Search Results (436)

Background: Periodontitis is a multifactorial, chronic inflammatory disease that leads to progressive destruction of the periodontal apparatus. Despite the effectiveness of scaling and root planing (SRP), residual inflammation and limited regenerative potential justify the search for adjunctive biologic therapies. Platelet-derived concentrates, including platelet-rich plasma (PRP), platelet-rich fibrin (PRF), concentrated growth factors (CGF), and platelet-poor plasma (PPP), have gained attention as autologous sources of growth factors enhancing periodontal regeneration. Aim: This narrative review provides a comparative analysis of the biological mechanisms, preparation protocols, and clinical outcomes associated with the adjunctive use of platelet-derived concentrates in non-surgical periodontal therapy. Methods: A narrative literature review was conducted using English-language publications retrieved from PubMed and Google Scholar, covering studies published from 2012 onward. The search strategy was based on combinations of keywords related to platelet-derived concentrates and non-surgical periodontal therapy. In vitro, in vivo, and clinical studies, as well as relevant narrative, systematic, and umbrella reviews evaluating the adjunctive use of platelet-derived concentrates (PRP, PRF, CGF, and PPP) were considered. Studies focusing on biological mechanisms, preparation protocols, and clinical periodontal outcomes were included, whereas case reports, studies unrelated to periodontal therapy, and publications lacking relevant clinical or biological outcome data were excluded. Results: Most clinical studies reported improvements in probing depth reduction, clinical attachment level gain, and bleeding indices following adjunctive use of platelet-derived concentrates with SRP. PRF tended to demonstrate more consistent clinical outcomes compared to PRP, potentially related to its simplified preparation and sustained release of bioactive molecules. CGF showed promising osteogenic and angiogenic properties in preclinical and early clinical studies. PPP, although less extensively investigated, exhibited regenerative and antimicrobial potential in preliminary reports. Conclusions: Platelet-derived concentrates may serve as valuable adjuncts in non-surgical periodontal therapy; however, the current evidence is characterized by methodological heterogeneity and variable study quality. While PRF appears to yield more consistent clinical results, definitive conclusions regarding superiority among different platelet concentrates cannot be drawn. Further well-designed randomized controlled trials are required, particularly for CGF and PPP. Full article

Background/Objectives: Periodontal disease is a prevalent chronic inflammatory condition that often progresses to irreversible tissue destruction. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical efficacy of a combined minimally invasive periodontal therapeutic protocol scaling and root planing (SRP) with injectable platelet-rich fibrin (i-PRF) and microneedling (MN) compared to conventional SRP with i-PRF alone in patients with stage II–III periodontitis. Methods: A prospective split-mouth clinical study was conducted on 54 patients diagnosed according to the 2018 EFP/AAP classification. Each participant received SRP + i-PRF in the upper arch (control) and SRP + i-PRF + MN in the lower arch (test). Periodontal parameters clinical attachment level (CAL), bleeding on probing (BOP), and plaque index (PI) were measured at baseline, 1, 3, and 6 months. Data were analyzed using Friedman and Wilcoxon tests with Bonferroni correction. Results: Both treatment protocols produced significant longitudinal improvements in CAL, BOP, and PI (p < 0.001). The most pronounced BOP reduction occurred within the first month, while CAL improvement was progressive and stabilized after six months. The Combined protocol achieved slightly greater CAL gain at 6 months (mean difference ≈ 0.46 mm; p = 0.0013), indicating a modest yet statistically significant advantage in attachment recovery. Correlation analyses confirmed a coherent healing trajectory characterized by early inflammation resolution, plaque control, and later tissue stabilization. Conclusions: Both i-PRF-based regenerative approaches significantly improved periodontal parameters. The addition of MN enhanced CAL recovery and may favor early vascularization and collagen remodeling. Although the clinical difference was limited, the biological plausibility and sustained improvement suggest that MN could represent a valuable adjunct to non-surgical regenerative periodontal therapy. Longer-term studies are warranted to assess the durability of these effects. Full article

