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To evaluate the efficacy of different techniques to seal the alveolus (flap advancement [FA], open healing with barrier [OHB], and open healing without barrier [OHNB]) during alveolar ridge preservation (ARP) in terms of horizontal ridge width resorption.Randomized trials of at least 2 months duration comparing at least two techniques to seal the alveolus against each other or against spontaneous healing (SH) were eligible. Searches were conducted in MEDLINE via PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, and Cochrane Central. Conventional meta-analysis, meta-regression, and network meta-analysis (NMA) were conducted, with clinical and tomographic ridge width changes as outcomes. Predictive intervals (95% PI) were reported.Twenty-two studies were included, accounting for 52 study arms. Meta-regression identified that the socket sealing technique and publication year explained the observed heterogeneity. NMA showed that FA and OHB led to significantly lower ridge resorption than SH, resulting in 1.18 mm (95% PI 0.21-2.13) and 1.10 mm (95% PI 0.49-1.69) wide alveolar ridges, respectively. No significant difference between OHNB and SH was found (0.46 mm, 95% PI -0.70 to 1.64). The treatment with the largest probability for ARP was FA (52.7%), followed by OHB (39.1%) and OHNB (8.2%).FA and OHB are efficacious techniques to seal the alveolus during ARP.

Privacy concerns for rare disease data, institutional or IRB policies, access to local computational or storage resources or download capabilities are among the reasons that may preclude analyses that pool data to a single site. A growing number of multisite projects and consortia were formed to function in the federated environment to conduct productive research under constraints of this kind. In this scenario, a quality control tool that visualizes decentralized data in its entirety via global aggregation of local computations is especially important, as it would allow the screening of samples that cannot be jointly evaluated otherwise. To solve this issue, we present two algorithms: decentralized data stochastic neighbor embedding, dSNE, and its differentially private counterpart, DP-dSNE. We leverage publicly available datasets to simultaneously map data samples located at different sites according to their similarities. Even though the data never leaves the individual sites, dSNE does not provide any formal privacy guarantees. To overcome that, we rely on differential privacy: a formal mathematical guarantee that protects individuals from being identified as contributors to a dataset. We implement DP-dSNE with AdaCliP, a method recently proposed to add less noise to the gradients per iteration. We introduce metrics for measuring the embedding quality and validate our algorithms on these metrics against their centralized counterpart on two toy datasets. Our validation on six multisite neuroimaging datasets shows promising results for the quality control tasks of visualization and outlier detection, highlighting the potential of our private, decentralized visualization approach.

OBJECTIVES There are limited longitudinal data regarding gingival inflammation in adults. This study aimed to assess changes in gingivitis over 4 years and to determine protective factors. METHODS A representative sample of 1023 adults living in Porto Alegre, Brazil, was obtained in the Caries-Perio Collaboration Study. At follow-up, 402 individuals were re-examined. Gingivitis was assessed by the gingival bleeding index (GB) at both time points. Individuals were dichotomized into those showing reductions ≥ 15% and those showing reductions

Dentigerous cysts are seen in the maxillary canine and third molars. We report a case of dentigerous cysts invading the maxillary sinus, which was managed surgically by endoscopic‐assisted transantral and transnasal approach., Combined endoscopic‐endonasal approach may be a good method for dentigerous cysts at unusual locations.

Summary The coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid‐19) pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2), is an international public health crisis with devastating effects. In particular, this pandemic has further exacerbated the burden in tropical and subtropical regions of the world, where dengue fever, caused by dengue virus (DENV), is already endemic to the population. The similar clinical manifestations shared by Covid‐19 and dengue fever have raised concerns, especially in dengue‐endemic countries with limited resources, leading to diagnostic challenges. In addition, cross‐reactivity of the immune responses in these infections is an emerging concern, as pre‐existing DENV‐antibodies might potentially affect Covid‐19 through antibody‐dependent enhancement. In this review article, we aimed to raise the issue of Covid‐19 and dengue fever misdiagnosis, not only in a clinical setting but also with regards to cross‐reactivity between SARS‐CoV‐2 and DENV antibodies. We also have discussed the potential consequences of overlapping immunological cascades between dengue and Covid‐19 on disease severity and vaccine development.

The vulva is an under-studied area of the female genitourinary tract which is prone to maceration, overgrowth of organisms, and atypical presentations of common dermatologic conditions. In current practice, dermatologists must recognize and manage vulvar infections and infestations beyond the more commonly recognized sexually transmitted infections. Herein, this article reviews the literature on a selection of under-recognized viral, bacterial, fungal, and parasitic vulvar infections and infestations.

