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The accurate and reliable assessment of gait parameters is assuming an important role, especially in the perspective of designing new therapeutic and rehabilitation strategies for the remote follow-up of people affected by disabling neurological diseases, including Parkinson’s disease and post-stroke injuries, in particular considering how gait represents a fundamental motor activity for the autonomy, domestic or otherwise, and the health of neurological patients. To this end, the study presents an easy-to-use and non-invasive solution, based on a single RGB-D sensor, to estimate specific features of gait patterns on a reduced walking path compatible with the available spaces in domestic settings. Traditional spatio-temporal parameters and features linked to dynamic instability during walking are estimated on a cohort of ten parkinsonian and eleven post-stroke subjects using a custom-written software that works on the result of a body-tracking algorithm. Then, they are compared with the “gold standard” 3D instrumented gait analysis system. The statistical analysis confirms no statistical difference between the two systems. Data also indicate that the RGB-D system is able to estimate features of gait patterns in pathological individuals and differences between them in line with other studies. Although they are preliminary, the results suggest that this solution could be clinically helpful in evolutionary disease monitoring, especially in domestic and unsupervised environments where traditional gait analysis is not usable.

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In order to understand the relation between chemical composition, microscopic structure and enzymatic digestibility, different Eucalyptus globulus wood pretreated samples were examined. Pretreated materials obtained by steam explosion and autohydrolysis were compared with those obtained by organosolv and kraft processes. Chemical analyses of pretreated materials showed a decrease in the content of xylans, except in the kraft pulp. FT-IR spectra showed that the residual lignin in autohydrolysis pulp had experienced greater changes compared to those in steam explosion and organosolv pulps, whereas minor changes in lignin kraft pulp were observed. The fiber morphology indicated that autohydrolysis pretreatment was the most aggressive treatment. Reduction in the content of lignin and its redistribution on the fiber wall were confirmed through confocal laser microscopy. The formation of discrete lignin droplets deposited on the surface of the fibers was observed in all pretreatments, with a higher frequency in organosolv followed by steam explosion. A significant increase in enzymatic accessibility was achieved in organosolv, autohydrolysis and steam explosion pulps, due to xylans removal combined with lignin redistribution. Homogeneous lignin distribution and higher xylan content may be related to the low enzymatic hydrolysis efficiency in kraft pulp.

Tribromophenol (TBP) is a halogenated phenol mainly used as an intermediate of flame retardants in the electronics manufacturing industry as well as a fungicide in the wood industry to prevent fungal wood stain and decay. As a result of this massive use, its bio-availability, toxicity, and environmental fate are of increasing concern worldwide. TBP degradation by a catechol (CAT)-driven Fenton reaction was studied. In order to achieve the best yield in TBP degradation, an experimental design was applied for multivariate optimization of the experimental degrading system variables. At optimized concentrations, the CAT-driven Fenton reaction yielded 75% TBP degradation in 2 h at room temperature. The multivariate optimization showed that the highest TBP degradation (1 mol base) was obtained at a ratio of CAT: A time course degradation of TBP comparing the CAT-driven Fenton reaction with the classical Fenton reaction is also presented. During the first hours of reaction (up to 8h), increased degradation efficiencies were observed in the CAT-driven Fenton reaction in comparison with the conventional Fenton reaction. Possible causes for the observed behavior are also discussed.

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