Three-dimensional evaluation of a virtual setup considering the roots and alveolar bone in molar distalization cases.

We aimed to evaluate root parallelism and the dehiscence or fenestrations of virtual teeth setup using roots isolated from cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images. Sixteen patients undergoing non-extraction orthodontic treatment with molar distalization were selected. Composite teeth were created by merging CBCT-isolated roots with intraoral scan-derived crowns. Three setups were performed sequentially: crown setup considering only the crowns, root setup-1 considering root alignment, and root setup-2 considering the roots and surrounding alveolar bone. We evaluated the parallelism and exposure of the roots and compared the American Board of Orthodontics Objective Grading System (ABO-OGS) scores using three-dimensionally printed models among the setups. The mean angulation differences between adjacent teeth in root setups-1 and -2 were significantly smaller than in the crown setup, except for some posterior teeth (p < 0.05). The amount of root exposure was significantly smaller in root setup-2 compared to crown setup and root setup-1 except when the mean exposure was less than 0.6 mm (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in ABO-OGS scores among the setups. Thus, virtual setup considering the roots and alveolar bone can improve root parallelism and reduce the risk of root exposure without compromising occlusion quality.

Amniotic membrane extract-loaded double-layered wound dressing: evaluation of gel properties and wound healing.

The conservative single-layered wound dressing system is decomposed when mixed in polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) solution, which means it cannot be used with a temperature-sensitive drug. The goal of this investigation was to make an amniotic membrane extract (AME)-loaded double-layered wound dressing with an improved healing result compared to the conservative single-layered wound dressing systems. The double-layered wound dressing was developed with PVA/sodium alginate using a freeze-melting technique; one layer was PVA layer and the other was the drug-loaded sodium alginate layer. Its gel properties were assessed compared to single-layered wound dressings. Moreover, in vivo wound-healing effects and histopathology were calculated compared to commercial products. The double-layered wound dressing gave a similar gel fraction and Young's module as single-layered wound bandages developed with only PVA, and a similar inflammation ability and WVTR as single-layered wound dressings developed with PVA and sodium alginate. Our data indicate that these double-layered wound bandages were just as swellable, but more elastic and stronger than single-layered wound dressings comprised of the same polymers and quantities, possibly giving an acceptable level of moisture and accumulation of exudates in the wound zone. Compared to the commercial product, the double-layered wound dressing comprising 6.7% PVA, 0.5% sodium alginate and 0.01% AME significantly enhanced the wound-healing effect in the wound-healing test. Histological investigations showed that superior full-thickness wound-healing effects compared to the commercial product. Therefore, the double-layered wound dressing would be an outstanding wound-dressing system with improved wound healing and good gel property.

The tertiary structure and domain organization of coagulation factor VIII.

Factor VIII (fVIII) is a serum protein in the coagulation cascade that nucleates the assembly of a membrane-bound protease complex on the surface of activated platelets at the site of a vascular injury. Hemophilia A is caused by a variety of mutations in the factor VIII gene and typically requires replacement therapy with purified protein. We have determined the structure of a fully active, recombinant form of factor VIII (r-fVIII), which consists of a heterodimer of peptides, respectively containing the A1-A2 and A3-C1-C2 domains. The structure permits unambiguous modeling of the relative orientations of the 5 domains of r-fVIII. Comparison of the structures of fVIII, fV, and ceruloplasmin indicates that the location of bound metal ions and of glycosylation, both of which are critical for domain stabilization and association, overlap at some positions but have diverged at others.