Analisi clinica ed ex-vivo dei punti isometrici durante tecnica tightrope nella ricostruzione del legamento crociato craniale del cane

La rottura del Legamento Crociato Craniale (LCCr) rappresenta una delle patologie ortopediche di maggiore riscontro clinico nella specie canina. In seguito a rottura del LCCr si presenta un continuo slittamento craniale della tibia il quale esita in un processo osteoartrosico. La risoluzione chirurgica rappresenta la migliore soluzione terapeutica. Le tecniche chirurgiche extra-articolari con sfruttamento dei punti isometrici del ginocchio si presentano come delle procedure molto diffuse e utilizzate. Questa tesi propone di validare l’uso di un nuovo sistema di navigazione computerizzato-assistito per la valutazione cinematica durante la ricostruzione del LCCr nel cane, ma soprattutto di studiare e confrontare il comportamento e l’efficacia dopo ricostruzione TightRope (TR) in due diverse coppie di punti isometrici. Abbiamo effettuato due analisi in parallelo. La prima eseguendo interventi chirurgici con tecnica TR su 18 casi clinici e sfruttando il punto isometrico del femore (F2) e due diversi punti isometrici della tibia (T2 o T3). L’analisi prevedeva dei controlli postoperatori a 1, 3 e 6 mesi. Ad ogni controllo veniva effettuata una visita ortopedica, esami radiografici, un questionario di valutazione clinico e di soddisfazione del proprietario. Mentre nella ricerca Ex-Vivo abbiamo eseguito dei test su 14 preparati anatomici con l’utilizzo di un sistema di navigazione computerizzato per la rilevazione dei dati. L’analisi prevedeva la valutazione dell’articolazione in diversi stadi: LCCr intatto; LCCr rotto; dopo ricostruzione con TR in F2-T2 e tensionato a 22N, 44N e 99N; dopo ricostruzione con TR in F2-T3 e tensionato a 22N, 44N e 99N. Ad ogni stadio si eseguivano cinque test di valutazione, tra cui: Test del Cassetto, Test di compressione tibiale (TCT), Rotazione Interna/Esterna, Flesso/Estensione e Varo/Valgo. Lo scopo di tale studio è quello di confrontare tra loro i punti isometrici del ginocchio e di analizzare l’efficacia della tecnica TR nelle due differenti condizioni di isometria (F2-T2 e F2-T3).

Models for the study of neuronal activity during cognitive tasks

Assessment of brain connectivity among different brain areas during cognitive or motor tasks is a crucial problem in neuroscience today. Aim of this research study is to use neural mass models to assess the effect of various connectivity patterns in cortical EEG power spectral density (PSD), and investigate the possibility to derive connectivity circuits from EEG data. To this end, two different models have been built. In the first model an individual region of interest (ROI) has been built as the parallel arrangement of three populations, each one exhibiting a unimodal spectrum, at low, medium or high frequency. Connectivity among ROIs includes three parameters, which specify the strength of connection in the different frequency bands. Subsequent studies demonstrated that a single population can exhibit many different simultaneous rhythms, provided that some of these come from external sources (for instance, from remote regions). For this reason in the second model an individual ROI is simulated only with a single population. Both models have been validated by comparing the simulated power spectral density with that computed in some cortical regions during cognitive and motor tasks. Another research study is focused on multisensory integration of tactile and visual stimuli in the representation of the near space around the body (peripersonal space). This work describes an original neural network to simulate representation of the peripersonal space around the hands, in basal conditions and after training with a tool used to reach the far space. The model is composed of three areas for each hand, two unimodal areas (visual and tactile) connected to a third bimodal area (visual-tactile), which is activated only when a stimulus falls within the peripersonal space. Results show that the peripersonal space, which includes just a small visual space around the hand in normal conditions, becomes elongated in the direction of the tool after training, thanks to a reinforcement of synapses.

