined €75 at Balbriggan District Court.
Published 09/10/2012 | 12:40
A WOMAN who drove a car which had no insurance or tax discs displayed has been fined €75 at Balbriggan District Court.
A near €10 million contract has been signed to clear the way for the construction of a new sewerage scheme in Rush that will finally bring to an end the hugely controversial flow of untreated wastewater off the shore at the north Fingal town.
The zoning of land at Lissenhall for up to 7,000 new housing units, allowing Swords to expand northwards, is crucial for the delivery of Metro North, according to a county planner.
John Manning The future development of lands at Lissenhall to begin the expansion of Swords northward to becoming a town of some '80,000 people and beyond', according to the council chief executive, has been an issue in constant debate in meetings to consider the Fingal County Development Plan with a number of councillors arguing that the lands will not...
The Department of Education has approved for tender,... News
The process is underway to acquire permanent sites... News
A new seven-foot high memorial has been unveiled in Lusk to commemorate the Fingal... News
Perhaps the most eye-catching project in the new capital... News
Fingal County Council has laid out an ambitions €324 million capital spending programme over the next three years, preparing to fund 186... News
A Balbriggan barber who was caught growing €16,000 worth of cannabis plants at his... News
A member of the Skerries Coast Guard has been honoured for his long service. News
Fingal County Council is close to acquiring 46 acres at the national monument site at Drumanagh in Loughshinny at a price tag of... News
A series of events are to be hosted in Fingal as party of Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing Week. News
The giant Mitsubishi Corporation is interested in... News


text: Perfect location for visiting Zion and a clean an enjoyable stay, we loved it! Shared Villa2 with another couple during our early October 2016 Zion adventure and were both very comfortable with the arrangement. Be sure to visit the Spotted Dog Cafe just across the street, the breakfast was wonderful! Zion is spectacular and returning each evening to our Villa... More


text:
The viscoelastic properties of human ligament potentially guard against structural failure, yet the microstructural origins of these transient behaviors are unknown. Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are widely suspected to affect ligament viscoelasticity by forming molecular bridges between neighboring collagen fibrils. This study investigated whether GAGs directly affect viscoelastic material behavior in human medial collateral ligament (MCL) by using nondestructive tensile tests before and after degradation of GAGs with chondroitinase ABC (ChABC). Control and ChABC treatment (83% GAG removal) produced similar alterations to ligament viscoelasticity. This finding was consistent at different levels of collagen fiber stretch and tissue hydration. On average, stress relaxation increased after incubation by 2.2% (control) and 2.1% (ChABC), dynamic modulus increased after incubation by 3.6% (control) and 3.8% (ChABC), and phase shift increased after incubation by 8.5% (control) and 8.4% (ChABC). The changes in viscoelastic behavior after treatment were significantly more pronounced at lower clamp-to-clamp strain levels. A 10% difference in the water content of tested specimens had minor influence on ligament viscoelastic properties. The major finding of this study is that mechanical interactions between collagen fibrils and GAGs are unrelated to tissue-level viscoelastic mechanics in mature human MCL. These findings narrow the possible number of extracellular matrix molecules that have a direct contribution to ligament viscoelasticity.
- decorin
- dermatan sulfate
- material properties
- tendon
- polyethylene glycol
when ligament is deformed, temporal molecular realignments induce viscoelastic behaviors. For instance, ligament stiffness will increase at greater strain rates (3, 37) and ligament stresses will dissipate during cyclic loading (36). These well-defined transient behaviors may preserve the structural integrity of ligament by braking excessive joint loads and inhibiting fatigue failure (62). Although functionally significant, the microstructural genesis of ligament's time-dependent behavior is unknown. The identification of molecular interactions that specifically influence tissue-scale viscoelasticity could improve the innovation and evaluation of ligament treatment modalities (e.g., tissue engineering, drug therapy).
