Restorative Index Research Articles

Methods to quantify gait rehabilitation following lower limb fractures

Lower limb fragility fractures require long-term rehabilitation and are also very expensive to treat. Clinically, early weight bearing and walking stability were reported as key measures of fracture restoration. This study introduces methods to numerically quantify these performance indices for a range of ankle and knee joint fractures. As a follow-up of initial treatment, experimental data was collected using force plates from 367 subjects divided into seven groups: ankle fracture (AF), lower leg ankle fracture (AL), calcaneus foot fracture (CF), knee tibia fracture (KF), knee patella fracture (KP), kneecap rupture (KR), and normal limb (NL). For each joint, data was analysed to evaluate intralimb and interlimb weight-bearing and walking stability for all fracture conditions. These thresholds were statistically compared with normal subjects. Some advantages of evaluating fracture restoration indices over the others include:•to quantify fracture restoration (weight-bearing, walking stability, and gait symmetry) using minimum setup and signal requirements.•to provide comprehensive tools to assess and overcome fracture-associated complications through a detailed preview of fractured limb functionality during subphases of a gait cycle.•in clinical research, such assessments are important as a reference to evaluate existing or new rehabilitative interventions.

A comparison of radiographically determined periapical healing and tooth survival outcomes of root canal (re)treatment performed in two care pathways within the United Kingdom Armed Forces.

To compare radiographic periapical healing and tooth survival outcomes of root canal (re)treatment performed within two care pathways (Routine Dental Care and Referred Treatment Pathway), in the United Kingdom Armed Forces (UKAF), and determine the effects of endodontic complexity on outcomes. This retrospective cohort study included 1466 teeth in 1252 personnel who received root canal (re)treatment between 2015 and 2020. General Dental Practitioners treated 661 teeth (573 patients) (Routine cohort), whilst Dentists with a Special Interest treated 805 teeth (678 patients) (Referred cohort). The latter group were graduates of an MSc programme in Endodontics with 4-8 years of postgraduation experience. Case complexity was retrospectively determined for each tooth using the endodontic component of Restorative Index of Treatment Need (RIOTN) guidelines. Periapical healing was determined using loose radiographic criteria. The data were analysed using chi-square tests, univariate logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards models. A significantly (p < 0.0001) larger proportion of cases of low complexity had undergone root canal treatment within the Routine versus Referred cohort. The odds of periapical healing was significantly higher within the Referred versus Routine cohort, regardless of analyses using pooled (OR = 1.17; 95% CI: 1.11, 1.22) or moderate complexity (OR = 4.71; 95% CI: 2.73, 8.11) data. Within the Routine cohort, anterior teeth had higher odds of periapical healing than posterior teeth (OR = 1.13; 95% CI: 1.04, 1.22). The 60-month cumulative tooth survival was lower (p = 0.03) in the Routine (90.5%) than the Referred (96.0%) cohort. Within the Routine cohort, the hazard of tooth loss was higher amongst posterior teeth (HR = 4.03; 95% CI: 1.92, 8.45) but lower if posterior teeth had cast restorations (HR = 0.36; 95% CI: 0.19, 0.70). For the Referred cohort, posterior teeth restored with cast restoration (vs not) had significantly lower risk of tooth loss (HR = 0.21; 95% CI: 0.08, 0.55). For UKAF patients, root canal (re)treatment provided within the Referred pathway was significantly more likely to achieve periapical healing and better tooth survival than those provided within the Routine pathway. Posterior teeth restored with an indirect restoration had a higher proportion of tooth survival. This study supported the utility of the endodontic component of RIOTN for assessing case complexity.

