scholarly journals A Customized Knee Antibiotic-Loaded PMMA Spacer: A Pre-Liminary Design Analysis

Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (23) ◽  
pp. 4065
Author(s):  
Marco Balato ◽  
Carlo Petrarca ◽  
Antonio Quercia ◽  
Aniello Riccio ◽  
Andrea Sellitto ◽  
...  

A preliminary design of customized antibiotic-loaded poly-methyl-methacrylate (ALPMMA) spacer characterized by an appropriate footprint according to the specific patient’s anatomy and a reliable mechanical response to severe functional loads (i.e., level walking and 45° bent knee) is reported. The targeted virtual prototyping process takes origin from a novel patented 3D geometrical conceptualization characterized by added customization features and it is validated by a preliminary FEM-based analysis. Mechanical and thermomechanical properties of the antibiotic-doped orthopedic PMMA cement, which will be used for the future prototype manufacturing, were measured experimentally by testing samples taken during a real day-running orthopedic surgery and manufactured according to the surgeon protocol. FEM analysis results indicate that small area is subjected to intensive stresses, validating the proposed geometry from the mechanical point of view, under the two loading scenarios, moreover the value of safety margins results positive, and this is representative of the lower stress magnitude compared to the critical material limits. The experimental data confirm that the presence of antibiotic will last during the surgeon period moreover, the temperature dependent modulus of the bone cement is slightly affected by the body range temperature whereas it will drastically drop for higher temperature out the range of interest. A complete customization, according to a patient anatomy, and the corresponding real prototype spacer will be manufactured by 3D printing techniques, and it will be validated by destructive testing during the second stage of this activity before commercialization.

Author(s):  
Chang Dae Han

The form of kinematics to be used for the description of a deformation process is largely determined by the kind of mechanical response that is being described. To describe the mechanical response of purely viscous fluids it is convenient to use coordinates, which are fixed in space, since purely viscous fluids have no past memory and therefore remain in the deformed state when loads are removed. In other words, the mechanical response of purely viscous fluids is determined solely by the instantaneous values of the time rate of deformation. However, in order to describe the deformation of a viscoelastic fluid it is necessary to follow a given material element with time as it moves to define a suitable measure of deformation that always refers to the same material element as time varies. The reason is that when a material element undergoes a finite deformation the coordinate positions of the given material element (with respect to a fixed origin) will vary. Hence, any measure of deformation defined in terms of infinitesimal deformation of fixed coordinate positions loses its physical significance since it will not always be associated with the same material element. In this chapter, we introduce some basic concepts of the kinematics and stresses of a deformable body from the point of view of continuum mechanics, and discuss various representations of a deformation process in terms of the deformation (or strain) tensor and the rate-of-deformation (or rate-of-strain) tensor. In order to help the readers follow the material in the text, the elementary properties of second-order tensors are presented in Appendix 2A. In this section, we briefly describe the motion of a body, which consists of a set of particles (or “elements”), sometimes called “material points” (or “material elements”) (Jaunzemis 1967). Let X(Xi ; i = 1, 2, 3) be the particles P of the body B in some reference configuration κ at time t = 0 (i.e., undeformed state) and then we have. . . X = κ(P). . .in which κ describes the shape of the body B in the undeformed state, which in general is known to an observer.


Author(s):  
Evi Zohar

Continuing the workshop I've given in the WPC Paris (2017), this article elaborates my discussion of the way I interlace Focusing with Differentiation Based Couples Therapy (Megged, 2017) under the systemic view, in order to facilitate processes of change and healing in working with intimate couples. This article presents the theory and rationale of integrating Differentiation (Bowen, 1978; Schnarch, 2009; Megged, 2017) and Focusing (Gendlin, 1981) approaches, and its therapeutic potential in couple's therapy. It is written from the point of view of a practicing professional in order to illustrate the experiential nature and dynamics of the suggested therapeutic path. Differentiation is a key to mutuality. It offers a solution to the central struggle of any long term intimate relationship: balancing two basic life forces - the drive for individuality and the drive for togetherness (Schnarch, 2009). Focusing is a body-oriented process of self-awareness and emotional healing, in which one learns to pay attention to the body and the ‘Felt Sense’, in order to unfold the implicit, keep it in motion at the precise pace it needs for carrying the next step forward (Gendlin, 1996). Combining Focusing and Differentiation perspectives can cultivate the kind of relationship where a conflict can be constructively and successfully held in the inner world of each partner, while taking into consideration the others' well-being. This creates the possibility for two people to build a mutual emotional field, open to changes, permeable and resilient.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Redacción CEIICH

