Effects of Intravenous Lidocaine on Quality of Recovery After Laparoscopic Bariatric Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the effects of pre and intraoperative lidocaine infusion on short-term recovery quality after laparoscopic bariatric surgeries. In the search across MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane databases, we considered randomized controlled trials comparing intravenous lidocaine vs placebo (saline) for patients with obesity undergoing laparoscopic bariatric surgery. Seven studies (640 patients) were included. The lidocaine group had a significantly higher recovery quality score, a lower morphine consumption, and a notably reduced rate of nausea and vomiting compared with the placebo group. Additionally, Lidocaine infusion was associated with a shorter hospital stay, while no significant difference was observed in the time to bowel function recovery between both groups. In conclusion, lidocaine infusion before and during laparoscopic bariatric surgery contributes to an enhanced quality of recovery.

Conventional and Digital Impressions for Fabrication of Complete Implant-Supported Bars: A Comparative In Vitro Study.

Obtaining accurate models and well-fitting prostheses during the fabrication of complete implant-supported prostheses has been a significant challenge. Conventional impression methods involve multiple clinical and laboratory steps that can lead to distortions, potentially resulting in inaccurate prostheses. In contrast, digital impressions may eliminate some of these steps, leading to better-fitting prostheses. Therefore, it is important to compare conventional and digital impressions for producing implant-supported prostheses. This study aimed to compare the quality of digital intraoral and conventional impressions by measuring the vertical misfit of implant-supported complete bars obtained using both types of techniques. Five digital impressions using an intraoral scanner and five impressions using elastomer were made in a four-implant master model. The plaster models produced with conventional impressions were scanned in a laboratory scanner to obtain virtual models. Screw-retained bars (n = five) were designed on the models and milled in zirconia. The bars fabricated using digital (DI) and conventional (CI) impressions were screwed to the master model, initially with one screw (DI1 and CI1) and later with four screws (DI4 and CI4), and were analyzed under a SEM to measure the misfit. ANOVA was used to compare the results (p < 0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in the misfit between the bars fabricated using digital and conventional impressions when screwed with one (DI1 = 94.45 µm vs. CI1 = 101.90 µm: F = 0.096; p = 0.761) or four screws (DI4 = 59.43 µm vs. CI4 = 75.62 µm: F = 2.655; p = 0.139). Further, there were no differences when the bars were compared within the same group screwed with one or four screws (DI1 = 94.45 µm vs. DI4 = 59.43 µm: F = 2.926; p = 0.123; CI1 = 101.90 µm vs. CI4 = 75.62 µm: F = 0.013; p = 0.907). It was concluded that both impression techniques produced bars with a satisfactory fit, regardless of whether they were screwed with one or four screws.

Expanding the Application of Digital Dentistry with 3D Patient Monitoring.

Intraoral scanners have been used to capture data for the design and subsequent manufacture of dental restorations and also for registering color clinical images. Scanners can capture datasets for future use and comparisons. This manuscript describes the potential of using software algorithms to superimpose 3D images captured at different times to calculate dimensional changes at the click of a button in various dental fields. 3D patient monitoring, with the advance of artificial intelligence and its built-in capacity for data analyses, will allow dentists and researchers to calculate volumetric changes and predict potentially adverse clinical outcomes.

Are all-atom any better than united-atom force fields for the description of liquid properties of alkanes?

Alkanes are a fundamental part in empirical force fields (FF) not only due to their technological relevance, but also due to the prevalence of alkane moieties in organic molecules, e.g., compounds containing a saturated carbon chain. Therefore, a good description of alkane interactions is crucial for determining the quality of a FF. In this study, the performance of 12 empirical force fields (FF) was evaluated in the context of reproducing liquid properties of alkanes. More specifically, n-octane was chosen as a reference compound since it is a liquid in a broad temperature range and it has numerous experimental data for thermodynamic, transport, and structural properties, as well as for their temperature dependencies. A normalized root-mean-square deviation (NRMSD) analysis was used to rank the force fields in their ability to reproduce the experimental data. Five out of the six best force fields considered were united-atom models. The GROMOS force field showed the smallest deviation in terms of NRMSD, followed by TRAPPE-EH, NERD, CHARMM-UA, TRAPPE-UA, and OPLS-UA. This overall better performance of the united-atom force fields indicates that complexity does not always bring quality.

Solvent effects on the decarboxylation of trichloroacetic acid: insights from ab initio molecular dynamics simulations.

The kinetics of trichloroacetic acid (TCA) decarboxylation strongly depends on the solvent in which it occurs, proceeding faster in polar aprotic solvents compared to protic solvents. In particular, the reaction is known to be fast in DMSO even at room temperature and is rather slow in water even at higher temperatures. In order to understand the role of the solvent in the kinetics of TCA decarboxylation, the present study investigates this reaction using both ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations in explicit solvents and static electronic structure calculations with the SMD polarizable continuum model, considering DMSO and water as solvents. Both methodologies yield activation free energies in good agreement with experimental data, however they differ with respect to the reaction profile for the process occurring in water. The simulations suggest that DMSO does not participate chemically in the reaction and that the high reaction rate in DMSO can be explained by differential solvation of the reactant and transition state. In water, a protonation step was observed along the simulation trajectory, indicating chemical participation of the solvent in this case. Moreover, the continuum model has shown to be useful to predict the reaction rates in other solvents, suggesting that reaction rates increase upon decreasing solvent polarity up to the point where the apolar solvents are not able to efficiently screen the strong electrostatic interactions to form the required isolated ionic species.

