INTRODUCTION The minimally invasive repair of pectus excavatum has become the preferred technique in most centres. One of the most important technical points for the final result is stabilisation of the bar, usually obtained by one or two metal stabilisers. Recently, long-term absorbable stabilisers have become available (LactoSorb, Biomet, Jacksonville, FL, USA). Made of poly-L-lactic and poly...

In a manufacturing environment it is often necessary to perform a manual inventory of finished goods and raw materials. These raw materials might be wood, plastic or metal and often represent a large investment of capital to procure and store. While the economic value of an accurate inventory is high, the process of obtaining a good count is tedious and fraught with human error. As a precursor ...

The aim of this clinical study was to describe the possibility of using the Nd:YAG laser device utilized in the dental offices to weld metals intraorally. The authors, before applying this technique "in vivo" on human subjects, tested the "in vitro" metal welding efficacy of dental Nd:YAG device firstly by interferometry, SEM, and EDS and subsequently by thermal camera and thermocouples in orde...

The base sledge microtome presents a hazard to the operator due to the length of blade that is exposed. Manipulation of the carriage requires hand movements close to the knife edge and serious lacerations may result. A simple, effective guard has been devised, suitable for knives which have screw holes for handles at both ends. It consists of two perspex end-pieces (Fig. I), attached to the kni...

We designed, synthesized, and characterized a new Zr-based metal-organic framework material, NU-1100, with a pore volume of 1.53 ccg(-1) and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area of 4020 m(2) g(-1) ; to our knowledge, currently the highest published for Zr-based MOFs. CH4 /CO2 /H2 adsorption isotherms were obtained over a broad range of pressures and temperatures and are in excellent agreem...

Caprylic acid (CA) as model reactant was selectively reduced in a flow-through reactor in hydrogen stream at 21 bar total pressure and 240-360 °C over alumina loaded with the adjacent Co, Ni, Cu host and In guest metals. The main target of this research is the recognition of efficient cobalt catalysts for carboxylic group hydroconversion compared to more familiar nickel and copper composites. T...

Oxyhydrogen is a mixture of Hydrogen (H2) and Oxygen (O2) gases. Detonative mixtures of oxyhydrogens with various combinations of these two gases were used in Gas Detonation Forming (GDF) to form sheets of mild steel. In die forming experiments, three types of conical dies with apex angles of 60, 90 and 120 degrees were used. Pressure of mixtures inside the chamber before detonation was varied ...

Introduction: The principal solid precursor components of chondrules are nebular condensates and/or presolar interstellar grains. In either case, the precursors are most likely dominated by forsterite (Mg2SiO4), iron-nickel metal, Ca-aluminate phases, and a C-rich component [1-5]. It is reasonable to explore the consequences of enriching a solar gas in these components, on local scales in the e...

Open techniques represent a valid repair option for severe asymmetric pectus excavatum in adults. The use of metal supports is recommended to reduce the risk of recurrence. A wide variety of metal supports have been proposed, with pre-, trans- or retrosternal fixation. A novel open technique using titanium bars fixed to the ribs with clips has been recently introduced (STRATOS™ system) for ches...