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Cremation is one of the most common treatments of a dead body in the prehistoric and ancient historic societies and it represents a challenge for physical anthropologists. The cinerary urn is a complex artifact that is the result of a series of funerary rites that includes the cremation ceremony, the selection of cremated remains, their position in the urn and the presence of funerary goods. Currently micro-excavation is considered a very precise method in the study of ancient cineraria. However, the Multi-Detector Computerized Tomography (MDCT) analysis allows a non-destructive archaeological and anthropological assessment of the urn. This technique appears to be, in a certain way, very similar to the traditional laboratory procedures of micro-excavation. This procedure allows for the possibility of a morphological study of the urn and of the funerary goods. The internal stratigraphy, the consistency of the ossilegium, the spatial arrangement of the cremated bone fragments, the metric and the morphological study of the bone fragments, and the paleopathological aspects can also be analyzed. Hereby we present our methodological experience with MDCT on several urns of different age, culture and geographical origin, comparing the MDCT data with the micro-excavation results.

Charred and burned human and animal skeletal remains are frequently found in archaeological records or can be a subject of forensic investigation. As exposure to heat causes specific changes to the physical and chemical characteristics of the remains, it presents a powerful source for a better understanding of the taphonomic history of the remains. FTIR spectroscopy is a commonly used technique when trying to understand these changes and through them the taphonomic history of the remains. Recently, density calculated from CT scans is also incorporated into this type of study. The main objective of here presented research is to establish a correlation between the chemometric indices obtained with ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and density obtained with Multidetector CT. To the best of our knowledge, the correlation between the two was never explored before. For this purpose, the midsection of defleshed bovine femur diaphyses were exposed to different temperatures for various time spans and analysed with ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and Multidetector CT. ATR-FTIR obtained results, namely the changes in the organic and mineral bone components, agree with previous studies and provide a baseline for understanding the changes in the density. The latter decreases and increases depending on the loss of organic matter, crystallization, cyanamides and hydroxyl groups incorporation into the mineral lattice, and ordering of the lattice. Additionally, significant differences were observed in the changes caused due to short- or long-term exposure to heat. With some additional work, even machine learning algorithms could be applied to the samples with an unknown taphonomic history to better understand the time and temperatures of their exposure. Furthermore, this type of research also provides important data for planning non-destructive analyses of ancient remains.

Craniofacial superimposition has the potential to be used as an identification method when other traditional biological techniques are not applicable due to insufficient quality or absence of ante-mortem and post-mortem data. Despite having been used in many countries as a method of inclusion and exclusion for over a century it lacks standards. Thus, the purpose of this research is to provide forensic practitioners with standard criteria for analysing skull-face relationships. Thirty-seven experts from 16 different institutions participated in this study, which consisted of evaluating 65 criteria for assessing skull-face anatomical consistency on a sample of 24 different skull-face superimpositions. An unbiased statistical analysis established the most objective and discriminative criteria. Results did not show strong associations, however, important insights to address lack of standards were provided. In addition, a novel methodology for understanding and standardizing identification methods based on the observation of morphological patterns has been proposed.

Craniofacial Superimposition (CFS) involves the process of overlaying a skull with a number of ante-mortem images of an individual and the analysis of their morphological correspondence. The lack of unified working protocols and the absence of commonly accepted standards, led to contradictory consensus regarding its reliability. One of the more important aims of 'New Methodologies and Protocols of Forensic Identification by Craniofacial Superimposition (MEPROCS)' project was to propose a common framework for CFS, what can be considered the first international standard in the field. The framework aimed to serve as a roadmap for avoiding particular assumptions that could bias the process. At the same time, it provides some empirical support to certain practices, technological means, and morphological criteria expected to facilitate the application of the CFS task and to improve its reliability. In order to confirm the utility and potential benefits of the framework use, there is a need to empirically evaluate it in CFS identification scenarios as close as possible to the reality. Thus, the purpose of this study is to validate the CFS framework developed. For that aim 12 participants were asked to report about a variable number of CFS following all the recommendations of the framework. The results are analysed and discussed according to the framework understanding and fulfilment, the participants' performance, and the correlation between expected decisions and those given by the participants. In view of the quantitative results and qualitative examination criteria we can conclude that those who follow the MEPROCS recommendations improve their performance.

