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The Treatment of Gingival Recessions in the Lower Anterior Region Associated with the Use/Absence of Lingual-Fixed Orthodontics Retainers: Three Case Reports Using the Laterally Closed Tunnel Technique and Parallel Incision Methods
No full textBackground: The prevalence of gingival recessions (GRs) in the global population is 78%. A long-term study showed a 47% increase in the prevalence of GRs five years post-orthodontic treatment, particularly in the lower anterior region. It can be caused and/or exacerbated after orthodontic treatment, where the retainer placed can induce tooth movement or when it fails to maintain a passive position upon bonding. Thus, the goal of this case report was to present treatments for gingival recessions, with the approaches of the laterally closed tunnel technique and parallel incision methods, after orthodontic treatment in patients using non-passive lingual retainers. Methods: This case report adhered to the CARE guidelines. Three healthy patients were referred due to GR defects in the lower anterior region (RT1 and RT2). All patients had GR associated with deficient lingual-fixed orthodontics retainers. The same experienced periodontist (ATD) developed the surgeries and aimed to achieve root coverage using the connective tissue graft associated with a coronally advanced flap (CAF) and modify the recipient area’s gingival phenotype. Results: In all cases, a new orthodontic treatment was not possible due to anatomical or patient-related factors. Outcomes after six months, three years, and five years are presented, encompassing clinical and esthetic evaluations. Conclusions: GRs must always be addressed by orthodontic therapy or lingual-fixed orthodontic retainers. In cases where dental elements are positioned outside the bone envelope, orthodontic treatment may be considered before root coverage surgery. Therefore, surgical intervention should be undertaken for the keratinized tissue and volume gain, independently of the tooth position. Modifying the phenotype in these situations is vital for the long-term maintenance of periodontal health
One Less: Single-Incision Laparoscopic Appendectomy Facilitates Postoperative Opioid Avoidance
No full textBackground: Opioid use has become an epidemic problem. There has been a recent push toward strategies that minimize postoperative opioid use. Appendectomy is one of the most common procedures performed in the pediatric population. Single-incision appendectomy through the umbilicus is a safe and well-tolerated procedure. The aim of this project was to review opioid utilization in children who have undergone single incision appendectomy for perforated and nonperforated appendicitis. Methods: A retrospective review, approved by the University of Illinois College of Medicine Institutional Review Board, of 500 patients at a single institution under the age of 18 who had an appendectomy between May 1, 2018, and December 1, 2021, was performed. A final population cohort of 432 was assembled after excluding non-single-incision cases (67) and non-appendectomy cases (1). Outcomes of interest were length of stay, age, appendix perforation status, and opioids at discharge status. All patients were sent home without opioids. Results: A total of 432 patients underwent a single incision laparoscopic appendectomy, with an overall average length of stay of 2.1 days, average age of 11.1 years, and zero patients were sent home on opioids. The perforated appendix population (n = 169) yielded a less than 4-day stay, an average age of 10.33 years, and 61.5% male. Meanwhile, the nonperforated appendix population (n = 264) revealed a 0.8-day stay, an average age of 11.59, years and 54.2% male. The differences between perforated and nonperforated appendectomies are significant for average length of stay (P \u3c .001) and average age (P \u3c .01). Conclusion: Being cognizant of opioid utilization in the management of postoperative pain control is important to address the current opioid crisis. The single incision laparoscopic approach for pediatric appendectomy can potentially decrease the need for postoperative narcotics. No children were sent home with narcotics in our population. The procedure is well tolerated and can be performed with traditional laparoscopic equipment
Assessing the Alignment Between Pharmacists’ Reported Tasks and Employer-Advertised Skills
No full textObjective: This study examined the alignment between and changes within the tasks performed by pharmacists and skills sought by pharmacist employers from 2012 to 2022. Methods: The United States Department of Labor\u27s Occupational Information Network (O*NET) surveys a random sample of employees in targeted occupations every 5 years and provides a publicly available database allowing exploration of the frequency with which essential tasks are performed and perceived relevance and importance. Lightcast (formerly Burning Glass) provides labor market analytics of job advertisements; cross-sectional and longitudinal data can be filtered according to occupation, industry, location, and area of specialty. A crosswalk was developed between the top 20 most frequently performed pharmacist tasks (O*NET) and the most frequently-advertised skills by employers for pharmacist positions (Lightcast). Results: The 5 most frequently performed pharmacist tasks changed minimally over the period, including prescription review and drug information and advice. There was a consistent upward trend in the frequency of interprofessional collaborations and informatics and a downward trend in compounding. Advertised skills fluctuated over the period, with business and management skills most desired. There was a decline in sought-after experience in specific health care settings and some fundamental clinical skills. Emerging skills pertained to patient care, such as vaccination, allergies, diabetes, and wellness. Conclusion: The fact that prescription review remains the top task from O*NET over the past 10 years and the top advertised skill in Lightcast is patient care underscores the contemporary misalignment and highlights a potential discrepancy in the emphasis of pharmacy education