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) has been recognized recently as an endothelium-dependent vasodilator, but several lines of evidence indicate that it may also stimulate vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), thereby contributing to vasoregulation and remodeling. In the present study, mRNA expression of all 6 LPA receptor genes was detected in murine aortic VSMCs, with the highest levels of LPA1, LPA2, LPA4, and LPA6 In endothelium-denuded thoracic aorta (TA) and abdominal aorta (AA) segments, 1-oleoyl-LPA and the LPA1-3 agonist VPC31143 induced dose-dependent vasoconstriction. VPC31143-induced AA contraction was sensitive to pertussis toxin (PTX), the LPA1&3 antagonist Ki16425, and genetic deletion of LPA1 but not that of LPA2 or inhibition of LPA3, by diacylglycerol pyrophosphate. Surprisingly, vasoconstriction was also diminished in vessels lacking cyclooxygenase-1 [COX1 knockout (KO)] or the thromboxane prostanoid (TP) receptor (TP KO). VPC31143 increased thromboxane A2 (TXA2) release from TA of wild-type, TP-KO, and LPA2-KO mice but not from LPA1-KO or COX1-KO mice, and PTX blocked this effect. Our findings indicate that LPA causes vasoconstriction in VSMCs, mediated by LPA1-, Gi-, and COX1-dependent autocrine/paracrine TXA2 release and consequent TP activation. We propose that this new-found interaction between the LPA/LPA1 and TXA2/TP pathways plays significant roles in vasoregulation, hemostasis, thrombosis, and vascular remodeling.-Dancs, P. T., Ruisanchez, E., Balogh, A., Panta, C. R., Miklos, Z., Nusing, R. M., Aoki, J., Chun, J., Offermanns, S., Tigyi, G., Benyo, Z. LPA1 receptor-mediated thromboxane A2 release is responsible for lysophosphatidic acid-induced vascular smooth muscle contraction.

Objectives To assess the association between gingival recession (GR) and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in a Brazilian population of adults. Methods A representative sample from Porto Alegre city was drawn in 2011 using a multistage probability sampling strategy. For this study, 740 individuals, 35–59 years of age and with ≥6 teeth, were included. GR was assessed by two calibrated examiners at four sites in all present teeth. The Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) was used to assess OHRQoL. OHIP-14 was dichotomized using ‘fairly often’ as the cutoff point for a negative impact. Multiple logistic regression models were fitted to define which descriptors of GR were associated with the dichotomous outcome of OHIP-14, including dentine hypersensitivity in separate models, adjusting for age, gender, socioeconomic status, smoking, dental care, and missing teeth. Results Mean OHIP was significantly higher for individuals with ≥1 tooth with GR ≥2, ≥3, ≥4, and ≥5 mm. Individuals with ≥1 tooth with GR ≥2 mm had approximately two times higher chance of having a negative impact than individuals without GR of this threshold [odds ratio (OR) = 1.99, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.05–3.78]. When buccal and proximal sites were analyzed separately, the presence of GR was significantly associated with worst quality of life only in anterior and not in posterior teeth. GR in the lower arch had no impact on OHRQoL. GR ≥2 mm affected only physical pain (OR = 2.61; 95% CI 1.06–6.42), whereas GR ≥4 mm affected functional limitation, physical pain, psychological discomfort, physical and psychological disabilities, with ORs ranging from 1.43 to 1.91. Dentine hypersensitivity alone was not associated with OHRQoL, but it modified the association between GR and OHIP when present concomitantly with GR, mainly in buccal sites. Conclusions OHRQoL is poorer in this adult population in the presence of GR, mainly in upper and anterior teeth. Dentine hypersensitivity and esthetics were found to be factors linking GR to OHRQoL.

Zellweger syndrome (ZS) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder, resulting from an impairment in peroxisome function. It is characterized by craniofacial dysmorphism and neurological abnormalities, and involves several systems, which may complicate dental and anesthesia management. The case of a 7-year-old girl diagnosed with ZS is described with emphasis on oral manifestations, oral rehabilitation under general anesthesia (GA), and home oral care. Apart from the unique features of ZS, she presented with clinodactyly, distinctive palatal vault, Class III malocclusion, missing teeth, microdontia, and delayed dental formation. Dental treatment under GA was conducted with concerns of risk of respiratory insufficiency. Oral home care by the parent and regular recall visits were essential to maintain good oral health. Children with ZS may survive into late childhood. They, however, present multiple health problems that are of special concern for not only the pediatric dentist but also the anesthesiologist. Collaboration with the medical team is essential for optimal care of these patients.

