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The objectives of the study group focused on the following main topics related to the performance of 1- and 2-piece ceramic implants: defining bone-implant-contact percentages and its measurement methods, evaluating the pink esthetic score as an esthetic outcome parameter after immediate implantation, recognizing the different results of ceramic implant designs as redefined by the German Association of Oral Implantology, incorporating the patient report outcome measure to include satisfaction and improvement in oral health–related quality of life, and conducting preclinical studies to address existing gaps in ceramic implants. During the Joint Congress for Ceramic Implantology (2022), the study group evaluated 17 clinical trials published between 2015 and 2021. After extensive discussions and multiple closed sessions, consensus statements and recommendations were developed, incorporating all approved modifications. A 1-piece implant design features a coronal part that is fused to the implant body or interfaces with the postabutment restoration platform, undergoing transmucosal healing. Long-term evaluations of this implant design are supported by established favorable clinical evidence. Inaccuracies in the pink esthetic score and bone-implant-contact percentages were managed by establishing control groups for preclinical studies and randomizing clinical trials. The patient-reported outcome measures were adjusted to include an individual visual analog scale, collected from each clinical study, that quantified improved oral health and quality of life. Preclinical investigations should focus on examining the spread of ceramic debris and the impact of heat generation on tissue and cellular levels during drilling. Further technical advancements should prioritize wound management and developing safe drilling protocols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radiotherapy delivered to non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) causes tumor antigen release potentially stimulating immune response against cancer; however, radiation-induced lymphocyte depletion negatively impacts patient survival. Lymphocyte subtypes are characterized by different radiosensitivity, with CD8+ cytotoxic lymphocytes more resistant than CD4+ helper T cells. We evaluated changes in lymphocyte subtypes in patients undergoing SBRT for NSCLC and their associations with dosimetry parameters. Ninety-three treatment-naïve patients with NSCLC stage T1/2aN0M0 were prospectively recruited. Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cels (PBMC) were collected before treatment, at 2 and 12 weeks after RT completion, and the levels of T lymphocytes expressing CD4, CD8, CD25, CD28, PD-1 or CTLA-4 were evaluated using flow cytometry. Dosimetric data were converted to equivalent dose in 2 Gy fractions using an α/β ratio of 10 Gy and missing values were imputed using k nearest neighbors. Cell counts were compared across timepoints using Friedman ANOVA with Nemenyi post-hoc test; associations between cell counts and dosimetry parameters were assessed using Spearman test. Lymphocyte count decreased from median 1.99 (25-75%: 1.55-2.35) K/µL at baseline to 1.55 (1.23-1.86) K/µL 2 weeks after RT. At 12-week follow-up 41 patients (43.2%) had sustained lymphopenia <1.5 K/µL. The decrease was not observed uniformly across all cell subtypes as cytotoxic CD8+ lymphocytes increased during RT (p = 0.002), with persistently high levels three months after RT completion (p = 0.004). The CD4+ to CD8+ ratio decreased during RT (p = 0.011). The T lymphocytes expressing exhaustion markers (CD8+/PD-1+, CD4+/PD-1+, CD4+/CTLA4+) showed a transient but significant increase at 2 weeks (p = 0.003, 0.001 and 0.001, respectively), followed by a decline to baseline levels at week 12 (p = 0.001 for all). A delayed increase of cytotoxic CD8+ lymphocytes expressing activation markers CD25 or CD28 was observed between week 2 and 12 post-SBRT (p = 0.009 and p = 0.001) while the level of CD4+ helper lymphocytes with those surface antigenes remained stable (p = 0.394 and 0.724). Mean lung dose was negatively correlated with lymphocyte count at week 12 (R = -0.53, p<0.001) and CD4+ lymphocyte count at week 12 (R = -0.25, p = 0.016), but not with CD8+ lymphocyte count at week 12 (p = 0.997). In general, dosimetric parameters for the sum of lungs, heart and whole body were predictive of CD4+, but not CD8+ lymphocyte counts at week 12. Lung and whole-body volume exposed to higher radiation doses (> 10Gy) was relatively more important than low doses (1-5 Gy) for predicting CD4+/PD-1+ lymphocyte counts at 12 weeks post-RT. Radiotherapy elicits dosimetry-dependent changes in the immune profile of patients with NSCLC consistent with an activation of cellular immune response counterbalanced by increase in peripheral tolerance markers, followed by a delayed increase in activated cytotoxic T cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new approach to an optimal analog test points selection is proposed. The described method uses ambiguity set concept and evolutionary computations to determine the optimal set of analog test points. After a brief introduction to analog testing and genetic algorithms, the proposed strategy is explained. The presented evolutionary approach is illustrated by a practical example of analog circuit and by a series of hypothetical circuits. The efficiency of the technique is compared with a method based on entropy index, and the obtained results are discussed. Index Terms--Analog circuits, analog system testing, design for testability (DfT), genetic algorithms (GAs).