Comparing the effects of cerebellar and prefrontal anodal transcranial direct current stimulation concurrent with postural training on balance and fatigue in patients with multiple sclerosis: a double-blind, randomized, sham-controlled trial.

Fatigue and balance disorders are common challenges experienced by Multiple Sclerosis (MS) individuals. The purpose of this study was to compare the concurrent effects of cerebellar and prefrontal anodal trans-cranial direct current stimulation (a-tDCS) with postural training on balance and fatigue in MS patients. 51 patients were evaluated to randomly allocation to a-tDCS over cerebellum, a-tDCS over dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and sham group. 46 individuals (n = 16 in experimental groups and n = 14 in control group) followed treatment. All the groups received 10 sessions of postural training. The experimental groups underwent a-tDCS with a current of 1.5 mA for a period of 20 min. While, in the sham group, tDCS was only activated for 30 s and then turned off. The treatment included 10 sessions for four weeks. Before and after intervention, fatigue and balance were assessed using Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), Timed Up and Go (TUG) test and Berg Balance Score (BBS), respectively. There was found a significant reduction in fatigue in the group receiving a-tDCS over the prefrontal cortex with postural training compared to the other two groups (P < 0.001). Additionally, a significant improvement was found in balance in the group receiving a-tDCS over the cerebellum concurrent with postural training in comparison to the other two groups (P < 0.001). Besides, in the sham group, the significant results were not reported in the variables. (P > 0.001). The results demonstrated that a-tDCS enhances the effects of postural training on balance and fatigue in MS patients.

Home vision therapy and prism prescription in presbyopic persons with convergence insufficiency: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Convergence insufficiency is a common issue in the field of binocular vision. Various treatment options have been suggested for managing this condition, but their efficacy in individuals with presbyopia remains unclear. The objective of this study is to compare the effectiveness of home-based vision therapy and prism prescription, in presbyopic patients with convergence insufficiency. METHODS/DESIGN: It is a randomized, prospective, double-blind clinical trial, with total of 150 participants randomly assigned to the three groups. The Control Group will receive a new near glasses as a conventional prescription, along with aimless and random eye movement exercises that do not have any convergence or accommodation effects. The Home Vision Therapy Group will receive new near glasses with accommodative and convergence eye exercises. The Prism Group will receive a near prismatic glasses prescribed using the Sheard's criterion. All treatments will be administered for a period of 2 months, and measurements of the modified convergence insufficiency symptoms survey (CISS), near point convergence, near phoria, and positive fusional vergence will be taken at baseline, one month later, and at the end of the treatment. DISCUSSION: We aim to identify which component - either the prism prescription or the home vision therapy - is more effective in improving binocular abilities and reducing patients' symptom scores. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05311917 with last update on 04/22/2023.

Primary and supplementary anesthetic efficacy of a modified two-step buccal infiltration of 4% articaine in mandibular molars with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis: a randomized clinical trial.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate a modified two-step buccal infiltration (MBI) of 1.7 mL 4% articaine as primary or supplemental anesthesia in mandibular first and second molars diagnosed with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis (SIP). MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and eight patients with SIP were randomly assigned to one of three groups (n = 36). They were given an inferior alveolar nerve block (IANB) of 2% lidocaine with 1:80.000 epinephrine or a primary MBI of 4% articaine with 1:100.000 epinephrine in the IANB and MBI groups, respectively. Patients in the IANB + MBI group received an IANB followed by an MBI. Pain levels during the injection, access cavity preparation, and initial filing were recorded on the Heft-Parker visual analog scale (HP-VAS). No or mild pain (HP-VAS ≤ 54) upon access cavity preparation and initial filing was considered a success. Chi-square and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: MBI (77.8%) and IANB + MBI (94.4%) had both significantly higher success rates than IANB (50.0%) (P < .001). However, when the Bonferroni adjustment was applied, there was no statistically significant difference between the MBI and IANB + MBI techniques (P = .041 > .017). MBI was associated with significantly less injection pain than IANB (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Both primary and supplemental MBI with 4% articaine were superior to IANB with 2% lidocaine in mandibular first and second molars diagnosed with SIP. Further research may be needed to confirm the findings of this study. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The findings of this study suggest that supplemental or primary MBI can be a clinically viable alternative to IANB, which has a relatively low success rate when managing mandibular molars diagnosed with SIP.

