THE POTENTIAL OF PHYSIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS USING ELECTROMYOGRAPHY IN THE DESIGN OF MOTORCYCLES

Two-wheel vehicle comfort is usually assessed by means of subjective scorings or by measuring physical quantities such as acceleration, sound pressure, etc. which do not depend on the human response. This study has chosen a different approach, which is to use electromyography for evaluating the levels of muscle activity. It focuses more specifically on comfort in relation to aerodynamic loads. The loads were simulated by a wind tunnel. ANOVA statistical analysis was used to establish the impact of aerodynamic loads and of various motorcycle models on muscle activity levels. The results showed that aerodynamic loads generally cause an increase of muscle activity, although their impact varies in relation to the design of the motorcycle: each model ofmotorcycle produces a specific distribution of activity levels among muscles. The methodology can be used for vehicle-design purposes as well as organising motorbike training programmes.Keywords: Motorcycle; Aerodynamic loads; SEM; Ergonomics; Comfor

Lack of SARS-CoV-2 RNA environmental contamination in a tertiary referral hospital for infectious diseases in Northern Italy

none140noNAnoneColaneri M.; Seminari E.; Piralla A.; Zuccaro V.; Di Filippo A.; Baldanti F.; Bruno R.; Mondelli M.U.; Brunetti E.; Di Matteo A.; Maiocchi L.; Pagnucco L.; Mariani B.; Ludovisi S.; Lissandrin R.; Parisi A.; Sacchi P.; Patruno S.F.A.; Michelone G.; Gulminetti R.; Zanaboni D.; Novati S.; Maserati R.; Orsolini P.; Vecchia M.; Sciarra M.; Asperges E.; Sambo M.; Biscarini S.; Lupi M.; Roda S.; Chiara Pieri T.; Gallazzi I.; Sachs M.; Valsecchi P.; Perlini S.; Alfano C.; Bonzano M.; Briganti F.; Crescenzi G.; Giulia Falchi A.; Guarnone R.; Guglielmana B.; Maggi E.; Martino I.; Pettenazza P.; Pioli di Marco S.; Quaglia F.; Sabena A.; Salinaro F.; Speciale F.; Zunino I.; De Lorenzo M.; Secco G.; Dimitry L.; Cappa G.; Maisak I.; Chiodi B.; Sciarrini M.; Barcella B.; Resta F.; Moroni L.; Vezzoni G.; Scattaglia L.; Boscolo E.; Zattera C.; Michele Fidel T.; Vincenzo C.; Vignaroli D.; Bazzini M.; Iotti G.; Mojoli F.; Belliato M.; Perotti L.; Mongodi S.; Tavazzi G.; Marseglia G.; Licari A.; Brambilla I.; Daniela B.; Antonella B.; Patrizia C.; Giulia C.; Giuditta C.; Marta C.; Rossana D.; Milena F.; Bianca M.; Roberta M.; Enza M.; Stefania P.; Maurizio P.; Elena P.; Antonio P.; Francesca R.; Antonella S.; Maurizio Z.; Guy A.; Laura B.; Ermanna C.; Giuliana C.; Luca D.; Gabriella F.; Gabriella G.; Alessia G.; Viviana L.; Claudia L.; Valentina M.; Simona P.; Marta P.; Alice B.; Giacomo C.; Irene C.; Alfonso C.; Di Martino R.; Di Napoli A.; Alessandro F.; Guglielmo F.; Loretta F.; Federica G.; Alessandra M.; Federica N.; Giacomo R.; Beatrice R.; Maria S.I.; Monica T.; Nepita Edoardo V.; Calvi M.; Tizzoni M.; Nicora C.; Triarico A.; Petronella V.; Marena C.; Muzzi A.; Lago P.; Comandatore F.; Bissignandi G.; Gaiarsa S.; Rettani M.; Bandi C.Colaneri, M.; Seminari, E.; Piralla, A.; Zuccaro, V.; Di Filippo, A.; Baldanti, F.; Bruno, R.; Mondelli, M. U.; Brunetti, E.; Di Matteo, A.; Maiocchi, L.; Pagnucco, L.; Mariani, B.; Ludovisi, S.; Lissandrin, R.; Parisi, A.; Sacchi, P.; Patruno, S. F. A.; Michelone, G.; Gulminetti, R.; Zanaboni, D.; Novati, S.; Maserati, R.; Orsolini, P.; Vecchia, M.; Sciarra, M.; Asperges, E.; Sambo, M.; Biscarini, S.; Lupi, M.; Roda, S.; Chiara Pieri, T.; Gallazzi, I.; Sachs, M.; Valsecchi, P.; Perlini, S.; Alfano, C.; Bonzano, M.; Briganti, F.; Crescenzi, G.; Giulia Falchi, A.; Guarnone, R.; Guglielmana, B.; Maggi, E.; Martino, I.; Pettenazza, P.; Pioli di Marco, S.; Quaglia, F.; Sabena, A.; Salinaro, F.; Speciale, F.; Zunino, I.; De Lorenzo, M.; Secco, G.; Dimitry, L.; Cappa, G.; Maisak, I.; Chiodi, B.; Sciarrini, M.; Barcella, B.; Resta, F.; Moroni, L.; Vezzoni, G.; Scattaglia, L.; Boscolo, E.; Zattera, C.; Michele Fidel, T.; Vincenzo, C.; Vignaroli, D.; Bazzini, M.; Iotti, G.; Mojoli, F.; Belliato, M.; Perotti, L.; Mongodi, S.; Tavazzi, G.; Marseglia, G.; Licari, A.; Brambilla, I.; Daniela, B.; Antonella, B.; Patrizia, C.; Giulia, C.; Giuditta, C.; Marta, C.; D'Alterio, Rossana; Milena, F.; Bianca, M.; Roberta, M.; Enza, M.; Stefania, P.; Maurizio, P.; Elena, P.; Antonio, P.; Francesca, R.; Antonella, S.; Maurizio, Z.; Guy, A.; Laura, B.; Ermanna, C.; Giuliana, C.; Luca, D.; Gabriella, F.; Gabriella, G.; Alessia, G.; Viviana, L.; Meisina, Claudia; Valentina, M.; Simona, P.; Marta, P.; Alice, B.; Giacomo, C.; Irene, C.; Alfonso, C.; Di Martino, R.; Di Napoli, A.; Alessandro, F.; Guglielmo, F.; Loretta, F.; Federica, G.; Albertini, Alessandra; Federica, N.; Giacomo, R.; Beatrice, R.; Maria, S. I.; Monica, T.; Nepita Edoardo, V.; Calvi, M.; Tizzoni, M.; Nicora, C.; Triarico, A.; Petronella, V.; Marena, C.; Muzzi, A.; Lago, P.; Comandatore, F.; Bissignandi, G.; Gaiarsa, S.; Rettani, M.; Bandi, C

