The efficacy of 2780 nm Er,Cr;YSGG and 940 nm Diode Laser in root canal disinfection: A randomized clinical trial.

OBJECTIVES: Effective disinfection of the root canals is the cornerstone of successful endodontic treatment. Diminishing the microbial load within the root canal system is crucial for healing in endodontically treated teeth. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of 2780 nm Er,Cr:YSGG and 940 nm diode lasers on the eradication of microorganisms from single-rooted teeth with asymptomatic apical periodontitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty participants conforming to the inclusion criteria were randomly divided into 3 groups according to the disinfection protocol used; Conventional group: 2.5% Sodium Hypochlorite (NaOCl) and 17% EDTA solution NaOCl/EDTA, Dual laser group: 2780 nm Erbium, chromium: yttrium scandium-gallium-garnet (Er,Cr:YSGG) laser and 940 nm diode laser Er,CrYSGG/Diode, and Combined group: 17% EDTA and 940 nm diode laser EDTA/Diode. Bacterial samples were collected before and after intervention. The collected data were statistically analyzed using Friedman's test and Kruskal-Wallis test (P ≤ 0.05). RESULTS: The results of the study showed that both dual laser Er,CrYSGG/Diode and combined laser EDTA/Diode groups showed significantly less mean Log10 CFU/ml of aerobic and anaerobic bacterial counts than the conventional NaOCl/EDTA group. CONCLUSIONS: In this study we evaluated in vivo the bactericidal efficacy of three disinfection protocols for endodontic treatment of single-rooted teeth with apical periodontitis. The results indicated that both dual laser Er,CrYSGG/Diode and combined laser EDTA/Diode groups provide superior bactericidal effect compared to the conventional NaOCl/EDTA group. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The integration of lasers into root canal disinfection protocols has demonstrated significant bacterial reduction which might promote healing and long-term success.

Inflammatory response and immunohistochemical characterization of experimental calcium silicate-based perforation repair material.

This study compares the immunohistochemical reaction of a new experimental tricalcium silicate perforation repair material to mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) and Biodentine. A total of 162 mature premolar teeth from 12 dogs were divided into three experimental groups (n = 54 teeth each) according to the evaluation period: 1, 2 and 3 months. Each group was further divided into two equal subgroups (n = 27 teeth each) according to the time of repair: immediate repair and delayed repair. Each subgroup was subdivided according to the material used into three experimental subdivisions (n = 8 teeth each): MTA, Biodentine (Septodont) and experimental material, and two control subdivisions: positive control (n = 2 teeth) and negative control (one tooth). Under general anaesthesia, access cavity was done. Cleaning and shaping were performed using ProTaper universal rotary instruments. The canals were obturated using cold lateral compaction technique with Gutta percha and Adseal sealer. Furcation perforations were created then randomly sealed using the three materials either immediately or after one month (delayed repair). Inflammatory cell count and immunohistochemical analysis of osteopontin-positive area fraction were digitally analysed using the ImageJ software. Delayed furcal perforation repair showed significantly higher inflammatory cell count than immediate repair. No significant difference in inflammatory cell count and immunohistochemical analysis was detected between the three tested materials. The immunohistochemical analysis revealed the highest immunopositive area fraction in the 3-month evaluation period. The experimental tricalcium silicate cement performed similarly to Biodentine and MTA regarding the osteopontin expression during perforation repair, suggesting it is a suitable alternative with favourable handling characters.

Detecting Intra-Field Variation in Rice Yield With Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Imagery and Deep Learning.

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) equipped with multispectral sensors offer high spatial and temporal resolution imagery for monitoring crop stress at early stages of development. Analysis of UAV-derived data with advanced machine learning models could improve real-time management in agricultural systems, but guidance for this integration is currently limited. Here we compare two deep learning-based strategies for early warning detection of crop stress, using multitemporal imagery throughout the growing season to predict field-scale yield in irrigated rice in eastern Arkansas. Both deep learning strategies showed improvements upon traditional statistical learning approaches including linear regression and gradient boosted decision trees. First, we explicitly accounted for variation across developmental stages using a 3D convolutional neural network (CNN) architecture that captures both spatial and temporal dimensions of UAV images from multiple time points throughout one growing season. 3D-CNNs achieved low prediction error on the test set, with a Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) of 8.8% of the mean yield. For the second strategy, a 2D-CNN, we considered only spatial relationships among pixels for image features acquired during a single flyover. 2D-CNNs trained on images from a single day were most accurate when images were taken during booting stage or later, with RMSE ranging from 7.4 to 8.2% of the mean yield. A primary benefit of convolutional autoencoder-like models (based on analyses of prediction maps and feature importance) is the spatial denoising effect that corrects yield predictions for individual pixels based on the values of vegetation index and thermal features for nearby pixels. Our results highlight the promise of convolutional autoencoders for UAV-based yield prediction in rice.

