Small bowel carcinomas in celiac or Crohn's disease: Distinctive histophenotypic, molecular and histogenetic patterns

Non-familial small bowel carcinomas are relatively rare and have a poor prognosis. Two small bowel carcinoma subsets may arise in distinct immune-inflammatory diseases (celiac disease and Crohn's disease) and have been recently suggested to differ in prognosis, celiac disease-associated carcinoma cases showing a better outcome, possibly due to their higher DNA microsatellite instability and tumor-infiltrating T lymphocytes. In this study, we investigated the histological structure (glandular vs diffuse/poorly cohesive, mixed or solid), cell phenotype (intestinal vs gastric/pancreatobiliary duct type) and Wnt signaling activation (β-catenin and/or SOX-9 nuclear expression) in a series of 26 celiac disease-associated small bowel carcinoma, 25 Crohn's disease-associated small bowel carcinoma and 25 sporadic small bowel carcinoma cases, searching for new prognostic parameters. In addition, non-tumor mucosa of celiac and Crohn's disease patients was investigated for epithelial precursor changes (hyperplastic, metaplastic or dysplastic) to help clarify carcinoma histogenesis. When compared with non-glandular structure and non-intestinal phenotype, both glandular structure and intestinal phenotype were associated with a more favorable outcome at univariable or stage- and microsatellite instability/tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte-inclusive multivariable analysis. The prognostic power of histological structure was independent of the clinical groups while the non-intestinal phenotype, associated with poor outcome, was dominant among Crohn's disease-associated carcinoma. Both nuclear β-catenin and SOX-9 were preferably expressed among celiac disease-associated carcinomas; however, they were devoid, per se, of prognostic value. We obtained findings supporting an origin of celiac disease-associated carcinoma in SOX-9-positive immature hyperplastic crypts, partly through flat β-catenin-positive dysplasia, and of Crohn's disease-associated carcinoma in a metaplastic (gastric and/or pancreatobiliary-type) mucosa, often through dysplastic polypoid growths of metaplastic phenotype. In conclusion, despite their common origin in a chronically inflamed mucosa, celiac disease-associated and Crohn's disease-associated small bowel carcinomas differ substantially in histological structure, phenotype, microsatellite instability/tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte status, Wnt pathway activation, mucosal precursor lesions and prognosis

15 seconds of fame — an interactive, computer-vision based art installation

15 seconds of fame is an interactive art installation which elevates the face of a randomly selected gallery visitor for 15 seconds into a work of art. The installation was inspired by Andy Warhol's statement that ``In the future everybody will be world famous for fifteen minutes'' as well as by the pop-art style of his works. The installation consists of a computer with a flat-panel monitor, a digital camera and proprietary software that can detect human faces in images and graphically transform them. In this paper we present the technical background of the installation, in particular, how computer vision techniques were applied in this art installation

Segmentation of digitised radiographs of the carpometacarpal joint of the thumb

The general aim of this work has been the development of a knowledge-based technique for half-automated segmentation of digitised radiographs of the wrist, with special emphasis on the carpometacarpal {(CMC)} joint of the thumb. For this purpose "active contours" are used, which are models for automatic detection and quantitative reconstruction of objects from images. It is shown that such models may be effectively used for our purpose especially in combination with knowledge of the anatomy of the hand

A multi-actor ICT platform for increasing sustainability and resilience of small-scale farmers after pandemic crisis

