New Robotic Technologies in Cancer Colon Screening

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the 3rd most common cause of cancer death worldwide. Regular screening of the asymptomatic population can drastically reduce the mortality rate. CRC screening includes several proceedings although the gold standard remains optical colonoscopy (OC), which is unpleasant, causes pain and discomfort. New technologies exemplified by capsule endoscopy (CE) constitute alternative painless solutions and despite their limitations, e.g., passive locomotion and absence of on-board instrumentation, are being increasingly used for CRC screening. Research and development centres are investigating novel advanced robotic technologies for diagnostic and therapeutic use. These include wireless communication, active locomotion, sensors, diagnostic, and therapeutic instruments. This review describes the traditional OC procedure and the existing robotic technologies for CRC

The Superficial Venous System: Art and Anatomy in Michelangelo’s Works

The Renaissance period was a laboratory of extensive scientific and artistic production that also included the study of the human body for both medical and artistic purpose. The artists of this period, especially those of the Italian schools, were particularly fascinated by human dissection and began to attend or perform public human dissections or public lessons of anatomy. They paid particular attention on superficial anatomy, especially on muscles, to understand body dynamics, but only a few of them focused on other neglected subcutaneous structures (veins, nerves, lymph nodes). Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564), one of the most brilliant artists in Italian High Renaissance, had a wide knowledge in human anatomy coming from his experience in public dissection, when he joined to the court of Lorenzo de’ Medici, and later in life thanks to the friendship with the anatomist Realdo Colombo. The present article aimed to examine Michelangelo’s works, following a chronological order, to find the presence of subcutaneous veins. When represented, the anatomical correctness of the superficial venous network has been evaluated in marble sculptures and frescoes of the Sistine Chapel. Interesting anatomical considerations arose from the analysis of his famous works, in particular Pietà and David. Michelangelo paid a particular attention to anatomical dissection, this research being finalized to achieve detailed information for artistic purposes. The representation of distended superficial veins also contributed to transmit additional physical effort and emotional states in his masterpieces

I teatri anatomici dell’Università di Pisa

This article continues the publications of the section of the new journal of the Italian Society of the History of Medicine dedicated to THesa (THeatre Science Anatomy) project, which aims at cataloging, rediscovering and re-evaluating historical anatomical theaters, which arose between the Middle Ages and the first half of the twentieth century. In accordance with the spirit of the project, this article is dedicated to the anatomical theaters of the University of Pisa. The long tradition of Pisan anatomical studies began with the presence in Pisa, upon invitation of Cosimo I de’ Medici, of the famous anatomist Andrea Vesalio (1514-1564), considered the father of modern anatomy and author of De Humani corporis fabrica, a work that revolutionized the approach to the study of the human body. It is precisely with the presence of Vesalius that we have the first documentation of a university anatomical theater. With the development of surgery and the increased number of students, at the end of the eighteenth century the theater was moved to the hospital, undergoing many changes and restorations over time. Later inadequate, a new one was set up in the Medical School, built in 1874. Unfortunately, no Pisan anatomical theater has survived to this day.Questo articolo prosegue le pubblicazioni della sezione della nuova rivista della Società Italiana di Storia della Medicina dedicata al progetto THesa (THeatre Science Anatomy), che mira alla catalogazione, alla riscoperta e alla rivalutazione dei teatri anatomici storici, sorti tra il Medioevo e la prima metà del Novecento. In accordo con lo spirito del progetto, questo articolo è dedicato ai teatri anatomici dell’Università di Pisa. La lunga tradizione degli studi anatomici pisani iniziò con la presenza a Pisa, su invito di Cosimo I de’ Medici, del celebre anatomista Andrea Vesalio (1514-1564), considerato il padre dell’anatomia moderna e autore del De Humani corporis fabrica, un’opera che rivoluzionò l’approccio allo studio del corpo umano. È proprio con la presenza di Vesalio che si ha la prima documentazione di un teatro anatomico universitario. Con lo sviluppo della chirurgia e l’aumento degli studenti, alla fine del Settecento il teatro fu spostato presso l’ospedale, subendo nel tempo molti rimaneggiamenti e restauri. Risultato poi inadeguato, ne fu allestito uno nuovo nella Scuola Medica, costruita nel 1874. Purtroppo nessun teatro anatomico pisano è sopravvissuto fino ai giorni nostri

John Hunter and the origin of the term “angiogenesis”.

