text:
The present invention is directed to a polymeric prosthesis precoated with a bone cement compatible polymer. The bone cement compatible polymer coating, is provided by an activated powder mixture of polymethyl methacrylate and ultra high molecular weight polyethylene which is bonded to the outer surface of the prosthesis by sintering. Once bonded to a polymeric prosthesis in accordance with the present invention, the precoat strengthens the interface between a bone cement and a prosthesis when the prosthesis is later implanted. The inner layer of the prosthesis may be provided of cross-linked UHMWPE powder sintered with virgin UHMWPE powder or fibers to provide a intermediate layer(s) of the coating present on the prosthesis. The precoat also decreases the likelihood that the prosthesis will loosen and break away from the cement over time. The polymeric implant product of the present invention is particularly well suited for use as an acetabular cup or a tibia plateau in replacing hip joints and knee joints respectively.
1. An implant product for implantation into the body comprising:
a prosthetic member having a shape configured to be implanted into a prepared area of the body, said prosthetic member defining a polymer surface adapted to be attached to an adjoining bone with a bone cement composition;
a coating covering said polymer surface of said prosthetic member, said coating being made from a bone cement compatible polymer comprising an activated mixture of UHMWPE and polymethyl methacrylate; and
an interfacial layer between said surface of said prosthetic member and said coating, said coating being bonded to said surface across said interfacial layer, said interfacial layer being made from a mixture of cross-linked polyethylene, virgin polyethylene, and polyethylene fibers.
2. An implant product as defined in
3. An Implant product as defined in
4. An implant product as defined in
5. An implant product as defined in
6. An implant product as defined in
7. A method of orthopedic implantation of a polymeric prosthesis with a bone cement composition comprising the steps of:
providing a polymeric prosthesis to be implanted;
contacting said prosthesis with an activated powder mixture of UHMWPE and PMMA;
sintering said activated powder mixture to said prosthesis, thereby providing a precoated prosthesis;
preparing an area within a patient to receive the precoated polymeric prosthesis;
inserting a quantity of a bone cement composition into the prepared area;
immediately positioning said precoated polymeric prosthesis in the prepared area; and
permitting said bone cement composition to cure for bonding said precoated polymeric prosthesis with said prepared area.
8. A method as defined in
9. A method as defined in
10. A coating composition for a polymeric member comprising:
a sinterable mixture of an adhesive polymer and a structural polymer.
11. The coating composition according to
12. The coating composition according to
13. The coating composition according to
14. The coating composition according to
15. The coating composition according to
16. The coating composition according to
This application is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/283,651 filed on Apr. 1, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,203,844 B1 issued Mar. 20, 2001.
The present invention is generally directed to polymeric implant products. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a polymeric prosthesis for implantation into the body that has been precoated with a bone cement compatible polymer. The bone cement compatible polymer is added to improve the strength of the interface between the prosthesis and a bone cement once the prosthesis is implanted into the body. In general, the present invention is also directed to a process for coating a polymeric prosthesis with a bone cement compatible polymer.
Prosthetic devices are artificial devices used to replace or strengthen a particular part of the body. Such devices can be used in humans or animals to repair or replace diseased or damaged bone, allied tissue associated with the bone, and/or joints associated with the bone. Primarily, prosthetic devices are used to correct or prevent skeletal deformities or injuries and to alleviate the pain and discomfort associated with the deformities or injuries.
When implanting a prosthesis, typically a receiving site or cavity is first prepared in an adjoining bone. In particular, the bone can be cut and reamed out in order to accommodate the prosthesis. A bone cement is then mixed and placed in the receiving site or cavity. A prosthesis is positioned in the bone cement, and the bone cement is subsequently cured and hardened affixing the prosthesis to the bone.
In most applications, bone cement is made from an acrylic polymeric material. Typically, the bone cement is comprised of two components: a dry power component and a liquid component, which are subsequently mixed together. The dry component generally includes an acrylic polymer, such as polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA). The dry component can also contain a polymerization initiator such as benzoyl peroxide, which initiates the free-radical polymerization process that occurs when the bone cement is formed.
The liquid component, on the other hand, generally contains a liquid monomer such as methyl methacrylate (MMA). The liquid component can also contain an accelerator such as an amine (e.g., N,N-dimethyl-p-toluidine). A stabilizer, such as hydroquinone, can also be added to the liquid component to prevent premature polymerization of the liquid monomer.
When the liquid component is mixed with the dry component, the dry component begins to dissolve or swell in the liquid monomer. The amine accelerator reacts with the initiator to form free radicals which begin to link monomer units to form polymer chains. In the next two to four minutes, the polymerization process proceeds changing the viscosity of the mixture from a syrup-like consistency (low viscosity) into a dough-like consistency (high viscosity). Ultimately, further polymerization and curing occur, causing the cement to harden and affix a prosthesis to a bone.
Once implanted, a prosthetic device ideally closely assimilates the characteristics of the bone and/or the joint that the device is intended to repair or replace. The implanted prosthetic device should be capable of supporting and withstanding stresses and strains normally imparted to the repaired or replaced bone joints.
The above process for implanting a prosthetic device is generally accepted within the art and has proven to be a successful process for repairing or replacing damaged bones, bone joints and the like. Prosthetic devices, however, can be prone to loosen within the bone cavity over time. In particular, the acrylic bone cement, which is neither as strong nor as viable as bone tissue, has been universally considered the weakest link in the implant design. It has been found that the bone cement can break away from the prosthesis, can break away from the bone, or can develop stress or fatigue cracks when repeatedly exposed to the normal stress and strains supported by the bones.
Due to these problems, attempts have been made to improve the mechanical properties of prosthetic devices and of the cement interface that exists between the device and the bone. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 4,491,987, which was filed by the current inventor and which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference, discloses an improved prosthesis and process for orthopedic implantation of the prosthesis. The current inventor's prior patent is generally directed to a prosthesis precoated with a polymeric material that is compatible with bone cement. Once implanted, the precoat provides a stronger interfacial bond between the bone cement and the prosthesis.
The present inventor's prior work provided great advances in the art with respect to the implantation of orthopedic devices, namely orthopedic devices made from metals such as stainless steel, titanium, and cobalt chrome alloys. However, although metallic devices have achieved relatively high degrees of success in repairing joints, these devices are not always well suited for every application. For instance, in some applications, it is preferred to use a more flexible and less rigid material than metal for opposing joint structures. Specifically, polymeric prosthetic devices are particularly well suited for use in replacing the acetabular cup in a hip replacement and replacing the tibia plateau in knee replacements.
Unfortunately, high strength polymeric materials, such as ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), do not adhere well to conventional bone cement materials. Thus, in order to attach polymeric prosthetic devices to an adjoining bone using bone cement, deep grooves have been formed into the prosthetic devices for forming a mechanical interlock with the bone cement.
Applicant's copending application teaches the use of a pretreatment of the prosthesis with a mixture of a solvent and a monomer, the monomer being the same as the polymer component of the bone cement. A precoat of a bone cement compatible polymer is then applied to the prosthesis. The coating of the bone cement compatible polymer polymerizes with the monomer bonded to the prosthesis and ultimately forms a copolymer between the prosthetic polymer and the precoat polymer.
In other prior art constructions, polymeric prosthetic devices include a metal backing and stem for bonding the devices to a bone using a bone cement. Alternatively, the polymeric devices have been installed into a bone without cement using bone screws. Bony tissue ingrowth has also been proposed in the past as a means for joining a prosthesis to bone.
While the above described methods and constructions for polymeric prosthetic devices have met with varying degrees of success, there remains much room for improvement and variation within the art. Thus, a need exists for a process for implanting a polymeric prosthesis into a prepared area of the body. More particularly, a need exists for a process that strengthens the interface between a bone cement and a polymeric prosthesis for decreasing the likelihood that the prosthesis will loosen and break away from the cement over time. Further, a need also exists for a precoated polymeric prosthesis that will readily adhere to a curing bone cement mixture once implanted into an adjoining bone.
