Purpose: To demonstrate a novel method for tracking of head movements during MRI using electroencephalography (EEG) hardware for recording signals induced by native imaging gradients. Theory and Methods: Gradient switching during simultaneous EEG–fMRI induces distortions in EEG signals, which depend on subject head position and orientation. When EEG electrodes are interconnected with high-impedanc

Addition of nanoparticles into a fluid can improve the heat transfer performance of the base fluid in heat exchangers. In this work, the preparation method and process of nanofluids are introduced, and thermal properties of nanofluids, such as thermal conductivity and viscosity, are discussed deeply. This paper summarizes various theoretical models of thermal conductivity and viscosity of nanoflui

Background: Children with achondroplasia have extreme short stature due to short limbs, as well as several other clinical features that may affect their gait. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to provide a detailed description of gait in children with achondroplasia compared to age-matched controls. Methods: Between the years 2007 and 2010, 16 children with achondroplasia [mean age 9.6

We study the physics of high-temperature cuprate superconductors starting from the highly degenerate four-site plaquette of the t− t′− U Hubbard model as a reference system. The degeneracy causes strong fluctuations when a lattice of plaquettes is constructed. We show that there is a large binding energy between holes when a set of four plaquettes is considered. The next-nearest-neighbour hopping

Aquiring higher thermal efficiency with minimum energy consumption is the continuous pursuit of heat exchanger design. This work aims to demonstrate a novel enhanced heat exchange approach for a two-pass heat exchanger surface using four forms of a novel heat exchanger (nHEX), such as high straight and low curved turbulators, etc. The nHEXs are arranged parallel and equally spaced on the internal

Neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation is a key feature in sepsis. The aim of the present study was to examine the role of the actin cytoskeleton in regulating the expulsion of NETs. Actin-related protein 2/3 (Arp 2/3) complex is an important regulator of F-actin polymerization. Coincubation with CK666, a specific Arp 2/3 inhibitor, decreased 12-phorbol 13-myristate acetate-induced NET form

Based on solid evidence, mesh prosthesis reinforcement has reduced the risk of recurrence after umbilical hernia repair1–4, but less is known about the risk of complications or chronic pain4,5. Patients’ claims after surgery may represent a surrogate for poor outcome6. This study examined mesh prosthesis-related complications leading to economic compensation after elective umbilical hernia repair.

Background: Physical activity (PA) increases bone mass, especially in late prepuberty and early puberty, but it remains unclear if and how PA affects both bone formation and bone resorption. Materials and Methods: We included 191 boys and 158 girls aged 7.7 ± 0.6 (mean ± SD) in a population-based PA intervention study. The intervention group (123 boys and 94 girls) received daily physical educatio

Rotavirus (RV) infection induces strong adaptive immunity. While protection from reinfection requires humoral immunity, initial clearance of infection depends on cytotoxic CD8 T cells. Type I classical dendritic cells (cDC1) excel at CD8 T cell induction through cross-presentation and are essential for optimal cytotoxicity towards RV. Upon sensing of infection-induced innate immune signals through

Background: Delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI), a complication of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), is linked to cerebral vasospasm and associated with poor long-term outcome. We implemented a structured cerebral microdialysis (CMD) based protocol using the lactate/pyruvate ratio (LPR) as an indicator of the cerebral energy metabolic status in the neurocritical care decision making, using an LPR ≥ 30 as

Background: Addictive behavior of gambling, gaming and internet activity is partly a new research domain and has not been well investigated with regard to sexual minority populations. Although health disparities between sexual minorities and the general population are well documented, there is a lack of inclusion of sexual minorities in both research and clinic. Among lesbian, gay and bisexual pop

Now more than ever, optimizing resource allocation in cloud computing is becoming more critical due to the growth of cloud computing consumers and meeting the computing demands of modern technology. Cloud infrastructures typically consist of heterogeneous servers, hosting multiple virtual machines with potentially different specifications, and volatile resource usage. This makes the resource alloc

Aerial predators, such as the dragonfly, determine the position and movement of their prey even when both are moving through complex, natural scenes. This task is likely supported by a group of neurons in the optic lobe which respond to moving targets that subtend less than a few degrees. These Small Target Motion Detector (STMD) neurons are tuned to both target size and velocity, whilst also exhi

We aimed to identify plasma biomarkers that predict changes in bone mineral density (BMD) and increase the understanding of impaired BMD after heart transplantation (HT). Twenty-eight adult patients were included. Data, including densitometry and 29 plasma proteins, before and 1 year after HT were analyzed. Pre-HT plasma levels of fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) correlated with post-HT T score

Ex vivo culture of primary acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells is notoriously difficult due to spontaneous differentiation and cell death, which hinders mechanistic and translational studies. To overcome this bottleneck, we have implemented a co-culture system, where the OP9-M2 stromal cells support the growth, but most notably limit the differentiation of primary AML cells, thus allowing for mecha

Background: Prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) is a feared complication after heart valve surgery. Studies on differences in bacteriology in various types of PVE are limited. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the microbiology of PVE depending on the type of prosthetic valve and timing of diagnosis. Methods: A retrospective study based on the Swedish Registry on Infective Endocarditis fo

The physicochemical properties of perfluorinated sulfonic acid (PFSA) polymers are closely correlated with their nanostructure. However, their real nano-structural morphology is still controversial because it is difficult to observe their accurate morphology at the nanoscale. Moreover, studies on the nanostructures of the PFSA membranes have been mainly focused on the ionic domain. On this basis,