Enhancing Clinical Preparedness in Endodontics Through Hands-On Faculty Mentorship
No full textThis study objectively looks at whether clinical confidence and preparedness for endodontics in dental students may be optimized with hands-on mentorship and progressive training during the D3 year. Students face challenges with transitioning from simulation-based training to patient-centered clinical practice. Students’ self-assessed preparedness and confidence with performing endodontic procedures after participating in a novel, hands-on mentoring program was assessed using an original survey via Qualtrics. The program included guided D3 experiences conducting endodontic procedures on extracted teeth under faculty guided, personalized instruction. Among the key results were that 88% felt that they were better prepared for D4 rotations and 96% reported that they found the D3 mentorship process superior to simulation training. Student confidence was also significantly improved, with self-assessed preparedness increasing from 52% to 69% following the D3 experience. This study emphasizes the value of experiential learning in bridging theoretical knowledge and practice, responding to the diversity of human tooth anatomy, and preparing students for clinical practice. Instruments like 3-D printed models and extracted teeth enabled skill acquisition, and the faculty strengthened both critical decision-making and procedural precision. Future efforts include the incorporation of earlier live-patient training within the curriculum, the development of a formalized assessment process to monitor longitudinal outcomes, and an increased number of faculty available for mentorship. In this way, these strategies are aimed at refining endodontic education so that dental students become better prepared for clinical practice after graduation
Aβ40 Improves Cerebrovascular Endothelial Function via NOX4-Dependent Hydrogen Peroxide Release
No full textAlzheimer’s disease (AD) is associated with an abnormal accumulation of amyloid β (Aβ) fibrils in the brain parenchyma and cerebrovasculature, which leads to cognitive impairment and cerebrovascular dysfunction. Cerebrovascular endothelial cells play a crucial role in regulating cerebral blood flow, vascular permeability, and neurovascular function. Reactive oxygen species (ROS), particularly those generated by nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase 2 (NOX2), contribute to vascular dysfunction and amyloid deposition in the Alzheimer’s disease (AD) brain. However, the role of the NOX4 isoform in AD pathogenesis remains to be examined. In the present study, we found that NOX4 among the NOX isoforms is predominantly expressed in bEnd.3 mouse brain endothelial cells. Treatment with Aβ40 significantly enhanced the release of H2O2 and NO, and increased the endothelial cell viability. To test the involvement of NOX4 in Aβ40-induced H2O2 production, we utilized pharmacological inhibitors of NOX isoforms. Aβ40-induced H2O2 production was attenuated in the presence of the pan-NOX inhibitor, apocynin, or the NOX1/4-selective inhibitors, setanaxib and GKT136901. Since only the NOX4 isoform is expressed in bEnd.3 cells, these results indicate that NOX4 is responsible for the release of H2O2 stimulated by Aβ40. Taken together, the present study demonstrated that Aβ40 peptide exerts beneficial effects in bEnd.3 endothelial cells via the NOX4-dependent mechanism
Effect of positional asymmetry palpatory models on improvement and retention of accuracy during pelvic asymmetry assessments
No full textContext: Asymmetry of bony landmarks, such as the anterior superior iliac spine (ASIS) or posterior superior iliac spine (PSIS), is often utilized to identify somatic dysfunction in the pelvis. However, establishing good accuracy for these assessments can be challenging, so objective training models have been developed to enhance learning and accuracy. Objectives: The objective of this study was to determine the effect of training with positional asymmetry models with objective feedback on the improvement and retention of pelvic asymmetry assessment accuracy. Methods: First-year osteopathic medical students and undergraduate interns were recruited for model training. After a basic technique demonstration, they completed a 72-question baseline assessment on the ASIS and PSIS models. Subsequent training was conducted for 5 h per week (1 h/day) for two consecutive weeks. Model accuracy was assessed four times at baseline, midpoint, final, and retention. Assessments were scored as a percent of the correctly identified asymmetries, and change scores were