Potential of photodynamic therapy in the management of infectious oral diseases

In recent years there are more and more multi-drug resistant infections also at the oral level and this has led researchers to find alternative solutions to conventional pharmacology that have no impact on systemic health. Among these is photodynamic therapy, which has demonstrated efficacy both in vitro and in vivo, both in bacterial, viral (reducing recrudescence) and fungal infections, in particular Candida spp multidrug resistant

Statistical Power Supply Dynamic Noise Prediction in Hierarchical Power Grid and Package Networks

One of the most crucial high performance systems-on-chip design challenge is to front their power supply noise sufferance due to high frequencies, huge number of functional blocks and technology scaling down. Marking a difference from traditional post physical-design static voltage drop analysis, /a priori dynamic voltage drop/evaluation is the focus of this work. It takes into account transient currents and on-chip and package /RLC/ parasitics while exploring the power grid design solution space: Design countermeasures can be thus early defined and long post physical-design verification cycles can be shortened. As shown by an extensive set of results, a carefully extracted and modular grid library assures realistic evaluation of parasitics impact on noise and facilitates the power network construction; furthermore statistical analysis guarantees a correct current envelope evaluation and Spice simulations endorse reliable result

Magnetic and axial vector form factors as probes of orbital angular momentum in the proton

We have recently examined the static properties of the baryon octet (magnetic moments and axial vector coupling constants) in a generalized quark model in which the angular momentum of a polarized nucleon is partly spin $\langle S_z \rangle$ and partly orbital $\langle L_z \rangle$. The orbital momentum was represented by the rotation of a flux-tube connecting the three constituent quarks. The best fit is obtained with $\langle S_z \rangle = 0.08\pm 0.15$, $\langle L_z \rangle = 0.42\pm 0.14$. We now consider the consequences of this idea for the $q^2$-dependence of the magnetic and axial vector form factors. It is found that the isovector magnetic form factor $G_M^{\mathrm{isovec}}(q^2)$ differs in shape from the axial form factor $F_A(q^2)$ by an amount that depends on the spatial distribution of orbital angular momentum. The model of a rigidly rotating flux-tube leads to a relation between the magnetic, axial vector and matter radii, $\langle r^2 \rangle_{\mathrm{mag}} = f_{\mathrm{spin}} \langle r^2 \rangle_{\mathrm{axial}} + \frac{5}{2} f_{\mathrm{orb}} \langle r^2 \rangle_{\mathrm{matt}}$, where $f_{\mathrm{orb}}/ f_{\mathrm{spin}} = \frac{1}{3}\langle L_z \rangle / G_A$, $f_{\mathrm{spin}} + f_{\mathrm{orb}} = 1$. The shape of $F_A(q^2)$ is found to be close to a dipole with $M_A = 0.92\pm 0.06$ GeV.Comment: 18 pages, 5 ps-figures, uses RevTe

Epigenetic mechanisms in oral cancer: new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies

Complexity and heterogeneity are frequently present during the development and progression of carcinogenesis and, in the last 15 years, significant progress made in clinical research underlines the role of some epigenetic mechanisms. The most important characteristics of the epigenetic concept are that these events are reversible, not related to modifications in the structure of DNA and may drive fundamental cell signaling alterations1. Among these systems of communication in normal and pathological conditions, also microbiome and staminal cells2 seem to be important. These new profiles of pathological communication develop novel diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic tool

Oral microbiota, health, and cancer: the dual face of the same coin in the field of the host-microbe interactome

In recent years, within the extensive research regarding human microbiota and chronic diseases, new medical and laboratory technologies have played a crucial role in understanding more complex biological pathways between human cells and microbes. On the other hand, molecular and cellular diversity and their involvement in health responses to changing host conditions have only recently been understood, through the development of brand-new laboratory tools based on ‘omics approaches. The continuous insertion of already conceptualized, new experimental large datasets and raw data onto bibliographic platforms means that they are now accessible for subsequent elaboration by other researchers. This aspect has allowed the creation of an interactive mesh of proteins, genes, and small molecules, usually called, interactome or interactomics

Radiosounding: Possible change in aerological data due to instrument change

radiosounding system allows to measure the profile of some meteorological quantities (temperature, humidity, pressure) from the ground up to a certain altitude. Such systems are continuously used by meteorological services in order to perform periodical measurements during the day, at pre-determined times. The evolution of instrumentation technology leads to a fast obsolescence of equipment through time, so that, inevitably, new instrumentation replaces the old one. The new VAISALA Radiosound RS92 has been recently introduced to substitute previous model RS90. The RS90 is currently used by many national and international institutes, including the Italian Air Force Meteorological Service (Servizio Meteorologico dell’Aeronautica Militare). In order to assess the way in which the substitution of RS90s with the new RS92s would affect measures performed by the altitude observation network with regard also to the historical series, several comparative measurements have been conducted by the “Reparto Sperimentazioni di Meteorologia Aeronautica” at Vigna di Valle (Rome). During this testing series, Company VAISALA has given a remarkable level of cooperation by a continuous presence of technicians. The entire test has been performed according to WMO (World Meteorological Organization) protocols