Correlation of alveolar bone thickness and central incisor inclination in skeletal Class I and II malocclusions with different vertical skeletal patterns: A CBCT study.

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to assess the alveolar bone thickness (ABT) and labiolingual inclination of maxillary and mandibular central incisors in patients with Class I and II skeletal patterns with normal-angle, high-angle, and low-angle vertical patterns. METHODS: The study sample consisted of 200 cone-beam computed tomography scans of patients with skeletal Class I and II malocclusions. Each group was further divided into low-angle, normal-angle, and high-angle subgroups. Labiolingual inclinations of maxillary and mandibular central incisors and ABT were measured at 4 levels from the cementoenamel junction in the labial and lingual surfaces. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, independent t test, 2-way analysis of variance, and Spearman's correlation test were applied for statistical analyses. RESULTS: The only significant difference between Class I and II groups regarding the ABT was found at the labial side of the maxillary central incisor, 9 mm apical to the crest. At this level, the mean ABT was 0.87 mm in patients with a skeletal Class I malocclusion, which was significantly greater than that in patients with a skeletal Class II malocclusion with a mean ABT of 0.66 mm (P = 0.02). Comparisons among the vertical subgroups revealed that on the labial and lingual sides of the mandible, as well as the palatal side of the maxilla, significantly thinner alveolar bone was found in patients with high-angle growth patterns than those with normal-angle and low-angle patterns in both sagittal groups (P <0.05). Significant weak to moderate correlations were found between ABT and tooth inclination (P <0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Significant differences in ABT covering central incisors between patients with skeletal Class I and II malocclusion are merely observed at the labial surface of the maxilla, 9 mm apical to the cementoenamel junction. Compared with patients with normal-angle and low-angle, those with a high-angle growth pattern and Class I and II sagittal relationships have thinner alveolar bone support around maxillary and mandibular incisors.

Determinants of oral health status: an ecological study in Iran.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this ecological study was to assess the association between behavioral, social position, circumstance factors, and caries experience in 35- to 44-year-old adults in Iran at a provincial level. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The data from the 2011 Iranian Oral Health Survey were obtained from all 31 provinces across Iran on the population level. Oral health status was measured as the number of decayed, missing (MT), and filled (FT) teeth and the percentage of the population who were edentulous. Data were also gathered from each province on the percentage of smokers (Non-Communicable Diseases Risk Factors Surveillance Provincial Report 2009), per capita consumption of free sugars, concentration of fluoride in the drinking water (National and Sub-national Burden of Disease (NASBOD) Survey), number of dentists per 10,000 people, mean years of schooling of adults, expected years of schooling of children, life expectancy at birth and Gross National Income (Integrated Public Use Microdata Series, Global Data Lab). The data were analyzed using simple and multiple linear regression (α = 0.05). RESULTS: Mean DMFT was positively associated with the percentage of smokers (B = 0.01 95%CI 0.01-0.14), and negatively with fluoride concentration (B =-2.6 95%CI -4.3- -0.96). The edentulousness percentage was positively associated with smoking (B = 0.2 (with 95%CI: 0.07-0.37) and negatively with mean years of education (B =-1.08 (with 95%CI: -2.04- -0.12). DT was associated with expected years of schooling (B =-0.6 (with 95%CI: -1.07- -0.17), negatively. Mt was negatively associated with life expectancy (B =-0.5 (with 95%CI: -1.1- -0.007), fluoride concentration (B =-3.4 (with 95%CI: -4.5- -1.5) and number of dentists per 10,000 people (B =-0.4 (with 95%CI: -0.8- -0.01). Mean Years of Schooling (B = 0.5 (with 95%CI: 0.2-0.8) and number of dentists per 10,000 people (B =-0.62 (with 95%CI: 0.51 - 0.48) were positively in associated with FT. CONCLUSIONS: The present findings indicate that there were differences in the oral health measures and their social determinants among the provinces of Iran. Regarding the limitations of the study especially the limitation of the number of independent variables, it seems, this discrepancy could be better explained by social variables of the provinces such as income than by environmental factors.

