Falls are a major problem of later life having severe consequences on quality of life and a significant burden in occidental countries. Many technological solutions have been proposed to assess the ...risk or to predict falls and the majority is based on accelerometers and gyroscopes. However, very little was done for identifying first time fallers, which are very difficult to recognize. This paper presents a metamodel predicting falls using short term Heart Rate Variability (HRV) analysis acquired at the baseline. About 170 hypertensive patients (age: 72 ± 8 years, 56 female) were investigated, of which 34 fell once in the 3 months after the baseline assessment. This study is focused on hypertensive patients, which were considered as convenient pragmatic sample, as they undergo regular outpatient visits, during which short term Electrocardiogram (ECG) can be easily recorded without significant increase of healthcare costs. For each subject, 11 consecutive excerpts of 5 min each (55 min) were extracted from ECGs recorded between 10:30 and 12:30 and analysed. Linear and nonlinear HRV features were extracted and averaged among the 11 excerpts, which were, then, considered for the statistical and data mining analysis. The best predictive metamodel was based on Multinomial Naïve Bayes, which enabled to predict first-time fallers with sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy rates of 72%, 61%, and 68%, respectively.
Spinal pain Izzo, R; Popolizio, T; D’Aprile, P ...
European journal of radiology,
05/2015, Letnik:
84, Številka:
5
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Highlights • Purpose of this review is to address the current concepts on the pathophysiology of discogenic, radicular, facet and dysfunctional spinal pain, focusing on the role of the imaging in the ...diagnostic setting, to potentially address a correct approach also to minimally invasive interventional techniques. • Special attention will be given to the discogenic pain, actually considered as the most frequent cause of chronic low back pain. • The correct distinction between referred pain and radicular pain contributes to give a more correct approach to spinal pain. • The pathogenesis of chronic pain renders this pain a true pathology requiring a specific management.
Purpose: The aim of this study is analyze the training load in élite goalkeepers (GK) during a training week with a new system analysis K-Track (K-TRACK/IMU K-SPORT UNI.STATS, Montecchio, ITA) and ...verify if the goalkeepers (GK) training program is correct to create specific adaptations and improve performance. K-Track system allows to analyze work time, total workload developed during a session or match, average strength produced, lateral imbalance (left and right), number of vertical jumps, vertical jump accelerations (intensity), number of dives to the right (volume), right dive accelerations (intensity), number of dives to the left (volume) and left dive accelerations (intensity).This parameters it's completely different from other players and it's necessary to have correct information from GK performance. In conclusion how much and how to train the goalkeeper to improve fitness and performance in high-level professional team. Method: Three (n=3) professional goalkeepers were analyzed (age 20.3±1.5 body weight 80.9±7.6 kg; height 188±2.9cm; fat mass 9.4±2.9 %), during 20 workout and 4 official match in season 2019-2020 with K-Track (K-TRACK/IMU K-SPORT UNI.STATS, Montecchio, ITA). Conclusion: This case study has allowed us to highlight which training load is correct for this role during a training week to improve physical performance. In fact, not have specific studies that have analyzed specific parameters for GK, because it is necessary a K-Track device to collect correct information. If we know correct training load, it is possible to improve or reduce exercises intensity and volume. In addition, it is clear that physical and technical-tactical goalkeeper profile is completely different from other players in football.
Soils and ground water in nature are dominated by chloride and sulphate salts. There have been several studies concerning NaCl salinity, however, little is known about the Na
2SO
4 one. The effects ...on antioxidative activities of chloride or sodium sulphate in terms of the same Na
+ equivalents (25 mM Na
2SO
4 and 50 mM NaCl) were studied on 30 day-old plants of
Ocimum basilicum L., variety Genovese subjected to 15 and 30 days of treatment. Growth, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), relative ion leakage ratio (RLR), hydrogen peroxide (H
2O
2), ascorbate and glutathione contents as well as the activities of ascorbate peroxidase (APX, EC 1.11.1.11); glutathione reductase (GR, EC 1.6.4.2) and peroxidases (POD, EC 1.11.1.7) were determined. In leaves, growth was more depressed by 25 mM Na
2SO
4 than 50 mM NaCl. The higher sensitivity of basil to Na
2SO
4 was associated with an enhanced accumulation of H
2O
2, an inhibition of APX, GR and POD activities (with the exception of POD under the 30-day-treatment) and a lower regeneration of reduced ascorbate (AsA) and reduced glutathione (GSH). However, the changes in the antioxidant metabolism were enough to limit oxidative damage, explaining the fact that RLR and TBARS levels were unchanged under both Na
2SO
4 and NaCl treatment. Moreover, for both salts the 30-day-treatment reduced H
2O
2 accumulation, unchanged RLR and TBARS levels, and enhanced the levels of antioxidants and antioxidative enzymes, thus achieving an adaptation mechanism against reactive oxygen species.
X-ray nanotomography and focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy (FIB‐SEM) have been applied to investigate the complex 3D microstructure of solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) electrodes at spatial ...resolutions of 45
nm and below. The application of near edge differential absorption for x-ray nanotomography and energy selected backscatter detection for FIB–SEM enable elemental mapping within the microstructure. Using these methods, non‐destructive 3D x-ray imaging and FIB–SEM serial sectioning have been applied to compare three‐dimensional elemental mapping of the LSM, YSZ, and pore phases in the SOFC cathode microstructure. The microstructural characterization of an SOFC cathode is reported based on these measurements. The results presented demonstrate the viability of x-ray nanotomography as a quantitative characterization technique and provide key insights into the SOFC cathode microstructure.
