Visualization of a Small Jet Synthetic Using a Particle Image Velocimetry and Background-Oriented Schlieren Techniques

This work reports the results of experimental investigations carried out on a submerged synthetic jet obtained through the use of a headset speaker piloted with an appropriate sinusoidal signal at a frequency of 380 Hz. The study begins with the construction of a device that, exploiting the well-known transport properties of impacting jets, was able to improve local ventilation and the removal of excess moisture, due to the natural transpiration of human skin in people forced to assume the same position for prolonged periods such as professional drivers; bedridden patients; etc… Subjects are substantially forced to have parts of their own body in contact with fabrics and coverings that hinder the normal conditions of skin transpiration. The experimental activity was first based on the study of the structure of the synthetic jets, then moving on to the creation of a sponge mat equipped with 80 individual jets. On this sponge mat, semi-empirical tests were carried out in order to remove moisture from a fabric soaked in distilled water. The experimental investigations were first carried out using the PIV technique, and, subsequently, the synthetic jet was visualized using the Background-Oriented Schlieren (BOS) technique which allowed to test the presence of the jets, installed directly on the mattress, in a relatively simple and fast way, requiring a very simplified set-up

Effects of prism adaptation on reference systems for extrapersonal space in neglect patients

Up to now, rehabilitation of unilateral spatial neglect has focused on egocentric forms of neglect, whereas less is known about the possibility to improve allocentric deficits. The present study aimed to examine the efficacy of prism adaptation (PA) training on patients with different forms of neglect: egocentric, allocentric, or mixed. Twenty-eight patients were assessed with specific neglect tests before (T0) and after (T1) 10 sessions of PA training. Performance in the Apples Cancellation test was used to identify patients with egocentric (n = 6), allocentric (n = 5), or mixed (n = 17) forms of neglect. In the overall group of patients, PA training produced significant improvements in performance across different neglect tests. In terms of the egocentric–allocentric distinction, the training was effective in reducing omissions in the left part of space in the Apples Cancellation test both for patients with egocentric neglect and mixed neglect. By contrast, errors of commissions (marking the inability to detect the left part of the target stimulus, i.e., allocentric neglect) remained unchanged after PA in patients with allocentric neglect and actually increased marginally in patients with mixed neglect. The PA training is effective in improving egocentric neglect, while it is ineffective on the allocentric form of the disturbance. Notably, the allocentric component of neglect is frequently impaired, although this is most often in conjunction with the egocentric impairment, yielding the mixed form of neglect. This stresses the importance of developing exercises tuned to improving allocentric neglect

Incobotulinum booster injections in patients with spasticity and dystonia after stroke

Background.\u2013 Previous results in patients injected with abobotulinum toxin A and onabotulinum toxin A have shown that injection intervals shorter than 2 months may increase the risk for neutralising antibody formation and treatment non-response. As a result, for the last 10 years, we have adopted longer intervals to treat patients with spasticity and/or dystonia secondary to stroke. It has been showed that incobotulinum toxin A does not induce neutralising antibodies. Observations.\u2013 Methods.\u2013 Ten patients with spasticity and/or dystonia due to stroke underwent a booster injection one month after the first injection. The clinical results were compared to those previously obtained in the same 10 patients using a single injection. Secondary dystonia was evaluated using the Unified Dystonia Rating Scale (UDRS), while spasticity was evaluated according to the Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS). Results.\u2013 They showed that the booster injection protocol induced an improvement in 8 subjects. In the remaining 2 subjects, we did not find any difference between the results obtained using the single and the booster injection protocols. Conclusions.\u2013 The use of a booster injection improve the clinical outcome in patients with spasticity and/or dystonia after stroke, allowing an optimal treatment of those muscles that poorly responded to the first injection