Gender equality and human development in Macedonia during transition (1991-2006)

The present thesis treats the issue of gender equality in Macedonia during the period of transition from the socialist system to the one of parliamentary democracy. The main aim is to mainstream the gender perspective in the analysis of the transitional policies through the examination of the basic citizenship rights to which citizens are entitled and by the means of the evaluation of their capabilities to exercise these rights. Gender equality, as one of the main strongholds of the concept of human development is measured through the application of nine gender relevant capabilities in a Case study conducted within selected municipalities in the country. Through the analysis of the Macedonian constitutional and legal framework and the assessment of gender based inequalities, the research questions the need for the enactment of a process of engendering of citizenship, which would integrate gender based differences, contemplate the private sphere of citizens lives and pledge participation in the political life of the country. The thesis, finally, analyses the gender equality strategy of the Macedonian government with the purpose to evaluate whether it is context based, i.e. it tackles the main fields where inequalities emerge and in this context whether it envisages a process of engendering of citizenship.

Development of quantitative methods for sustainability assessment in process industry

The increasing aversion to technological risks of the society requires the development of inherently safer and environmentally friendlier processes, besides assuring the economic competitiveness of the industrial activities. The different forms of impact (e.g. environmental, economic and societal) are frequently characterized by conflicting reduction strategies and must be holistically taken into account in order to identify the optimal solutions in process design. Though the literature reports an extensive discussion of strategies and specific principles, quantitative assessment tools are required to identify the marginal improvements in alternative design options, to allow the trade-off among contradictory aspects and to prevent the “risk shift”. In the present work a set of integrated quantitative tools for design assessment (i.e. design support system) was developed. The tools were specifically dedicated to the implementation of sustainability and inherent safety in process and plant design activities, with respect to chemical and industrial processes in which substances dangerous for humans and environment are used or stored. The tools were mainly devoted to the application in the stages of “conceptual” and “basic design”, when the project is still open to changes (due to the large number of degrees of freedom) which may comprise of strategies to improve sustainability and inherent safety. The set of developed tools includes different phases of the design activities, all through the lifecycle of a project (inventories, process flow diagrams, preliminary plant lay-out plans). The development of such tools gives a substantial contribution to fill the present gap in the availability of sound supports for implementing safety and sustainability in early phases of process design. The proposed decision support system was based on the development of a set of leading key performance indicators (KPIs), which ensure the assessment of economic, societal and environmental impacts of a process (i.e. sustainability profile). The KPIs were based on impact models (also complex), but are easy and swift in the practical application. Their full evaluation is possible also starting from the limited data available during early process design. Innovative reference criteria were developed to compare and aggregate the KPIs on the basis of the actual sitespecific impact burden and the sustainability policy. Particular attention was devoted to the development of reliable criteria and tools for the assessment of inherent safety in different stages of the project lifecycle. The assessment follows an innovative approach in the analysis of inherent safety, based on both the calculation of the expected consequences of potential accidents and the evaluation of the hazards related to equipment. The methodology overrides several problems present in the previous methods proposed for quantitative inherent safety assessment (use of arbitrary indexes, subjective judgement, build-in assumptions, etc.). A specific procedure was defined for the assessment of the hazards related to the formations of undesired substances in chemical systems undergoing “out of control” conditions. In the assessment of layout plans, “ad hoc” tools were developed to account for the hazard of domino escalations and the safety economics. The effectiveness and value of the tools were demonstrated by the application to a large number of case studies concerning different kinds of design activities (choice of materials, design of the process, of the plant, of the layout) and different types of processes/plants (chemical industry, storage facilities, waste disposal). An experimental survey (analysis of the thermal stability of isomers of nitrobenzaldehyde) provided the input data necessary to demonstrate the method for inherent safety assessment of materials.

