Qualitative discrimination and quantitative prediction of microplastics in ash based on near-infrared spectroscopy.

Microplastics are recognized as a new environmental pollutant. Researchers have detected their presence in waste incineration ash. However, traditional testing methods take a very long testing period. There is a lack of research on detecting microplastics in waste incineration ash. In this paper, a portable near-infrared spectra (NIRS) spectrometer was used for qualitative discrimination and quantitative prediction of microplastics in ash. A total of 84 sets of simulated ash samples containing different types (PP, PS, PE, and PVC) and contents (2.4 wt% - 20 wt%) of microplastics were used in the model. The results show the qualitative discrimination model using support vector machines (SVM) method with multiplicative scatter correction (MSC) preprocessing could effectively identify the microplastic types in the ash with 100% detection accuracy. Furthermore, the partial least squares regression (PLSR) model was effective in quantitatively predicting the content of microplastics in ash. The Rp2 of the PP, PS, PE, and PVC models are 0.95, 0.93, 0.89, and 0.95, respectively. The RPD of the PP, PS, PE, and PVC models are 3.97, 3.96, 2.89 and 5.02, respectively. This study shows that microplastics in ash can be detected rapidly and accurately using portable near-infrared spectrometers.

Influence of operating parameters on the yield of micro-plastics from plastics incineration.

Plastics account for a large proportion of domestic waste. However, micro-plastics will be produced after the plastic is incinerated. The purpose of this study is to find out the change rule of micro-plastics produced during incineration under different conditions. Combining micro-FTIR and PCA algorithm is a good tool to identify the micro-plastics. The PE, PP and PVC micro-plastics are distinguished using PCA-FTIR spectra. The results show different incineration conditions significantly affect the output of micro-plastics. The yield of micro-plastics increases with increasing temperature for both PP and PVC. And the yield of micro-plastics decreases with the increase in flow rate. The maximum amount of micro-plastics is produced by PE, which is 6.62 × 103 after 1 g PE incineration. The yield of micro-plastics in the co-incineration of PE and PP, as well as PE and PVC, significantly increased to 1.42 and 1.89 times of the calculated values, respectively. The nano-particles are also observed. The FTIR and EDS results show that the nano-particles are the products of incineration of plastics, including partly CH bond and unburned carbon, tar and ash.

Correlation between the Flow Temperature and Mineral Factor for Coal Ashes Based on FactSage Calculation.

To find a simple method to predict the ash flow temperature (FT) based on FactSage calculation, 69 coal ash samples were selected to explore the correlation between the FT and its mineral factor (MF) at a given temperature. An approximate linear relationship was found between ash FT and its MF: FT = 0.64MF + 1332, with a related coefficient value of 0.94 and a standard deviation of 25.77 °C. Ten ash samples were used to investigate its reliability. The calculated FTs were consistent with experimental FTs in the error range of measurement, and the correlation might be more reliable for low iron and low calcium coal.

Optimization of initial dose regimen of tacrolimus in paediatric lung transplant recipients based on Monte Carlo simulation.

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVES: The initial tacrolimus dose regimen in paediatric lung transplant recipients is unknown. The present study optimized the initial tacrolimus dose regimen for paediatric lung transplant recipients. METHODS: This study was based on a published population pharmacokinetic model of tacrolimus in lung transplant recipients and used Monte Carlo simulations to recommend an initial dose regimen of tacrolimus in paediatric lung transplant recipients. RESULTS: Without voriconazole, the tacrolimus doses recommended for paediatric lung transplant recipients who were not CYP3A5*1 carriers were 0.02, 0.03, and 0.04 mg/kg/day, split into two doses, for weights of 10-16, 16-30, and 30-40 kg, respectively. For paediatric lung transplant recipients who were CYP3A5*1 carriers, the tacrolimus doses of 0.03, 0.04, 0.05, and 0.06 mg/kg/day, split into two doses, were recommended for weights of 10-16, 16-25, 25-30, and 30-40 kg, respectively. With voriconazole, the tacrolimus dose recommended for paediatric lung transplant recipients who were not CYP3A5*1 carriers was 0.02 mg/kg/day, split into two doses, for weights of 10-40 kg. For paediatric lung transplant recipients who were CYP3A5*1 carriers, tacrolimus doses of 0.02 and 0.03 mg/kg/day, split and two doses, were recommended for weights of 10-24 and 24-40 kg, respectively. WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSIONS: This study developed tacrolimus dose regimens for the first time for paediatric lung transplant recipients using Monte Carlo simulation and optimized initial dosage in paediatric lung transplant recipients.

