1,720,973 research outputs found
Citotoxicity of four types of resins used for removable denture bases: in vitro comparative analysis
No full textObjective: To compare the cytotoxicity of four types of resins used for manufacturing denture bases. Method and Materials: 9 disk-shaped samples of four resin (two heat-polymerized, one auto-polymerized, and one light-polymerized), 9 samples of glass (negative control) and 9 samples of lead (positive control) were made according to the manufacturer instructions. The materials were tested by contact with BALB/C 3T3 fibroblast cells. Each sample was tested after 24, 48 and 72 hours. The cellular vitality was verified through spectrophotometric analysis of the solution where the colour is directly related to the amount of metabolically active and living cells. The results were analyzed through the one way variance analysis (ANOVA) in order to evaluate significant differences in the behaviour of the resins at 24, 48 and 72 hours. When a significant difference was present, the Games/Howell test for multiple comparisons was used. The significativity level was fixed at p≤0,05. Results: The auto-polymerized resin showed the lowest values of cellular vitality (57%) during the first 24 hours, similar to the positive controls (lead) (p>0.05). The light-polymerized resin and the negative control (glass) were so compatible with the cellular carpet that all their values did not show statistically significant differences in any of the three periods of time considered (p>0.05), and their cellular vitality values almost reached the 100%. Conclusion: The autopolymerized resin showed the major cytotoxicity; the light-polymerized resin, instead, showed an optimal biocompatibility due to the absence of free monomer from its chemical composition
Dynamics and molecular evolution of HIV-1 strains in Sicily among antiretroviral naïve patients.
Get PDFHIV-1 subtype B is the most frequent strain in Sicily. To date, there is no available data about the genetic diversity of HIV-1 viral strains circulating in Sicily among antiretroviral (ARV) naïve subjects and the role of immigration as potential determinant of evolutionary dynamics of HIV-1 molecular epidemiology.
For this purpose, HIV-1 polymerase (pol) sequences obtained from 155 ARV naïve individuals from 2004 to 2009 were phylogenetically analysed.
The overall rate of HIV-1 non-B infections was 31.0% (n = 48/155), increasing from 7.8% in 2004–2006 to 40.9% in 2009, and about one-third were identified as unique recombinant forms.
CRF02_AG was the prevalent non-B clade (n = 28/48, 58.3%), while subtype C-related strains were responsible for about 30% HIV-1 infections.
Non-B viruses strictly associated with heterosexual transmission (85.4%) and were mostly found among immigrants (77.1%). Phylogenetic analysis of non-B sequences found in foreign-born subjects was geographically correlated to the respective country of origin. Moreover, the detection of non-B viral variants in the autochthonous population may support an increasing genetic diversity in Sicily as well as a local circulation of HIV strains also uncommon in our country.
In Sicily, HIV-1 epidemic is still mostly attributable to the B subtype. Nevertheless, migration and population movements are progressively introducing novel HIV-1 subtypes causing a continuous increase of HIV-1 molecular dynamic at local level. Molecular surveillance is needed to monitor the genetic evolution of HIV-1 epidemic
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Get PDFThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Genetic diversity of HIV-1 non-B strains in Sicily: Evidence of intersubtype recombinants by Sequence Analysis of gag, pol, and env genes
No full textThe molecular epidemiology of HIV-1 strains in Sicily (Italy) was phylogenetically investigated by the analysis of HIV-1 gag, pol, and env gene sequences from 11 HIV-1 non-B strains from 408 HIV-1-seropositive patients observed from September 2001 to August 2006. Sequences suggestive of recombination were further investigated by bootscanning analysis of various fragments. Overall, we identified several second-generation recombinant (SGRs) strains, which contained genetic material of CRF02_AG in at least one gene. Notably, three individuals were found to be infected with subsubtype A3, and one of them showed genetic recombination with subsubtype A4. The current study emphasizes the genetic analysis of gag, pol, and env genes as a powerful tool to trace the spread of complex HIV-1 recombinant forms, and highlight the genetic diversity of HIV-1 non-B strains in Italy
Variations on the Author
Get PDF“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Pregnant women as a sentinel population to target and implement hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccine coverage. A three-years survey in Palermo, Sicily
No full textHepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccine coverage was assessed using serologic patterns of infection (HBsAg, anti HBc) and vaccine-induced immunity (isolated anti HBs) among 3318 pregnant women attending the Obstetrical Unit of the University Hospital in Palermo who were screened over 3 years (2001-2003). Three thousand and eight of them (90.6%) were born in Sicily, whereas 310 (9.4%) were immigrants from non-EU countries. The overall prevalence of HBsAg was 1.1%, and it was significantly higher among immigrant than indigenous women (4.2% versus 0.8%; OR 5.26; p < 0.0001). Serologic evidence of past HBV infection (anti HBc) also was significantly higher in immigrants than in Sicilian women (24.5% versus 5.2%, respectively). Women aged 17-21 in our study were in cohorts that had been targeted since 1991 for mandatory HBV vaccination at age 12. In this targeted age group, 74.2% of the Sicilian women had isolated anti HBs, compared to only 15.0% among immigrants. The results suggest the need to improve HBV immunization of Sicilian adolescents and especially to implement active surveillance and to launch an HBV immunization programme that targets immigrants to Sicily
Ricerca di mutazioni primarie agli inibitori della fusione in soggetti con infezione da virus dell’immunodeficienza umana (HIV-1)
No full textIl ruolo dell’immigrazione nelle dinamiche dell’epidemiologia molecolare del virus HIV-1: analisi filo-geografica di varianti virali non-B in individui nativi italiani e migranti in Sicilia.