Body ares networks for human motor assessment

Healthcare, Human Computer Interfaces (HCI), Security and Biometry are the most promising application scenario directly involved in the Body Area Networks (BANs) evolution. Both wearable devices and sensors directly integrated in garments envision a word in which each of us is supervised by an invisible assistant monitoring our health and daily-life activities. New opportunities are enabled because improvements in sensors miniaturization and transmission efficiency of the wireless protocols, that achieved the integration of high computational power aboard independent, energy-autonomous, small form factor devices. Application’s purposes are various: (I) data collection to achieve off-line knowledge discovery; (II) user notification of his/her activities or in case a danger occurs; (III) biofeedback rehabilitation; (IV) remote alarm activation in case the subject need assistance; (V) introduction of a more natural interaction with the surrounding computerized environment; (VI) users identification by physiological or behavioral characteristics. Telemedicine and mHealth [1] are two of the leading concepts directly related to healthcare. The capability to borne unobtrusiveness objects supports users’ autonomy. A new sense of freedom is shown to the user, not only supported by a psychological help but a real safety improvement. Furthermore, medical community aims the introduction of new devices to innovate patient treatments. In particular, the extension of the ambulatory analysis in the real life scenario by proving continuous acquisition. The wide diffusion of emerging wellness portable equipment extended the usability of wearable devices also for fitness and training by monitoring user performance on the working task. The learning of the right execution techniques related to work, sport, music can be supported by an electronic trainer furnishing the adequate aid. HCIs made real the concept of Ubiquitous, Pervasive Computing and Calm Technology introduced in the 1988 by Marc Weiser and John Seeley Brown. They promotes the creation of pervasive environments, enhancing the human experience. Context aware, adaptive and proactive environments serve and help people by becoming sensitive and reactive to their presence, since electronics is ubiquitous and deployed everywhere. In this thesis we pay attention to the integration of all the aspects involved in a BAN development. Starting from the choice of sensors we design the node, configure the radio network, implement real-time data analysis and provide a feedback to the user. We present algorithms to be implemented in wearable assistant for posture and gait analysis and to provide assistance on different walking conditions, preventing falls. Our aim, expressed by the idea to contribute at the development of a non proprietary solutions, driven us to integrate commercial and standard solutions in our devices. We use sensors available on the market and avoided to design specialized sensors in ASIC technologies. We employ standard radio protocol and open source projects when it was achieved. The specific contributions of the PhD research activities are presented and discussed in the following. • We have designed and build several wireless sensor node providing both sensing and actuator capability making the focus on the flexibility, small form factor and low power consumption. The key idea was to develop a simple and general purpose architecture for rapid analysis, prototyping and deployment of BAN solutions. Two different sensing units are integrated: kinematic (3D accelerometer and 3D gyroscopes) and kinetic (foot-floor contact pressure forces). Two kind of feedbacks were implemented: audio and vibrotactile. • Since the system built is a suitable platform for testing and measuring the features and the constraints of a sensor network (radio communication, network protocols, power consumption and autonomy), we made a comparison between Bluetooth and ZigBee performance in terms of throughput and energy efficiency. Test in the field evaluate the usability in the fall detection scenario. • To prove the flexibility of the architecture designed, we have implemented a wearable system for human posture rehabilitation. The application was developed in conjunction with biomedical engineers who provided the audio-algorithms to furnish a biofeedback to the user about his/her stability. • We explored off-line gait analysis of collected data, developing an algorithm to detect foot inclination in the sagittal plane, during walk. • In collaboration with the Wearable Lab – ETH, Zurich, we developed an algorithm to monitor the user during several walking condition where the user carry a load. The remainder of the thesis is organized as follows. Chapter I gives an overview about Body Area Networks (BANs), illustrating the relevant features of this technology and the key challenges still open. It concludes with a short list of the real solutions and prototypes proposed by academic research and manufacturers. The domain of the posture and gait analysis, the methodologies, and the technologies used to provide real-time feedback on detected events, are illustrated in Chapter II. The Chapter III and IV, respectively, shown BANs developed with the purpose to detect fall and monitor the gait taking advantage by two inertial measurement unit and baropodometric insoles. Chapter V reports an audio-biofeedback system to improve balance on the information provided by the use centre of mass. A walking assistant based on the KNN classifier to detect walking alteration on load carriage, is described in Chapter VI.

Dynamic identification of structures: experimental assessment of modal parameteres through methods in frequency domain, in time-frequency domain and model updating

