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Gut microbiota is responsible for essential functions in human health. Several communication axes between gut microbiota and other organs via neural, endocrine, and immune pathways have been described, and perturbation of gut microbiota composition has been implicated in the onset and progression of an emerging number of diseases. Here, we analyzed peripheral nerves, dorsal root ganglia (DRG), and skeletal muscles of neonatal and young adult mice with the following gut microbiota status: a) germ-free (GF), b) gnotobiotic, selectively colonized with 12 specific gut bacterial strains (Oligo-Mouse-Microbiota, OMM12), or c) natural complex gut microbiota (CGM). Stereological and morphometric analyses revealed that the absence of gut microbiota impairs the development of somatic median nerves, resulting in smaller diameter and hypermyelinated axons, as well as in smaller unmyelinated fibers. Accordingly, DRG and sciatic nerve transcriptomic analyses highlighted a panel of differentially expressed developmental and myelination genes. Interestingly, the type III isoform of Neuregulin1 (NRG1), known to be a neuronal signal essential for Schwann cell myelination, was overexpressed in young adult GF mice, with consequent overexpression of the transcription factor Early Growth Response 2 (Egr2), a fundamental gene expressed by Schwann cells at the onset of myelination. Finally, GF status resulted in histologically atrophic skeletal muscles, impaired formation of neuromuscular junctions, and deregulated expression of related genes. In conclusion, we demonstrate for the first time a gut microbiota regulatory impact on proper development of the somatic peripheral nervous system and its functional connection to skeletal muscles, thus suggesting the existence of a novel ‘Gut Microbiota-Peripheral Nervous System-axis.’

Patients with breast cancer show altered expression of genes within the pectoralis major skeletal muscle cells of the breast. Through analyses of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)-breast cancer (BRCA), we identified three previously uncharacterized putative novel tumor suppressor genes expressed in normal muscle cells, whose expression was downregulated in breast tumors. We found that NEDD4 binding protein 2-like 1 (N4BP2L1), pleckstrin homology domain-containing family A member 4 (PLEKHA4), and brain-enriched guanylate kinase-associated protein (BEGAIN) that are normally highly expressed in breast myoepithelial cells and smooth muscle cells were significantly downregulated in breast tumor tissues of a cohort of 50 patients with this cancer. Our data revealed that the low expression of PLEKHA4 in patients with menopause below 50 years correlated with a higher risk of breast cancer. Moreover, we identified N4BP2L1 and BEGAIN as potential biomarkers of HER2-positive breast cancer. Furthermore, low BEGAIN expression in breast cancer patients with blood fat, heart problems, and diabetes correlated with a higher risk of this cancer. In addition, protein and RNA expression analysis of TCGA-BRCA revealed N4BP2L1 as a promising diagnostic protein biomarker in breast cancer. In addition, the in silico data of scRNA-seq showed high expression of these genes in several cell types of normal breast tissue, including breast myoepithelial cells and smooth muscle cells. Thus, our results suggest their possible tumor-suppressive function in breast cancer and muscle development.

The objective of this study is to present an uncommon case of adenomatoid odontogenic tumor (AOT) with an impacted maxillary canine, initially mimicking a follicular cyst. AOT is a rare odontogenic tumor, accounting for approximately 1% to 9% of all odontogenic tumors. It primarily occurs in the maxilla and is often associated with an unerupted permanent tooth. Follicular cysts, also known as dentigerous cysts, are benign odontogenic cysts that encase the crown of an unerupted or impacted tooth. We describe a case of AOT occurring in a 14-year-old male. Both the follicular cyst and adenomatoid odontogenic tumor (AOT) can exhibit similar clinical and radiographic presentations. It is crucial to accurately differentiate between the two to ensure appropriate treatment and prognosis.

