Accuracy of flapless surgery using an autonomous robotic system in full-arch immediate implant restoration: A case series.

OBJECTIVES: This observational study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of robotic computer-assisted implant surgery (r-CAIS) for full-arch immediate restoration and to analyse possible factors contributing to deviations. METHODS: Three edentulous patients (five arches) underwent r-CAIS. Osteotomies were performed using an autonomous robot under the surgeon's supervision, and implant placement was performed in a freehand or robotic manner. Prefabricated provisional prostheses were delivered immediately after surgery. Postoperative cone beam computed tomography scans were performed to assess the deviations between the planned and placed implants. Statistics were compared with deviations of s-CAIS outlined in a meta-analysis. RESULTS: A sum of 28 implants were used. The mean global coronal and apical deviations measured 0.91 ± 0.43 mm and 1.01 ± 0.45 mm, respectively, and the mean angular deviation measured 1.21 ± 1.24 º. The r-CAIS showed significantly better precision than the s-CAIS in full-arch cases (P < 0.001). The implants inserted using the robotic arm exhibited fewer deviations than those placed in the freehand manner. Eighty percent of prefabricated provisional prostheses were successfully delivered. CONCLUSIONS: Within the limitations of the present study, our data suggest that autonomous r-CAIS is a feasible approach for simultaneous immediate restoration in edentulous patients, showing better accuracy than s-CAIS. Further large-scale studies are necessary to verify the advantages and disadvantages of this novel technique and to explore possible factors that influence its accuracy. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Autonomous r-CAIS can provide clinically acceptable implant placement accuracy in edentulous patients, significantly surpassing s-CAIS. This level of accuracy may represent a viable therapeutic approach for simultaneous immediate full-arch restoration.

Study of the in situ test setup and analysis methods for self-healing properties of metallized film capacitors.

Metallized film capacitors (MFCs) are widely used in the power electronics industry due to their unique self-healing (SH) capability. SH performance is an essential assessment for MFC reliability verification in industrial production. The SH phenomenon of metallized films usually occurs rapidly in a very short period, and its real-time evolution details are often difficult to capture and analyze. In this paper, a test system for the SH performance of metallized films for capacitors was constructed. The system consists of three components: a voltage-current characteristic testing and current pulse capture device, a microscopic image real-time acquisition device, and an integrated analysis processing device. Through the voltage-current characteristic testing and current pulse capture device, the electrical parameters of the SH point, such as SH times, breakdown field strength, SH current, and SH energy, are obtained; through a microscopic image real-time acquisition device, the real-time spatial positioning of the SH point was obtained, and the interconnection between the morphology of the SH point and the electrical properties was established. The relationship between the SH point and the temperature distribution was further established using thermal imaging technology, which lays the foundation for a thorough and timely assessment and analysis of the failure mechanism and the real-time evolution of the metallized film SH process. This significantly improves the effectiveness of SH property research.

Effect of Low Nesquehonite Addition on the Hydration Product and Pore Structure of Reactive Magnesia Paste.

Reactive magnesia cement is considered an eco-efficient binder due to its low synthesis temperature and CO2 absorption properties. However, the hydration of pure MgO-H2O mixtures cannot produce strong Mg(OH)2 pastes. In this study, nesquehonite (Nes, MgCO3·3H2O) was added to the MgO-H2O system to improve its strength properties, and its hydration products and pore structure were analyzed. The experimental results showed that the hydration product changed from small plate-like Mg(OH)2 crystals to interlaced sheet-like crystals after the addition of a small amount of Nes. The porosity increased from 36.3% to 64.6%, and the total pore surface area increased from 4.6 to 118.5 m2/g. At the same time, most of the pores decreased in size from the micron scale to the nanometer scale, which indicated that Nes had a positive effect on improving the pore structure and enhancing the compressive strength. Combined with an X-ray diffractometer (XRD), a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR), and a simultaneous thermal analyzer (TG/DSC), the hydration product of the sample after Nes addition could be described as xMgCO3·Mg(OH)2·yH2O. When Nes was added at 7.87 and 14.35 wt%, the x-values in the chemical formula of the hydration products were 0.025 and 0.048, respectively. These small x-values resulted in lattice and property parameters of the hydration products that were similar to those of Mg(OH)2.

