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The electronic structure calculations show that the GaS and MoS2 monolayer and MoS2/GaS hetero‐bilayer systems are semiconducting materials. It is also justified by the density of states. In the hetero‐bilayer system, the band gap is reduced. It causes an increase in the absorption, compared to their monolayers, of incident light in the visible region. This may be because of the charge transfer and the interlayer interaction between these monolayers in the heterostructure form. The calculated higher extinction coefficient causes the fast absorption of light, hence, the increased absorption coefficient. The heterostructure system makes the refractive index and reflection coefficient of GaS and MoS2 monolayers tuneable. The static reflection coefficient is in the following order GaS < MoS2/GaS < MoS2. It means that the MoS2/GaS heterostructure system can increase the static refractive index of GaS and decrease that of MoS2 monolayers simultaneously. The calculated band edge positions show that the MoS2 and GaS monolayers have excellent water oxidation and reduction capability, respectively. These predictions show that the proposed heterostructure may be a potential candidate for nanoelectronics and optoelectronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The temporal tendon is a structure often compromised in patients suffering from temporomandibular disorders (TMD), yet its intraoral location makes a standardised assessment difficult. Objectives: To evaluate the variability and accuracy to target force of a newly designed intraoral extension for a palpometer device (Palpeter, Sunstar Suisse) when compared to manual palpation, in addition to clinically assessing the mechanical sensitivity and referred sensations of the temporal tendon in healthy individuals. Methods: Experiment 1: 12 individuals were asked to target on a scale 0.5, 1 and 2 kg, for 2 and 5 s by using five different methods (Palpeter, Palpeter with three different extension shapes and manual palpation). Experiment 2: 10 healthy participants were recruited for a randomised double‐blinded assessment by applying pressure of 0.5, 1 and 2 kg to the right temporal tendon with the three extensions and manual palpation. Participants rated the intensity of their sensation/pain on a 0–50–100 numeric rating scale (NRS), unpleasantness on a 0–100 NRS, and if present, they rated and drew the location of referred sensations. Repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used in both experiments to compare differences between palpation methods. Tukey's HSD tests were used for the post hoc comparisons, and p values below.05 were considered significant. Results: Experiment 1: The extensions showed no significant differences between them regarding reliability and accuracy for all forces and durations (p >.05). The manual method was significantly less reliable and accurate when compared to the other methods (p <.05). Experiment 2: There were no significant differences between the Palpeter extensions regarding pain intensity or unpleasantness NRS scores (p >.05), but all the extensions had significantly increased pain intensity and unpleasantness when compared to manual palpation (p <.05). Similarly, the frequency of referred sensations was similar between extensions but increased when compared to manual palpation. Conclusions: The new Palpeter extensions proved to be significantly more accurate and have lower test–retest variability than the manual method in a non‐clinical setting. Clinically, they showed no significant differences in NRS scores for pain intensity nor unpleasantness, with no major differences in referred sensations, making any of the extensions suitable for clinical testing of the temporal tendon in future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Methods Results Conclusion This scoping review aims to clarify the concept of vertical dimension of occlusion (VDO) in prosthetic dentistry, addressing prevalent myths, and controversies regarding its clinical management and impact on the stomatognathic system.This paper critically examines common beliefs about VDO alteration and its effects on temporomandibular disorders (TMD) through an extensive literature review and an international survey. The survey included 862 general dentists and prosthodontists and explored their approaches to altering VDO and their perceptions of the clinical implications. The literature review provided a thorough analysis of existing research on VDO modification techniques, the adaptability of the stomatognathic system, and the relationship between VDO changes and TMD.The survey revealed insights into dentists' perspectives on VDO, showing that while many practitioners test a new VDO due to concerns about patient adaptation, a significant majority observed that patients typically adjust well to a new VDO regardless of the technique used. The survey highlighted differing beliefs about the need for a gradual process and trial phase for VDO alteration, as well as the stability of modified VDO. Literature review suggests the stability and adaptability of VDO changes due to muscle adaptability and indicates no direct causal or curative link between VDO changes and TMD. Traditional methods for determining VDO in complete dentures may not be suitable for worn dentition, underscoring the need for tailored approaches.This paper suggests that the traditional belief in the need for a prolonged trial phase for VDO alterations may be reconsidered in light of evidence supporting the adaptability of the stomatognathic system. Moreover, it emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between methods suitable for complete dentures and those for managing cases of worn dentition. The purported link between VDO alterations and TMD is also found to lack scientific evidence, highlighting the need for individualized patient care based on current evidence and clinical judgment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) may influence pain susceptibility and impact treatment response in pain‐related temporomandibular disorders (TMDp). Objective: Explore the role of COMT (rs4646310, rs6269, rs4818, rs4680) and OPRM1 (rs1799971) genotypes in regulating treatment response. Methods: Sixty TMDp patients (55 females and 5 males), diagnosed with the Diagnostic Criteria for TMD (DC/TMD), underwent standardised treatment (information and education, home physical therapy, occlusal splint) for 6 months. Treatment outcomes included: pain intensity, pain‐free mouth opening, jaw functional limitation, depression, and anxiety. Genotyping for COMT and OPRM1 SNPs was performed using DNA from buccal mucosa swabs and TaqMan assays. Statistical analysis was carried out to compare the changes in treatment outcomes and the influence of genotypes on treatment response. Results: Significantly less pain reduction was observed in minor allele carriers of rs4646310, and rs4680 compared to dominant homozygous (p <.025). Minor allele carriers of rs1799971 and rs4646310 demonstrated worsening in pain‐free mouth opening while dominant homozygous exhibited improvement (p <.025). Significantly less anxiety reduction was observed in minor allele carriers of rs4646310 compared to dominant homozygous (p =.003). Of the all variables assessed in the regression model, carrying a minor allele of rs1799971 predicted a poorer treatment response considering pain‐free mouth opening while carrying a minor allele of rs4646310 predicted less pain and less anxiety reduction. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that certain SNP variants of the COMT and OPRM1 genes were associated with poorer treatment response and may therefore play a significant role in the classification of TMDp patients. Also, assessment of patient genotype could potentially aid in predicting treatment response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OSAS and TMDs represent multifactorial nosologic entities, whose central, functional and psycho‐social aspects are gaining growing attention within the scientific community. In our previous commentary, we wanted to point out that structural aspects should not be forgotten in a clinical and research context. The inherent complexity of the matter could make it difficult to quantify the exact contribution of every single factor. The multifaceted nature of OSAS and TMDs pathophysiology could sustain several phenotypes in both conditions, and the anatomic parameters may assume different weights according to each phenotype, possibly justifying literature discrepancies. Thus, a patient with a co‐existing OSAS and TMD (umbrella terms per se, each of them including different pathophysiological and clinical characteristics) represents an even greater challenge to researchers and practitioners. The scientific and therapeutic community should keep on looking for evidence to offer the best possible answers to such daring questions, in the most collaborative and fruitful way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Longitudinal intervention studies on treatment options in temporomandibular dysfunction (TMD) including self reports and salivary biomarkers of stress are rare and the exact therapeutic function of occlusal splints widely unknown. Methods: We examined the therapeutic effects of a Michigan splint with occlusal relevance in patients with TMD using a placebo‐controlled, delayed‐start design. Two intervention groups received a Michigan splint, while one of them had a placebo palatine splint for the first 3 weeks. We collected pain intensities (at rest and after five occlusal movements), salivary measures associated with stress (cortisol and alpha‐amylase) and self‐reported psychological distress (stress, anxiety, catastrophizing) at baseline and 3 and 7 weeks after onset of intervention. Results: At baseline, we observed increased pain intensity and psychological distress in TMD patients compared to 11 matched healthy controls. Baseline anxiety was linked to movement pain intensity through stress. Over therapy reductions in pain intensity and morning cortisol were more pronounced in those patients starting immediately with the Michigan splint, while psychological distress decreased similarly in