Inactivation of HIV by application of heat and radiation: Implication in bone banking with irradiated allograft bone

We developed methods for inactivating the human immunodeficiency virus by heat and ionizing radiation and tested the effects of these treatments on the mechanical strength of bone. Simultaneous use of heat and radiation caused a considerably greater inactivation of HIV than the additive effects of the two separate treatments, but also caused a significant reduction in the maximum load sustained by the bone specimens tested with an Instrom machine. Application of the same doses but given in the sequential fashion of radiation followed by heat also caused marked inactivation of HIV and had less effect on the mechanical strength of the bone.     

A comparison between the effects of ochratoxin A and aristolochic acid on the inflammation and oxidative stress in the liver and kidney of weanling piglets

Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Archives of Pharmacology - Ochratoxin A (OTA) and aristolochic acid (AA) are toxins that can frequently contaminate cereals and cereals-based products. The present study...     

Magnetic immuno-PCR assay with inhibitor removal for direct detection of Helicobacter pylori in human feces

A PCR protocol was developed to detect Helicobacter pylori in human stool specimens. This protocol was based on the association of a magnetic immuno-PCR assay with a technique to remove inhibitors (agarose-embedded DNA preparation). Of the 47 H. pylori-positive and 57 H. pylori-negative patients included in this study, 38 were positive and 66 were negative by this new protocol. The sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values for a positive or a negative result were 80.9% (95% confidence interval [CI], 66.3 to 90.4), 100% (95% CI, 92.1 to 100), 100% (95% CI, 88.6 to 100), and 86.4% (95% CI, 75.2 to 93.2), respectively.     

The <Emphasis Type="Italic">i</Emphasis><Superscript>2</Superscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">Snake</Emphasis> Robotic Platform for Endoscopic Surgery

Endoscopic procedures have transformed minimally invasive surgery as they allow the examination and intervention on a patient’s anatomy through natural orifices, without the need for external incisions. However, the complexity of anatomical pathways and the limited dexterity of existing instruments, limit such procedures mainly to diagnosis and biopsies. This paper proposes a new robotic platform: the Intuitive imaging sensing navigated and kinematically enhanced (\(i^{2}Snake\)) robot that aims to improve the field of endoscopic surgery. The proposed robotic platform includes a snake-like robotic endoscope equipped with a camera, a light-source and two robotic instruments, supported with a robotic arm for global positioning and for insertion of the \(i^{2}Snake,\) and a master interface for master–slave teleoperation. The proposed robotic platform design focuses on ergonomics and intuitive control. The control workflow was first validated in simulation and then implemented on the robotic platform. The results are consistent with the simulation and show the clear clinical potential of the system. Limitations such as tendon backlash and elongation over time will be further investigated by means of combined hardware and software solutions. In conclusion, the proposed system contributes to the field of endoscopic surgical robots and could allow to perform more complex endoscopic surgical procedures while reducing patient trauma and recovery time.