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The EAO Junior Committee Summer Camp 2023 was held in Lisbon, Portugal, with the goal of promoting communication, leadership, and connections among young clinicians and researchers under 40 years old. The camp featured workshops, group projects, and social activities to empower participants and enhance their public speaking abilities. Attendees from 18 different countries were chosen to participate in the camp, which prioritized creating a safe and respectful environment for networking and establishing connections. The camp also emphasized the value of friendship and encouraged participants to make new friends for future scientific exchanges. The document includes three appendix figures showcasing participants, a group photo before a surf lesson, and a view of Dragão Vermelho beach in Lisbon, Portugal. The document is copyrighted by Quintessence Publishing Co, Inc., and printing is limited to personal use only, with no reproduction or transmission allowed without written permission from the publisher. [Extracted from the article]

ABSTRACT Objectives Materials and Methods Results Conclusions To in vitro investigate the effect of different implant surface decontamination methods and treatment storing conditions on implant surface morphology and cell viability.Titanium disks with a sand‐blasted and acid‐etched surface (Promote, PRO) were treated with diamond polishing brushes (BRUSH), nickel‐titanium brushes (NITI), or phenol and sulfuric acid‐gel (GEL). The disks were stored in saline (‐S) or left exposed to air overnight (‐A). Untreated (PRO) and machined (MACHINED) disks were used as controls. GEL samples were treated for the 60 s, while the operative time was recorded for BRUSH and NITI. The samples were subjected to scanning electron microscopy (SEM), surface roughness measurements, and cell viability (SaOS‐2 cells, 7 days) assessment.The operative time was shorter for NITI than for BRUSH (p = 0.017). The original surface morphology (PRO) was not altered in the GEL group, in contrast with what was observed for BRUSH and NITI. The type of storage did not influence the surface morphology. No significant differences in Sa and Sz were observed among the groups, except for MACHINED, which presented lower Sa values (p < 0.05). Cells were able to proliferate on all surfaces. NITI‐S showed significantly higher cell viability compared to all groups (p ≤ 0.001), except for NITI‐A and MACHINED. Among the treated groups, only one additional significant difference was found, as NITI‐A performed better than GEL‐S.None of the investigated protocols compromised the cytocompatibility of the titanium dental implant surface. The best results were registered in the NITI group when the samples were stored in saline. Future studies should confirm the effectiveness of the proposed methods in removing bacterial biofilm from contaminated implant surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To describe the evolution and aims of the European Association for Osseointegration (EAO) Junior Committee (JC). Materials and Methods: Former members of the EAO JC and members of the board were interviewed, and current projects and initiatives were summarized. Results: The EAO JC was launched in 2007 as the first young committee in Europe. Despite initial skepticism, it became a famous initiative, and the concept was copied by other dental and medical associations and societies. Since 2010, the committee organizes summer camps allowing young talents to discuss, network and interact beyond traditional boundaries. Conclusions: The EAO JC is giving fresh energy to the entire society and provides education and network opportunities for young clinicians and scientists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To describe the speaker and leadership development seminars during the 2023 EAO Summer Camp (SC). Materials and Methods: In September 2023, 24 participants joined the SC organized by the EAO Junior Committee (JC) in Lisbon, focused on enhancing public speaking and leadership skills. Facilitated by two experienced trainers, the program aimed to evaluate the participants' progress through pre‐, post‐training "immediate" and "delayed" (3 months after the event) anonymous questionnaires. The JC formulated a survey (JCS) addressing aspects of public speaking, presentation skills and leadership, how important the participants considered them and what type of training in this field they had received thus far. Results: Twenty‐three participants responded to the pre‐ and immediate post‐training surveys, 22 completed the delayed post‐training survey and 20 completed the JCS. The findings revealed increased confidence and comfort in public speaking post‐event, with sustained improvements over time, accompanied by positivity, pleasant feelings, and increased camaraderie. Post‐training delayed results also showed that reduced symptoms of