Contributed Review: Review of thermal methods for space charge measurement.

The space charge accumulation phenomenon has garnered great interest over the last two decades because of the increased use of direct current in high voltage electrical systems. In this context, a significant relevance has been achieved by the thermal methods, used for solid dielectrics. This paper presents a review of this non-destructive measurement system used for the measurement of space charge. The thermal pulse method, the thermal step method, and the laser intensity modulation method are described. For each configuration, the principle of operation, the thicknesses analyzed, and the spatial resolution are described, reporting also the main related applications.

Effects of ozonized autohaemotherapy on human hair cycle.

The present paper deals with the effects of ozonized autohaemotherapy on the human hair cycle in subjects suffering from androgenetic alopecia. The microscopic observation of hairs (trichogram) of 42 subjects (age range = 17-40 years) was carried out before and after cycles of ozonized autohaemotherapy according to the European scientific protocol. The dosage of ozone was 2500-3000 micrograms for each treatment, one cycle consisting of 16 treatments. Results showed a marked improvement of the hair cycle.

Therapeutic effects of pulsed magnetic fields on joint diseases.

The present paper describes the effects of pulsed magnetic fields (MF) on diseases of different joints, in chronic as well as acute conditions where the presence of a phlogistic process is the rule. Optimal parameters for MF applications were sought at the beginning of the study and then applied for 11 years; a technical modification in the MF generator was introduced 5 years ago to satisfy the requirement of a hypothesis advanced to understand the mechanism of MF treatment. 3,014 patients were treated by means of MF at extremely low frequencies and intensities. Patient follow-up was pursued as constantly as possible. Pain removal, recovery of joint mobility and maintenance of the improved conditions represented the parameters for judging the results as good or poor. The chi-square test was applied in order to evaluate the probability that the results are not casual. A general average value of 78.8% of good results and 21.2% of poor results was obtained. Higher (82%) percentages of good results were observed when single joint diseases were considered with respect to multiple joint diseases (polyarthrosis); in the latter, the percentage of good results was definitely lower (66%). The high percentage of good results obtained and the absolute absence of both negative results and undesired side-effects, together with the therapeutic advantage due to a technical modification in the MF generator, led to the conclusion that magnetic field treatment is an excellent physical therapy in cases of joint diseases. A hypothesis is advanced that external magnetic fields influence transmembrane ionic activity.

Projections from cortical visual areas of the superior temporal sulcus to the superior colliculus, in macaque monkeys.

1. The distribution of tectal projections of two visual areas of the superior temporal sulcus (MT and MST areas) has been studied, in five Macaca fascicularis, by means of the autoradiographic method tracing the anterograde transport of tritiated aminoacids intracortically injected. 2. In all cases the ipsilateral superior colliculi (SC) were found labelled, whereas the contralateral ones were devoid of label. 3. The three brains injected in the MT area resulted in SC labels that involved the superficial gray layer (SGS), the stratum opticum (SO) and the intermediate gray layer (SGI), sparing the layers below SGI. 4. The collicular labels found after injections within the MST area exhibited their distribution over the deep SC subdivision, whereas they spared all the superficial layers but the deep part of the SO. 5. In two animals with large uptake zones, one in MT and the other in MST, the labelling within the SGI showed a cluster-like pattern. 6. The distinct found bulk of projections of MT and MST respectively to the superficial and deep subdivisions of the SC, along with a number of peculiar connections of the MST area as mentioned in the text, contribute to depict an overall neural network in which MST appears to be more strongly involved than MT in linking sensory visual with oculomotor attentive functions.

Effects of oxygen-ozone therapy on age-related degenerative retinal maculopathy.

The effects of oxygen-ozone therapy on 20 patients affected by age-related degenerative maculopathy have been studied. Visual acuity and eye fluorangiography were the parameters used in order to evaluate the efficacy of the therapy. Medical ozone was administered intravenously according to the technique called "ozonized major autohemoinfusion", the total amount of ozone ranging from 1,500 to 2,000 micrograms per session for a 4 months period. The results have indicated that the majority of patients showed an improvement of their ocular condition, suggesting continuation of this type of investigation on a larger group of people.

Projections from the cortex of the superior temporal sulcus to the dorsal lateral geniculate and pregeniculate nuclei in the macaque monkey.

Cortical projections from the visual region and adjacent polysensory region of the superior temporal sulcus (STs) to the lateral geniculate body (LGb) were investigated in the macaque monkey using an autoradiographic tracing method. Solutions of tritiated aminoacids were injected into different parts of the caudal half of the STs of five animals. A survival time of 7 days was allowed. Labels were found in both subdivisions of the LGb: the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (DLGn) and the pregeniculate nucleus (PGn). In particular, part of the visual cortical region adjacent to the middle temporal area (MT) projects into the DLGn as well as the PGn, whereas the MT itself and the superior temporal polysensory region project into the PGn only. Afferents to the DLGn terminate in the magnocellular layers and in their adjoining interlaminar zones, completely sparing the parvocellular layers. Afferents to the PGn terminate in separate regions of this nucleus; the MT and adjacent visual cortices project into the internal layer of the PGn, whereas the polysensosy region of the STs projects into the external retinorecipient layer of the PGn. Possible functional implications of these projections are discussed.

Autoradiographic evidence for projections from cortical visual areas 17, 18, 19 and the Clare-Bishop area to the ipsilateral claustrum in the cat.

Projections from different visual areas of the cerebral cortex to the ipsilateral claustrum have been investigated in the cat by intracortical injections of [3H]proline. As a consequence of axonal flow an accumulation of radioactive material within a dorso-caudal region of the ipsilateral claustrum was found. The proline-transporting terminal arborizations of projections from areas 17, 18, 19 and the Clare-Bishop area overlap in the same claustral region. No point-to-point relation was observed between any one visual area and its claustral projection. Differences in the terminal distribution pattern were detectable according to the visual areas of origin.

Projections from the visual cortex to the contralateral claustrum of the cat revealed by an anterograde axonal transport method.

Contralateral projections from visual areas 17, 18, 19 and the Clare-Bishop area of the cerebral cortex to the claustrum have been investigated in the cat using intracortical injections of [3H]proline. Radioactive material was found in a dorsocaudal region of the contralateral claustrum. This region was homotopic with respect to that found for the ipsilateral projection from visual cortex. The contralateral connection is assumed to be a monosynaptic pathway. The pattern by which the corticofugal fibres terminate in the claustrum is quite similar to the one described for the opposite hemisphere [6].

Stimulus-response function at several levels of background luminance, in the cat visual areas 17 and 18.

Stimulus-response curves of simple cells of the visual cortex were obtained by using 500-msec stationary stimuli. Background influence on single unit responses was studied. The contrast sensitivity of simple cells increases as a function of background luminance. The resolution power of these cortical cells for detecting differences in stimulus contrast decreases at background levels above 0.09 cd/m2.

Responses of simple and non-oriented cells to stimuli of variable duration in areas 17 and 18 of cat visual cortex.

Single unitresponses to photic stimuli of variable duration were studied in the cat visual areas 17 and 18. The closed-chamber technique was used to record extracellularly impulsive electrical activity in locally anaesthetized, Flaxedil-paralyzed and artificially ventilated cats. Stimulus duration ranges between 0.020 and 10 sec, the background luminance and the intensity of stimuli being constant. We found a first group of cells which fire independently of the stimulus duration; a second group which fire in close relation to the stimulus duration in a rather wide range of values, and a third group which fire monotonously as long as the stimulus goes on. The three groups of cells are supposed to be three functionally different types of cortical cells.