1,720,964 research outputs found
Effects of Chewing Gum on Plaque Index: A 3-Dimensional Colorimetric Analysis
No full textBackground: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of xylitol- and fluoride-containing chewing gum in reducing dental plaque using a novel 3D colorimetric analysis, and to compare results with the Plaque Control Record (PCR). Methods: An acute intervention study was conducted on 34 healthy adults (18–45 years). A plaque-disclosing solution was applied, and intraoral scans were taken before and after 15 min of gum mastication. Plaque was quantified with PCR and the Placca Read software, which analyzes colorimetric patterns of scanned images. Statistical analyses (Shapiro–Wilk test, paired t-test) were performed with Jamovi Software version 1.6.14. Results: A significant reduction in plaque scores was observed after chewing gum (p < 0.05). Mean reduction reached −14.8% in the experimental group versus −3.9% in controls, where natural saliva flow and pigment washout may explain the modest decline. The 3D analysis provided precise measurements across all dental surfaces and showed strong correlation with PCR, supporting its validity. Conclusions: These findings indicate that functional chewing gum can significantly reduce plaque accumulation even after a single use, and that 3D colorimetric analysis offers a reliable, comprehensive alternative to conventional indices
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Effectiveness of Preformed Myofunctional Devices in the Treatment of Malocclusions: A Pilot Study
No full textIntroduction: Preformed myofunctional appliances are increasingly being studied in orthodontics and are typically used to address oral function anomalies as well as malocclusions and development defects of the jaws. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of a protocol based on the use of preformed devices and myofunctional therapy for the correction of malocclusions. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of a preformed myofunctional devices in correcting certain orthodontic problems related to overbite, overjet, and cross-bite. Thirty-six patients in the mixed dentition phase were analyzed along with their clinical records, photos, and scans. Overjet, Overbite, and Crossbite were measured by analyzing the files exported in the Standard Tesselation Language format (Stl) of patients’ arches using Zeiss Inspect® software (version 2025.1.0.1985). Results: The data analysis reveals a statistically significant improvement in the correction of deep bite, overjet, and crossbite. Specifically, regarding the overbite (OVB), the initial measurement at T0 showed an average of 2.52 mm. The average OVB decreased to 1.73 mm at T1. The overjet had an initial average of 3.59 mm at T0, which decreased to 1.77 mm at T1. In this case as well, the difference between the measurements at T0 and T1 was statistically significant. Finally, the crossbite was evaluated by comparing the difference between mandibular and maxillary intermolar widths at T0 and T1. The average difference decreased from 5.84 mm at T0, to 1.68 mm at T1. Conclusions: Preformed myofunctional appliances represent a valid alternative in interceptive orthodontics for correcting and preventing orthodontic issues, especially of mild severity
Salivary pH after taking coffee with and without sugar
No full textBACKGROUND: Caries weakens and destroys the hard structures of the tooth, affecting up to 90% of the population and which manifests itself very early. The aim of this study was to evaluate the pH variation by taking coffee and coffee with or without sugar having performed or not the usual home oral hygiene. METHODS: Fourteen adult volunteers in good oral health and no history of any type of systemic disease, with PSR2 and DMFT = 0. The oral pH was measured for a total duration of 40 minutes with the aid of a pH Day2® pH meter. In all, 56 surveys were carried out on the 14 volunteers. Five minutes after the base pH procedure, the subject was given an espresso (Nescafè Dolce Gusto, Espresso Intenso, Nestlè, S.A Vevey), with or without sucrose, and the pH measurements continued for another 35 minutes; at the end of which the instrument was turned off, and the instrument data was downloaded to the PC. The volunteers were asked to suspend their routine oral hygiene from the evening before both for the administration of coffee without sucrose and for the administration of coffee with sucrose. In the other two surveys, they were asked to carry out their routine oral hygiene in the case coffee with sugar or without sugar. RESULTS: In all the subjects there was a clear reduction in salivary pH about four minutes after finishing the coffee. Subsequently, in those who had taken coffee without sucrose there was an immediate rise in salivary pH; on the other hand, those who had taken coffee with sugar. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that in order to maintain a basic pH of the oral cavity it is advisable to drink coffee without sugar, and carrying out proper oral hygiene correctly
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
Full text linkWe conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
koamabayili/VECTRON-author-checklist: VECTRON author checklist
No full textWe have done our best to complete the author checklist relating to the use of animals in the hut study. Note that the objective for the hut study was to evaluate the IRS treatment applications for residual efficacy against Anopheles mosquitoes, including the local An. coluzzii mosquito population. Cows were only used to attract mosquitoes into the huts and no tests were carried out directly on the cows. The author checklist is intended for use with studies where experiments are carried out on animals, which is why we have had such difficulty in completing this for the hut study, as many of the questions do not relate to how the cows were used
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