Innovative perspectives on metal free contrast agents for MRI: Enhancing imaging efficacy, and AI-driven future diagnostics.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a boxed warning and mandated additional safety measures for all gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) used in clinical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) due to their prolonged retention in the body and associated adverse health effects.

Swin UNETR Segmentation with Automated Geometry Filtering for Biomechanical Modeling of Knee Joint Cartilage.

Purpose: Simulation studies, such as finite element (FE) modeling, offer insights into knee joint biomechanics, which may not be achieved through experimental methods without direct involvement of patients. While generic FE models have been used to predict tissue biomechanics, they overlook variations in population-specific geometry, loading, and material properties. In contrast, subject-specific models account for these factors, delivering enhanced predictive precision but requiring significant effort and time for development.

CFD Analysis of Particle Dynamics in Accelerated Toroidal Systems for Enhanced PIVG Performance.

This study investigates the movements of particles in an accelerated toroidal flow channel filled with water, with specific applications for a particle imaging velocimetry gyroscope (PIVG). We used computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to simulate particle behavior under different angular accelerations. These angular accelerations were 4 rad/s, 6 rad/s, and 8 rad/s for particles densities of 1100 kg/m, 1050 kg/m, and 980 kg/m.

Optimization of the density-elasticity relationship for rabbit hindlimb bones.

The rabbit is a popular experimental model in orthopaedic biomechanics due to the presence of natural Haversian remodeling, allowing for better translational relevance to the mechanobiology of human bone over traditional rodent models. Although rabbits are often used with computational modeling approaches such as the finite element (FE) method, a validated and widely agreed upon density-elasticity relationship, which is required to make subject-specific predictions, does not exist. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine and validate an accurate density-elasticity relationship for rabbit hindlimb bones using mathematical optimization.

HR-pQCT measurements of changes in periarticular bone density and microarchitecture one year after acute knee injury and after reconstructive surgery.

ACL injuries commonly lead to post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA), but the underlying mechanism is not well-understood. One theorized mechanism is pathological bone remodelling following an ACL tear, for which high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT) is uniquely positioned to investigate in vivo in humans. In this study, we longitudinally investigate the one-year changes in periarticular bone density and microarchitecture in the human knee following an ACL tear and reconstructive surgery using data sampled from an on-going observational cohort study.

Tracking of spaceflight-induced bone remodeling reveals a limited time frame for recovery of resorption sites in humans.

Mechanical unloading causes bone loss, but it remains unclear whether disuse-induced changes to bone microstructure are permanent or can be recovered upon reloading. We examined bone loss and recovery in 17 astronauts using time-lapsed high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography and biochemical markers to determine whether disuse-induced changes are permanent. During 6 months in microgravity, resorption was threefold higher than formation.

A Review of Wastewater-Based Epidemiology for the SARS-CoV-2 Virus in Rural, Remote, and Resource-Constrained Settings Internationally: Insights for Implementation, Research, and Policy for First Nations in Canada.

Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is regarded as a support tool for detecting and assessing the prevalence of infectious diseases at a population level. For rural, remote, and resource-constrained communities with little access to other public health monitoring tools, WBE can be a low-cost approach to filling gaps in population health knowledge to inform public health risk assessment and decision-making. This rapid review explores and discusses unique considerations of WBE in key settings, with a focus on the detection of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which has rapidly expanded WBE infrastructure globally.

Knee-ankle kinematics and coupling responses to SportsMetrics training programs in females athletes with dynamic knee valgus: A sport-specific approach.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the impact of SportsMetrics programs on knee and ankle kinematics, as well as knee-ankle coupling responses during double leg landings among female athletes with dynamic knee valgus (ligament dominance).

Methods: Eighty-four female athletes, including 30 volleyball players, 30 basketball players, and 24 soccer players, were randomly divided into two equal training (TG) and a control groups (CG). The TG underwent 18 sessions of SportsMetrics exercises, while the CG maintained their regular exercise routine.

Impacts of agriculture and snow dynamics on catchment water balance in the U.S. and Great Britain.

The Budyko water balance is a fundamental concept in hydrology that links aridity to how precipitation is divided between evapotranspiration and streamflow. While the model is powerful, its ability to explain temporal changes and the influence of human activities and climate change is limited. Here we introduce a causal discovery algorithm to explore deviations from the Budyko water balance, attributing them to human interventions such as agricultural activities and snow dynamics.

Association of cartilage and relaxation time measurement with hip osteoarthritis progression: A 5-year longitudinal study using voxel-based relaxometry and Z-score normalization.

Objective: To study the longitudinal changes of cartilage and relaxation time measurements in hip-OA patients.

Methods: A calibration study compared two scanner data, Scanner-1 (GE Discovery MR750 3.0T) with unilateral acquisition protocol and Scanner-2 (GE Signa Premier 3.

Subchondral Bone Degeneration and Pathology 3-15 Years Following Ankle Sprain Injury in Adolescent Sport.

Background: Sport-related ankle sprains (SASs) are prevalent in adolescents (ages 10-19), increasing the risk of developing posttraumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA). Although early ankle osteoarthritis (OA) is not well defined, OA eventually includes alterations in bone mineral density (BMD), structural changes, and soft tissue pathology. This study examined the impact of SAS sustained in adolescent sport on bone and soft tissue structural outcomes 3-15 years postinjury.

A comprehensive method to analyze single-cell vibrations.

