Investigating the application of "Guttmann Cognitest" in older adults and people with acquired brain injury.

Introduction: Digital solutions for cognitive assessment are currently not only widely used in experimental contexts but can also be useful in clinical practice for efficient screening and longitudinal follow-up. The "Guttmann Cognitest", which includes seven computerized tasks designed to assess main cognitive functions, revealed in a previous validation study to be a potential useful tool to assess cognitive functioning in healthy middle-aged adults.

Method: Here, we present results from a validation in two different populations: one consisting of older adults, and the other comprising young and middle-aged individuals, some of them affected by acquired brain injury.

"Guttmann Cognitest," a digital solution for assessing cognitive performance in adult population: A feasibility and usability pilot study.

Background: As the world population continues to age, the prevalence of neurological diseases, such as dementia, poses a significant challenge to society. Detecting cognitive impairment at an early stage is vital in preserving and enhancing cognitive function. Digital tools, particularly mHealth, offer a practical solution for large-scale population screening and prompt follow-up assessments of cognitive function, thus overcoming economic and time limitations.

Dynamic sampling rate: harnessing frame coherence in graphics applications for energy-efficient GPUs.

In real-time rendering, a 3D scene is modelled with meshes of triangles that the GPU projects to the screen. They are discretized by sampling each triangle at regular space intervals to generate fragments which are then added texture and lighting effects by a shader program. Realistic scenes require detailed geometric models, complex shaders, high-resolution displays and high screen refreshing rates, which all come at a great compute time and energy cost.

Reply to Inzitari et al. Comment on "Blancafort Alias et al. A Multi-Domain Group-Based Intervention to Promote Physical Activity, Healthy Nutrition, and Psychological Wellbeing in Older People with Losses in Intrinsic Capacity: AMICOPE Development Study. 2021, , 5979".

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A Multi-Domain Group-Based Intervention to Promote Physical Activity, Healthy Nutrition, and Psychological Wellbeing in Older People with Losses in Intrinsic Capacity: AMICOPE Development Study.

The World Health Organization has developed the Integrated Care of Older People (ICOPE) strategy, a program based on the measurement of intrinsic capacity (IC) as "the composite of all physical and mental attributes on which an individual can draw". Multicomponent interventions appear to be the most effective approach to enhance IC and to prevent frailty and disability since adapted physical activity is the preventive intervention that has shown the most evidence in the treatment of frailty and risk of falls. Our paper describes the development of a multi-domain group-based intervention addressed to older people living in the community, aimed at improving and/or maintaining intrinsic capacity by means of promoting physical activity, healthy nutrition, and psychological wellbeing in older people.

Omega-Test: A Predictive Early-Z Culling to Improve the Graphics Pipeline Energy-Efficiency.

The most common task of GPUs is to render images in real time. When rendering a 3D scene, a key step is to determine which parts of every object are visible in the final image. There are different approaches to solve the visibility problem, the Z-Test being the most common.

COVID-19 mortality risk factors in older people in a long-term care center.

Purpose: Despite high rates of COVID-19 infection and increased related mortality have been reported among older adults admitted in long-term care facilities, a limited amount of information is available about the natural course of this pandemic and prognostic factors in such population. In the current study, we aimed to investigate the epidemiologic, demographics, clinical, or therapeutic factors that may predict the prognosis in a cohort of COVID-19 infected institutionalized older in a nursing home.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of all COVID-19 confirmed institutionalized older in a nursing home from March 15 to June 5, 2020.

Low-temperature degradation increases the cyclic fatigue resistance of 3Y-TZP in bending.

Objective: Due to past failures of orthopedic 3Y-TZP femoral implants linked to accelerated tetragonal-to-monoclinic phase transformation (t → m), the susceptibility to 'low-temperature degradation' or 'ageing' of 3Y-TZP has been advertised as detrimental to its long-term structural stability. However, no systematic mechanistic experiments on the fatigue resistance of aged 3Y-TZP under cyclic loading can support such statement. In this study, we aim to clarify this issue.

Mechanical reliability of dental grade zirconia after laser patterning.

The aim of this work is to test the mechanical properties of dental zirconia surfaces patterned with Nd:YAG laser interference (λ = 532 nm and 10 ns pulse). The laser treatment produces an alteration of the topography, engraving a periodic striped pattern. Laser-material interaction results mainly in thermal effects producing microcracking, phase transformation and texturization.

Strength and fracture toughness of zirconia dental ceramics.

Objective: The aim of the paper is to determine and discuss the correlation between the fracture toughness and the fracture stress in zirconia transforming ceramics with a small artificial crack. As an R-curve behaviour is usually present in transforming ceramics for both small and long cracks, predictions of the fracture stress can only be done with an accurate knowledge of the R-curve and crack dimensions.

Methods: First, basic concepts of fracture mechanics, strength and testing of ceramic materials are introduced.

A parametric study of laser interference surface patterning of dental zirconia: Effects of laser parameters on topography and surface quality.

Objective: The aim of this work is to generate micrometric linear patterns with different topography on dental grade zirconia by means of UV laser interference and to assess the quality of the produced surface, both in term of the geometry produced and of the surface damage induced in the material.

Methods: The third harmonic of a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser (355nm, pulse duration of 10ns and repetition rate of 1Hz) was employed to pattern the surface of 3Y-TZP with micrometric-spaced lines. The resulting topography was characterized with White Light Interferometry and Scanning electron microscopy: pattern depth (H), amplitude roughness parameters (S, filtered-S), Fourier spatial analysis and collateral damages were related to laser fluence and number of pulses employed.

Selective etching of injection molded zirconia-toughened alumina: Towards osseointegrated and antibacterial ceramic implants.

