PURPOSE Plaster casts can cause burns. Synthetic casts do not. Composite plaster-synthetic casts have not been thoroughly evaluated. This study analyzed the temperature from plaster casts compared with composite casts in a variety of in vitro conditions that would simulate clinical practice. METHODS A Pyrex cylinder filled with constant body temperature circulating water simulated a human ext...

Devices and materials intended for clinical applications as medical and implant devices should be evaluated to determine their biocompatibility in physiological systems. This article presents results from cytotoxicity assay of L929 mouse fibroblasts culture, tests for skin irritation, intracutaneous reactivity and sensitization, and material implantation tests for the novel copper/low-density p...

Recent three-point bend tests of size effect on the strength of geometrically scaled sandwich beams of three types – with no notches, and with notches at the upper or lower skin–foam interface, which were previously evaluated using simplified sandwich beam theory and equivalent linear elastic fracture mechanics, are now reanalyzed more accurately by finite elements. Zero-thickness interface ele...

The spoIVCA gene of Bacillus subtilis encodes a site-specific recombinase, which excises a 48-kb skin element from the chromosomal DNA by DNA rearrangement and creates a new composite gene, sigK, on the chromosome. From spoIVCA mutants, we have isolated Spo+ revertants which have no skin element but have an intact sigK gene. This result suggests that the DNA rearrangement can occur in the absen...

PURPOSE Functional reconstruction of mutilating hand injuries poses a challenge to the surgeon. We present our experience with use of multiple composite tissue flaps transplant for functional reconstruction of hand in patients with mutilating hand injuries. The associated merits and demerits of these surgical approaches are briefly discussed. METHODS From August 2004 to October 2014, function...

Conventional commercial aircraft fuselages use all-aluminium semi-monocoque structures where the skin carries the external loads, the internal fuselage pressurization and is strengthen using frames and stringers. Environmental and economic issues force aircraft designers to minimize weight and costs to keep air transport competitive and safe. But as metal designs have reached a high degree of p...