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South Tyrol (northern Italy) produces around one million metric tons of apple fruit annually and contributes to almost 10% of the European apple harvest. Despite the availability of advanced storage technologies, postharvest diseases of apple may lead to the deterioration of quality and losses of fruit not only during the storage process but also in the course of packing, shipment and shelf-life. In order to decide on a strategy for damage control or to implement plant protection programs, it is crucially important to reliably determine the nature of plant diseases. Apart from the observation of macroscopic symptoms and the application of laboratory-dependent microscopic, microbiological and molecular methods, a variety of novel approaches for the detection of plant diseases and pathogens is being developed. The present study focuses on the potential of information technology to bring the diagnosis process closer to practitioners. Particular attention is paid to the application of computer vision techniques and use of decision support systems. We provide a review of existing implementations of computer-based tools to diagnose plant diseases and present an outline of the “DSSApple” research project, which focuses on the development of a decision support system for the determination of postharvest diseases of apples.

Background Acute cholecystitis in nonsurgical candidates is often managed with cholecystostomy tube drainage. After symptom resolution, management options include cholecystectomy, long-term tube drainage, or tube removal. Percutaneous cholecystolithotomy (PCCL) can offer another therapeutic option for patients who are poor operative candidates. Study Design A retrospective study of PCCL performed between December 2000 and September 2017 was conducted. Demographic characteristics, procedure details, gallstone-related complications, procedure-related complications, readmission, and mortality data were collected. Results Seventy-five patients were identified (52.0% male, 48.0% female, mean ± SD age 75.6 ± 13.9 years). Mean ± SD follow-up time was 2.8 ± 3.7 years. Most of the patients (90.7%) had an American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status classification of 3 or 4. Eleven patients (14.7%) had failed earlier cholecystectomy. A total of 96 PCCL procedures were performed, and complete gallstone removal was achieved in 68 of 75 patients (90.7%), including all patients with previously aborted cholecystectomy. The 30-day and 90-day readmission rates were 4% and 8%, respectively. Three patients (3.9%) subsequently underwent cholecystectomy after PCCL. Ten (10.4%) procedure-related complications (Clavien-Dindo grade I and II) and 17 (22.7%) gallstone-related complications occurred during the follow-up period. Postprocedural choledocholithiasis occurred in 6 patients (8.0%). Recurrent gallstones developed in 5 patients (6.3%) (3 patients undergoing cholecystectomy and 2 patients treated with cholecystostomy tube). Conclusions PCCL is a viable option for management of symptomatic gallbladder stones in high-risk surgical patients. There is a high technical success rate, even in patients with earlier failed cholecystectomy. Most patients (77.3%) avoided gallstone-related complications after the procedure.

Hemp (Cannabis sativa) is aagricultural crop. It can be used as a construction material in blend in addition with lime and cement and referred as hemp concrete (HC). HC has numerous points as a building material, however it can’t act as a load-bearing and can be utilized in combined with a load bearing wooden or steel frame. Themain objective of the projectis to utilizing hemp fibers in HC to find an mix of the different binding mixand to explore if adding silica fumes to the blend and utilizing Meta-kaolin as a binder which improve the mechanical quality. The compressive strength of the different mix are tested for speimens. Cubespecimens were cured for 24 h in a carbonation chamber and tested for mechanical properties and electrical resistance. The blend didn't essentially influence mechanical quality, though adding more Meta-kaolin to the blend increased mechanical properties and as a binder gave mechanical properties of a similar strength of a contemporary HC.

An artificial reef is sea bed structure enhanced the biota and environmental conservation with soil stabilisation. These reefs are prepared with various materials; they are classified as constructed and non-constructed materials. Non constructed materials are broken ships, tyres, natural rocks etc. and constructed materials such as concrete with admixtures and concrete modules with waste materials. Reef projects need to proper plan and execution in order to carry their studies according to material selection, shape of the reef, site selection and regular monitoring of the reef bed after establishment. In this study concrete has selected for construction material with silica flume as admixture physical properties modification for their advancement such as slump, compressive strength, permeability, split tensile test, have been carried out and to design dome shape reef structure using auto CAD, Catia for planning of the structure and Ansys software has used to analysis the design structure.

