On the possibility to modify the performance of propellant mixtures used in RAMAC by addition of metallic particles

To explain the experimental results obtained in the 30 mm Ram accelerator at ISL, showing that in the subdetonative mode, the terminal velocity of magnesium projectiles at the end of Ramac tube is higher than the CJ detonation of the propellant gaseous mixture, whereas the projectile undergoes a mass loss during the propagation, the assumption is made that metallic particles ablated from the projectile react with the gaseous species and modify the performances of the propellant mixture. The problem is examined by comparing experimental and calculation results in an analogous situation of fine aluminum particles suspended in hydrogen-air mixtures. It is demonstrated that the classical thermodynamic model is unsuitable for explaining correctly the experimental observations. Prediction of changes in performances of the propellant mixture requires that two-phase flow effects be taken into account. These changes depend on the mass concentration, size and shape of the solid particles

On nouns, verbs, lexemes and lemmas: Evidence from the spontaneous speech of seven aphasic patients

Background: Although disproportionate impairment of noun or verb retrieval has been described on the basis of the evidence from several aphasic cases since the mid 1980s, with different theoretical frames being proposed to account for noun-verb dissociation, very few studies have dealt with this dissociation in spontaneous speech. Aims: The objectives of this study were to investigate (i) whether the dissociation also emerged in connected speech, and (ii) whether the analysis of patients' narratives could shed light on the functional damage underlying their grammatical-class-specific impairment. Methods & Procedures: Two non-fluent verb-impaired patients, two fluent verbimpaired patients, and three fluent noun-impaired patients participated in this study. Their noun-verb dissociation was preliminarily assessed through a picture-naming task, following which their spontaneous speech was collected and analysed using a single-case approach, taking into consideration both lexical productivity (as indicated by the number of different tokens produced by the patients) and lexical diversity (as indicated by the number of different types and stems used by the patients). Outcomes & Results: Non-fluent verb-impaired patients tended to produce a lower proportion of verb types than unimpaired control participants, as opposed to fluent verb-impaired patients, who produced a normal verb rate in their spontaneous speech on all counting procedures. One out of three fluent noun-impaired patients produced a lower proportion of noun tokens, types, and stems compared to normal speakers. Conclusions: The data presented in this paper indicate that noun-verb dissociation as assessed in picture-naming tasks might not emerge in spontaneous speech and indicates the need for the inclusion of a lemma level in models of word production that aims at explaining grammatical-class-specific impairments in people with aphasi

Cardiac rehabilitation in very old patients: data from the Italian Survey onCardiac Rehabilitation-2008 (ISYDE-2008)--official report of the ItalianAssociation for Cardiovascular Prevention, Rehabilitation, and Epidemiology

BACKGROUND: Using data from the Italian SurveY on carDiac rEhabilitation-2008 (ISYDE-2008), this study provides insight into the level of implementation of cardiac rehabilitation (CR) in very old cardiac patients. METHODS: Data from 165 CR units were collected online from January 28 to February 10, 2008. RESULTS: The study cohort consisted of 2,281 patients (66.9 ± 11.8 years): 1,714 (62.4 ± 9.6 years, 78% male) aged<75 years and 567 aged ≥ 75 years (80.8 ± 4.5 years, 59% male). Compared with adults, a higher percentage of older patients were referred to CR programs after cardiac surgery or acute heart failure and showed more acute phase complications and comorbidity. Older patients were less likely discharged to home, more likely transferred to nursing homes, or discharged with social networks activation. Older patients had higher death rate during CR programs (odds ratio = 4.6; 95% confidence interval = 1.6-12.9; p = .004). CONCLUSION: The ISYDE-2008 survey provided a detailed snapshot of CR in very old cardiac patients