OBJECTIVES Today many clinicians use both stainless-steel hand K-files and nickel- titanium rotary files during endodontic treatment. It is of great importance for the clinician to have confidence in the accuracy of an apex locator even if these files were used interchangeably. The purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate the accuracy of the Raypex5 electronic apex locator using stainless...

Microneedles (MNs) have been shown to enhance the penetration depths of microparticles delivered by gene gun. This study aims to investigate the penetration of model microparticle materials, namely, tungsten (<1 μm diameter) and stainless steel (18 and 30 μm diameters) into a skin mimicking agarose gel to determine the effects of particle characteristics (mainly particle size). A number of expe...

Objectives Intramedullary nailing is the treatment of choice for fractures of the tibial shaft, which might necessitate the nail removal due to complications in the long-term. Although considered as a low-risk procedure, intramedullary nail removal is also associated with certain complications. Here, we compared the most commonly used stainless steel and titanium nails with respect to the compl...

The ferrochrome alloy is produced by electric arc melting of the mineral chromite (FeCr2O4). It is largely used for the production of stainless steels. Increasing the amount of chromium content in the steel allows for increased corrosion and oxidation resistance. Other alloying elements, such as nickel (Ni) or molybdenum (Mo), aid in making the steel more passive and increasing its stainless pr...

Microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) are an efficient technology for generating hydrogen gas from organic matter, but alternatives to precious metals are needed for cathode catalysts. We show here that high surface area stainless steel brush cathodes produce hydrogen at rates and efficiencies similar to those achieved with platinum-catalyzed carbon cloth cathodes in single-chamber MECs. Using a ...

Listeria monocytogenes is an important re-emerging pathogen which is commonly found in the environment. Many outbreaks have been associated with the contamination of food produce, often linked to cross-contamination from surfaces or equipment to prepared foodstuffs. In the present study a number of copper-base metal alloys have been used to assess the survival times of L. monocytogenes on diffe...

Removal of pathogenic organisms from reprocessed surgical instruments is essential to prevent iatrogenic infections. Some bacteria can make persistent biofilms on medical devices. Contamination of non-disposable equipment with prions also represents a serious risk to surgical patients. Efficient disinfection of prions from endoscopes and other instruments such as high-resolution cameras remains...

Front cover: The four images (in clockwise order) illustrate biofilm development on paper machine surfaces. FESEM image of Deinococcus geothermalis cells attached to a stainless steel surface ⇒ FESEM image of interconnected cells of D. geothermalis within a cell cluster ⇒ Stereomicroscope image of biofilm microcolonies ⇒ Photograph of mature biofilms adhering to stainless steel surfaces in the ...

Discharge of raw domestic wastes containing human enteric viruses into water courses, consumption of untreated water from canals, streams, and shallow wells in villages, and cross-contamination of water in the distribution system because of intermittent water supply in urban areas continue to cause widespread outbreaks of infectious hepatitis in India. To detect a low number of viruses in 50- t...