Angled implant brush for hygienic maintenance of full-arch fixed-implant rehabilitations: a pilot study

Setti, Paolo,Pesce, Paolo,Dellepiane, Elena,Bagnasco, Francesco,Zunino, Paola,Menini, Maria Korean Academy of Periodontology 2020 Journal of Periodontal & Implant Science Vol.50 No.5

Purpose: This pilot study was conducted to evaluate the cleaning efficacy of an angled implant brush for home oral hygiene of full-arch fixed-implant prostheses. Methods: Forty-one patients treated with a full-arch implant rehabilitation in the maxilla or mandible (164 implants) for at least 4 months were enrolled. The screw-retained fixed prostheses were removed and baseline (T0) parameters were recorded, including plaque index (PI), probing depth (PD), and bleeding on probing (BOP). All patients completed a 5-item questionnaire on hygiene maintenance and received an implant brush for home hygiene. After 1 month (T1) PI, PD, and BOP were recorded again and patients completed a 7-item questionnaire to evaluate their satisfaction with the implant brush. One-way repeated-measures analysis of variance was conducted to evaluate the significance of changes in PI, PD, and BOP. A P value <0.05 was considered to indicate statistical significance. Results: A statistically significant reduction of BOP (0.62±0.6 at T0 vs. 0.5±0.5 at T1; P=0.032) was found, while no statistically significant changes in PD (1.74±0.5 mm at T0 vs. 1.77±0.5 mm at T1; P=0.050) or PI (1.9±0.7 at T0 vs. 1.7±0.7 at T1; P=0.280) occurred. According to the 7-item questionnaire, patients reported no difficulty in using the angled brush (63.4%) and deemed it highly (46.3%) or very highly (4.8%) effective in improving their home oral hygiene. Conclusions: Within the limits of the present pilot study, the patients experienced a reduction of BOP 1 month after being instructed to use the angled implant brush. The angled implant brush appeared to be a well-accepted device for home-care hygiene of full-arch fixed-implant rehabilitations.

Dietary Regulations of the Intestinal Barrier Function at Weaning

Bosi, Paolo,Gremokolini, Cyrien,Trevisi, Paolo Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2003 Animal Bioscience Vol.16 No.4

Weaning is a complex phase when the mammal suffers the action of different stressors that contribute to negatively affect the efficiency of the intestinal mucosa and of the whole local integrated system, that acts as barrier against any nocuous agent. The components of this barrier are mechanical, chemical, and bacteriological; immunological and not. The development of contact with a saprophyte microflora and the maintenance of feed intake after the interruption of motherly nutrition are essential for the maturation of an equilibrated local immune function and for a functional integrity of villi. Opportunities and limits of some dietary strategies that can contribute to reduce negative effects of weaning on health and performance are discussed. Knowledges on the possible mechanism of action of probiotics are upgraded, particularly for their supposed role in the balance between different immune functions (effectory/regulatory). Some tools to control pathogen microflora are reviewed (acids, herbs, immunoglobulin sources) and practical feeding systems are proposed.

The Importance of a Correct Alignment in Contactless Inspection of Additive Manufactured Parts

Paolo Minetola 한국정밀공학회 2012 International Journal of Precision Engineering and Vol. No.

Nowadays products having complex freeform custom-made shapes can be fabricated without any tool by means of additive manufacturing processes. Additive manufactured parts must be inspected for quality to verify that they meet dimensional and geometrical specifications among other requirements just as any other product. Contactless inspection carried out with optical 3D scanners is preferred to traditional pointwise measurements because of the higher amount of data retrieved in short times. A key step of the contactless inspection process is the definition of the part reference frame for the alignment of scan data. This paper considers different 3-2-1 alignments and analyze their influence on the inspection results, putting in evidence that an inattentive or inaccurate definition of the part reference frame can lead to incorrect evaluations of real part deviations.

HIV Infection Control: A Constructive Algorithm for a State-based Switching Control

Paolo Di Giamberardino,Daniela Iacoviello 제어·로봇·시스템학회 2018 International Journal of Control, Automation, and Vol.16 No.3

The control of the HIV infection is considered in the framework of the optimal control theory within the problem of resource allocation. A control action, changing the intervention strategy on the basis of the updated situations, is proposed. The switching instants are not fixed in advance but are determined along with the final control time. A constructive algorithm to compute iteratively the switching control is outlined. The solutions obtained provide interesting and promising results.

Predictive Formulation for the Ultimate Combinations of Axial Force and Bending Moment Attainable by Steel Members

Paolo Foraboschi 한국강구조학회 2020 International Journal of Steel Structures Vol.20 No.2

This paper is devoted to quantitative safety assessment of steel beam-columns, and delivers a plain analytical formulation for predicting the ultimate combinations of axial force and bending moment, allowing for material and geometric non-linearities. The formulation easily permits the ultimate interaction diagram of a steel member to be accurately constructed, as well as the structure to be checked for combined axial force and lateral load. It applies specifically to columns but can be used for any members. The formulation is also configured as a tool for straightforward design and construction. To that end, the structure is converted from an imperfect geometrically non-linear system into a geometrically linear system without imperfections, which allows the structure to be designed and dimensioned referring to the first order moments. The paper gives a detailed account of the mathematical developments and the final expressions, including some illustrative examples.