Sex determination on skeletal remains is one of the most important diagnosis in forensic cases and in demographic studies on ancient populations. Our purpose is to realize an automatic operator-independent method to determine the sex from the bone shape and to test an intelligent, automatic pattern recognition system in an anthropological domain. Our multiple-classifier system is based exclusively on the morphological variants of a curve that represents the sagittal profile of the calvarium, modeled via artificial neural networks, and yields an accuracy higher than 80 %. The application of this system to other bone profiles is expected to further improve the sensibility of the methodology.

Background: This experimental study provides a qualitative description and the morpho-structural features of the fusions taking place in the thoracic spine between prepubertal age and skeletal maturity. There is a lack of informations regarding the influence of partial or total dorso-thoracic vertebral arthrodesis on the development of the thoracic cage as well as its potential effects on different intra and extra-thoracic organs. This study admits the hypothesis that vertebral arthrodesis may have influence on other body areas and so, it intends to verify the possible secondary involvement of other body parts, such as intervertebral discs, cervical and thoracic spinal ganglia, sternocostal cartilage, ovaries and lungs. Materials and Methods: Fifty-four female New Zealand white rabbits were submitted to dorsal arthrodesis. The radiologic imaging and light microscopy histological pictures were taken and studied in all. Computed tomography (CT) scan measurements were performed in operated and sham operated rabbits at different time. Similarly, histological specimens of intervertebral discs, cervical and thoracic spinal ganglia, sternocostal cartilage, ovaries and lungs were analyzed at different times. The study ended at the age of 17–18 months. Results: Most rabbits had formed a fusion mass, which was only fibrous at first, then osteofibrous and finally, in the older subjects, structured in lamellar-osteon tissue. Intervertebral foramens were negatively involved in vertebral arthrodesis, as shown by CT scans. Intervertebral discs showed irregular aspects. The increase of atresic follicles and the reduction of primordial follicles in operated rabbits led to the hypothesis of a cause-effect relationship between arthrodesis and modified hormonal status. Dorsal root ganglia showed microscopic alterations in operated rabbits especially. Conclusions: The process of fusion mass and bone formation, associated with the arthrodesis, involves at different degrees of the vertebral bodies, discs and intervertebral foramens, ganglia and spinal nerve roots.

As part of the scientific tasks coordinated throughout The ‘New Methodologies and Protocols of Forensic Identification by Craniofacial Superimposition (MEPROCS)’ project, the current study aims to analyse the performance of a diverse set of CFS methodologies and the corresponding technical approaches when dealing with a common dataset of real-world cases. Thus, a multiple-lab study on craniofacial superimposition has been carried out for the first time. In particular, 26 participants from 17 different institutions in 13 countries were asked to deal with 14 identification scenarios, some of them involving the comparison of multiple candidates and unknown skulls. In total, 60 craniofacial superimposition problems divided in two set of females and males. Each participant follow her/his own methodology and employed her/his particular technological means. For each single case they were asked to report the final identification decision (either positive or negative) along with the rationale supporting the decision and at least one image illustrating the overlay/superimposition outcome. This study is expected to provide important insights to better understand the most convenient characteristics of every method included in this study.

A novel, unsupervised nonparametric model of multivariate probability density functions (pdf) is introduced, namely the Parzen neural network (PNN). The PNN is intended to overcome the major limitations of traditional (either statistical or neural) pdf estimation techniques. Besides being profitably simple, the PNN turns out to have nice properties in terms of unbiased modeling capability, asymptotic convergence, and efficiency at test time. Several matters pertaining the practical application of the PNN are faced in the paper, too. Experiments are reported, involving (i) synthetic datasets, and (ii) a challenging sex determination task from 1400 scout-view CT-scan images of human crania. Incidentally, the empirical evidence entails also some conclusions of high anthropological relevance.

