La sicurezza nell'identità dei beni culturali in materiali lapidei: la firma sonica

Evaluation of gingival microcirculation in patients undergoing fixed orthodontic treatment: a pilot study.

AIM: Among the many biological effects which occur during orthodontic movement, we decided to investigate gingival microcirculation. The aim of the study was to evaluate the biological microvascular response to the application of orthodontic force in vivo. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty patients (case group) between 9-22 years of age (average± DS 12±3.01) were selected for the study (M/F ratio: 20/20). They needed fixed orthodontic treatment due to several types of malocclusion. Forty healthy subjects (control group) were also recruited (M/F ratio 20/20; average age 12 years ± 4.01; Mean±SD =10.04±1.7). A videocapillaroscopic examination was performed on each patient on the buccal alveolar mu…

Human temporomandibular joint morphogenesis

Temporomandibular joint morphogenesis was studied. Ranging in age of fetuses examine was from 6 to 14 weeks’ gestation. Our results showed the condyle so first element that appear between 6° and 8° week (condylar blastema). After a week appear temporal elements. Disk appear at the same time of glenoid blastema and its reaches an advanced differentiation before of the condyle and temporal element, so these don’t effect mechanical compression on mesenchimal where we find the disk. So we think that the disk result of genetic expression and it isn’t the result of mechanical compression. The inferior joint cavity appear to 12 week. The superior joint appear to 13-14 week. In conclusion, the appe…

Oral diseases in a patient affected with Prader-Willi syndrome.

Contributo geofisico per la ricostruzione di cavità di interesse storico nel sottosuolo di Palermo

A constrained geophysical model of the landslide that affects the Agrigento Cathedral

Integrated hydrogeochemical and geophysical surveys for a study of sea-water intrusion

The CFTA Department of the University of Palermo in collaboration with ARPA SICILIA has carried out a study of the sea intrusion phenomenon in the aquifer between the cities of Marsala and Mazara del Vallo (south-western Sicily) using geophysical techniques (TDEM, ERT and MASW) and geochemical analysis of well water. The aim of the research was to optimize the acquisition techniques, data processing and data interpretation for the geometry reconstruction of aquifers, their characterization, and the determination of concentration of pollutants. The analysis of the geophysical results reveals the existence of very low resistivity values in correspondence of the area from the coastline to a ki…

CAPILLAROSCOPIC MORPHOFUNCTIONAL MODIFICATIONS DURING SEPSIS

Study of the microcirculation of oral mucosa in healthy subjects

The research has the following aims: 1: to verify the applicability of capillaroscopic investigation to oral mucosa; 2: to propose oral mucosa as an alternative to the fingernail fold for capillaroscopic investigation; 3: to describe the characteristics of the microcirculation of oral mucosa in healthy subjects. 100 healthy patients were examined. The characteristics of the micro-circulation in the areas of gum mucosa and the mucosa covering of the lower lip were examined using computerised videomicroscopic techniques. For each patient we evaluated the visibility, the course, the density, the tortuosity and any images characteristic of capillary loops, besides the possible presence of micro…

NEW 3D ELECTRICAL TOMOGRAPHY TECHNIQUE FOR INVESTIGATIONS ON VULNERABLE SURFACES

VALUE OF INFORMED CONSENT IN AESTHETIC DENTAL PROCEDURES

In the last decade there have been an exponential increase in both the supply and demand for non invasive aesthetic procedures involving the face and the lips to contrast age changes in the perioral area. We briefly report the main non invasive aesthetics treatments in which dentists are involved and the professional liability related to the issues of informed consent. To avoid deontological and judiciary consequences the informed consent has to be obtained by the patient before any clinical procedure and documented in medical record. Recently Italian law no. 219/2017 highlighted the principle of autonomy and self-determination of patient and maximizes an optimal relationship between patien…

Topical capsaicin application and axon reflex vasodilatation of the tongue: Neurogenic involvement in burning mouth syndrome.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of topical capsaicin application on human lingual mucosa and to assess if neurogenic inflammation might have a role in the pathogenesis of lingual diseases. Thirty patients (16 males and 14 females; mean age: 41.46 +/- 11.8 years; range: 23-60) were examined in our laboratory. The neurogenic inflammation was experimentally induced in the lingual mucosa close to 1) the left margin of the tongue and 2) the right margin of the tongue after ipsilateral nerve trunk anesthesia. The characteristics of lingual microcirculation were observed using computerized videocapillaroscopic techniques. The vasodilatation was observed close to the left margin o…

New no-invasive methodology to detect the external decayed layer of lapideous artefacts.

