Article
Psychology, Developmental
Benjamin T. Newman, James T. Patrie, T. Jason Druzgal
Summary: Puberty is a crucial period in adolescent development that affects various aspects of physiology, including the brain. This study analyzes diffusion MRI scans to examine the relationship between pubertal development and brain microstructure. The findings suggest that pubertal changes are associated with complex responses in brain tissue beyond traditional measures focusing on white matter axonal properties.
DEVELOPMENTAL COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Lorna Bryant, Emilie T. McKinnon, James A. Taylor, Jens H. Jensen, Leonardo Bonilha, Christophe de Bezenac, Barbara A. K. Kreilkamp, Guleed Adan, Udo C. Wieshmann, Shubhabrata Biswas, Anthony G. Marson, Simon S. Keller
Summary: This study utilized FBI and FBWM to evaluate the diffusion properties of white matter tracts in patients with epilepsy. It was found that patients with chronic epilepsy had a widespread distribution of extra-axonal diffusivity, and those with refractory epilepsy exhibited significantly greater markers of extra-axonal diffusivity compared to nonrefractory epilepsy patients. These findings suggest that extra-axonal diffusivity alterations may serve as biomarkers of neuroinflammatory processes or reduced axonal density in epilepsy.
HUMAN BRAIN MAPPING
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Katherine E. Lawrence, Zvart Abaryan, Emily Laltoo, Leanna M. Hernandez, Michael J. Gandal, James T. McCracken, Paul M. Thompson
Summary: Sex differences in white matter microstructure were examined in over 6000 children between 9 and 10 years old. Significant and replicable differences were found in both conventional and advanced diffusion-weighted imaging metrics. Boys exhibited greater diffusion metrics, while girls showed increased cell density. These findings provide an important foundation for understanding sex differences in health and disease.
HUMAN BRAIN MAPPING
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Muhamed Barakovic, Gabriel Girard, Simona Schiavi, David Romascano, Maxime Descoteaux, Cristina Granziera, Derek K. Jones, Giorgio M. Innocenti, Jean-Philippe Thiran, Alessandro Daducci
Summary: Our novel microstructure-informed tractography approach, COMMITAxSize, resolves axon diameter index estimates at the streamline level, providing invariant estimates along trajectories. By jointly estimating tissue microstructure properties and macroscopic white matter connectivity organization, our method offers a more robust estimation of axon diameter index for pathways compared to existing methods. We demonstrate the efficacy of our approach by comparing estimates with histologically-derived measurements in specific brain regions.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Simona Schiavi, Po-Jui Lu, Matthias Weigel, Antoine Lutti, Derek K. Jones, Ludwig Kappos, Cristina Granziera, Alessandro Daducci
Summary: This study introduces a new method called myelin streamline decomposition (MySD), which extends convex optimization modeling to microstructure informed tractography (COMMIT), allowing the deconvolution of the actual value measured by a microstructural map on each individual streamline to recover unique bundle specific myelin fractions (BMFs).
Article
Neurosciences
Ruike Chen, Cong Sun, Tingting Liu, Yuhao Liao, Junyan Wang, Yi Sun, Yi Zhang, Guangbin Wang, Dan Wu
Summary: This study used fetal brain dMRI atlas to investigate the spatiotemporal pattern of white matter development, and found complex non-monotonic trends in microstructural parameters of eight white matter tracts, providing reference for diagnosing abnormal fetal white matter development.
Article
Neurosciences
Chantal M. W. Tax, Elena Kleban, Maxime Chamberland, Muhamed Barakovic, Umesh Rudrapatna, Derek K. Jones
Summary: This study investigates the orientation-dependence of brain white matter microstructure using a novel experimental setup, revealing that the extra-axonal water signal has a greater impact on anisotropy effects compared to the intra-axonal water signal. The results indicate that the orientation-dependence of extra-axonal T-2 is mainly driven by magnetic susceptibility effects, while the orientation-dependence of intra-axonal T-2 may be influenced by a combination of microstructural effects.
Article
Neurosciences
Elizabeth Huber, Aviv Mezer, Jason D. Yeatman
Summary: Diffusion MRI and quantitative MRI measurements were used to study changes in white matter during an 8-week intensive reading intervention, revealing that mean 'extra-axonal' diffusivity in white matter was inversely related to intervention time, while model estimated axonal water fraction, overall diffusion kurtosis, and T1 relaxation time showed no significant change. These results suggest that rapid changes in diffusion properties may reflect phenomena other than widespread changes in myelin density.
