196,586 research outputs found
Le Archeidi di Giulio Turcato problematiche conservative e proposte di intervento
No full textLe Archeidi, gruppo scultoreo composto da cinque elementi realizzati con laminati di ferro a struttura tubolare assemblati artigianalmente, sono alte circa quattro metri e il loro ingombro varia tra gli ottanta e i novanta centimetri. Vennero realizzate da Giulio Turcato nel 1989 per la città di Salerno, in occasione della prima edizione di “Salerno Incontri d’Arte”, parallelamente alla mostra “Giulio Turcato per/Corso”, tenutasi in tre gallerie della città “La Bottegaccia”, “Il Catalogo” e “La Seggiola”. Il gruppo scultoreo era composto da quattro elementi che erano stati scherzosamente definiti dal maestro “aculei” e da un quinto che ricordava le sembianze di un “fiore”. Purtroppo, appena le opere vennero collocate lungo il percorso cittadino, una subì un atto vandalico mentre un’altra venne trafugata. Le cinque sculture furono realizzate, seguendo il progetto dell’artista, nella bottega di un fabbro salernitano e successivamente trattate cromaticamente. Le ragioni principali del degrado delle Archeidi sono legate alla collocazione in ambiente esterno e al fatto che l’aspettativa di vita dei materiali utilizzati non garantisce la durabilità del gruppo scultoreo. Quattro strutture, di proprietà del Comune di Salerno, si presentano oggi in un precario stato di conservazione, aggravato dall’umidità dello spazio dove sono conservate. Ad un’osservazione preliminare si riscontra un viraggio completo dei colori e la presenza diffusa di ruggine. Le opere, dopo un accurato intervento di restauro, attendono di trovare una nuova collocazione che risponda alle necessità di una buona conservazione e al tempo stesso alla natura di “opera ambientale” così come ideata dall’artista
Effects of balance and gait rehabilitation in cerebellar disease of vascular or degenerative origin
No full textPURPOSE:
To investigate whether the response to rehabilitation differs between patients with abnormalities of balance and gait due to vascular or to degenerative cerebellar disease.
METHODS:
We reviewed the outcome of 27 cerebellar patients. Fourteen patients with vascular and 13 with degenerative cerebellar disease underwent a 3-week inpatient physical therapy program for 5 days/week, 90 min/day, focused on balance and gait. Body sway area during quiet stance with eyes open and eyes closed, and gait velocity, stride length, cadence and step width were recorded. The Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and Functional Independence Measure (FIM) were administered. All tests were performed before and after treatment.
RESULTS:
Before treatment, both groups showed comparable values in all sway and gait variables and in BBS. FIM score was higher in degenerative than vascular patients. After treatment, a significant reduction of body sway area was observed under both visual conditions in both groups. Gait velocity, stride length and step width improved more in the vascular than in the degenerative patient group. BBS improved in both groups. FIM improved to a larger extent in the vascular patients.
CONCLUSION:
Short-term treatment may not be sufficient to produce definite improvement in locomotion in degenerative as much as occurs in vascular patients, even if clinical and functional signs of balance improve in both groups
Landing on the moon 50 years later: A multi-analytical investigation on Superficie Lunare (1969) by Giulio Turcato
No full textGiulio Turcato (Mantova 1912–Rome 1995) was an Italian artist, belonging to the figurative and abstract expressionist currents. At the end of the 1960s, fascinated by the US space program, Turcato produced a series of artworks, differing in colour and shape, titled Superficie Lunare (Moon Surface). To reproduce a realistic moon surface, Turcato used polyurethane foam as support for the painting. The combination of this unconventional material and the pictorial ones makes Superficie Lunare an interesting case of study to understand the alteration phenomena in contemporary art. In this study, a blue painted Superficie Lunare (1969) was analysed by means of non-invasive (ER-FTIR, Raman and X-ray spectroscopy) and micro-invasive techniques (μ-ATR, μ-FTIR, μ-Raman, Py-GC/MS, EGA-MS and SEM-EDS). The results point out the use of a polyurethane foam as support and of a poly(vinyl acetate) based Prussian blue paint tube as main constituent of the paint layer. The analyses highlight also the complexity of the paint layer, showing the presence of lampblack and Al foil mixed to the blue paint, lithopone inside the white crater and possibly ferric oxide in the red one. The results confirm the use of a polyurethane foam for the support. The painted layers present a binder composed of poly(vinylacetate), with polystyrene, possibly present as additive. Concerning the nature of the blue pigment, Prussian blue was identified on the whole surface. In some points, also lampblack was detected. Furthermore, small foils of Al were found inside the paint layer, probably to give sparkling effect. Inside the moon craters, lithopone was identified for the white pigment and possibly iron oxide for the red one. The multi-technique approach allowed also to obtain information about the manufacturing of the used Prussian blue and the occurrence of alteration process for the polyurethane foam
Test-retest reliability of an insole plantar pressure system to assess gait along linear and curved trajectories
No full textBACKGROUND: Previous studies have assessed reliability of insole technology for
evaluating foot pressure distribution during linear walking. Since in natural
motion straight walking is intermingled with turns, we determined the test-retest
reliability of insole assessment for curved as well as linear trajectories, and
estimated the minimum number of steps required to obtain excellent reliability
for each output variable.
