A Modeling Study on the Effect of Interstate Mobility Restrictions on the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic.

Mobility is a crucial element in comprehending the possible expansion of the transmission chain in an epidemic. In the initial phases, strategies for containing cases can be directly linked to population mobility restrictions, especially when only non-pharmaceutical measures are available. During the pandemic of COVID-19 in Brazil, mobility limitation measures were strongly opposed by a large portion of the population. Hypothetically, if the population had supported such measures, the sharp rise in the number of cases could have been suppressed. In this context, computational modeling offers systematic methods for analyzing scenarios about the development of the epidemiological situation taking into account specific conditions. In this study, we examine the impacts of interstate mobility in Brazil. To do so, we develop a metapopulational model that considers both intra and intercompartmental dynamics, utilizing graph theory. We use a parameter estimation technique that allows us to infer the effective reproduction number in each state and estimate the time-varying transmission rate. This makes it possible to investigate scenarios related to mobility and quantify the effect of people moving between states and how certain measures to limit movement might reduce the impact of the pandemic. Our results demonstrate a clear association between the number of cases and mobility, which is heightened when states are closer to each other. This serves as a proof of concept and shows how reducing mobility in more heavily trafficked areas can be more effective.

Publication trends of the Journal of Esthetic and Restorative Dentistry: A bibliometric analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The Journal of Esthetic and Restorative Dentistry (JERD) stands out as one of the most prominent international journals publishing research in esthetic dentistry. This study analyzed articles published by JERD since the year 2000 through bibliometric analysis. METHODOLOGY: The search was conducted in January 2024 using Scopus. The following data were extracted from the articles: citation count, year, language, access type, funding agency, study design, theme (general and specific), country, institution, authors, and keywords. The VOSviewer software was used to generate collaborative network maps among the data. Dimensions were consulted to measure altmetric data. Google Trends was used to investigate the global popularity of JERD research. RESULTS: A total of 1394 articles were included in this analysis. Citation count ranged from 0 to 625 (average: 16.9). Articles were published between 2000 and 2023. Laboratory studies were more prevalent (n = 850), with the most investigated general theme being restorative procedures (n = 882), and the highlighted specific theme being the use of composite resin (n = 327). The United States had the highest number of articles (n = 640), with the diverse distribution among other countries. The most common keyword was "cad/cam" (n = 63). VOSviewer demonstrated high collaboration among countries. Intense mentions were identified primarily on Facebook. According to Google Trends, Egypt was the country that searched for JERD the most. CONCLUSIONS: JERD exhibited significant growth in the number of published articles and their diversity by topics, types, origin (country), number of citations, and impact factor. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The JERD is a journal that publishes studies influencing clinical practice. Identifying the key characteristics of this journal is essential for charting future paths.

Bibliometric analysis of the 100 most cited articles on bone grafting in dentistry.

AIM: This bibliometric study analyzed the characteristics of the 100 most cited articles on bone grafts in dentistry. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A database search was performed on the Web of Science Core Collection using a specific search strategy. Scopus and Google Scholar were also consulted for citation comparisons. Data extracted included: title, citation metrics, publication year, journal, study design, graft material, surgical technique, authors, institution, and country. Bibliometric networks were generated using VOSviewer. RESULTS: The identified articles were published between 1991 and 2019. Citation counts ranged from 120 to 1161 (mean: 240, 30). Clinical Oral Implants Research was the most cited journal (5175 citations; 25/100). Xenogeneic bone graft material was the most frequently used (5130 citations; 22/100). Europe had 62 articles (14,604 citations), and the United States was the most prominent country (5209 citations; 22/100). The University of Bern had the highest number of citations (2565 citations; 13/100), with Buser D as the author with the largest number of articles (2648 citations; 12/100). CONCLUSION: This study shows the scientific progress on bone grafts in dentistry. The use of xenogeneic grafts for horizontal and/or vertical ridge augmentation was the most prominent trend.

Framework for enhancing the estimation of model parameters for data with a high level of uncertainty.

Reliable data are essential to obtain adequate simulations for forecasting the dynamics of epidemics. In this context, several political, economic, and social factors may cause inconsistencies in the reported data, which reflect the capacity for realistic simulations and predictions. In the case of COVID-19, for example, such uncertainties are mainly motivated by large-scale underreporting of cases due to reduced testing capacity in some locations. In order to mitigate the effects of noise in the data used to estimate parameters of models, we propose strategies capable of improving the ability to predict the spread of the diseases. Using a compartmental model in a COVID-19 study case, we show that the regularization of data by means of Gaussian process regression can reduce the variability of successive forecasts, improving predictive ability. We also present the advantages of adopting parameters of compartmental models that vary over time, in detriment to the usual approach with constant values.

A global overview of enamel microabrasion for white spot lesions: a bibliometric review.

This study aimed to identify and analyze articles on enamel microabrasion for the treatment of white spot lesions. A search was conducted on the Web of Science. The following parameters were recorded and analyzed: number of citations, year, journal, impact factor, study design, theme, country and continent, institution, authors, and keywords. Data was analyzed using VOSviewer software. The initial search resulted in 1,126 documents, of which 94 articles were included. The highest number of citations an article received was 65. The oldest article was published in 1975, and the most recent in 2023. The most frequent study design was case report (n = 42). Regarding the themes, it was observed that the main objective of the studies was to evaluate the clinical performance of enamel microabrasion (n = 75), primarily using Opalustre (Ultradent Products Inc., South Jordan, UT, USA) (n = 37) for treating white stains caused by dental fluorosis (n = 41). Most articles originated from Latin America (n = 31), mainly from Brazil (n = 26). The most frequent author was Sundfeld RH (n = 10). This study reveals research trends in the field of enamel microabrasion. The publications were mainly case reports/series using Opalustre for the removal of fluorosis stains.

