97 research outputs found
Stability and Chaos in Celestial Mechanics
No full textThis book presents classical celestial mechanics and its interplay with dynamical systems in a way suitable for advance level undergraduate students as well as postgraduate students and researchers. First paradigmatic models are used to introduce the reader to the concepts of order, chaos, invariant curves, cantori. Next the main numerical methods to investigate a dynamical system are presented. Then the author reviews the classical two-body problem and proceeds to explore the three-body model in order to investigate orbital resonances and Lagrange solutions. In rotational dynamics the author details the derivation of the rigid body motion, and continues by discussing related topics, from spin-orbit resonances to dumbbell satellite dynamics.
Perturbation theory is then explored in full detail including practical examples of its application to finding periodic orbits, computation of the libration in longitude of the Moon. The main ideas of KAM theory are provided including a presentation of long-term stability and converse KAM results. Celletti then explains the implementation of computer-assisted techniques, which allow the user to obtain rigorous results in good agreement with the astronomical expectations. Finally the study of collisions in the solar system is approached
Ehlers-Danlos syndrome hypermobility type: a possible unifying concept for various functional somatic syndromes
No full text[No abstract available
Efficacy of focal mechanic vibration treatment on balance in Charcot-Marie-Tooth 1A disease: a pilot study
No full textPatients affected by Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease experience an impaired balance. Although the causes of the postural instability are not fully understood, somatosensory system seems to play a key role. Mechanical vibration seems to act on the somatosensory system and to improve its function. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effects of focal mechanical vibration (fMV) on the balance of CMT 1A patients. We enrolled 14 genetically confirmed CMT 1A patients (8 female and 6 male, mean age 492 years, range 32-74, mean duration of disease: 13 years, range 1-30). Patients underwent a 3-day fMV treatment on quadriceps and triceps surae and were evaluated before the treatment as well as 1 week and 1 month after the end of the treatment. The primary outcome measure was the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and the secondary were the Dynamic Gait Index (DGI), the 6 Min Walking Test (6MWT), the muscular strength of lower limbs, the Quality of Life (QoL) questionnaire and the stabilometric variables. The statistical analysis showed a significant modification of the BBS due to the effect of treatment (p < 0.05). A significant modification was also found in the DGI (p < 0.05). Concerning the stabilometric variables we found significant changes only for the eyes closed condition; in particular, a significant decrease was found in VelocityML (p < 0.05) and Sway path length (p < 0.05). The fMV treatment applied on lower limbs of CMT 1A patients determined an improvement of balance as detected by the BBS. The concurrent improvement of stabilometric variables in the eyes closed condition only suggests that fMV acts mostly on somatosensory afferences. Further studies are needed to confirm these data on a larger sample of CMT patients
The effects of rotator cuff tear on shoulder proprioception
No full textPurpose: To evaluate the effects of rotator cuff tear (RCT) and its severity on shoulder proprioception. Methods: We studied 132 consecutive patients (67 M-65 F; mean age ± SD, 66.03 ± 9.04; range, 43–78) who underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. Tear size was determined intra-operatively. The control group included 82 subjects (38 M-44 F; mean age ± SD, 65.87 ± 8.06; range, 41–75) with no RCT. All participants, wearing an eye mask, were submitted to the evaluation of the joint position sense (JPS) at 30°, 60°, 90°, 120°, and 150° of shoulder forward flexion during the sitting position, using a digital inclinometer securely attached to the subject’s arm using hook-and-loop straps. The passive placement and active replacement method was used; the order of the tested angles was randomly selected. The entire test was repeated three times. The error score, by averaging the three trials, was measured as the absolute difference between the target angle and the observed angle. Statistics were performed. Results: The intraclass correlation coefficient for all degrees of flexion movement measured was > 0.90, exhibiting a very high correlation. We found significant differences between cases and controls regarding the results of joint position sense error at all measurements (p < 0.05). According to RCT size, we found significant differences between groups at 30° (F = 27.27, p < 0.001), 90° (F = 5.37, p = 0.006), 120° (F = 10.76, p < 0.001), and 150° (F = 30.93, p < 0.001) of shoulder flexion; in details, patients with massive RCT showed greater absolute error value than those with both small and large RCT at 30°, 90°, 120°, and 150° of shoulder flexion (p < 0.05). Conclusions: RCT provokes an alteration of shoulder proprioception, evaluated as the loss of joint position sense, and the impairment is related to tear severity
