Self-Sensing of a Magnetically Actuated Prism.

We demonstrate a method for self-sensing of a magnetically actuated prism that can be used, e.g., in a feedback-loop without the need of additional sensors.

Non-thermal Electroporation Ablation of Epileptogenic Zones Stops Seizures in Mice While Providing Reduced Vascular Damage and Accelerated Tissue Recovery.

In epilepsy, the most frequent surgical procedure is the resection of brain tissue in the temporal lobe, with seizure-free outcomes in approximately two-thirds of cases. However, consequences of surgery can vary strongly depending on the brain region targeted for removal, as surgical morbidity and collateral damage can lead to significant complications, particularly when bleeding and swelling are located near delicate functional cortical regions. Although focal thermal ablations are well-explored in epilepsy as a minimally invasive approach, hemorrhage and edema can be a consequence as the blood-brain barrier is still disrupted.

Experimental Bi-axial tensile tests of spinal meningeal tissues and constitutive models comparison.

Introduction This study aims at identifying mechanical characteristics under bi-axial loading conditions of extracted swine pia mater (PM) and dura and arachnoid complex (DAC). Methods 59 porcine spinal samples have been tested on a bi-axial experimental device with a pre-load of 0.01 N and a displacement rate of 0.

High regional variation in prostate surgery for benign prostatic hyperplasia in Switzerland.

Background: Among various treatment options for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), surgical therapy is the most invasive. As Switzerland has the highest transurethral prostatectomy rate among OECD countries, we assessed the regional variation in prostate surgery for BPH and explored potential determinants of variation.

Methods: We conducted a population-based analysis using discharge data for men aged ≥40 years with transurethral or simple prostatectomy from all Swiss hospitals during 2013-2018.

Optimal allocation of limited test resources for the quantification of COVID-19 infections.

The systematic identification of infected individuals is critical for the containment of the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, the spread of the disease is mostly quantified by the reported numbers of infections, hospitalisations, recoveries and deaths; these quantities inform epidemiology models that provide forecasts for the spread of the epidemic and guide policy making. The veracity of these forecasts depends on the discrepancy between the numbers of reported, and unreported yet infectious, individuals.

Implementation of model explainability for a basic brain tumor detection using convolutional neural networks on MRI slices.

Purpose: While neural networks gain popularity in medical research, attempts to make the decisions of a model explainable are often only made towards the end of the development process once a high predictive accuracy has been achieved.

Methods: In order to assess the advantages of implementing features to increase explainability early in the development process, we trained a neural network to differentiate between MRI slices containing either a vestibular schwannoma, a glioblastoma, or no tumor.

Results: Making the decisions of a network more explainable helped to identify potential bias and choose appropriate training data.

Optimal Flow Sensing for Schooling Swimmers.

Fish schooling implies an awareness of the swimmers for their companions. In flow mediated environments, in addition to visual cues, pressure and shear sensors on the fish body are critical for providing quantitative information that assists the quantification of proximity to other fish. Here we examine the distribution of sensors on the surface of an artificial swimmer so that it can optimally identify a leading group of swimmers.

Use of Botanicals to Suppress Different Stages of the Life Cycle of .

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is one of the most important cereal diseases worldwide, causing yield losses and contamination of harvested products with mycotoxins. is one of the most common FHB-causing species in wheat and barley cropping systems. We assessed the ability of different botanical extracts to suppress essential stages of the fungal life cycle using three strains of (FG0410, FG2113, and FG1145).

Intraocular Pressure and Glaucomatous Optic Neuropathy in High Myopia.

Purpose: To examine the association between intraocular pressure (IOP) and the prevalence of glaucomatous optic neuropathy (GON) in high myopia.

Methods: The hospital-based observational study consisted of patients treated in the Tokyo High Myopia Clinics and for whom fundus photographs and IOP readings were available. The appearance of the optic nerve head on fundus photographs was the basis for the definition of GON.

TEMPORAL VASCULAR ARCADE WIDTH AND ANGLE IN HIGH AXIAL MYOPIA.

Purpose: Axial myopia is associated with elongation of the posterior ocular segment. The authors measured posterior fundus landmarks and assessed their associations with axial length.

Methods: Using fundus photographs, the authors measured the vertical distance between the temporal superior and temporal inferior arterial arcade (VDA) and the angle kappa between the temporal arterial arcades among other morphometric variables.

The packing density of a supramolecular membrane protein cluster is controlled by cytoplasmic interactions.

