3D Biomimetic Tongue-Emulating Surfaces for Tribological Applications.

Oral friction on the tongue surface plays a pivotal role in mechanics of food transport, speech, sensing, and hedonic responses. The highly specialized biophysical features of the human tongue such as micropapillae-dense topology, optimum wettability, and deformability present architectural challenges in designing artificial tongue surfaces, and the absence of such a biomimetic surface impedes the fundamental understanding of tongue-food/fluid interaction. Herein, we fabricate for the first time, a 3D soft biomimetic surface that replicates the topography and wettability of a real human tongue. The 3D-printed fabrication contains a Poisson point process-based (random) papillae distribution and is employed to micromold soft silicone surfaces with wettability modifications. We demonstrate the unprecedented capability of these surfaces to replicate the theoretically defined and simulated collision probability of papillae and to closely resemble the tribological performances of human tongue masks. These de novo biomimetic surfaces pave the way for accurate quantification of mechanical interactions in the soft oral mucosa.

Cavity Mediated Manipulation of Distant Spin Currents Using a Cavity-Magnon-Polariton.

Using electrical detection of a strongly coupled spin-photon system comprised of a microwave cavity mode and two magnetic samples, we demonstrate the long distance manipulation of spin currents. This distant control is not limited by the spin diffusion length, instead depending on the interplay between the local and global properties of the coupled system, enabling systematic spin current control over large distance scales (several centimeters in this work). This flexibility opens the door to improved spin current generation and manipulation for cavity spintronic devices.

Mandibular two implant-supported overdentures as the first choice standard of care for edentulous patients--the York Consensus Statement.

The Annual Conference of the BSSPD (British Society for the Study of Prosthetic Dentistry) was held in York on 6 and 7 April 2009. At the symposium on mandibular overdentures, presenters offered a synopsis of the research available on the efficacy of implant-supported mandibular overdentures in the edentulous mandible. Emphasis was given to both qualitative and quantitative research based on patient-centred outcomes of treatment. A draft consensus was circulated to all presenters and to the Council members of the BSSPD and to BSSPD members on the Society's website. The statement was modified in the light of their comments, audience feedback following the presentations and members' feedback. We hope that this consensus statement will be a useful guide for patients and clinicians and that it will act to stimulate wider debate. We also hope that it will prove useful to other patient and professional organisations and will inform discussions with providers of national healthcare and with independent funders.

Low temperature enhances photosynthetic down-regulation in French bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) plants.

The mechanisms of photosynthetic adaptation to different combinations of temperature and irradiance during growth, and especially the consequences of exposure to high light (2000 micro mol m(-2) s(-1) PPFD) for 5 min, simulating natural sunflecks, was studied in bean plants (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). A protocol using only short (3 min) dark pre-treatment was introduced to maximize the amount of replication possible in studies of chlorophyll fluorescence. High light at low temperature (10 degrees C) significantly down-regulated photosynthetic electron transport capacity [as measured by the efficiency of photosystem II (PSII)], with the protective acclimation allowing the simulated sunflecks to be used more effectively for photosynthesis by plants grown in low light. The greater energy dissipation by thermal processes (lower F(v)'/F(m)' ratio) at low temperature was related to increased xanthophyll de-epoxidation and to the fact that photosynthetic carbon fixation was more limiting at low than at high temperatures. A key objective was to investigate the role of photorespiration in acclimation to irradiance and temperature by comparing the effect of normal (21 kPa) and low (1.5 kPa) O(2) concentrations. Low [O(2)] decreased F(v)/F(m) and the efficiency of PSII (Phi(PSII)), related to greater PSII down-regulation in cold pre-treated plants, but minimized further inhibition by the mild 'sunfleck' treatment used. Results support the hypothesis that photorespiration provides a 'safety-valve' for excess energy.