Imbibition and Oil Recovery Mechanism of Fracturing Fluids in Tight Sandstone Reservoirs.

The fracturing fluid residing in a reservoir undergoes spontaneous imbibition. Here, to explore the mechanism of fracturing fluid imbibition and oil displacement, experiments on the spontaneous imbibition of fracturing fluid under different influencing factors were conducted on a core sample from the Ordos Basin of the Chang 8 formation. Combined with nuclear magnetic resonance technology, we quantitatively evaluated the degree of oil production of different pores during the fracturing fluid displacement process. Experimental results show that fracturing fluid salinity, fracturing fluid interfacial tension, and crude oil viscosity are negatively correlated with oil recovery. The phenomenon of microscale imbibition oil displacement occurs in pores of various scales in the core. The imbibition scale was between 0.10 and 1608.23 ms. The degree of crude oil production in the pores at each scale increased with increasing imbibition time. Moreover, the crude oil viscosity, fracturing fluid salinity, and fracturing fluid interfacial tension are negatively correlated with the degree of oil production at various pore scales. Decreasing crude oil viscosity significantly improves the degree of small-pore (0.1-16.68 ms) crude oil production; the low interfacial tension possesses a higher degree of oil production in the large pores (>16.68 ms), and the increment in the degree of oil production under different salinities of the small pores (0.1-16.68 ms) is greater than that of the large pores (>16.68 ms).

Vitrification of municipal solid waste incineration fly ash with B2O3 as a fluxing agent.

In this paper, B2O3 was used as a fluxing agent to reduce the melting temperature of municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) fly ash and promote the glassy phase formation. Ash fusion temperature (AFT) test, atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS), X-ray diffraction(XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and thermodynamic calculation were carried out. The results showed that the flow temperature decreased from 1211 °C to 986 °C with an increase in the B2O3 content from 0 to 15 wt%. The melting slag lead to a decrease in the surface area and an increase in the mass transfer resistance of heavy metals. Thus, the agglomeration of the fly ash particles became easier with the reduced viscosity of the liquid slag. The volatilization of Pb, Cd and Zn in fly ash was inhibited. The leaching behavior of heavy metals was evaluated, the results indicated that Zn and Cu were stable whereas the Pb and Cd were soluble in glassy slag.

SOST Deficiency Aggravates Osteoarthritis in Mice by Promoting Sclerosis of Subchondral Bone.

As the initial part in the development of osteoarthritis (OA), subchondral bone sclerosis has been considered to be initiated by excess mechanical loading and proven to be correlated to other pathological changes. Sclerostin, which is an essential mechanical stress response protein, is encoded by the SOST gene. It is expressed in osteocytes and mature chondrocytes and has been proven to be closely correlated to OA. However, the relationship and mechanism between the SOST gene and the development of OA remain unclear. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of the SOST gene in OA pathogenesis in the subchondral bone. A knee anterior cruciate ligament transection (ACLT) mouse osteoarthritis (OA) model on SOST-knockout (SOST KO) and wild-type (WT) mice was established. The pathogenic and phenotypic changes in the subchondral bone were investigated by histology, micro-CT, immunohistochemistry, TRAP staining, Masson staining, and Toluidine blue staining. It was found that sclerostin expression decreased in both the calcified cartilage and mineralized subchondral structures during the development of OA. Joint instability induced a severe cartilage degradation phenotype, with higher OARSI scores in SOST KO mice, when compared to WT mice. SOST KO mice with OA exhibited a higher BMD and BV/TV ratio, as well as a higher rate of bone remodeling and TRAP-positive cell number, when compared to the WT counterparts, but the difference was not significant between the sham-operation groups. It was concluded that loss of sclerostin aggravates knee OA in mice by promoting subchondral bone sclerosis and increasing catabolic activity of cartilage.

Ultrasonic-assisted synthesis and DNA interaction studies of two new Ru complexes; RuO2 nanoparticles preparation.

AIM: To study of the interactions of two new ruthenium(II) complexes (C1 and C2) with calf thymus (CT)-DNA; production of RuO2 nanoparticles using the complexes precursor. MATERIALS & METHODS: Complex C1 was characterized by x-ray crystallography. The binding of the complexes with (CT)-DNA was studied using techniques that include electronic absorption spectra, fluorescence and redox behavior. The preparation of RuO2 nanoparticles was carried out by thermal decomposition. RESULTS: The interaction mode of DNA with complexes is the type of electrostatic. It was revealed that sonication of the samples, before thermal decomposition, has been affected the morphologies and sizes of the resulting nanoparticles. CONCLUSION: The complexes are capable of interaction with DNA molecules and they have a good potential to prepare nanostructures.

