Three-dimensional (3D) printing technology has revolutionized tissue engineering field because of its excellent potential of accurately positioning cell-laden constructs. One of the main challenges in the formation of functional engineered tissues is the lack of an efficient and extensive network of microvessels to support cell viability. By printing vascular cells and appropriate biomaterials,...

OBJECTIVE A high level of work stress has been associated with cardiovascular disease. However, the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying this association remain unclear. This study examined the effect of work stress on a cluster of metabolic and hemostatic risk factors. METHODS Blood was collected three times, on the first, third, and fifth day of a work week, from 124 middle-aged, white-...

The sinoatrial node (SAN) is a complex structure that exhibits anatomical and functional heterogeneity which may depend on: 1) The existence of distinct cell populations, 2) electrotonic influences of the surrounding atrium, 3) the presence of a high density of fibroblasts, and 4) atrial cells intermingled within the SAN. Our goal was to utilize a computer model to predict critical determinants...

Two three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamical simulations of strongly magnetized conical jets, one with a poloidal and one with a helical magnetic field, have been performed. In both simulations the jet is precessed at the origin to break the symmetry. The jets are denser by an order of magnitude than the jets in a previous set of simulations. Theoretical work accompanying the previous simulation...

Motivation: Real cortical tissue curves and folds according to experiment data. However, the cortical slice model is organized in flat layers currently. This project would extend the cortical slice model in order to be able to specify arbitrary curvatures to the cortical layers and investigate the effect of curvature and folding on neuron density and layer morphology.

Dexamethasone (DEX) can reduce fibrous tissue growth as well as loss of residual hearing which may occur after cochlear implantation. Little is known about the effect of local inner ear DEX treatment on the spiral ganglion neurons (SGN), which are the target of the electrical stimulation with a cochlear implant (CI). Three different clinically relevant strategies of DEX-delivery into the inner ...

A methodology is introduced for the automated assessment of structural changes of breast tissue in mammograms. It employs a generic machine learning framework and provides objective breast density measures quantifying the specific biological effects of interest. In several illustrative experiments on data from a clinical trial, it is shown that the proposed method can quantify effects caused by...

Various indices of capillary supply to the rat heart were studied in neonatal rats injected for 2 or 4 weeks with protamine sulfate in saline (subcutaneously, 60 mg/kg body weight, 2 times/day). Cardiac capillarization was evaluated not only by traditional indices for the capillary supply, such as mean capillary density and myocyte-to-capillary ratio, but also by a more advanced morphometric me...

The authors compared the effect of postoperative administration of corticosteroids (dexamethasone) on prevertebral soft tissue swelling with that of placebo in patients with anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF). Sixty-two consecutive patients with degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, who underwent a one level ACDF, were examined prospectively. They were assigned randomly t...