Purpose: The aim of the present study was to histologically evaluate fresh human sockets filled with bioactive glass after 6 months of healing. Materials and Methods: In 13 patients, 32 single extraction sites in the anterior area underwent socket ridge preservation procedure (RPP) with a bioactive glass (BioRestore™, Inion Oy, Tampere, Finland). At implant installation, 22 bone cores were trephined out and processed for histomorphometric and immunohistochemical analysis. Results: Newly formed immature bone around residual particles of bioactive glass was found in all 22 biopsies. The histomorphometry of the amount of bone, provisional matrix, and residual graft returned a mean ± SD value of 54 ± 31%, 37.9 ± 25.6%, and 8.1 ± 7.8, respectively, 6 months after RPP. Conclusion: The use of this grafting material in fresh extraction sockets appears to delay the healing processes of the alveolar bone; therefore, its indication as a material for RPP when implant placement is considered within 6 months after extraction should be revised.

Background: Several studies have shown that severe spinal deformity and early arthrodesis can adversely affect the development of the spine and thorax by changing their shape and reducing their normal function. This article analyzes the consequences of posterior fusion on the growth of spine, thorax and neural elements in New Zealand white rabbits and compares with similar human data. Materials and Methods : The first section of the article analyzes the consequences of T1-T6 dorsal arthrodesis on the growth of the spine, sternum, thorax volume and neural elements in 12 prepubertal female New Zealand white rabbits, through a study of CT scans and histology specimens. The second part, evaluates thoracic dimensions in 21 children with spinal arthrodesis for treatment of deformity performed prior to nine years of age. Results: Dorsal arthrodesis in prepubertal rabbits changes thoracic growth patterns. In operated rabbits thoracic depth grows more slowly than thoracic width. The sternum as well as length of thoracic vertebral bodies in the spinal segment T1-T6 show reduced growth. Children undergoing spinal arthrodesis before nine years of age were noted to have shortened height, short trunk and disproportionate body habitus at skeletal maturity. Observed spine height and chest dimension values were reduced compared to the expected norms. The ratio between chest width and chest depth was below normal values. Conclusions: The first part of the study shows that thoracic dorsal arthrodesis in prepubertal New Zealand white rabbit influences thoracic, spine growth and affects the shape of pseudo unipolar neurons of the dorsal root ganglia. The second part demonstrates that children treated before nine years of age have significantly reduced spine height and thoracic dimensions. The thorax becomes elliptical as chest depth grows less than chest width. Both experimental and clinical findings contribute to explain reduced chest growth and subsequent thoracic growth disturbance in patients treated with early arthrodesis.

Eddy-current devices are promising for the passive and semi-active control of vibrations. From the electromechanical point of view, their behavior is characterized by the torque-to-speed curve and the mechanical impedance. In this paper, we report an investigation of the electromechanical behavior of eddy-current dampers/couplers consisting of permanent magnets and a massive conductor. Our goal was to determine the influence of the main design parameters on the torque-to-speed characteristic and on the mechanical impedance. To this end, we studied the dependence of the electrical pole and static damping coefficient on the design parameters under a given current density distribution within the conductor. This approach is equivalent to the procedure used to characterize the inductance and the torque constant of a standard electrical machine and it allows us to show that the electrical pole is determined by the inductive and resistive nature of the conductive part. Even if the conductor is realized by a solid conductor, the approach allows us to determine its equivalent resistance and inductance as a function of the design parameters, such as the number of pole pairs and the thicknesses of the permanent magnets and the conductor. We validated the analytical expressions of the equivalent lumped parameters, of the electrical pole, and of the static damping coefficient by finite-element analysis. This analysis provides the guidelines to identify the project parameters that can be varied to optimize the performances of the device as a coupler, damper, or brake.

Craniofacial superimposition, although existing for one century, is still a controversial technique within the scientific community. Objective and unbiased validation studies over a significant number of cases are required to establish a more solid picture on the reliability. However, there is lack of protocols and standards in the application of the technique leading to contradictory information concerning reliability. Instead of following a uniform methodology, every expert tends to apply his own approach to the problem, based on the available technology and deep knowledge on human craniofacial anatomy, soft tissues, and their relationships. The aim of this study was to assess the reliability of different craniofacial superimposition methodologies and the corresponding technical approaches to this type of identification. With all the data generated, some of the most representative experts in craniofacial identification joined in a discussion intended to identify and agree on the most important issues that have to be considered to properly employ the craniofacial superimposition technique. As a consequence, the consortium has produced the current manuscript, which can be considered the first standard in the field; including good and bad practices, sources of error and uncertainties, technological requirements and desirable features, and finally a common scale for the craniofacial matching evaluation. Such a document is intended to be part of a more complete framework for craniofacial superimposition, to be developed during the FP7-founded project MEPROCS, which will favour and standardize its proper application.

