Numerous studies have previously evaluated the marginal and internal fit of fixed prostheses; however, few reports have performed an objective comparison of the various methods used for their assessment. The purpose of this study was to compare five marginal and internal fit assessment methods for fixed prostheses. A specially designed sample was used to measure the marginal and internal fit of the prosthesis according to the cross-sectional method (CSM), silicone replica technique (SRT), triple scan method (TSM), micro-computed tomography (MCT), and optical coherence tomography (OCT). The five methods showed significant differences in the four regions that were assessed (p < 0.001). The marginal, axial, angle, and occlusal regions showed low mean values: CSM (23.2 µm), TSM (56.3 µm), MCT (84.3 µm), and MCT (102.6 µm), respectively. The marginal fit for each method was in the range of 23.2–83.4 µm and internal fit (axial, angle, and occlusal) ranged from 44.8–95.9 µm, 84.3–128.6 µm, and 102.6–140.5 µm, respectively. The marginal and internal fit showed significant differences depending on the method. Even if the assessment values of the marginal and internal fit are found to be in the allowable clinical range, the differences in the values according to the method should be considered.

Background: Mixed reality (MR) technology, which combines the best features of augmented reality and virtual reality, has recently emerged as a promising tool in cognitive rehabilitation therapy. Objective: To investigate the effectiveness of an MR-based cognitive training system for individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Methods: Twenty-one individuals aged 65 years and older who had been diagnosed with MCI were recruited for this study and were divided into two groups. Participants in the MR group (n=10, aged 70.5±4.2 years) received 30 minutes of training 3 times a week for 6 weeks using a newly developed MR-based cognitive training system. Participants in the control group (n=11, aged 72.6±5.3 years) received the same amount of training using a conventional computer-assisted cognitive training system. Both groups took the Korean version of the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer’s Disease (CERAD-K) both before and after intervention. To determine the effect of the intervention on cognitive function, we compared the difference in each group’s CERAD-K scores. Results: There was a statistically significant interaction between intervention (MR group vs control group) and time (before vs after intervention) as assessed by the Constructional Recall Test. The individuals with MCI who participated in the MR training showed significantly improved performance in visuospatial working memory compared with the individuals with MCI who participated in the conventional training. Conclusion: An MR-based cognitive training system can be used as a cognitive training tool to improve visuospatial working memory in individuals with MCI.

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A novel analytical solution for the designing of the birdcage RF coil has been demonstrated in this paper. A new concept of dominant resonance path has been introduced in this paper which is used to identify the specific closed current loop in the birdcage RF coil which is responsible for the dominant resonance frequency mode. This concept is used to determine the precise numerical values of the lumped capacitance deployed in the legs and/or end-rings of the birdcage RF coil for its proper operation at the desired resonance frequency. The analytical solution presented in this paper has been established by performing the two-port network based equivalent circuit modeling of the birdcage RF coil. The proposed analytical solution uses T-matrix theory and develops a relationship between the input impedance of the birdcage coil and the impedances of its leg and end-ring segments. The proposed analytical solution provides the information about the resonance frequency spectrum of the birdcage RF coil and solves the issue of its interfacing with external circuits without affecting its resonance characteristics. Based upon the proposed analysis and designing strategy presented in this paper, the low pass, high pass and band pass configurations of the birdcage RF coil were successfully implemented with FPCB (Flexible Printed Circuit board) technique for small volume NMR imaging applications at 1.5 T and 3.0 T MRI system. The results obtained for the implemented birdcage coils using the proposed analysis and designing technique are in closed agreement with already established methods.

Electrocardiogram signal analysis is based on detecting a fiducial point consisting of the onset, offset, and peak of each waveform. The accurate diagnosis of arrhythmias depends on the accuracy of fiducial point detection. Detecting the onset and offset fiducial points is ambiguous because the feature values are similar to those of the surrounding sample. To improve the accuracy of this paper’s fiducial point detection, the signal is represented by a small number of vertices through a curvature-based vertex selection technique using polygonal approximation. The proposed method minimizes the number of candidate samples for fiducial point detection and emphasizes these sample’s feature values to enable reliable detection. It is also sensitive to the morphological changes of various QRS complexes by generating an accumulated signal of the amplitude change rate between vertices as an auxiliary signal. To verify the superiority of the proposed algorithm, error distribution is measured through comparison with the QT-DB annotation provided by Physionet. The mean and standard deviation of the onset and the offset were stable as −4.02±7.99 ms and −5.45±8.04 ms, respectively. The results show that proposed method using small number of vertices is acceptable in practical applications. We also confirmed that the proposed method is effective through the clustering of the QRS complex. Experiments on the arrhythmia data of MIT-BIH ADB confirmed reliable fiducial point detection results for various types of QRS complexes.