Biomedical subjects

G Tartaglia

Publications and source records attributed to G Tartaglia.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2001

Psychological consequences of the 1998 landslide in Sarno, Italy: a community study.

OBJECTIVE: This community study assessed the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and the psychosocial consequences of the landslide which occurred in Sarno, Southern Italy, in May 1998. METHOD: A random sample (n=272) of the population living in the highest risk area of Sarno, and a control group recruited in a small town situated near the disaster area, but not affected by the event, were assessed 1 year after the disaster by standardized instruments. RESULTS: Of the subjects recruited in Sarno, 27.6% met DSM-IV criteria for PTSD; 59% subjects recruited in Sarno and 35% of the control group were identified as "probable cases" by the GHQ-30 (P<0.0001). Subjects recruited in Sarno had significantly higher scores on the four GHQ-30 subscales identified by factor analysis. CONCLUSION: This study emphasizes the negative impact of a natural catastrophic event on mental health, and the need for preventive interventions.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1998

Preliminary evaluation of an electromagnetic three-dimensional digitizer in facial anthropometry.

OBJECTIVE: In this investigation, the precision of a commercial three-dimensional digitizer in the detection of facial landmarks in human adults was assessed. METHODS: Fifty landmarks were identified and marked on the faces of five men, on five women, and on a stone cast of the face of one man. For each subject, the three-dimensional coordinates of the landmarks were obtained twice using an electromagnetic three-dimensional digitizer, and the duplicate digitizations were superimposed using common orientations and centers of gravity. Metric differences between homologous landmarks were assessed, and Dahlberg's error was computed. RESULTS: For both men and women, the error was 1.05% of the nasion-midtragion distance, while for the cast, it was 0.9%. When the duplicate digitizations were used to mathematically reconstruct the faces, and several distances, angles, volumes, and surfaces were computed, more than 80% of the measurements had coefficients of variation lower than 1%. CONCLUSIONS: The digitizer can assess the coordinates of facial landmarks with sufficient precision, and reliable measurements can be obtained.

Adult↗

PubMed1998

Profile of cerebrospinal fluid and serum cytokines in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: a correlation with clinical activity.

Levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), interleukin (IL)-10 and transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum of 29 patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) of the relapsing-remitting type and of 20 controls with other non inflammatory neurological diseases were studied. Sixteen patients were in the active phase of disease and 13 in remission. In CSF, higher IL-10 and TGF-beta concentrations were found in patients with a stable phase of MS, while in the active phase there were elevated levels of TNF-alpha and GM-CSF. These results suggest that a different cytokine pattern could be probably involved in the pathogenesis of relapsing-remitting MS.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1997

A three-dimensional non-invasive study of head flexion and extension in young non-patient subjects.

Head flexion and extension movements near the natural head position (NHP) were analysed for the location of the mean instantaneous centre of rotation (ICR). Forty-six healthy young adults (30 women and 16 men) with sound dentitions, free from cranio-cervical disorders, performed habitual movements that were automatically detected and measured by an infrared three-dimensional motion analyser. ICR and curvature radius were calculated for each movement and subject. In both extension and flexion, ICR position changed during the motion. The movement was symmetrical in all subjects. No gender or flexion/extension differences were found for both ICR position and relevant curvature radius. On average, ICR relative to NHP soft-tissue nasion was located at about 150% of the soft-tissue nasion-right tragus distance, with an angle of about 220 degrees relative to the true horizontal. Results suggest that head flexion or extension is always performed with a combination of rotation (atlanto-occipital joint) and translation (cervical spine) even in the first degrees of motion. Moreover, NHP at rest seems to be some degree more flexed and anterior than head position during movements. These relative positions and their muscular determinants could also influence mandibular posture at rest and during functional movements.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

Possible role of transforming growth factor-beta in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum levels of transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta and soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) were evaluated in ten patients with definite multiple sclerosis (MS) of the relapsing-remitting type. CSF TGF-beta levels of MS patients in remission were significantly (p < 0.01) higher than of MS patients in active phase, and there was a significant inverse correlation (p < 0.05) between TGF-beta and slCAM-1 levels in the CSF of patients in both remitting and relapsing type. This is consistent with a possible down-regulation of TGF-beta on ICAM-1 expression and suggests a possible synthesis in the central nervous system of TGF-beta.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

The relationship between facial 3-D morphometry and the perception of attractiveness in children.