Ontogenetic Characteristics and Coenopopulation Status of the Rare and Endangered Species Listera ovata (L.) R. Br. in the Northeastern Part of the Lesser Caucasus

For the first time, ontogenetic characteristics and coenopopulation status of a rare and endangered species of early spring flora Listera ovata (L.) R. Br. are presented. The growing area of this species in the northeastern part of the Lesser Caucasus near the village of Ashagi Dashkesan, Dashkesan district and Tovuz district, Esrik Jirdakhan, has been studied. Information about two populations of the species is provided and a comparative analysis is carried out. The largest number of individuals and average density were noted in CP 1, the smallest in CP 2. The restoration index and replacement index have the highest values in CP 2. According to the Δ and ω indicators, both coenopopulations belong to the adult type.

Predicting restoration and aquaculture potential of eastern oysters through an eco-physiological mechanistic model

A simple, non-negotiable truth of ensuring success in the restoration of ecological engineers (EE) and the functions they support is the need for the focal species to survive, grow and reproduce. Using mechanistic modeling, such as a dynamic energy budget (DEB), to map an EE's fundamental niche supports restoration and management predictive of EE resilience under current and future conditions. One EE, the eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica, provides critical estuarine habitat and supports a valuable fishery across the northern Gulf of Mexico. Recent declines in oyster populations in this region from anthropogenic activities and extreme events have led to significant efforts to restore wild, self-sustaining broodstock reefs, and develop off-bottom aquaculture. To explore potential outcomes for oyster restoration and aquaculture development, we used an individual bioenergetic model based on DEB theory to derive an aquaculture index, based on survival and time to market size, and a restoration index, based on survival and reproductive output. The model was run across six major Texas and Louisiana estuaries under current (2014–2020) and future (2041–2050) projected environmental conditions. Aquaculture scores using daily averaged current conditions reproduce an observed gradient of oyster growth success increasing from the upper estuary to lower estuary (Texas) or offshore areas (Louisiana), with lower variation occurring in Texas estuaries. Restoration scores under daily averaged current conditions showed similar trends with more variability than the aquaculture index due to spawning potential, which is important for reef sustainability. In general, Louisiana estuaries showed higher growth rates and reproduction than Texas estuaries, but due to the higher variability and more frequent extremes in salinity and temperature, Louisiana estuaries were more likely to experience mortal conditions in any given year, as compared to Texas estuaries. Comparison between current and future conditions indicated that oyster aquaculture and restoration potential in presently occupied areas might decrease in the future; however, the spatial resolution of currently available climate model outputs within coastal and estuarine areas limits planning information. Addressing this gap represents a necessary improvement to better evaluate the physiological response of EE to future conditions, especially since most aquaculture and restoration developments are likely to occur close to the coastline. Finally, this work demonstrates the potential of mechanistic modeling to inform future planning under environmental conditions not currently within the realized niche of EE.

МЕТОДОЛОГІЧНІ ПІДХОДИ ДО ВИЗНАЧЕННЯ ЕКОНОМІЧНОЇ ЕФЕКТИВНОСТІ ПРАВА НЕПЛАТОСПРОМОЖНОСТІ

Insolvency law is an essential part of the legal system in any country. It serves a dual function – restoring the solvency of debtors and removing inefficient economic entities from the market. The effectiveness of insolvency law has a direct impact on a country's investment attractiveness and economic growth. This is why international economic organizations conduct assessments of national insolvency mechanisms using various approaches to define and evaluate effectiveness criteria. Despite the existence of an insolvency indicator developed by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the international Doing Business ranking by the World Bank became a catalyst for bankruptcy legislation reform in Ukraine in 2021. It is worth noting that each approach to evaluating the effectiveness of this area of law has its advantages and disadvantages in terms of accuracy and objectivity. The final assessments may be distorted due to biases of the compilers, which led to the cancellation of the Doing Business ranking in 2021. For Ukraine, the assessment of the effectiveness of insolvency legislation is crucial, given the importance of this institution in ensuring economic efficiency during both wartime and peacetime. It helps identify directions for improving legal regulation, including aligning Ukrainian legislation with European Union standards. This highlights the need to develop specific criteria for evaluating the practicality of legislative changes to enhance the efficiency when applied to all participants in the insolvency or bankruptcy proceedings. It should stimulate economic growth and harmonize Ukrainian legislation with European Union standards. This research analyzes various aspects of the effectiveness of insolvency legal mechanisms in Ukraine using the methodology of economic analysis of law, which has received insufficient attention in empirical studies and legislative work in Ukraine until now. The research findings will be a significant contribution to promoting effective regulation of debtor solvency restoration and preventing bankruptcy. They will also stimulate economic growth and harmonize Ukrainian legislation with European Union standards. Through the lens of interdisciplinary approaches to evaluating the effectiveness of insolvency law in Ukraine, the study proposes seven indicators for determining the economic efficiency of Ukrainian insolvency law: 1) Funds Recovery Ratio; 2) Case Processing Time; 3) Solvency Restoration Index; 4) Bankruptcy (Insolvency) Case Quantity Dynamics Index; 5) Business Climate Index; 6) Insolvency Policy Index for SMEs; 7) Legal Application Predictability Index. The proposed methodological approach allows for the assessment of the result of the formation and implementation of the state insolvency policy.

