Wavenumber-dependent dynamic light scattering optical coherence tomography measurements of collective and self-diffusion.

We demonstrate wavenumber-dependent DLS-OCT measurements of collective and self-diffusion coefficients in concentrated silica suspensions across a broad q-range, utilizing a custom home-built OCT system. Depending on the sample polydispersity, either the collective or self-diffusion is measured. The measured collective-diffusion coefficient shows excellent agreement with hard-sphere theory and serves as an effective tool for accurately determining particle sizes.

Development of a compounded propofol nanoemulsion using multiple non-invasive process analytical technologies.

Propofol is the preferred anaesthetic for induction and maintenance of sedation in critically ill mechanically ventilated COVID-19 patients. However, during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, regular supply chains could not keep up with the sudden increase in global demand, causing drug shortages. Propofol is formulated as an oil-in-water emulsion which is administered intravenously.

Liposome manufacturing under continuous flow conditions: towards a fully integrated set-up with in-line control of critical quality attributes.

Continuous flow manufacturing (CFM) has shown remarkable advantages in the industrial-scale production of drug-loaded nanomedicines, including mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines. Thus far, CFM research in nanomedicine has mainly focused on the initial particle formation step, while post-formation production steps are hardly ever integrated. The opportunity to implement in-line quality control of critical quality attributes merits closer investigation.

Indirect frontocingulate structural connectivity predicts clinical response to accelerated rTMS in major depressive disorder.

Background: Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is an established treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD), but its clinical efficacy remains rather modest. One reason for this could be that the propagation of rTMS effects via structural connections from the stimulated area to deeper brain structures (such as the cingulate cortices) is suboptimal.

Methods: We investigated whether structural connectivity — derived from diffusion MRI data — could serve as a biomarker to predict treatment response.

New unique PAT method and instrument for real-time inline size characterization of concentrated, flowing nanosuspensions.

With the rise of nanotherapeutics -and nano based products in general-, there has been an increasing need for better understanding and control of nano-particle (NP) synthesis and formulation processes. Size characteristics are often primary, if not critical, quality attributes of nanodispersions. Process Analytical Technology (PAT) tools for inline size characterization during dispersion processing are therefore highly desired.

NeuCA-RT: A framework for real-time fMRI analysis.

Real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging (rtfMRI) allows visualisation of ongoing brain activity of the subject in the scanner. Denoising algorithms aim to rid acquired data of confounding effects, enhancing the blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) signal. Further image processing and analysis methods, like general linear models (GLM) or multivariate analysis, then present application-specific information to the researcher.

Focal application of accelerated iTBS results in global changes in graph measures.

Graph analysis was used to study the effects of accelerated intermittent theta burst stimulation (aiTBS) on the brain's network topology in medication-resistant depressed patients. Anatomical and resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) was recorded at baseline and after sham and verum stimulation. Depression severity was assessed using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS).

Abnormal Blood Oxygen Level-Dependent Fluctuations in Focal Cortical Dysplasia and the Perilesional Zone: Initial Findings.

Background And Purpose: Focal cortical dysplasia is a common cause of intractable epilepsy for which neurosurgery is an option. Delineations of a focal cortical dysplasia lesion on structural brain images may not necessarily reflect the functional borders of normal tissue. Our objective was to determine whether abnormalities in spontaneous blood oxygen level-dependent fluctuations arise in focal cortical dysplasia lesions and proximal regions.

Accelerated Cognitive Ageing in Epilepsy: A Neuropsychological Evaluation of Cognitive Deterioration.

Objective: Shed light on cognitive deterioration in Accelerated Cognitive Ageing (ACA) in epilepsy from a neuropsychological point of view in order to improve clinical diagnostics.

Methods: We compared the IQ-profile including GAI, OPIE IV-premorbid IQ and deterioration-scores of 21 epilepsy patients with ACA with 21 matched epilepsy patients without ACA (Epilepsy Controls) and 16 age- and education-matched Healthy Controls. Memory was also evaluated.

Functional network abnormalities consistent with behavioral profile in Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder in which the severity of symptoms varies over subjects. The iCAPs model (innovation-driven co-activation patterns) is a recently developed spatio-temporal model to describe fMRI data. In this study, the iCAPs model was employed to find functional imaging biomarkers for ASD in resting-state fMRI data.

Wavelet entropy of BOLD time series: An application to Rolandic epilepsy.

Purpose: To assess the wavelet entropy for the characterization of intrinsic aberrant temporal irregularities in the time series of resting-state blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) signal fluctuations. Further, to evaluate the temporal irregularities (disorder/order) on a voxel-by-voxel basis in the brains of children with Rolandic epilepsy.

Materials And Methods: The BOLD time series was decomposed using the discrete wavelet transform and the wavelet entropy was calculated.

Towards prognostic biomarkers from BOLD fluctuations to differentiate a first epileptic seizure from new-onset epilepsy.

Objective: The diagnosis of epilepsy cannot be reliably made prior to a patient's second seizure in most cases. Therefore, adequate diagnostic tools are needed to differentiate subjects with a first seizure from those with a seizure preceding the onset of epilepsy. The objective was to explore spontaneous blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) fluctuations in subjects with a first-ever seizure and patients with new-onset epilepsy (NOE), and to find characteristic biomarkers for seizure recurrence after the first seizure.

Abnormal Profiles of Local Functional Connectivity Proximal to Focal Cortical Dysplasias.