The origins of ligament viscoelastic behavior are certainly related to its organization and composition. Ligament can be described as a hydrated (∼70% water) fiber-reinforced matrix, in which collagen fibers provide structural integrity to the ground substance matrix. Collagen fibers are formed by arrays of fibrils that in turn are composed of aggregating tropocollagen monomers. These tropocollagen units are tightly wound type I collagen helices, which represent 70% of ligament's solid-phase weight (2). The remaining constituents include other collagens (III, V, X, XII, and XIV), extracellular matrix proteins, and proteoglycans. General theories on the viscoelastic origin in ligament and tendon include inherent viscoelasticity of the collagen fibers (34, 40, 48), interaction of collagen fibers with the extracellular constituents (51), and fluid movement through the solid phase (27, 60). One specific theory that has received considerable attention concerns the interaction between collagen fibrils and sulfated glycosaminoglycans (sGAGs) (9, 11, 40, 44).
sGAGs are negatively charged polysaccharide macromolecules that covalently attach to proteoglycan core proteins. The sGAGs in ligament include dermatan sulfate, chondroitin sulfate (A and C), and keratin sulfate. Dermatan and chondroitin sulfate make up the majority of all sGAGs in ligament and are the exclusive sGAG chains of the interfibrillar proteoglycans biglycan and decorin. Biglycan attaches to collagen fibrils through its sGAG chains (38), while decorin, which represents ∼90% of all ligament proteoglycans (22), attaches to collagen fibrils through the regular binding of its core protein on D-period sites (53). The sGAG chains of biglycan and decorin span fibrils (42, 53) and are preferentially distributed orthogonal to the fibril direction (19). Since sGAGs have been shown to self-associate (28), interactions between sGAGs on neighboring fibrils have the capacity to influence the fibril sliding that is attributed with tensile stretch (40). Although interfibrillar sGAGs are unlikely to influence quasi-static ligament mechanics (31), sGAGs may still resist transient tensile loads (9, 49). Furthermore, sGAGs are highly negatively charged and through collagen fibril interactions create a fixed charge density that influences tissue hydration (26), and potentially viscoelastic behavior (8, 56).
Experimental and theoretical studies have investigated the viscoelastic mechanical influence of sGAGs during tensile deformation. Research by Robinson et al. (47) and Elliott et al. (11) found that, relative to adult wild-type mice, the tensile behavior of tendon tail fascicles in decorin-deficient mice had reduced strain rate sensitivity and faster stress relaxation. These results indicate that sGAGs may be strongly associated with tensile viscoelastic properties in tendon. Furthermore, degradation of sGAGs significantly altered tensile viscoelastic properties in lung parenchymal strips (1) and in bovine cartilage (49). No studies have directly measured the influence of sGAGs in ligament, but theoretical studies did successfully predict viscoelastic behavior of tendon by accounting for sGAG-fibril interactions (9, 40).
Collectively, the previous studies have identified sGAGs as macromolecules likely connected to viscoelastic tensile properties in ligament. Yet the mechanical alterations observed in decorin-deficient mice (11, 47) were not specific to sGAGs, and experimental results in parenchymal lung and cartilage tissue may not translate to ligament, where sGAGs are more sparsely distributed (2, 57). Therefore, the aim of this study was to specifically determine whether interfibrillar sGAGs influence the viscoelastic material behavior of ligament under tension. To meet this objective, it was necessary to control for tissue hydration and collagen fiber stretch, which independently impact ligament mechanics (8, 37, 56).
Summary of experimental design.
The medial collateral ligament (MCL) of the human knee was chosen as a model ligament because of a distribution of sGAGs comparable to other knee ligaments (2) and our well-established experimental protocol for mechanical characterization (3, 41). Samples extracted from cadaveric MCLs were subjected to tensile loading along the fiber direction on a material testing system. This configuration best represents the principal loading orientation in ligament (33). After tensile testing was completed, samples were removed from the material testing system and incubated in either a control or chondroitinase ABC (ChABC) treatment. ChABC degrades chondroitin sulfate (types A and C, or chondroitin-4-sulfate and chondroitin-6-sulfate) and dermatan sulfate without affecting other proteoglycan macromolecules (17, 63) and has been reported to remove at least 88% of interfibrillar sGAGs (31). Mechanical testing was then repeated on each specimen to determine the treatment effect. To measure whether this treatment effect was influenced by testing parameters, strain level and buffer solution were varied to make eight groups, with n = 5 samples in each group, for a total of 40 samples.