METHODS: Sixteen young healthy participants were recruited. Each performed, two
days apart, two sessions of three walking conditions: linear (LIN) and curved,
clockwise (CW) and counter-clockwise (CCW). The Pedar-X system was used to
collect pressure distribution. Foot print was analyzed both as a whole and as
subdivided into eight regions: medial and lateral heel, medial and lateral arch,
I metatarsal head, II-V metatarsal heads, hallux, lateral toes. Reliability was
assessed by using intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for clinically
relevant variables from analysis of 50 steps per trajectory: Peak Force (PF);
Peak Pressure (PP); Contact Area (CA); Stance Duration (S).
RESULTS: When considering whole-foot, all variables showed an ICC >0.80,
therefore highly reliable. This was true for both LIN and curved trajectories.
There was no difference in ICC of the four variables between left and right foot.
When collapsing foot and trajectories, S had a lower ICC than PP and CA, and PP
lower than CA. Mean percent error between the values of first and second session
was <5%. When separately considering the eight foot regions, ICCs of PF, PP and
CA for all regions and trajectories were generally >0.90, indicating excellent
reliability. In curved trajectories, S showed smaller ICCs. Since the least ICC
value for S was 0.60 in LIN trajectory, we estimated that to achieve an ICC ≥0.90
more than 200 steps should be collected.
CONCLUSIONS: High reliability of insole dynamic variables (PF, PP, CA) is
obtained with 50 steps using the Pedar-X system. On the contrary, high
reliability of temporal variable (S) requires a larger step number. The
negligible differences in ICC between LIN and curved trajectory allow use of this
device for gait assessment along mixed trajectories in both clinical and research
setting
Afferent control of walking: Are there distinct deficits associated to loss of fibres of different diameter?
No full textOBJECTIVES:
To compare the gait pattern in patients affected by different types of neuropathy.
METHODS:
We recruited healthy subjects (HS, n=38), patients with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1A (CMT1A) (n=10) and patients with diabetic neuropathy (DNP) (n=12). Neuropathy impairment score and neuropathy score were assessed. Body sway during quiet stance, and spatio-temporal gait parameters were recorded.
RESULTS:
Most patients had reduced or absent tendon-tap reflexes. Strength of foot dorsiflexor muscles (p<0.05) and conduction velocity (CV) of leg nerves (p<0.0001) were more impaired in CMT1A than DNP, whereas joint-position sense was more affected (p<0.05) in DNP. Body sway while standing was larger in DNP compared to CMT1A and HS (p<0.01 and p<0.0001 respectively). During gait, the distribution of foot sole contact pressure was abnormal in CMT1A (p<0.05) but not in DNP. Velocity and step length were decreased, and foot yaw angle at foot flat increased, in DNP with respect to CMT1A and HS (both variables, p<0.001). Gait velocity and step length were decreased (p<0.005) also in CMT1A, but to a smaller extent than in DNP, so that the difference between patient groups was significant (p<0.0005). Duration of the double support was protracted in DNP compared to CMT1A and HS (p<0.0005). For DNP only, velocity of gait and duration of single support were correlated (p<0.05) both to sway path and lower limb muscle strength.
CONCLUSIONS:
Changes in both body sway and stance phase of gait were larger in DNP than CMT1A, indicating more impaired static and dynamic control of balance when neuropathy affects the small in addition to the large afferent fibres. Diminished somatosensory input from the smaller fibres rather than muscle weakness or foot deformity plays a critical role in the modulation of the support phase of gait.
