Method of Surgical Treatment of Spine Injury with the Use of Extracorporeal Navigation System Based on Additive Technologies.

We present a method of minimally invasive transcutaneous insertion of screws using a prefabricated extracorporeal navigation system using additive technologies (based on primary data obtained from the DICOM package in multi-detector computed tomography of the affected spine segment) according to the principle of personalized medicine. The method was tested on 10 dogs of different breeds with generally similar mechanism of trauma and typical consequences that led to fracture and dislocation of one of the lumbar vertebrae. In all animals, a positive treatment outcome of different degrees was achieved. Regression of the neurological deficit without significant postoperative inflammatory reaction was noted. The proposed method of treatment reduces the risk of malposition in pedicular and interbody pins and reduces radiation intraoperative exposure.

Benzene oxidation at diamond electrodes: comparison of microcrystalline and nanocrystalline diamonds.

A comparative study of benzene oxidation at boron-doped diamond (BDD) and nitrogenated nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) anodes in 0.5 M K(2)SO(4) aqueous solution is conducted by using cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. It is shown by measurements of differential capacitance and anodic current that during the benzene oxidation at the BDD electrode, adsorption of a reaction intermediate occurs, which partially blocks the electrode surface and lowers the anodic current. At the NCD electrode, benzene is oxidized concurrently with oxygen evolution, a (quinoid) intermediate being adsorbed at the electrode. The adsorption and the electrode surface blocking are reflected in the impedance-frequency and impedance-potential complex-plane plots.

Wettability of ultrananocrystalline diamond and graphite nanowalls films: a comparison with their single crystal analogs.

Dramatic changes in wettability of diamond and graphite are observed when these materials are prepared in nanostructured forms--undoped and nitrogen-doped ultrananocrystalline diamond (UNCD) films, and graphite nanowalls (GNW), respectively. The nanostructured carbon films were deposited on Si by microwave plasma CVD processes. The advancing contact angle theta for water on hydrogenated undoped UNCD films increases to 106 +/- 3 degrees compared to hydrogenated single crystal diamond (theta = 92 degrees). Nitrogen doping (N2 addition to plasma) during UNCD growth makes the film more hydrophilic. The GNW films exhibited superhydrophobic behavior with theta = 144 +/- 3 degrees for water, which is higher than the contact angle of monocrystalline graphite (the basal plane) by a factor of 1.8. No chemical surface treatment is necessary to achieve such high hydrophobicity, it is accomplished solely by a specific (nanoporous, high aspect ratio) surface morphology with very low free surface energy inherent in it. The wetting behaviour of nanostructured films can be described with the Cassie-Baxter equation for heterophase nanoporous surfaces. Oxidation and hydrogenation of UNCD films make it possible to control theta over a much wider range as compared to a single crystal diamond. The influence of diamond grain size on wetting is considered taking into account the surface treatment. The corresponding variation in surface energy has been determined by the modified Young's equation.

High rate flame synthesis of highly crystalline iron oxide nanorods.

Single-step flame synthesis of iron oxide nanorods is performed using iron probes inserted into an opposed-flow methane oxy-flame. The high temperature reacting environment of the flame tends to convert elemental iron into a high density layer of iron oxide nanorods. The diameters of the iron oxide nanorods vary from 10 to 100 nm with a typical length of a few microns. The structural characterization performed shows that nanorods possess a highly ordered crystalline structure with parameters corresponding to cubic magnetite (Fe(3)O(4)) with the [100] direction oriented along the nanorod axis. Structural variations of straight nanorods such as bends, and T-branched and Y-branched shapes are frequently observed within the nanomaterials formed, opening pathways for synthesis of multidimensional, interconnected networks.