Molecule clustering is an important mechanism underlying cellular self-organization. In the cell membrane, a variety of fundamentally different mechanisms drive membrane protein clustering into nanometre-sized assemblies. To date, it is unknown whether this clustering process can be dissected into steps differentially regulated by independent mechanisms.

Infection of Adipose Tissues.

Adipose tissues were shown to host which is persisting inside mature adipocytes. It remains unknown whether this holds true for , a rare representative of the complex responsible for lymphatic and pulmonary tuberculosis. Here, we infected primary murine white and brown pre-adipocytes and murine 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes and mature adipocytes with and as a positive control.

PARAPAPILLARY GAMMA AND DELTA ZONES IN HIGH MYOPIA.

Purpose: To examine parapapillary zones gamma and delta in highly myopic eyes.

Methods: The retrospective observational study included patients attending the Tokyo high myopia clinics. Fundus photographs were morphometrically examined.

Glaucoma in high myopia and parapapillary delta zone.

Purpose: To examine the prevalence of glaucomatous optic neuropathy (GON) in a medium myopic to highly myopic group of patients and its association with parapapillary gamma zone and parapapillary delta zone.

Methods: The retrospective observational hospital-based study included patients who had attended the Tokyo High Myopia Clinics within January 2012 and December 2012 and for whom fundus photographs were available. GON was defined based on the appearance of the optic nerve head on the fundus photographs.

Electrostatic anchoring precedes stable membrane attachment of SNAP25/SNAP23 to the plasma membrane.

The SNAREs SNAP25 and SNAP23 are proteins that are initially cytosolic after translation, but then become stably attached to the cell membrane through palmitoylation of cysteine residues. For palmitoylation to occur, membrane association is a prerequisite, but it is unclear which motif may increase the affinities of the proteins for the target membrane. In experiments with rat neuroendocrine cells, we find that a few basic amino acids in the cysteine-rich region of SNAP25 and SNAP23 are essential for plasma membrane targeting.

Concentration Dependent Ion-Protein Interaction Patterns Underlying Protein Oligomerization Behaviours.

Salts and proteins comprise two of the basic molecular components of biological materials. Kosmotropic/chaotropic co-solvation and matching ion water affinities explain basic ionic effects on protein aggregation observed in simple solutions. However, it is unclear how these theories apply to proteins in complex biological environments and what the underlying ionic binding patterns are.

Synergistic activity of antibiotics combined with ivermectin to kill body lice.

Ivermectin and doxycycline have been found to be independently effective in killing body lice. In this study, 450 body lice were artificially fed on a Parafilm™ membrane with human blood associated with antibiotics (doxycycline, erythromycin, rifampicin and azithromycin) alone and in combination with ivermectin. Fluorescence in situ hybridisation and spectral deconvolution were performed to evaluate bacterial transcriptional activity following antibiotic intake by the lice.

Intravital Microscopy Imaging of the Liver following Leishmania Infection: An Assessment of Hepatic Hemodynamics.

Intravital microscopy (IVM) is a powerful optical imaging technique that has made possible the visualization, monitoring and quantification of various biological events in real time and in live animals. This technology has greatly advanced our understanding of physiological processes and pathogen-mediated phenomena in specific organs. In this study, IVM is applied to the mouse liver and protocols are designed to image in vivo the circulatory system of the liver and measure red blood cell (RBC) velocity in individual hepatic vessels.

Implanting glass spinal cord windows in adult mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.

Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in adult rodents is the standard experimental model for studying autonomic demyelinating diseases such as multiple sclerosis. Here we present a low-cost and reproducible glass window implantation protocol that is suitable for intravital microscopy and studying the dynamics of spinal cord cytoarchitecture with subcellular resolution in live adult mice with EAE. Briefly, we surgically expose the vertebrae T12-L2 and construct a chamber around the exposed vertebrae using a combination of cyanoacrylate and dental cement.

Long- and short-term intravital imaging reveals differential spatiotemporal recruitment and function of myelomonocytic cells after spinal cord injury.

After spinal cord injury (SCI), resident and peripheral myelomonocytic cells are recruited to the injury site and play a role in injury progression. These cells are important for clearing cellular debris, and can modulate the retraction and growth of axons in vitro. However, their precise spatiotemporal recruitment dynamics is unknown, and their respective roles after SCI remain heavily debated.

Cell extract-containing medium for culture of intracellular fastidious bacteria.

The culture of fastidious microorganisms is a critical step in infectious disease studies. As a proof-of-concept experiment, we evaluated an empirical medium containing eukaryotic cell extracts for its ability to support the growth of Coxiella burnetii. Here, we demonstrate the exponential growth of several bacterial strains, including the C.