The aim of this study was to assess the methodical protection of the lingual nerve via the use of a standardized step-by-step procedure in the surgical extraction of the lower third molar. A 5-year retrospective analysis of surgical third molar surgery conducted by third-year oral surgery specialty program students was performed in the oral surgery department of Policlinico Umberto I in Rome, from 2017 to 2022. All surgeries were carried out using a standardized step-by-step procedure to protect the lingual flap during the surgery. Every patient underwent a review on the initial postoperative day, and subsequently, one week after the surgery, coinciding with the removal of the sutures. During each postoperative visit, thorough examinations were conducted to assess any sensory nerve impairment of the inferior alveolar, lingual, or mylohyoid nerves. None of the cases reported postsurgical lingual nerve injury; there was zero incidence of lingual nerve paresthesia or dysesthesia. The systematic application of lingual flap protection proved to be an effective and reproducible approach for the surgical removal of lower third molars without raising the risk of lingual nerve sensory impairment, regardless of the operator’s experience.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) regulate gene expression through different molecular mechanisms, including DNA binding via the formation of RNA:DNA:DNA triple helices (TPXs). Despite the increasing amount of experimental evidence, TPXs investigation remains challenging. Here we present 3plex, a software able to predict TPX interactions in silico. Given an RNA sequence and a set of DNA sequences, 3plex integrates 1) Hoogsteen pairing rules that describe the biochemical interactions between RNA and DNA nucleotides, 2) RNA secondary structure prediction and 3) determination of the TPX thermal stability derived from a collection of TPX experimental evidences. We systematically collected and uniformly re-analysed published experimental lncRNA binding sites on human and mouse genomes. We used these data to evaluate 3plex performance and showed that its specific features allow a reliable identification of TPX interactions. We compared 3plex with the other available software and obtained comparable or even better accuracy at a fraction of the computation time. Interestingly, by inspecting collected data with 3plex we found that TPXs tend to be shorter and more degenerated than previously expected and that the majority of analysed lncRNAs can directly bind to the genome by TPX formation. Those results suggest that an important fraction of lncRNAs can exert its biological function through this mechanism. The software is available at https://github.com/molinerisLab/3plex.

Background: Hyperparathyroidism (HPT) is a common endocrine disorder with potential complications on the skeletal, renal, neurocognitive and cardiovascular systems. Its association with the lack of osseointegration of dental implants has not been described in the medical literature. Case presentation: This case report aims to discuss two cases of dental implant loss in which a high level of parathormone (PTH) was found in the absence of any other systemic or local comorbidity, suggesting the possible correlation between HPT and implant. Both patients were referred to the clinic complaining about prosthetic complications, gingival inflammation and mobility of the dental prosthesis. After a Cone-Beam computed Tomography evaluation, all implants of both patients were removed for rejection arising from periimplantitis and then four implants were inserted in the patient 1 and five implants in the patient 2. For both patients short implants (Bicon LLC, Boston, Massachusetts, USA), featured by 4 mm in diameter and 5 mm in height, were used and the prosthesis substructure was made of Trinia® (Bicon LLC, Boston, Massachusetts, USA). During the fifth year, the patients reported complications and the implant treatment failure. In order to establish the causes of failure, a thorough investigation was performed. Since no causes were detected, the patients were required to perform a blood test to evaluate bone metabolism and specifically to assess parathyroid-hormone levels (PTH), calcium levels and vitamin D. Results: The results of the blood tests showed normal calcemia, vitamin D deficiency and elevated PTH levels in both patients. After an endocrinologist's consultation, secondary hyperparathyroidism was diagnosed. Conclusion: It is reasonable to assume that the loss of osseointegration of dental implants can be correlated with the effects of HPT.