<p class="p1">The third number of <span class="s1"><strong>INTER</strong></span><span class="s2"><strong>disciplina </strong></span>underscores this generic reference of <em>Bodies </em>as an approach to a key issue in the understanding of social reality from a humanistic perspective, and to understand, from the social point of view, the contributions of the research in philosophy of the body, cultural history of the anatomy, as well as the approximations queer, feminist theories and the psychoanalytical, and literary studies.</p>


2017 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 101-108
Author(s):  
A.F. Jităreanu ◽  
Elena Leonte ◽  
A. Chiran ◽  
Benedicta Drobotă

Abstract Advertising helps to establish a set of assumptions that the consumer will bring to all other aspects of their engagement with a given brand. Advertising provides tangible evidence of the financial credibility and competitive presence of an organization. Persuasion is becoming more important in advertising. In marketing, persuasive advertising acts to establish wants/motivations and beliefs/attitudes by helping to formulate a conception of the brand as being one which people like those in the target audience would or should prefer. Considering the changes in lifestyle and eating habits of a significant part of the population in urban areas in Romania, the paper aims to analyse how brands manage to differentiate themselves from competitors, to reposition themselves on the market and influence consumers, meeting their increasingly varied needs. Food brands on the Romanian market are trying, lately, to identify new methods of differentiation and new benefits for their buyers. Given that more and more consumers are becoming increasingly concerned about what they eat and the products’ health effects, brands struggle to highlight the fact that their products offer real benefits for the body. The advertisements have become more diversified and underline the positive effects, from the health and well - being point of view, that those foods offer (no additives and preservatives, use of natural ingredients, various vitamins and minerals or the fact that they are dietary). Advertising messages’ diversification is obvious on the Romanian market, in the context of an increasing concern of the population for the growing level of information of some major consumer segments.


Author(s):  
Meisam Soleimani ◽  
Axel Haverich ◽  
Peter Wriggers

AbstractThis paper deals with the mathematical modeling of atherosclerosis based on a novel hypothesis proposed by a surgeon, Prof. Dr. Axel Haverich (Circulation 135(3):205–207, 2017). Atherosclerosis is referred as the thickening of the artery walls. Currently, there are two schools of thoughts for explaining the root of such phenomenon: thickening due to substance deposition and thickening as a result of inflammatory overgrowth. The hypothesis favored here is the second paradigm stating that the atherosclerosis is nothing else than the inflammatory response of of the wall tissues as a result of disruption in wall nourishment. It is known that a network of capillaries called vasa vasorum (VV) accounts for the nourishment of the wall in addition to the natural diffusion of nutrient from the blood passing through the lumen. Disruption of nutrient flow to the wall tissues may take place due to the occlusion of vasa vasorums with viruses, bacteria and very fine dust particles such as air pollutants referred to as PM 2.5. They can enter the body through the respiratory system at the first place and then reach the circulatory system. Hence in the new hypothesis, the root of atherosclerotic vessel is perceived as the malfunction of microvessels that nourish the vessel. A large number of clinical observation support this hypothesis. Recently and highly related to this work, and after the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the most prevalent disease in the lungs are attributed to the atherosclerotic pulmonary arteries, see Boyle and Haverich (Eur J Cardio Thorac Surg 58(6):1109–1110, 2020). In this work, a general framework is developed based on a multiphysics mathematical model to capture the wall deformation, nutrient availability and the inflammatory response. For the mechanical response an anisotropic constitutive relation is invoked in order to account for the presence of collagen fibers in the artery wall. A diffusion–reaction equation governs the transport of the nutrient within the wall. The inflammation (overgrowth) is described using a phase-field type equation with a double well potential which captures a sharp interface between two regions of the tissues, namely the healthy and the overgrowing part. The kinematics of the growth is treated by classical multiplicative decomposition of the gradient deformation. The inflammation is represented by means of a phase-field variable. A novel driving mechanism for the phase field is proposed for modeling the progression of the pathology. The model is 3D and fully based on the continuum description of the problem. The numerical implementation is carried out using FEM. Predictions of the model are compared with the clinical observations. The versatility and applicability of the model and the numerical tool allow.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shella Permatasari Santoso ◽  
Vania Bundjaja ◽  
Artik Elisa Angkawijaya ◽  
Chintya Gunarto ◽  
Alchris Woo Go ◽  
...  