Resilience-oriented comparative study of SOP-based service restoration in distribution systems

Soft open points (SOPs) can perform load shifting and voltage improvement, and are critical to improving distribution service restoration (DSR) during power outages. Although multiple DSR strategies utilizing local resources have been reported, their effectiveness has not been sufficiently studied. To solve this problem and utilize the flexibility of SOP, a comparative study of different strategies for SOP-based DSR is presented in this paper. First, various SOP-based DSR models, including single-source, single-island model (SSM), islanding partition model (IPM) and multi-source collaborative model (MCM), are proposed and formulated as mixed-integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) problems, incorporating static voltage characteristics of loads. Second, to enhance the solution efficiency, mixed-integer second order cone programming is introduced to convert the MINLP problems into easily solvable convex optimization problems. A restorative index is defined to evaluate the effectiveness of various SOP-based DSR strategies. Finally, a comparative simulation analysis of the proposed models on the IEEE 33-bus system illustrates that SOP-based MCM achieves an 94 % power output for distributed energy resources, while exhibiting the lowest RI for the total loads, standing at just 9.5 %. Furthermore, the RI for critical loads consistently remains at 0, demonstrating the superiority of SOP-based MCM in comparison to other strategies.

Dental care and prevention possibilities for the mentally disabled currently

In Hungary, dental care and prevention for mentally disabled individuals are becoming increasingly challenging. Currently, there are 100,000 intellectually disabled individuals in the country who require "special medical care". The objective of this study was to develop and modify a relatively simple preventive procedure, adjusted to the mental capabilities of the patients, and implement it within a selected group. The study aimed to assess the results after 3 and 6 months, respectively, and to compare them with the international literature. The preventive procedure was introduced to 49 patients admitted to the institute of Csömör Nursing Home and Daycare Institute of the Foundation for Equal Opportunities. To ensure the accuracy of the data, the patients were examined separately by 3 doctors. The program began with dental care training for both patients and nursing staff. The periodontal examinations were carried out by the team's periodontologist. The patients were checked after 3 and 6 months, respectively, and the data were recorded. No changes were registered in terms of the DMF-T index during this short period of time, therefore we applied the restorative index. However, a significant improvement was observed in the periodontal condition. The preventive procedure proved to be effective, considering the fact that all patients had periodontal problems due to neglected oral hygiene. As there was a significant improvement in the periodontal condition, an improvement of the DMF-T index dentition of the patients can also be expected in the future. Enhanced oral hygiene (advancing towards "normal oral hygiene" from the neglected oral hygiene of the patients) can bring about considerable improvement in the case of patients needing special medical care. To attain positive results, a proper approach and regular motivation are essential for both patients and caregivers. Orv Hetil. 2023; 164(37): 1456-1461.

Relevance of Sociocultural Inequalities and Parents' Origins in Relation to the Oral Health of Preschoolers in Lanzarote, Spain.

