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Present-day geography is inconceivable in the absence of GIS software. The students and staff of the Faculty of Geography within the University of Bucharest use both proprietary GIS software and Open Source computer programmes. Consequently, this study aims at identifying to what extent each of them is used for various tasks and what is the students' perception of the GIS Open Source tools. For this purpose, we applied an online questionnaire (with 16 items) to which 154 students from various years of study (undergraduate and master students) and from various study programmes responded willingly. Even though the results cannot be generalised, they prove to be useful due to the information they provide. The main issues addressed by the questionnaire items were the following: the experience in working with computer and GIS software, the daily average working time, the types of software students use at home and during their classes, the illegal use of proprietary software, what software students would choose, etc. We insisted on the reasons why students choose or reject the GIS Open Source software.

Choropleth maps combined with diagram maps are frequently used in geography. For this reason, based on the maps developed by students, the study aims at the following: identifying and analyzing the errors made by the students; establishing and analyzing the competence level of the students; identifying the causes that led to these errors; and finding the best solutions to improve both the educational process aiming at the formation of this kind of competences and the students' results. The map assessment was accomplished during two academic years (2013-2014 and 2014-2015), in the aftermath of the activities meant to train the competence. We assessed 105 maps prepared by the students in Cartography (Faculty of Geography, University of Bucharest) based on an analytical evaluation grid, with dichotomous scale, comprising 15 criteria. This tool helped us identify the errors made by the students, as well as their competence level. By applying a questionnaire, we identified the source of the errors from the students' perspective, while by comparing the errors and the competence levels at the end of the two academic years we were able to come up with potential solutions for the improvement of the teaching and learning process.

Aim: To evaluate the shape of the craniofacial complex in patients with tooth agenesis and compare it to matched controls. Subjects and methods: The sample comprised 456 patients that were allocated to three groups: the agenesis group of 100 patients with at least one missing tooth, excluding third molars, the third molar agenesis group (3dMAG; one to four missing third molars) of 52 patients and the control group (CG) of 304 patients with no missing teeth. The main craniofacial structures depicted on lateral cephalograms were digitized and traced with 15 curves and 127 landmarks. These landmarks were subjected to Procrustes superimposition and principal component analysis in order to describe shape variability of the cranial base, maxilla and mandible, as well as of the whole craniofacial complex. For statistical analysis, permutation tests were used (10 000 permutations without replacement). Results: Approximately half of the sample's variability was described by the first three principal components. Comparisons within the whole sample revealed sexual dimorphism of the craniofacial complex and its structures (P < 0.01). Differences between the agenesis group and matched controls were found in the shape of all craniofacial structures except for the cranial base (P < 0.05). Specifically, patients with agenesis presented with Class III tendency and hypodivergent skeletal pattern. However, the comparison between the 3dMAG and matched CG revealed no differences. Conclusion: The shape of the craniofacial complex differs in patients with tooth agenesis suggesting that common factors are implicated in tooth development and craniofacial morphology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Objectives: The purpose of this study was to measure the effectiveness of the cervical headgear for distalizing first permanent maxillary molars in relation to hours of use., Methods: This was a one-centre, prospective, clinical study conducted at the Department of Orthodontics, School of Dentistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece. Participants (N = 26; 17 females, 9 males) were patients with no history of orthodontic treatment, no syndromes or clefts, and Angle's Class II malocclusion, where the treatment plan included a cervical headgear. They were instructed to wear the appliance for at least 12 h per day. A TheraMon® microsensor was embedded in the headgear's strap to objectively measure wear-time. To measure tooth movement, pre- and post-treatment digital models were superimposed, using the palate as a reference area; translation and rotation were measured along three axes. Superimposition and movement measurements were made with the Viewbox 4 software., Results: Average treatment time and headgear wear were 130 days and 55 days, respectively, i.e. 10.1 h/day. During this period, distal movement averaged 1.75 mm with high variability (min 0.2 mm, max 4.5 mm). Distal tipping and rotation had an average of approximately 5 °C. Cumulative headgear wear was significantly correlated with distal movement (r2 = 0.32, P < .002), distal tipping (r2 = 0.27, P < .01), and distal rotation around the long axis of the tooth (r2 = 0.20, P < .05)., Conclusion: Compliance is critical for having a successful clinical outcome. Distalization of the molar with a cervical headgear is correlated with the cumulative hours of appliance use, with hours per day being a weaker predictor., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Orthodontic Society. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)