The aim of this investigation was to determine whether attractive children differ in their three-dimensional facial characteristics from nonattractive children of the same age, race, and sex. The facial characteristics of 36 boys and 44 girls aged 8 to 9 years were investigated. Frontal and profile photographs were analyzed independently by 21 judges, and, for each view, four groups were obtained: attractive boys, nonattractive boys, attractive girls, and nonattractive girls. For each child, the three-dimensional coordinates of 16 standardized soft tissue facial landmarks were automatically collected using an infrared system and used to calculate several three-dimensional angles, linear distances, and linear distance ratios. Mean values were computed in the eight groups, and attractive and nonattractive children were compared within sex and view. Most children received a different esthetic evaluation in the separate frontal and profile assessments; concordance in both attractive and nonattractive groups was only 50%. Moreover, three-dimensional facial morphometry was not able to separate attractive and nonattractive children.

Adult↗

PubMed1996

Open-close movements in the human temporomandibular joint: does a pure rotation around the intercondylar hinge axis exist?

Mandibular movements near the maximum intercuspal position were analysed for the location of the mean instantaneous centre of curvature of the interincisal point path. Measurements were performed using a kinesiograph in 28 healthy young adults with sound dentitions and free from temporomandibular joint disorders. The subjects performed habitual open-close cycles at different speeds; opening movements starting from the centric relation occlusion were also analysed. In none of the 28 subjects was the interincisal point path derived from pure rotation movements performed around the intercondylar axis, not even in the first millimetres of motion. Translation and rotation were always combined, and the position of the centre of curvature changed during the motion, showing different characteristics in the open and close movements; these patterns were also dependent upon motion speed. The results show that the hinge axis theory cannot explain the mandibular movements because a pure rotation did not occur around the intercondylar axis.

Adult↗

PubMed1996

Combined therapy with zidovudine, recombinant granulocyte colony stimulating factors and erythropoietin in asymptomatic HIV patients.

The aim of this randomized, comparative, double-blind study was to determine the efficacy of zidovudine (ZVD) either alone or in combination with recombinant granulocyte-colony stimulating factors (rG-CSF) and erythropoietin (Epo) in asymptomatic HIV-infected subjects with a CD4+ cell count < 500/mm3, classified as CDC II stage. We recruited 20 HIV Ab+ asymptomatic patients who were randomized into two groups: A and B. Group A was treated with ZVD at the dosage of 500 mg daily in combination with rG-CSF (10 micrograms/Kg/biweekly) and Epo (50 IU/Kg/biweekly). Group B was treated with ZVD (500 mg/day) alone. The primary end-point was progression to an AIDS-defining event and the secondary end-point included changes in the CD4+ cell count, p24 Ag status, beta-2-microglobulin, and ferritin levels. The patients of Group A showed no significant changes in transaminase, ferritin and beta-2-microglobulin levels while CD4 cells, Hb and neutrophil levels increased significantly compared to Group B (p < 0.001) and baseline values (p < 0.05). Conversely, 5 patients in Group B showed a significant decrease in CD4 cells (p < 0.01), Hb and neutrophil levels (p < 0.01) compared to baseline values, while beta-2-microglobulin increased (p < 0.05) compared to initial values. Our preliminary study may indicate that the combination of zidovudine with these hematopoietic growth factors could reduce the possibility of virus-related hematologic toxicity and could be more efficacious than zidovudine alone in prolonged therapy.

Adult↗

PubMed1995

Facial morphometry of television actresses compared with normal women.

PURPOSE: The object of this investigation was to determine whether young women considered as beautiful differ in their three-dimensional facial characteristics from normal women of the same age and race. METHODS: The three-dimensional coordinates of 22 standardized soft-tissue facial landmarks were automatically collected in two groups of women using a noninvasive instrument. The first group consisted of 10 white television actresses selected only on the basis of their soft-tissue facial appearance ("beautiful" group); the second group included 40 healthy, white women selected according to criteria of dentofacial normality ("normal" group). The x, y, and z coordinates of the points collected on each woman were used to calculate several three-dimensional angles, linear distances, linear distance ratios, and facial volumes. RESULTS: The facial morphometric characteristics within the beautiful group were more uniform than within the normal group. On average, the beautiful women had a larger forehead, a larger middle facial third relative to the total face, a wider (left-right dimension) and less deep (anteroposterior dimension) face, a smaller nose, and a less convex face (in both the sagittal and transversal planes) than the normal women. CONCLUSION: The three-dimensional cutaneous facial characteristics of the beautiful women were significantly different from the characteristics of the normal women.