Approaching inequalities to achieve health equity requires joint action. Early childhood caries affects disadvantaged population groups. The objective of this study was to determine the relevance of sociocultural inequalities and parental origin with respect to oral health in preschool children in Lanzarote. A transversal epidemiological study was carried out. Sociocultural data and information about parental origin were collected via a questionnaire. The decayed and filled teeth (dft), decayed teeth (dt), filled teeth (ft), restorative index (RI), plaque index (PI) and gingival index (GI) were obtained via an investigator's examination. Statistical analysis of the data indicated that children of semi-skilled manual workers (28.15%) had the highest prevalence of caries (46.9%). Additionally 43.7 of the mothers had second grade and first cycle studies. When relating the medium and high level of education, there were statistically significant differences in relation to the cod index (p = 0.046). When the origin was foreign (48.4%), preschoolers presented 10.7% more active or untreated caries than Spaniards (p = 0.038). Low socioeconomic cultural level and foreign origin is associated with a more deficient state of oral health in preschoolers. Oral health programs are needed to minimize social inequalities.

Epidemiological Study of Oral Health among Children and Adolescent Schoolchildren in Melilla (Spain).

Dental epidemiological studies are essential for analysing and evaluating the population's health state and dental treatments provided, as well as for planning future oral health programme activities and interventions based on their findings. In order to determine the health condition of children and adolescents in connection to the prevalence of caries, caries indices (decayed and filled teeth (dft) for primary teeth and decayed, missing and filled teeth (DMFT) in permanent teeth) and periodontal indices (community periodontal index (CPI)), oral exams of children and adolescents aged 6, 12 and 15 from selected schools were conducted. To assess the achievement of the oral health objectives set for Spain in 2020, these data were compared with those acquired at the national level. At 6 years of age, 278 children were examined, the prevalence of caries was 55.6%, the dft index was 2.77 (±3.44), the DMFT was 0.19 (±0.16), the restorative index (RI) was 4.62%, and the significant caries (SiC) index was 8.40 (±2.07). At 12 years of age, 208 students were examined, the prevalence of caries found was 65.86%, the DMFT index was 1.85 (±2.22), the RI was 36.63%, the SiC index was 5.43 (±2.07), and children without the presence of periodontal pathology was 59.13%. At 15 years of age, 165 students were examined, the prevalence of caries was 70.06%, the DMFT was 3.08 (±3.39), the RI was 42.42%, the SiC index was 8.10 (±2.55), and adolescents without periodontal disease was 47.90%. Conclusions: Melilla-born children and adolescents had higher caries indicators and indices than the corresponding national averages for Spain. Teenagers under the age of 15 have a particularly high frequency of dental caries. The investigation of the children's origin is where there is the most disparity. Children of Berber descent have much higher values than children of European heritage.

An Approach Integrating Multi-Source Data with LandTrendr Algorithm for Refining Forest Recovery Detection

Disturbances to forests are getting worse with climate change and urbanization. Assessing the functionality of forest ecosystems is challenging because it requires not only a large amount of input data but also comprehensive estimation indicator methods. The object of the evaluation index of forest ecosystem restoration relies on the ecosystem function instead of the area. To develop the appropriate index with ecological implications, we built the hybrid assessment approach including ecosystem structure-function-habitat representatives. It was based on the Normalized Burn Ratio (NBR) spectral indicator and combined with the local forest management inventory (LFMI), Landsat, Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data. The results of the visual interpretation of Google Earth’s historical imagery showed that the total accuracy of the hybrid approach was 0.94. The output of the hybrid model increased as the biodiversity index value increased. Furthermore, to solve the multi-source data availability problem, the random forest model (R2 = 0.78, RMSE = 0.14) with 0.77 total accuracy was built to generate an annual recovery index. A random forest model based on tree age is provided to simplify the hybrid approach while extending the results on time series. The recovery index obtained by the random forest model could facilitate monitoring the forest recovery rate of cold spots. The regional ecological recovery time could be predicted. These two results could provide a scientific basis for forest managers to make more effective forest restoration plans. From the perspective of space, it could ensure that the areas with slow recovery would be allocated enough restoration resources. From the perspective of time, the implementation period of the closed forest policy could also be estimated.