Among the experimental methods commonly used to define the behaviour of a full scale system, dynamic tests are the most complete and efficient procedures. A dynamic test is an experimental process, which would define a set of characteristic parameters of the dynamic behaviour of the system, such as natural frequencies of the structure, mode shapes and the corresponding modal damping values associated. An assessment of these modal characteristics can be used both to verify the theoretical assumptions of the project, to monitor the performance of the structural system during its operational use. The thesis is structured in the following chapters: The first introductive chapter recalls some basic notions of dynamics of structure, focusing the discussion on the problem of systems with multiply degrees of freedom (MDOF), which can represent a generic real system under study, when it is excited with harmonic force or in free vibration. The second chapter is entirely centred on to the problem of dynamic identification process of a structure, if it is subjected to an experimental test in forced vibrations. It first describes the construction of FRF through classical FFT of the recorded signal. A different method, also in the frequency domain, is subsequently introduced; it allows accurately to compute the FRF using the geometric characteristics of the ellipse that represents the direct input-output comparison. The two methods are compared and then the attention is focused on some advantages of the proposed methodology. The third chapter focuses on the study of real structures when they are subjected to experimental test, where the force is not known, like in an ambient or impact test. In this analysis we decided to use the CWT, which allows a simultaneous investigation in the time and frequency domain of a generic signal x(t). The CWT is first introduced to process free oscillations, with excellent results both in terms of frequencies, dampings and vibration modes. The application in the case of ambient vibrations defines accurate modal parameters of the system, although on the damping some important observations should be made. The fourth chapter is still on the problem of post processing data acquired after a vibration test, but this time through the application of discrete wavelet transform (DWT). In the first part the results obtained by the DWT are compared with those obtained by the application of CWT. Particular attention is given to the use of DWT as a tool for filtering the recorded signal, in fact in case of ambient vibrations the signals are often affected by the presence of a significant level of noise. The fifth chapter focuses on another important aspect of the identification process: the model updating. In this chapter, starting from the modal parameters obtained from some environmental vibration tests, performed by the University of Porto in 2008 and the University of Sheffild on the Humber Bridge in England, a FE model of the bridge is defined, in order to define what type of model is able to capture more accurately the real dynamic behaviour of the bridge. The sixth chapter outlines the necessary conclusions of the presented research. They concern the application of a method in the frequency domain in order to evaluate the modal parameters of a structure and its advantages, the advantages in applying a procedure based on the use of wavelet transforms in the process of identification in tests with unknown input and finally the problem of 3D modeling of systems with many degrees of freedom and with different types of uncertainty.

Functional components and lipid quality assessment in vegetable foods: analytical and technological approaches

Lipids are important components that contribute very significantly to nutritional and technological quality of foods because they are the least stable macro-components in foods, due to high susceptibility to oxidation. When rancidity take place, it makes food unhealthy and unacceptable for consumers. Thus, the presence of antioxidants, naturally present of added to foods, is required to enhance shelf life of foods. Moreover, antioxidant like phenolic compounds play an important role in human health enhancing the functionality of foods. The aim of this PhD project was the study of lipid quality and lipid oxidation in different vegetable foods focusing on analytical and technological aspects in order to figure out the effects of lipid composition and bioactive compounds (phenolic compounds, omega-3 fatty acids and dietary fiber) addition on their shelf life. In addition, bioavailability and antioxidant effects of phenolic compounds in human and animals, respectively, were evaluated after consumption of vegetable foods. The first section of the work was focused on the evaluation of lipid quality impact on technological behaviour of vegetable foods. Because of that, cocoa butter with different melting point were evaluated by chromatographic techniques (GC, TLC) and the sample with the higher melting point showed the presence of fatty acids, triglycerides, 2-monoglycerides and FT-IR profile different from genuine cocoa butter, meaning an adding of foreign fat (lauric-fat) not allowed by the law. Looking at lipid quality of other vegetable foods, an accelerated shelf life test (OXITEST®), was used to evaluate of lipid stability to oxidation in tarallini snacks made up using different lipid matrices (sunflower oil, extravirgin olive oil and a blend of extravirgin olive oil and lard). The results showed a good ability of OXITEST® to discriminate between lipid unsaturation and different cooking times, without any samples fat extraction. In the second section, the role of bioactive compounds on cereal based food shelf life was studied in different bakeries by GC, spectrophotometric methods and capillary electrophoresis. It was examined the relationships between phenolic compounds, added with flour, and lipid oxidation of tarallini and frollini. Both products showed an increase in lipid oxidation during storage and antioxidant effects on lipid oxidation were not as expected. Furthermore, the influence of enrichment in polyunsaturated fatty acids on lipid oxidation of pasta was evaluated. The results proved that LC n-3 PUFA were not significantly implicated in the onset of oxidation in spaghetti stored under daylight and accelerated oxidation in a laboratory heater. The importance of phenolic compounds as antioxidant in humans and rats was also studied, by HPLC/MS in the latter section. For this purpose, apigenin and apigenin glycosides excretion was investigated in six women’s urine in a 24 hours study. After a single dose of steamed artichokes, both aglicone and glucuronide metabolites were recovered in 24 h urine. Moreover, the effect of whole grain durum wheat bread and whole grain Kamut® khorasan bread in rats were evaluated. Both cereals were good sources of antioxidants but Kamut® bread fed animals had a better response to stress than wheat durum fed, especially when a sourdough bread was supplied.

