Prenatal diagnosis of isolation of aortic brachiocephalic artery

Background Isolated aortic brachiocephalic artery (IABA) is a rare congenital aortic arch anomaly. It is difficult to diagnose IABA prenatally and the prevalence in the prenatal population is unknown. Purpose To evaluate the echocardiographic characteristics and associations in fetuses with IABA. Material and Methods We retrospectively analyzed all cases of prenatal diagnosis of IABA from January 2012 to November 2020 and reviewed the follow-up results. Copy Number Variation Sequencing (CNV-Seq) was performed using the biological specimens of the of the fetuses and family members. Results Ten cases (10/45652, 0.022%) of IABA were identified in our center. The prevalence of the cases with isolated left subclavian artery (ILSCA) in the right aortic arch (RAA) population was 0.98% (6/613). The ILSCA was the most common isolated arch branch. All the isolated branches were on the opposite side of aortic arch in all the cases. The “ice stick” sign in the coronal section could be seen in most cases of IABA. Of the 10 cases, 8 (8/10, 80%) were associated with tetralogy of Fallot (TOF). Two cases of IABA were combined with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome. Conclusion IABA is a rare aortic anomaly. ILSCA was the most common isolated arch branch and TOF was the most common associated intra-cardiac anomaly. The “ice stick” sign in the coronal section could indicate a diagnosis of the IABA.

Extrusion of the medial meniscus is a potential predisposing factor for post-arthroscopy osteonecrosis of the knee

Background Post-arthroscopic osteonecrosis of the knee (PAONK) is a rare condition. No studies have analyzed the relationship between the meniscus extrusion and PAONK. The purpose of this retrospective study is to test a hypothesis that the degree of the medial meniscus (MM) extrusion might be significantly greater in the knees with PAONK than in the matched control knees both before and after the meniscectomy. Methods Ten knees with PAONK were detected out of a total of 876 knees which had undergone arthroscopic partial meniscectomy of the MM. Ten matched control knees were randomly selected out of the remaining 866 knees without PAONK. The clinical data of these 20 patients were retrospectively collected from the medical records. To evaluate the location of the menisci on the joint line, Extrusion width and Inner width were defined on a coronal section of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The intra- and inter-rater reliability was evaluated by calculating the intra- and inter-class coefficients. Statistical comparisons between the 2 groups were made using the 3 non-parametric tests. Results Before the meniscectomy, the Extrusion width of the MM (mean 4.7 ± 1.4 mm) was significantly greater than that (3.0 ± 1.3 mm) in the Control group (P = 0.0195). In the MRI taken in a range from 3 to 50 weeks after the meniscectomy, the Extrusion width of the MM (5.9 ± 1.1 mm) in the PAONK group was significantly greater than that (3.4 ± 1.4 mm) in the Control group (P = 0.0009), and the Inner width of the MM (0.6 ± 1.7 mm) in the PAONK group was significantly less than that (3.9 ± 1.0 mm) in the Control group (P = 0.0001). Conclusion A significant relationship was found between the degree of the MM extrusion and the onset of PAONK. This study suggested that the extrusion of the MM is a potential predisposing factor for PAONK.

Matisse: a MATLAB-based analysis toolbox for in situ sequencing expression maps

Background A range of spatially resolved transcriptomic methods has recently emerged as a way to spatially characterize the molecular and cellular diversity of a tissue. As a consequence, an increasing number of computational techniques are developed to facilitate data analysis. There is also a need for versatile user friendly tools that can be used for a de novo exploration of datasets. Results Here we present MATLAB-based Analysis toolbox for in situ sequencing (ISS) expression maps (Matisse). We demonstrate Matisse by characterizing the 2-dimensional spatial expression of 119 genes profiled in a mouse coronal section, exploring different levels of complexity. Additionally, in a comprehensive analysis, we further analyzed expression maps from a second technology, osmFISH, targeting a similar mouse brain region. Conclusion Matisse proves to be a valuable tool for initial exploration of in situ sequencing datasets. The wide set of tools integrated allows for simple analysis, using the position of individual reads, up to more complex clustering and dimensional reduction approaches, taking cellular content into account. The toolbox can be used to analyze one or several samples at a time, even from different spatial technologies, and it includes different segmentation approaches that can be useful in the analysis of spatially resolved transcriptomic datasets.