Catalytic co-pyrolysis of cellulose and polypropylene over all-silica mesoporous catalyst MCM-41 and Al-MCM-41.

Fast pyrolysis is one of the most economical and efficient technologies to convert biomass to bio-oil and valuable chemical products. Co-pyrolysis with hydrogen rich materials such as plastics over zeolite catalysts is one of the significant solutions to various problems of bio-oil such as high oxygen content, low heat value and high acid content. This paper studied pyrolysis of cellulose and polypropylene (PP) separately and co-pyrolysis of cellulose and PP over MCM-41 and Al-MCM-41. The pyrolysis over different heating rates (10K/min, 20K/min, 30K/min) was studied by Thermogravimetry Analysis (TGA) and kinetic parameters were obtained by Coats-Redfern method and isoconversion method. TG and DTG data shows that the two catalysts advance the pyrolysis reaction of PP significantly and reduce its peak temperature of DTG curve from 458°C to 341°C. The activation energy of pyrolysis of PP also has a remarkable reduction over the two catalysts. Py-GC/MS method was used to obtain the product distribution of pyrolysis of cellulose and PP separately and co-pyrolysis of cellulose and PP over MCM-41 and Al-MCM-41 at constant temperature of 650°C. Experiment results proved that co-pyrolysis with PP bring significant changes to the product distribution of cellulose. Oxygenated compounds such as furans are decreased, while yields of olefins and aromatics increase greatly. The yield of furans increases with the catalysis of MCM-41 as for the pyrolysis of cellulose and co-pyrolysis, while the yield of olefins and aromatics both experience significant growth over Al-MCM-41, which can be explained by the abundant acid centers in Al-MCM-41.

The effectiveness of low-level laser therapy in accelerating orthodontic tooth movement: a meta-analysis.

Low-level laser therapy is claimed to accelerate bone remodeling. The aim of this meta-analysis was to critically appraise current evidence and to determine the effectiveness of low-level laser therapy in accelerating orthodontic tooth movement. PubMed, Web of Knowledge, Embase, CENTRAL, ProQuest Dissertations &Theses, and SIGLE were electronically searched from Jan 1990 to Jun 2013. Article screening, data extraction, assessment of risk of bias and evaluation of evidence quality through GRADE were conducted independently and in duplicate by two reviewer authors. Outcome of interest in this meta-analysis was accumulative moved distance (AMD). Meta-analyses were performed in Comprehensive Meta-Analysis Version 2.2.064 (Biostat, Englewood, NJ, USA). Finally, five studies were included in this meta-analysis. The meta-analysis revealed that the pooled difference in mean (DM) was 0.33 [95 % CI: (0.03-0.64)], 0.76 [95 % CI: (-0.14, 1.65)] and 0.43 [95 % CI: (-0.05, 0.91)] for AMD within 1 month, AMD within 2 months and AMD within 3 months, respectively. However, significant heterogeneities and instability of the pooled results were detected. Moreover, publication bias was found for AMD within 3 months. The subgroup analysis on the wavelength of 780 nm revealed that the pooled DM of AMD were 0.54 (95 % CI = 0.18-0.91), 1.11 (95 % CI = 0.91-1.31) and 1.25 (95 % CI = 0.68-1.82) for 1, 2, and 3 months, respectively. For the output power of 20 mW, the subgroup analysis showed that the pooled DM of AMD was 0.45 (95 % CI = 0.26-0.64), 1.11 (95 % CI = 0.91-1.31), and 1.25 (95 % CI = 0.68-1.82) for 1, 2, and 3 months, respectively. Weak evidence suggests that low-level laser irradiations at the wavelength of 780 nm, at the fluence of 5 J/cm(2) and/or the output power of 20 mW could accelerate orthodontic tooth movement within 2 months and 3 months. However, we cannot determine its effectiveness within 1 month due to potential measurement errors.

Integration accuracy of laser-scanned dental models into maxillofacial cone beam computed tomography images of different voxel sizes with different segmentation threshold settings.

