A new method for measurement of the vitrification rate of earthenware texture by scanning electron microscope.

A new method for determining the vitrification rate of pottery depending on the firing temperature was devised using secondary electron images (SEI) of scanning electron microscope (SEM). Several tests were performed to establish the appropriate operating conditions of SEM and reproducibility as well as to examine the applicability of the method. The grayscale values converted from each pixel of SEI were used to determine the vitrification rate of pottery, which in our study were artificially fired specimens composed of three types of clay.

Comparative study on surgical outcomes and operative costs of transumbilical single-port laparoscopic appendectomy versus conventional laparoscopic appendectomy in adult patients.

Purpose: To reduce the incisional morbidity and improve cosmesis, the authors adopted a single-port laparoscopic appendectomy using a unique "single-port". The authors retrospectively evaluated transumbilical single-port laparoscopic appendectomy (TUSPLA) against conventional laparoscopic appendectomy (CLA) with respect to perioperative outcomes and operative cost in the adult patients.

Materials And Methods: The authors reviewed the case of laparoscopic appendectomy between April 2008 and January 2009.