anxiety before a speech were reported. The JCS highlighted that many participants had not properly acquired public speaking skills during university. Similarly, 19 out of 20 participants felt that leadership skills were important in contemporary dentistry but not properly taught in dental school curriculums. Conclusions: The 2023 EAO SC was a successful event providing advanced training in leadership and public speaking skills. However, a notable number of young dentists continue to experience anxiety when faced with presentations, indicating a potential need for additional training to relieve stress and enhance confidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The naturally occurring stilbenoid oxyresveratrol was shown to influence inflammatory and metabolic processes. During cellular immune activation, tryptophan breakdown and neopterin formation via the enzymes indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase-1 (IDO-1) and GTP-cyclohydrolase, respectively, are induced. Neopterin and the kynurenine to tryptophan ratio are reliable and pertinent biomarkers of Th1-type immune response and are also used in vitro to monitor effects of active plant ingredients on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). We investigated the effects of oxyresveratrol on the activity of the above-mentioned pathways in mitogen-stimulated human PBMC and in the myelomonocytic cell line THP-1. Oxyresveratrol exerted suppressive effects on tryptophan breakdown in both stimulated cell models. Of note, in PBMC, tryptophan breakdown was induced at lower concentrations (5–20 µM) and suppressed at higher treatment concentrations only. Neopterin formation was decreased dose-dependently in stimulated PBMC. In unstimulated PBMC similar, albeit lesser effects were observed. Data indicate that oxyresveratrol exerts distinct and concentration-dependent effects on different immune cell types. IDO-1 is targeted by oxyresveratrol and its activity can be modulated in both directions. Detailed investigations of the interactions would be interesting to fully explore the activity of this phytocompound.

Aim: To introduce an objective method to evaluate the accuracy of implant position assessment in partially edentulous patients by comparing different techniques (conventional impression, intraoral scan, CBCT) to a reference 3D model obtained with an industrial scanner, the latter mimicking the clinical situation. Materials and Methods: Twenty‐nine implants were placed in four human cadaver heads using a fully guided flapless protocol. Implant position was assessed using (a) a conventional impression, (b) an intraoral scan, and (c) CBCT and compared to an industrial scan. Three‐dimensional models of intraoral scan body and implant were registered to the arch models and the deviation at implant shoulder, apex, and the angle of deviation were compared to each other as well as to the reference model. Results: The three assessment techniques showed statistically significant deviations (p <.01) from the industrial scan, for all measurements, with no difference between the techniques. The maximum deviation at the implant shoulder was 0.16 mm. At the implant apex this increased to 0.38 mm. The intraoral scan deviated significantly more than the CBCT (0.12 mm, p <.01) and the conventional impression (0.10 mm, p =.02). The maximum implant angle deviation was 1.0°. The intraoral scan deviated more than the conventional impression (0.3°, p =.02). Conclusion: All assessment techniques deviated from the reference industrial scan, but the differences were relatively small. Intraoral scans were slightly less accurate than both conventional impressions and CBCT. Depending on the application, however, this inaccuracy may not be clinically relevant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Surgical guides are frequently used for dental implant placement. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the 3D printing process itself and subsequent steam autoclaving on the dimensional stability of five different resin/printer combinations (RPCs). Materials and Methods: Fifty identical surgical guides (10 per group) were produced consisting of five RPCs. Half of the guides (5 per group) were steam autoclaved with cycle 1 (121°C, 1 bar, 20.5 min) and the other half with cycle 2 (134°C, 2 bar, 5.5 min). All guides were scanned with a structured‐light (SL) 3D scanner before (T0) and after (T1) autoclaving. Linear measurements along the x‐, y‐, and z‐axes were performed at landmarks on the original STL file and on SL scans at T0 and T1, respectively. Wilcoxon signed‐rank test, Kruskal–Wallis test, and linear mixed‐effects models were performed, depending on the analysis. Results: Three‐dimensional printing was associated with significant dimensional alterations for all RPCs. Steam autoclaving using cycle 1 was associated with significant shrinkage in x‐ (1 RPC), y‐ (2 RPCs), and z‐direction (2 RPCs), while cycle 2 was also associated with shrinkage in x‐ (2 RPCs), y‐ (1 RPC), and z‐direction (1 RPC). One resin did not present any dimensional changes independently of the cycle. Conclusions: The majority of the guides presented minor but significant shrinkage due to 3D printing itself and both steam autoclaving cycles, the extent varied between different RPCs. Whether these changes compromise implant placement accuracy remains to be investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To conduct a comprehensive and systematic review of the application of existing artificial intelligence for tooth segmentation in CBCT images. Materials and Methods: A literature search of the MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Scopus databases to find publications from inception through 21 August 2023, non-English publications excluded. The risk of bias and applicability of each article was assessed using QUADAS-2, and data on segmentation category, research model, sample size and groupings, and evaluation metrics were extracted from the articles. Results: A total of 34 articles were included. Artificial intelligence methods mainly involve deep learning-based techniques, including Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), Fully Convolutional Networks (FCNs), and CNN-based network structures, such as U-Net and V-Net. They utilize multi-stage strategies and combine other mechanisms and algorithms to further improve the semantic or instance segmentation performance of CBCT images, and most of the models have a Dice similarity coefficient greater than 90% and accuracy ranging from 83% to 99%. Conclusions: Artificial intelligence methods have shown excellent performance in tooth segmentation of CBCT images, but still face problems, such as the small size of training data and non-uniformity of evaluation metrics, which still need to be further improved and explored for their application and evaluation in clinical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose/objectives: Due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic, undergraduate education shifted towards online‐only formats from April 2020 until July 2021. Previous research indicated a negative effect on students' competence development, and it remains unclear whether blended learning concepts could provide compensation. Therefore, the present study aimed to compare pre‐ to post‐pandemic students' performance in standardized baseline (BL) and final exams (FE), as well as the associated knowledge gain (KG) in three consecutive undergraduate blended learning‐based oral radiology courses (C1‐3). Methods: Ninety‐four students participated during two pre‐pandemic semesters (October 17–July 18), and ninety‐eight students during two post‐pandemic semesters (October 21–July 22). Before the pandemic, conventional face‐to‐face lectures were combined with an oral radiology platform. Two years into the COVID‐19 pandemic, additional video‐based e‐learning modules were adopted from the pandemic online‐only curriculum. In each semester, skills and KG were assessed by conducting standardized BL and FE. Students' performance in BL, FE, and the associated KG during pre‐pandemic semesters was compared to post‐pandemic semesters. Results: In post‐pandemic courses, students showed significantly lower BL scores, whereas KG was significantly higher in post‐ compared to pre‐pandemic semesters (27.42% vs. 10.64%, p < 0.001, respectively). FE scores in C1 significantly improved from pre‐ to post‐pandemic semesters. Conclusions: Within the limitations of our study, the lower BL scores confirmed the negative effect of the pandemic on competence development. Blended learning concepts seem to compensate for this effect and enable students to return to pre‐pandemic levels. Future studies are needed to assess the additional impact of video‐based e‐learning modules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic required the immediate need to transfer inactivated tissue from biosafety level (BSL)-3 to BSL-1 areas to enable downstream analytical methods. No validated SARS-CoV-2 inactivation protocols were available for either formaldehyde (FA)-fixed or glutaraldehyde (GA)-fixed tissues. Therefore, representative tissue from ferrets and hamsters was spiked with 2.2 × 106 tissue culture infectious dose 50% per ml (TCID50/ml) SARS-CoV-2 or were obtained from mice experimentally infected with SARS-CoV-2. SARS-CoV-2 inactivation was demonstrated with 4% FA or 5% GA at room temperature for 72 hours by a titer reduction of up to 103.8 TCID50/ml in different animal tissues with a maximum protein content of 100 µg/mg and a thickness of up to 10 mm for FA and 8 mm for GA. Our protocols can be easily adapted for validating the inactivation of other pathogens to allow for the transfer of biological samples from BSL-3 areas to BSL-1 laboratories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]