Statement of the Problem: The satisfaction of patients with dentures on implants has different points of view that become fundamental aspects for the development of research on the quality of life of these patients, the eventual biomechanical complications to which these prostheses and implants can be subjected, and design considerations for cantilever extensions. Purpose: The objective of research was to assess the implants and prosthesis survival rates, biomechanical complications relative to the length of the distal extensions (cantilevers), and the satisfaction of the patients with a fixed implant-supported full-arch fiber-reinforced composites prosthesis. Materials and Method: A retrospective clinical and radiographic cohort study was developed. Clinical records of a selected cohort were analyzed according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data on a patient who underwent to fixed implant-supported full-arch fiber reinforced composites prosthesis at least of five years of function were collected. Data analysis was performed using Kaplan-Meier curves and Fisher's Exact Test. P values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: After insertion, 1 of 29 prostheses failed, the overall prosthetic survival rate observed at 5 years was 96.5%. Of the 120 implants placed in 28 patients, only 4 patients experienced loss of an implant during the 5 years of observation; the implant survival rate throughout the observation period was 86.2%. Distal extension seems to negatively affect the prognosis of implant-supported rehabilitation. Regarding the level of satisfaction of the patient with the prosthesis, none reported being uncomfortable or dissatisfied neither with their appearance nor with the taste of food throughout the studied period. Conclusion: No relevant associations were found between the variables involved. The study found the improvement in quality of life following the installation of fixed rehabilitation on the patients. Once the potential benefits of patients are obtained, controlled clinical trials are encouraged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the degree of symmetry of knee osteoarthritis (OA) structural severity and progression of participants with a mean follow-up time of 3.8 years. Design: Participants from the Genetics of Generalized Osteoarthritis (GOGO) study (n ​= ​705) were selected on the basis of radiographic evidence of OA in at least 1 knee, availability of radiographs at baseline and follow-up, and no history of prior knee injury or surgery. Incidence and progression of osteoarthritis were determined by radiographic Kellgren-Lawrence (KL) grade; compartmental OA progression was determined by change in joint space width of lateral and medial tibiofemoral compartments. Total OA progression was the sum of change in KL grade of both knees. Results: Compared with left knees, right knees had more severe KL grades at baseline (p ​= ​0.0002) and follow-up (p ​= ​0.0004), McNemar's χ2 ​= ​34.16 and 26.08, respectively; however, both knees progressed similarly (p ​= ​0.121, McNemar's χ2 ​= ​10.09). Compartmental changes were symmetric across knees: medial r ​= ​0.287, p ​= ​0.0002; lateral r ​= ​0.593, p ​= ​0.0002. Change in joint space width in the medial compartment was negatively correlated with change in the lateral compartment of the same knee (left knees: r ​= ​−0.293, p ​= ​0.021; right knees: r ​= ​−0.195, p ​= ​0.0002). Conclusions: Although right knees tended to have more severe OA at both baseline and follow-up, radiographic progression did not differ by knee and compartmental progression correlated across knees. Given this trend in generalized OA, the risk of progression for both knees should be considered, even if only one knee has radiographic OA at baseline.

Background: The aim of this study was to identify variations in the origins of the anterior branches of the external carotid artery (ECA) and to propose an update of the current classification. Methods: The study included 100 carotids arteries from fifty human donors. Classification of anterior branches of external carotid artery was performed according to Vaz’quez et al. (2009). Results: The configuration origins of anterior branches were found as follows: Type I, 82%; Type II, 1%; Type III, 16%. No Type IV was observed. The study identified seven subgroups of anterior branch variations in the external carotid artery. The most frequently observed variations were Subtype Ia in 40% (n = 20) of cases on the right side and Subtype Ib in 38% (n = 19) on the left side. In addition, a rare and previously unclassified configuration was observed in a 72-year-old male donor, where the carotid artery was pentafurcated on the left side. Conclusions: In conclusion, the presence of anatomical variants not previously included in the anterior external carotid artery branching classifications supports the consideration of a revision to the present classification system.

Objective: Many authors have tried to face the anatomical limitations resulting from maxillary bone atrophy. Up to five millimeters bone height, the lateral sinus floor elevation is the most commonly used and validated strategy to achieve the prosthetic rehabilitation. However, the disadvantages of this technique are its invasiveness and delayed rehabilitation. The aim of this paper was to assess 5 years clinical outcome of implants placed with a technique that allows the percrestal sinus floor elevation and the immediate implant placement. Materials and Methods: 30 transcrestal sinus floor elevations with immediate implant placement were performed in severely atrophic maxillae. Implant survival, marginal bone level variation, harvested bone height variation and periodontal indices were assessed. Results: After a five year follow up none of the thirty implants were lost. The mean value of vertical harvested bone loss was 5%. The mean crestal bone loss was -0.33 mm (Standard Deviation (SD) 0.11 mm). The mean value of periodontal indices was respectively: PD 1.22 mm (SD 0.72 mm), PI 17.47% (SD 15.01 mm), BOP 9, 87 %.,( SD 19.17 mm). Conclusion: The results obtained are comparable with success criteria in implant rehabilitation. The reported technique proved to be successful in the population observed, with minimal trauma and reduced invasiveness.

