Awareness and attitude among general dentists and orthodontists toward obstructive sleep apnea in children

AimThis study aimed to investigate Italian dentists’ knowledge of and attitudes toward obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in children.MethodsAn anonymous questionnaire was prepared using Google Forms and sent to dentists in Italy through private social platforms. The first part of the questionnaire contained basic demographic data questions, and the second part included items about pediatric OSA.ResultsA total of 125 responses were collected within 1 month. The interviews revealed gaps in undergraduate and post-graduate training on OSA, and consequently, low self-evaluation of knowledge and self-confidence in managing young patients with OSA. Dentists showed unfavorable attitudes and poor knowledge of the general findings, risk factors, and consequences of pediatric OSA but demonstrated good knowledge of the beneficial effects of rapid maxillary expansion. Orthodontists showed a more favorable attitude and better recognition of the craniofacial features associated with OSA. In addition, a comparison was made between dentists who had graduated more than 5 years ago and new graduates, and differences were found in undergraduate education, which was better for new graduates, and a small number of questions were better answered by experienced dentists.ConclusionThis study showed a lack of knowledge about pediatric OSA and its management among Italian dentists, revealing the need to update the dentistry curriculum and organize educational interventions

Preparation of hybrid samples for scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled to focused ion beam (FIB) analysis: A new way to study cell adhesion to titanium implant surfaces.

The study of the intimate connection occurring at the interface between cells and titanium implant surfaces is a major challenge for dental materials scientists. Indeed, several imaging techniques have been developed and optimized in the last decades, but an optimal method has not been described yet. The combination of the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with a focused ion beam (FIB), represents a pioneering and interesting tool to allow the investigation of the relationship occurring at the interface between cells and biomaterials, including titanium. However, major caveats concerning the nature of the biological structures, which are not conductive materials, and the physico-chemical properties of titanium (i.e. color, surface topography), require a fine and accurate preparation of the sample before its imaging. Hence, the aim of the present work is to provide a suitable protocol for cell-titanium sample preparation before imaging by SEM-FIB. The concepts presented in this paper are also transferrable to other fields of biomaterials research

Preparation of human primary macrophages to study the polarization from monocyte-derived macrophages to pro- or anti-inflammatory macrophages at biomaterial interface in vitro.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE Testing of dental materials when in contact with innate immune cells has been so far hindered by the lack of proper in vitro models. Human primary monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) would be an excellent option to this aim. However, the inability to detach them from the tissue culture plates contrast the possibility to culture them on biomaterials. The goal of the present work is to present and validate an innovative protocol to obtain MDMs from peripheral blood monocytes, and to reseed them in contact with biomaterials without altering their viability and phenotype. MATERIALS AND METHODS We differentiated MDMs on ultra-low attachment tissue culture plastics and recovered them with specific detachment solution in order to be reseeded on a secondary substrate. Therefore, using biological assays (RT-PCR, Western blot, and immunofluorescence) we compared their phenotype to MDMs differentiated on standard culture plates. RESULTS Transferred MDMs keep their differentiated M0 resting state, as well as the ability to be polarized into M1 (pro-inflammatory) or M2 (anti-inflammatory) macrophages. CONCLUSION These data provide the dental material research community the unprecedented possibility to investigate the immunomodulatory properties of biomaterials for dental application

Correction to: Cognitive assessment in multiple sclerosis—an Italian consensus

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Patients with paediatric-onset multiple sclerosis are at higher risk of cognitive impairment in adulthood: an Italian collaborative study

