16 research outputs found

    Engineered nanomaterials exposure in the production of graphene

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    <p>The objective of this study was to obtain the multi-metric occupational exposure assessment to graphene family nanomaterials (GFNs) particles of workers engaged in the large-scale production of graphene. The study design consisted of the combination of (i) direct-reading instruments, used to evaluate the total particle number concentrations relative to the background concentration (time series with spatial approach) and the mean size-dependent characteristics of particles (mean diameter and surface-area concentration) and (ii) filter-based air sampling for the determination of size-resolved particle mass concentrations. The data obtained from direct reading measurement were then used to estimate the 8-h time weighted average (8-h TWA) exposure to GFNs particles for workers involved in different working tasks. Workers were generally exposed to 8-h TWA GFNs particle levels lower than the proposed reference value (40,000 particle/cm<sup>3</sup>). Furthermore, despite high short-term exposure conditions were present during specific operations of the production process, the possibility of significant exposure peaks is not likely to be expected. The estimated 8-h TWA concentration showed differences between the unexposed (<100 particle/cm<sup>3</sup>; <0.05 µg/m<sup>3</sup>) and exposed subjects (mean concentration ranging from 909 to 6438 particle/cm<sup>3</sup> and from 0.38 to 3.86 µg/m<sup>3</sup>). The research outcomes can be of particular interest because the exposure of workers in real working conditions was assessed with a multi-metric approach; in this regard, the study suggests that workers who are directly involved in some specific working task (material sampling for quality control) have higher potential for occupational exposure than operators who are in charge of routine production work.</p> <p>© 2016 American Association for Aerosol Research</p

    15th Sport&EU Conference Book of Proceedings

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    Book of abstracts of the 15th Annual Conference of the Association for the Study of Sport and the European Union (Sport&EU)

    Mechanical Energy Recovery during Walking in Patients with Parkinson Disease

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    <div><p>The mechanisms of mechanical energy recovery during gait have been thoroughly investigated in healthy subjects, but never described in patients with Parkinson disease (PD). The aim of this study was to investigate whether such mechanisms are preserved in PD patients despite an altered pattern of locomotion. We consecutively enrolled 23 PD patients (mean age 64±9 years) with bilateral symptoms (H&Y ≥II) if able to walk unassisted in medication-off condition (overnight suspension of all dopaminergic drugs). Ten healthy subjects (mean age 62±3 years) walked both at their ‘preferred’ and ‘slow’ speeds, to match the whole range of PD velocities. Kinematic data were recorded by means of an optoelectronic motion analyzer. For each stride we computed spatio-temporal parameters, time-course and range of motion (ROM) of hip, knee and ankle joint angles. We also measured kinetic (W<sub>k</sub>), potential (W<sub>p</sub>), total (W<sub>totCM</sub>) energy variations and the energy recovery index (ER). Along with PD progression, we found a significant correlation of W<sub>totCM</sub> and W<sub>p</sub> with knee ROM and in particular with knee extension in terminal stance phase. W<sub>k</sub> and ER were instead mainly related to gait velocity. In PD subjects, the reduction of knee ROM significantly diminished both W<sub>p</sub> and W<sub>totCM</sub>. Rehabilitation treatments should possibly integrate passive and active mobilization of knee to prevent a reduction of gait-related energetic components.</p></div

    Time courses of knee flexion/extension angles.

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    <p>(A) Comparison between one representative PD<sub>M</sub> (black lines) and one HC<sub>N</sub> (grey lines). (B) Comparison between one representative PD<sub>S</sub> (black lines) and one HC<sub>S</sub> (grey lines). Thick and thin lines refer to the average time courses ±SD of different trials, respectively. The intervals of maximum knee extension, reached during the stance phase, are highlighted in grey.</p

    Energy components.

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    <p>Left column: PD<sub>M</sub> and HC<sub>N</sub>. Right column: PD<sub>S</sub> and HC<sub>S</sub>. Black lines refer to one representative PD and grey lines to one HC. Thick and thin lines refer to the average time courses ±SD of different trials, respectively.</p
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