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This work reports the study of metal fragments from Roman pipes excavated from the archaeological site of Pompeii and currently preserved in the deposits of the National Archaeological Museum of Naples (MANN). The Roman pipe, called the tibia, is a reed wind musical instrument similar to the Greek aulos. It can be made of wood, bone, and/or metal. Materials consisting of metal Cu-based alloys were excavated from archaeological burial environments. This research aims to identify the composition of the alloys, characterize the corrosion patinas, and identify any ancient surface treatments on the fragments. Non-invasive and micro-invasive techniques were used to achieve this aim, i.e., optical microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, attenuated total reflectance Fourier-transform infrared spectrophotometry, scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive spectrometry. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of the materials and manufacturing techniques used for these instruments, as well as the degradation processes occurring over the centuries.

This work reports the study of metal fragments from Roman pipes excavated from the archaeological site of Pompeii and currently preserved in the deposits of the National Archaeological Museum of Naples (MANN). The Roman pipe, called the tibia, is a reed wind musical instrument similar to the Greek aulos. It can be made of wood, bone, and/or metal. Materials consisting of metal Cu-based alloys were excavated from archaeological burial environments. This research aims to identify the composition of the alloys, characterize the corrosion patinas, and identify any ancient surface treatments on the fragments. Non-invasive and micro-invasive techniques were used to achieve this aim, i.e., optical microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, attenuated total reflectance Fourier-transform infrared spectrophotometry, scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive spectrometry. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of the materials and manufacturing techniques used for these instruments, as well as the degradation processes occurring over the centuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of artificial intelligence to chemistry usually focuses on the identification of good correlations between descriptors and a given property of interest. The descriptors often come from arbitrary sets, with the implicit assumption that the evaluation of a sufficiently wide range of descriptors will lead to a satisfactory choice. Recent work in our group has focused on applying statistical analysis to large amounts of DFT results with the goal of finding optimal descriptor sets for a given property, which we label as hidden descriptors. This article briefly discusses this treatment and the chemical knowledge that has been gained through its application in two different domains: metal-ligand bond strength in transition metal complexes, and energy barriers in bimolecular nucleophilic substitution reactions.

Background. Diagnosis of metal fragments in the soft tissues of the wounded is based on examination, history, data of radiographic and ultrasound examinations, wound revision. Errors in the diagnosis and treatment of gunshot wounds are due to the complexity of the mechanism, the combined nature of the injury and the inconsistency of seemingly minor changes in severe intracavitary and intratissue damage. One of the new technologies for deepening scientific knowledge is a modern method of X-ray diffractometry using X-ray phase analysis, which is effectively used in the study of metals. Taking into account the metal composition of most final metal fragments of explosive and refractory genesis and the possible diffusion of metal elements into the surrounding capsule, this method is adapted and used to study capsules of metal fragments of explosive and refractory genesis. The purpose of the study: to determine and analyze the intensity of X-ray fluorescence of the contents of the nano-impurities of capsules of metal fragments of soft tissues of explosive and refractory genesis. Mate­rials and methods. As a material for the study of X-ray fluorescence intensity of the nano-impurity content, soft tissues removed surgically together with an encapsulated metal fragment of explosive and fire-fighting genesis were used in 36 wounded in the period from 2 months to 23 years after wounding in a military medical clinic. The center of the Northern region of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and the State Institution “IZNH them. V.T. Zaitseva National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine”. Results. Accor­ding to the results of the study of the intensity of X-ray fluorescence of nano-impurities, 3 phases of encapsulation of metal fragments in the soft tissues of the wounded were determined on the basis of elemental, structural, cellular, tissue and clinical data: active dynamic changes, transient phase, unstable equilibrium their absence in most clinical cases. Conclusions. 3 phases of encapsulation of metal fragments in soft tissues of wounded were determined on the basis of elemental, structural, cellular, tissue and clinical data: active dynamic changes, transitional phase, unstable balance, which reflect the main mechanisms of complications and their absence in most clinical cases.

