Introduction:Humeral shaft fractures are quite common in orthopedics and represent 1-3% of adult fractures. The surgical treatment is the a better choice in order to obtain a reduction and stable alignment and to prevent the complications. The goal of this study was to compare the three techniques (IMN, LCP and EF) in the treatment of diaphyseal fractures of the humerus in the adult patient.Materials and Methods:We examined 79 patients with diaphyseal fractures of the humerus. 32 were treated with plaque (LCP), 26 with intramedullary nail (IMN) and 21 with eternal fixer (FE) The clinical and radiographic follow-up was done at 1.3, 6 and 12 months. As rating scales we used the ASES and SF-36. We recorded all the complications.Results:The median follow-up was 11.5 months (9-16). The operative time was significantly smaller in the case of FE (47 ‘) with a statistically significant difference compared with other techniques. Even the blood loss was lower in the case of FE (60ml), compared to nails (160ml) and LCP (330ml) p <0.05. We had no differences in the duration of hospitalization and the ASES SF-36 score. We had 2 cases of non-union in the LCP group, 1 case in the IMN group and no cases in the FE group. In IMN group we had one case of radial transient paralysis. We did not have any deep infection, in the FE group 8 patients we had superficial secretions from pins.Conclusion:From the results of our study, it is clear that the treatment of humeral shaft fractures guarantee overlapping results with the use of plates, of intramedullary nails, or with the external fixator. Consequently, the choice of which technique to use should be determined based on the experience of the operator and patient compliance.

Abstract-The importance of prevention plans based on realistic inundation scenarios was dramatically highlighted by the Indian Ocean Tsunami of 26 December 2004. But also in the Mediterranean, sea storms basin are a quite common event especially during winter months. These scenarios are generally based on numerical models of tsunami wave propagation that can become more realistic and effective when calibrated with the distribution of true data acquired by special weather buoy. In this paper we present the result of an experimental weather buoy built by DEIM of University of Palermo, that is characterized by small cost and big versatility.

SummaryIntroduction. The aim of our study is to demonstrate the effectiveness of Steadman microfracture technique in the management of high-grade chondral defects at the level of the knee by clinical follow-ups at eleven years. It's essential to underline the importance of the single patient assessment process, taking into account a variety of aspects including the site, the number and extent of the lesion, the degree of functionality, activity level, age and previous trauma. This shows the importance of a comprehensive assessment of the patient in order to choose the most suitable surgical option, which not necessarily has to strictly adhere to standard practice.

With the Oil and Gas drilling moving to deeper and deeper waters, offshore blow-out control and recovery methods imply bigger challenges. In this scenario of technology complexity and of ever increasing focus on safety and environmental issues, with the aim to minimize operative risks, a new dual ROV assisted well killing system for deepwater blow-out recovery was developed and patented. This system extends the range of actions to be used in case of a deepwater subsea blow-out during drilling operations. The system stands as a quick-response tool devoted to assist and enhance the probabilities of success of a vertical intervention from a Dynamic Positioning Rig on a deepwater well in blow-out, when the premises for such an intervention exist or could be created. The system is designed to use two ROVs to assist the re-entry of a killing string inside the flowing well to perform the vertical intervention. The system is also equipped with acoustic sensors for a full instrumental localization of the blow-out source in case of impaired visibility. When successful, this intervention minimizes hydrocarbons losses, environmental impact, operational costs and exposure to liability claims. The system and its sub-systems have been fully designed, developed and tested. System marinization has been addressed to, involving drilling rig operators and a third party certification body to review system interfaces, handling procedures and risk assessment for a safe use on board. This paper provides a description of the proposed intervention system, along with details on the achievements and lessons learnt in the development and testing phases.

Nowadays the use of Virtual Reality is quite common in many fields of technology and consumer market. For drilling applications, it is mostly used for rig crew training on Drilling Simulators1 or virtual touring of site locations. Moving from this state of the art, Eni, in collaboration with Saipem, developed a new portable virtual system for training immersion and operation simulation in order to improve: rig & equipment knowledge and operation know-how, support and safety awareness. A last generation semi-sub rig, for deep water drilling, was fully virtualized integrating four main characteristics: walk-through rig and equipment,operation play back,safety interaction,well simulation The System takes advantage of a field database of more than 300 drilled wells, while well simulation is to be interfaced to dedicated command modules including a remote location driller cyber-base. The System is accessible on PC, in dedicated 3D-rooms and with suitable virtual reality headsets. It has been initially used for enhancing the training of new drilling engineers and supervisors, with possibility to improve their safety induction as well as rig and well operation knowledge through immersive experience on various drilling events. The System also includes a collaborative environment that is useful for immersive and realistic training but that can also be used for well planning, operation preparation and field support. As a complement to global approach in conventional planning, it is possible to locally analyze and experience in advance various specific and complex drilling operations and events, with the aim to optimize them, prevent problems and enhance operation safety.