SIGNIFICANCE:
The analysis of balance and gait in patients with neuropathy can offer a tool for understanding the nature and functional impact of the neuropathy and should be included in their functional evaluation
Peri-urban Mediterranean plant communities are shaped by chronic anthropogenic disturbances
No full textPeri-urban plant communities perform key ecological functions. However, the integrity of peri-urban vegetation is threatened by the continuous expansion of built-up areas and anthropogenic activities, which result in lowintensity, but continuous and pervasive chronic anthropogenic disturbances (CADs). Despite the growing attention to the ecological role of peri-urban vegetation patches, the assessment of the relationship between CADs and typical Mediterranean plant communities at the local scale is still lacking. In this work, both the compositional and functional responses to typical CADs of five vegetation types were assessed in 48 plots, located around the city of Genoa (Italy). The main anthropogenic and environmental drivers of species composition were identified through a Non-Metric Multidimensional Scaling, and selected variables were used to fit a partial Redundancy Analysis. Differences in the number of alien species in relation to total CAD intensity were assessed with a Kruskal-Wallis test. Regarding functional composition, the community weighted mean values (CWMs) of five functional traits were computed for each plot. Generalized linear models were then fitted to assess the relationship between the CWMs and CADs intensity. Our results showed that the specific composition of periurban plant communities of Genoa is shaped by interacting environmental and anthropogenic factors. Considering composition, CADs promote the increase of alien species' number. Moreover, the increased intensity of CADs altered the functional composition, with increasing specific leaf area, leaf nitrogen content and seed bank longevity. Overall, the effect of typical Mediterranean CADs is more pronounced on the functional composition than on the taxonomic composition of peri-urban plant communities. This work highlights the relevance at the local scale of the typical CADs of the Mediterranean area in influencing the different vegetation types that characterise a peri-urban zone
Test-retest reliability of an insole plantar pressure system to assess gait along linear and curved trajectories.
No full textBACKGROUND: Previous studies have assessed reliability of insole technology for evaluating foot pressure distribution during linear walking. Since in natural motion straight walking is intermingled with turns, we determined the test-retest reliability of insole assessment for curved as well as linear trajectories, and estimated the minimum number of steps required to obtain excellent reliability for each output variable. METHODS: Sixteen young healthy participants were recruited. Each performed, two days apart, two sessions of three walking conditions: linear (LIN) and curved, clockwise (CW) and counter-clockwise (CCW). The Pedar-X system was used to collect pressure distribution. Foot print was analyzed both as a whole and as subdivided into eight regions: medial and lateral heel, medial and lateral arch, I metatarsal head, II-V metatarsal heads, hallux, lateral toes. Reliability was assessed by using intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for clinically relevant variables from analysis of 50 steps per trajectory: Peak Force (PF); Peak Pressure (PP); Contact Area (CA); Stance Duration (S). RESULTS: When considering whole-foot, all variables showed an ICC >0.80, therefore highly reliable. This was true for both LIN and curved trajectories. There was no difference in ICC of the four variables between left and right foot. When collapsing foot and trajectories, S had a lower ICC than PP and CA, and PP lower than CA. Mean percent error between the values of first and second session was 0.90, indicating excellent reliability. In curved trajectories, S showed smaller ICCs. Since the least ICC value for S was 0.60 in LIN trajectory, we estimated that to achieve an ICC ≥0.90 more than 200 steps should be collected. CONCLUSIONS: High reliability of insole dynamic variables (PF, PP, CA) is obtained with 50 steps using the Pedar-X system. On the contrary, high reliability of temporal variable (S) requires a larger step number. The negligible differences in ICC between LIN and curved trajectory allow use of this device for gait assessment along mixed trajectories in both clinical and research setting
TEMPOROMANDIBULAR DISORDERS, POPULATION PECULIARITIES: A CASE STUDY
No full textL’affermazione sostenente che i disordini temporomandibolari mostrano un picco di prevalenza intorno ai 40 anni è valida se si considerano queste patologie nel loro complesso. In una recente indagine epidemiologica condotta su 462 pazienti affetti di cui 95 maschi e 367 femmine si è evidenziata nella distribuzione dell’età della popolazione campione l’esistenza di due picchi di età.
In particolare questa indagine ha permesso di identificare due distinti gruppi di pazienti che presentano due diverse distribuzioni di età, raffiguranti due diverse e caratteristiche linee di tendenza che si combinano in modo da formare una tipica curva di distribuzione di età nella popolazione dei pazienti colpiti da disordini temporomandibolari:
il primo costituito dai pazienti che presentavano dislocazione del disco considerata singolarmente o abbinata ad un disordine miofasciale e/o artralgia che mostrava un’età media attorno ai 35 anni.
il secondo costituito dai pazienti affetti da patologie infiammatorio-degenerative che mostrava un ‘età media attorno ai 50 anni.
SCOPO DEL LAVORO: verificare se questa distribuzione sia reale o sia inficiata dalla distribuzione dell’età della popolazione pavese o dall’età dei pz che afferiscono al Poliambulatorio di Odontoiatria del Dipartimento di Scienze Clinico – Chirurgiche – Diagnostiche e Pediatriche dell’Università di Pavia
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