Signal Processing-Assisted Protocols and Algorithms for Cooperating Objects and Wireless Sensor Networks

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Cyst-like periapical lesion healing in an orthodontic patient: A case report with five-year follow-up

Abstract Aim To report the orthodontic movement of two central incisors through the healing site of a maxillary cyst-like lesion of endodontic origin after nonsurgical treatment. Case summary This report shows the treatment of a 18-year old patient, male, with a Class II division 2 malocclusion. He came to our attention seeking for orthodontic treatment. Radiographic examinations revealed a large cyst-like lesion in the maxillary anterior area, extending from the mesial surface of tooth 12 to the distal surface of tooth 21. The two upper incisors were nonresponsive to pulp sensitivity tests. Endodontic treatment was performed first. One week after root canal treatment had been completed with gutta-percha fillings, orthodontic treatment was started while the bone lesion healing was still underway. At the end of the orthodontic treatment, incisor retroclination was corrected, periapical lesion healing was completed and there were no signs of root resorption. The five-year follow-up revealed that occlusal relationship and dental alignment were kept stable and excellent radiographic resolution of the periapical lesion was obtained

Meconium-stained amniotic fluid: a risk factor for postpartum hemorrhage

Background/aim Clinical data with respect to the impact of meconium on the risk of maternal hemorrhage are scarce. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to determine whether meconium-stained amniotic fluid (MSAF) represents a risk factor for postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) after vaginal delivery in a large unselected population. Patients and methods A retrospective cohort study evaluated 78,542 consecutive women who had a vaginal delivery between 24th and 44th weeks of gestation. The women who had undergone cesarean section were excluded to avoid possible bias. Postpartum blood loss was measured with graduated blood sack. Postpartum blood loss between 1,000 and 2,000 mL and >2,000 mL were classified as moderate and severe PPH, respectively. Results A total of 74,144 patients were available for analysis. According to the color of amniotic fluid (AF), two groups of patients were identified: MSAF (n=10,997) and clear AF (n=63,147). The rates of severe and massive PPH were found to be significantly higher in the MSAF group than that of clear AF group (OR=1.3, 95% CI: 1.2\u20131.5, p<0.001 and OR=2.5, 95% CI: 1.5\u20134.2, p<0.001). Operative vaginal delivery rate was found to be higher in the MSAF group than that of clear AF group, but the difference was only borderline significant (OR=1.5, 95% CI: 1.0\u20132.2, p=0.05). There were no significant differences between the MSAF and the clear AF groups with respect to episiotomies, second- or third-degree perineal tears, vaginal\u2013perineal thrombus, cervical lacerations, vaginal births after cesarean section, twin deliveries, and placental retention rates. Conclusion To the best of our knowledge, this is the first clinical study that has investigated the role of MSAF as a risk factor for PPH after vaginal delivery in an unselected population. Our results suggest that MSAF is significantly associated with higher risk of moderate and severe PPH than clear AF

Pediatric males receiving hematopoietic stem cell transplant lose their male disadvantage in disease risk after the procedure: A retrospective observational study

Sex differences play a relevant role in cancer susceptibility, incidence and survival. Exploring such differences is difficult because of the close interplay of genetic, epigenetic and hormonal factors. However, a better understanding of the role of such disparities in cancer mechanisms could improve its prevention and therapy. Our study explores how sex differences in pediatric outcomes vary after undergoing first and advanced-line therapy for hematological malignancies. The primary goal was to evaluate if sex differences in pediatric outcomes after first-line therapy persist after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). The secondary goal was to analyze sex differences in disease risk at onset and pediatric outcomes after first-line therapy to compare our results with the literature's reported results. Among a total of 485 patients (280 males, 205 females) admitted for hematological malignancies, disease risk at the onset was significantly higher in males (P &lt; .05). One hundred and seventy-four patients (111 males and 63 females) had a high-risk disease requiring HSCT. Before HSCT, all patients underwent myeloablative conditioning, which substantially impaired gonadal function. Although the number of boys undergoing HSCT was almost double that of girls, there were no sex-related differences in overall survival, cancer relapse and complications after HSCT exposure (P &gt; .05). These findings suggest that the existing sex differences in cancer risk ab initio can be somehow flattened by a conditioning regimen, shedding new light on the role of hormonal factors in cancer mechanism and management

The Efficacy of Selected Sodium Hypochlorite Heating Methods for Increasing and Maintaining Its Intracanal Temperature—An Ex Vivo Study

Background: Enhancement of the temperature of sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) solution would increase its cleaning potential and decontamination of the root canal system. Therefore, the aim of the present in vitro investigation was to compare the efficacy of different methods of NaOCl heating by evaluating the temperature profiles developed at different levels of the root canal system. Methods: Five thermocouples were applied at different levels of the root canal system of extracted human premolars. NaOCl solution was heated according to two methods: extraoral heating (50 °C, 60 °C, and 70 °C) using a magnetic hotplate heater and intracanal heating by F-06, XF-30/04, and ML-12 pluggers at 100 °C, 150 °C, and 180 °C. Results: The extraoral heating method was ineffective to produce a significant temperature increase at the root apex. Comparable results were obtained using the intracanal heating method through the ML-12 plugger that showed slightly better results only when set at 180 °C. On the other hand, negligible differences were observed in terms of temperature maintenance at several levels of the root between the F-06 and XF-30/04 pluggers, even though the time intervals were higher in case of XF-30/04. Conclusions: The intracanal heating method provided a better temperature persistence in the middle third of the root canal system. Conversely, extraoral heating was ineffective to produce a significant temperature increase at the apex of the root. Comparable results were obtained even using the ML-12 plugger

