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Science (New York, N.Y.) Aug 2019Collagen is the primary component of the extracellular matrix in the human body. It has proved challenging to fabricate collagen scaffolds capable of replicating the...
Collagen is the primary component of the extracellular matrix in the human body. It has proved challenging to fabricate collagen scaffolds capable of replicating the structure and function of tissues and organs. We present a method to 3D-bioprint collagen using freeform reversible embedding of suspended hydrogels (FRESH) to engineer components of the human heart at various scales, from capillaries to the full organ. Control of pH-driven gelation provides 20-micrometer filament resolution, a porous microstructure that enables rapid cellular infiltration and microvascularization, and mechanical strength for fabrication and perfusion of multiscale vasculature and tri-leaflet valves. We found that FRESH 3D-bioprinted hearts accurately reproduce patient-specific anatomical structure as determined by micro-computed tomography. Cardiac ventricles printed with human cardiomyocytes showed synchronized contractions, directional action potential propagation, and wall thickening up to 14% during peak systole.
Topics: Bioprinting; Collagen; Extracellular Matrix; Heart Ventricles; Humans; Hydrogels; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Microvessels; Models, Anatomic; Myocytes, Cardiac; Neovascularization, Physiologic; Printing, Three-Dimensional; X-Ray Microtomography
PubMed: 31371612
DOI: 10.1126/science.aav9051 -
Seminars in Ultrasound, CT, and MR Dec 2015Ventral body wall defects (VBWDs) are one of the main categories of human congenital malformations, representing a wide and heterogeneous group of defects sharing a... (Review)
Review
Ventral body wall defects (VBWDs) are one of the main categories of human congenital malformations, representing a wide and heterogeneous group of defects sharing a common feature, that is, herniation of one or more viscera through a defect in the anterior body wall. Gastroschisis and omphalocele are the 2 most common congenital VBWDs. Other uncommon anomalies include ectopia cordis and pentalogy of Cantrell, limb-body wall complex, and bladder and cloacal exstrophy. Although VBWDs are associated with multiple abnormalities with distinct embryological origins and that may affect virtually any system organs, at least in relation to anterior body wall defects, they are thought (except for omphalocele) to share a common embryologic mechanism, that is, a failure involving the lateral body wall folds responsible for closing the thoracic, abdominal, and pelvic portions of the ventral body wall during the fourth week of development. Additionally, many of the principles of diagnosis and management are similar for these conditions. Fetal ultrasound (US) in prenatal care allows the diagnosis of most of such defects with subsequent opportunities for parental counseling and optimal perinatal management. Fetal magnetic resonance imaging may be an adjunct to US, providing global and detailed anatomical information, assessing the extent of defects, and also helping to confirm the diagnosis in equivocal cases. Prenatal imaging features of VBWDs may be complex and challenging, often requiring from the radiologist a high level of suspicion and familiarity with the imaging patterns. Because an appropriate management is dependent on an accurate diagnosis and assessment of defects, radiologists should be able to recognize and distinguish between the different VBWDs and their associated anomalies. In this article, we review the relevant embryology of VBWDs to facilitate understanding of the pathologic anatomy and diagnostic imaging approach. Features will be illustrated with prenatal US and magnetic resonance imaging and correlated with postnatal and clinical imaging.
Topics: Abdominal Wall; Bladder Exstrophy; Diagnosis, Differential; Ectopia Cordis; Female; Gastroschisis; Hernia, Umbilical; Humans; Image Enhancement; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Ultrasonography, Prenatal
PubMed: 26614134
DOI: 10.1053/j.sult.2015.01.001 -
BioEssays : News and Reviews in... Dec 2004Malformations concerning the ventral body wall constitute one of the leading categories of human birth defects and are present in about one out of every 2000 live... (Review)
Review
Malformations concerning the ventral body wall constitute one of the leading categories of human birth defects and are present in about one out of every 2000 live births. Although the occurrence of these defects is relatively common, few detailed experimental studies exist on the development and closure of the ventral body wall in mouse and human. This field is further complicated by the array of theories on the pathogenesis of body wall defects and the likelihood that there is no single cause for these abnormalities. In this review, we summarize what is known concerning the mechanisms of normal ventral body wall closure in humans and mice. We then outline the theories that have been proposed concerning human body wall closure abnormalities and examine the growing number of mouse mutations that impact normal ventral body wall closure. Finally, we speculate how studies in animal models such as mouse and Drosophila are beginning to provide a much-needed mechanistic framework with which to identify and characterize the genes and tissues required for this vital aspect of human embryogenesis.
