1,720,980 research outputs found
Retracted articles in endodontic-related literature: an analysis of 60 cases
No full textA B S T R A C T INTRODUCTION: The number of retracted articles in the bio-medical field, including dentistry, is increasing. The objective of this study was to identify retracted articles in endodontic-related literature and outline their main characteristics. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: The Medline and Scopus databases were searched in January 2024. Additional records were identified by consulting the online database www.retractiondatabase.org. Retracted articles concerning endodontic topics and the relative retraction notes were retrieved and relevant data extracted. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: Sixty articles were identified, published between 2004 and 2022, with a mean of 3.0±2.3 retracted articles per year. The number of retracted articles per year did not significantly grow over time. The average time between the article and retraction note publication was 36.1±22.3 months. The majority of articles originated from Asia and were in-vitro studies. Only 6.7% of the articles were retracted due to honest errors. The main reasons of retraction were image/data manipulation (20%), plagiarism (18%), unavailability of raw data (10%), authorship issues (10%) and publication process issues (10%). A single research group accounted for 17 retractions. CONCLUSIONS: Unlike the dental field, the number of retracted articles in endodontics has not increased significantly over the time period considered. Despite this, controls against research misconduct must be increased to preserve the credibility of scientific research
Aptamer-enriched scaffolds for tissue regeneration: a systematic review of the literature
Full text linkIntroduction: Aptamers are a brand-new class of receptors that can be exploited to improve the bioactivity of tissue engineering grafts. The aim of this work was to revise the current literature on in vitro and in vivo studies in order to i) identify current strategies adopted to improve scaffold bioactivity by aptamers; ii) assess effects of aptamer functionalization on cell behavior and iii) on tissue regeneration. Methods: Using a systematic search approach original research articles published up to 30 April 2022, were considered and screened. Results: In total, 131 records were identified and 18 were included in the final analysis. Included studies showed that aptamers can improve the bioactivity of biomaterials by specific adsorption of adhesive molecules or growth factors from the surrounding environment, or by capturing specific cell types. All the studies showed that aptamers ameliorate scaffold colonization by cells without modifying the physicochemical characteristics of the bare scaffold. Additionally, aptamers seem to promote the early stages of tissue healing and to promote anatomical and functional regeneration. Discussion: Although a metanalysis could not be performed due to the limited number of studies, we believe these findings provide solid evidence supporting the use of aptamers as a suitable modification to improve the bioactivity of tissue engineering constructs
The top 100 most-cited articles in dentistry by authors with Italian affiliation
No full textIntroduction: Analyzing highly-cited articles can provide a retrospective assessment of research evolution and predict future developments. The aim of this study was to carry out a bibliometric analysis of the 100 most-cited articles in dentistry by authors with an Italian affiliation.
Evidence acquisition: All the articles published in journals indexed under the Scopus category "Dentistry" and with at least one author affiliated to any Italian institution were searched in September 2022. The 100 most-cited articles were selected and relevant data were extracted and summarized. The analysis of co-authorship at country level and co-occurrence of keywords was carried out.
Evidence synthesis: The 100 most-cited articles were published between 1976 and 2020. The number of citations ranged from 235 to 1683, with a mean of 361. The series included 25 citation classics (>400 citations). The majority of articles were classified as expert opinion/narrative reviews (N.=47). Almost half of the articles refer to three predominant disciplines which were implantology, periodontology and restorative dentistry. Only two articles were single-authored. In 30 articles, all the authors had an Italian affiliation and the US was the most frequent country for non-Italian authors. Only one article was published in journals owned by a non-Italian publisher.
Conclusions: The present series of highly-cited articles confirms the important role of Italy in dental research. We found an absence of correlation between the level of evidence and the number of citations and a non-homogeneous distribution of highly-cited papers in the different dental disciplines. The majority of articles included in the series shared international co-authorship and were published in high-impact journals
Preparation of hybrid samples for scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled to focused ion beam (FIB) analysis: A new way to study cell adhesion to titanium implant surfaces
Full text linkThe study of the intimate connection occurring at the interface between cells and titanium implant surfaces is a major challenge for dental materials scientists. Indeed, several imaging techniques have been developed and optimized in the last decades, but an optimal method has not been described yet. The combination of the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with a focused ion beam (FIB), represents a pioneering and interesting tool to allow the investigation of the relationship occurring at the interface between cells and biomaterials, including titanium. However, major caveats concerning the nature of the biological structures, which are not conductive materials, and the physico-chemical properties of titanium (i.e. color, surface topography), require a fine and accurate preparation of the sample before its imaging. Hence, the aim of the present work is to provide a suitable protocol for cell-titanium sample preparation before imaging by SEM-FIB. The concepts presented in this paper are also transferrable to other fields of biomaterials research
Awareness and attitude among general dentists and orthodontists toward obstructive sleep apnea in children
Full text linkAim: This study aimed to investigate Italian dentists’ knowledge of and attitudes toward obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in children.
