The aims of this study were to assess sensory recovery and impact on life quality after tongue reconstruction of oncological defects using different flap types. Thirty-two patients who underwent tongue reconstruction for oncological defects 9·3 months after surgery with non-innervated radial forearm free flaps (RFFFs) (N = 16), non-innervated anterolateral thigh free flaps (ALTFFs) (N = 8) and nasolabial island flaps (NLIFs) (N = 8), and 20 age- and gender-matched healthy controls participated in the study. The modalities assessed were cold detection threshold, warm detection threshold (WDT), cold pain threshold, heat pain threshold (HPT), mechanical detection threshold (MDT), mechanical pain threshold (MPT) and the Chinese version of Oral Health Impact Profile-49. ALTFFs was significantly more sensitive than RFFFs (P = 0·005) and NLIFs (P = 0·014) for WDT, and showed a better sensory recovery than RFFFs for HPT (P = 0·011). ALTFFs and NLIFs showed significantly better sensory recovery than RFFFs for MDT (P < 0·005). NLIFs showed the best sensory recovery for MPT, followed by ALTFFs and lastly RFFFs (P = 0·004). NLIFs also showed the least impact on quality of life measures related to psychological discomfort compared to RFFFs and ALTFFs (P < 0·019). All modalities of sensory recovery in RFFFs did not depend on gender and post-operative radiotherapy (P > 0·05). Different flaps for tongue reconstruction of oncological defects appear to have different patterns of sensory recovery and impact on quality of life measures. A longer follow-up period and larger number of participants will be needed in future studies.

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Cavitation is one of the important elements influencing the performance of sea water hydraulic axial piston pump. To understand the working performance of sea water hydraulic axial piston pump under cavitation effects, a fully dynamic numerical model was developed in this article, which has taken into account the fluid compressibility effect, dynamic processes of gaseous, vaporous, pseudo-cavitation and cavitation damage, and the simulation was conducted through a three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics code PumpLinx. The cavitation characteristics of the pump were presented with a set of working conditions, as well as the cavitation damage power, dynamic gas volume fraction and vapor volume fraction inside the intake, piston and port plate chamber. A test rig was developed to validate the computational fluid dynamics simulations for the case of sea water hydraulic axial piston pump. Comparisons between the measured and simulated instantaneous discharge pressure, average flow as well as the vibration characteristics under different extents of cavitation by varying the inlet pressure and rotational speed of the pump were presented.

In this study, the nanocomposites are prepared which used polyamide 6 (PA6) composite as matrix, melamine cyanurate (MCA) as fire retardant and attapulgite (AT) as synergistic agent. The mathematical model between MCA content, AT content, and limited oxygen index (LOI) is established by multiple linear regression fitting. The polymer materials are characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Thermogravimetric Analysis, and scanning electron microscopy. Through response surface methodology, the important variables (polymerization time, the content of MCA, and the content of AT) affecting the mechanical strength of composites are modeled. Results demonstrate that when the t is 0.6 h, the AT content is 6.2%, and the MCA content is 11.5%, the mechanical properties of the PA6/MCA/AT composite are up to 44.81 MPa, and the sample passes the UL-94 V-0 flammability rating, and the LOI reaches 27.9%. Therefore, polymers with highly effective flame retardancy and optimal mechanical properties are prepared.

Objective: To compare osseous outcomes of block and cancellous iliac bone grafting in older unilateral alveolar cleft patients. Design: Retrospective and observational follow-up study. Setting: Cleft Lip and Palate Centre, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Stomatology, Nanjing Medical University, China. Patients: Forty-five nonsyndromic patients with unilateral complete alveolar cleft were enrolled in this study (25 patients in block bone graft group and 20 patients in cancellous bone graft group). Interventions: In cancellous bone graft group, the alveolar cleft was filled with iliac cancellous bone particulate. In group of block bone graft, the harvested bone block was trimmed and fixed in alveolar defect. Main Outcome Measures: A novel method was proposed to investigate the volume and density of residual bone graft at 1-week, 3- and 6-month, 1- and 2-year postoperatively based on cone beam computed tomography scans. Results: No difference in bone graft volume was found between 2 groups at 1-week and 3-month postoperatively; however, the residual volume of block bone graft group was significantly larger than that of cancellous bone graft group at 6-month, 1- and 2-year postoperatively. The bone density of block bone graft group was lower at 1-week and 3-month postoperatively but was comparable at 6-month, 1- and 2-year postoperatively. Our method was reliable and accurate to identify the range of residual bone graft when the boundary of grafted bone could not be identified clearly. Conclusion: Block bone graft could achieve comparable bone density and retain a greater amount of residual bone comparing to cancellous bone graft.

Calcium influx from depolarized CaV1.2 calcium channels triggers the contraction of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), which is important for maintaining vascular myogenic tone and blood pressure. The function of CaV1.2 channel can be subtly modulated by alternative splicing (AS), and its aberrant splicing involves in the pathogenesis of multiple cardiovascular diseases. The RNA binding protein Rbfox1 is reported to regulate the AS events of CaV1.2 channel in the neuronal development, but its potential roles in vascular CaV1.2 channels and vasoconstriction remain undefined. Here, we detect Rbfox1 is expressed in rat vascular smooth muscles. Moreover, the protein level of Rbfox1 is dramatically decreased in the hypertensive small arteries from spontaneously hypertensive rats in comparison to normotensive ones from Wistar-Kyoto rats. In VSMCs, Rbfox1 could dynamically regulate the AS of CaV1.2 exons 9* and 33. By whole-cell patch clamp, we identify knockdown of Rbfox1 induces the hyperpolarization of CaV1.2 current-voltage relationship curve in VSMCs. Furthermore, siRNA-mediated knockdown of Rbfox1 increases the K+-induced constriction of rat mesenteric arteries. In summary, our results indicate Rbfox1 modulates vascular constriction by dynamically regulating CaV1.2 alternative exons 9* and 33. Therefore, our work elucidates the underlying mechanisms for CaV1.2 channels regulation and provides a potential therapeutic target for hypertension.

Based on the relationships between the Hvorslev envelope, the current yield surface and the reference yield surface, a new constitutive model for overconsolidated clays is proposed. It adopts the unified hardening parameter, to which the potential failure stress ratio and the characteristic state stress ratio are introduced. The model can describe many characteristics of overconsolidated clays, including stress-strain relationships, strain hardening and softening, stress dilatancy, and stress path dependency. Compared with the Cam-clay model, the model only requires one additional soil parameter which is the slope of the Hvorslev envelope. Comparisons with data from triaxial drained compression tests for Fujinomori clay show that the proposed model can rationally describe overconsolidated properties.In addition, the model is also used to predict the stress-strain relationship in the isotropic consolidation condition and the stress paths in the undrained triaxial compression tests. overconsolidated clays, current yield surface, reference yield surface, unified hardening parameter, Hvorslev envelope.

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