Outcomes of root canal therapy or full pulpotomy using two endodontic biomaterials in mature permanent teeth: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: The concept of minimally invasive endodontics recommends less-invasive vital pulp therapy (VPT) modalities over more aggressive traditional endodontic approaches in mature permanent teeth with carious pulp exposure, including irreversible pulpitis (IP) cases. Consequently, VPT needs to be compared with root canal therapy (RCT) in terms of treatment outcomes. This randomized clinical trial compares the results of full pulpotomy using two calcium-silicate cements, i.e., mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) and calcium-enriched mixture (CEM) cement, with RCT in mature permanent teeth. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 157 carious pulp exposure cases in two academic centers with/without established IP were selected/included/randomly appointed to three study arms; (i) RCT (n = 51) as the reference treatment, (ii) pulpotomy with ProRoot MTA (PMTA; n = 55), and (iii) pulpotomy with CEM cement (PCEM; n = 51) as two alternative VPT treatments. Two-year clinical/radiographic results were the outcomes of interest. Data were statistically analyzed through the analysis of variance, chi-square, Fisher exact test, and Kruskal-Wallis. RESULTS: At 2-year recall, 147 teeth were examined (6.4% dropout). All molars, except for one, were clinically functional/symptom-free, and there was no statistical difference between the three study arms (p = 0.653). The radiographic success rates in RCT, PMTA, and PCEM arms were 98%, 100%, and 97.9%, respectively, without statistically significant differences (p = 0.544). CONCLUSION: In the management of mature permanent teeth with/without established IP, all experimental groups exhibited equivalent/comparable results. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Simple VPT using MTA/CEM can be suggested/recommended as a viable advantageous alternative to RCT for the management of carious pulp exposures with/without sign/symptoms of IP.

Evaluation of cervical spine muscles thickness in patients with cervical vertigo and healthy controls through ultrasonography.

[Purpose] Cervical vertigo as a common complaint is associated with some musculoskeletal disorders. However, to date, ultrasonographical parameters of cervical muscles in patients with cervical vertigo have not been investigated. This study was conducted to investigate size of cervical muscles in patients with cervical vertigo compared to healthy controls. [Participants and Methods] Thicknesses of cervical flexor and extensor muscles were evaluated through ultrasonography and results were compared between the patients and healthy controls by Independent Samples t-test or Mann-Whitney U nonparametric test. [Results] Results showed that, thickness of Longus Colli muscle was significantly different between the patients and healthy controls. [Conclusion] According to findings of the study, size of Longus Colli muscle is likely to be associated with etiology of cervical vertigo.

Can 3D imaging and digital software increase the ability to predict dental arch form after orthodontic treatment?

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to evaluate the ability of dental clinicians to predict posttreatment dental arch forms in patients with malocclusion with the aid of 3D imaging and digital software in comparison with a conventional method. METHODS: Pretreatment and posttreatment dental plaster casts of 100 patients (200 maxillary models and 200 mandibular models) were selected. Three orthodontists selected the best-fitted archwires among 5 commercially available preformed nickel-titanium archwires using 2 methods. In the conventional method, they fit the archwires to pretreatment casts, and in the digital method, they fit the scanned wire to a 3D digital model, using Ortho-Aid, a locally developed 3D software, using clinical bracket points as reference for wire fitness. The predicted posttreatment archwire in each method was compared with the best-fit archwire on the actual posttreatment model of each patient in both methods, and the level of agreement was calculated. The interobserver agreement between the 3 orthodontists in each method was evaluated using intraclass correlation coefficient and the Dahlberg formula. RESULTS: Orthodontists predicted the final treatment outcome in 50% of cases using the conventional method and 58% using the digital method. However, the range of method error was significantly higher in the conventional method (0.425-3.853 mm for the conventional vs 0.451-0.584 mm for the digital). CONCLUSIONS: Although the clinicians' ability to predict the final dental arch form after orthodontic treatment and the agreement between clinicians increased by the use of digital equipment, orthodontists can predict the final arch form in about 60% of patients.

The effect of different hip rotation angles on electromyography activity of the quadriceps muscle during closed kinetic chain tasks in healthy females.

