Rodolfo Margaria and the First Walk on the Moon.

INTRODUCTION: During the Cold War years, the Space Race was largely supported by the efforts of many engineers and scientists, in particular human physiologists. Rodolfo Margaria (1901-1983), director of the Institute of Human Physiology at the University of Milan, was one of the most eminent and focused his studies on the mechanics of human locomotion in subgravity, in particular on the Moon's surface. Long before the real Moon landing, Margaria was able to correctly theorize how astronauts would walk on lunar soil, what would be the optimal pattern of progression, as well as determine the optimum and maximum speed at one-sixth of the Earth's gravity. On 21st July 1969 at 02:56 UTC, great excitement was aroused by the television images of Neil Armstrong's first steps on the Moon. Instead of walking, he moved around making small leaps, as expected from Margaria and colleagues.Grasso GS, Beretta EP, Miserocchi GA, Riva MA. Rodolfo Margaria and the first walk on the Moon. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2019; 90(11):982-985.

Morpho-functional analysis of lung tissue in mild interstitial edema.

Mild pulmonary interstitial edema was shown to cause fragmentation of interstitial matrix proteoglycans. We therefore studied compartmental fluid accumulation by light and electron microscopy on lungs of anesthetized rabbits fixed in situ by vascular perfusion after 0.5 ml.kg(-1).min(-1) iv saline infusion for 180 min causing approximately 6% increase in lung weight. Morphometry showed that a relevant portion (44%) of extravascular fluid is detected early in the alveolar septa, 85% of this fluid accumulating in the thick portion of the air-blood barrier. The arithmetic mean thickness of the barrier increased in interstitial edema from 1.06 +/- 0.05 (SE) to 1.33 +/- 0.06 microm. The harmonic mean thickness increased from 0.6 +/- 0.03 to 0.86 +/- 0.07 microm, mostly due to thickening of the thin portion causing an increase in gas diffusion resistance. Despite some structural damage, the air-blood barrier displays a relatively high structural resistance providing a safety factor against the development of severe edema. It is suggested that the increase in extra-alveolar perivascular space occurs as a consequence of fluid accumulation in the air-blood barrier.