Development of a method to quantify platelet adhesion and aggregation under static conditions.

Platelets are important players in hemostasis and thrombosis. Thus, accurate assessment of platelet function is crucial for identifying platelet function disorders and measuring the efficacy of antiplatelet therapies. We have developed a novel platelet aggregation technique that utilizes the physical parameter of platelet concentration in conjunction with volume and mass measurements to evaluate platelet adhesion and aggregation.

Measurement science in the circulatory system.

The dynamics of the cellular and molecular constituents of the circulatory system are regulated by the biophysical properties of the heart, vasculature and blood cells and proteins. In this review, we discuss measurement techniques that have been developed to characterize the physical and mechanical parameters of the circulatory system across length scales ranging from the tissue scale (centimeter) to the molecular scale (nanometer) and time scales of years to milliseconds. We compare the utility of measurement techniques as a function of spatial resolution and penetration depth from both a diagnostic and research perspective.

Stimulus-evoked calcium transients in somatosensory cortex are temporarily inhibited by a nearby microhemorrhage.

Although microhemorrhages are common in the brain of the elderly, the direct impact of these lesions on neural function remains unclear. In this work, we used femtosecond laser irradiation to rupture the wall of single arterioles in the brain of anesthetized rodents, producing a hematoma of ∼100-µm diameter. Our objective was to study the impact of these microhemorrhages on cortical activity using cell-resolved two-photon imaging of bulk-loaded calcium-sensitive dye.

Intravenous tPA therapy does not worsen acute intracerebral hemorrhage in mice.

Tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) is the only FDA-approved treatment for reperfusing ischemic strokes. But widespread use of tPA is still limited by fears of inadvertently administering tPA in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Surprisingly, however, the assumption that tPA will worsen ICH has never been biologically tested.

Development of coagulation factor probes for the identification of procoagulant circulating tumor cells.

Metastatic cancer is associated with a hypercoagulable state, and pathological venous thromboembolic disease is a significant source of morbidity and the second leading cause of death in patients with cancer. Here we aimed to develop a novel labeling strategy to detect and quantify procoagulant circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from patients with metastatic cancer. We hypothesize that the enumeration of procoagulant CTCs may be prognostic for the development of venous thrombosis in patients with cancer.

Anticoagulation with the oral direct thrombin inhibitor dabigatran does not enlarge hematoma volume in experimental intracerebral hemorrhage.

Background: The direct thrombin inhibitor dabigatran etexilate (DE) may constitute a future replacement of vitamin K antagonists for long-term anticoagulation. Whereas warfarin pretreatment is associated with greater hematoma expansion after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), it remains unclear what effect direct thrombin inhibitors would have. Using different experimental models of ICH, this study compared hematoma volume among DE-treated mice, warfarin-treated mice, and controls.

Anticipatory control of motion-to-force transitions with the fingertips adapts optimally to task difficulty.

Moving our fingertips toward objects to produce well-directed forces immediately upon contact is fundamental to dexterous manipulation. This apparently simple motion-to-force transition in fact involves a time-critical, predictive switch in control strategy. Given that dexterous manipulation must accommodate multiple mechanical conditions, we investigated whether and how this transition adapts to task difficulty.