Volume Augmentation Research Articles

Hand Rejuvenation Using Autologous Fat Grafting: A Systematic Review of Recommended Doses, Complications, and Patient Satisfaction.

Hand rejuvenation addresses aging-related changes such as subcutaneous fat loss, skin degradation, and photodamage. Autologous fat transfer (AFT) has emerged as a promising treatment, offering durable volume augmentation and regenerative effects. This study aims to systematically review the evidence on the techniques, outcomes, and complications of AFT for hand rejuvenation. A systematic review was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines, searching databases such as MEDLINE, SCOPUS, DOAJ, and PUBMED from inception to April 2024. Inclusion criteria were studies reporting on hand rejuvenation using fat grafting, including randomized clinical trials, observational studies, case reports, and case series. Data extraction and risk of bias assessment were performed independently by multiple reviewers blindly. Eleven studies published between 2001 and 2019 were included, comprising 303 patients with a strong female predominance. Study designs varied, with three randomized clinical trials, seven case series, and one prospective study. High satisfaction rates were consistently reported, with complications being generally infrequent and minor. Various fat grafting techniques were employed, with manual aspiration being the predominant fat harvesting method. Follow-up periods ranged from 5 to 38 months, facilitating thorough evaluation of treatment outcomes. AFT for hand rejuvenation is effective and safe, offering high patient satisfaction and minimal complications. Long-term fat retention and regenerative effects of adipose-derived stem cells contribute to success. However, fat graft resorption may require multiple treatments. Future research should standardize assessment tools, volumetrically measure graft resorption, and conduct high-quality trials to optimize protocols. This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266.

Bone Regeneration After Sinus Floor Elevation in an Intact Sinus or a Sinus With Prior Large Membrane Perforation: A Preclinical Study Using a Rabbit Sinus Model.

To determine bone regeneration following sinus floor elevation (SFE) at sites with or without prior sinus membrane perforation. The sinus membranes in the maxillary sinuses of 12 rabbits were intentionally perforated (≥ 5 mm) on one side, followed by application of a collagen matrix. SFE was performed on both sinuses after 8 weeks of healing, presenting two groups: SFE with a previous large sinus membrane perforation (group SFE_Perf), and in an intact sinus (group SFE). The animals were euthanized at 2 and 4 weeks after SFE. Micro-computed tomographic and histomorphometric analyses were performed. The amount of newly formed bone within the augmented area did not differ significantly between the two groups at 2 weeks and 4 weeks (4.7 ± 1.0 mm2 vs. 5.3 ± 1.4 mm2 and 9.2 ± 1.7 mm2 vs. 10.8 ± 2.2 mm2, respectively, mean ± SD; p > 0.05). However, the amount of newly formed bone near the middle of the sinus membranes was significantly greater in group SFE than in group SFE_Perf (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the augmented volume. Fewer subepithelial glands and denser collagen fibres within the sinus membranes were observed in group SFE_Perf than in group SFE. A large perforation of the sinus membrane followed by an 8-week healing period did not jeopardize new bone formation following SFE.

Relationship Between Injected Fat Volume and Gluteal Augmentation Outcome:AProspective Case Series

Relationship Between Injected Fat Volume and Gluteal Augmentation Outcome:AProspective Case Series

Anatomical assessments of injectate spread stratified by the volume of the intertransverse process block at the T2 level

BackgroundThis cadaveric study aimed to analyze injectate spread to target nerves during a single-injection, ultrasound-guided intertransverse process block.MethodsAn ultrasound-guided intertransverse process block with three different injectate volumes was administered to...

Assessment of the application of a novel three-dimension printing individualized titanium mesh in alveolar bone augmentation: A retrospective study.

