Search results for "Biomedical"

Investigating cardiovascular and cerebrovascular variability in postural syncope by means of extended Granger causality

2014

The patterns of Granger causality (GC) between heart period (HP), mean arterial pressure (AP) and cerebral blood flow velocity (FV) were investigated in ten subjects with postural related syncope (PRS). The classic GC measure based on vector autoregressive (VAR) modeling was compared with a novel extended GC (eGC) measure derived from VAR models incorporating instantaneous causal effects among the series. The analysis was performed in the supine and in the upright position during early (ET) and late (LT, close to presyncope) epochs of head-up tilt. Moving from ET to LT, both GC and eGC decreased from AP to HP, and increased from AP to FV, reflecting baroreflex impairment and loss of cerebra…

Subgrouping and targeted exercise programmes for knee and hip osteoarthritis (STEER OA) individual participant data meta-analysis. Progress update an…

2019

Impact of Aortic Stenosis on Myofiber Stress: Translational Application of Left Ventricle-Aortic Coupling Simulation

2020

The severity of aortic stenosis (AS) has traditionally been graded by measuring hemodynamic parameters of transvalvular pressure gradient, ejection jet velocity, or estimating valve orifice area. Recent research has highlighted limitations of these criteria at effectively grading AS in presence of left ventricle (LV) dysfunction. We hypothesized that simulations coupling the aorta and LV could provide meaningful insight into myocardial biomechanical derangements that accompany AS. A realistic finite element model of the human heart with a coupled lumped-parameter circulatory system was used to simulate AS. Finite element analysis was performed with Abaqus FEA. An anisotropic hyperelastic mo…

Substantial Reduction of Platelet Adhesion by Heparin-Coated Stents

2001

Although optimized antiplatelet medication has improved the clinical outcome after coronary stenting, vessel occlusion and restenosis still remain a relevant clinical problem. Platelets play a key role in this process. Therefore, the authors compared the platelet adhesion on different stent surface modifications (electropolished without coating or coated with carbon, carbon and additional heparin, silicon carbide, or heparin alone) to investigate their role in reducing platelet adhesion. All stents and additional stainless steel plates were incubated in heparinized whole blood with radiolabeled platelets. After washing the stents and plates four times, radioactivity caused by the adhesion o…

Biomechanical and histological evaluation of abdominal wall compliance with intraperitoneal onlay mesh implants in rabbits: A comparison of six diffe…

2012

Abstract Background An ideal prosthetic mesh for incisional hernia repair should mimic the anisotropic compliance of the abdominal wall, and at lower loads should exhibit higher distensibility without impairment of safety at higher loads. This study evaluated the biomechanical properties of six meshes in a rabbit model. Methods New Zealand white rabbits were used for this study. Two meshes of the same brand (Ethicon Physiomesh™, Bard Composix ® L/P, Gore Dualmesh ® , Bard Sepramesh ® , Ethicon Proceed ® or Parietex™ Composite) were implanted into each animal for assessment of intra-abdominal hernia repair, with a total of ten meshes per group. Twelve weeks after implantation, the abdominal …

Translational Research for Improving the Care of Familial Hypercholesterolemia: The “Ten Countries Study” and Beyond

2016

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is the most common and serious form of inherited hyperlipidaemia. Dominantly inherited with high penetrance, untreated FH leads to premature death from coronary artery disease due to accelerated atherosclerosis from birth. Despite its importance, there is still a major shortfall in awareness, detection and treatment of FH worldwide. International models of care for FH have recently been published, but their effective implementation requires the garnering of more knowledge about the condition. The "Ten Countries Study" aims to investigate diagnostic, epidemiological and service aspects, as well as physician practices and patient experiences of FH in several…

Modern Strategies in the Prevention of Implant-Associated Infections

2005

The application of medical devices either for temporary or permanent use has become an indispensible part of almost all fields of medicine. However, foreign bodies are associated with a substantial risk of bacterial and fungal infections. Implant-associated infections significantly contribute to the still increasing problem of nosocomial infections. To reduce the incidence of such infections, specific guidelines providing evidence-based recommendations and comprising both technological and nontechnological strategies for prevention have been established. Strict adherence to hygienic rules during insertion or implantation of the device are aspects of particular importance. Besides such basi…

Medicated hydrogels of hyaluronic acid derivatives for use in orthopedic field.

2013

Physical hydrogels have been obtained from hyaluronic acid derivatized with polylactic acid in the presence or in the absence of polyethylene glycol chains. They have been extemporarily loaded with antibacterial agents, such as vancomycin and tobramycin. These medicated hydrogels have been used to coat titanium disks (chosen as simple model of orthopedic prosthesis) and in vitro studies in simulated physiological fluid have been performed as a function of time and for different drug loading and polymer concentration values. Sterilization process performed on the hydrogels does not change their rheological behavior and release properties as well as the chemical structure of starting copolyme…

Molecular genetics of Staphylococcus epidermidis biofilms on indwelling medical devices.

2005

Staphylococcus epidermidis is an opportunistic pathogen associated with foreign body infections and nosocomial sepsis. The pathogenicity of S. epidermidis is mostly due to its ability to colonize indwelling polymeric devices and form a thick, multilayered biofilm. Biofilm formation is a major problem in treating S. epidermidis infection as biofilms provide significant resistance to antibiotics and to components of the innate host defenses. Various cell surface associated bacterial factors play a role in adherence and accumulation of the biofilm such as the polysaccharide intercellular adhesin and the autolysin AtlE. Furthermore, recent studies have shown that global regulators such as the …

Bibliometric analysis of leishmaniasis research in Medline (1945-2010)

2012

Background Publications are often used as a measure of success of research work. Leishmaniasis is considered endemic in 98 countries, most of which are developing. This article describes a bibliometric review of the literature on leishmaniasis research indexed in PubMed during a 66-year period. Methods Medline was used via the PubMed online service of the US National Library of Medicine. The search strategy was Leishmania [MeSH] or leishmaniasis [MeSH] from 1 January 1945 until 31 December 2010. Neither language nor document type restrictions were employed. Results A total of 20,780 references were retrieved. The number of publications increased steadily over time, with 3,380 publications f…