Development and performance assessment of a Plasma Focus electron beam generator for Intra-Operative Radiation Therapy

The Plasma Focus is a device designed to generate a plasma sheet between two coaxial electrodes by means of a high voltage difference. The plasma is then driven to collapse into a “pinch”, where thermonuclear conditions prevail. During the “pinch phase” charged particles are emitted, with two main components: an ion beam peaked forward and an electron beam directed backward. The electron beam emitted backward by Plasma Focus devices is being investigated as a radiation source for medical applications, using it to produce x-rays by interaction with appropriate targets (through bremsstrahlung and characteristic emission). A dedicated Plasma Focus device, named PFMA-3 (Plasma Focus for Medical Applications number 3), has been designed, put in operation and tested by the research groups of the Universities of Bologna and Ferrara. The very high dose rate (several gray per discharge, in less than 1 µs) is a peculiarity of this device that has to be investigated, as it might modify the relative biological effectiveness (RBE). Aim of this Ph.D. project was to investigate the main physical properties of the low-energy x-ray beams produced by a Plasma Focus device and their potential medical applications to IORT treatments. It was necessary to develop the optimal geometrical configuration; to evaluate the x-rays produced and their dose deposited; to estimate the energy electron spectrum produced in the “pinch phase”; to study an optimal target for the conversion of the x-rays; to conduct simulations to study the physics involved; and in order to evaluate the radio-biological features of the beam, cell holders had to be developed for both irradiations and cell growth conditions.

From fall-risk assessment to fall detection: inertial sensors in the clinical routine and daily life

Falls are caused by complex interaction between multiple risk factors which may be modified by age, disease and environment. A variety of methods and tools for fall risk assessment have been proposed, but none of which is universally accepted. Existing tools are generally not capable of providing a quantitative predictive assessment of fall risk. The need for objective, cost-effective and clinically applicable methods would enable quantitative assessment of fall risk on a subject-specific basis. Tracking objectively falls risk could provide timely feedback about the effectiveness of administered interventions enabling intervention strategies to be modified or changed if found to be ineffective. Moreover, some of the fundamental factors leading to falls and what actually happens during a fall remain unclear. Objectively documented and measured falls are needed to improve knowledge of fall in order to develop more effective prevention strategies and prolong independent living. In the last decade, several research groups have developed sensor-based automatic or semi-automatic fall risk assessment tools using wearable inertial sensors. This approach may also serve to detect falls. At the moment, i) several fall-risk assessment studies based on inertial sensors, even if promising, lack of a biomechanical model-based approach which could provide accurate and more detailed measurements of interests (e.g., joint moments, forces) and ii) the number of published real-world fall data of older people in a real-world environment is minimal since most authors have used simulations with healthy volunteers as a surrogate for real-world falls. With these limitations in mind, this thesis aims i) to suggest a novel method for the kinematics and dynamics evaluation of functional motor tasks, often used in clinics for the fall-risk evaluation, through a body sensor network and a biomechanical approach and ii) to define the guidelines for a fall detection algorithm based on a real-world fall database availability.