PurposeThis paper proposes an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) platform to increase the sustainability and resilience of smallholders to face supply chain disruptions in the event of COVID-like crises. The platform facilitates interactions between smallholders and buyers, workers and freight transport companies in agri-food ecosystems. Furthermore, this research work presents the implementation of the freight transport companies' platform module.Design/methodology/approachThe research work begins with a literature review aiming at analyzing current available ICT solutions supporting smallholders and other actors in the agri-food supply chain. This analysis identifies the research gaps which have to be filled by the platform. Then, the authors proceed with the analysis of the operational scenarios of each platform actor by interacting with experts and operators working in the agri-food sector. The results of such analysis resulted in a comprehensive, unambiguous and consistent set of specification being used to define the platform structure and modules architecture. The platform modules have been developed by using the web-application framework Laravel.FindingsPreliminary tests show that the proposed platform is usable and promises to improve the resilience and economic, social and environmental sustainability of agri-food supply chains, with a focus on smallholders.Originality/valueThe research work allows players in the agri-food supply chain and in particular small local producers to react and mitigate the impact of COVID-like crises through development of a platform in which smallholders, citizens (buyers and workers) and freight transport companies are simultaneously present

The use of unmanned aerial vehicles for precision agriculture: An overview and a preliminary cost analysis

In recent years, interest in techniques and approaches capable of ensuring the efficiency and sustainability of agri-food chains has grown considerably. In this paper, we explore the opportunities offered by the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for precision agriculture. First of all, we provide an overview about the possible alternatives in terms of aerial platforms and sensors for image acquisition. Secondly, starting from the technical constraints, a preliminary cost analysis is carried out. We refer to a hypothetical small-medium farm in the olive sector, which wants to adopt a UAV to make its agricultural practices more efficient. In particular, we make a comparison between two types of UAV, fixed-wing and rotary-wing. The main result of our analysis is that the purchase of a UAV for own use is still quite expensive, especially if the field to be monitored is limited in size. However, the production capacity of the UAV can be better exploited if nearby farms are also served. Finally, we identify the main current limitations of UAV technology in agriculture and the possible challenges that should be faced in the future in order to achieve large-scale spread

Reversible and Irreversible Color Change during Photo and Thermal Degradation of PolyphenyleneSulfide Composite

The effect of the light spectral composition and temperature on the change of color characteristics and reflection spectra during the irradiation of polyphenylene sulfide reinforced by short glass fibers in the SUNTEST apparatus was analyzed. The scales of reversible color change upon successive exposure to total radiation corresponding to the sunlight spectrum and to visible light wereevaluated and the possible mechanisms for the observed effects are discussed. The features of the color change upon visible light irradiation of previously thermally aged samples wereconsidered. Possible causes for deviation from the Arrhenius law during thermal aging of the composite are discussed. It wasdemonstrated that even with a significant change in color, the physicomechanical and electrotechnical characteristics of the composite only changedslightly or remained virtually at the same high level

Photopolymerised Coatings with Nanopigments Based on Dye Mixtures

The properties of new coatings with nanopigments (NPs) prepared by the dye mixture treatment of montmorillonite modified with cationic surfactants were investigated. The colorimetric parameters of polymer films with nanopigments were determined. The mutual interference of the dyes in their adsorption on nanoparticles and their colourfastness (photostability) to light was analysed. The properties of oligomer/monomer compositions with synthesised nanopigments designed for the printing of non-metallic surfaces were discussed. The structure of nanopigments and polymerised oligomer/monomer compositions was revealed by small-angle X-ray diffraction, UV–Vis spectra, and atomic force microscopy. NPs with a wide colour range were prepared using dye mixtures. One other advantage of these NPs over NPs based on individual dyes is the possibility to increase the total concentration of the colouring components in the NPs and to increase the colourfastness

Strain hardening behavior of dual-phase steels

A detailed qualitative and quantitative examination of the microstructure and mechanical properties of three different classes of DP600 and DP450 dual-phase (DP) steels was carried out. The tested DP steels are characterized by different alloying elements: aluminum, boron, and phosphorus. Among them, aluminum DP steels showed the lowest percentages of hard phases, while phosphorus DP steels exhibited the highest resistance values. The Hollomon, Pickering, Crussard–Jaoul (CJ), and Bergstrom models were used to reproduce the strain hardening behavior of DP steels. Relationships that correlate the fitting parameters with the chemical composition and the thermal cycle parameters were found, and the predictive abilities of different models were evaluated. The Pickering equation, among the tested models, is the best one in the reproduction of the experimental stress-strain data