Despite ongoing advances in maritime safety research, ship accidents persist, with significant consequences for human life, marine ecosystems, and port operations. Because many accidents occur in or near ports, assessing a vessel’s ability to enter or depart safely remains critical. Although ports apply local navigational rules, safety criteria could be strengthened by adopting more adaptive and data-informed approaches. This study presents a mathematical framework that links Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to a Ship Risk Profile (SRP) for collision/contact/grounding risk indication. Expert-based KPI importance weights were derived using the Average Rank Transformation into Weight method in linear (ARTIW-L) and nonlinear (ARTIW-N) forms and aggregated into a nominal SRP. Using routinely monitored KPIs largely drawn from the Baltic and International Maritime Council and Port State Control/flag-related measures, the results indicate that critical equipment and systems failures and human/organisational factors—particularly occupational health and safety and human resource management deficiencies—are the most influential contributors to the normalised accident-risk index. The proposed framework provides port authorities and maritime stakeholders with an interpretable basis for more proactive risk-informed decision-making and targeted safety improvements. Full article

This study aimed to develop bioactive toothpaste and compare its remineralization potential on initial enamel lesions with toothpaste containing other active agents. Sixty extracted human maxillary incisors were randomly assigned to six groups: Group EXP (Experimental toothpaste), Group SRP (Sensodyne Repair & Protect), Group ZAC (Zubio Active Carbon Whitening), Group GTM (GC Tooth Mousse), Group CSP (Colgate Sensitive Pro-Relief), and Group ASS (Artificial saliva, control). Artificial caries were induced by immersion in a demineralization solution for three days. Specimens then underwent a seven-day pH-cycling protocol, during which toothpaste was applied twice daily for two minutes. Analyses were performed at baseline, post-demineralization, and post-remineralization using ATR-FTIR, SEM-EDS, and Vickers micro-hardness testing. Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS (version 27.0, IBM Corp., Chicago, IL, USA). All treatment groups, except the control, showed significant microhardness recovery after remineralization, with the highest increase in group CSP followed by group EXP (p < 0.05). Granular surface deposits were observed, most pronounced in groups SRP and GTM (p < 0.05). Calcium and phosphorus contents increased in all groups (p < 0.05), with calcium highest in group GTM and phosphorus in group EXP. The mineral-to-matrix ratio increased in all groups, and a statistically significant difference was identified between the experimental toothpaste (EXP) and the other toothpaste formulations (p < 0.05). It is hypothesized that pomegranate seed essential oil may exhibit a remineralizing effect due to its content of anthocyanidins, anthocyanins, and various polyphenolic compounds. Therefore, the development of a toothpaste with enhanced remineralization potential was targeted by incorporating pomegranate seed essential oil into the experimental formulation in addition to bioactive agents such as bioactive glass, hydroxyapatite, and casein phosphopeptide. Full article

The widespread application of polymer soft materials in cutting-edge fields such as flexible electronics and biomedicine has placed higher demands on their mechanical properties. Traditional chemically cross-linked or physically cross-linked polymers each have inherent limitations. In contrast, slide-ring polymers (SRPs), also known as sliding cross-linked polymers or topologically cross-linked polymers, effectively distribute chain tension through their slip-cross-link characteristics, thereby exhibiting remarkable toughness, elongation at break, and low hysteresis. Among them, cyclodextrin (CD) has emerged as an ideal building block, such as the CD-based rotaxane/polyrotaxane/pseudortaxane/polypseudortaxane, for constructing SRPs due to its unique cavity structure and ease of modification, enabling diverse regulation of material structure and function through molecular design. Currently, the preparation strategies for cross-linking are relatively well established. However, existing research on the physical and mechanical behavior of SRPs—particularly their responses and damage mechanisms under complex loading conditions—remains unsystematic. Furthermore, establishing a cross-scale correlation mechanism from molecular design to macroscopic performance remains a key challenge. This review systematically summarizes recent advances in the mechanics of cyclodextrin-based sliding cross-linked polymers (CD-based SRPs) focusing on the molecular design and network structures, physical and mechanical behaviors and properties, deformation mechanism and theoretical models, and simulation and prediction, to provide clear guidance for future development of these materials. Full article

