Determination of Thermal Comfort in Indoor Sport Facilities Located in Moderate Environments: An Overview

In previous years, providing comfort in indoor environments has become a major question for researchers. Thus, indoor environmental quality (IEQ)—concerning the aspects of air quality, thermal comfort, visual and acoustical quality—assumed a crucial role. Considering sport facilities, the evaluation of the thermal environment is one of the main issues that should be faced, as it may interfere with athletes' performance and health. Thus, the necessity of a review comprehending the existing knowledge regarding the evaluation of the thermal environment and its application to sport facilities becomes increasingly relevant. This paper has the purpose to consolidate the aspects related to thermal comfort and their application to sport practice, through a deep study concerning the engineering, physiological, and psychological approaches to thermal comfort, a review of the main standards on the topic and an analysis of the methodologies and the models used by researchers to determine the thermal sensation of sport facilities' occupants. Therefore, this review provides the basis for future research on the determination of thermal comfort in indoor sport facilities located in moderate environments

Remineralization strategies in oral hygiene: a position paper of Italian Society of Oral Hygiene Sciences-S.I.S.I.O. working group

Background/Objective: The clinical conditions that lead to an alteration of the enamel structure are numerous. The diet high in sugars and acidifying substances, psychological stress that triggers parafunctional behaviors, the reduced intake of fiber-rich foods or alkalizing substances, together with other factors, contribute to demineralization of the tooth enamel. Dental mineralizing products on the current market are distinguished according to the dosage form, the active ingredient, the release technology, clinical indications and patient choice. Currently, it is necessary to propose to oral health professionals a guide to orient themselves in this chaotic choice, in order to prefer the most effective product for their own clinical target. Methods: Italian Society of Oral Hygiene Sciences-S.I.S.I.O. is one of the leading scientific Italian societies representing those dental hygienists working with high-quality standards and in agreement with scientific evidence: in the last year, the SISIO working group has carried out a study focused on remineralizing agents in dentistry, in order to give an authoritative point of view to indicate a guideline in the decision process of the choice of a remineralizing agent. We will report the results pointed out from the last consensus meeting in 2017. Results: We have reported the good the bad and the ugly have been discussed in a critical discussion of such topic. Conclusion: The SISIO experience has been reported in this position paper with the aim to serve as a useful aid in the daily choice of the clinical steps to perform, when dental professionals need to treat demineralized teeth. Keywords: Dental Hygiene, Oral health, Dental Remineralizing, Enamel, Toothpaste, Mouthwash

Archaeology and virtual acoustics. A pan flute from ancient Egypt

This paper presents the early developments of a recently started research project, aimed at studying from a multidisciplinary perspective an exceptionally well preserved ancient pan flute. A brief discussion of the history and iconography of pan flutes is provided, with a focus on Classical Greece. Then a set of non-invasive analyses are presented, which are based on 3D scanning andmaterials chemistry, and are the starting point to inspect the geometry, construction, age and geographical origin of the instrument. Based on the available measurements, a preliminary analysis of the instrument tuning is provided, which is also informed with elements of theory of ancient Greek music. Finally, the paper presents current work aimed at realizing an interactive museum installation that recreates a virtual flute and allows intuitive access to all these research facets

Analysis of the root morphology of European anterior teeth

Aim of this study was to investigate the gross anatomy of the root of European anterior teeth. A review of the dental literature shows that in the past the root morphology was investigated from the inner pulp chamber for endodontic therapies. In order to be admitted to the study, the teeth had to be undamaged. Each tooth was identified by a serial number and gauged by a millimeter tape (for the root length), a goniometer (for the root angle), and a millimeter gauge (for the root diameter). Furthermore, a statistical elaboration of the data was performed to underline the shape variations of the surface around the different sides of the root. At the end of the analysis, 12 parameters for each single-root tooth were described. The study highlights significant differences (p<0.01) only in two teeth of the maxillary arch (central incisor and canine) and in one tooth of the mandibular arch (central incisor). In both cases, the observed differences may be due to the sinuosity of the cement-enamel line. The Tables for each measured param- eter were obtained for all examined classes of teeth, but a comparison with literature data was possible only for the “root length” parameter. This study can be considered innovative for the absence, in the scientific literature, of a statistical analysis of all parameters with the exception of the “root length”. Moreover, it gives a detailed updating of the data relative to the European population creating a useful tool as well for surgical interventions during periodontal therapy (for example in the choice of the right ultrasonic handpiece) as for new CAD/CAM assisted implant manufacturing techniques

