Impact of COVID-19 on the work of Spanish dentists : an early response to the pandemic

This study aimed to assess the quality of the information about COVID-19 that Spanish dentists felt they were provided; their opinion about the actions by Health Institutions; their perception of the risk infection at work; and the security measures impl

Effect of indirect composite treatment microtensile bond strength of self-adhesive resin cements

Background: No specific indications about the pre-treatment of indirect composite restorations is provided by the manufacturers of most self-adhesive resin cements. The potential effect of silane treatment to the bond strength of the complete tooth/indirect restoration complex is not available.The aim of this study was to determine the contribution of different surface treatments on microtensile bond strength of composite overlays to dentin using several self-adhesive resin cements and a total-etch one. Material and Methods: Composite overlays were fabricated and bonding surfaces were airborne-particle abraded and randomly assigned to two different surface treatments: no treatment or silane application (RelyX Ceramic Primer) followed by an adhesive (Adper Scotchbond 1 XT). Composite overlays were luted to flat dentin surfaces using the following self-adhesive resin cements: RelyX Unicem, G-Cem, Speedcem, Maxcem Elite or Smartcem2, and the total-etch resin cement RelyX ARC. After 24 h, bonded specimens were cut into sticks 1 mm thick and stressed in tension until failure. Two-way ANOVA and SNK tests were applied at α=0.05. Results: Bond strength values were significantly influenced by the resin cement used ( p <0.001). However, composite surface treatment and the interaction between the resin cement applied and surface treatment did not significantly affect dentin bond strength ( p >0.05). All self-adhesive resin cements showed lower bond strength values than the total-etch RelyX ARC. Among self-adhesive resin cements, RelyX Unicem and G-Cem attained statistically higher bond strength values. Smartcem2 and Maxcem Elite exhibited 80-90% of pre-test failures. Conclusions: The silane and adhesive application after indirect resin composite sandblasting did not improve the bond strength of dentin-composite overlay complex. Selection of the resin cement seems to be a more relevant factor when bonding indirect composites to dentin than its surface treatmen

Classification of current anticancer immunotherapies

During the past decades, anticancer immunotherapy has evolved from a promising therapeutic option to a robust clinical reality. Many immunotherapeutic regimens are now approved by the US Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency for use in cancer patients, and many others are being investigated as standalone therapeutic interventions or combined with conventional treatments in clinical studies. Immunotherapies may be subdivided into “passive” and “active” based on their ability to engage the host immune system against cancer. Since the anticancer activity of most passive immunotherapeutics (including tumor-targeting monoclonal antibodies) also relies on the host immune system, this classification does not properly reflect the complexity of the drug-host-tumor interaction. Alternatively, anticancer immunotherapeutics can be classified according to their antigen specificity. While some immunotherapies specifically target one (or a few) defined tumor-associated antigen(s), others operate in a relatively non-specific manner and boost natural or therapy-elicited anticancer immune responses of unknown and often broad specificity. Here, we propose a critical, integrated classification of anticancer immunotherapies and discuss the clinical relevance of these approaches

Rubric vs. numeric rating scale: agreement among evaluators on endodontic treatments performed by dental students

Abstract Background Students´ assessment should be carried out in an effective and objective manner, which reduces the possibility of different evaluators giving different scores, thus influencing the qualification obtained and the consistency of education. The aim of the present study was to determine the agreement among four evaluators and compare the overall scores awarded when assessing portfolios of endodontic preclinical treatments performed by dental students by using an analytic rubric and a numeric rating scale. Methods A random sample of 42 portfolios performed by fourth-year dental students at preclinical endodontic practices were blindly assessed by four evaluators using two different evaluation methods: an analytic rubric specifically designed and a numeric rating scale. Six categories were analyzed: radiographic assessment, access preparation, shaping procedure, obturation, content of the portfolio, and presentation of the portfolio. The maximum global score was 10 points. The overall scores obtained with both methods from each evaluator were compared by Student’s t, while agreement among evaluators was measured by Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). The influence of the difficulty of the endodontic treatment on the evaluators´ scores was analyzed by one-way ANOVA. Statistical tests were performed at a pre-set alpha of 0.05 using Stata 16. Results Difficulty of canal treatment did not influence the scores of evaluators, irrespective of the evaluation method used. When the analytic rubric was used, inter-evaluator agreement was substantial for radiographic assessment, access preparation, shaping procedure, obturation, and overall scores. Inter-evaluator agreement ranged from moderate to fair with the numeric rating scale. Mean higher overall scores were achieved when numeric rating scale was used. Presentation and content of the portfolio showed slight and fair agreement, respectively, among evaluators, regardless the evaluation method applied. Conclusions Assessment guided by an analytic rubric allowed evaluators to reach higher levels of agreement than those obtained when using a numeric rating scale. However, the rubric negatively affected overall scores

