Color constancy mechanisms in virtual reality environments.

Prior research has demonstrated high levels of color constancy in real-world scenarios featuring single light sources, extensive fields of view, and prolonged adaptation periods. However, exploring the specific cues humans rely on becomes challenging, if not unfeasible, with actual objects and lighting conditions. To circumvent these obstacles, we employed virtual reality technology to craft immersive, realistic settings that can be manipulated in real time.

Colour Calibration of a Head Mounted Display for Colour Vision Research Using Virtual Reality.

Virtual reality (VR) technology offers vision researchers the opportunity to conduct immersive studies in simulated real-world scenes. However, an accurate colour calibration of the VR head mounted display (HMD), both in terms of luminance and chromaticity, is required to precisely control the presented stimuli. Such a calibration presents significant new challenges, for example, due to the large field of view of the HMD, or the software implementation used for scene rendering, which might alter the colour appearance of objects.

The influence of aneurysm size on early outcome of abdominal aortic aneurysm repair in female patients.

Aim: The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of aneurysm size on early outcome in women undergoing abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair, with suggestion of lowered threshold for intervention.

Patients And Methods: Retrospective cohort study on the early outcome of 25 females undergoing elective endovascular (EVAR) and open AAA repair, compared to 340 males from 2005 to 2017. The study was focused on 30-days mortality (primary endpoint) and incidence of non fatal major adverse events - MAE (secondary endpoint) of two subgroups of women: AAA diameter <50 mm (n.

Perceptually Validated Cross-Renderer Analytical BRDF Parameter Remapping.

Material appearance of rendered objects depends on the underlying BRDF implementation used by rendering software packages. A lack of standards to exchange material parameters and data (between tools) means that artists in digital 3D prototyping and design, manually match the appearance of materials to a reference image. Since their effect on rendered output is often non-uniform and counter intuitive, selecting appropriate parameterisations for BRDF models is far from straightforward.

Enzymatic debridement: is HA-collagenase the right synergy? Randomized double-blind controlled clinical trial in venous leg ulcers.

Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a new ointment containing Hyaluronic Acid and collagenase from non-pathogenic Vibrio alginolyticus.

Patients And Methods: Double blind, multicenter, controlled clinical trial (no. ISRCTN71239043) conducted to demonstrate the superiority of Hyaluronic Acid-Collagenase applied once a day over placebo in mean reduction of devitalized/fibrinous/slough tissue after 15 days of treatment.

Update on distal deep venous thrombosis. Reports of a multicenter study.

Aim: No study of strong methodology could be found to resolve the controversy of optimal treatment of distal deep venous thrombosis (DDVT). Some inconclusive evidence exists on two approaches to care: anticoagulants and compression therapy or compression therapy and Duplex scanning monitoring. Different studies report propagation to popliteal vein in 8% of patients without anticoagulant treatment, while a complete thrombus resolution within 4 weeks occurred in 20% of patients.

A large Italian observational multicentre study on vascular ulcers of the lower limbs (Studio Ulcere Vascolari).

An observational study of 2 years was promoted by the Italian Association for Cutaneous Ulcers (AIUC) in order to monitor the epidemiology of leg ulcers, the trend of healing and the more frequent therapeutic approaches in lower limb ulcers. Fifty-nine sites in 14 different Italian regions involved in the study, with 1333 enrolled patients (1163 patients fully evaluated and followed up for 9 months). A prevalence of females (62%) was observed with a mean age of 70 years and a high rate of hypertension (62%), diabetes (38%) and obesity (29%).

Forgery detection and value identification of Euro banknotes.

This paper describes both hardware and software components to detect counterfeits of Euro banknotes. The proposed system is also able to recognize the banknote values. Differently than other state-of-the-art methods, the proposed approach makes use of banknote images acquired with a near infrared camera to perform recognition and authentication.

The regenerative peptide thymosin β4 accelerates the rate of dermal healing in preclinical animal models and in patients.

Chronic nonhealing cutaneous wounds are a worldwide problem with no agent able to promote healing. A naturally occurring, endogenous repair molecule, thymosin beta 4 (Tβ4), has many biological activities that promote dermal repair. It is released by platelets at the site of injury and initiates the repair cascade.

Objective estimation of body condition score by modeling cow body shape from digital images.

Body condition score (BCS) is considered an important tool for management of dairy cattle. The feasibility of estimating the BCS from digital images has been demonstrated in recent work. Regression machines have been successfully employed for automatic BCS estimation, taking into account information of the overall shape or information extracted on anatomical points of the shape.

The effect of thymosin treatment of venous ulcers.

Venous ulcers are responsible for about 70% of the chronic ulcers of the lower limbs. Standard of care includes compression, dressings, debridement of devitalized tissue, and infection control. Thymosin beta 4 (Tbeta4), a synthetic copy of the naturally occurring 43 amino-acid peptide, has been found to have wound healing and anti-inflammatory properties, and is thought to exert its therapeutic effect through promotion of keratinocyte and endothelial cell migration, increased collagen deposition, and stimulation of angiogenesis.