Objective and unbiased validation studies over a significant number of cases are required to get a more solid picture on craniofacial superimposition reliability. It will not be possible to compare the performance of existing and upcoming methods for craniofacial superimposition without a common forensic database available for the research community. Skull–face overlay is a key task within craniofacial superimposition that has a direct influence on the subsequent task devoted to evaluate the skull–face relationships. In this work, we present the procedure to create for the first time such a dataset. We have also created a database with 19 skull–face overlay cases for which we are trying to overcome legal issues that allow us to make it public. The quantitative analysis made in the segmentation and registration stages, together with the visual assessment of the 19 face-to-face overlays, allows us to conclude that the results can be considered as a gold standard. With such a ground truth dataset, a new horizon is opened for the development of new automatic methods whose performance could be now objectively measured and compared against previous and future proposals. Additionally, other uses are expected to be explored to better understand the visual evaluation process of craniofacial relationships in craniofacial identification. It could be very useful also as a starting point for further studies on the prediction of the resulting facial morphology after corrective or reconstructive interventionism in maxillofacial surgery.

Stotinu i trideset godina nakon prvog istraživanja željeznodobne nekropole u Bermu, tijekom 2013. g. provedeno je probno arheološko sondiranje na lokalitetu. Tom je prilikom otkriven žarni grob datiran u sam početak korištenja ove nekropole. U članku su predstavljeni rezultati istraživanja koja su osim samih arheoloških iskopavanja i analize materijala obuhvatila i MDCT snimanje pronađenog žarnog groba, restauraciju arheoloških nalaza te različite druge analize koje su upotpunile spoznaje o karakteru i dataciji pronađenog arheološkog materijala., In the course of 2013, one hundred and thirty years after the first excavation of the Iron Age necropolis at Beram, an archaeological test trench was conducted on the site. An urn grave was discovered during the works, which was dated to the very beginning of this necropolis. The results of the excavations are presented in this paper, which, except for the archaeological excavations and analysis of material, also encompassed an MDCT survey of the discovered grave, the restoration of archaeological finds, and various other analyses that filled in the unknowns regarding the character and dating of the unearthed archaeological material.

PURPOSE: The aim of the present study was to histologically evaluate fresh human sockets filled with bioactive glass after 6 months of healing. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 13 patients, 32 single extraction sites in the anterior area underwent socket ridge preservation procedure (RPP) with a bioactive glass (BioRestore™, Inion Oy, Tampere, Finland). At implant installation, 22 bone cores were trephined out and processed for histomorphometric and immunohistochemical analysis. RESULTS: Newly formed immature bone around residual particles of bioactive glass was found in all 22 biopsies. The histomorphometry of the amount of bone, provisional matrix, and residual graft returned a mean ± SD value of 54 ± 31%, 37.9 ± 25.6%, and 8.1 ± 7.8, respectively, 6 months after RPP. CONCLUSION: The use of this grafting material in fresh extraction sockets appears to delay the healing processes of the alveolar bone; therefore, its indication as a material for RPP when implant placement is considered within 6 months after extraction should be revised.

We aimed to describe the morphological changes in the thoracic cage and spinal column induced in New Zealand White (NZW) prepubertal rabbits subjected to dorsal arthrodesis and observed at skeletal maturity by computed tomography (CT) scans. This was done to evaluate the plasticity of the thoracic cage of rabbits with non-deformed spine, by highlighting its modifications after spinal arthrodesis. Emogas data analysis, echocardiographic assessment and cardio-pulmonary measurements completed the evaluation.Surgery was performed in 16 female rabbits, 6 weeks old. Nine were subjected to T1-T12 dorsal arthrodesis, while seven were sham-operated. Surgery involved the implant of two C-shaped stainless steel bars and heterologous bone graft. CT scans were performed before surgery, 2, 6 and 12 months after surgery. One week after the last CT scan, echocardiographic and emogas evaluations were performed.Chest depth (8%), thoracic kyphosis (ThK) (23%), dorsal and ventral length of the thoracic spine (11%) and sternal length (7%) were significantly reduced in operated compared to sham-operated rabbits. Mean values ± standard deviation (SD) of PaCO2, PaO2 and sO2 were not significantly different. Mean values ± SD of echocardiographic measurements were not significantly different between the two groups of rabbits, except for thickness of the interventricular septum in systole, contractile capacity of the left ventricle and ejection fraction.T1-T12 dorsal arthrodesis in prepubertal NZW rabbits with non-deformed spine induced changes of the thoracic cage morphology. However, those changes are source of cardio-pulmonary complications not severe enough to reproduce a clinical picture comparable to thoracic insufficiency syndrome in humans.