Dental Students opinion and knowledge about COVID-19 ́infection: A multicentric study

El propósito de este estudio fue determinar el conocimiento de los estudiantes deodontología sobre la enfermedad COVID-19 durante la primera ola de la pandemia del SARS-CoV-2. Para ello, realizamos una encuesta transversal anónima, mediante cuestionariosautoadministrados, entre estudiantes de odontología de 4 universidades españolas para evaluar supercepción y conocimiento del COVID-19 entre el 6 y el 15 de abril de 2020. Se recibieron un totalde 890 respuestas válidas durante 9 días. La mayoría de los estudiantes, 616 (70,3%), utilizaronmúltiples fuentes de información. Sin embargo, 542 (60,9%) creían que las fuentes más fiables eransitios oficiales como el de la OMS. Casi el 60% (523) creyó haber recibido información insuficientede su institución. La nacionalidad resultó ser un factor relacionado con la aptitud para elconocimiento. Así, el 39,9% de los encuestados en la Europa ibérica suspendieron la prueba deconocimiento, frente al 20% en América del Norte o el 10% en Europa del Este (X2 = 24.503, p =0,006). La nacionalidad ibérica europea implica un riesgo (OR) de no superar la prueba deconocimientos de 1.601 (IC 95% 1,008-2,544, p = 0,046). En relación al género, el 69,1% de lasmujeres superan la prueba frente al 30,9% de los hombres. (X2 = 18.163, V Cramer = 0.144, p<0.001. Nuestros resultados muestran que los estudiantes de odontología encuestados carecían delconocimiento sobre los síntomas, las vías de infección, la mortalidad y las medidas de protecciónde la enfermedad COVID-19 durante abril de 2020. Programas educativos específicos sobre laprevención y protección frente al SARS-CoV-2 deberían potencialmente implementarse en elcurrículo dental a nivel mundial.The purpose of this study was to determine dental students' knowledge of COVID-19disease during the first wave of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. An anonymous cross-sectional survey, using self-administered questionnaires, was conducted among dental students from 4 SpanishUniversities to assess their perception and knowledge of COVID-19 between April 6 and April 15,2020. A total of 890 valid responses were received over 9 days. Most students, 616 (70.3%), usedmultiple sources of information. However, 542 (60.9%) believed that the most reliable sourceswere official sites such as the WHO's. Almost 60% (523) believed that they have receivedinsufficient information from their institution. Nationality resulted as a factor related toknowledge aptitude. Thus, 39.9% of respondents in Iberian Europe failed, compared to 20% inNorth America or 10% in Eastern Europe (X2=24,503, p=0,006). European Iberian nationalityimplies a risk (OR) of not passing the knowledge test of 1.601 (CI 95% 1.008- 2.544, p=0.046). Inrelation to gender, 69.1% of women pass the test compared to 30.9% of men. (X2=18.163, VCramer=0.144, p<0.001. Our results show that surveyed dental students lacked the knowledgeregarding symptoms, routes of infection, mortality, and protective measures of COVID-19 diseaseduring April 2020. Specific educational programs on SARS-CoV-2 prevention and protectionshould potentially be implemented in the dental curriculum worldwide

Conocimiento y opinión de los estudiantes de Odontología sobre la infección de COVID-19: un estudio multicéntrico.

