Dyschromic lesions (DLs) of tooth enamel are common disorders, with multiple etiologies and various clinical forms, that raise public health concerns. This study aimed to determine the factors that ...influence the perception of DLs and to assess the perceived need for dental treatment in various clinical cases. A paper-based questionnaire with attached images of frontal teeth exhibiting different DLs was distributed to patients, dental students, and dentists. A total of 383 volunteers participated in this study, and their answers were statistically described and analyzed. This study found that in cases with multiple, well-demarcated areas of opacities associated with diffuse opacities on neighboring teeth, most respondents noticed and reported only the most severe lesions, disregarding the minor ones. The contrast of the lesion with the color of the substrate influenced the overall perception and a significant correlation between these two variables was found. However, the color of the DLs did not significantly impact the overall perception of the lesions. A higher overall perception of DLs was significantly correlated with a favorable opinion regarding the need for treatment. Furthermore, gender and medical background were significantly associated with the overall perception of DLs.
Aim of the study To review the characteristics of aesthetic perception in pediatric patients regarding different dental medicine fields. Material and methods A literature search on PubMed and ...ScienceDirect has been performed using the following key terms:”pediatric”, “aesthetics”, “dental,” and “perception”. The inclusion criteria were represented by: recent studies between 2015 and 2023, published in the English language, studies regarding pediatric aesthetic aspects, and 6 to 18 years the subjects’ age (childhood through adolescence). Studies that did not meet inclusion criteria were excluded from this review. As a result, a number of 51 articles were selected. Results The selected articles (N=51) were grouped into five categories, as follows: the perception of aesthetic aspects regarding dental issues: colour, number, shape, size, and structure in pediatric dentistry (N=17); dentofacial aesthetics (N=7); the impact of dentofacial aesthetics on health-related quality of life in children (N=13); aesthetics of dental prosthetics and restorations in pediatric dentistry (N=5); and aesthetic aspects of orthodontic treatment and malocclusion (N=9). Conclusions Pediatric patients are aware of many aspects of dentofacial aesthetics; behavioral and psychosocial changes were demonstrated among children and adolescents dissatisfied with the shape of the face, the appearance of the smile, facial symmetry, and the aspects of the lips, chin, nose, or cheeks. Further research is still necessary regarding the perception and self-perception of the aesthetic expectations of dental treatments for children of 3-6 years old age group.
Innovation has been a historical driver for progress. The need for more effective resource utilization has ignited the presence of many innovations in the economic environment. Among others, ...digitalization and internet connectivity are important pillars of development. Our paper aims to provide a few insights related to the question “How can we increase the efficiency of resource utilization in EU-28 countries through Eco-Innovation and Digital Inclusion?” This paper examines the issue of innovation related to the use of natural resources (Eco-innovation) as a determining factor in resource consumption in societies with different levels of digital inclusion. Our analysis is based on clustering of EU-28 Member States using three variables: the degree of digital inclusion, the Eco-Innovation Index, and the degree of resource use. We expect digital inclusion to mediate the relationship between eco-innovation and resource utilization. Clustering might reveal how the Eco-Innovation Index, Digital Inclusion Level, and Resource Productivity Index differ among EU-28 Member States and provide relevant information for prioritization of resource allocation at the EU level. Our approach of clustering based on the three variables considered reveals that countries with a better economy present better performance from the point of view of Digital Inclusion in the context of Eco-Innovation and the use of resources.
Background
Atrial fibrillation (AF) promotes atrial remodeling that in turn promotes AF perpetuation. The aim of our study is to investigate the impact of AF history length on 1‐year outcome of AF ...catheter ablation in a cohort of patients enrolled in the Atrial Fibrillation Ablation Registry.
Methods
We described the real‐life clinical epidemiology, therapeutic strategies, and the short‐ and mid‐term outcomes of 1948 patients (71.9% with paroxysmal AF) undergoing AF ablation procedures, stratified according to AF history duration (<2 years or ≥2 years).
Results
The mean AF history duration was 46.2 ± 57.4 months, 592 patients had an AF history duration <2 years (mean 10.2 ± 5.9 months), and 1356 patients ≥2 years (mean 75.5 ± 63.5 months) (P < 0.001). Patients with AF history duration <2 years were younger; had a lower incidence of hypertension, coronary artery disease, and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy; and had a lower CHA2DS2‐VaSc Score. At 1 year, the logrank test showed a lower incidence of AF recurrence in patients with AF history duration <2 years (28.9%) than in patients with AF history duration ≥2 years (34.0%) (P = 0.037). AF history duration ≥2 years, overall ablation procedure duration, hypertension, and chronic kidney disease were all predictors of recurrences after the blanking period.
Conclusions
In this multicenter registry, performing catheter ablation in patients with an AF history ≥2 years was associated with higher rates of AF recurrences at 1 year. Since cumulative time in AF in not necessarily equivalent to AF history, its role remains to be clarified.
Introduction. The cardiac allograft rejections from the post-transplant period are attributable to the acute cellular rejection monitored by multiple endomyocardial biopsies. Compared to this, ...humoral rejection remains a matter of debate, with multiple therapeutic strategies, poor prognosis, and persisting uncertainty about diagnostic criteria. Acute allograft rejection is associated with significant modifications of the extracellular matrix compartment mainly regulated by matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). In this context, the aim of this study was to evaluate the expression of MMP-2 and -9 and CD31, CD68 (endothelial and histiocytic markers) and the correlations between them using immunohistochemistry, in patients with cardiac allografts.
