The spectrographs of the Hubble Space Telescope have each offered order of magnitude improvements over their predecessors, including those space-based instruments before HST. They have provided a wealth of information on the local and distant universe, opening up new fields of study that were not possible prior to the launch of HST. They have, of course, come with their own set of design and us...

This article provides a snapshot of muscle near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) at the end of 2010 summarizing the recent literature, offering the present status and perspectives of the NIRS instrumentation and methods, describing the main NIRS studies on skeletal muscle physiology, posing open questions and outlining future directions. So far, different NIRS techniques (e.g. continuous-wave (CW) ...

Heterodyne receivers, which down-convert radio frequency (RF) signals to intermediate frequency (IF) signals – preserving the amplitude and phase information of the incoming radiation, are generally the detector of choice for high resolution spectroscopic studies in astrophysics and planetary remote sensing. Many interesting astronomical objects, such as galaxies, molecular clouds, star-forming...

In FT-ICLAS, the aim is to improve the absorption detection sensitivity. The experiment combines IntraCavity Laser Absorption Spectroscopy (ICLAS) with FTIR spectroscopy. ICLAS is a well known instrumental technique in which a sample is inserted in a cell placed inside a broadband, multimode laser cavity. The laser is operating in pulsed mode and intracavity absorption rises as the laser wave b...

The aim of this paper is to show the significance of the function of Mechanic of Surgical Instruments in raising up a modern, in 19th century terms, surgical clinic by prof. Ludwik Bierkowski. Exploiting mainly source materials, this article discusses the character of mechanical occupations and his duties. The personality of Gotlob Jentsch, first to take this position, and his immediate success...

Use of the phaco tip technique for lens cleavage and removal does not require manual hydrodissection using a syringe and cannula, or cortical removal using an irrigation/aspiration tip. The phaco tip is the only surgical instrument required for this technique. Its advantages include maintaining a stable intraocular pressure during cortical cleaving hydrodissection and lens removal, which includ...

MORE than two decades after the first efforts toward the application of spectral mixture analysis techniques to remotely sensed data [1], [2], effective spectral unmixing still remains an elusive exploitation goal. Regardless of the available spatial resolution, the spectral signals collected in natural environments are invariably a mixture of the signatures of the various materials found withi...

The procedures for purchasing surgical instruments and consumables are similar to those for purchasing equipment, which were addressed in our “Equipment for eye care” issue (number 73, September 2010). The major difference with consumables is that the number of items in stock (the ‘stock level’) must be monitored constantly. Consumables are generally fast moving and require frequent replacement...

Due to its pseudo elastic behavior, the nickel-titanium (nitinol) alloy has been used in the manufacture of endodontic instruments in recent years, being especially useful for curved canals preparation. Extensive research has been carried out to improve the wear resistance of the nitinol instruments without create modifications in the bulk of the files. The purpose of this work was to measure t...

Following the futile efforts of generations to reach the high standard of excellence achieved by the luthiers in Cremona, Italy, by variations of design and plate tuning, current interest is being focused on differences in material properties. The long-standing question whether the wood of Stradivari and Guarneri were treated with wood preservative materials could be answered only by the examin...