Complexity analysis of the fetal heart rate variability: early identification of severe intrauterine growth-restricted fetuses

The main goal of this work is to suggest new indices for a correct identification of the intrauterine growth-restricted (IUGR) fetuses on the basis of fetal heart rate (FHR) variability analysis performed in the antepartum period. To this purpose, we analyzed 59 FHR time series recorded in early periods of gestation through a Hewlett Packard 1351A cardiotocograph. Advanced analysis techniques were adopted including the computation of the Lempel Ziv complexity (LZC) index and the multiscale entropy (MSE), that is, the entropy estimation with a multiscale approach. A multiparametric classifier based on k-mean cluster analysis was also performed to separate pathological and normal fetuses. The results show that the proposed LZC and the MSE could be useful to identify the actual IUGRs and to separate them from the physiological fetuses, providing good values of sensitivity and accuracy (Se = 77.8%, Ac = 82.4%)

The Future of Rheumatoid Arthritis and Hand Surgery - Combining Evolutionary Pharmacology and Surgical Technique

Rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic autoimmune disease of uncertain aetiology, which is characterized primarily by synovial inflammation with secondary skeletal destructions

Correlation Between Range of Motion and Implant Fracture: A 5 Year Follow-Up of 72 Joints in 18 Patients in a Randomized Study Comparing Swanson and Avanta/Sutter Mcp Silicone Prosthesis

Eighteen out of 18 rheumatoid patients (at one centre of a two-centre 30 patient study previously reported) with a mean age of 56 years, and 72/72 operated joints were randomized to Avanta/Sutter or Swanson MCP prostheses and followed for 5 years. Both ulnar deviation and extension lag were improved already at 6 weeks and remained improved at 5 years. The Avanta prosthesis had a better range of motion (ROM) than the Swanson. Six of nine patients with Avanta/Sutter implants had at least one implant fracture compared to 1/9 patients with the Swanson implant (P=0.05) but fracture did not change the outcome subjectively. The ROM at 3 months correlated with the occurrence of an implant fracture at 5 years and a greater early ROM may be related to implant fracture. At 5 years patients remained satisfied and the deformities remained corrected

Correlation Between Range of Motion and Implant Fracture: A 5 Year Follow-Up of 72 Joints in 18 Patients in a Randomized Study Comparing Swanson and Avanta/Sutter Mcp Silicone Prosthesis

Eighteen out of 18 rheumatoid patients (at one centre of a two-centre 30 patient study previously reported) with a mean age of 56 years, and 72/72 operated joints were randomized to Avanta/Sutter or Swanson MCP prostheses and followed for 5 years. Both ulnar deviation and extension lag were improved already at 6 weeks and remained improved at 5 years. The Avanta prosthesis had a better range of motion (ROM) than the Swanson. Six of nine patients with Avanta/Sutter implants had at least one implant fracture compared to 1/9 patients with the Swanson implant (P=0.05) but fracture did not change the outcome subjectively. The ROM at 3 months correlated with the occurrence of an implant fracture at 5 years and a greater early ROM may be related to implant fracture. At 5 years patients remained satisfied and the deformities remained corrected