Efficacia del metodo Buteyko nel trattamento dell’asma bronchiale.

Sfondo e obbiettivi: l’asma è una delle patologie più diffuse al mondo ed il numero di persone che ne soffrono è in costante aumento. Una tecnica di possibile interesse nell’affrontare l’asma potrebbe essere il metodo Buteyko, una tecnica medica che nella pratica clinica consiste in esercizi respiratori personalizzati, un insegnamento all’autogestione e in indicazioni su quelle che sono delle “buone pratiche”, con l’obiettivo di ottenere una normalizzazione graduale non farmacologica della funzione respiratoria. Poiché l’efficacia del metodo Buteyko non è stata ancora riconosciuta, è interesse di questa revisione verificare la presenza di evidenze scientifiche riguardanti la sua efficacia, nello specifico nel trattamento dell’asma. Materiali e metodi: è stata condotta una revisione sistematica della letteratura dove sono stati cercati e selezionati studi RCT (Randomized Controlled Trial) in alcune delle principali banche dati biomediche. Sono stati inclusi studi effettuati dal 1998 al 2019, studi effettuati su entrambi i sessi e senza limiti di età, studi che trattassero specificatamente l’efficacia del metodo Buteyko nel trattamento dell’asma rispetto all’assenza di trattamento, nonché al confronto con altre terapie o terapie convenzionali. Risultati: i risultati riportati dagli studi selezionati sono indicativi di un interessante interazione tra il metodo Buteyko e l’asma. Con miglioramenti significativi riguardo diversi outcome, principalmente gli aspetti riguardanti la qualità della vita, la sintomatologia giornaliera ed il controllo dell’asma, le funzionalità polmonari e la riduzione dell’utilizzo dei farmaci. Conclusioni: il metodo Buteyko risulta essere una tecnica incisiva nel migliorare diversi aspetti riguardanti l’asma e si è dimostrata una tecnica sicura per la quale non sono sitati riportati eventi avversi. Il metodo Buteyko potrebbe rientrare tra le attuali dinamiche sanitarie nelle sue metodiche pratiche e nel suo modo di approcciare l’asma

Simplified Modeling of Rectangular Concrete Cross-Sections Confined by External FRP Wrapping

The goal of this research project is to model the effect of confinement by means of fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) externally bonded wrapping, hence to provide a simplified closed form solution to determine directly the ultimate confined concrete strength. Common cross-section shapes for reinforced concrete (RC) columns are considered herein, namely square and rectangular. The simplified model is derived from a more refined iterative confinement model proposed by the same authors to evaluate the entire stress-strain relationship of confined concrete. Based on a detailed analysis of the stress state through Mohr's circle, a simplified closed form solution is proposed to account for the non-uniformly confined concrete performance exhibited in non-axisymmetric sections. The non-uniform confining stress field exhibited in such cross-sections is explicitly considered by means of the mean value integral of the pointwise variable stress state over the cross-section. The key aspect of the proposed methodology is the evaluation of the effective equivalent pressure to be inserted in any triaxial confinement model, to account for the peculiarities of square and rectangular cross-sections. Experimental data, available in the literature and representative of a wide stock of applications, were compared to the results of the theoretical simplified model to validate the proposed approach, and satisfactory results were found

Simplified Model for Strengthening Design of Beam–Column Internal Joints in Reinforced Concrete Frames

The beam-column joints are very restricted areas in which the internal forces, generated by boundary elements, act on the concrete core and reinforcing bars with a very high gradient. They are the link between horizontal and vertical structural elements, and therefore, they are directly involved in the transfer of seismic forces. Thus, they are crucial to study the seismic behavior of reinforced concrete (RC) structures. To fully understand the seismic performances and failure modes of beam-column joints in RC buildings, a simplified analytical model of joint behavior is proposed and theoretical simulations are performed. The aim of the model, focusing on internal perimetric joints, is to identify the strength hierarchy in terms of capacity for different failure modes (namely failure of cracked joint, bond failure of passing through bars, flexural/shear failures of columns or beams). It could represent a tool for the designers of new joints to quantify the performance of new structures, but also as a tool for the designers of external strengthening of existing joints in order to calculate the benefits of the retrofit and pushing the initial failure to a more desirable failure mode. Further, some experimental results of tests available in the scientific literature are reported, analyzed and compared

Book review: Mark Solms (2021) The Hidden Spring. Journey to the Source of Consciousness