Adult↗

PubMed1995

New television technique for natural head and body posture analysis.

A new television technique that proved to be faster than conventional photographic analysis has been developed and applied to the evaluation of the head and body natural standing posture in 303 healthy children, ages 6 to 11, and in 186 healthy young adults. In the lateral plane all subjects had extended head (soft tissue Frankfurt plane), with parallel Camper's and occlusal planes. The neck was halfway between the horizontal and vertical planes. Most angles significantly correlated with each other. The occlusal and neck angles showed a significant effect of age, being larger in children than in adults. In children the neck was more flexed, and the occlusal plane was more inclined downward. The results were in accord with previous photographic evaluations showing that the applied method was reliable and could be usefully employed in postural investigations. The results also confirmed that in healthy subjects, regardless of age, the soft tissue Frankfurt plane is extended, not horizontal.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1994

Maxillary versus mandibular arch form differences in human permanent dentition assessed by Euclidean-distance matrix analysis.

Euclidean-distance matrix analysis (EDMA) was used to analyse the dental arch form in 50 men and 45 women aged 20-27 yr with sound dentitions. Fourteen landmarks, corresponding to the centres of gravity (centroids) of the occlusal surfaces of all permanent teeth (right second molar to left second molar), were identified on the dental casts of subjects. All the possible linear distances between pairs of teeth were computed and maxillary/mandibular arch differences within sex were tested by EDMA. In both sexes, the maxillary arch was larger than the mandibular arch; arch shape was also significantly different. All teeth contributed to the shape difference between arches regardless of gender. EDMA also separated the influence of anterior and posterior teeth in the determination of upper/lower arch characteristics.

Adult↗

PubMed1994

Distance from symmetry: a three-dimensional evaluation of facial asymmetry.

PURPOSE: A new method for the quantification of facial asymmetry has been developed and applied to a group of 80 young, healthy, white adults with no craniofacial, dental, or mandibular disorders. The method calculates an asymmetry vector (distance from the symmetry) that allows both the quantification of the absolute degree of asymmetry and its three-dimensional direction and verse. METHODS: For each subject, the three-dimensional coordinates of 16 standardized soft-tissue facial landmarks (trichion, nasion, pronasale, subnasale, B point, pogonion, eye lateral canthi, nasal ala, labial commissure, tragus, gonion) were automatically collected using a noninvasive instrument. The coordinates underwent a four-step analysis: 1) calculation of the plane of symmetry, the facial centers of gravity, and the asymmetry vector in each subject; 2) calculation of the mean absolute asymmetry in each sample; 3) calculation of the mean asymmetry vector (resultant vector) in the population; and 4) calculation of the separate contributions of the single facial structures to the facial asymmetry. RESULTS: A certain degree of soft-tissue facial asymmetry was found both in the individuals and in the global population, and it was evident especially in the middle (tragus) and lower (gonion) thirds of the face. The right side of face was larger than the left side.

Adult↗

PubMed1994

Mathematical definition of the shape of dental arches in human permanent healthy dentitions.

Dental arch shape was studied in 50 men and 45 women aged 20-27 years with sound dentitions. Maxillary and mandibular arches were reconstructed by a fourth-order polynomial and a 'mixed' elliptical (anterior teeth), plus parabolic (post-canine teeth) interpolation of buccal cusp tips (central incisor to second molar). The maxillary arch resulted wider than the mandibular arch regardless of gender. Gender differences were found especially in the maxillary arch, where they reflect more a size discrepancy than a shape difference. The polynomial interpolation allowed the evaluation of arch asymmetry, which resulted negligible in all the subjects. The elliptical plus parabolic interpolation gave mean plots which were well superimposable to the ones obtained by the polynomial interpolation. These curves are geometrically simple and can be used for the mathematical description of dental arch shape in non-patient subjects. Moreover, they allow separate analysis of teeth with a different functional meaning.

Adult↗

PubMed1994

Comparison of soft tissue facial morphometry in children with Class I and Class II occlusions.

