Characterisation and FE Modelling of the Sorption and Swelling Behaviour of Polyamide 6 in Water.

Polyamide 6 (PA6) is known to absorb water from its environment due to its chemical structure. This water absorption leads to a change in the mechanical properties as well as an increase in volume (swelling) of the polyamide. In the present work, the sorption and swelling behaviour of polyamide 6 in different conditioning environments was experimentally investigated on different part geometries to develop a finite element (FE) method on the basis of the measured data that numerically calculates the sorption and swelling behaviour.

Diffusion Kurtosis Imaging Fiber Tractography of Major White Matter Tracts in Neurosurgery.

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)-based fiber tractography is routinely used in clinical applications to visualize major white matter tracts, such as the corticospinal tract (CST), optic radiation (OR), and arcuate fascicle (AF). Nevertheless, DTI is limited due to its capability of resolving intra-voxel multi-fiber populations. Sophisticated models often require long acquisition times not applicable in clinical practice.

Modulating IL-6 and IL-10 levels by pharmacologic strategies and the impact of different extracorporeal circulation parameters during cardiac surgery.

Postoperative morbidity after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) using cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) can be influenced by pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines like interleukin 6 (IL-6) and IL-10 triggering and balancing the acute phase response. The extent of cytokine release can be modulated by different methods. This prospective randomized study examines the effect of treatment of patients with steroid (group 1, 250 mg of prednisolone)(Solu-Decortin H)), aprotinin (group 2, 6 Mio.