Scientific production in psychology, especially in intersection with neurobiology, encompasses a vast array of methodologically impeccable works, rigorous research, and sophisticated statistical elaborations

Full-Arch, Implant-Fixed Complete Dentures in Monolithic Zirconia and Titanium: A Digital Workflow to Maximize Cost Effectiveness

Different techniques can be used to design and manufacture a full-arch, implant-supported prosthesis, and different materials can be chosen for its production, each with its advantages and limitations. One of the possibilities provided by digital tools is their ability to maintain low costs to give more patients the chance to choose this commonly expensive treatment. The present work aims to present a protocol for the realization of full-arch, implant-fixed complete dentures (IFCDs) in monolithic zirconia and titanium. When the analogic master model is obtained, it is scanned to perform the digital wax-up, and the two parts of the prosthesis—a bar in titanium and an aesthetic component in monolithic zirconia—are milled. The dental team must then verify the precision of the milled components on the master model, so that they can be cemented together and delivered to the patient. This technique offers different advantages, in terms of cost sustainability, minimal wear risk for the prosthesis and its antagonists, and ease of re-intervening in the case of complications. The main limitations of the technique may lie in the aesthetic needs of the patient, because of the relatively poor aesthetic performance of monolithic zirconia and the absence of a pink orthopedic component

Evaluating auditory abilities in children with learning disabilities

OBJETIVO: comparar o desempenho na Avaliação Simplificada do Processamento Auditivo (ASPA) e no Pediatric Speech Intelligibility Test (PSI), de crianças com alteração de Aprendizagem da Leitura e Escrita e sem este tipo de alteração. MÉTODOS: participaram da pesquisa 28 crianças na faixa etária de 8 a 12 anos, do sexo masculino e feminino. Os participantes foram submetidos ao Teste de Desempenho Escolar (TDE) para a categorização dos grupos de estudo e controle, e, para avaliação das habilidades auditivas foram aplicados a ASPA e o Teste PSI. RESULTADOS: não foi observada associação estatisticamente significante entre o desempenho nos testes de Processamento Auditivo (PA) e o grupo com dificuldades de aprendizagem, apesar de ter sido verificada maior frequência de alterações no grupo de estudo em relação ao grupo controle, em todos os testes. Na ASPA, o teste em que se observou maior número de alterações foi o Teste de Memória Sequencial Verbal, contudo, o Teste de Memória Sequencial Não-verbal foi o que mostrou maior diferença entre os grupos. CONCLUSÃO: Não foram encontradas diferenças estatisticamente significantes no desempenho na Avaliação Simplificada do Processamento Auditivo (ASPA) e no Pediatric Speech Intelligibility Test (PSI), das crianças com alteração de Aprendizagem da Leitura e Escrita e sem alteração.PURPOSE: to compare performance of children with or without alterations in reading and writing skills acquisition in the Simplified Auditory Processing Test (SAPT) and the Pediatric Speech Intelligibility (PSI) tests. METHODS: twenty-eight female and male children aged 8-12 took part in this study. The subjects did the Academic Achievement Test (TDE) in order to be placed in the study group or control group and, for the assessment of hearing abilities, they took the SAPT and the PSI tests. RESULTS: no statistically significant association was found between performances in tests for hearing processing and the group with learning problems although alterations were observed in the study group more frequently than in the control group in all tests. In SAPT, the test which detected more alterations was the test for verbal Sequential Memory; however, the Nonverbal Sequential Memory test was the one which showed more differences between the groups. CONCLUSION: no statistically significant association between performances were found both by the HPSA and the PSI tests in children with or without alterations in reading and writing skills acquisition

2012 Emilia earthquake, Italy:reinforced concrete buildings response

Data of the Italian National Institute of Statistics are collected aimed at characterizing Reinforced Concrete (RC) building stock of the area struck by the 2012 Emilia earthquake (number of storeys, age of construction, structural typology). Damage observations, collected right after the event in reconnaissance reports, are shown and analyzed emphasizing typical weaknesses of RC buildings in the area. The evolution of seismic classification for Emilia region and RC buildings??? main characteristics represent the input data for the assessment of non-structural damage of infilled RC buildings, through a simplified approach (FAST method), based on EMS-98 damage scale. Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA) capacities for the first three damage states of EMS-98 are compared with registered PGA in the epicentral area. Observed damage and damage states evaluated for the PGA of the event, in the epicentral area, are finally compared. The comparison led to a fair agreement between observed and numerical data