OBJECTIVE: The aims were to examine the influence of cone beam computed tomography (CBCT)-scanned voxels and segmentation threshold settings on the accuracy of surface-based registration. STUDY DESIGN: The samples were obtained from 10 adults. Each laser-scanned model was registered into a CBCT model by use of the iterative closest point algorithm. We calculated the shell-to-shell deviations between the 2 models and evaluated the results with color-mapping methods. The centroid coordinates were used to calculate the positional differences. Thresholds were expressed in relative Hounsfield units (RHU). RESULTS: There was a statistically significant difference in shell-to-shell deviations between the 0.20-mm-voxel group and the 0.40-mm-voxel group (P < .001). There was a statistically significant difference in anteroposterior and superoinferior directions between the 200- and 700-RHU threshold models in 2 groups (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: The results indicated that the accuracy of the integration of laser-scanned dental models into CBCT images is higher with a high-RHU threshold setting in 0.20- and 0.40-mm voxel sizes.

Finite element analysis of rapid canine retraction through reducing resistance and distraction.

OBJECTIVE: The aims of this study were to compare different surgical approaches to rapid canine retraction by designing and selecting the most effective method of reducing resistance by a three-dimensional finite element analysis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Three-dimensional finite element models of different approaches to rapid canine retraction by reducing resistance and distraction were established, including maxillary teeth, periodontal ligament, and alveolar. The models were designed to dissect the periodontal ligament, root, and alveolar separately. A 1.5 N force vector was loaded bilaterally to the center of the crown between first molar and canine, to retract the canine distally. The value of total deformation was used to assess the initial displacement of the canine and molar at the beginning of force loading. Stress intensity and force distribution were analyzed and evaluated by Ansys 13.0 through comparison of equivalent (von Mises) stress and maximum shear stress. RESULTS: The maximum value of total deformation with the three kinds of models occurred in the distal part of the canine crown and gradually reduced from the crown to the apex of the canine; compared with the canines in model 3 and model 1, the canine in model 2 had the maximum value of displacement, up to 1.9812 mm. The lowest equivalent (von Mises) stress and the lowest maximum shear stress were concentrated mainly on the distal side of the canine root in model 2. The distribution of equivalent (von Mises) stress and maximum shear stress on the PDL of the canine in the three models was highly concentrated on the distal edge of the canine cervix. . CONCLUSIONS: Removal of the bone in the pathway of canine retraction results in low stress intensity for canine movement. Periodontal distraction aided by surgical undermining of the interseptal bone would reduce resistance and effectively accelerate the speed of canine retraction.

Finite element analysis of rapid canine retraction through reducing resistance and distraction

Objective: The aims of this study were to compare different surgical approaches to rapid canine retraction by designing and selecting the most effective method of reducing resistance by a three-dimensional finite element analysis. Material and Methods: Three-dimensional finite element models of different approaches to rapid canine retraction by reducing resistance and distraction were established, including maxillary teeth, periodontal ligament, and alveolar. The models were designed to dissect the periodontal ligament, root, and alveolar separately. A 1.5 N force vector was loaded bilaterally to the center of the crown between first molar and canine, to retract the canine distally. The value of total deformation was used to assess the initial displacement of the canine and molar at the beginning of force loading. Stress intensity and force distribution were analyzed and evaluated by Ansys 13.0 through comparison of equivalent (von Mises) stress and maximum shear stress. Results: The maximum value of total deformation with the three kinds of models occurred in the distal part of the canine crown and gradually reduced from the crown to the apex of the canine; compared with the canines in model 3 and model 1, the canine in model 2 had the maximum value of displacement, up to 1.9812 mm. The lowest equivalent (von Mises) stress and the lowest maximum shear stress were concentrated mainly on the distal side of the canine root in model 2. The distribution of equivalent (von Mises) stress and maximum shear stress on the PDL of the canine in the three models was highly concentrated on the distal edge of the canine cervix. . Conclusions: Removal of the bone in the pathway of canine retraction results in low stress intensity for canine movement. Periodontal distraction aided by surgical undermining of the interseptal bone would reduce resistance and effectively accelerate the speed of canine retraction. .