This paper presents proposals for technological solutions to previously detect violence among passengers of a shared autonomous transport mode. By analyzing the Design Science Research method and the conjectural behavior of the population, the problem contextualization about the safety of public transport can be determined in terms of violence. So, a product meant to detect violence is proposed in this study. Product design proposals, based on artificial intelligence, are described within. We concluded that this subject is relevant and demands more attention to support the public acceptance of autonomous vehicles (AVs), and shows there are existing solutions that can be adapted to fulfill the needs of this specific usage.

Rationale & Objective Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is the most common inherited kidney disorder. Progressive increase in cyst number and size leads to kidney failure in a majority of patients. Large kidney cysts, although few, can be especially deleterious by impeding kidney blood flow and obstructing urine flow over a large region. Foam sclerotherapy is a minimally invasive procedure that may be used to ablate large cysts. We examined the effectiveness and safety of foam sclerotherapy for kidney volume reduction in patients with ADPKD. Study Design Prospective cohort study. Setting & Participants Adults with ADPKD at a tertiary referral center in Toronto. Predictor Foam sclerotherapy. Outcomes Volume of treated kidneys and adverse events. Analytical Approach Treated and nontreated kidney volume, kidney function, tolerability, and symptoms were analyzed within each patient. Results We performed 77 foam sclerotherapy treatment sessions in 66 patients. Foam sclerotherapy was associated with a 21.8% volume reduction of the treated kidneys (n = 95; median, 1,138 [IQR, 801-1,582] mL before vs 891 [IQR, 548-1,450] mL after; P, Graphical abstract

Introduction: This study aimed to assess the midterm outcomes and safety of prostate artery embolization (PAE) for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Methods: A single-center, retrospective review of PAE performed for BPH was performed. Validated International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), quality of life (QoL) index, and International Index for Erectile Function (IIEF-5) questionnaires were completed at baseline and at least 12 months post-procedure. Prostate imaging was performed preprocedure as well as 3 months and 12 months post-procedure to assess prostate volume (PV). Uroflowmetry was also performed at baseline and 12 months post-procedure to assess urine flow rate (Qmax) and post-void residual (PVR) volume. Adverse events were graded according to Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) guidelines. Results: Eighty male patients underwent the PAE procedure (mean age 69 years). Prostate volume decreased significantly from a mean volume 156 to 107 mL after 12 months post-procedure, commensurate with a mean reduction of 27.5% ( P < .05). Significant improvements were seen in IPSS (21.8 vs 10.5) and QoL (4.5 vs 2.0) from baseline to 12 months post-procedure ( P < .05). There was no significant change in IIEF-5 score. There was a significant reduction in PVR (202 vs 105 mL) and improvement in Qmax (5.9 vs 10.0 mL/s) between baseline and 12 months post-procedure ( P < .05). No major complications occurred; 4 minor complications occurred (SIR grade A or B). Conclusion: Prostate artery embolization achieved a clinically and statistically significant prostate volume reduction, symptom and QoL improvement, and enhanced uroflowmetry parameters in patients with BPH.

Chronic type B aortic dissection with aneurysmal degeneration requiring intervention presents significant therapeutic challenges. Thoracic endovascular aortic repair with a fenestrated endograft is a feasible option, but false lumen branches without an adjacent re-entry or perforation in the septum can pose a significant challenge. We present two cases of fenestrated endovascular aneurysm repair for chronic type B aortic dissection in which a renal artery from the false lumen was cannulated by creating a "neofenestration" through the dissection flap using a radiofrequency PowerWire (Baylis Medical Inc, Montreal, Quebec, Canada) technique (Toronto PowerWire fenestration technique).

