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Are standardized caries risk assessment models effective in assessing caries risk?
Full text linkThe aim of this thesis was to evaluate the effectiveness of the methods used to identify people with an increased risk of developing carious lesions.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Scientific literature on methods used to identify individuals with an increased risk for caries development was critically evaluated through a systematic literature review. Two pilot studies were carried out, one comparing the standardized models Cariogram, Cambra and PreViser on 68 adults and a second proposing a new simplified model derived from the National Guidelines for the Promotion of Oral Health and Prevention of Oral Diseases in Children (n=71) and comparing this new model with the Cariogram and Cambra models.
RESULTS: The Cariogram is the most studied model used to evaluate the caries risk with 31 out of 32 papers selected.
Only in 29 subjects out of 68 there was a perfect agreement among results obtained through the three models. In the comparison between the new model and Cambra, 55 children out of 71 were classified with the same risk level, while comparing the new method with Cariogram model, the subjects were 44. Comparing Cambra and Cariogram results, only 45 subjects were classified coherently.
CONCLUSION: The evidence on the validity for existing CRA models in assessing and predicting caries lesion is limited. There is an urgent need to develop valid and reliable methods for caries risk assessment that are based on best evidence for caries prediction and disease management
The Impact of wildland fires on calcareous Mediterranean pedosystems (Sardinia, Italy): an integrated multiple approach
No full textSardinia (Italy), the second largest island of the Mediterranean Sea, is a fire-prone land. Most Sardinian environments over time were shaped by fire, but some of them are too intrinsically fragile to withstand the currently increasing fire frequency. Calcareous pedoenvironments represent a significant part of Mediterranean areas, and require important efforts to prevent long-lasting degradation from fire. The aim of this study was to assess through an integrated multiple approach the impact of a single and highly severe wildland fire on limestone-derived soils. For this purpose, we selected two recently burned sites, Sant'Antioco and Laconi. Soil was sampled from 80 points on a 100 × 100 m grid – 40 in the burned area and 40 in unburned one – and analyzed for particle size fractions, pH, electrical conductivity, organic carbon, total N, total P, and water repellency (WR). Fire behavior (surface rate of spread (ROS), fireline intensity (FLI), flame length (FL)) was simulated by BehavePlus 5.0.5 software. Comparisons between burned and unburned areas were done through ANOVA as well as deterministic and stochastic interpolation techniques; multiple correlations among parameters were evaluated by principal factor analysis (PFA) and differences/similarities between areas by principal component analysis (PCA). In both sites, fires were characterized by high severity and determined significant changes to some soil properties. The PFA confirmed the key ecological role played by fire in both sites, with the variability of a four-modeled components mainly explained by fire parameters, although the induced changes on soils were mainly site-specific. The PCA revealed the presence of two main “driving factors”: slope (in Sant'Antioco), which increased the magnitude of ROS and FLI; and soil properties (in Laconi), which mostly affected FL. In both sites, such factors played a direct role in differentiating fire behavior and sites, while they played an indirect role in determining some effects on soil
Public Engagement, educazione superiore e ricerca scientifica in Europa: uno studio sull'esperienza degli Science shop
Full text linkAs recent literature highlighted, the concept of a centralized and vertical university - only for elite and appendix of nation states - is no longer appropriate to explain a complex social system. By now, its components constantly innovate in a process of mutual and reciprocal adjustment, which can be relatively autonomous from the regulatory intervention of a centralized unite.
That complexity results in an attempt to overcome the Ivory Tower model, in favor of an attitude of openness to the societal and economic context. This supports a more active and collaborative involvement of universities.
Additionally, a third mission of university is gaining momentum which tends to bring academy nearer to civil society. This is the called service mission which often takes the form of public engagement.
An example of a specific operational form through which public engagement has been practiced by European universities may be referred to the experience of the so-called are Science Shops. These centers offer a cause for reflection about the third mission and the collaboration between university and society, in a participatory perspective.
This perspective is oriented towards civic engagement in scientific research and brings to a university as place and laboratory of social practice, as “service of social utility”.
This PhD work presents the main findings of empirical research about Science Shops ‘experience across Europe, through questionnaires, focus group and participant observation
Follow up prenatale e post natale dei feti IUGR: differenza di genere
Full text linkAim: The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a difference in perinatal outcome by gender among growth-restricted fetuses.
Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) singleton pregnancies over a one year period. Clinical outcomes compared by gender included preterm delivery, perinatal mortality (PNM), respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), grade 3 or 4 intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), and periventricular leukomalacia (PVL). Statistical analysis included bivariate and multivariable techniques.
Results: One hundred singleton pregnancies with IUGR were identified in our Clinc. Fourtyseven (47.6%) were males. Birth weight was similar between the groups. After adjusting for maternal demographics, medical history, gestational age, mode of delivery, and antenatal corticosteroids, adverse perinatal outcomes were similar between the groups. Severity of outcomes was also similar between males and females.
Conclusion: The general concept that male fetuses have a lower clinical performance than females apparently does not apply in the case of intrauterine growth restriction. The scales are tipped by females, who are more prone to develop IUGR
Rilievi epidemiologici e biomolecolari della toxoplasmosi in Sardegna
Full text linkToxoplasmosis is a foodborne zoonosis transmitted by Toxoplasma gondii, a protozoan belonging to the phylum Apicomplexa of great medical and veterinary importance.
Our research, conducted in four experimental phases, aimed to acquire epidemiological and biomolecular data on toxoplasmosis of sheep, pigs and goats reared in Sardinia (Italy).
Briefly, in the 1st phase, ELISA test of sera and meat juice and Nested PCR approaches were used for a rapid and sensitive screening of T. gondii infection in a randomized sample of 112 sheep slaughtered for human consumption. The 100% of the investigated animals were found positive at least one of the diagnostic techniques. During the 2nd phase, the immune response of sheep and goats reared together in the same flock was monitored. Seroprevalence significantly high found in sheep suggest a greater susceptibility of this species to infections with T. gondii compared to goats.
In the 3rd phase, it was evaluated the passage of IgG anti-T. gondii from 47 Sarda sheep to their respective lambs soon after birth. Serological analysis performed at different time indicate that passive immunity acquired via the colostrum in the lamb is protective for 3 months.
Finally in the last phase a cross-sectional investigation was carried out on animals raised in 109 pig breedings and slaughtered for human consumption. Antibodies against T. gondii were found in the 51.7% of the sera samples, while preliminary data on genotyping showed in pigs of the island the presence of the clonal lineage Type III
Soil carbon dynamics and Land Use Change assessment in a no-food Mediterranean cropping system
Full text linkThe understanding of soil carbon dynamics in perennial energy systems is crucial to maintain soil fertility and agro-ecosystem sustainability. The research aims to assess the performances of five agricultural managements on soil organic carbon dynamics in a Mediterranean cropping system of cardoon (LW and HI low and high rate of N fertilizer, LW-B: plus biochar; LW-C: plus cover crop and LW-CB: plus cover crop and biochar). In addition, the impacts in terms of Land Use Change (LUC) due to conversion from biannual (barley to field bean) to cardoon were evaluated. The study was conducted from 2014 to 2017. Soil parameters of Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) content and stock were determined. Furthermore, soil respiration, temperature and moisture were monitored weekly. The best performance was showed by LW-B and LW-C managements since the biochar incorporation provided an important stable C resource that might foster C sequestration contributing to climate change mitigation. N-fixing cover crop use (i.e. subterranean clover) in perennial energy systems might be a successful strategy in terms of soil fertility enhancing and consequently ecosystem services supply. LUC and agricultural management also influenced C dynamics. The conversion of food/feed cropping system to energy one can produced a C stock increase in the soil throughout the entire perennial crop cycle that might be an useful strategy in terms of climate change mitigation
Coupling remote sensing with wildfire spread modeling in Mediterranean areas
Full text linkWildfires are a threat to the ecosystems and in the future this threat could become stronger due to climate change. Spatially explicit fire spread models are effective tools to study fire behavior and wildfire risk. However, to run fire spread simulations, one of the most important inputs is represented by fuel models and this information is not always available. In the last decades, remote sensing technologies have offered valuable information for the classification and characterization of fuels. For this reason, in this work we created accurate maps of main fuel types for Mediterranean areas combining multispectral and LiDAR data. This information improves the current available information, which derives from the Land Use Map of Sardinia. We also enhanced the characterization of canopy fuel models using LiDAR data producing canopy layers ready to be used for wildfire spread modeling. Finally, we compared the variation in simulated wildfire spread and behavior determined by the use of fine-scale maps v. lower resolution maps. In these simulations, we assessed also the effect of using LiDAR-derived canopy layers as well. The results showed more accurate outputs when using our custom fuel and canopy layers produced in this work. In conclusion, this work suggests that the use of LiDAR and satellite imagery data can contribute to improve estimates of modeled wildfire behavior
