Purpose: Fetal echocardiography is the primary diagnostic tool for assessing the atrioventricular (AV) time interval. Establishing a reference range for this parameter throughout pregnancy is essential for the early detection of potential abnormalities. The aim of this study was to develop a Z-score equation and establish specific percentiles for the AV time interval in normal fetuses between 16 and 33+6 weeks of gestation. Methods: A multicenter, prospective, cross-sectional study was conducted between 2018 and 2022. A large sample of pregnant women meeting specific eligibility criteria was included, while cases with potential confounders were excluded. Two-dimensional echocardiography with pulsed Doppler techniques was employed, focusing on the left ventricular inflow and outflow. Data were rigorously analyzed with careful assessment of measurements and normalization procedures. Results: In total, 1,309 echocardiograms were performed, and 1,183 pregnant women were included after applying the eligibility criteria. Detailed percentiles for each gestational age were determined, and a Z-score equation was formulated. A very weak correlation was observed between AV interval measurement and gestational age (r=0.16, P<0.001). In addition, the correlation between AV interval measurement and fetal heart rate was weak (r=-0.21, P<0.001). The Z-score for the AV interval measurement in milliseconds was derived as follows: Z-score=(AV interval measurement-111.3)/8.6. Conclusion This study provides a reference range and Z-score equation for the AV interval, which may enhance the accuracy of monitoring fetuses at risk for developing atrioventricular block—especially in pregnant women with specific antibodies—thus facilitating earlier diagnosis and treatment.

Purpose: Fetal echocardiography is the primary diagnostic tool for assessing the atrioventricular (AV) time interval. Establishing a reference range for this parameter throughout pregnancy is essential for the early detection of potential abnormalities. The aim of this study was to develop a Z-score equation and establish specific percentiles for the AV time interval in normal fetuses between 16 and 33+6 weeks of gestation. Methods: A multicenter, prospective, cross-sectional study was conducted between 2018 and 2022. A large sample of pregnant women meeting specific eligibility criteria was included, while cases with potential confounders were excluded. Two-dimensional echocardiography with pulsed Doppler techniques was employed, focusing on the left ventricular inflow and outflow. Data were rigorously analyzed with careful assessment of measurements and normalization procedures. Results: In total, 1,309 echocardiograms were performed, and 1,183 pregnant women were included after applying the eligibility criteria. Detailed percentiles for each gestational age were determined, and a Z-score equation was formulated. A very weak correlation was observed between AV interval measurement and gestational age (r=0.16, P<0.001). In addition, the correlation between AV interval measurement and fetal heart rate was weak (r=-0.21, P<0.001). The Z-score for the AV interval measurement in milliseconds was derived as follows: Z-score=(AV interval measurement-111.3)/8.6. Conclusion This study provides a reference range and Z-score equation for the AV interval, which may enhance the accuracy of monitoring fetuses at risk for developing atrioventricular block—especially in pregnant women with specific antibodies—thus facilitating earlier diagnosis and treatment.

Purpose: Fetal echocardiography is the primary diagnostic tool for assessing the atrioventricular (AV) time interval. Establishing a reference range for this parameter throughout pregnancy is essential for the early detection of potential abnormalities. The aim of this study was to develop a Z-score equation and establish specific percentiles for the AV time interval in normal fetuses between 16 and 33+6 weeks of gestation. Methods: A multicenter, prospective, cross-sectional study was conducted between 2018 and 2022. A large sample of pregnant women meeting specific eligibility criteria was included, while cases with potential confounders were excluded. Two-dimensional echocardiography with pulsed Doppler techniques was employed, focusing on the left ventricular inflow and outflow. Data were rigorously analyzed with careful assessment of measurements and normalization procedures. Results: In total, 1,309 echocardiograms were performed, and 1,183 pregnant women were included after applying the eligibility criteria. Detailed percentiles for each gestational age were determined, and a Z-score equation was formulated. A very weak correlation was observed between AV interval measurement and gestational age (r=0.16, P<0.001). In addition, the correlation between AV interval measurement and fetal heart rate was weak (r=-0.21, P<0.001). The Z-score for the AV interval measurement in milliseconds was derived as follows: Z-score=(AV interval measurement-111.3)/8.6. Conclusion This study provides a reference range and Z-score equation for the AV interval, which may enhance the accuracy of monitoring fetuses at risk for developing atrioventricular block—especially in pregnant women with specific antibodies—thus facilitating earlier diagnosis and treatment.

