1,721,044 research outputs found

    Oral and maxillofacial radiology in the era of COVID-19: what needs to be done?

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    Emergence of coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has had its effects on many aspects of life. The practice of oral and maxillofacial radiology has also been affected by the ongoing pandemic. This letter to editor highlights some of the challenges of oral and maxillofacial radiology during this era

    Periodontitis and tooth loss have negative systemic impact on circulating progenitor cell levels: A clinical study

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    The aim of the present study was to investigate the association and impact of periodontitis and tooth loss on a subtype of endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) levels (CD133+/KDR+). Furthermore, the objective was to determine if the periodontal status influenced CD133+/KDR+ levels. In all, 88 patients with periodontitis and 79 healthy controls (HCs) were enrolled in the study. Enrolled patients were examined and characterized by clinical and blood sample analysis. Spearman’s correlation test was applied in order to assess the interdependence between CD133+/KDR+ levels and all periodontal parameters. In order to estimate a statistically significant trend (p-trend) for ordered CD133++/KDR+ quartiles, the Jonckheere–Terpstra test was applied for all variables. Patients in the periodontitis group presented significantly lower CD133+/KDR+ levels (66.4 (45.5–269.6 cells/μL)) compared to the HC group (76.7 (24.3–313.2 cells/μL), p < 0.001). Lower CD133+/KDR+ levels negatively correlated with C-reactive protein (CRP), with the number of teeth, and with all periodontal parameters (p < 0.001). Moreover, there was a proportional increase in CD133+/KDR+ levels with a progressive increase in number of teeth (p-trend < 0.001), while there was a proportional decrease in CD133+/KDR+ levels with a proportional increase in clinical attachment level (CAL, p-trend = 0.003), probing depth (PD, p-trend = 0.007), and bleeding sites (bleeding on probing (BOP), p-trend < 0.001) as an extent measure of periodontitis. This study demonstrated that patients with periodontitis presented significantly lower CD133+/KDR+ levels compared to HCs. Moreover, all patients presented an increase in the CD133+/KDR+ EPC levels with an extended level of periodontitis and tooth loss

    Three-dimensional stereophotogrammetric analysis of nasolabial soft tissue effects of rapid maxillary expansion: a systematic review of clinical trials

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    Analisi tridimensionale degli effetti dell’espansione mascellare rapida sui tessuti molli nasolabiali mediante stereofotogrammetria: revisione sistematica degli studi clinici. RIASSUNTO: In questa revisione sistematica, è stata analizzata la letteratura per analizzare i cambiamenti tridimensionali dell’area nasolabiale indotti dall’espansione rapida del mascellare (RME) misurati attraverso la stereofotogrammetria. La presente revisione è strutturata secondo lo schema PRISMA-P ed è stata registrata sul portale PROSPERO con il seguente ID: CRD42017079875. I database Pubmed, Cochrane, EBSCO, Scopus, Web of Sciences sono stati consultati senza nessuna restrizione di anno o di status della pubblicazione. 652 articoli sono risultati dalla ricerca iniziale. A seguito del processo di revisione, 11 articoli sono risultati conformi ai criteri di inclusione. Dopo la lettura in extenso dei lavori, 4 pubblicazioni sono state incluse nella seguente revisione. I criteri di selezione sono stati: studi clinici randomizzati e controllati, studi di coorte, studi caso-controllo su pazienti con crossbite uni/bilaterale o deficit trasversale del mascellare o affollamento dentale, pazienti che hanno eseguito espansione rapida del mascellare superiore e che sono stati monitorati mediante stereofotogrammetria. La metodologia eterogenea dei lavori ha reso una meta-analisi impossibile; di conseguenza, è stata eseguita un’accurata analisi degli studi ed una puntuale schematizzazione dei risultati ai fini di rispondere al quesito clinico. La massima distensione della cartilagine alare è stata di 1,41 ± 0,95 mm, la cui rilevanza clinica è questionabile. L’effetto dell’espansione mascellare sull’ampiezza della bocca rimane controverso. In Altindis et al., l’incremento di ampiezza del cavo orale post-trattamento (1,80 mm nel gruppo con RME su bande) è considerato statisticamente significativo, mentre in Baysal et al. il valore di 1,86 mm non risulta un cambiamento statisticamente significativo. Inconsistenze e limitazioni nella popolazione degli studi e nei protocolli di misurazione sono stati individuati all’interno degli articoli. I dati emersi dovrebbero essere confermati con un protocollo metodologicamente conforme, evitando bias di selezione e di misurazione.The aim of this systematic review is to analyse the quality and clinical evidence in the literature analysing, through 3D stereophotogrammetry, the nasolabial soft tissue modifications that may occur after rapid maxillary expansion (RME). This systematic literature review was based on the PRISMA-P statement and was registered in the PROSPERO database with the following protocol ID: CRD42017079875. Pubmed, Cochrane, EBSCO, Scopus, Web of Science databases were searched with no restriction of year or publication status. Selection criteria were: randomised clinical trials, controlled clinical trials, cohort studies, cross-sectional studies, case-control studies on patients with unilateral/bilateral crossbite, transverse maxillary deficiency and crowding, treated with RME and monitored by 3D stereophotogrammetry. 652 articles were retrieved in the initial search. After the review process, 11 full-text articles met inclusion criteria. After the evaluation process, 4 publications were included for the present literature review. Due to the heterogeneous methodology meta-analysis was not possible; consequently, a systematic assessment of the studies and summary of the findings from the available evidence were used to answer the research question. The maximum widening of the alar cartilage is 1.41 ± 0.95 mm, whose clinical significance is open to question. The effect of RME on the mouth width remains controversial. In Altindis et al., the difference between pre-treatment and post-treatment mouth width (1.80 mm increment in the banded RME group) was statistically significant, while in Baysal 1.86 mm was considered a non-significant value. Inconsistencies and limitations in the study population and measurement protocols were detected between studies. These data underline the necessity for updated guidelines that allow to standardise, for this type of study, sample selection, measurement methods and collection of results

