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Objectives: The purpose of this work was to optimise printable polycaprolactone (PCL)/β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) biomaterials with high percentages of β-TCP endowed with balanced mechanical characteristics to resemble human cancellous bone, presumably improving osteogenesis., Methods: PCL/β-TCP scaffolds were obtained from customised filaments for fused deposition modelling (FDM) 3D printing with increasing amounts of β-TCP. Samples mechanical features, surface topography and wettability were evaluated as well as cytocompatibility assays, cell adhesion and differentiation., Results: The parameters of the newly fabricated materila were optimal for PCL/β-TCP scaffold fabrication. Composite surfaces showed higher hydrophilicity compared with the controls, and their surface roughness sharply was higher, possibly due to the presence of β-TCP. The Young's modulus of the composites was significantly higher than that of pristine PCL, indicating that the intrinsic strength of β-TCP is beneficial for enhancing the elastic modulus of the composite biomaterials. All novel composite biomaterials supported greater cellular growth and stronger osteoblastic differentiation compared with the PCL control., Conclusions: This project highlights the possibility to fabricat, through an FDM solvent-free approach, PCL/β-TCP scaffolds of up to 70 % concentrations of β-TCP. overcoming the current lmit of 60 % stated in the literature. The combination of 3D printing and customised biomaterials allowed production of highly personalised scaffolds with optimal mechanical and biological features resembling the natural structure and the composition of bone. This underlines the promise of such structures for innovative approaches for bone and periodontal regeneration., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest None disclosed., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Carious/Non-carious cervical lesions with gingival recessions may require both dental and periodontal reconstructive therapy, where flaps/grafts may be placed in contact with a dental filling material. Human Gingival Fibroblasts (HGF-1) response during the early phase of healing could vary according to the procedures employed to cure the dental composite. Moreover, oxygen diffusion into dental composite inhibits the polymerization reaction, creating an oxygen-inhibited layer (OIL) that presents residual unreacted monomers. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of different polishing techniques and OIL on HGF-1., Methods: Composite discs polished with different techniques (diamond rubber, abrasive discs and tungsten carbide burr) were used. An additional not polished smooth group obtained with and without OIL was used as control. Samples were physically characterized through the analysis of their hydrophilicity and surface topography through contact angle measurement and SEM, respectively; afterwards the biologic response of HGF-1 when cultured on the different substrates was analyzed in terms of cytotoxicity and gene expression., Results: The finishing systems caused alterations to the wettability, even if without a proportional relation towards the results of the proliferation essay, from which emerges a greater proliferation on surfaces polished with one-step diamond rubber and with abrasive discs as well as a direct effect of the glycerin layer, confirming that surface roughness can heavily influence the biological response of HGF-1., Conclusions: Surfaces wettability as well as cellular behavior seem to be affected by the selection of the finishing system used to lastly shape the restoration. Especially, the presence of OIL act as a negative factor in the regards of human gingival fibroblasts. The present study may provide the first clinical instruction regarding the best polishing system of composite material when the restoration is placed directly in contact with soft tissue cells. Understanding HGF-1 behavior can help identifying the polishing treatment for direct restoration of carious/non-carious cervical lesions associated with gingival recessions., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The quantitative description of electrical and magnetotransport properties of solid-state materials has been a remarkable challenge in materials science over recent decades. Recently, the discovery of a novel class of materials-the topological semimetals-has led to a growing interest in the full understanding of their magnetotransport properties. In this review, the strong interplay among topology, band structure, and carrier mobility in recently discovered high carrier mobility topological semimetals is discussed and their effect on their magnetotransport properties is outlined. Their large magnetoresistance effect, especially in the Hall transverse configuration, and a new version of a three-dimensional quantum Hall effect observed in high-mobility Weyl and Dirac semimetals are reviewed. The possibility of designing novel quantum sensors and devices based on solid-state semimetals is also examined.

Background/purpose: Testing of dental materials when in contact with innate immune cells has been so far hindered by the lack of proper in vitro models. Human primary monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) would be an excellent option to this aim. However, the inability to detach them from the tissue culture plates contrast the possibility to culture them on biomaterials. The goal of the present work is to present and validate an innovative protocol to obtain MDMs from peripheral blood monocytes, and to reseed them in contact with biomaterials without altering their viability and phenotype., Materials and Methods: We differentiated MDMs on ultra-low attachment tissue culture plastics and recovered them with specific detachment solution in order to be reseeded on a secondary substrate. Therefore, using biological assays (RT-PCR, Western blot, and immunofluorescence) we compared their phenotype to MDMs differentiated on standard culture plates., Results: Transferred MDMs keep their differentiated M0 resting state, as well as the ability to be polarized into M1 (pro-inflammatory) or M2 (anti-inflammatory) macrophages., Conclusion: These data provide the dental material research community the unprecedented possibility to investigate the immunomodulatory properties of biomaterials for dental application., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest relevant to this article., (© 2023 Association for Dental Sciences of the Republic of China. Publishing services by Elsevier B.V.)