Purpose: Fetal echocardiography is the primary diagnostic tool for assessing the atrioventricular (AV) time interval. Establishing a reference range for this parameter throughout pregnancy is essential for the early detection of potential abnormalities. The aim of this study was to develop a Z-score equation and establish specific percentiles for the AV time interval in normal fetuses between 16 and 33+6 weeks of gestation. Methods: A multicenter, prospective, cross-sectional study was conducted between 2018 and 2022. A large sample of pregnant women meeting specific eligibility criteria was included, while cases with potential confounders were excluded. Two-dimensional echocardiography with pulsed Doppler techniques was employed, focusing on the left ventricular inflow and outflow. Data were rigorously analyzed with careful assessment of measurements and normalization procedures. Results: In total, 1,309 echocardiograms were performed, and 1,183 pregnant women were included after applying the eligibility criteria. Detailed percentiles for each gestational age were determined, and a Z-score equation was formulated. A very weak correlation was observed between AV interval measurement and gestational age (r=0.16, P<0.001). In addition, the correlation between AV interval measurement and fetal heart rate was weak (r=-0.21, P<0.001). The Z-score for the AV interval measurement in milliseconds was derived as follows: Z-score=(AV interval measurement-111.3)/8.6. Conclusion This study provides a reference range and Z-score equation for the AV interval, which may enhance the accuracy of monitoring fetuses at risk for developing atrioventricular block—especially in pregnant women with specific antibodies—thus facilitating earlier diagnosis and treatment.

Purpose: Fetal echocardiography is the primary diagnostic tool for assessing the atrioventricular (AV) time interval. Establishing a reference range for this parameter throughout pregnancy is essential for the early detection of potential abnormalities. The aim of this study was to develop a Z-score equation and establish specific percentiles for the AV time interval in normal fetuses between 16 and 33+6 weeks of gestation. Methods: A multicenter, prospective, cross-sectional study was conducted between 2018 and 2022. A large sample of pregnant women meeting specific eligibility criteria was included, while cases with potential confounders were excluded. Two-dimensional echocardiography with pulsed Doppler techniques was employed, focusing on the left ventricular inflow and outflow. Data were rigorously analyzed with careful assessment of measurements and normalization procedures. Results: In total, 1,309 echocardiograms were performed, and 1,183 pregnant women were included after applying the eligibility criteria. Detailed percentiles for each gestational age were determined, and a Z-score equation was formulated. A very weak correlation was observed between AV interval measurement and gestational age (r=0.16, P<0.001). In addition, the correlation between AV interval measurement and fetal heart rate was weak (r=-0.21, P<0.001). The Z-score for the AV interval measurement in milliseconds was derived as follows: Z-score=(AV interval measurement-111.3)/8.6. Conclusion This study provides a reference range and Z-score equation for the AV interval, which may enhance the accuracy of monitoring fetuses at risk for developing atrioventricular block—especially in pregnant women with specific antibodies—thus facilitating earlier diagnosis and treatment.