No full textObiettivi
Sebbene il subtipo B di HIV-1 sia prevalente in Europa Occidentale, virus ascrivibili ai genotipi non-B stanno rapidamente diffondendosi in questa area geografica, specialmente a causa dai flussi immigratori da regioni endemiche. La Sicilia, vista la sua posizione centrale nel bacino del Mediterraneo, rappresenta una delle principali porte di ingresso per i migranti in Europa, in particolare dall’Europa orientale, dall’Africa e dal sud-est asiatico. L’obiettivo del presente studio è stato valutare la prevalenza, le caratteristiche molecolari e le dinamiche geografiche di varianti virali di HIV-1 non ascrivibili al subtipo B in una coorte di individui infetti non sottoposti a terapia antiretrovirale (ARV), nativi ed immigrati in Sicilia.
Metodi
Sequenze genetiche della regione polimerasi (pol) di HIV-1 sono state ottenute da un pannello di plasmi consecutivamente prelevati da un totale di 155 pazienti naïve per terapia ARV, 113 nativi italiani e 42 immigrati, in follow-up clinico/virologico presso il Centro di Riferimento Diagnosi AIDS – Università degli Studi di Palermo nel periodo 2004 - 2009. I campioni di plasma, raccolti alla prima visita del paziente, sono stati analizzati per il dosaggio della viremia di HIV-1 e per il successivo sequenziamento genetico e tipizzazione della proteasi (PR, codoni 1-99) e della trascrittasi inversa (RT, 1-335) del gene pol di HIV-1. L’analisi filogenetica è stata applicata per la determinazione del subtipo di appartenenza e per la valutazione delle relazioni geografiche tra varianti virali di HIV-1.
Risultati
Nella popolazione in studio (72.3% maschi; età mediana 34.0 anni; range 1 - 66), la prevalenza di ceppi non-B di HIV-1 era del 31.0% (48/155) con un incremento dall’11.5% nel 2004-2006 al 40.9% nel 2009 (p=0,025). La maggior parte delle varianti virali identificate erano rappresentate da forme ricombinanti uniche (URF) (range: 56% - 100% delle varianti non-B). Delle varianti virali classificabili come HIV-1 non-B, il 77.1% (37/48) infettava individui immigrati (prevalentemente africani, 35/37), mentre il 22.9% (11/48) proveniva da pazienti nativi italiani (p<0,01).
Conclusioni
Nel presente studio viene riportata la complessità genetica delle varianti virali di HIV-1 circolanti in Sicilia, tra individui naïve per terapia antiretrovirale. In generale, la prevalenza di varianti virali non-B aumenta progressivamente tra soggetti con diagnosi recente di infezione non sottoposti a terapia e si suggerisce l’ipotesi che i flussi immigratori di differenti gruppi etnici provenienti da aree geografiche endemiche per varianti virali non-B di HIV-1, possano essere responsabili dell’eterogeneità genetica dell’epidemia di HIV-1 in una regione geografica storicamente omogenea per il subtipo B. L’eterogeneità genetica rappresenta una grande sfida per il monitoraggio dell’epidemia, sia localmente che globalmente, con implicazioni che vanno oltre il semplice interesse epidemiologico. L’applicazione di tecniche di analisi filogenetica e filogeografica sono raccomandate per valutare ed indirizzare strategie di diagnosi, trattamento e prevenzione dell’infezione da HIV-1
HUMAN HERPESVIRUS 8 SEROPREVALENCE AMONG INTERNATIONALLY ADOPTED CHILDREN COMING FROM EASTERN EUROPE
No full textThe seroprevalence of Human Herpes Virus 8 (HHV8) and its transmission pattern were assessed testing serum samples of 120 internationally adopted children (aged 1-15 years) coming from Eastern Europe. Determinations of IgG antibodies against both latent and lytic HHV-8 antigens were performed by indirect immunofluorescence assay. Antibodies were detected only for lytic antigen of the virus in 12.5% of children with a seroprevalence significatively higher (19.6%) in young children (age 1-6). No correlation was observed between HHV8 seropositivity and serological markers for hepatitis A, B and C viruses and Human Immunodeficiency virus. In conclusion, our findings suggest that HHV8 infection is widespread in some populations from the East Europe, and that person to person contacts among children could be considered the predominant mode of HHV8 transmission in younger age
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