Antimicrobial capacity of Aloe vera and propolis dentifrice against Streptococcus mutans strains in toothbrushes: an in vitro study

OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated in vitro the efficiency of Aloe vera and propolis dentifrice on reducing the contamination of toothbrush bristles by a standard strain of Streptococcus mutans (ATCC 25175; SM), after toothbrushing. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Fifteen sterile toothbrushes were randomly divided into 5 toothbrushing groups: I (negative control): without dentifrice; II: with fluoridated dentifrice; III: with triclosan and gantrez dentifrice; IV (positive control): without dentifrice and irrigation with 10 mL of 0.12% chlorhexidine gluconate; V: with Aloe vera and propolis dentifrice. In each group, 1 sterile bovine tooth was brushed for 1 min, where the toothbrush bristles were contaminated with 25 µL of SM. After toothbrushing, the bristles were stored in individual test tubes with 3 mL of BHI under anaerobiosis of 37°C for 48 h. Then, they were seeded with sterile swab in triplicate in the Mitis salivarius - Bacitracin culture medium. The samples were kept under anaerobiosis of 37°C for 48 h. Scores were used to count the number of colony forming units (cfu). The results were submitted to the Mann-Whitney statistical test at 5% significance level. RESULTS: There was statistically significant difference (

Spontaneous pneumomediastinum in COVID-19 pneumonia.

Spontaneous pneumomediastinum is a benign entity but can worsen the underlying condition with which it is associated. We evaluated the incidence and the clinical relevance of spontaneous pneumomediastinum in a consecutive series of 102 patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. Six cases of pneumomediastinum were identified by high-resolution chest CT-scan. Three patients required early intubation, and one of them died, while in in the remaining subjects the clinical course was benign. The presence of pneumomediastinum required some changes in the management of mechanical ventilation. In conclusion, spontaneous pneumomediastinum is a possible complication of severe COVID-19 pneumonia that can affect patient management and clinical outcomes

Sequential deep learning image enhancement models improve diagnostic confidence, lesion detectability, and image reconstruction time in PET

Background: Investigate the potential benefits of sequential deployment of two deep learning (DL) algorithms namely DL-Enhancement (DLE) and DL-based time-of-flight (ToF) (DLT). DLE aims to enhance the rapidly reconstructed ordered-subset-expectation-maximisation algorithm (OSEM) images towards block-sequential-regularised-expectation-maximisation (BSREM) images, whereas DLT aims to improve the quality of BSREM images reconstructed without ToF. As the algorithms differ in their purpose, sequential application may allow benefits from each to be combined. 20 FDG PET-CT scans were performed on a Discovery 710 (D710) and 20 on Discovery MI (DMI; both GE HealthCare). PET data was reconstructed using five combinations of algorithms:1. ToF-BSREM, 2. ToF-OSEM + DLE, 3. OSEM + DLE + DLT, 4. ToF-OSEM + DLE + DLT, 5. ToF-BSREM + DLT. To assess image noise, 30 mm-diameter spherical VOIs were drawn in both lung and liver to measure standard deviation of voxels within the volume. In a blind clinical reading, two experienced readers rated the images on a five-point Likert scale based on lesion detectability, diagnostic confidence, and image quality. Results: Applying DLE + DLT reduced noise whilst improving lesion detectability, diagnostic confidence, and image reconstruction time. ToF-OSEM + DLE + DLT reconstructions demonstrated an increase in lesion SUVmax of 28 ± 14% (average ± standard deviation) and 11 ± 5% for data acquired on the D710 and DMI, respectively. The same reconstruction scored highest in clinical readings for both lesion detectability and diagnostic confidence for D710. Conclusions: The combination of DLE and DLT increased diagnostic confidence and lesion detectability compared to ToF-BSREM images. As DLE + DLT used input OSEM images, and because DL inferencing was fast, there was a significant decrease in overall reconstruction time. This could have applications to total body PET

L’utilizzo dell’autenticità nella pubblicità: Una content analysis degli spot TV trasmessi nel prime time.

Il presente elaborato si pone l'obiettivo di analizzare l'utilizzo dell'autenticità all'interno della pubblicità televisiva. Dopo una rassegna della letteratura si è proceduto con una raccolta di brand e i relativi spot Tv. Dopo l'estrazione di un campione sono stati analizzati andando ad individuare le variabili collegate al concetto di autenticità. Successivamente è stato inserito il dataset all'interno del software SPSS per svolgere una analisi statistica. In conclusione, sono stati confrontati i risultati numerici ottenuti al punto precedente con una analisi di tipo qualitativo: visione del sito web e dei canali social. The aim of this paper is to analyse the use of authenticity within TV advertising. After a literature review, a collection of brands and their TV commercials were collected. After the extraction of a sample, they were analysed to identify the variables connected to the concept of authenticity. Subsequently, the dataset was entered into the SPSS software to perform a statistical analysis. In conclusion, the numerical results obtained in the previous point were compared with a qualitative analysis: viewing the website and social channels

Tiger in landscapes, tiger in mindscapes: a constructionist analysis of tiger conservation through corridor management in the Terai Arc Landscape, Nepal

