Time efficiency and efficacy of a centralized computer-aided-design/computer-aided-manufacturing workflow for implant crown fabrication: A prospective controlled clinical study

OBJECTIVE To assess time efficiency and the efficacy of the prosthetic manufacturing for implant crown fabrication in a centralized workflow applying computer aided design and computer aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM). MATERIAL AND METHODS Fifty-nine patients with one posterior implant each, were randomly allocated to either a centralized digital workflow (c-DW, test) or a laboratory digital workflow (l-DW, control). Patients were excluded from efficiency and efficacy analyses, if any additional restoration than this single implant crown had to be fabricated. A customized titanium abutment and a monolithic zirconia crown were fabricated in the c-DW. In the l-DW, models were digitalized for CAD-CAM fabrication of a monolithic zirconia crown using a standardized titanium base abutment. Time for impression, laboratory operating and delivery time were recorded. The efficacy of the prosthetic manufacturing was evaluated at try-in and at delivery. Data was analyzed descriptively. Statistical analyses using student's unpaired t- and paired Wilcoxon were performed (p < 0.05). RESULTS At impression taking, 12 patients (c-DW) and 19 patients (l-DW) were included. The impression time was 9.4±3.5 min (c-DW) and 15.1 ± 4.6 min (l-DW) (p < 0.05). The laboratory operating time was 130 ± 31 min (c-DW) and 218.0±8 min (l-DW) (p < 0.05). The delivery time was significantly longer in the c-DW (5.9 ± 3.5 1 days) as compared to the l-DW (0.5±0.05 days). At try-in and at delivery, efficacy of prosthetic manufacturing was similar high in both workflows. CLINICAL RELEVANCE The c-DW was more time efficient compared to the lab-DW and rendered a similar efficacy of prosthetic manufacturing

Sign-time distribution for a random walker with a drifting boundary

We present a derivation of the exact sign-time distribution for a random walker in the presence of a boundary moving with constant velocity.Comment: 5 page

Opa1 overexpression ameliorates the phenotype of two mitochondrial disease mouse models

SummaryIncreased levels of the mitochondria-shaping protein Opa1 improve respiratory chain efficiency and protect from tissue damage, suggesting that it could be an attractive target to counteract mitochondrial dysfunction. Here we show that Opa1 overexpression ameliorates two mouse models of defective mitochondrial bioenergetics. The offspring from crosses of a constitutive knockout for the structural complex I component Ndufs4 (Ndufs4−/−), and of a muscle-specific conditional knockout for the complex IV assembly factor Cox15 (Cox15sm/sm), with Opa1 transgenic (Opa1tg) mice showed improved motor skills and respiratory chain activities compared to the naive, non-Opa1-overexpressing, models. While the amelioration was modest in Ndufs4−/−::Opa1tg mice, correction of cristae ultrastructure and mitochondrial respiration, improvement of motor performance and prolongation of lifespan were remarkable in Cox15sm/sm::Opa1tg mice. Mechanistically, respiratory chain supercomplexes were increased in Cox15sm/sm::Opa1tg mice, and residual monomeric complex IV was stabilized. In conclusion, cristae shape amelioration by controlled Opa1 overexpression improves two mouse models of mitochondrial disease

Critical dimensions of the diffusion equation

We study the evolution of a random initial field under pure diffusion in various space dimensions. From numerical calculations we find that the persistence properties of the system show sharp transitions at critical dimensions d1 ~ 26 and d2 ~ 46. We also give refined measurements of the persistence exponents for low dimensions.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure

Packing and Hausdorff measures of stable trees

In this paper we discuss Hausdorff and packing measures of random continuous trees called stable trees. Stable trees form a specific class of L\'evy trees (introduced by Le Gall and Le Jan in 1998) that contains Aldous's continuum random tree (1991) which corresponds to the Brownian case. We provide results for the whole stable trees and for their level sets that are the sets of points situated at a given distance from the root. We first show that there is no exact packing measure for levels sets. We also prove that non-Brownian stable trees and their level sets have no exact Hausdorff measure with regularly varying gauge function, which continues previous results from a joint work with J-F Le Gall (2006).Comment: 40 page