Magmatic Signature in Submarine Hydrothermal Fluids Vented Offshore Ventotene and Zannone Islands (Pontine Archipelago, Central Italy)

Geochemical investigations carried out on submarine hydrothermal fluids vented offshore the Pontine Islands (Tyrrhenian Sea) revealed the existence of gas vents to the W of Zannone Island and SW of Ventotene Island. The geochemical features of the CO2-rich gas samples show a clear mantle-derived signature with3He/4He of 3.72-3.75 Ra and 1.33 Ra at Zannone and Ventotene, respectively. Gas geochemistry denotes how CO2-rich gases undergo fractionation processes due to CO2dissolution to a variable extent favoring enrichment in the less soluble gas species, i.e., CH4, N2, and He. The carbon isotope composition of CO2, expressed asδ13C vs. V-PDB, ranges from -0.71 and -6.16‰ at Zannone to 1.93‰ at Ventotene. Preliminary geothermometric and geobarometric estimations indicate equilibrium temperatures in the range of 150-200°C at Zannone and >200°C at Ventotene besides H2O pressures in the range of 5 bar and 20 bar at Zannone and Ventotene, respectively. Although the latest volcanic activity at the Pontine Archipelago is dated Middle Pleistocene, the combination of the new geochemical information along with geothermometric estimations indicates that cooling magmas are likely releasing enough thermal energy to form an efficient hydrothermal system

Markerless Analysis of Articulatory Movements in Patients With Parkinson's Disease

Objectives: A large percentage of patients with Parkinson's disease have hypokinetic dysarthria, exhibiting reduced peak velocities of jaw and lips during speech. This limitation implies a reduction of speech intelligibility for such patients. This work aims at testing a cost-effective markerless approach for assessing kinematic parameters of hypokinetic dysarthria. Study design: Kinematic parameters of the lips are calculated during a syllable repetition task from 14 Parkinsonian patients and 14 age-matched control subjects. Methods: Combining color and depth frames provided by a depth sensor (Microsoft Kinect), we computed the three-dimensional coordinates of main facial points. The peak velocities and accelerations of the lower lip during a syllable repetition task are considered to compare the two groups. Results: Results show that Parkinsonian patients exhibit reduced peak velocities of the lower lip, both during the opening and the closing phase of the mouth. In addition, peak values of acceleration are reduced in Parkinsonian patients, although with significant differences only in the opening phase with respect to healthy control subjects. Conclusions: The novel contribution of this work is the implementation of an entirely markerless technique capable to detect signs of hypokinetic dysarthria for the analysis of articulatory movements during speech. Although a large number of Parkinsonian patients have hypokinetic dysarthria, only a small percentage of them undergoes speech therapy to increase their articulatory movements. The system proposed here could be easily implemented in a home environment, thus, increasing the percentage of patients who can perform speech rehabilitation at home

Application of Pattern Recognition Techniques to the Classification of Full-Term and Preterm Infant Cry

Objectives: Scientific and clinical advances in perinatology and neonatology have enhanced the chances of survival of preterm and very low weight neonates. Infant cry analysis is a suitable noninvasive complementary tool to assess the neurologic state of infants particularly important in the case of preterm neonates. This article aims at exploiting differences between full-term and preterm infant cry with robust automatic acoustical analysis and data mining techniques. Study design: Twenty-two acoustical parameters are estimated in more than 3000 cry units from cry recordings of 28 full-term and 10 preterm newborns. Methods: Feature extraction is performed through the BioVoice dedicated software tool, developed at the Biomedical Engineering Lab, University of Firenze, Italy. Classification and pattern recognition is based on genetic algorithms for the selection of the best attributes. Training is performed comparing four classifiers: Logistic Curve, Multilayer Perceptron, Support Vector Machine, and Random Forest and three different testing options: full training set, 10-fold cross-validation, and 66% split. Results: Results show that the best feature set is made up by 10 parameters capable to assess differences between preterm and full-term newborns with about 87% of accuracy. Best results are obtained with the Random Forest method (receiver operating characteristic area, 0.94). Conclusions: These 10 cry features might convey important additional information to assist the clinical specialist in the diagnosis and follow-up of possible delays or disorders in the neurologic development due to premature birth in this extremely vulnerable population of patients. The proposed approach is a first step toward an automatic infant cry recognition system for fast and proper identification of risk in preterm babies