Adaptive measurement of cognitive function based on multidimensional item response theory.

Introduction: Up to 20% of older adults in the United States have mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and about one-third of people with MCI are predicted to transition to Alzheimer's disease (AD) within 5 years. Standard cognitive assessments are long and require a trained technician to administer. We developed the first computerized adaptive test (CAT) based on multidimensional item response theory (MIRT) to more precisely, rapidly, and repeatedly assesses cognitive abilities across the adult lifespan.

T* relaxometry of fetal brain structures using low-field (0.55T) MRI.

Purpose: Human brain development during gestation is complex, as both structure and function are rapidly forming. Structural imaging methods using MRI are well developed to explore these changes, but functional imaging tools are lacking. Low-field MRI is a promising modality to bridge this gap.

Prefrontal tDCS fails to modulate memory retrieval in younger and older adults.

Previous research shows that a single session of anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) can improve the accuracy of episodic memory retrieval, but stimulation effects are not always found and may be moderated by time of day. Here, we report the results from a rigorous clinical trial (NCT03723850) designed to replicate these tDCS findings in younger adults and extend them to cognitively normal older adults. We conducted the largest double-blind, between-subjects tDCS study on memory retrieval in younger and older adults to date.

Synthetic lethal strategies for the development of cancer therapeutics.

Synthetic lethality is a genetic phenomenon whereby the simultaneous presence of two different genetic alterations impairs cellular viability. Importantly, targeting synthetic lethal interactions offers potential therapeutic strategies for cancers with alterations in pathways that might otherwise be considered undruggable. High-throughput screening methods based on modern CRISPR-Cas9 technologies have emerged and become crucial for identifying novel synthetic lethal interactions with the potential for translation into biologically rational cancer therapeutic strategies as well as associated predictive biomarkers of response capable of guiding patient selection.

Applied forces with high vs. low resuscitation table during neonatal ventilation: a randomized crossover manikin study.

Unlabelled: We compared applied forces on a newborn manikin face, cuff pressure, and air leak during positive pressure ventilation with a high vs. low resuscitation table. A randomized controlled crossover (AB/BA) trial of face mask ventilation where a neonatal manikin was placed on the resuscitation table adjusted to level operator's xiphoid (high table positioning) or operator's navel (low table positioning).

Easy-to-use formulations based on the homogenization theory for vascular stent design and mechanical characterization.

Background And Objectives: Vascular stents are scaffolding structures implanted in the vessels of patients with obstructive disease. Stents are typically designed as cylindrical lattice structures characterized by the periodic repetition of unit cells. Their design, including geometry and material characteristics, influences their mechanical performance and, consequently, the clinical outcomes.

A Wireless and Wearable Multimodal Sensor to Non-Invasively Monitor Transabdominal Placental Oxygen Saturation and Maternal Physiological Signals.

Poor placental development and placental defects can lead to adverse pregnancy outcomes such as pre-eclampsia, fetal growth restriction, and stillbirth. This study introduces two sensors, which use a near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) technique to measure placental oxygen saturation transabdominally. The first one, an NIRS sensor, is a wearable device consisting of multiple NIRS channels.

Differential effects of haloperidol on neural oscillations during wakefulness and sleep.

The electrical activity of the brain, characterized by its frequency components, reflects a complex interplay between periodic (oscillatory) and aperiodic components. These components are associated with various neurophysiological processes, such as the excitation-inhibition balance (aperiodic activity) or interregional communication (oscillatory activity). However, we do not fully understand whether these components are truly independent or if different neuromodulators affect them in different ways.

Pathophysiology of the ascending aorta: Impact of dilation and valve phenotype on large-scale blood flow coherence detected by 4D flow MRI.

Background And Objective: The evidence on the role of hemodynamics in aorta pathophysiology has yet to be robustly translated into clinical applications, to improve risk stratification of aortic diseases. Motivated by the need to enrich the current understanding of the pathophysiology of the ascending aorta (AAo), this study evaluates in vivo how large-scale aortic flow coherence is affected by AAo dilation and aortic valve phenotype.

Methods: A complex networks-based approach is applied to 4D flow MRI data to quantify subject-specific AAo flow coherence in terms of correlation between axial velocity waveforms and the aortic flow rate waveform along the cardiac cycle.