both groups. Conclusion: Our results suggest that perceived stress plays a role for the association between anxiety and TMD pain and underlines the need for an interdisciplinary perspective on the pathogenesis and therapy of TMD in a setting where psychotherapeutic knowledge is still scarce or rarely applied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The objective of this investigation is to assess the relationship between the utilisation of orthodontic intermaxillary elastics and temporomandibular disorder (TMD) symptoms in clear aligner patients and to examine the correlation between the elastic usage time with the Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (DC/TMD)—Axis II Evaluation Forms. Methods: This study was carried out on a total of 40 clear aligner patients using intermaxillary elastics in the experimental group and 30 clear aligner patients who did not use any intermaxillary elastics in the control group. The data were evaluated using the Mann–Whitney U, chi‐square, Fisher's exact chi‐square, and Fisher Freeman Halton exact chi‐square tests. Results: The characteristic pain intensity, mastication, mobility, communication, global and PHQ‐9 scores of the experimental group were significantly higher than those of the control group (p <.05). The characteristic pain intensity score, interference score and chronic pain grade score of patients using Class III elastics were statistically significantly higher than those of patients using Class II elastics (p <.05). Patients who used elastics for less than 6 months had statistically significantly higher PHQ‐9 scores than those who used elastics for more than 6 months (p <.05). Conclusions: Orthodontic treatment may affect occlusion, bite force and jaw movement, which may cause or worsen TMD symptoms, and the DC/TMD questionnaires can determine if orthodontic patients acquire TMD by assessing their psychosocial state and pain‐related problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The present review aimed to investigate the association between salivary biomarkers and temporomandibular disorders (TMD). TMD is a multifactorial condition characterised by pain and dysfunction in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and surrounding structures. Salivary biomarkers have emerged as potential diagnostic tools due to their non‐invasiveness and easy accessibility. However, the literature on salivary biomarkers in relation to TMD is limited and inconsistent. Methods: Electronic databases of Pubmed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane Library, PsychINFO, CINAHL and Medline were searched using specific search terms and Boolean operators. The search was limited to articles published in English that assessed salivary biomarkers in individuals diagnosed with TMD. Two reviewers independently screened the articles and extracted data. ROB‐2 was used to assess the risk of bias. Results: Eleven clinical papers met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review. The findings provided consistent evidence of a clear association between salivary biomarkers and TMD. Various biomarkers, including cortisol, IL‐1, glutamate and several others, were assessed. Some studies reported higher levels of cortisol and IL‐1 in TMD patients, indicating potential involvement in stress and inflammation. Glutamate levels were found to be elevated, suggesting a role in pain modulation. Other biomarkers also showed alterations in TMD patients compared to controls: Conclusion: The findings from the included studies suggest that salivary biomarkers may play a role in TMD pathophysiology. Though a definitive conclusion can be drawn regarding the specific salivary biomarkers and their association with TMD, the results must be interpreted with caution considering the heterogeneity of the biomarkers assessed. Further research with larger sample sizes, standardised methodology and rigorous study designs is needed to elucidate the role of salivary biomarkers in TMD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Bruxism is defined as a repetitive jaw‐muscle activity characterised by clenching or grinding of the teeth and/or by bracing or thrusting of the mandible. Bruxism can occur during sleep (sleep bruxism, SB) or during wakefulness (awake bruxism, AB). To date, the effect of AB on the purported negative consequences of bruxism has remained unclear. Objectives: The assessment of AB, its relation to temporomandibular disorders (TMD) treatment modalities, and their possible outcomes were investigated among TMD patients resistant to treatment in primary care and referred to a tertiary care clinic. Methods: The records of 115 patients were studied. Patients were referred to the Head and Neck Centre, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Diseases, Helsinki University Central Hospital, for TMD treatment between 2017 and 2020. The data derived from the eligible patients' records included the following: background data (age and sex), referral data (reason and previous treatment), medical background (somatic and psychiatric), clinical and possible radiological diagnoses at a tertiary care clinic, treatment modalities for masticatory muscle myalgia, bruxism assessment, its possible treatment modalities and their outcomes, and overall management outcome. We analysed the outcomes of single treatment modalities and combined groups of modalities. For the demographic data, the Chi‐squared test and Fischer's Exact test were used to determine the associations between the categorical variables. A Sankey‐diagram was used to describe the flow of treatment. Results: Temporomandibular joint‐pain‐dysfunction syndrome (K07.60) was the most frequent single reason to refer a patient to tertiary care (17.4%). At referral, men had myalgia (M79.1) significantly more often (p =.034) than women. Similarly, men had depression (p =.002) more often and other psychiatric diagnoses (p =.034). At tertiary care, the presence of AB was assessed in 53.9%, and self‐reported AB was recorded in 48.7%. In patients with possible AB, those who were prescribed neuropathic pain medication showed significantly less improvement in symptoms (p =.021) than those who underwent splint therapy (p =.009). Overall, half of the patients showed overall improvement in their TMD symptoms from the treatment combinations. Conclusion: Despite several treatment modalities, only half of the patients showed improvement in their symptoms in the present study. A standardised assessment method encompassing all factors contributing to bruxism behaviours and their consequences is suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Obesity is a growing epidemic in the world. It increases the risk for severe health conditions, including diabetes, heart disease and stroke. Recent research has found that obesity is associated with an increased risk for temporomandibular disorders (TMDs). The purpose of this literature review with meta‐analysis is to analyse the possible association between obesity and temporomandibular disorders. Materials and Methods: Pubmed, Web of Science and Lilacs were systematically searched until 01/03/2000. Articles dealing with TMD and obesity were selected, and numbers that might be useful in the meta‐analysis were extracted. Results: Fifty articles were chosen after using all three search engines. Thirty‐five articles were considered during the initial screening step. Four papers were chosen for title and abstract screening based on the PECO model. A manual search of bibliographies and the Cochrane database was also carried out, but no publications that matched the inclusion criteria were located. The articles and meta‐analysis did not show a clear association between obesity and temporomandibular disorders. Conclusion: There is no evidence regarding the reliability of either method. Both have superimposable results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patients undergoing mandibular advancement device (MAD) therapy for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) may experience changes in jaw position and altered occlusion. This could potentially contribute to the development or exacerbation of TMD symptoms. The literature on the long‐term impact of MAD treated for OSA on TMD is scarce. Hence, this review was undertaken to ascertain the occurrence of TMD in MAD users. Methods: A comprehensive search protocol was implemented across several online databases using MeSH keywords and Boolean operators. A standardised data extraction form was developed specifically for this review. Two reviewers independently extracted the data. RoB‐2 was used to evaluate the methodological quality of the included studies. Results: A total of 13 clinical studies were selected for this review. Some studies reported a significant reduction in the severity and frequency of TMD symptoms following MAD treatment. However, other studies did not observe significant changes in TMD symptoms or TMJ‐related parameters from baseline to follow‐up intervals. Temporary increases in TMJ‐related pain or symptoms at the beginning of the follow‐up period, which later subsided, were reported in some studies. Overall, MAD was not discontinued in any OSA patient due to TMDs. Conclusion: The findings reveal that different outcomes associated with TMD are affected differently by MAD treatment for OSAS. According to a few studies, MAD therapy significantly reduced the severity and frequency of TMD symptoms. Other research, however, found no appreciable modifications in TMD symptoms or TMJ‐related indicators. Although the overall results point to no significant effect of MAD treatment on TMD symptoms, the disparity in results between studies highlights the need for additional studies using standardised approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Bruxism is a parafunctional activity characterised by grinding or clenching of teeth and is a common oral health concern in individuals with down syndrome (DS). Understanding the prevalence of bruxism in this population is crucial for developing effective management strategies. This systematic review and meta‐analysis is aimed to investigate the prevalence of bruxism among individuals with DS and explore its association with other oral health issues. Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted across multiple electronic databases to identify relevant studies. Cross‐sectional and observational studies were included. Data on bruxism prevalence and associated factors were extracted, and a meta‐analysis was performed using both fixed‐effects (FE) and random‐effects (RE) models of MedCalc software. Heterogeneity among studies was assessed using I2 statistics. New Castle‐Ottawa Scale was used to evaluate methodological quality of the included studies. Results: Eight studies met the pre‐defined inclusion criteria and were included in the analysis. Seven studies used a questionnaire to assess bruxism. The pooled proportion estimate for occurrence of DS across the included studies was found to be 0.33 (95% CI: 0.22–0.45) as per the RE model and 0.35 (95% CI: 0.31–0.450) as per FE model in the quantitative analysis. All studies exhibited good methodological quality. Conclusion: This systematic review and meta‐analysis provide evidence of a significant prevalence of bruxism among individuals with DS. The findings highlight the association of bruxism with other oral health issues and specific chromosomal abnormalities. Comprehensive oral health assessments, including diagnostic procedures like Polysomnography, are essential for addressing the unique oral health needs of individuals with DS. Further studies are recommended with a valid tool for the diagnosis. Early interventions and management strategies need to be tailored to this population, considering the multifaceted nature of oral health concerns in individuals with DS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Bruxism patients often access the web to search for information. Unfortunately, the low text readability of online material and the limited medical literacy in the general population may prevent patients' understanding of health information. Objective(s): We aimed to assess the home page's readability of the top 10 patients‐oriented bruxism‐related websites and the educational level required to approach them. Methods: Using the word bruxism in the "no country redirect" extension of Google Chrome browser (www.google.com/ncr), we identified the first 10 patient‐oriented English language websites. The readability of the material was determined using six commonly recommended readability tests (1): Gunning Fog Index (GFI), Coleman Liau Index (CLI), Automated Readability Index (ARI) Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG), Flesch Kincald Grade Level (FKGL), Flesh Reasing Ease (FRE). Results: The USA National Institutes of Health requirements, which call for websites to be readable at a 6th to 7th‐grade level, were not followed by any of the most popular websites. Conclusion: The average consumer frequently finds the health information on the Internet to be too complex to understand, which can lead to misinterpretation, a delay in diagnosis, and poorer health consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Myofascial pain is one of the most common facial region pains, presenting itself with various signs and symptoms like tenderness of masticatory muscles and difficulty in mouth opening. Considering its multifactorial aetiology various treatment modalities are present. Objective: The aim of this study is to compare the effectiveness of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)and low‐level laser therapy (LLLT) for the patients of temporomandibular disorders (TMDS). Methods: The study was conducted with 20 patients diagnosed with TMDS. Group A received LLLT at 660 nm, 6 J/point, two sessions/week for 4 weeks and group B received TENS at 2–250 Hz, two sessions/week for 4 weeks. Results: Pain Score decreased and mouth opening increased in both groups with time, however, the difference between the two groups was not statistically significant. Right and left lateral excursions showed improvement at different intervals in both groups. However, the LLLT group showed significant improvement. Conclusion: Clinical trial showed improvement in visual analogue scale (VAS), maximum mouth opening (MMO) and lateral excursion in the different time intervals in both the groups with LLLT showed more improvement with lateral excursions movements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Few terms and concepts have been so extensively debated in dentistry as the words 'centric relation' (CR). Debates involve its biological, diagnostic and therapeutic usefulness. Methods: A review of the literature on the current concepts on CR as a diagnostic or therapeutic aid in dentistry was provided. Clinical trials assessing the superiority of one CR recording method over the others to identify patients with temporomandibular disorders (diagnostic use) or to manage patients with prosthodontic or orthodontic needs (therapeutic use) were tentatively included. Results: Due to the absence of literature addressing either of the above targets, a comprehensive overview was provided. The diagnostic use of CR as a reference position to identify the correct position of the temporomandibular joint condyle within the glenoid fossa is not supported and lacks anatomical support. From a therapeutic standpoint, the use of CR can be pragmatically useful in prosthodontics as a maxillo‐mandibular reference position when occlusal re‐organization is warranted and/or when the position of maximum intercuspation is no longer available. Conclusions: The derived occlusal goals from a diagnostic misuse of CR are generally the result of circular reasoning, that is a technique is based on the recording of a certain condylar position that is believed to be 'ideal' and the treatment is considered successful when such position is shown by the specific instrument that was manufactured for that purpose. The term 'Centric Relation' might be replaced with the term 'Maxillo‐Mandibular Utility Position'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Fractures of the mandibular condyle are the most common jaw fractures. There are several treatment approaches. There is the non‐surgical and surgical approach. The purpose of this systematic literature review is to evaluate the indications and contraindications of either method to help the clinician make the best treatment choice. Methods: Pubmed, Web of Science and Lilacs were systematically searched until 20 May 2023. Clinical trials were selected to compare the two treatments for condyle fracture and evaluate indications and contraindications. Results: Out of 2515 papers, four studies were included. The surgical approach allows faster functional recovery and decreases patient discomfort. The study analyses under what circumstances a surgical procedure is more practical than a non‐surgical one. Conclusion: There is no evidence regarding the reliability of either method. Both have superimposable results. However, age, type of occlusion and other factors direct the clinician towards a surgical choice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: While Temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) are not typically considered a primary symptom of Parkinson disease (PD), recent studies have documented a correlation between ageing and TMDs, a cluster of conditions affecting the temporomandibular joint and surrounding musculature, thereby underscoring the potential for an increased frequency of TMDs in the ageing PD population. Objective: The purpose of this review is to systematically evaluate the existing literature on the topic and provide a comprehensive overview of the prevalence of TMDs in patients with PD. Methods: To determine eligibility, we utilised the Population (human subjects), Exposure (PD), Comparator (PD vs non‐PD subjects), and Outcomes (TMD) (PECO) model. To conduct this systematic review, we searched for articles published in PubMed, Web of Science and Lilacs from the beginning until April 15, 2023. Results: Three studies were selected. All together they comprised a total of 55 828 subjects, out of which 12 629 were affected by PD or Parkinsonism, and the remaining 43 199 were non‐PD subjects matched for age and sex. The study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of TMDs in subjects affected by PD. The results showed that 193/12629 (1.53%) of PD individuals presented with TMD symptoms or were diagnosed with TMD, while 260/43199 (0.6%) of non‐PD subjects were diagnosed with the same. The meta‐analysis showed that there was a higher TMD prevalence in PD subjects compared to non‐PD subjects (RR 1.57; 95% CI: 1.30–1.89). Conclusion: The studies reviewed suggest a possible association between TMD and PD. Further research is needed to clarify the relationship between TMD and PD and to identify possible mechanisms and treatment strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) are a common and debilitating condition that affects millions of people globally. Despite extensive research on TMDs, the exact causes of these conditions remain unclear. However, various factors, including genetics, injury and stress, have been implicated in their development. In addition to these traditional risk factors, the literature suggests that socioeconomic status (SES) may also play a role in the development and progression of TMDs. By synthesizing the available evidence, this review will provide a comprehensive understanding of the role of SES in TMDs and will inform the development of targeted interventions to reduce the burden of these disorders among individuals with lower SES. Methods: We conducted this systematic review followed the recommendations of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA) 2020. PubMed, Scopus and Lilacs were searched using the terms: ((socio‐economic status OR economic status) AND (temporomandibular disorders OR temporomandibular joint) from the inception until February 10, 2023. We applied the following questions: (P) Participants consisted of human subjects. (E) The Exposure consisted of low economic stats. (C) The Comparison: subjects reporting low economic status were compared to subjects reporting medium–high economic status. (O) The Outcome consisted of TMDs diagnosis. Review Manager version 5.2.8 (Cochrane Collaboration; 2014) software was applied to perform the pooled analysis. Results: The included subjects in this review were 14 607. Among them, 631 reported a low economic income, 1880 a medium–high economic income, 4617 were blue‐collar workers and 7478 were white‐collar workers or entrepreneurs. Among those reporting a low economic income or belonging to the blue‐collar workers 12.93% (679/5248) presented sign/symptoms of TMD or a diagnosis of TMD whereas 10.6% (997/9358) of those with a high economic income/white‐collar worker. Conclusion: We observed a slightly higher prevalence of TMD among individuals with a low economic income Further research is needed to better understand this relationship and to develop effective interventions to reduce the burden of TMD among individuals with low income. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Over the past few years, researchers have investigated whether varying menstrual statuses and oestrogen levels could affect the likelihood of temporomandibular disorders (TMDs), with conflicting results. While some studies suggest a potential link between increased oestrogen levels and higher TMD risk, others have found no correlation. It is worth noting that oestrogen levels can impact the structure and function of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). In the light of these findings, our study seeks to investigate the prevalence of TMDs among pregnant women. Methods: We searched in PubMed, Web of Science and Lilacs for articles published from the inception until 20 January 2023. We applied the Population, Exposure, Comparator and Outcomes (PECO) model to assess the document eligibility: (P) Participants: female human subjects. (E) Exposure: pregnancy. (C) Comparison: pregnant women compared to non‐pregnant women in the childbearing age. (O) Outcome: TMDs diagnosis. Only study providing data about the prevalence in both group (pregnant and non‐pregnant) were included. We set the following exclusion criteria: (1) diagnosis of rheumatic diseases or chronic inflammatory disorders (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile, idiopathic arthritis, psoriatic arthritis); (2) diagnosis of fibromyalgia; (3) congenital abnormality or neoplastic conditions in the TMJ region; (4) studies including subjects undergoing arthrocentesis or intra‐articular infiltrations; (5) studies including local pressure pain assessment; (6) studies including women in menopause in the control group (7) cross‐over study design; (8) language different from English; (9) full‐ text unavailability (i.e. posters and conference abstracts); (10) studies involving animals; (11) review (topical or systematic) article; (12) case reports/series; (13) studies evaluating TMDs prevalence in subjects not pregnant. The software Review Manager version 5.2.8 (Cochrane Collaboration) was used to perform the pooled analysis. We measured the risk ratio (RR) between the two groups (pregnant and non‐pregnant). Results: The included subjects in this review were 440. Among them, 244 were pregnant while the remaining 196 were age matched non‐pregnant women. Among those pregnant 102 presented sign/symptoms of TMD or TMD diagnosis (41.8%) whereas 80 of those not pregnant were diagnosed with (40.8%). The overall effect showed that there was no difference in TMD prevalence between pregnant and non‐pregnant women in childbearing age (RR 1.12; 95% CI: 0.65–1.93), suggesting that pregnant is neither a risk factor nor a protective factor for TMD. Conclusions: Overall, we did not find an association between TMD and pregnancy, neither positive nor negative. Further studies on larger samples are needed to clarify our results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protein biogenesis is a complex process, and complexity is greatly increased in eukaryotic cells through specific targeting of proteins to different organelles. To direct targeting, organellar proteins carry an organelle‐specific targeting signal for recognition by organelle‐specific import machinery. However, the situation is confusing for transmembrane domain (TMD)‐containing signal‐anchored (SA) proteins of various organelles because TMDs function as an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) targeting signal. Although ER targeting of SA proteins is well understood, how they are targeted to mitochondria and chloroplasts remains elusive. Here, we investigated how the targeting specificity of SA proteins is determined for specific targeting to mitochondria and chloroplasts. Mitochondrial targeting requires multiple motifs around and within TMDs: a basic residue and an arginine‐rich region flanking the N‐ and C‐termini of TMDs, respectively, and an aromatic residue in the C‐terminal side of the TMD that specify mitochondrial targeting in an additive manner. These motifs play a role in slowing down the elongation speed during translation, thereby ensuring mitochondrial targeting in a co‐translational manner. By contrast, the absence of any of these motifs individually or together causes at varying degrees chloroplast targeting that occurs in a post‐translational manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: Many patients with chronic pain report hypersensitivity not only to noxious stimuli, but also to other modalities including innocuous touch, sound, and light, possibly due to differences in the processing of these stimuli. The goal of this study was to characterize functional connectivity (FC) differences between subjects with temporomandibular disorders (TMD) and pain‐free controls during a visual functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) task that included an unpleasant, strobing visual stimulus. We hypothesized the TMD cohort would exhibit maladaptations in brain networks consistent with multisensory hypersensitivities observed in TMD patients. Methods: This pilot study included 16 subjects, 10 with TMD and 6 pain‐free controls. Clinical pain was characterized using self‐reported questionnaires. Visual task‐based fMRI data were collected on a 3T MR scanner and used to determine differences in FC via group independent component analysis. Results: Compared to controls, subjects with TMD exhibited abnormally increased FC between the default mode network and lateral prefrontal areas involved in attention and executive function, and impaired FC between the frontoparietal network and higher order visual processing areas. Conclusions: The results indicate maladaptation of brain functional networks, likely due to deficits in multisensory integration, default mode network function, and visual attention and engendered by chronic pain mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bandgaps of monolayers and few layers in 2D semiconductors are usually measured by optical probing such as photoluminescence (PL). However, if their exfoliated thickness is as large as a few nanometers (multilayer over ≈5 L), PL measurements become less effective and inaccurate because the optical transition of a 2D semiconductor often changes from direct to indirect mode. Herein, a simple method to approximately estimate the bandgap of multilayer 2D van der Waals (vdW) semiconductors is introduced; that is utilizing a field‐effect transistor (FET) as a platform. Multilayer graphene (multi‐LG) contact for multilayer van der Waals channels in the FET is used, because multi‐LG contact would secure ambipolar behavior and somewhat enable Schottky barrier modulation in contact with vdW channels. As a result, the bandgaps of multilayer transition‐metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) and black phosphorus in unknown thicknesses are approximated through measuring the temperature‐dependent transfer curve characteristics. The bandgaps are confirmed with photoelectric responsivity measurements, which evidences the validity of the multi‐LG‐induced approximation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The formation and diffusion of intrinsic defects in bulk and monolayer MoS2 are studied. For the first time, the formation energy of a split sulfur and molybdenum Frenkel pair in bulk (6.56 and 12.6 eV) and monolayer (3.95 and 12.1 eV) MoS2 is determined without using chemical potential. For the intrinsic defects, a complete calculation of the diffusion coefficient (pre‐exponential factor and activation barrier) is performed and the effect of the defect charge state on the diffusion coefficient is studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The evidence on the relationship between anxiety and depression and patients with distinct subtypes of temporomandibular disorder (TMD) is uncertain, so a thorough review study on the topic is still missing. Objectives: This systematic review investigated the distribution and severity of anxiety and depression in patients diagnosed with different subtypes of TMD. Methods: The study is registered in PROSPERO (CRD42020150562) and it followed the PRISMA 2020 Statement. We searched in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus and SciELO databases (last search: 12 March 2021) and the reference list from the included studies. Study eligibility criteria consisted of: (i) patients diagnosed with TMD using the Research Diagnostic Criteria (RDC/TMD) or Diagnostic Criteria (DC/TMD) instruments; (ii) assessment of anxiety and/or depression with validated psychological instruments and (iii) allocation of patients into a minimum of two distinct TMD subtypes with at least one group having myofascial pain (comparison group). Analyses were carried out using RevMan 5.3.5 statistical package and random‐ or fixed‐effects models (α = 0.05). The quality of evidence was assessed based on review authors' judgment derived from a 10‐item appraisal tool for prevalence studies and with the Newcastle–Ottawa scale. Results: Of the 4086 records identified in total, 24 were eligible for inclusion; meta‐analyses were conducted with 20 studies. In total, 3678 subjects were included in the review. Most of the studies found that patients with myofascial pain showed similar occurrence and severity of anxiety/depression as compared to other subtypes of TMD, although the average prevalence seemed to be higher among the diagnoses consisting of myofascial pain (muscular TMD). Despite the moderate‐to‐high heterogeneity, anxiety