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One of the major problems in bioimaging, often highly underestimated, is whether features extracted for a discrimination or regression task will remain valid for a broader set of similar experiments or in the presence of unpredictable perturbations during the image acquisition process. Such an issue is even more important when it is addressed in the context of deep learning features due to the lack of a priori known relationship between the black-box descriptors (deep features) and the phenotypic properties of the biological entities under study. In this regard, the widespread use of descriptors, such as those coming from pre-trained Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), is hindered by the fact that they are devoid of apparent physical meaning and strongly subjected to unspecific biases, i.e., features that do not depend on the cell phenotypes, but rather on acquisition artifacts, such as brightness or texture changes, focus shifts, autofluorescence or photobleaching. The proposed Deep-Manager software platform offers the possibility to efficiently select those features having lower sensitivity to unspecific disturbances and, at the same time, a high discriminating power. Deep-Manager can be used in the context of both handcrafted and deep features. The unprecedented performances of the method are proven using five different case studies, ranging from selecting handcrafted green fluorescence protein intensity features in chemotherapy-related breast cancer cell death investigation to addressing problems related to the context of Deep Transfer Learning. Deep-Manager, freely available at https://github.com/BEEuniroma2/Deep-Manager, is suitable for use in many fields of bioimaging and is conceived to be constantly upgraded with novel image acquisition perturbations and modalities. Deep-Manager is a software platform that enables efficient selection of features with lower sensitivity to unspecified disturbances across sets of similar experiments in bioimaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy has been established as the standard of care for HER2-positive breast cancer since it allows cancer down-staging, up to pathological complete response. The standard of care in the neoadjuvant setting for HER2-positive breast cancer is a combination of highly cytotoxic drugs such as anthracyclines and the anti-HER2 monoclonal antibody. Despite this cocktail allows a pathological complete response in up to 50%, their co-administration is strongly limited by intrinsic cardiotoxicity. Therefore, only a sequential administration of anthracyclines and the anti-HER2 treatment is allowed. Here, we propose the anthracycline formulation in H-Ferritin nanocages as promising candidate to solve this unmet clinical need, thanks to its capability to increase anthracyclines efficacy while reducing their cardiotoxicity. Treating a murine model of HER2-positive breast cancer with co-administration of Trastuzumab and H-Ferritin anthracycline nanoformulation, we demonstrate an improved tumor penetration of drugs, leading to increased anticancer efficacy and reduced of cardiotoxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe a novel method to achieve a universal, massive, and fully automated analysis of cell motility behaviours, starting from time-lapse microscopy images. The approach was inspired by the recent successes in application of machine learning for style recognition in paintings and artistic style transfer. The originality of the method relies i) on the generation of atlas from the collection of single-cell trajectories in order to visually encode the multiple descriptors of cell motility, and ii) on the application of pre-trained Deep Learning Convolutional Neural Network architecture in order to extract relevant features to be used for classification tasks from this visual atlas. Validation tests were conducted on two different cell motility scenarios: 1) a 3D biomimetic gels of immune cells, co-cultured with breast cancer cells in organ-on-chip devices, upon treatment with an immunotherapy drug; 2) Petri dishes of clustered prostate cancer cells, upon treatment with a chemotherapy drug. For each scenario, single-cell trajectories are very accurately classified according to the presence or not of the drugs. This original approach demonstrates the existence of universal features in cell motility (a so called "motility style") which are identified by the DL approach in the rationale of discovering the unknown message in cell trajectories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective:The stomach is the main target organ for bariatric surgery, but no medical treatment has been developed to increase satiety and decrease food intake via gastric pathways. The aim of our study was to investigate whether or not the intraparietogastric administration of botulinum toxin A (BTX), able to modify the motility patterns of the stomach, could be useful for treatment of obesity.Design:Double blind controlled