Auxiliary delivered school based oral health promotion among 12-14-year-old children from a low resource setting-A cluster randomized trial.

This community intervention study compared the changes in oral health knowledge, attitude, practices (KAP), and oral health indicators among 12-14-year-old children who received a school based oral health promotion delivered by auxiliaries in a rural setting in India. The interventions in this school based cluster randomized trial were delivered using schoolteachers and school health nurses. Oral health education (once in 3months), weekly classroom based sodium fluoride mouth rinsing and biannual oral health screening/ referral were provided for 1 year. The control arm did not receive these interventions. Oral health indicators and self-administered KAP questionnaire were evaluated at baseline and 1-year follow-up. Oral health indicators included oral hygiene index simplified, DMFT/DMFS net caries increments, prevented fraction, number of sites with gingival bleeding, changes in care index, restorative index, treatment index, and dental attendance. The improvement in total KAP score, oral hygiene, and gingival bleeding from baseline to follow up was higher in the intervention arm (p < 0.05). The prevented fraction for net caries increment were 23.33% and 20.51% for DMFT and DMFS, respectively. Students in the intervention group had a higher dental attendance (OR 2.92, p < 0.001). The change in treatment index, restorative index, and care index were significantly higher in the intervention arm (p < 0.001). Inclusion of available primary care auxiliaries like school health nurses and teachers in oral health promotion is a novel, effective, and sustainable strategy to improve oral health indicators and utilization in rural areas in low resource settings.

Dental caries experience among qat chewers in dental college clinics, Jazan, Saudi Arabia

AimsThere is a considerable debate on the impact of qat chewing on dental and oral health. Thereby, this study aimed at assessing the dental caries among qat chewers (QC) and non-qat chewers (NQC) who attend outpatient dental clinics, College of Dentistry, Jazan, Saudi Arabia.Materials and methodsA sample of 100 QC and 100 NQC were recruited amongst those attended dental clinics, college of dentistry, Jazan University during the 2018–2019 academic year. Their dental health was assessed by three pre-calibrated male interns using DMFT index. The Care Index, Restorative Index and Treatment Index were calculated. Comparisons between both subgroups were done using independent t test. Multiple linear regression analyses were further conducted to stand on the independent determinants of the oral health among this population.ResultsQC were unintentionally older (36.55 ± 8.74 years) than NQC (32.96 ± 8.49 years; P = 0.004). Fifty-six percent of QC reported brushing their teeth compared to only 35% (P = 0.001). NQC with university and postgraduate educational levels were more than QC. The mean Decayed [5.91 (5.16)] and DMFT [9.15 (5.87)] were higher among QC compared to NQC [3.73 (3.62) and 6.7 (4.58); P = 0.001 and 0.001, respectively]. The other indices were not different between both subgroups. The multiple linear regression revealed that qat chewing and age, individually or together, as independent determinants for the dental decay, missing, DMFT and TI.ConclusionQat chewing habit has a detrimental impact on dental health. It is associated with higher dental caries and missing teeth, and a lower treatment index.

Dental caries and access to oral health services among children and adolescents

There are many social, economic, political and cultural factors that affect the ability of developing and resource poor countries to provide adequate oral health care for its people, including children and adolescents. Untreated carious teeth are common findings in African children, and Restorative index and Met Need Index among children and adolescents are very low. This could be as a result of limited access to oral health services in terms of cost, accessibility, awareness, acceptability and availability. Access tooral health care service among children for preventive, restorative, rehabilitative and curative purpose is important for optimal oral health and wellbeing of a child. Access to oral health services is limited in African countries, and carious teeth are often left untreated. The challenges associated with access to oral health care are common in African countries. They are faced with continuous oral health care delivery and access problems with variation in the availability of dentists between countries and poor funding for oral health. Most of the dentists that practice in African region are mostly delivering oral health services to children and adolescents in urban areas than rural areas. This can contribute to oral health inequalities among children and adolescents in slum areas, riverine areas, rural and remote areas. After searching articles from electronic databases, the aim of this article is to review the burden of dental caries, the dentist to patient ratio, Restorative index and Met need index of children and adolescents.

