Classical irreversible thermodynamics versus extended irreversible thermodynamics: the role of the continuity equation

This brief note focuses on a simple fluid, i.e., a homogeneous, chemically inert, and electrically neutral fluid, for which, in the linear non-equilibrium regime, the thermodynamic state is expressed by a relation between pressure, temperature, and density. The approach based on the elementary scales is used to check the validity range of both the classical irreversible thermodynamics and the extended irreversible thermodynamics. The achieved result reveals that the classical irreversible thermodynamics fails in providing arm adequate response when the mechanical solicitations exceed limit values

Beach drainage system: a comprehensive review of a controversial soft-engineering method

The beach drainage can be included among the soft engineering methods aimed to counteract the shoreline retreat related to the sediment redistribution along the beach profile. The idea that the groundwater table plays a role in the mobilization of the sediment grains underlies the application of the beach drainage system (BDS) as a tool able to modify the natural dynamics of groundwater table at sandy beaches. Indeed, BDS consists of a series of alongshore buried drains aimed to lower the groundwater table. Due to the drainage, the thickening of the layer of dry sand makes the solid grains less prone to be mobilized by the action of the waves at the swash zone, where interaction phenomena between the percolating and the incoming water lens take place. This tool had a troubled history. Its first applications were encouraging. Since then, controversial performances of both experimental and prototype scale experiences have been observed around the world. This paper aims to present an up-to-date full review of the studies and experiments carried out so far, in order to provide the reader with a complete perspective on its strength and weakness as well as open challenges to be faced in the near future

MRI and Clinical Biomarkers Overlap between Glaucoma and Alzheimer’s Disease

glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness worldwide. It is classically associated with structural and functional changes in the optic nerve head and retinal nerve fiber layer, but the damage is not limited to the eye. The involvement of the central visual pathways and disruption of brain network organization have been reported using advanced neuroimaging techniques. the brain structural changes at the level of the areas implied in processing visual information could justify the discrepancy between signs and symptoms and underlie the analogy of this disease with neurodegenerative dementias, such as alzheimer’s disease, and with the complex group of pathologies commonly referred to as “disconnection syndromes.” this review aims to summarize the current state of the art on the use of advanced neuroimaging techniques in glaucoma and alzheimer’s disease, highlighting the emerging biomarkers shared by both diseases

A literature review of hypertensive retinopathy: systemic correlations and new technologies

OBJECTIVE: Hypertensive retinopathy (HR) is the most common ocular manifestation of systemic arterial hypertension. This paper aims to summarize the current knowledge of HR, reviewing its classical features, such as epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, classifications, management and the most significant systemic correlations. We also provide an update on the latest advances in new technologies focusing on novel instrumental classifications. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A literature search was performed to identify articles regarding HR listed in Embase, PubMed, Medline (Ovid) and Scopus database up to 1 December 2021. The reference lists of the analyzed articles were also considered a source of literature information. The following keywords were used in various combinations: hypertensive retinopathy, hypertension and eye, hypertensive retinopathy and systemic correlations, optical coherence tomography (OCT) and hypertensive retinopathy, optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) and hypertensive retinopathy, adaptive optics (AO) and hypertensive retinopathy. The authors analyzed all English articles found using the aforementioned Keywords. All the publications were thoroughly reviewed to create a detailed overview of this issue. RESULTS: HR signs have a significative association with cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and other systemic diseases. Patients with arteriosclerotic changes and, at the same time, severe HR, are at increased risk for coronary disease, peripheral vascular disease, stroke and dementia. HR is even now diagnosed and classified by its clinical appearance on a fundoscopic exam that is limited by interobserver variability. New technologies, like OCT, OCTA, AO and artificial intelligence may be used to develop a new instrumental classification that could become an objective and quantitative method for the evaluation of this disease. They could be useful to evaluate the subclinical retinal microvascular changes due to hypertension that may reflect the involvement of other vital organs. CONCLUSIONS: The eye is the only organ in the human body where changes in the blood vessels due to systemic hypertension can be studied in vivo. All doctors should be familiar with this disease because it has been largely demonstrated that signs of HR are correlated to patient’s health and mortality. Researchers should develop a new common, standardized, and objective method to assess hypertensive retinal changes; new technologies may have a significant role in this field. This review takes most of the literature published so far, including the OCTA studies in order to stimulate new points of reference to standardize parameters and new diagnostic markers of this disease