study.Subjects:Twenty-four morbidly obese patients (mean weight (s.e.m.) 116.1±4.89 kg, mean body mass index (BMI) 43.6±1.09 kg/m2) were blindly randomized to receive 200 IU BTX or placebo into the antrum and fundus of the stomach by intraparietal endoscopic administration.Measurements:We evaluated weight loss, BMI changes, satiety score, the maximal gastric capacity for liquids and the gastric emptying time (octanoic acid breath test).Results:The two groups were homogeneous for anthropometric characteristics. Eight weeks after treatment, BTX patients had significantly higher weight loss (11±1.09 vs 5.7±1.1 kg, P<0.001) and BMI reduction (4±0.36 vs 2±0.58 kg/m2, P<0.001) and a higher satiety score on a visual analogic scale (7.63±0.38 vs 4.72±0.44, P<0.001) than controls. Furthermore, BTX patients showed a significantly greater reduction in maximal gastric capacity for liquids (266.6±48 vs 139±31, P<0.001) and a greater prolongation in gastric emptying time (+18.93±8 vs −2.2±6.9 min, P<0.05). No significant side effects or neurophysiologic changes were found.Conclusions:Topical intragastric BTX was effective in reducing food intake and body weight in morbidly obese patients.International Journal of Obesity (2007) 31, 707–712. doi:10.1038/sj.ijo.0803451; published online 26 September 2006 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Restrictive bariatric surgery causes weight loss through substantial decline of appetite with satiety after meals. Reduction of plasma ghrelin levels after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding could contribute to these effects, although contradictory results have been reported. The only restrictive operation still not yet investigated is vertical banded gastroplasty (VBG). We studied the effects of VBG on basal plasma ghrelin levels and meal-mediated inhibition. Methods: 12 morbidly obese patients, 11 female and 1 male, were studied before and after VBG, when the BMI fell by 20%. The control group consisted of 6 lean volunteers. Active ghrelin was determined by RIA after overnight fasting and after the administration of a liquid meal. Results: Obese patients preoperatively had significantly lower basal plasma ghrelin levels than lean volunteers, and the meal did not inhibit ghrelin secretion. After VBG and 20% BMI loss, basal plasma ghrelin levels increased and the reduction caused by a meal recovered. Conclusions: Weight loss caused by VBG is associated with higher plasma ghrelin levels in obese patients. The operation restores the normal adaptation of the A- cells of the stomach to a meal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pseudo-random testing techniques for mixed-signal circuits offer several advantages compared to explicit time-domain and frequency-domain test methods, especially in a BIST structure. To fully exploit these advantages a suitable choice of the pseudo-random input parameters should be done and an investigation on the accuracy of the circuit response samples needed to reduce the risk of misclassification should be carried out. Here these issues have been addressed for a testing scheme based on the estimation of the impulse response of the device under test (DUT) by means of input-output cross-correlation. Moreover, new acceptance criteria for the DUT are suggested which solve some ambiguity problems arising if the classification of the DUT as good or bad is based on a few samples of the cross-correlation function. Examples of application of the proposed techniques to real cases are also shown in order to assess the impact of the measurement system inaccuracies on the reliability of the test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The use of the ultrasonically activated scalpel (UAS) for vessel closure has attained widespread acceptance in many surgical fields. The aim of our study was to investigate the electron microscopic changes to the blood vessels after the application of UAS.Methods: We collected 10 arterial and 10 venous segments from vessels that had previously been closed by UAS during abdominal operations. The samples were then prepared for ultramicroscopic analysis. Pathological changes in the lumen and the three wall layers of the blood vessel were examined under scanning and transmission electron microscopy.Results: All of the vessel segments showed similar changes: the presence of a blood clot, endothelial cell condensation, coagulative necrosis of the wall, and charring of the vessel at its tip. The edge of the cut vessel were closed by the coagulation bond, which was tied up by collagen fibrils escaped from denaturation.Conclusion: When ultrasonic energy is applied to tissues, it changes their structure so as to make a new extracellular matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have studied the antiangiogenetic effects of hydrocortisone and protamine given intra-arterially. The cornea of male, Sprague-Dawley rats were cauterized with silver nitrate. The following treatments were given :30 μg hydrocortisone topical (t.p.), b.i.d., 50 mg/kg/day