Continuous monitoring of the central-blood-pressure waveform from deeply
embedded vessels, such as the carotid artery and jugular vein, has clinical
value for the prediction of all-cause cardiovascular mortality. However,
existing non-invasive approaches, including photoplethysmography and tonometry,
only enable access to the superficial peripheral vasculature. Although current
ultrasonic technologies allow non-invasive deep-tissue observation, unstable
coupling with the tissue surface resulting from the bulkiness and rigidity of
conventional ultrasound probes introduces usability constraints. Here, we
describe the design and operation of an ultrasonic device that is conformal to
the skin and capable of capturing blood-pressure waveforms at deeply embedded
arterial and venous sites. The wearable device is ultrathin (240 μm) and
stretchable (with strains up to 60%), and enables the non-invasive, continuous
and accurate monitoring of cardiovascular events from multiple body locations,
which should facilitate its use in a variety of clinical environments.
BackgroundThe identification of disease-related microRNAs is vital for understanding the pathogenesis of diseases at the molecular level, and is critical for designing specific molecular tools for diagnosis, treatment and prevention. Experimental identification of disease-related microRNAs poses considerable difficulties. Computational analysis of microRNA-disease associations is an important complementary means for prioritizing microRNAs for further experimental examination.ResultsHerein, we devised a computational model to infer potential microRNA-disease associations by prioritizing the entire human microRNAome for diseases of interest. We tested the model on 270 known experimentally verified microRNA-disease associations and achieved an area under the ROC curve of 75.80%. Moreover, we demonstrated that the model is applicable to diseases with which no known microRNAs are associated. The microRNAome-wide prioritization of microRNAs for 1,599 disease phenotypes is publicly released to facilitate future identification of disease-related microRNAs.ConclusionsWe presented a network-based approach that can infer potential microRNA-disease associations and drive testable hypotheses for the experimental efforts to identify the roles of microRNAs in human diseases.
Digital maps of quantitative AF, cell density, and packing geometry provide metrics for cellular-resolution clinical imaging and model systems. The uncoupling of RPE LF content, cell number, and photoreceptor topography in aging challenges LF's role in AMD.
Summary
A major obstacle to tuberculosis (TB) control is the problem of chronic TB infection (CTBI).
NOS2-/-and gp91phox -/-mice given aminoguanidine [to suppress the effects of nitric oxide synthase 2 (NOS2)] -indicating minimal metabolic effect on the cysH mutant survival in these mice. The cysH mutant was also susceptible to peroxynitrite and hydrogen peroxide in vitro . These results show that CysH is important for Mtb protection during the chronic infection phase, and that resistance to nitrosative and oxidative stress may be the mechanism of this protection. Thus, this metabolic gene of an intracellular pathogen could have a secondary role in protection against the host immune response. Finally the lack of an endogenous human orthologue of cysH and its possible role in defence against adaptive immunity renders CysH an attractive enzyme for further studies as a target for therapeutics active against CTBI.
Purpose
To assess between- and within-individual variability of macular cone topography in the eyes of young adults.
Design
Observational case series.
Methods
Cone photoreceptors in 40 eyes of 20 subjects aged 19–29 years with normal maculae were imaged using a research adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscope. Refractive errors ranged from −3.0 D to 0.63 D and differed by <0.50 D in fellow eyes. Cone density was assessed on a two-dimensional sampling grid over the central 2.4 mm × 2.4 mm. Between-individual variability was evaluated by coefficient of variation (CV). Within-individual variability was quantified by maximum difference and root-mean-square (RMS). Cones were cumulated over increasing eccentricity.
Results
Peak densities of foveal cones are 168,162 ± 23,529 cones/mm2 (mean ± SD) (CV = 0.14). The number of cones within the cone-dominated foveola (0.8–0.9 mm diameter) is 38,311 ± 2,319 (CV = 0.06). The RMS cone density difference between fellow eyes is 6.78%, and the maximum difference is 23.6%. Mixed model statistical analysis found no difference in the association between eccentricity and cone density in the superior/nasal (p=0.8503), superior/temporal (p=0.1551), inferior/nasal (p=0.8609), and inferior/temporal (p=0.6662) quadrants of fellow eyes.
Conclusions
New instrumentation imaged the smallest foveal cones, thus allowing accurate assignment of foveal centers and assessment of variability in macular cone density in a large sample of eyes. Though cone densities vary significantly in the fovea, the total number of foveolar cones are very similar both between- and within-subjects. Thus, the total number of foveolar cones may be an important measure of cone degeneration and loss.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.