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Fungal Biology and Biotechnology 2019Science and art have long been studied interchangeably, with notable polymaths emerging in the Renaissance such as Leonardo da Vinci (artist, inventor, engineer and...
Science and art have long been studied interchangeably, with notable polymaths emerging in the Renaissance such as Leonardo da Vinci (artist, inventor, engineer and anatomist) and Alexander von Humboldt (explorer, geographer and naturalist) with his fellow investigators Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (scientist and writer) and Friedrich Schiller (philosopher, physician and historian). However, this polymathic attitude and the co-operation between scientists and artists seemed to go into hibernation in the second half of the eighteenth century due to an overload of information, especially for the scientists. I illustrate here that the two seemingly diverse fields can feed and sustain each other not only from the attitude of how to think about an object, but also how to show this object in a way that may not have been seen before. Ideas and viewpoints gained from looking at an organism artistically can enable a scientist to think "outside the box", providing insights to reassess earlier scientifically hidebound attitudes.
PubMed: 31057802
DOI: 10.1186/s40694-019-0068-7 -
Journal of Cardiovascular Development... Oct 2020Robert H. Anderson is one of the most important and accomplished cardiac anatomists of the last decades, having made major contributions to our understanding of the... (Review)
Review
Robert H. Anderson is one of the most important and accomplished cardiac anatomists of the last decades, having made major contributions to our understanding of the anatomy of normal hearts and the pathologies of acquired and congenital heart diseases. While cardiac anatomy as a research discipline has become largely subservient to molecular biology, anatomists like Professor Anderson demonstrate anatomy has much to offer. Here, we provide cases of early anatomical insights on the heart that were rediscovered, and expanded on, by molecular techniques: migration of neural crest cells to the heart was deduced from histological observations (1908) and independently shown again with experimental interventions; pharyngeal mesoderm is added to the embryonic heart (1973) in what is now defined as the molecularly distinguishable second heart field; chambers develop from the heart tube as regional pouches in what is now considered the ballooning model by the molecular identification of regional differentiation and proliferation. The anatomical discovery of the conduction system by Purkinje, His, Tawara, Keith, and Flack is a special case because the main findings were never neglected in later molecular studies. Professor Anderson has successfully demonstrated that sound knowledge of anatomy is indispensable for proper understanding of cardiac development.
PubMed: 33076272
DOI: 10.3390/jcdd7040044 -
Academic Radiology Mar 2022Before the advent of automatism in image-making practices, scientists, anatomists, and physicians artistically depicted simplified images for scientific atlas making.... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Before the advent of automatism in image-making practices, scientists, anatomists, and physicians artistically depicted simplified images for scientific atlas making. This technique conferred subjectivity to a supposedly objective scientific process, sparking confrontations between anatomists regarding accuracy that heralded a new concept in the late 19 century - mechanical objectivity - that would revolutionize scientific knowledge and the field of medicine OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this health history research study is to trace the evolution of mechanical objectivity from empirical studies of early anatomists in the 19 century to the advent of x-ray technology, digitization of imaging, and disruptive technological innovations such as artificial intelligence, while simultaneously unveiling the challenges of mitigating human bias, despite advancements in medical imaging practices.
METHODS
This narrative literature review was conducted using the ScopusĀ® database under the guidance of both medical historians and practicing physicians to ensure its applicability and historical accuracy CONCLUSION: Despite a century-long quest for optimizing mechanical objectivity in diagnostic imaging to more accurately and efficiently interpret medical images, human bias remains an important factor. This historical review describes the development of medical imaging technologies over the last century with emphasis on the role played by human bias and subjectivity in a rapidly expanding field of medical imaging technology including artificial intelligence.
Topics: Artificial Intelligence; Bibliometrics; Data Collection; Diagnostic Imaging; Humans
PubMed: 33485774
DOI: 10.1016/j.acra.2020.12.017 -
Science (New York, N.Y.) May 2017It is commonly believed that humans have a poor sense of smell compared to other mammalian species. However, this idea derives not from empirical studies of human... (Review)
Review
It is commonly believed that humans have a poor sense of smell compared to other mammalian species. However, this idea derives not from empirical studies of human olfaction but from a famous 19th-century anatomist's hypothesis that the evolution of human free will required a reduction in the proportional size of the brain's olfactory bulb. The human olfactory bulb is actually quite large in absolute terms and contains a similar number of neurons to that of other mammals. Moreover, humans have excellent olfactory abilities. We can detect and discriminate an extraordinary range of odors, we are more sensitive than rodents and dogs for some odors, we are capable of tracking odor trails, and our behavioral and affective states are influenced by our sense of smell.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Mammals; Neurons; Olfactory Bulb; Olfactory Perception; Smell
PubMed: 28495701
DOI: 10.1126/science.aam7263 -
International Journal of Environmental... Dec 2021Since its advent, robotic surgery has redefined the operating room experience. It directly addressed and resolved many of the shortcomings of laparoscopic methods while...
Since its advent, robotic surgery has redefined the operating room experience. It directly addressed and resolved many of the shortcomings of laparoscopic methods while maintaining a minimally invasive approach that brought benefits in cosmesis and healing for patients but also benefits in ergonomics and precision for surgeons. This new platform has brought with it changes in surgical training and education, principally through the utilization of virtual reality. Accurate depictions of human anatomy seen through augmented reality allow the surgeon-in-training to learn, practice and perfect their skills before they operate on their first patient. However, the anatomical knowledge required for minimally invasive surgery (MIS) is distinct from current methods of dissection and prosection that inherently cater towards open surgery with large cuts and unobstructed field. It is integral that robotic surgeons are also equipped with accurate anatomical information, heralding a new era in which anatomists can work alongside those developing virtual reality technology to create anatomical training curricula for MIS. As the field of surgery and medicine in general moves to include more and more technology, it is only fitting that the building blocks of medical education follow suit and rediscover human anatomy in a modern context.
Topics: Clinical Competence; Humans; Laparoscopy; Robotic Surgical Procedures; Robotics; Surgeons; Virtual Reality
PubMed: 34886470
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182312744 -
World Neurosurgery Aug 2019The nomenclature of the 12 cranial nerves as we know it today was developed over a series of anatomic findings by some of history's most famous anatomists from Galen to... (Review)
Review
The nomenclature of the 12 cranial nerves as we know it today was developed over a series of anatomic findings by some of history's most famous anatomists from Galen to Von Soemmerring. In this paper, we review the literature to present an overview of the remarkable historical journey that brought our forefathers to trace the pathway of individual cranial nerves from origin to destination. In particular, we discuss the evolution of the naming of the cranial nerves and highlight relevant eponymous descriptions. We also include some poignant illustrations of cranial nerves by ancient anatomists that set the scene to their discoveries. In reviewing this legacy, we summarize the important product of centuries of discoveries and investigations and the limitations of cranial nerve classification systems.
Topics: Cranial Nerves; History, 15th Century; History, 16th Century; History, 17th Century; History, 18th Century; History, Ancient; Humans; Neurology; Terminology as Topic
PubMed: 31100524
DOI: 10.1016/j.wneu.2019.05.036