Unlabelled: Due to their outstanding mechanical properties and excellent biocompatibility, zirconia-toughened alumina (ZTA) ceramics have become the gold standard in orthopedics for the fabrication of ceramic bearing components over the last decade. However, ZTA is bioinert, which hampers its implantation in direct contact with bone. Furthermore, periprosthetic joint infections are now the leading cause of failure for joint arthroplasty prostheses.

Roughness gradients on zirconia for rapid screening of cell-surface interactions: Fabrication, characterization and application.

Roughness is one of the key parameters for successful osseointegration of dental implants. The understanding of how roughness affects cell response is thus crucial to improve implant performance. Surface gradients, which allow rapid and systematic investigations of cell-surface interactions, have the potential to facilitate this task.

Surface roughened zirconia: towards hydrothermal stability.

Surface roughness is needed in several yttria-stabilized zirconia components used in restorative dentistry for osseointegration or adhesion purposes. This can be achieved by different treatments, which may also modify the microstructure of the surface. Among them, sandblasting and chemical etching are widely used, but their effect on hydrothermal aging of zirconia is not fully understood.

Enhanced reliability of yttria-stabilized zirconia for dental applications.

An increasing number of dental applications based on yttria-stabilized zirconia (3 Y-TZP) have been developed in recent years as a result of the advances and versatility of dry-processing and soft machining at the pre-sintered state. Nonetheless, the long-term surface stability of these materials in humid environment is still a matter of concern and may limit its application. In this work, a simple method to prevent hydrothermal degradation on the zirconia surface is studied in detail.

Osseointegration improvement by plasma electrolytic oxidation of modified titanium alloys surfaces.

Titanium (Ti) is a material frequently used in orthopedic applications, due to its good mechanical properties and high corrosion resistance. However, formation of a non-adherent fibrous tissue between material and bone drastically could affect the osseointegration process and, therefore, the mechanical stability of the implant. Modifications of topography and configuration of the tissue/material interface is one of the mechanisms to improve that process by manipulating parameters such as morphology and roughness.

Contact fatigue of veneer feldspathic porcelain on dental zirconia.

Objectives: To understand the resistance to cyclic and static contact loading of feldspathic porcelain on dental zirconia (3Y-TZP), in order to understand the partial failure of porcelain (chipping or cracking).

Methods: Hertzian contact techniques were used to evaluate the appearance of damage as a ring crack in terms of applied load and number of cycles in air and simulated saliva.

Results: Static contact loading showed the presence of stress corrosion cracking in the porcelain; the environmental crack growth in air was determined from the results of time to damage under static load.

Effect of sandblasting and residual stress on strength of zirconia for restorative dentistry applications.

Sandblasting is a commonly used surface treatment technique for dental crowns to improve the adhesion of the mating parts of a restoration. The goal of this work is to study the effect of different sandblasting conditions on the mechanical properties of 3mol% yttria stabilized tetragonal zirconia (3Y-TZP), such as biaxial strength, surface elastic modulus, contact hardness and residual stresses induced by sandblasting. The specimens were sandblasted considering two different particle sizes (110, 250μm), two pressures (2 and 4bar) and two impact angles (30° and 90°).

Phase transformation and subsurface damage in 3Y-TZP after sandblasting.

Objective: The goal of this work is to investigate t-m phase transformation, and subsurface damage in 3Y-TZP after sandblasting.

Methods: Commercial grade 3Y-TZP powder was conventionally sintered and fully dense specimens were obtained. Specimens were sandblasted using different particle sizes (110 and 250μm) and pressures (2 and 4bar) for 10s.

Tomography of indentation cracks in feldspathic dental porcelain on zirconia.

Objectives: The objective of this work is to study the crack produced by spherical and sharp indentation on veneering feldspathic dental porcelain in order to understand the morphology of the cracks in the surface and beneath the indentation using a tomographic technique. The geometry of cracks produced under contact loading are directly related to the structural integrity and reliability of dental prosthesis.

Methods: Monotonic Hertzian contact loading and nanoindentation tests were performed on feldspathic porcelain (VITA-VM9) coatings.

[Comparison of 3 combinations of 0.5% levobupivacaine and 1% mepivacaine in popliteal sciatic block in hallux valgus outpatient surgery].

Background: To compare 3 combinations of 0.5% levobupivacaine (L) and 1% mepivacaine (M) for popliteal block for hallux valgus surgery.

Methods: Prospective, double blind study of 120 patients undergoing unilateral hallux valgus outpatient surgery with posterior popliteal block with ultrasound-guided single injection.

Single-incision versus standard laparoscopic cholecystectomy: comparison of surgical outcomes from a single institution.

Background: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy via the three-trocar technique is widely used for symptomatic gallbladder stones. Single-incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS) for cholecystectomy is a well-established procedure and represents the next step in developing the concept of mini-invasive surgery. We here described our 24-month experience SILS cholecystectomy.

[Outpatient or short-stay videothoracoscopy-assisted thoracic sympathectomy: anesthesia in 445 cases].

Objective: To demonstrate the safety of outpatient or short-stay bilateral videothoracoscopy-assisted thoracic sympathectomy.

Patients And Methods: The medical records of 445 who underwent bilateral videothoracoscopy-assisted thoracic sympathectomy were reviewed; the same protocols were used to guide these outpatient or short-stay procedures in all cases. Intravenous anesthesia was provided.

[Ultrasound-guided single dose injection of 0.5% levobupivacaine or 0.5% ropivacaine for a popliteal fossa nerve block in unilateral hallux valgus surgery].

Objective: To compare the perioperative analgesic efficacy of 0.5% levobupivacaine and 0.5% ropivacaine injected in a single dose to block the tibial and peroneal nerves for surgery using a posterior (popliteal fossa) approach.