Synthetic Aperture Radar Imaging for Burn Wounds Diagnostics.

The need for technologies to monitor the wound healing under dressing materials has led us to investigate the feasibility of using microwave and millimetre wave radiations due to their sensitivity to water, non- ionising nature, and transparency to dressing materials and clothing. This paper presents synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images obtained from an active microwave and millimetre wave scanner operating over the band 15-40 GHz. Experimental images obtained from porcine skin samples with the presence of dressing materials and after the application of localised heat treatments reveal that SAR images can be used for diagnosing burns and for potentially monitoring the healing under dressing materials.

Millimeter-wave emissivity as a metric for the non-contact diagnosis of human skin conditions.

A half-space electromagnetic model of human skin over the band 30-300 GHz was constructed and used to model radiometric emissivity. The model showed that the radiometric emissivity rose from 0.4 to 0.

New equation for the computation of flow velocity in partially filled pipes arranged in parallel.

This paper presents a new approach for the computation of flow velocity in pipes arranged in parallel based on an analytic development. The estimation of the flow parameters using existing methods requires trial and error procedures. The assessment of flow velocity is of great importance in flow measurement methods and in the design of drainage networks, among others.

Separation and preconcentration phenomena in internally heated poly(dimethylsilicone) capillaries: preliminary modelling and demonstration studies.

The concept of achieving low-resolution separations in internally heated capillary membranes is discussed in terms of controlling the diffusion coefficients of volatile organic compounds in poly(dimethylsilicone) membranes in space and time. The behaviour of 1,1,1-trichloroethane in polydimethylsilicone was used in conjunction with a mixed-physics finite element model, incorporating second order partial differential equations, to describe time and spatial variations of mass-flux, membrane temperature and diffusion coefficients. The model, coded with Femlab, predicted highly non-linear diffusion coefficient profiles resulting from temperature programming a 500 [micro sign]m thick membrane, with an increase in the diffusion coefficient of approximately 30% in the last 30% of the membrane thickness.

Dual effect of heparin on cultured adult rat cardiomyocytes.

Heparin has been widely reported to inhibit the growth of several cell types including neonatal rat cardiac myocyte (NRCM) but its effect on adult rat ventricular myocyte (ARVM) is unknown. To determine whether heparin is able to modulate ARVM protein synthesis capacity and if so which pathway is involved in this response, ARVM were cultured in presence or absence of 5% human serum and exposed to heparin (2-2,000 microg/ml) or its analogue xylan (0.5 and 50 microg/ml), and either the Ca(2+) chelator BAPTA/AM (10 microg/ml), or the calcineurin inhibitor FK506 (10 microg/ml), and heparinase I (0.

Effectiveness of non-invasive positive pressure ventilation differs between decompensated chronic restrictive and obstructive pulmonary disease patients.

Objective: To compare the efficiency of non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (NPPV) in decompensated patients with either chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or chronic restrictive pulmonary disease.

Design: Retrospective study.

Setting: A 17-bed intensive care unit in a university teaching hospital.

Carbamazepine-associated severe left ventricular dysfunction.

Introduction: The cardiovascular effects of carbamazepine are well-known but left ventricular dysfunction is rarely reported.

Case Report: We describe 2 cases of severe carbamazepine-associated left ventricular dysfunction during massive self intoxications in young patients without preexistent cardiac disease. We compare our cases to the available literature and discuss the mechanisms implied in the development of left ventricular dysfunction following carbamazepine overdose.

[Use of the helium-oxygen mixture in pneumology practice].

Therapeutic use of the helium-oxygen mixture (heliox) was first reported in 1934. Medical use was further restricted to physiological studies. Density and viscosity of Heliox are very different from those of air or oxygen.

[Hemodynamic effects of enoximone and comparison with dobutamine in patients with chronic respiratory insufficiency and pulmonary arterial hypertension].

The aim of this study was to assess the effects of enoximone on the right ventricle and pulmonary hypertension in 10 patients (53 to 84 years) with chronic obstructive airway disease resulting in acute or chronic respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation in 9 cases. These effects were compared with those of dobutamine. All patients were in sinus rhythm and 6 had signs of right ventricular failure.