Production of functional probiotic, prebiotic, and synbiotic ice creams.

In this work, 3 types of ice cream were produced: a probiotic ice cream produced by adding potentially probiotic microorganisms such as Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus rhamnosus; a prebiotic ice cream produced by adding inulin, a prebiotic substrate; and a synbiotic ice cream produced by adding probiotic microorganisms and inulin in combination. In addition to microbial counts, pH, acidity, and physical and functional properties of the ice creams were evaluated. The experimental ice creams preserved the probiotic bacteria and had counts of viable lactic acid bacteria after frozen storage that met the minimum required to achieve probiotic effects. Moreover, most of the ice creams showed good nutritional and sensory properties, with the best results obtained with Lb. casei and 2.5% inulin.

[Biomechanical aspects of the space gaining therapy according to Cetlin]. / Aspetti biomeccanici nella terapia di recupero di spazio secondo Cetlin.

The non extraction technique according to N. Cetlin for the treatment of crowded and protrusive dentitions in class I and class II malocclusions is assessed. The intent of this article is to outline the approach to non extraction treatment with the following major clinical objectives: 1) space gaining in both maxillary and mandibular arches; 2) anchorage preservation throughout treatment and 3) intrusion of the maxillary incisors.

Computational and experimental investigation of the fields generated by a 1-3 piezocomposite transducer.

Large-scale three-dimensional numerical simulations using the finite-difference time domain technique are used to compute the continuous wave fields associated with a composite transducer. The interior of the transducer is made of a periodic array of square rods. This lattice causes elastic wave Bragg diffraction similar to electrons in a periodic lattice. A low frequency mode shape is assumed for the rods. This prescribed motion includes longitudinal and transverse components. It is shown that the transverse motion in the rod gives rise to shear waves causing standing waves (lateral resonances) in the polymer regions. This is also confirmed by experimental results presented here and other independent analytical and experimental work. The full-scale numerical simulation is performed on a large parallel supercomputer and permits modeling of not only the composite transducer but the radiated pressure from near to far field. In addition, cover plates and edge effects are included, unlike analytical treatments. Although only mechanical effects are included, the wave propagation approach captures many essential features.

Oral pemphigus: long term behaviour and clinical response to treatment with deflazacort in sixteen cases.

Systemic corticosteroids remain the mainstay of therapy for pemphigus. Their use has transformed what was almost invariably a fatal illness into one whose mortality is now below 10%. Unfortunately, the high doses and prolonged administration of corticosteroids that are often needed to control the disease result in numerous side effects, many of which are serious or even life-threatening. Sixteen patients affected by oral pemphigus vulgaris were retrospectively examined to illustrate the natural course of the disease and to describe the efficacy of the treatment we utilised. Deflazacort, used with azathioprine, is the steroid of first choice in our therapeutic protocols, while cyclophosphamide and methylprednisolone "pulse therapy" are reserved for cases unresponsive to high doses of oral corticosteroids. In addition, the literature on oral pemphigus vulgaris was reviewed with respect to clinical history, signs and symptoms, management, and treatment outcome.

Oral lichen planus and HCV infection: a clinical evaluation of 263 cases.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection induces variable dermatologic manifestations. Our purpose was to determine whether there is an association between HCV infection and oral lichen planus (OLP). METHODS: Antibodies to HCV were determined in patients with OLP (263 patients; 156 women and 107 men, with a mean age of 55.5 years) and in a control population. RESULTS: Seventy six cases (28.8%) were positive for HCV antibodies with the second-generation enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA II) test. All of these cases were confirmed with the second-generation recombinant immunoblot assay (RIBA II) test. In 61 cases (23.1%), high levels of serum transaminase were found. Positivity for hepatitis B virus (HBV) markers was found in 31 patients (11.7%) and for hepatitis A virus (HAV) markers in 43 patients (16.3%). None had positivity for hepatitis D virus (HDV) markers. As a control group, we used 100 patients (58 women and 42 men, with a mean age of 55.3 years) referred to the School of Dentistry of the University of Naples "Federico II," and treated for general dental caries. In the control group, HCV antibody positivity was found in three cases. CONCLUSIONS: The high prevalence of HCV antibody in this group of patients with OLP, higher than in the healthy population, suggests a link (p = 1.423 x 10(-7), chi-squared test) between these two diseases. These findings stress the importance of liver examination in OLP patients, and the need for other studies on the high susceptibility to hepatitis viruses in the population in the southern part of Europe.