Application of Dental Indices to Evaluate Oral Health Status for Schoolchildren in Central Tripoli, Libya

Background and objective. The present study aims to determine the treatment needs index (TNI), care index (CI), restorative index (RI) and functional measure index (FMI) among Libyan schoolchildren. This study also aims to evaluate the impact of self-assessed brushing frequency and the role of parental observation during brushing on DMFT scores. Methods. a cross-sectional study was carried out on 185 schoolchildren (125 boys and 60 girls) between the ages of 12-14 years in Tripoli to collect the data for decayed, missing and filled teeth in the permanent teeth (DMFT). TNI, CI, RI and FMI were determined. The impact of brushing frequency and parental observation during brushing on the DMFT score were assessed within the stated age range. Data were analyzed using GraphPad Prism version 9. Results. high rates of treatment needs were observed amongst girls (66%) and boys (55%), with no statistically significant difference. CI was found to be 6.8 and 4.6 for boys and girls, respectively, whereas RI was shown to be 0.08 and 0.05, for boys and girls, respectively. FMI was found to be 0.9 amongst both genders. Brushing frequency was correlated with DMFT scores. In contrast, the role of parents in encouraging oral hygiene habits did not impact oral health status. Conclusion. The study indicated unmet treatment needs for dental caries and little experience of restorative treatment. Oral hygiene education for children and parents needs to be implemented to maximize opportunities for oral health improvement.

Multi-Channel Blind Restoration of Mixed Noise Images under Atmospheric Turbulence

The imaging quality of astronomical or space objects is significantly degraded by atmospheric turbulence, photon noise, image sensor noise, and other factors. A multi-channel alternating minimization (MCAM) method is proposed to restore degraded images, in which multiple blurred images at different times are selected, and the imaging object and the point spread function are reconstructed alternately. Results show that the restoration index can converge rapidly after two iterations of the MCAM method when six different images are adopted. According to the analysis of the structure similarity index, the stronger the influence of turbulence and mixed noise, the higher the degree of image improvement. The above results can provide a reference for blind restoration of images degraded by atmospheric turbulence and mixed noises.

Analysis of Geoecological Restoration in Mountainous Cities Affected by Geological Hazards with Interval Intuitive Fuzzy Information.

With the progress of the industrial revolution and the development of modern science and technology, China's urbanization process has been promoted. Urban and rural economic and social construction has greatly improved the local appearance and social structure. Human activities and natural ecology have affected the whole geological-ecological process, further aggravated the geological-ecological damage, and caused more serious geological disasters, especially in some places (especially in mountainous areas). In recent years, strong geological disasters have occurred in Wenchuan, Yushu, and Lushan regions of China, which not only seriously endanger the life safety and social life of the affected people, but also damage the geological-ecological structure and social functions of the region, especially in the geographically sensitive Alpine urban areas. It also produced many secondary disasters, such as landslides and land collapses. Mountainous cities and towns have special requirements for construction land, which is difficult to construct. Industrial land resources are in short supply, urban and rural comprehensive construction land is not active, and cultivated land area resources are tight. Compared with plain towns with superior geological conditions, mountain towns are more vulnerable to adverse geological environment such as geological ecology, landform, ecological vegetation, and hydrology. The geographical natural environment, as an organic whole that combines and interacts with the geomorphic natural environment, the biological-ecological environment, and the human social management environment, is the main reason that affects the development of mountain towns. Once the mountain geological ecology is destroyed, a series of geological disasters will often be induced, which will seriously restrict the healthy development of mountain towns. Scientific management of the geological environment plays an important role in the assessment of the geological environment restoration of mountain towns after disasters. Therefore, taking the most beautiful counties in China, Baoxing City, and Tianquan County as examples, on the basis of studying the complex geological-ecological theory of geological disasters, this paper further improves the traditional ecological footprint model in China, and using the interval direct fuzzy information constructs the metric index of ecological restoration scheme of mountain towns, and determines the evaluation index and optimal scheme of ecological restoration. From the aspects of landscape layout construction, disaster prevention and mitigation planning and improvement, and environmental restoration project, the future geoecological restoration and response strategy of Lushan County are pointed out, which provide guidance for the postdisaster geoecological safety layout construction.