Clinical characteristics of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) early findings from a teaching hospital in Pavia, North Italy, 21 to 28 February 2020

We describe clinical characteristics, treatments and outcomes of 44 Caucasian patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at a single hospital in Pavia, Italy, from 21\u201328 February 2020, at the beginning of the outbreak in Europe. Seventeen patients developed severe disease, two died. After a median of 6 days, 14 patients were discharged from hospital. Predictors of lower odds of discharge were age>65 years, antiviral treatment and for severe disease, lactate dehydrogenase >300 mg/dL

Analysis of origin of the supra-aortic trunks from the aortic arch

Objective: The objective of this study was to describe in the general population the anatomy of the supra-aortic trunks (SATs: brachiocephalic trunk [BCT], left common carotid artery [LCCA], and left subclavian artery [LSA]) arising from the aortic arch in terms of mutual distances from the valvular aortic plane (VAP), ostial diameters, and clock face orientation from the sagittal aortic axis, with an analysis of each distribution. Methods: Measurements of 252 computed tomography angiograms of the aortic arch and SATs in three groups of patients (84 without any disease of the aortic arch, group A; 84 with dilation of the aortic arch, group B; 84 with dilation of the descending thoracic aorta below the LSA, group C) were retrospectively collected and analyzed. The Shapiro-Wilk test was used to assess normality of each distribution. Results: The ostial diameters of the SATs followed a gaussian distribution in all groups. In group A, only VAP-BCT and LCCA-LSA distances were normal, being in 95% of cases between 46.6 and 88.2 mm and between 8 and 23.3 mm, respectively. In both groups B and C, the distance VAP-BCT and the takeoff angle of both LCCA and LSA were gaussian distributed (being in 95% of cases between 48.5 and 102.1 mm, _17.6_ and 33_, and _17.7_ and 23.4_, respectively, in group B; and between 51.3 and 101.1 mm, _28.2_ and 33.7_, and _28.7_ and 31.3_, respectively, in group C). VAP-BCT distance and BCT angle were lower in group A compared with group B (P < .001 and P \ubc .008, respectively) and group C (P < .001 and P \ubc .04, respectively). Irrespective of the group, all SAT mutual distances and ostial diameters were related to the aortic diameters, being greater for increasing aortic diameters. Neither BCT angle nor LSA angle was related to the aortic diameters, whereas LCCA angle was inversely correlated. Conclusions: Most of the analyzed variables did not show a gaussian distribution, both in healthy and in diseased patients. Irrespective of the group, all SAT mutual distances and ostial diameters were related to the aortic diameters, being greater for increasing aortic diameters