Generalized Arcsine Law and Stable Law in an Infinite Measure Dynamical System

Limit theorems for the time average of some observation functions in an infinite measure dynamical system are studied. It is known that intermittent phenomena, such as the Rayleigh-Benard convection and Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction, are described by infinite measure dynamical systems.We show that the time average of the observation function which is not the $L^1(m)$ function, whose average with respect to the invariant measure $m$ is finite, converges to the generalized arcsine distribution. This result leads to the novel view that the correlation function is intrinsically random and does not decay. Moreover, it is also numerically shown that the time average of the observation function converges to the stable distribution when the observation function has the infinite mean.Comment: 8 pages, 8 figure

Occupation time of exclusion processes with conductances

Em publicação em "Journal of statistical physics". ISSN 0022-4715.We obtain the fluctuations for the occupation time of one-dimensional symmetric exclusion processes with speed change, where the transition rates ({\em conductances}) are driven by a general function $W$. The approach does not require sharp bounds on the spectral gap of the system nor the jump rates to be bounded from above or below. We present some examples and for one of them, we observe that the fluctuations of the current are trivial, but the fluctuations of the occupation time are given by a fractional Brownian Motion. This shows that, in general, the fluctuations of the current and of the occupation time are not of same order.CAPESFundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT)CNP

Current management of primary mitochondrial disorders in EU countries: the European Reference Networks survey

Background and purpose: Primary mitochondrial diseases (PMDs) are rare diseases for which diagnosis is challenging, and management and training programs are not well defined in Europe. To capture and assess care needs, five different European Reference Networks have conducted an exploratory survey. Methods: The survey covering multiple topics relating to PMDs was sent to all ERNs healthcare providers (HCPs) in Europe. Results: We have collected answers from 220 members based in 24/27 European member states and seven non-European member states. Even though most of the responders are aware of neurogenetic diseases, difficulties arise in the ability to deliver comprehensive genetic testing. While single gene analysis is widely available in Europe, whole exome and genome sequencing are not easily accessible, with considerable variation between countries and average waiting time for results frequently above 6 months. Only 12.7% of responders were happy with the ICD-10 codes for classifying patients with PMDs discharged from the hospital, and more than 70% of them consider that PMDs deserve specific ICD codes to improve clinical management, including tailored healthcare, and for reimbursement reasons. Finally, 90% of responders declared that there is a need for further education and training in these diseases. Conclusions: This survey provides information on the current difficulties in the care of PMDs in Europe. We believe that the results of this survey are important to help rare disease stakeholders in European countries identify key care and research priorities

Role of B diffusion in the interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction in Ta / Co₂₀ Fe₆₀B₂₀/MgO nanowires

We report on current-induced domain wall motion in Ta/Co20Fe60B20/MgO nanowires. Domain walls are observed to move against the electron flow when no magnetic field is applied, while a field along the nanowires strongly affects the domain wall motion velocity. A symmetric effect is observed for up-down and down-up domain walls. This indicates the presence of right-handed domain walls, due to a Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) with a DMI coefficient D=+0.06mJ/m2. The positive DMI coefficient is interpreted to be a consequence of B diffusion into the Ta buffer layer during annealing, which was observed by chemical depth profiling measurements. The experimental results are compared to one-dimensional model simulations including the effects of pinning. This modeling allows us to reproduce the experimental outcomes and reliably extract a spin-Hall angle θSH=-0.11 for Ta in the nanowires, showing the importance of an analysis that goes beyond the model for perfect nanowires

Operator renewal theory and mixing rates for dynamical systems with infinite measure

We develop a theory of operator renewal sequences in the context of infinite ergodic theory. For large classes of dynamical systems preserving an infinite measure, we determine the asymptotic behaviour of iterates $L^n$ of the transfer operator. This was previously an intractable problem. Examples of systems covered by our results include (i) parabolic rational maps of the complex plane and (ii) (not necessarily Markovian) nonuniformly expanding interval maps with indifferent fixed points. In addition, we give a particularly simple proof of pointwise dual ergodicity (asymptotic behaviour of $\sum_{j=1}^nL^j$) for the class of systems under consideration. In certain situations, including Pomeau-Manneville intermittency maps, we obtain higher order expansions for $L^n$ and rates of mixing. Also, we obtain error estimates in the associated Dynkin-Lamperti arcsine laws.Comment: Preprint, August 2010. Revised August 2011. After publication, a minor error was pointed out by Kautzsch et al, arXiv:1404.5857. The updated version includes minor corrections in Sections 10 and 11, and corresponding modifications of certain statements in Section 1. All main results are unaffected. In particular, Sections 2-9 are unchanged from the published versio