Telemedicine for cardiac surgery candidates

Background: Cardiac surgery is generally well or over-represented in many Western countries. Since the southern part of Switzerland relies on 300 km distance centers for cardiac surgery, we started a project of telemedicine for the distant evaluation of cardiac surgery candidates. We report our experience of the results of the diagnosis made by telemedicine and by direct scrutiny of coronary angiograms. Methods: Coronary angiography was performed at the distant hospital by an invasive cardiology team. Teletransmission of images was performed using three Integrated Service Digital Network (ISDN) lines by direct transmission of recent recording. A total of 98 cases were reviewed (87 aorto-coronary bypass candidates, seven valvular and four congenital heart disease). We further performed a prospective blinded comparison of 47 consecutive cases with severe coronary artery disease (CAD) with respect to localization and number of significant coronary lesions, obtained by direct scrutiny of the original angiograms and the evaluation obtained with the teletransmitted images. Results: In 89 cases of the 98 analyzed (91%) correct diagnosis and surgical approach could be established by distant transmission. In nine cases (9%, all aortocoronary bypass candidates) definitive diagnosis and treatment was feasible only by direct scrutiny of the original angiograms. Five critically ill patients were urgently referred to the surgical care center based on the correct distant diagnosis. The blinded comparison of distant diagnosis and direct scrutiny of angiograms in defining 1-2-3 vessel CAD was good: r=0.87, P≪0.01. Conclusion: Initial experience using non-sophisticated telemedical transmission of angiograms of cardiac surgery candidates seems to be a promising facility for distantly located center

Industrialization of Ni-?SiC electrodeposition on copper moulds for steel continuous casting

Copper moulds usually used for steel continuous casting suffer from severe wear at relatively high temperaturesand low friction loads. The more severe solid friction occurs at about 10-40cm distance from the meniscus, dependingon the process parameters, where the temperature is about 300-350°C. The copper moulds have been traditionallycoated with hard chromium and actually also with thick nickel deposits even if they present lower wear resistance.The aim of this work was the development of a composite Ni-????SiC electrodeposit with higher hardness and wearresistance than the pure nickel using the existing plating bath and commercially available SiC micro-powders. Differenttypes of SiC micro-particles have been purchased and Ni-????SiC deposits have been produced and analyzed,initially, in laboratory scale to evaluate the ability of the powders to be codeposited into the nickel matrix. Afterthe choice of the SiC powder and the determination of the plating parameters a pilot 6000 lt plating tank has beenequipped with a system of Venturi pumps in order to maintain the particles in suspension. Preliminary tests havebeen performed in industrial scale to evaluate the process parameters such as anode-cathode distance, applied voltage,plating time and pumps positioning effect onto the SiC content and its distribution in the nickel matrix. Theproduced specimens have been observed by Metallographic microscope and Scanning Electron Microscope in crosssection to evaluate the SiC content and the microstructure of the nickel matrix. Vickers microhardness measurementshave been also performed in cross section and revealed that the co-deposition of the SiC micro-particles leadsto a microhardness increase of about 180%. Wear tests at both room temperature and at 350°C have been performedon pure nickel deposits and composite nickel deposits and the wear tracks have been analyzed using botha profilometer and SEM to determine the wear both coefficient and mechanism of each coating. The testing resultsrevealed that the developed Ni-????SiC deposit exhibits a much higher wear resistance in comparison to pure nickeldeposits at high temperature and the production process can be easily transferred in industrial scale with slightmodifications of the existing deposition plants. Real scale copper moulds have been finally coated with Ni-????SiCcomposite deposits and are presently under testing in actual working conditions at a steel producing plant

Industrialization of Ni-\u3bcSiC electrodeposition on copper moulds for steel continuous casting

Copper moulds usually used for steel continuous casting suffer from severe wear at relatively high temperatures and low friction loads. The more severe solid friction occurs at about 10-40cm distance from the meniscus, depending on the process parameters, where the temperature is about 300-350\ub0C. The copper moulds have been traditionally coated with hard chromium and actually also with thick nickel deposits even if they present lower wear resistance. The aim of this work was the development of a composite Ni-\u3bcSiC electrodeposit with higher hardness and wear resistance than the pure nickel using the existing plating bath and commercially available SiC micro-powders. Different types of SiC micro-particles have been purchased and Ni-\u3bcSiC deposits have been produced and analyzed, initially, in laboratory scale to evaluate the ability of the powders to be codeposited into the nickel matrix. After the choice of the SiC powder and the determination of the plating parameters a pilot 6000 lt plating tank has been equipped with a system of Venturi pumps in order to maintain the particles in suspension. Preliminary tests have been performed in industrial scale to evaluate the process parameters such as anode-cathode distance, applied voltage, plating time and pumps positioning effect onto the SiC content and its distribution in the nickel matrix. The produced specimens have been observed by Metallographic microscope and Scanning Electron Microscope in cross section to evaluate the SiC content and the microstructure of the nickel matrix. Vickers microhardness measurements have been also performed in cross section and revealed that the co-deposition of the SiC micro-particles leads to a microhardness increase of about 180%. Wear tests at both room temperature and at 350\ub0C have been performed on pure nickel deposits and composite nickel deposits and the wear tracks have been analyzed using both a profilometer and SEM to determine the wear both coefficient and mechanism of each coating. The testing results revealed that the developed Ni-\u3bcSiC deposit exhibits a much higher wear resistance in comparison to pure nickel deposits at high temperature and the production process can be easily transferred in industrial scale with slight modifications of the existing deposition plants. Real scale copper moulds have been finally coated with Ni-\u3bcSiC composite deposits and are presently under testing in actual working conditions at a steel producing plant

Appeal for biodiversity protection of native honey bee subspecies of Apis mellifera in Italy (San Michele all'Adige declaration)

Honey bees are pollinators that play a key-role in plant biodiversity conservation and crop production. This unique insect species has been managed in hives by beekeepers for millennia, even though such a peculiar animal production system never resulted in the domestication of the western honey bee. The western honey bee was originally distributed throughout most of Europe, Africa, the Middle East, part of the Arabian Peninsula and some parts of Central Asia. From Europe, the honey bee was introduced to America, Asia and Oceania. This adaptation to a range of environmental conditions, together with geological and climatic changes in past eras, has resulted in grouping of Apis mellifera into 31 subspecies. In the last 150 years, technological advances in beekeeping and globalisation have heavily endangered conservation of the native subspecies of A. mellifera in Europe, with an impact on honey bee production and health status. Evaluation of the impact of this phenomenon on the ecological equilibrium is still ongoing, but there is already scientific evidence of negative effects that this problem is having on beekeeping. This document sets forth the scientific arguments in support of the conservation of native subspecies, and lists the existing Italian legislation in terms of subspecies protection initiatives. It also lists the main factors that are contributing to loss of genetic diversity and of local adaptations. This document does not intend to oppose the actions of the beekeeping industry, but rather to contribute to a more global vision of the very serious problem of honey bee decline