The challenge of gate cannulation during endovascular aortic repair : A hypothesis of simplification

Aim One of the technical problems which can be encountered during the endovascular repair (EVAR) of abdominal aortic aneurysms, is represented by the challenge of cannulation of the contralateral gate after the opening of the main body of the endograft, especially in case of tortuous aorta-iliac anatomy. Aim of this work is to propose a hypothesis of simplification, verifying the possibility to maximize the area available for the cannulation of the contralateral gate by simulating an oblique distal end of the leg of the most used devices, without affecting the correct sealing between the main body and the iliac extension. Methods Data about the contralateral gate of the main body of endografts most used for EVAR were analyzed. The elliptical sectional area resulting from the simulation of the oblique cut was calculating with some geometric formulas. Then the gain of \u201cdisposable area\u201d for the cannulation of the contralateral gate was calculated as a percentage of the elliptical area resulting in maximum distal oblique cut, with respect to the nominal circular area of the base. Results The only endografts which could undergo an oblique cut without losing the sealing between the main body and the contralateral limb were the Incraft, the Treovance and the Ovation, for which it would be possible to obtain a surface gain up to 84%, 22.8% and 14.4% respectively (being 9.8% in case of Ovation with the main body 29 and 34). A simulation of oblique cut was also performed on the endografts which currently do not allow to do so without a loss of sealing, assuming to lengthen the contralateral gate of an arbitrary measure of 10\ua0mm. In these cases, the percentage of surface gain was greater for endoprostheses which had a smaller diameter of the contralateral leg. Conclusions The oblique cut of the contralateral gate allowed a gain of the surface available for the cannulation, however it was not applicable to all models of currently available endoprostheses, unless of a loss of sealing between the main body and the contralateral iliac limb

Anatomic patterns of the supra-aortic vessels from the aortic arch in the era of total endovascular arch repair

AIM To characterize the anatomic pattern of the aortic arch and the supra-aortic trunks (SAT: brachio-cephalic trunk, BCT; left common carotid artery, LCCA; left subclavian artery, LSA) in terms of mutual distances starting from the aortic valve (AV), clockface orientation from the sagittal aortic axis and aortic diameters. METHODS Measurements of Computed Tomography Angiograms (CTAs) in three groups of patients (without any pathology of the aortic arch, group A; with dilatation of the aortic arch, B; with dilatation of the descending thoracic aorta below the LSA, C) were retrospectively collected and analyzed. RESULTS A total of 230 CTAs were analyzed (80 in group A, 71 in B, 79 in C). Significant differences were recorded among the three groups in terms of mutual distances (being AV-BCT and BCT-LCCA significantly lower in patients of group A if compared to both group B and C, both P<.0001) and take-off angles (being BCT the lowest in group A and LCCA the lowest in group C). In group A, all SAT mutual distances showed a positive correlation with increasing aortic diameters. In group B and C, both the distances VAP-BCT and BCT-LCCA showed a positive correlation with increasing aortic diameters (R=0.22 and 0.24 respectively for group B; R=0.46 and 0.38 respectively for group C). In group B, the take-off angles of both LCCA and LSA showed a negative correlation with increasing aortic diameters (R= -0.26 and -0.23 respectively). CONCLUSION The anatomic pattern of the aortic arch and the SAT varied significantly among the three groups

Off-the-shelf total endovascular aortic arch aneurysm repair

We report the challenging case of a total endovascular repair of persistent type Ia endoleak in a 85 years-old patient who had previously undergone emergent thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) and subsequent placement of Amplatzer Plug in the left subclavian artery for a huge symptomatic left hemiarch aneurysm. The patient was at high surgical risk for history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hypertension and coronary artery disease with previous percutaneous revascularization. Surgical debranching of the supra-aortic trunks was considered to be demanding because of the presence of a tracheostomy due to the removal of a laryngeal cancer with subsequent neck irradiation. A total endovascular approach was then chosen, using the modular endograft NexusTM (Endospan). The device is equipped with a fixed branch to maintain the perfusion of the brachio-cephalic trunk and an optional fenestration for the left common carotid artery (LCCA). Under general anesthesia and through bilateral femoral surgical approach, the endograft was placed with proximal landing in the ascending aorta (zone 0). Through a surgical retrograde right humeral access, two Viabahn covered stent 8-100 mm were placed with the \u201cchimney technique\u201d throughout the graft fenestration to keep patent the LCCA. The final angiography showed the absence of any endoleaks with good patency of both the brachiocephalic trunk and left carotid artery. The computed tomography angiography scan at 2 months showed a good result