To assess the clinical and radiographic outcomes of alveolar ridge augmentation using a novel three-dimensional printed individualized titanium mesh (3D-PITM) for guided bone regeneration (GBR). Preoperative cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) was used to evaluate alveolar ridge defects, followed by augmentation with high-porosity 3D-PITM featuring circular and spindle-shaped pores. Postoperative CBCT scans were taken immediately and after 6 months of healing. These scans were compared with preoperative scans to calculate changes in bone volume, height, and width, along with the corresponding resorption rates. A statistical analysis of the results was then conducted. A total of 21 patients participated in the study, involving alveolar ridge augmentation at 38 implant sites. After 6 months of healing, the average bone augmentation volume of 21 patients remained at 489.71 ± 252.53 mm3, with a resorption rate of 16.05% ± 8.07%. For 38 implant sites, the average vertical bone increment was 3.63 ± 2.29 mm, with a resorption rate of 17.55% ± 15.10%. The horizontal bone increment at the designed implant platform was 4.43 ± 1.85 mm, with a resorption rate of 25.26% ± 15.73%. The horizontal bone increment 2 mm below the platform was 5.50 ± 2.48 mm, with a resorption rate of 16.03% ± 9.57%. The main complication was exposure to 3D-PITM, which occurred at a rate of 15.79%. The novel 3D-PITM used in GBR resulted in predictable bone augmentation. Moderate over-augmentation in the design, proper soft tissue management, and rigorous follow-ups are beneficial for reducing the graft resorption and the incidence of exposure.

Synchronized Tracing of Primitive-based Implicit Volumes

Implicit volumes are known for their ability to represent smooth shapes of arbitrary topology thanks to hierarchical combinations of primitives using a structure called a blobtree. We present a new tile-based rendering pipeline well suited for modeling scenarios, i.e., no preprocessing is required when primitive parameters are updated. When using approximate signed distance fields (fields with Lipschitz bound close to 1), we rely on compact, smooth CSG operators - extended from standard bounded operators - to compute a tight augmented bounding volume for all primitives of the blobtree. The pipeline relies on a low-resolution A-buffer storing the primitives of interest of a given screen tile. The A-buffer is then used during ray processing to synchronize threads within a subfrustum. This allows coherent field evaluation within workgroups. We use a sparse bottom-up tree traversal to prune the blobtree on-the-fly which allows us to decorrelate field evaluation complexity from the full blobtree size. The ray processing itself is done using the sphere tracing algorithm. The pipeline scales well to volumes consisting of thousands of primitives.

Enlarged choroid plexus related to atrophy of hippocampal subfield volumes and glymphatic dysfunction in benzodiazepine use disorder.

The aim of this study was to explore the relationship of choroid plexus (CP) volume with hippocampal subregion volume and glymphatic system in patients with benzodiazepine use disorders (BUD). Eighty-four participants were recruited including 23 patients with BUD, 29 patients with chronic insomnia (CI) and 32 healthy controls (HC). The morphological alterations in CP, hippocampal subfield volumes and diffusion tensor image analysis along the perivascular space (DTI-ALPS) index were compared between the three groups and the relationships between CP volume and hippocampal subfield volumes and the glymphatic system were further investigated. Compared with the HC individuals, the CP volumes augmented and hippocampal subfield volumes reduced in patients with BUD (P < .05) but not in patients with CI (P > .05). In patients with BUD, there were extensive relationships between augmented CP volume and decreased hippocampal subfield volumes (P < .05, r = -0.421--0.513). CP volume was negatively related with the DTI-ALPS index (r = -0.582, P = .004) within the BUD group. In patients with BUD, the volume of bilateral cornu ammonis (CA)1 body, molecular layer (ML) body, hippocampal tail, left CA1 head volumes, right dentate gyrus body volumes, and right CA4 body volumes were positively related with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment scores (P < .05, r = 0.422-0.683). Right CA1 and ML body volumes positively related with the Mini-Mental State Examination scores (P < .05, r = 0.503-0.575). The enlarged CP related to atrophy of hippocampal subfield volumes and the glymphatic system dysfunction were shown in BUD patients.