Introduction: Focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) is a congenital malformation of cortical development that often leads to medically refractory epilepsy. Focal resection can be an effective treatment, but is challenging as the surgically relevant abnormality may exceed the MR-visible lesion. The aim of the current study is to develop methodology to characterize the profile of functional connectivity around FCDs using resting-state functional MRI and in the individual patient.

Cognitive deterioration in adult epilepsy: clinical characteristics of "Accelerated Cognitive Ageing".

Objectives: "Epileptic dementia" is reported in adults with childhood-onset refractory epilepsy. Cognitive deterioration can also occur in a "second-hit model".

Materials And Methods: We studied the clinical and neuropsychological characteristics of patients with cognitive deterioration (≥1 SD discrepancy between current IQ and premorbid IQ).

Blend uniformity evaluation during continuous mixing in a twin screw granulator by in-line NIR using a moving F-test.

This study focuses on the twin screw granulator of a continuous from-powder-to-tablet production line. Whereas powder dosing into the granulation unit is possible from a container of preblended material, a truly continuous process uses several feeders (each one dosing an individual ingredient) and relies on a continuous blending step prior to granulation. The aim of the current study was to investigate the in-line blending capacity of this twin screw granulator, equipped with conveying elements only.

Gradient Artefact Correction and Evaluation of the EEG Recorded Simultaneously with fMRI Data Using Optimised Moving-Average.

Over the past years, coregistered EEG-fMRI has emerged as a powerful tool for neurocognitive research and correlated studies, mainly because of the possibility of integrating the high temporal resolution of the EEG with the high spatial resolution of fMRI. However, additional work remains to be done in order to improve the quality of the EEG signal recorded simultaneously with fMRI data, in particular regarding the occurrence of the gradient artefact. We devised and presented in this paper a novel approach for gradient artefact correction based upon optimised moving-average filtering (OMA).

Technical aspects of neurostimulation: Focus on equipment, electric field modeling, and stimulation protocols.

Neuromodulation is a field of science, medicine, and bioengineering that encompasses implantable and non-implantable technologies for the purpose of improving quality of life and functioning of humans. Brain neuromodulation involves different neurostimulation techniques: transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), and deep brain stimulation (DBS), which are being used both to study their effects on cognitive brain functions and to treat neuropsychiatric disorders. The mechanisms of action of neurostimulation remain incompletely understood.

Cognitive deterioration in adult epilepsy: Does accelerated cognitive ageing exist?

A long-standing concern has been whether epilepsy contributes to cognitive decline or so-called 'epileptic dementia'. Although global cognitive decline is generally reported in the context of chronic refractory epilepsy, it is largely unknown what percentage of patients is at risk for decline. This review is focused on the identification of risk factors and characterization of aberrant cognitive trajectories in epilepsy.

Serial ADAMTS13 measurements during initial plasma exchange therapy guide decisions for management of unresponsive thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura.

Background: The standard therapy in acquired thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is plasma exchange. In unresponsive TTP, intensification of plasma exchange and immunomodulatory therapy can be initiated but it can be complicated to select for patients that will benefit from intensification.

Case Report: We describe two cases of newly diagnosed TTP with a complicated clinical course during initial treatment with plasma exchange.

An efficient, maintenance free and approved method for spectroscopic control and monitoring of blend uniformity: The moving F-test.

Dry powder mixing is a wide spread Unit Operation in the Pharmaceutical industry. With the advent of in-line Near Infrared (NIR) Spectroscopy and Quality by Design principles, application of Process Analytical Technology to monitor Blend Uniformity (BU) is taking a more prominent role. Yet routine use of NIR for monitoring, let alone control of blending processes is not common in the industry, despite the improved process understanding and (cost) efficiency that it may offer.

Microscopic dynamics of synchronization in driven colloids.

Synchronization of coupled oscillators has been scrutinized for over three centuries, from Huygens' pendulum clocks to physiological rhythms. One such synchronization phenomenon, dynamic mode locking, occurs when naturally oscillating processes are driven by an externally imposed modulation. Typically only averaged or integrated properties are accessible, leaving underlying mechanisms unseen.

Tuning colloidal gels by shear.

Using a powerful combination of experiments and simulations we demonstrate how the microstructure and its time evolution are linked with mechanical properties in a frustrated, out-of-equilibrium, particle gel under shear. An intermediate volume fraction colloid-polymer gel is used as a model system, allowing quantification of the interplay between interparticle attractions and shear forces. Rheometry, confocal microscopy and Brownian dynamics reveal that high shear rates, fully breaking the structure, lead after shear cessation to more homogeneous and stronger gels, whereas preshear at low rates creates largely heterogeneous weaker gels with reduced elasticity.

Delayed convergence between brain network structure and function in rolandic epilepsy.

Introduction: Rolandic epilepsy (RE) manifests during a critical phase of brain development, and has been associated with language impairments. Concordant abnormalities in structural and functional connectivity (SC and FC) have been described before. As SC and FC are under mutual influence, the current study investigates abnormalities in the SC-FC synergy in RE.

Spatial heterogeneity analysis of brain activation in fMRI.

In many brain diseases it can be qualitatively observed that spatial patterns in blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) activation maps appear more (diffusively) distributed than in healthy controls. However, measures that can quantitatively characterize this spatial distributiveness in individual subjects are lacking. In this study, we propose a number of spatial heterogeneity measures to characterize brain activation maps.