All living cells vibrate depending on metabolism. It has been hypothesized that vibrations are unique for a given phenotype and thereby suitable to diagnose cancer type and stage and to pre-assess the effectiveness of pharmaceutical treatments in real time. However, cells exhibit highly variable vibrational signals, can be subject to environmental noise, and may be challenging to differentiate, having so far limited the phenomenon's applicability.

Multi-stage semi-supervised learning enhances white matter hyperintensity segmentation.

Introduction: White matter hyperintensities (WMHs) are frequently observed on magnetic resonance (MR) images in older adults, commonly appearing as areas of high signal intensity on fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) MR scans. Elevated WMH volumes are associated with a greater risk of dementia and stroke, even after accounting for vascular risk factors. Manual segmentation, while considered the ground truth, is both labor-intensive and time-consuming, limiting the generation of annotated WMH datasets.

Machine learning-based estimation of respiratory fluctuations in a healthy adult population using resting state BOLD fMRI and head motion parameters.

Purpose: External physiological monitoring is the primary approach to measure and remove effects of low-frequency respiratory variation from BOLD-fMRI signals. However, the acquisition of clean external respiratory data during fMRI is not always possible, so recent research has proposed using machine learning to directly estimate respiratory variation (RV), potentially obviating the need for external monitoring. In this study, we propose an extended method for reconstructing RV waveforms directly from resting state BOLD-fMRI data in healthy adult participants with the inclusion of both BOLD signals and derived head motion parameters.

Harnessing the power of patient engagement in evaluating a novel brace for knee osteoarthritis: a co-produced commentary.

Introduction: Patient oriented research (POR) invites patients to partner with researchers, clinicians, and other stakeholders, incorporating diverse perspectives to generate scientific evidence meaningful to all parties involved. We adopted a POR approach for this study evaluating the feasibility of conducting a randomized control trial of a novel tri-compartment offloader brace for knee osteoarthritis. We involved patients as partners to enhance study design, implementation and interpretation of key outcomes.

Determining the optimum number of cycles for calculating joint coordination and its variability during running at different speeds: A timeseries analysis.

Understanding the intricacies of human movement coordination and variability during running is crucial to unraveling the dynamics of locomotion, identifying potential injury mechanisms and understanding skill development. Identification of minimum number of cycles for calculation of reliable coordination and its variability could help with better test organization and efficient assessment time. By adopting a cross-sectional study design, this study investigated the minimum required cycles for calculating hip-knee, hip-ankle and knee-ankle coordination and their variability using a continuous relative phase (CRP) method.

Vocal communication in asocial BTBR mice is more malleable by a ketogenic diet in juveniles than adults.

Deficits in social communication and language development are a hallmark of autism spectrum disorder currently with no effective approaches to reduce the negative impact. Interventional studies using animal models have been very limited in demonstrating improved vocal communication. Autism has been proposed to involve metabolic dysregulation.

Two Decades of High-Resolution Peripheral Quantitative Computed Tomography: Present and Future Clinical Perspectives.

Twenty years have passed since the introduction of high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT) to assess human bone microarchitecture. During that time, the technique has emerged as an important research tool used by clinicians and scientists to learn about the pathophysiology of bone adaptation in the context of osteoporosis and many other bone-affected conditions. Its rich three-dimensional data is well suited for precise longitudinal monitoring of bone microarchitecture and associated patient-specific estimated bone strength.

Development of a semi-empirical physical model for transient NO emissions prediction from a high-speed diesel engine.

With emissions regulations becoming increasingly restrictive and the advent of real driving emissions limits, control of engine-out NO emissions remains an important research topic for diesel engines. Progress in experimental engine development and computational modelling has led to the generation of a large amount of high-fidelity emissions and in-cylinder data, making it attractive to use data-driven emissions prediction and control models. While pure data-driven methods have shown robustness in NO prediction during steady-state engine operation, deficiencies are found under transient operation and at engine conditions far outside the training range.

Self-Assembled Hybrid Halide Perovskite Quantum Wire Bundle/Dot for Multiband Applications.

In this study, self-assembled halide perovskite quantum wire bundles (QWBs)/quantum dots (QDs) are fabricated using a room temperature-based formation method. The one-dimensional (1D) perovskite-based QWB structures incorporate zero-dimensional QDs within a composite quantum structure. Transmission electron microscopy reveals that quantum wires with diameters ranging from tens of nanometers to approximately 200 nm maintain a single-crystal atomic arrangement in a bundle form.

Comparison of sEMG activity of submental muscles between the head-lift exercise, tongue-press exercise and the head extension tongue-press exercise in healthy young adults.

Background: Swallowing is a complex function that requires precise coordination between different muscles. Weakness in submental muscles can lead to complications such as pharyngeal residue and aspiration. Therefore, exercise interventions targeting these muscles, such as the Head-Lift Exercise (HLE), are clinically important but pose challenges.

Leveraging Non-Radiative Transitions in Asphaltenes-Derived Carbon Dots for Cancer Photothermal Therapy.

Cancer photothermal therapy leverages the capability of photothermal agents to convert light to heat for cancer cell ablation and necrosis. However, most conventional photothermal agents (Au, CuS, Pd, mesoporous silica nanoparticles, and indocyanine green dye) either face scalability challenges or photobleached upon prolonged irradiation which jeopardizes practical applications. Here, asphaltenes-derived carbon dots (ACDs, 5 nm) are rationally engineered as a low-cost and photostable photothermal agent with negligible in vivo cytotoxicity.