The collective grave of the Vučedol culture signed as „grave 3/1985“ with skeletons of eight persons, represents the most important burial of this culture on the eponimic site in East Croatia, with several indications of human sacrifice. Anthropological and radiological analysis were performed on crania remains of the individuals, specifically on the skulls of one male and seven females. Nondestructive methods embraced craniometrical analysis, analysis of cranial non- metric traits and multivariate distance analysis, with a help of radiological methods, to detect every distinct anatomical characteristic of the skulls. All methods used in this work tried to present similarities and a possible homogeneity of the analysed individuals.

A growing interest toward automatic, computer-based tools has been spreading among forensic scientists and anthropologists wishing to extend the armamentarium of traditional statistical analysis and classification techniques. The combination of multiple paradigms is often required in order to fit the difficult, real-world scenarios involved in the area. The paper presents a comparison of combination techniques that exploit neural networks having a probabilistic interpretation within a Bayesian framework, either as models of class-posterior probabilities or as class-conditional density functions. Experiments are reported on a severe sex determination task relying on 1400 scout-view CT-scan images of human crania. It is shown that connectionist probability estimates yield higher accuracies than traditional statistical algorithms. Furthermore, the performance benefits from proper mixtures of neural models, and it turns up affected by the specific combination technique adopted.

The aim of this study was to evaluate a novel animal model of bisphosphonates-associated osteonecrosis, which realistically recapitulates the same pathological human condition. Five Wistar rats were given intravenous zoledronic acid 0.04 mg once a week for 5 weeks. After 2 weeks, the animals underwent the extraction of an upper molar, producing a 4 mm-diameter bone defect on the same site. After 7 weeks from the extraction, the animals were clinically examined and a bone scintigraphy was carried out. After an additional week, the rats were killed and both Computerized Tomography and histological analysis were performed. Five rats, not treated with zoledronic acid and exposed to the same surgical treatment, were used as controls. At 7 weeks after the extraction, all the rats treated with zoledronic acid showed expansion of the defect and bone exposure. These features were confirmed by bone scintigraphy. The rats of the control group demonstrated epithelialization of the bone defect and a normal uptake of the contrast medium during the scan. The Computerized Tomography scan disclosed irregularity of the cortical margin and bone destruction, which were not evident in the control group. On microscopy, the samples showed necrotic bone, loss of osteocytes and peripheral resorption without inflammatory infiltrate, while the controls showed normal bone healing. The rat treated with zoledronic acid can be considered a novel, reliable and reproducible animal model to understand better the pathophysiology of osteonecrosis of the jaw and to develop a therapeutic approach.

This paper details the development of a novel device for monitoring the quality of the metal surfaces sculptured by modern machine tools. The developed system, that can be proposed as a machine tool accessory, integrates the three functions of dimensional, roughness and waviness measurement. The measure is achieved, without contact, scanning the surface with an optical measuring probe handled like an ordinary tool, which is loaded from the tool magazine and then employed to perform the on-line measurement; a simple fibre connection to the control unit guarantees high immunity to disturbances. The experimental validation proved the capability of the developed solution to meet the severe requirements of the modern production systems showing the particular suitability of the inspection tool to the cases of Flexible Manufacturing Systems and Agile Production.