Purpose This pilot study aims to evaluate the effect of hepatic intraarterial norepinephrine injection in vasculature modulation for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tumors. Materials and Methods This is a single-center prospective study of patients with HCC with proven single-lobe tumors > 3 cm. Eight patients were included, with a mean age of 63 y ± 8. All patients had Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage B HCC and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0. Mean tumor size was 6.1 cm ± 1.8; all tumors were hypervascular. Patients underwent CT hepatic perfusion before and after injection of 24 μg of norepinephrine intraarterially (4 μg/mL; total 6 mL injected at a rate of 1 mL/s). Color-coded perfusion maps were used to assess the effects of local therapy on hepatic perfusion values. Tumor-to-liver ratio (TLR) was calculated from the ratio of tumor perfusion to background liver perfusion value. Results Seven of 8 patents had significant (P = .04) absolute increase in tumor perfusion vs background liver, varying from incremental (–2 mL/min/100 mL) to 290 mL/min/100 mL. There was a nonsignificant increase in TLR from 2.7 ± 1.3 to 2.9 ± 1.4 after norepinephrine injection (P = .8). Mean peak time to maximal increase in tumor perfusion after injection was 6.1 s (range, 4.5–9.1 s). Norepinephrine injection was well tolerated without major adverse events. Conclusions Norepinephrine causes increased blood flow toward HCC tumors, but with a corresponding smaller increase in blood flow to noncancerous liver tissue, with no observed systemic side effects.

Pulled or dislodged gastrostomy catheters represent a common complication associated with percutaneous gastrostomy and are a common cause of recurrent visits in patients with altered mental status. We intended to perform an experiment to compare the pull forces required to dislodge different commonly used gastrostomy catheters. We used a digital force gauge device to measure the pull forces required to dislodge three types of 20 French gastrostomy catheters in double-layer skin models. These included the Flow 20 Pull Method (Cook Medical, Bloomington, IN, USA), Entuit Gastrostomy BR Balloon Retention feeding tube (Cook Medical, Bloomington, IN, USA), and Ponsky Non-Balloon Replacement Gastrostomy Tube (CR Bard Inc, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA). The catheters were inserted into the skin model using the same technique as would be utilized in a patient. The mean forces measured to dislodge the per-oral Flow 20 Pull Method, Entuit Thrive Balloon Retention, and button-type retention Ponsky replacement catheters were 35.6, 22.8, and 20.6 Newtons, respectively. The pull method per-oral gastrostomy catheter required significantly more pull force to dislodge than both the Ponsky button-type retention catheter and the Entuit balloon retention catheters. There was no significant difference in the pull force required to dislodge the Ponsky replacement catheter and the Entuit balloon retention catheter. Per-oral image-guided gastrostomy with pull-method button-type retention catheters may be the ideal choice in patients at high risk of tube dislodgment.

© 2020 Elsevier Ltd Background: Observational studies have suggested that accelerated surgery is associated with improved outcomes in patients with a hip fracture. The HIP ATTACK trial assessed whether accelerated surgery could reduce mortality and major complications. Methods: HIP ATTACK was an international, randomised, controlled trial done at 69 hospitals in 17 countries. Patients with a hip fracture that required surgery and were aged 45 years or older were eligible. Research personnel randomly assigned patients (1:1) through a central computerised randomisation system using randomly varying block sizes to either accelerated surgery (goal of surgery within 6 h of diagnosis) or standard care. The coprimary outcomes were mortality and a composite of major complications (ie, mortality and non-fatal myocardial infarction, stroke, venous thromboembolism, sepsis, pneumonia, life-threatening bleeding, and major bleeding) at 90 days after randomisation. Patients, health-care providers, and study staff were aware of treatment assignment, but outcome adjudicators were masked to treatment allocation. Patients were analysed according to the intention-to-treat principle. This study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02027896). Findings: Between March 14, 2014, and May 24, 2019, 27 701 patients were screened, of whom 7780 were eligible. 2970 of these were enrolled and randomly assigned to receive accelerated surgery (n=1487) or standard care (n=1483). The median time from hip fracture diagnosis to surgery was 6 h (IQR 4–9) in the accelerated-surgery group and 24 h (10–42) in the standard-care group (p