Assessment of Daily Life Mobility Levels using Wearable Inertial Sensors and Minimun Measured Input Models

Tracking activities during daily life and assessing movement parameters is essential for complementing the information gathered in confined environments such as clinical and physical activity laboratories for the assessment of mobility. Inertial measurement units (IMUs) are used as to monitor the motion of human movement for prolonged periods of time and without space limitations. The focus in this study was to provide a robust, low-cost and an unobtrusive solution for evaluating human motion using a single IMU. First part of the study focused on monitoring and classification of the daily life activities. A simple method that analyses the variations in signal was developed to distinguish two types of activity intervals: active and inactive. Neural classifier was used to classify active intervals; the angle with respect to gravity was used to classify inactive intervals. Second part of the study focused on extraction of gait parameters using a single inertial measurement unit (IMU) attached to the pelvis. Two complementary methods were proposed for gait parameters estimation. First method was a wavelet based method developed for the estimation of gait events. Second method was developed for estimating step and stride length during level walking using the estimations of the previous method. A special integration algorithm was extended to operate on each gait cycle using a specially designed Kalman filter. The developed methods were also applied on various scenarios. Activity monitoring method was used in a PRIN’07 project to assess the mobility levels of individuals living in a urban area. The same method was applied on volleyball players to analyze the fitness levels of them by monitoring their daily life activities. The methods proposed in these studies provided a simple, unobtrusive and low-cost solution for monitoring and assessing activities outside of controlled environments.

Comparison between analytical and numerical methods for the assessment of masonry arch bridges: Case study of Clemente Bridge on Savio river

This research has focused on the study of the behavior and of the collapse of masonry arch bridges. The latest decades have seen an increasing interest in this structural type, that is still present and in use, despite the passage of time and the variation of the transport means. Several strategies have been developed during the time to simulate the response of this type of structures, although even today there is no generally accepted standard one for assessment of masonry arch bridges. The aim of this thesis is to compare the principal analytical and numerical methods existing in literature on case studies, trying to highlight values and weaknesses. The methods taken in exam are mainly three: i) the Thrust Line Analysis Method; ii) the Mechanism Method; iii) the Finite Element Methods. The Thrust Line Analysis Method and the Mechanism Method are analytical methods and derived from two of the fundamental theorems of the Plastic Analysis, while the Finite Element Method is a numerical method, that uses different strategies of discretization to analyze the structure. Every method is applied to the case study through computer-based representations, that allow a friendly-use application of the principles explained. A particular closed-form approach based on an elasto-plastic material model and developed by some Belgian researchers is also studied. To compare the three methods, two different case study have been analyzed: i) a generic masonry arch bridge with a single span; ii) a real masonry arch bridge, the Clemente Bridge, built on Savio River in Cesena. In the analyses performed, all the models are two-dimensional in order to have results comparable between the different methods taken in exam. The different methods have been compared with each other in terms of collapse load and of hinge positions.

Development of methodologies for fish freshness assessment using metabonomics applications.

This study focuses on the use of metabonomics applications in measuring fish freshness in various biological species and in evaluating how they are stored. This metabonomic approach is innovative and is based upon molecular profiling through nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). On one hand, the aim is to ascertain if a type of fish has maintained, within certain limits, its sensory and nutritional characteristics after being caught; and on the second, the research observes the alterations in the product’s composition. The spectroscopic data obtained through experimental nuclear magnetic resonance, 1H-NMR, of the molecular profiles of the fish extracts are compared with those obtained on the same samples through analytical and conventional methods now in practice. These second methods are used to obtain chemical indices of freshness through biochemical and microbial degradation of the proteic nitrogen compounds and not (trimethylamine, N-(CH3)3, nucleotides, amino acids, etc.). At a later time, a principal components analysis (PCA) and a linear discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) are performed through a metabonomic approach to condense the temporal evolution of freshness into a single parameter. In particular, the first principal component (PC1) under both storage conditions (4 °C and 0 °C) represents the component together with the molecular composition of the samples (through 1H-NMR spectrum) evolving during storage with a very high variance. The results of this study give scientific evidence supporting the objective elements evaluating the freshness of fish products showing those which can be labeled “fresh fish.”

Subject-specific musculoskeletal models of the lower limbs for the prediction of skeletal loads during motion

