Prospective Clinical Multicenter Study Evaluating the 5-Year Performance of Zirconia Implants in Single-Tooth Gaps.

Purpose: In recent years, ceramic implants made of zirconia have secured a niche position next to established titanium implants, due partly to new scientific findings and positive clinical experience with the handling of ceramic implants. The aim of this study was to assess the clinical and radiographic data for monotype ceramic implants that have remained in place for 60 months under masticatory loading.

Materials And Methods: In 2011, this prospective clinical study included patients with a single-tooth gap in the maxilla and mandible.

Chemical Synthesis of Saponins.

Saponins are a large family of amphiphilic glycosides of steroids and triterpenes found in plants and some marine organisms. By expressing a large diversity of structures on both sugar chains and aglycones, saponins exhibit a wide range of biological and pharmacological properties and serve as major active principles in folk medicines, especially in traditional Chinese medicines. Isolation of saponins from natural sources is usually a formidable task due to the microheterogeneity of saponins in Nature.

Total Synthesis of Nucleoside Antibiotics Plicacetin and Streptcytosine A.

Disaccharide nucleoside antibiotics plicacetin and streptcytosine A (also named rocheicoside A) were effectively synthesized through the common precursor cytosamine. The amosamine and amicetose moieties were efficiently assembled through an α-selective O-glycosylation, and the cytosine nucleus was subsequently introduced through a β-selective gold(I)-catalyzed N-glycosylation. Further microwave-assisted amidation reactions completed the modular syntheses.

Synthesis of Δ-Ginsenosides Rh, (20E)-Rh, Rg, and Rk: A General Approach To Access Dehydrated Ginsenosides.

Four representative Δ-ginsenosides, namely, ginsenosides Rh (1), (20E)-Rh (2), Rg (3), and Rk (4) from Panax Ginseng, were chemically synthesized for the first time. Dehydration of the naturally occurring 20(S)-protopanaxatriol and 20(S)-protopanaxadiol provided all types of Δ-sapogenins, which were separated due to a judicious choice of protecting groups. The Δ-sapogenins were then directly glycosylated with glycosyl ortho-alkynylbenzoate donors under the catalysis of PhPAuNTf as key steps.

Automated Interpretation of Pulmonary Function Tests in Adults with Respiratory Complaints.

Background: The use of pulmonary function tests is primarily based on expert opinion and international guidelines. Current interpretation strategies are using predefined cutoffs for the description of a typical pattern.

Objectives: We aimed to explore the predicted disease outcome based on the American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society (ATS/ERS) interpreting strategy.