The present invention provides further improvements in prior art constructions and methods.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a process for precoating a polymeric prosthesis with a bone cement compatible polymer.
It is another object of this invention to provide a precoating process for a polymeric prosthesis which does not require the use of a polymer solvent.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an implant product including a polymeric prosthesis that has been precoated with a bone cement compatible polymer.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a process for bonding a bone cement compatible polymer coating to a polymeric prosthesis.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an implant product that buffers the stress transfer from a prosthesis to a bone cement and to an adjoining bone by providing a gradual stiffness gradient from the surface of the prosthesis to the bone cement.
Yet another object of the invention present invention is to provide an implant product that minimizes wear of the acetabular cup or tibia plateau surface opposing the femoral head or condylar metal/ceramic prosthesis. Improved wear is provided by a coating which cross-links the UHMWPE powders prior to molding or sintering the coating layer to the surface of the prosthesis.
These and other objects of the present invention are achieved by providing a process for coating a polymeric prosthesis prior to being implanted into the body. The process includes the steps of providing a prosthesis having a shape configured to be implanted into a prepared area of the body. The prosthesis includes a polymeric portion adapted to be attached to an adjoining bone with a bone cement. A coating of a bone cement compatible polymer is sintered to the polymeric portion of the prosthesis. Specifically, the sintered coating of the bone cement compatible polymer provides a stronger adhesion between the bone cement and the prosthesis.
In one embodiment, the polymeric portion of the prosthesis is made from ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene UHMWPE. Preferably, the bone cement compatible polymer coating applied to the prosthesis is between about 0.1 to about 2 mm thick, has a substantially pore free outer surface, and is made from a sintered blend of an acrylic polymer and UHMWPE. The acrylic polymer, in one embodiment, is polymethyl methacrylate which is mixed with a UHMWPE powder in the presence of a MMA monomer liquid; boiled; and, vacuum dried. Once dried, the UHMWPE, MMA treated powder is again immersed in a MMA/PMMA stock solution having a dibenzoyl peroxide initiator. The resulting mixture is again dried to a powdered end product. The powdered end product is then used to coat a desired area of the prosthesis followed by sintering under a combination of heat and pressure.
The sintered coating has been found to offer an improved surface for binding with conventional bone cements. Further, the coating material lends itself to use in conjunction with useful additives such as reinforcing fibers or separately applied layers of cross-linked UHMWPE powders which impart useful mechanical properties to the installed prosthesis. For example, blended gradients of materials can be formed which offer improved performance and longevity of an installed implant.
These and other objects of the present invention are also achieved by providing an implant product for implantation into the body. The implant product includes an underlying polymeric member having a shape configured to be implanted into a prepared area of the body. The polymeric member defines a surface adapted to be attached to an adjoining bone with a bone cement composition. A coating covers the surface of the polymeric member and is made from a novel activated mixture of UHMWPE and PMMA powders which are sintered with blended powders and result in a molded prosthesis with a bone cement compatible surface layer.
In one embodiment, the polymeric member is polyethylene and the bone cement compatible sintered material comprises a mixture of UHMWPE powder with PMMA powder. As described above, the normally incompatible powders are mixed together with methyl methacrylate in a process which bonds the mixture to a surface of the implant. The sintered mixture layer of UHMWPE with PMMA provides a surface layer having improved properties for bonding with bone cement.
The sintered layer also provides a useful surface which interacts with other materials such as PE fibers or PMMA. Such materials can be added as separate layers or incorporated into compatible mixtures to provide useful gradients of materials, including a cross-linked inner layer of the prosthesis which makes contact with either the femoral head of a hip prosthesis or the condylar portion of a knee prosthesis.
The implant product may be used to replace various bones and bone joints, and is particularly well suited for use as an acetabular cup or a tibia plateau.
Other objects, features and aspects of the present invention are discussed in greater detail below.
A full and enabling disclosure of the present invention, including the best mode thereof, to one of ordinary skill in the art is set forth more particularly in the remainder of the specification, including reference to the accompanying figures in which:
FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of a total hip implant, illustrating an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a precoated polymeric prosthesis made in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line 3—3 of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a knee implant, illustrating another embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 5 is an enlargement of the indicated cross-sectional view the pre-coated surface layers of one embodiment of a polymeric prosthesis indicating details of a preferred sintered precoat composition; and
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of rods of polymeric materials as treated, bonded, and evaluated in accordance with the present invention.
Repeat use of reference characters in the present specification and drawings is intended to represent same or analogous features or elements of the present invention.
It is to be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the present discussion is a description of exemplary embodiments only, and is not intended as limiting the broader aspects of the present invention, which broader aspects are embodied in the exemplary construction.
The present invention generally relates to the orthopedic implantation of polymeric prosthetic devices utilizing a bone cement as a fixative. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a process for precoating a prosthesis with a sintered material having a polymeric component that is compatible with the bone cement used during implantation. The coating provides a strong interfacial bond between the bone cement and the polymeric prosthesis, once the prosthesis is implanted into the body and attached to an adjoining bone.
Besides creating high interfacial strength between the polymeric prosthesis and the bone cement, the precoating improves and facilitates fixation of the implant to an adjoining bone by providing enhanced bonding with the bone cement. The precoating also allows for improved surface coatings which provide for a gradual stress transfer from the surface of the prosthesis to the surface of the adjoining bone due to the gradual change in stiffness from the polymer used to make the prosthesis, to the bone cement, and to the adjoining bone material. Further, by precoating the prosthesis, a lesser amount of bone cement is used during implantation, decreasing the degree of shrinkage the bone cement will undergo when cured and hardened. Ultimately, the precoating improves fixation of the implant and prevents loosening of the implant over time.
The process of the present invention is generally directed to bonding a coating of a bone cement compatible polymer to a polymeric prosthesis. It is believed that, through the process of the present invention, the bone cement compatible polymer coating is sintered to the structural polymer used to make the prosthesis. In one preferred embodiment, the prosthetic precoat is prepared, in part, from the acrylic polymer component of bone cement that is to be used during the operative implantation procedure. For instance, the prosthetic precoat can be made which incorporates polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA).
The prosthesis, on the other hand, can include a polymeric portion or can be entirely made from various polymeric materials. Such materials can include, for instance, polyolefins, such as polyethylene. In one preferred embodiment, the polymeric prosthesis that is bonded to the precoat is made from ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE). UHMWPE as defined herein has a molecular weight greater than 2�106 g/mole.
A detailed description of one embodiment of the process of the present invention will now be described. The following process is particularly well suited for precoating a polymeric prosthesis made from polyethylene with a polymethyl methacrylate containing coating. It should be understood, however, that various other polymeric materials can be used to construct the prosthesis and the precoating in accordance with the present invention.
In general, according to the process of the present invention, a polymeric prosthesis, such as made from polyethylene, is contacted with a treated powder mixture. The powder mixture contains an activated mixture of UHMWPE powder with PMMA powder. As used herein, the term activated means the powders have been treated so as to provide a compatible mixture in a subsequent sintering process.
A mixture of the activated UHMWPE and PMMA powders is used to coat a surface of the prosthesis. The coating is sintered with heat and pressure to the polymeric prosthesis.
The sintered powder layer precoat should be applied to substantially the entire surface of the prosthesis that is normally designed for immobilized fixation with an adjoining bone. The sintered precoat of the prosthesis may be conducted in any suitable manner that will permit the attainment of a uniform coating over the surface of the prosthetic polymer. Preferably, the coating of the bone cement compatible polymers should be substantially completely polymerized for forming a substantially pore free outer surface. By completely polymerizing the precoat, an improved interfacial bond between the prosthesis and the bone cement is achieved. The sintering temperatures and pressures used promote polymerization of the precoat. Variations of the general protocol may be found in the inventor's published work entitled Precoating of Ultrahigh Molecular Weight Polyethylene with Polymethylmethacrylate: Interfacial Strength, Journal of Biomedical Materials Research, 1998; 43:261-269, incorporated herein by reference, and in a Ph.D. thesis arising out of the inventor's research laboratory by Y. H. Kang, Pre-coating of Ultrahigh Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) with Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), Ph.D. Thesis, University of Iowa, 1998 also incorporated herein by reference.
