Motorcycles that see: Multifocal stereo vision sensor for advanced safety systems in tilting vehicles

Advanced driver assistance systems, ADAS, have shown the possibility to anticipate crash accidents and effectively assist road users in critical traffic situations. This is not the case for motorcyclists, in fact ADAS for motorcycles are still barely developed. Our aim was to study a camera-based sensor for the application of preventive safety in tilting vehicles. We identified two road conflict situations for which automotive remote sensors installed in a tilting vehicle are likely to fail in the identification of critical obstacles. Accordingly, we set two experiments conducted in real traffic conditions to test our stereo vision sensor. Our promising results support the application of this type of sensors for advanced motorcycle safety applications

Cardiovascular Effects of Whole-Body Cryotherapy in Non-professional Athletes

OBJECTIVES: The study aimed to investigate changes in heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, and body temperature in non-professional trained runners during whole body cryotherapy (WBC). METHODS: Ten middle-distance runners received 3 once-a-day sessions of WBC. Subjects underwent BP measurements and ECG recorded before and immediately after the daily WBC session. During WBC we recorded a single lead trace (D1) for heart rhythm control. In addition, the 5 vital signs Blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, and body temperature were monitored before, during, and after all WBC session. RESULTS: We did not report significant changes in ECG main intervals (PR, QT, and QTc). Mean heart rate changed from 50.98 ± 4.43 bpm (before) to 56.83 ± 4.26 bpm after WBC session (p < 0.05). The mean systolic blood pressure did not change significantly during and after WBC [b baseline: 118 ± 5 mmHg, changed to 120 ± 3 mmHg during WBC, and to 121 ± 2 mmHg after session (p < 0.05 vs. baseline)]. Mean respiratory rate did not change during WBC as well as oxygen saturations (98 vs. 99%). Body temperature was slightly increased after WBC, however it remains within physiological values CONCLUSION: In non-professional athletes WBC did not affect cardiovascular response and can be safely used. However, further studies are required to confirm these promising results of safety in elderly non-athlete subjects

Base-Excision Repair Mutational Signature in Two Sebaceous Carcinomas of the Eyelid

: Personalized medicine aims to develop tailored treatments for individual patients based on specific mutations present in the affected organ. This approach has proven paramount in cancer treatment, as each tumor carries distinct driver mutations that respond to targeted drugs and, in some cases, may confer resistance to other therapies. Particularly for rare conditions, personalized medicine has the potential to revolutionize treatment strategies. Rare cancers often lack extensive datasets of molecular and pathological information, large-scale trials for novel therapies, and established treatment guidelines. Consequently, surgery is frequently the only viable option for many rare tumors, when feasible, as traditional multimodal approaches employed for more common cancers often play a limited role. Sebaceous carcinoma of the eyelid is an exceptionally rare cancer affecting the eye's adnexal tissues, most frequently reported in Asia, but whose prevalence is significantly increasing even in Europe and the US. The sole established curative treatment is surgical excision, which can lead to significant disfigurement. In cases of metastatic sebaceous carcinoma, validated drug options are currently lacking. In this project, we set out to characterize the mutational landscape of two sebaceous carcinomas of the eyelid following surgical excision. Utilizing available bioinformatics tools, we demonstrated our ability to identify common features promptly and accurately in both tumors. These features included a Base-Excision Repair mutational signature, a notably high tumor mutational burden, and key driver mutations in somatic tissues. These findings had not been previously reported in similar studies. This report underscores how, in the case of rare tumors, it is possible to comprehensively characterize the mutational landscape of each individual case, potentially opening doors to targeted therapeutic options

Innate immunity changes in soccer players after whole-body cryotherapy

Whole-body cryotherapy (WBC) consists of short exposure (up to 2-3 min) to dry air at cryogenic temperatures (up to -190 degrees C) and has recently been applied for muscle recovery after injury to reduce the inflammation process. We aimed to determine the impact of cryotherapy on immunological, hormonal, and metabolic responses in non-professional soccer players (NPSPs). Nine male NPSPs (age: 20 +/- 2 years) who trained regularly over 5 consecutive days, immediately before and after each training session, were subjected to WBC treatment (WBC-t). Blood samples were collected for the evaluation of fifty analytes including hematologic parameters, serum chemistry, and hormone profiles. Monocytes phenotyping (Mo) was performed and plasmatic markers, usually increased during inflammation [CCL2, IL-18, free mitochondrial (mt)DNA] or with anti-inflammatory effects (IL2RA, IL1RN), were quantified. After WBC-t, we observed reduced levels of ferritin, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, mean platelet volume, testosterone, and estradiol, which however remain within the normal ranges. The percentage of the total, intermediates and non-classical Mo increased, while classical Mo decreased. CXCR4 expression decreased in each Mo subset. Plasma IL18 and IL2RA levels decreased, while IL1RN only exhibited a tendency to decrease and CCL2 showed a tendency to increase. Circulating mtDNA levels were not altered following WBC-t. The differences observed in monocyte subsets after WBC-t may be attributable to their redistribution into the surrounding tissue. Moreover, the decrease of CXCR4 in Mo subpopulations could be coherent with their differentiation process. Thus, WBC through yet unknown mechanisms could promote their differentiation having a role in tissue repair

Reduced CD4 T Lymphocytes in Lymph Nodes of the Mouse Model of Autism Induced by Valproic Acid

Considering the potential role of lymphocytes in the pathophysiology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), we aimed to evaluate possible alterations of T cell pools in the lymphoid organs of an animal model of autism induced by valproic acid (VPA). Pregnant Swiss mice received a single intraperitoneal injection of 600 mg/kg of VPA (VPA group) or saline (control group) on day 11 of gestation. Male offspring were euthanized on postnatal day 60 for removal of thy-muses, spleens, and a pool of inguinal, axillary and brachial lymph nodes. Cellularity was evaluated, and flow cytometry analysis was performed on cell suspensions incubated with the mouse antibodies anti-CD3-FITC, anti-CD4-PE, and anti-CD8-PE-Cy7. We observed that the prenatal exposure to VPA induced a reduction in the numbers of CD3+CD4+ T cells in their lymph nodes when compared to the control animals. This was specific since it was not seen in the thymus or spleen. The consistent decrease in the number of CD4+ T cells in subcutaneous lymph nodes of mice from the animal model of autism may be related to the allergic symptoms frequently observed in ASD. Further research is necessary to characterize the immunological patterns in ASD and the connection with the pathophysiology of this disorder. [Abstract copyright: © 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.