► Solid oxide fuel cell cathode microstructure is characterized with x-ray nanotomography and FIB-SEM. ► Near edge differential absorption and EsB detection enable elemental mapping of distinct cathode phases (e.g. LSM, YSZ, pore). ► The accuracy of cathode characterization by x-ray nanotomography is confirmed.
This study aims to analyze and compare very high-intensity acceleration and deceleration in official matches in two different professional teams during three competitive seasons (Italian 3rd ...Division-Series C, 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22), to understand how two different training methodologies during the week influenced the performance about these parameters indicated above. Eighty-seven (n=87) élite football players participated in this study (age 23.1±1.4; body weight 77.8±1.7; height 181.9±0.6; fat mass 10.7±1.5), without goalkeepers. Every player has been analyzed with a K-AI live device 50Hz (K-Sport Universal STATS, Italy) in 857 pieces of training and 104 official matches for three regular seasons. These data were collected in groups with similar performance indexes (PI). All data have been analyzed with Dynamix Software, K-Sport Online. Data show that percentage very high intensity acceleration (%D_A8; >3m/s2) and very high intensity deceleration (%D_A1; < - 3m/s2) are very large differences from during training session, respectively (ES: -1.63; p<0.05 and ES: -2.38; p<0.05) and during official match, respectively (ES: -2.11; p<0.05 and ES: 2.22 p<0.05). As regards the comparisons between seasons of the official competitions, there is an insignificant difference for all parameters between T1 and T2, which denotes a similar style of play and a similar level of preparation between the two seasons same athletic trainer and work volume physical between 32.9% and 35.4%. With an important all-out lactacid contribution without the ball in training 1 session per week for about 40 weeks. Instead between T1 and T3, the changes are statistically significant on all parameters in favor of T1 and between T2 and T3 in favor of T2. Also, this season the head fitness coach was the same but he worked between 7 and 10% less and the lactic acid work without the ball and with the ball was practically inexistent (0.07%).
Celiac disease (CD) is an enteropathy triggered by the ingestion of gluten proteins in genetically predisposed individuals and characterized by excessive activation of effector immune cells and ...enhanced production of inflammatory cytokines. However, factors/mechanisms that amplify the ongoing mucosal inflammation in CD are not fully understood. In this study, we assessed whether mammalian target of Rapamycin (mTOR), a pathway that combines intra- and extra-cellular signals and acts as a central regulator for the metabolism, growth, and function of immune and non-immune cells, sustains CD-associated immune response. Our findings indicate that expression of phosphorylated (p)/active form of mTOR is increased in protein lysates of duodenal biopsy samples taken from patients with active CD (ACD) as compared to normal controls. In ACD, activation of mTOR occurs mainly in the epithelial compartment and associates with enhanced expression of p-4EBP, a downstream target of mTOR complex (mTORC)1, while expression of p-Rictor, a component of mTORC2, is not increased. Stimulation of mucosal explants of inactive CD patients with pepsin-trypsin-digested (PT)-gliadin or IFN-γ/IL-21, two cytokines produced in CD by gluten-specific T cells, increases p-4EBP expression. Consistently, blockade of such cytokines in cultures of ACD mucosal explants reduces p-4EBP. Finally, we show that inhibition of mTORC1 with rapamycin in ACD mucosal explants reduces p-4EBP and production of IL-15, a master cytokine produced by epithelial cells in this disorder. Our data suggest that ACD inflammation is marked by activation of mTORC1 in the epithelial compartment.
Obesity is characterized by the disproportionate growth of the components of body size, including adipose tissue and lean body mass. Left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy often develops, due to the ...coexistence of hemodynamic (cardiac workload) and non-hemodynamic components (including body composition and activity of visceral fat). While the hypertrophy of cardiomyocytes is produced by the hemodynamic load, through sarcomeric replication, there is a parallel growth of non-muscular myocardial components, including interstitial fat infiltration and accumulation of triglycerides in the contractile elements, which are thought to influence LV geometric pattern. Thus, pure intervention on hemodynamic load is unlikely to result in effective reduction of LV hypertrophy in obese. We review pathophysiology and prevalence of LV hypertrophy in obesity, with specific attention to LV geometric abnormalities and relations with body size.
Advanced imaging and characterization methods have permitted the 3-D and phase-specific reconstruction of dense and opaque samples with features that have a length scale on the order of tens of ...nanometers and comprised of materials with large X-ray mass absorption coefficients. Engineered materials, like those found in solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) electrodes, use complex materials that have often limited opportunities to perform 3-D characterization and analysis. Still, characterization and analysis methods are needed to better understand these structures and their functional impact. The development, verification, and validation of methods used by the authors for the characterization and analysis of the heterogeneous SOFC anode are discussed in this work
1,2. These methods include the measurement of the volume fractions of the individual phases, contiguity or volumetric connectivity, tortuosity, and interfacial properties. A second and complementary part of this work will examine quantitative methods that provide detailed descriptions of the structure and its relations to the transport processes that it must support
3. These efforts are intended to describe the formulation of methods developed to provide insight into the SOFC anode nano/microstructure.
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