Temperature Profiles Along the Root with Gutta-percha Warmed through Different Heat Sources

To evaluate temperature profiles developing in the root during warm compaction of gutta-percha with the heat sources System B and System MB Obtura (Analityc Technology, Redmond, WA, USA). Thirty extracted human incisor teeth were used. Root canals were cleaned and shaped by means of Protaper rotary files (Dentsply-Maillefer, Belgium), and imaging was performed by micro-CT (Skyscan 1072, Aartselaar, Belgium)

Population pharmacokinetics of intravenous acyclovir in oncologic pediatric patients

Background: Acyclovir represents the first-line prophylaxis and therapy for herpes virus infections. However, its pharmacokinetics in children exposes them to the risk of ineffective or toxic concentrations. The study was aimed at investigating the population pharmacokinetics (POP/PK) of intravenous (IV) acyclovir in oncologic children. Methods: Patients (age, 8.6 ± 5.0 years, 73 males and 47 females) received IV acyclovir for prophylaxis (n = 94) and therapy (n = 26) under a therapeutic drug monitoring (i.e., minimum and maximal plasma concentrations, &gt;0.5 and &lt;25 mg/L, respectively). Plasma concentrations were fitted by nonlinear mixed effect modeling and a simulation of dosing regimens was performed. Findings were stratified according to an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) threshold of 250 ml/min/1.73m2. Results: The final 1-compartment POP/PK model showed that eGFR had a significant effect on drug clearance, while allometric body weight influenced both clearance and volume of distribution. The population clearance (14.0 ± 5.5 L/h) was consistent across occasions. Simulation of standard 1-h IV infusion showed that a 10-mg/kg dose every 6 h achieved target concentrations in children with normal eGFR (i.e., ≤250 ml/min/1.73m2). Increased eGFR values required higher doses that led to an augmented risk of toxic peak concentrations. On the contrary, simulated prolonged (i.e., 2 and 3-h) or continuous IV infusions at lower doses increased the probability of target attainment while reducing the risk of toxicities. Conclusion: Due to the variable pharmacokinetics of acyclovir, standard dosing regimens may not be effective in some patients. Prospective trials should confirm the therapeutic advantage of prolonged and continuous IV infusion

Efekty wstępnego wytrawiania ubytków klasy V wypełnionych materiałami kompozytowymi na bazie siloranów i metakrylanów

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Post-Irradiation Hyperamylasemia Is a Prognostic Marker for Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Outcomes in Pediatric Population: A Retrospective Single-Centre Cohort Analysis

Background: Total body irradiation (TBI) is a mandatory step for patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). In the past, amylases have been reported to be a possible sign of TBI toxicity. We investigated the relationship between total amylases (TA) and transplant-related outcomes in pediatric recipients. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of all the patients who underwent allogeneic HSCT between January 2000 and November 2019. The inclusion criteria were the following: recipient's age between 2 and 18, diagnosis of ALL, no previous transplantation, and use of TBI-based conditioning. The serum total amylase and pancreatic amylase were evaluated before, during, and after transplantation. Cytokines and chemokines assays were retrospectively performed. Results: 78 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Fifty-seven patients were treated with fractionated TBI, and 21 with a single-dose regimen. The overall survival (OS) was 62.8%. Elevated values of TA were detected in 71 patients (91%). The TA were excellent in predicting the OS (AUC = 0.773; 95% CI = 0.66-0.86; p &lt; 0.001). TA values below 374 U/L were correlated with a higher OS. The highest mean TA values (673 U/L) were associated with a high disease-progression mortality rate. The TA showed a high predictive performance for disease progression-related death (AUC = 0.865; 95% CI = 0.77-0.93; p &lt; 0.0001). Elevated TA values were also connected with significantly higher levels of proinflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-alpha, IL-6, and RANTES (p &lt; 0.001). Conclusions: this study shows that TA is a valuable predictor of post-transplant OS and increased risk of leukemia relapse

Superconducting tunable flux qubit with direct readout scheme

We describe a simple and efficient scheme for the readout of a tunable flux qubit, and present preliminary experimental tests for the preparation, manipulation and final readout of the qubit state, performed in incoherent regime at liquid Helium temperature. The tunable flux qubit is realized by a double SQUID with an extra Josephson junction inserted in the large superconducting loop, and the readout is performed by applying a current ramp to the junction and recording the value for which there is a voltage response, depending on the qubit state. This preliminary work indicates the feasibility and efficiency of the scheme.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figure