Pressure ulcers are a frequent complication in patients having limited activity and mobility (e.g., elderly people, spinal cord injury patients, people with disabilities, etc.). The aim of this work is the conceptual design, modelling and control of a new seat cushion for pressure ulcers prevention. The whole system (constituted by the seat cushion equipped with a real-time pressure mapping with closed-loop control) is designed to identify the critical points on the human skin, before pressure ulcers creation, and to be able to distribute the contact pressure between the human and cushion avoiding wound creation. The seat cushion is constituted by soft air-cells actuated by air flow. To define the shape and size of the soft air-cells, finite element simulations are carried out, analysing the internal volume reduction with external loads application to reproduce the variable stiffness. The data obtained by finite element analysis are used to simulate inflation and deflation of the soft bubble air-cells. Finally, the control systems of a single air-cell and of the whole cushion are designed and simulated. The novelty of our work consists in the conception of a seat cushion able to recognise higher and lower risk zones of pressure ulcer generation on the human skin and to provide compensation automatically. This work can therefore be considered in line with the sustainable development goals recently launched by the EU Commission.
[3H]lacidipine binding to its receptor was characterized to explain its slow onset and long duration of antihypertensive activity. Binding parameters were studied in guinea pig myocardial and cerebral membrane preparations and compared with another dihydropyridine (DHP) calcium antagonist, isradipine. Lacidipine binds competitively to the DHP calcium antagonist receptor of the L-type calcium channel. The binding is allosterically modulated by verapamil and D-cis diltiazem and activated/inhibited by divalent cations. Association and dissociation kinetics of the binding of lacidipine to the receptor were significantly slower than those of isradipine. In addition, the Bmax of lacidipine binding in guinea pig heart microsomes was significantly higher than those of other dihydropyridine calcium antagonist. The results indicate that the slow onset and long duration of action of lacidipine can be explained principally on the basis of the binding characteristics. Although no biphasic receptor binding kinetics could be detected, a fast equilibrium between the receptor and a second compartment, due to the high lipophilicity of lacidipine, cannot be excluded.
Amyloidosis is a pathologic diagnosis characterized by extracellular deposition of insoluble protein fibrils in various organs and tissues. There are two main forms of amyloidosis, primary amyloidosis, and secondary amyloidosis. Gastrointestinal involvement is common in both amyloidosis forms. We describe the case of a 78-year-old woman taken to the operating room for small bowel obstruction, found to have pseudo-obstruction and enteritis. Exploratory laparotomy revealed gastric mass and histological examen showed extensive amyloid deposition consistent with amyloidosis. Hematological evaluation revealed unknown multiple myeloma. This case report and literature data suggest to perform a hematological examination in patients with amyloidosis diagnosis to exclude a multiple myeloma or other plasma cell disorders
A woman complaining of dyspnea and chest pain since childhood, was
referred to our hospital with an initial diagnosis of biventricular
hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Multimodality imaging evaluation revealed
massive right ventricular (RV) hypertrophy and severe RV outflow tract
obstruction, with a final diagnosis of double chambered RV associated
with small ventricular septal defect with right-to-left shunt and right
partial anomalous pulmonary vein return. This represents an uncommon
combination of congenital abnormalities, extremely rarely diagnosed in
adulthood.
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