University of Milano-Bicocca

About: University of Milano-Bicocca is a education organization based out in Milan, Italy. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Blood pressure. The organization has 8972 authors who have published 22322 publications receiving 620484 citations. The organization is also known as: Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca & Universita degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca.

Adrenergic, Metabolic, and Reflex Abnormalities in Reverse and Extreme Dipper Hypertensives

Abstract: Limited information is available on whether and to what extent the different patterns of the nocturnal blood pressure profile reported in hypertension are characterized by differences in sympathetic drive that may relate to, and account for, the different day-night blood pressure changes. In 34 untreated middle-aged essential hypertensive dippers, 17 extreme dippers, 18 nondippers, and 10 reverse dippers, we assessed muscle sympathetic nerve traffic, heart rate, and beat-to-beat arterial blood pressure at rest and during baroreceptor deactivation and stimulation. Measurements were also performed in 17 age-matched dipper normotensives. All patients displayed reproducible blood pressure patterns at 2 different monitoring sessions. The 4 hypertensive groups did not differ by gender or 24-hour or daytime blood pressure. Muscle sympathetic nerve traffic was significantly higher in nondipper, dipper, and extreme dipper hypertensives than in normotensive controls (58.61.8, 55.60.9, and 53.30.8 versus 43.51.4 bursts/100 heartbeats, respectively; P0.01 for all), a further significant increase being detected in reverse dippers (76.83.1 bursts/100 heartbeats; P0.05). Compared with normotensives, baroreflex-heart rate control was similarly impaired in all the 4 hypertensive states, whereas baroreflex-sympathetic control was preserved. The day-night blood pressure difference correlated inversely with sympathetic nerve traffic (r0.76; P0.0001) and homeostasis model assessment index (r0.32; P0.005). Thus, the reverse dipping state is characterized by a sympathetic activation greater for magnitude than that seen in the other conditions displaying abnormalities in nighttime blood pressure pattern. The present data suggest that in hypertension, sympathetic activation represents a mechanism potentially responsible for the day-night blood pressure difference. (Hypertension. 2008;52:925-931.)

Severe Infantile Encephalomyopathy Caused by a Mutation in COX6B1, a Nucleus-Encoded Subunit of Cytochrome C Oxidase

Abstract: Cytochrome c oxidase (COX) deficiency, one of the most common respiratory-chain defects in humans, has been associated with mutations in either mitochondrial DNA genes or nucleus-encoded proteins that are not part in but promote the biogenesis of COX. Mutations of nucleus-encoded structural subunits were sought for but never found in COX-defective patients, leading to the conjecture that they may be incompatible with extra-uterine survival. We report a disease-associated mutation in one such subunit, COX6B1. Nuclear-encoded COX genes should be reconsidered and included in the diagnostic mutational screening of human disorders related to COX deficiency.

Platinum-Induced Neurotoxicity and Preventive Strategies: Past, Present, and Future

Abstract: Neurotoxicity is a burdensome side effect of platinum-based chemotherapy that prevents administration of the full efficacious dosage and often leads to treatment withdrawal. Peripheral sensory neurotoxicity varies from paresthesia in fingers to ataxic gait, which might be transient or irreversible. Because the number of patients being treated with these neurotoxic agents is still increasing, the need for understanding the pathogenesis of this dramatic side effect is critical. Platinum derivatives, such as cisplatin and carboplatin, harm mainly peripheral nerves and dorsal root ganglia neurons, possibly because of progressive DNA-adduct accumulation and inhibition of DNA repair pathways (e.g., extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2, c-Jun N-terminal kinase/stress-activated protein kinase, and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinass), which finally mediate apoptosis. Oxaliplatin, with a completely different pharmacokinetic profile, may also alter calcium-sensitive voltage-gated sodium channel kinetics through a calcium ion immobilization by oxalate residue as a calcium chelator and cause acute neurotoxicity. Polymorphisms in several genes, such as voltage-gated sodium channel genes or genes affecting the activity of pivotal metal transporters (e.g., organic cation transporters, organic cation/carnitine transporters, and some metal transporters, such as the copper transporters, and multidrug resistance-associated proteins), can also influence drug neurotoxicity and treatment response. However, most pharmacogenetics studies need to be elucidated by robust evidence. There are supportive reports about the effectiveness of several neuroprotective agents (e.g., vitamin E, glutathione, amifostine, xaliproden, and venlafaxine), but dose adjustment and/or drug withdrawal seem to be the most frequently used methods in the management of platinum-induced peripheral neurotoxicity. To develop alternative options in the treatment of platinum-induced neuropathy, studies on in vitro models and appropriate trials planning should be integrated into the future design of neuroprotective strategies to find the best patient-oriented solution.

An innovative algorithm for key frame extraction in video summarization

Abstract: Video summarization, aimed at reducing the amount of data that must be examined in order to retrieve the information desired from information in a video, is an essential task in video analysis and indexing applications. We propose an innovative approach for the selection of representative (key) frames of a video sequence for video summarization. By analyzing the differences between two consecutive frames of a video sequence, the algorithm determines the complexity of the sequence in terms of changes in the visual content expressed by different frame descriptors. The algorithm, which escapes the complexity of existing methods based, for example, on clustering or optimization strategies, dynamically and rapidly selects a variable number of key frames within each sequence. The key frames are extracted by detecting curvature points within the curve of the cumulative frame differences. Another advantage is that it can extract the key frames on the fly: curvature points can be determined while computing the frame differences and the key frames can be extracted as soon as a second high curvature point has been detected. We compare the performance of this algorithm with that of other key frame extraction algorithms based on different approaches. The summaries obtained have been objectively evaluated by three quality measures: the Fidelity measure, the Shot Reconstruction Degree measure and the Compression Ratio measure.