Studi sull\u2019accuratezza numerica di un solutore meshfree per l\u2019approssimazione di campi

L\u2019attivit\ue0 di ricerca \ue8 stata finalizzata allo studio di metodologie numeriche avanzate senza reticolazioni per l\u2019approssimazione di funzioni e sue derivate. In particolare si sono condotti studi sull\u2019accuratezza e convergenza del metodo Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics riferendosi a campionamenti regolari e no

The GiSAS study: Rationale and design of pragmatic randomized controlled trial on aripiprazole, olanzapine and haloperidol in the long-term treatment of schizophrenia

Given the controversy about the comparative efficacy of first- compared with second-generation antipsychotics in the treatment of schizophrenia, more large-scale evidence is needed to guide clinicians in their prescriptions. Most randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were conducted in centers of excellence on highly selected samples, poorly representative of real-world patients, and often suffered conflicts of interest as they were sponsored by drug companies. The primary aim of the present study is to compare the effectiveness of haloperidol, olanzapine and aripiprazole in a representative sample of schizophrenia patients. The GiSAS trial is an open-label, independent, pragmatic RCT in Italian community-based public psychiatric services. At least 260 patients meeting the DSM-IV criteria for schizophrenia will be randomly allocated to one of the study drugs and followed up for one year. A two-year observational phase will follow. The primary outcome for tolerability will be the onset of metabolic syndrome. The primary endpoint for effectiveness will be discontinuation of antipsychotic monotherapy. Secondary measures include global functioning, time to discontinuation due to side-effects, change of lipid profile, extrapyramidal symptoms and other adverse effects. In the last four years, the GiSAS study group has been working to implement this multicenter RCT. The trial mechanism is now fully functional and working. As of end of February 2011, 260 subjects were randomized by 54 study investigators in 33 out of 43 participating centers

IL METODO DELLE SOLUZIONI FONDAMENTALI PER LA SOLUZIONE DEL PROBLEMA DIRETTO M/EEG

The research already started on the mesh-free solution of the M / EEG direct problem has led to the development of a solver based on the method of fundamental solutions (MFS, method of fundamental solutions) able to manage the physical-geometric complexity of realistic models of the head more efficiently than traditional

An Improved Solver for the M/EEG Forward Problem

Noninvasive investigation of the brain activity via electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetoencephalography (MEG) involves a typical inverse problem whose solution process requires an accurate and fast forward solver. We propose the Method of Fundamental Solutions (MFS) as a truly meshfree alternative to the Boundary Element Method (BEM) for solving the M/EEG forward problem. The solution of the forward problem is obtained, via the Method of Particular Solutions (MPS), by numerically solving a set of coupled boundary value problems for the 3D Laplace equation. Numerical accuracy and computational load are investigated for spherical geometries and comparisons with a state-of-the-art BEM solver shows that the proposed method is competitive

Mangosteen Extract Shows a Potent Insulin Sensitizing Effect in Obese Female Patients: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Pilot Study.

There is a widely acknowledged association between insulin resistance and obesity/type 2 diabetes (T2DM), and insulin sensitizing treatments have proved effective in preventing diabetes and inducing weight loss. Obesity and T2DM are also associated with increased inflammation. Mangosteen is a tropical tree, whose fruits—known for their antioxidant properties—have been recently suggested having a possible further role in the treatment of obesity and T2DM. The objective of this pilot study has been to evaluate safety and efficacy of treatment with mangosteen extract on insulin resistance, weight management, and inflammatory status in obese female patients with insulin resistance. Twenty-two patients were randomized 1:1 to behavioral therapy alone or behavioral therapy and mangosteen and 20 completed the 26-week study. The mangosteen group reported a significant improvement in insulin sensitivity (homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance, HOMA-IR −53.22% vs. −15.23%, p = 0.004), and no side effect attributable to treatment was reported. Given the positive preliminary results we report and the excellent safety profile, we suggest a possible supplementary role of mangosteen extracts in the treatment of obesity, insulin resistance, and inflammation

Tadalafil modulates aromatase activity and androgen receptor expression in a human osteoblastic cell in vitro model

Purpose Phosphodiesterase type-5 inhibitor (PDE5i) tadalafil administration in men with erectile dysfunction is associated with increased testosterone/estradiol ratio, leading to hypothesize a potential increased effect of androgen action on target tissues. We aimed to characterize, in a cellular model system in vitro, the potential modulation of aromatase and sex steroid hormone receptors upon exposure to tadalafil (TAD). Methods Human osteoblast-like cells SAOS-2 were chosen as an in vitro model system since osteoblasts are target of steroid hormones. Cells were tested for viability upon TAD exposure, which increased cell proliferation. Then, cells were treated with/without TAD for several times to evaluate potential modulation in PDE5, aromatase (ARO), androgen (AR) and estrogen (ER) receptor expression. Results Osteoblasts express significant levels of both PDE5 mRNA and protein. Exposure of cells to increasing concentrations of TAD (10−8–10−7 M) decreased PDE5 mRNA and protein expression. Also, TAD inhibited ARO mRNA and protein expression leading to an increase in testosterone levels in the supernatants. Interestingly, TAD increased total AR mRNA and protein expression and decreased ERα, with an increased ratio of AR/ER, suggesting preferential androgenic vs estrogenic pathway activation. Conclusions Our results demonstrate for the first time that TAD decreases ARO expression and increases AR protein expression in human SAOS-2, strongly suggesting a new control of steroid hormones pathway by PDE5i. These findings might represent the first evidence of translational actions of PDE5i on AR, which leads to hypothesize a growing relevance of this molecule in men with prostate cancer long-term treated with TAD for sexual rehabilitation. Keywords Tadalafil · Osteoblasts · Aromatase · Androgen receptor · Estrogen recepto

STIMA DEL POTENZIALE ELETTRICO IN tDCS CON APPROCCIO MESHLESS INNOVATIVO

Transcranial DC stimulation (transcranial Direct Current Stimulation, tDCS) is a non-invasive technique aimed at modifying neuronal activity for the purpose therapeutic and / or for the improvement of mental performance. A continuous current of entity modest (below the threshold of perception) is injected into the brain via electrodes placed on the scalp surface to produce changes in long-term cortical activity. Despite the increasing use of this and other similar techniques, and the relevant ones applications - for example in the field of neuropsychological rehabilitation - their impact on neuronal activity is not yet fully known, mainly due to the difficulty of predict the spatial distribution of the current within the brain, and to determine the optimal position and size of the electrodes

FILTRI EMI COMPATTI NEI CONVERTITORI ELETTRONICI DI POTENZA

The goal of the research recently started is to create efficient EMI filters compact that allow to obtain converters with low dimensions and economically competitive

ADVANCED BIO-ELECTROMAGNETIC NUMERICAL MODELLING AND ICT FOR HUMAN BRAIN RESEARCH

Functional imaging is used in the research area neurological, neurophysiology and cognitive psychology, for the diagnosis of diseases metabolic and for the detection of thin / squamous lesions (eg Alzheimer's disease) and for the development of neural interfaces (brain-computer interfaces - BCI)