Experimental analysis of functional stability of sagittal split ramus osteotomies secured by miniplates and position screws

PURPOSE: This study determined the relative functional stabilities of various miniplate systems and configurations used to stabilize sagittal split ramus osteotomies (SSROs) and compared them with conventional internal screw fixation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The biomechanical model was a reproducible prototype of a mandible sagittal osteotomy with consistent material and geometric properties. After advancing the distal segment by 7 mm, each set of mandible analogs (1 set = 3 analogs) was fixed bilaterally by one of three miniplate systems applied in various configurations, and tested with and without a supplemental 2.4-mm bicortical screw applied in the retromolar region. Reduced analogs were placed in a straining frame, and simulated masticatory loads were applied alternatively to the mandibular first molars. Ensuing osteotomy site displacements were measured by transducers attached to a computer-based data acquisition program. A coordinate transformation procedure was used to convert the component displacements captured by the individual transducers into a common "instability factor" to reflect fixation stability for each construct and loading condition. Instability factors for the individual constructs were compared with each other and with those obtained from analogs reduced exclusively with 2.4-mm position screws. RESULTS: Osteotomies stabilized with a combination of miniplates and position screws were more stable than those stabilized exclusively with miniplates (P < .0001). Post-hoc comparisons of mean instability factors (Dunnet's method) showed the miniplate-position screw combinations to be more stable than the 2.4-mm position screw system used as standard (P < .05). Miniplate systems alone were the least stable of the test constructs, with differential rates of failure between the individual miniplate systems. CONCLUSIONS: Exclusive use of miniplate fixation may not provide the consistent stability necessary for early functional restoration after SSROs. The addition of a position screw in the retromolar region substantially enhances the fixation stability of miniplate systems. The use of miniplates with retromolar position screws offers both technical and stability advantages over conventional miniplate or internal screw fixation. The fixation stability of the miniplate-position screw combination is independent of the type of miniplate system used.     

Operational Regimes and Physics Present in Optoelectronic Tweezers

Optoelectronic tweezers (OET) are a powerful light-based technique for the manipulation of micro- and nanoscopic particles. In addition to an optically patterned dielectrophoresis (DEP) force, other light-induced electrokinetic and thermal effects occur in the OET device. In this paper, we present a comprehensive theoretical and experimental investigation of various fluidic, optical, and electrical effects present during OET operation. These effects include DEP, light-induced ac electroosmosis, electrothermal flow, and buoyancy-driven flow. We present finite-element modeling of these effects to establish the dominant mode for a given set of device parameters and bias conditions. These results are confirmed experimentally and present a comprehensive outline of the operational regimes of the OET device.     

Evaluation of two commercial kits for serum gastrin assay, and comparison with a conventional radioimmunoassay procedure

We compared two gastrin radioimmunoassay kits ("Immutope" kit, Squibb & Co.; "Gastrin R.I.A." kit, Schwarz/Mann) to the conventional gastrin radioimmunoassay of Yalow and Berson [Gastroenterology 58, 1 (1970)] as run by us and by a second reference laboratory. Although both kits were found to effectively discriminate above-normal and normal values for serum gastrin, they significantly underestimated very high values (greater than 1500 ng/liter). The Schwarz/Mann kit clearly had a superior quality label (lower nonspecific binding and higher specific activity) and a shorter incubation time. However, the 90-min incubation period cited for their kit caused overestimation of gastrin values in the lower range (5-300 ng/liter), which could be corrected by prolonging the incubation to 24 h. The Squibb antibody had fairly good cross reactivity to all gastrin species tested; the Schwarz/Mann antibody had poor affinity for natural human gastrin G34-II. Good correspondence was found for sera run by both reference laboratories (y = 0.96x + 10, r = 0.997), and values obtained with the Schwarz/Mann kit correlated best (+ 0.815) with those from the conventional radioimmunoassay procedure.     

Morphology of pneumopathies and their role in the development of asphyxia neonatorum

Histories of deliveries and development records of 44 newborns with penumopathies who had died on the first days of life in the presence of phenomena of the syndrome of respiratory disorder were analysed and the newborns' lungs were morphologically investigated. The investigation made it possible to single out the following forms of pneumopathy in newborns: edematous-hemorrhagic, hyaline, atelectatic, aspirated, and mixed. In the majority of cases the syndrome of respiratory disorder was a sequela of hypoxia of the intrauterine origin which continued during the first hours and days of life after birth. Such "primary asphyxia" may lead to the development of pneumopathy in a neonate. On the other hand, "secondary asphyxia" in many cases represent sequelae of penumopathy destructural and functional immaturity of the pulmonary tissue, hypoxia, a higher permeability of vessels of the microcirculatory bed, spasm of small pulmonary arteris contributed considerably to the development of penumopathies.     

Performance of Pd composite membrane prepared by organic–inorganic method in WGS membrane reactor

H₂ production via water–gas shift (WGS) reaction in a Pd membrane reactor prepared by the electroless plating technique (ELP) “organic–inorganic” method was investigated. Pd nanoparticles embedded polyethylene glycol (PEG) was used as a polymer template during the activation step. Gas permeation results showed an infinite selectivity for H₂/N₂ with a H₂ flux of 0.004–0.016 mol/m²·s depending on operating conditions while it decreased until 0.0005 mol/m²·s for gas mixtures. Furthermore, WGS membrane reactor experiments showed a maximum CO conversion of 98.5% with a H₂ recovery of 16% at 450°C. The membrane performance was consistent during WGS catalytic membrane reactors (CMR) tests, thereby confirming the stability of the obtained membrane.     

