BACKGROUND: The conicity of the root canals of primary teeth is an important measure for endodontic therapies. However, determining this conicity depends on the methods employed, which requires further investigation.
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the conicity of the root canals of the upper and lower primary second molars using nanotomography (nCT).
METHODS: An in vitro study was performed using nine primary second molars, both upper and lower, subjected to nCT. Comparisons between the diameters of root canals were performed between the thirds (cervical-D0, middle-D5, and apical-D7). The conicity (%) was determined for each root canal from cervical to apical. Data were statistically analyzed with a significance level of 5%.
RESULTS: The conicity ranged from 2% to 8% for the upper primary second molars. Significant differences in root canal diameter between the thirds (D0, D5, and D7 points) were observed in the mesio- and distobuccal roots (p < .05), but not in the palatal roots (p > .05). For the lower primary second molars, the conicity ranged from 2% to 17%, as well as significant differences in root canal diameter between the thirds (D0, D5, and D7 points) were observed in all roots (distal, mesiobuccal, and mesiolingual; p < .05).
CONCLUSIONS: The conicity of the upper primary second molars was different from that of the lower ones, which showed a greater variability.

X-ray micro-computed tomography (CT) produces three-dimensional images of samples on a micrometer scale. This technique has several advantages, such as its nondestructive character and low measurement time, compared with other techniques. However, when applied to biological samples of soft tissue, the low attenuation and low effective contrast between structures pose difficulties in creating appropriate images for morphological studies. Diffusible iodine-based contrast-enhanced CT (DICE-CT), which uses iodine solutions to enhance contrast, is a viable alternative for addressing the aforementioned challenges. Given the variety of biological samples, an appropriate methodology must be adapted depending on the dimensions and morphological characteristics of the investigated object. A specimen that has not been morphologically studied by micro-CT and is of high sanitary importance is the adult Aedes aegypti mosquito. This study investigated the stage of iodine staining in the treatment of the A. aegypti mosquito to determine the most suitable staining time for the morphological study of this mosquito in adulthood. After determining the appropriate staining time, we discuss the potential of applying DICE-CT and methodology to mosquito studies. Seven A. aegypti females were treated using fixation steps with Bouin\'s solution, dehydration in a graded ethanol series, staining with iodine solution (1%), and washing in absolute ethanol. Only the staining step was different between samples. Each mosquito spent a varying amount of time (6-72 h) in the iodine solution (1%). For comparison, one of the mosquitoes was not stained. After treatment, the samples were scanned using the Bruker SkyScan 1172 micro-CT scanner. The reconstructed volumes and histograms were compared to determine the most suitable time. In addition, a quantitative analysis was performed based on a comparison of the attenuation profiles of the mosquito brains. Thereafter, the most suitable treatment process was selected, and two other samples were scanned after applying the selected process. Although fewer than 18 h was insufficient for an effective increase in attenuation and effective contrast, surpassing 24 h proved unnecessary and resulted in saturating the gray tones visualized through the histograms, leading to information loss. Therefore, a time of approximately 24 h was the most suitable staining time for studying adult A. aegypti. It was possible to isolate the organs of the digestive and reproductive systems of the mosquito stained for 24 h. Thus, micro-CT was confirmed to be an excellent technique in studies of individual structures of adult A. aegypti mosquitoes.

Plant diseases caused by phytopathogenic fungi are a serious threat in the process of crop production and cause large economic losses to global agriculture. To obtain high-antifungal-activity compounds with novel action mechanisms, a series of 4-substituted mandelic acid derivatives containing a 1,3,4-oxadiazole moiety were designed and synthesized. In vitro bioassay results revealed that some compounds exhibited excellent activity against the tested fungi. Among them, the EC50 values of E13 against Gibberella saubinetii (G. saubinetii), E6 against Verticillium dahlia (V. dahlia), and E18 against Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (S. sclerotiorum) were 20.4, 12.7, and 8.0 mg/L, respectively, which were highly superior to that of the commercialized fungicide mandipropamid. The morphological studies of G. saubinetii with a fluorescence microscope (FM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) indicated that E13 broke the surface of the hyphae and destroyed cell membrane integrity with increased concentration, thereby inhibiting fungal reproduction. Further cytoplasmic content leakage determination results showed a dramatic increase of the nucleic acid and protein concentrations in mycelia with E13 treatment, which also indicated that the title compound E13 could destroy cell membrane integrity and affect the growth of fungi. These results provide important information for further study of the mechanism of action of mandelic acid derivatives and their structural derivatization.