Maxillary sinus floor augmentation using sponge- and cotton-like graft materials in a rabbit model

ObjectivesBone graft materials commonly used for maxillary sinus floor augmentation (MSFA), including hydroxyapatite (HAp) and β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP), are mostly granular and have poor handleability. HAp/collagen composite material (HAp/Col) and β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP)/poly(L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) have shown promise but their application in MSFA as bone graft materials remains unclear. Here, we investigated the bone-forming behavior of HAp/Col and β-TCP/PLGA in an MSFA rabbit model. MethodsMale Japanese white rabbits were used. HAP/Col or β-TCP/PLGA was randomly applied to the MSFA model. The specimens were harvested at 4 weeks (W), 8W, 16W, and 24W after surgery, and the augmented regions were evaluated using micro-computed tomography and histological analyses. ResultsThe graft materials were retained up to 16W in the HAp/Col group and 24W in the β-TCP/PLGA group. The augmented volume detected in the HAp/Col group at 4W was substantially reduced at subsequent time points. However, in the β-TCP/PLGA group, the volume observed at 4W was maintained up to 24W. In the HAp/Col group, the bone mineral content (BMC) at 4W was significantly lower than that at 8W (p=0.03716), and this elevated BMC was significantly decreased at 16W (p=0.00185) and 24W (p=0.00236). In the β-TCP/PLGA group, the BMC tended to increase from 4W to 16W and then decreased. ConclusionsBoth HAp/Col and β-TCP/PLGA are useful for MSFA because of their ability to form new bone and good handleability. The appropriate graft material should be selected depending on the application needs while understanding the properties of the newly formed bone.

MosquitoSong+: A noise-robust deep learning model for mosquito classification from wingbeat sounds.

In order to assess risk of mosquito-vector borne disease and to effectively target and monitor vector control efforts, accurate information about mosquito vector population densities is needed. The traditional and still most common approach to this involves the use of traps along with manual counting and classification of mosquito species, but the costly and labor-intensive nature of this approach limits its widespread use. Numerous previous studies have sought to address this problem by developing machine learning models to automatically identify species and sex of mosquitoes based on their wingbeat sounds. Yet little work has addressed the issue of robust classification in the presence of environmental background noise, which is essential to making the approach practical. In this paper, we propose a new deep learning model, MosquitoSong+, to identify the species and sex of mosquitoes from raw wingbeat sounds so that it is robust to the environmental noise and the relative volume of the mosquito's flight tone. The proposed model extends the existing 1D-CNN model by adjusting its architecture and introducing two data augmentation techniques during model training: noise augmentation and wingbeat volume variation. Experiments show that the new model has very good generalizability, with species classification accuracy above 80% on several wingbeat datasets with various background noise. It also has an accuracy of 93.3% for species and sex classification on wingbeat sounds overlaid with various background noises. These results suggest that the proposed approach may be a practical means to develop classification models that can perform well in the field.

Diagnostic value of low dose dobutamine stress echocardiography in paradoxical low flow low gradient aortic stenosis

