A survey on non specialized off-the-shelf JPEG2000 viewers for digital microscopy use

The present paper will present a survey on features of a number of non-specialized off-the-shelf JPEG2000 viewers, seen from the point of view of digital microscopy. Selected viewers were tested within a number of usage scenarios, including: i) open a conformance test JPEG2000 file; ii) open a large JPEG2000 file; iii) moving from one point to another; iv) changing resolution/magnification. For each scenario, data recorded included: successful or unsuccessful operation; time needed for conclusion; occasional problems

“Famiglie in acqua”: un’esperienza “sportiva” orientata allo sviluppo globale di soggetti con disturbi dello spettro autistico

This paper describes an empirical research inspired by an ethnomethodological approach, through which an educational project, designed for families with autism spectrum disorders children, was investigated. Both the epistemic work, and the didactic path, focus on a particular type of action: the spontaneous one, defined as “play signs” because it is considered as playful communication.The latter is easily recognizable, because it is an expressions freely issued by a person, therefore stand out in contrast to a non-spontaneous action. By adopting the Motor Praxeology theoreticalframework, playful signs were analysed and classified as elements of a precise “praxeological code”. That operation seems extremely useful, in order to precisely evaluate some dimensions,such as: type of action, particularly in relation to the context; development of both individual child and the group; educational offer’s impact. Evidences show that the project it appears consistentwith the expected goals, confirming that the stimuli provided by games played in a swimming pool context, are effective for the improvement of participants’ communication development and autonomy. In other words, the study did not limit itself to the project’s efficacy approval, but to show elements and methods able to achieve the expected aims.This paper describes an empirical research inspired by an ethnomethodological approach, through which an educational project, designed for families with autism spectrum disorders children, was investigated. Both the epistemic work, and the didactic path, focus on a particular type of action: the spontaneous one, defined as “play signs” because it is considered as playful communication.The latter is easily recognizable, because it is an expressions freely issued by a person, therefore stand out in contrast to a non-spontaneous action. By adopting the Motor Praxeology theoreticalframework, playful signs were analysed and classified as elements of a precise “praxeological code”. That operation seems extremely useful, in order to precisely evaluate some dimensions,such as: type of action, particularly in relation to the context; development of both individual child and the group; educational offer’s impact. Evidences show that the project it appears consistentwith the expected goals, confirming that the stimuli provided by games played in a swimming pool context, are effective for the improvement of participants’ communication development and autonomy. In other words, the study did not limit itself to the project’s efficacy approval, but to show elements and methods able to achieve the expected aims

Transnational telepathology consultations using a basic digital microscope: experience in the Italy-Slovenjia INTERREG project “Patient without borders”

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In recent years, a number of technological advancements started to modify the long standing appearance and functionalities of traditional optical microscopes used in Pathology and other medical fields. In fact, at present many new tools for microscopical visualization exist that are based on digital imaging, robotization, and remote communication. Such tools are typically adopted in activities ranging from education to telediagnosis to remote consultation.</p> <p>Present paper describes the features of a basic digital microscope that has been tested to verify its performance for occasional remote consultation inside an international project between Italy and Slovenija, funded by Interreg initiative of the European Regional Development Fund.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The system is composed by a pair of digital microscopes (Leica DMD108, Leitz Microsystems, Wetzlar, Germany) associated to a high resolution videoconferencing systems (Tandberg 990, Lysaker, Norway). The systems are connected through the Internet. Sixty histology and cytology cases have been collaboratively diagnosed between two Pathology Institutes to verify the diagnostic performance of the system, regarding the image quality point of view as well as time needed for diagnosis. The system has also been tested for compatibility with standard videoconferencing software.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>No discrepancies between local and remote diagnoses have been identified, with diagnosis time reasonably close to typical microscope observation times. Time needed for most operations is not far from that needed on a traditional microscope, except for startup.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The system can be considered usable as a standard microscope, and also for occasional remote consultations.</p

Protein S on the surface of plasma lipoproteins: a potential mechanism for protein S delivery to the atherosclerotic plaques?

The anticoagulant protein S (PS) binds phospholipids with very high affinity, but PS interaction with lipoproteins and lipidrich atherosclerotic plaques remains still poorly defined. We investigated PS in plasma lipoproteins and in atherosclerotic plaques from ten patients undergoing endarterectomy. PS was detected by Western blotting after exposure of the necrotic core to liposomes and was found to maintain its ability to bind phosphatidylserine micelles. The amounts of PS bound to low/very low-density lipoproteins in patient' plasmas were higher and more variable than those detected in healthy subjects. A direct correlation between bound PS and low-density lipoproteins (LDL), plasma levels was found only in patients (r=0.921, p<0.001), thereby leading to hypothesize that the PS-phospholipids binding may increase by oxidative processes of LDL in atherosclerotic patients. The presence of the PS into the necrotic core of atherosclerotic plaques and on the surface of lipoproteins, particularly the atherogenic LDL, suggests a LDL-based delivery of PS to the atherosclerotic plaques and emphasizes the deep link between plasma lipids and coagulation in cardiovascular diseases

Micro‑RNA‑21 (biomarker) and global longitudinal strain (functional marker) in detection of myocardial fibrotic burden in severe aortic valve stenosis: a pilot study