Viscoelastic testing.
Eleven unpaired human MCLs were used for this experiment [donor age = 54 yr (SD 10)]. Six MCLs were used for viscoelastic testing at a 4% strain level, and five MCLs were used for viscoelastic testing at a 6% strain level. Knees were acquired fresh-frozen and were allowed 16 h to thaw before dissection. Knees with ligament lacerations, surgical scars, or cartilage wear characteristic of osteoarthritis were eliminated. During dissection, the tissue was kept moist by application of a physiological 0.9% saline buffer solution through a nozzle. A hardened steel punch was used to extract four tensile samples from different locations in each superficial MCL between the tibial and femoral insertions (Fig. 1A) (41). Two strips of tissue immediately adjacent to the punched tensile sample were retained to monitor tissue hydration in an unloaded state (Fig. 1B). The punch shape included beveled ends for gripping and was oriented so that its long axis was aligned with visible fiber bundles. Two black optical markers were adhered with cyanoacrylate to the narrow central third of the tensile samples. Samples were loaded in the clamping assembly (31, 32), and width and thickness dimensions were determined by taking an average of three measurements with digital calipers (Mitutoyo, San Jose, CA; accuracy ±0.02 mm). Mechanical testing was performed in a custom-built testing chamber that interfaced with a heating recirculator (PolyScience, Niles, IL; accuracy ±0.2°C) to maintain a solution temperature of 37°C (18, 36).
The testing protocol consisted of preconditioning followed by a recovery period and then dynamic loading (Fig. 2). To establish a consistent reference position for all samples, a 0.1-N preload was applied (Sensotec, Columbus, OH; max range 29 N, accuracy ±0.03 N). At this reference position, clamp-to-clamp specimen length was determined by averaging three measurements taken with an inside caliper (Mitutoyo; accuracy ±0.02 mm). To precondition the samples, the tissue was lengthened by 8% at a strain rate of 1%/s and held for 5 min before being returned to its reference position. Next, a triangular displacement profile stretched the tissue by 8% for 10 cycles at a strain rate of 1%/s. The 8% strain amplitude was selected to exceed the highest strain level experienced during the testing protocol (55), while not damaging the tissue (31, 39). Since sGAGs should not influence quasi-static ligament mechanics (31), peak stresses during the final pre- and posttreatment preconditioning cycles were compared to verify that the extended test procedure did not cause unexpected damage to the tissue (Fig. 2).
After preconditioning, samples were returned to their reference length and allowed 10 min to recover. Specimens were then ramped at 1%/s to a prescribed strain level of 4% or 6% clamp-to-clamp strain and allowed to stress-relax for 10 min (Fig. 2). At a 4% strain level, the stress-strain response is still in the toe region (31) and the collagen fibers are not completely uncrimped (4). At a 6% strain, the stress-strain response is in the linear region and the collagen fibers are collectively straightened (4, 15). Testing these two strain levels permitted the assessment of sGAGs at different states of collagen and ground substance contribution. After stress relaxation, sinusoidal displacement waves were applied for 10 cycles at each frequency (0.1, 1, 5, 10, and 15 Hz) to an amplitude of 0.125% clamp-to-clamp strain (Fig. 2). The 15-Hz sinusoidal oscillation corresponds to a maximum strain rate of ∼12%/s. The tissue strain [roughly 50% of the clamp-to-clamp strain (31)] was measured with a validated optical tracking system (29). This system recorded at 30 Hz; therefore the tissue strain during 0.1-Hz oscillations was used to predict the tissue strain for all sinusoidal frequencies (3). There was an average drop of 0.6% (SD 0.4) in the equilibrium stress level between the start and completion of the entire set of oscillations. This small drop verified that 10 min of stress relaxation was sufficient for equilibrium to be reached.
