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INTRODUCTION: The high prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in pathologists, together with the current trend towards the digitization of pathology, prompted us to study the different types of input devices employed during the revision of whole slide images, in order to investigate the pattern and extent of muscle activity involved in their use. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A comparative study was made of 10 input devices (conventional and vertical mouse, three trackballs, the Ergopointer™, the Rollermouse™, an optical pen mouse, a touchpad, and the Leap Motion™). Six medical students performed a standardized circuit using a Fitts' Law based tissue array, digitized. The electrical activity of seven upper limb muscles (adductor pollicis, extensor pollicis longus, extensor digitorum, flexor digitorum, middle deltoid, upper trapezius, and middle trapezius) was measured using surface electromyography. RESULTS: Statistically significant differences in the overall electrical activity among the different input devices, both absolute values in mV as well as normalized values to the upper limb at rest, were observed (p

The Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation treatment (PEO, sometimes also called MAO, Micro Arc Oxidation) has recently attracted great attention due to its capability to create a thick and adherent coating with excellent corrosion and wear resistance. Some of the main characteristics of PEO coatings are the high porosity of the outer layer and the possibility to incorporate directly into the coating particles that are dispersed into the electrolyte. This work will describe the results obtained by inserting metallic and non-metallic particles in PEO coatings produced on magnesium and aluminum alloys. In particular, nano-particles of graphite have been inserted in order to improve the wear resistance and metal particles (copper or silver) in order to give to the samples bactericidal, fungicidal or antifouling properties.

The acute toxicity of citrate capped silver nanoparticles (AgNP) and silver nitrate was evaluated on the marine macroalga Ulva rigida C. Agardh (1823). Silver bioaccumulation, ultrastructural chloroplast damages verified by TEM microscopy, inhibition of primary production, neutral lipid production and oxidative stress were observed after 24 h of exposure to AgNP. The toxic effects of silver nitrate in artificial seawater started from a concentration of 0.05 ppm and was more toxic than AgNP that produced effects from a concentration of 0.1 ppm. However only AgNP induced lipid peroxidation in U. rigida. The addition of natural organic and inorganic ligands, represented by transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) and clay, drastically reduced AgNP acute toxicity in a ratio AgNP:ligand of 1:100 and 1:200, respectively. The findings suggest a marked toxicity of Ag on marine macroalgae which however should be mitigated by the high natural ligand concentrations of the transitional environments.