Kalman filtering for reliable estimation of BBB permeability

INTRODUCTION: The blood-brain barrier (BBB) plays an important role in the pathophysiology of a number of central nervous system disorders. In the past, a number of laboratory techniques have been proposed to quantify permeability coefficient ki, an important index of barrier function. Recently, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been used to estimate ki based on graphical plot technique. The MR technique was found to be in good agreement with the gold standard, quantitative autoradiography (QAR). However, a reduced image signal-to-noise ratio, among other factors such as partial volume effects, did not allow reliable estimation of permeability coefficients. This proof-of-principle study proposes the use of Kalman filter as a filtering technique for a reliable estimation of permeability coefficients. The results are compared to those obtained using the Wiener filter technique. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MRI experiments were performed in Wistar rats (N=2) using a 4.7-T Bruker Biospec MR system (Bruker Biospin, Billerica, MA). After acquiring localizer images, T2-weighted diffusion-weighted imaging images were acquired. Finally, a rapid T1 mapping protocol was implemented to acquire one pre-gadolinium diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid baseline data set followed by postinjection data sets at 3-min intervals for 45 min. Data were postprocessed with and without the application of Kalman and Wiener filters to obtain an estimate of ki. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Comparing T1 maps, Patlak plots and permeability maps with and without the Kalman filtering presented several interesting observations. Kalman-filtered Patlak plots, compared to nonfiltered plots, showed that discrete data points on the plot were closer to the line fit. The number of time points used for the construction of the graphical plot had no effect on permeability coefficient estimates when the Kalman filter was used. A box-and-whiskers plot showed longer Y-error bars for nonfiltered and Wiener data compared to Kalman-filtered data. These observations suggest that it may be possible to obtain reliable permeability coefficient estimates in a short study time by applying the Kalman filter to the data. Future work involves investigating the application of this filter on a large-sample-size animal study and evaluating the role of partial volume effects on BBB permeability estimation.     

Meshless formulation to two-dimensional nonlinear problem of generalized Benjamin–Bona–Mahony–Burgers through singular boundary method: Analysis of stability and convergence

In this study, the singular boundary method (SBM) is employed for the simulation of nonlinear generalized Benjamin–Bona–Mahony–Burgers problem with initial and Dirichlet-type boundary conditions. The θ-weighted finite difference method is used to discretize the time derivatives. Then the original equations are split into a system of partial differential equations. A splitting scheme is applied to split the solution of the inhomogeneous governing equation into homogeneous solution and particular solution. To solve this system, the method of particular solution (MPS) in combination with the SBM is used where the SBM is used for homogeneous solution and MPS is used for particular solution. Furthermore, the stability and convergence of the proposed method is conducted. Finally, several numerical examples with different domains are provided and compared with the exact analytical solutions to show the accuracy and efficiency in comparison with existing other methods.     

Particle trapping using dielectrophoretically patterned carbon nanotubes

This study presents the dielectrophoretic (DEP) assembly of multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) between curved microelectrodes for the purpose of trapping polystyrene microparticles within a microfluidic system. Under normal conditions, polystyrene particles exhibit negative DEP behaviour and are repelled from microelectrodes. Interestingly, the addition of MWCNTs to the system alters this situation in two ways: first, they coat the surface of particles and change their dielectric properties to exhibit positive DEP behaviour; second, the assembled MWCNTs are highly conductive and after the deposition serve as extensions to the microelectrodes. They establish an array of nanoelectrodes that initiates from the edge of microelectrodes and grow along the electric field lines. These nanoelectrodes can effectively trap the MWCNT‐coated particles, since they cover a large portion of the microchannel bottom surface and also create a much stronger electric field than the primary microelectrodes as confirmed by our numerical simulations. We will show that the presence of MWCNT significantly changes performance of the system, which is investigated by trapping sample polystyrene particles with plain, COOH and goat anti‐mouse IgG surfaces.     

Interfacial tension and wetting behavior of air/oil/ionic liquid systems

We measured the interfacial tension and the density of air/n-hexane, n-decane, 1-perfluorohexane/1-hexyl-3-methyl-imidazolium hexafluorophosphate systems as a function of temperature. From the air/ionic liquid surface tension values, it was suggested that Coulombic interaction between imidazolium cations and counter anions are not so much different between the surface and bulk. The density values indicated that the decrease of surface tension by saturating organics was closely correlated to the mutual solubility between ionic liquid and organics. Interfacial tension at the oil/ionic liquid interfaces suggested that ionic liquid molecules were more ordered at the oil/ionic liquid interfaces compared to the air/ionic liquid interfaces, but the decrease of the entropy due to the interfacial orientation of ionic liquid was compensated by the increase of the entropy due to the contact of different chemical species. The initial spreading coefficients and the Hamaker constants indicated that all the oil phases spread at the air/ionic liquid interfaces spontaneously, and form the complete wetting films.     

Effect of surface polarity on wettability and friction coefficient of silicone rubber/poly(acrylic acid) hydrogel composite

Water absorption, surface energetic, and friction coefficient of filled silicone rubber composites containing different amounts of a superadsorbent hydrogel, poly(acrylic acid) (PAA), were investigated. Measurements were performed in two different time windows, 1 and 5 weeks, to study the effect of hydration time on surface polarity of the samples. It was shown that water absorption increased consistently with hydrogel content and that prolongation of hydration time led to a marked increase in surface tension and polarity. Friction, as measured by a solid–solid contact method in phosphate buffer saline, showed strong dependence on polarity of the composite surface. Results demonstrate that the surface of the composite continued to evolve after the bulk had reached equilibrium swelling and the surface tension reached that of PAA after 5 weeks of hydration time.     

Surface properties of diluted solutions of cyclohexanol and cyclopentanol in ethylene glycol

The surface tension, sigma, of dilute solutions of cyclohexanol and cyclopentanol in ethylene glycol was measured in the temperature range between 293.15 and 323.15 K by means of the ring detachment method. The surface entropies and enthalpies were calculated. The surface excess values were obtained using the Gibbs equation. The surface tension data were analyzed using the extended Langmuir (EL) model and the surface composition were obtained from this model. It was shown that clathrate-like solvates (hydrophobic-like solvation) are forming in the dilute solution of cyclohexanol in ethylene glycol.     

Preparation,magnetic properties and microwave absorption of Zr–Zn–Co substituted strontium hexaferrite and its nanocomposite with polyaniline

Russian Journal of Applied Chemistry - M-type strontium hexaferrite substituted by Zr4+, Zn2+, and Co2+ was firstly synthesized by a sol-gel auto combustion method. Then the polyaniline/hexaferrite...     

Gum Tragacanth (GT): A Versatile Biocompatible Material beyond Borders

The use of naturally occurring materials in biomedicine has been increasingly attracting the researchers’ interest and, in this regard, gum tragacanth (GT) is recently showing great promise as a therapeutic substance in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. As a polysaccharide, GT can be easily extracted from the stems and branches of various species of Astragalus. This anionic polymer is known to be a biodegradable, non-allergenic, non-toxic, and non-carcinogenic material. The stability against microbial, heat and acid degradation has made GT an attractive material not only in industrial settings (e.g., food packaging) but also in biomedical approaches (e.g., drug delivery). Over time, GT has been shown to be a useful reagent in the formation and stabilization of metal nanoparticles in the context of green chemistry. With the advent of tissue engineering, GT has also been utilized for the fabrication of three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds applied for both hard and soft tissue healing strategies. However, more research is needed for defining GT applicability in the future of biomedical engineering. On this object, the present review aims to provide a state-of-the-art overview of GT in biomedicine and tries to open new horizons in the field based on its inherent characteristics.