After completion of the test protocol, each sample was removed from the material testing system while still mounted in the clamps. The entire specimen and clamp assembly was bathed for 1 h at room temperature in the buffer solution (detailed below) with protease inhibitors (1 tablet of mini-Complete per 10 ml of buffer). This was followed by 6 h of incubation in the buffer solution with or without ChABC treatment (1.0 IU/ml, Sigma-Aldrich, Buchs, Switzerland). The specimen was unloaded during the entire incubation phase. After incubation, the clamp assembly was reattached to the material testing system and returned to the original testing position. Mechanical tests were then repeated with parameters identical to the pretreatment mechanical tests. The spatial reproducibility of the clamping assembly and treatment protocol are described to greater detail in our previous publication (31).
Tissue swelling.
To control tissue swelling, two testing solutions were used throughout the experiment. One solution consisted of a physiological buffer mixture (15 ml of 20 mM Tris pH 7.5, 150 mM NaCl, 5 mM CaCl2) and was designated the standard buffer. A second solution was this buffer plus 7.5% polyethylene glycol (PEG, 10 kDa; Fluka, Buchs, Switzerland) and was designated the PEG buffer. Solutions containing PEG and sodium chloride have been used to control swelling in metabolically inactive tissue (7, 10, 21, 45), and this concentration has been shown to maintain wet weight in ligament during prolonged immersion (32). Samples were equilibrated in their respective buffer solutions for at least 2 h before pretreatment mechanical tests. All mechanical tests and incubations were performed in their respective buffer solutions.
Multiple techniques were employed to quantify tissue swelling during the course of the experiment. Adjacent to each tensile sample, two strips were harvested to monitor tissue hydration (Fig. 1B). One strip was weighed and immediately frozen to serve as the time 0 control for water content. The second strip shadowed the testing protocol of the mechanically tested specimen in an unloaded state. For example, this sample was immersed in solution from the testing chamber during mechanical tests and was included in the same incubation compartment as the mechanically tested sample. It was therefore possible to assess whether the wet weight of the tissue had been altered during mechanical testing and incubation. After the posttreatment mechanical tests, tensile samples were excised from the clamps. Tensile samples and their adjacent strips were then weighed, rinsed, frozen, and lyophilized. Water content was calculated from the ratio of dry weight to final wet weight (APX-60, Denver Instruments, Denver; readability ±0.1 mg).
Verification of sGAG removal.
The efficacy of the ChABC treatment was determined by using dimethylmethylene blue assays to measure the concentration of sGAGs in papain-digested samples before and after retreatment with ChABC (1, 31). The percentage of degraded sGAGs in ChABC-incubated samples was estimated by subtracting the amount of sGAGs (μg sGAG/mg dry wt) in the papain-digested sample from the sGAGs in the same sample after additional ChABC treatment. This value, which represents the amount of sGAGs undigested during incubation, was normalized to the native sGAG concentration. Native sGAG estimates were calculated by averaging the amount of sGAGs in all the time 0 control specimens. Since ChABC does not degrade keratin or heparin sulfate, this native sGAG estimate was first reduced by the amount of sGAGs in the time 0 control after ChABC treatment. An approximation of the efficacy of ChABC could thus be attained, along with the percentage of sGAGs that could not be degraded by ChABC.
Data reduction and statistical analysis.
To generate stress-strain curves, the first Piola-Kirchhoff stress was determined with tissue strain data from the optical tracking system [(l − lo)/lo, where l is the current length and lo is the reference length] (29). The stress-time curves from the stress relaxation tests were normalized by the peak stress to obtain reduced relaxation curves (13). The cyclic strain-time and stress-time data from the final four cycles of each frequency were fit to a four-parameter sine function in Matlab: (1) Here, y and t represent the strain (or stress) and time data, respectively, y0 represents the equilibrium strain (or stress) level, and A denotes the amplitude of the sine wave; φ represents the phase, and b denotes the inverse of the frequency (1/Hz). The data (y,t) from the final four cycles were used to fit the four unknown parameters [average r2 = 0.998 (SD 0.002)]. Substituting data (y,t) from the final two cycles did not significantly alter the parameter values (data not shown). Dynamic modulus M (MPa) and phase shift φ (radians) were calculated for all frequencies: (2) Aσ and Aε denote amplitudes of the cyclic stress-time and strain-time data, respectively, while φσ and φε denote the corresponding phase angles (12).
