Evaluation of an open access generic 3D software for Orthodontic diagnosis and treatment planning

Aim: To evaluate the accuracy and the validity of orthodontic diagnostic measurements, as well as virtual tooth transformations using a generic open access 3D software compared to OrthoAnalyzer (3Shape) software; which was previously tested and proven for accuracy. Methods: 40 maxillary and mandibular single arch study models were duplicated and scanned using 3Shape laser scanner. The files were imported into the generic and OrthoAnalyzer software programs; where linear measurements were taken twice to investigate the accuracy of the program. To test the accuracy of the program format, they were printed, rescanned and imported into OrthAnalyzer. Finally, to investigate the accuracy of editing capabilities, linear and angular transformation procedures were performed, superimposed and printed to be rescanned and imported to OrthoAnalyzer for comparison. Results: There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups using the two software programs regarding the accuracy of the linear measurements (p>0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between the different formats among all the measurements, (p>0.05). The editing capabilities also showed no statistically significant difference (p>0.05). Conclusion: The generic 3D software (Meshmixer) was valid and accurate in cast measurements and linear and angular editing procedures. It can be used for orthodontic diagnosis and treatment planning without added costs.

DESENVOLVIMENTO DE PLANILHA COMO FERRAMENTA DE APOIO NO PLANEJAMENTO DIETÉTICO

A tecnologia está cada vez mais presente na área da nutrição. Existem diversos softwares presentes no mercado e muitos são voltados para o uso do profissional nutricionista. Porém, dentro das salas de aula, os programas ainda são pouco utilizados. Nessa linha de pensamento, foi desenvolvido um modelo de planilha de nutrição, que auxiliará o aluno e até mesmo o profissional nutricionista na elaboração de planos alimentares e cálculos antropométricos. A planilha proposta está dividida em cinco setores: “Cardápio” – seleção dos alimentos do plano alimentar, com medidas caseiras e quantidades (g/ml); “Adicionar alimento” – adicionar um alimento não presente no banco de dados; “Cálculo de VET” – cálculo das necessidades calóricas de um indivíduo e distribuição das calorias nas refeições; “Antropometria” – avaliação antropométrica do indivíduo e “Medidas caseiras” – lista com alimentos e suas medidas caseiras. A utilização de planilhas para planejamento alimentar auxilia na prescrição de cardápio e avaliação do indivíduo por parte dos alunos de nutrição e profissionais nutricionistas. THE DEVELOPMENT OF A SPREADSHEET AS A SUPPORT TOOL IN DIETARY PLANNING ABSTRACT The use of technology is increasingly present in the nutritional area. There are several software programs on the market, and many of them are designed to be used by professional nutritionists. However, in the classrooms, those programs are still poorly used. In this line of thought, a nutrition spreadsheet model was developed, which will assist the student and even the professional nutritionist in the preparation of food planning and anthropometric calculations. The suggested spreadsheet is divided into five sectors: "Menu" - selection of foods for the food plan, with measurements and quantities (g/ml); "Add food" - to include food not present in the database; "TCV Calculation" - to calculate the caloric needs of an individual and distribute the calories in the meals; "Anthropometry" - anthropometric evaluation of the individual and "Home Measures" - a list with foods and their home measures. The use of food planning worksheets helps in the menu prescription and evaluation of the individual by both nutrition students and nutrition professionals. Descriptors: Nutrition. Food planning. Worksheet. Technology.

Videoconferencing Software Options for Telemedicine: A Review for Movement Disorder Neurologists

Background: The use of telemedicine has increased to address the ongoing healthcare needs of patients with movement disorders.Objective: We aimed to describe the technical and basic security features of the most popular telemedicine videoconferencing software.Methods: We conducted a systematic review of articles/websites about “Telemedicine,” “Cybersecurity,” and “Videoconferencing software.” Technical capabilities and basic security features were determined for each videoconferencing software.Results: Twenty-six videoconferencing software programs were reviewed, 13 (50.0%) were specifically designed for general healthcare, and 6/26 (23.0%) were compliant with European and US regulations. Overall technical and security information were found in 5/26 software (19.2%), including Microsoft Teams, Google Hangout, Coviu, Doxy.me, and Thera platforms.Conclusions: Detailed information about technical capabilities and data security of videoconferencing tools is not easily and openly retrievable. Our data serves as a guide for practitioners seeking to understand what features should be examined when choosing software and what options are available.

Rational Design of Pepsin for Enhanced Thermostability via Exploiting the Guide of Structural Weakness on Stability

Enzyme thermostability is an important parameter for estimating its industrial value. However, most naturally produced enzymes are incapable of meeting the industrial thermostability requirements. Software programs can be utilized to predict protein thermostability. Despite the fast-growing number of programs designed for this purpose; few provide reliable applicability because they do not account for thermodynamic weaknesses. Aspartic proteases are widely used in industrial processing; however, their thermostability is not able to meet the large-scale production requirements. In this study, through analyzing structural characteristics and modifying thermostability using prediction software programs, we improved the thermostability of pepsin, a representative aspartic protease. Based on the structural characteristics of pepsin and the experimental results of mutations predicted by several energy-based prediction software programs, it was found that the majority of pepsin’s thermodynamic weaknesses lie on its flexible regions on the surface. Using computational design, mutations were made based on the predicted sites of thermodynamic weakness. As a result, the half-lives of mutants D52N and S129A at 70°C were increased by 200.0 and 66.3%, respectively. Our work demonstrated that in the effort of improving protein thermostability, identification of structural weaknesses with the help of computational design, could efficiently improve the accuracy of protein rational design.

Selection and Validation of Candidate Reference Genes for Gene Expression Analysis by RT-qPCR in Rubus

Due to the lack of effective and stable reference genes, studies on functional genes in Rubus, a genus of economically important small berry crops, have been greatly limited. To select the best internal reference genes of different types, we selected four representative cultivars of blackberry and raspberry (red raspberry, yellow raspberry, and black raspberry) as the research material and used RT-qPCR technology combined with three internal stability analysis software programs (geNorm, NormFinder, and BestKeeper) to analyze 12 candidate reference genes for the stability of their expression. The number of most suitable internal reference genes for different cultivars, tissues, and fruit developmental stages of Rubus was calculated by geNorm software to be two. Based on the results obtained with the three software programs, the most stable genes in the different cultivars were RuEEF1A and Ru18S. Finally, to validate the reliability of selected reference genes, the expression pattern of the RuCYP73A gene was analyzed, and the results highlighted the importance of appropriate reference gene selection. RuEEF1A and Ru18S were screened as reference genes for their relatively stable expression, providing a reference for the further study of key functional genes in blackberry and raspberry and an effective tool for the analysis of differential gene expression.