3,514 research outputs found
Functional implications of minor mandibular asymmetry: clinical and digital research on a sample of healthy patients
OBJECTIVE.The aim of the study is to evaluate the influence that the mandibular asymmetry could have towards the other components of the Stomathognatic system and to further related structures from a functional point of view. MATERIALS and METHODS. A sample of 18 young asymmetric patients, in healthy status, was investigated with clinical evaluation and questionnaires and digital devices such as Electromiography, Stabilometry, T-scan and Formetric. Descriptive and quantitative statistical analysis were performed. RESULTS. ASIM electromyography index was significant only in a short percentage of the sample. Hypertonia of temporalis muscle in the same side of mandibular deviation and the cross-activation of the contralateral masseter were present. The data of the stabilometric platform showed that only 33% of patients had a load discrepancy between right and left side. All patients presented similar and limited postural anomalies during the Formetric examination. No significant results emerged from statistics . CONCLUSIONS. From the emerging data, mandibular asymmetry does not seem to be considered a potential risk factor for the development of functional anomalies both in the stomatognatic system and in the postural one. The only issue that should be considered is the condylar retrusion of the mandibular shortest side that is a possible destabilizing factor of the TMJ condyle-disc coordination
Functional implications of minor mandibular asymmetry: clinical and digital research on a sample of healthy patients
OBJECTIVE.The aim of the study is to evaluate the influence that the mandibular asymmetry could have towards the other components of the Stomathognatic system and to further related structures from a functional point of view. MATERIALS and METHODS. A sample of 18 young asymmetric patients, in healthy status, was investigated with clinical evaluation and questionnaires and digital devices such as Electromiography, Stabilometry, T-scan and Formetric. Descriptive and quantitative statistical analysis were performed. RESULTS. ASIM electromyography index was significant only in a short percentage of the sample. Hypertonia of temporalis muscle in the same side of mandibular deviation and the cross-activation of the contralateral masseter were present. The data of the stabilometric platform showed that only 33% of patients had a load discrepancy between right and left side. All patients presented similar and limited postural anomalies during the Formetric examination. No significant results emerged from statistics . CONCLUSIONS. From the emerging data, mandibular asymmetry does not seem to be considered a potential risk factor for the development of functional anomalies both in the stomatognatic system and in the postural one. The only issue that should be considered is the condylar retrusion of the mandibular shortest side that is a possible destabilizing factor of the TMJ condyle-disc coordination
Gauge-invariant quark-antiquark nonlocal condensates in lattice QCD
We study, by numerical simulations on a lattice, the behaviour of the
gauge-invariant quark-antiquark nonlocal condensates in the QCD vacuum with
dynamical fermions. A determination is also done in the quenched approximation
and the results are compared with the full-QCD case. The fermionic correlation
length is extracted and compared with the analogous gluonic quantity.Comment: 14 pages, LaTeX file, + 6 PS figure
Renormalization and topological susceptibility on the lattice: SU(2) Yang-Mills theory
The renormalization functions involved in the determination of the
topological susceptibility in the SU(2) lattice gauge theory are extracted by
direct measurements, without relying on perturbation theory. The determination
exploits the phenomenon of critical slowing down to allow the separation of
perturbative and non-perturbative effects. The results are in good agreement
with perturbative computations.Comment: 12 pages + 4 figures (PostScript); report no. IFUP-TH 10/9
Antimutagenic and antioxidant activity of a protein fraction from aerial parts of Urtica dioica
