Corrosion of bio implants

Chemical stability, mechanical behaviour and biocompatibility in body fluids and tissues are the basic requirements for successful application of implant materials in bone fractures and replacements. Corrosion is one of the major processes affecting the life and service of orthopaedic devices made of metals and alloys used as implants in the body. Among the metals and alloys known, stainless steels (SS), Co-Cr alloys and titanium and its alloys are the most widely used for the making of biodevices for extended life in human body. Incidences of failure of stainless steel implant devices reveal the occurrence of significant localised corroding viz., pitting and crevice corrosion. Titanium forms a stable TiO2 film which can release titanium particles under wear into the body environment. To reduce corrosion and achieve better biocompatibility, bulk alloying of stainless steels with titanium and nitrogen, surface alloying by ion implantation of stainless steels and titanium and its alloys, and surface modification of stainless steel with bioceramic coatings are considered potential methods for improving the performance of orthopaedic devices. This review discusses these issues in depth and examines emerging directions

Behaviour of Thymoquinone & Its Derivatives at Dropping Mercury Electrode

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Prospective randomized subject-masked study of intravitreal bevacizumab monotherapy versus dexamethasone implant monotherapy in the treatment of persistent diabetic macular edema

Purpose: To compare intravitreal bevacizumab monotherapy with intravitreal dexamethasone delayed delivery system monotherapy for persistent diabetic macular edema. Methods: Single-center, randomized, subject-masked study of eyes with persistent diabetic macular edema, defined as central subfield thickness (CST) >340 μm despite ≥3 anti–vascular endothelial growth factors injections within 5 months. The intravitreal bevacizumab monotherapy (n = 23 eyes) and delayed delivery system monotherapy (n = 27 eyes) groups received treatments q1month and q3months, respectively. Results: Baseline best-corrected visual acuity and CST were similar in the two groups. At Month 7, the mean final best-corrected visual acuity (mean ± SD) was 65 ± 16 letters (mean Snellen visual acuity 20/50) and 64 ± 11 letters (20/50) (P = 0.619), the mean change in best-corrected visual acuity was +5.6 ± 6.1 and +5.8 ± 7.6 letters (P = 0.785), the mean final CST was 471 ± 157 and 336 ± 89 μm (P = 0.001), and the mean change in CST was −13 ± 105 and −122 ± 120 μm (P = 0.005) in the intravitreal bevacizumab monotherapy and delayed delivery system monotherapy groups, respectively. The number of injections was 7.0 ± 0.2 and 2.7 ± 0.5 (P < 0.001) in the 2 groups. Conclusion: The two groups had similar best-corrected visual acuity gains. The delayed delivery system monotherapy group achieved a significantly greater reduction of CST compared with the intravitreal bevacizumab monotherapy group, with a q3month interval of treatment, and had no recurrent edema at any visit

Percutaneous trigger thumb release: a safe push-pull technique

Background: Stenosing tenosynovitis of the thumb is an inflammation of flexor tendon sheath of A1 pulley. Percutaneous release has recently gained popularity. Successful percutaneous release depends upon proper prediction of the location of the A1 pulley and circumventing injury to the neurovascular bundles. The aim of this study was to determine the safety of percutaneous release of trigger thumb.Methods: Twenty eight patients were included in the study between 2015 and 2018. All the patients were percutaneously released using push-pull technique. Steroid injection was given following the release. Quinnell grading, patient questionnaire and visual analogue scale score was used to assess the patients at 2 weeks, 6 weeks and 6 months and 1 year.Results: Satisfactory results were found in 93% of patients. Two patients complained of pain and swelling till third week. No digital nerve injury occurred in any patients.Conclusions: Percutaneous trigger thumb release using this push-pull technique is a simple and a safe technique with very minimal complications.

Meeting the challenges related to material issues in chemical industries

Reliable performance and profitability are two important requirements for any chemical industry. In order to achieve high level of reliability and excellent performance, several issues related to design, materials selection, fabrication, quality assurance, transport, storage, inputs from condition monitoring, failure analysis etc. have to be adequately addressed and implemented. Technology related to nondestructive testing and monitoring of the plant is also essential for precise identification of defect sites and to take appropriate remedial decision regarding repair, replacement or modification of process conditions. The interdisciplinary holistic approach enhances the life of critical engineering components in chemical plants. Further, understanding the failure modes of the components through the analysis of failed components throws light on the choice of appropriate preventive measures to be taken well in advance, to have a control over the overall health of the plant. The failure analysis also leads to better design modification and condition monitoring methodologies, for the next generation components and plants. At the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR), Kalpakkam, a unique combination of the expertise in design, materials selection, fabrication, NDT development, condition monitoring, life prediction and failure analysis exists to obtain desired results for achieving high levels of reliability and performance assessment of critical engineering components in chemical industries. Case studies related to design, materials selection and fabrication aspects of critical components in nuclear fuel reprocessing plants, NDT development and condition monitoring of various components of nuclear power plants, and important failure investigations on critical engineering components in chemical and allied industries are discussed in this paper. Future directions are identified and planned approaches are briefly described

V496 Scuti: An Fe II nova with dust shell accompanied by CO emission

We present near-infrared and optical observations of the nova V496 Scuti 2009 covering various phases - pre-maximum, early decline and nebular - during the first 10 months of its discovery followed by limited observations in early part of 2011 April. The spectra follow the evolution of the nova when the lines had strong P Cygni profiles to a phase dominated by prominent emission lines. The notable feature of the near-IR spectra in the early decline phase is the rare presence of first overtone bands of carbon monoxide in emission. Later about 150 days after the peak brightness the IR spectra show clear dust formation in the expanding ejecta. Dust formation in V496 Sct is consistent with the presence of lines of elements with low ionization potentials like Na and Mg in the early spectra and the detection of CO bands in emission. The light curve shows a slow rise to the maximum and a slow decline indicating a prolonged mass loss. This is corroborated by the strengthening of P Cygni profiles during the first 30 days. In the spectra taken close to the optical maximum brightness, the broad and single absorption component seen at the time of discovery is replaced by two sharper components. During the early decline phase two sharp dips that show increasing outflow velocities are seen in the P Cygni absorption components of Fe II and H I lines. The spectra in 2010 March showed the onset of the nebular phase. Several emission lines display saddle-like profiles during the nebular phase. In the nebular stage the observed fluxes of [O III] and H-beta lines are used to estimate the electron number densities and the mass of the ejecta. The optical spectra show that the nova evolved in the P_fe A_o spectral sequence. The physical conditions in the ejecta are estimated. The absolute magnitude and the distance to the nova are estimated to be M_V = -7.0 +/- 0.2 and d = 2.9 +/- 0.3 kpc respectively.Comment: 14 pages, 9 figures and 6 Tables, Accepted for Publication in MNRA