The 2 stages of cartridge primer toolmark production and the implied impact of cartridge manufacturing tolerances.

Many methods of ballistic toolmark comparison rely upon comparison using 2D greyscale imaging. However, newly emerging analysis methods such as areal surface analysis now utilise an extra dimension of measurement allowing the surface heights/depths of unique toolmark features to be recorded in a densely populated (x,y,z) array for a 3D/areal quantitative comparative analysis. Due to this step change, the colloquialism in referring to the crater produced at the centre of the primer during firing as a "firing pin impression" has become a misnomer, leading some to believe that this toolmark is produced via a single process, where the critical variable is the condition of the firing pin.

Effect of different sintering protocols on the fracture strength of 3-unit monolithic gradient zirconia fixed partial dentures: An in vitro study.

Statement Of Problem: Strength-gradient zirconia combining 3 zirconia formulations with different flexural strengths has been reported to have outstanding mechanical properties. However, data concerning the effect of different sintering protocols on the fracture strength of 3-unit monolithic gradient zirconia fixed partial dentures (FPDs) are sparse.

Purpose: The purpose of this in vitro study was to test the effect of different sintering protocols on the fracture strength of 3-unit monolithic gradient zirconia FPDs.

Micro-CT analysis of marginal and internal fit of milled and pressed polyetheretherketone single crowns.

Statement Of Problem: Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) has been increasingly used as a framework material in prosthetic dentistry. However, data on the marginal and internal fit of PEEK restorations fabricated by using either the computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM) or heat-pressing technique are sparse.

Purpose: The aim of this in vitro study was to assess the marginal and internal fit of milled and pressed PEEK single crowns by using microcomputed tomography (μCT).

Reaction Sintering of Biocompatible AlO-hBN Ceramics.

Biocompatible AlO-hBN ceramic was sintered from AlN and BO precursors by reaction hot pressing at 1750 °C and 30 MPa for 8 min. The ceramic was compared to nonreactive (NR) one sintered from AlO and BN under the same sintering conditions. The NR ceramic possesses 9% porosity as opposed to only 2% porosity for the reaction sintered AlO-hBN.

Design and development of a novel fused filament fabrication (FFF) 3D printed diffusion cell with UV imaging capabilities to characterise permeation in pharmaceutical formulations.

The present work aimed at designing and developing a novel 3D printed diffusion cell capable of UV imaging using the fused filament fabrication (FFF) method. UV imaging has proven to be very versatile in the area of pharmaceutics giving insights into various phenomena including the dissolution behaviour of dosage forms, intrinsic dissolution rates and the drug precipitation processes. A 3D printed diffusion cell in the similitude of a Franz cell was successfully printed using polylactic acid (PLA) filaments equipped with quartz for the imaging area.

Synthetic wavelength to increase the snapshot optical sensor's elevated vertical measurement ranges.

Screening manufactured products that are conducted faster to enhance the contemporary manufacture processes and quality is possible by implementing enhanced quality control. Such quality control of manufactured products has increased the market for process-focused precision metrology that can execute evaluations faster while providing significant feedback for the manufacturing system. This investigation examines spatial dispersive interferometry's potential for producing accurate surface profile measurements by emphasizing vertical range measurements and identifying a system that can enable them to increase incrementally while maintaining the results' quality.

UScale: a digital device for automatic urine volume measurement and frequency volume charting.

Background: Health issues relating to the lower urinary tract are an increasing burden on the health economy. Measurement of urination frequency/volume using diaries to evaluate symptoms and assess severity is established in the management of these health problems. In current practice, these frequency volume diaries are completed by voiding into a measuring jug and the completion of paper or digital charts.

A predictive integrated framework based on the radial basis function for the modelling of the flow of pharmaceutical powders.

This study presents a modelling framework to predict the flowability of various commonly used pharmaceutical powders and their blends. The flowability models were trained and validated on 86 samples including single components and binary mixtures. Two modelling paradigms based on artificial intelligence (AI) namely, a radial basis function (RBF) and an integrated network were employed to model the flowability represented by the flow function coefficient (FFC) and the bulk density (RHOB).

Hot-melt extrusion process impact on polymer choice of glyburide solid dispersions: The effect of wettability and dissolution.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the choice of polymer and polymer level on the performance of the microstructure and wettability of hot-melt extruded solid dispersion of Glyburide (Gly) as a model drug. The produced solid dispersion were characterised using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), image analysis using a focus variation instrument (FVI), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), X-ray microtomography (XµT), dynamic contact angle measurement and dissolution analysis using biorelevant dissolution media (FASSIF). SEM and focus variation analysis showed that the microstructure and surface morphology was significantly different between samples produced.

Kinematics Error Compensation for a Surface Measurement Probe on an Ultra-Precision Turning Machine.

In order to enhance the measurement availability for manufacturing applications, on-machine surface measurement (OMSM) is integrated onto the machine tools, which avoids the errors caused by re-positioning workpieces and utilizes the machine axes to extend the measuring range as well. However, due to the fact that measurement probe actuation is performed using the machine tool axes, the inherent kinematics error will inevitably induce additional deviations onto the OMSM results. This paper presents a systematic methodology of kinematics error modelling, measurement, and compensation for OMSM on an ultra-precision turning lathe.

Comparative study of material loss at the taper interface in retrieved metal-on-polyethylene and metal-on-metal femoral components from a single manufacturer.

There have been a number of reports on the occurrence of taper corrosion and/or fretting and some have speculated on a link to the occurrence of adverse local tissue reaction specifically in relation to total hip replacement which have a metal-on-metal bearing. As such a study was carried out to compare the magnitude of material loss at the taper in a series of retrieved femoral heads used in metal-on-polyethylene bearings with that in a series of retrieved heads used in metal-on-metal bearings. A total of 36 metal-on-polyethylene and 21 metal-on-metal femoral components were included in the study all of which were received from a customer complaint database.

Material loss at the taper junction of retrieved large head metal-on-metal total hip replacements.

It has been speculated that material loss, either as corrosion or wear, at the head-stem taper junction is implicated in the high revision rates reported for metal-on-metal total hip replacements. We measured the volume of material loss from the taper and bearing surfaces of retrieved devices, and investigated the associations with blood metal ion levels and the diagnosis of a cystic or solid pseudotumor. The median volumes of material lost from the female and male taper surfaces were 2.

Static shear strength between polished stem and seven commercial acrylic bone cements.

The stem-cement interface is one of the most significant sites in cemented total hip replacement and has long been implicated in failure of the whole joint system. However, shear strength at this interface has rarely been compared across a range of commercially available bone cements. The present study seeks to address this issue by carrying out a comparative study.

Micromechanical versus chemical bonding between CoCr alloys and methacrylate resins.

Introduction: As adhesive systems for bonding to metals have developed in dentistry, considerable importance is attached to the preparation of the metal alloy for both mechanical and chemical bonding. Different grit sizes when sandblasting Cobalt Chromium (CoCr) will provide a different three-dimensional surface for bonding. Previous reports have shown that 4-Methacryloyloxyethyl trimellitic anhydride (4-Meta) resins offer high bond strengths to CoCr alloy, with various surface preparations providing varying bond strengths.