The protocol stated above provides an improved bonding surface between the polymeric prosthesis and the bone cement compatible polymer, ensuring that the precoat is firmly attached to the prosthesis. The precoat, comprising a polymer compatible with a polymer component of the bone cement, provides a versatile surface for bonding directly with bone cement or with other useful additives.
The thickness of the bone cement compatible polymer coating will vary depending upon the size of the prosthesis and the particular location where the prosthesis is to be implanted. During implantation, adequate void space should be available between the precoated prosthesis and the bone cavity to enable fresh bone cement to totally surround the prosthesis. In most applications, the coating of the bone cement compatible polymer can be from about 0.1 mm to about 2 mm thick and ordinarily less than 1 mm will prove adequate.
A general protocol useful for this invention is set forth below:
Preparation of Activated UHMWPE/PMMA Powder
50 grams of UHMWPE powder is immersed in an excess of MMA monomer liquid (1000 ml) for 72 hours on a rotary shaker at 25� C. The mixture was followed by boiling for 30 minutes at 100� C. The MAA-treated powder is subsequently air dried in a fume hood for 20 hours followed by vacuum drying for an additional 20 hours.
5 grams of the dried MMA-treated powder is subsequently immersed in 5 mls of a MMA/PMMA stock monomer solution which comprises MMA monomer:PMMA powder at a 9:1 volume to weight ratio, and further containing dibenzoyl peroxide (BPO) initiator at a concentration of 1.5% by weight. The mixture is stirred for 12 hours and the resulting slurry is spread onto a polyethylene plate and vacuum dried at room temperature until the MMA monomer is evaporated. The resulting dried powder is considered "activated" in that the normally incompatible powders of UHMWPE and PMMA are now able to be sintered in combination with additional UHMWPE powders to form a cohesive composition. A mortar and pestle is used to crush the dried powder and sieved to provide a final 90% particle size of 1000 um or smaller.
Sintering is achieved by the application of elevated temperatures and pressure using conventional methods. One useful combination of temperatures and pressure include the use of a temperature range of between 134� to 182� C. and at a pressure of about 19 to 77 MPa. One commercially available polymethyl methacrylate polymer well suited for use in the present invention is DUZ ALL marketed by Coralite Dental Products which includes a polymethyl methacrylate powder that self-cures when mixed with a methyl methacrylate monomer liquid. When mixed and used in the process of the present invention in forming the treated powder pre-coat, the polymer powder and an excess of liquid monomer can be combined in a ratio (weight of polymer powder(g) volume of liquid monomer (ml)) of from about 1:2 to about 1:4. A polymerization initiator, such as benzoyl peroxide, can be present at 1.5% by weight in the polymethyl methacrylate powder. An accelerator, such as N, N-dimethyl-p-toluidine can be present in the liquid monomer for facilitating polymerization of the polymethyl methacrylate polymer.
According to the present invention, once a first precoating of the activated powder is placed and sintered on the prosthesis, further polymeric coatings may be subsequently applied if desired. For instance, further layers of the activated powder having the bone cement compatible polymer can be applied to the prosthesis in order to increase the overall thickness of the precoat. Also, various layers of different polymeric materials can be applied to the surface of the prosthesis in order to facilitate later bonding with a bone cement or to provide the precoated implant product with desired mechanical properties such as wear.
Prosthesis units which have been precoated according to the process of the present invention provide an improved implant product which can be implanted into the body as desired. When the implant product is implanted, first, a receiving site is prepared in an adjoining bone. The two components of the bone cement are then mixed and kneaded until a doughy consistency is obtained. A mixing-kneading time of about four minutes is recommended. The doughy cement is forced into the bone cavity with enough force and pressure to place the cement in the prepared bone bed. Once the precoated prosthesis is placed in the receiving site, the bone cement is cured and hardened.
Once the implant product of the present invention is implanted into the body, the bone cement compatible sintered polymer coating provides a stress/strain gradient that assists in distributing the loads placed on the implanted bone. More particularly, the sintered coating buffers the stress transfer from the prosthesis to the bone cement and ultimately from the bone cement to the bone by providing a gradient of stiffness from the surface of the prosthesis to the bone cement. Further, the precoat forms an improved bond between the bone cement and the prosthesis. According to the present invention, it is believed that a gradient of polymeric layers is established between the polymeric prosthesis and the bone cement compatible sintered polymer layer(s). The established gradient is believed to transfer load from the prosthetic surface to the bone cement more gradually.
Useful properties were observed by sintering the multi-layered structure together at a high temperature and pressure. However, it is thought that even greater improvements in the useful properties may be achieved by applying layers of materials in separate application and sintering steps, and thereby achieve a more uniform product.
By carefully controlling the conditions at which bonding occurs between the polymeric prosthesis and the bone cement compatible polymer, the stiffness gradient occurring in the outer layer of the prosthesis can be carefully controlled as desired. Specifically, implant products with different stiffness gradients may be preferred depending upon the placement of the prosthesis and various other factors. The stiffness gradient can be altered and modified by blending different polymeric materials together in forming the precoat of the present invention and in varying the thickness of those layers. The precoat comprises at least one sintered layer on the prosthetic surface. In one embodiment, the entire polymeric prosthesis itself can be made having a sintered precoat comprising one or more bone cement compatible layers.
By providing a stiffness gradient between the prosthesis and the bone cement, the precoat of the present invention not only strengthens the bond between the prosthesis and the bone cement but also serves to prevent loosening of the implant over time.
Although capable of being used in any suitable application, the polymeric implant product of the present invention is particularly well suited for load bearing joint implants, such as the acetabular cup of a total hip implant, a tibia plateau of a knee joint or the cup in a shoulder replacement. Referring to FIG. 1, a total hip implant is illustrated. The hip implant includes a hip prosthesis 10 having a stem 12 and a head 14. Hip prosthesis 10 is made from a polymeric material having a precoat according to the present invention. As shown, hip prosthesis 10 has been inserted into a cavity defined by a bone 16, such as a femur.
When hip prosthesis 10 is constructed from a metallic material, the prosthesis can include a polymer pre-coat 18 which strengthens the bond between stem 12 and a bone cement 20.
The hip implant illustrated in FIG. 1 further includes a precoated polymeric acetabular cup 22 made in accordance with the present invention. Acetabular cup 22 is more particularly illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3. As shown in FIG. 1, acetabular cup 22 is adapted to receive head 14 of hip prosthesis 10.
Acetabular cup 22 is made from an underlying polymeric portion 24 bonded to a bone cement compatible polymer coating 26 as more clearly shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Coating 26 is cohesively bonded to polymeric portion 24. As shown in FIG. 1, bone cement compatible coating 26 is in turn bonded to a bone cement 28 which affixes acetabular cup 22 to a hip bone 30.
As described above, bone cement compatible polymer coating 26 can be applied to polymeric portion 24 to form a stiffness gradient for buffering stress transfer from acetabular cup 22 to bone cement 28. As shown in FIG. 3, acetabular cup 22 defines an interfacial region 25 extending between polymeric portion 24 and bone cement compatible polymer coating 26. Interfacial layer 25 represents the area in which coating 26 is cohesively bonded to polymeric portion 24. More particularly, across interfacial layer 25, there is a gradual increase in the concentration of the bone cement compatible polymer and there is a gradual decrease in the concentration of the polymer used to construct polymeric portion 24. This concentration gradient translates into a stiffness gradient as described above.