SPR survey for archaeological researches: the site of Himera

Panoramic Periodontal Capillaroscopy - a New Diagnostic Method

Geophysical and geotechnical investigations to support the restoration project of the Roman ‘Villa del Casale’, Piazza Armerina, Sicily, Italy

A multidisciplinary geophysical and geotechnical study, including some non-invasive geophysical applications, was carried out during the restoration of the ‘Villa del Casale’, a Roman villa discovered near Piazza Armerina (Sicily, Italy) in 1929, famous for its Roman floor mosaics. The project aims were to characterize the geology of the subsoil and provide information for solving the main building structural problems including the subsidence of some parts of the floor and the detachment of the tesserae (i.e., the tiles) of the mosaics. Another goal was the detailed study of the underground structures of the Corridor of the Great Hunt, a part of the villa strongly affected by subsidence and…

ORAL LEOKOPLAKIA:TOPICAL ISOTRETIONIN TREATMENT

Identification of Precious Artefacts: The Sonic Imprint for Small Artefacts

Identification of artworks is mainly based on a few characteristics which can be observed using non-invasive tools (sight, touch, simple instruments), the investigated properties being geometry, weight, colours, texture, etc. Nowadays, technology allows reproducing all these characteristics to such an extent that even expert conservators can be deceived: in particular at the present time even the geometry of an artwork can be easily reproduced with the help of laser scanner analysis and with a rapid prototyping machine or a computer numerical control (CNC) milling machine. We propose a new tool, the Sonic Imprint, producing a code capable of identifying a rigid artefact from its vibrational…

2d GPR and geoelectrical modelling: tests on man–made tunnels and cavities

B036 2D GPR AND GEOELECTRICAL MODELLING: TESTS ON MAN–MADE TUNNELS AND CAVITIES Introduction 1 Many engineering and environmental projects require geophysical exploration to minimize the geological risk connected with the presence of natural or artificial tunnels and cavities (air and/or water filled). Many studies have been carried out to optimize the procedures to investigate these cavities using many geophysical methods (Beres et al. 2001; Li et al. 2004). In this paper we like to confirm the reliability of combined geophysical methodologies (GPR and ERT) and relative modelling to detect and locate cavities in a particular site (Marsala Western Sicily) where

3D ERT for the study of an ancient wall covered by precious mosaics

The DC electrical tomography (ERT) is still a method scarcely diffused for the study of masonry of recent and ancient buildings, in spite of the very high resolution power of this methodology. The major limitation on ERT applicability on precious surfaces (like masonries or floors with fresco or mosaic covering) depends on the method of current injection: usually it is necessary to drive electrodes (small nails) into small perforations on the surfaces, to obtain sufficiently high current values (to produce good signal to noise ratio). An interesting application of the MYG array (that reduces significantly, compared to other classical arrays, the number of electrodes utilized for current inj…

Study And Monitoring Of Salt Water Intrusion In The Coastal Area Between Mazara Del Vallo And Marsala (South-Western Sicily)

In this chapter the study of a coastal aquifer located in South-Western Sicily (between the towns of Marsala and Mazara del Vallo) is presented, carried out using geochemical, hydro-geological and geophysical techniques. The aquifer has been over-exploited to the point of being subject to intense and worrisome salt-water intrusion. A preliminary chemical and physical characterization of the waters was carried out; this included measuring their conductivity and their chloride content. This allowed to detect the marine intrusion wedge in the coastal aquifer. A series of electromagnetic soundings, suitably calibrated by well logs, were effected in the whole area and allowed to create a 3D inte…

MORPHOLOGIC CHANGES IN THE MICROCIRCULATION INDUCED BY CHRONIC SMOKING HABIT: A VIDEOCAPILLAROSCOPIC STUDY ON THE HUMAN GINGIVAL MUCOSA

PURPOSE: To analyze the gingival characteristics of microcirculation in vivo and to evaluate the effects of smoking by means of computerised videocapillaroscopic techniques. METHODS: 35 healthy non-smokers and 35 healthy smokers were examined. The characteristics of gingival microcirculation were examined using computerized videomicroscopic techniques. For each subject, visibility, course, tortuosity and any images characteristic of capillary loops, besides the possible presence of microhemorrhages, the average caliber of the capillary loops and the number of capillary loops visible per square millimeter were evaluated. The investigation was non-invasive and repeatable for each subject. RES…

From Geophysics to Microgeophysics for Engineering and Cultural Heritage

The methodologies of microgeophysics have been derived from the geophysical ones, for the sake of solving specific diagnostic and/or monitoring problems regarding civil engineering and cultural heritage studies. Generally, the investigations are carried out using different 2D and 3D tomographic approaches as well as different energy sources: sonic and ultrasonic waves, electromagnetic (inductive and impulsive) sources, electric potential fields, and infrared emission. Many efforts have been made to modify instruments and procedures in order to improve the resolution of the surveys as well as to significantly reduce the time of the measurements without any loss of information. This last poin…

METHOD FOR DETECTING A SONIC IMPRINT OF A THREE-DIMENSIONAL OBJECT AND RELATED APPARATUS

Non invasive method used to detect a “sonic imprint” of three-dimensional objects, particularly suitable for the identification and monitoring of artworks, consisting in acquiring the vibrations caused by a source of elastic waves and using a set of detectors fixed in various predetermined points of the external surface of the object. An apparatus, cheap and simple to utilize, suitable to execute this method, is also described.