Abstract Background In aortic stenosis with low-gradient scenarios distinguishing between fixed and pseudo-severe stenosis becomes challenging. Low-dose dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) is recommended for classical low-flow low- gradient stenosis with reduced ejection fraction. Doubts of DSE's utility in paradoxical low-flow low-gradient (PLFLG) stenosis when ejection fraction is preserved are partially reasoned by proposed inefficiency in generating a contractile reserve 1. Guidelines advocate an integrated approach, combining various clinical and imaging aspects 2. Purpose This study aimed to investigate usefulness of DSE in PLFLG stenosis, identifying specific features to predict the possibility of generating significant stroke volume augmentation and distinguishing fixed aortic stenosis. Methods We identified patients with aortic stenosis who underwent DSE and multi-modality imaging at our centre between 2020 and 2023. Among them, those with PLFLG situations were used for detailed analysis. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to identify parameters predictive of significant contractile reserve, defined as 20% stroke volume increase from baseline. For patients demonstrating contractile reserve we assessed predefined parameters by receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis to predict fixed stenosis defined as final aortic valve area &amp;lt; 1cm² and valve area change &amp;lt;0.2cm² or final mean pressure gradient &amp;gt;40mmHg. For predictive value of Agatston score we conducted post-hoc analysis. Results Among 256 DSE cases, 67 were conducted for PLFLG stenosis. Patients were 82 years of median age and mostly female (63%). Symptoms included dyspnea in 90% and angina in 40% of cases. Baseline echo showed median aortic valve area (indexed to body surface area) of 0.8cm² (0.44cm²/m²) with mean pressure gradient of 20mmHg. Contractile reserve was inducible in 70% of patients, of which 74% showed criteria of fixed stenosis. Higher left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVESD) and lower baseline systolic flow-rate were predictive for contractile reserve (p&amp;lt;0.05). Among patients with contractile reserve ROC for baseline mean pressure gradient, acceleration time (median 0.08s; range 0.04-0.11s) and acceleration time to ejection time index (0.28; range: 0.148-0.458) revealed good prediction of fixed stenosis in DSE meanwhile Agatston calcium score (median 1076; range: 301-8821) did not (figure 1). No correlation was found between Agatston score probability of severe stenosis and aortic valve pressure gradient behavior with increased stroke volume (figure 2). Conclusion DSE proves to be a useful a method in the differentiation between fixed and pseudo-severe stenosis in PLFLG situation. Our findings question the predictive value of Agatston score for aortic valve behavior with increase of stroke volume and warrant further investigations regarding value of acceleration time and acceleration time to ejection time index in those patients.Receiver operating characteristicsPost-hoc analysis of Agatston score

Developing a real-time compaction quality assessment methodology for subgrade based on semi-supervised co-training

The current intelligent methodologies for real-time evaluation of subgrade compaction quality predominantly rely on supervised machine learning algorithms. However, the scarcity of sand cone test significantly impedes model performance, thereby severely limiting the applicability of intelligent subgrade compaction. This paper proposes a semi-supervised co-training algorithm for real-time evaluation of subgrade compactness during the construction procedure, leveraging unlabeled data to enhance the model performance. Based on the compaction datasets from various subgrade scenarios, the proposed PSO-XGB-Co-training KNN-PLS (PSO-XGB-CoKP) algorithm is utilized to train the unlabeled data, boasting a 20.4% reduction in Mean Squared Error (MSE). The semi-supervised co-training algorithm is modified by employing different regressors as co-trained sub-models and increasing the number of regressors. The model is optimized by levering the accuracy and computational cost, and an optimal data augmentation volume is recommended through the sensitivity study. This study provides an alternative approach for leveraging unbalanced and small-sample datasets to develop a reliable intelligent methodology for evaluating subgrade compaction quality in engineering practice.

Quantitative Assessment of New Frontiers in Dermatochalasis and Periorbital Hyperpigmentation Treatment: The Role of Cross-Linked Porcine Collagen.

Collagen dermal fillers have shown efficacy in addressing age-related changes in facial appearance. However, their potential in rejuvenating the periorbital region remains unexplored. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness, clinical safety, and patient satisfaction associated with the utilization of collagen dermal fillers in individuals with dermatochalasis and periorbital hyperpigmentation. This study was reviewed and approved by the institutional review board of China Medical University Hospital (IRB No. CMUH107-REC2-157). Adults diagnosed with dermatochalasis or periorbital hyperpigmentation received periorbital injections of a sterile cross-linked highly-purified specific antigen free porcine dermal collagen (FACIALGAIN® Collagen Implant with Lidocaine, Sunmax Biotechnology Co. Ltd., Taipei, Taiwan) and were assessed for hydration, elasticity, pigmentation index, redness index, lightness value, and density with the DermaLab® Combo Multiparameter Skin Analysis System (Cortex Technology, Hadsund, Denmark) and Cutometer® Dual MPA 580 (Courage+Khazaka electronic GmbH, Köln, Germany). Data was collected prior to injection and at 1 week, 4 weeks, and 12 weeks after injection. Patient satisfaction on volume augmentation, decrease in hyperpigmentation, persistence, and overall satisfaction were also recorded. A total of 12 samples each were recruited for dermatochalasis and periorbital hyperpigmentation. For dermatochalasis subjects, hydration of the periorbital tissue significantly increased at week 1 and 4 (p = 0.011 and p = 0.015). Elasticity decreased by week 4 and persisted until week 12 (p = 0.001 and 0.014). For periorbital hyperpigmentation patients, lightness value increased significantly starting week 1 (p = 0.016), tapering off at week 12. Elasticity decreased by week 4 and persisted until week 12 (p = 0.002 and p = 0.002). Median overall patient satisfaction was 4 out of 5 for the dermatochalasis group and 4.5 out of 5 for the periorbital hyperpigmentation group, with a mild but insignificant decrease by week 12. DermaLab® Combo and Cutometer® Dual MPA 580 are considered effective methods for evaluating patients undergoing dermal filler injections. The utilization of cross-linked porcine collagen dermal filler injections can serve as a minimally invasive approach to enhance skin laxity in dermatochalasis and address discoloration in periorbital hyperpigmentation. However, it is important to note that regular treatments may be necessary to sustain the desired outcomes. This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/0026 .