Besides an acetabular cup, a polymeric implant made according to the present invention is also particularly well suited for use as a tibia plateau in a knee replacement as illustrated in FIG. 4. As shown, knee replacement generally 40 includes a condylar implant 42 attached to a femur bone 44. In most applications, condylar implant 42 is made from a metal and is secured to femur 44 by screws or through the use of a bone cement.
Adjoining condylar implant 42 in FIG. 4 is a tibia plateau 46 made in accordance with the present invention. Tibia plateau 46 includes a top portion 48 and a stem portion 50. In one preferred embodiment, tibia plateau 46 is made from ultra high molecular weight polyethylene. At least stem portion 50 and the bottom of top portion 48 of tibia plateau 46 define a sintered precoat layer comprising in part a bone cement compatible polymer, such as polymethyl methacrylate in combination with a structural polymer such as UHMWPE. The precoating is subsequently bonded to bone cement 52 when implanted into a tibia 54. The precoating provides higher interfacial strength between the polyethylene polymer and the bone cement, thereby preventing loosening of the implant over time.
As best seen in FIG. 5, a preferred embodiment of a bone cement compatible coating is set forth in reference to an acetabular cup 22. The polymeric cup 24 is typically provided by virgin polyethylene and has a thickness of between 3-15 mm. An innermost layer 24A of cross-linked polyethylene may be added to improve the wear properties. Layer 24A is added by addition of a PE powder layer which is chemically cross-linked to the polymer 24. Cross-linking may be carried out by use of a silane cross-linking agent, the use of U.V. radiation, sulfur vulcanization or other conventional cross-linking methods.
The outer polymeric cup surface is bonded to a bone cement compatible coating 26. Preferably, the coating layer 26 defines a interfacial gradient which comprises an innermost layer 26A of the activated powder. An adjacent, outer layer 26B of UHMWPE fibers may be provided. Fiber layer 26B has a thickness of between about 1-2 mm and reinforces useful cup mechanical properties and prevents creep of the prosthesis following implantation.
A final, outermost layer 26C of coating composition comprises a layer of PMMA. The outermost coating may comprise a layer of pure PMMA if applied as a separate layer and step. The outermost layer may also comprise a melted mixture of the sintered activated powder, UHMWPE fibers, virgin polyethylene, cross-linked polyethylene, PMMA, and mixtures thereof. The outermost coating layer(s) are compatible with the PMMA-based bone cements and provides a stronger bond than can be achieved by direct bonding to a polymeric prosthesis.
While the interfacial layer helps improve the mechanical properties of the prosthesis, the preferred materials which form the interfacial layer do not ordinarily bond well to a PMMA-based bone cement. Accordingly, a preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a sintered layer 26 of a PMMA/UHMWPE activated powder. As illustrated, an outermost layer 26A of PMMA is added and sintered along with the activated powder of layer 26. The finished molded product thereby has a outer coating of PMMA sintered to the surface of the prosthesis along with a transition layer of an activated mixture of UHMWPE and PMMA powders. The transition layer of the sintered activated powder mixture is compatible with additional materials, such as polyethylene fibers, which may be incorporated into the final coating composition as part of an interfacial layer.
The present invention may be better understood with reference to the following examples. The examples make use of the same materials used in the prosthetic implant process, but are better suited for comparative analysis.
A molded article was prepared in order to calculate and evaluate the tensile strength of molded materials using the activated powder to provide a precoat. The above materials and protocols were evaluated using rods of UHMWPE or PMMA. As seen in reference to FIG. 6, two cylindrical rods 30 are joined end to end using activated powder coatings compositions along with additional layers of pure UHMWPE powder and/or PMMA powder. The rod material and coating layer compositions used to make the sintered interconnections between the rods are set forth in Table 1.
The rods and coatings were sintered under the temperatures and pressures set forth in Table 1. The mold was held within an environmental control chamber and subjected to a dry nitrogen atmosphere during the compression molding steps. Control rods constructed of UHMWPE and PMMA were used to determine the interfacial strength of the rod material. For example, as seen in samples 4-6 on Table 1, UHMWPE rods were used to evaluate sinter strength of an activated mixture of UHMWPE and PMMA powder. Two UHMWPE rods of 0.5″ diameter were coated with a first layer of unmodified UHMWPE powder, followed by a intervening layer of activated powder prepared as described above. The resulting sandwich construction of PE rod/PE powder/activated PE & PMMA powder/PE powder/PE rod (FIG. 6) was sintered in a dry nitrogen atmosphere in a heated mold at a constant pressure of 38.8 MPA for 60 minutes at the respective temperatures set forth in Table 1.
A control rod constructed of unmodified UHMWPE powder sintered between two rods of UHMWPE was used for data comparison. The interfacial strength (MPA) for the samples was determined by a Materials Testing Machine (MTS Model 810) which measured the tensile strength of the sintered bond between the activated UHMWPE and the untreated powder. Specifically, a constant cross-head speed of 0.1 mm/sec was applied to each sample until failure occurred. The test results are listed in Table 1.
The results indicate that the interfacial tensile strength increases with temperatures up to 166.5 degrees C. It was determined that the melting temperature of the coated powder composition as determined by a scanning calorimeter was 140 degrees C. The lower sintering pressure values provided strong interfacial tensile strength values. The data obtained from higher pressure values (sample 6) suggests that excess pressure results in a weaker bond, perhaps due to a restriction of the movement or rotation of polymer chains. The restriction would cause less diffusion through the interface. The depth of diffusion correlates with the strength of the resulting interface.
The high interfacial strength values obtained (16.3 Mpa) by the present compositions are significantly higher than report interfacial tensile strength values reported for a typical prosthesis-cement interface.
One important aspect of the present invention is the ability to provide the activated mixture of the PMMA-MMA treated UHMWPE powder. Scanning electron microscopy of untreated UHMWPE powder reveals an aggregate of nodules interconnected by fine fibrils and having an overall porous structure with a high surface area. Following treatment, the activated powder analysis shows that PMMA has penetrated deep within the porous structure of UHMWPE.
On sintered samples, surface features of the SEM samples indicate that interfacial bonding, as noted by jagged, torn surfaces, occurred between the PMMA and UHMWPE powders. The fine fibrils associated with pure UHMWPE powder is largely absent from the sintered composition. There is clear evidence that the PMMA diffusion from the treated powder to the UHMWPE powder layer.
From the data and observations made, it appears that several types of bonds occur within the interface of the coating composition. Chemical bonding between the UHMWPE and PMMA is believed to occur. Further, mechanical bonding is present as the result of the high pressure and temperature sintering conditions. It is believed that the combination of the chemical bonds and mechanical bonds contribute to the interfacial strength of the sintered materials.
While not separately quantified and reported herein, it has been observed that a PMMA-based bone cement provides a strong bond with a PMMA coating present on the exterior of a prosthesis. For instance, applicant's prior published studies in this area establishes the strong bond which occurs between an PMMA coating on a metal prosthesis and the PMMA bone cement. (Park, J. B., Malstrom, C. S. and von Recum, A. F., Intramedullary Fixation of Implants Pre-Coated with Bone Cement: A Preliminary Study, Biomaterials Medical Devices and Artificial Organs, 6, 361-373, 1978.) Accordingly, a similar strong bond has been exhibited between the outermost PMMA layer of the sintered coating and the PMMA bone cement. The present invention provides a process and composition which facilitates a stronger bond between a polymeric prosthesis and the bone cement. The composition provides both a chemical and structural transition zone which improves the physical wear properties of the resulting prosthetic implant and increases the bond strength between the implant and the bone cement.
These and other modifications and variations to the present invention may be practiced by those of ordinary skill in the art, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, which is more particularly set forth in the appended claims. In addition, it should be understood that aspects of the various embodiments may be interchanged both in whole or in part. Furthermore, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the foregoing description is by way of example only, and is not intended to limit the invention so further described in such appended claims.