Objectives A prospective cohort study was conducted in Italy in order to describe the microbiologic aspects of colonization/infection by carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) in donors and recipients of lung and liver transplants and the possible CPE transmission from donors to recipients. Methods Between 15 January 2014 and 14 January 2015, all recipients of solid organ transplants (SOT) at ten lung and eight liver transplantation centres and the corresponding donors were enrolled. Screening cultures to detect CPE were performed in donors, and screening and clinical cultures in recipients with a 28-day microbiologic follow-up after receipt of SOT. Detection of carbapenemase genes by PCR, genotyping by multilocus sequence typing, and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and whole-genome sequencing were performed. Results Of 588 screened donors, 3.4% were colonized with CPE. Of the liver first transplant recipients (n = 521), 2.5% were colonized before receipt of SOT and 5% acquired CPE during follow-up. CPE colonization was higher in lung first transplant recipients (n = 111, 2.7% before SOT and 14.4% after SOT). CPE infections occurred in 1.9% and 5.3% of liver or lung recipients, respectively. CPE isolates were mostly Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC)-producing K. pneumoniae belonging to CG258. Three events of donor–recipient CPE transmission, confirmed by whole-genome sequencing and/or pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, occurred in lung recipients: two involving K. pneumoniae sequence type 512 and one Verona integron-encoded metallo-β-lactamase (VIM)-producing Enterobacter aerogenes. Conclusions This study showed a low risk of donor–recipient CPE transmission, indicating that donor CPE colonization does not necessarily represent a contraindication for donation unless colonization regards the organ to be transplanted. Donor and recipient screening remains essential to prevent CPE transmission and cross-infection in transplantation centres.

Minimally invasive alternatives to transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) such as prostate arterial embolization (PAE) and photoselective vaporization of the prostate (PVP) are being explored as adjuncts in the care of patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia. However, there are conflicting reports of the costs of these procedures. The purpose of this study was to compare the direct and indirect hospital costs of TURP, PAE and PVP.A chart review was performed in patients who underwent TURP, PVP and PAE from April 2015 to March 2017. All hospital costs were collected in accordance with the Ontario Case Costing Initiative, a standardized medical case costing system. Costs were characterized as direct or indirect and fixed or variable. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis was conducted to study cost uncertainty.During the study period, a total of 209 men underwent TURP, 28 PVP and 21 PAE. Mean age (years) was as follows: TURP 71.43; PVP 73.66; PAE 70.77 (p = 0.366). Mean length of stay (days) was as follows: TURP 1.63; PVP 1.55; PAE 1 (p = 0.076). Total costs of the PAE group ($3829, SD $1582) were less than both PVP ($5719, SD $1515) and TURP groups ($5034, SD $1997, p 0.001). There was no significant difference in direct costs between the groups. Monte Carlo simulation demonstrated that PAE was the least costly alternative majority of the time.The total hospital costs of PAE at our institution are significantly lower than those of PVP and TURP.

After herbivore attack, plants express inducible resistance-related traits activated by hormones, mainly jasmonic acid (JA) and salicylic acid (SA). Methyl jasmonate (MeJa) is a biologically active methyl ester of JA. Exogenous applications of JA, SA, and MeJa induce responses similar to herbivory by insects. In this study, rice, Oryza sativa L. (Poaceae), plants were treated with two concentrations of MeJa (2 and 5 mmol LNymphs developing on plants treated with SA 16 mmol LRice plants possess defense mechanisms that can be elicited using hormones as elicitors, mainly SA 16 mmol L