Topics: Abdominal Wall; Animals; Embryo, Mammalian; Embryonic Development; Gastroschisis; Hernia, Umbilical; Humans; Models, Animal
PubMed: 15551266
DOI: 10.1002/bies.20137 -
Journal of Anatomy Nov 2015Migratory failure of somitic cells is the commonest explanation for ventral body wall defects. However, the embryo increases ~ 25-fold in volume in the period that the...
Migratory failure of somitic cells is the commonest explanation for ventral body wall defects. However, the embryo increases ~ 25-fold in volume in the period that the ventral body wall forms, so that differential growth may, instead, account for the observed changes in topography. Human embryos between 4 and 10 weeks of development were studied, using amira reconstruction and cinema 4D remodeling software for visualization. Initially, vertebrae and ribs had formed medially, and primordia of sternum and hypaxial flank muscle primordium laterally in the body wall at Carnegie Stage (CS)15 (5.5 weeks). The next week, ribs and muscle primordium expanded in ventrolateral direction only. At CS18 (6.5 weeks), separate intercostal and abdominal wall muscles differentiated, and ribs, sterna, and muscles began to expand ventromedially and caudally, with the bilateral sternal bars fusing in the midline after CS20 (7 weeks) and the rectus muscles reaching the umbilicus at CS23 (8 weeks). The near-constant absolute distance between both rectus muscles and approximately fivefold decline of this distance relative to body circumference between 6 and 10 weeks identified dorsoventral growth in the dorsal body wall as determinant of the 'closure' of the ventral body wall. Concomitant with the straightening of the embryonic body axis after the 6th week, the abdominal muscles expanded ventrally and caudally to form the infraumbilical body wall. Our data, therefore, show that the ventral body wall is formed by differential dorsoventral growth in the dorsal part of the body.
Topics: Abdominal Muscles; Abdominal Wall; Hernia, Umbilical; Humans; Intercostal Muscles; Mesoderm; Ribs; Spine; Sternum
PubMed: 26467243
DOI: 10.1111/joa.12380 -
Frontiers in Surgery 2022In humans, the incidence of congenital defects of the intraembryonic celom and its associated structures has increased over recent decades. Surgical treatment of... (Review)
Review
In humans, the incidence of congenital defects of the intraembryonic celom and its associated structures has increased over recent decades. Surgical treatment of abdominal and diaphragmatic malformations resulting in congenital hernia requires deep knowledge of ventral body closure and the separation of the primary body cavities during embryogenesis. The correct development of both structures requires the coordinated and fine-tuned synergy of different anlagen, including a set of molecules governing those processes. They have mainly been investigated in a range of vertebrate species (e.g., mouse, birds, and fish), but studies of embryogenesis in humans are rather rare because samples are seldom available. Therefore, we have to deal with a large body of conflicting data concerning the formation of the abdominal wall and the etiology of diaphragmatic defects. This review summarizes the current state of knowledge and focuses on the histological and molecular events leading to the establishment of the abdominal and thoracic cavities in several vertebrate species. In chronological order, we start with the onset of gastrulation, continue with the establishment of the three-dimensional body shape, and end with the partition of body cavities. We also discuss well-known human etiologies.
PubMed: 35874129
DOI: 10.3389/fsurg.2022.891896 -
Journal of Strength and Conditioning... Oct 2023Buso, D, Willardson, JM, and Shafer, AB. Research note: Effects of medicine wall ball throws with whole-body vibration on bat swing performance in collegiate baseball...
Buso, D, Willardson, JM, and Shafer, AB. Research note: Effects of medicine wall ball throws with whole-body vibration on bat swing performance in collegiate baseball players. J Strength Cond Res 37(10): 2071-2075, 2023-The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of medicine ball wall throws performed with whole-body vibration on bat swing performance in 13 highly trained collegiate baseball players. The experimental session involved the athletes' usual warm-up followed by baseline bat swings. The baseline bat swings were followed by 3 sets of 5 medicine ball wall throws while standing on a whole-body vibration platform set at 40 Hz and with 30 seconds rest between sets. Subjects then rested passively for 5 minutes before taking post-test bat swings. Performance was evaluated with bat speed (m·second-1), time to contact (secs), rotational acceleration (G's), and exit velocity (m·second-1). Paired t tests were used to compare baseline and post-test values (p ≤ 0.05). Effect size (d) statistics were also calculated to determine the magnitude of treatment effects. It was found that bat speed (p = 0.02; d = 0.22) and exit velocity (p = 0.03; d = 0.48) were significantly faster versus baseline, whereas rotational acceleration (p = 0.10; d = 0.23) and time to contact (p = 0.44; d = -0.12) were not significantly different from baseline, respectively. These results suggest that the addition of medicine ball wall throws with whole-body vibration can significantly increase key parameters of bat swing performance. Practitioners and coaches may consider including these combined exercise stimuli as part of workouts or during games for potentially greater success at the plate.
