The Clinical Utility of the Level of Personality Functioning Scale: A Treatment Perspective.

The Level of Personality Functioning Scale (LPFS) was introduced in DSM-5 to articulate a conceptual foundation for all types of personality psychopathology, and to provide an assessment of the severity of impairment. Constructed using universal human capacities related to self- and interpersonal functioning, the LPFS defines a continuum of 5 levels ranging from optimal functioning to extreme impairments in functioning. While there have been a growing number of empirical studies demonstrating its reliability and validity, the LPFS was designed fundamentally as an informative clinical tool, potentially useful to practitioners working in a variety of roles using diverse interventions.

Operator-independent assessment of bread spoilage profiles caused by Bacillaceae reveals a high degree of inter- and intraspecies heterogeneity.

Ropy bread spoilage caused by aerobic spore-forming bacteria (ASF) is characterized by discoloration, sticky and stringy crumb degradation, and a fruity odor due to the release of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Previous studies employing model experiments have demonstrated strain-specific spoilage potential. However, to gain a deeper understanding, it is essential to study rope spoilage within baked bread.

Root canal cleanliness and debris extrusion following retreatment of thermoplastic injection technique and bioceramic-based root canal sealer.

Objectives: To evaluate the amount of apically extruded debris and to determine the remaining filling material on the root canal walls by microcomputed tomography (micro-CT), following the root canal retreatment of root canals filled with different obturation techniques (single cone technique, thermoplasticised injection technique) and the different root canal sealers [bioceramic-based, epoxy resin-based root canal sealer].

Materials And Methods: 60 single rooted human premolar teeth were prepared with the ProTaper Gold system (Dentsply Maillefer) up to the F4 file and the samples were divided into 4 groups according to obturation procedures: Single cone technique + AH Plus sealer(epoxy resin-based root canal sealer, Dentsply International Inc., York, PA, USA); Single cone technique + Sure-Seal Root(bioceramic-based root canal sealer, Sure Dent Corporation, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea); thermoplastic injection technique[Calamus Dual Obturation System(Dentsply-Tulsa Dental, Tulsa, OK, USA)] + AH Plus(Dentsply International Inc.

Acute transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation modulates presynaptic SV2A density in healthy rat brain: An in vivo microPET study.

Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is the subject of exploration as an adjunct treatment for neurological disorders such as epilepsy, chronic migraine, pain, and depression. A non-invasive form of VNS is transcutaneous auricular VNS (taVNS). Combining animal models and positron emission tomography (PET) may lead to a better understanding of the elusive mechanisms of taVNS.