Effectiveness and Safety of IPN-20-SENSE LIDOCAINE for Lip Volume Augmentation and/or Redefinition (SMILE Study): A Non-inferiority Randomized Double-Blinded Controlled Study.

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a widely used dermal filler for lip augmentation. IPN-20-SENSE LIDOCAINE (Laboratoires VIVACY) is a monophasic gel consisting of cross-linked HA and includes lidocaine hydrochloride for the reduction of injection-associated pain. The SMILE study was designed to assess the non-inferiority of IPN-20-SENSE LIDOCAINE compared to HA-RK-Lido in improving aesthetic lip appearance. The secondary objectives were to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of IPN-20-SENSE LIDOCAINE against the chosen similar active control device. This was a prospective, multicenter, double-blinded, randomized active controlled parallel group study undertaken in two investigational sites between May 2021 and July 2022 (14 months). The primary endpoint of this study was the proportion of subjects reporting an improvement on the Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale (GAIS) 3 months after treatment initiation. Regarding the primary endpoint, the difference between the treatment arms in the proportion of improved subjects was +7.0[-2.2;17.7]. The lower limit of this 90%CI, being above the non-inferiority margin of -15 and below zero, demonstrated the non-inferiority of IPN-20-SENSE LIDOCAINE vs. HA-RK-Lido. The secondary outcomes reported by subjects and the blinded live evaluators supported this result. All injection site reactions and device-related adverse events reported in this study were expected, already described and were mostly mild and transient. The study demonstrated the non-inferiority of IPN-20-SENSE LIDOCAINE to HA-RK-Lido in the aesthetic improvement of the lips. The effect of both treatments decreased over time. Nonetheless, aesthetic improvement was sustained longer in the IPN-20-SENSE LIDOCAINE arm. This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Lip Augmentation with Soft Tissue Fillers: Social Media, Perceptual Adaptation, and Shifting Beauty Trends beyond Golden Standard Ideals.

Unfortunately, current beauty trends greatly advertised by social media are trespassing recognized cannons of beauty. Of particular interest are patients' expectations of soft tissue volume augmentation of the face, specifically of the lips. An artificial intelligence picture of a White female face was generated. With the fixed standard golden upper-to-lower (U/L) lip ratio, a first set of pictures was generated with varying lip fullness. A second set of pictures was generated with various U/L ratios and lip fullness. In a survey format, the 2 sets of pictures were rated for attractiveness from the most to the least attractive by adult men and women. Rating the first set of pictures clearly demonstrates that overinflation of lips with upper lip height in excess of 30% of hemi-lip width is highly regarded as unaesthetic and unattractive, with a net preference of 20%-25%. For the second set, U/L ratios between 0.618:1 and 1:1 are still regarded to be most aesthetic. Though social media have an influence on perception of beauty, data provided by the survey confirm that golden standards of aesthetics remain constant and that exaggerated requests of some patients may not be attributed solely to social media influence but probably to social media in combination with additional personal predisposing factors. Patients must be made aware that how they are perceived by others is essential for them to be satisfied with their appearance.