Endometriosis has a significant impact on the social, psychological, psychosomatic, and physical aspects of women’s lives. There is increasing evidence that endometriosis has to be seen as a systemic and complex disorder with a multifactorial etiology, accompanied by numerous other pathologies, such as mental disorders and even cancer. Herein, we analyzed Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) and Years Lived with Disability (YLDs) generated from the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD 2021), which are key metrics used to measure the worldwide impact of diseases. Besides, differential gene expression data generated from the Turku Endomet Database were calculated. Briefly, log2-transformed gene expression counts were investigated using linear modeling with the function expression ~ condition to generate log2 fold changes and p-values for each gene. This enabled a precise comparative analysis of mRNA expression levels between control endometrium and various endometriosis-affected tissues, including ovarian endometrioma, peritoneal lesions, and deep endometriosis. Expression patterns of specific genes related to pain and malignant turnover within endometriosis samples and controls have been analyzed. The identification of upregulated genes like FOS, DES, SIRT1, SBDS, SRF, SPN, P2RX1, TEAD3, and SLITRK3, alongside downregulated genes such as KIF22, KIF25, GAS2L2, and HINT3, highlights a broad transcriptional reprogramming within endometriotic tissues. The clustering analysis, which reveals pain-related genes (SRP14/BMF, GDAP1, MLLT10, BSN, and NGF), further solidifies the genetic basis for the chronic and often debilitating pain experienced by patients with endometriosis. In 2021, women with endometriosis experienced the highest rates of total YLDs at 19.98%, with anxiety contributing 17.21% and major depression 8.12%, equating to mean YLDs of 15–24 years. In conclusion, our findings reinforce the need for adopting a holistic, psychosomatic approach to managing endometriosis. The identified genetic markers related to pain provide a biological basis for the profound physical suffering. At the same time, the robust DALYs and YLDs data quantify the devastating impact on mental health, particularly highlighting the significant burden of depression and anxiety. Full article

Satellite-based rainfall products (SRPs) are indispensable for hydro-climatological research, particularly in data-limited environments such as Ethiopia. This study systematically evaluates the performance of three widely used SRPs: Climate Hazards Group InfraRed Precipitation with Station data version 2 (CHIRPS), Tropical Applications of Meteorology using Satellite and ground-based observations version 3.1 (TAMSAT), and Multi-Source Weighted Ensemble Precipitation version 2.8 (MSWEP) across the North and South Gojjam sub-basins of the Abbay Basin. Using ground observations as benchmarks, spatial and temporal accuracy was assessed under varying elevation and rainfall intensity conditions, employing bias decomposition, error analysis, and detection metrics. Results show that rainfall variability in the region is shaped more by the local climate and topography than elevation, with elevation alone proving a weak predictor (R² < 0.5). Among the products, MSWEP v2.8 demonstrated the highest daily rainfall detection skill (≈ 87–88%), followed by TAMSAT (≈78%), while CHIRPS detected only about half of rainfall events (≈54%) and tended to overestimate no-rain days. MSWEP’s error composition is dominated by low random error (~52%), though it slightly overestimates rainfall and rainy days. TAMSAT provides finer-resolution data that capture localized variability and dry conditions well, with the lowest false alarm rate and moderate random error (~59%). CHIRPS exhibits weaker daily performance, dominated by high random error (~66%) and missed bias, though it improves at monthly scales and better captures heavy and violent rainfall. Seasonally, SRPs reproduce MAM rainfall reasonably well across both sub-basins, but their performance deteriorates markedly in JJAS, particularly in the south. These findings highlight the importance of sub-basin scale analysis and demonstrate that random versus systematic error composition is critical for understanding product reliability. The results provide practical guidance for selecting and calibrating SRPs in mountainous regions, supporting improved water resource management, climate impact assessment, and hydrological modeling in data-scarce environments. Full article