Case complexity of root canal treatments accepted for training in a secondary care setting assessed by three complexity grading systems: A service evaluation.

To evaluate the complexity of root canal treatments accepted for treatment by postgraduate training grades at Cardiff University Dental Hospital (CUDH) using the English Commissioning Standard for Restorative Dentistry (ECS) in comparison with the American Association of Endodontists case complexity form (AAE) and the Restorative Index of Treatment Need (RIOTN). Two hundred case records were evaluated using the AAE, RIOTN and ECS scoring systems. Each case received a score from minimal to high complexity (1-3). Examiners were calibrated and inter-examiner reliability calculated using the percentage agreement. Frequency of scores were then compared. Most cases were at level 3 and assessment varied amongst the criteria used (AAE: 99.5%, RIOTN: 65.5% and ECS: 55.5%). The AAE factor 'endodontic treatment history' was largely responsible for differing scores when compared with the RIOTN (78%) and ECS (64%). The RIOTN factor regarding post treatment disease ('endodontic retreatment') was responsible for increased complexity compared with ECS in most cases (74%). The ECS factor 'quality of root filling' was the most common reason (85%) for an increase in complexity compared with RIOTN. Within the limitations of this service evaluation, it was possible to conclude that a high proportion of cases treated by training grades at CUDH were of a high complexity level (level 3) using the three guidelines (ECS, AAE and RIOTN). These cases were appropriate for postgraduate training under various levels of supervision and substantiated by the findings reported here. The factors responsible for a large part of difference in allocation of scores amongst the systems were 'endodontic treatment history', 'root canal retreatment' and 'quality of root filling'.

Exploring Optimal Cropping System to Improve the Water Use Efficiency and Soil Water Restoration after Lucerne-to-Crop Conversion in the Semiarid Environment

Due to depleting water supplies and the cultivation of high water-demanding crops such as lucerne, the effect of water deficits in crop production has become a major concern, especially in semiarid regions of China. A six-year field experiment (2012–2018) was conducted to evaluate soil water recovery and soil fertility after lucerne-to-crop conversions on the western Loess Plateau of China. Six rotation treatments (lucerne initially grew from 2003 to 2012 followed by the rotation of other crops or fallow until assessments in 2018) were: (1) lucerne (Medicago sativa L.)–lucerne (L-L); (2) lucerne–fallow (L-F); (3) lucerne–wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) (L-W); (4) lucerne–corn (Zea mays L.) (L-C); (6) lucerne–potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) (L-P); and (6) lucerne–millet (Setaria italica) (L-M). The same crops were grown each year after cultivation during 2013–2018. According to the findings, all rotation types gradually increased the soil water content, with the 0–110 cm soil layer experiencing the maximum soil water replenishment rate, followed by the 110–200 and 200–300 cm soil layers. After converting lucerne to crops, the amount of organic carbon, total nitrogen, and mineral nitrogen in the soil decreased, whereas total phosphorus and accessible phosphorus increased. Soil bulk density was reduced under rotation treatments. Soil water absolute restoration index was the highest under L-F, followed by L-C, L-W, L-P, and L-M. The rate of soil water recovery was 39.5, 33.0, 33.7, 33.5, 29, and 8.2 mm yr−1 under L-F, L-W, L-C, L-P, L-M, and L-L, respectively. The net economic return was greatest under L-C, followed by L-L, L-W, L-P, and L-M. From the analysis of the long-term experimental results, this study shows that the effect of soil water restoration is greatest when continuous alfalfa is converted into wheat, corn, and potato or fallow after 9 years. When the economic benefits and soil moisture recovery are considered comprehensively, corn sown in a ridge–furrow system with fully plastic film annual mulching is the most suitable field management practice after lucerne-to-crop conversion on the western Loess Plateau of China.

