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Objectives. The mounting of the plaster casts on articulator procedure is routinely performed in orthognathic surgery to assess canting of the maxillary occlusal plane, but the currently used protocols and reference plane could be source of errors which affect reliability. Nowadays the assessment of canting of the maxillary occlusal plane could be also performed with an entirely digital protocol. Aim of the study was to propose a method to evaluate canting in patients affected by Unilateral Condylar Hyperplasia, comparing the measurements performed on digital models matched on CBCT with those made on traditional articulator. Materials and methods. A retrospective cross-sectional study was designed on 20 patients affected by vertical Unilateral Condylar Hyperplasia treated in the Units of Orthodontics and Maxillo-Facial Surgery. The canting of the maxillary occlusal plane was measured on plaster casts mounted on the conventional articulator and the measures were compared with those made on digital models matched on CBCT, according the protocol developed in our Unit. Molar, canine and basal difference were measured. To compare the two protocols and to test the agreement, we performed descriptive statistics, comparison between means and Bland Altman analysis. P value was set at 0.05. Results. Statistic comparison demonstrated agreement between measurements performed with the digital protocol and conventional physical method. Conclusion. Measurements of canting with digital protocol are comparable to the physical standard method. A total digital protocol allows faster availability and storage of patient's data and better communication between orthodontist and maxillo-facial surgeon, especially in patients affected by three-dimensional malocclusions.

Carbon dots are emerging in the nanotechnology field as the newest class of fluorescent probes, owing to their high water-solubility, good chemical and photo-stability and tunable photoluminescence. The ability of metal cations to quench carbon dots fluorescence is already well known. Anyway, a dedicated study directed to the rational design of the optimal carbon dot probe is still missing. Herein we present a novel synthetic method for the production of carbon nanodots from an economic and environmental polluting starting material: olive solid wastes. The obtained carbon dots are efficiently quenched in presence of Fe3+, allowing the cation detection. Starting from a comprehensive study on their quenching mechanism, we have been able to develop effective strategies to modulate the sensing properties of these carbon dots. The sensitivity and linear range of the probe have been tuned by modulating the surface functionalization of the nanoparticles. The selectivity toward Fe3+ has been improved by growing around the dots a porous microsphere of ion imprinted polymer. The results highlighted in this work demonstrate that the carbon dots sensing properties can be modulated to meet the requirement of the users, allowing the design of tailored probes for a wide range of applications.

In recent years, the most common need for companies consists in an increasingly efficient business process management and its continuous improvement. Companies are achieving this goal by implementing innovative approaches targeted on the individual project requirements. In this scenario, the present research aims to investigate, through a real pilot project, the benefits of implementing the agile project management (APM) framework based on a multi tools approach in order to re-engineering a business process (BPR). A real case study concerning a manufacturing plant is analyzed, in order to assess and highlight the effectiveness of the proposed model.

This paper analyses both the attributes of carsharing transport modes (station-based and free-floating) and their relationship with other transport modes. Users' and stakeholders’ perspectives are synthesized from in-depth interviews in Spain. The elicitation of the comparative advantages of the two carsharing modes with respect to public transport and private vehicles helps identifying factors such as availability of parking, road pricing and convenience that drive the complementary and substitution property of carsharing with other transport modes. Interviews show the limited complementarity of carsharing with public transport, as well as the limited substitutability with private vehicles. Potential policy instruments to make carsharing coexist with public transport are discussed. The authors acknowledge support from the European Union Horizon 2020 research and innovations programme under grant agreement N?727524, Project: ?Enabling the Energy Union through understanding the drivers of individual and collective energy choices, in Europe?. This research is also supported by the Spanish State Research Agency through Mar?a de Maeztu Excellence Unit accreditation 2018?2022 (Ref. MDM-2017-0714); and by the Basque Government through the BERC 2018?2021 program. Alberto Ansuategi gratefully acknowledges financial support from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (grant RTI2018-093352-B-100) and the UPV/EHU (grant GIC18/29). Ibon Galarraga also wishes to acknowledge the financial support from the Government of Spain and the European Regional Development Fund through grant RTI2018-093692-B-I00.

A preparative protocol to synthesize large quantities of size-controlled gold nanoparticles (Au NPs), stabilized by CH 3 O-PEG 5000 -SH (PEG-SH) in aqueous medium, is reported. The combination of metal vapor synthesis (MVS) technique with digestive ripening process allowed to obtain PEGylated Au NPs with mean core particle size of 3.8 nm and hydrodynamic diameters centered at 8.0 nm which were effectively used as computed tomography (CT) contrast agents for in vivo experiments on mice. The surface functionalization together with the small hydrodynamic diameters of the engineered Au nanoparticles permitted their efficient renal clearance, still retaining a prolonged blood circulation and a stealth capability.

Improved energy efficiency can help reduce pollution, contribute to energy security, and help consumers save money. This paper explores energy labelling schemes as a policy instrument for promoting energy-efficient cars in Spain. Specifically, it explores consumer responses to changes in vehicle prices. We derive the demand responses for two different efficiency labelling schemes: absolute and relative. To that end, we calculate own- and cross-price elasticities of demand for cars with efficiency labels on the Spanish car market. The results show that the elasticities for more efficient cars are in general higher. However, in the specific case of sedans, the elasticities depend on assumptions about how consumers decide which car to purchase. If consumers are concerned about the absolute energy performance of cars independently of other attributes, and thus pay attention to absolute labelling, demand for more efficient cars is more elastic than demand for less efficient cars. If consumers choose the car segment first and then the energy performance, using the relative label, the opposite result is found. The results suggest that both relative and absolute labelling schemes can be useful, depending on how consumers make their decisions. It might also be possible to design a mixed system.

The success parameters for any company are on time completion, within specific budget and with requisite performance. In particular an efficient and effective inventory management helps a firm maintaining competitive advantage, especially in a time of accelerating globalization. From this point of view several organizations employ the ABC analysis to have an efficient control on a large number of inventory items. With the increasing levels of integration in manufacturing and service systems conventional ABC analysis is limited because it accounts for only one criterion, mostly “annual dollar usage”, for classifying inventory items. To alleviate this shortcoming, this paper proposes a modified version of ABC analysis and Cross Analysis based on Analytic Network Process, a multicriteria approach, that allows to consider several criteria all at once for the optimal choice of materials management.

The study analyzed two samples of 10 patients with Class lIl dentoskeletal deformities and maxillary and mandibular involvement. Surgery was performed on both jaws at the same time, using different techniques for the stabilization of bone. In one group, osteosynthesis by wire fixation was performed (WF); and in the other group, bicortical screws were used for the mandible (RIF) and plates for the maxilla. At 20 and 40 days after the operation, radiocephalometric examinations were performed, and the differences in structural stability verified, by comparing the efficiency of the two methods of bone stabilization. Results indicate that in the postoperative period analyzed, dentoskeletal movements in the RIF group were inferior compared with the WF group. On the basis of these results, the advantages and the disadvantages offered by these two techniques of bone stabilization are analyzed. (A M J O RTHOD D ENTOFAC O RTHOP 1994;105:477-82.)