Dynamic Assessment of the Pulmonary Veins in the Cardiac Cycle of Adults without Heart Disease by Cardiac CT

Purpose The purpose of this study was to explore the influence of cardiac cycle and the traditional risk factors on the four pulmonary veins (PVs) of adults and to determine the phase for measuring the maximum value of PVs. Methods Cardiac CT was performed in 101 subjects. The diameter, area, cross-sectional angle, and coronal-section angle of four PVs in 10 phase were reconstructed and measured at 10% step from 5%-95% R-R interval. The differences in PVs size and spatial angles in cardiac cycles and the correlation between the indicators of four PVs and traditional risk factors were analized using two-level model. Results All the maximum size values of the four PVs were found in 45%, while the minimum values were found in 5% or 95% of cardiac phases. Gender influenced the size of three PVs—right superior pulmonary vein (RSPV), right inferior pulmonary vein (RIPV), and left inferior pulmonary vein (LSPV). The diameter of the RSPV was small in hypertensive patients and smokers. In addition, the cross-sectional angles of the left superior pulmonary vein (LIPV) changed during cardiac cycles, and age affected these changes. We found no changes in the spatial angles of the RSPV, RIPV, and LSPV, as well as the coronal-section angle of the LIPV. Conclusions PVs ostia size of normal person varies during cardiac phases. Compared with nomal person, AF could affect the cardiac phase in which the maximum and minimum of PVs is, and it may lead to a reduction of the PVs’ size slightly. For life science journals only.

The influence of different working lengths on apically extruded debris

Aim: To evaluate the influence of three different working lengths on the amount of apically extruded debris. Methodology: Thirty lower premolars with single roots and straight root canals were standardized at 17 mm. Then, they were inserted into Eppendorf tubes, and the 1.5% agar gel was introduced into the tubes surrounding the roots. The coronal section of the roots was kept visible. The set of tubes and agar gel was weighed 3 times and the average value was recorded. Then, the specimens were randomly distributed in 3 different groups according to the working length (CT) used for the instrumentation: Group (CT -1) - the working length 1 mm below the major foramen (MF); Group (CT 00) - the length was determined at the MF, and Group (CT +1) - the CT was determined 1 mm beyond the MF. Instrumentation was performed with Reciproc Blue R25 (VDW, Munich, Germany) under irrigation with 0.9% saline. After preparation, samples were removed from Eppendorf tubes and weighed 3 times again. The difference between the mean values ​​of the initial and final weight was recorded. The one-way ANOVA test (post-hoc Bonferroni) was used with P> 0.05. Results: The average weight of the extruded waste was 0.0134 ± 0.0157 for CT -1, 0.0075 ± 0.0062 for CT 00 and 0.0075 ± 0.0068 for CT +1, with no statistically significant differences between groups. Conclusion: There was no impact of the different CTs on the amount of extruded debris beyond the apex.

Comparative evaluation of dentin volume removal and centralization of the root canal after shaping with the ProTaper Universal, ProTaper Gold, and One-Curve instruments using micro-CT

Background. The main goal of our study was to assess the volume of dentin removed and transportation in root canals using ProTaper Universal (PTU), ProTaper Gold (PTG) and One-Curve (OC). Ni-Ti rotary instruments in extracted human teeth using by micro-CT. Methods: Thirty human upper 1st premolar teeth with two separate root canals and sturdy, mature root tips were used in the present study. Specimens were decoronated and root length was standardized for micro CT scanning before root canal preparation done. The teeth were randomly separated into three categories (n = 10) according to the rotary NiTi system used for canal instrumentation, i.e., PTU (Dentsply, Maillefer), PTG (Dentsply, Maillefer), and OC (Micro-Mega SA). After root canal preparation, samples were scanned again on micro-CT by the same scanning parameters. Surface area, canal volume, structure model index (SMI), percentage of uninstrumented area and transportation parameters were obtained for each sample before and after micro-CT analyse. Results: No significant differences between the PTG and PTU in terms of the total volume of removed dentin, surface area and percentage of uninstrumented areas were found. However, regarding to parameters above, OC showed a lower efficacy than PTG and PTU in coronal section. Regarding canal transportation, PTG and OC showed lower mean transportation values at all levels. Conclusion: This paper demonstrated the root canal shaping abilities of the PTU, PTG, and OC NiTi file systems. The PTG and OC systems were associated less canal transportation and a better ability to preserve dentinal walls than PTU. There was no significance different between all rotary file systems for SMI values however, PTU and PTG showed greater canal volume and surface area change than OC file systems in coronal section.