Correction: Stauffer Syndrome: Another Strange Case of the Internist's Tumor.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.7759/cureus.42307.

Designing the mechanical behavior of NiTi self-expandable vascular stents by tuning the heat treatment parameters.

The remarkable mechanical properties of nickel-titanium (NiTi) shape memory alloy, particularly its super-elasticity, establish it as the material of choice for fabricating self-expanding vascular stents, including the metallic backbone of peripheral stents and the metallic frame of stent-grafts. The super-elastic nature of NiTi substantially influences the mechanical performance of vascular stents, thereby affecting their clinical effectiveness and safety. This property shows marked sensitivity to the primary parameters of the heat treatment process used in device fabrication, specifically temperature and processing time.

Fluid-structure interaction simulation of mechanical aortic valves: a narrative review exploring its role in total product life cycle.

Over the last years computer modelling and simulation has emerged as an effective tool to support the total product life cycle of cardiovascular devices, particularly in the device preclinical evaluation and post-market assessment. Computational modelling is particularly relevant for heart valve prostheses, which require an extensive assessment of their hydrodynamic performance and of risks of hemolysis and thromboembolic complications associated with mechanically-induced blood damage. These biomechanical aspects are typically evaluated through a fluid-structure interaction (FSI) approach, which enables valve fluid dynamics evaluation accounting for leaflets movement.

Dorsal and median raphe neuronal firing dynamics characterized by nonlinear measures.

The dorsal (DRN) and median (MRN) raphe are important nuclei involved in similar functions, including mood and sleep, but playing distinct roles. These nuclei have a different composition of neuronal types and set of neuronal connections, which among other factors, determine their neuronal dynamics. Most works characterize the neuronal dynamics using classic measures, such as using the average spiking frequency (FR), the coefficient of variation (CV), and action potential duration (APD).

Identification of TP53 germline variants in pediatric patients undergoing tumor testing: strategy and prevalence.

Background: TP53 alterations are common in certain pediatric cancers, making identification of putative germline variants through tumor genomic profiling crucial for disease management.

Methods: We analyzed TP53 alterations in 3123 tumors from 2788 pediatric patients sequenced using tumor-only or tumor-normal paired panels. Germline confirmatory testing was performed when indicated.

Impact of endothelial shear stress on coronary atherosclerotic plaque progression and composition: A meta-analysis and systematic review.

Background And Aims: Intracoronary pressure gradients and translesional flow patterns have been correlated with coronary plaque progression and lesion destabilization. In this study, we aimed to determine the relationship between endothelial shear stress and plaque progression and to evaluate the effect of shear forces on coronary plaque features.

Methods: A systematic review was conducted in medical on-line databases.

Smartphone-based particle tracking velocimetry for the in vitro assessment of coronary flows.

The present study adopts a smartphone-based approach for the experimental characterization of coronary flows. Technically, Particle Tracking Velocimetry (PTV) measurements were performed using a smartphone camera and a low-power continuous wave laser in realistic healthy and stenosed phantoms of left anterior descending artery with inflow Reynolds numbers approximately ranging from 20 to 200. A Lagrangian-Eulerian mapping was performed to convert Lagrangian PTV velocity data to a Eulerian grid.

Evaluation of Hemodynamic Properties After Chimney and Fenestrated Endovascular Aneurysm Repair.

Background: Fenestrated (FEVAR) and chimney (ChEVAR) endovascular aortic repair have been applied in anatomically suitable complex aortic aneurysms. However, local hemodynamic changes may occur after repair. This study aimed to compare FEVAR's and ChEVAR's hemodynamic properties, focusing on visceral arteries.

Association Between Automated 3D Measurement of Coronary Luminal Narrowing and Risk of Future Myocardial Infarction.

This study focuses on identifying anatomical markers with predictive capacity for long-term myocardial infarction (MI) in focal coronary artery disease (CAD). Eighty future culprit lesions (FCL) and 108 non-culprit lesions (NCL) from 80 patients underwent 3D quantitative coronary angiography. The minimum lumen area (MLA), minimum lumen ratio (MLR), and vessel fractional flow reserve (vFFR) were evaluated.