A Spline-Based Partial Element Equivalent Circuit Method for Electrostatics

This contribution investigates the connection between Isogeometric Analysis (IgA) and the Partial Element Equivalent Circuit (PEEC) method for electrostatic problems. We demonstrate that using the spline-based geometry concepts from IgA allows for extracting circuit elements without an explicit meshing step. Moreover, the proposed IgA-PEEC method converges for complex geometries up to three times faster than the conventional PEEC approach and, in turn, it requires a significantly lower number of degrees of freedom to solve a problem with comparable accuracy. The resulting method is closely related to the isogeometric boundary element method. However, it uses lowest-order basis functions to allow for straightforward physical and circuit interpretations. The findings are validated by an analytical example with complex geometry, i.e., significant curvature, and by a realistic model of a surge arrester

Evolution of the Phenolic Content and Extractability Indices During Ripening of Nebbiolo Grapes from the Piedmont Growing Areas over Six Consecutive Years

The phenolic composition and extractability indices of grape berries play a key role in assessing redwine quality because the relationship between grape phenolic maturity and wine phenolic compositionis well known. In this work, grape quality indices were determined in Nebbiolo grapes from two growingareas of Langhe (South Piedmont), at different stages throughout the ripening process in six consecutiveyears (2004 to 2009), with the aim of evaluating the ripening- and growing area-related changes in thegrape indices separately. The effect of vintage was also investigated. Ripeness data were compared withanalogous data determined in Nebbiolo grapes grown in the Carema area (North Piedmont). The vintageeffect far outweighed any changes in the grape indices introduced by the ripening stage, even those arisingfrom differences in the production area. In the Langhe and Carema zones, the average berry mass, pH,total acidity, total anthocyanins extractable at pH 3.2, total flavonoids and non-anthocyanin flavonoidsextractable at pH 1, and the seed maturity index were seasonally dependent. The more ripening-affectedparameters were the technological ones. This work highlights the importance of determining the phenolextractability, since it provides relevant information that allows improved management of the macerationstage

Mechanical correlates of dyspnea in bronchial asthma.

We hypothesized that dyspnea and its descriptors, that is, chest tightness, inspiratory effort, unrewarded inspiration, and expiratory difficulty in asthma reflect different mechanisms of airflow obstruction and their perception varies with the severity of bronchoconstriction. Eighty-three asthmatics were studied before and after inhalation of methacholine doses decreasing the 1-sec forced expiratory volume by ~15% (mild bronchoconstriction) and ~25% (moderate bronchoconstriction). Symptoms were examined as a function of changes in lung mechanics. Dyspnea increased with the severity of obstruction, mostly because of inspiratory effort and chest tightness. At mild bronchoconstriction, multivariate analysis showed that dyspnea was related to the increase in inspiratory resistance at 5 Hz (R 5) (r (2) = 0.10, P = 0.004), chest tightness to the decrease in maximal flow at 40% of control forced vital capacity, and the increase in R 5 at full lung inflation (r (2) = 0.15, P = 0.006), inspiratory effort to the temporal variability in R 5-19 (r (2) = 0.13, P = 0.003), and unrewarded inspiration to the recovery of R 5 after deep breath (r (2) = 0.07, P = 0.01). At moderate bronchoconstriction, multivariate analysis showed that dyspnea and inspiratory effort were related to the increase in temporal variability in inspiratory reactance at 5 Hz (X 5) (r (2) = 0.12, P = 0.04 and r (2) = 0.18, P < 0.001, respectively), and unrewarded inspiration to the decrease in X 5 at maximum lung inflation (r (2) = 0.07, P = 0.04). We conclude that symptom perception is partly explained by indexes of airway narrowing and loss of bronchodilatation with deep breath at low levels of bronchoconstriction, but by markers of ventilation heterogeneity and lung volume recruitment when bronchoconstriction becomes more severe

Ventilation heterogeneity in obesity.

