Bone grafting of the regenerate: a previously undescribed case and surgical technique

Distraction osteogenesis can occasionally be complicated with poor-quality regenerated bone. Several factors have been identified in the literature in order to reinforce the maturation of the regenerate. We would like to present a case in a 40 years old patient who presented with shortening and uniplanar varus angulation at his proximal tibia. The patient was treated with distraction osteogenesis using a circular frame. He had significant delay in the maturation of the 4-5 cm gap, and it was decided to use a non-vascularized fibular graft that was introduced using the tibial intramedullary nailing instrumentation. The graft led to an impressive acceleration of the maturation of the regenerate, mostly posteriorly and laterally with poor progression at the anterior part of the tibia. As this is the first such case presented in the international literature it is difficult to speculate why the regenerate was stimulated only in specific areas. Further reporting is necessary to reach safe conclusions

Open Source Adoption In Large US Companies

Various organizations increasingly adopt open source software, both on desktop PCs and servers. Since the first movements in open source in the 1960’s its growth has lead to new approaches in software development, licensing, and distribution, as well as in software vendors’ business models. The literature includes very interesting studies regarding prospective benefits, business models and case studies. However, the adoption of open source in large, global companies and its relationship with factors such as profitability, revenues and industry sector has not yet been researched. This study aims to answer these questions based on data we collected from Fortune 1000 companies and provides a method that can be applied in similar contexts

Towards the deployment of customer orientation: A case study in third-party logistics

Customer orientation concerns the degree to which an organisation focuses on customers, recognises their desires and places meeting their needs as a first priority. As managing the needs of individual customers in supply chains become increasingly important, logistics companies have been recognising customer orientation as a critical aspect of their success. This study explores some of the challenges in the deployment of customer oriented logistics systems and argues that the so-called product intelligence model can provide an approach for developing such systems. Using an industrial case study, in this paper we examine customer orientation for a third-party logistics provider by examining both the development of information systems that enable the offering of exible logistics offerings to the end customer and the impact of providing these offerings on a company's performance. We conclude with a set of functionalities required by information systems of logistics providers that wish to enhance customer orientation in their offering

Customising with 3D printing: The role of intelligent control

© 2018 Elsevier B.V. The emergence of direct digital manufacturing creates new opportunities for the production of highly customised goods especially when it is combined with conventional manufacturing methods. Nevertheless, this combination creates a need for systems that can effectively manage and control the resulting distributed manufacturing process. In this paper, we explore three different configurations that can enable direct digital manufacturing for customisation, ranging from fully integrated to inter-organisational set up. Additionally, control requirements of such systems are developed and the suitability of intelligent control is explored. By ‘intelligent control’ we mean production control that is capable of assessing and interacting with the production environment and adapting production accordingly. We argue that the so called intelligent product paradigm provides a suitable mechanism for the development of such intelligent control systems. In this approach, the intelligent product directly co-ordinates with design agent, 3D printing agents and other conventional manufacturing system agents to schedule, assign and execute tasks independently. Via a case example of a realistic production system, we propose and implement such an intelligent control system and we analyse its feasibility in supporting 3D printing enabled customisation

Using Multiple Intelligence Activities and Film to Stimulate the Communicative EFL Learner

The present Action Research (AR) study investigates the impact Multiple Intelligence (MI) activities and film can have on EFL students’ conversational skills. The participants were adult language learners who had moved to the UK for academic and/or professional purposes. The majority of the students were accustomed to a teacher-centred learning environment where most of their L2 input derived from their coursebook. The combination of MI and film in the learners’ language lessons aimed to stimulate their linguistic competence and conversational interaction in a student-centred environment. The multimedia used in the study was chosen with educational objectives in mind and the activities were to fulfil pedagogical language learning issues

Intrapelvic migration of the hip screw of a proximal femoral nail: report of two cases and review of the literature

Two cases of medial migration of the hip screw in cases of cephalon-medullary nailing for the treatment of extra-articular proximal femoral fractures are reported. The first case was revised to hemiarthroplasty, that was subsequently complicated with infection and death of the patient, while the second was revised to a similar devise with favorable outcome. A review of the literature is performed in order to identify the contributing factors that result in the medial migration of the hip screw. Emphasis is given in further reporting of similar cases in order to abolish this potentially lethal complication.