calculated by comparison with the previous assessment score (i.e., baseline to midpoint, midpoint to final, final to retention) and overall (baseline to retention). Results: Twelve students (age range, 20.3–29.2 years) participated. At baseline, overall scores were 57.6 % for ASIS and 72.9 % for PSIS models. For ASIS models, the change scores improved from baseline to midpoint (+18.9 %, p\u3c0.001) and from midpoint to final (+6.6 %, p=0.01) but decreased from final to retention (−7.2 %, p=0.01). The overall retention scores were higher than baseline (+18.3 %, p\u3c0.001). For PSIS models, the change scores improved from baseline to midpoint (+13.0 %, p\u3c0.001), and the overall retention scores were higher than baseline (+15.0 %, p\u3c0.001). Conclusions: Training with positional asymmetry models with objective feedback resulted in significant sustained improvements in ASIS and PSIS positional asymmetry assessment accuracy. Integration of these models into the standard medical curriculum should be considered
Correction: Deciphering the Withania somnifera alkaloids potential for cure of neurodegenerative disease: an in-silico study (AMB Express, (2025), 15, 1, (29), 10.1186/s13568-025-01826-4)
No full textIn the original publication of this article (Chen et al. 2025), the affiliation details for Dongdong Zhang were incorrectly given as ‘Department of Neurosurgery, 521 Hospital of Norinco Group, Xi’an 710000, China’ but should have been ‘Department of Neurosurgery, Norinco General Hospital, Xi’an 710065, China’
Deciphering the Withania somnifera alkaloids potential for cure of neurodegenerative disease: an in-silico study
No full textThis study investigates the interaction of alkaloids of Withania somnifera with Glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), an enzyme implicated in the pathology of various neurodegenerative diseases. Initially, the Withania somnifera phytochemicals were optimised then molecular dockings were performed. The molecular docking results identified key interactions between these alkaloids and active sites of the enzyme. Several alkaloids from Withania somnifera exhibited better binding affinities to GAPDH such as Withanolides G, I, and K with binding affinity of -10.1, -10, and − 10 kcal/mol. The binding orientations and stability of these withanolide derivatives complexes GAPDH were investigated through comprehensive molecular dynamics simulations over 100 nanoseconds. The molecular dynamics simulations revealed stable interactions over the simulation period, suggesting a strong binding propensity. Furthermore, we determined the free energy binding profiles with GAPDH using BAR method, whichresulted in improved free energybinding forWithanolide-G and I.The results envisage that withanolides showed excellent bindings and stable interaction with the GAPDH, making them an effective therapeutic agent. The current study providesan excellent platform for developing new therapeutic agents derived from Withania somniferaagainst neurodegenerative diseasesassociated with GAPDH malfunction. These novel results open novel avenues for future research in drug discovery, particularly in developing novel treatments for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and other neurodegenerative diseases where GAPDH dysfunction plays crucial roles.Furthermore, experimental validation is required to validate the results of the current study
Correction to: Skeletal versus conventional anchorage in dentofacial orthopedics: an international modified Delphi consensus study (Progress in Orthodontics, (2025), 26, 1, (9), 10.1186/s40510-025-00556-4)
No full textCorrection: Progress in Orthodontics (2025) 26:9https://doi.org/10.1186/s40510-025-00556-4. Following publication of the original article [1], the authors identified an error in the author name of Spyridon N. Papageorgiou. The incorrect author name is: Spyridon Papageorgiou. The correct author name is: Spyridon N. Papageorgiou. The author group has been updated above and the original article [1] has been corrected
Anterior open bite: Rethinking diagnosis and treatment from a TMJ perspective
No full textAnterior open bite (AOB) has traditionally been diagnosed and treated based on skeletal, dental, and environmental factors. However, emerging evidence underscores the importance of evaluating the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) status as a fundamental component of anterior open bite management. AOB patients frequently exhibit condylar displacement and degenerative joint changes. In such cases, initiating orthodontic treatment without first ensuring TMJ stabilization may compromise outcomes. The use of a stabilization splint allows condylar repositioning into minimizing parafunctional muscle activity and protecting joint structures. In cases of ongoing condylar resorption, splint therapy should precede treatment until remodeling stability is confirmed, with continued monitoring during and after orthodontic care. Recent advances in three-dimensional image technology enable accurate assessment of condylar morphology and position. Integration of cone-beam computed tomography-based virtual articulators and digitally fabricated splints provides clinicians with enhanced tools to diagnose and manage anterior open bite from a TMJ-centered perspective. This approach offers a more predictable and biologically sound pathway to long-term occlusal and joint stability