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to investigate electromyographic activity of the quadriceps muscle in different positions of hip rotation (while standing on the toes) in healthy females. [Participants and Methods] The study was conducted on 35 healthy females. Electromyographic activity of the rectus femoris, vastus medialis oblique, and vastus lateralis muscles were recorded with the hip in a neutral position as well as different angles of internal and external rotation (15, 30, and 45 degrees (°)) while the participants were standing on their toes. [Results] There was a significant difference of 15° in external rotation, a neutral position, 15° of internal rotation, and at the end of an internal rotation position. Paired comparison between muscle activity using Bonferroni showed that vastus lateralis activity in 15° of external rotation, a neutral position, 15° of internal rotation, and at the end of a position of internal rotation was more than that of rectus femoris muscle. [Conclusion] The present study showed that average vastus lateralis activity was the highest in all positions. However, the positions studied in the current study did not lead to an increase in muscle activity of the vastus medialis oblique as a medial dynamic stabilizer compared to vastus lateralis.

Pro-oxidant-antioxidant balance in Iranian veterans with sulfur mustard toxicity and different levels of pulmonary disorders.

OBJECTIVE: Sulfur mustard (SM) is a strong alkylating agent that primarily targets the skin, eye and lung. The current study evaluated the pro-oxidant-antioxidant balance (PAB) assay in human serum of SM-exposed patients. DESIGN AND METHODS: sera of 35 SM-exposed patients and 19 healthy volunteers were recruited. Both groups had nonsmoker and nonalcoholic people with no diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and other pulmonary diseases (COPD because of smoking, asthma and so on). All patients had documented exposure to SM. The PAB was measured. RESULTS: SM-exposed patients with normal values for pulmonary function test and severe obstructive pulmonary disease demonstrated a significant increase in PAB value in compared with healthy volunteers (the PAB values in healthy volunteers, normal and severe patients were 48.74 ± 21.07 HK, 101.45 ± 32.68 HK and 120.23 ± 31.55 HK, respectively). However, the level of oxidation is not related to the severity of disease defined by spirometry findings. A significant negative correlation was established between the PAB value and FEV1. CONCLUSIONS: The increased PAB value in chemical casualties showed that these patients are exposed to oxidative stress.

Measurement of force sense reproduction in the knee joint: application of a new dynamometric device.

[Purpose] The aim of this study was to determine the reliability of a newly designed dynamometric device for use in frequent force producing/reproducing tasks on the knee joint. [Subjects and Methods] In this cross-sectional study (Development & Reliability), 30 young healthy males and females (age 23.4 ± 2.48 years) were selected among students of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences by simple randomized selection. The study instrument was designed to measure any isometric contraction force exerted by the knee joint flexor/extensor muscles, known as the ipsilateral and contralateral methods. Participant knees were fixed in 60° flexion, and each participant completed the entire set of measurements twice, 72 hours apart. [Results] The findings showed a good intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.73 to 0.81 for all muscle groups. The standard error of measurement and smallest detectable difference for flexor muscle groups were 0.37 and 1.02, respectively, while the values increased to standard error of measurement=0.38 and smallest detectable difference=1.05 for extensor muscle groups. [Conclusion] The device designed could quantify the forces producing/reproducing tasks on the knee joint with a high rate of reliability, and can probably be applied for outcome measurements in proprioceptive assessment of the knee joint.

Five-year results of vital pulp therapy in permanent molars with irreversible pulpitis: a non-inferiority multicenter randomized clinical trial.

