This paper describes the use of two simple electromagnetic methods for detecting strut fractures in prosthetic heart valves. The first method involves immersing the heart valve in a uniform time varying electromagnetic field and measuring the perturbation of the field in regions proximate to the strut. In vitro tests done to date indicate that the method is capable of discriminating between int...

Legumes have been an integral part of sustainable agriculture for hundreds, if not thousands, of years, and they are likely to become even more important in the future. This is because legumes are able to form nitrogen-fixing symbioses with rhizobia that allow them to grow in the absence of added nitrogen fertilizers. In addition, legumes are able to form mycorrhizal symbioses with fungi that p...

Coronary artery perforation is a rare and dangerous complication of percutaneous coronary intervention. Its consequences may range from minimal dye staining of the pericardial cavity to haemodynamic collapse, and it requires urgent treatment. Nearly half of cases occur due to the use of stiff and hydrophilic guidewires. Perforations due to stent deployment or strut rupture are seen more rarely,...

Inferior vena cava filters are increasingly used in patients with recurrent venous thromboembolism who are contraindicated to anticoagulation. Migration of a broken strut to the pulmonary artery is a very rare complication of these filters. We report the case of an 83-year-old female who experienced this complication with the migratory strut remaining in the same position for years. This case p...

This paper presents a design alternative and the rationale for a stage separation system based on Metering Adiabatic Gas Struts (MAG Struts) for the Ares 1 launch vehicle. The MAG Strut separation system was proposed as an alternative to the current Ares 1 separation system, which relies on small solid rocket motors to provide the main separation force. This paper will describe technical issues...

Coronary artery perforation is a rare and dangerous complication of percutaneous coronary intervention. Its consequences may range from minimal dye staining of the pericardial cavity to haemodynamic collapse, and it requires urgent treatment. Nearly half of cases occur due to the use of stiff and hydrophilic guidewires. Perforations due to stent deployment or strut rupture are seen more rarely,...

Transjugular intrahepatic portocaval shunt (TIPS) is performed in patients with symptomatic Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS) who do not have repairable hepatic veins. We report the case of a patient who had an inferior vena cava (IVC) stent placed previously as part of the management for BCS, and who subsequently required TIPS. The TIPS tract was created through the strut of the previously placed IVC...

Introduction: One possible cause of thigh pain following noncemented total hip arthroplasty is increased stress in the mid-portion of the femur. Anterolateral placement of a cortical strut allograft has successfully alleviated thigh pain in symptomatic patients. The purpose of this study was to show experimentally whether the surface strains on the femur are altered by the presence of cemented ...