Oculofacial alterations in NBAS-SOPH like mutations: Case report

PURPOSE:: To describe the clinical features of a rare case of NBAS-SOPH-like mutations; to emphasize special aspects of the ocular and oro-facial regions. METHODS:: Case report. CASE DESCRIPTION:: We present a 5-year-old girl initially examined for her dysmorphic features, mental delay, strabismus, and high myopia. During the funduscopic examination, we observed optic atrophy with narrow thinned arterioles with the light brown reflex of the central retina. A genetic assessment revealed NBAS-SOPH like mutation. An assessment by a team of orthodontists defined typical characteristics. CONCLUSIONS:: NBAS mutations can also cause complex disease with a broad clinical spectrum ranging from isolated recurrent acute liver failure (RALF) to a multisystemic phenotype. Due to the heterogeneity of the expressions, a multispeciality approach to this situation is recommended

Impact of Smoking Habit on Peri-Implant Indicators following Different Therapies: A Systematic Review

Peri-implant disease and its treatment is becoming a major concern for clinicians as the number of implants placed each year is rising. Smoking is a common habit, and it is associated with an increased risk of developing peri-implant disease. The role of smoking in the response to peri-implant treatment has never been investigated. Searches were conducted in electronic databases to screen articles published until August 2021. The included studies had at least two groups of patients: peri-implant disease only or peri-implant disease and smoking status. Outcomes of interest included plaque index (PI), probing depth (PD), bleeding on probing (BoP), radiographic crestal bone loss (CBL), and analysis of peri-implant sulcular fluid. Seven hundred and forty-nine articles were found in the databases, only 71 articles potentially qualified. A total of seven studies with a minimum follow-up of six months were included. There is no homogeneity in the diagnosis, smoker definition and treatment proposed. All surgical and non-surgical treatment have statistically significantly different outcomes in smokers and nonsmokers. Recognizing this study's limitations, we conclude that smoking might play a significant role on the outcome of peri-implant disease treatment. None of the proposed treatments appear to be significantly more effective

Effects on muscular activity after surgically assisted rapid palatal expansion: a prospective observational study

The study aims to investigate the modifications in the temporalis and the masseter activity in adult patients before and after SARPE (Surgically Assisted Rapid Palatal Expansion) by measuring electromyographic and electrokinesographic activity. 24 adult patients with unilateral posterior crossbite on the right side were selected from the Orthodontic Department of the University of Milan. Three electromyographic and electrokinesographic surface readings were taken respectively before surgery (T0) and 8 months after surgery (T1). The electromyographic data of both right and left masseter and anterior temporalis muscles were recorded during multiple tests: standardized maximum voluntary contraction (MVC)s, after transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and at rest. T0 and T1 values were compared with paired Student’s t-test (p < 0.05). Results: Significant differences were found in the activity of right masseter (p = 0.03) and right temporalis (p = 0.02) during clench, in the evaluation of right masseter at rest (p = 0.03), also the muscular activity of masseters at rest after TENS from T0 to T1 (pr = 0.04, pl = 0.04). No significant differences were found in the activity of left masseter (p = 0.41) and left temporalis (p = 0.39) during clench and MVC, in the evaluation of left masseter at rest (p = 0.57) and in the activity during MVC of right masseter (p = 0.41), left masseter (p = 0.34), right temporalis (p = 0.51) and left temporalis (p = 0.77). Results showed that the activity of the masseter and temporalis muscles increased significantly after SARPE during rest and clenching on the side where the cross-bite was treated

Assessing mandibular body changes in growing subjects: a comparison of CBCT and reconstructed lateral cephalogram measurements

The aim of this study is to compare cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and bi-dimensional reconstructed lateral cephalograms (RLCs) in assessing mandibular body length and growth and to evaluate how mandibular reshaping influences the error in measuring mandibular body growth in bi-dimensional radiographs. Twenty-five patients with two CBCT scans taken at a mean distance of 2.21\u2009\ub1\u20090.5 years were selected. The following measurements were performed: right and left mandibular body length at each point in time, mandibular growth, inter-gonial distance and mandibular symphyseal angle. From each CBCT, an RLC was obtained, and mandibular body length and growth were measured. Data analysis revealed a statistically and clinically significant difference in CBCT and RLC regarding the mandibular length of each patient at each point in time. However, mandibular growth was almost identical. A linear regression was performed to predict growth distortion between RLCs and CBCT depending on the ratio between transverse and sagittal mandibular growth. The expected maximum and minimum distortion, however, appeared not to be significant. In fact, a second linear regression model and a Bland-Altman test revealed a strong correlation between measurements of average mandibular body growth by CBCT and RLCs. As the same distortion occurs in the first and second RLCs, bi-dimensional radiographs remain the method of choice in evaluating mandibular body growth

Forming-Free Resistive Switching Memory Crosspoint Arrays for In-Memory Machine Learning

