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Objective: Microvascular decompression (MVD) in trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is currently managed using an operating microscope (OM). Recent experiences with endoscopy-assisted, fully endoscopic, and exoscopic surgery have been described, aiming to improve ergonomics and image quality. The aim of this study was to report the first series of patients operated on with the aid of a robotic binocular exoscope using a head-mounted display (RoboticScope)., Methods: From September 2023 to March 2024, 9 patients with TN were treated using the RoboticScope. A classic mini-retrosigmoid approach was performed and standard microsurgical techniques were applied. Surgical timing, ergonomics, visual performances, adverse events, and 1-month postoperative pain outcomes were evaluated., Results: All surgeries were completed without shifting to the OM. Surgeon comfort with the RoboticScope was better compared with the OM and visualization was good. No intraoperative adverse events were recorded. The duration of the procedure was significantly shorter with the RoboticScope compared to those using the OM (median 18 vs 34 minutes, p = 0.0001)., Conclusions: MVD can be safely and effectively performed using the RoboticScope. Surgeons benefit from better ergonomics, stereoscopic image quality, and shorter surgical duration.

Background: The management of endodontic infections is a complex challenge, mainly due to the involvement of diverse microorganisms and their by-products. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of N-acetylcysteine (NAC), calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH) 2 ), and their combined application as intracanal medications in combating Enterococcus faecalis , Escherichia coli , and lipopolysaccharides (LPS) from E. coli ., Methods: A total of 60 single-rooted human teeth were carefully selected and divided into six groups. These tooth canals were deliberately exposed to E. faecalis (ATCC 29212) and E. coli (ATCC 25922) to induce biofilm formation. Subsequently, the specimens were treated with NAC, Ca(OH) 2 , or a combination of both substances. Three samples of the root canals were collected at three moments: the first sample (S1) was to confirm the initial contamination, the second sample (S2) was immediately post-instrumentation, and the third sample (S3) was collected after the use of the intracanal medication. The antimicrobial efficacy of these intracanal medications was assessed by enumerating colony-forming units per milliliter (CFU/mL). In addition to this, the kinetic chromogenic Limulus Amebocyte Lysate (LAL) assay by Lonza was used to quantify LPS from E. coli . Data tested for normality; then, Kruskal-Wallis and Friedman tests were used, and Dunn's for multiple comparisons., Results: The findings of this study showed significant reductions in the microbial load of E. faecalis and E. coli by S3. Notably, there were no statistically significant differences among the treatment groups concerning these microorganisms. However, it was observed that only the combination of NAC and Ca(OH) 2 led to a noteworthy decrease in the quantity of E. coli's LPS after 7-days, demonstrating a statistically significant difference from the other treatment groups. NAC + Ca(OH) 2 combination, applied for a duration of 7-days, proved to be more suitable in reducing the presence of E. faecalis , E. coli , and LPS from E. coli within the context of endodontic infections., Competing Interests: Amjad Abu Hasna is an Academic Editor for PeerJ., (© 2024 Khoury et al.)

The objective of the present case report is to describe Icon resin infiltration as a treatment option for postorthodontic white spot lesions (WSLs). A 23-year-old male patient complained of white spots on his maxillary anterior teeth that caused him significant esthetic concern in terms of his smile and affected his self-esteem. During the anamnesis, the patient reported that he noticed white spots directly after the brackets were removed after orthodontic treatment, which had not yet been completed. Based on the information obtained through the anamnesis and the clinical examination, the spots were deemed to be remineralized WSLs. The proposed treatment consisted of supervised at-home tooth whitening through bleaching in combination with microabrasion and resin infiltration. The clinical results were successful, showing significant improvement in terms of esthetics and the patient's self-esteem after only a single session of resin infiltration with Icon material. Treatment optimization and gain in clinical time were clearly demonstrated as well as the preservation of tooth tissue compared with other treatments.

Numerical modeling offers a valuable alternative to analytical solutions for pumping test analysis. However, little is known about how discretization impacts results accuracy and runtime. This study presents a systematic method for defining the spatiotemporal discretization of pumping test numerical models based on dimensionless parameters. Two types of analysis are considered: one where observations are made in the pumping well, and another one where observations are made in different wells. The influence of the discretization parameters on results accuracy and runtime is investigated and an optimal set of parameters is determined that minimizes runtime while maintaining the maximum error under 1% for an "average" aquifer. Lower runtimes are achieved when the analysis focuses on the pumping well, which is attributed to the steady-state analytical solution approximating drawdown in the well in the numerical scheme employed. Additional tests demonstrate the robustness of the derived set of parameters in different configurations., (© 2024 National Ground Water Association.)