OBJECTIVES: Previous reported results of up to 12 months as well as 24-month follow-ups revealed superior and equivalent treatment outcomes for vital pulp therapy (VPT) using calcium-enriched mixture cement (CEM) in comparison with root canal therapy (RCT) for mature molars with established irreversible pulpitis, respectively. Present non-inferiority multicenter randomized clinical trial assesses the final long-term (5-year) results as well as the effects of patients' age/gender and the presence of preoperative periapical lesion on the treatment outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total number of 407 patients were blindly allocated into two treatment groups [group 1 (VPT/CEM, n = 205) and group 2 (RCT, n = 202)] treated in 23 health-care centers by calibrated dentists. The treatment outcomes were assessed after 60 months. RESULTS: The 5-year results revealed no significant differences in the successes of both study arms (P = 0.29); a total number of 271 patients were available (~33 % were lost to follow-up). The patients' age/gender did not affect the outcomes; the presence of preoperative periapical lesion also did not implement a significant effect in both groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: As an alternative for RCT, VPT/CEM can be considered as a valid treatment for vital mature permanent molars clinically diagnosed with irreversible pulpitis. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Considering the favorable outcomes of 6- to 60-month follow-ups, as an evidence-based/simple/affordable/effective/biologic approach in cases of irreversible pulpitis, VPT/CEM is highly recommended for universal clinical practice.

Differences in cervical multifidus muscle thickness during isometric contraction of shoulder muscles: a comparison between patients with chronic neck pain and healthy controls.

OBJECTIVE: The purposes of this study were to (1) measure the thickness of cervical multifidus muscle (CMM) in different maximal voluntary contraction percentages of isometric contraction of shoulder muscles, (2) evaluate the differences of the CMM thickness in different directions of the shoulder movement, and (3) compare the changes in the CMM thickness of participants with neck pain and also of healthy individuals. METHODS: Twenty healthy men (age, 27.45 ± 4.37 years; height, 177 ± 4.66 cm; weight, 72.85 ± 6.46 kg) and 20 men with chronic mechanical neck pain (age, 28.90 ± 5.53 years; height, 176 ± 5.98 cm; weight, 73.15 ± 7.82 kg) participated in the study. Both the right and left CMM thicknesses were measured using an ultrasound device while participants performed isometric contraction of shoulder muscles in 6 movement directions. RESULTS: In both groups, an increment of CMM thickness followed as the increase of isometric force (P < .01).The increase of muscle thickness of healthy participants was substantially more than the chronic mechanical neck pain participants (P = .03). Although no significant difference of CMM thickness was seen among the effects of the 6 force directions (P > .05), there was a significant difference of activity noted between the left and right sides (P = .047). CONCLUSION: The results of the present study indicate that isometric contraction of shoulder muscles caused an increase in the CMM thickness regardless of force direction. This increase was seen in both groups of healthy participants and patients with neck pain. However, less thickness changes were observed in participants with neck pain, which may be interpreted as reduced CMM activity in such people.

Measurement of the buccolingual inclination of teeth: manual technique vs 3-dimensional software.

INTRODUCTION: In this study, we aimed to measure the inclination of teeth on dental casts by a manual technique with the tooth inclination protractor (TIP; MBI, Newport, United Kingdom) and a newly designed 3-dimensional (3D) software program. The correlation of the 2 techniques was evaluated, and the reliability of each technique was assessed separately. METHODS: This study was conducted on 36 dental casts of normal, well-aligned Class I occlusions; we assessed 432 teeth. All casts had a normal Class I occlusion. After determining the facial axis of the clinical crown and the facial axis points on the dental casts, we measured the inclinations of the incisors and posterior teeth up to the first molars in each dental arch relative to Andrews' occlusal plane and the posterior occlusal plane using the TIP. Moreover, the casts were scanned by a structured-light 3D scanner. The inclination of teeth relative to the occlusal plane was determined using the new software. To assess the reliability, measurements of all teeth from 15 casts were repeated twice by the 2 methods. Intraclass correlation coefficient and Dahlberg's formula were used for calculation of correlation and reliability. RESULTS: Overall, the 2 techniques were not significantly different in the measurements of the inclinations of the teeth in both jaws. The ranges of Dahlberg's formula were 3.1° to 5.8° for the maxilla and 3.3° to 5.9° for the mandible. The overall correlation of the 2 techniques according to the intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.91. For calculation of reliability, the intraclass correlation coefficients for the TIP and the 3D method were 0.73 and 0.82, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The TIP and the 3D software showed a high correlation for measurement of the inclinations of maxillary and mandibular teeth relative to the occlusal plane. Also, the reproducibility of the measurements in each method was high.

Effects of menthol essence and breast milk on the improvement of nipple fissures in breastfeeding women.