Two series of novel sophoridine derivatives were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for their anti-mosquito activity. SOP-2g, SOP-2q, and SOP-2r exhibited potential larvicidal activity against Aedes albopictus larva with LC50 values of 330.98, 430.53, and 411.09 ppm, respectively. Analysis of structure-activity relationships indicated that the oxime ester group was beneficial for improving the larvicidal biological activity, whereas the long-chain aliphatic group and fused-ring group were introduced. Furthermore, the larvicidal mechanism was also investigated based on the inhibition assay of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and the morphological observation of dead larva treated with derivatives. Results indicated that the AChE inhibitory activity of the preferred three derivatives were 63.16%, 46.67%, and 35.11%, respectively, at 250 ppm concentration. Additionally, morphological evidence demonstrated that SOP-2q and SOP-2r induced changes in the larva\'s intestinal cavity, caudal gill, and tail, thereby displaying larvicidal action against Ae. albopictus together with AChE inhibition. Therefore, this study implied that sophoridine and its novel derivatives could be used to control the population of mosquito larva, which may also be effective alkaloids to reduce the mosquito population density.

Frozen aqueous solutions are an important subject of study in numerous scientific branches including the pharmaceutical and food industry, atmospheric chemistry, biology, and medicine. Here, we present an advanced environmental scanning electron microscope methodology for research of ice samples at environmentally relevant subzero temperatures, thus under conditions in which it is extremely challenging to maintain the thermodynamic equilibrium of the specimen. The methodology opens possibilities to observe intact ice samples at close to natural conditions. Based on the results of ANSYS software simulations of the surface temperature of a frozen sample, and knowledge of the partial pressure of water vapor in the gas mixture near the sample, we monitored static ice samples over several minutes. We also discuss possible artifacts that can arise from unwanted surface ice formation on, or ice sublimation from, the sample, as a consequence of shifting conditions away from thermodynamic equilibrium in the specimen chamber. To demonstrate the applicability of the methodology, we characterized how the true morphology of ice spheres containing salt changed upon aging and the morphology of ice spheres containing bovine serum albumin. After combining static observations with the dynamic process of ice sublimation from the sample, we can attain images with nanometer resolution.

Introduction: There is a morphological assessment of the damaged area and the inflammatory response of periodontal tissues after therapy. It seems relevant to evaluate the reaction of the periapical tissues of the teeth of experimental animals after the treatment of simulated apical periodontitis using laser photodynamic therapy (PDT) and non-pigment laser transcanal microablation using morphological research. Methods: The lower incisors of 15 rabbits were used to simulate acute apical periodontitis of pulpal origin. Subsequently, the traditional treatment of teeth canals using mechanical cleaning and irrigation with antiseptic solution started. Then, three groups underwent different therapies - using PDT (n = 5; photosensitizer chlorin e6, [l = 660 nm, 60 mW/cm2 ] for 2 minutes), using a new technology of transcanal laser ablation (n = 5; diode laser [l = 1265 nm, 180 mW/cm2 ] for 3 minutes), and without additional treatment (n = 5). Laser therapy in two groups was carried out for 10 days once in 2 days. The animals were euthanized 10 days after the treatment started, decapitation was performed, and morphological specimens were studied under a microscope. Descriptive analysis (study of inflammatory apical infiltrate, bone regeneration of the alveoli and periodontal ligament) and quantitative analysis were performed. The data were statistically processed using the Kruskal-Wallis test. Results: The group treated with the new laser technology showed the best results with moderate lymph-macrophage infiltration and congested vessels, moderate neoangiogenesis and fibrogenesis. The size of the lesion was 506.4 mm2, compared with the PDT group - 872.0 mm2 (P ≤ 0.05). Conclusion: A decrease in the focus of inflammation, moderate neoangiogenesis and fibrogenesis in the periapical region when using transcanal laser microablation indicate the prospects of using the new technology in clinical practice in the complex therapy of apical periodontitis.

