Quantitative Analysis by 3D Graphics of Thoraco-Abdominal Surface Shape and Breathing Motion

Chest wall motion can provide information on respiratory muscles' action and on critical vital signs, like respiration and cardiac activity. The chest wall is a structure with three compartments that are independent to each other and can move paradoxically according to the pathophysiology of the disease. Opto-electronic plethysmography (OEP) allows for non-invasively 3D tracking of body movements. We aimed to extend the characteristics of OEP analysis to local analyses of thoraco-abdominal surface geometry and kinematics during respiration. Starting from the OEP output file, the 3D markers’ coordinates were combined with a triangulation matrix. A smoothing procedure (an automatic and iterative interpolation process to increase the number of vertices from 93 to 548) was applied to allow for precise local analysis of the thoraco-abdominal surface. A series of measurements can be performed to characterize the geometry of the trunk and its three compartments, in terms of volumes, height, diameters, perimeters, and area. Some shape factors, such as surface-to-volume ratio or height-to-perimeter ratio, can be also computed. It was also possible to build the vector field associated with the breathing motion of all the vertices, in terms of magnitude and motion direction. The vector field data were analyzed and displayed through two graphic tools: a 3D heatmap, in which the magnitude of motion was associated to different colors, and a 3D arrow plot, that allowed us to visualize both the magnitude and the direction of motion with color-coded arrows. The methods were applied to 10 healthy subjects (5 females) and also applied to two cases: a pregnant woman at each trimester of gestation and a patient before and after a demolition thoracic surgery. The results proved to be coherent with the physiology of healthy subjects and the physiopathology of the cases. We developed a new non-invasive method for respiratory analysis that allowed for the creation of realistic 3D models of the local and global trunk surface during respiration. The proposed representation constituted a very intuitive method to visualize and compare thoraco-abdominal surface movements within and between subjects, therefore enforcing the potential clinical translational value of the method

Thermo-hygrometric comfort in the lecture hall of a library: methodology and experimental evidence.

The present study verifies the thermo hygrometric comfort conditions in subjects of a university library users, evaluating the differences and peculiarities in the data collected at the measurement campaign. Particularities of the investigation is the period studied concerning the time frame of the Middle season, which is not expected to power the air conditioning systems. Based on assumptions on the thermal resistance of clothing in the spring and the metabolic type of subjects, the environmental parameters were monitored in some work position in the reading hall in the library of the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery of the University of Palermo. The article presents analyses of the measured data correlating the passive structure behavior and the variation of the internal temperature increases caused by the occupants and by the external temperature gradient. These results are compared with the limits and the guidelines provided by legislation for the main variables measured and derived, and which constitute the essential support to test the tolerability of the occupiers against the thermal environment with which they interact. Keywords: PMV PPD Indexes, Thermo-hygrometric comfort, acceptability classes

Lung and chest wall volume during vital capacity manoeuvre in Osteogenesis Imperfecta

Background: Although Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI) affects the connective tissue, pulmonary function might be compromised because of thoracic deformities. OI is known to be a restrictive lung disease, but spirometry provides global measurement without localizing the site of the restriction. Opto-electronic plethysmography (OEP), is a non-invasive method able to underline altered respiratory function as well as ventilatory thoraco-abdominal paradoxes during spontaneous breathing. We aimed to reconstruct the thoraco-abdominal surface, to perform local analyses of trunk motion and to make quantitative comparison of trunk shape and respiratory kinematics according to OI severity, particularly during maximal inspiratory and expiratory expansions. This is a cross-sectional study where we have studied the thoraco-abdominal compartmental analysis in 26 adult OI patients (14 Type III) at rest and during vital capacity manoeuvre using OEP. We have also applied a new method that created realistic and accurate 3D models to perform local analyses of trunk motion and to make quantitative comparison of trunk shape and respiratory kinematics. Results: Type III patients were characterized by lower spirometric lung volume, by lower sleep quality, by a more compressed thoracic configuration aggravated by severe scoliosis, by reduced global expansion at rest and during maximal maneuvers because of the reduced expansion of the pulmonary ribcage at rest (12% vs. 65% in healthy subjects), during maximal inspiration (37% vs. 69%) and expiration (16% vs. 68%) with local paradoxical movement occurring on the side of the ribcage region. Conclusion: The kinematics of the trunk changed to compensate for the severe structural deformities by shifting the expansion in the abdomen both at rest and during maximal manoeuvre because of a restricted thorax. For the first time, we have quantified and localized the site of the restriction in OI patients in the lateral part of the thorax. The 3D analysis proposed seemed a promising graphical immediate new method for pathophysiology study of chest wall restriction