Obesity is associated with important decrements in lung volumes. Despite this, ventilation remains normally or near normally distributed at least for moderate decrements in functional residual capacity (FRC). We tested the hypothesis that this is because maximum flow increases presumably as a result of an increased lung elastic recoil. Forced expiratory flows corrected for thoracic gas compression volume, lung volumes, and forced oscillation technique at 5-11-19 Hz were measured in 133 healthy subjects with a body mass index (BMI) ranging from 18 to 50 kg/m(2). Short-term temporal variability of ventilation heterogeneity was estimated from the interquartile range of the frequency distribution of the difference in inspiratory resistance between 5 and 19 Hz (R5-19_IQR). FRC \% predicted negatively correlated with BMI (r = -0.72, P < 0.001) and with an increase in slope of either maximal (r = -0.34, P < 0.01) or partial flow-volume curves (r = -0.30, P < 0.01). Together with a slight decrease in residual volume, this suggests an increased lung elastic recoil. Regression analysis of R5-19_IQR against FRC \% predicted and expiratory reserve volume (ERV) yielded significantly higher correlation coefficients by nonlinear than linear fitting models (r(2) = 0.40 vs. 0.30 for FRC \% predicted and r(2) = 0.28 vs. 0.19 for ERV). In conclusion, temporal variability of ventilation heterogeneities increases in obesity only when FRC falls approximately below 65\% of predicted or ERV below 0.6 liters. Above these thresholds distribution is quite well preserved presumably as a result of an increase in lung recoil

Clinical and molecular data define a diagnosis of arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy in a carrier of a brugada-syndrome-associated PKP2 mutation

Plakophilin-2 (PKP2) is the most frequently mutated desmosomal gene in arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM), a disease characterized by structural and electrical alterations predominantly affecting the right ventricular myocardium. Notably, ACM cases without overt structural alterations are frequently reported, mainly in the early phases of the disease. Recently, the PKP2 p.S183N mutation was found in a patient affected by Brugada syndrome (BS), an inherited arrhythmic channelopathy most commonly caused by sodium channel gene mutations. We here describe a case of a patient carrier of the same BS-related PKP2 p.S183N mutation but with a clear diagnosis of ACM. Specifically, we report how clinical and molecular investigations can be integrated for diagnostic purposes, distinguishing between ACM and BS, which are increasingly recognized as syndromes with clinical and genetic overlaps. This observation is fundamentally relevant in redefining the role of genetics in the approach to the arrhythmic patient, progressing beyond the concept of \u201cone mutation, one disease\u201d, and raising concerns about the most appropriate approach to patients affected by structural/electrical cardiomyopathy. The merging of genetics, electroanatomical mapping, and tissue and cell characterization summarized in our patient seems to be the most complete diagnostic algorithm, favoring a reliable diagnosis

Evolution of the Phenolic Content and Extractability Indices During Ripening of Nebbiolo Grapes from the Piedmont Growing Areas over Six Consecutive Years

The phenolic composition and extractability indices of grape berries play a key role in assessing red wine quality because the relationship between grape phenolic maturity and wine phenolic composition is well known. In this work, grape quality indices were determined in Nebbiolo grapes from two growing areas of Langhe (South Piedmont), at different stages throughout the ripening process in six consecutive years (2004 to 2009), with the aim of evaluating the ripening- and growing area-related changes in the grape indices separately. The effect of vintage was also investigated. Ripeness data were compared with analogous data determined in Nebbiolo grapes grown in the Carema area (North Piedmont). The vintage effect far outweighed any changes in the grape indices introduced by the ripening stage, even those arising from differences in the production area. In the Langhe and Carema zones, the average berry mass, pH, total acidity, total anthocyanins extractable at pH 3.2, total flavonoids and non-anthocyanin flavonoids extractable at pH 1, and the seed maturity index were seasonally dependent. The more ripening-affected parameters were the technological ones. This work highlights the importance of determining the phenol extractability, since it provides relevant information that allows improved management of the maceration stage

