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Safeguarding grapevine biodiversity is one of the main concerns in viticulture today. Management of ex situ collections requires a comprehensive characterization of the conserved germplasm to provide basic material for selection and breeding programs. In this study, the local grapevine germplasm conserved at the national collection of the Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute and composed of 43 accessions, was submitted to a genetic and ampelographic study. Nine ISSR primers, previously developed in grapevine, were used in this study. These primers generated a total of 51 bands, of which 77.7% were polymorphic allowing the differentiation of 41 genetic profiles vs. one case of synonymy that was recorded among three accessions. Ampelographic characterization was conducted using a set of 33 descriptors established by the International Office of Vine and Wine and related to leaf, bunch and berry. Principal component analysis identified 12 descriptors i.e. veraison date, maturity date, berry length, upper and lower vein pigmentation, bunch density, bunch weight, sugar content at harvesting, flesh of juiciness, berry weight, flesh firmness and color skin, as being the most discriminating descriptors. The correlation between the ISSR clustering and the ampelographic one was not significant (r=0.26) because of the divergence of accessions groups, except for the three accessions synonymy case which was confirmed in both dendrograms. Finally, this comprehensive evaluation of the existing local gene pool of grapevine revealed a substantial diversity. It would further allow the promotion of the valuable accessions directly through multiplication scheme, and their sustainable utilization in genetic improvement programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on a a solar energy-based project aimed at water desalination and purification. The project's objective is to establish an economically viable and sustainable approach to water heating and desalination, offering benefits to global communities. The project team has devised a solar heating system utilizing a Fresnel array-inspired setup, intended to complement a desalination system employing membrane distillation, which necessitates water heating. The primary focus has been on designing an efficient solar receiver to absorb solar energy for water heating. Moreover, the team has developed equations for concentrator mirror angles across various days, generating charts indicating optimal mirror angles and spacing between mirror rows for different solar times. Project outcomes involve applying heat transfer loss theory via conduction across individual receiver layers, conducting experiments to assess coating efficiency and receiver performance. The team successfully assembled the system with four parallel mirror rows, spaced at 1.5 feet intervals to minimize shadow casting. The solar receiver features two glass tubes, air gaps held by 3D-printed end caps, and an internal mesh turbulator to enhance heat transfer through flow turbulence. The ultimate objective was to heat water sufficiently for membrane distillation (around 40°-70°C). Experimental testing on a windy day with clouds resulted in a final water temperature of 38°C after 3 hours. Receiver efficiency, calculated by comparing solar energy incident on the pipe to energy transferred to water, was 17.5%. While not within the desired range, these promising results, considering surrounding conditions, deem the project successful in creating an efficient heating system for membrane distillation. Recommendations and improvements are possible, confirming the project as a successful proof of concept.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, stringent measures were imposed in numerous countries, including France. These measures significantly disrupted societal practices, particularly mourning and funeral rituals. This study, conducted between June and September 2021 as part of the COVIDEUIL-France research, involved 242 participants, predominantly female (84%) with an average age of 49.64 years. The research aimed to investigate the consequences of the absence of funeral rituals and the adoption of personalized, domestic, and digital alternatives. Using online surveys and psychological tools, including the Traumatic Grief Inventory Self Report Version (TGI-SR), General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28), and Post-traumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI), the study found a significant correlation between the lack of traditional practices and grief complications. Despite 21.81% of participants compensating with personal commemorations, digital commemorations were underutilized, raising questions about their effectiveness. The study provides crucial insights, emphasizing the need to address the psychological effects of disrupted mourning practices in France., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Aim: To validate in vitro the accuracy of a novel method for bone augmentation of horizontal alveolar bone defects with the help of a surgical guide., Material and Methods: Six cone-beam computed tomography scans of patients requiring horizontal bone augmentation were segmented and 3D printed. Two surgeons performed the bone augmentation surgery twice for each case on 3D-printed models, using either a conventional or guided protocol. Each surgeon virtually planned the desired graft shape beforehand. The resulting grafts were compared linearly and volumetrically to the plan; graft density and surgical time were also analyzed., Results: There was significantly less graft volume outside the planned volume with the guided protocol (36.8% ± 14.1 vs. 19.6% ± 12.3, p < .01). The use of a guide increased graft accuracy at several measurement points, resulting in less overfill when using the guided protocol (1.7 ± 1.7 mm at the most coronal point, 0.2 mm ± 1.4 at 25%, 0.0 mm ± 0.9 at 50%, 0.1 mm ± 1.1 at 75%, and 0.4 mm ± 1.4 apically). Graft thickness was increased 1 mm coronally from the planned graft (2.8 mm ± 2.3 vs. 1.8 mm ± 2.2, p = .04). Surgical time increased significantly when using a guide (a difference of 2 m 26 s)., Conclusion: The technique, tested here in vitro, allows surgeons to improve the accuracy of the resulting graft shape, to better compact material in the coronal portion of the graft, and to reduce the amount of graft material placed outside the planned volume., (© 2022 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