An Analysis of the Neutralizing Antibodies against the Main SARS-CoV-2 Variants in Healthcare Workers (HCWs) Vaccinated against or Infected by SARS-CoV-2

: Although the anti-COVID-19 vaccination has proved to be an effective preventive tool, "breakthrough infections" have been documented in patients with complete primary vaccination courses. Most of the SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies produced after SARS-CoV-2 infection target the spike protein receptor-binding domain which has an important role in facilitating viral entry and the infection of the host cells. SARS-CoV-2 has demonstrated the ability to evolve by accumulating mutations in the spike protein to escape the humoral response of a host. The aim of this study was to compare the titers of neutralizing antibodies (NtAbs) against the variants of SARS-CoV-2 by analyzing the sera of recovered and vaccinated healthcare workers (HCWs). A total of 293 HCWs were enrolled and divided into three cohorts as follows: 91 who had recovered from SARS-CoV-2 infection (nVP); 102 that were vaccinated and became positive after the primary cycle (VP); and 100 that were vaccinated with complete primary cycles and concluded the follow-up period without becoming positive (VN). Higher neutralization titers were observed in the vaccinated subjects' arms compared to the nVP subjects' arms. Differences in neutralization titers between arms for single variants were statistically highly significant (p < 0.001), except for the differences between titers against the Alpha variant in the nVP and in VP groups, which were also statistically significant (p < 0.05). Within the nVP group, the number of subjects with an absence of neutralizing antibodies was high. The presence of higher titers in patients with a complete primary cycle compared to patients who had recovered from infection suggested the better efficacy of artificial immunization compared to natural immunization, and this further encourages the promotion of vaccination even in subjects with previous infections

SOLVENTI ORGANICI COME FATTORI DI RISCHIO PER LE MALATTIE AUTOIMMUNI: RIVALUTAZIONE A DIECI ANNI DI ANA E COMPLEMENTEMIA IN OPERATORI AFFERENTI AI LABORATORI DEL DIPARTIMENTO STEBICEF DELL\u2019UNIVERSIT\uc0 DEGLI STUDI DI PALERMO

solventi, ANA, complementemi

Esposizione a campi elettromagnetici a bassa frequenza (ELF) in ambito occupazionale e nella popolazione generale

Scopo del presente lavoro \ue8 quello di verificare l\u2019eventuale riscontro di alterazioni della frequenza cardiaca e del ritmo cardiaco in un campione di soggetti esposti professionalmente a campi elettromagnetici, nello specifico lavoratori di centrali elettriche e sottostazioni, afferenti presso l\u2019ambulatorio di cardiologia della Sezione di MDL dell\u2019AOUP di PA, posti a confronto con soggetti di pari et\ue0 e sesso non esposti al fattore di rischio considerato. I dati raccolti sono stati messi in relazione ai rilievi ambientali dei campi elettromagnetici a bassa frequenza effettuati dall\u2019ARPA Sicilia (1). Sono stati quindi analizzati i risultati ottenuti nelle due popolazioni in esame al fine di evidenziare eventuali differenze statisticamente significative. Unico dato da segnalare \ue8 il riscontro nella popolazione esposta professionalmente ad ELF di 55 casi di bradicardia sinusale (20,3%), non spiegabile anamnesticamente con pratica di attivit\ue0 sportiva di tipo agonistico o amatoriale n\ue9 con cardiopatie note. Pertanto, si \ue8 giunti alla conclusione che l\u2019esposizione cronica ad ELF, che nelle nostre osservazioni si \ue8 sempre mantenuta nel range dei limiti consentiti dalla legge (1), non ha influenzato altri parametri elettrocardiografici nei soggetti da noi valutati

IL LAVORATORE DIABETICO: LA GESTIONE INTEGRATA DELL\u2019IDONEIT\uc0 LAVORATIVA SPECIFICA

diabete, idoneit\ue0 lavorativ

LE RADIAZIONI SOLARI UV E I LAVORATORI OUTDOOR: DALLA VALUTAZIONE DEL RISCHIO ALLA SORVEGLIANZA SANITARIA

Radiazioni UV, valutazione del rischi