Monitoring Progressive Multiple Sclerosis with Novel Imaging Techniques.

Imaging markers for monitoring disease progression in progressive multiple sclerosis (PMS) are scarce, thereby limiting the possibility to monitor disease evolution and to test effective treatments in clinical trials. Advanced imaging techniques that have the advantage of metrics with increased sensitivity to short-term tissue changes and increased specificity to the structural abnormalities characteristic of PMS have recently been applied in clinical trials of PMS. In this review, we (1) provide an overview of the pathological features of PMS, (2) summarize the findings of research and clinical trials conducted in PMS which have applied conventional and advanced magnetic resonance imaging techniques and (3) discuss recent advancements and future perspectives in monitoring PMS with imaging techniques

Monitoring Progressive Multiple Sclerosis with Novel Imaging Techniques

Imaging markers for monitoring disease progression in progressive multiple sclerosis (PMS) are scarce, thereby limiting the possibility to monitor disease evolution and to test effective treatments in clinical trials. Advanced imaging techniques that have the advantage of metrics with increased sensitivity to short-term tissue changes and increased specificity to the structural abnormalities characteristic of PMS have recently been applied in clinical trials of PMS. In this review, we (1) provide an overview of the pathological features of PMS, (2) summarize the findings of research and clinical trials conducted in PMS which have applied conventional and advanced magnetic resonance imaging techniques and (3) discuss recent advancements and future perspectives in monitoring PMS with imaging techniques

Clinical applications of ultra-high field magnetic resonance imaging in multiple sclerosis

Introduction: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is of paramount importance for the early diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) and MRI findings are part of the MS diagnostic criteria. There is a growing interest in the use of ultra-high-field strength 127 Tesla- (7T) MRI to investigate, in vivo, the pathological substrate of the disease. Areas covered: An overview of 7T MRI applications in MS focusing on increased sensitivity for lesion detection, specificity of the central vein sign and better understanding of MS pathophysiology. Implications for disease diagnosis, monitoring and treatment planning are discussed. Expert commentary: 7T MRI provides increased signal-to-noise and contrast-to-noise-ratio that allow higher spatial resolution and better detection of anatomical and pathological features. The high spatial resolution reachable at 7T has been a game changer for neuroimaging applications not only in MS but also in epilepsy, brain tumors, dementia, and neuro-psychiatric disorders. Furthermore, the first 7T device has recently been cleared for clinical use by the food and drug administration

Effect of harvest date on mango (Mangifera indica l. cultivar osteen) fruit’s qualitative development, shelf life and consumer acceptance

The qualitative characteristics of mango fruits change throughout their development process and are also influenced by their duration. Harvesting at different times after the fruit set affects external and internal quality and the post-harvest behavior and management possibilities of the fruits. The objective of this study was to assess the evolution of the most important physicochemical and organoleptic parameters of cv. Osteen fruits concern the length of their stay on the plant and also to their post-harvest management. For this reason, fruits were harvested progressively in ten pickings. The study showed that mango fruits that are kept on the tree reach the best quality traits, corresponding to their physiological maturation. The length of the storage period needed to reach the consumption point varies greatly according to the harvesting moment and to the different environmental parameters, which also affect the organoleptic and physicochemical quality of the fruits. The number of days after full flowering were confirmed to be the primary information to consider when planning harvest with commercial use of the fruit, but interesting indications can be acquired through the definition of non-destructive (hardness, color) or destructive (dry matter) parameters. The data collected help improve mango fruit′ s post-harvest management practices, to provide a product with constant quality and homogeneity to the consumer

Tract-specific white matter correlates of fatigue and cognitive impairment in benign multiple sclerosis

Background: Although benign multiple sclerosis (BMS) is traditionally defined by the presence of mild motor involvement decades after disease onset, symptoms of fatigue and cognitive impairment are very common. Objective: To investigate the association between micro-structural damage in the anterior thalamic (AT) tracts and in the corpus callosum (CC), as measured by diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) tractography, and fatigue and cognitive deficits. Methods: DTI data were acquired from 26 BMS patients and 24 sex- and age-matched healthy controls. Results: General and mental fatigue scores were significantly impaired in patients compared with controls (p≤0.05 for both) and 38% of patients resulted cognitively impaired. Mean diffusivity (MD) of the AT and CC tracts was significantly higher and fractional anisotropy (FA) was lower in patients compared with controls (p<0.001 for all). Fatigue was associated with increased MD (p=0.01) of the AT tracts whereas deficit of executive functions and verbal learning were associated with decreased FA in the body (p=0.004) and genu (p=0.008) of the CC. Deficits in processing speed and attention were associated with the T2 lesion volume of the AT tracts (p<0.01 for all). Discussion: These findings suggest that fatigue and cognitive impairment are quite frequent in BMS patients and are, at least in part, related to micro-structural damage and T2LV of WM tracts connecting the brain cortical and sub-cortical regions of the two hemispheres

Cerebellum and neurodegenerative diseases: Beyond conventional magnetic resonance imaging