Esthetic planning with a digital tool: A clinical report.

This clinical report describes digital planning and execution using a novel software tool to enhance digital workflow. The proposed treatment, integrated with the face of the patient, was presented before clinical treatment. The patient was rehabilitated with ceramic veneers. The virtual design contributed to a satisfactory and predictable esthetic outcome.

Letra e escrita na obra de Jacques Lacan / Letter and writing in the work of Jacques Lacan / La letra y la escritura en la obra de Jacques Lacan / La lettre et l'écriture dans l'œuvre de Jacques Lacan

Os autores apresentam a letra na obra do psicanalista francês Jacques Lacan como conceito que trata de uma leitura e de uma escrita do inconsciente. Para tanto, faremos uma apresentação do conceito no seminário 9 L'identification (Lacan, 1961-1962), particularmente nas lições de 6/12/1961, 13/12/1961, 20/12/1961 e 10/1/1962. Com base na relação entre traço e letra, signo e significante esperamos demonstrar uma diferença no entendimento do conceito comparativamente ao texto L'instance de la lettre, de 1957, quando letra surge pela primeira vez formalizada na obra do autor e voltada principalmente para a leitura do inconsciente

The authors focus on the notion of letter in the work of the French psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan. In other words, letter would refer to both a reading and a writing of the unconscious. Therefore, we shall present this concept as described in the Seminar 9, L'identification (Lacan, 1961-1962), particularly in the lectures on December, 6th, 13th, and 20th, 1961, and on January, 10th, 1962. Our purpose is to demonstrate a different way of understanding this concept, by starting from the relation between trace and letter, sign and signifier. As such, our way is different than the one of The instance of the letter, originally delivered in 1957, in which letter was first formalized in Lacan's work and was especially focused on the reading of the unconscious

Los autores enfocan la noción de letra en la obra del psicoanalista francés Jacques Lacan como un concepto que se refiere a una lectura y una escritura del inconsciente. Presentan este concepto, descrito en el seminario 9, L'identification (Lacan, 1961-1962), particularmente, en las lecciones de 6/12/1961, 13/12/1961, 20/12/1961 y 10/1/1962. A partir de la relación entre trazo y letra, signo y significante proponen una comprensión diferente del concepto de letra tal como fue formulado por primera vez en la obra de Lacan, en el texto de 1957 L'instance de la lettre, en el que este término se refiere principalmente a la lectura del inconsciente

Notre article s'occupera de la lettre chez le psychanalyste Jacques Lacan, comme un concept qui traite d'une lecture et d'une écriture de l'inconscient. Nous ferons une présentation du concept dans le séminaire 9, L'identification (Lacan, 1961-1962), en particulier les leçons de 6/12/1961, 13/12/1961, 20/12/1961 et 10/1/1962. À partir du rapport entre le trait et la lettre, le signe et le signifiant, on espère démontrer une différence dans la compréhension du concept vis-à-vis du texte L'instance de la lettre de 1957, où la lettre apparait pour la première fois formalisée et dirigée principalement à la lecture de l'inconscient

Analysis of stresses during the polymerization shrinkage of self-curing resin cement in indirect restorations: a finite-element study.

BACKGROUND: Adhesive cementation is essential for the longevity of indirect esthetic restorations. However, polymerization shrinkage of resin cement generates stress, which may cause failures in the tooth-restoration interface. So, understanding of the biomechanics of resin cement is important for predicting the clinical behavior of an esthetic indirect restoration. AIMS: To analyze the stresses generated during polymerization shrinkage of self-curing resin cement in ceramic and in indirect resin (IR) restorations, using the finite-element method (FEM). SETTINGS AND DESIGN: Numerical study using the finite-element analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A three-dimensional (3D) model of a second molar restored with ceramic or IR onlay restoration was designed. The polymerization shrinkage of self-curing resin cement was simulated in FEM software using an analogy between the thermal stress and the resulting contraction of the resin cement. The localization and values of tensile stresses in the dental structure, cement, and adhesive layer were identified. RESULTS: The location and value of the tensile stresses were similar for the two restorative materials. High tensile stresses were identified in the axiopulpal wall and angles of the tooth preparation, with the major stresses found in the cement located in the axiopulpal wall. CONCLUSIONS: The high stresses values and their concentration in the angles of the prepared tooth emphasize the importance of round angles and the use of cements with lower rates of shrinkage.

Unusual presentation of active implant periapical lesions: a report of two cases.

Active implant periapical lesion (IPL) is a rare lesion which has been reported as one of the causes of dental implant failures. Usually, an affected implant shows radiolucency in the apical area, while remaining clinically stable. IPL is often accompanied by symptoms of pain, swelling, tenderness, and fistulation. In this paper, we describe two cases of IPL with very unusual findings which led to implant failure. A large IPL associated with an inflammatory cyst in the anterior maxilla, and a mandibular IPL resulting in an extra-oral fistula are presented. The etiology and treatment approaches for IPL are discussed.