In the present work, a reduced order model (ROM) for aeroelastic analysis linearized around non-linear steady solutions has been assessed and implemented to perform high-fidelity predictions, in particular for transonic flow. The ROM has been specifically adopted for identifying the unsteady aerodynamics by means of a modal-based approach. This goal has been achieved by performing a series of prescribed modal-transient boundary conditions on a Euler-based computational fluid-dynamics code and then post-processing the input/output data in the frequency domain. A fast and efficient morphing code based on the use of radial basis functions has been introduced at this phase of the procedure to reach a wide range of applicability for significant cases with complex geometries as in the case of aeronautical and space vehicles. Flutter boundaries have been investigated by capturing the so-called transonic dip phenomenon, mainly due to compressibility and evidenced in the literature also by wind tunnel tests. Comparisons of the present results with linear lower fidelity approaches, based on potential flows, have demonstrated the capabilities of the proposed ROM. Finally, in order to show the general-purpose applicability of the proposed approach, the method has been applied to the aeroelastic analysis of a launch vehicle. For this application no commercial codes for linear aeroelastic analysis are available for comparisons.

Chewing impairment has been observed in elders with Alzheimer's disease (AD); however, it is unknown whether oral rehabilitation can improve their masticatory function. This study evaluated the influence of new removable prostheses on chewing function of patients with AD. Participants using removable dentures were divided into two groups: patients with mild AD (77·2 ± 5·8 years, n = 16) and controls (76·0 ± 4·4, n = 16). All participants received general dental treatment and new total and/or partial removable prostheses. After 2 months of adaptation to the new dentures, chewing was evaluated by the following parameters: masticatory cycle time (CT), cycle velocity (CV), and opening (OA) and closing mandibular angles (CA), registered by a kinesiographic device. Maximum bite force (MBF) was assessed using a strain sensor. Evaluations were performed at baseline and after insertion of the new prostheses. A mixed model (α = 5%) was used for within- and between-subject analyses. After insertion of new prostheses, CT was reduced, and CV and MBF were increased in both groups (P0·05). There were no changes in OA or CA (P0·05). Compared to controls, elders with AD showed higher CT and reduced MBF and CV both at baseline and after insertion of new prostheses (P0·05). However, OA and CA did not differ between groups (P0·05). Insertion of new removable prostheses improved masticatory function in elders with and without AD, but patients with mild AD still had reduced chewing parameters compared to controls.

Results on an optical waveguide filter operating in the near IR region are reported. The device consists of a hybrid sol-gel -based grating loaded waveguide, obtained through the merging of conventional photolithography and UV-nanoimprinting. Starting from submicrometric gratings, fabricated by electron beam lithography, a soft mould has been produced and the original structures were replicated onto sol-gel photosensitive films. A final photolithographic step allowed the production of grating-loaded channel waveguides. The devices were optically characterized by transmission measurements in the telecom range 1450–1590 nm. The filter extinction ratio is −11 dB and the bandwidth is 1.7 nm.

We report on the fabrication in a single step of a channel grating loaded waveguide on Titanium based hybrid sol-gel material. This result has been accomplished by the merging of several lithographic techniques, namely conventional, laser interference, and soft lithography. Conventional lithographic processes have been employed for fabricating channel waveguides on a previously holographically written planar photopolymerizable sol-gel film. Such structures have been used as a master to produce a negative replica in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and subsequently exploited to reproduce the master patterns by UV-nanoimprinting on photopolymerizable hybrid sol-gel coatings (titanium and 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate). Optical and morphological characterization of the various fabrication steps and of the final device have been reported and discussed.

