691 research outputs found
Heterogeneous nucleation and heat flux avalanches in La(Fe, Si)13 magnetocaloric compounds near the critical point
The phase transformation kinetics of LaFe11.41Mn0.30Si1.29-H1.65 magnetocaloric compound is
addressed by low rate calorimetry experiments. Scans at 1 mK/s show that its first order phase
transitions are made by multiple heat flux avalanches. Getting very close to the critical point, when
the transition becomes of the second order type, the step-like discontinuous behaviour associated
with avalanches is smoothed out and the thermal hysteresis disappears. This result is confirmed by
magneto-resistivity measurements and allows to obtain accurate values of the temperature hysteresis
(DThyst = 0.37 K) at zero external magnetic field and of the critical field (Hc = 1.19 T). The number
and magnitude of heat flux avalanches change as the magnetic field strength is increased,
showing the interplay between the intrinsic energy barrier between phases and the microstructural
disorder of the sample
Malar augmentation with zygomatic osteotomy in orthognatic surgery: Bone and soft tissue changes threedimensional evaluation: Malar Augmentation in Orthognatic Surgery
Background: The aim of this prospective study is to objectively assess 3D soft tissue and bone changes of the malar region by using the malar valgization osteotomy in concomitant association with orthognatic surgery. Materials and methods: From January 2015 to January 2018, 10 patients who underwent single stage bilateral malar valgization osteotomy in conjunction with maxillo-mandibular orthognatic procedures for aesthetic and functional correction were evaluated. Clinical and surgical reports were collected and patient satisfaction was evaluated with a VAS score. For each patient, maxillofacial CT-scans were collected 1 month preoperatively (T0) and 6 months after the operation (T1). DICOM data were imported and elaborated in the software MatLab, which creates a 3D soft tissue model of the face. 3D Bone changes were assessed importing DICOM data into iPlan (BrainLAB 3.0) software and the superimposition process was achieved using autofusion. Descriptive statistical analyses were obtained for soft tissue and bone changes. Results: Considering bone assessment the comparison by superimposition between T0 and T1 showed an increase of the distance between bilateral malar prominence (Pr – Pl) and a slight forward movement (87,65 ± 1,55 to 97,60 ± 5,91); p-value 0.007. All of the patients had improvement of α angle, ranging from 36,30 ± 1,70 to 38,45 ± 0,55, p-value 0,04 (αr) and 36,75 ± 1,58 to 38,45 ± 0,35; p-value 0,04 (αl). The distance S increased from 78,05 ± 2,48 to 84,2 ± 1,20; p-value 0,04 (Sr) and 78,65 ± 2,16 to 82,60 ± 0,90 (Sl); p-value 0,03. Considering the soft tissue, the comparison by superimposition between T0 and T1 showed an antero-lateral movement (p-value 0.008 NVL; p-value 0.001 NVR) of the malar bone projection together with an increase in width measurements (p-value 0,05 VL; p-value 0,01 VR). Angular measurement confirmed the pattern of the bony changes (p-value 0.034 αL; p-value 0,05 αR). Conclusion: The malar valgization osteotomy in conjunction with orthognatic surgery is effective in improving zygomatic projection contributing to a balanced facial correction in midface hypoplasia.3D geometrical based volume and surface analysis demonstrate an increase in transversal and forward direction. The osteotomy can be safely performed in conjunction with orthognatic procedures
Lipoma puro del bronco lobare medio. Considerazioni cliniche e terapeutiche. Contributo casistico
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APPLICATION OF PHOTOGRAMMETRY TO BRAIN ANATOMY
This paper presents an on-going interdisciplinary collaboration to advance brain connectivity studies. Despite the evolution of noninvasive methods to investigate the brain connectivity structure using the diffusion magnetic resonance, in the neuroscientific community there is an open debate how to collect quantitative information of the main neuroanatomical tracts. Information on the structure and main pathways of brain's white matter are generally derived by manual dissection of the brain ex-vivo. This paper wants to present a photogrammetric method developed to support the collection of metric information of the main pathways, or set of fibres, of the white matter of brain. For this purpose, multi-temporal photogrammetric acquisitions, with a resolution better than 100 microns, are performed at different stages of the brain's dissection, and the derived dense point clouds are used to annotate the stem, i.e., the region where there is a greater density of fibres of a given pathway, and termination points of several neuroanatomical tracts, i.e. fibres
A Behavioral Approach to Treatment and Assessment of People with Disorders of Consciousness: The Response-contingent Stimulation Strategy
Response-contingent stimulation is a behavioral strategy used to improve the situation of patients with disorders of consciousness. Such strategy involves the presentation of brief periods (e.g., 10 to 15 s) of stimulation considered preferred by the patients, contingent on (immediately after) the emission of specific patients' responses. The aim is to help the patients learn the link between their responding and the preferred stimulation and thus learn to use their responding to access the stimulation in a self-determined/independent manner. Achieving these goals is considered important for the patients' recovery process and thus the response-contingent stimulation strategy that promotes such an achievement can be considered a valuable treatment approach. The same strategy combined with the use of periods of non-contingent stimulation (i.e., stimulation delivered independent of responding) may also serve as an assessment supplement with patients with apparent unresponsive wakefulness. The patients' increase in responding during the response-contingent stimulation and decline in responding during the non-contingent stimulation could be taken as a sign of discrimination between conditions, and possibly a sign of awareness of the immediate environmental situation, compatible with a diagnosis of minimally conscious state. This paper analyzes a number of studies aimed at using the response-contingent stimulation as a treatment strategy and a number of studies aimed at combining response-contingent stimulation with non-contingent stimulation for treatment and assessment purposes. The results of the studies are discussed in terms of the effectiveness, accessibility and affordability of the strategy. The need for new research (i.e., replication studies) is also pointed out
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