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text: http://stackoverflow.com – I've just began on a new application and I added a button which in the past I've had no problem with but for some reason Its not working now. I'm just simply trying to teacher that button to another page. What do you think the problem is? (just ignore the spinners I haven't set those up yet) TextingprojectActivity public class TextingprojectActivity extends Activity { /** Called when the activity is first created. */ @Override public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) { super.onCreate(savedInstanceState); setContentView(R.layout.main); Button tut1 = (HowTos)


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Interview with Dr Katrina Warren of Housecat Housecall (Part 2)
Today, we have the second part of my interview with Dr Katrina Warren, the host of Housecat Housecall presented by Purina Cat Chow on Animal Planet. [Click here for Part 1.] We discussed everything from the feline grieving process to how veterinarians deal with the more difficult aspects of their profession.
Karen: Dr Warren, what is your favorite episode so far?
Dr Katrina Warren: I loved doing the Carrie Ann story, but I also loved doing the story about a cat who was bonded to a Great Dane, and they were best friends and did everything together. [NOTE: This episode aired June 12th] Then the Great Dane passed away and the cat was a mess.... looking for the dog all the time. It was really distressing and really sad. Then the family went out very quickly and rescued another Great Dane. And we all thought the chance that the cat would bond to the new Great Dane and vice versa and have a relationship similar to the one they had before was very small. But sure enough, a month down the tracks they are best friends. They play together. They curl up and sleep together. It's just a really beautiful ending to a story that was sad.
Karen: Yes, I've experienced that. One of our cats died, and he was one that was the best friend of all our other cats. Everyone loved him. When he passed away, I had to deal not only with my husband's grief, but the grief of the two remaining cats. They were depressed, distraught, and obviously grieving for the loss. So it makes me mad when people say that animals don't feel emotions, or say, "they're just cats." They're not "just cats." They have the same rich emotional lives that people have.
Dr Katrina Warren: Yes, yes they do. And they do grieve. They grieve at different levels, some more than others. Some get really stressed and depressed by it. That's important to understand. And that was the thing with this story, it was not only so sad, but I'd also recently lost my dog, so it hit a raw nerve. And then when we followed up down the track and saw the animals were happy again -- that was beautiful.
Karen: Do you encounter situations where there are problems with cats becoming accustomed to dogs in their environment where they had not been around dogs previously?
Dr Katrina Warren: Yes, indeed! That can be an issue. And that's something people need to consider when they bring a cat into a household when you already have a dog. I think it's important to focus your energy on picking a cat or kitten who has been socialized to dogs or who you know is a pretty robust outgoing kind of cat. If you go to a shelter and you adopt a cat who is shy and timid that is hiding from people, well the chances are she's not going to appreciate you bringing her into a household with a rambunctious dog.
For example, in my own situation, I just adopted a slightly older kitten. He's very outgoing, and I did that because I know I want to get another dog, and he'll be working the dog into his life. So you really need to consider the personality of the cat before you bring him into a home with a dog.
Karen: So is the breed of dog important? Say, someone is going to get a dog and integrate him into a cat household -- are some breeds better than others when it comes to cat-dog harmony?
Dr Katrina Warren: No, because it's all about what they're socialized with. If you get the dog as a puppy and there's a cat in the home, he'll be absolutely fine with the cat in the house, since he's been socialized from an early age. It's more a challenge if you have an adult dog and he hasn't experienced cats before and you bring a new cat into the house. It can be tough becausethey're often inquisitive and they want to chase. So the key to make that process work is to try to make the addition of the kitten -- or even a baby, whatever the new addition is -- a positive thing for the dog. Don't just make him sit whenever the cat or baby is around, but give him treats and play and make it a really happy time.
Karen: How did you become a cat behaviorist?
Dr Katrina Warren: I graduated from vet science in Australia a long time ago, but I've pretty much spent my whole career working in the media. What I discovered is that what I really enjoy doing is enhancing the relationship that people have with their pets. I'm not actually a certified behaviorist, I just have a very special interest in cat behavior. So when I was approached by Purina Cat Chow a few years ago to see if I was interested in hosting the show [Housecat Housecall]. They were familiar with my work in Australia, and that's where it's lead, and I've become more of a "pet expert" as the years have gone by.
Karen: Have you had a practice?
Dr Katrina Warren: No, I work in the media back home in Australia, doing television and writing. And to be honest, I don't think I could work in a practice now as a veterinarian because I just get too upset, especially when animals have to be euthanized and I find it quite stressful, whereas with the job I have now, I feel I'm doing more good for the animals of the world than I would do in a clinic.
Karen: It's interesting to hear you say that. When I was young, I always wanted to be a veterinarian, and I spent part of my summers tagging along with my vet who had both a livestock and small animal practice. And it was a good thing I did that, because I
realized before I started college that I just got too emotionally overwrought when animals were in pain or had to be euthanized and it probably was not the best career choice for me.
Dr Katrina Warren: Yes, and vets aren't generally trained -- that's starting to change now -- but they don't give you enough training in that kind of "people" side of it and the enormity of the grief that you go through yourself and with these families when they lose their pets. And as you know, your pets are really like part of your family, and when they die, the grief is huge. And that, until recently, hasn't really been acknowledged as much as it should. It really is a burdensome to be the one who puts the animals down, and I just don't like it. I like helping people get through the process, but I don't really like being the one to make that final call.
Karen: I just recently had a conversation with a vet friend who works in an emergency vet clinic, and he said it really does get to him, and that sometimes he craves just a few days in a regular clinic, giving vaccinations and dealing with more mundane problems because it is hard for him to spend so much time dealing with pets in severe trauma, and dealing with their families as well. It's gruesome, difficult work.
Dr Katrina Warren: Yes, and that's why I feel blessed because I can still promote and support the veterinary profession and I admire my colleagues that work in the field, but I'm very lucky because I get to play with puppies and kittens and help their people deal with the behavior issues!
YESTERDAY: Part 1 of the interview with Dr Warren.
MONDAY: We're giving away Housecat Housecall Season 2 DVDs with Purina Cat Chow swag!
Watch Dr Warren work with Carrie Ann Inaba on Housecat Housecall presented by Purina Cat Chow on Saturday morning, June 19th at 10:30am, and Sunday morning, June 20th at 8 am on Animal Planet. Check your local listings -- the show is usually rerun a couple of times during the week.
Don't get Animal Planet? Click here to watch the cats' stories online.
[SOURCE: Dallas and Mukai, the cat and the Great Dane: postandcourier.com; Kitten/Puppy Photo: riversidecardsandballoons.co.uk; Vet ultrasound photo: blog.mlive.com]


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McDonald's Offers Taste of Obama Sausage-Making: Caroline Baum
Oct. 8 (Bloomberg) -- "We have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it." -- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, March 9, 2010.
She wasn't kidding. The public got to peek under the hood last week when the Wall Street Journal reported that McDonald's Corp. wanted out: out of a requirement in the new health-care law that compels employers to spend 80 to 85 percent of premiums on medical benefits.
Who knew?
For McDonald's mini-med health-care plan, a low-cost, limited plan covering about 30,000 hourly fast-food workers, the minimum medical loss ratio was economically unfeasible. The company asked for a waiver, according to memos provided to the Journal.
It turns out lots of other companies are seeking waivers for limited benefit plans -- along with some states, like Maine, with a small number of insurers, according to Joseph Antos, a health-care scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank.
Another group is lining up to apply for exclusions from the minimum annual cap on benefits that is part of the law. No wonder the Department of Health and Human Services had to put out a memo on waiver guidance. The subject line alone is intimidating:
"OCIIO Sub-Regulatory Guidance (OCIIO 2010-1): Process for Obtaining Waivers of the Annual Limit Requirements of PHS Act Section 2711"
Shell Game
The explanation of the purpose, background and process for filing a waiver isn't much better. The gist of it is this:
-- the Secretary of HHS is authorized to determine the minimum coverage limits;
-- the Secretary of HHS is authorized to waive those limits if compliance with them "would result in a significant decrease in access to benefits or a significant increase in premiums," according to the memo.