Statistical analysis was performed in several parts. First, the effect of incubation on each of the eight groups' material properties was assessed by using paired t-tests with data taken at two time points (pre- and posttreatment, sample size of 5 for each group). Second, the overall effects of treatment, buffer solution, and strain level on mechanical properties were assessed with analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), by controlling for pretreatment results. This analysis included data from all 8 groups; therefore the total sample size for each comparison (e.g., ChABC vs. control) was 40. All pairwise comparisons were made with Bonferroni adjustments. The effect of frequency on dynamic modulus and phase shift was evaluated with repeated-measures ANOVA (within-subject factors: frequency and time). Finally, biochemistry results were determined by using independent t-tests to measure treatment effect on sGAG content. A priori, the sample size was selected to detect with 80% confidence (Power = 0.80) a 10% change in mechanical properties due to treatment and a 20% change in mechanical properties due to other independent variables. A posteriori, confidence intervals were used for equivalence testing (50). Significance was set to P ≤ 0.05, and all results are reported with standard deviation unless otherwise noted.
Reduced relaxation data.
The reduced relaxation curves were unaffected by incubation for all combinations of treatments, buffer solutions, and strain levels (Fig. 3, Table 1). The percent relaxation for all tests was 30.0% (SD 4.9) before incubation and 30.6% (SD 5.2) after incubation. The percent relaxation of all samples tested at the lower strain level, 31.8% (SD 4.2), was significantly greater than that at the higher strain level, 28.1% (SD 5.0) (P = 0.01). After incubation, the percent increase in percent relaxation varied by 0.2% due to treatment (P = 0.69), 3.2% due to buffer solution (P = 0.41, greater increase with PEG buffer), and 4.1% due to strain level (P = 0.02, greater increase at 4% strain level). At a 95% confidence level, values for the difference in percent relaxation due to treatment ranged between −1.1% and +1.6%. Therefore, there is 95% confidence that ChABC had a <5.4% effect on reduced relaxation.
Dynamic modulus.
The average dynamic modulus (averaged over all frequencies) was significantly increased by incubation in two of the eight test groups by 4.4% (SD 3.0) (Fig. 4, Table 1). The average dynamic modulus for all specimens at 0.1 Hz was 424 MPa (SD 304) before incubation and 434 MPa (SD 318) after incubation, while at 15 Hz it was 501 MPa (SD 350) before incubation and 522 MPa (SD 373) after incubation. The samples tested at the higher strain level had a dynamic modulus 226% greater than the lower strain level (P < 0.001). Oscillation frequency only had a significant effect on dynamic modulus for the two test groups control treated in standard buffer, which corresponds to the groups with the lowest standard deviations. After incubation, the percent increase in the dynamic modulus varied by 0.3% due to treatment (P = 0.86), 0.1% due to buffer solution (P = 0.96), and 4.2% due to strain level (P = 0.20, greater increase at 6% strain level). At a 95% confidence level, values for the difference in dynamic modulus due to treatment ranged between −17 and +20 MPa. Therefore, there is 95% confidence that ChABC had a <4.3% effect on dynamic modulus.
Phase shift.
The average phase shift (averaged over all frequencies) was significantly increased after incubation in four of the eight test groups by 9.5% (SD 6.7) (Fig. 5, Table 1). The average phase shift for all specimens at 0.1 Hz was 0.062 rad (SD 0.027) before incubation and 0.069 rad (SD 0.025) after incubation, while at 15 Hz it was 0.155 rad (SD 0.025) before incubation and 0.169 rad (SD 0.034) after incubation. The average phase shift at the 4% strain level, 0.114 rad (SD 0.019), was significantly greater than that at the 6% strain level, 0.095 rad (SD 0.008) (P < 0.001). Oscillation frequency significantly affected phase shift for all groups. After incubation, the percent increase in phase shift varied by 0.1% due to treatment (P = 0.98), 5.2% due to buffer solution (P = 0.32, greater increase in standard buffer), and 5.3% due to strain level (P = 0.02, greater increase at 4% strain level). At a 95% confidence level, values for the difference in phase shift due to treatment ranged between −0.005 and +0.005 rad. Therefore, there is 95% confidence that ChABC had a <4.5% effect on phase shift.