The impact of osteoporosis on implant treatment is still a matter of debate in the scientific community, as it may possibly lead to higher failure rates. As long-term controlled trials are missing, the aim of this study was to verify the long-term outcome of implants placed in patients with systemic osteoporosis. Postmenopausal women in need of implants underwent bone mineral density measurements in hip and spine, using dual X-ray absorptiometry scans. Based on T-scores, they were divided into 2 groups: group O (osteoporosis group) with a T-score ≤-2 or group C (control group) with a T-score of ≥-1. Implants were placed in a 2-stage manner and loaded 4 to 8 wk after abutment surgery. Six months after loading and thereafter yearly, clinical and radiographical parameters were assessed. In total, 148 implants were placed in 48 patients (mean age: 67 y [range, 59-83]). Sixty-three implants were placed in 20 patients (group O) and 85 implants in 28 patients (group C). After 5 y, 117 implants (38 in group O and 79 in the group C) in 37 patients were assessed. Cumulative survival rate on an implant level was 96.5% (group O: 91.5%; group C: 100.0% [ P < 0.05]) and 95.7% (group O: 89.2%; group C: 100.0% [ P > 0.05]) on a patient level. The overall marginal bone-level alterations, after 5 y of loading, were -0.09 ± 0.78 mm (group O: -0.15 ± 0.50 mm; group C: -0.06 ± 0.89 mm) on an implant level and -0.09 ± 0.54 mm (group O: -0.18 ± 0.43 mm; group C: 0.06 ± 0.58 mm) on a patient level ( P > 0.05). Oral implant therapy in osteoporotic patients is a reliable treatment option with comparable osseointegration rates, implant survival, and marginal bone-level alterations after 5 y of functional loading (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00745121).

Purpose: Osteotome sinus floor elevation (OSFE) is a technique aimed at simplifying implant placement in the posterior atrophic maxilla. The necessity of bone grafting under the elevated sinus membrane has been widely debated. The aim was to compare the evolution over 5 years of implant stability in sites grafted or left ungrafted., Materials and Methods: A total of 12 patients (9 female and 3 male) presenting ≤ 4 mm initial bone height (IBH) in the posterior maxillary sites were recruited. Implants (n = 37) were placed using OSFE. According to the randomisation, the sinuses received either bone graft (n = 20, control group) or no graft (n = 17, test group). Patients received both these treatments when both sinuses fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Control assessments were performed 1 week, 10 weeks, 12 weeks, and then 1 year, 3 years and 5 years after the implant placement. Periapical radiographs were taken and the implant stability quotient (ISQ) was measured at different time points., Results: At implant surgery, the mean ISQ was 58.9 ± 11.2 for the test group and 53.8 ± 10.2 for the control group; it plummeted 10 weeks after the implant placement and rose thereafter. Five years after the implant placement, the mean ISQ reached 80.8 ± 4.2 for the control group, and 79.7 ± 4.3 for the test group. The difference between the groups was not significant. The IBH significantly affected implant stability at implant insertion and 5 years after the implant insertion, but not at the other time points., Conclusions: The implants performed using OSFE in ungrafted sites were as stable as the implants placed in grafted sites., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest statement: All authors report no conflict of interest.

Background and Purpose: Implant stability is one of the most important factors influencing osseointegration. Using stereolithographical guides for maximizing precision, this study aimed at investigating the relationship between implant stability and bone density derived from computerized tomography analysis., Materials and Methods: One hundred ninety-five implants were placed in 48 patients using digitally designed stereolithographical surgical guides. Ninety-five implants were placed using a mucosa supported guide and 100 implants were placed using a bone supported guide. Implant stability was measured by means of resonance frequency analysis (RFA) and damping capacity assessment (Periotest, PTV). Bone density (Hounsfield units) was measured at different regions of interest (ROI) and cortex thickness was measured around each implant., Results: Implant stability correlated significantly with the different ROI. The best correlation for RFA was obtained for the spongious bone ROI (r = .64) and PTV best correlated with the coronal cortex density (r = -.41). Shorter implants (9 mm) had a significantly lower primary stability than longer implants (11, 13, 15 mm). Primary stability was also significantly higher in 4 mm diameter implants than in 3.5 mm diameter implants. A formula for the prediction of primary stability based on the different variables investigated was developed., Conclusions: Bone density and cortex thickness have a significant influence on implant primary stability. Longer and wider implants reached higher primary stability than shorter and narrower implants. These correlations lose their significance after osseointegration has taken place. Implant stability can be predicted based on an preoperative analysis of bone characteristics., (© 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Introduction and Aim: Buccal bone thickness is considered to be an important factor during implant surgery. Its resorption might have an effect on the soft tissue stability and eventually on implant survival. This study aimed to investigate the resorption of the buccal bone over the first 12 months after implant loading., Materials and Methods: Twenty-four subjects (47 implants) were included. The buccal bone thickness was measured during implant surgery at several distances from the implant shoulder using a specifically designed device which allows buccal bone thickness measurements without the elevation of a muco-periostal flap. These measurements were repeated after 12 months of loading. Sixteen implants were placed flapless and 31 with the elevation of a flap. Of the latter, 19 were placed following a one-stage protocol and 12 