A new predictor parameter for production rate of ornamental stones

Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment - In this study, a new predictor parameter (NPP), which is based on the product of uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) and Mohs hardness (MH),...     

Using Fuzzy Cost‐Based FMEA,GRA and Profitability Theory for Minimizing Failures at a Healthcare Diagnosis Service

This paper proposes an integrated approach to identify, evaluate and improve the potential failures in a service setting. This integrated approach combines Fuzzy cost‐based service‐specific FMEA (FCS‐FMEA), Grey Relational Analysis (GRA) and profitability theory for better prioritization of the service failures by considering cost as an important issue and using the profitability theory in a way that the corrective actions costs are taken into account. Considering profitability with FCS‐FMEA and GRA reduces the losses caused by failure occurrence. Besides, a maximization linear mathematical problem is used to select the best mix of failures to be repaired. We apply our approach to an academic example concerning the potential failures diagnosis of the Internal Medicine service of a hospital located in Seoul, Korea. We applied our approach and solved the associated maximization problem by a commercial solver, producing an optimal solution which indicates the most convenient mix of failures to be repaired by considering available budget. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Potency of Different Carbon Sources in Reduction of Microsilica to Synthesize SiC from Mechanically Activated Powder Mixtures

In the present study, the influences of three different types of carbon (carbon black, graphite, and petroleum coke) on SiC synthesis via mechanical activation and sintering were evaluated. In this regard, the phase components, morphology, and the formation mechanism were investigated. SiC nanoparticles were detected to be formed after 4 h of milling and sintering at 1450°C, regardless of the sources of carbon. The carbon types exert their effects on the morphology of the as‐synthesized particles, where carbon black leads to form rod‐like SiC particles and the other two carbon types result in semi‐spherical SiC particles. This is due to the dominant mechanism in the mentioned process. The rod‐like particles obtained from the carbon black‐containing powder were synthesized via the VSL mechanism, whereas the solid‐state reactions occurred to form the SiC particles in the graphite‐ or petroleum coke‐containing samples. In the VSL mechanism, any increase in the milling time leads to facilitate the SiC formation due to entrance of Fe debris, whereas in the other samples (graphite or petroleum coke) the procedure is reversed.     

Effects of substitutions in the binding surface of an antibody on antigen affinity

The interactions between the Fab and single-chain Fv (scFv) fragments of an antibody (NC10) and its antigen, influenza virus neuraminidase, were analysed in the crystal structures of the Fab-neuraminidase and scFv-neuraminidase complexes. To investigate the contribution to binding made by cavities, salt links and hydrogen bonds in the antibody- antigen interface, 14 single amino acid replacements were made at six contact residues in the scFv fragment by site-directed mutagenesis. The binding affinity of each mutant scFv antibody for neuraminidase was determined with a BIAcore optical biosensor. Four of the mutations resulted in large changes in the free energy of binding to neuraminidase (deltadeltaG > 1 kcal/mol) and together may account for approximately 70% of the free energy of binding. Hence these data support the theory that a small number of residues form the 'functional epitope' and are most important for binding of NC10 to neuraminidase. The salt link between antibody residue (Asp)H56 and (Lys)N432 from neuraminidase was demonstrated to be important for affinity, since substitution of (Asp)H56 with Asn caused a large reduction in the free energy of binding (deltadeltaG = +2.8 kcal/mol). Hydrogen bonds provided by (Tyr)L32 and (Asp)H56 were also important for binding: mutation of (Tyr)L32 to Phe resulted in a significant reduction in binding affinity (deltadeltaG = +1.7 kcal/mol). Disruption of hydrophobic interactions (van der Waals contacts) led to significant reductions in affinity also ((Tyr)H99 to Ala, deltadeltaG = +1.5 kcal/mol; (Leu)L94 to Ala, deltadeltaG > +3.0 kcal/mol). An attempt to increase binding affinity by filling a cavity in the interface with a larger antibody side chain was unsuccessful, as the free energy gained by new antibody-antigen interactions did not compensate for the removal of cavity-bound water molecules.      

Electropolymerization and characterization of polyaniline, poly(2-anilinoethanol) and poly(aniline-co-2-anilinoethanol)

Applications of conducting polymers to biosensors have recently aroused much interest. This is because these molecular electronic materials offer control of different parameters such as polymer layer thickness, electrical properties and bio-reagent loading, diversity, ease of fabrication and potentially low cost, etc. Polyaniline, poly(2-anilinoethanol) and poly(aniline-co-2-anilinoethanol) preparations are performed with electrochemical (CV) method at room temperature, in a standard three-electrode cell. Homopolymer and the copolymers of aniline and 2-anilinoethanol films were deposited from 1?M acidic aqueous media containing 0.2?M aniline, 2-anilinoethanol by voltammetric sweep between ?0.1 and 1 V Ag/AgCl, at 20?mV/s^?1. The sweep was stopped after 30 cycles at ?0.1?V Ag/AgCl and the working electrode was covered by homopolymer and copolymer of aniline and 2-anilinoethanol. Characterizations of the products were carried out by cyclic voltammograms, UV?Cvisible, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and electrochemical impedance (EIS) was employed to examine the water absorption of the synthesized polymers to be used in biosensor application. Electrochemical properties of polyaniline, poly(2-anilinoethanol) and poly(aniline-co-2-anilinoethanol) were studied and it is shown that with increased (2-anilinoethanol) content in the copolymer, its electroactivity, conductivity and resistance are reduced, though the processability and adhesion properties improve. The hydrophilicity of polymer film obtained has increased with increasing (2-anilinoethanol) content which leads to salt moving to the surface of steel.