intraperitoneally (i.p.) or intra-arterially (i.a.), 10 mg/ kg/day protamine i.p. or i.a. Saline was administered to the control groups. In separate experiments we also evaluated the anti-inflammatory effects of hydrocortisone, i.p., on the cauterized corneas. Five days after cauterization, the animals were killed, exsanguinated and India ink was injected to show the network of neovessels. The percentage area of the cornea covered by neovessels was measured morphometrically and evaluated statistically. Hydrocortisone t.p. (−84%), i.a. (−60%) and protamine i.a. (−44%) significantly inhibited angiogenesis in the cauterized cornea. Either drugs, i.p., had any antiangiogenetic effects, but hydrocortisone significantly reduced cell infiltration of the corneas. The results suggest that locoregional administration of antiangiogenetic drugs might be clinically useful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We studied by ultramicroscopy the tissue response after mesh hernia repair. 11 patients, bearing dacron mesh from 7 days to 9 years, were biopsied during later operations. There were two groups of patients: 6 with a normal tissue response and 5 with rejection of the mesh. We observed that mesh repair was characterised by development of a foreign-body giant cell layer around the fibres, the presence of macrophages in an intermediate layer and fibroblasts in the outer layer. Collagen fibres and bundles ran between the giant cells and the host tissues. When the mesh was rejected, there were no chronic inflammatory cells and collagen bundles were reabsorbed. In the peripheral areas where the mesh-integrated tissue still persisted, there was a considerable reduction in the numbers of the giant cells and there were red blood cells and acute inflammatory cells instead of macrophages and epithelioid cells. Collagen was reduced to fibrils. From our results, mesh-tissue repair seems to be a dynamic and unstable process characterised by chronic inflammation and continuous collagen maturation. During the development, the tissue response to the mesh, as with any inflammatory condition, makes colorisation by hematogenic bacteria easier. Infection can destroy the capsule around the mesh and causes its rejection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Italian Journal of Neurological Sciences is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Italian Journal of Neurological Sciences is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The incremented uptake provided by time-lapse microscopy in Organ-on-a-Chip (OoC) devices allowed increased attention to the dynamics of the co-cultured systems. However, the amount of information stored in long-time experiments may constitute a serious bottleneck of the experimental pipeline. Forward long-term prediction of cell trajectories may reduce the spatial–temporal burden of video sequences storage. Cell trajectory prediction becomes crucial especially to increase the trustworthiness in software tools designed to conduct a massive analysis of cell behavior under chemical stimuli. To address this task, we transpose here the exploitation of the presence of "social forces" from the human to the cellular level for motion prediction at microscale by adapting the potential of Social Generative Adversarial Network predictors to cell motility. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach, we consider here two case studies: one related to PC-3 prostate cancer cells cultured in 2D Petri dishes under control and treated conditions and one related to an OoC experiment of tumor-immune interaction in fibrosarcoma cells. The goodness of the proposed strategy has been verified by successfully comparing the distributions of common descriptors (kinematic descriptors and mean interaction time for the two scenarios respectively) from the trajectories obtained by video analysis and the predicted counterparts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the first case of late rejection of a mesh after laparoscopic hernia repair. It occurred in a 48-year-old man who had had a laparoscopic hernia repair by transabdominal preperitoneal approach 3 years earlier. The most characteristic finding was the slow development of a firm mass in the right groin, without pain or fistula. At admission 3 months later, US and CT scans demonstrated a necrotic mass extending into both iliac fossa. The mass was approached through a midline incision. Pus was taken for microscopic examination (negative), and the mesh was removed, along with several staples. Ultramicroscopic examination of the mesh showed breakdown of the fibers, collagen reduction, and no chronic inflammatory cells. No infectious cause of inflammation was identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents abstracts of several research papers on pubic inguinal pain syndrome (PIPS) including laparoscopic treatment of sportsmen's groin hernia, laparoscopic preperitoneal treatment of sportsman's hernia and athletes with sportman's hernia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]