Background: Patients with paediatric-onset multiple sclerosis (POMS) could be at an increased risk for cognitive impairment (CI), given the potential harmful effects of disease activity in neurodevelopment. However, there is scarce information on their long-term cognitive outcomes. Objective: To compare the prevalence and profile of CI between adults with a history of POMS and those with classic, adult-onset multiple sclerosis (AOMS). Methods: Cognitive performance was assessed through the Brief Repeatable Battery (BRB) and the Stroop Test in consecutive patients referred to six Italian MS centres. CI was defined as impairment in ⩾2 cognitive domains. Results: In all, 119 patients with POMS and 712 with AOMS were included in this analysis. The prevalence of CI was 48.0% in AOMS, 44.5% in POMS; with similar neuropsychological profile between the two groups. However, when adjusting for current age, we found a significantly increased risk for CI (odds ratio (OR) = 1.71; p = 0.02) and for impairment in information processing speed (OR = 1.86; p < 0.01) in patients with POMS. A higher Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) was also identified in POMS (p = 0.03) compared with AOMS patients.The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship and/or publication of this article: This study was in part financed through an FISM (Italian Federation of Multiple Sclerosis) research grant

Discutindo a educação ambiental no cotidiano escolar: desenvolvimento de projetos na escola formação inicial e continuada de professores

A presente pesquisa buscou discutir como a Educação Ambiental (EA) vem sendo trabalhada, no Ensino Fundamental e como os docentes desta escola compreendem e vem inserindo a EA no cotidiano escolar., em uma escola estadual do município de Tangará da Serra/MT, Brasil. Para tanto, realizou-se entrevistas com os professores que fazem parte de um projeto interdisciplinar de EA na escola pesquisada. Verificou-se que o projeto da escola não vem conseguindo alcançar os objetivos propostos por: desconhecimento do mesmo, pelos professores; formação deficiente dos professores, não entendimento da EA como processo de ensino-aprendizagem, falta de recursos didáticos, planejamento inadequado das atividades. A partir dessa constatação, procurou-se debater a impossibilidade de tratar do tema fora do trabalho interdisciplinar, bem como, e principalmente, a importância de um estudo mais aprofundado de EA, vinculando teoria e prática, tanto na formação docente, como em projetos escolares, a fim de fugir do tradicional vínculo “EA e ecologia, lixo e horta”.Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educació

Sub-Micropillar Spacing Modulates the Spatial Arrangement of Mouse MC3T3-E1 Osteoblastic Cells

Surface topography is one of the main factors controlling cell responses on implanted devices and a proper definition of the characteristics that optimize cell behavior may be crucial to improve the clinical performances of these implants. Substrate geometry is known to affect cell shape, as cells try to optimize their adhesion by adapting to the irregularities beneath, and this in turn profoundly affects their activity. In the present study, we cultured murine calvaria MC3T3-E1 cells on surfaces with pillars arranged as hexagons with two different spacings and observed their morphology during adhesion and growth. Cells on these highly ordered substrates attached and proliferated effectively, showing a marked preference for minimizing the inter-pillar distance, by following specific pathways across adjacent pillars and displaying consistent morphological modules. Moreover, cell behavior appeared to follow tightly controlled patterns of extracellular protein secretion, which preceded and matched cells and, on a sub-cellular level, cytoplasmic orientation. Taken together, these results outline the close integration of surface features, extracellular proteins alignment and cell arrangement, and provide clues on how to control and direct cell spatial order and cell morphology by simply acting on inter-pillar spacing