BACKGROUND: Nipple fissure is a common disorder during breastfeeding. With high prevalence of nipple fissures and its impacts on breastfeeding, as well as the existence of evidence in favor of the application of peppermint as an antiinflammatory and antiinfection herb, the purpose of this study is to determine the effect of Menthol essence on improving nipple fissures in the primiparous breastfeeding women. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was conducted using a clinical trial method. Samples were divided randomly into two groups of 55 women. The women in the peppermint group applied four drops of Menthol essence on their nipple and areola after each feeding. The control group applied four drops of their own milk on the nipple and areola after each feeding. Then, the two groups were studied on days 10 and 14 postpartum. For intensity of pain, the visual analog scale (0-10 cm) and to measure the severity of damage, Amir scale (1-10 cm) were applied and the existence or lack of nipple discharge was also recorded. The data were analyzed using SPSS 17 software. RESULTS: The mean intensity of pain and nipple fissure before treatment (8.55 ± 1.74) and day 10 after delivery (4.26 ± 1.57) and before treatment and day 14 after delivery in the case group (1.32 ± 1.02) had a significant difference (P < 0.001). Nipple discharge between the two groups, before treatment (%75.2) and day 10 after delivery (%31.6) and before treatment and day 14 after delivery (%15.7), the case group had a significant difference (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Menthol essence can improve nipple fissures in the primiparous breastfeeding women.

The Effect of Single-Session Stimulating Massage on the Knee Joint Position Sense in Healthy Older Adult Men: A Randomized Crossover Trial.

Background: Proprioception is critical for older adults to maintain their balance and prevent falling. However, massage is a convenient intervention that its beneficial effect on the proprioception is suggested. Purpose: This study aimed to determine whether one session of stimulating massage of the muscles around the knee joint improves position sense in older adult men. Methods: Twenty healthy older adults participated in this blind, randomized, crossover trial. The two treatment phases were massage and rest. The washout period between interventions was a 1-week interval. The massage protocol was as follows: deep effleurage, petrissage, and tapotement for 5 minutes for the anterior (tensor fascia lata, quadriceps, sartorius, and gracilis) and posterior (hamstrings) muscles of the knee (10 minutes in total). Results: Outcome measures were absolute, constant, and variable errors (AE, CE, and VE). Participants were assessed immediately before and after the intervention by a blinded investigator. Independent t-tests were used for statistical analyses. Massage reduced absolute error (2.77°, p = 0.01). Conclusion: The finding of this study confirms the beneficial impact of the massage on the joint position sense in healthy older adult men.

An Analysis of Scientific Research Trends in Oral Implantology Between 2016 - 2022.

The present study aims to evaluate the trends of oral implant-related research in design and topics between the range of 2016 to the end of 2022. The electronic search was conducted in MEDLINE via Pubmed. Papers published in Clinical Oral Implant Research, Clinical Implant Dentistry and Related Research, International Journal of Oral Implantology and previously, European Journal of Oral Implantology, International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Implants, and Journal of Oral Implantology, Between January 1, 2016, to December 30, 2022, were retrieved. Articles were classified according to their study design and major subjects. The Joinpoint regression model was used to determine changes in the trends of study designs and topics. Statistical significance was defined as a p-value < 0.05. A total of 3,382 articles were analyzed in this study. In the specified period, in vivo, prospective cohort, retrospective case-control, randomized clinical studies, in the design; and prosthetic complications, peri-implant hard tissue studies, in the topic, experienced a significant decreasing pattern in the number of published articles as well as the total number of articles. Case reports and series, retrospective cohort, non-randomized clinical studies, in the design; and outcomes of implant-related treatment plans, immediate implant placement, peri- implantitis, in the topic, experienced a significant decreasing pattern followed by a significant increasing pattern with a turning point between 2017 to 2020. Considering the limitations of this scientific topical trends analysis, it can be concluded that the recent pandemic affected the research path in oral implantology in many ways.

