L'italiano in contatto con il dialetto e altre lingue. Nuovi mezzi di comunicazione e nuove diglossie

This paper is concerned with variational aspects of SMS (i.e. text message) communication as a communicative mode that not only has become very popular over the last few years but is also supposed to have certain (and continuing) impacts on some of the constitutive parameters of communication as a whole (e.g. by re-evaluating the dichotomy between typically/traditional oral and written language conceptions). Based on collected material from the sms4science corpus this contribution elucidates some general intra- and extralinguistic features of the Italian subcorpus before focusing on language contact phenomena (involving Italian and other languages or dialectal varieties). Special attention is given to the emergence of what we consider a kind of 'new dialectality' (in the Italian speaking Switzerland), which is considered to be a result of ongoing processes of a restructuring of the repertoire and of the relation between the linguistic codes that are involved

sms4science: Korpusdaten, Literaturüberblick und Forschungsfragen

This paper discusses some methodological issues related to current research on SMS communication in Switzerland, an ambitious research project situated in the context of the international project sms4science. Thus far, the analyses of the Swiss data focus on numerous inner-linguistic features, variational aspects and language contact phenomena; each of which is of the utmost interest for multilingual Switzerland (cf. the five articles contained in this issue). In the following pages we first provide some background information about the project and the constitution of the Swiss SMS-corpus. We then present some methodological demands and problems, which are discussed on the basis of a dialogic sub-corpus. In the final paragraphs of this introductory article, we outline the state of affairs in the field of the linguistic study of SMS communication and highlight some research questions that would be of significant interest for the further analysis of the Swiss corpus

In Vitro Study on Green Propolis as a Potential Ingredient of Oral Health Care Products.

Propolis is increasingly being discussed as an alternative to commonly used antiseptics. This in vitro study focused on the ethanolic extract of green Brazilian propolis (EEPg) as an additive in an oral health care product. We investigated (i) a potential inflammation-modulation activity of EEPg when a periodontal or Candida biofilm was exposed to monocytic (MONO-MAC-6) cells, (ii) the adhesion of oral pathogens to gingival keratinocytes and (iii) the antimicrobial and antibiofilm effect of different toothpaste formulations. EEPg decreased the levels of interleukin (IL)-1β and increased IL-10 in MONO-MAC cells challenged with a periodontal biofilm. In contact with TIGK cells, EEPg reduced the numbers of adherent Porphyromonas gingivalis to 0.5% but did not affect the adhesion of Candida albicans. The frequent brushing of a cariogenic biofilm with a toothpaste supplemented with EEPg reduced the surface microhardness loss of enamel specimens. Mixing an experimental erythritol toothpaste with 25 and 50 mg/mL of EEPg confirmed the antibacterial activity of EEPg against oral bacteria and particularly inhibited periodontal biofilm formation. The suggested toothpaste formulations seem to have potential in the prevention of caries, gingivitis and periodontitis and should be evaluated in further in vitro research and in clinical trials

SAXS imaging reveals optimized osseointegration properties of bioengineered oriented 3D-PLGA/aCaP scaffolds in a critical size bone defect model

Healing large bone defects remains challenging in orthopedic surgery and is often associated with poor outcomes and complications. A major issue with bioengineered constructs is achieving a continuous interface between host bone and graft to enhance biological processes and mechanical stability. In this study, we have developed a new bioengineering strategy to produce oriented biocompatible 3D PLGA/aCaP nanocomposites with enhanced osseointegration. Decellularized scaffolds -containing only extracellular matrix- or scaffolds seeded with adipose-derived mesenchymal stromal cells were tested in a mouse model for critical size bone defects. In parallel to micro-CT analysis, SAXS tensor tomography and 2D scanning SAXS were employed to determine the 3D arrangement and nanostructure within the critical-sized bone. Both newly developed scaffold types, seeded with cells or decellularized, showed high osseointegration, higher bone quality, increased alignment of collagen fibers and optimal alignment and size of hydroxyapatite minerals