The state insurance commissioners can give the secretary advice, Antos says, but she doesn't have to take it.
That pretty much describes the operating premise for the legislation that changes health care as we know it.
"The law they passed is a shell of a law," says Michael Cannon, director of health-policy studies at the libertarian Cato Institute in Washington. "Most of the rules have yet to be written."
Who knew?
"If you like your health-care plan, you can keep your health-care plan." -- President Barack Obama, Aug. 11, 2009, Aug. 12, 2009, Aug. 13, 2009, etc., etc., etc.
That pledge "should have come with a disclaimer: Offer not valid for low-income workers," Cannon writes in a recent blog post.
The offer is also subject to the discretion of the HHS secretary.
Discretion may be the better part of valor, but it's not something businesses can rely on for planning purposes. Corporations are already hunkered down because of (take your pick) weak demand, hurt feelings as a result of presidential persecution, or uncertainty over future health-care costs and tax rates. It won't help business confidence to learn the HHS secretary can make and break rules on a case-by-case basis.
"The secretary can decide what you have to purchase, but if you are in a presidential swing state, the secretary has the authority to undo everything she just did," Cannon says.
Cabinet secretaries are political appointees. Policy has become increasingly politicized. The role of the executive branch is not to make or interpret laws.
"I will not sign health-insurance reform that adds even one dime to our deficit over the next decade." -- President Obama
Who knew that adding 30 million people to the health-care rolls would bend the cost curve -- in the wrong direction?
Anyone with a basic knowledge of economics. The law of supply and demand teaches us that when consumers want to buy more (health care, for example) at any given price than they did before, the demand curve shifts out, to the right, representing a higher equilibrium price and higher quantity demanded.
At the same time, providers are responding to the government's increased intrusion by running the other way, refusing to accept new Medicare patients as the government cuts reimbursements.
Everywhere you turn there's a story about insurance premiums rising and employers shifting more of the cost onto employees. A new study by human-resources consultants Hewitt Associates LLC projects an average premium increase of 8.8 percent in 2011, the biggest in five years.
Government of Laws
Costs associated with ObamaCare are just one of the reasons, according to Hewitt. (The others are rising medical claims costs and an aging population.) And it shouldn't come as a surprise that, confronted with a big unknown, companies hope for the best outcome and price for the worst.
"...to the end it may be a government of laws and not of men."
-- John Adams, Samuel Adams and James Bowdoin, Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 1780
The McDonald's kerfuffle shined a light on the health-care legislation. With many of the rules to be written and many of the provisions to be phased in between now and 2014, the public got to see how the sausage was made and who gets to make it.
And once again, the Obama administration found itself on the defensive, with HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius claiming the Journal story about McDonald's dropping its mini-med coverage was "flat out wrong."
"We can't waive a regulation that doesn't even exist," Sebelius said.
Who knew? Well, pretty much anybody who was paying attention.
(Caroline Baum, author of "Just What I Said," is a Bloomberg News columnist. The opinions expressed are her own.)
To contact the writer of this column: Caroline Baum in New York at firstname.lastname@example.com.
To contact the editor responsible for this column: James Greiff at email@example.com


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Racquet for a big/strong 3.5 player (or "Does Size Matter?")
View Single Post
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 1,292
Originally Posted by
Head MicroGelRadOS.
It's still OS, but very soft flexy for control and feel.
This is a pretty good idea.
And... I know you didn't ask and these types of responses can be... uh... clichéd, but...
I think a legit 3.5 player should be able to find the sweet spot consistently if in position. It may be that you're trying too hard to generate tons of topspin and that stroke may not be natural for you. A good teacher would really help here.
In terms of footwork, here's something that might be worth thinking about. Every time you hit a shot, understand where the high percentage responses are going to go. For example, if you hit deep, cross court shots, you don't need to return to the middle of the court in preparation for your next shot. In fact, you shouldn't necessarily ever be in the middle of the court. Keep a yard to the crosscourt side on deep safe shots and a yard toward the down the line side if your shot is shorter, because your opponent's higher percentage shot is going there.
Anyway.... Back to your problem
. I'd recommend trying a heavier, player's frame because you won't be able to brush up the ball as easily as a lighter frame that's designed to do that. You may find that a more traditional stroke fits your game better. Try something with an 18 X 20 pattern, as they have more control.
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Random House
1001 Golf Holes You Must Play Before You Die
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Description: 1001 Golf Holes You Must Play Before You Die:
Everything you need to know about the 1001 best, most challenging, scenic, and demanding golf holes ever designed - the perfect book for serious golfers and an addictive browsable read for golfers of all levels
Published March 19, 2013. Hardcover. 960 pages
Measurements: 6½" x 8½"
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Rich Peverley (personal reasons) absent from morning skate
|01.15.13 at 11:50 am ET
The Bruins held a morning skate at TD Garden Tuesday in an effort to simulate a game day. The B's will hold an intra-squad scrimmage in front of fans Tuesday night.
Only Rich Peverley was missing from the morning skate, with coach Claude Julien saying he was absent for personal reasons.
The Bruins are going stream the scrimmage on their website, but they'll also be recording it for the purpose of watching game video as they would with any other game.
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The spillover has reached cities like Ambala and Karnal (70 miles from Chandigarh) too.
Choudhary maintained, his hotel at Karnal has also booked rooms for the big corporate clients.
Image: A security guard keeps watch as fans try for a glimpse of the Indian cricket team as they arrive to train in Mohali.
AP Images


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31 July 2013 22:40 [Source: ICIS news]
HOUSTON (ICIS)--Canadian fertilizer producer Agrium confirmed Wednesday that its plant in Borger, Texas had an unplanned morning shutdown at its urea unit because of a valve leak, but the repairs were completed and normal operations have resumed.
The plant produces both ammonia and urea with the ammonia segment having an estimated capacity of 490,000 tonnes per year while the urea capacity is listed at 100,000 tonnes per year.
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) estimates that approximately 50 lbs each of ammonia and nitrogen oxide were released from the leak which originated within the compressor's suction valve.
Agrium said that once crews discovered the problem they immediately enacted emergency shutdown procedures which included halting the incoming feedstock supply. A spokesperson said that because of the minimal maintenance needed to eliminate the leakage, the unit was able to restart shortly without further incident.
In late March, the plant was shut down for two days after the ammonia condenser and receiver became plugged. At that time the company, in a filing with the TCEQ, estimated that minimal amounts of ammonia and nitrogen oxide were released.
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Adam & Eve $25,000 Holiday Sweepstakes Draws Hundreds of Thousands of Entries/Ends December 20!
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20061017/LATU090LOGO)
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With several hundred thousand entries so far, the "$25,000 Holiday Sextravaganza Sweepstakes" has already awarded weekly winners with a number of incredible prizes. These have included romantic dinners and an Adam & Eve Pictures movie, a Nintendo Wii, a date with Adam & Eve contract star
The grand prize (entries are eligible
"We are very pleased with the participation we've seen with this sweepstakes," says Adam & Eve Director of Marketing
There's no purchase necessary to enter, but customers are entered automatically with every order (limit one entry per day). Visit adameve.com for more information.
