Oral health knowledge in pre-school children: a survey among parents in central Italy

Background: The aim of this survey was to evaluate the knowledge and awareness of parents about potential oral health risk factors and correct management of oral hygiene of their preschool children. Material and Methods: The participation to the survey was proposed to all parents of 3-5 year aged children attending a kindergarten in Campobasso. A self-administered questionnaire was completed to obtain information regarding demographic and education variables, knowledge about caries and its transmission, infant feeding practice, maternal oral health during pregnancy, parents and children’s oral hygiene habits and risk behaviors (e.g., sharing cutlery, tasting of baby food, nightly using of baby bottles or pacifier), oral health prevention and role of school. Results: Overall, the parents of 101 children consented to fill the questionnaire. Data analysis showed that only 24% of respondents was aware of the potential vertical transmissibility of cariogenic bacteria through contaminated saliva. It is still a common trend from61% of parents tasting food of their child. On 101 children, 30% used pacifier and 17% used baby bottle with milk during night and among these children 41% for more than 2 years. Parents reported no toothbrushing for 57% of the children in their first 3 years of life. Conclusions: From this survey, independently on parents education, it emerges as still nowadays parents are not fully trained and informed about the management of their child’s oral hygiene and as it’s necessary a parental oral health promoting program to control children oral health risk status, starting from school

Unraveling Past Submarine Eruptions by Dating Lapilli Tuff-Encrusting Coralligenous (Actea Volcano, NW Sicilian Channel)

none7noThe dating of young submarine volcanic eruptions, with their potential generation of tsunamigenic waves, is essential for a reliable hazard assessment. This is particularly relevant in highly populated coastal areas. The scarce knowledge of the underwater environment makes however, this reconstruction challenging. Our study is focused on the NW sector of the Sicilian Channel, where several small- and medium-size volcanic edifices are present. The only documented Surtseyan-type eruption occurred in A.D. 1831, forming the ephemeral Ferdinandea Island. Late Pleistocene to mid-Holocene eruptions have been up to now only hypothesized, and based solely on indirect data. Here we present the first radiocarbon dates of a coralligenous bioconstruction sampled at 34 m water depth from the summit of the Actea volcano, grown up progressively (up to nowadays) on a lapilli tuff deposit. Actea volcano is a recently discovered pyroclastic cone located at only four nautical miles off the SW coast of Sicily. The oldest age of the bioconstructions that started to encrustate the shallow water pyroclastics shortly after their emplacement (7,387 ± 175 cal years B.P.) represents a terminus ante quem, thus testifying a mid-Holocene submarine eruption in this sector of the Sicilian Channel. This method may be effectively used to bridge the gap between historical accounts and the geological record and thus may contribute to a better volcanic hazard assessment of submarine eruption and related phenomena such as tsunamis.openLodolo E.; Renzulli A.; Cerrano C.; Calcinai B.; Civile D.; Quarta G.; Calcagnile L.Lodolo, E.; Renzulli, A.; Cerrano, C.; Calcinai, B.; Civile, D.; Quarta, G.; Calcagnile, L

S100B levels are affected by older age but not by alcohol intoxication following mild traumatic brain injury

Introduction: Biomarkers of brain damage and head injury are potentially useful tools in the management of afflicted patients. Particularly S100B has received much attention and has been adapted into clinical guidelines. Alcohol intoxication and higher age (65 years and over) have been used as risk factors for serious complications following head injury. The effect of these factors on S100B levels has not been fully established in a relevant patient cohort. Methods: We prospectively included 621 adult patients with mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) and S100B sampling. Mild TBI was defined as Glasgow Come Scale 14-15 with loss of consciousness and/or amnesia, but without high-risk factors for intracranial complications. These patients would normally require CT scanning according to local and most international guidelines. S100B was sampled within 3 hours following trauma. Results: 280 patients (45%) were intoxicated by alcohol. Alcohol intoxication had no effect on S100B levels (p = 0.65) and the performance of S100B remained unchanged in these patients. 115 patients (22%) were 65 years or older with elevated S100B levels being more common in this group compared to patients under 65 (p = 0.029). Although the sensitivity of S100B was unchanged in older patients, the specificity was poorer. Conclusion: S100B can be used reliably in mild TBI patients with alcohol intoxication. The clinically utility of S100B in older patients may be limited by very poor specificity leading to only a small decrease in CT scanning

Il "Colosso di Cagliari"

Progetto di concorso (“U.I.A. International Union of Architects, with the patronage of Unesco, (Tunisi, Tunisia) / International ideas competition ‘Architecture and Water’, Motto: ‘CA 0708’, 2001. Titolo dell'opera: ‘Il Colosso di Cagliari, 2001’”)

Radiocarbon Dating of Marine Samples: Methodological Aspects, Applications and Case Studies

none4Radiocarbon dating by AMS (Accelerator Mass Spectrometry) is a well-established absolute dating technique widely used in different areas of research for the analysis of a wide range of organic materials. Precision levels of the order of 0.2–0.3% in the measured age are nowadays achieved while several international intercomparison exercises have shown the high degree of reproducibility of the results. This paper discusses the applications of 14C dating related to the analysis of samples up-taking carbon from marine carbon pools such as the sea and the oceans. For this kind of samples relevant methodological issues have to be properly addressed in order to correctly interpret 14C data and then obtain reliable chronological frameworks. These issues are mainly related to the so-called “marine reservoirs effects” which make radiocarbon ages obtained on marine organisms apparently older than coeval organisms fixing carbon directly from the atmosphere. We present the strategies used to correct for these effects also referring to the last internationally accepted and recently released calibration curve. Applications will be also reviewed discussing case studies such as the analysis of marine biogenic speleothems and for applications in sea level studies.openGianluca Quarta; Lucio Maruccio; Marisa D’Elia; Lucio CalcagnileQuarta, Gianluca; Maruccio, Lucio; D'Elia, Marisa; Calcagnile, Luci