Detection of hidden vertical root fracture by stereomicroscope

The vertical root fractures resulting as from trauma, as from the “cracked tooth syndrome”, are spotted within the “iatrogenic periodontal lesions” according to the Al-Fouzan (1) classification. The stereo microscope, an optical microscope variant typically exploiting the light reflected from the surface of an object rather than that transmitted through it (2), in the reported case has revealed the best tool to perform the resolving three-dimensional examination of the tooth. Aim of this paper is to describe a vertical root fracture, not otherwise detectable. A second upper molar, has been endodontically treated, because of the presence of an endo-periodontal lesion. Even though the treatment was performed according the standard protocol, after two years the lesion persisted and the tooth was extracted. After the extraction, the tooth was diaphanized to be observed with the stereomicroscope (Leica LED2000). The investigation clearly showed a vertical fracture, starting directly from the cervical line and a small hole on the distal surface of the root palatal cone. Mean values of measurements taken in 15 randomly points at 1x, 4x and 8x magnification were made. The fracture resulted to be long 9,79 mm and to have a mean width of 0,37 + 0,07 mm externally, and 0,15 + 0,02 mm internally. The mean area of the hole resulted of 0,85 mm2. All the analytical procedure was validated by t-student test, showing a p value < 0,0001. This vertical root fracture represented the unexpected pathway between the pulp and periodontal tissues and sure it caused the endodontic treatment failure, with tooth loss. It appears clear that a good diagnosis, following exactly the proto- col stated in the literature, together with the patient’s compliance, are crucial basis to face such clinical challenge

The association between Major Depressive Disorder and premature death risk in hematologic and solid cancer: a longitudinal cohort study

Background: the aim was to verify the association between Major Depressive Disorders (MDD) and the risk of premature death in people with oncological diseases, and to collect evidence about the causality of a possible association from a longitudinal perspective.Design and Methods: it is a cohort study lasting 9 months, involving people with solid or hematologic cancers. The assessment was conducted by an ad hoc form to collect socio-demographic and clinical-oncological data, the PHQ-9 to screen MDD (cut-off ≥10) and the SF-12 to evaluate HRQoL. Relative Risk (RR) of early death between MDD exposed and not-exposed and Kaplan-Meier survival were carried out.Results: people exposed to MDD during the follow-up were 107/263 (40.7%). Among them, 36 deceased during the observation period. Overtime, having MDD and death’ occurrence showed a strong association (RR=2.15; 95% CI (1.10-4.20); χ²=5.224, p=0.0022), confirmed by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis (χ²=4.357, p=0.037). Among people who died, there was not any association between MDD, age, gender, HRQoL, cancer stage and site.Conclusions: the study confirms the association between MDD and early death in people with cancer. The absence of any association between the onset of MDD and advanced stage of cancer may suggest that it could be due to the consequences of MDD in worsening the clinical conditions related to cancer. The findings point out the relevance of MDD’ early detention among people with cancer

Acute Tolerability of Methylphenidate in Treatment-Naïve Children with ADHD: An Analysis of Naturalistically Collected Data from Clinical Practice

OBJECTIVES: The acute tolerability of methylphenidate (MPH) in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been studied mainly in research samples. Taking advantage of the mandatory test-dose procedure required for starting MPH in Italy, this study aimed to assess the incidence of intolerable adverse events after initial exposure to MPH in routine clinical practice. METHODS: The medical records of 480 consecutively treated, previously drug-naïve children and adolescents with ADHD (90% male, mean age 10.6 ± 3.0 years) were retrospectively analyzed. All children received an initial single dose of MPH immediate release (5 or 10 mg) followed by a 4-hour direct medical observation. Heart rate and blood pressure were measured at dosing and 1, 2, and 3 hours afterwards. If the first dose was well tolerated, the child continued treatment with MPH 5–20 mg daily, and was reassessed a week later. RESULTS: Eleven patients (2.3%, 95% CI 1.1–4.1) interrupted treatment within a week of initiation because of the following adverse events: irritability (n = 3), tics worsening (n = 3), reduced appetite (n = 1), enuresis (n = 1), hallucinations (n = 1), hyperfocus (n = 1), and ‘rebound’ behavioral worsening (n = 1). The most common adverse events were reduced appetite (20%), irritability (14.2%), headache (10.6%), sleep problems (9.4%), stomachache (9.4%), and tics (5%). Intellectual disability increased the risk of any adverse event in general and of irritability in particular. No cardiovascular symptom was clinically reported. However, routine assessments of vital signs during the first 3 hours after the first dose of MPH showed that 9% of the children had a 20% increase in heart rate, 8.8% had a 20% increase in diastolic blood pressure and 4.5% had a 20% increase in systolic blood pressure. Of these, 25.2% still had an elevated heart rate 1 week later. CONCLUSIONS: Among stimulant-naïve children in clinical practice, the incidence of acute MPH intolerance can be estimated to be between 1.2 and 4.1%. An asymptomatic elevation in cardiovascular parameters can be observed in about 1 out of 10 children and warrants monitoring during ongoing treatment

Le applicazioni Geomatiche e Geo-Informatiche nelle Scienze della Terra

Le Scienze della Terra includono l’insieme delle discipline scientifiche e tecniche che si occupano della struttura interna, della morfologia esterna e di tutta l’atmosfera che circonda il pianeta Terra; tali informazioni sono caratterizzate da aspetti spaziali di tipo tridimensionale a cui deve essere aggiunta un’ulteriore dimensione riferita al tempo. In questo senso, le Scienze della Terra hanno un rapporto molto stretto con la componente geografica, quindi al loro interno gioca un ruolo rilevante ogni metodo, tecnologia e strumento che tratti di aspetti geografici, spaziali e topografici