Forecasting Solar Energetic Particle Events During Solar Cycles 23 and 24 Using Interpretable Machine Learning

The prediction of solar energetic particle (SEP) events garners increasing interest as space missions extend beyond Earth’s protective magnetosphere. These events, which are, in most cases, products of magnetic-reconnection-driven processes during solar flares or fast coronal-mass-ejection-driven shock waves, pose significant radiation hazards to aviation, space-based electronics, and particularly space exploration. In this work, we utilize the recently developed data set that combines the Solar Dynamics Observatory/Space-weather Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager Active Region Patches and the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory/Space-weather Michelson Doppler Imager Active Region Patches. We employ a suite of machine learning strategies, including support vector machines (SVMs) and regression models, to evaluate the predictive potential of this new data product for a forecast of post-solar flare SEP events. Our study indicates that despite the augmented volume of data, the prediction accuracy reaches 0.7 ± 0.1 (experimental setting), which aligns with but does not exceed these published benchmarks. A linear SVM model with training and testing configurations that mimic an operational setting (positive–negative imbalance) reveals a slight increase (+0.04 ± 0.05) in the accuracy of a 14 hr SEP forecast compared to previous studies. This outcome emphasizes the imperative for more sophisticated, physics-informed models to better understand the underlying processes leading to SEP events.

FAT GRAFTING FOR AESTHETIC AND RECONSTRUCTIVE FACIAL PLASTIC SURGERY: A LITERATURE REVIEW

Introduction: One of the biggest reasons for an aging face is the loss of facial volume in both the bony and soft tissues. Fat grafting has become popular, and many investigators confirmed the utility of fat grafting for facial rejuvenation. Fat grafting is thought to be an ideal method for facial rejuvenation because it is effective not only for volume augmentation, but also for improving skin quality. Objective: The objective of this article is to present a literature review of 27 studies published in the last 10 years (2013-2023), performed following previously determined inclusion and...

Volumetric evaluation of autologous fat transfer for total breast reconstruction

BackgroundReconstructive surgeons have shifted from correcting contour irregularities using autologous fat transfer (AFT) toward reconstructing full breasts. Although many studies have researched the volumetric aspects of AFT, some outcomes such as volume retention and viability, as well as possible confounders for graft survival, remain unclear. This study aimed to answer these questions. MethodsPost-mastectomy women of the multicenter prospective BREAST-trial were randomized to either AFT breast reconstruction or implant-based reconstruction (IBR). Volumes were assessed using the Vectra 3D imaging system and compared at 12 months postoperative. Volume retention was defined as the augmented volume divided by the lipofilling volume. Significant confounders for graft survival were identified using multivariable regression analysis. ResultsA total of 148 patients (75 AFT, 73 IBR) were included in the final analyses. Postoperative volumes differed significantly at 12 months in favor of the IBR group (83.8ml, p<0.001). For AFT patients, graft survival did not decrease between 6 and 12 months, with a mean graft survival of 37.1% at 12 months. Significant confounders for graft survival included chest circumference (β=1.107, p=0.001), comorbidities (β =28.567, p=0.002), age (β =-0.514, p=0.007) and total lipofilling (β =-0.028, p<0.001). ConclusionPlastic surgeons can reconstruct voluminous breasts post-mastectomy using only AFT, these breast volumes stabilize at six months and VECTRA 3D is reliable for breast volume measurement. About a third of the grafted fat was calculated to survive postoperative and reconstructive surgeons should be aware not to transfer too much fat in one session.