Quantumnetworking is emerging as a new research area to explore the opportunities of interconnecting quantum systems through end-to-end entanglement of qubits at geographical distance via quantum repeaters. A promising architecture has been proposed in the literature that decouples entanglement between adjacent quantum nodes/repeaters from establishing end-to-end paths by adopting a time slotted approach. Within this model, we destructure further end-to-end path establishment into two subproblems: path selection and scheduling. The former is set to determine the best repeaters to connect two end nodes, provided that all their local entanglements have succeeded. On the other hand, scheduling is concerned with deciding, which pairs of end nodes are served in the current time slot, while the others remain queued for later time slots. Unlike path selection, scheduling has not been investigated so far in the literature, particularly in presence of quantum noise, which makes both problems even more challenging. In this article, we propose to address it via a general framework of heuristic algorithms, for which we propose three illustrative instances with the objective of keeping the application delay small while achieving a good system utilization, in terms of high entanglement rate and fidelity of remotely entangled qubits. The system proposed is evaluated extensively via event-driven quantum network simulations, with noisy repeaters, in different node topologies under a Poisson arrival of requests from quantum applications. The results show the existence of a fundamental tradeoff between system- and application-level metrics, such as fairness versus entanglement and fidelity, which lays the foundations for further studies in this thriving research area.

The aim of the study is to review the literature to observe studies that evaluate the extent of the thermal effect of different laser wavelengths on the histological evaluation of oral soft tissue biopsies. An electronic search for published studies was performed on the PubMed and Scopus databases between July 2020 and November 2022. After the selection process, all the included studies were subjected to quality assessment and data extraction processes. A total of 28 studies met the eligibility criteria. The most studied laser was the carbon dioxide (CO2) laser, followed by the diode laser 940 nm–980 nm. Six studies were focused on each of the Erbium-doped Yttrium Aluminium Garnet (Er:YAG), Neodymium-doped Yttrium Aluminum Garnet (Nd:YAG) lasers, and diode lasers of 808 nm and 445 nm. Three studies were for the Potassium Titanyl Phosphate (KTP) laser, and four studies were for the Erbium, Chromium-doped Yttrium, Scandium, Gallium, and Garnet (Er,Cr:YSGG) laser. The quality and bias assessment revealed that almost all the animal studies were at a low risk of bias (RoB) in the considered domains of the used assessment tool except the allocation concealment domain in the selection bias and the blinding domain in the performance bias, where these domains were awarded an unclear or high score in almost all the included animal studies. For clinical studies, the range of the total RoB score in the comparative studies was 14 to 23, while in the non-comparative studies, it was 11 to 15. Almost all the studies concluded that the thermal effect of different laser wavelengths did not hinder the histological diagnosis. This literature review showed some observations. The thermal effect occurred with different wavelengths and parameters and what should be done is to minimize it by better adjusting the laser parameters. The extension of margins during the collection of laser oral biopsies and the use of laser only in non-suspicious lesions are recommended because of the difficulty of the histopathologist to assess the extension and grade of dysplasia at the surgical margins. The comparison of the thermal effect between different studies was impossible due to the presence of methodological heterogeneity.