Surgery and endovascular therapy are the primary treatment options for spinal dural arteriovenous fistula (SDAVF). Due to the absence of a consensus regarding which therapy yields a superior outcome, we conducted a comparative analysis of the surgical and endovascular treatment of SDAVF through a multicenter case series and a systematic literature review. Patients with SDAVF, surgically or endovascularly treated at four neurosurgical centers from January 2001 to December 2021, were included in this study. Level of SDAVF, primary treatment modality, baseline and post-procedural neurological status were collected. The primary outcomes were failure, complication rates, and a newly introduced parameter named as therapeutic delay. A systematic review of the literature was performed according to PRISMA-P guidelines. The systematic review identified 511 papers, of which 18 were eligible for analysis, for a total of 814 patients, predominantly male (72%) with a median age of 61 and mainly thoracic SDAVFs (65%). The failure rate was significantly higher for endovascular therapy (20%) compared to surgery (4%) (p < 0.01). Neurological complications were generally rare, with similar rates among the two groups (endovascular 2.9%; surgery 2.6%). Endovascular treatment showed a statistically significantly higher rate of persistent neurological complications than surgical treatment (2.9% versus 0.2%; p < 0.01). Both treatments showed similar rates of clinical improvement based on Aminoff Logue scale score. The multicenter, retrospective study involved 131 patients. The thoracic region was the most frequent location (58%), followed by lumbar (37%). Paraparesis (45%) and back pain (41%) were the most common presenting symptoms, followed by bladder dysfunction (34%) and sensory disturbances (21%). The mean clinical follow-up was 21 months, with all patients followed for at least 12 months. No statistically significant differences were found in demographic and clinical data, lesion characteristics, or outcomes between the two treatment groups. Median pre-treatment Aminoff-Logue score was 2.6, decreasing to 1.4 post-treatment with both treatments. The mean therapeutic delay for surgery and endovascular treatment showed no statistically significant difference. Surgical treatment demonstrated significantly lower failure rates (5% vs. 46%, p < 0.01). In the surgical group, 2 transient neurological (1 epidural hematoma, 1 CSF leak) and 3 non-neurological (3 wound infections) complications were recorded; while 2 permanent neurological (spinal infarcts), and 5 non-neurological (inguinal hematomas) were reported in the endovascular group. According to the literature review and this multicenter clinical series, surgical treatment has a significantly lower failure rate than endovascular treatment. Although the two treatments have similar complication rates, endovascular treatment seems to have a higher rate of persistent neurological complications., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Objectives: This laboratory study evaluated the effect of three polishing systems on the surface roughness and gloss of resin composites., Materials and Methods: Thirty specimens (6 mm Ø × 8 mm) were fabricated from each of three resin composites: Z 350 XT (nanofill), Harmonize (nanohybrid), and Estelite Omega (supranonofill). All specimens were photopolymerized using a multi-peak LED curing unit (VALO-Standard mode), having a exitance irradiance of approximately 1000 mW/cm 2 against a polyester strip (PS). 2 mm was then removed from the irradiated end (finished) using #320 abrasive paper (F). Specimens were then randomly polished (P) using a one-step (1S) (OneGloss), two-step (2S) (EVE Diacomp Twist Basic CA), or 3-step (3S) (Astropol P) system (n = 10). For PS, F, and P groups, surface roughness (Ra) was measured using a surface roughness tester, and surface gloss was measured with a glossmeter. For each specimen, the percent recovery to the PS value (%R) of surface roughness and surface gloss were calculated. Data were analyzed using two-way ANOVA, followed by Tukey's test. Surface roughness and gloss values were submitted to Pearson's correlation test (α = 0.05). All statistical testing was performed using a pre-set alpha of 0.05., Results: The interaction term [resin composite × polishing system] was significant for both surface roughness (p = 0.001) and gloss (p = 0.0001). For all resin composites, the 2S and 3S systems provided a higher %R of surface roughness and gloss compared to those of the 1S system. There was a negative correlation between surface roughness and gloss, but only a few combinations showed strong correlations., Conclusions: The 2S and 3S polishing systems provided surfaces having greater smoothness and gloss compared to the 1S system. The ability to recover surface roughness and gloss was dependent on type of resin composite filler classification., Clinical Significance: The 3S and 2S polishing systems were more effective in achieving PS values than was the 1S system for all tested resin composites. However, individual polishing systems performed differently depending on type of resin composite., (© 2023 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Objectives: To investigate whether efavirenz (EFV) or 8-hydroxy-EFV (8-OH-EFV) plasma levels are associated with neurocognitive impairment and central nervous system (CNS) side effects., Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis to explore the potential links between EFV/8-OH-EFV levels and cognitive performance or CNS-related side effects in patients screened within a randomized trial involving a switch from EFV to rilpivirine. The Mann-Whitney test was employed to compare drug levels in patients with or without cognitive impairment, depression, anxiety, sleep disorder or CNS symptoms. Additionally, Spearman's test was used to assess correlations between drug levels and test scores., Results: Among 104 patients, neither EFV nor 8-OH-EFV levels were linked to cognitive impairment, although trends towards higher EFV levels were observed in those with impaired executive function (p = 0.055) and language performances (p = 0.021). On the other hand, elevated 8-OH-EFV levels, but not EFV levels, were associated with more CNS side effects (222 vs. 151 ng/mL, p = 0.027), depressive symptoms (247 vs. 164 ng/mL, p = 0.067) and sleep impairment (247 vs. 164 ng/mL, p = 0.078). Consistently, a trend towards a correlation between EFV levels and lower z-scores in executive function and motor function was observed, while 8-OH-EFV levels, but not EFV levels, were directly correlated with symptom scores., Conclusions: Higher levels of 8-OH-EFV were associated with CNS side effects, while EFV levels were only marginally associated with cognitive performance, thus suggesting that EFV and its metabolite may act differently in determining detrimental neurological effects., (© 2023 British HIV Association.)

