MicroCT and contrast-enhanced microCT to study the in vivo degradation behavior and biocompatibility of candidate metallic intravascular stent materials.

Biodegradable intravascular stents offer a promising alternative to permanent stents for treating atherosclerosis-related artery narrowing by potentially avoiding long-term complications. Identifying materials that degrade harmlessly and uniformly at a suitable rate is crucial. This study evaluated an advanced zinc alloy (Zn-Ag-Cu-Mn-Zr) alongside pure iron and pure zinc, using a simplified stent model of metallic wires implanted in the rat aorta.

The biological effects of copper alloying in Zn-based biodegradable arterial implants.

Biodegradable metals based on zinc are being developed to serve as temporary arterial scaffolding. Although the inclusion of copper is becoming more prevalent for grain refinement in zinc alloys, the biological activity of the copper component has not been well investigated. Here, two ZnCu alloys (0.

Exploring the biodegradability of candidate metallic intravascular stent materials using X-ray microfocus computed tomography: An in vitro study.

In vitro testing for evaluating degradation mode and rate of candidate biodegradable metals to be used as intravascular stents is crucial before going to in vivo animal models. In this study, we show that X-ray microfocus computed tomography (microCT) presents a key added value to visualize degradation mode and to evaluate degradation rate and material surface properties in 3D and at high resolution of large regions of interest. The in vitro degradation behavior of three candidate biodegradable stent materials was evaluated: pure iron (Fe), pure zinc (Zn), and a quinary Zn alloy (ZnAgCuMnZr).

The impact of vestibular function on cognitive-motor interference: a case-control study on dual-tasking in persons with bilateral vestibulopathy and normal hearing.

Bilateral vestibulopathy (BV) is a chronic vestibular disorder, characterized by bilaterally absent or significantly impaired vestibular function. Symptoms typically include, but are not limited to, unsteadiness and movement-induced blurred vision (oscillopsia). This prospective case-control study aimed to elucidate the impact of BV on cognitive and motor performance and on cognitive-motor interference.

Association of Bilateral Vestibulopathy With and Without Hearing Loss With Cognitive-Motor Interference.

Importance: The past years, evidence suggested that the primary symptoms traditionally associated with bilateral vestibulopathy (BV) do not represent the full picture of this patient population. Recent literature also demonstrated cognitive impairment. However, although multitasking and dual-tasking are widely present in everyday activities, most of these studies assessed cognitive function only in single-task conditions.