Fiber-based Miniature Strain Sensor with Fast Response and Low Hysteresis.

Flexible and stretchable strain sensors are in high demand in sports performance monitoring, structural health monitoring, and biomedical applications. However, existing stretchable soft sensors, primarily based on soft polymer materials, often suffer from drawbacks, including high hysteresis, low durability, and delayed response. To overcome these limitations, we introduced a stretchable miniature fiber sensor comprised of a stretchable core tightly coiled with parallel conductive wires.

Electrodiagnostic Confirmation of Lumbar Radiculopathy and Its Association With Lumbar Central Canal Stenosis and Neuroforaminal Stenosis.

Introduction: Lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) and lumbar neuroforaminal stenosis (LNS) are common diagnoses that plague patients with low back pain. Electrodiagnostic testing (EDX) can be used as an adjunct to investigate lower extremity radicular nerve pain and/or neurogenic claudication. However, there are only limited studies discussing the association of these diagnostic tools with radiculopathy.

Gut Pathobiont-Derived Outer Membrane Vesicles Drive Liver Inflammation and Fibrosis in Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis-Associated Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Background & Aims: Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), often associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), presents a multifactorial etiology involving genetic, immunologic, and environmental factors. Gut dysbiosis and bacterial translocation have been implicated in PSC-IBD, yet the precise mechanisms underlying their pathogenesis remain elusive. Here, we describe the role of gut pathobionts in promoting liver inflammation and fibrosis due to the release of bacterial outer membrane vesicles (OMVs).

Pregnancy risk in beef and dairy cows after supplementing semen with transforming growth factor beta-1 at the time of artificial insemination.

Our objective was to determine if the addition of a concentrated human recombinant transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGF) to bovine semen at the time of AI would result in increased risk of pregnancy in beef and dairy cows. Suckled beef cows (n = 1,132) in 11 herds across 2 states and lactating dairy cows (n = 2,208) in one organic-certified herd were enrolled. Beef cows received fixed-time AI (FTAI) following a 7 d CO-Synch + controlled internal drug release estrous synchronization protocol.

Progression of PROM1-Associated Retinal Degeneration as Determined by Spectral-Domain Optical Coherence Tomography Over a 24-Month Period.

Purpose: To evaluate the progression of atrophy as determined by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) in patients with molecularly confirmed PROM1-associated retinal degeneration (RD) over a 24-month period.

Design: International, multicenter, prospective case series.

Methods: A total of 13 eyes (13 patients) affected with PROM1-associated RD were enrolled at 5 sites and SD-OCT images were obtained at baseline and after 24 months.

Understanding the concept of a novel tool requires interaction of the dorsal and ventral streams.

The left hemisphere tool-use network consists of the dorso-dorsal, ventro-dorsal, and ventral streams, each with distinct computational abilities. In the dual-loop model, the ventral pathway through the extreme capsule is associated with conceptual understanding. We performed a learning experiment with fMRI to investigate how these streams interact when confronted with novel tools.

Computational Micromechanics Investigation of Percolation and Effective Electro-Mechanical Properties of Carbon Nanotube/Polymer Nanocomposites using Stochastically Generated Realizations: Effects of Orientation and Waviness.

The electrical and mechanical properties of carbon nanotube/polymer nanocomposites depend strongly upon several factors such as CNT volume fraction, CNT alignment, CNT dispersion and CNT waviness among others. This work focuses on obtaining estimates and distribution for the effective electrical conductivity, elastic constants and piezoresistive properties as a function of these factors using a stochastic approach with numerous CNT/polymer realizations coupled with parallel computation. Additionally, electrical percolation volume fraction and percolation transitional behavior is also studied.

CHANGES OF OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY ANGIOGRAPHY PARAMETERS AFTER INTERNAL LIMITING MEMBRANE PEELING COMPARED WITH NONPEELING IN EPIRETINAL MEMBRANE SURGERY.

Purpose: To prospectively compare microvascular changes of internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeled and nonpeeled eyes in patients with idiopathic epiretinal membranes using optical coherence tomography angiography.