miR-132-3p participates in the pathological mechanism of temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis by targeting PTEN.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the role of miR-132-3p in the progression of temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis (TMJOA) and its potential pathological mechanism. DESIGN: A TMJOA model was established using six rats via the unilateral anterior crossbite method. The differential expression of miR-132-3p in the TMJOA (n = 6) and control groups (n = 6) was detected via miRNA sequencing and verified via PCR. The chondrocytes in the condylar cartilage of the temporomandibular joint were cultured and stimulated with IL-1ß to simulate TMJOA in vitro. The changes in the proliferation, apoptosis, inflammation and extracellular matrix of these chondrocytes were detected after the upregulation of miR-132-3p expression. The targeted relationship of miR-132-3p and PTEN in TMJOA was verified, and rescue experiments were conducted via co-upregulation of the expression of both miR-132-3p and PTEN. RESULTS: Compared with that in the control group, miR-132-3p expression was lower in the cartilage tissues of TMJOA rats and IL-1ß-induced TMJ chondrocytes. After upregulating the expression of miR-132-3p, the cell proliferation activity and expression levels of aggrecan and type II collagen of IL-1ß-induced TMJ chondrocytes were increased, and the apoptosis rate and levels of inflammatory factors were decreased. miR-132-3p can regulate PTEN expression in a targeted manner, and upregulating PTEN expression could reverse the influences of the upregulation of miR-132-3p expression on TMJOA cells. CONCLUSION: miR-132-3p is less expressed in TMJOA, and it regulates the proliferation, extracellular matrix, and inflammatory response of TMJOA chondrocytes and participates in TMJOA progression by targeting PTEN.

Expression of cancer cell-derived IgG and extra domain A-containing fibronectin in salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: Cancer-IgG is a newly-discovered molecule, mainly derived from epithelial carcinoma cells and is significantly correlated with differentiation, metastasis, local invasion, and poor prognosis of many cancers. In our previous study we detected IgG expression in oral epithelial carcinoma, including salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma (SACC), using an IgG-specific commercial antibody. Here, we explored the correlation between cancer-IgG and clinicopathological features of SACC. DESIGN: A total of 68 human SACC tissue specimens and 2 siRNAs were used to analyze the correlation between cancer-IgG and extra domain A (EDA+)-containing fibronectin using the cancer-IgG-specific monoclonal antibody, RP215. RESULTS: We found an unexpected correlation between cancer-IgG and EDA+ fibronectin, both of which showed aberrant expression in SACC tissue samples. Both were highly expressed in SACC with nerve invasion. In our previous study, EDA+ fibronectin overexpression in SACC cells decreased N-cadherin expression. In the present study, we used SACC-83 cells, wherein EDA+ fibronectin is overexpressed and cancer-IgG is knocked down. EDA+ fibronectin expression was reduced with cancer-IgG knockdown, while cancer-IgG expression did not affect EDA+ fibronectin overexpression. Furthermore, knockdown of non-B cell-derived IgG in SACC cells decreased cellular motility (P<0.05) as well as increased E-cadherin and alpha-smooth muscle actin levels. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that cancer IgG potentially regulates EDA+ fibronectin expression, thereby suggesting possible new therapeutic approaches for SACC.

Pressurized CEC with gradient elution for separation of flavonoids from corn.

A pressurized CEC (pCEC) method with gradient elution was developed for the analysis of flavonoids in two genetically modified corns and five nongenetically modified corns. The pCEC separation of flavonoids was performed on a monolithic silica-ODS column with UV detection at 270 nm. The effects of the concentration of organic solvent in the mobile phase, pH of the electrolyte buffer, applied voltage, and the gradient elution conditions were evaluated systematically. Gradient elution mode was used as an online concentration method to improve the detection sensitivity of flavonoids. Compared to the conventional injection (0.2 muL), there were 9- to 20-fold improvements in the detection sensitivity at the injection volume of 5 muL without adverse effect on the band broadening and the separation resolution. The LODs for the six flavonoids were in the range of 6.5-46 ng/mL under the gradient elution conditions. The developed gradient pCEC method was applied to evaluate flavonoids in various types of corns. The contents of flavonoids in genetically modified corns and nongenetically modified corns were compared.

On-line concentration and pressurized capillary electrochromatographic analysis of phytohormones in corn.

A pressurized CEC (pCEC) method was developed for the separation of phytohormones, in which UV absorbance was used as the detector and a monolithic silica-ODS column as the separation column. The parameters (including the concentration of organic solvent in the mobile phase, pH of the electrolyte buffer, applied voltage) affecting the separation resolution were evaluated. Two on-line concentration techniques, namely, solvent gradient zone sharpening effect and field-enhanced sample stacking, were utilized to improve detection sensitivity. The combination of the two techniques proved to be beneficial to enhance the detection sensitivity by enabling the injection of large volumes of samples. Compared to the conventional injection mode, the enhancement in the detection sensitivities of phytohormones using the on-line concentration technique is in the range from 9- to 23-fold. The developed pCEC method was applied to evaluate phytohormones in corns.