Aims: Myocardial fibrosis (MF) is a deleterious consequence of aortic valve stenosis (AVS). Global longitudinal strain (GLS) is a novel left ventricular (LV) functional parameter potentially useful to non-invasively estimate MF. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are non-coding small ribonucleic acids (RNA) modulating genes function, mainly through RNA degradation. miRNA-21 is a biomarker associated with MF in pressure overload. The aim of the present study was to find an integrated algorithm for detection of MF using a combined approach with both bio- and functional markers. Methods: Thirty-six patients (75.2±8 y.o.; 63% Female) with severe AVS and preserved LV ejection fraction (EF), candidate to surgical aortic valve replacement (sAVR) were enrolled. Clinical, bio-humoral evaluation (including plasmatic miRNA-21 collected using specific tubes, PAXgene, for stabilization of peripheral RNA) and a complete echocardiographic study, including GLS and septal strain, were performed before sAVR. Twenty-eight of those patients underwent sAVR and, in 23 of them, an inter-ventricular septum biopsy was performed. Tissues were fixed in formalin and embedded in paraffin. Sections were stained with Hematoxylin and Eosin for histological evaluation and with histochemical Masson trichrome for collagen fibers. The different components were calculated and expressed as micrometers2. To evaluate tissue miRNA components, sections2-μm thick were cut using a microtome blade for each slide. Regression analysis was performed to test association between dependent variable and various predictors included in the model. Results: Despite a preserved EF (66±11%), patients presented altered myocardial deformation parameters (GLS -14,02±3.8%; septal longitudinal strain, SSL -9.63±2.9%; septal longitudinal strain rate, SL-Sr -0.58±0.17 1/s; Septal Longitudinal early-diastolic strain rate, SL-SrE 0.62±0.32 1/s). The extent of MF showed an inverse association with both GLS and septal longitudinal deformation indices (GLS: R2=0.30; p=0.02; SSL: R2=0.36; p=0.01; SL-Sr: R2=0.39; p&lt;0.001; SL-SrE: R2=0.35; p=0.001). miRNA-21 was mainly expressed in fibrous tissue (p&lt;0.0001). A significant association between MF and plasmatic miRNA-21, alone and weighted for measures of structural (LVMi R2=0.50; p=0.0005) and functional (SSL R2=0.35; p=0.006) remodeling, was found. Conclusions: In AVS, MF is associated with alterations of regional and global strain. Plasmatic miRNA-21 is directly related to MF and associated with LV structural and functional impairment. © 2016 The Author(s)

More-than-human Perspectives on Physical Activity, Health and Education

As Fox and Alldred (2020) note, culture/nature dualism has supplied post-Enlightenment philosophers, scientists and social scientists with a neat way to set limits on the respective concerns of the social and natural sciences (see also Barad, 2007; Braidotti, 2013; Fullagar et al., 2019). This dualism has also enabled the creation of distinctions between “modern” (read “civilised”) and “traditional” (read “primitive”) bodies and ways of being-in-the-world (Denowski and Viveiros de Castro, 2014). Yet, when critically exploring issues of embodiment, the influence of the built environment on well-being, climate transitions and/or the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic such distinctions start to become problematic, as eloquently argued in the last three decades by feminist, post-human, new-materialist and political ecological –among others– debates and propositions. Giving continuity to an ongoing dialogue started in 2018 between scholars and activists from Latin America and Europe (see Donato, Tonelli, Galak, 2019) this seminar explored how the interrelated domains of health, physical activity, and education can look like from perspectives that de-stabilise established ontological boundaries between nature, culture, the body, and their relationship. It did so through a dialogue between Alessandro Bortolotti, Simone Fullagar, Bruno Mora, Niamh Ni Shuilleabhain, four scholars from Australia, Italy, United Kingdom and Uruguay. The online event took place as the first of a two-parts online seminar series on Re-assembling the nature-culture-body nexus: practices and epistemologies

Erratum to nodal management and upstaging of disease. Initial results from the Italian VATS Lobectomy Registry

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.21037/jtd.2017.06.12.]

3D Imaging on heterogeneous surfaces on laterite drill core materials

The SOLSA project aims to construct an analytical expert system for on-line-on-mine-real-time mineralogical and geochemical analyses on sonic drilled cores. A profilometer is indispensable to obtain reliable and quantitative data from RGB and hyperspectral cameras, and to get 3D definition of close-to-surface objects such as rheology (grain shape, grain size, fractures and vein systems), material hardness and porosities. Optical properties of minerals can be analyzed by focusing on the reflectance. Preliminary analyses were performed with the commercial scan control profilometer MI-CRO-EPSILON equipped with a blue 405 nm laser on a conveyor belt (depth resolution: 10 μm; surface resolution: 30x30 μm2 (maximum resolution; 1m drill core/4 min). Drill core parts and rocks with 4 different surface roughness states: (1) sonic drilled, (2) diamond saw-cut, polished at (3) 6 mm and (4) 0.25 μm were measured (see also abstract Duée et al. this volume). The ΜICRO- EPSILON scanning does not detect such small differences of surface roughness states. Profilometer data can also be used to access rough mineralogical identification of some mineral groups like Fe-Mg silicates, quartz and feldspars). Drill core parts from a siliceous mineralized breccia and laterite with high and deep porosity and fractures were analyzed. The determination of holes’ convexity and fractures) is limited by the surface/depth ratio. Depending on end-user’s needs, parameters such as fracture densities and mineral content should be combined, and depth and surface resolutions should be optimized, to speed up “on-line-on-mine-real- time” mineral and chemical analyses in order to reach the target of about 80 m/day of drilled core