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Plants (Basel). 2026 Jul 21;15(14):2221. doi: 10.3390/plants15142221.

ABSTRACT

The olive tree (Olea europaea L.) is a quintessential symbol of the Mediterranean basin, representing a profound intersection of ecological adaptation, agricultural evolution, and cultural identity. Italy, where the olive has shaped dietary habits, traditional medicine, folklore, and landscape from prehistory to the present, serves as a primary macro-region for studying the co-evolution of human societies and this iconic plant. In this vein, this paper examines the ethnobotanical trajectory of O. europaea on the Italian peninsula through an analysis of traditional knowledge concerning its medicinal and ritual uses, reported in ethnographic literature dating from the second half of the 19th century to the first half of the 20th century. In addition, we conducted a review of Italian ethnobotanical fieldwork published between 2000 and 2025. Accordingly, olive leaves (used as antihypertensives, febrifuges, hypoglycemic and apotropaic agents), bark and roots (to treat various pathologies) and oil (in rituals for spiritual healing and against evil eye, as an emollient for dermatological pathological and cosmetical conditions and as a vehicle for infusing other therapeutic herbs) have found a central place in the Italian popular pharmacopeia and magic-religious practices. The roots of these traditions have been contextualized within a wider Mediterranean oleo-culture rising from the second millennium BCE. By identifying knowledge gaps, documenting regional ethnobotanical diversity, and connecting historical and contemporary evidence, this work provides a novel framework for future comparative ethnobotanical research. Eventually, a discussion on how contemporary Italy is reframing this botanical legacy through the lenses of agrobiodiversity conservation and the safeguarding of historical rural landscapes against modern threats such as climate change and phytosanitary crises is presented.

PMID:42514588 | DOI:10.3390/plants15142221

Toxins (Basel). 2026 Jul 15;18(7):306. doi: 10.3390/toxins18070306.

ABSTRACT

Myofascial pain of the masticatory muscles, frequently associated with bruxism, is a prevalent condition with substantial impact on quality of life. Botulinum toxin type A (BoNT-A) is used as an adjunctive treatment for refractory cases, but the temporal pattern of masseter morphometric change after injection remained incompletely characterised. This prospective observational pilot study was designed and reported strictly as a 3D imaging and morphometric methodology study; clinical pain and patient-reported outcomes were outside its scope and were not assessed. Eleven adults with myofascial pain and bruxism received BoNT-A (100 U total: 30 U per masseter side, 20 U per anterior temporalis side). Structured-light 3D facial scans (EinScan H, Shining 3D) were acquired at baseline (T0), one month (T1), and three months (T2). A standardised masseter region of interest (“TGL area”) was defined using cutaneous landmarks (tragus, gonion, labial commissure). Measurement precision was confirmed by intra-session repeatability (0.083 ± 0.020 mm), registration accuracy (RMS error 0.189-0.200 mm), and excellent landmark reliability (mean ICC [3, 1] = 0.955, 95% CI: 0.843-0.991). Repeated-measures ANOVA showed a significant effect of time on bilateral surface displacement (F(1.85,18.52) = 14.39, p < 0.001, η²G = 0.44), with significant reductions at T1 (-0.716 ± 0.480 mm; p = 0.002, Hedges’ g = 2.03) and T2 (-0.847 ± 0.588 mm; p = 0.002, g = 1.96) relative to baseline, and no significant change between T1 and T2 (p = 1.000). Changes were bilaterally symmetric (symmetry index at T1: 0.231 ± 0.154 mm). These findings indicate that 3D structured-light scanning reliably detects subtle facial contour changes after BoNT-A injection and may complement clinical and patient-reported assessments; the pilot design and small sample preclude definitive conclusions.

PMID:42506726 | DOI:10.3390/toxins18070306

Orthod Craniofac Res. 2026 Jul 6. doi: 10.1111/ocr.70165. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the discrepancy between programmed and achieved posterior tooth inclination and to assess the accuracy of Curve of Wilson levelling and posterior tooth inclination in the mandibular arch across three different techniques: vestibular fixed appliance, lingual fixed appliance and aligners.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-five patients were retrospectively selected: 25 treated with the vestibular technique (SWM prescription), 25 treated with the lingual technique (STb), and 25 treated with F22 aligners. Intraoral scans were obtained to produce initial, planned and final models. Buccolingual crown inclination and the levelling of the COW were then assessed.