Brief communication without abstract

Statistical Reliability Estimation of Microprocessor-Based Systems

What is the probability that the execution state of a given microprocessor running a given application is correct, in a certain working environment with a given soft-error rate? Trying to answer this question using fault injection can be very expensive and time consuming. This paper proposes the baseline for a new methodology, based on microprocessor error probability profiling, that aims at estimating fault injection results without the need of a typical fault injection setup. The proposed methodology is based on two main ideas: a one-time fault-injection analysis of the microprocessor architecture to characterize the probability of successful execution of each of its instructions in presence of a soft-error, and a static and very fast analysis of the control and data flow of the target software application to compute its probability of success. The presented work goes beyond the dependability evaluation problem; it also has the potential to become the backbone for new tools able to help engineers to choose the best hardware and software architecture to structurally maximize the probability of a correct execution of the target softwar

Post vaccinal temporary sensorineural hearing loss

In our systematic research we identified four studies concerning the onset of neurological adverse events following vaccination and two excluding this association. A 33-year-old Italian man, belonging to the Italian Army was hospitalized because he suffered from vertigo, nausea and sudden right hearing loss not classified (NDD), that set in 24 h after the administration of tetanus-diphtheria and meningococcal vaccines. Some neurological events arising after vaccination are very difficult to treat. In our case, the functional recovery on low and medium frequencies was possible about 6 months after the morbid event

Mechanisms of gastroprotection by lansoprazole pre-treatment against experimentally induced injury in rats: role of mucosal oxidative damage and sulfhydryl compounds

This study investigated the mechanisms involved in the protective actions exerted by lansoprazole against experimental gastric injury. Following the intraluminal injection of ethanol-HCl, the histomorphometric analysis of rat gastric sections demonstrated a pattern of mucosal lesions associated with a significant increase in the mucosal contents of malondialdehyde and 8-iso-prostaglandin F(2alpha) (indices of lipid peroxidation), as well as a decrease in the levels of mucosal sulfhydryl compounds, assayed as reduced glutathione (GSH). Pretreatment with lansoprazole 90 micromol/kg, given intraduodenally as single dose or once daily by intragastric route for 8 days, significantly prevented ethanol-HCl-induced gastric damage. The concomitant changes in the mucosal levels of malondialdehyde, 8-iso-prostaglandin F(2alpha) and GSH elicited by ethanol-HCl were also counteracted by lansoprazole. In separate experiments, performed on animals undergoing 2-h pylorus ligation, lansoprazole did not enhance the concentration of prostaglandin E(2), bicyclo-prostaglandin E(2), or nitric oxide (NO) metabolites into gastric juice. Western blot analysis revealed the expression of both type 1 and 2 cyclooxygenase (COX) isoforms in the gastric mucosa of pylorus-ligated rats. These expression patterns were not significantly modified by single-dose or repeated treatment with lansoprazole. Lansoprazole also exhibited direct antioxidant properties by reducing 8-iso-prostaglandin F(2alpha) generation in an in vitro system where human native low-density lipoproteins were subjected to oxidation upon exposure to CuSO(4). The present results suggest that the protective effects of lansoprazole can be ascribed to a reduction of gastric oxidative injury, resulting in an increased bioavailability of mucosal sulfhydryl compounds. It is also proposed that lansoprazole does not exert modulator effects on the gastric expression of COX isoforms as well as on the activity of NO pathways

Cross-layer system reliability assessment framework for hardware faults

System reliability estimation during early design phases facilitates informed decisions for the integration of effective protection mechanisms against different classes of hardware faults. When not all system abstraction layers (technology, circuit, microarchitecture, software) are factored in such an estimation model, the delivered reliability reports must be excessively pessimistic and thus lead to unacceptably expensive, over-designed systems. We propose a scalable, cross-layer methodology and supporting suite of tools for accurate but fast estimations of computing systems reliability. The backbone of the methodology is a component-based Bayesian model, which effectively calculates system reliability based on the masking probabilities of individual hardware and software components considering their complex interactions. Our detailed experimental evaluation for different technologies, microarchitectures, and benchmarks demonstrates that the proposed model delivers very accurate reliability estimations (FIT rates) compared to statistically significant but slow fault injection campaigns at the microarchitecture level.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Lansoprazole prevents experimental gastric injury induced by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs through a reduction of mucosal oxidative damage