[The presence of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) in microinvasive in situ spinocellular carcinoma of the oral cavity. Preliminary report]. / La presenza dell'Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) nel carcinoma spinocellulare in situ e microinvasivo del cavo orale. Indagini preliminari.

BACKGROUND: The authors examined 15 cases of in situ and early oral SCC to detect the presence of HPV genoma. METHODS: They proceeded to in situ hybridization on paraffined specimens utilizing DNA-biotinylated fragments in commercial kit (Vyra Type in situ, Life Technologies, Gaithersburg, MD, USA). RESULTS: HPV-DNA was detected in 9 cases: 6/11, 16/18, 31/33/35 serotypes were detected. The distribution of viral serotypes by sites showed a prevalence of 16/18 serotype in tongue and floor of the mouth carcinoma, a prevalence of 6/11 serotype in gingiva, hard palate and buccal mucosa carcinoma, and 31/33/35 in commissura. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest an important role of HPV in oral carcinogenesis, but further investigations are necessary to confirm these data on larger groups of patients to obtain a higher significance of the results.

Real-time parallel computation and visualization of ultrasonic pulses in solids.

Parallel processing has changed the way much computational physics is done. Areas such as condensed matter physics, fluid dynamics, and other fields are making use of massively parallel computers to solve immense and important problems in new ways. Simulating wave propagation is another area that has benefited through the use of parallel processing. This is graphically illustrated in this article by various numerical simulations of ultrasonic pulses propagating through solids carried out on a massively parallel computer. These computations are accompanied by visualizations of the resulting wavefield. The calculations and visualizations, together, can be completed in only seconds to several minutes and compare well with experimental data. The computations and parallel processing techniques described should be important in related fields, such as geophysics, acoustics, and mechanics.

[Pathogenesis of periapical inflammatory processes]. / La patogenesi dei processi infiammatori del periapice. Nota I.

The Authors, after a short description of the anatomy of the root canal, deal with the aetiological factors of the periapical pathology, acute and chronic. They examine the pathogenetic mechanisms of acute flogistic process of the periapical tissue and consider the principal mediators involved in the tissue lesion.

[Pathogenesis of periapical inflammatory processes. 2]. / La patogenesi dei processi infiammatori del periapice. Nota II.

The Authors describe the aetiological mechanisms of periapical diseases. They deal with immunologic reactions in inflammation with particular features on the lymphocytic and macrophagic products and their role in the periapical reactions. Furthermore, they describe the pathogenesis of bone resorption, a common evolution of the chronic periapical disease.

[Burning mouth syndrome]. / La burning mouth syndrome.

The Authors describe the Burning Mouth Syndrome or B. M. S., a disorder that is characterized by stomatopyrosis, glossodynia " sine causa" with a specific psychological and ormonal condition. Furthermore they deal with the aetiopathogenetical hypothesis and the diagnostic and therapeutic protocol of B. M. S.

Multiparameter system for investigation of the effects of high-power ultrasound on metals.

A multiparameter system has been developed which, for the first time, permits simultaneous measurement of sufficient quantities to test all of the proposed mechanisms for the influence of high-power ultrasound on metal specimens. Results of measurements using this system give new insight into the mechanical and thermal processes involved. Data are presented which show typical results obtained during tensile elongation of polycrystalline and single-crystal aluminum specimens.