Due to the limitations of SRP, new methods are being sought to support non-surgical periodontal therapy. One of them is the use of antiseptics such as low-concentration sodium hypochlorite gel buffered with amino acids (NaOCl/AA). The aim of the study was to evaluate periodontal parameters and the concentration of metalloproteinase 8 (MMP-8) and interleukin 8 (IL-8) in the gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) after SRP with or without NaOCL/AA gel. The study included 40 periodontal patients randomized to study and control groups. Before SRP, the study group had a gel introduced into pockets with PD ≥ 5 mm. After treatment in both groups, the pocket depth (PD) decreased, there was a CAL gain, and unnoticeable changes in the gingival recession (GR). In the study group, deep pockets accounted for 25% of the sites examined prior to therapy, whereas after therapy, they decreased to 12%. In the control group, the proportion of deep periodontal pockets (PD ≥ 5 mm) fell from 17.46% to 9.05%. No differences were noted between groups. In the study group, there was a significant reduction in the amount of MMP-8 in GCF from 8.32 ng/mL to 5.14 ng/mL after 3 months. No statistically significant difference was observed in the control group. The concentration of IL-8 decreased significantly over time in both groups without differences between them. A single application of the NaOCl/AA gel in deep periodontal pockets does not affect clinical results and IL-8 levels. However, it had a significant effect on the amount of MMP-8. Full article

Background/Objectives: Air-polishing has become, in recent years, a very popular additional tool to subgingival debridement for treating periodontal disease. Vitamin D₃ plays a crucial role in bone metabolism and calcium-phosphate homeostasis. The aim of our retrospective study was to determine the additional effect of subgingival air-polishing with two types of powders (glycine and erythritol) on patients with different stages of periodontitis and low serum levels of Vitamin D₃. Methods: We collected and analysed the data of 62 patients (demographics, vitamin D₃ levels, plaque index, periodontal probing depth, bleeding on probing, clinical attachment loss, periodontitis stage and type of air-polishing powder) used during periodontal therapy. Results: We did not observe a significant correlation between periodontal status and vitamin D₃ levels/status (mean Vitamin D₃ levels: Stage I—20.19 ± 4.413 ng/mL; Stage II—19.482 ± 3.814 ng/mL; Stage III—17.681 ± 5.869 ng/mL; Stage IV—17.578 ± 5.94 ng/mL; and p = 0.539), nor did we find any significant differences in clinical outcomes when using glycine or erythritol in addition to scaling and root planning (SRP) at 3 months after treatment (all p > 0.05). Conclusions: The discrete association between lower levels of vitamin D₃ and more advanced stages of periodontitis could suggest a possible influence of vitamin D₃ insufficiency on periodontal disease progression. Although safe, easy to use and comfortable for patients, glycine and erythritol showed no differences in periodontal clinical parameters when compared as an addition to SRP. Full article

Background and Objectives: This prospective case series evaluated a treatment strategy in endodontic-periodontal lesions resulting from concurrent pulpal and periodontal infections. These present significant management challenges, particularly when they exhibit resistance to standard treatment modalities. Persistent microbial biofilms in regions like dentinal tubules and lateral canals can make it hard for healing to happen, even with good endodontic and periodontal care. Diode lasers have antibacterial and photobiomodulatory effects, but they are most often used as single-stage disinfection techniques. This pilot study evaluated a multi-stage diode laser protocol designed to enhance healing outcomes in refractory endo-perio lesions that had not responded to conventional treatment. Materials and Methods: Twelve patients (aged 20–60 years) with chronic endo-perio lesions, referred after unsuccessful earlier treatment, were treated utilizing a sequential diode laser regimen: Phase 1—Endodontic disinfection: Following canal instrumentation (0.75 W, pulsed mode, frequency 15 Hz, 200 μm fiber, 15 J dosage/20 s) using a 976 nm diode laser. Phase 2—Periodontal disinfection: Following SRP, intra-pocket (0.75 W, pulsed mode, frequency 15 Hz, 300 μm fiber, 3.75 J dosage/5 s) using a 976 nm diode laser; Phase 3—Post treatment photobiomodulation: After periodontal and endodontic therapy, photobiomodulation was applied using a 650 nm diode laser intra-pocket and in the periapical region (25 mW, continuous mode, 1.5 J dosage) to reduce postoperative inflammation and stimulate healing. Clinical parameters—probing depth (PD), bleeding on probing (BOP), and mobility—along with radiographic bone fill were recorded at baseline and after 6 months. Results: All twelve cases showed measurable within-patient improvements over the six-month follow-up. Median probing depth decreased from 7.6 mm to 6.0 mm, and median bleeding on probing declined from 0.9 to 0.3. Radiographically, partial bone fill was observed in all cases, with a median value of 58.3 percent. Postoperative pain decreased progressively over the first 24 h, with patients reporting mild discomfort by 24 h. No adverse events were recorded. Conclusions: Within the limitations of this small, uncontrolled pilot study, the multi-stage diode laser protocol was associated with clinical and radiographic improvements and low postoperative discomfort in refractory endo-perio lesions. These preliminary findings suggest that such a protocol may serve as a useful adjunct to conventional therapy. Larger, controlled studies are required to confirm these outcomes and determine long-term efficacy. Full article