Analgesic Efficacy of Ibuprofen and Diclofenac Potassium on Postoperative Endodontic Pain in Maxillary and Mandibular First Molars with Irreversible Pulpitis: A Randomised Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVE: The management of postoperative endodontic pain (PEP) is essential to contemporary endodontic practice. Diclofenac and ibuprofen (IBU) are two of the most widely-used non-steroidal anti-inflammatory analgesics. However, their comparative data are neither sufficient nor conclusive. This prospective randomised clinical trial aimed to compare the analgesic efficacy of diclofenac potassium (DFK) with IBU on PEP in maxillary and mandibular first molars diagnosed with irreversible pulpitis after single-visit non-surgical root canal treatment. METHODS: Sixty-four patients were randomised into two groups of DFK (n=32) and IBU (n=32), using the stratified permuted randomisation method, and 61 participants completed the trial. After root canal treatment, patients randomly received IBU 400 mg every 6 hours (n=31) or DFK 50 mg every 8 hours (n=30) for 24 hours. Patients recorded their pain level on 0-100 mm visual analogue scales (VAS) at 2, 4, 6, 12, and 24 hours after the treatment. Recorded VAS scores and the number of pain-free patients (VAS<5) were compared between the two groups. A generalised linear estimation equation model, Chi-Square test, and Mann-Whitney U test were used to analyse the data. RESULTS: The mean overall PEP score was statistically significantly lower in the DFK group than the IBU group with a p value of 0.030. Pain scores at 2 (p=0.034), 4 (p=0.021), and 24 hours (p=0.042) after the treatment were also significantly lower for DFK than IBU. The number of pain-free patients was also significantly higher in the DFK group at 2-hour (p=0.015) and 4-hour (p=0.048) time points and overall (p=0.013) compared to the IBU group. There was no adverse effect observed in either group. CONCLUSION: Based on the results, taking multi-dose DFK 50 mg by the clock had better analgesic outcomes than multi-dose IBU 400 mg for PEP management. (EEJ-2022-01-07).

Comparing the effectiveness of flexi-bar and stability exercises on postural control in chronic nonspecific low back pain: A randomized controlled study.

Objectives: This study aimed to compare the effect of flexi-bar and stabilization exercises on static and dynamic postural control in patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain. Patients and methods: In this randomized controlled study conducted between November 2019 and March 2020, 38 patients (19 males, 19 females; mean age: 33.8±6.2 years; range, 20 to 45 years) were randomly assigned into flexi-bar (n=19) and stabilization (n=19) groups. Both groups received general physiotherapy for three sessions per week, a total of 10 sessions. Besides, the flexi-bar group received flexi-bar exercises, and the stabilization group received stabilization exercises. Postural sway was assessed with a force platform in three difficult conditions, including open eye, close eye, and one-leg standing and dynamic posture with the modified Star Excursion Balance Test. Results: After the intervention, both groups showed a significant improvement in static and dynamic postural control (p<0.05). However, no significant differences were found between groups after treatment, while only the phase-plane portrait of opened eyes condition was significantly improved (p=0.03), in the flexi-bar group compared to the stabilization group. Conclusion: Both flexi-bar and stabilization exercises effectively improved static and dynamic postural control, but none of the exercises was superior to the other. Flexi-bar is recommended as an effective tool in low back pain rehabilitation.

Prevalence of refractive errors and color vision deficiency in a population of industry-workers in Abhar, Iran.

ABSTRACT: Visual impairment due to refractive errors and color vision deficiency (CVD) can affect the visual abilities of workers in workplace. Identifying the prevalence of common visual problems helps us to prevent and treat occupational ocular problems.This study was conducted on 2600 males referring from companies for a routine medical exam to Occupational Medicine Center. In all subjects, visual acuity and refraction were measured. Assessment of color vision was performed by Ishihara color test. In present study, right eyes of subjects were selected to statistical analysis.The mean spherical equivalent was -0.19 ±â€Š1.39 diopter with a range of -11.00 to +10.00 diopter. Whereas 71% of persons were emmetropic, 20% and 9% of them were myopic and hypermetropic, respectively. From a total subjects, 164 of them had CVD with prevalence of color blindness of 6.3%. In comparison with normal subjects, CVD had no significant effect on refractive findings of our subjects (P > .05).Our data present the prevalence of refractive errors and color blindness among Iranian industry-workers. Compared with other studies, our subjects have a lower prevalence of refractive errors, and similar rate of prevalence of color blindness.