natriuretic peptide is associated with myocardial fibrosis in animal models and among patients with heart disease. However, it remains unclear whether serum N-terminal pro-B-type peptide (NT-proBNP) levels are associated with histopathologically proven myocardial fibrosis among individuals without apparent heart disease. This study aimed to evaluate the association between serum NT-proBNP levels and the histopathologically estimated myocardial fibrotic area in autopsied samples from a community.
we selected 63 cases without apparent heart disease with available data of serum NT-proBNP concentrations within six years before death (average age: 82 years; male: 52%) from autopsied cases in a community, and evaluated the percentage areas of myocardial fibrosis in four cardiac segments from each case (i.e. 252 cardiac segments in total). The association between serum NT-proBNP levels and the percentage area of myocardial fibrosis was estimated using a linear mixed model for repeated measures.
serum NT-proBNP levels were positively correlated with myocardial fibrotic area [Pearson\'s correlation coefficient: r = 0.49 (95% confidence interval: 0.28-0.66), p <0.001]. Serum NT-proBNP levels were significantly associated with the percentage areas of myocardial fibrosis after adjusting for potential confounding factors. There was no evidence of heterogeneity in the association between the subgroups with and without reduced estimated glomerular filtration rate (<60 mL/min/1.73 m2).
the present study demonstrated that elevated serum NT-proBNP levels were associated with the histopathologically measured myocardial fibrotic area in autopsied cases from a community. These findings may help clarify the association between elevated serum NT-proBNP levels and myocardial fibrosis and their influence on prognosis.

Palpebral eyelid weight implants are currently considered as the gold standard method for lagophthalmos correction. Manufactured from different precious metals, they have both benefits and drawbacks. The article presents the results of an experimental morphological study of biointegration of different eyelid weight implants used for correction of paralytic lagophthalmos.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate biointegration properties of implants made of gold, platinum and platinum-gold alloy.
METHODS: The study enrolled 4 Chinchilla rabbits (8 eyelids). Palpebral implants manufactured of gold, platinum and platinum-gold alloy were placed into the eyelids of the experimental animals. The morphological examination was performed 1 and 6 months after the implantation using paraffin sections.
RESULTS: Light microscopy revealed that the implant beds were surrounded by pronounced fibrovascular capsule of uneven thickness over the whole follow-up. The capsule formed after the placement of an implant made of gold and platinum alloy was more loose. However, the emerging connective tissue bridges of the capsule contributed to its immobilization in the tissues and lower risk of extrusion. No signs of an inflammatory and/or allergic reaction were observed in any of the cases.
CONCLUSIONS: The obtained results show that implants made of a 90/10% platinum-gold alloy and 999.9 fine platinum have similar biointegration in terms of morphological features during 6 months of the follow-up period.
Утяжеляющие пальпебральные имплантаты являются современным стандартом коррекции паралитического лагофтальма. Изготовленные из различных благородных металлов имплантаты имеют свои преимущества и недостатки. В настоящем экспериментально-морфологическом исследовании представлены результаты биоинтеграции имплантатов из золота, платины и сплава платины с золотом для коррекции паралитического лагофтальма.
UNASSIGNED: Выявить морфологические особенности биоинтеграции пальпебральных имплантатов из различных металлов и их сплавов.
UNASSIGNED: Работа выполнена на 4 кроликах породы шиншилла (8 век), которым были установлены пальпебральные имплантаты из разных материалов (платина, платина и золото, золото). Результаты оценивали на сроках 1 и 6 мес после постановки имплантатов по данным морфологического исследования парафиновых срезов.
UNASSIGNED: По данным световой микроскопии, на всех сроках наблюдения ложе установленных имплантатов было выстлано достаточно выраженной, неравномерной по толщине фиброваскулярной капсулой. После постановки имплантата, выполненного из сплава золота и платины, отмечено формирование более рыхлой капсулы. Однако формирующиеся соединительно-тканные перемычки капсулы способствовали его иммобилизации в тканях и меньшему риску экструзии. Признаки воспалительной и/или аллергической реакции отсутствовали во всех случаях.
Заключение. Экспериментальные данные позволяют сделать вывод, что постановка имплантатов, выполненных из сплава платины и золота в соотношении 90/10% и платины чистотой 999,9, сопровождается практически тождественной морфологической картиной биоинтеграции на сроке анализа 6 мес.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to estimate the conicity of the root canals of maxillary central and lateral incisors by computed nanotomography (Nano-CT).
METHODS: This in vitro study included nine extracted primary maxillary central incisors and 12 maxillary lateral incisors, which were subjected to Nano-CT analysis. The resulting images of each tooth were reconstructed using the OnDemand3D software, and root canal area, volume, and taper analysis were performed using the free FreeCAD 0.18 software for the 3D computer-aided design (CAD) model. Data were statistically analysed using the Stata v14.0 software, adopting a significance level of 5%.
RESULTS: The results presented the mean value of the diameter and area of the root canal of primary central and lateral incisors. In addition, the taper values for both dental groups between points D0-D5, D5-D7, and D7-D10 were determined. Considering the diameters obtained over the entire length of the root, with a length of 12 mm, a conical model was constructed.
CONCLUSIONS: Detailed knowledge of root morphology of maxillary central and lateral incisors of primary dentition by means of Nano-CT is important to achieve faster, more accurate, and efficient endodontic treatments.