Tissue swelling.
The average wet weight of unloaded samples increased by 16% (SD 10) when tested in standard buffer and decreased by 11% (SD 5) when tested in PEG buffer (Fig. 6). Unloaded samples tested in standard buffer had a significantly greater wet weight than those tested in PEG buffer (P < 0.001). There was no effect of treatment on the overall normalized wet weight (P = 0.68). During the incubation period, the average wet weight in the unloaded samples decreased by 1.3% (SD 5.6) (P = 0.48) in the standard buffer and increased by 3.9% (SD 7.2) (P = 0.08) in the PEG buffer. The greatest change during the incubation period was a 3.7% (SD 6.4) decrease in wet weight in samples treated with ChABC in standard buffer (P = 0.15).
The water content of native samples was consistent between treatment and buffer solution groups, with an average range from 71.6% to 73.1% (Fig. 7). All tested samples had water content significantly different from that of the native samples, with the exception of the mechanically loaded samples tested in standard buffer (average water content = 72.3, P = 0.24). Compared with the native samples, unloaded samples incubated in the PEG buffer had a significantly decreased water content and unloaded samples incubated in standard buffer had a significantly increased water content (P < 0.001 and P < 0.001, respectively). The mechanically loaded samples had 2.5% less water content than the unloaded samples (P = 0.002). Although treatment type and strain level had no significant effect on water content after incubation (P = 0.29 and P = 0.52, respectively), ChABC-treated samples had 2.2% less water content than control-treated samples when tested in standard buffer.
Experimental reproducibility and efficacy.
Reproducibility of the pretreatment mechanical tests was confirmed by optically measuring posttreatment clamp positions to be within 0.04 mm (SD 0.02) of the pretreatment clamp positions. For all treatments, buffer solutions, and strain level combinations, incubation affected the average peak stress by <5% (Table 1). One group did experience a significant increase in peak stress after incubation (Table 1), but by only 2.7% (SD 1.7) (P = 0.03). A qualitative comparison verified that the 4% and 6% clamp-to-clamp strains were indeed in the toe and linear stress-strain regions, respectively (data not shown).
The ability of ChABC digestion of sGAGs was dependent on the buffer solution. ChABC treatment of the time 0 reference samples removed 90% (SD 6) of sGAGs. The time 0 reference samples in the standard and PEG buffer groups had 4.2 (SD 1.9) and 4.4 (SD 2.2) μg sGAG/mg dry tissue, respectively. Samples that were mechanically tested in the standard buffer and treated with ChABC had an average of 0.7 μg sGAG/mg dry tissue at the end of testing, an 83% reduction in sGAG content (92.6% treatment efficacy). Samples that were mechanically tested in the PEG buffer and treated with ChABC had an average of 1.6 μg sGAG/mg dry tissue at the end of testing, a 64% reduction in sGAG content (70.0% treatment efficacy). The sGAG reduction in mechanically tested samples treated with ChABC was significantly less in the PEG buffer compared with the standard buffer (P = 0.03). The native samples had on average 20% more sGAGs than the unloaded samples that endured the entire testing protocol (P = 0.23).
The aim of this research was to determine the specific influence of interfibrillar sGAGs on ligament viscoelasticity. Viscoelastic properties were measured before and after incubation in either control or ChABC treatment. Although the incubation process moderately increased dynamic modulus and phase shift, these moderate increases were independent of treatment (control or ChABC). At a 95% confidence level, ChABC had a <5.4% effect on any measured viscoelastic property. Therefore, this study found no biologically significant relationship between fibril-sGAG mechanical interactions and tissue-level viscoelasticity in human MCL.