In terms of the calibre and variety of services offered to end users, smart city management is undergoing a dramatic transformation. The parties involved in delivering pervasive applications can now solve key issues in the big data value chain, including data gathering, analysis, and processing, storage, curation, and real-world data visualisation. This trend is being driven by Industry 4.0, which calls for the servitisation of data and products across all industries, including the field of smart cities, where people, sensors, and technology work closely together. In order to implement reactive services such as situational awareness, video surveillance, and geo-localisation while constantly preserving the safety and privacy of affected persons, the data generated by omnipresent devices needs to be processed fast. This paper proposes a modular architecture to (i) leverage cutting-edge technologies for data acquisition, management, and distribution (such as Apache Kafka and Apache NiFi); (ii) develop a multi-layer engineering solution for revealing valuable and hidden societal knowledge in the context of smart cities processing multi-modal, real-time, and heterogeneous data flows; and (iii) address the key challenges in tasks involving complex data flows and offer general guidelines to solve them. In order to create an effective system for the monitoring and servitisation of smart city assets with a scalable platform that proves its usefulness in numerous smart city use cases with various needs, we deduced some guidelines from an experimental setting performed in collaboration with leading industrial technical departments. Ultimately, when deployed in production, the proposed data platform will contribute toward the goal of revealing valuable and hidden societal knowledge in the context of smart cities.

The COVID-19 pandemic and its virus variants continue to pose a serious and long-lasting threat worldwide. To combat the pandemic, the world’s largest COVID-19 vaccination campaign is currently ongoing. As of July 19th 2021, 26.2% of the world population has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine (1.04 billion), and one billion has been fully vaccinated, with very high vaccination rates in countries like Israel, Malta, and the UEA. Conversely, only 1% of people in low-income countries have received at least one dose with examples of vaccination frequency as low as 0.07% in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is thus of paramount importance that more research on alternate methods to counter cell infection and propagation is undertaken that could be implemented in low-income countries. Moreover, an adjunctive therapeutic intervention would help to avoid disease exacerbation in high-rate vaccinated countries too. Based on experimental biochemical evidence on viral cell fusion and propagation, herein we identify (i) extracellular pH (epH), (ii) temperature, and (iii) humidity and osmolarity as critical factors. These factors are here in discussed along with their implications on mucus thick layer, proteases, abundance of sialic acid, vascular permeability and exudate/edema. Heated, humidified air containing sodium bicarbonate has long been used in the treatment of certain diseases, and here we argue that warm inhalation of sodium bicarbonate might successfully target these endpoints. Although we highlight the molecular/cellular basis and the signalling pathways to support this intervention, we underscore the need for clinical investigations to encourage further research and clinical trials. In addition, we think that such an approach is also important in light of the high mutation rate of this virus originating from a rapid increase.

Background: The most used types of retention of implant-supported prostheses are screw-retained or cement-retained restorations. The advantages and disadvantages of both have been identified by various authors over the years. However, cement-retained implant crowns and fixed partial dentures are among the most used types of restorations in implant prostheses, due to their aesthetic and clinical advantages. When cemented prostheses are made on implants, the problem of cement residues is important and often associated with biological implant pathologies. The objective of this research was to establish to what extent the techniques to reduce excess cement really affect the volume of cement residues. Materials and Methods: This review was written following the PRISMA statement; a detailed search was carried out in three different electronic databases—PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane Library. The inclusion criteria were prospective clinical studies, with at least 10 participants per group, and with at least 6 months of the follow-up period. Results: There have been many proposals for techniques supposed to reduce the amount of excess cement in the peri-implant sulcus and on the prosthetic components, but of these, which are exceptional in their in vitro capabilities, very few have been clinically validated, and this represents the real limitation and a great lack of knowledge regarding this topic. Three articles met the inclusion criteria, which were analyzed and compared, to obtain the information necessary for the purposes of the systematic review. Discussion: Extraoral cementation can reduce the excess cement, which, after a normal excess removal procedure, is, nevertheless, of such size that it does not affect the possibility of peri-implant pathologies developing. All these studies concluded that a small amount of cement residue is found in the gingival sulcus, and using eugenol-free oxide cements, the residues were only deposited on the metal surfaces, with a better peri-implant tissues health. Conclusion: Despite the limitations of this study, it was possible to carefully analyze these characteristics and obtain valuable suggestions for daily clinical practice. Resinous cements are considered, due to the free monomers present in them, toxic for the soft tissues. The provisional zinc-oxide cements, also eugenol-free, represent the ideal choice. The different grades of retentive forces provided by these cements do not seem to have clinical effects on the decementation of restorations.

(1) Background: the frequency with which diagnostic tests are prescribed with exposure to ionizing radiation, a cause of biological damage, has been studied, and with much more attention, patients are subjected to these diagnostic tests for diagnosis and follow-up. This review aimed, given the recent developments of this technology, to evaluate the possible use of ultrasound in different branches of dentistry. The possibility of applying ionizing-radiation-free diagnostic exams in dentistry, overcoming the limits of this application, has led scientific research in this area to obtain interesting results that bode well for the future. (2) Methods: a search for articles on the application of ultrasounds in dentistry was performed using the PubMed electronic database. (3) Results: only 32 studies were included, and these clearly stated that this examination is widely usable and in great progress. (4) Conclusions: regarding the modern application techniques of this diagnostic test, it is essential to consider technological evolution as an objective to reduce the damage and side effects of necessary diagnostic tests. The use of ultrasound in dentistry can represent a valid radiation-free alternative, in certain contexts, to the other most used exams.

The oral cavity is composed of about 300 million species of bacteria that occupy various ecological niches [...]

This narrative review aims to evaluate the current evidence for the application of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a radiation-free diagnostic exam, in some fields of dentistry. Background: Radiographic imaging plays a significant role in current first and second level dental diagnostics and treatment planning. However, the main disadvantage is the high exposure to ionizing radiation for patients. Methods: A search for articles on dental MRI was performed using the PubMed electronic database, and 37 studies were included. Only some articles about endodontics, conservative dentistry, implantology, and oral and craniofacial surgery that best represented the aim of this study were selected. Results: All the included articles showed that MRI can obtain well-defined images, which can be applied in operative dentistry. Conclusions: This review highlights the potential of MRI for diagnosis in dental clinical practice, without the risk of biological damage from continuous ionizing radiation exposure.

Introduction and Aim. In case of peri-implantitis, resective surgery is contraindicated for short and ultrashort implants, limiting the treatment options to regenerative surgery or to implant removal. This retrospective case series presents the clinical and radiographic outcomes of a surgical regenerative procedure to treat peri-implantitis around short and ultrashort implants. Materials and Methods. The study is a retrospective evaluation of patients suffering from peri-implantitis and those who underwent access flap surgery, concomitant chemical and mechanical decontamination of implant surface, and bone grafting using a self-hardening mixture of bone substitutes and biphasic calcium sulfate. No membranes were applied to cover the grafting material, and primary tension-free closure was achieved. The retrospective protocol was reviewed and approved by the Ethics Committee for Clinical Sperimentation (CESC) of Verona and Rovigo, Italy (based in the University of Verona) (Prog. 1863CESC. Date of approval: 2018-07-04). Results. 15 patients (17 implants) have been diagnosed with peri-implantitis after a mean follow-up of 24 months after loading. Implant length was between 5 and 8 mm. 8 patients (10 implants) had a history of periodontitis. At baseline, the mean PD (probing pocket dept) at the deepest site was 8.12 mm, with an average mBI (modified bleeding index) of 2.35 and a mean BD (bone defect depth) of 3.04 mm. At the 3-year follow-up, the CSR was 100%, the mean mBI was 0.88 (average reduction: −1.47), the mean PD was 3.35 mm (mean PD reduction: 4.77 mm), and the mean bone defect was reduced by 1.74 mm, with a mean bone fill of 55%. Conclusions. The results of the present case series suggest that if accurate surface decontamination is achieved, high survival rate and good clinical and radiographic results can be obtained after 3 years. However, only the histological examination could confirm the growth of new bone in direct contact with the implant surface or if the grafted material only fills the space left by the peri-implant defect.