following a two-stage protocol., Results: The mean reduction in buccal bone thickness, when all groups pooled, was 0.26, 0.36, 0.35 and 0.27 mm at the shoulder and 2, 4 and 6 mm apically. Implants with initial bone thickness <1mm (thin buccal plate) did not lose significantly more bone than those with an initial thickness ≥1mm (thick bone plate) except in the 'open-flap, one-stage' group (P = 0.009). A flapless procedure leads to less bone resorption compared to an open-flap procedure (P = 0.03). However, the number of surgeries (one stage vs. two stages) did not influence the rate of bone resorption (P = 0.23)., Conclusion: Within the limitations of this study, one might question the necessity of having a thick bone plate at the vestibular site of the implant., (© 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background and Purpose: Osteoporosis is a major skeletal disease affecting millions of people worldwide. Recent studies claim that patients with osteoporosis do not have a higher risk of early implant failure compared to non-osteoporotic patients. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of skeletal osteoporosis and local bone density on initial dental implant stability., Materials and Methods: Seventy-three patients were recruited and were assigned (based on a Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry scan) to either the osteoporosis (Opr), osteopenia (Opn), or control (C) group. Forty nine of the 73 patients received dental implants and had implant stability measured by means of resonance frequency analysis (RFA) at implant placement and at prosthetic abutment placement. On the computerized tomography scans, the cortical thickness and the bone density (Hounsfield Units) at the sites of implant placement were measured., Results: At implant placement, primary stability was on average lower in group Opr (63.3 ± 10.3 ISQ) than in group Opn (65.3 ± 7.5 implant stability qutient (ISQ)), and group C (66.7 ± 8.7 ISQ). At abutment placement, a similar trend was observed: group Opr (66.4 ± 9.5 ISQ) scored lower than group Opn (70.7 ± 7.8 ISQ), while the highest average was for group C (72.2 ± 7.2 ISQ). The difference between groups Opr and C was significant. Implant length and diameter did not have a significant effect on implant stability as measured with RFA. A significant correlation was found between local bone density and implant stability for all regions of interest., Conclusions: Implant stability seems to be influenced by both local and skeletal bone densities. The lower stability scores in patient with skeletal osteoporosis reinforce the recommendations that safe protocols and longer healing times could be recommended when treating those patients with dental implants., (© 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Background and Purpose: Osteoporosis is a disease affecting more than 300 million people worldwide and is responsible for numerous medical complications. This study aimed to investigate the relation between skeletal and maxillary bone density., Materials and Methods: Seventy-three patients were recruited and divided between group A (osteoporosis), group B (healthy, control), and group C (osteopenia) on the basis of a dual-energy x-ray absorptiomery (DXA) scan. These patients also received a CT scan on which bone density measurements were performed at five sites: maxilla midline, retromolar tuberosities, incisor, premolars, and molar regions., Results: The bone density was lower in osteoporotic patients compared with the control patients. The bone mineral density (BMD) of the tuberosities showed the strongest correlations with the BMD of the hip and the spine (respectively, r = 0.50 and r = 0.61). The midline region showed moderate correlations with the hip (r = 0.47) and the spine (r = 0.46). For potential implant sites, the correlations with the BMD of the hip and spine were, however, small to insignificant. Based on measurements of bone density of the maxilla, it was possible to predict if the patient was osteoporotic or not with a sensitivity of 65% and a specificity of 83%., Conclusions: The maxillary bone density of subjects with osteoporosis is significantly lower than that of healthy patients. Moreover, there is a direct correlation between the density of the skeleton and the density of some sites of the maxilla. Using measurements of maxillary bone density in order to predict skeletal bone density might be a useful tool for the screening of osteoporosis., (© 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Purpose: One of the major factors governing implant success is the quantity and density of the host bone. The aim of this work was to determine whether mandibular bone texture and cortical width measurements on plain radiographs could be associated with implant failure and/or marginal bone loss., Materials and Methods: A statistical model was built to predict implant failure; it incorporated several radiographic features of cortical and cancellous bone texture, cortical width, and patient smoking habits. Cortical width measurements and texture measurements of cortical and cancellous bone were made on the panoramic radiographs of 460 subjects. These were used to predict implant failure and marginal bone loss after 5 years. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis and area under the curve (AUC) were used to determine the diagnostic accuracy of the variables in predicting implant failure and marginal bone loss. Additionally, for 91 of 460 subjects with periapical radiographs, marginal bone levels around implants were measured over a 5-year period., Results: Of the 460 patients assessed for implant failure, 29 had failed implants (93.7% success rate). The ROC curve built from this model had a sensitivity of 62.1% and specificity of 67.5%. The AUC from the model was 0.690 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.597 to 0.783). A model was also built to predict marginal bone loss. The ROC curve had 78.6% sensitivity and 74.6% specificity (AUC = 0.880, 95% CI = 0.810 to 0.953). Mandibular cortical width was not a significant predictor of either implant failure or bone loss., Conclusion: In a retrospective analysis 5 years after implant placement, features of cancellous and cortical bone of the mandible were significant in predicting implant failure and marginal bone loss in a sample of 460 patients.