and depression were more frequently distributed within patients with myofascial pain (p =.001). TMD patients without myofascial pain presented less severe levels of anxiety and depression than patients with only myofascial pain (p ≤.01). The type of psychological instrument seems to affect the assessment of both anxiety and depression emotional states. Conclusion: The findings of this review suggest that patients with myofascial pain are more anxious and more depressed than patients with other subtypes of TMD. Implications: Considering that anxiety and depression are differently distributed within the TMD population, a proper assessment of the psychological state of patients seems essential to offer an adequate treatment and management of each specific subtype of TMD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is a need for methods to compare differences of voltage levels and distribution anomalies in the study of skeletal muscle function. Calculating the kurtosis values has been found to be of value. Aim: The aim was to record and analyse voltage and kurtosis levels of SEMG recorded bilaterally in the masseter and anterior temporalis areas during rest and clenching and to compare the kurtosis levels between controls and patients with TMJ disc dysfunction. Material and methods: Twenty‐three healthy subjects and 21 patients with TMJ disc dysfunction were taken part in this study. Recordings were made with the BioPAK EMG System. Gain was adjusted to record the data within the range of ±2000 µV. SEMG was recorded in four facial areas, the right masseter, left masseter, right anterior temporalis, and left anterior temporalis areas. Kurtosis levels of SEMG, at clenching with maximal force, and mandibular rest, were compared between the control and patient groups. Results: The kurtosis levels of clenches were significantly higher in patients in all four areas with sensitivity, 38.1% to 61.9%, and specificity, 82.6% to 100.0%. No differences were found in kurtosis levels during mandibular rest. Conclusion: The results support that kurtosis values of SEMG recorded during clenching have a potential diagnostic interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Diagnosis and treatment of non‐odontogenic pain is challenging for endodontists. The purpose of the study was to investigate the outcomes of referrals to orofacial pain specialists made for patients with suspected non‐odontogenic pain, after evaluation and/or treatment by an endodontist. Materials and Methods A retrospective review of dental records was conducted for 60 patients referred from a postgraduate endodontic clinic to an orofacial pain clinic. Patient demographics, pain history, endodontic, and orofacial pain diagnoses were collected. Number of visits, length of treatment, and treatments prescribed were recorded. For analysis of outcomes, data pertinent to resolution/persistence of symptoms and patient compliance were analyzed. Results Thirty‐five patients were included in the study. The most frequent pulpal and periapical diagnoses were previously treated (62%) and symptomatic apical periodontitis (72%), respectively. The most common orofacial pain diagnosis was temporomandibular disorder. The average time spent to diagnose and treat the pain was 17 months. Pain reduction varied and was documented for 51% of patients. Indications of non‐compliance with orofacial pain appointments and treatments were documented for 66% of patients. Conclusions Non‐odontogenic pain diagnosis and treatment are challenging. Patients may have an increased predilection for developing persistent pain after endodontic treatment and/or have an undiagnosed, chronic orofacial pain condition as a true source of their chief complaint. It may be helpful for endodontists to set expectations of typical treatment times/plans when referring patients for evaluation and treatment of non‐odontogenic pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (RDC/TMD) and Diagnostic Criteria for TMD (DC/TMD) include Axis II instruments for psychosocial assessment. Objectives: The aims were to compare the Finnish versions of Axis II psychosocial assessment methods of the RDC/TMD and DC/TMD and to study their internal reliability. Methods: The sample comprised 197 tertiary care referral TMD pain patients. The associations between RDC/TMD [Graded Chronic Pain Scale (GCPS) 1.0, Symptom Check List 90‐revised (SCL‐90R)] and DC/TMD (GCPS 2.0, Patient Health Questionnaire‐9 (PHQ‐9), PHQ‐15) assessment instruments were evaluated using Spearman correlation coefficients, Wilcoxon Signed Rank s, chi‐squared test and gamma statistics. The internal reliability and internal inter‐item consistency of SCL‐90‐R, PHQ‐9, PHQ‐15 and Generalized Anxiety Disorder‐7 (GAD‐7) were evaluated using Cronbach's alpha coefficient values. Results: The DC/TMD and RDC/TMD Axis II psychosocial instruments correlated strongly (p <.001). GCPS 1.0 and GCPS 2.0 grades were similarly distributed based on both criteria. The RDC/TMD psychological instruments had a higher tendency to subclassify patients with more severe symptoms of depression and non‐specific physical symptoms compared to DC/TMD. The internal reliability and internal inter‐item consistency were high for the psychological assessment instruments. Conclusion: The Finnish versions of the RDC/TMD and DC/TMD Axis II psychosocial instruments correlated strongly among tertiary care TMD pain patients. Furthermore, the Axis II psychological assessment instruments indicated high validity and internal inter‐item consistency and are applicable in Finnish TMD pain patients as part of other comprehensive specialist level assessments, but further psychometric and cut‐off evaluations are still needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study objectives: To assess the general subjective sleep quality in individuals with and without TMD, and its distribution among the TMD diagnostic groups. Methods: A systematic review search was performed in Pubmed/MEDLINE, Embase, LILACS, Web of Science, SciELO, CINAHL and Cochrane Central as well as in the grey literature. Observational studies published since 1992 which used either the DC/TMD or RDC/TMD for TMD diagnosis and either the PSQI, SAQ or ESS questionnaires for sleep assessment were included. Articles selected for meta‐analysis underwent quality, heterogeneity and publication bias evaluation. Results: A total of 1071 articles were found by online search, and 10 articles were added manually. For full‐text reading, 138 papers were selected. Thirty‐six articles were included in the final review, and 19 in the meta‐analysis (PSQI only). Subjective sleep quality was shown to be associated with all RDC/TMD or DC/TMD Axis I diagnostic groups: muscle disorders, arthralgia/osteoarthritis/osteoarthrosis and disk displacements; with the highest association in the first two groups, and the lowest in the last one. A 4.45 times increased odds ratio of TMD prevalence was found for individuals who presented poor subjective sleep quality. Conclusion: Subjective sleep quality should be considered in the management of TMD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Ear symptoms coincident with TMD symptoms have been noticed for a long time. The aim was to investigate the relationship between reported ear symptoms in TMD patients and different TMD symptoms, dental occlusion, oral parafunction and habits. Material and methods: Consecutive patients, ≥18 years of age and referred to a specialist clinic for orofacial pain and dysfunction during a three‐month period, were considered for the study. Patients with poor general or psychiatric health were excluded. One hundred thirty‐two patients were included and studied with regard to reported ear symptoms in relation to clinical dysfunction, occlusion, habits and subjective rating of their symptoms. A clinical examination was performed according to RDC/TMD and extended with occlusal factors, parafunctions and habits. Results: Ear symptoms were reported by 72% of the TMD patients, with ear fullness in 49% as the most frequent symptom. The patients with ear symptoms were significantly older and proportionally more often females. Ear symptoms were significantly correlated to the subjective index, to myalgia (p = 0.003), decreased opening capacity (p = 0.01), TMJ pain (p = 0.02), parafunctions (p = 0.007), and some occlusal factor (p = 0.018–0.003). Muscle pain on palpation was significantly associated with ear fullness, and changed hearing and sensitivity to sound, on the same side (p < 0.005). Conclusions: Ear symptoms are frequently reported by TMD patients. Concomitant ear symptoms are associated with oral parafunction and muscle pain on palpation on the same side as the ear symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pain and anxiety contribute to decreasing quality of life related to oral health in patients with temporomandibular disorders (TMD). Evidence‐based practice has shown that therapeutic and aerobic exercise programmes are adequate strategies for modifying these factors. Objective: To assess the effects of aerobic exercise on pain, anxiety and quality of life related to oral health in patients with TMD. Methods: Forty‐five patients diagnosed with TMD were divided into three groups of 15 participants: a therapeutic exercise programme (G1, mean 26.9 ± 5.5 years), a therapeutic and aerobic exercise programme (G2, mean 26 ± 4.4 years) and an aerobic exercise programme (G3, mean 24.9 ± 3.4 years). Pain intensity was assessed using a numerical rating scale (NRS), anxiety level and quality of life related to oral health through GAD‐7 and OHIP‐14, respectively. These parameters were evaluated twice at baseline (T0a/T0b), ending 8‐week intervention period (T1) and 8–12 weeks after ending intervention (T2). Results: NRS significantly decreased in G1 (mean difference T0a/T1 = 5.2, p ˂.001), G2 (mean difference T0a/T1 = 6.0, p ˂.001) and G3 (mean difference T0a/T1 = 2.2, p = 0.001). OHIP‐14 significantly decreased in G1 (mean difference T0a/T1 = 13.5, p ˂.001) and G2 (mean difference T0a/T1 = 15.8, p ˂ 0.001) but not in G3 (mean difference T0a/T1 = 1.2, p = 0.55). There were no significant differences between groups regarding GAD‐7. Between T1 and T2, there were no significant differences in variables. Conclusion: Therapeutic exercises and therapeutic excercises combined with aerobic exercise groups had a significant decrease in pain and oral health‐related quality of life at 8 and 12 weeks. These decreases were not seen for the aerobic exercise group. Pain and anxiety contribute to decreasing quality of life related to oral health in patients with temporomandibular disorders (TMD). The aim of this study is assessing the effects of aerobic exercise on pain, anxiety and quality of life related to oral health in patients with TMD. This study shows that therapeutic exercises and therapeutic excercises combined with aerobic exercise groups had a significant decrease in pain and oral health related quality of life after ending the intervention as well as 8 and 12 weeks after. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pain related to temporomandibular disorder (TMD) usually affects jaw function. In patients with TMD, little is known about the biopsychosocial relevance to jaw functional limitations. Objective: This study explored the impact of biopsychosocial risk factors on jaw functional limitation in patients with painful TMD. Methods: A comprehensive set of patient‐reported outcomes (PROs), consisting of pain severity (Brief Pain Inventory), psychological stress (Symptom Checklist‐90‐Revised), catastrophising thought (Pain Catastrophizing Scale), kinesiophobia (Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia‐TMD), sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index) and jaw functional limitation (Jaw Functional Limitation Scale‐20), were administered, and clinical examinations were performed in patients with TMD. Results: This study included the data obtained from 131 patients with painful TMD. In the logistic regression analysis, biomedical factors (age, sex, pain duration and TMD phenotype) were not associated with jaw functional limitation. Correlations were higher in the order of sleep quality (ρ = 0.946), pain severity (ρ = 0.582), pain catastrophising (ρ = 0.535), kinesiophobia (ρ = 0.486) and emotional distress (ρ = 0.268). Multiple regression analysis demonstrated three predictors, including pain severity (p =.001), kinesiophobia (p =.023) and sleep quality (p <.001) for jaw functional limitation. In the mediation analysis, the indirect effect of pain severity on the association between sleep and limitation was significant (p <.0001). Conclusion: Jaw functional limitation is associated with biopsychosocial factors. In particular, sleep may be a core risk factor for functional limitation in patients with painful TMD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To review and summarize the data on the relationship between craniofacial morphology features and internal derangement (ID) of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). Method: A systematic review was designed and registered at PROSPERO, CRD42019132731. The PubMed, Embase and Scopus databases were searched for cephalometric studies comparing craniofacial morphology between female patients with TMJ ID and controls. The Newcastle‐Ottawa Scale (NOS) was used for quality assessment. Weighted mean differences for cephalometric measurements were pooled for subsequent meta‐analysis. Result: From the establishment date to August 2020, 14 of 1038 collected records were selected, which consisted of 772 patients with TMJ ID and 423 controls. These records were eventually pooled for the designed statistical analysis after the NOS quality assessment. Compared with the controls, TMJ ID patients had obviously smaller, retruded and clockwise‐rotated mandible, showing significantly decreased S‐Na, S‐Go, Go‐Me, Ar‐Pog, Ar‐Go, SNB, Na perp Pog, and increased FH‐MP, SN‐MP, PP‐MP, SN to Ar‐Go, S‐Ar‐Go and ANB. Conclusion: Certain craniofacial morphology features were found strongly associated with the presence of TMJ ID, especially the size and position of the mandible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Sleep bruxism is mostly assessed by reporting of tooth‐grinding or clenching during sleep and by clinical signs (tooth wear, cracks, or fractures). Parafunctional tooth damage is usually prevented by employing occlusal appliances mainly of the full arch covering type (Michigan splint) and of the partial type covering only central incisors (NTI‐tss). To date, the effects of occlusal appliances on sleep bruxism or jaw muscle activity during sleep are still controversial. The present study is a randomized controlled clinical trial that evaluated the effects of two different splint designs on jaw muscle activity in sleep bruxers otherwise healthy. Material and Methods: Ten patients from a private dental practice were treated by a single operator. A Michigan splint and an NTI‐tss device were manufactured individually and used at random order. Electromyographic jaw muscle activity was recorded for four consecutive nights in the first, fourth, and seventh week with and without splint. Participants reported on splint comfort and side effects. Results: Muscle activity decreased only while wearing the NTI‐tss device. Most patients preferred though the Michigan splint due to its greater wearing comfort. Conclusions: NTI‐tss devices proved more effective for the reduction of jaw muscle activity during sleep. The main advantage of the prefabricated NTI‐tss is its prompt availability in an acute phase of temporomandibular disorders associated with sleep bruxism. In long‐term therapies, patients should be informed of the possible risk of irreversible occlusal changes. Subjective preferences, wearing comfort, and costs should also be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the effect of soil–structural interaction (SSI) on gravity‐based wind turbine towers equipped with tuned mass dampers (TMDs) subjected to earthquake loading. A small‐scale shaking table test of wind turbine towers with TMD was conducted, and the results showed that using TMD designed considering SSI resulted in larger vibration suppression. A simplified analytical numerical model was developed for SSI analysis considering TMD. The effect of soil site class and the earthquake intensity on the response reduction efficiency of the TMD was also discussed using the simplified model. It is concluded that the TMD efficiency depends not only on the soil stiffness but also on the characteristics of the applied ground motions, both of which are affected by the site classes and earthquake intensity levels. Moreover, the peak acceleration ratio (PAR), the root mean square acceleration ratio (RAR), the peak displacement ratio (PDR), and the root mean square displacement ratio (RDR) of the top of the wind turbine tower were obtained with and without TMD for different earthquake intensities and sites. These parameters can be used as references for the rational selection of TMD parameters considering SSI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Some authors state that above‐normal surface electromyography (SEMG) levels during mandibular rest (MR) are a general sign of temporomandibular disorders (TMD). Objective: The aim was to compare SEMG levels in the masseter and anterior temporalis areas during MR between patients with disc displacement (DD) and subjects identified as healthy. The hypothesis was that average SEMG levels would be higher in the patients during MR before and after repeated clenches with maximal effort. Methods: Thirty‐six healthy subjects, and 42 patients with DD, were included. SEMG levels were recorded bilaterally in the temporalis and masseter areas during MR before clenching and after repeated clenches with maximal effort. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was used to compare the means of the log‐transformed SEMG‐values for the subject groups. Results: The mean MR levels in the four areas before clenching ranged from −0.19 log (µV) to 1.20 log(µV) in healthy subjects and from −0.22 log(µV) to 0.96 log(µV) in patients. The mean MR levels in the four areas after repeated clenches ranged from −0.19 log (µV) to 1.04 log(µV) in healthy subjects and from −0.27 log(µV) to 0.93 log(µV) in patients. The MANOVA test showed no significant differences in the means for MR for the four areas between the groups at the 5% significance level. Conclusion: The hypothesis that jaw muscle SEMG levels during MR are on average generally higher in TMD patients is not supported. A possible explanation for the previous findings is that activity in other muscles was mislabelled as jaw muscle activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transmembrane domain (TMD) mutations of ERBB2 have previously been reported in lung cancer patients in addition to well‐studied kinase domain (KD) mutations, which may stabilize ERBB2 heterodimerization with other EGFR family members and favor a kinase active conformation. However, the frequency and clinical significance of ERBB2 TMD mutations in Chinese population is unknown. We prospectively analyzed the next‐generation sequencing data of 34 368 Chinese lung cancer patients with different sample types, including tumor tissue, plasma, cerebrospinal fluid, and pleural effusion. Patients' clinical characteristics and treatment history were retrieved from the database for further evaluation. Our findings show that ERBB2 V659/G660 mutations were detected at a frequency of 0.13% (45/34 368), of which the most frequent was V659D/E (88.9%), with a trend in nonsmokers and male. Moreover, 18% of patients (8/45) showed EGFR and/or ERBB2 amplification, whereas nine patients presented EGFR L858R or exon19 deletion. Interestingly, novel ERBB3 TMD mutation I646R was found coexisting in three patients with ERBB2 V659D and one patient with ERBB2 G660D, which might influence its heterodimerization with ERBB2 and further activate ERBB2. Four ERBB2 TMD mutation‐positive patients received afatinib monotherapy or combination therapy, but showed variable responses. One patient with V659E responded well to ERBB2 inhibitor lapatinib plus capecitabine as well as subsequent afatinib treatment upon progression. Our study provides valuable insights into the distribution of ERBB2 TMD mutations by employing the largest Asian lung cancer cohort thus far. Patients