The purpose of this report is to evaluate the applicability of a novel Print and Try technique in the presence of aberrant endodontic anatomies and to achieve a predictable treatment with improved outcome. According to guidelines, cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) is recommended in the presence of complex anatomies. The volumes were utilized to produce a stereo lithographic (STL) file, from which a 3D-plastic tooth model including a hollow root canal system was obtained. The 3D-patient-specific model facilitates the treatment planning and the trial of therapeutic approaches. Using a transparent material, all the treatment steps could be directly visualized. Subsequently, endodontic therapy could be performed in vivo with reduced operating time and with a better overview. Clinicians benefit from the Print and Try technique when facing a complicated root canal system with reduced stress and higher chances of success. In aberrant endodontic anatomies, the use of a transparent 3D plastic model, derived from the CBCT dicom, provides an exact preview of clinical challenges that will be met intra-operatively. A patient centered tailored approach to shaping, cleaning, and filling strategies can be applied.

The aims of the present study were to propose a new machine for testing the bending behavior of an instrument at multiple specific points along the cutting surface and to compare the influence of proprietary heat treatment on the bending ability of EdgeTaper (ET), Protaper Universal (PTU), EdgeTaper Platinum (ETP), and Protaper Gold (PTG). A total of 320 instruments were examined in the present study: 80 ET, 80 PTU, 80 ETP, and 80 PTG. The bending ability of all instruments was tested at a 45° angle and on three different portions of the instrument at 3, 6, and 9 mm from the tip using a customized device. Statistical analysis showed significant differences among each single instrument of the series and between ET and PTU as well as ETP and PTG. The bending behavior of a nickel–titanium rotary instrument is its ability to bend without any plastic deformation. This feature, according to the results of the present study, is variable along the cutting surface; therefore, it should be evaluated. Due to the present testing device, it would be possible to obtain reliable and trustworthy information about an instrument’s bending ability.

Protaper Universal (PTU), Protaper Gold (PTG) (Maillefer, Ballaigues, CH), EdgeTaper (ET), and EdgeTaper Platinum (ETP) (Albuquerque, NM, USA) were tested for both torsional and flexural resistance. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the influence of proprietary heat treatment on the metallurgical properties of the aforementioned instruments. Four groups of 30 different instruments (size 20.07) were tested, then divided into two subgroups of 15 instruments—one for the cyclic fatigue test in a curved canal (90°—2 mm radius) at 300 rpm and 2.5 Ncm. The time to fracture (TtF) and fragment length (FL) were recorded. The other subgroup was subjected to the torsional test (300 rpm, 5.5 Ncm). The torque to fracture and TtF were recorded. All the instruments underwent a SEM analysis. The heat-treated instruments showed a significantly higher fatigue resistance than the non-heat-treated instruments (p < 0.05). No significant differences were found in the torsional resistance between the ET and PTU, and the ETP and PTG. However, when comparing all the groups, the heat-treated instruments showed less torsional resistance. The improvement from heat treatment was mainly found in the cyclic fatigue resistance.

Alberto Verrotti1, Alessandra Cicconetti2, Barbara Scorrano2, Domenico De Berardis2,3, Carla Cotellessa2, Francesco Chiarelli1, Filippo Maria Ferro21Department of Pediatrics; 2Department of Oncology and Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, University “G. d’Annunzio” of Chieti, Italy; 3Department of Mental Health, Teramo, ItalyAbstract: Depression and suicide tendencies are common in chronic diseases, especially in epilepsy and diabetes. Suicide is one of the most important causes of death, and is usually underestimated. We have analyzed several studies that compare mortality as a result of suicide in epileptic patients and in the general population. All the studies show that epileptic patients have a stronger tendency toward suicide than healthy controls. Moreover it seems that some kinds of epilepsy have a higher risk for suicide (temporal-lobe epilepsy). Among the risk factors are surgery therapy (suicide tendency five times higher than patients in pharmacological therapy), absence of seizures for a long time, especially after being very frequent, and psychiatric comorbidity (major depression, anxiety-depression disorders, personality disorders, substance abuse, psychoses). The aim of the review was to analyze the relationship between suicide and epilepsy, to identify the major risk factors, and to analyze effective treatment options.Keywords: epilepsy, suicide, depression

Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) holds the promise of a secure exchange of cryptographic material between applications that have access to the same network of QKD nodes, interconnected through fiber optic or satellite links. Worldwide several such networks are being deployed at a metropolitan level, where edge computing is already offered by the telco operators to customers as a viable alternative to both cloud and on-premise hosting of computational resources. In this paper, we investigate the implications of enabling QKD for edge-native applications from a practical perspective of resource allocation in the QKD network and the edge infrastructure. Specifically, we consider the dichotomy between aggregating all the applications on the same source–destination path vs. adopting a more flexible micro-flow approach, inspired from Software Defined Networking (SDN) concepts. Our simulation results show that there is a fundamental trade-off between the efficient use of resources and the signaling overhead, which we managed to diminish with the use of suitable hybrid solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The possibility to insert immediately-loaded implants in post-extraction sites where previously inserted implants had failed and had never received a prosthesis has not been sufficiently studied to the present day. Only few articles in the literature address this problem. The aim of the present study was to evaluate crestal bone remodeling around implants with a platform-switched design inserted and loaded immediately after the failure of the previous implants. This study has a follow-up of 36 months. Failed implants that had never received a prosthesis have been removed in 68 patients. In the present study 10 patients, whose bone crest measured at least 8 mm in width, were selected and 16 immediately loaded implants with a platform-switched design and a sandblasted and acid etched SLA surface, (Winsix®, Biosaf srl, Italy) were placed. Statistically significant differences were observed in crestal bone remodeling between 12 and 36 months (p0.05). The values of periodontal indices have sometimes been borderline, although they returned normal later on. The cumulative success-rate of all the 16 implants inserted was of 93.75%, while the survival rate was 100%. Results show that immediately loaded platform-switched implants are a practicable solution for the rehabilitation of sites of early failed implants.

We report the observation of acid-fast Cyclospora cayetanensis oocysts in a sputum sample. The patient, a 60 year-old, HIV negative man, was successfully treated for pulmonary tuberculosis during 1997. On February 1998, he was admitted to our center due to loss of weight, cough with purulent expectoration, dysphonia and a radiological picture of pulmonary fibrosis. Bacilloscopic study of sputum (negative for acid-fast bacilli) stained with Ziehl-Neelsen technique showed large (8-10 µm) spherical, acid-fast Cyclospora cayetanensis oocysts. No other pathogens were isolated on cultures from this sample or from laryngeal biopsy. Serial parasitologic studies showed C. cayetanensis and also eggs of Trichuris trichiura, Ascaris lumbricoides and Hymenolepis nana and of Entamoeba coli cysts. The patient lives in the outskirts of Buenos Aires in a brick-made house with potable water and works as builder of sewers. He travelled in several occasions to the rural area of province of Tucumán which has poor sanitary conditions. C. cayetanensis is an emergent agent of diarrhea and as far as we know this is the first time the parasite is observed in respiratory samples.Comunicamos a observação de grandes oocistos (8-10 µm de diâmetro) esféricos, ácido-álcool-resistentes de Cyclospora cayetanensis em amostra de escarro corada com a técnica de Ziehl-Neelsen. Na amostra não foram observados nem cultivados outros agentes patogênicos. Trata-se de um paciente do sexo masculino, 60 anos de idade, HIV (-), tratado previamente para tuberculose pulmonar (1997). Em fevereiro de 1998 apresentou-se em nosso hospital com perda de peso, tosse com expectoração purulenta, disfonia e imagens radiológicas de fibrose pulmonar. As culturas das amostras de escarro e da biopsia de laringe foram negativas. O exame parasitológico seriado de fezes mostrou ovos de Ascaris lumbricoides, Hymenolepis nana e Trichuris trichiura e cistos de Entamoeba coli. O paciente mora nos arredores de Buenos Aires numa casa de alvenaria com água potável e é construtor de fossas (cloacas). Realizou varias viagens à zona rural da província de Tucumán. Cyclospora cayetanensis é um agente emergente de diarréia e esta é, até onde nós sabemos, a primeira observação de oocistos deste parasito em amostra de vias respiratórias.