Expressed Emotion in the Family: A Meta-Analytic Review of Expressed Emotion as a Mechanism of the Transgenerational Transmission of Mental Disorders.

Background: High Expressed Emotion (HEE) has been identified as a risk factor for the exacerbation and course of mental illness. EE has been investigated as a caregiver's response to an offspring's problem behavior and pathology. The present meta-analysis regards EE from a transgenerational perspective and as one mechanism that might explain the transgenerational transmission of mental disorders.

A multi-purpose force-controlled loading device for cartilage and meniscus functionality assessment using advanced MRI techniques.

Response to loading of soft tissues as assessed by advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques is a promising approach to evaluate tissue functionality beyond (statically obtained) structural and compositional features. As cartilage and meniscus pathologies are closely intertwined in osteoarthritis (OA) and beyond, both tissues should ideally be studied to elucidate further the underlying mechanisms involved in load transmission and its failure leading to OA. Hence, we devised, constructed and validated a dedicated MRI-compatible pneumatic force-controlled loading device to study cartilage and meniscus functionality in a standardized and reproducible manner and in reference to alternative tissue evaluation methods.

Assessment of axonal recruitment using model-guided preclinical spinal cord stimulation in the ex vivo adult mouse spinal cord.

Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is used clinically to limit chronic pain, but fundamental questions remain on the identity of axonal populations recruited. We developed an ex vivo adult mouse spinal cord preparation to assess recruitment following delivery of clinically analogous stimuli determined by downscaling a finite element model of clinical SCS. Analogous electric field distributions were generated with 300-µm × 300-µm electrodes positioned 200 µm above the dorsal column (DC) with stimulation between 50 and 200 µA.

Quantitative articular cartilage sub-surface defect assessment using optical coherence tomography: An in-vitro study.

Assessment of structural cartilage damage is of high scientific and clinical interest. Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) is a light-based cross-sectional imaging modality that allows the real-time assessment of articular cartilage at near-histological resolution. Algorithm routines for the detection, parameterization and quantification of sub-surface defects as assessed by OCT were implemented and validated in this study.