Background/Objectives: Rezum water vapor therapy for benign prostatic obstruction lacks standardized documentation, complicating data comparison. This study evaluates the completeness of non-standardized Rezum operative reports and validates a novel Rezum—Structured Reporting Protocol (SRP) to enhance documentation quality. Methods: Following the establishment of content validity, the SRP—which includes detailed diagrams for various prostatic urethral lengths (PUL) and intravesical prostatic protrusion (IPP) to document injection sites, along with a comprehensive 10-item checklist capturing factors that may influence outcomes—was retrospectively applied to 100 Rezum cases. Operative videos and non-standardized reports were analyzed and compared against the SRP. For criterion validity, inter-rater reliability was evaluated through a blinded review of 20 cases by three Rezum users and the protocol development panel, comparing checklist item ratings. Results: Median number of injections was 4.0 (IQR: 2–6), injection density was 12.7 (IQR: 10–16.7) mL (PVOL)/injection, and injection interval was 0.7 (IQR: 0.5–1) cm (PUL)/injection. Variations in injection techniques were noted, including non-standard locations in 10% of cases and alternating injection sequences between lobes in 22%. Only 30% of reports detailed injection sites accurately. The intraclass coefficient for the rating of PUL was 0.94 (95% CI: 0.89–0.97). The Fleiss Kappa for MLE and IPP was 0.84 (95% CI: 0.66–1.02) and 0.85 (95% CI: 0.67–1.03), respectively. The agreement rate was 93% for bladder neck/urethra morphology and 100% for injection sequence. Kendall’s W was 0.37 (p = 0.343) for the item of injection sites. Conclusions: Variability in Rezum surgical techniques was observed, particularly in injection density, injection intervals, and precise injection locations, as well as in the structured information of non-SRP-standardized operative reports. Content validity of the SRP was achieved, leading to high inter-rater reliability in its application. The SRP promotes the standardization and completeness of Rezum data, thereby supporting improved, consistent, and high-quality Rezum documentation. Full article

The Vehicular Internet of Things (V-IoT) has emerged as a cornerstone of next-generation intelligent transportation systems (ITSs), enabling applications ranging from safety-critical collision avoidance and cooperative awareness to infotainment and fleet management. These heterogeneous services impose stringent quality-of-service (QoS) demands for latency, reliability, and fairness while competing for limited and dynamically varying spectrum resources. Conventional schedulers, such as round-robin or static priority queues, lack adaptability, whereas deep reinforcement learning (DRL) solutions, though powerful, remain computationally intensive and unsuitable for real-time roadside unit (RSU) deployment. This paper proposes a lightweight and interpretable reinforcement learning (RL)-based spectrum management framework for Vehicular Internet of Things (V-IoT) networks. Two enhanced Q-Learning variants are introduced: a Value-Prioritized Action Double Q-Learning with Constraints (VPADQ-C) algorithm that enforces reliability and blocking constraints through a Constrained Markov Decision Process (CMDP) with online primal–dual optimization, and a contextual Q-Learning with Upper Confidence Bound (Q-UCB) method that integrates uncertainty-aware exploration and a Success-Rate Prior (SRP) to accelerate convergence. A Risk-Aware Heuristic baseline is also designed as a transparent, low-complexity benchmark to illustrate the interpretability–performance trade-off between rule-based and learning-driven approaches. A comprehensive simulation framework incorporating heterogeneous traffic classes, physical-layer fading, and energy-consumption dynamics is developed to evaluate throughput, delay, blocking probability, fairness, and energy efficiency. The results demonstrate that the proposed methods consistently outperform conventional Q-Learning and Double Q-Learning methods. VPADQ-C achieves the highest energy efficiency (≈$8.425\times {10}^7$ bits/J) and reduces interruption probability by over $60\%$, while Q-UCB achieves the fastest convergence (within ≈190 episodes), lowest blocking probability (≈0.0135), and lowest mean delay (≈0.351 ms). Both schemes maintain fairness near $0.364$, preserve throughput around 28 Mbps, and exhibit sublinear training-time scaling with $\mathcal{O}\left(1\right)$ per-update complexity and $\mathcal{O}\left(N^2\right)$ overall runtime growth. Scalability analysis confirms that the proposed frameworks sustain URLLC-grade latency (<0.2 ms) and reliability under dense vehicular loads, validating their suitability for real-time, large-scale V-IoT deployments. Full article