Evaluation of Kinesiophobia and Its Correlations with Pain and Fatigue in Joint Hypermobility Syndrome/Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome Hypermobility Type
No full textEhlers-Danlos syndrome hypermobility type a. k. a. joint hypermobility syndrome (JHS/EDS-HT) is a hereditary musculoskeletal disorder associating generalized joint hypermobility with chronic pain. Anecdotal reports suggest a prominent role for kinesiophobia in disease manifestations, but no study has systematically addressed this point. Objective. To investigate the impact of kinesiophobia and its relationship with pain, fatigue, and quality of life in JHS/EDS-HT. Design. Cross-sectional study. Subjects/Patients. 42 patients (40 female and 2 male) with JHS/EDS-HT diagnosis following standardized diagnostic criteria were selected. Methods. Disease features were analyzed by means of specific questionnaires and scales evaluating kinesiophobia, pain, fatigue, and quality of life. The relationships among variables were investigated using the Spearman bivariate analysis. Results. Kinesiophobia resulted predominantly in the patients' sample. The values of kinesiophobia did not correlate with intensity of pain, quality of life, and (or) the single component of fatigue. A strong correlation was discovered between kinesiophobia and general severity of fatigue. Conclusions. In JHS/EDS-HT, the onset of pain-avoiding strategies is related to the presence of pain but not to its intensity. The clear-cut correlation between kinesiophobia and severity of fatigue suggests a direct link between musculoskeletal pain and fatigue. In JHS/EDS-HT, the underlying mechanism is likely to be facilitated by primary disease characteristics, including hypotonia
Quality of Life in the Classic and Hypermobility Types of Elhers-Danlos Syndrome
No full text[No abstract available
Focal muscle vibration as a possible intervention to prevent falls in elderly women: a pragmatic randomized controlled trial
No full textBACKGROUNDS: Different and new approaches have been proposed to prevent the risk of falling of elderly people, particularly women. AIMS: This study investigates the possibility that a new protocol based on the focal mechanical muscle vibration may reduce the risk of falling of elderly women. METHODS: A pragmatic randomized controlled triple-blind trial with a 6-month follow-up after intervention randomized 350 women (mean age 73.4 years + 3.11), members of local senior citizen centers in Rome, into two groups: vibrated group (VG) and control group (CG). For VG participants a mechanical vibration (lasting 10 min) was focally applied on voluntary contracted quadriceps muscles, three times a day during three consecutive days. CG subjects received a placebo vibratory stimulation. Subjects were tested immediately before (T0) and 30 (T1) and 180 (T2) days after the intervention with the Performance-Oriented Mobility Assessment (POMA) test. All subjects were asked not to change their lifestyle during the study. CG underwent sham vibratory treatment.RESULTS: While CG did not show any statistically significant change of POMA at T1 and T2, VG revealed significant differences. At T2, ≈47 % of the subjects who completed the study obtained the full score on the POMA test and ≈59 % reached the full POMA score. CONCLUSIONS: The new protocol seems to be promising in reducing the risk of falling of elderly subjects
Italian Version of the YQOL-DHH Questionnaire: Translation and Cross-cultural Adaptation
No full textTo translate and cross-culturally adapt into Italian the YQOL-DHH (Youth Quality of Life Instrument-Deaf and Hard of Hearing Module), an instrument to evaluate the health-related quality of life in young deaf people. It could be useful for professionals, teachers, and parents to take care of deaf adolescents' needs
Evaluation of lower limb disability in joint hypermobility syndrome
No full textThe aim of this study is to evaluate degree and possible major determinants of lower limb disability in joint hypermobility syndrome. Forty patients with joint hypermobility syndrome were studied. Lower limb function was evaluated with the lower limb functional scale (LEFS). Intensity of pain was estimated by the numeric rating scale. Rough results were compared with previously published data for osteoarthritis patients. Within the studied population, comparisons were performed by age, sex, numeric rating scale and Beighton scores. In joint hypermobility syndrome, LEFS score was similar to osteoarthritis, but in the former, comparable values were observed with a ~10 year earlier onset. LEFS scores resulted significantly related to age, pain intensity and Beighton score. No correlation with sex was observed. This study demonstrated that, in joint hypermobility syndrome, disability of lower limbs is remarkable and related to the increase in pain and age and to the decrease in residual joint hypermobility. These preliminary results may be relevant for the identification of more efficient and tailored treatment programs
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