Introduction: This systematic review examined the effect of neutralizing agents on bond strength after irrigation with sodium hypochlorite and their existing protocols in literature., Methods: This present study adhered to the PRISMA guidelines and was registered at PROSPERO. Five electronic databases were searched (sept-2020/jan-2021) in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, without any restrictions on publication date. Cases reports, editorials and literature reviews were not included. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration tool. From the initial 7,147 studies, 2,745 were removed as duplicates and 4,382 were excluded after a title/abstract screen., Results: Seventeen in vitro studies were included. The results showed that the higher the concentration of sodium hypochlorite, the lower the bond strength at dentine/restoration interface (p⟨0.01). Among the studies, sodium ascorbate was the most widely used neutralizer and showed the most significant results in increasing bond strength (p⟨0.01). The bond strength values were found to increase with longer application time of the neutralizing substances (p⟨0.01)., Conclusions: The use of sodium ascorbate as a neutralizing agent can reverse the negative effects of the sodium hypochlorite and improve the bond strength between dentine and resin cement, however, it isn't possible to determine the best protocol for use., (Copyright© 2024 Dennis Barber Ltd.)

Abstract: Familial platelet disorder with associated myeloid malignancies (FPDMM) is caused by germline RUNX1 mutations and characterized by thrombocytopenia and increased risk of hematologic malignancies. We recently launched a longitudinal natural history study for patients with FPDMM. Among 27 families with research genomic data by the end of 2021, 26 different germline RUNX1 variants were detected. Besides missense mutations enriched in Runt homology domain and loss-of-function mutations distributed throughout the gene, splice-region mutations and large deletions were detected in 6 and 7 families, respectively. In 25 of 51 (49%) patients without hematologic malignancy, somatic mutations were detected in at least 1 of the clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) genes or acute myeloid leukemia (AML) driver genes. BCOR was the most frequently mutated gene (in 9 patients), and multiple BCOR mutations were identified in 4 patients. Mutations in 6 other CHIP- or AML-driver genes (TET2, DNMT3A, KRAS, LRP1B, IDH1, and KMT2C) were also found in ≥2 patients without hematologic malignancy. Moreover, 3 unrelated patients (1 with myeloid malignancy) carried somatic mutations in NFE2, which regulates erythroid and megakaryocytic differentiation. Sequential sequencing data from 19 patients demonstrated dynamic changes of somatic mutations over time, and stable clones were more frequently found in older adult patients. In summary, there are diverse types of germline RUNX1 mutations and high frequency of somatic mutations related to clonal hematopoiesis in patients with FPDMM. Monitoring changes in somatic mutations and clinical manifestations prospectively may reveal mechanisms for malignant progression and inform clinical management. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT03854318., (Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), permitting only noncommercial, nonderivative use with attribution. All other rights reserved.)

The awareness of molar incisor hypomineralisation (MIH) has led to its increased clinical detection, consequently drawing more attention to its associated complications. This text offers an overview of the esthetic management of anterior teeth affected by MIH, a condition characterized by enamel defects that present significant cosmetic challenges. The focus is on the clinical presentation of MIH characteristics, considering the depth of lesions and the clinical aspects, and the treatment protocols available, despite a lack of extensive scientific evidence. To the best of the current scientific knowledge, the text evaluates the potential of minimally invasive procedures, as well as the use of traditional composite resin techniques and their possible combinations, highlighting the critical role of esthetic considerations for the impacted anterior teeth. The chapter is augmented with five illustrative clinical cases that display the practical application of these treatment approaches. These examples articulate the clinical decision-making process and personalized restorative strategies, aiming to balance function with enhanced esthetic results. The described cases act as a roadmap for clinicians tackling the complexities of MIH treatment in the context of limited empirical evidence, providing insights into achieving both satisfactory and esthetically pleasing outcomes for patients suffering from this condition., (© 2024 S. Karger AG, Basel.)