SOURCE Adam & Eve


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Dean Alexander
Dean Alexander
Nashville, TN
Elektra Nashville
Current Single
"Live A Little"
Artist Bio >
Dean Alexander still calls it "the real beginning of my music career." He was 17 and living with his preacher grandfather, who had taught him to play guitar but demanded that he stick to church and gospel music. Dean, though, was as attracted to old-school country and rock as any talented and eager-to-learn youngster would be, and he had been climbing out his window at night for nearly a year to play at the bar just two doors down. "My grandfather told me later, when we could laugh about it, that he recognized my playing, even though I didn't play those songs around him. That's why he came over." We went out the door and started walking to the house and he said, 'Get your stuff, Boy.' It was 12:30 or 1 in the morning, and I packed my things into my truck and drove off." The journey set off in that moment led Dean three years later to Nashville and finally to the release of "Live A Little," the single that is introducing the world to this talented and charismatic entertainer. The first single from his upcoming debut CD, "Live A Little" is a hook-filled celebration of life, an up-tempo call to seize the day--something Dean's life has more than qualified him to share about. The touch of soul in his voice is easily traceable to the songs he heard growing up in the Ohio River town of Tuppers Plains. His mom, "a phenomenal singer around the house and in the car," was a Garth Brooks fanatic, with a bit of Tanya Tucker and Melissa Etheridge thrown in for good measure, and his dad's tastes ranged from the Temptations to the Allman Brothers. But it was his grandfather whose influence helped set the tone from the beginning. "One of the earliest things I remember," Dean says, "is seeing him play his guitar in church, stomping on the stage to keep time. I liked it from the beginning and I learned to keep time by watching his boot." Dean took naturally to music, asking for and receiving different instruments regularly. His wide-ranging musical education and his life were turned upside down in the months before and after his 13th birthday, when his parents were killed in separate car accidents. That was when he went to live with his grandfather and where music became a way of dealing with the tragedy. He stayed with relatives in Ohio for a time and after a stint in Indianapolis, working construction and roofing with his two brothers and again playing he moved to Louisville. He was living with friends with the last of what he'd made in Indianapolis when, at age 20, he heard what he can only describe as his calling. "I woke up one morning on the couch, and this voice says, 'Go to Nashville.' I really listen to my gut and I started packing my things." He "begged" for and landed a job at Gibson, using his skills as a woodworker in making guitars and other instruments, and began visiting clubs and writers' nights, landing a four-hour-a-night shift at a Lower Broadway honky-tonk called Layla's. He left Gibson and sought a part-time gig instead, working with friends in painting and landscaping during the day and spending his evenings on Lower Broad. One day the owner of a high-dollar home where he was landscaping interrupted his work. "What do you do?" she said. He ran to his car and brought her back a tape of three song demos, then played live for her. That was his introduction to Barbara Orbison, the widow of music legend Roy Orbison and the owner of a publishing company. She signed him and, among other things, flew him to Sweden to stay at Roy's old castle so he could house sit and write uninterrupted. After a few months, Stage Three's Tim Hunze took one of his demos to Warner Bros. executive and producer Scott Hendricks, who signed him to a label deal. He began writing with Nashville's biggest and best writers with an eye to his first album, which is now nearing completion. "Live A Little" came out of his first session with co-writer Laura Veltz. As he was putting the finishing touches on the rest of the project, he road-tested the songs he was working on. "Last summer we did a bunch of shows and I wanted to test a lot of the songs I was writing. That helped shape it, allowed me to see what was working and what I needed to tweak." He is eager to get back out to those crowds with the end result. "I love having a good time," he says, "and there's no better place to do that than in front of a crowd where everybody's having a good time with you. That's where I'm comfortable." As he looks back over the journey that has brought him here, to the brink of national attention, he recognizes that it took everything he's been through to bring him here. "When Scott was pushing me to work harder on my songwriting," he says, "I was reminded of what it felt like to have my grandfather pushing me out the door. I have to thank both of them. Without that, I would not have gone out on my own and worked as hard. I wouldn't have been ready for the breaks that came. I get giddy sometimes driving down Music Row, thinking of how far I've come from that small town. Yeah, I'd get frustrated, but here I am." He pauses, smiles and looks up. "Thanks, Grandpa."
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28 November 2013 03:23 [Source: ICIS news]SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Taiwan's Ming Dih Group plans to expand its expandable polystyrene (EPS) plant in Bangkok, Thailand, in the third quarter of 2014, a company source said on Thursday.
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Originally posted by airspoon
Probably because it ushers in ratings and people like to watch it. Also, because if they report on UFOs, then they don't have to report on the more dire consequences of our current socio-political and socio-economic situation. In other words, it's a way to avoid the more pressing political conditions that are shackling the feet of freedom, liberty and justice.
I'm not saying that UFOs aren't important, only that showing a couple videos of them is, especially when our Constitution is being subverted, our liberty taken away, our politics infested with corruption and our lack of any kind of opposition movement thanks to the very propagandic institutions such as FOX, CNN, MSNBC, NYT, WSJ, etc...


text: Sports < Prior Page Page 4 of 69 Next Page > Midday Roundup: Rand Paul wins CPAC presidential straw poll By Lynde LangdonPosted March 2, 2015Newsworthy | Fan favorite. Attendees at last week's Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) said Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., was their top choice for the 2016… [http://www.worldmag.com/2015/03/midday_roundup_rand_paul_wins_cpac_presidential_straw_poll] On the seesaw of games and life By Barnabas PiperPosted Feb. 27, 2015Sports | It was disorienting when I heard the news last week about Chris Bosh, the star center for the Miami Heat, who is out for the rest of the season with blood… [http://www.worldmag.com/2015/02/on_the_seesaw_of_games_and_life] 'I'm in the best shape of my life' By Barnabas PiperPosted Feb. 20, 2015Faith & Inspiration | Stop me if you've heard this one before, baseball fans: "I'm in the best shape of my life." It's that wonderful time of year when major leaguers… [http://www.worldmag.com/2015/02/i_m_in_the_best_shape_of_my_life] Little League, big mess By Andrew BranchPosted Feb. 20, 2015Sports | Inspiring Chicago baseball team loses title amid charges of fraud by the grown-ups [http://www.worldmag.com/2015/02/little_league_big_mess] Russell Wilson and the Fifty Shades backlash By La Shawn BarberPosted Feb. 18, 2015Movies | "[D]o not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and… [http://www.worldmag.com/2015/02/russell_wilson_and_the_fifty_shades_backlash] How Paterno and Pétain died too old By Andrée Seu PetersonPosted Feb. 16, 2015Culture | Marshal Philippe Pétain (1856–1951) and Coach Joe Paterno (1926–2012) have something in common: They died too old. Far better for their legacies if they… [http://www.worldmag.com/2015/02/how_paterno_and_p_etain_died_too_old] Our response to public failure By Barnabas PiperPosted Feb. 13, 2015Culture | Fallenness is in the news every day. In this space I have addressed Joe Paterno, Adrian Peterson, Aaron Hernandez, Bill Belichick, Ray Rice, Johnny Manziel, [http://www.worldmag.com/2015/02/our_response_to_public_failure] In one week, college basketball loses two greats: Tarkanian and Smith By Rachel Lynn AldrichPosted Feb. 11, 2015Obituary | Retired University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian died today at age 84 after battling health issues. He was hospitalized Monday… [http://www.worldmag.com/2015/02/in_one_week_college_basketball_loses_two_greats_tarkanian_and_smith] Midday Roundup: Trial of Chris Kyle's accused killer starts today By Leigh JonesPosted Feb. 11, 2015Newsworthy | Sniper trial. The man charged with the murder of former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, whose story is told in the blockbuster movie American Sniper , goes on trial today… [http://www.worldmag.com/2015/02/midday_roundup_trial_of_chris_kyle_s_accused_killer_starts_today] Midday Roundup: Grammys tone it down a tiny bit By Lynde LangdonPosted Feb. 9, 2015Newsworthy | Ode to self. Critics are saying the Grammy Awards on Sunday night were uncharacteristically staid—but mellow for the Grammys is still pretty wild. After… [http://www.worldmag.com/2015/02/midday_roundup_grammys_tone_it_down_a_tiny_bit] Johnny Manziel and the need for change By Barnabas PiperPosted Feb. 6, 2015Sports | I love Johnny Manziel. I loved him when he burst onto the scene at Texas A&M as a redshirt freshman. I loved his heroics, his swagger, and the wild… [http://www.worldmag.com/2015/02/johnny_manziel_and_the_need_for_change] Guilty as charged By Andrew BranchPosted Feb. 6, 2015Sports | A horrible campus culture doesn't get football players off the hook for rape [http://www.worldmag.com/2015/02/guilty_as_charged] < Prior Page Page 4 of 69 Next Page >


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Research Output for Maen Alaraj
Note: The 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 publications have not been audited.