Materials and methods. Tissue fragments were obtained by endomyocardial biopsy from 5 patients with allograft heart transplant, 2 in the medium post-transplant phase and 2 in late phase. After identifying and characterizing the morphological context the probes were processed by standard immunohistochemical technique using anti-MMP-2 and anti-MMP-9 antibodies (Santa Cruz Biotechnology, Inc.) and anti-CD31, anti-CD68 antibodies (Sigma). The samples were examined using the Olympus BX40 microscope with an Olympus E330 camera attached.
Results and discussions. Sample examination revealed in all 4 cases the lack of IR (-) for CD31 and weak IR (+) for CD68 compared to MMPs, where we found moderate IR (++) for MMP-9 and weak IR (+) for MMP-2. These aspects complets the histological lesional aspects of these cases, indicating the lack of acute rejection. In conclusion, CD31 and CD68 IR correlated with MMPs IR (especially MMP-9) appear to represent predictive markers for cardiac allograft rejection and require further studies.
α, β, θ defensins represent a family of small antimicrobial peptides expressed predominantly by a series of cells, including neutrophils, monocytes-macrophages and epithelial cells that are involved ...in defense mechanisms against viral infections. β-defensins are the most widespread in this family being encountered in oral, digestive, urogenital mucosa and cutaneous lesions. β-defensins directly inactivate certain viruses, including the human papillomavirus(HPV) suppressing viral replication by altering target cells. Considering these aspects, we investigated the immunohistochemical expression of β-defensin-1 and 2 in HPV-induced epithelial lesions. For this study, tumoral and normal mucosal tissue fragments were collected from 10 patients aged between 31-60years, with previously confirmed HPV infection, diagnosed clinically and histopathologically with cervical carcinoma. Patients did not receive any chemotherapy or radiotherapy before the biopsy procedure. The tissue fragments were processed by the standard immunohistochemistry technique using anti-β-defensin-1 and 2 antibodies(Bioss Antibodies). The samples examination revealed weak positive(+) membrane, cytoplasmic and nuclear IR for hβD-1 in basal layer of normal cervical mucosa and moderate positive(++) membrane and cytoplasmic IR in squamous epithelium. For dysplastic HPV-associated tissues we highlighted a nuclear moderate positive(++) IR.For hβD-2, IR in basal layer of the normal mucosa was lower(+) compared with dysplastic cells IR and showed a strong expression(+++) at membrane, cytoplasmic and nuclear level in koilocytes of patients with HPV-associated dysplasia. It was also observed a moderate positive (++) IR in basal layer of dysplastic cells of patients without HPV. The obtained results are in agreement with some literature data, which highlighted the fact that hβD-1 and hβD-2 are very important components of the molecular pattern in HPV-induced lesions.
Colorectal cancer is one of the most widespread global tumor types with a high mortality rate. The survival of these patients depends on the diagnosis at an early stage in order to be able to receive ...proper treatment and improve survival. Research has shown that ezrin is involved in cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions in the development of signaling pathways that fits it into the family of molecules with an important role in tumorigenesis and in tumor progression. Its overexpression and its cytoplasmic localization is associated with a poor prognosis for digestive tract and many other tumors but also is considered an indicator of a high metastatic potential. Regarding all these aspects we have initiated this comparative immunohistochemical study of the expression of ezrin in colorectal cancer versus gastric cancer. The results of this study highlight differences in the expression of ezrin in malignant transformed cells from colonic gastric adenocarcinoma that can be markers of invasiveness and severity of subsequent evolution and complement the molecular specificity of the two tumor localization.
From the variety of direct restorative dental materials, composite resins are considered as having the most esthetic and functional properties. The conservative preparation, esthetic results, good ...mechanical qualities and surface finishing properties of dental composites, combined with the protective properties of fluoride from glass-ionomers, led to a new generation of dental materials: the giomers.
The purpose is to review the available literature about the giomers, regarding the chemical composition, handling properties and esthetics, adhesion and microleakage, fluoride releasing and protection offered, clinical indications.
The search was carried out using ScienceDirect and PubMed databases with the following keywords: giomer, esthetic properties giomers and fluoride releasing giomers. A total of 232 articles were initially selected, with the following inclusion criteria: full text articles, written in English, with topics on the properties and the clinical implications of giomers. Papers presented as abstract were not included. In the next step, review articles, duplicates, and articles in other languages were removed; as a result, a total of 44 sources published between 2004 and 2017 were selected.
The selected articles referred to the following aspects about the giomers: chemical composition (8 articles), adhesion and microleakage (10 articles), fluoride releasing and pulp protection (15 articles), clinical indications (6 articles), effects of additional treatments and dietary habits (11 articles).
Aim: This study identified the incidence of free-kicks in women socer games which were disputed on their own ground. Material and methods: For this purpose, we made a video analysis of the games of ...Selena SN Constanta team, that were disputed on their own ground, in the last three seasons, respectively 2018-2019, 2019-2020 and 2020-2021. Results: It were recorded 55 free-kicks for the Selena team (25 in the first half and 30 in the second half) and 37 free-kicks for the adverse teams (14 in the first half and 23 in the second half). From this, 6 free-kicks were transformed in goals from Selena team, and 4 for the adverse teams. Conclusions: From free-kicks obtained from Selena team, 10.90% were transformed in goals and on the adverse teams, transformation percentage was 10.80%. On the Selena Constanta team, most free-kicks were obtained on the right side of the field, in the attack direction, at distances of 28 and 45 m (12 free-kicks from each). Key words: free-kicks analysis, women soccer, games on their own ground.
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