Treatment of experimental furcation perforations with mineral trioxide aggregate, platelet rich plasma or platelet rich fibrin in dogs' teeth.

This work evaluates the effect of mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA), platelet rich plasma (PRP) or platelet rich fibrin (PRF) on healing of non-contaminated and contaminated furcation perforations. A total of 192 teeth of 12 dogs was divided into three equal groups according to evaluation period. Each group was further subdivided into MTA, PRP, PRF, negative and positive control subgroups. Each experimental subgroup was further subdivided according to perforation status into non-contaminated and contaminated subdivisions. Root canal therapy was carried out and furcation perforation was made in all teeth except in negative control subgroup. The furcation perforation was repaired immediately in subdivision (1) and after 4 weeks in subdivision (2). The change in vertical bone loss was measured by radiography. Inflammatory cell count, cemental deposition, new bone formation, bone resorption and epithelial proliferation were assessed. Both PRP and PRF demonstrated statistically significant reduction in vertical bone loss and inflammatory cell count than MTA. No significant difference was found between MTA, PRP and PRF in cemental deposition, new bone formation, bone resorption and epithelial proliferation. The non-contaminated teeth demonstrated better treatment outcomes than the contaminated teeth. In conclusion, PRP and PRF are successful treatment options for repairing of furcation perforation in both non-contaminated and contaminated teeth in dogs with superior outcomes in non contaminated teeth.

N-acetylcysteine in Acute Organophosphorus Pesticide Poisoning: A Randomized, Clinical Trial.

Organophosphorus poisoning is a major global health problem with hundreds of thousands of deaths each year. Research interest in N-acetylcysteine has grown among increasing evidence of the role of oxidative stress in organophosphorus poisoning. We aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of N-acetylcysteine as an adjuvant treatment in patients with acute organophosphorus poisoning. This was a randomized, controlled, parallel-group trial on 30 patients suffering from acute organophosphorus poisoning, who were admitted to the Poison Control Center of Tanta University Emergency Hospital, Tanta, Egypt, between April and September 2014. Interventions included oral N-acetylcysteine (600 mg three times daily for 3 days) as an added treatment to the conventional measures versus only the conventional treatment. Outcome measures included mortality, total dose of atropine administered, duration of hospitalization and the need for ICU admission and/or mechanical ventilation. A total of 46 patients were screened and 30 were randomized. No significant difference was found between both groups regarding demographic characteristics and the nature or severity of baseline clinical manifestations. No major adverse effects to N-acetylcysteine therapy were reported. Malondialdehyde significantly decreased and reduced glutathione significantly increased only in the NAC-treated patients. The patients on NAC therapy required less atropine doses than those who received only the conventional treatment; however, the length of hospital stay showed no significant difference between both groups. The study concluded that the use of N-acetylcysteine as an added treatment was apparently safe, and it reduced atropine requirements in patients with acute organophosphorus pesticide poisoning.

Regenerative potential of immature permanent non-vital teeth following different dentin surface treatments.

This study evaluates the regenerative potential of immature permanent non-vital teeth following different dentin surface treatments in dogs. Periapical lesions and necrotic pulps were induced in 288 roots of 144 teeth in twelve dogs. Teeth were randomly divided into 3 equal groups according to the evaluation period. Each group was subdivided into 8 subgroups according to the treatment modalities including; blood clot, blood clot and collagen, blood clot and Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), blood clot, collagen and EDTA, blood clot and Mixture Tetracycline Citric Acid and Detergent (MTAD), blood clot, collagen and MTAD, positive control and negative control. Apart from control subgroups, all infected root canals were cleaned with sodium hypochlorite solution and triple antibiotics paste before different treatment protocols. After different treatments, the root length, thickness and apical diameter were evaluated by radiographic examination. Histopathological examination was carried out to evaluate the inflammation, bone/root resorption, tissue in-growth in pulp space, new hard tissue formation and apical closure. Using EDTA solution as a surface modifier showed significantly higher levels of tissue in-growth in the pulp space after 6 weeks and 3 months. Addition of collagen as a scaffold caused significantly more bone/root resorption than the other subgroups while EDTA caused significantly lower inflammatory cell counts only after 2 weeks. Final rinse with 17% EDTA solution before blood clot induction has positive impact on tissue interaction along dentinal walls without modification of the cell type. Moreover, the use of collagen as a scaffold material and MTAD as a surface modifier did not improve the quality of the regenerative process.