Study design Dorsal arthrodesis of thoracic spine in a prepubertal New Zealand White rabbit model. Objective Evaluating the consequences of dorsal arthrodesis on the growth of the spine, sternum, and thorax in prepubertal rabbits, through the study of CT scans. Summary of background data Vertebral arthrodesis in the treatment of progressive idiopathic scoliosis in prepubertal patients is not ideal, but is still a choice in treating major deformities of the spine. Postoperative assessment of spinal deformity is essential, feasible, and recordable through CT scans. Methods Twelve female rabbits, 9 weeks old, were subjected to surgery for dorsal arthrodesis of the upper thoracic spine. Surgery involved the implant of 2 "C"-shaped titanium bars, which were placed beside the spinous processes of the thoracic vertebrae. Three CT scans were performed, 10 (T1), 55 (T2), and 139 (T3) days after surgery. Measures were obtained by Myrian Pro software for 3 different groups: G1 with complete fusion, G2 with incomplete fusion, and G3 sham-operated. Results The average of the dorsoventral/laterolateral thoracic diameter ratio at fused levels is lower than 1 in G1 as well as in G2; on the contrary, in G3 is higher than 1. The average growth of the sternum length between T1 and T2 and between T2 and T3 is minor in G1 than in G2 and G3. The dorsal and ventral lengths of thoracic vertebral bodies in the spinal segment D1-D6 is smaller in G1 and G2 than in G3, whereas no differences were observed between the 3 groups in the D7-D12 segment without arthrodesis. Conclusion Dorsal arthrodesis in prepubertal rabbits changes thoracic growth patterns. In operated rabbits, the dorsoventral thoracic diameter grows more slowly than the laterolateral thoracic diameter. The sternum as well as the lengths of thoracic vertebral bodies in the spinal segment D1-D6 grow less. The crankshaft phenomenon is evident at the fused vertebral levels where there is a reduction of thoracic kyphosis.

An increasing incidence of osteonecrosis of the jaws (ONJ) in patients treated with intravenous bisphosphonates has been reported in the literature. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical aspects, diagnostic investigations, and management of ONJ associated with bisphosphonates in a series of 12 patients.Our patients included 1 asymptomatic and 11 symptomatic subjects. For the symptomatic patients, the osteonecrosis was diagnosed through histological investigations of exposed bone that showed avascular and necrotic tissue with inflammatory infiltrate. The patients were complaining of swelling, fever, and bone exposure involving the jaws. The asymptomatic patient presented as an occasional finding during a routine dental examination and the necrosis was confirmed on the basis of imaging investigations. Radiographic, scintigraphic, and microbiological examinations were carried out for all patients. Treatment included antibiotics, minor surgical interventions, and hyperbaric oxygen therapy.The radiological investigations revealed osteolytic areas and the scintigraphy demonstrated increased bone metabolism. The microbiological analysis showed pathogenic micro-organisms in the majority of patients. Therapy was useful in obtaining short-term symptomatic relief.Histological, radiological, nuclear medicine, and microbiological investigations are important diagnostic tools for patients with bisphosphonates-associated osteonecrosis of the jaws. However, a long-term follow-up is necessary if we are to better understand the treatment outcome.

In mechatronic apparatuses, U-shape electromechanical components are used either for force actuators (active behaviour) or as damping devices (active or semi-active behaviour). In this paper a comparison between 2D and 3D numerical analysis of different U-shape actuators based on local, as magnetic flux density distributions, and on integral parameters, as forces and inductances, is performed; calculations are then compared with experimental results. The aim of the presented research is to help the designer in choosing the best numerical approach showing limitations and advantages of 2D and 3D modelling.

It is important to recognize osteonecrosis of the jaws in patients treated with bisphosphonates because an early diagnosis can make a significant difference to the outcome of the disease. The aim of this study is to describe the radiological features of bisphosphonate osteonecrosis (BON) in order to aid its prompt recognition.A conventional radiograph, a computed tomograph (CT), a magnetic resonance image (MRI) and a 99Tc(m)-MDP 3-phase bone scan were carried out for 11 patients with BON. The main imaging findings of osteonecrosis are described.Conventional radiography and CT displayed osteolytic lesions with the involvement of cortical bone. MRI demonstrated the characteristic features of osteonecrosis and the oedema of soft tissues. Both CT and MRI were very useful in defining the extent of the lesions. 99Tc(m)-MDP three-phase bone scan was the most sensitive tool to detect the osteonecrosis at an early stage.99Tc(m)-MDP three-phase bone scans who could be used as a screening test to detect subclinical osteonecrosis in patients who have received bisphosphonates. CT scans and MRI are useful in defining the features and extent of osteolytic lesions.