Pulmonary and chest wall function in obese adults

Obesity is frequently associated with breathing disorders. To investigate if and how the highest levels of obesity impact respiratory function, 17 subjects with obesity (median age: 49 years; BMI: 39.7 kg/m2, 8 females) and 10 normal-weighted subjects (49 years; 23.9 kg/m2, 5 females) were studied. The abdominal volume occupied 41% in the obese group, being higher (p < 0.001) than the normal-weighted group (31%), indicating accumulation of abdominal fat. Restrictive lung defect was present in 17% of subjects with obesity. At rest in the supine position, subjects with obesity breathed with higher minute ventilation (11.9 L/min) and lower ribcage contribution (5.7%) than normal weighted subjects (7.5 L/min, p = 0.001 and 31.1%, p = 0.003, respectively), thus indicating thoracic restriction. Otherwise healthy obesity might not be characterized by a systematic restrictive lung pattern. Despite this, another sign of restriction could be poor thoracic expansion at rest in the supine position, resulting in increased ventilation. Class 3 obesity made respiratory rate further increased. Opto-electronic plethysmography and its thoraco-abdominal analysis of awake breathing add viable and interesting information in subjects with obesity that were complementary to pulmonary function tests. In addition, OEP is able to localize the restrictive effect of obesity

Pamidronate improves the quality of life and induces clinical remission of bone metastases in patients with thyroid cancer

Skeletal metastases from thyroid cancer are poorly responsive to medical or radioiodine treatment. Bone destruction in skeletal metastases results from osteoclast-induced bone resorption. Therefore, a new approach in the therapy of bone metastases consists in using aminobisphosphonates, such as pamidronate, which are potent inhibitors of osteoclastic activity. In the present study, 10 thyroid cancer patients with painful osteolytic bone metastases were administered pamidronate (90 mg, as a 2 hour intravenous infusion) monthly for 12 consecutive cycles. Bone pain, quality of life, performance status, analgesic consumption and disease staging were evaluated before and during the trial. The patients who had been administered pamidronate showed a significant decrease in bone pain (P = 0.0052). Performance status improved nearly significantly (P = 0.051), while the quality of life showed a remarkable amelioration. However, no significant decrease in analgesic consumption was recorded. Partial radiographic response of bone lesions was observed in 2/10 patients. The side effects of pamidronate were mild and transient. In conclusion, monthly infusion of pamidronate is a well-tolerated treatment that induces significant relief from bone pain and improves the quality of life of thyroid cancer patients with symptomatic and osteolytic bone metastases. © 2001 Cancer Research Campaign http://www.bjcancer.co

Anticancer drugs and hyperthermia enhance cytotoxicity induced by polyamine enzymatic oxidation products

A correlation between regulation of cell proliferation and polyamine metabolism is described. The latter can enter protein synthesis through the modification of eukaryotic initiation factor 5A (eIF5A) and the formation of the peculiar amino acid hypusine. Specific inhibitors of hypusine formation induce apoptosis that can be potentiated by the combination with cytokines such as interferon alpha (IFN alpha) that itself decreases hypusine synthesis. We have also demonstrated that the concomitant treatment of cancer cells with IFNa and the protein synthesis inhibitor fusion protein TGF alpha/Pseudomonas Aeruginosa toxin synergize in inducing cancer cell growth inhibition. Another way used by polyamines to induce apoptosis is the generation of intracellular oxidative stress through the interaction with bovine serum amine oxidase (BSAO). This enzyme used simultaneously to spermine induces apoptosis, necrosis, inhibition of cell proliferation and inhibition of DNA and protein synthesis in several cell types. The enzymatic oxidation products of polyamine, H2O2 and aldehyde(s) cause these effects. We have recently found that the cytotoxicity of anti-cancer agents, either etoposide or docetaxel, in cancer cells is potentiated in the presence of BSAO/Spermine. In conclusion, polyamine metabolites could be useful in the design of new therapeutic strategies

Molecular and preclinical models enhancing anti-tumour activity of zoledronic acid

AbstractZoledronic acid (ZOL) is an aminobisphosphonate able to inhibit the prenylation of intracellular proteins through the inhibition of farnesylpyrophosphate synthase. Prenylation is essential for the maintenance of the activation of components of signal transduction pathways regulating apoptosis and proliferation such as Ras and Ras-related proteins. ZOL has demonstrated a direct anti-tumour effect in vitro and in preclinical models, and its ability in preventing skeletal-related events is proven in patients with bone metastases from different origins. Clinical evidence on its direct anti-proliferative effects is emerging. We describe several strategies in order to improve the anti-tumour activity of ZOL. In detail, we illustrate new combinations between ZOL and cytotoxic drugs or other biological agents such as the farnesyltransferase inhibitor tipifarnib focusing on the sequence of administration of these drugs. Moreover, the efforts to find new molecular targets of ZOL through the use of technological platforms such as DNA microarrays are described

A Programmable Neural Interface for Investigating Arbitrary Stimulation Strategies

Accepted versio