The determination of skeletal loading conditions in vivo and their relationship to the health of bone tissues, remain an open question. Computational modeling of the musculoskeletal system is the only practicable method providing a valuable approach to muscle and joint loading analyses, although crucial shortcomings limit the translation process of computational methods into the orthopedic and neurological practice. A growing attention focused on subject-specific modeling, particularly when pathological musculoskeletal conditions need to be studied. Nevertheless, subject-specific data cannot be always collected in the research and clinical practice, and there is a lack of efficient methods and frameworks for building models and incorporating them in simulations of motion. The overall aim of the present PhD thesis was to introduce improvements to the state-of-the-art musculoskeletal modeling for the prediction of physiological muscle and joint loads during motion. A threefold goal was articulated as follows: (i) develop state-of-the art subject-specific models and analyze skeletal load predictions; (ii) analyze the sensitivity of model predictions to relevant musculotendon model parameters and kinematic uncertainties; (iii) design an efficient software framework simplifying the effort-intensive phases of subject-specific modeling pre-processing. The first goal underlined the relevance of subject-specific musculoskeletal modeling to determine physiological skeletal loads during gait, corroborating the choice of full subject-specific modeling for the analyses of pathological conditions. The second goal characterized the sensitivity of skeletal load predictions to major musculotendon parameters and kinematic uncertainties, and robust probabilistic methods were applied for methodological and clinical purposes. The last goal created an efficient software framework for subject-specific modeling and simulation, which is practical, user friendly and effort effective. Future research development aims at the implementation of more accurate models describing lower-limb joint mechanics and musculotendon paths, and the assessment of an overall scenario of the crucial model parameters affecting the skeletal load predictions through probabilistic modeling.

Application of innovative methods of source apportionment in air contamination assessment

In this work, new tools in atmospheric pollutant sampling and analysis were applied in order to go deeper in source apportionment study. The project was developed mainly by the study of atmospheric emission sources in a suburban area influenced by a municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI), a medium-sized coastal tourist town and a motorway. Two main research lines were followed. For what concerns the first line, the potentiality of the use of PM samplers coupled with a wind select sensor was assessed. Results showed that they may be a valid support in source apportionment studies. However, meteorological and territorial conditions could strongly affect the results. Moreover, new markers were investigated, particularly focusing on the processes of biomass burning. OC revealed a good biomass combustion process indicator, as well as all determined organic compounds. Among metals, lead and aluminium are well related to the biomass combustion. Surprisingly PM was not enriched of potassium during bonfire event. The second research line consists on the application of Positive Matrix factorization (PMF), a new statistical tool in data analysis. This new technique was applied to datasets which refer to different time resolution data. PMF application to atmospheric deposition fluxes identified six main sources affecting the area. The incinerator’s relative contribution seemed to be negligible. PMF analysis was then applied to PM2.5 collected with samplers coupled with a wind select sensor. The higher number of determined environmental indicators allowed to obtain more detailed results on the sources affecting the area. Vehicular traffic revealed the source of greatest concern for the study area. Also in this case, incinerator’s relative contribution seemed to be negligible. Finally, the application of PMF analysis to hourly aerosol data demonstrated that the higher the temporal resolution of the data was, the more the source profiles were close to the real one.

Assessment of vibratory stimulation on neuromuscular system

The thesis analyze a subject of renewed interest in bioengineering, the research and analysis of exercise parameters that maximize the neuromuscular and cardiovascular involvement in vibration treatment. The research activity was inspired by the increasing use of device able to provide localized or whole body vibration (WBV). In particular, the focus was placed on the vibrating platform and the effect that the vibrations have on the neuromuscular system and cardiovascular system. The aim of the thesis is to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of vibration applied to the entire body, in particular, it was investigated the effect of WBV on: 1) Oxygen consumption during static and dynamic squat; 2) Resonant frequency of the muscle groups of the lower limbs; 3) Oxygen consumption and electromyographic signals during static and dynamic squat. In the first three chapters are explained the state of the art concerning vibration treatments, the effects of vibration applied to the entire body, with the explanation of the basic mechanisms (Tonic Vibration Reflex, TVR) and the neuromuscular system, with particular attention to the skeletal muscles and the stretch reflex. In the fourth chapter is illustrated the set-up used for the experiments and the software, implemented in LabWindows in order to control the platform and acquire the electromyographic signal. In the fifth chapter were exposed experiments undertaken during the PhD years. In particular, the analysis of Whole Body Vibration effect on neurological and cardiovascular systems showed interesting results. The results indicate that the static squat with WBV produced higher neuromuscular and cardiorespiratory system activation for exercise duration <60 sec. Otherwise, if the single bout duration was higher than 60 sec, the greater cardiorespiratory system activation was achieved during the dynamic squat with WBV while higher neuromuscular activation was still obtained with the static exercise.