Efficacy of Operculectomy in the Treatment of 145 Cases with Unerupted Second Molars: A Retrospective Case–Control Study

The aim of this study is to assess whether operculectomy in patients with retained second molars eases spontaneous tooth eruption in respect to untreated controls. Two hundred and twenty-two patients with delayed eruption of at least one second molar were selected from the archives of the Department of Orthodontics, Milan, Italy. Eighty-eight patients, 40 males and 48 females (mean age 14.8 ± 1.3 years), met the inclusion criteria. Records were then divided into case and control groups. The case group consisted of patients that underwent removal of the overlaying mucosa over second molars (i.e., operculectomy) and the control group consisted of subjects who retained their operculum over an unerupted second molar and were followed for one year without performing any treatment. A total of 145 impacted second molars were considered (75 cases, 70 controls). A risk ratio with 95% confidence interval was used to compare the prevalence of eruption in the two groups. Spontaneous eruption occurred in 93.3% of cases in the operculectomy group (70/75), while in the control group, 10% teeth erupted spontaneously (7/70). Spontaneous eruption in the upper arch occurred in 95.2% of cases among treated patients (40 out of 42), while in the lower arch, spontaneous eruption occurred in 90.9% of cases (30 out of 33). Spontaneous eruption of the upper second molars in the control group occurred in 8.5% of cases (3 out of 35), while in the lower arch, it occurred in 8.5% (3 out of 35). Operculectomy can ease the spontaneous eruption of retained second molars and reduce the chances of inclusion

The new Checklist of the Italian Fauna: Odonata

Seventeen years after the publication of the last checklist of the damselflies and dragonflies found in Italy, an updated list has been compiled. This list reports 95 species belonging to 10 families and 38 genera and includes 2 national endemic and 1 sub-endemic species. Compared to the previous checklist, three species were removed, two subspecies were granted species status, and 10 species were added as new taxa for Italy. The checklist summarizes the current state of the knowledge on the geographical distribution of the Italian species with a regional detail. After the online publication of this dataset on the LifeWatch Italy website in 2021, some minor updates will be included in future releases. The newly discovered species are the result of increased exploration of the national territory combined with some possible range shifts, especially of Libellulidae species of Afro-Asiatic origin. This increased coverage of the country is the result of the efforts of many contributors. It stems from the rapidly growing interest in this zoological group, also enhanced by the activation of a nationwide citizen science project promoted by the Italian Society for the Study and Conservation of Dragonflies (Odonata.it).&nbsp

Evaluation of an oral appliance in patients with mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea syndrome intolerant to continuous positive airway pressure use: Preliminary results.

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is a phenomenon of repeated, episodic reduction, or cessation of airflow (hypopnea/apnea) as a result of upper airways obstruction. First-line treatment in younger children is adenotonsillectomy, although other available treatment options in middle-aged adults include continuous positive airways pressure (CPAP) and airway adjuncts. Oral appliances (OA) are a viable treatment alternative in patients with OSAS. The objective of this study was to assess, in a 1-year follow-up study, an OA in OSAS patients. The participants were subjected to polysomnographic examination with a validated device (MicroMESAM). Eight participants were fitted with a Thornton Adjustable Positioner (TAP). The participants were asked to wear the test appliance for 7 nights, and in case of compliance, for 6 months. The selected patients record their usage of the appliance and any adverse effects in a treatment journal. The research focused on the following outcomes: sleep apnea (i.e. reduction in the apnea/hypopnea index) and the effect of oral appliances on daytime function. In conclusion, the results suggest that OA have a definite role in the treatment of snoring and sleep apnea

Italian Odonates in the Pandora's Box: A Comprehensive DNA Barcoding Inventory Shows Taxonomic Warnings at the Holarctic Scale

The Odonata are considered among the most endangered freshwater faunal taxa. Their DNA\u2010based monitoring relies on validated reference datasets that are often lacking or do not cover important biogeographical centres of diversification. This study presents the results of a DNA barcoding campaign on Odonata, based on the standard 658 bp 5\u2019 end region of the mitochondrial COI gene, involving the collection of 812 specimens (409 of which barcoded) from peninsular Italy and its main islands (328 localities), belonging to all the 88 species (31 Zygoptera and 57 Anisoptera) known from the country. Additional BOLD and GenBank data from Holarctic samples expanded the dataset to 1294 DNA barcodes. A multi\u2010approach species delimitation analysis involving two distance (OT and ABGD) and four tree\u2010based (PTP, MPTP, GMYC, bGMYC) methods were used to explore these data. Of the 88 investigated morphospecies, 75 (85%) unequivocally corresponded to distinct Molecular Operational Units, whereas the remaining ones were classified as \u2018warnings\u2019 (i.e., showing a mismatch between morphospecies assignment and DNA\u2010based species delimitation). These results are in contrast with other DNA barcoding studies on Odonata showing up to 95% of identification success. The species causing warnings were grouped in three categories depending on if they showed low, high, or mixed genetic divergence patterns. The analysis of haplotype networks revealed unexpected intraspecific complexity at the Italian, Palearctic, and Holarctic scale, possibly indicating the occurrence of cryptic species. Overall, this study provides new insights into the taxonomy of odonates and a valuable basis for future DNA and eDNA\u2010based monitoring studies