AIM: This study investigated the mechanisms of protection afforded by the proton pump inhibitor lansoprazole against gastric injury induced by different non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in rats. METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were orally treated with indomethacin (100 micromol/kg), diclofenac (60 micromol/kg), piroxicam (150 micromol/kg) or ketoprofen (150 micromol/kg). Thirty minutes before NSAIDs, animals were orally treated with lansoprazole 18 or 90 micromol/kg. Four hours after the end of treatments, the following parameters were assessed: gastric mucosal PGE2, malondialdehyde (MDA), myeloperoxidase (MPO) or non-proteic sulfhydryl compounds (GSH) levels; reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) of mucosal COX-2 mRNA; gastric acid secretion in pylorus-ligated animals; in vitro effects of lansoprazole (1-300 micromol/L) on the oxidation of low density lipoproteins (LDLs) induced by copper sulphate. RESULTS: All NSAIDs elicited mucosal necrotic lesions which were associated with neutrophil infiltration and reduction of PGE2 levels. Increments of MPO and MDA contents, as well as a decrease in GSH levels were detected in the gastric mucosa of indomethacin- or piroxicam-treated animals. Indomethacin enhanced mucosal cyclooxygenase-2 expression, while not affecting cyclooxygenase-1. At the oral dose of 18 micromol/kg lansoprazole partly counteracted diclofenac-induced mucosal damage, whereas at 90 micromol/kg it markedly prevented injuries evoked by all test NSAIDs. Lansoprazole at 90 micromol/kg reversed also the effects of NSAIDs on MPO, MDA and GSH mucosal contents, without interfering with the decrease in PGE2 levels or indomethacin-induced cyclooxygenase-2 expression. However, both lansoprazole doses markedly inhibited acid secretion in pylorus-ligated rats. Lansoprazole concentration-dependently reduced the oxidation of LDLs in vitro. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that, besides the inhibition of acid secretion, lansoprazole protection against NSAID-induced gastric damage depends on a reduction in mucosal oxidative injury, which is also responsible for an increment of sulfhydryl radical bioavailability. It is also suggested that lansoprazole does not influence the down-regulation of gastric prostaglandin production associated with NSAID treatment

Effects of esomeprazole on healing of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)-induced gastric ulcers in the presence of a continued NSAID treatment: characterization of molecular mechanisms

Proton pump inhibitors promote ulcer repair in nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)-treated patients with ongoing NSAID-induced gastric toxicity, although the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We examined the healing mechanisms of esomeprazole on NSAID-induced gastric ulcerations in the presence of a continued NSAID treatment. Ulcerations were induced in rats by oral indomethacin (6 mu mol/kg/day) for 14 days. Indomethacin administration was continued, alone or combined with equivalent acid inhibitory doses of esomeprazole (5 mu mol/kg/day), lansoprazole (15 mu mol/kg/day) or famotidine (20 mu mol/kg/day), for additional 7 days. Stomachs were then processed for: histomorphometric analysis of mucosal injury; mucosal levels of prostaglandin E-2 (PGE(2)) and malondialdehyde (MDA); expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), caspase-3, and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) (Western blot); expression of Ki-67 (immunohistochemistry). Indomethacin for 14 days elicited mucosal damage, reduced PGE(2) levels and increased MDA. After additional 7 days, indomethacin induced the following effects: further enhancement of mucosal damage and MDA content; decrease in PGE(2) levels; increase in COX-2 and activated caspase-3 expression; decrease in VEGF. PCNA and Ki-67 expression. In the presence of indomethacin, esomeprazole and lansoprazole were more effective than famotidine in promoting resolution of mucosal damage. Concomitantly, esomeprazole and lansoprazole, but not famotidine, restored PCNA and Ki-67 expression, and normalized MDA levels. Moreover, esomeprazole, lansoprazole and famotidine partly counteracted caspase-3 activation, without affecting VEGF expression. The healing activity of esomeprazole on indomethacin-induced gastric ulcerations can be ascribed to two mechanisms: (1) acid-dependent reduction of pro-apoptotic signalling; (2) acid-independent restoration of proliferating/repairing pathways. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved