The accuracy of intra-oral scanners in full arch implant rehabilitation: a narrative review.

This narrative review aims to study the accuracy of different intra-oral scanner (IOS) devices already available on the market. The accuracy emerged during in vitro, in vivo and ex vivo studies made with IOS devices during the scan of a full arch implant rehabilitation that have been analysed to evaluate which device may be the most suitable in this clinical situation. The literature review was performed by searching topics and keywords using the PubMed and Medline databases, for example, 'digital workflow', 'full arch', 'full arch implant rehabilitation' and 'accuracy of IOS'. Inclusion and exclusion criteria for studies were: correct IMRAD (introduction, methods, results and discussion) structure; article with clear and detailed objectives; consistency of the articles with the purpose of the review; two-year range from the year of publication of the article; reproducible materials and methods; and correct follow-up. Most of the intra-oral scanners employed in vitro provided acceptable accuracy (below a threshold of 150 µm). The main parameters identified for their influence on precision were interim plant distance, body scan design, scanning pattern and operator experience. Even though literature is limited, significant differences emerged between the different models of intra-oral scanners evaluated in the studies considered within this review.

Recent Advances in Functionalized Electrospun Membranes for Periodontal Regeneration.

Periodontitis is a global, multifaceted, chronic inflammatory disease caused by bacterial microorganisms and an exaggerated host immune response that not only leads to the destruction of the periodontal apparatus but may also aggravate or promote the development of other systemic diseases. The periodontium is composed of four different tissues (alveolar bone, cementum, gingiva, and periodontal ligament) and various non-surgical and surgical therapies have been used to restore its normal function. However, due to the etiology of the disease and the heterogeneous nature of the periodontium components, complete regeneration is still a challenge. In this context, guided tissue/bone regeneration strategies in the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine have gained more and more interest, having as a goal the complete restoration of the periodontium and its functions. In particular, the use of electrospun nanofibrous scaffolds has emerged as an effective strategy to achieve this goal due to their ability to mimic the extracellular matrix and simultaneously exert antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and regenerative activities. This review provides an overview of periodontal regeneration using electrospun membranes, highlighting the use of these nanofibrous scaffolds as delivery systems for bioactive molecules and drugs and their functionalization to promote periodontal regeneration.

Materials Engineering to Help Pest Control: A Narrative Overview of Biopolymer-Based Entomopathogenic Fungi Formulations.

Biopolymer-based formulations show great promise in enhancing the effectiveness of entomopathogenic fungi as bioinsecticides. Chitosan and starch, among other biopolymers, have been utilized to improve spore delivery, persistence, and adherence to target insects. These formulations offer advantages such as target specificity, eco-friendliness, and sustainability. However, challenges related to production costs, stability, and shelf life need to be addressed. Recently, biomimetic lure and kill approaches based on biopolymers offer cost-effective solutions by leveraging natural attractants. Further research is needed to optimize these formulations and overcome challenges. Biopolymer-based formulations have the potential to revolutionize pest control practices, providing environmentally friendly and sustainable solutions for agriculture.

Oil-Water Emulsion Flocculation through Chitosan Desolubilization Driven by pH Variation.

Water pollution is a major concern in our modern age. The contamination of water, as a valuable and often limited resource, affects both the environment and human health. Industrial processes such as food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical production also contribute to this problem. Vegetable oil production, for example, generates a stable oil/water emulsion containing 0.5-5% oil, which presents a difficult waste disposal issue. Conventional treatment methods based on aluminum salts generate hazardous waste, highlighting the need for green and biodegradable coagulant agents. In this study, the efficacy of commercial chitosan, a natural polysaccharide derived from chitin deacetylation, has been evaluated as a coagulation agent for vegetable oil emulsions. The effect of commercial chitosan was assessed in relation to different surfactants (anionic, cationic, and nonpolar) and pH levels. The results demonstrate that chitosan is effective at concentrations as low as 300 ppm and can be reused, providing a cost-effective and sustainable solution for oil removal. The flocculation mechanism relies on the desolubilization of the polymer, which acts as a net to entrap the emulsion, rather than solely relying on electrostatic interactions with the particles. This study highlights the potential of chitosan as a natural and ecofriendly alternative to conventional coagulants for the remediation of oil-contaminated water.

Carboxymethylcellulose-Based Hydrogel Obtained from Bacterial Cellulose.

In the present study, we have produced a sodium carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) hydrogel from a bacterial cellulose etherification reaction with chloroacetic acid in an alkaline medium. Bacterial cellulose (BC) was synthesized via economical and environmentally friendly methods using the Gluconacetobacter xylinus bacterium. After purification, freeze-drying, and milling, BC microparticles were dispersed in NaOH solution for different time periods before the etherification reaction. This has allowed the understanding of the alkalinization effect on BC modification. All synthesized CMC were soluble in water, and FTIR and XRD analyses confirmed the etherification reaction. The bath of BC in NaOH solution affects both molecular weight and degree of substitution. SEM analysis revealed the change of BC microstructure from fibrous-like to a smooth, uniform structure. The CMC-0 h allowed the production of crosslinked hydrogel after dehydrothermal treatment. Such hydrogel has been characterized rheologically and has shown a water absorption of 35 times its original weight. The optimization of the CMC produced from BC could pave the way for the production of ultrapure hydrogel to be applied in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry.