Paracoccidioidomycosis brasiliensis. Case report of female genital involvement

A paracoccidioidomicose é doença sistêmica que atinge mais o sexo masculino do que o feminino. Modelos experimentais mostram maior sensibilidade dos machos do que as fêmeas à dsseminação da doença. A literatura médica é rica em relatos de casos de Pbmicose do trato genital masculino. A raridade da Pbmicose sistêmica na mulher devido à ação hormonal tornou inusitada a descrição de um caso com envolvimneto genital. Paciente de 57 anos, branca, procedente de Conchas (SP), queixando-se de dor abdominal há 10 anos, difusa, seguida de eólica periumbelical periódica, com diarréia e obstipação alternadas. Piorou desse quadro e evoluiu para abdome agudo cirúrgico. O anátomo patológico revelou Pbmicose no epiplon e ovário direito. A biópsia do endométrio mostrou endometrite crônica granulomatosa. A radiologia e a planigrafia revelaram nódulo parahilar direito. Os achados clínicos e laboratoriais permitiram explicar a provável origem do envolvimento genital.Paracoccidioidomycosis is a systemic disease that predominantly affects males. Experimental models suggest that males are more susceptible to the disseminated form of the disease. In vitro studies have documented growth inhibition in the presence of estradiol and progesterone whereas testosterone does not. Paracoccidioidomycosis has been "well described involving the male genitalia. Female genital involvement is rare; perhaps related to hormonal inhibition of fungal growth. A 57 year-old causasian female is described who presented with a ten year history of diffuse abdominal pain with alternating diarrhea and. constipation. She went on to present with an acute surgical abdomen and proceeded to laparotomy. Histopathological study revealed involvement of the omentum, fallopian tubes and right ovary with Paracoccidioidomycosis. Endometrial biopsy revealed chronic granulomatous endometritis, however, no fungus was visualized. Chest X ray and tomography were consistent with right parahilar involvement. We suggest, pathophysiologically, that the genital disease represents reactivation of an abdominal focus

Paracoccidioidomycosis brasiliensis. Case report of female genital involvement

A paracoccidioidomicose é doença sistêmica que atinge mais o sexo masculino do que o feminino. Modelos experimentais mostram maior sensibilidade dos machos do que as fêmeas à dsseminação da doença. A literatura médica é rica em relatos de casos de Pbmicose do trato genital masculino. A raridade da Pbmicose sistêmica na mulher devido à ação hormonal tornou inusitada a descrição de um caso com envolvimneto genital. Paciente de 57 anos, branca, procedente de Conchas (SP), queixando-se de dor abdominal há 10 anos, difusa, seguida de eólica periumbelical periódica, com diarréia e obstipação alternadas. Piorou desse quadro e evoluiu para abdome agudo cirúrgico. O anátomo patológico revelou Pbmicose no epiplon e ovário direito. A biópsia do endométrio mostrou endometrite crônica granulomatosa. A radiologia e a planigrafia revelaram nódulo parahilar direito. Os achados clínicos e laboratoriais permitiram explicar a provável origem do envolvimento genital.Paracoccidioidomycosis is a systemic disease that predominantly affects males. Experimental models suggest that males are more susceptible to the disseminated form of the disease. In vitro studies have documented growth inhibition in the presence of estradiol and progesterone whereas testosterone does not. Paracoccidioidomycosis has been "well described involving the male genitalia. Female genital involvement is rare; perhaps related to hormonal inhibition of fungal growth. A 57 year-old causasian female is described who presented with a ten year history of diffuse abdominal pain with alternating diarrhea and. constipation. She went on to present with an acute surgical abdomen and proceeded to laparotomy. Histopathological study revealed involvement of the omentum, fallopian tubes and right ovary with Paracoccidioidomycosis. Endometrial biopsy revealed chronic granulomatous endometritis, however, no fungus was visualized. Chest X ray and tomography were consistent with right parahilar involvement. We suggest, pathophysiologically, that the genital disease represents reactivation of an abdominal focus