OBJETIVOS: Determinar quais parâmetros espaço-temporais são preditores do andar de indivíduos com doença de Parkinson idiopática para os testes de resistência aeróbia e agilidade, propostos pela bateria de testes da American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD). MATERIAIS E MÉTODOS: Foram selecionados seis homens e seis mulheres com comprometimento e estágio da doença em níveis leve e moderado, que realizaram os testes de agilidade e resistência aeróbia, conforme o protocolo da AAHPERD, e andaram 8m sobre uma passarela. Uma câmera digital registrou uma passada central. Marcadores foram fixados no quinto metatarso e na face lateral do calcâneo do membro inferior direito e no primeiro metatarso e na face medial do calcâneo do membro inferior esquerdo. As variáveis dependentes selecionadas foram: tempo nos testes de agilidade e resistência e as variáveis cinemáticas (comprimento da passada - CP, cadência - CAD, duração da passada - DP, duração da fase de duplo suporte - DDS, duração do suporte simples - SS, duração da fase de balanço - DB e velocidade da passada - VP). RESULTADOS: Para agilidade, o teste de Pearson apontou correlação estatisticamente significativa entre as variáveis CP (r=-0,70; pOBJECTIVE: To determine which spatial and temporal parameters are predictors of the gait pattern of individuals with idiopathic Parkinson's disease, for the aerobic endurance and agility tests included in the battery of tests of the AAHPERD protocol. METHODS: Six men and six women with mild and moderate impairment and disease stage were selected. They performed agility and aerobic endurance test in accordance with the AAHPERD protocol, and walked 8 m on a walkway. A digital video camera recorded one central stride. Markers were attached to the fifth metatarsal and lateral face of the calcaneus of the right leg and to the first metatarsal and medial face of the calcaneus of the left leg. The dependent variables selected were the time taken in the agility and endurance tests and the kinematic variables: stride length (SL), cadence (CAD), stride time (ST), double support time (DS), single support time (SS), swing time (SW) and stride velocity (SV). RESULTS: For agility, Pearson's test showed statistically significant correlations with SL (r=-0.70; p

Resumen Introducion La demencia consiste en una enfermedad cronica y generalmente degenerativa que lleva a una perdida progresiva de las habilidades cognitivas y fisicas de los individuos. Objetivo Verificar la efectividad de 3 meses de tratamiento fisioterapeutico sobre las funciones cognitivas y el equilibrio de adultos mayores institucionalizados con demencia. Pacientes y metodos Participaron en esta investigacion 30 personas, divididas en dos grupos: el experimental (GE) y el control (GC). El GE estaba formado por 15 participantes con una edad media de 71,6 ± 8,5 anos y escolaridad de 4,7 ± 4,2 anos; el GC, por 15 sujetos con edad media de 78,5 ± 7,6 anos y escolaridad de 2,2 ± 1,8 anos. Todos los participantes realizaron el Mini Examen del Estado Mental (MMSE), el test de Fluidez Verbal Semantica, el test de dibujar un reloj, el test del equilibrio de Berg y el test de “levantate y anda” ( up and go test ). Para el analisis estadistico de los datos se utilizo el analisis multivariado (MANOVA), con el 5 % de significancia (p Resultados Los resultados indicaron una diferencia entre los grupos con relacion a la edad (Fisher: 0,2; p Conclusiones Dichos resultados permitieron sugerir que la estimulacion cognitiva y motora deben ser incluidas en el tratamiento fisioterapeutico, aunque no se hayan observado efectos positivos del tratamiento sobre las funciones cognitivas. Quedan dudas de si una intervencion mas prolongada en una muestra mas homogenea podria proporcionar una reduccion del declive cognitivo.

Coupled quantum dot cells are the basic functional structures in implementing Quantum Cellular Automata (QCA), which may offer higher computational capabilities for integrated circuits. In this work a transport dynamics model, and a robust numerical simulation strategy, for behavior prediction and optimization were developed, where thermal noise is considered in order to validate stable operation at finite temperatures.

A simulation scheme was developed for the dynamic transport behavior of a number of laterally coupled double quantum dot cells. A simple one dimensional model was used for the wavefunction dynamics analysis and solving the electrostatic potentials. Behavior prediction and performance evaluation (i.e. settling time, frequency response) have been obtained. The developed simulation strategy allows the calculation of state transit times along chains of coupled quantum dots.