with ERBB2 TMD mutations who received afatinib, a pan‐ERBB inhibitor, demonstrated mixed responses, posing the urgent need to develop more effective therapeutic strategy for patients who carry ERBB2 TMD mutations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To identify assessment tools used to evaluate patients with temporomandibular disorders (TMD) considered to be clinically most useful by a panel of international experts in TMD physical therapy (PT). Methods: A Delphi survey method administered to a panel of international experts in TMD PT was conducted over three rounds from October 2017 to June 2018. The initial contact was made by email. Participation was voluntary. An e‐survey, according to the Checklist for Reporting Results of Internet E‐Surveys (CHERRIES), was posted using SurveyMonkey for each round. Percentages of responses were analysed for each question from each round of the Delphi survey administrations. Results: Twenty‐three experts (completion rate: 23/25) completed all three rounds of the survey for three clinical test categories: 1) questionnaires, 2) pain screening tools and 3) physical examination tests. The following was the consensus‐based decision regarding the identification of the clinically most useful assessments. (1) Four of 9 questionnaires were identified: Jaw Functional Limitation (JFL‐8), Mandibular Function Impairment Questionnaire (MFIQ), Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia for Temporomandibular disorders (TSK/TMD) and the neck disability index (NDI). (2) Three of 8 identified pain screening tests: visual analog scale (VAS), numeric pain rating scale (NRS) and pain during mandibular movements. (3) Eight of 18 identified physical examination tests: physiological temporomandibular joint (TMJ) movements, trigger point (TrP) palpation of the masticatory muscles, TrP palpation away from the masticatory system, accessory movements, articular palpation, noise detection during movement, manual screening of the cervical spine and the Neck Flexor Muscle Endurance Test. Conclusion: After three rounds in this Delphi survey, the results of the most used assessment tools by TMD PT experts were established. They proved to be founded on test construct, test psychometric properties (reliability/validity) and expert preference for test clusters. A concordance with the screening tools of the diagnostic criteria of TMD consortium was noted. Findings may be used to guide policymaking purposes and future diagnostic research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a growing interest in the analysis of the most recent results of the ALICE, ATLAS, and CMS detectors in asymmetric systems (pPb) due to the possibility of establishing some theoretical prescriptions for PbPb collisions and gaining insight this way into the behavior of the medium itself. The analysis of data in both cases can allow the understanding of the parton distribution functions (PDFs) under different regimes. For the study of the initial state in proton‐led collisions at 5.02 TeV, in this contribution, the Drell‐Yan process was chosen once the inclusive lepton production represents a clean process, independent of the color degree of freedoms. For this study, an extension of the Glauber model was considered for the cross section. Under this approach, we can examine the initial vertex of the hard process described by the proton–proton (pp) signal cross section σpp and apply the usual standard calculations through the factorization theorem. We focused on the analysis of the pT (transverse momentum) distribution and compared the role of different factorization schema in the behavior of the distribution at low pT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Cerebral palsy (CP) includes disturbances in muscular control caused by perinatal brain injury. Masticatory muscle involvement hampers functions such as chewing and talking. Bruxism and temporomandibular disorders are overrepresented. Neuromuscular blocks with botulinum toxin type A (BTX‐A) may alleviate problems due to muscular hyperactivity. The aim was to evaluate masticatory muscle BTX‐A injections in subjects with CP and bruxism. Methods: A prospective, parallel, randomized, placebo‐controlled, and double‐blind trial in 12 patients with CP was performed. End points were alterations in objective and subjective oral capacities after two BTX‐A or corresponding placebo injections. Matched, healthy references were also evaluated. Results: The reference group demonstrated stronger and more efficient oral functions compared with the CP group. Subjective and objective oral capacities appeared to vary considerably between CP patients and also over time in this patient group and were poorly correlated. No significant effect of BTX‐A compared with placebo on outcome variables was observed at group level, but continued treatment with BTX‐A was requested by the majority of the patients. Conclusion: The evidence is unable to support the use of BTX‐A for the treatment of affected masticatory muscles in CP, but the findings are inconclusive in certain respects. Larger, more homogeneous groups of CP patients need to be evaluated in future trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an analytical study of a multistage pendulum tuned mass damper (TMD) with a long stroke. Installing TMD is a practical way of adding damping to existing high‐rise buildings against the possible long‐period and long‐duration earthquakes, because both the TMD and amount of reinforcement to the building have low weights. To verify the effectiveness of the TMD, it is necessary to evaluate the effect of the small rotational and uplifting motions when the weight vibrates with a large amplitude. To evaluate these effects, an analytical model that includes the geometric nonlinearity and uplifting motion of the multistage pendulum TMD is presented. The model is verified by a comparison of the simulation results with experimental results of a shaking table test for a multistage pendulum. The time history analysis of the multistage pendulum, modeled as an 18 degrees of freedom system installed on top of a high‐rise building, is conducted. The rolling, torsional, and uplifting motions did not significantly affect the stable transverse motion of the TMD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Although temporomandibular disorders (TMD) have been associated with abnormal gray matter volumes in cortical areas and in the striatum, the corticostriatal functional connectivity (FC) of patients with TMD has not been studied. Here, we studied 30 patients with TMD and 20 healthy controls that underwent clinical evaluations, including Helkimo indices, pain assessments, and resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging scans. The FCs of the striatal regions with the other brain areas were examined with a seed‐based approach. As seeds, we used the dorsal caudate, ventral caudate/nucleus accumbens, dorsal caudal putamen, and ventral rostral putamen regions. Voxel‐wise comparisons with controls revealed that the patients with TMD exhibited reduced FCs in the ventral corticostriatal circuitry, between the ventral striatum and ventral frontal cortices, including the anterior cingulate cortex and anterior insula; in the dorsal corticostriatal circuitry, between the dorsal striatum and the dorsal cortices, including the precentral gyrus and supramarginal gyrus; and also within the striatum. Additionally, we explored correlations between the reduced corticostriatal FCs and clinical measurements. These results directly supported the hypothesis that TMD is associated with reduced FCs in brain corticostriatal networks and that these reduced FCs may underlie the deficits in motor control, pain processing, and cognition in TMD. Our findings may contribute to the understanding of the etiologies and pathologies of TMD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The aim of this randomised controlled trial was to assess the efficacy of stabilisation splint treatment on the oral health‐related quality of life OHRQoL during a 1‐year follow‐up. Originally, the sample consisted of 80 patients (18 men, 62 women) with temporomandibular disorders (TMD) who had been referred to the Oral and Maxillofacial Department, Oulu University Hospital, Finland, for treatment. Patients were randomly designated into splint (n = 39) and control group (n = 41). Patients in the splint group were treated with a stabilisation splint. Additionally, patients in both groups received counselling and instructions on masticatory muscle exercises. The patients filled in the Oral Health Impact Profile‐14 (OHIP‐14) questionnaire before treatment and at 3 months, 6 months and 1 year. At total, 67 patients (35 in the splint group vs. 32 in the control group) completed the questionnaire at baseline. The outcome variables were OHIP prevalence, OHIP severity and OHIP extent. Linear mixed‐effect regression model was used to analyse factors associated with change in OHIP severity during the 1‐year follow‐up, taking into account treatment time, age, gender and group status. OHIP prevalence, severity and extent decreased in both groups during the follow‐up. According to linear mixed‐effect regression, decrease in OHIP severity did not associate significantly with group status. Compared to masticatory muscle exercises and counselling alone, stabilisation splint treatment was not more beneficial on self‐perceived OHRQoL among TMD patients over a 1‐year follow‐up [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The Escherichia coli maltose transporter MalFGK2‐E belongs to the protein superfamily of ATP‐binding cassette (ABC) transporters. This protein is composed of heterodimeric transmembrane domains (TMDs) MalF and MalG, and the homodimeric nucleotide‐binding domains (NBDs) MalK2. In addition to the TMDs and NBDs, the periplasmic maltose binding protein MalE captures maltose and shuttle it to the transporter. In this study, we performed all‐atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations on the maltose transporter and found that both the binding of MalE to the periplasmic side of the TMDs and binding of ATP to the MalK2 are necessary to facilitate the conformational change from the