Three-dimensional soft tissue facial morphometry was investigated in a sample of 167 children aged 6 to 9 years by using a new noninvasive computerized method. For each child, 16 cutaneous facial landmarks were automatically collected by a system consisting of two infrared CCD cameras, real-time hardware for the recognition of markers, and software for the three-dimensional reconstruction of the x, y, and z coordinates of landmarks. From these landmarks, 15 linear and 10 angular measurements and five linear distance ratios were computed. For each age class, mean values were computed for all children with a bilateral Angle Class I occlusion (modified according to Katz) and compared with values obtained in children with a bilateral Class II occlusion. Most of the differences involved three-dimensional angular measurements: Class II children had more convex faces in the sagittal plane and a less prominent mandible than did Class I children. No differences were found in the linear measurements. Only the lower facial height ratio was different between the two occlusion groups, but the difference was not consistent among all the age groups.

Cephalometry↗

PubMed1993

Human dental arch shape evaluated by euclidean-distance matrix analysis.

Form differences between biological structures can be evaluated using several approaches. When landmark data are available, a recently proposed method (euclidean-distance matrix analysis) seems to be able to differentiate between size and shape differences. This method also localizes those areas which differ most between the two structures. We have applied it to analyze the sexual dimorphism in dental arch form in a sample of 50 men and 45 women. Subjects ranged in age between 20 and 27 years, and had sound dentitions. Fourteen landmarks, corresponding to the centers of gravity (centroids) of the occlusal surfaces of all permanent teeth (right second molar to left second molar), were individualized on the dental casts of subjects. All the possible linear distances between pairs of teeth were computed, thus creating four mean form matrices (one for each arch within sex). Gender differences were tested by using euclidean-distance matrix analysis. No significant differences were demonstrated in the shape of arches, while male arches proved to be slightly bigger than female arches.

Adult↗

PubMed1993

Craniofacial morphometry by photographic evaluations.

Frontal and lateral oriented profile photographs of 108 healthy young adults (57 men and 51 women) were taken, and a standardized protocol was used to quantitatively describe the depicted craniofacial soft tissue structure, the relationships among facial structures, and head posture relative to the ground. Pictures were taken in two body positions, standing and sitting. The male faces were, on average, wider and longer than the female faces, in both frontal and lateral views, with greater differences in the mouth and chin regions. Both sexes were generally symmetrical. Persons who were asymmetric compensated for their appearance by changing head posture relative to the ground, so that in the frontal plane, the interpupillary axis and the occlusal plane were parallel to the ground. Measurements can be employed in computer graphic reconstructions used in orthognathic, maxillofacial, and plastic surgery. In the standing position, the Frankfurt plane was directed upward and forward, with a mean angle of 13 degrees relative to the ground. In seated subjects, it was more nearly horizontal (5 degrees in the men, 8 degrees in the women). This result confirms the need for a careful reevaluation of standard cephalometric and photographic protocols.

Adult↗

PubMed1992

Mathematical definition of the curve of Spee in permanent healthy dentitions in man.

The intrinsic morphology of the mandibular curve of Spee (i.e. independent from reference planes) was studied in 50 men and 45 women with sound dentitions. Left and right curves were reconstructed by a second-order quadratic interpolation of buccal cusp tips. Gender differences were found in both sides, while side differences were found only in the male sample. Male and female curves had similar concavities, but the position of the interpolating second-order quadratic curve relative to the dental arch was significantly different. The right and left male sides showed different concavities, the right-hand side being flatter than the left. Male curves appeared larger than female ones, and the left-hand side was significantly larger than the right regardless of gender. The reported second-order quadratic curves could be used as reference for prosthetic and orthodontic reconstructions.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Statistical evaluation of some mandibular reference positions in normal young people.

Mandibular rest position, swallowing occlusal position, and maximum opening were evaluated in a sample of healthy young adults (52 male, 27 female) using a mandibular kinesiograph. It was found that males have a significantly greater vertical dimension of rest than do females, while there were no gender differences in the maximum opening. Most of the subjects had a swallowing occlusal position that coincided with or was very near to the position of maximum intercuspation. Reported data allow the definition of a three-dimensional normal range of variability of maxillomandibular positions during the functional tests most frequently used.

Adolescent↗