Fully Distributed Event-Driven Coordination With Actuator Faults.

This article investigates the event-driven fault-tolerance (ETFT) consensus problem for general linear multiagent systems (MASs) with partial loss of effectiveness (PLOE) and bias faults of actuators in leader-follower networks. Each agent's controller is only updated relatively infrequently at its event moments. A desirable feature of this article is that the proposed event-driven algorithm is fully distributed also independent of global information and additive fault boundaries. Based on this, a consensus error prediction model is used to avoid the limitation that each agent needs to monitor its neighbors' state under event-driven conditions continuously. We further excluded the Zeno behavior by proving that any adjacent event interval for each agent is greater than zero. The simulations verify our results.

Accurate Treatment of Condylar Fracture Assisted by Three-Dimensional Prototype and Bioresorbable Plates.

PURPOSE: Although open treatments of condylar fracture have become the conventional treatment option, the accuracy is often not guaranteed. The purpose of this study was to improve the accuracy of fracture reduction assisted by three-dimensional (3D) prototype and bioresorbable plates in the treatment of condylar fractures. METHODS: This was a prospective cohort study. Patients with condylar fractures were treated by surgery from October 2017 to November 2019 at School of Stomatology of China Medical University (Shenyang, China). The patients in the experimental group were treated with 3D-prototype and fixed with absorbable plates. Patients in the control group were treated routinely reduction and fixed with absorbable plates. Primary predictor variables were surgical treatment. Primary outcome was accurate reduction. Secondary outcomes were postoperative efficacy including maximum mouth opening, occlusal status, lateral excursion movements, and patient satisfaction. Other variables of interest included age, sex, type of patients. Continuous variables are reported as mean ± standard deviation. χ2 test and t test were used for analysis. RESULTS: The sample was composed of 48 patients (65 sides) who were treated surgically (25 men, 23 women; mean age, 39.50 year; range, 17 to 65 year) ; 27 patients (38 sides) were treated with the 3D-prototype approach and 21 patients (27 sides) were treated with the traditional approach. All 48 patients completed reduction and fixation of fractures. Preoperative and postoperative CT comparisons showed that 4 patients did not achieve accurate reduction, all in the control group, of which 3 patients had occlusal disorder. All patients in the experimental group achieved accurate reduction, of which 1 patient had occlusal disorder. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that using 3D prototype for bending the bioresorbable plate is an effective method for accurate treatment of condylar fracture.

Open Reduction Effects of Digitally Treating Zygomaticomaxillary Complex Fractures With Bio-Resorbable Materials.

PURPOSE: The application of bio-resorbable plates in craniomaxillofacial surgery is increasing because of the advantage of avoiding secondary surgery. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of osteosynthesis with prebent bio-resorbable plates for treating zygomaticomaxillary complex (ZMC) fractures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We implemented a prospective case series composed of patients with ZMC fractures who underwent treatment at the School of Stomatology at China Medical University. Bio-resorbable plates were used for fracture fixation. The fractures were stabilized with bio-resorbable plates prebent on a 3-dimensionally printed skull model with the fractures reduced using virtual simulation. The primary outcome variable was the stability rate of reduced bone segments. Other study variables were mouth opening, occlusion, paresthesia or anesthesia in the infraorbital nerve region (PAIN), and diplopia. Outcome variables were determined by calculating stability rates of reduced bone segments, resolution rates of postoperative restricted mouth opening, malocclusion, PAIN, and diplopia. RESULTS: The sample was composed of 11 patients recruited between November 2016 and September 2018. All surgical procedures were successful, with no severe complications. The stability rate of reduced bone segments from different mechanical buttress regions was 100%. Satisfactory postoperative stability of bio-resorbable plates was obtained in all cases. The resolution rates of postoperative restricted mouth opening and malocclusion were 75 and 100%, respectively. PAIN and diplopia symptoms resolved in 50 and 100% of cases, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that osteosynthesis with bio-resorbable plates prebent on a 3-dimensionally printed skull model, designed by virtual simulation, works well for patients with ZMC fractures. Future studies should focus on the broader applications of these findings in the practice of oral and maxillofacial surgery.

Evaluation of the Effect of Bioresorbable Plates and Screws in the Treatment of Condylar Fractures, Assisted by Digital Preoperative Planning.

PURPOSE: Although bioresorbable materials have begun to be applied in the clinic, they are used primarily in children with fractures; thus, there are few reports of their application for treatment of condylar fractures. This study evaluated the effect of the application of bioresorbable plates and screws for patients with condylar fractures, assisted by digital preoperative planning. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a prospective interventional study. The sample was composed of 46 patients treated at the School of Stomatology of the China Medical University (Shenyang, China) from October 2016 through May 2018 for condylar fractures alone or in combination with other facial fractures. All patients underwent confirmatory preoperative computed tomography (CT) to obtain Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) format data for preoperative designing. By digital designing, the authors confirmed operative plans for each patient. All 46 patients underwent bioresorbable osteosynthesis and underwent repeat CT on postoperative day 3. Postoperative clinical assessments included postoperative positions of the fracture segments, maximal mouth opening, lateral excursion movements, occlusal status, and patient satisfaction. These variables were used to assess postoperative efficacy. RESULTS: The sample was composed of 46 patients who had open reduction with internal fixation on 52 sides. At the 3-month follow-up visit, the proportions of patients who were satisfied with the results and who achieved stable occlusion, appropriate maximal mouth opening, and flexible lateral excursion movement were 97, 100, 66, and 95%, respectively. One patient sustained postoperative displacement of a condylar fracture fragment, as confirmed by repeated CT. He was lost to follow-up at 3 months postoperatively. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that open reduction treatment of condylar fractures implanted with bioresorbable materials in combination with digital preoperative designing is an effective method for managing patients in clinical practice.