Contaminazioni da aflatossina M<sub>1</sub> nella filiera del latte ovino in Sardegna
Full text linkThe main objective of the thesis was to investigate the level of aflatoxin M1 contamination in the dairy sheep sector in Sardinia (Italy). The first contribution was a survey on the level of aflatoxin M1 contamination of small ruminant raw milk collected in Sardinia. Raw milk samples were collected at farm level from bulk tanks, from tank trucks and also at plant level from silo tanks. Overall were collected 517 sheep and 88 goat milk samples. Analysis for the detection of aflatoxins M1 were performed using high-performance liquid chromatography. Only one sheep bulk tank milk sample exceeded the EU limit (50 ng/kg). The second contribution of the thesis was aimed to investigate the presence of aflatoxin M1 of Pecorino Romano cheese and to compare the level of contamination with other long ripened cheeses produced using cow’s milk. A total of 108 Pecorino Romano, 40 Grana Padano and 32 Parmigiano Reggiano cheese samples were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Only 5.6% of Pecorino Romano samples were above the detection limit of the method (30 ng/kg) but always within the maximum residues levels for long ripened cheeses (275 ng/Kg). The lower risk of aflatoxins M1 contamination in dairy sheep milk sector as compared to dairy cow’s sector is due to differences in the farming systems, in the lower carry-over of small ruminants and in the greater impact of dilution effect in the milk picking system adopted by sheep milk plants
Studio di alcuni oli essenziali nella pratica clinica
Full text linkDuring the Ph.D. period, mastery of several traditional microbiology techniques, such as bacteriology and cytology, and molecular techniques was acquired, with application on randomized clinical trials.
The research activity has focused mainly on in vitro antibacterial, antioxidant and cytotoxic activity with subsequent application of some essential oils in vivo on animals and on humans.
Considering the results obtained, it is clear that Thymus vulgaris - red thyme geraniol sel and L. grosso oils have shown good antimicrobial activity, compared to L. angustifolia and L. sumian on multi-drug clinical strains of P. aeruginosa.
While L. angustifolia Miller presented a cytotoxic action on CaCo-2 cells (Colon-carcinoma Carcinoma Cells) probably due to the action of terpenes.
The oleolites of Helichrysum microphyllum Cambess. subsp. tyrrhenicum Bacch., Brullo & Giusso and Hypericum perforatum subsp. Angustifolium were tested against 30 strains of Candida spp.: the oleolite of H. microphyllum showed greater antifungal activity compared to H. perforatum.
Finally, the antifungal action of Mirtus communis was studied against 86 strains of Malassezia spp.: the obtained data showed a remarkable activity against M. furfur and M. sympodialis.
Furthermore, an in vivo study was performed and we present here the preliminary data.
The topic developed is part of a research area aimed at the use of essential oils with antibacterial activity in the problem of drug resistance
Rheumatoid arthritis patient antibodies highly recognize IL-2 in the immune response pathway involving IRF5 and EBV antigens
Full text linkRheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by a progressive joint damage due to largely unknown environmental factors acting in concert with risk alleles conferring genetic susceptibility. A major role has been attributed to viral infections that include past contacts with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and, more recently, to non-protein coding sequences of human endogenous retrovirus K (HERV-K) integrated in the human genome. Molecular mimicry between viral and self proteins is supposed to cause the loss of immune tolerance in predisposed hosts. There are evidences that anti-IL-2 antibodies (Abs) are present in subjects affected by autoimmune diseases and may be responsible for alterations in regulatory T cell responses. In this study, we evaluated the levels of Abs against IL-2, viral epitopes and interferon regulatory factor 5 (IRF5) in 140 RA patients and 137 healthy controls (HCs). Ab reactivity reached the highest levels for IRF5, EBV and IL-2 (56%, 44% and 39%, respectively) in RA with significantly lower values among HCs (7–9%, p < 0.0001), which suggests a possible cross-reaction between IRF5/EBV homologous antigens and shifts in T cell balance disrupted by anti-IL-2 Abs