The precise description of the fascia vasto-adductoria (FVA) has become an issue of great surgical and clinical importance. Neurovascular entrapment within the adductor canal (AC) may simulate many clinical conditions for cases presented with medial knee or leg pain and ischemic manifestations of the leg. The aim of the present work is to describe the morphological features of the FVA and to elucidate its neurovascular relations. Forty thigh specimens, pertaining to 15 embalmed and five fresh adult human cadavers, were dissected in pursuit of this aim. The FVA was a continuous subsartorial fascia, roofing the whole length of AC and extended between two points lying at a mean distance of 25.6 and 7 cm proximal to the base of patella. It was subdivided into two parts; proximal thin quadrangular (proximal part of FVA) and distal thick pentagonal (vastoadductor membrane; VAM) and the subsartorial space was observed superficial to it. The mean length of its proximal and distal parts was 7.8 and 7.9 cm, respectively. The proximal part of FVA, while stretched across the vastus medialis (VM) and the adductor longus (AL) muscles, became attached to the wall of the femoral artery and overlaid the femoral vessels, the saphenous nerve (SN), and an arterial pedicle for VM muscle. It was constantly pierced by two arterial pedicles arising from the femoral artery to the sartorius muscle and occasionally (50%) by a communicating nerve branch arising from the SN to join the medial femoral cutaneous nerve. The VAM stretched across the VM muscle and both the AL and adductor magnus (AM) muscles and overlaid the SN, its subsartorial and lower medial femoral cutaneous branches, femoral vessels, 1-3 arterial pedicles for the sartorius and descending genicular vessels. The VAM originated from the tendinous fibres of the AM tendon and constantly spread anterolaterally. It was constantly pierced by 1-3 arterial pedicles to sartorius muscle and both the lower medial femoral cutaneous branch and the subsartorial branches of the SN. An arterial pedicle to the VM muscle and perforating veins between the superficial veins and the femoral vein proved to pierce it in 8/40 specimens. Entrapment of the SN at the distal narrow aperture of the AC, or one of its cutaneous branches at the piercing sites of the FVA, should be remembered when diagnosing cases presented with medial knee or leg pain. The attachment of the proximal part of the FVA to the wall of the femoral artery could add to the mechanism of its potential compression. True AC block should be done deep to the FVA to ensure effective SN analgesia. Its site is recommended to be at the distal one cm of the proximal part of the AC which is at a distance of 16-17 cm proximal to the base of patella. The VAM, being an anatomical connection between the VM and AM muscles, is theorized to increase the mechanical efficiency of the VM oblique muscle to maintain the knee extensor mechanism.