Inflammation is involved in ventilator-induced diaphragm dysfunction. Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) is an important inflammatory factor, but it remains unclear whether TLR4 contributes to ventilator-induced diaphragm dysfunction. This study aimed to investigate the role of TLR4 signaling in ventilator-induced diaphragm dysfunction. Total 30 adult male SD rats were randomly divided into control gr...

Indirect evidence from airway pressure recordings in mechanically ventilated patients suggests that the diaphragm exhibits contractile activity beyond that required to trigger a ventilator-assisted breath. We used the diaphragmatic EMG to provide direct evidence of persistent contractile activity and studied the effects of alterations in ventilator-delivered flow rate and tidal volume on the du...

To characterize the pump function of the left atrium, we determined the instantaneous pressure-volume relation of the isolated supported left atrium. A physiologic after-loading system for the low-pressure atrium was created by coupling it to a real-time computer-simulated ventricle and a simulated venous impedance network via a volume servo-pump. In 10 atria loaded with such systems, multiple ...

in this paper, we establish and prove the existence of best proximity points for multivalued cyclic $f$- contraction mappings in complete metric spaces. our results improve and extend various results in literature.

recently, choudhury and metiya [fixed points of weak contractions in cone metric spaces, nonlinear analysis 72 (2010) 1589-1593] proved some fixed point theorems for weak contractions in cone metric spaces. weak contractions are generalizations of the banach's contraction mapping, which have been studied by several authors. in this paper, we introduce the notion of $f$-weak contractions and als...

This paper presents the non-uniform change in cell thickness of cylindrical Lithium (Li)-ion cells due to State Charge (SoC). Using optical measurement methods, with aid a laser light band micrometer, expansion and contraction are determined over complete charge discharge cycle. The is rotated around its own axis by an angle ?=10° each step, so that different positions can be compared other cir...

Significant differences between epicardial and endocardial systolic stress in the wall of the left ventricle (LV) have been predicted by various models of LV mechanics. Yet a model incorporating transmural differences in fiber orientation and torsion, defined as a rotation of the apex with respect to the base around the long axis of the LV, predicts transmural equalization of stress and shorten...

Regulation of regional work is essential for efficient cardiac function. In patients with heart failure and electrical dysfunction such as left branch bundle block regional work is often depressed in the septum. Following cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT) this heterogeneous distribution of work can be rebalanced by altering the pattern of electrical activation. To investigate the changes ...

Skeletal muscle fibers are composed of three structural elements, each contributing a unique aspect of muscle function, yet each 'competing' in a sense for space inside the cell. The volume occupied by myofibrils determines the force of contraction, the volume of sarcoplasmic reticulum sets the rate of onset and relaxation of a fiber's contraction and hence contraction frequency, and the volume...