In-memory computing (IMC) with crosspoint arrays of resistive switching memory (RRAM) has gained wide attention for accelerating machine learning, data analysis, and deep neural networks. By IMC, matrix-vector multiplication (MVM) can be executed in the crosspoint array in just one step, thus accelerating a broad range of tasks in machine learning and data analytics. However, a key issue for RRAM crosspoint arrays is the forming operation of the memories which limits the stability and accuracy of the conductance state in the memory device. In this work, a hardware implementation of crosspoint array of forming-free devices for fast, energy-efficient accelerators of MVM is reported. RRAM devices with a 1.5 nm-thick HfO2 layer show an initial low resistance without forming and an analogue-mode programming behavior for high-accuracy IMC. Accurate hardware MVM is demonstrated by experimental eigenvalue/eigenvector calculation according to the power-iteration algorithm, with a fast convergence within about ten iterations to the correct solution. Deflation technique and principal component analysis (PCA) enable the classification of the Iris dataset with 98% accuracy compared with floating-point implementation. These results support forming-free crosspoint arrays for accelerating advanced machine learning with IMC

In Vitro and In Vivo Assessment of a New Workflow for the Acquisition of Mandibular Kinematics Based on Portable Tracking System with Passive Optical Reflective Markers

Clinical use of portable optical tracking system in dentistry could improve the analysis of mandibular movements for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. A new workflow for the acquisition of mandibular kinematics was developed. Reproducibility of measurements was tested in vitro and intra- and inter-rater repeatability were assessed in vivo in healthy volunteers. Prescribed repeated movements (n = 10) in three perpendicular directions of the tracking-device coordinate system were performed. Measurement error and coefficient of variation (CV) among repetitions were determined. Mandibular kinematics of maximum opening, left and right laterality, protrusion and retrusion of five healthy subjects were recorded in separate sessions by three different operators. Obtained records were blindly examined by three observers. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was calculated to estimate inter-rater and intra-rater reliability. Maximum in vitro measurement error was 0.54 mm and CV = 0.02. Overall, excellent intra-rater reliability (ICC > 0.90) for each variable, general excellent intra-rater reliability (ICC = 1.00) for all variables, and good reliability (ICC > 0.75) for inter-rater tests were obtained. A lower score was obtained for retrusion with “moderate reliability” (ICC = 0.557) in the inter-rater tests. Excellent repeatability and reliability in optical tracking of primary movements were observed using the tested portable tracking device and the developed workflow

Histological Analysis of Oral Tissue Grafting: A Focus on Donor Site Selection

The science of dental tissue grafting is evolving, with an increased understanding of factors influencing graft behavior. Despite the widespread clinical use of soft tissue grafts, the histological characteristics of different gingival harvesting sites are still underexplored. This study aimed to fill this gap by analyzing 50 tissue samples harvested from 25 patients across three sites: the hard palate, maxillary tuberosity, and palatal rugae. Each sample underwent thorough histological and histomorphometric analysis. Conventional statistical analysis was performed using SPSS, while predictive modeling was conducted with RapidMiner Studio. The study identified significant histological differences among the graft sites, with notable variations in total graft height, epithelial height, and interdigitation perimeter. These findings underscore the importance of donor site selection in influencing graft success. Pair plots and principal component analysis (PCA) further highlighted the distinct histological features of each tissue type. The random forest classifier identified total graft height, epithelial height, and perimeter as the most influential factors in predicting graft site behavior. This study offers valuable insights into the histological characteristics of soft tissue grafts, potentially leading to more predictable clinical outcomes

Available Technologies, Applications and Benefits of Teleorthodontics. A Literature Review and Possible Applications during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: COVID-2019 spread rapidly throughout the world from China. This infection is highly contagiousness, has a high morbidity, and is capable of evolving into a potentially lethal form of interstitial pneumonia. Numerous countries shut-down various activities that were considered "not essential." Dental treatment was in this category and, at the time of writing, only non-deferrable emergencies are still allowed in many countries. Therefore, follow-up visits of ongoing active therapies (e.g., orthodontic treatment) must be handled taking special precautions. This literature review aims at reducing in-office appointments by providing an overview of the technologies available and their reliability in the long-distance monitoring of patients, i.e., teledentistry. Methods: A literature review was made according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Protocols (PRISMA-P) guidelines. Randomized clinical trials, cross sectional, observational, and case-control studies were evaluated with the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool for quality assessment and study limitations. Results: A primary search found 80 articles, 69/80 were excluded as non-relevant on the basis of: the abstract, title, study design, bias, and/or lack of relevance. Twelve articles were included in the qualitative analysis. Conclusions: Teleorthodontics can manage most emergencies, reassuring and following patients remotely. The aim set by dental teleassistance was met as it reduced patients' office visits whilst maintaining regular monitoring, without compromising the results. Although our preliminary findings should be further investigated to objectively evaluate the efficacy, cost-effectiveness, and long-term results, we are confident that teleassistance in orthodontics will have a role to play in the near future