Sviluppo e testing biologico di nanostrutture per rigenerazione tissutale

L’ingegneria tissutale si sta concentrando sempre più verso lo sviluppo di nuove strategie per la rigenerazione ossea, target che rappresenta un focus di interesse centrale per migliorare la gestione di casi clinici complessi nell’ambito della chirurgia orale e maxillo-facciale. Uno degli approcci più utilizzati in questo ambito è lo sviluppo di micro- e nanotopografie superficiali che consentano di aumentare le proprietà osteoinduttive dei biomateriali e nello specifico dei materiali implantari. È noto da letteratura che negli ultimi anni è aumentata notevolmente la consapevolezza dell’importanza non solo della microtopografia, ma anche della nanotopografia superficiale dei biomateriali. Infatti, la disposizione nanotopografica dei segnali extracellulari è di fondamentale importanza per controllare adesione, proliferazione e differenziamento cellulare, eventi che portano alla rigenerazione del tessuto. Nonostante non siano ancora note le distribuzioni spaziali ideali per favorire la risposta cellulare, a causa dell’intricata composizione della matrice extracellulare, è noto che la loro disposizione debba essere nel range dimensionale dei suoi componenti. È stato inoltre sottolineato come le cellule rispondano specificamente a differenti nanopatterns superficiali attivando specifici pathways di trasduzione del segnale topografia-dipendenti (ad esempio i cambiamenti conformazionali del citoscheletro, la motilità cellulare, ecc.). In questo lavoro sono state utilizzate nanostrutture create ad hoc per ottimizzare l’adesione, la proliferazione ed il differenziamento delle cellule ossee, con l’intenzione finale di aumentare l’osteointegrazione degli impianti dentali. In particolare, sono stati sviluppati e caratterizzati, sia dal punto di vista fisico-chimico, sia dal punto di vista biologico, differenti tipologie di nanofili, in presenza ed assenza di una funzionalizzazione con 3-mercaptopropil-trimetossisilano. Questa scelta è basata sul fatto che la molecola che favorisce il differenziamento osteoblastico. Gli studi di citocompatibilità effettuati su nanofili di ossicarburo di silicio non mostrano tossicità cellulare, sia per quanto riguarda i nanofili di controllo, sia per i funzionalizzati. È stato notato un aumento della proliferazione in seguito alla funzionalizzazione con 3-mercaptopropil-trimetossisilano, probabilmente dovuta al differente pattern di adsorbimento proteico, oltre che una migliore adesione ed una maggiore espressione dei geni tipicamente legati al differenziamento osteoblastico precoce. Infine, i nanofili di ossido di titanio hanno mostrato buone potenzialità sia per lo stimolo del differenziamento osteoblastico, sia per fungere da substrato di ancoraggio per gli osteoblasti, a conferma del fatto che su superfici nanostrutturate la risposta cellulare viene aumentata, in favore delle funzioni rigenerative dell’osso. In conclusione, possiamo affermare che entrambi, nanofilii di ossicarburo di silicio e nanofili di ossido di titanio, sono substrati promettenti per il miglioramento dell’osteointegrazione degli impianti dentali.Nowadays, tissue engineering has been focusing on the development of promising strategies for bone regeneration, which is the fundamental process to consider in order to improve the success of complex clinical cases in the field of oral and maxillo-facial surgery. One of the most common approaches has been the development of micro- and nanotopographies leading to an increase of osteoconductive properties of biomaterials and, in particular, of implantable materials. It is well known that the importance of biomaterials surfaces micro- and nanotopography has been increased in the last decades. Indeed, nanotopographic disposition of extracellular signals has revealed to be central in the control of cellular adhesion, proliferation and differentiation, all events having a positive impact on tissue regeneration. Although the lack of information about the ideal spatial distribution promoting cellular response, it has been demonstrated that this disposition should be in the dimensional range of its components. Furthermore, it has been underlined the cellular ability to specifically respond to different nanopatterns in order to activate particular topography-dependent signal transduction pathways (for instance conformational changes of the cytoskeleton, cellular motility). The aim of this project was to improve dental implants osteointegration with the use of nanostructures created ad hoc to optimize bone cells adhesion, proliferation and differentiation. Particularly, different categories of nanowires have been developed and characterized on the basis of their physico-chemical and biological properties in presence and in absence of functionalization with 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane. This kind of functional group has been chosen as the molecule can advance osteoblastic differentiation. Results of cytocompatibility studies performed on silicon oxycarbide nanowires demonstrated no toxic effects for control nanowires as well as functionalized. It has been shown an increase of cells proliferation after functionalization, probably due to factors as different protein absorption pattern, improved adhesion and expression of genes having a fundamental role in the early stages of osteoblastic differentiation. In addition, titanium dioxide nanowires revealed to have great potential both for osteoblastic differentiation and focal adhesion formation, confirming the idea that nanostructured surfaces can promote cellular response supporting bone regeneration. In conclusion, silicon oxycarbide nanowires and titanium dioxide nanowires have been confirmed to be promising substrates to improve dental implants osteointegration