    Early-stage diffuse large B-cell lymphoma of the submental region: a case report and review of the literature

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    Lymphomas represent the third most common group of malignant lesions in the oral cavity and maxillofacial region, following squamous cell carcinoma and salivary gland neoplasm[1, 2]. Traditionally, lymphomas are divided into two subtypes, Hodgkin lymphomas (HL) and non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL)[3]. The diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is a rapidly aggressive NHL constituted by big lymphoid cells that can appear as a nodal or extra-nodal disease; about 4% of DLBCL are initially confined to extra-nodal sites[4]. The oral and maxillofacial region is the second most common extra-nodal site, and half of the cases are located in Waldeyer's ring[3]. The tumour may present clinical symptoms and radiographic findings as local swelling, pain or discomfort, ulcer and bone resorption mimicking other pathologic lesions such as periodontal disease, pericoronitis, apical radiolucencies or dental abscesses[5]. We report a case of a patient with DLBCL of the submental region staged at I AE according to the Ann Arbor lymphoma staging system

    Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis

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    The 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

    Variations on the Author

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    “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

    Radiographic assessment of pediatric condylar fractures after conservative treatment with functional appliances—A systematic review

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    Background: To evaluate the effectiveness of conservative treatment with functional appliances for condylar fractures in pediatric age. Methods: Four electronic databases (PubMed, EBSCO, Scopus, and Web of Science) were consulted with no restriction of publication status or year, up to 31 August 2020. Selection criteria: based on the PICOS criteria, the selection criteria were set for observational human studies, with at least 10 patients and six months of follow-up. The study population included pediatric patients (aged 5–16 years), with unilateral or bilateral condylar fracture, treated with functional appliances. Condylar remodeling and mandibular growth were analyzed through sequential radiographic examinations. Data collection and analysis: Two independent reviewers carried out title-abstract screening, and a senior investigator was involved to solve any disagreement. The quality of the evidence was assessed through the Canada Institute of Health Economics (IHE) quality appraisal checklist, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) quality assessment tool. Results: A total of 971 articles were retrieved from the electronic search; among them, three studies met the eligibility criteria. A moderate risk of bias was detected in all the studies, due to common limitations (absence of multicenter studies, prospective design, blindness of the investigators, patients’ drop-out). At follow-up examinations (between 6 months and 4.9 years), the difference of condylar neck length between the “injured” and “healthy” side was approximately 2 mm, while the anteroposterior condylar width discrepancy was recorded up to 1 mm. Conclusions: Short-and long-term data revealed that conservative treatment with functional appliances led to partial or full radiological recovery of the joint morphology, along with good to excellent functional results. Patients’ age has a crucial role on the treatment choice, and the type of fracture (presence of condylar displacement, or dislocation) is also a major prognostic indicator of the radiologic outcome. Limitation: To confirm the effectiveness of functional appliances, more prospective clinical long-term follow-up studies with homogeneous samples of condylar fractures are deemed necessary. Registration: The study protocol was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42020205650)

    Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis

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    We 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

    A Quantitative Evaluation of the Effectiveness of the Metal Artifact Reduction Algorithm in Cone Beam Computed Tomographic Images with Stainless Steel Orthodontic Brackets and Arch Wires: An Ex Vivo Study

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    The presence of high-density and high-atomic number materials results in the generation of artifacts in cone beam computed tomographic (CBCT) images. To minimize artifacts in CBCT images, the metal artifact reduction (MAR) tool was developed. This study aims to quantitatively evaluate the effectiveness of the MAR algorithm in CBCT images of teeth with stainless steel orthodontic brackets with or without arch wires in buccal and lingual positions obtained using the Galileos Sirona CBCT scanner. In this in vitro study, 20 stainless steel brackets were attached to the maxillary dentition from the right second premolar to the left second premolar teeth of a human skull. In the first group, 10 brackets were bonded to the buccal surface, and in the second group, 10 brackets were bonded to the palatal surface of these teeth. CBCT scans were obtained for each group with or without orthodontic stainless steel wires using a Galileos Sirona CBCT scanner with exposure parameters of 85 kVp and 21 mAs. CBCT images were obtained two times with and two times without MAR activation. The DICOM format of the CBCT images was imported to ImageJ software (version 1.54), and the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) was calculated and compared for each bracket in 15 and 20 mm distances and 20, 40, and 90 degrees on each side. Statistical analysis was performed using the t test (α = 0.05). CNR values of different distances and different teeth were not significantly different between the two MAR modes (p > 0.05). MAR activation had a significant impact in increasing CNR and reducing artifacts only when brackets were in palatal (p = 0.03). In the other bracket and wire positions, the effect of the MAR algorithm on CNR was not significant (p > 0.05). In conclusion, MAR activation significantly increased CNR, but only when the brackets were in a palatal position. In the other bracket and wire positions, the effect of the MAR algorithm is not significant
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