Delivery and effectiveness of entomopathogenic fungi for mosquito and tick control: Current knowledge and research challenges.

Insects, ticks, and mites represent a threat to animal health globally, mainly due to their role as vectors of pathogens. Among the most important diseases, those transmitted by mosquitoes (e.g., malaria and arboviral infections) and ticks (e.g., Lyme borreliosis, babesiosis, and viral haemorrhagic fever) have a huge impact on human health. The principal methods available for reducing the public health burden of most vector-borne diseases are vector-based intervention relying to insecticides and acaricides. However, the use of these products is challenged by the introduction of invasive species, the quick development of physiological insecticide and acaricide resistance, and their non-target effects on human health and environment. In this scenario, insecticide/acaricide-free control approaches based on the employment of entomopathogenic fungi (EPFs) are currently considered a promising tool in Integrated Pest/Vector Management, even if their large-scale use is still limited. In this article, we provide an overview on current knowledge about the role of EPFs for mosquito and tick management to assess solutions improving the delivery and efficacy of EPFs in the field. Laboratory research provided solid evidence that EPFs represent a next-generation control tool to manage mosquito and tick populations. However, the viability, infectivity, and persistence of fungal spores under field conditions are still inadequate. Herein we also discuss the development and optimization of EPF-based lure and kill approaches through biopolymers to improve cost-competitive, safety and eco-friendly pest and vector control tools.

Proof of Concept of Biopolymer Based Hydrogels as Biomimetic Oviposition Substrate to Develop Tiger Mosquitoes (Aedes albopictus) Cost-Effective Lure and Kill Ovitraps.

Pest management is looking for green and cost-effective innovative solutions to control tiger mosquitoes and other pests. By using biomimetic principles and biocompatible/biodegradable biopolymers, it could be possible to develop a new approach based on substrates that selectively attract insects by reproducing specific natural environmental conditions and then kill them by hosting and delivering a natural biopesticide or through mechanical action (biomimetic lure and kill approach, BL&K). Such an approach can be theoretically specialized against tiger mosquitoes (BL&K-TM) by designing hydrogels to imitate the natural oviposition site's conditions to employ them inside a lure and kill ovitraps as a biomimetic oviposition substrate. In this work, the hydrogels have been prepared to prove the concept. The study compares lab/on-field oviposition between standard substrates (absorbing paper/masonite) and a physical and chemically crosslinked hydrogel composition panel. Then the best performing is characterized to evaluate a correlation between the hydrogel's properties and oviposition. Tests identify a 2-Hydroxyethylcellulose (HEC)-based physical hydrogel preparation as five times more attractive than the control in a lab oviposition assay. When employed on the field in a low-cost cardboard trap, the same substrate is seven times more capturing than a standard masonite ovitrap, with a duration four times longer.

From tissue engineering to mosquitoes: biopolymers as tools for developing a novel biomimetic approach to pest management/vector control.

BACKGROUND: Pest management has been facing the spread of invasive species, insecticide resistance phenomena, and concern for the impact of chemical pesticides on human health and the environment. It has tried to deal with them by developing technically efficient and economically sustainable solutions to complement/replace/improve traditional control methods. The renewal has been mainly directed towards less toxic pesticides or enhancing the precision of their delivery to reduce the volume employed and side effects through lure-and-kill approaches based on semiochemicals attractants. However, one of the main pest management problems is that efficacy depends on the effectiveness of the attractant system, limiting its successful employment to semiochemical stimuli-responsive insects. Biomaterial-based and bioinspired/biomimetic solutions that already guide other disciplines (e.g., medical sciences) in developing precision approaches could be a helpful tool to create attractive new strategies to liberate precision pest management from the need for semiochemical stimuli, simplify their integration with bioinsecticides, and foster the use of still underemployed solutions. APPROACH PROPOSED: We propose an innovative approach, called "biomimetic lure-and-kill". It exploits biomimetic principles and biocompatible/biodegradable biopolymers (e.g., natural hydrogels) to develop new substrates that selectively attract insects by reproducing specific natural environmental conditions (biomimetic lure) and kill them by hosting and delivering a natural biopesticide or through mechanical action. Biomimetic lure-and-kill-designed substrates point to provide a new attractive system to develop/improve and make more cost-competitive new and conventional devices (e.g. traps). A first example application is proposed using the tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus as a model. CONCLUSIONS: Biomaterials, particularly in the hydrogel form, can be a useful tool for developing the biomimetic lure-and-kill approach because they can satisfy multiple needs simultaneously (e.g., biomimetic lure, mechanical lethality, biocompatibility, and bioinsecticide growth). Such an approach might be cost-competitive, and with the potential for applicability to several pest species. Moreover, it is already technically feasible, since all the technologies necessary to design and configure materials with specific characteristics are already available on the market.