The Corridor of the great hunting scene, Villa del Casale (Piazza Armerina)

Oral Microcirculation: Videocapillaroscopy Versus Other Techniques

Geophysical investigations at the Himera archaeological site, northern Sicily

In this paper we present a geophysical survey that was carried out as a research activity during field trips to the Himera archaeological site, where relics of a large Greek settlement are still buried, effected by a joint group of archaeologists and geophysicists during an educational project. Two-dimensional (2D) resistivity and ground-penetrating radar (GPR) surveys were performed to locate buried archaeological structures at this archaeological site. The results of the GPR surveys show some anomalies characterized by semi-hyperbolic shapes. In some restricted areas of the town, two grids of parallel GPR profiles were acquired while time- and depth-slices were calculated to identify the …

Increased gingival blood vessel density in SLE patients

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a serious multisystem disease with a variety of cutaneous and oral manifestations. It is an autoimmune disorder whereby patients develop autoantibodies to many of their cells, cell components, and tissue. The microvascular changes in SLE play a role in the pathogenesis of this disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the gingival microcirculation in SLE patients. METHOD AND MATERIALs: Fifteen SLE patients and 15 healthy subjects were recruited for this study. Gingival microcirculation was investigated using videocapillaroscopy, a noninvasive technique that permits the in vivo evaluation of microvascular patterns. RESULTS: Significant difference…

Diagnostica per il consolidamento del mosaico pavimentale dell’ambulacro nella villa romana del casale (Piazza Armerina)

Smoking habit and labial microcirculation

Smoking habit is an important risk factor in oral diseases. In the last years, many studies tried to evaluate smoking effects on the microcirculation. It had never been used such a simple not invasive technique, like the video-capillaroscopic one. The aim of the research is to analyse “in vivo”, the microcirculation labial characteristics, and to evaluate the smoking effects by means of computerised videocapillaroscopy techniques. 35 healthy no-smoker patients and 35 healthy smoker patients were examined. The characteristics of the microcirculation in the areas of labial mucous were examined using computerised videomicroscopic techniques. For each patient we evaluated the visibility, the co…

Sjögren Syndrome and Periodontal Disease: State of the Art and Narrative Review of Current Literature

Purpose of Review and Recent Findings: Sjögren syndrome (SS) is a systemic autoimmune disease characterized by exocrine gland dysfunction: xerostomia and xerophthalmia are the main symptoms. The reduction of salivary flow rate causes a dysbiosis of oral environment that may increase the risk of periodontal disease. The purpose of this narrative review was to analyze the current evidence of scientific literature on the relationship between periodontal disease and the Sjögren syndrome. Material and Methods: A search on MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Web of Science databases was conducted to find all pertinent articles published. The searches were confined…

Periodontal morphological microcirculation in Oral Lichen Planus

This study aimed at evaluating possible differences in the vascular pattern (of periodontal mucosa microcirculation) between healthy patients and patients suffering from PLP (periodontal lichen planus). Fifty-four patients (27 patients suffering from PLP and 27 healthy patients) were examined by means of videocapillaroscopy. The following area was examined for each patient: periodontal mucosa corresponding to 1.1 and 2.1. The following parameters were analyzed on every capillaroscopic image: capillary loop length, loop diameter, capillary tortuosity, capillary density, avascular areas, possible microhaemorrhages, distinctive morphology. The results obtained using videocapillaroscopic softwa…

ANF IN THE PAROTID GLAND IN RABBIT.

It is well known that the presence of a particular type of granule population has been discovered in the atrial cardiocytes which represent the major site of synthesis of atrial natriuretic factor. The ANF has potent natriuretic, diuretic and vasoactive functions. However, ANF evidence occurs in extracardiac tissues such as the brain, intestine, lymphoid organs and in various glands involved in water and salt regulation adrenals, pancreas, lacrimal and salivar glands with respect to salivary glands the literature reportes that ANF presence was found in the acinar cells and on the contrary in the ductal cells. In order to eliminatethese discordances researchers conducted a previous study on …

Physical identification of precious artifacts: the sonic fingerprint.

Quattro esempi di applicazioni geofisiche per l'archeologia a scala medio-piccola

Geophysical prospection of the Roman city of Pollentia, Alcúdia (Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain)

Abstract We present the results of the geophysical investigation carried out in the Roman city of Pollentia, in the island of Mallorca. The ancient city was identified in the 19th century. Old and new archaeological excavations have helped to uncover a residential area, a theatre, the forum, several necropolises and other remains of the city, but a large unexplored area has still to be investigated. For instance, the limits of the ancient town and the presence of harbour structures are still unknown. The geophysical survey has covered an area of more than 20.000 m2 by integrating magnetic, electromagnetic, electrical and ground penetrating radar (GPR) methods. Many unseen archaeological fea…

Advances in microgeophysics for engineering and cultural heritage

A large number of unconventional investigations have been implemented, tested, and validated in the field of microgeophysics, with the aim being to solve specific diagnostic and/or monitoring problems regarding civil engineering and cultural heritage studies. The investigations were carried out using different tomographic 2D and 3D approaches as well as different energy sources, namely sonic, ultrasonic and electromagnetic (radar) waves, electric potential fields, and infrared thermography. Many efforts have been made to modify instruments and procedures in order to improve the resolution of the surveys as well as to greatly reduce the time of the measurements without any loss of informatio…

Structural investigations by infrared thermography and SPR