Asian forests are losing their top predator, the tiger (Panthera tigris), at a rate that threatens its survival in the wild and poses a serious threat to local ecosystem balance. On the other hand, conservation efforts for the tiger are heavily influenced by conflicts with humans living adjacent to their last remaining habitats. Amidst this tension the countries, which make up tigers’ natural habitat range, together with conservation organizations are continuously making efforts to save this endangered species. A recent commitment has been to attempt to double tiger numbers by 2022. To this end, an emerging landscape-based approach to conservation has been identified as the most effective approach to save tigers and other important wildlife species on a large scale in these countries. This approach aims to connect habitat patches such as protected areas through restoring and maintaining biological corridors to facilitate dispersal and movement of wildlife for their genetically viable, long term survival. However, the biological corridors outside protected areas within human dominated landscapes such as Terai Arc Landscapes (TAL), Nepal, a highly prioritized tiger conservation landscape, fall within community-managed forest areas having widespread access by local village people for forest products. Tigers already pose significant threats to livestock and human lives around protected areas and hence have the potential to create even greater risk in such corridors. In this context, using “moderate constructionism” and Social Construction of Nature theoretical perspectives under constructionist epistemology, this research aims to understand how social constructions of tiger are changing with the intervention of the TAL Nepal program in Khata community-managed forest corridor, how such local changes in constructions are influenced by contemporary national and global constructions, and what implications such changes have to sustainable tiger conservation management. While using the constructionist approach, this research also attempts to ascertain its increasingly claimed practical significance to wildlife management. Semi-structured interviews and discourse analysis methods were employed for data collection. It was found that negative or agnostic constructions of tiger in Khata corridor prior to implementation of the TAL program has transformed to mostly positive constructions post TAL. This transformation is local people’s negotiation between their own experience based meaning of tigers and the overarching global and national tide of saving endangered tigers. Currently prevailing positive constructions, however, are fragile as they are influenced by many factors, most importantly, conflict with tigers and other wildlife, sustained external assistance, development aspirations and actualisation, and realization of tangible benefits of tigers and equitable sharing of those benefits among local people. This implies that continued community support for tiger conservation in Khata is determined by those influencing factors. Recommendations from this research include the need for concerned agencies to appropriately address those factors. Application of the constructionist approach was found to be useful to aid better wildlife management through understanding meanings of wildlife and underlying social processes. This approach has great potential to assist species focused large scale landscape approach to conservation through mapping temporal and spatial diversity of meanings of wildlife and their implication to wildlife management

Core elements of physiotherapy in cerebral palsy children: proposal for a trial checklist.

BACKGROUND: Currently international literature describes physiotherapy in cerebral palsy (CP) children only in generic terms (traditional / standard / background / routine).AIM: The aim of this study is to create a checklist capable of describing the different modalities employed in physiotherapeutic treatment by means of a non-bias, common, universal, standardised language.DESIGN: A preliminary checklist was outlined by a group of physiotherapists specialised in child rehabilitation.SETTING: For its experimentation, several physiotherapists from various paediatric units from all over Italy with different methodological approaches and backgrounds, were involved.METHODS: Using the interpretative model, proposed by Ferrari et al., and through collective analysis and discussion of clinical videos, the core elements were progressively selected and codified. A reliability study was then carried out by eight expert physiotherapists using an inter-rate agreement model.RESULTS: The checklist analyses therapeutic proposals of CP rehabilitation through the description of settings, exercises and facilitations and consists of items and variables which codify all possible physiotherapeutic interventions. It is accompanied by written explanations, demonstrative videos, caregiver interviews and descriptions of applied environmental adaptations. All checklist items obtained a high level of agreement (according to Cohen's kappa coefficient), revealing that the checklist is clearly and easily interpretable.CONCLUSION: The checklist should facilitate interaction and communication between specialists and families, and lead to comparable research studies and scientific advances. CLINICAL REHABILITATION IMPACT: The main value is to be able to correlate therapeutic results with core elements of adopted physiotherapy

Antimicrobial capacity of Aloe vera and propolis dentifrice against Streptococcus mutans strains in toothbrushes: an in vitro study

OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated in vitro the efficiency of Aloe vera and propolis dentifrice on reducing the contamination of toothbrush bristles by a standard strain of Streptococcus mutans (ATCC 25175; SM), after toothbrushing. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Fifteen sterile toothbrushes were randomly divided into 5 toothbrushing groups: I (negative control): without dentifrice; II: with fluoridated dentifrice; III: with triclosan and gantrez dentifrice; IV (positive control): without dentifrice and irrigation with 10 mL of 0.12% chlorhexidine gluconate; V: with Aloe vera and propolis dentifrice. In each group, 1 sterile bovine tooth was brushed for 1 min, where the toothbrush bristles were contaminated with 25 µL of SM. After toothbrushing, the bristles were stored in individual test tubes with 3 mL of BHI under anaerobiosis of 37°C for 48 h. Then, they were seeded with sterile swab in triplicate in the Mitis salivarius - Bacitracin culture medium. The samples were kept under anaerobiosis of 37°C for 48 h. Scores were used to count the number of colony forming units (cfu). The results were submitted to the Mann-Whitney statistical test at 5% significance level. RESULTS: There was statistically significant difference (p<0.05) for the reduction of bristle contamination comparing groups II, III, IV and V to group I. CONCLUSIONS: It may be stated that after toothbrushing, the Aloe vera and propolis dentifrice reduced the contamination of toothbrush bristles by SM, without differentiation from the other chemical agents used