Evaluation of the efficacy of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) and the microelectric neurostimulation (MENS) in the treatment of myogenic temporomandibular disorders: a randomized clinical trial

OBJETIVO: Avaliar a efetividade do laser de baixa freqüência e do estímulo muscular microelétrico (MENS) no tratamento de pacientes com disfunções temporomandibulares (DTM). MATERIAL E MÉTODOS: Uma amostra de 19 indivíduos com sinais e sintomas de DTM de origem muscular, foi dividida em dois grupos (I -laser e II - MENS). O tratamento consistiu de 10 sessões, três vezes por semana, durante um mês. Os critérios de avaliação dos pacientes foram: escala de análise visual (EAV), mensuração de abertura máxima bucal e palpação muscular, estes foram avaliados imediatamente antes e 5 minutos após cada sessão terapêutica, num estudo do tipo controlado. Para análise estatística, foram aplicados ANOVA para mensurações repetidas e Mann-Whitney. RESULTADOS: Os resultados demonstraram aumento da abertura bucal máxima e diminuição na sensibilidade à palpação em ambos os grupos e, em relação à EAV, ambos os grupos demonstraram decréscimo, mas houve uma diferença estatisticamente significante entre os grupos, já que o grupo laser apresentou os melhores resultados pOBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) and the microelectric neurostimulation (MENS) in the treatment of patients with temporomandibular disorders (TMD). MATERIAL AND METHODS: A sample of 19 individuals presenting with signs and symptoms of myogenic TMD was randomly divided into two groups (I - LLLT and II - MENS). Therapy was done in 10 sessions, three times a week, for one month. Patients were evaluated by the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), measurement of active range of motion (AROM) and muscle palpation, performed immediately before and 5 minutes after each therapeutic session by a blinded TMD specialist. The ANOVA for repeated measurements and Mann-Whitney tests were used for the statistical analysis. RESULTS: The results showed an increase in maximum mouth opening and a decrease in tenderness to palpation for both groups. The VAS reduced for both groups, although more evident for the laser group (

Fiber optic vibration transducer and analyzer Patent

Fiber optic transducers for monitoring and analysis of vibration in aerospace vehicles and onboard equipmen

Some experience with arc-heater simulation of outer planet entry radiation

An electric arc heater was operated at 800 amperes and 100,000 pa (1 atm) with hydrogen, helium, and two mixtures of hydrogen and helium. A VUV-scanning monochromator was used to record the spectra from an end view while a second spectrometer was used to determine the plasma temperature using hydrogen continuum radiation at 562 nm. Except for pure helium, the plasma temperature was found to be too low to produce significant helium radiation, and the measured spectra were primarily the hydrogen spectra with the highest intensity in the pure hydrogen case. A radiation computer code was used to compute the spectra for comparison to the measurements and to extend the study to simulation of outer planet entry radiation. Conductive cooling prevented ablation of phenolic carbon material samples mounted inside the arc heater during a cursory attempt to produce radiation absorption by ablation gases

Performance Improvement of Non Invasive Blood Glucose Measuring System With Near Infra Red Using Artificial Neural Networks

Measurement of body blood sugar levels is one of the important things to do to reduce the number of people with diabetes mellitus. Non-invasive measurement techniques become a blood sugar measurement technique that is more practical when compared to invasive techniques, but this technique has not shown too high levels of accuracy, specificity and sensitivity. For this reason, the non-invasive measurement model using NIR and ANN is proposed to improve the performance of non-invasive gauges. Non-invasive blood sugar measuring devices will be built using a nodemcu board with photodiaodes and NIR transmitters whose data is then processed using ANN models compared to invasive blood sugar data obtained from 40 data. 40 data obtained then used as raw data to build ANN models which 75% percent of it use as training data and 25% od it will be use as testing data to validate accuration of the model been built, the split of data doing randomly without any interference from programmer or model designer. All the data gathered are data collected from all volunteers which willingly to test their blood glucose using invasive glucose meter and non invasive glucose meter which been built. The invasive glucose meter used to gather raw data of blood glucose is SafeAccu-2 with 95% level of accuracy so the accuracy and error parameter calculated in this research are based on that 95% level accurcy of the invasive device

Development of a Low-Cost SIA-Based Analyser for Water Samples

An automated multiparametric water analyser was developed and evaluated. The system was based on Sequential Injection Analysis and featured a photometric detection system comprising a tricolour RGB LED source and a photodiode. A program compiled in Visual Basic was used to control the SIA flow system, the LEDs, and the data acquisition and processing. The program loads and executes methods written in ASCII and stored as text files. The system was capable of handling up to four methods simultaneously. When used to carry out methods based on the APHA standard methods, the figures of merit obtained were considered satisfactory for the purpose. The total cost was under US $4600. It was concluded that the analyser is appropriate for routine use and has potential for an increased number of simultaneous methods and for enhanced capabilities if new versions of the software are developed

Formation of Anticorrosive Structures and Thin Films on Metal Surfaces by Applying EDM

The methods of the formation of anticorrosive strata and thin films on metal surfaces by applying electric discharge machining (EDM) are presented in this chapter. The increase of anticorrosion resistance of metal surfaces by the formation of palladium depositions, carbon films and oxide and hydroxide films has been demonstrated. Corrosion and electrochemical behaviour of titanium with palladium powder coatings were investigated in sulfuric acid solutions at temperatures of 80 and 100°C. In order to increase the diffusion of palladium in the base material and to increase the layer homogeneity, after coating, the samples were annealed in vacuum at 1150°C for 1 hour. The proposed method allows to reduce the corrosion speed of titanium at least by two orders (from 18.7 to 0.3 g m−2 h−1); the corrosion potential is changed towards positive values (from −0.56 mV to +0.3 V). The research on surface electrical resistance and resistance to corrosion of oxide and hydroxide films formed on steel C45 surfaces by applying EDM have shown that the surface electrical resistance of the samples increased by 107 times, the potential of corrosion increased from −0.44 mV to +0.4 V and the resistance to corrosion has increased by about two times in 1% NaCl water solution and by about 10 times in 30% H2SO4 water solution. The less pronounced increase of anticorrosion properties has carbon films formed on the same steel C45 surface; instead they increase superficial microhardness, the functional durability and processing productivity of the active piece surfaces

Determination of Total Selenium in Infant Formulas: Comparison of the Performance of FIA and MCFA Flow Systems

Two flow methods, based, respectively, on flow-injection analysis (FIA) and on multicommutated flow analysis (MCFA), were compared with regard to their use for the determination of total selenium in infant formulas by hydride-generation atomic absorption spectrometry. The method based on multicommutation provided lower detection and quantification limits (0.08 and 0.27 μg L−1 compared to 0.59 and 1.95 μ L−1, resp.), higher sampling frequency (160 versus. 70 samples per hour), and reduced reagent consumption. Linearity, precision, and accuracy were similar for the two methods compared. It was concluded that, while both methods proved to be appropriate for the purpose, the MCFA-based method exhibited a better performance