The Creation of an Experimental Data Set Containing Coronal Section Images of a Human Head

Objectives: The aim of the research is to create an experimental data set of coronal section images of a human head. Methods: The head of a 49-year-old male cadaver was scanned by computed tomography (CT), then perfused with a green filling material via the bilateral common carotid artery, before being frozen and embedded. The head was sectioned along the coronal plane by a computer-controlled 5520 engraving and milling machine, capable of either 0.03-mm or 0.06-mm interspacing. All images were captured with a Canon 5D-Mk III digital camera. Results: A total of 3854 section images were obtained, each with a resolution of 5760 × 3840 pixels. The number of section images at 0.03- and 0.06-mm interspacing were 1437 and 2417, respectively. All the images were stored in JPG and RAW formats. The image size of each RAW format was about 24.5 MB, whereas for JPG format, the equivalent size was about 5.9 MB. All the RAW and JPG images together occupied 117.35 GB of disk space. Conclusions: The interspacing of this data set section was thinner than those of any comparable studies, and the image resolution was higher, too. This data set was also the first to take coronal sections of the human head. The data set contains image information from the smallest structures within the human head and can satisfy the needs of future developments and applications, such as the virtual operation training systems for otolaryngology, ophthalmology, stomatology, and neurosurgery, and help develop medical teaching software and maps.

Safety of the application of Rigidfix cross-pin system via different tibial tunnels for tibial fixation during anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction

Background We investigate the safety of the application of the Rigidfix cross-pin system via different tibial tunnels in the tibial fixation during anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. Methods Five adult fresh cadaver knees were fixed with the Rigidfix cross-pins in the tibial fixation site during ACL reconstruction. Two different tibial tunnel groups were established: in group A, the tunnel external aperture was placed at the 25° angle of coronal section; in group B, the tunnel external aperture was placed at the 45° angle of coronal section. The guide was placed at the plane 0.5 mm below articular facet through the tibial tunnel, with three rotation positions set at 0°, 30°, and 60° slopes. The incidences of iatrogenic injuries at tibial plateau cartilage (TPC), medial collateral ligament (MCL), and patellar tendon in three different slope angles were calculated in groups A and B and the results were analyzed by using chi square test. Results The iatrogenic injuries at MCL, TPC, and patellar tendon could occur after the Rigidfix cross-pin system was placed 5 mm below tibial plateau cartilage for ACL reconstruction. The incidences of TPC injury (χ2 = 5.662, P = 0.017) and MCL injury (P = 0.048, Fisher exact probability method) were significantly lower in group A than in group B. However, the incidence of patellar tendon injury showed no significant difference between these two groups (χ2 = 0.120, P = 0.729). Conclusions When the Rigidfix cross-pin system is used for ACL reconstruction at the tibial fixation site, the external aperture of tibial tunnel should not be placed at the excessively posterosuperior site, to avoid MCL and TPC injuries.

Effect of different surface treatments on bond strength between zirconia posts and root surfaces

Aim: In recent years, especially with the increase in aesthetic demands, there has been a requirement to use the best aesthetic materials for dental restorations. These restorations are especially needed in those teeth that have crown loss due to a tooth fracture or extreme anterior tooth decay, post-core treatment has been applied as getting support by tooth roots. the aesthetic disadvantages and making use of the strength resistance of various metals. In this case, zirconium, which is a white‑coloured metal, is preferred. In this study, zirconia posts with different surface treatments were cemented to the root canal and bond strength was then evaluated. Materials and Methods: Forty mandibular second premolar teeth were used in this study. Crowns of all teeth were removed to 14 mm from the enamel-cement margin by separation under irrigation. Root canals were cleaned, shaped and filled. Teeth were kept in distilled water while zirconia posts were prepared. Zirconia posts were divided into four groups according to the surface treatment methods as follows: a control group, a CoJet applied group, a sandblasting+laser group and an Er:YAG laser group. The Er:YAG laser was administered at 450 mJ at 10 Hz for 60 seconds with a 100-μs pulse duration. Surface-treated posts were bonded to the root canal with Panavia F cement. Cores were made with the standardized strip crowns. 5000 cycles, 5-55 °C thermal cycle applied with transition time at 5 seconds. For push-out tests, roots were embedded in translucent acrylic resin and coronal, middle third and apical sections were cut into 1.5-mm slices. The maximum load at failure was recorded for each specimen in newtons and then converted into megapascals (MPa). Each specimen was inspected with a scanning electron microscope (SEM) at a magnification of 100 X. Data were analysed using Games‑Howell tests with a significance level of 0.05. Results: The coronal section from Group 3 had the highest mean push-out bond strength (18.01 MPa), while the apical section from Group 1 had the lowest (4.49 MPa). Surface treatments had no significant effect on the mean push-out bond strengths of zirconia posts (p > 0.05). However, dividing the root canal into three sections had a significant effect on bond strength (p < 0.05). When the results were evaluated for all groups, the push-out bond strength was highest in the coronal section, then in the middle third and the lowest in the apical section. How to cite this article: Dündar Yılmaz B, İzgi AD. Effect of different surface treatments on bond strength between zirconia posts and root surfaces. Int Dent Res 2020;10(2):49-54. https://doi.org/10.5577/intdentres.2020.vol10.no2.4 Linguistic Revision: The English in this manuscript has been checked by at least two professional editors, both native speakers of English.