The paper discusses the impact of the presence of foreign bodies on the quality and value of oak timber as raw material. During the study, 109 oak bolts and logs with a total volume of 142.52 m³ were measured and classified. The material for the study came from the Suchowice Forest District, within the Henryków Forestry Inspectorate (in the south-western part of Poland), and it was sampled from a tree stand located on the edge of the forest, where the largest concentration of rifle and artillery fire had occurred during World War II. As a result, the tree trunks contain significant amounts of shrapnel and projectiles. The length and diameter of each bolt and log were measured, and double classification was conducted: the first (I) classification took into account the presence of foreign bodies, whereas in the second (II) classification the presence of foreign bodies was disregarded. As a result of the conducted analyses, it was found that due to the presence of foreign bodies, all of the examined oak raw material was categorised as the worst quality class (D) timber. However, it was noted that during the second classification, where the presence of foreign bodies was not taken into account, a significant part of the raw material was upgraded to better quality classes, and only about 16% of wood remained in the worst, D class. Subsequently, it was calculated that the difference in the total value of the oak timber raw material classified by two methods amounted to approx. 204 thousand PLN (ca. € 43,514) - which was about 35% higher than the value calculated by the first method of classification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Advisability of magnets in neurotrauma is due to pattern of patients admitted to neurosurgical departments of military hospitals with wounds accompanied by intracranial fixation of foreign metallic ferromagnetic bodies., Objective: To study dimensions, mass and magnetic properties of fragments extracted from gunshot wounds inflicted by modern weapons; to assess the feasibility of devices and instruments for removing foreign bodies., Material and Methods: We analyzed foreign bodies extracted after gunshot wounds. Shape, dimension, weight and magnetic properties were studied. We estimated 532 foreign bodies (497 surgeries) extracted at the Kirov Military Medical Academy and 83 foreign bodies (79 surgeries) extracted at the Burdenko Military Clinical Hospital. Distribution by anatomical regions was established for both groups. We intraoperatively used cylindrical neodymium magnets 3×20 and 5×20 mm to extract magnetic foreign bodies. These magnets were brought to the target using standard surgical tweezers or original devices., Results: The median mass of removed fragments was 0.385 (Q 1 -Q 3 =0.12-1.435; min-max≤0.01-30.5) g at the Kirov Military Medical Academy and 0.4 (Q 1 -Q 3 ≤0.001-1.6; min-max≤0.01-11.4) g at the Burdenko Military Clinical Hospital. Magnetic foreign bodies were found in 501 (94.2%) and 74 (94.8%) cases, respectively. In 8.8% of cases, foreign bodies were not removed due to difficult-to-reach location accompanied by higher risk of adverse outcomes after extraction., Conclusion: Extracted foreign bodies after combat injuries have magnetic properties in 94% of cases. Intraoperative magnet allows for safe extraction of fragments in 91% of cases. Devices with adjustable magnetic field strength seem perspective. Further analysis of indications for removal of wounding projectiles in primary and, especially, repeated surgical treatment of craniocerebral wounds is needed.

Soft-tissue sarcomas (STSs) are a heterogeneous group of tumors, which accounts for 1–2% of adult cancers worldwide. Despite quite a few reports on traumatic events followed by STS formation, the link between the two events remains a point of controversy. In this paper, we present the case of a young patient who had a rhabdomyosarcoma in the lower extremity, which had developed in the same location where the patient was wounded by a gunshot 9 years earlier. X-ray and CT scans clearly showed metal fragments in the area of sarcoma formation. The patient underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy treatment, to which the tumor was, unfortunately, unresponsive. Therefore, the patient was referred to below-knee amputation of the injured leg. There are several possible etiological factors for sarcoma development in this patient, including tissue damage and inflammation, as well as the presence of metal fragments in the tissue and the limb’s exposure to radiation during multiple imaging tests. Here, we will discuss the potential influence wielded by the injury itself, as well as its complications and its medical management on the formation of the sarcoma, in light of the current literature.