A Global Overview on Electronic Apex Locator Use From 1968 to 2023: A Bibliometric Analysis.

INTRODUCTION: This bibliometric review analyzed the research trends and main characteristics of articles related to Electronic Apex Locators (EALs). METHODS: The search was conducted in November 2023 on the Web of Science Core Collection. Narrative and systematic reviews, observational and intervention studies, laboratory, and clinical studies were included. Two researchers selected the articles and extracted the number of citations, year of publication, journal, study design, theme, country, continent, institutions, author, and keywords. Collaborative networks were generated using the VOSviewer software. The relationship between data were determined by Spearman's correlation. RESULTS: The search resulted in 374 articles, of which 294 were included. Most cited article had 175 citations. The most prevalent journal was the Journal of Endodontics (n = 84). The predominant study design was the laboratory-based (n = 223). The predominant theme was the EALs accuracy (n = 175). Piasecki L was the author with the highest number of articles (n = 11). Only 8.16% of the studies were conducted in deciduous teeth. The country with the most studies was Brazil (n = 46). Asia (n = 107) was the continent with the highest number of publications. There was a weak positive correlation between the number of citations and impact factor (rho = .294), and a strong negative correlation between citations and year of publication (rho = -.710). CONCLUSIONS: The majority of articles were laboratory-based studies conducted on permanent teeth, focusing on the accuracy of EALs. Future studies should prioritize research on deciduous teeth, systematic reviews, and, notably, clinical trials.

A Global Overview of Guided Endodontics: A Bibliometric Analysis.

INTRODUCTION: This review aimed to analyze the trend and main characteristics of articles related to guided endodontics (GE). METHODS: The search was conducted in May 2023 on Web of Science. GE-related articles were included, and conferences were excluded. Three researchers selected the articles and extracted: the number of citations; year and journal; design and study theme; authorship and institutions; country and continent. Collaborative networks were generated in the Visualization of Similarities Viewer software. The relationship between data was determined by Spearman's correlation. Google Trends was used to investigate the global popularity of GE research. RESULTS: The search resulted in 135 articles, of which 85 were included. The most cited article totaled 116 citations. The studies were published between 2016 and 2023, most frequently in 2022 (n = 22). The most prevalent journal was the Journal of Endodontics (n = 28). Case report (n = 38) was the most frequent study design. The most studied theme was the use of static GE for calcified canals (n = 27). Connert T was the author with the highest number of articles (n = 13). The University of Basel (n = 9) stood out. The most prevalent country was Brazil (n = 13). Europe was the most frequent continent (n = 38). Visualization of Similarities Viewer demonstrated an interaction between authors. There was a moderate positive correlation between citations and the impact factor (rho = .483). According to Google Trends, the United States was the country that most researched GE. CONCLUSIONS: Based on this review, a more significant research interest in GE was observed in Europe, addressing the application of GE in locating severely calcified root canals.

Impacts of a delayed and slow-paced vaccination on cases and deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic: a modelling study.

In Brazil, vaccination has always cut across party political and ideological lines, which has delayed its start and brought the whole process into disrepute. Such divergences put the immunization of the population in the background and create additional hurdles beyond the pandemic, mistrust and scepticism over vaccines. We conduct a mathematical modelling study to analyse the impacts of late vaccination along with slowly increasing coverage, as well as how harmful it would be if part of the population refused to get vaccinated or missed the second dose. We analyse data from confirmed cases, deaths and vaccination in the state of Rio de Janeiro in the period between 10 March 2020 and 27 October 2021. We estimate that if the start of vaccination had been 30 days earlier, combined with efforts to drive vaccination rates up, about 31 657 deaths could have been avoided. In addition, the slow pace of vaccination and the low demand for the second dose could cause a resurgence of cases as early as 2022. Even when reaching the expected vaccination coverage for the first dose, it is still challenging to increase adherence to the second dose and maintain a high vaccination rate to avoid new outbreaks.

Prey dynamics under generalist predator culling in stage structured models.

In this paper, by means of mathematical dynamical models we investigate the impacts of predator culling on a prey population structured in two stage classes, juveniles and adults, assuming stage specific predation by two generalist predators with functional responses types 2 and 3 in all possible combinations. According to the chosen set of parameter values, these impacts can manifest through possible demographic Allee effects, sustained population oscillations, alternative stable states (e.g., predator-pit-like behavior) and Hydra effect, which are all discussed, in turn, in terms of species conservation, harvest yield and pest biological control.

Allee effects in tritrophic food chains: some insights in pest biological control.

Release of natural enemies to control pest populations is a common strategy in biological control. However, its effectiveness is supposed to be impaired, among other factors, by Allee effects in the biological control agent and by the fact that introduced pest natural enemies interact with some native species of the ecosystem. In this work, we devise a tritrophic food chain model where the assumptions previously raised are proved correct when a hyperpredator attacks the introduced pest natural enemy by a functional response type 2 or 3. Moreover, success of pest control is shown to be related to the release of large amounts (i.e., inundative releases) of natural enemies.