Article
Neurosciences
Natalia Del Campo, Owen Phillips, Francoise Ory-Magne, Christine Brefel-Courbon, Monique Galitzky, Claire Thalamas, Katherine L. Narr, Shantanu Joshi, Manpreet K. Singh, Patrice Peran, Anne Pavy-LeTraon, Olivier Rascol
Summary: Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a rare neurodegenerative disorder characterized by widespread accumulation of alpha-synuclein, primarily in oligodendrocytes. Whole brain deep and superficial white matter diffusivity abnormalities were observed in MSA patients but not in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. These abnormalities were associated with motor and cognitive functions in MSA patients.
HUMAN BRAIN MAPPING
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Hassna Irzan, Erika Molteni, Michael Hutel, Sebastien Ourselin, Neil Marlow, Andrew Melbourne
Summary: The study found significant alterations in white matter connectivity in extremely preterm young adults at both macro-and microstructural levels, with overall diminished connectivity but comparable spatial configuration of WM fibres with fewer WM fibres per voxel. These alterations are widespread throughout the brain, particularly concentrated along pathways between deep grey matter regions, frontal regions, and the cerebellum, indicating that white matter abnormalities persist into early adulthood in individuals exposed to the extrauterine environment prematurely.
Article
Neurosciences
Fan Zhang, Kang Ik Kevin Cho, Yingying Tang, Tianhong Zhang, Sinead Kelly, Maria Di Biase, Lihua Xu, Huijun Li, Keshevan Matcheri, Susan Whitfield-Gabrieli, Margaret Niznikiewicz, William S. Stone, Jijun Wang, Martha E. Shenton, Ofer Pasternak
Summary: Diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) is a useful method for detecting white matter abnormalities, and the mean-kurtosis-curve (MK-Curve) method improves the sensitivity of detecting group differences.
Article
Neurosciences
Michiel Cottaar, Matteo Bastiani, Nikhil Boddu, Matthew F. Glasser, Suzanne Haber, David C. van Essen, Stamatios N. Sotiropoulos, Saad Jbabdi
Summary: Many brain imaging studies measure structural connectivity with diffusion tractography, but biases in the data can limit accuracy. A new algorithm reduces these biases by modeling fiber density and orientation.
Article
Polymer Science
Chunyan Hu, Matthew Grech-Sollars, Ben Statton, Zhanxiong Li, Fei Gao, Gareth R. Williams, Geoff J. M. Parker, Feng-Lei Zhou
Summary: This study proposed the use of hollow polymer microfibers with variable microstructural and hydrophilic properties as building elements for axon-mimicking phantoms for diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) validation. The microfibers were made through direct jet coaxial electrospinning and were quantitatively evaluated for their porous cross-section and anisotropic orientation. The constructed axon-mimicking phantoms were tested on a clinical MR scanner, and the relationship between DTI measurements and pore size and fiber orientation was investigated. The results showed that the axon-mimicking phantoms had consistent microstructure and biologically relevant MD and FA values.
POLYMERS FOR ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Qiuting Wen, Shannon L. Risacher, Linhui Xie, Junjie Li, Jaroslaw Harezlak, Martin R. Farlow, Frederick W. Unverzagt, Sujuan Gao, Liana G. Apostolova, Andrew J. Saykin, Yu-Chien Wu
Summary: The study explored the spatial pattern of tau-white matter (WM) associations across the whole brain and found a distinct spatial pattern resembling the typical propagation of tau pathology in Alzheimer's disease (AD). The association between tau and WM degeneration highlights the important role of WM alterations in the AD pathological cascade.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sian Wilson, Maximilian Pietsch, Lucilio Cordero-Grande, Anthony N. Price, Jana Hutter, Jiaxin Xiao, Laura McCabe, Mary A. Rutherford, Emer J. Hughes, Serena J. Counsell, Jacques-Donald Tournier, Tomoki Arichi, Joseph V. Hajnal, A. David Edwards, Daan Christiaens, Jonathan O'Muircheartaigh
Summary: A study characterizing the in utero maturation of white matter microstructure in human fetal brains using high-resolution MRI data identified unique maturational trends in different white matter bundles and regions, suggesting potential insights into connectivity abnormalities associated with preterm birth.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Biomaterials
Ziwei Zhang, Yuexin Wang, Marwa M. I. Rizk, Ruizheng Liang, Connor J. R. Wells, Pratik Gurnani, Fenglei Zhou, Gemma-Louise Davies, Gareth R. Williams
Summary: In this work, nano-in-micro thermo-responsive microspheres were developed as theranostic systems for anti-cancer hyperthermia by loading drug and nanoparticles into microparticles, showing promising results in vitro cell experiments for hyperthermia-aided chemotherapy.