Levels of three major dehydrins of 65, 60, and 14 kDa have been observed to increase in blueberry (Vaccinium spp.) floral buds during chill unit accumulation and cold acclimation and decrease during deacclimation and resumption of growth. Indeed, levels of the 65-, 60-, and 14-kDa dehydrins increase such that they become the most predominant proteins visible on sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gels. The peptide sequence information from the 65- and 60-kDa dehydrins was used to synthesize degenerate DNA primers for amplification of a part of the gene(s) encoding the dehydrins. One pair of primers amplified a 174-bp fragment. The 174-bp fragment was used to screen a cDNA library (prepared from RNA from cold-acclimated blueberry floral buds) and resulted in the isolation of a clone with a 2.0-kb insert. The cDNA was sequenced and found to be a full-length clone encoding a K 5 -type dehydrin (5 K boxes). Five high-confidence peptide sequences, ranging from 9 to 25 amino acids long, obtained from the 60-kDa dehydrin exactly matched sequences encoded within the cDNA clone. Furthermore, amino acid composition of the 60-kDa dehydrin agreed well with the expected amino acid composition based on the cDNA sequence. However, the DNA sequence and coupled in vitro transcription/translation reactions of the cDNA clone indicated that it encodes a dehydrin with a native molecular mass of ∼ 40 kDa instead of 60 kDa. Experiments to determine if the dehydrins undergo post-translational modifications revealed that the 65- and 60-kDa dehydrins are glycosylated. Thus, our results indicate that the 2.0-kb dehydrin cDNA encodes the native version of the 60-kDa dehydrin. The dehydrin cDNA hybridized on RNA blots to two chilling/cold-responsive messages of 2.0 and 0.5 kb. Both the 2.0- and 0.5-kb messages increased to higher levels more quickly in the cold-hardy cultivar Bluecrop than in the less hardy cultivar Tifblue. In addition, the 0.5-kb message remained at a higher level longer in Bluecrop than in Tifblue.

To survive winters, woody perennials of temperate zones must enter into endodormancy. Resumption of spring growth requires sufficient exposure to low temperature (chill units, CUs) in winter (chilling requirement), which also plays a role in the development of cold hardiness (cold acclimation). Physiological studies on dormancy breaking have focused on identifying markers, such as appearance or disappearance of proteins in response to varying degrees of chill unit accumulation. However, whether these changes are associated with dormancy transitions or cold acclimation is not clear. In the present study, greenhouse-grown blueberry (Vaccinium section Cyanococcus) plants were used to address this question. Three blueberry cultivars, Bluecrop, Tifblue, and Gulfcoast having chilling requirement of approximately 1 200, 900 and 600 CUs, respectively, were first exposed to 4°C for long enough to provide chill units equivalent to one-half of their respective chilling requirement. This treatment was expected to result in cold acclimation. A fraction of plants was then subjected to a 15/12°C (light/dark) regime for 2 weeks, a treatment expected to be “dormancy-neutral” but cause deacclimation. Before and after each treatment, cold hardiness and dormancy status of floral buds were determined; proteins were extracted from the buds collected on the same sampling date, and separated by one-dimensional SDS-PAGE. Dehydrin-like proteins were identified by immunoblotting, using anti-dehydrin antiserum. Results indicate that the chilling treatment resulted in cold acclimation as indicated by increased bud hardiness in all three cultivars. Data also indicate a distinct accumulation of three dehydrin-like proteins of 65, 60, and 14 kDa during cold acclimation. The cold hardiness and levels of dehydrin proteins decreased during the exposure to 15/12°C for 2 weeks. Results also confirmed that this treatment had no negative effect on chill unit accumulation. Densitometric scans of protein gels indicated a close association between the abundance of dehydrins and degree of cold hardiness in these cultivars. In addition, levels of the dehydrin proteins and cold hardiness remained about the same between 100% and >100% satisfaction of chilling requirement. These results suggest that changes in dehydrin expression are more closely associated with cold hardiness than with dormancy transitions.

Pixelated optical wireless systems can transmit at high speed by encoding data in transmitted images using spatial orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (spatial OFDM) but are susceptible to a number of limiting factors including defocus, linear fractional misalignment (LFM) and vignetting. This paper investigates the effects of these impairments on the performance of both forms of spatial OFDM: spatial DC-biased optical OFDM (SDCO-OFDM) and spatial asymmetrically clipped optical OFDM (SACO-OFDM). The novelty of this paper is in the theoretical analysis of the effect of defocus on a spatial OFDM based pixelated system. The theoretical results for defocus are found to be in agreement with the simulation results reported in the literature. Furthermore, the joint effects of defocus, LFM and vignetting are mathematically described. Analytical and simulation results show that these three factors are largely independent of each other. Simulation results indicate that these impairments and their associated mitigation techniques influence the optimum choice of DC bias for SDCO-OFDM. Finally, it is shown that for the case of the joint impairments and for a given data rate, the bit error rate performance of SDCO-OFDM with the optimum bias is slightly better than that of SACO-OFDM. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.