Objective: The objective of this present study was to understand how children and adolescents perceive esthetic attractiveness of a variety of orthodontic appliances. It also analyzed preferences according to patients' age, sex and socioeconomic status. Methods: A photograph album consisting of eight photographs of different orthodontic appliances and clear tray aligners placed in a consentin...

Multilayer elastomeric device fabrication by replication molding requires a method for bonding together layers. In our development of solvent-resistant microfluidics, the goal with each promising new material or coating was to fabricate multilayer chips to evaluate crossed-channel valve performance and ultimately to implement functional elastomeric devices. However, determining a reliable adhes...

Elastomeric bridge bearings have a history of use in the USA of close to 50 years. They are capable of carrying large vertical loads and allowing horizontal movement with low lateral force due to the extreme flexibility of the elastomeric material. They require little maintenance, have no moving parts, have good longevity and are very economical. The elastomer in bridge bearings is usually eith...

It is proposed to use elastomeric composites as artificial joint bearing surfaces to increase their fluid film lubrication and therefore reduce the number of failures which have been attributed to wear mechanisms. The fluid generated between the surfaces supports part of the load and prevents direct contact of the bearing surfaces. In order to obtain optimum elastohydrodynamic lubrication, elas...

We report on a novel nondestructive and reversible method for coupling free space light to planar optical waveguides. In this method, an elastomeric grating is used to produce an effective refractive index modulation on the surface of the optical waveguide. The external elastomeric grating binds to the surface of the waveguide with van der Waals forces and makes conformal contact without any ap...

A microfluidic electroporation technique is demonstrated based on the operation of an elastomeric valve in a poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) fabricated microchip and a common dc power supply. The pulse needed for permeabilization of the cell membrane is generated by temporarily interrupting the circuit using the valve. The electropermeabilization of suspended and adherent Chinese hamster ovary ce...

An elastomeric scaffold containing poly(glycerol sebacate) and hydroxypropyl-?-cyclodextrin was developed for soft tissue engineering.