The Triarchic Psychopathy Measure (TriPM) is based on a three-dimensional conceptual model, though structural analyses of the TriPM items indicate that they do not reflect this conceptual model. In contrast, studies have shown that multiple factors are required to account for all the TriPM items in community and incarcerated samples. More problematic is that some of these factors are outside of the nomological network of psychopathy. In contrast, there are empirically robust findings supporting the four-factor model of psychopathy, irrespective of sample type, assessment method, or item set. For the current study, a structural equation modeling approach was utilized with incarcerated and community samples to demonstrate that theoretically relevant candidate items from the TriPM could be employed to represent the four-factor model of psychopathy (i.e., four-factor proxy measure—4FPM). Multiple group confirmatory factor analysis of the 4FPM items provided evidence of strong (scalar) invariance across community and incarcerated samples. Finally, associations with external correlates and other psychopathy scales highlighted that the 4FPM can be utilized to represent the four-factor model of psychopathy. Full article

In Nigeria’s northwestern states of Kano, Katsina, and Kaduna, mechanized rice production is an important contributor to household income and rural economic activity, especially amid a rapidly growing population projected to exceed 400 million by 2050. This study investigates the socio-economic insights of mechanized rice farmers and assesses the impact of mechanization on income, seasonal production, government support, and rural poverty alleviation. Data were collected from 125 respondents across 14 local government areas by using structured questionnaires and analyzed through descriptive statistics and hybrid machine learning models. The findings show that revenue generation significantly influences the adoption of mechanized rice farming, while government involvement is limited and largely ineffective. Advanced predictive modeling revealed that hybrid approaches, particularly those combining regression and Artificial Neural Networks with Bayesian Optimization, outperformed traditional models in forecasting rice yield. Key challenges identified include the high cost of equipment and restricted access to subsidized inputs. This study concludes that income from rice sales drives mechanization and that targeted policy interventions are necessary to overcome socio-economic barriers and improve productivity. These findings highlight the dual importance of economic empowerment and technological innovation in advancing sustainable rice production and improving livelihoods in Nigeria’s rice-growing regions. Full article

Diatoxanthin is a photoprotective carotenoid found in a few groups of microalgae displaying in vitro anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties, making it a promising candidate for nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic applications. However, large-scale production is currently nonexistent because of two major challenges: Instability during microalgae harvesting, where diatoxanthin is rapidly converted back to its inactive precursor diadinoxanthin under non-stressful light conditions, and dependence on prolonged exposure to high-intensity light, which is costly and technically challenging during indoor high-cell-density cultivation. The first limitation was previously addressed by knocking out zeaxanthin epoxidase 3 (ZEP3) in the marine diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum, resulting in a mutant that stabilized diatoxanthin under non-stressful light conditions. Here, we report an improved diatoxanthin production line where both of the described challenges have been overcome. This was achieved by creating P. tricornutum mutants where the phenotype of the zep3 mutant was combined with the light-sensitive phenotype of the chloroplast signal recognition particle 54 (cpsrp54) mutant. Growth rates were maintained at wild-type levels at light intensities ≤ 150 µmol photons m⁻² s⁻¹ in the zep3cpsrp54 mutants, but prolonged medium light exposure resulted in a 1.5- and 7-fold increase in diatoxanthin concentration compared with zep3 and wild-type, respectively. When returned to low light, the zep3cpsrp54 cultures retained ~80% of their accumulated diatoxanthin. The improved production lines allow for diatoxanthin accumulation without the use of high-intensity light and with limited loss of diatoxanthin when returned to non-stressful light conditions. Full article