RESULTS: A significant discrepancy between programmed and achieved posterior tooth inclination was observed across all techniques (p < 0.001), indicating incomplete expression of the programmed movement. Accuracy values for inclination ranged from 85% to 90% at the first and second premolars, with no statistically significant differences among techniques. At the molar level, vestibular and lingual techniques showed significantly higher accuracy than aligners, while second molars exhibited lower accuracy values across all techniques. Regarding COW levelling, the only significant difference was observed between the vestibular (89.3% ± 4.15%) and lingual (84.67% ± 7.36%) techniques.

CONCLUSIONS: All techniques resulted in a reduction of posterior tooth inclination and a certain degree of COW levelling. However, a discrepancy between planned and achieved posterior tooth inclination was observed, indicating incomplete expression of the programmed movement. Differences among techniques emerged mainly at the molar level, where vestibular appliances showed the highest accuracy, whereas the lingual technique showed lower values for COW levelling.

PMID:42410981 | DOI:10.1111/ocr.70165

Res Integr Peer Rev. 2026 Jun 9. doi: 10.1186/s41073-026-00228-9. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Robust screening for AI-generated scientific text is increasingly required by journals, yet detector performance on full-length manuscripts remains unclear. Six widely used detectors were benchmarked on dentistry manuscripts, and performance was compared across state-of-the-art generators.

METHODS: A total of 120 manuscripts was assembled in four groups (GPT-4.5, GPT-4o, DeepSeek-R2, and human-written; n = 30 each). Aidetector, GPTZero, Copyleaks, Originality.AI, Turnitin, and DetectingAI produced 0-100% scores. Discrimination was assessed with ROC/AUC and DeLong tests with Bonferroni correction. A pre-specified 60% threshold yielded document-level classifications. Inter-detector agreement was quantified with Cohen’s κ.

RESULTS: Four detectors showed high discrimination; pairwise AUC differences among these were not significant after Bonferroni correction and each outperformed Turnitin and DetectingAI. Using the 60% cut-off, sensitivities and specificities were high, with no false positives observed among the 30 human texts included in this sample. Agreement was almost perfect among the high performers, slight for Turnitin, and none for DetectingAI. Across tools, DeepSeek-R2 texts were the easiest to detect.

CONCLUSIONS: On full dentistry manuscripts, four detectors showed high discrimination, whereas Turnitin showed moderate performance and DetectingAI was ineffective. A percentage-based 60% decision threshold provided reproducible, manuscript-level calls.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: These results may help dental editors and reviewers compare detectors for preliminary screening of AI-generated text under controlled conditions.

PMID:42260683 | DOI:10.1186/s41073-026-00228-9

J Clin Orthod. 2026 Apr;60(4):269-282.

NO ABSTRACT

PMID:42140547

Int Orthod. 2026 Apr 24;24(3S):101173. doi: 10.1016/j.ortho.2026.101173. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

AIM: To evaluate simulated miniscrew trajectory length in the mandibular buccal shelf (MBS) area in order to identify the most suitable site for miniscrew placement at different insertion angles. Effects of side, sex, and facial pattern were also investigated.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans of lower arches from 60 patients, recruited between January 2018 and December 2022, were retrospectively analysed. The sample was divided into three subgroups according to vertical facial pattern. Miniscrew insertion was simulated at two distances from the cementoenamel junction (CEJ) (4 and 6mm) and at three inclination angles (70°, 80°, and 90°). Statistical analyses were performed to detect any differences related to sex, facial pattern or side. Subsequently, a step-by-step analysis was conducted to determine the site for miniscrew insertion with simulated miniscrew trajectory length, and an anatomical description of this area is also provided. Statistical significance was set at P<0.05.

RESULTS: Overall, bone thickness and depth showed a consistent tendency to increase distally and apically, regardless of insertion angle. No clinically significant differences were observed between sides, while sex differences were noted in only two measurements. Differences among facial patterns were detected for approximately 25% of the measurements. The most favourable sites for miniscrew placement in the MBS area were located near the lower second molar.