Several tests exist for diagnosing coronary artery disease, with varying accuracy and cost. We sought to provide cost‐effectiveness information to aid physicians and decision‐makers in selecting the most appropriate testing strategy. We used the state‐transitions (Markov) model from the Brazilian public health system perspective with a lifetime horizon. Diagnostic strategies were based on exercise electrocardiography (Ex‐ECG), stress echocardiography (ECHO), single‐photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), computed tomography coronary angiography (CTA), or stress cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (C‐MRI) as the initial test. Systematic review provided input data for test accuracy and long‐term prognosis. Cost data were derived from the Brazilian public health system. Diagnostic test strategy had a small but measurable impact in quality‐adjusted life‐years gained. Switching from Ex‐ECG to CTA‐based strategies improved outcomes at an incremental cost‐effectiveness ratio of 3100 international dollars per quality‐adjusted life‐year. ECHO‐based strategies resulted in cost and effectiveness almost identical to CTA, and SPECT‐based strategies were dominated because of their much higher cost. Strategies based on stress C‐MRI were most effective, but the incremental cost‐effectiveness ratio vs CTA was higher than the proposed willingness‐to‐pay threshold. Invasive strategies were dominant in the high pretest probability setting. Sensitivity analysis showed that results were sensitive to costs of CTA, ECHO, and C‐MRI. Coronary CT is cost‐effective for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease and should be included in the Brazilian public health system. Stress ECHO has a similar performance and is an acceptable alternative for most patients, but invasive strategies should be reserved for patients at high risk.

OBJETIVO: Comparar o risco de quedas entre idosos com doença de Parkinson (DP), demência de Alzheimer (DA) e saudáveis (controle). Além disso, pretendeu-se analisar as relações do risco de quedas com declínio cognitivo e com nível de atividade física. MÉTODO: vinte idosos, sendo sete com DP (69,57 ± 2,40 anos), seis com DA (77,5 ± 2,32 anos) e sete saudáveis (74,71 ± 2,58 anos), foram avaliados por meio dos seguintes instrumentos: Escala de Equilíbrio Funcional de Berg (EEFB), Timed Up and Go test (TUG), Mini-Exame do Estado Mental (MEEM) e Questionário Baecke Modificado para Idosos (QBMI). RESULTADOS: O teste de Kruskal-Wallis apontou diferença significativa entre os grupos, tanto em relação à EEFB (KW=9,67, pOBJECTIVE: To compare the risk of falls among elderly people with Parkinson's disease (PD) and Alzheimer's dementia (AD) and among healthy peers (controls). In addition, the aim was to analyze relationships between risk of falls and cognitive decay and between risk of falls and physical activity. METHOD: Twenty subjects were assessed: seven with PD (69.57 ± 2.40 years), six with AD (77.5 ± 2.32 years) and seven healthy peers (74.71 ± 2.58 years). The following instruments were used: Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Timed Up and Go test (TUG), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Modified Baecke Questionnaire for Older Adults (MBQOA). RESULTS: The Kruskal-Wallis (KW) test indicated significant differences between the groups, relating to BBS (KW = 9.67, p