The primary function of ligament is to resist tensile loads. It is becoming clear that interfibrillar sGAGs do not directly support the quasi-static (31) and viscoelastic mechanisms required to support this function. In cartilage, however, sGAGs were found to moderately control the kinetics of the viscoelastic response through sGAG-collagen interactions (25, 4964). Therefore, sGAGs appear to have different functional roles in ligament and cartilage. This may be due to the low concentrations of sGAGs in ligament (<1% dry wt) relative to cartilage (15–30% dry wt) and the differences in anisotropy and collagen organization. Our findings also diverge from a study reporting that sGAG removal increases hysteresis in parenchymal lung tissue (1). Compositional and structural differences between ligament and lung tissue may again account for the conflicting results. Additionally, the parenchymal lung study was unable to reproduce material properties in the control group with a repeated-measures experimental design, which complicates the interpretation of their findings. It is emphasized that the results of the present study are only applicable to tensile loads. It is possible that sGAGs physically resist compression in mature human ligament, since sulfated GAG-fibril networks are known to retard fluid exudation (16) and the location of high sGAG concentrations in ligament coincides with regions that experience high compressive stresses (24).
Even though sGAGs do not appear to directly resist tensile loads, they likely have an indirect effect by modulating collagen fibrillogenesis (52, 59). Mouse knockout studies identified decorin as a proteoglycan that influences elastic and viscoelastic tensile behavior in tendon (11, 47). On the basis of the results of the present study, it appears that these mechanical alterations were due to compensatory or developmental abnormalities intrinsic to decorin-deficient mice. For instance, histological studies have shown decorin deficiency to cause irregularly sized and spaced fibrils, which is likely caused by the absence of interfibrillar sGAGs that normally inhibit lateral fibril fusion (43). Although tendon and ligament have unique histological and biochemical characteristics, they also exhibit gross compositional similarities, and ligaments have higher GAG concentrations than tendons (2). Therefore, it is appropriate to extend the results of the present study to tendon.
The mechanical property most impacted by incubation was phase shift. Phase shift, which quantifies energy dissipation, increased by 8.4% in control-treated samples and 8.5% in ChABC samples. Although this increase was only significant in half the tested groups (Table 1), it was observed in 35 of the 40 tested samples. A similar time-dependent effect occurs in articular cartilage. Cartilage tested after control-treated incubation exhibited greater creep (49) and phase shift (64) than cartilage tested immediately on dissection. This effect may tie into the observed relationship between strain level and viscoelastic alterations after incubation. For example, samples tested at the 4% strain level were more apt to dissipate energy after incubation than samples tested at the 6% strain level. This would indicate a time-dependent degradation of structures or networks that provide elastic function at low strain rates, such as elastin (35). Interestingly, during our preliminary studies using the same test procedure (Fig. 2), we observed that phase shift increased by only 1.4 ± 3.3% after incubation (n = 4). The only deviation in the preliminary protocol was that tests were conducted on specimens that had been thawed and refrozen multiple times. Therefore, this in vitro loss in energy storage appears to equilibrate with time.
The experimental protocol needed to be sensitive to small alterations in material properties. A repeated-measures design was thus incorporated to reduce the inter- and intraspecimen variability that has been observed mechanically and chemically in ligament (31). To test the reproducibility of the protocol, a quantitative comparison of peak stress values was made to confirm that pretreatment mechanical tests did not damage the sample and cause a reduction in posttreatment mechanical behaviors. Pretreatment and posttreatment peak stress values were indeed verified to be within 5% for all test groups. Several protocol revisions were required to achieve this consistency. The material property values of this study are consistent with previous research that defined the viscoelastic properties of human MCL (3). Variations in phase shift between these studies may be due to different testing environments [fluid chamber vs. humidity chamber (3)]. Since specimens were extracted from four distinct regions in the MCL, the material properties and conclusions of this study are representative of the longitudinal (proximal and distal) and oblique fiber zones of the superficial MCL.
