Mechanical properties of a polylactic 3D-printed interim crown after thermocycling.

Polylactic acid (PLA) has garnered attention for use in interim dental restorations due to its biocompatibility, biodegradability, low cost, ease of fabrication, and moderate strength. However, its performance under intraoral conditions, particularly under heat and moisture, remains underexplored. This study evaluated the mechanical properties of PLA interim crowns compared with those of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) and bisphenol crowns under simulated intraoral conditions with thermocycling.

Feasibility of rabbit auricular VX2 tumor model as an experimental model for intra-arterial embolization.

This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of VX2 tumor in rabbit auricles as an experimental model for intra-arterial embolization. This study was approved by our Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. VX2 tumors were implanted in both auricles of 12 New Zealand White Rabbits.

Proximity proteomics provides a new resource for exploring the function of Afadin and the complexity of cell-cell adherens junctions.

The network of proteins at the interface between cell-cell adherens junctions and the actomyosin cytoskeleton provides robust yet dynamic connections that facilitate cell shape change and motility. While this was initially thought to be a simple linear connection via classic cadherins and their associated catenins, we now have come to appreciate that many more proteins are involved, providing robustness and mechanosensitivity. Defining the full set of proteins in this network remains a key objective in our field.

A hyperelastic torque-reversal mechanism for soft joints with compression-responsive transient bistability.

Snap-through, a rapid transition of a system from an equilibrium state to a nonadjacent equilibrium state, is a valuable design element of soft devices for converting a monolithic stimulus into systematic responses with impulsive motions. A common way to benefit from snap-through is to embody it within structures and materials, such as bistable structures. Torque-reversal mechanisms discovered in nature, which harness snap-through instability via muscular forces, may have comparative advantages.

Baseline Alpha-Fetoprotein Elevation and the Risk of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Chronic Hepatitis B: A Multicentre Cohort Study.

Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level and its changes in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) may influence the risk of future hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study aims to evaluate the HCC risk in CHB patients with no overt HCC but with elevated AFP level and to explore the prognostic role of longitudinal changes in AFP and liver-related laboratory values. This multicentre cohort study included 10,639 CHB patients without a history of HCC from seven medical facilities in South Korea.