61 research outputs found
Spatial augmented reality and simulations to improve abdominal aortic aneurysm diagnosis and monitoring
No full textIn this work we propose an approach based on IT tools to improve all the clinical activities related
to Abdominal Aortic Aneurism (AAA) detection and treatment. In particular, the approach is focused
on a 3D CAD model of the AAA and CFD simulations to improve diagnosis by evaluation of rupture
risk indicators and Spatial Augmented Reality (SAR) to simulate endovascular repair (EVAR) of the
pathology. Geometric model of the vascular wall is build from Computer Tomography (CT) data by
using and customizing algorithms and tools implemented in Vascular Modeling ToolKit (VMTK) software
library. Four methodologies of geometry initialization are compared and we choose those able to
describe the vascular disease excluding any foreign tissue (i.e., bones, internal organs, and muscles).
An evaluation of the problems connected to the relative parameters of reconstruction, their influence
for the correct geometry representation, focusing the attention on segmentation level and the smoothing
of the surface, are presented. In particular, we point out the effect of the smoothing by the use
of the Hausdorff distance. We propose a standardized process able to guide users in the modeling
of this type of vessels; moreover, SAR can dramatically improve the efficacy of AAA visualization for
some different clinical aspects. The 3D geometry of the AAA can be used to carry out CFD analysis, to
calculate parameters of the blood flow and evaluate the rupture risk indicator, like Oscillatory Shear
Index (OSI). The availability of risk indicators facilitates the physician in the diagnosis and prognosis.
Finally, we present a methodology and tools to simulate EVAR on a specific patient based on geometry
reconstruction and CFD simulations; this type of procedure can effectively improve training and
facilitate endovascular surgery
Stroke patients maintain benefits of robot therapy. (Reuters Health) - Stroke patients who have the most trouble walking may see lasting benefits from using machines that move their legs to simulate walking, say Italian researchers
No full textTheir study, although small, is one of the first to observe a benefit lasting at least two years in a group of stroke patients who used the machines, which are sometimes employed in conjunction with traditional physical therapy.
The new findings should help doctors target which stroke patients will benefit the most from the machines according to lead author Dr. Giovanni Morone, of the Santa Lucia Foundation in Rome.
"Robotic and electromechanical devices might play an important role, not for all patients, but for a selected kind of patients," said Morone in an email.
The new findings, published in the journal Stroke, are based on the same group of 48 patients the researchers reported on in September, in the journal Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair, where they suggested stroke patients who were most severely affected by a stroke also gained the most from the machines after three months of therapy.
At the beginning of the study, each patient whose mobility was seriously compromised by a stroke started in the zero functional ambulation category (FAC). The FAC is a zero-to-five scale that ranks how much help a patient needs to walk. Patients with a zero score need the most help.
After the three months of therapy the patients who used the machine significantly improved and moved up the scale to four, which meant they were able to walk with some assistance.
Those who did not use the machine moved up the scale to two, which meant they still needed help with balance and coordination.
Two years later, the patients who used the machine continued to improve to a near perfect score. The patients who did not use the machine also improved, but only to a level that still needed supervision.
As for the group least affected by the stroke, they improved at about the same pace whether they used the machine or not.
Therapeutic walking machines, like the one used in the study, have been around for a few decades and were originally developed for patients with spinal cord injuries, according to Dr. Bruce Dobkin, director of the Neurologic Rehabilitation and Research Program at UCLA in California.
Typically, the machines support a patient's weight by placing them in a harness and a device similar to an elliptical trainer moves their legs.
According to Dobkin, who was not involved in the new study, the goal was to "instill the movement in the nerve," but after years of studies the patients using the machines did just as well as those who went through traditional physical therapy.
"It turned out they were equivalent and the strategy to ingrain more activity just wasn't working," said Dobkin.
Dobkin said there are only a few hundred of these machines in use around the world and that they're still seen as inefficient. These results are likely not going to change that.
The new findings are from a small group, Dobkin added, and it would be hard to apply the results to a larger population.
However, he said the machines may be more useful someday if other medical advances that stimulate nerves are developed.
"They may be part of a future solution," said Dobkin. "But they are only part of it.
Comment on Anwer et al. Rehabilitation of Upper Limb Motor Impairment in Stroke: A Narrative Review on the Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Economic Statistics of Stroke and State of the Art Therapies. Healthcare 2022, 10, 190
No full textWe are writing to you as the corresponding author of the interesting review study entitled “Rehabilitation of Upper Limb Motor Impairment in Stroke: A Narrative Review on the Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Economic Statistics of Stroke and State of the Art Therapies” [...