Pain and quality of life in patients with vascular leg ulcers: an Italian multicentre study.

Objective: To assess pain and quality of life in patients with chronic vascular leg ulcers.

Method: A multicentre cross-sectional study was conducted. A questionnaire to assess quality of life and report the experience of pain was developed.

Measuring the health status of patients with vascular leg ulcers and the burden for their caregivers.

Objectives: To assess the health status of patients with leg ulcers and the impact and consequences of such chronic disease on the life of their caregivers.

Design: Observational study in a "day care" setting.

Material: Administration of the Short Form-12 questionnaire and of Visual Analogue Scales for pain to patients; of the Family Strain Questionnaire to caregivers.

Thymosin beta-4 and venous ulcers: clinical remarks on a European prospective, randomized study on safety, tolerability, and enhancement on healing.

The objective of this double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-escalation study is to evaluate safety, tolerability, and enhancement on healing of thymosin beta-4 (Tbeta-4) administered topically in patients with venous ulcers. Three groups of patients, coming from 10 sites, 5 from Italy and 5 from Poland, will be enrolled sequentially. Twenty-four patients within each group will be randomized to Tbeta-4 or placebo in a 3:1 ratio and will be treated with increasing doses of Tbeta-4.

The venous ulcer and the superficial venous reflux.

The management of venous ulcers must take into account the many aspects of the pathology and, overall, the hemodynamic patterns of reflux and the clinical pictures correlated. The most frequent model is represented by a superficial venous reflux that may be successfully treated by surgery with a very high percentage of ulcer healing. Compared to compression therapy, surgery allows a minor percentage of recurrence.

Evaluation of SurePress Comfort: a new compression system for the management of venous leg ulcers.

Objective: The primary aim was to compare the healing of venous leg ulcers after management with either a new compression stocking (SurePress Comfort, ConvaTec) or a standard short-stretch bandage system (Comprilan, BSN Medical GmbH & Co). Secondary parameters included healing rate, ease of application and removal, comfort during wear, local pain levels and concordance.

Method: This was a prospective multicentre open-label comparative randomised controlled parallel-group pilot trial of 12 weeks' duration.

Promogran and complex surgical lesions: a case report.

Surgical excision of a venous malformation on a young girl's thigh left a large and deep ulcerative wound. Treatment of the lesion with Promogran dressings suited this patient's specific needs and produced substantial healing within five weeks.

External banding valvuloplasty of the superficial femoral vein in the treatment of recurrent varicose veins.

Objectives: The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of reconstructive surgery of primary deep venous insufficiency in preventing recurrent varicose veins.

Design: Retrospective analysis of patients affected by recurrent varicose veins submitted to external banding valvuloplasty of the superficial femoral vein.

Setting: A division of vascular surgery in a hospital/scientific institute.

[The role of spinal cord electric stimulation in critical ischemia of the extremity].

The aim of this study is to evaluate, through a retrospective analysis of our experience, the effectiveness of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) in conservative treatment of critical limb ischaemia. During a 7-year period, at our Institution, SCS has been performed in 35 patients affected by severe lower limb ischaemia with angiographic multilevel distal lesions; femoro-distal bypass was not advisable or had failed due to poor outflow conditions. Basing upon clinical criteria (regression of rest pain, claudicatio and ischaemic lesions, limb salvage and need of amputation) the results of therapy were distinguished in "good,", "satisfactory" and "poor".

External banding valvuloplasty of the superficial femoral vein in the treatment of primary deep valvular incompetence.

Primary deep venous insufficiency (PDVI) represents an important cause of chronic venous insufficiency (CVI). The clinical picture is generally related to a congenital weakness of the vein wall at the level of the valvular ring which may dilate its diameter with consequent lengthening and prolapse of the valvular cusps. However, in an initial stage of PDVI the leaflets are normally formed and may undergo restorative surgery.

[Spinal cord electric stimulation vs. femoro-distal bypass in critical ischemia of the legs. Preliminary results in a randomized prospective study].

In the last few years the development of new and improved surgical procedures caused a more aggressive approach, by femoro-distal bypass, to the limb affected by critical ischaemia. A good surgical result is related to the crural vessel patency, the presence of an adequate autologous vein and the possibility to visualize inframalleolar and foot arteries by selective angiograms. Should all these conditions not be present, an outflow procedure might be at high risk for failure.

[Surgical reconstruction in deep venous insufficiency].

Deep venous insufficiency is present clinically in post-phlebitis syndrome (PPS), above all at the stage of incompetence, after venous recanalisation, and in primary deep venous insufficiency (PDVI). Its different anatomical and pathological patterns lead to a varied management approach. Venous bypass procedures (using the techniques of Palma, Warren-Hushi, etc.