CONTEXTO: Os efeitos da levodopa na marcha de pacientes com Doença de Parkinson (DP) em terrenos desobstruídos são conhecidos, mas pouco se conhece sobre seus efeitos na marcha com obstáculos. OBJETIVO: Este estudo objetivou descrever, por meio de ferramenta cinemática, o comportamento locomotor de pacientes com DP e verificar as estratégias locomotoras, sem e sob o efeito da levodopa, durante a ultrapassagem de obstáculos de diferentes alturas. MÉTODO: Cinco pacientes com DP (Hoehn e Yahr= 2±0; idade= 68,4±5,7 anos) percorreram, andando, 10m e ultrapassaram um de dois obstáculos (alto= metade da altura do joelho e baixo= altura do tornozelo) posicionado no meio da passarela em duas sessões (em jejum e no pico de ação do medicamento). As seguintes variáveis foram coletadas e analisadas: distância horizontal pé-obstáculo (DHPO), distância vertical pé-obstáculo (DVPO); distância horizontal obstáculo-pé (DHOP) e velocidades médias, horizontais e verticais, nas fases de abordagem e aterrissagem (respectivamente, VHAO,VVAO; VHDO,VVDO). RESULTADOS: A ANOVA, por tentativa, revelou efeito principal de obstáculo para DVPO (F1,49=15,33; p< 0,001), para VVAO (F1,49= 82,184; p< 0,001), para VHDO (F1,49= 15,33; p< 0,001) e para VVDO (F1,49= 31,30; p< 0,001); e efeito principal de medicamento para DVPO (F1,49= 6,66; p< 0,013) e para VVAO (F1,49= 10,174; p< 0,002). CONCLUSÕES: Pacientes foram mais perturbados pelo obstáculo alto. Os sintomas da DP (bradicinesia e hipocinesia) foram diminuídos com o medicamento, evidenciando aumento geral da velocidade da perna de abordagem e da margem de segurança sobre os obstáculos. Pacientes com DP, independente da condição de medicamento, apresentaram um comportamento que garantiu segurança e estabilidade na marcha.BACKGROUND: The effect of levodopa on the gait of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients over unobstructed terrain is known, but little is known about its effect on gait over obstacles. OBJECTIVE: To describe the locomotor behavior of PD patients by means of kinematic tools and to verify their locomotor strategies during obstacle avoidance at different heights, with and without the effect of levodopa. METHOD: Five PD patients (Hoehn & Yahr= 2 ± 0; age= 68.4 ± 5.7 years old) walked 10m and stepped over one of two obstacles (high obstacle at half of knee height; low obstacle at ankle height) in two separate sessions: without medication (fasting) and at the peak of levodopa action. The following variables were collected and analyzed: foot placement prior to the obstacle (FPPO), leading toe clearance (LTCL), foot placement after the obstacle (FPAO) and horizontal and vertical mean velocities in the approach and landing phases (respectively, HVAP, VVAP, HVLP and VVLP). RESULTS: ANOVA by trials revealed that the main effects from the obstacle were on LTCL (F1.49= 15.33; p< 0.001), VVAP (F1.49= 82.184; p< 0.001), HVLP (F1.49= 15.33; p< 0.001) and VVLP (F1.49= 31.30; p< 0.001). Medication had its main effects on LTCL (F1.49= 6.66; p< 0.013) and VVAP (F1.49= 10.174; p< 0.002). CONCLUSION: Patients were more disturbed by the high obstacle. The PD symptoms (bradykinesia and hypokinesia) decreased under medication, as shown by increases in leading limb velocity and the safety margin over the obstacles. The patients presented gait patterns that ensured safety and stability, regardless of whether medicated or not.

We have integrated on oxidized silicon wafers superconductive films and Josephson junctions along with sol-gel optical channel waveguides. The fabrication process is carried out in two steps that result to be solid and non-invasive. It is demonstrated that 660 nm light, coupled from an optical fibre into the channel sol-gel waveguide, can be directed toward superconducting tunnel junctions whose current-voltage characteristics are affected by the presence of the radiation. The dependence of the change in the superconducting energy gap under optical pumping is discussed in terms of a non-equilibrium superconductivity model., Comment: Document composed of 7 pages of text and 3 figures

We have prepared new polyesters containing quadratic, nonlinear optical (NLO) active chromophores covalently incorporated into the main chain. In these polymers, the sequence of the chromophore units along the main chain is rigorously head to tail. All the polyesters are processable, both in the melt and in solution. For one polyester, a full second-order NLO characterization has been performed. An out-of-resonance d33 coefficient of 21 pm/V at 1368 nm has been measured. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 2719–2725, 2007

The main aim of this paper is to propose a new neural algorithm to perform a segmentation of an observed scene in regions corresponding to different moving objects, by analysing a time-varying image sequence. The method consists of a classification step, where the motion of small patches is recovered through an optimisation approach, and a segmen-tation step merging neighbouring patches characterised by the same motion. Classification of motion is performed without optical flow computation. Three-dimensional motion parameter estimates are obtained directly from the spatial and temporal image gradients by minimising an appropriate energy function with a Hopfield-like neural network. Network convergence is accelerated by integrating the quantitative estimation of the motion parameters with a qualitative estimate of dominant motion using the geometric theory of differential equations.