Incubation in ChABC successfully removed the interfibrillar sGAGs chondroitin and dermatan sulfate. In standard buffer, ChABC-treated samples had a 92% reduction of chondroitin and dermatan sulfates, while in PEG buffer ChABC-treated samples had a 70% reduction in chondroitin and dermatan sulfates. These degradation values are higher than or similar to those reported in other studies that used ChABC in connective tissue (1, 14, 23). Our previous study (31) used transmission electron microscopy imaging with Cupromeronic Blue staining to determine that ChB reduced interfibrillar sGAGs by 88%. Therefore, we are confident that the majority of interfibrillar sGAGs were degraded. The PEG buffer significantly lessened the effectiveness of ChABC, which is likely due to the increased viscosity of the buffer solution and the inverse relationship between viscosity and diffusion (Stokes-Einstein relation). ChABC will also degrade hyaluronic acid (63), a large unsulfated GAG that is noncovalently associated with aggrecan and is chemically similar to chondroitin sulfate. Therefore, this macromolecule does not appear to influence visoelasticity in human MCL. On the basis of the effectiveness of ChABC in degrading hyaluronic acid (degrades >95% in ligament samples) (58), this macromolecule does not appear to influence viscoelasticity in human MCL. Biochemical assays showed that chondroitin and dermatan sulfate represent 90% of total sGAGs in the MCL samples. The remaining 10% of sGAGs likely includes keratin sulfate and heparin sulfate. These sGAGs may contribute to ligament viscoelasticity, but this is unlikely given their low concentrations and distribution near fibroblasts (5).
Tissue hydration was controlled by immersing samples throughout the entire testing protocol in one of two types of buffer solution. One buffer included 7.5% PEG to create a hypertonic solution that reduced tissue swelling (10, 45). The philosophy behind testing in different buffer solutions was to ensure that our findings were neither dependent on a particular hydration state nor masked by swelling. Preconditioning the samples in each buffer solution helped minimize fluctuations in tissue hydration during testing. Previous research indicated that concentrations of 0.9% saline and 7.5% PEG successfully maintained initial wet weight in ligament, with a 5% decrease in water content (32). In the present study, these same concentrations caused more pronounced tissue dehydration, perhaps due to the addition of calcium chloride (45). Under mechanical loading, this study found standard buffer to best maintain the native water content of ligament.
The negligible effect of hydration on mechanical properties has implications for modeling ligament behavior with biphasic theory. Fluid flow can contribute to viscoelasticity through solid-fluid interactions that result in frictional drag (6). These biphasic interactions are dependent on permeability, which is a function of sGAG concentration and water content (54). Since sGAG extraction and water content fluctuations had no effect on viscoelastic characteristics, fluid flow appears not to contribute to viscoelastic effects in organized structures such as ligament that have low concentrations of sGAGs. Other studies have reached similar conclusions (1, 20). The present study, however, is limited in supporting this statement, for two reasons. First, sulfate groups may have remained in the tissue after being cleaved and continued to influence fluid permeability. Second, fluid flow mechanisms in ligament may be insensitive to 10% fluctuations in gross water content. Future studies that specifically examine fluid flow mechanisms in ligament through experimental or theoretical approaches could better address this postulation.
A principal limitation of this research is that biochemical composition within the ligaments may have been altered postmortem. This concern is justified by research that found freezing rabbit ligament caused significant changes in hysteresis during tensile tests (36, 61), yet the measured change was small and its relevance has been questioned (36). It is unlikely that the in vivo conditions of the MCL were perfectly replicated in this experiment, although every effort was made to provide a physiological testing environment (e.g., temperature, hydration, protease inhibitors). Finally, the prolonged effect of sGAG deprivation was not investigated in this study. Removal of sGAGs may eventually cause fibril abrasion and microstructural damage.
In conclusion, this study demonstrated that mechanical interactions between sGAGs and collagen fibrils are unrelated to tissue-level viscoelastic behavior in mature ligament. Although the origins of viscoelasticity in human ligament remain unresolved, our findings have helped narrow the possible contributions from extracellular matrix molecules. Future studies need to assess the inherent viscoelasticity of collagen by determining the influence of inter- and intramolecular collagen bonds, fluid flow, and fibril-associating collagens (i.e., type XII) on transient ligament behavior. The findings of this study progress the structure-function knowledge of ligament and are applicable to research seeking to engineer and evaluate replacement tissues.
Financial support from National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Grant AR-047369 is gratefully acknowledged.
The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. The article must therefore be hereby marked "advertisement" in accordance with 18 U.S.C. Section 1734 solely to indicate this fact.
- Copyright © 2009 the American Physiological Society