New Dacron tissue colonisable keratoprosthesis: clinical experience

BACKGROUND: Keratoprostheses (KPs) are made of an optical cylinder integrated with a supporting element which conditions their biocompatibility. A new KP with a Dacron tissue colonisable support has been designed in order to reduce significantly the complication rate. METHODS: This new KP was implanted into 20 eyes of 20 patients with bilateral corneal blindness unsuited to a corneal implant. The follow up ranged from 24 to 96 months. RESULTS: All 20 patients had some improved visual acuity with 13 retaining this improvement for more than 2 years. CONCLUSION: These favourable results may be indicative of the reliability of the new KP.     

Expression of α-amylase inhibitors in diploid Triticum species

The aim of the work was to characterize the expression of various α-amylase inhibitors (αAIs), well known anti-nutritional compounds, for the development of healthier diploid wheat-based functional foods.     

Non-dimensional analysis for rock slope plane failure in seismic (pseudostatic) conditions

Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment - This study examines plane failure analysis of rock slopes and discusses its effect on seismic actions in a non-dimensional form, incorporating...     

Geotechnical properties of an unsaturated pyroclastic soil from Roma

The paper presents the results of an experimental investigation on the mechanical behaviour of an unsaturated pyroclastic soil typical of the subsoil of Roma (Italy). In its natural state, the material is a bonded coarse-grained weak rock. The deposits of pozzolana are unsaturated in situ; this has an important practical relevance in the evaluation of the stability conditions of natural slopes and cuts. The experimental investigation consisted mainly of pressure plate tests, oedometer tests and special isotropic and triaxial compression tests at increasing values of mean net pressures in the range 50–400 kPa and at different constant levels of suction (20–75 kPa). The compressibility and shear strength properties of the material are presented in some detail. Special attention is given to defining the failure envelope at relatively low confining stresses and assessing the influence of the degree of saturation on the failure conditions.

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The component partial: a new RPD construction system

Most removable partial denture frameworks constructed today are one-piece castings. This article presents the Component Partial, a removable partial denture in which the framework is constructed in pieces. Such construction ensures a more accurate fit of the RPD.     

Influence of reading level difficulty on the disfluencies of normal children

This study assessed the effect of increasing the difficulty of reading material on the frequency and type of disfluency in the oral reading of normally fluent elementary school children. Eighty children participated in the study. Ten boys and 10 girls each, from Grades 3, 4, 5, and 6, read five 200-word passages, corresponding to one grade below their school placement, the grade of their school placement, and one, two, and three grades above their school placement. Results indicated a significant increase in total moments of disfluency and four specific types of disfluency as the difficulty of reading material increased. The data revealed a tendency for "stuttering" disfluencies to increase more in frequency than "normal" nonfluencies. Results are discussed with respect to theoretical and experimental implications.     

Electroosmotic flow through an $$\alpha$$-hemolysin nanopore

Nanopores are emerging as powerful tools for biosensing at a single molecule level, and their characterization under different working conditions is crucial for applications. In this perspective, we studied the ionic and electroosmotic flows across an \(\alpha\)-hemolysin nanopore using an extensive set of molecular dynamics simulations. Results show that the alteration in the solution pH has a dramatic effect on both electroosmotic flow and nanopore selectivity. Upon lowering the pH, the internal pore surface becomes globally more positively charged and, consequently, the transport of positive ions is hindered leading to a strong unbalance of positive and negative ionic fluxes. This unbalance gives rise to an intense electroosmotic flow that in certain regimes can overwhelm the ionic flux. Finally, we compared our data with continuum prediction for ideal electroosmotic flows, showing that, although the \(\alpha\)-hemolysin case is quite far from the ideality, the continuum theory is able to capture the magnitude of the electroosmotic mechanism.