Restoration intensity shapes floristic recovery after forest road decommissioning

Forest roads fragment and degrade ecosystems and many have fallen into disrepair and are underutilized, to address these issues the United States Forest Service is restoring, or “decommissioning,” thousands of kilometers of forest roads each year. Despite the prevalence of decommissioning and the importance of vegetation to restoration success, relatively little is known about floristic responses to different forest road decommissioning treatments or subsequent recovery to reference conditions. Over a ten year period, this study assessed floristic cover, diversity, and composition responses to and recovery on forest roads decommissioned using three treatments varying in intensity (abandonment, ripping, recontouring), in Montana, USA. Initially, floristic cover groups were lowest on the recontoured roads, however, they demonstrated the fastest temporal response (e.g. increased litter and vegetative cover). The floristic communities of both active treatments (ripped and recontoured) had more species and were more diverse than the communities of the abandoned (control) treatment. Among the three on-road plant communities, the recontoured treatment was most associated with desirable species, including the native shrubs Rosa woodsii and Spirea betulifolia, while the abandoned treatment was most associated with two non-native species, Taraxacum officinale and Trifolium repens. Assessed using a restoration index, recovery to reference conditions was limited in all treatments, however, the recontoured treatment had a positive restoration trajectory in seven of eight metrics and was the best recovered treatment. Community composition on the recontoured treatment had more native species than the other treatments, and was moving toward, though still substantially different from, reference communities. These findings demonstrate that restoration of forest roads benefit from active restoration methods and, while forest road recontouring facilitates floristic recovery in the first decade after decommissioning, full recovery will likely take years to decades longer.

Women Emotional, Cognitive and Physiological Modes of Coping with Daily Urban Environments: A Pilot Study.

Studies on the effect of urban environments on human risk to health and well-being tend to focus on either physiological or cognitive and emotional effects. For each of these effects, several indicators have been proposed. They are determined either by a physiological-emotional theory or by a cognitive theory of direct attention. However, the interrelationships between these indices have not been thoroughly investigated in environmental contexts. Recently, a neuro-visceral model that incorporates all three aspects has been proposed. The present article focuses on understanding the mechanism of coping with urban environments. More specifically, we analyze the interrelations among nine of the more commonly used indices that represent the physiological, emotional and cognitive aspects of coping with urban environments. The data were collected in the following four environments: home, park, city center and residential area. The participants were 72 healthy, middle-class mothers with either high school or postgraduate education. They wherein their fertile age (20–35) with average Body Mass Index (BMI) of 22.2 and S.D. of 0.8 (48 Arab Muslims and 24 Jewish). They were recruited in a snowball method. Path analysis and principal component analysis are used in order to identify the interrelations among the physiological, cognitive and emotional indices and the directions of these interrelations. According to the findings, the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS), as measured by Heart Rate Variability (HRV) and primarily the parasympathetic tone (High frequency-HF) is the pivotal mechanism that modulates emotional and cognitive responses to environmental nuisances. The ANS response precedes and may trigger the emotional and the cognitive responses, which are only partially interrelated. It appears that the autonomic balance measured by Standard Deviation of NN interval (SDNN) and HF, the cognitive index of restoration and the emotional indices of discomfort and relaxation are closely interrelated. These seemingly disparate operands work together to form a comprehensive underlying network that apparently causes stress and risk to health in urban environments while restoring health in green environments.