inward‐facing state to the occluded state, in which MalK2 is completely dimerized. MalE binding suppressed the fluctuation of the TMDs and MalF periplasmic region (MalF‐P2), and thus prevented the incorrect arrangement of the MalF C‐terminal (TM8) helix. Without MalE binding, the MalF TM8 helix showed a tendency to intrude into the substrate translocation pathway, hindering the closure of the MalK2. This observation is consistent with previous mutagenesis experimental results on MalF and provides a new point of view regarding the understanding of the substrate translocation mechanism of the maltose transporter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate prediction of band gap for new emerging materials is highly desirable for the exploration of potential applications. The band gaps of bulk and monolayer TMDs (MoS2, MoSe2, WS2, and WSe2) are calculated with the recently proposed by us GVJ-2e method, which is implemented within DFT framework without adjustable parameters and is based on the total energies only. The calculated band gaps are in very good agreement with experimental ones for both bulk and monolayer TMDs. For monolayer MoS2, MoSe2, WS2, and WSe2, direct band gaps are predicted to be 1.88 eV, 1.57 eV, 2.03 eV, 1.67 eV correspondingly, and for bulk TMDs, indirect band gaps of 1.23 eV (MoS2), 1.09 eV (MoSe2), 1.32 eV (WS2), 1.21 eV (WSe2) are predicted. The GVJ-2e method demonstrates good accuracy with mean absolute error (MAE) of about 0.03 eV for TMDs PL gaps (and 0.06 eV for QP gaps). GVJ-2e method allows to equally accurately obtain band gaps for 3D and 2D materials. The errors of GVJ-2e method are significantly smaller than errors of other widely used methods such as GW (MAE 0.23 eV), hybrid functional HSE (MAE 0.17 eV), TB-mBJ functional (MAE 0.14 eV). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary objective of this study was to determine the structural and known-group validity as well as the inter-rater reliability of a test battery to evaluate the motor control of the craniofacial region. Seventy volunteers without TMD and 25 subjects with TMD (Axes I) per the DC/ TMD were asked to execute a test battery consisting of eight tests. The tests were video-taped in the same sequence in a standardised manner. Two experienced physical therapists participated in this study as blinded assessors. We used exploratory factor analysis to identify the underlying component structure of the eight tests. Internal consistency (Cronbach's α), inter-rater reliability (intra-class correlation coefficient) and construct validity (ie, hypothesis testing-known-group validity) (receiver operating curves) were also explored for the test battery. The structural validity showed the presence of one factor underlying the construct of the test battery. The internal consistency was excellent (0.90) as well as the inter-rater reliability. All values of reliability were close to 0.9 or above indicating very high inter-rater reliability. The area under the curve ( AUC) was 0.93 for rater 1 and 0.94 for rater two, respectively, indicating excellent discrimination between subjects with TMD and healthy controls. The results of the present study support the psychometric properties of test battery to measure motor control of the craniofacial region when evaluated through videotaping. This test battery could be used to differentiate between healthy subjects and subjects with musculoskeletal impairments in the cervical and oro-facial regions. In addition, this test battery could be used to assess the effectiveness of management strategies in the craniofacial region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the effects of a mass damper on the rocking motion of a non-symmetric rigid block-like structure, subject to different seismic excitation, are investigated. The damper is modelled as a single degree of freedom oscillating mass, running at the top of the block and connected to it by a linear visco-elastic device. The equations of rocking motion, the uplift and the impact conditions are derived. A nondimensionalisation of the governing equations is performed with the aim to obtain an extensive parametric analysis. The results are achieved by numerical integration of these equations. The slenderness and the base of the rigid block, and the eccentricity of the centre of mass are taken as variable parameters in the analyses. The main objective of the study is to check the performance of the damper versus the spectral characteristics of the seismic input. Three earthquake registrations with different frequency contents are used in the analyses. The results show that the presence of the mass damper leads to different levels of improvement of the response of the system, depending on the spectral characteristics of the seismic input. Curves providing the overturning slenderness of blocks of specific sizes versus the characteristics of the TMD are obtained. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, updated diagnostic criteria for temporomandibular disorders ( DC/ TMD) were published to assess TMD in a standardised way in clinical and research settings. The DC/ TMD protocol has been translated into Finnish using specific cultural equivalency procedures. To assess the interexaminer reliability using the Finnish translations of the DC/ TMD- FIN Axis I clinical diagnostic assessment instruments. Reliability assessment data were collected during a 1-day DC/ TMD Examiner Training Course at the University of Turku, Finland, in collaboration with the International DC/ TMD Training and Calibration Center in Malmö University. Clinical TMD examinations according to the Finnish pre-final version of the DC/ TMD Axis I assessment protocol were performed by four experienced TMD specialists on altogether 16 models. Kappa coefficient, overall percentage agreement (%A) as well as positive ( PA) and negative ( NA) agreements were used to define the reliability. Myofascial pain with referral, headache attributed to TMD and disc displacement ( DD) without reduction without limited opening showed excellent kappa values (range 0·87-1·00). Fair-to-good reliability was observed for diagnoses of myalgia (k = 0·67), arthralgia (k = 0·71) and DD with reduction (k = 0·64). The PA was high for all pain-related diagnoses and DD without reduction without limited opening (medians ≥83%), and acceptable for DD with reduction (median 67%). The NA was high (medians ≥87%) for all DC/ TMD diagnoses, except for myalgia which showed acceptable NA (median 75%). The %A was high for all assessed diagnoses (medians >85%). The findings of this study showed DC/ TMD- FIN Axis I to demonstrate sufficiently high reliability for pain-related TMD diagnoses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to explore the association between the presence of comorbidities and the pain experience in individual patients with temporomandibular disorder ( TMD). This clinical trial comprised 112 patients with TMD pain. For all participants the presence of the following comorbid factors was assessed: pain in the neck; somatization; impaired sleep; and depression. Pain experience was evaluated using the McGill Pain Questionnaire ( MPQ). For each subject the TMD-pain experience was assessed for three dimensions - sensory, affective, and evaluative - as specified in the MPQ. The association between comorbid factors and these three dimensions of TMD-pain experience was then evaluated using linear regression models. Univariable regression analyses showed that all comorbid factors, except for one factor, were positively associated with the level of pain, as rated by the sensory description of pain, the affective component of pain, and the evaluative experience of pain. The multivariable regression analyses showed that for all MPQ dimensions, depression showed the strongest associations with pain experience. It was found that in the presence of comorbid disorders, patients with TMD experience elevated levels of TMD pain. This information should be taken into consideration in the diagnostic process, as well as in the choice of treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the optimisation of the eddy current damping, applied in a passive tuned mass damper (TMD). A semi‐analytical model based on scalar potential formulation is extended for different permanent magnet (PM) topologies. Optimal design parameters are acquired by particle swarm optimisation. A 3‐DoF mechanical model is presented to predict the quality reduction factor of the TMD. Measurements are performed for validating the semi‐analytical model. Furthermore, an experiment is carried out to test a TMD with two optimal PM topologies for sinusoidal excitations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives This research aims to assess the test-retest reliability, the face, content and known groups validity, and responsiveness to change, of OHIP- TMDs, a 22-item TMDs-specific version of the Oral Health Impact Profile ( OHIP). Methods Test-retest reliability - A group of patients with TMDs ( n = 20) was administered OHIP- TMDs twice before initial consultation with a 2-week interval. Face and content validity - Content validity index assessments were undertaken with professionals and patients. Known groups validity - Participants ( n = 76) with confirmed Axis 1 RDC/ TMD diagnoses completed OHIP- TMDs prior to TMDs treatment. Their responses were compared, using inferential statistics, with those of age- and gender-matched controls. Responsiveness to change - Using the same 76 participants, a comparison was made of OHIP- TMDs with OHIP-49 (order of administration randomized) both at baseline and 3 months after starting treatment. Results OHIP- TMDs showed good test-retest reliability ICC [2,1] 0.805 (95% CI: 0.565, 0.918); good face and content validity; significant differences ( P < 0.001) between controls and participants demonstrating known groups validity. Its responsiveness to change was similar to OHIP-49. Conclusions OHIP- TMDs is an appropriate biopsychosocial, patient-centred, outcome measure for assessing QOL in patients with TMDs. It is less than half the length of OHIP-49 and contains proportionately more items relevant to TMDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]