Self-gated, dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging with compressed-sensing reconstruction for evaluating endothelial permeability in the aortic root of atherosclerotic mice.

High-risk atherosclerotic plaques are characterized by active inflammation and abundant leaky microvessels. We present a self-gated, dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) acquisition with compressed sensing reconstruction and apply it to assess longitudinal changes in endothelial permeability in the aortic root of Apoe atherosclerotic mice during natural disease progression. Twenty-four, 8-week-old, female Apoe mice were divided into four groups (n = 6 each) and imaged with self-gated DCE-MRI at 4, 8, 12, and 16 weeks after high-fat diet initiation, and then euthanized for CD68 immunohistochemistry for macrophages.

Higher levels of Bifidobacteria and tumor necrosis factor in children with drug-resistant epilepsy are associated with anti-seizure response to the ketogenic diet.

Background: Recently, studies have suggested a role for the gut microbiota in epilepsy. Gut microbial changes during ketogenic diet (KD) treatment of drug-resistant epilepsy have been described. Inflammation is associated with certain types of epilepsy and specific inflammation markers decrease during KD.

Bioinformatics and machine learning in gastrointestinal microbiome research and clinical application.

The scientific community currently defines the human microbiome as all the bacteria, viruses, fungi, archaea, and eukaryotes that occupy the human body. When considering the variable locations, composition, diversity, and abundance of our microbial symbionts, the sheer volume of microorganisms reaches hundreds of trillions. With the onset of next generation sequencing (NGS), also known as high-throughput sequencing (HTS) technologies, the barriers to studying the human microbiome lowered significantly, making in-depth microbiome research accessible.

Phenomenological model of stochastic, spatiotemporal, intensity dynamics of stimulated Brillouin scattering in a two-mode optical fiber.

We present a simple numerical model that is used in conjunction with a systematic algorithm for parameter optimization to understand the three-dimensional stochastic intensity dynamics of stimulated Brillouin scattering in a two-mode optical fiber. The primary factors driving the complex dynamics appear to be thermal density fluctuations, transverse pump fluctuations, and asymmetric transverse mode fractions over the beam cross-section.

Physiologically-based pharmacokinetic modeling of genistein in rats, Part I: Model development.

Genistein is a phytoestrogen-a plant-derived compound that binds to and activates the estrogen receptor-occurring at high levels in soy beans and food products, leading to widespread human exposure. The numerous scientific publications available describing genistein's dosimetry, mechanisms of action, and identified or putative health effects in both experimental animals and humans make it ideal for examination as an example of endocrine-active compound (EAC). We developed a physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model to quantify the internal, target-tissue dosimetry of genistein in adult rats.