The role of organizational citizenship behavior and gender between job satisfaction and task performance

Job satisfaction (JS) is an indicator of individual psychosocial health. Consistent evidence showed that voluntary extra-role behavior in organizations, namely organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), can also contribute to individual psychological health. JS has been found to positively influence employees’ OCB, and both JS and OCB have been found to predict employees’ task performance (TP). The purpose of this study was to investigate whether employees’ OCB mediates the relationship of JS with TP, taking into consideration gender as a potential moderator, and other sociodemographic and work-related characteristics as confounding variables. A total of 518 employees, 54.6% women, aged 19–66 years with a mean age of about 36 years, completed measures of JS, OCB, and TP. Results showed a partial mediation of OCB in the JS-TP relationship, which was invariant across gender. A potential practical implication of findings is that human resource managers and practitioners might ultimately benefit male and female employees’ well-being as well as the organizations’ productivity by developing targeted individual-and group-level trainings and interventions to enhance JS and OCB

Whitening with 980 nm diode laser in a dyschromic devitalized tooth with aesthetic value: long-term success

In our society, the progress of aesthetic standards has led to increasing demands from patients to have white and healthy teeth as an index of beauty and health. The main advantages of the laser bleaching technique include greater safety and control, as well as the prevention of tissue damage, the reduction of application times and greater patient satisfaction. Numerous studies in the literature underline that bleaching with diode laser is a safe. The purpose of this in vivo study was to assess the whitening effect of the 980 nm diode laser in combination with the whitening gel, containing hydrogen peroxide, in the discoloration treatment of a dental element undergone to endodontic therap

A Cluster Analysis of Cyclists in Europe: Common Patterns, Behaviours, and Attitudes

This study uses cluster analysis on a sample of regular cyclists from six European countries (the U.K., the Netherlands, Sweden, Hungary, Italy, and Spain) to shed light on common cycling patterns, demographic characteristics, and attitudes. Participants completed an online survey on cycling behaviour, attitudes towards cycling, discomfort while cycling in mixed traffic, cycling environment and comparative cycling risk perception. A two-step cluster analysis was performed to identify segments of cyclists based on cycling patterns, and a multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to profile the segments. The two-step cluster analysis yielded three components. Leisure-time cyclists cycled almost exclusively for leisure/training, had a clear preference for car use relative to bicycle, and low riding frequency. Resolute Cyclists were characterised by a high variety of cycling trip purpose, a clear preference for bicycle use relative to the car, and high riding frequency. Convenience Cyclists were characterised by cycling for personal business or leisure/training but not for commuting, no evident preference for bicycle vs car, and medium riding frequency. The value of the present study is to highlight commonalities in patterns, characteristics, and attitudes of cyclists in Europe. Our study showed that cycling patterns and habits are linked to psychosocial variables such as attitudes and the cycling environment, explicitly highlighting the importance of discomfort in mixed traffic and the relationship with cycling culture

Association between C. albicans and leukoplakia and its treatment with Photodynamic Therapy: a review of the literature and a case report

Objective: This paper deals with oral leukoplakia, a potential oral malignant disorder that often increases in malignancy due to an associated infection supported by the fungus Candida albicans. The work is aimed at describing this dual condition through a literature review and an unusual clinical case treated with Photodynamic Therapy. Materials and Methods: We used PubMed as a research engine in order to detect the most recent papers (2014-2023) written in English. Our main goal was to obtain more information about oral leukoplakia, its colonization by C. albicans and its rate of malignant transformation. We also searched the database in order to evaluate the efficacy of Photodynamic therapy against Candida infections. Case Presentation: The case presentation refers to a 37-year-old man with a diagnosis of tongue leukoplakia with a co-infection of C. albicans, treated with Photodynamic Therapy instead of conventional antifungal drugs. Results: The literature review was based on a total of 17939 articles, which were reduced to only 25 after setting the inclusion and exclusion criteria in several steps. Oral leukoplakia is an idiopathic condition that can be considered a precancerous lesion; its co-infection with C. albicans increases the chances of its malignant transformation. Photodynamic therapy is a new approach in terms of non-conventional therapies, and there is growing evidence that it can be used in the treatment of oral diseases, too. Conclusions: We eradicated the presence of C. albicans strains on our patient’s leukoplakia by using a mixture of photo-activated curcumin and H2O2, decreasing the chances of malignant transformation of our patient’s lesion, who is still undergoing a six-month control protocol