The effectiveness of non-surgical maxillary expansion: a meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate and compare the effectiveness of rapid maxillary expansion (RME) and slow maxillary expansion (SME). MATERIALS AND METHODS: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, CENTRAL, ProQuest Dissertations & Theses, ClinicalTrial.gov, and SIGLE were searched from January 1980 to October 2012 for randomized or non-randomized controlled trials. The processes of study search, selection, and quality assessment were conducted independently and in duplicate. Original outcome data underwent statistical pooling through Review Manager 5. RESULTS: Fourteen eligible studies were finally included and two interventions (RME and SME) studied. Four outcomes (maxillary intermolar width, maxillary intercanine width, maxillary interpremolar width, and mandibular intermolar width) during three time periods (expansion, retention, and net change) were statistically pooled. The sensitivity analysis revealed that the results from the meta-analysis were generally robust. Egger's test and Begg's test detected no publication bias except for maxillary intercanine width in expansion period for SME versus control. CONCLUSIONS: SME is effective in expanding maxillary arch, while we cannot determine its effectiveness in mandibular arch expansion. RME is effective in expanding both maxillary and mandibular arches. Furthermore, SME is superior to RME in expanding molar region of maxillary arch, while similar with RME in mandibular arch expansion. However, we cannot compare their effectiveness in maxillary anterior region.

Management of an impacted maxillary central incisor with dilacerated root.

Dilaceration is a comparatively uncommon dental deformity generally characterized by an angulation between crown and root, and consequently causing non-eruption of the tooth. Dilaceration generally occurs following trauma to the apices of deciduous dentition, which lies close to the permanent tooth buds. As a result, surgical extraction used to be the first choice when making the treatment plan for a case with severely dilacerated teeth. This case report presents the orthodontic alignment of a permanent maxillary right central incisor in an 8-year-old boy who had an impacted inverted maxillary central incisor, with distoangular root dilaceration through the crown. Following surgical exposure with the closed-eruption technique and appropriate orthodontic traction, the tooth was successfully aligned into the dental arch and the root was radiologically shown to be straightened and relatively well developed. The impacted dilacerated incisor diagnosed in the early mixed dentition should be treated with the aid of orthodontic traction.

PAX9 polymorphism and susceptibility to sporadic non-syndromic severe anodontia: a case-control study in southwest China.

UNLABELLED: Our research aimed to look into the clinical traits and genetic mutations in sporadic non-syndromic anodontia and to gain insight into the role of mutations of PAX9, MSX1, AXIN2 and EDA in anodontia phenotypes, especially for the PAX9. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The female proband and her family members from the ethnic Han families underwent complete oral examinations and received a retrospective review. Venous blood samples were obtained to screen variants in the PAX9, MSX1, AXIN2, and EDA genes. A case-control study was performed on 50 subjects with sporadic tooth agenesis (cases) and 100 healthy controls, which genotyped a PAX9 gene polymorphism (rs4904210). RESULTS: Intra-oral and panoramic radiographs revealed that the female proband had anodontia denoted by the complete absence of teeth in both the primary and secondary dentitions, while all her family members maintained normal dentitions. Detected in the female proband were variants of the PAX9 and AXIN2 including A240P (rs4904210) of the PAX9, c.148C>T (rs2240308), c.1365A>G (rs9915936) and c.1386C>T (rs1133683) of the AXIN2. The same variants were present in her unaffected younger brother. The PAX9 variations were in a different state in her parents. Mutations in the MSX1 and EDA genes were not identified. No significant differences were found in the allele and genotype frequencies of the PAX9 polymorphism between the controls and the subjects with sporadic tooth agenesis. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the association of A240P with sporadic tooth agenesis still remains obscure, especially for different populations. The genotype/phenotype correlation in congenital anodontia should be verified.

PAX9 polymorphism and susceptibility to sporadic non-syndromic severe anodontia: a case-control study in southwest China

Our research aimed to look into the clinical traits and genetic mutations in sporadic non-syndromic anodontia and to gain insight into the role of mutations of PAX9, MSX1, AXIN2 and EDA in anodontia phenotypes, especially for the PAX9. Material and Methods The female proband and her family members from the ethnic Han families underwent complete oral examinations and received a retrospective review. Venous blood samples were obtained to screen variants in the PAX9, MSX1, AXIN2, and EDA genes. A case-control study was performed on 50 subjects with sporadic tooth agenesis (cases) and 100 healthy controls, which genotyped a PAX9 gene polymorphism (rs4904210). Results Intra-oral and panoramic radiographs revealed that the female proband had anodontia denoted by the complete absence of teeth in both the primary and secondary dentitions, while all her family members maintained normal dentitions. Detected in the female proband were variants of the PAX9 and AXIN2 including A240P (rs4904210) of the PAX9, c.148C>T (rs2240308), c.1365A>G (rs9915936) and c.1386C>T (rs1133683) of the AXIN2. The same variants were present in her unaffected younger brother. The PAX9 variations were in a different state in her parents. Mutations in the MSX1 and EDA genes were not identified. No significant diferences were found in the allele and genotype frequencies of the PAX9 polymorphism between the controls and the subjects with sporadic tooth agenesis. Conclusions These results suggest that the association of A240P with sporadic tooth agenesis still remains obscure, especially for different populations. The genotype/phenotype correlation in congenital anodontia should be verified. .