Methods: An anonymous questionnaire was prepared using Google Forms and sent to dentists in Italy through private social platforms. The first part of the questionnaire contained basic demographic data questions, and the second part included items about pediatric OSA.
Results: A total of 125 responses were collected within 1 month. The interviews revealed gaps in undergraduate and post-graduate training on OSA, and consequently, low self-evaluation of knowledge and self-confidence in managing young patients with OSA. Dentists showed unfavorable attitudes and poor knowledge of the general findings, risk factors, and consequences of pediatric OSA but demonstrated good knowledge of the beneficial effects of rapid maxillary expansion. Orthodontists showed a more favorable attitude and better recognition of the craniofacial features associated with OSA. In addition, a comparison was made between dentists who had graduated more than 5 years ago and new graduates, and differences were found in undergraduate education, which was better for new graduates, and a small number of questions were better answered by experienced dentists.
Conclusion: This study showed a lack of knowledge about pediatric OSA and its management among Italian dentists, revealing the need to update the dentistry curriculum and organize educational interventions
CeF3-ZnO scintillating nanocomposite for self-lighted photodynamic therapy of cancer
Full text linkWe report on the synthesis and characterization of a composite nanostructure based on the coupling of cerium fluoride (CeF3) and zinc oxide (ZnO) for applications in self-lighted photodynamic therapy. Self-lighted photodynamic therapy is a novel approach for the treatment of deep cancers by low doses of X-rays. CeF3 is an efficient scintillator: when illuminated by X-rays it emits UV light by fluorescence at 325 nm. In this work, we simulate this effect by exciting directly CeF3 fluorescence by UV radiation. ZnO is photo-activated in cascade, to produce reactive oxygen species. This effect was recently demonstrated in a physical mixture of distinct nanoparticles of CeF3 and ZnO [Radiat. Meas. (2013) 59:139–143]. Oxide surface provides a platform for rational functionalization, e.g., by targeting molecules for specific tumors. Our composite nanostructure is stable in aqueous media with excellent optical coupling between the two components; we characterize its uptake and its good cell viability, with very low intrinsic cytotoxicity in dark
Testosterone Enanthate: An In Vitro Study of the Effects Triggered in MG-63 Cells
Full text linkThe aim of this study was to investigate the effects of the androgenic hormone testosterone enanthate (TE) on human MG-63 cells. MG-63 were cultured for 24 h in the presence of TE at increasing concentrations to assess its lethal dose. Therefore, the suitable concentration for a prolonged use of TE in vitro was assessed by viability assay over 9 days. Finally, MG-63 were exposed to TE for 14 days and assayed for differentiation by qPCR and Alizarin Red S staining. TE in the amount of 100 µM resulted as the maximum dose tolerated by MG-63 cells after 24 h. However, a prolonged exposure in culture TE in the amount of 100 µM showed a cytostatic effect on cell proliferation. On the contrary, TE 10 µM was tolerated by the cells and did not boost cell proliferation, but did enhance new bone formation, as revealed by COL1A1, ALPL, BGLAP, and IBSP gene expression after 3, 7, and 14 days, and calcium deposition by Alizarin Red S staining after 14 days. Based on the current study, 10 µM is the critical dose of TE that should be used in vitro to support bone differentiation of MG-63 cells
Sub-Micropillar Spacing Modulates the Spatial Arrangement of Mouse MC3T3-E1 Osteoblastic Cells.
Full text linkSurface topography is one of the main factors controlling cell responses on implanted devices and a proper definition of the characteristics that optimize cell behavior may be crucial to improve the clinical performances of these implants. Substrate geometry is known to affect cell shape, as cells try to optimize their adhesion by adapting to the irregularities beneath, and this in turn profoundly affects their activity. In the present study, we cultured murine calvaria MC3T3-E1 cells on surfaces with pillars arranged as hexagons with two different spacings and observed their morphology during adhesion and growth. Cells on these highly ordered substrates attached and proliferated effectively, showing a marked preference for minimizing the inter-pillar distance, by following specific pathways across adjacent pillars and displaying consistent morphological modules. Moreover, cell behavior appeared to follow tightly controlled patterns of extracellular protein secretion, which preceded and matched cells and, on a sub-cellular level, cytoplasmic orientation. Taken together, these results outline the close integration of surface features, extracellular proteins alignment and cell arrangement, and provide clues on how to control and direct cell spatial order and cell morphology by simply acting on inter-pillar spacing
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