Abstract Context: Urtica dioica L. (Urticaceae), stinging nettle, has been employed as a folklore remedy for a wide spectrum of ailments, including urinary disorders, prostatic hyperplasia, and liver diseases. It has been also used traditionally for cancer treatment. Object: To evaluate the potential chemopreventive properties of a protein fraction from the aerial part of Urtica dioica (namely UDHL30). Materials and methods: UDHL30 has been tested for the antimutagenic activity in bacteria (50-800 μg/plate; Ames test by the preincubation method) and for the cytotoxicity on human hepatoma HepG2 cells (0.06-2 mg/mL; 24 and 48 h incubation). Moreover, the antioxidant activity of UDHL30 (0.1-1200 μg/mL; ABTS and superoxide-radical scavenger assays) was evaluated as potential protective mechanisms. Results: UDHL30 was not cytotoxic on HepG2 cells up to 2 mg/mL; conversely, it exhibited a strong antimutagenic activity against the mutagen 2-aminoanthracene (2AA) in all strains tested (maximum inhibition of 56, 78, and 61% in TA98, TA100, and WP2uvrA strains, respectively, at 800 μg/plate). In addition, a remarkable scavenging activity against ABTS radical and superoxide anion (IC50 values of 19.9 ± 1.0 μg/mL and 75.3 ± 0.9 μg/mL, respectively) was produced. Discussion and conclusions: UDHL30 possesses antimutagenic and radical scavenging properties. Being 2AA a pro-carcinogenic agent, we hypothesize that the antimutagenicity of UDHL30 can be due to the inhibition of CYP450-isoenzymes, involved in the mutagen bioactivation. The radical scavenger ability could contribute to 2AA-antimutagenicity. These data encourage further studies in order to better define the potential usefulness of UDHL30 in chemoprevention
Topological susceptibility in Yang-Mills theory in the vacuum correlator method
We calculate the topological susceptibility of the Yang-Mills vacuum using
the field correlator method. Our estimate for the SU(3) gauge group, \chi^{1/4}
= 196(7) MeV, is in a very good agreement with the results of recent numerical
simulations of the Yang-Mills theory on the lattice.Comment: 5 pages (JETP Letters style
High energy parton-parton amplitudes from lattice QCD and the stochastic vacuum model
Making use of the gluon gauge-invariant two-point correlation function,
recently determined by numerical simulation on the lattice in the quenched
approximation and the stochastic vacuum model, we calculate the elementary
(parton-parton) amplitudes in both impact-parameter and momentum transfer
spaces. The results are compared with those obtained from the Kr\"{a}mer and
Dosch ansatz for the correlators. Our main conclusion is that the divergences
in the correlations functions suggested by the lattice calculations do not
affect substantially the elementary amplitudes. Phenomenological and
semiempirical information presently available on elementary amplitudes is also
referred to and is critically discussed in connection with some theoretical
issues.Comment: Text with 11 pages in LaTeX (twocolumn form), 10 figures in
PostScript (psfig.tex used). Replaced with changes, Fig.1 modified, two
references added, some points clarified, various typos corrected. Version to
appear in Phys. Rev.
Magnetic component of Yang-Mills plasma
Confinement in non-Abelian gauge theories is commonly ascribed to percolation
of magnetic monopoles, or strings in the vacuum. At the deconfinement phase
transition the condensed magnetic degrees of freedom are released into gluon
plasma as thermal magnetic monopoles. We point out that within the percolation
picture lattice simulations can be used to estimate the monopole content of the
gluon plasma. We show that right above the critical temperature the monopole
density remains a constant function of temperature, as for a liquid, and then
grows, like for a gas.Comment: 4 pages, no figures; replaced to match published versio
Regulation of CREB activation by p38 mitogen activated protein kinase during human primary erythroblast differentiation.
Among the molecular events underlying erythroid differentiation, we analyzed the signalling pathway leading to cAMP response element binding (CREB) nuclear transcription factor activation. Normal donor blood light density cells differentiated to pro-erythroblasts during the proliferative phase (10 days) of the Human Erithroblast Massive Amplification (HEMA) culture, and to orthochromatic erythroblasts, during the differentiative phase (4 additional days) of the culture. Since erythropoietin was present all over the culture, also pro-erythroblasts left in proliferative medium for 14 days continued their maturation without reaching the final steps of differentiation. p38 Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase (p38 MAPK) and CREB maximal activation occurred upon 4 days of differentiation induction, whereas a lower activation was detectable in the cells maintained in parallel in proliferative medium (14 days). Interestingly, when SB203580, a specific p38 MAPK inhibitor, was added to the culture the percentage of differentiated cells decreased along with p38 MAPK and CREB phosphorylation. All in all, our results evidence a role for p38 MAPK in activating CREB metabolic pathway in the events leading to erythroid differentiation
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