CONCLUSIONS: The disto-buccal aspect of the second molar, at 4mm from the CEJ and 80°, with a mean value of 16.49±4.83mm, offers the most favourable conditions for miniscrew placement, although others are possible. Pre-drilling is recommended to reduce fracture risk.

PMID:42033856 | DOI:10.1016/j.ortho.2026.101173

J Orofac Orthop. 2026 Mar 3. doi: 10.1007/s00056-026-00650-0. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the in vivo accuracy of guided palatal miniscrew insertion, focusing on the effect of insertion side, frontal insertion angle, and miniscrew length.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: In all, 52 palatal miniscrews were inserted using computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) surgical guides in 20 patients (average age: 19.74 years ± 6.83). Digital models were acquired after miniscrew insertion and scanbody application. Then, linear and angular discrepancies between planned and realized miniscrew positions were evaluated by superimposing the reference model with the final postinsertion model. Discrepancies are recorded and compared to absolute precision (hypothetical). The effect of side, frontal insertion angle, and miniscrew length on accuracy were investigated.

RESULTS: Mean linear total discrepancies were 1.10 ± 1.01 mm and 1.71 ± 1.10 mm at the miniscrew head and tip points, respectively. Mean angular discrepancies were 5.90 ± 6.06° in the transverse (XY), 2.65 ± 2.47° in the sagittal (YZ), and 3.02 ± 2.65° in the coronal (XZ) plane. All discrepancies were significantly different to absolute precision (p < 0.001), although not to an extent considered clinically relevant. Neither side nor frontal insertion angle (clinical factors), or miniscrew length (structural factor) significantly impacted accuracy.

CONCLUSION: CAD/CAM surgical guides ensured clinically acceptable accuracy despite significant deviations from absolute precision. The insertion side, frontal insertion angle, and miniscrew length had minimal influence on accuracy, and therefore on outcome. Further studies should explore the effects of additional clinical, procedural, anatomical, and structural variables.

PMID:41774123 | DOI:10.1007/s00056-026-00650-0

J Orofac Orthop. 2026 Jan 29. doi: 10.1007/s00056-025-00638-2. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

AIM: The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the accuracy of rotational movements of maxillary and mandibular canines and premolars achieved using clear aligners combined with a segmental lingual appliance, as planned in the digital setup, and to compare these results with those obtained using clear aligners alone.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included 40 adult patients, analyzing 40 teeth (20 canines and 20 premolars), each presenting at least 15° of rotation. The sample was divided into two groups: a study group treated with F22 aligners (Sweden & Martina, Due Carrare, Padua, Italy) combined with a segmental lingual appliance to correct rotation without attachments and a control group treated with F22 aligners using vestibular attachments to facilitate the rotational movement. Digital models acquired at three stages-pretreatment (T0), ideal posttreatment (T1), and actual posttreatment (T2)-were analyzed using visual aesthetic malocclusion (VAM, Vectra, Canfield Scientific, Fairfield, NJ, USA) software to assess rotation values and calculate imprecision and accuracy for each tooth. Statistical analysis was conducted to compare the two groups.

RESULTS: The study group showed significantly higher accuracy in rotational movements compared to the control group. The mean accuracy was 88.3% for the hybrid approach, versus 55.7% for clear aligners with attachments alone, and this difference was statistically significant (p < 0.01). This improvement was consistent across both canines and premolars, with statistically significant differences in all subgroups.

CONCLUSION: The combination of clear aligners with a segmental lingual appliance provided superior control in managing severe rotations of rounded teeth, resulting in greater predictability compared with aligners alone.

PMID:41609796 | DOI:10.1007/s00056-025-00638-2

Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop. 2026 Feb;169(2):133-134. doi: 10.1016/j.ajodo.2025.11.006.

NO ABSTRACT

PMID:41581975 | DOI:10.1016/j.ajodo.2025.11.006

Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop. 2026 Feb;169(2):135. doi: 10.1016/j.ajodo.2025.11.010.

NO ABSTRACT

PMID:41581979 | DOI:10.1016/j.ajodo.2025.11.010