Soft-tissue sarcomas (STSs) are a heterogeneous group of tumors, which accounts for 1-2% of adult cancers worldwide. Despite quite a few reports on traumatic events followed by STS formation, the link between the two events remains a point of controversy. In this paper, we present the case of a young patient who had a rhabdomyosarcoma in the lower extremity, which had developed in the same location where the patient was wounded by a gunshot 9 years earlier. X-ray and CT scans clearly showed metal fragments in the area of sarcoma formation. The patient underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy treatment, to which the tumor was, unfortunately, unresponsive. Therefore, the patient was referred to below-knee amputation of the injured leg. There are several possible etiological factors for sarcoma development in this patient, including tissue damage and inflammation, as well as the presence of metal fragments in the tissue and the limb's exposure to radiation during multiple imaging tests. Here, we will discuss the potential influence wielded by the injury itself, as well as its complications and its medical management on the formation of the sarcoma, in light of the current literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Erythritol tetranitrate (ETN) is a highly sensitive nitrate ester that has a similar molecular structure to nitroglycerine and penta-erythritol tetranitrate (PETN). In this study, experiments detonating 175 g of ETN were repeated three times to measure blast waves 0.6 m above the ground. TNT and PETN were also tested under the same conditions for comparison. The average peak overpressure of ETN was about 30 kPa at 3 m from the explosion center (5.4 m kg−1/3 scaled distance), which was much higher than that of TNT (about 22 kPa) and similar to PETN. The effects of the reflected wave from the ground appeared at greater distances of 5 and 7 m (8.9 and 12.5 m kg−1/3, respectively), as verified by the waveforms and high-speed camera images. Previous TNT data for peak overpressure vs. scaled distance were used to calculate the TNT equivalents for the experimental data, which revealed that ETN had a similar value to PETN. The fragments velocities of steel cylinders were measured, and that of ETN (1040 m s−1) was higher than that of TNT (957 m s−1) and lower than that of PETN (1260 m s−1). The Gurney constant for each explosive was obtained by using the initial fragment velocities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Post-traumatic epileptic seizure is a common complication of brain trauma including military injuries. We present clinical characteristics and correlates of post-traumatic epilepsy in 163 head-injured veterans suffering from intractable epilepsy due to blunt or penetrating head injuries sustained during the Iraq–Iran war. The medical records of 163 war veterans who were admitted by the Epilepsy Department of the Shefa Neuroscience Center between 2005 and 2009 were retrospectively reviewed. The mean follow-up period after developing epilepsy was 17.2years. The time interval between the trauma and the first seizure was shorter and the seizure frequency was higher in epileptic patients suffering from penetrating head trauma. There was no difference in seizure type between epileptic patients traumatised by blunt or penetrating injury. Patients with seizure frequency of more than 30 per month mostly had simple partial seizure. Frontal and parietal semiologies were observed more frequently in patients with penetrating trauma, whereas patients with blunt trauma showed a higher temporal semiology. The most common brain lesion observed by CT scan was encephalomalacia followed by porencephaly and focal atrophy. There was no association between intracerebral retained fragments and different characteristic features of epilepsy. Patients with military brain injury carry a high risk of intractable post-traumatic epilepsy decades after their injury, and thus require a long-term medical follow-up. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Introduction: The removal of metal shrapnel in the sub-acute phase of casualty treatment requires the utmost accuracy in detection and removal, especially when there is proximity to major neurovascular structures. Inability to successfully locate and remove retained fragments may lead to a variety of complications due to fragment migration. In this study we prove the feasibility of a new technique which uses metal detector technology combined with a surgical navigation system, resulting in improved accuracy and decreased operating time. Methods: In each of the experiments, 6 metal nuts were inserted into a dummy leg to simulate shrapnel wounds. Two major experiments were then conducted. Experiment 1 was a comparison of two methods: (a) localization of the nuts using surgical navigation alone, and (b) localization by means of metal detector technology combined with a surgical navigation system (StealthStation® TREON® plus). Experiment 2 employed the same two methods, but this time migration of the metal fragments was introduced. The localization time was measured from incision of the dummy skin to the moment the metal fragment was touched by the searching device. Results: In experiment 1 the results showed no significant differences between the two approaches. In experiment 2 the new technique was found to significantly decrease the mean fragment localization time, taking 9.6 seconds (±7.2 seconds) as compared to 26.4 seconds (±13.8 seconds) when using the regular technique. Conclusion: Combining a metal detector probe and a surgical navigation system was found to significantly decrease operating time and increase the surgeon's confidence, especially in cases where migration of the metal fragment occurred during searching and extraction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]