174 research outputs found
Enhancing the iterative smoothed particle hydrodynamics method
Motivated by recent research on the iterative approach proposed for the smoothed particle hydrodynamics (ISPH) method, some ideas to improve the process are introduced. The standard procedure is enhanced iterating on the residuals preserving the matrix-free nature of the process. The method is appealing providing reasonable results with disordered data distribution too and no kernel variations are needed in the approximation. This work moves forward with a novel formulation requiring a lower number of iterations to reach a desired accuracy. The computational procedure is described and some results are introduced to appreciate the proposed formulation
Studi sull\u2019accuratezza numerica di un solutore meshfree per l\u2019approssimazione di campi
L\u2019attivit\ue0 di ricerca \ue8 stata finalizzata allo studio di metodologie numeriche avanzate senza reticolazioni per l\u2019approssimazione di funzioni e sue derivate. In particolare si sono condotti studi sull\u2019accuratezza e convergenza del metodo Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics riferendosi a campionamenti regolari e no
A CUDA-based implementation of an improved SPH method on GPU
We present a CUDA-based parallel implementation on GPU architecture of a modified version of the Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) method. This modified formulation exploits a strategy based on the Taylor series expansion, which simultaneously improves the approximation of a function and its derivatives with respect to the standard formulation. The improvement in accuracy comes at the cost of an additional computational effort. The computational demand becomes increasingly crucial as problem size increases but can be addressed by employing fast summations in a parallel computational scheme.
The experimental analysis showed that our parallel implementation significantly reduces the runtime, with speed-ups of up to 90,when compared to the CPU-based implementation
An Improved Solver for the M/EEG Forward Problem
Noninvasive investigation of the brain activity via
electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetoencephalography
(MEG) involves a typical inverse problem whose solution process
requires an accurate and fast forward solver. We propose the
Method of Fundamental Solutions (MFS) as a truly meshfree
alternative to the Boundary Element Method (BEM) for solving
the M/EEG forward problem. The solution of the forward
problem is obtained, via the Method of Particular Solutions
(MPS), by numerically solving a set of coupled boundary value
problems for the 3D Laplace equation. Numerical accuracy and
computational load are investigated for spherical geometries and
comparisons with a state-of-the-art BEM solver shows that the
proposed method is competitive
Mangosteen Extract Shows a Potent Insulin Sensitizing Effect in Obese Female Patients: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Pilot Study.
There is a widely acknowledged association between insulin resistance and obesity/type 2 diabetes (T2DM), and insulin sensitizing treatments have proved effective in preventing diabetes and inducing weight loss. Obesity and T2DM are also associated with increased inflammation. Mangosteen is a tropical tree, whose fruits—known for their antioxidant properties—have been recently suggested having a possible further role in the treatment of obesity and T2DM. The objective of this pilot study has been to evaluate safety and efficacy of treatment with mangosteen extract on insulin resistance, weight management, and inflammatory status in obese female patients with insulin resistance. Twenty-two patients were randomized 1:1 to behavioral therapy alone or behavioral therapy and mangosteen and 20 completed the 26-week study. The mangosteen group reported a significant improvement in insulin sensitivity (homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance, HOMA-IR −53.22% vs. −15.23%, p = 0.004), and no side effect attributable to treatment was reported. Given the positive preliminary results we report and the excellent safety profile, we suggest a possible supplementary role of mangosteen extracts in the treatment of obesity, insulin resistance, and inflammation
Tadalafil modulates aromatase activity and androgen receptor expression in a human osteoblastic cell in vitro model
Purpose Phosphodiesterase type-5 inhibitor (PDE5i)
tadalafil administration in men with erectile dysfunction is
associated with increased testosterone/estradiol ratio, leading
to hypothesize a potential increased effect of androgen
action on target tissues. We aimed to characterize, in a cellular
model system in vitro, the potential modulation of
aromatase and sex steroid hormone receptors upon exposure
to tadalafil (TAD).
Methods Human osteoblast-like cells SAOS-2 were chosen
as an in vitro model system since osteoblasts are target
of steroid hormones. Cells were tested for viability upon
TAD exposure, which increased cell proliferation. Then,
cells were treated with/without TAD for several times to
evaluate potential modulation in PDE5, aromatase (ARO),
androgen (AR) and estrogen (ER) receptor expression.
Results Osteoblasts express significant levels of both PDE5
mRNA and protein. Exposure of cells to increasing concentrations
of TAD (10−8–10−7 M) decreased PDE5 mRNA and
protein expression. Also, TAD inhibited ARO mRNA and
protein expression leading to an increase in testosterone levels
in the supernatants. Interestingly, TAD increased total AR mRNA and protein expression and decreased ERα, with an
increased ratio of AR/ER, suggesting preferential androgenic
vs estrogenic pathway activation.
Conclusions Our results demonstrate for the first time
that TAD decreases ARO expression and increases AR
protein expression in human SAOS-2, strongly suggesting
a new control of steroid hormones pathway by PDE5i.
These findings might represent the first evidence of translational
actions of PDE5i on AR, which leads to hypothesize
a growing relevance of this molecule in men with
prostate cancer long-term treated with TAD for sexual
rehabilitation.
Keywords Tadalafil · Osteoblasts · Aromatase · Androgen
receptor · Estrogen recepto
STIMA DEL POTENZIALE ELETTRICO IN tDCS CON APPROCCIO MESHLESS INNOVATIVO
Transcranial DC stimulation (transcranial Direct Current Stimulation,
tDCS) is a non-invasive technique aimed at modifying neuronal activity for the purpose
therapeutic and / or for the improvement of mental performance. A continuous current of entity
modest (below the threshold of perception) is injected into the brain via electrodes placed on the
scalp surface to produce changes in long-term cortical activity.
Despite the increasing use of this and other similar techniques, and the relevant ones
applications - for example in the field of neuropsychological rehabilitation - their impact
on neuronal activity is not yet fully known, mainly due to the difficulty of
predict the spatial distribution of the current within the brain, and to determine the
optimal position and size of the electrodes
Multivariate approximation: Theory and applications 2020
A summary of the main facts about the Conference ‘Multivariate Approximation: Theory and Applications’ (MATA 2020) held at the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science of the University of Perugia (Italy), on January 16-18, 2020 and the contents of the associated Special Issue appearing on Dolomites Research Notes on Approximation, are here reported
A Meshfree Solver for the MEG Forward Problem
Noninvasive estimation of brain activity via magnetoencephalography (MEG) involves an inverse problem whose solution requires an accurate and fast forward solver. To this end, we propose the Method of Fundamental Solutions (MFS) as a meshfree alternative to the Boundary Element Method (BEM). The solution of the MEG forward problem is obtained, via the Method of Particular
Solutions (MPS), by numerically solving a boundary value problem for the electric scalar potential, derived from the quasi-stationary approximation of Maxwell’s equations. The magnetic field is then computed by the Biot-Savart law. Numerical experiments have been carried out in a realistic single-shell head geometry. The proposed solver is compared with a state-of-the-art BEM solver. A good agreement and a reduced computational load show the attractiveness of the meshfree approach
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