Materials Modelling and Modal Analysis of the Lighthouse in the Venetian Harbour of Chania

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Patients affected with Fabry disease have an increased incidence of progressive hearing loss and sudden deafness: an investigation of twenty-two hemizygous male patients

BACKGROUND: Fabry disease (FD, OMIM 301500) is an X-linked inborn error of glycosphingolipid metabolism due to the deficient activity of alpha-galactosidase A, a lysosomal enzyme. While the progressive systemic deposition of uncleaved glycosphingolipids throughout the body is known to have protean clinical manifestations, few data are available regarding the cochlear involvement. METHODS: We non-invasively investigated cochlear functions in 22 consecutive hemizygous males (age 19–64 years, mean 39) affected with classic FD. Conventional audiometry, tympanometry, ABR audiometry, otoacoustic emissions were performed in all patients, together with medical history record and physical examination as part of an exhaustive baseline evaluation prior to enzyme replacement therapy. RESULTS: A total of 12 patients (54.5%) with classic FD were found to have abnormal audition. Five patients had progressive hearing loss and seven patients (32%) experienced sudden deafness. In addition, a hearing loss on high-tone frequencies was found in 7 out of the 10 remaining patients without clinical impairment, despite their young age at time of examination. The incidence of hearing loss appeared significantly increased in FD patients with kidney failure (P < 0.01) or cerebrovascular lesions (P < 0.01), whereas there was no correlation with left ventricular hypertrophy. In addition, tinnitus aurium was also found in six patients (27%). CONCLUSION: This is the first evidence of a high incidence of both progressive hearing loss and sudden deafness in a cohort of male patients affected with classic Fabry disease. The exact pathophysiologic mechanism(s) of the cochlear involvement deserves further studies

Kidney organ donation: developing family practice initiatives to reverse inertia

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Kidney transplantation is associated with greater long term survival rates and improved quality of life compared with dialysis. Continuous growth in the number of patients with kidney failure has not been matched by an increase in the availability of kidneys for transplantation. This leads to long waiting lists, higher treatment costs and negative health outcomes.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>Misunderstandings, public uncertainty and issues of trust in the medical system, that limit willingness to be registered as a potential donor, could be addressed by community dissemination of information and new family practice initiatives that respond to individuals' personal beliefs and concerns regarding organ donation and transplantation.</p> <p>Summary</p> <p>Tackling both personal and public inertia on organ donation is important for any community oriented kidney donation campaign.</p

Validation platform implementation description - D5.2

This deliverable describes different test-beds for the validation of the architecture, algorithms and protocols for the operator governed opportunistic networking as defined in the OneFIT Project. Further on, this deliverable provides a description of the implementation of the OneFIT cognitive management systems CSCI and CMON as well as the C4MS protocol. Also, implementation of the blocks supporting the OneFIT system (JRRM, CCM, DSONPM, and DSM) is described. This document also describes the implementation of the OneFIT scenarios for opportunistic coverage extension, opportunistic capacity extension, infrastructure supported ad-hoc networking and device-to-device communication as well as opportunistic resource aggregation in the backhaul network

Results analysis and validation - D5.3

This deliverable describes the validation processes followed to assess the performance of the algorithms and protocols for the operator governed opportunistic networking as defined in the OneFIT Project. Therefore, this document includes the description of the set-up of the different validation platforms, the design of the test plans for each one of them, and the analysis of the results obtained from the tests. A per-scenario approach rather than a per-platform approach has been followed, so an additional analysis has been performed, gathering the results related to each scenario, in order to validate the premises stated to each one of them. The OneFIT concept has been therefore validated for all foreseen business scenarios