Bioelectrical impedance analysis in patients with posterior vitreous detachment

OBJECTIVE: the purpose of the study is to assess body hydration in patients with posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). PVD, one of the most common eye diseases, is associated in both research and the collective image with reduced daily water intake, but this finding is not supported by strong evidence in the literature. PATIENTS AND METHODS: based on spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) evaluation, different PVD stages are identified: absent posterior vitreous detachment, partial posterior vitreous detachment (P-PVD), or complete posterior vitreous detachment (C-PVD). BIA is a simple, non-invasive bedside method used to assess body composition. patients underwent BIA and completed a floaters symptoms. 30 patients were enrolled and divided into two groups according to the degree of vitreous detachment, in P-PVD (n=12) and C-PVD (n=18). patients underwent BIA and completed a floaters symptoms questionnaire. BIA measured the resistance (R), reactance (Xc), phase angle (PhA), total body water (TBW), extracellular water (ECW), fat mass (FM), fat-free mass (FFM), and body cell mass Index (BCMI). finally, patients received a test to assess adherence to the mediterranean diet (mediterranean diet test score, MDTS) with the addition of daily water intake. RESULTS: relevant data were obtained from the BIA evaluation: the values of R and Xc were lower in the P-PVD group than C-PVD group (respectively 417.08±58.12 Ω vs. 476.94±51.29 Ω p=0.006 and 41.33±8.23 Ω vs. 50.61±7.98 Ω p=0.004). instead, patients in the P-PVD group reported higher values of TBW and ECW than C-PVD group (respectively 44.13±7.57 L vs. 37.96±6.27 L p=0.021 and 21.03±4.06 L vs. 17.24±2.63 L p=0.004). CONCLUSIONS: In the present study, we reported a significant correlation between vitreous pathology and anthropometric and BIA measurements

Subclinical signs of retinal involvement in hereditary angioedema

To explore retinal abnormalities using spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD‐OCT) and OCT‐angiography (OCT‐A) in a highly selective cohort of patients with type I hereditary angioedema (HAE). This prospective case‐control study included 40 type I HAE patients and 40 age‐/sex‐matched healthy subjects (HC). All participants underwent SD‐OCT‐scanning of retinal posterior pole (PP), peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL), and optic nerve head (ONH). Superficial/deep capillary density was analyzed by OCT‐A. A total of 80 eyes from 40 HAE and 40 eyes from HC were evaluated. The pRNFL was thicker in HAE than in HC in nasal superior (p < 0.0001) and temporal quadrants (p = 0.0005 left, p = 0.003 right). The ONH thickness in HAE patients was greater than in HC in the nasal (p = 0.008 left, p = 0.01 right), temporal (p = 0.0005 left, p = 0.003 right), temporal inferior (p = 0.007 left, p = 0.0008 right), and global (p = 0.005 left, p = 0.007 right) scans. Compared to HC, HAE showed a lower capillary density in both superficial (p = 0.001 left, p = 0.006 right) and deep (p = 0.008 left, p = 0.004 right) whole images, and superficial (p = 0.03 left) and deep parafoveal (p = 0.007 left, p = 0.005 right) areas. Our findings documented subclinical retinal abnormalities in type I HAE, supporting a potential role of the retinal assessment by SD‐ OCT/OCT‐A as a useful tool in the comprehensive care of HAE patients

Continuous-wavelet transform for fault location in distribution power networks: Definition of mother wavelets inferred from fault originated transients

The paper presents a fault location procedure for distribution networks based on the wavelet analysis of the fault-generated traveling waves. In particular, the proposed procedure implements the continuous wavelet analysis applied to the voltage waveforms recorded during the fault in correspondence of a network bus. In order to improve the wavelet analysis, an algorithm is proposed to build specific mother wavelets inferred from the fault-originated transient waveforms. © 2008 IEEE