Objectives: The present study aimed to analyze the behaviors of three intraoral scanners (IOSs): evaluating the interdistance and axial inclination discrepancies in full-arch scans, predictable errors were searched., Materials and Methods: Six edentulous sample models with variable numbers of dental implants were used; reference data were obtained with a coordinate-measuring machine (CMM). Each IOS (i.e., Primescan, CS3600, and Trios3) performed 10 scans per model (180 total scans). The origin of each scan body was used as a reference point to measure interdistance lengths and axial inclinations. Precision and trueness of interdistance measurements and axial inclinations were evaluated to address error predictability. Bland-Altman analysis, followed by linear regression analysis and Friedman's test (plus Dunn's post hoc correction), was performed to evaluate the precision and trueness., Results: Regarding interdistance, Primescan showed the best precision (mean ± SD: 0.047 ± 0.020 mm), while Trios3 underestimated the reference value more than the others (p < 0.001) and had the worst performance (mean ± SD: -0.079 ± 0.048 mm). Concerning the inclination angle, Primescan and Trios3 tended to overestimate angle values, while CS3600 underestimated them. Primescan had fewer inclination angle outliers, but it tended to add 0.4-0.6° to the measurements., Conclusions: IOSs showed predictable errors: they tended to overestimate or underestimate linear measurements and axial inclinations of scan bodies, one added 0.4-0.6° to the angle inclination values. In particular, they showed heteroscedasticity, a behavior probably related to the software or the device itself., Clinical Significance: IOSs showed predictable errors that could affect clinical success. When performing a scan or choosing a scanner, clinicians should clearly know their behaviors., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: New technologies can facilitate the transition from pre-clinical to clinical settings. We investigate students' satisfaction with a novel learning method adopted in access cavity exercises., Methods: Students performed their access cavity on inexpensive, in-house 3D printed teeth. Their performances were evaluated by scanning the prepared teeth with an intraoral scanner and visualized using a mesh processing software. Then, the same software was used to align the tooth prepared by the student and the teacher's one for self-assessment purposes. Students were asked to answer a questionnaire about their experiences with this new learning method., Results: From the teacher's perspective, this novel learning approach was easy, straightforward and affordable. Overall, student feedback was positive: 73% found that access cavity assessment by scanning was more useful compared to a visual inspection under magnification and 57% reported that they had a better understanding of errors and mishaps. On the other hand, students pointed out that the material used to print teeth was too soft., Conclusion: The use of in-house 3D printed teeth in pre-clinical training is a simple way to overcome some of the drawbacks associated with extracted teeth, such as limited availability, variability, cross-infection control, and ethical constraints. The use of intraoral scanners and mesh processing software could improve student self-assessment.

Introduction: Aptamers are a brand-new class of receptors that can be exploited to improve the bioactivity of tissue engineering grafts. The aim of this work was to revise the current literature on in vitro and in vivo studies in order to i) identify current strategies adopted to improve scaffold bioactivity by aptamers; ii) assess effects of aptamer functionalization on cell behavior and iii) on tissue regeneration. Methods: Using a systematic search approach original research articles published up to 30 April 2022, were considered and screened. Results: In total, 131 records were identified and 18 were included in the final analysis. Included studies showed that aptamers can improve the bioactivity of biomaterials by specific adsorption of adhesive molecules or growth factors from the surrounding environment, or by capturing specific cell types. All the studies showed that aptamers ameliorate scaffold colonization by cells without modifying the physicochemical characteristics of the bare scaffold. Additionally, aptamers seem to promote the early stages of tissue healing and to promote anatomical and functional regeneration. Discussion: Although a metanalysis could not be performed due to the limited number of studies, we believe these findings provide solid evidence supporting the use of aptamers as a suitable modification to improve the bioactivity of tissue engineering constructs., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Parisi, Ghezzi, Toffoli, Macaluso and Lumetti.)

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of the androgenic hormone testosterone enanthate (TE) on human MG-63 cells. MG-63 were cultured for 24 h in the presence of TE at increasing concentrations to assess its lethal dose. Therefore, the suitable concentration for a prolonged use of TE in vitro was assessed by viability assay over 9 days. Finally, MG-63 were exposed to TE for 14 days and assayed for differentiation by qPCR and Alizarin Red S staining. TE in the amount of 100 µM resulted as the maximum dose tolerated by MG-63 cells after 24 h. However, a prolonged exposure in culture TE in the amount of 100 µM showed a cytostatic effect on cell proliferation. On the contrary, TE 10 µM was tolerated by the cells and did not boost cell proliferation, but did enhance new bone formation, as revealed by COL1A1 , ALPL , BGLAP , and IBSP gene expression after 3, 7, and 14 days, and calcium deposition by Alizarin Red S staining after 14 days. Based on the current study, 10 µM is the critical dose of TE that should be used in vitro to support bone differentiation of MG-63 cells.