Topics: Humans; Baseball; Vibration; Acceleration; Athletes; Exercise
PubMed: 37729518
DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000004584 -
American Journal of Respiratory Cell... Mar 2023Microorganisms colonize the human body. The lungs and respiratory tract, previously believed to be sterile, harbor diverse microbial communities and the genomes of...
Microorganisms colonize the human body. The lungs and respiratory tract, previously believed to be sterile, harbor diverse microbial communities and the genomes of bacteria (bacteriome), viruses (virome), and fungi (mycobiome). Recent advances in amplicon and shotgun metagenomic sequencing technologies and data-analyzing methods have greatly aided the identification and characterization of microbial populations from airways. The respiratory microbiome has been shown to play roles in human health and disease and is an area of rapidly emerging interest in pulmonary medicine. In this review, we provide updated information in the field by focusing on four lung conditions, including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cystic fibrosis, and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. We evaluate gut, oral, and upper airway microbiomes and how they contribute to lower airway flora. The discussion is followed by a systematic review of the lower airway microbiome in health and disease. We conclude with promising research avenues and implications for evolving therapeutics.
Topics: Humans; Lung; Asthma; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive; Microbiota; Cystic Fibrosis
PubMed: 36476129
DOI: 10.1165/rcmb.2022-0208TR -
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Mar 2024Through-wall radar human body pose recognition technology has broad applications in both military and civilian sectors. Identifying the current pose of targets behind...
Through-wall radar human body pose recognition technology has broad applications in both military and civilian sectors. Identifying the current pose of targets behind walls and predicting subsequent pose changes are significant challenges. Conventional methods typically utilize radar information along with machine learning algorithms such as SVM and random forests to aid in recognition. However, these approaches have limitations, particularly in complex scenarios. In response to this challenge, this paper proposes a cross-modal supervised through-wall radar human body pose recognition method. By integrating information from both cameras and radar, a cross-modal dataset was constructed, and a corresponding deep learning network architecture was designed. During training, the network effectively learned the pose features of targets obscured by walls, enabling accurate pose recognition (e.g., standing, crouching) in scenarios with unknown wall obstructions. The experimental results demonstrated the superiority of the proposed method over traditional approaches, offering an effective and innovative solution for practical through-wall radar applications. The contribution of this study lies in the integration of deep learning with cross-modal supervision, providing new perspectives for enhancing the robustness and accuracy of target pose recognition.
Topics: Humans; Human Body; Radar; Algorithms; Machine Learning; Military Personnel
PubMed: 38610419
DOI: 10.3390/s24072207 -
Praxis Sep 2019Color Doppler ultrasound is the diagnostic cornerstone of vascular assessment. Almost all arteries and veins of the human body are accessible to this diagnostic imaging,...
Color Doppler ultrasound is the diagnostic cornerstone of vascular assessment. Almost all arteries and veins of the human body are accessible to this diagnostic imaging, which as a result is very often used as first-line diagnostic test. Recent technological developments in high-end ultrasound machines enable us to optimize image quality in color-coded duplex ultrasound of arteries and veins. To obtain an optimal instrument setting, all relevant adjustments of imaging must be considered. In B-Mode ultrasound, the basic vascular imaging method, the most important settings to optimize are ultrasound frequency, gain, dynamic range, and focus, whereas color Doppler depends on angle supersonic sounding and its application in clinical practice. Most mistakes in measuring blood flow velocities, a frequent cause of misinterpretation, result from insufficient angle correction. Cardiac pathologies may result in typical changes of arterial and venous Doppler curves.
Topics: Arteries; Blood Flow Velocity; Heart Diseases; Humans; Ultrasonography; Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color; Ultrasonography, Doppler, Duplex
PubMed: 31530132
DOI: 10.1024/1661-8157/a003295