Publications by authors named "G Kowalik"
Purpose: MRI-guidance of cardiac catheterization is currently performed using one or multiple 2D imaging planes, which may be suboptimal for catheter navigation, especially in patients with complex anatomies. The purpose of the work was to develop a robust real-time 3D catheter tracking method and 3D visualization strategy for improved MRI-guidance of cardiac catheterization procedures.
Methods: A fast 3D tracking technique was developed using continuous acquisition of two orthogonal 2D-projection images.
Background: Simultaneous multi-slice (SMS) bSSFP imaging enables stress myocardial perfusion imaging with high spatial resolution and increased spatial coverage. Standard parallel imaging techniques (e.g.
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- - Pediatric obstructive sleep apnea can significantly impact cardiovascular health, and this study investigates how chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) affects neonatal cardiac responses differently in male and female rats.
- - Male rats exposed to CIH demonstrated a significant weight loss compared to controls and showed greater changes in gene expression associated with heart metabolism, whereas females exhibited only a slight increase in respiratory drive during sleep.
- - The research highlights critical sex-based differences in cardiac development due to CIH, suggesting that males may be at higher risk for heart issues like arrhythmia, underscoring the need to consider these differences in understanding pediatric sleep apnea outcomes.
Article Synopsis
- Transparent microelectrodes are gaining popularity in biomedical fields because they allow for simultaneous electrical and optical analysis of cell and tissue activity without interference.
- A significant challenge is achieving the right combination of mechanical stretchability, optical clarity, electrochemical effectiveness, and chemical durability for effective use with soft tissues.
- The newly designed microelectrode arrays (MEAs) use gold-coated silver nanowires, showing over 80% optical transparency, low electrochemical impedance, and excellent stability, making them ideal for complex applications, such as monitoring heart function.
Altered autonomic balance is a hallmark of numerous cardiovascular diseases, including myocardial infarction (MI). Although device-based vagal stimulation is cardioprotective during chronic disease, a non-invasive approach to selectively stimulate the cardiac parasympathetic system immediately after an infarction does not exist and is desperately needed. Cardiac vagal neurons (CVNs) in the brainstem receive powerful excitation from a population of neurons in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus that co-release oxytocin (OXT) and glutamate to excite CVNs.
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