The pathogenesis of osteonecrosis of the jaws (ONJ) in patients treated with intravenous bisphosphonates is still not completely understood, and likely involves both reduction in blood supply and the activity of oral bacteria. We present an animal model of ONJ, which will significant contribute to the understanding of the aetiopathogenesis of this condition. Five skeletally-mature female Wistar rats (weight 450 g) were given intravenous zoledronic acid 0.04 mg in saline solution (0.2 mg/ml) once a week for 5 weeks. After 2 weeks, the animals underwent the extraction of the upper right first molar, followed by the creation of a 4 mm-diameter bone defect on the same site under general anaesthesia. After 7 weeks from the extraction, the animals were clinically examined and a static bone-scintigraphy using 99mTc-MDP methylene diphosphonate was performed with a gamma camera equipped with pinhole collimator (Siemens-Ecam). After an additional week, the rats were sacrificed and a Computed Tomography (CT) was carried out. Samples obtained from the bone defect were decalcified and prepared for histological assessment. Five rats, not treated with zoledronic acid and exposed to the same surgical treatment, were used as controls. Histological and imaging features were assessed blindly. At 7 weeks after the extraction, all the rats treated with zoledronic acid showed impair healing, expansion of the defect and bone exposure. These features were confirmed by the scintigraphy, which showed abnormal localized activity in comparison with the surrounding tissues. On clinical examination, the rats of the control group demonstrated epithelialization of the bone defect and a normal uptake of the contrast medium during the scan. The CT scan disclosed irregularity of the cortical margin and destruction of the cortical bone, which were not evident in the control group. The histology showed sheets of necrotic bone, with loss of osteocytes from their lacunae and peripheral resorption. No inflammatory infiltrate was observed. The control group instead demonstrated normal bone healing. All animals were treated according with the guiding principles for experimental procedures found in the Declaration of Helsinki of the World Medical Association. Based on this study, the rat treated with zoledronic acid can be considered a novel, reliable and reproducible model to better understand the pathophysiology of ONJ and to develop a therapeutic approach.

This article illustrates the modeling and design of electromechanical shock absorbers for automotive applications. Relative to the commonly used hydraulic shock absorbers, electromechanical ones are based on the use of linear or rotative electric motors. If electric motor is of the DC-brushless type, the shock absorber can be devised by shunting its electric terminals with a resistive load. The damping force can be modified by acting on the added resistance. An integrated design procedure of the electrical and mechanical parameters is presented in the article. The dynamic performance that can be obtained by a vehicle with electromechanical dampers is verified on a quarter car model.

U radu se prikazuje mogućnost i važnost interdisciplinarnog pristupa analizi bioarheološkog materijala humanog podrijetla. prikazuju se podatci dobiveni različitim aspektima biološke antropologije iz otvorenog groba i obradom prisutnih posmrtnih ostataka, dajući priču osobe, muškarca. Primarna antropološka identifi kacija, koja uključuje spol, dob u trenutku smrti i visinu, zajedno s analizom patoloških promjena na kostima i razvijenosti mišićno-koštanih hvatišta, uvijek nam daje obilje podataka, koji su iznimno važni u antropologiji, ali otvaraju i nove vidike arheolozima te povjesničarima. Analiza stabilnih izotopa 13C, 15N, 18O dala je uvid u moguću migraciju osobe, kemijski opis regije u kojoj je istraživani muškarac proveo rano djetinjstvo, kao i obilježja područja gdje je boravio posljednjih godina života. Pomoću višeslojne tomografi je (CT) skeniranja lubanje i uz korištenje računalne tehnike za rekonstrukciju mekotkivnih struktura lica dobiven je prikaz lica analizirane osobe. Općenito, takva je rekonstrukcija korisna u forenzičkom aspektu, a može koristiti, kao u prikazanom slučaju, i za vizualizaciju stvaranja morfološko - antropoloških pokazatelja., The remains of a tomb were discovered below the foundations of the Roman church of “Majka Bozja Gorska” in Lobor in 2002. It was a vaulted tomb carved from a single stone. The narthex of ancient Christian and pre-roman churches often served as the resting place of religious, secular and noble dignitaries, who were credited for founding the church at the time. By anthropological methods, the age, gender, height, pathological changes, tendon and ligament hinges and degree of development were able to be analysed. The stable isotopes of Carbon-13, Nitrogen-15 and Oxygen-18 were analysed and expressed as