Linguistic Manifestation of Concept of HEALTH in Contemporary Domestic Discursive Practices (Newspaper Corpora)

This study addresses the issue of the linguistic explication of the concept of HEALTH within contemporary domestic media discourse. An investigation has been conducted into the functioning of the conceptual name — the lexeme ‘health’ — through linguistic material derived from contexts extracted from newspaper corpora within the National Corpus of the Russian Language. A corpus-based discursive analysis methodology was employed. Conceptual-metaphorical models that enrich the meaning of the concept and expand its semantic scope have been identified. It is demonstrated that the semantic transformations of the lexeme ‘health’ in its discursive realization reveal reflections on the understanding of the abstract concept of HEALTH as a resource, substance, physical object, mechanism, container, living entity, and more. It has been established that the augmentation of the semantic volume of the concept in contexts of attributive and genitive compatibility illustrates the dissemination of notions regarding health as a normal state or functioning of various entities across a wide array of spiritual, moral, psychological, emotional, social, political, economic, financial, industrial, natural, and cultural domains, including the operational sphere of devices, household items, instruments, and mechanisms. The study concludes with the assertion that the analyzed concept possesses a representative value potential linked to the cognitive dominance of normativity.

Effect of laser remelting treatment on the tribological properties of plasma sprayed WC–Cr3C2–Ni reinforced NiCrBSi coatings

The incorporation of single hard phases, such as tungsten carbide (WC), and chromium carbide (Cr3C2), into NiCrBSi coatings effectively enhances their performance, thereby fulfilling the tough requirements of high-temperature friction condition. To investigate the collaborative reinforcing effect of multiple hard phases and further enhance the high-temperature wear resistance of the coating, a novel WC–Cr3C2–NiCrBSi binary hard phase reinforced coating was developed and subjected to laser remelting treatment. The as-sprayed coatings demonstrate a distinct lamellar structure that diminishes upon remelting, resulting in significant densification of the coatings and a reduction in porosity to 0.3 %. The microhardness of the remelting coatings is reduced by about 10 % due to dilution of the coating by the lower hardness of the base material. However, during the laser remelting process, WC and Cr3C2 decompose and dissolve into the alloying binder phase of the coating, serving as solid solution agents. In cases where the concentration of W elements is elevated, a considerable precipitation of W-rich carbide is observed within the coating. Notably, N30 coatings demonstrate remarkable were resistance at both ambient and 700 °C, resulting in a significant reduction in wear volume by 86.5 % and 55.2 % respectively in comparison to original NiCrBSi coatings. The remelting treatment enhances the densification of the coating, improves the homogeneity of the microstructure, and reduces the coefficient of friction of the coating. The laser-remelted coating exhibits a decreased wear volume, attributed to a transition in its wear mechanism from fatigue-dominated to abrasive wear at room temperature. Conversely, under frictional conditions at 700 °C, the remelted coating experiences an augmented wear volume, attributed to severe abrasive wear.

A retrospective comparative study of extensive sinus membrane perforations repairing using collagen membranes with pouch and nonpouch techniques

ObjectivesTo evaluate the clinical and radiological outcomes of employing collagen membranes with pouch and non-pouch techniques to repair extensive maxillary sinus membrane perforation. Study DesignPatients who experienced extensive maxillary sinus membrane perforation (>10 mm) during lateral window maxillary sinus floor elevation (LWMSFE) were included and treated with either the pouch or non-pouch techniques. ResultsThe number of patients treated with the pouch technique and those treated with the non-pouch technique was 10 each. For the pouch and non-pouch techniques, the mean vertical bone height gain were 17.04±1.64mm and 16.42±2.41mm; the mean bone density were 720.10±20.58HU and 692.85±40.03HU; and the mean bone augmentation volume were 2720.07±680.58mm3 and 3238.84±781.02mm3. The mean vertical bone height gain, bone density and bone augmentation volume were not statistically different between two techniques (P > 0.05). No implant was observed for loss during the follow-up period of 8-12 months after crown placement. ConclusionsThe success of the pouch and non-pouch techniques in repairing extensive membrane perforation is evident in terms of clinical and radiographic outcomes. Regardless of whether the pouch or non-pouch technique is used, secure and stable implant restoration results can be achieved after the maxillary sinus membrane perforation is repaired.