Methods: Forty-two patients with epiretinal membranes underwent vitrectomy with (n = 22) or without ILM peeling (n = 20). The mean superficial capillary plexus foveal avascular zone area change between preoperative and three-month postoperative readings served as the main outcome measure.

Attributes Characterizing Colorectal Cancer Screening Tests That Influence Preferences of Individuals Eligible for Screening in Germany: A Qualitative Study.

Purpose: This qualitative study is part of the SIGMO study, which evaluates general populations' preferences for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening in Germany using a discrete choice experiment. Attribute identification and selection are essential in the construction of choice tasks and should be evidence-based ensuring that attributes are relevant to potential beneficiaries and contribute to overall utility. Therefore, this qualitative study aims to identify relevant attributes characterizing CRC screening tests from the perspective of those eligible for screening in Germany.

Into the Blue: First in Man Data on Diving Physiology in Fontan Patients.

Swimming and diving are popular recreational activities. As congenital heart disease, especially patients with univentricular hearts after Fontan palliation are thought to have reduced physiologic capacities for compensation of submersion-associated physiologic demands, current guidelines put restraints on this group of patients. Although these restrictions on doctoral advice place a significant burden on affected patients, it is especially interesting that these guideline recommendations are merely based on physiologic assumptions, i.

Cohort profile: 'Biomarkers of Personalised Medicine' (BioPersMed): a single-centre prospective observational cohort study in Graz/Austria to evaluate novel biomarkers in cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.

Purpose: Accumulating evidence points towards a close relationship between cardiovascular, endocrine and metabolic diseases. The BioPersMed Study (Biomarkers of Personalised Medicine) is a single-centre prospective observational cohort study with repetitive examination of participants in 2-year intervals. The aim is to evaluate the predictive impact of various traditional and novel biomarkers of cardiovascular, endocrine and metabolic pathways in asymptomatic individuals at risk for cardiovascular and/or metabolic disease.

Extracellular vesicles in low volume uterine lavage and serum: novel and promising biomarker for endometritis in Arabian mares.

Background: Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are a promising biomarker and play a vital role in cell-cell communication. This study aimed (I) to identify and characterize EVs from low volume uterine lavage (LVL) and serum in mares with endometritis, compared to healthy controls and (II) to measure serum levels of interleukin 6 (IL-6), and prostaglandins (PGF and PGE). Mares were divided into 30 sub-fertile (endometritis) and 20 fertile (controls).

Ten Years of Improving Acute Stroke Management in a Metropolitan Area: A Population-Based Quantification of Quality Indicators.

Background And Purpose: Rapid access to acute stroke treatment improves clinical outcomes in patients with ischemic stroke. We aimed to shorten the time to admission and to acute stroke treatment for patients with acute stroke in the Hamburg metropolitan area by collaborative multilevel measures involving all hospitals with stroke units, the Emergency Medical Services (EMS), and health-care authorities.

Methods: In 2007, an area-wide stroke care quality project was initiated.

Translating Basic Research to Animal Agriculture.

Procedures to maintain viability of mammalian gametes and embryos in vitro, including cryopreservation, have been exceedingly valuable for my research over the past 55 years. Keeping sperm viable in vitro enables artificial insemination, which, when combined with selective breeding, often is the most effective approach to making rapid genetic change in a population. Superovulation and embryo transfer constitute a parallel approach for amplifying reproduction of female mammals.

Cotinine and cytokine levels in the vitreous body and blood serum of smokers and non-smokers - A pilot study.

Tobacco smoking is a risk factor for many ocular diseases. Of the multiple tobacco smoke compounds nicotine and its main metabolite cotinine are likely agents in disease modulation. The interaction of these compounds with exposed tissue is complex and ranges from proinflammatory to potentially neuroprotective properties.

Vitrectomy for diabetic macular edema and the relevance of external limiting membrane.

Purpose: To evaluate the relevance of external limiting membrane (ELM) on the visual and morphological results in eyes with diabetic macular edema (DME) that underwent pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) with epiretinal membrane (ERM) and internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling.

Methods: Medical records of patients with DME who underwent PPV at our unit between January 2017 and December 2019 were reviewed. We assessed preoperative and postoperative best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central macular thickness (CMT) using spectral domain OCT (optical coherence tomography).