Jump to: Publications | Grants and Consultancies | HDR completions
Maen Alaraj may be from another institution or only recently joined Deakin University.
2010 External
Alaraj, Maen*, Hou, Jingyu and Fukami, Tadanori* (2010) A neural network based human identification framework using ear images, in Unknown (ed.), TENCON 2010 : Proceedings of the 2010 IEEE Region 10 Conference, pp. 1595-1600, IEEE, Piscataway, N.J. [E1]
DRO entry for this publication
Grants and Consultancies
No grants and/or consultancies found or audited – the 2014 HERDC financial return has not been completed or loaded as yet.
Higher Degree by Research Completions supervised by Maen Alaraj
No completions found or audited.
- Legend:
- * Not a member of Deakin University at time of output.
DRO to publications collection last synchronised: Saturday 30th May 2015 10:04pm


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Pronunciation: splinters
Added on: 2010-07-16 Listened: 26 timesin: Add categories to splinters
Pronunciation in English [en]
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- Pronunciation by PiecesOfSerendipity (Female from United Kingdom)
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Abbas urges UN to issue 'birth certificate' for Palestine
Published on Nov 30, 2012 5:51 AM
UNITED NATIONS (REUTERS) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday urged the United Nations (UN) General Assembly to grant de facto recognition to a sovereign state of Palestine by upgrading the UN observer status of the Palestinian Authority from "entity" to "non-member state."
"Sixty-five years ago on this day, the UN General Assembly adopted resolution 181, which partitioned the land of historic Palestine into two states and became the birth certificate for Israel," Mr Abbas told the 193-nation assembly after receiving a standing ovation.
"The General Assembly is called upon today to issue a birth certificate of the reality of the State of Palestine," he said.
The assembly is expected to approve a resolution shortly that implicitly recognises Palestinian statehood, despite threats by the United States (US) and Israel to punish the Palestinians by withholding funds for the West Bank government.
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�I don�t understand why anybody would have a problem with being educated about sexual education or evolution in schools. If you have a religious belief that contradicts that, why don�t you sit down with your children and discuss what you believe and why you believe that, and answer the questions they might have at home? You might actually have a discussion with your child � I know that�s kind of difficult. But to deny them that information is ridiculous.�
�I took (a) check to the bank, and they charged me a $5 fee to cash that check drawn on their bank. It is insane when a bank has to charge you a fee to cash a check by an account holder, drawn on their bank. ... That�s highway robbery.�
�I wish everyone could have been at the parade and attended the Missouri State Fair Thursday. Please keep us informed with news and pictures in the Democrat. See you at the fair.�
�What happened to the state fair parade? Thursday evening, we were disappointed to only see a little part of it on State Fair Boulevard. If possible, please consider going back to the way it was in the past.�
�I came to the state fair today from the Ozarks. The kids really enjoyed the rides on the midway. But what happened to the big tent? What happened to the chain saw artist? I went to see the saddle horse show and there were a bunch of wannabe cowboys and they�re shooting at targets. It�s kinda like watching paint dry. What happened, did Gov. Nixon cut their budget at the fair?�
�We think it is a necessity to have your city councilman have his phone number in the phone book. We have several complaints we would like our councilman to check, and we cannot get hold of him.�
�Why would the sheriff let one officer transport three dangerous inmates? Then this happens. This is ridiculous.�
�God is watching you. I can�t understand people with such mean, cruel hearts. God sees everything. You�re going to have to answer to him.�
�Your election coverage stinks.�
�It�s unfortunate that the Democratic Party has to use lies and deception to try to win an election. The reason is they cannot use their abysmal record of the past four years. Heaven help us.�
�They sure screwed up New York Avenue with that new chip and seal thing, so would they please fix it?�
�You can sure tell that the Missouri State Fair is coming to Sedalia. Gas prices went up another 15 cents a gallon yesterday, that�s 15 cents higher than it is in La Monte and 20 cents higher than it is in Warrensburg.�
�I notice Sarah Palin is doing political commercials as �Gov. Sarah Palin.� She quit her job as governor after two years. I didn�t know a state could have two governors at the same time.�
�I thought the community of Otterville might find it interesting that the pool dues went up higher than any other area pool. It has been all summer with no diving board, and the pool board says there is no money to fix things, yet the pool board members no longer pay dues.�
�I think you should know that the devil called today � he wants his weather back.�
�I was wondering how long its going to take to fix that wooden bridge out on South Grand.�
�If you rent a home, you get to live there and take care of it. It doesn�t mean you get to destroy it or tear it up; it still belongs to someone else. ... People need to be responsible when they are renting or using other people�s property.�
�The city dog pound is a very good place, but I would like to see more parking places. The electric bill must be very high due to no clothes line to dry the dogs� blankets.�
�Did you hear what Mitt Romney did in his recent visit to Israel? He told them how they keep their medical costs in check. Not sure if he is aware they have a governmental health care system. He said the U.S. could sure even learn something from them. Yeah, we sure could.�
�I am so glad Missouri now has a prayer amendment, now my son can bring his prayer rug to school. Which way is east? Allahu akbar.�
�Ministers should counsel engaged couples three months in advance of marrying and before wedding invitations are printed. There are questions that need to be asked: Do you like to camp? Do you dance? How many children do you want? ... Do you have to have a new car every two years?�


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Anjelica Huston Will Throw Water On A Person Without Hesitation
As she discussed her character's cruel ways on "Smash," Anjelica Huston had her own bitch move up her sleeve: tossing water into Jimmy Fallon's face. On his own couch, no less!
Anjelica Huston: badass.
Check out more articles on BuzzFeed.com!
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Candidly Canetti
Lost Books
"Lost Books" is a weekly series highlighting forgotten books through the prism of Tablet Magazine's and Nextbook.org's archives. So blow the dust off the cover, and begin!
Earlier this week, 106 years ago, Elias Canetti was born in Bulgaria. The writer would be rather peeved that you didn't know that, such was his irritation at his enduring anonymity. "What seems to have mattered above all to Canetti in his early London years (and plenty of his later ones as well)," Jonathan Wilson wrote in 2005, "was the fact that nobody appeared to have any idea who he was." Canetti, who fled Austria for London in 1938, won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1981, an accomplishment which still failed to cement his professional reputation.
Wilson described Canetti as an "odd-bod" who was driven by what he saw as the perpetual societal snubbing of "everybody's favorite refugee, a Central European intellectual with an untested literary pedigree and a vague reputation for something or other." Canetti struck back at his formidable list of foes, which apparently included Margaret Thatcher, Oxford arrogance (no word on commas), and T.S. Eliot, in Party in the Blitz: The English Years, the fourth addition to his memoirs, published one year before his 1994 death. It's been available in English since only 2005, when Wilson hailed it as sharp, vivid, and utterly honest.
Canetti, who died at the age of 89, was a onetime neighbor of Sigmund Freud in Hampstead, England, though he wasn't much interested in the psychoanalyst's work or theories. Indeed, for all the recognition he craved, Canetti seemed to dismiss many of the London literary establishment's conventions. "Canetti deserves close attention," Wilson explained, "precisely because of the way that he bucks more or less all trends and resists most 'isms.'"
Read The Odd-Bod, by Jonathan Wilson
Daybreak: Ramadan Will Heat Up Syria
Plus, Kabbalah guru killed, circumcision ban rolled back, and more in the news
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