Design analysis of the optimum configuration of self-anchored cable-stayed suspension bridges

Paolo Lonetti,Arturo Pascuzzo 국제구조공학회 2014 Structural Engineering and Mechanics, An Int'l Jou Vol.51 No.5

This paper describes a formulation to predict optimum post-tensioning forces and cable dimensioning for self-anchored cable-stayed suspension bridges. The analysis is developed with respect toboth dead and live load configurations, taking into account design constrains concerning serviceability and ultimate limit states. In particular, under dead loads, the analysis is developed with the purpose to calculate the post-tensioning cable forces to achieve minimum deflections for both girder and pylons. Moreover, under live loads, for each cable elements, the lowest required cross-section area is determined, which verifies prescriptions, under ultimate or serviceability limit states, on maximum allowable stresses and bridge deflections. The final configuration is obtained by means of an iterative procedure, which leads to aprogressive definition of the stay, hanger and main cable characteristics, concerning both post-tensioningcable stresses and cross-sections. The design procedure is developed in the framework of a FE modeling, by using a refined formulation of the bridge components, taking into account of geometric nonlinearities involved in the bridge components. The results demonstrate that the proposed method can be easily utilized to predict the cable dimensioning also in the framework of long span bridge structures, in which typically more complexities are expected in view of the large number of variables involved in the design analysis.

Comparison of Local Sclerotherapy With Lauromacrogol Versus Nasal Packing in the Treatment of Anterior Epistaxis

Paolo Farneti,Ernesto Pasquini,Vittorio Sciarretta,Giovanni Macrì2,Giulia Gramellini,Antonio Pirodda 대한이비인후과학회 2016 Clinical and Experimental Otorhinolaryngology Vol.9 No.2

Objectives. Epistaxis is one of the most common otorhinolaryngologic emergencies representing more than 12% of conditions managed at the Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) Emergency Consulting Room of our Otorhinolaryngologic Unit each year. The elevated frequency of this pathology makes it necessary to adopt the most effective and least expensive therapeutic strategy available. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy, costs and morbidity of nasal packing (NP), which is the mainstay of treatment for anterior epistaxis in our ENT Emergency Consulting Room versus submucosal infiltrations of lauromacrogol (LA). Methods. A retrospective study was designed from August 2012 to April 2013 involving 53 patients suffering from anterior epistaxis. Anterior NP was used in 27 patients versus 26 patients undergoing 27 procedures performed with submucosal infiltrations of LA (or polidocanol). Outcomes for each treatment were evaluated. Patients in group 1 were treated with LA 400 injection next to the bleeding point: 0.5- to 1-mL single or multiple infiltrations with a 27-gauge needle. The whitening of the nasal mucosa around the bleeding point during infiltration was considered a marker of correct procedure in order to achieve the best results. Bilateral treatment was also performed at the same time. Patients in group 2 were treated with standard NP. Results. Bleeding recurrence was higher in the NP group even if it was not statistically significant (P=0.2935). However, the LA infiltrations were better tolerated with lower morbidity and costs as compared to NP. No complications were observed in either group. Conclusion. LA infiltrations were shown to be a viable alternative in anterior epistaxis treatment. They are safe, easy to use with good efficacy and have a low cost.

A new method to predict the critical incidence angle for buildings under near-fault motions

Paolo E. Sebastiani,Laura Liberatore,Andrea Lucchini,Fabrizio Mollaioli 국제구조공학회 2018 Structural Engineering and Mechanics, An Int'l Jou Vol.68 No.5

It is well known that the incidence angle of seismic excitation has an influence on the structural response of buildings, and this effect can be more significant in the case of near-fault signals. However, current seismic codes do not include detailed requirements regarding the direction of application of the seismic action and they have only recently introduced specific provisions about near-fault earthquakes. Thus, engineers have the task of evaluating all the relevant directions or the most critical conditions case by case, in order to avoid underestimating structural demand. To facilitate the identification of the most critical incidence angle, this paper presents a procedure which makes use of a two-degree of freedom model for representing a building. The proposed procedure makes it possible to avoid the extensive computational effort of multiple dynamic analyses with varying angles of incidence of ground motion excitation, which is required if a spatial multi-degree of freedom model is used for representing a building. The procedure is validated through the analysis of two case studies consisting of an eight- and a six-storey reinforced concrete frame building, selected as representative of existing structures located in Italy. A set of 124 near-fault ground motion records oriented along 8 incidence angles, varying from 0 to 180 degrees, with increments of 22.5 degrees, is used to excite the structures. Comparisons between the results obtained with detailed models of the two structures and the proposed procedure are used to show the accuracy of the latter in the prediction of the most critical angle of seismic incidence.

Poly(lactic acid)/poly(lactic‑co‑glycolic acid)‑based microparticles: an overview

Paolo Blasi 한국약제학회 2019 Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation Vol.49 No.4

Background Poly(glycolic acid), poly(lactic acid) and poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) were approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the 1970s as materials for the manufacturing of bioresorbable surgical sutures, but soon became the reference materials for the preparation of sustained release formulations, especially injectable microparticles. Since the 1986 approval of Decapeptyl ® SR, the first product based on PLGA microspheres, more than 15 such products have been approved for clinical use. Area covered This article highlights the key steps that brought to the development of injectable poly(lactic acid)/poly(lacticco- glycolic acid) microparticles for the sustained release of active pharmaceutical ingredients. After a brief history of some pioneering works that opened the field of controlled drug delivery, the key steps that led to the development of these polymers and the approval of the first microparticle-based medicinal products are reviewed. Finally, the general characteristics of these polymers are described and the classical preparation method is explained. Expert opinion Poly(lactic acid)/poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) microparticles are among the most successful drug delivery systems. The recent approval of new medicinal products based on PLGA microspheres is the proof that pharmaceutical companies have continued to exploit this drug delivery technology. The possible development of generics and the continuous discovery of therapeutic peptides will hopefully further the success of microsphere technology.

Paired Box Gene 8 (Pax8) Is also an Immunomarker of B-Cell Lineage Which Can Be Source of Diagnostic Pitfalls

Paolo Gasparri,Luca Roncati 전남대학교 의과학연구소 2019 전남의대학술지 Vol.55 No.1