Resumen: El propósito de este estudio fue determinar el conocimiento de los estudiantes de odontología sobre la enfermedad COVID-19 durante la primera ola de la pandemia del SARS COV-2. Para ello, realizamos una encuesta transversal anónima, mediante cuestionarios autoadministrados, entre estudiantes de odontología de 4 universidades españolas para evaluar su percepción y conocimiento del COVID-19 entre el 6 y el 15 de abril de 2020. Se recibieron un total de 890 respuestas válidas durante 9 días. La mayoría de los estudiantes, 616 (70,3%), utilizaron múltiples fuentes de información. Sin embargo, 542 (60,9%) creían que las fuentes más fiables eran sitios oficiales como el de la OMS. Casi el 60% (523) creyó haber recibido información insuficiente de su institución. La nacionalidad resultó ser un factor relacionado con la aptitud para el conocimiento. Así, el 39,9% de los encuestados en la Europa ibérica suspendieron la prueba de conocimiento, frente al 20% en América del Norte o el 10% en Europa del Este (X2 = 24.503, p = 0,006). La nacionalidad ibérica europea implica un riesgo (OR) de no superar la prueba de conocimientos de 1601 (IC 95% 1,008-2,544, p = 0,046). En relación al género, el 69,1% de las mujeres superan la prueba frente al 30,9% de los hombres. (X2 = 18.163, V Cramer = 0.144, p &lt;0.001. Nuestros resultados muestran que los estudiantes de odontología encuestados carecían del conocimiento sobre los síntomas, las vías de infección, la mortalidad y las medidas de protección de la enfermedad COVID-19 durante abril de 2020. Programas educativos específicos sobre el SARS -Los peligros de CoV-2 y las medidas de protección, deben considerarse y potencialmente implementarse en el currículo dental de todo el mundo.El propósito de este estudio fue determinar el conocimiento de los estudiantes de odontología sobre la enfermedad COVID-19 durante la primera ola de la pandemia del SARS-CoV-2. Para ello, realizamos una encuesta transversal anónima, mediante cuestionarios autoadministrados, entre estudiantes de odontología de 4 universidades españolas para evaluar su percepción y conocimiento del COVID-19 entre el 6 y el 15 de abril de 2020. Se recibieron un total de 890 respuestas válidas durante 9 días. La mayoría de los estudiantes, 616 (70,3%), utilizaron múltiples fuentes de información. Sin embargo, 542 (60,9%) creían que las fuentes más fiables eran sitios oficiales como el de la OMS. Casi el 60% (523) creyó haber recibido información insuficiente de su institución. La nacionalidad resultó ser un factor relacionado con la aptitud para el conocimiento. Así, el 39,9% de los encuestados en la Europa ibérica suspendieron la prueba de conocimiento, frente al 20% en América del Norte o el 10% en Europa del Este (X2 = 24.503, p = 0,006). La nacionalidad ibérica europea implica un riesgo (OR) de no superar la prueba de conocimientos de 1.601 (IC 95% 1,008-2,544, p = 0,046). En relación al género, el 69,1% de las mujeres superan la prueba frente al 30,9% de los hombres. (X2 = 18.163, V Cramer = 0.144, p &lt;0.001. Nuestros resultados muestran que los estudiantes de odontología encuestados carecían del conocimiento sobre los síntomas, las vías de infección, la mortalidad y las medidas de protección de la enfermedad COVID-19 durante abril de 2020. Programas educativos específicos sobre la prevención y protección frente al SARS-CoV-2 deberían potencialmente implementarse en el currículo dental a nivel mundial

Classification of current anticancer immunotherapies.

During the past decades, anticancer immunotherapy has evolved from a promising therapeutic option to a robust clinical reality. Many immunotherapeutic regimens are now approved by the US Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency for use in cancer patients, and many others are being investigated as standalone therapeutic interventions or combined with conventional treatments in clinical studies. Immunotherapies may be subdivided into passive and active based on their ability to engage the host immune system against cancer. Since the anticancer activity of most passive immunotherapeutics (including tumor-targeting monoclonal antibodies) also relies on the host immune system, this classification does not properly reflect the complexity of the drug-host-tumor interaction. Alternatively, anticancer immunotherapeutics can be classified according to their antigen specificity. While some immunotherapies specifically target one (or a few) defined tumor-associated antigen(s), others operate in a relatively non-specific manner and boost natural or therapy-elicited anticancer immune responses of unknown and often broad specificity. Here, we propose a critical, integrated classification of anticancer immunotherapies and discuss the clinical relevance of these approaches. Oncotarget 2014 Dec 20; 5(24):12472-508