Maturity and Fecundity of the White Perch, Morone americana, in Western Lake Erie
No full textAuthor Institution: Sandusky Biological Station, Great Lakes Fishery Laboratory, U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceAmong white perch {Morone americana) collected from bottom trawl catches in 1984 and commercial trap net catches in 1985, all males were mature at age 2, and all females by age 3. Fecundity estimates for 50 females collected in May, 1985 ranged from 64,480 to 388,736 eggs (x ± SE=174,945±10,198)
Is the circular economy proposed as sustainability in firm mission statements? A semantic analysis
No full textClean production, the circular economy and eco-innovation aim at supporting global resilience and sustainability. The present work examines the conceptualization of the circular economy in Italy, via publicly available social media data. Specifically, we conducted a mixed-method analysis of the mission statements of Italian firms, as published on LinkedIn. The semantic network analysis underlined three emergent themes within these statements, referring to sustainability, technology, and production and consumption. A cluster analysis identified the most frequently occurring keywords in each of these themes, which included "sustainable development", "technology", "waste", "products", "management"and "materials."The theme of sustainability was further analyzed with respect to its three main pillars (i.e., social, economic, environmental). According to absolute values, approximately 40% of all firms referenced all of these pillars in their mission statements. The results point to the need for interdisciplinarity at the firm level to ensure competitiveness and greater emphasis on the social component of sustainability. & COPY; 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
Age-0 striped bass, Morone saxatilis (Walbaum, 1792), response to immunostimulation
No full textYoung-of-the-year (age-0) striped bass, Morone saxatilis, were studied to characterize their responses to inflammatory stimuli. There were two studies, with the hypotheses that (i) 24 h in larger fish. Study I was conducted to understand the cytokine expression pattern (IL-1β, TNF-α, Nramp and TGF-β) in response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or Freund's complete adjuvant (FCA) stimulation in age-0 striped bass (3.44 ± 1.68 g, 70.6 ± 10.3 mm fork length) up to 24 h post injection (hpi). Study II was similar to Study I, but striped bass were sampled over a longer time frame (by 48 hpi) and larger age-0 striped bass were used (20.6 ± 5.9 g, 129.2 ± 10.9 mm fork length). It was confirmed that immunostimulants such as LPS and FCA induce production of inflammatory cytokines and Nramp, which are important in innate immune response to bacterial infection. The responses were rapidly stimulated with LPS (IL-1β, TNF-α, TGF-β >3-fold increase, compared to PBS) or FCA (IL-1β >3-fold and TGF-β >2-fold, compared to PBS) within 6 hpi and maintained in most cases 48 hpi (spleen Nramp and TGF-β 2-fold >PBS, at 24 and 48 h), similar to other teleosts. Intraperitoneal injection with PBS also simulated inflammatory gene expression, but was delayed (IL-1β, TNF-α, TGF-β and Nramp, FCA and LPSLPS and PBS) in comparison to LPS and FCA, suggesting that this procedure and possibly the volume used can be stimulatory and potentially harmful in age-0 fish. Therefore, this study suggests that age-0 striped bass are capable of strong cytokine induction in response to immunological stimulation within a very short period of time
Lake Pleasant striped bass
No full textabstract: Lake Pleasant has historically been regarded as one of the premier largemouth bass (Micropteus
salmoides) fisheries in Arizona. However, the quality of the largemouth bass fishery has decreased, resulting in low angler satisfaction and a general concern for the health of the fishery. The leading
hypothesis for the cause of this decline is the recent invasion of striped bass (Morone saxatilis), which may be responsible, in part, for the shift in largemouth bass size structure through competition for resources and predation.Technical guidance bulletin ; no. 11Includes bibliographical references (p. 33-35)
Physiological consequences of varying large shark exposure on striped bass (Morone saxatilis)
No full textLarge marine predators often aggregate seasonally in discrete locations to take advantage of optimal foraging conditions, leading to spatial and temporal variation in their exposure on other species. However, our understanding of the impacts this exposure may have on the behavior and physiology of prey is poor, especially in marine systems. Here, we evaluated the non-consumptive effects (NCEs) of potential exposure to large sharks (white sharks, Carcharodon carcharias (L., 1758)) on the stress physiology of an economically important teleost, the striped bass (Morone saxatilis (Walbaum, 1792)), off Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA. We sampled fish in habitats that varied significantly in shark exposure across five months and over two years, evaluating blood physiology stress indicators (i.e., cortisol, glucose, and lactate concentrations) and reflex impairment. None of the blood parameters were influenced by shark exposure, although we did observe subtle temperature and seasonal effects. One of the three reflex tests (the vertical orientation test) was negatively affected by shark exposure although the mechanistic basis for this finding is unclear. This work supports the notion that predictable sources of predation pressure tend not to manifest in stress-related costs in free-ranging prey, which has implications for shaping our understanding of how large sharks influence ecosystems through non-consumptive effects.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author
The codivilla spring: From then to now and beyond
No full textThe ankle-foot-orthosis (afo), originally called codivilla spring, is an orthotic device prescribed to the patients with foot drop due to neurological diseases in order to control the range of motion of the ankle joint and to compensate the muscle weakness/spasticity, thus optimizing the gait function. In this paper, a historical revision of the most known and used AFO worldwide from the origin of its name and the first applications at the rizzoli orthopedic institute to the most advanced solutions in use today is covered. through the critical analysis of the historical documents available, the paper reports on the controversy about the true inventor of the Codivilla spring during the first decades of the XX century. In terms of their design and indications, adult and child afos are presented. finally, possible approaches for the selection of the correct orthosis and the individual prescription are discussed in order to manage specific mechanical neuromuscular deficiencies of the subject’s ankle-foot complex, optimizing walking efficiency.Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository 'You share, we take care!' - Taverne project https://www.openaccess.nl/en/you-share-we-take-care Otherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public.Biomechatronics & Human-Machine Contro
Winter presence and temperature-related diel vertical migration of Striped Bass (Morone saxatilis) in an extreme high flow passage in the inner Bay of Fundy
No full textDuring a multi-year fish tracking study, sub-adult and adult life stages of Shubenacadie River Striped Bass (Morone saxatilis) were detected throughout winter in the well-mixed, hypertidal waters of the Minas Passage, Bay of Fundy. Thirty-five percent of the Striped Bass tagged with Vemco V16 transmitters were detected by two Minas Passage receiver arrays. Transmissions were received on 82% of winter days (December to April) and by all receivers spanning the width of the passage. Tagged Striped Bass were detected largely within the top 20-40 m during the day. The extent of vertical migration to shallower waters at night showed a strong relationship with water temperature, however, there was no diel vertical movement pattern observed at water temperaturesThe accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author
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