Comparison of adverse effects between lingual and labial orthodontic treatment.

OBJECTIVE: To compare adverse effects between labial and lingual orthodontic treatments through a systematic review of the literature. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The protocol of this systematic review (CRD42012002455) was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO). An electronic search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, CENTRAL, SIGLE, ProQuest Dissertations & Theses, and ClinicalTrial.gov for articles published between January 1980 and December 2012. Primary outcomes included pain and caries; secondary outcomes were eating difficulty, speech difficulty, oral hygiene, and treatment duration. Meta-analyses were conducted in Comprehensive Meta-Analysis version 2.2.064. RESULTS: Six studies were included, two randomized controlled trials and four clinical controlled trials; of these, four were medium quality and two were low quality in terms of the risk of bias. Five of the six outcomes were evaluated in the included studies, and treatment duration was not; pain, eating difficulty, speech difficulty were statistically pooled. Meta-analysis revealed that the pooled odds ratios were 1.20 (95% confidence interval [CI]  =  0.30-4.87) for overall pain, 32.24 (95% CI  =  14.13-73.55) for pain in tongue, 0.08 (95% CI  =  0.04-0.18) for pain in cheek, 0.11 (95% CI  =  0.03-0.42) for pain in lip, 3.59 (95% CI  =  1.85-6.99) for eating difficulty, and 8.61 (95% CI  =  3.55-20.89) for speech difficulty. Sensitivity analysis showed consistent results except for eating difficulty. No publication bias was detected. CONCLUSIONS: The likelihood of overall pain was similar between the two modalities. Patients who underwent lingual orthodontic treatment were more likely to suffer from pain in the tongue and less likely to suffer from pain in the cheek and lip. Lingual orthodontic treatment increased the likelihood of speech difficulty. Eating difficulty, oral hygiene, caries, and treatment duration could not be compared in this systematic review.

Accuracy of in-vitro tooth volumetric measurements from cone-beam computed tomography.

INTRODUCTION: The aims of this study were to determine the accuracy of volumetric measurements of teeth in vitro by cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and to analyze the factors affecting their volume measurements from the CBCT data. METHODS: We used a sample of CBCT-scanned (voxel sizes: 0.125, 0.20, 0.25, 0.30, and 0.40 mm) and laser-scanned crowns (n = 40) and roots (n = 32). The Tukey test was used to assess the differences between the CBCT-scan and the laser-scan volumes. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant difference between the laser-scan crown volume and each voxel size of CBCT-scan crown volume (P <0.05). CBCT-scan crown volumes at 0.30 and 0.40 mm were statistically significantly distinct from those at 0.125, 0.20, and 0.25 mm (P <0.05). There was a statistically significant difference between the laser-scan root volume and each voxel size of CBCT-scan root volume (P <0.05). The laser-scan root volume at 0.40 mm was statistically significantly distinct from the volumes at 0.125 and 0.20 mm (P <0.05). The in-vitro volume measurements from the CBCT scans were larger than those of the laser scans: from 21.73% to 43.92% in the crown halves, and from 18.27% to 41.58% in the root halves at the different voxel sizes. CONCLUSIONS: With increasing voxel sizes during scanning, the volume measurements of teeth tended to be larger. The surface surrounding artifacts might lead to larger volumes.

Determination of carbohydrates by high performance anion chromatography-pulsed amperometric detection in mushrooms.

A method of detecting carbohydrates (fucose, trehalose, mannitol, arabitol, mannose, glucose, galactose, fructose, and ribose) by high-performance anion chromatography-pulsed amperometric detection (HAPEC-PAD) was established. The conditions are: CarboPac MA1 column, NaOH as the eluent, temperature 30°C, Au working electrode, Ag/AgCl reference electrode, and flow rate 0.4 mL/min. These nine analytes, which yielded high resolution by this method, could be detected in 40 minutes. Mushrooms were tested and good precision, stability, and reproducibility were achieved. This method is suitable for mushroom samples and could support research and development on sugar and sugar alcohol, which contains special effects.