Evaluation of Perceptual and Anthropometrical Facial Changes According to Increase in Vertical Dimension of Occlusion.

Background: For restorative demands, increased vertical dimension of occlusion (VDO) is sometimes necessary, as facial changes can be perceptible.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the perception of facial change due to increased VDO and associated soft tissue changes using 3D-scanned facial images.

Methods: Forty participants with healthy dentition and no loss of VDO were recruited.

Composition of soil fungal communities and microbial activity along an elevational gradient in Mt. Jiri, Republic of Korea.

Approximately 64% of the Republic of Korea comprises mountainous areas, which as cold and high-altitude regions are gravely affected by climate change. Within the mountainous and the alpine-subalpine ecosystems, microbial communities play a pivotal role in biogeochemical cycling and partly regulate climate change through such cycles. We investigated the composition and function of microbial communities, with a focus on fungal communities, in Republic of Korea's second tallest mountain, Mt.

Simultaneous Ring-Opening and Dehydrogenation of Diarylethene Induced by Tunneling Electrons.

Understanding the reversible transformation between two isomeric states of organic molecules under external stimulation is essential for advancing single-molecule device development. Photochromic diarylethene (DAE) derivatives are promising candidates for single molecular switching elements. This study investigates the single-molecule reactions of the closed-form isomer of a DAE derivative on Cu(111) using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM).

Incidence and risk of infections in patients with ankylosing spondylitis receiving biologic therapies: A prospective observational study using the KOBIO registry.

Objective: This study aimed to assess infection occurrence of infection and risk factors among ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients treated with biologics in a real-world setting.

Methods: This prospective observational cohort study included AS patients from the Korean College of Rheumatology BIOlogics (KOBIO) registry who initiated or switched to biologic agent between December 2012 and July 2023. The primary outcome was the first occurrence of any infection, ranging from mild to severe, classified by organ system.

Plasmon-Driven Gold Nanopillar Multiarrayed Gene Amplification Methodology for the High-Throughput Discrimination of Pathogens.

Molecular diagnosis limitations, including complex treatment processes, low cost-effectiveness, and operator-dependent low reproducibility, interrupt the timely prevention of disease spread and the development of medical devices for home and outdoor uses. A newly fabricated gold nanopillar array-based film is presented for superior photothermal energy conversion. Magnifying the metal film surface-to-volume ratio increases the photothermal energy conversion efficiency, resulting in a swift reduction in the gene amplification reaction time.