Objectives: This study verified the possibility of cementing fiberglass-reinforced posts using a flowable bulk-fill composite (BF), comparing its push-out bond strength and microhardness with these properties of 3 luting materials. Materials and Methods: Sixty endodontically treated bovine roots were used. Posts were cemented using conventional dual-cured cement (CC); self-adhesive cement (SA); dual-cured composite (RC); and BF. Push-out bond strength (n = 10) and microhardness (n = 5) tests were performed after 1 week and 4 months of storage. Two-way repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA), 1-way ANOVA, t-test, and Tukey post-hoc tests were applied for the pushout bond strength and microhardness results; and Pearson correlation test was applied to verify the correlation between push-out bond strength and microhardness results (α = 0.05). Results: BF presented higher push-out bond strength than CC and SA in the cervical third before aging (p < 0.01). No differences were found between push-out bond strength before and after aging for all the luting materials (p = 0.84). Regarding hardness, only SA presented higher values measured before than after aging (p < 0.01). RC and BF did not present 80% of the maximum hardness at the apical regions. A strong positive correlation was found between the luting materials' push-out bond strength and microhardness (p < 0.01, R 2 = 0.7912). Conclusions The BF presented comparable or higher push-out bond strength and microhardness than the luting materials, which indicates that it could be used for cementing resin posts in situations where adequate light curing is possible.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of peak kilovoltage (kVp) and a metal artifact reduction (MAR) tool on image quality and the diagnosis of vertical root fracture (VRF) in cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). Materials and Methods: Twenty single-rooted human teeth filled with an intracanal metal post were divided into 2 groups: control (n = 10) and VRF (n = 10). Each tooth was placed into the socket of a dry mandible, and CBCT scans were acquired using a Picasso Trio varying the kVp (70, 80, 90, or 99), and the use of MAR (with or without). The examinations were assessed by 5 examiners for the diagnosis of VRF using a 5-point scale. A subjective evaluation of the expression of artifacts was done by comparing random axial images of the studied protocols. The results of the diagnoses were analyzed using 2-way analysis of variance and the Tukey post hoc test, the subjective evaluations were compared using the Friedman test, and intra-examiner reproducibility was evaluated using the weighted kappa test (α = 5%). Results: The kVp and MAR did not influence the diagnosis of VRF (p > 0.05). According to the subjective classification, the 99 kVp protocol with MAR demonstrated the least expression of artifacts, while the 70 kVp protocol without MAR led to the most artifacts. Conclusions Protocols with higher kVp combined with MAR improved the image quality of CBCT examinations. However, those factors did not lead to an improvement in the diagnosis of VRF.

Purpose: In this study, we used ultrasonography to monitor the use of hyaluronic acid (HA) as a filler in the face for esthetic reasons. We monitored changes in the filler shape, distribution, and relationship with adjacent anatomical structures over a 180-day period. Materials and Methods: Two patients each received an ultrasound-guided injection of HA, with different products and application sites for each patient. In 1 patient, the injection was administered in the angle of the mandible, while in the other, it was administered in the zygomatic region. The injection sites were monitored via ultrasonography at 24 hours, 30 days, and 180 days, at which times the imaging characteristics of the filler were observed. All injections were performed by the same professional, as were the ultrasound exams, which were conducted using the same equipment. Results: In both cases, the HA fillers were visualized using ultrasound at all time points. Some differences were observed between the cases in the images and the distribution of the pockets of filler. In 1 case, the filler appeared as a dark hypoechoic region with well-defined contours, and the material was observed to have moved posteriorly by the 180-day mark. In the other case, the material appeared hyperechoic relative to the previous case and presented no noticeable changes in its anteroposterior distribution over time. Conclusion Based on these 2 cases, ultrasonography can be a complementary tool used to monitor facial fillers over the long term, allowing for the dynamic observation of different fillers.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the influence of the restorative technique on the mechanical response of endodontically-treated upper premolars with mesio-occluso-distal (MOD) cavity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-eight premolars received MOD preparation (4 groups, n = 12) with different restorative techniques: glass ionomer cement + composite resin (the GIC group), a metallic post + composite resin (the MP group), a fiberglass post + composite resin (the FGP group), or no endodontic treatment + restoration with composite resin (the CR group). Cusp strain and load-bearing capacity were evaluated. One-way analysis of variance and the Tukey test were used with α = 5%. Finite element analysis (FEA) was used to calculate displacement and tensile stress for the teeth and restorations. RESULTS: MP showed the highest cusp (p = 0.027) deflection (24.28 ± 5.09 µm/µm), followed by FGP (20.61 ± 5.05 µm/µm), CR (17.72 ± 6.32 µm/µm), and GIC (17.62 ± 7.00 µm/µm). For load-bearing, CR (38.89 ± 3.24 N) showed the highest, followed by GIC (37.51 ± 6.69 N), FGP (29.80 ± 10.03 N), and MP (18.41 ± 4.15 N) (p = 0.001) value. FEA showed similar behavior in the restorations in all groups, while MP showed the highest stress concentration in the tooth and post. CONCLUSIONS: There is no mechanical advantage in using intraradicular posts for endodontically-treated premolars requiring MOD restoration. Filling the pulp chamber with GIC and restoring the tooth with only CR showed the most promising results for cusp deflection, failure load, and stress distribution.
Bicuspid ; Dental Pulp Cavity ; Endodontics ; Finite Element Analysis ; Glass Ionomer Cements ; Tooth ; Weight-Bearing