BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to determine if sensory block following spinal anaesthesia, measured with a range of devices, corresponded to the hierarchy of nerve fibre size in the area of differential block, and to compare the distribution and variability of recorded measurements. METHODS Women with singleton pregnancies > 36 weeks of gestation undergoing elective caesarean section un...

rutting in asphalt concrete is a very common form of distress in asphalt concrete pavement which unfortunately has been incurable to date. one of the prime reasons of rutting is attributed to the behaviour of asphalt binder at elevated temperature. this study has investigated the performance of polypropylene fibres modified asphalt concrete mix against rutting. two types of asphalt concrete sam...

Debridement is a basic necessity to induce the functional process of tissue repair, especially in chronic wounds. In this pilot study the authors used a new debrider technology with specific monofilament fibres in a unique texture to evaluate its efficacy, safety and tolerability. In eleven patients, exhibiting all types of wound-associated debris (biofilms, slough, necrotic crusts and hyperker...

AIMS To compare the diagnostic usefulness of tuning fork, monofilament, biothesiometer and skin biopsies in peripheral neuropathy in individuals with varying glucose metabolism. METHODS Normoglycaemic, impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and type 2 diabetes (T2DM) individuals were recruited. Nerve conduction studies (NCS) and thermal threshold tests were performed. Vibrotactile sense was tested ...

Forty-one filament kits were measured for filament application force, single and multitester application force repeatability, and comparison of filament repeatability with that of other hand held instruments. Results of this study show that if their lengths and diameters are correct, the filaments produce application forces that are repeatable within a predictable range. All hand held instrumen...

Fused deposition modelling (FDM) is a promising additive manufacturing technology for the fabrication of continuous fibre reinforced thermoplastic composites. However, major concern performance interfacial bonding in these The aim this study to evaluate interface quality 3D printed carbon/PA6 composite at two scales: filament/matrix scale and interlaminar one. Two different types samples were m...

We studied the number of testing sites and the proportion needed to be insensate for the optimal assessment of foot ulcer risk with the 10 g monofilament. Also, we compared the sensitivity and specificity of the 10 g monofilament with other methodologies. Fifty-two individuals with either a current foot ulcer, a history of a foot ulcer or the presence of Charcot neuroarthopathy and 51 individua...

The development of flexible polymer monofilament fiber strain sensors have many applications in both wearable computing (clothing, gloves, etc.) and robotics design (large deformation control). For example, a high-stretch monofilament sensor could be integrated into robotic arm design, easily stretching over joints or along curved surfaces. As a monofilament, the sensor can be woven into or int...