Scanning Electron Microscopic Examination (scanning + electron_microscopic_examination)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


A case of generalized argyria after ingestion of colloidal silver solution

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 3 2009
Yangho Kim
Abstract A 58-year-old woman was referred to our hospital due to progressive skin darkening, which began 5 months previously. The patient had strikingly diffuse blue-gray discoloration of the skin, most prominent in sun-exposed areas, especially her face and hands. The oral mucosa, tongue, gums, eye conjunctiva, ears, nail beds, and trunk were also involved. Bluish-gray discoloration of all nails was aggravated by cold weather. She had ingested 1 L of colloidal silver solution daily for approximately 16 months as a traditional remedy. Her serum silver concentration was 381 ng/ml which was a very high (reference level: <15 ng/ml). Light microscopic examination of a punch biopsy specimen from her nose revealed fine, minute, round, and brown-black granules deposited in the basement membrane of hair follicular epithelium. Scanning electron microscopic examination showed electron-dense granules deposited in the intercellular space of sweat glands. Energy disperse X-ray spectrometry analysis demonstrated peaks for silver and sulfur in the dense black deposits. The ingestion of colloidal silver appears to be an increasing practice among patients using alternative health practices. All silver-containing products including colloidal silver should be labeled with a clear warning to prevent argyria, especially in alternative health practices. Am. J. Ind. Med. 52:246,250, 2009. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


Dentition in the African catfishes Andersonia (Amphiliidae) and Siluranodon (Schilbeidae) previously considered toothless

JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY, Issue 1 2004
A. S. Golubtsov
Based on light and scanning electron microscopic examination of their morphology, the dentition on both the premaxilla and dentary of Andersonia(Amphiliidae) and Siluranodon(Schilbeidae) catfishes is described from samples taken from tributaries of the White Nile in south-western Ethiopia. These monotypic African genera were previously believed to lack teeth on the lower jaw in Andersonia and on both jaws in Siluranodon. Siluranodon exhibits an ontogenetic reduction: teeth were less frequently found in larger individuals than in smaller ones. In contrast to the adults of all other schilbeids, whose oral teeth are arranged in multiserial (or at least, biserial) bands, Siluranodon has uniserial teeth on both the premaxilla and the dentary. The adaptive, ontogenetic and phylogenetic aspects of jaw-tooth reduction in catfishes are discussed. [source]


Mechanical Behavior and Failure Analysis of Prosthetic Retaining Screws after Long-term Use In Vivo.

JOURNAL OF PROSTHODONTICS, Issue 3 2008
Part 1: Characterization of Adhesive Wear, Structure of Retaining Screws
Abstract Purpose: The general aim of this study and those presented in Parts 2,4 of this series was to characterize the structure, properties, wear, and fracture of prosthetic retaining screws in fixed detachable hybrid prostheses after long-term use in vivo. This part of the overall investigation addresses whether there are differences in thread wear between the screws closest to the fulcrum and those that are farthest from the fulcrum in fixed detachable hybrid prostheses. Materials and Methods: The total number of prosthetic retaining screws used in this study was 100 (10 new and 90 used). New screws (controls) from Nobel Biocare (NB) were divided into Group 1 (slotted) and Group 2 (hexed). Ninety used screws (in service 18,120 months) were retrieved from fixed detachable hybrid prostheses in 18 patients (5 screws from each patient, 60 from NB and 30 from Sterngold). The used screws were divided into 18 groups. Additionally, each group was subdivided into A and B categories. Category A contained the middle three prosthetic screws, which were considered the farthest screws from the fulcrum line. Category B contained the most posterior two screws, which were considered the screws closest to the fulcrum line. All 100 screws were subjected to thorough, nondestructive testing. Results: Light and scanning electron microscopic examination of all used screws for each group revealed surface deterioration of the active profile of the screw threads consistent with adhesive wear. The observed thread profile deterioration ranged from mild to severe. The wear was aggressive enough to cause galling, which led to thinning of the threads and, in severe cases, to knife-edges at thread crests. In ten groups, the most anterior three screws exhibited more wear than the most posterior two screws. In addition to thread wear, severe plastic deformation was detected on the bottom part of each screw for three groups, and a long external longitudinal crack was detected in one screw of Group 2. Conclusions: The findings of this study and those presented in Parts 2,4 demonstrate that different retaining screws from the same manufacturer and/or from different manufacturers have different geometrical design, microstructures, major alloy constituents, and microhardness, and that these differences influence their preload and fractured load values. In this part of the overall investigation, the occurrence of galling as a result of wear involving prosthetic retaining screws appears to be an inevitable and unavoidable consequence of long-term use in vivo in fixed detachable hybrid prostheses regardless of the intended/original preload value. The galling rate is greater on the middle three screws compared to the most posterior two screws in fixed detachable hybrid prostheses. The wear pattern is consistent with an adhesive wear mechanism; however, this study does not provide enough data to support a definitive analysis. [source]


Influence of Grain Phase on Slag Corrosion of Low-Cement Castable Refractories

JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CERAMIC SOCIETY, Issue 2 2001
Hossain Sarpoolaky
The grain phase has a significant influence on the extent and mechanism of attack of low-cement castables with similar bond systems in a crucible corrosion test. The general corrosion mechanism, as determined by post mortem scanning electron microscopic examination of corroded samples and thermodynamic calculations for all four grain types examined (white-fused alumina (WFA), tabular alumina (TA), brown-fused alumina (BFA), and alumina-rich spinel (S)), involves initial reaction of the most penetrating slag (enriched in calcium, manganese, and iron, because these elements diffuse rapidly) with the fine alumina and calcium aluminates of the matrix. This reaction gives a CaO-rich local liquid, which can then react with each grain predominantly to form calcium hexaluminate (CA6) and hercynitic spinel. In the WFA system, a complete CA6 layer forms around the grain, whereas in the TA system, this layer is incomplete. In both systems, extensive penetration occurs, although corrosion is low. In the BFA system, titanates are released from the grain into the bond, leading to increased densification of the refractory, via liquid-phase sintering, and consequent low penetration. However, the resulting fluid liquid dissolves easily in the slag, so that corrosive wear is high, even though a CA6 layer forms around the grain. In the S grain system, uptake of the rapidly diffusing cations into the spinel crystal structure leads to silica-rich and viscous local liquid, which leads to low penetration and corrosion. [source]