The cerebellum plays a key role in movement control and in cognition and cerebellar involvement is described in several neurodegenerative diseases. While conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is widely used for brain and cerebellar morphologic evaluation, advanced MRI techniques allow the investigation of cerebellar microstructural and functional characteristics. Volumetry, voxel-based morphometry, diffusion MRI based fiber tractography, resting state and task related functional MRI, perfusion, and proton MR spectroscopy are among the most common techniques applied to the study of cerebellum. In the present review, after providing a brief description of each technique's advantages and limitations, we focus on their application to the study of cerebellar injury in major neurodegenerative diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease and hereditary ataxia. A brief introduction to the pathological substrate of cerebellar involvement is provided for each disease, followed by the review of MRI studies exploring structural and functional cerebellar abnormalities and by a discussion of the clinical relevance of MRI measures of cerebellar damage in terms of both clinical status and cognitive performance

EMG Based Body-Machine Interface for Adaptive and Personalized Robotic Training of Persons with Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis is a complex neurological disease that results in motor impairment associated with muscle weakness and lack of motor coordination. Indeed, previous studies showed that, while activities in isolated arm muscles appeared generally similar to those of unimpaired subjects, shoulder muscle coordination with arm motions was affected by MS and there was a marked co-activation of the biceps and triceps in the extension movements. This inability to activate muscles independently has a significant impact in motor function therefore reducing the co-contraction could improve the overall arm function. In this pilot study, we developed a body-machine interface based on muscle activities with the goal of ‘breaking’ the abnormal triceps-biceps co-activation during planar flexion-extension movements of people with multiple sclerosis during a robot-based task. The task consisted in 2D center-out reaching movements with the assistance of a robotic manipulandum. When the subject was not exhibiting the abnormal triceps-biceps co-activation for three consecutive movements the robot was decreasing the assistance. Subjects trained for up to six 1-hour sessions in three weeks. Results showed that the assistance from the robot decreased within each session for most of the subjects, while the movement became faster and straighter. The comparison between muscle activity before and after the training with this body-machine interface demonstrated that subjects learned how to reduce the tricepsbiceps co-activation

Fault self-defection of automatic testing systems by means of aspect-oriented programming

An Aspect Oriented approach to implement fault detection in automatic measurement systems is proposed. Faults are handled by means of "aspects", a specific software unit to better modularize issues transversal to many modules ("crosscutting concerns"). In this way, maintainability and reusability of a measurement software are improved: indeed, once a modification of the fault detection policy occurs, only the related aspects have to be modified. As an experimental case study, this technique has been applied to the fault self-detection of a flexible framework for magnetic measurements, developed at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN)

Posidonia Oceanica And Green Tea Extract As Active Agents For Shelf Life Extension Of Fresh Cut Peach

Nowadays the reduction of food waste and the availability of food all over the world areas are priority keys for society. In this context, the shelf life extension of fresh products in a sustainable way may represent one of the main goals. The aim of the present research work was to extend the shelf life of fresh cut peach slices by using extracts of Posidonia oceanica (POS) and green tea (GT), and compared to the control. Total polyphenols content was assessed by Folin-Ciocalteu method and the antioxidant capacity by DPPH (2,2-Diphenyl-1-Picrylhydrazyl) assay. Antimicrobial activity of the two extracts was initially carried out in vitro by determining the Minimal Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) against Escherichia coli, Listeria innocua, Pseudomonas putida, Staphylococcus aureus, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Aspergillus niger and Penicillium chrysogenum. The two extracts in vivo on peach slices by dipping were applied (only water for the control), than, slices were placed into low-density polyethylene (LDPE) bag and stored at 3 ± 1°C for up to 7 days. Microbiological analyses, color (L*,a*,b*), total soluble solid (TSS) and titratable acidity (TA) on peach slices were carried out every 3 days. POS showed the highest polyphenols content (615±45 mg Gallic Acid Equivalent/g – mg GAE/g) while GT 526 ± 28 mg GAE/g. The values of EC50, for POS, was 72.42 ± 22.90 mg/L, while for GT 3.80 ± 0.11 mg/L. Trials in vitro showed MIC values of above 2 g/L for POS and above 1 g/L in GT mainly against Gram positive bacteria. POS was also found to lead a growth delay in the case of fungi, approximately 60 h compared to the control. Results related to the Total Aerobic (TAC) and yeasts and moulds (Y&M) counts highlighted that peach slices dipped with POS maintained in the first 5 days of storage the microbiota at lower or analogous levels than those found at t0 (1.80 ± 0.09 log cfu/g respect 2.30 ± 0.11 log cfu/g and 1.80 ± 0.05 log cfu/g respect 1.70 ± 0.03 log cfu/g of the control, respectively for TAC and Y&M). Regarding pomological analysis, after seven days, lightness of the peach slices decreased 28% in POS, 24% in GT and 35% in control. During shelf life TSS increased 8% in the control, 2% in POS and remained unchanged in GT, after seven days. At the same time, TA decreased 30% in POS, 20% in GT treatment and 63% in the control. During the experiment TSS increased in all treatments, more rapidly in the control; meanwhile the TA decreased slowly in treated samples compared to the control. Concluding, Posidonia oceanica and green tea extracts were found able to delay the colour and pomological parameters decay, maintaining a good fruit quality during shelf life. Data already showed evidence a better performance of the Posidonia extract, limiting the growth of microorganisms responsible for fresh fruit deterioration