AbstractNitrogen-grafting through the addition of glycine (Gly) was performed on a metal- phenolic network (MPN) of copper (Cu2+) and gallic acid (GA) to increase its adsorption capacity. Herein, we reported a one-step synthesis method of MPN, which was developed according to the metal–ligand complexation principle. The nitrogen grafted CuGA (Ng-CuGA) MPN was obtained by reacting Cu2+, GA, and Gly in an aqueous solution at a molar ratio of 1:1:1 and a pH of 8. Several physicochemical measurements, such as Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), N2 sorption, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermal gravimetry analysis (TGA), were done on Ng-CuGA to elucidate its characteristics. The analysis revealed that the Ng-CuGA has non-uniform spherical shaped morphology with a pore volume of 0.56 cc/g, a pore size of 23.25 nm, and thermal stability up to 205 °C. The applicational potential of the Ng-CuGA was determined based on its adsorption capacity against methylene blue (MB). The Ng-CuGA was able to adsorb 190.81 mg MB per g adsorbent at a pH of 6 and temperature of 30 °C, which is 1.53 times higher than the non-grafted CuGA. Detailed assessment of Ng-CuGA adsorption properties revealed their pH- and temperature-dependent nature. The adsorption capacity and affinity were found to decrease at a higher temperature, demonstrating the exothermic adsorption behavior.


The following paper is a study of the surface waves caused by a doublet in a uniform stream, and in particular the variation in the pattern with the velocity of the stream or the depth of the doublet. In most recent work on this subject attention has been directed more to the wave resistance, which can be evaluated with less difficulty than is involved in a detailed study of the waves; in fact, it would seem that it is not necessary for that purpose to know the surface elevation completely, but only certain significant terms at large distances from the disturbance. Recent experimental work has shown con­siderable agreement between theoretical expressions for wave resistance and results for ship models of simple form, and attempts have been made at a similar comparison for the surface elevation in the neighbourhood of the ship. In the latter respect it may be necessary to examine expressions for the surface elevation with more care, as they are not quite determinate; any suitable free disturbance may be superposed upon the forced waves. For instance, it is well known that in a frictionless liquid a possible solution is one which gives waves in advance as well as in the rear of the ship, and the practical solution is obtained by superposing free waves which annul those in advance, or by some equivalent artifice. This process is simple and definite for an ideal point disturbance, but for a body of finite size or a distributed disturbance the complete surface elevation in the neighbourhood of the body requires more careful specification as regards the local part due to each element. It had been intended to consider some expressions specially from this point of view, but as the matter stands at present it would entail a very great amount of numerical calculation, and the present paper is limited to a much simpler problem although also involving considerable computation. A horizontal doublet of given moment is at a depth f below the surface of a stream of velocity c ; the surface effect may be described as a local disturbance symmetrical fore and aft of the doublet together with waves to the rear. Two points are made in the following work.


2014 ◽  
Vol 284 ◽  
pp. 60-69
Author(s):  
Mariola Wicka ◽  
◽  
Piotr Chołbiński ◽  
Dorota Kwiatkowska ◽  
Andrzej Pokrywka ◽  
...  

Year on year, one can observe an increase in the use of addictive substances. This leads to occurring the problem of addiction as well as the use of psychoactive substances as a serious hazard to road users. The Regulation of the Minister of Health on agents acting similarly to alcohol and the conditions and manner of conducting research on their presence in the human body, requires adequate benchmarks for performing these tests. An importantfactor, from consultative point of view, is the knowledge of the chemical structure of substances belonging to different groups of drugs of abuse, their metabolic transformations that occur in the body as well as their influence on the body. This is to aid in the proper interpretation of the results of the analytical tests.


2020 ◽  
Vol 102 (2) ◽  
pp. 219-229
Author(s):  
James W. Farwell

Liturgy is an act of public theology, when considered from the point of view that Christian ritual performance is publicly enacted for the sake of a wider public, and joins the assembly to Jesus Christ, who is himself God's logos tou theou and God's liturgy. Liturgy does this work through its scripted repetition, formality, spatial and temporal patterning, focus on the body, and deployment of the familiar and unfamiliar. Through these modes, a worldview is enacted and valorizes a certain set of virtues and an orientation to living that correspond to that worldview. Among those virtues are gratitude, a desire for reconciliation, the recognition of our dependency of God and responsibility toward others, and a compassionate commitment to the dignity of humanity and the created order. These ritually enacted virtues, practiced in the hope for the full and coming reign of God, will orient the liturgical assembly to particular social, moral, political concerns as worthy of Christian engagement; but liturgical formation will not, in most cases, prescribe detailed courses of action to take when facing specific instances of those concerns.


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