BIOMATERIALS ADVANCES
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Composites
Bangze Zhou, Chenchen Li, Yanfen Zhou, Zhanxu Liu, Xue Gao, Xueqin Wang, Liang Jiang, Mingwei Tian, Feng-Lei Zhou, Stephen Jerrams, Jianyong Yu
Summary: The newly developed pressure sensor material shows excellent piezoelectricity and piezoresistivity, making it suitable for monitoring subtle pressure changes and finger movements, demonstrating great potential for applications.
COMPOSITES SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
Joseph Cheriyan, Alexandra Roberts, Caleb Roberts, Martin J. Graves, Ilse Patterson, Rhys A. Slough, Rosemary Schroyer, Disala Fernando, Subramanya Kumar, Sarah Lee, Geoffrey J. M. Parker, Lea Sarov-Blat, Carmel McEniery, Jessica Middlemiss, Dennis Sprecher, Robert L. Janiczek
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate lung fluid volume in HF patients using DCE-MRI, finding significantly higher v(e) in HF patients compared to healthy volunteers. The results showed good tolerability of the scanning protocol and repeatability of v(e) in HF patients.
JOURNAL OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING
(2022)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Ben R. Dickie, Tao Jin, Ping Wang, Rainer Hinz, William Harris, Herve Boutin, Geoff J. M. Parker, Laura M. Parkes, Julian C. Matthews
Summary: Chemical-exchange spin-lock (CESL) MRI is a useful technique for mapping glucose uptake and utilization in the brain. The study proposes two quantitative kinetic models to describe glucose-induced changes and applies them to tumor-bearing and healthy rats.
JOURNAL OF CEREBRAL BLOOD FLOW AND METABOLISM
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Manufacturing
Mengsi Liu, Yaping Sheng, Chenggang Huang, Yanfen Zhou, Liang Jiang, Mingwei Tian, Shaojuan Chen, Stephen Jerrams, Fenglei Zhou, Jianyong Yu
Summary: In this study, elastomeric fiber based strain sensors incorporating graphene and carbon nanotubes were fabricated via coaxial wet spinning. The solution etched fiber based strain sensors achieved a significant improvement in obtaining a high maximum gauge factor and capability of working over a wide strain range. The strain sensor showed excellent durability and was used to monitor physiological movements with fast and accurate responses.
COMPOSITES PART A-APPLIED SCIENCE AND MANUFACTURING
(2023)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Linghan Kong, Rasha Alqus, Chin W. Yong, Ilian Todorov, Stephen J. Eichhorn, Richard A. Bryce
Summary: The interaction between graphene and cellulose has potential in designing new graphene-carbohydrate biopolymer materials. The hydrophilicity of cellulose and the interactions between cellulose chains and graphene play important roles in the adsorption and structural accommodation process.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR GRAPHICS & MODELLING
(2023)
Review
Polymer Science
Keyu Ji, Chengkun Liu, Haijun He, Xue Mao, Liang Wei, Hao Wang, Mengdi Zhang, Yutong Shen, Runjun Sun, Fenglei Zhou
Summary: In the field of water purification, membrane separation technology, particularly electrospun nanofiber membranes, plays a significant role. These membranes are produced through the electrospinning method, which is straightforward, low cost, and offers functional diversity and process controllability. The structural characteristics of electrospun nanofiber membranes can be flexibly controlled, and various membrane material combinations can be utilized to achieve high-performance water treatment membranes with high porosity, selectivity, and microporous permeability. The current research focuses on creating high-permeability membranes with outstanding selectivity, antifouling performance, physical and chemical performance, and long-term stability. This paper reviews the preparation methods and properties of electrospun nanofiber membranes for water treatment, discusses antifouling technologies, research progress, and future development directions.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Mengdi Zhang, Zifang Tan, Qingling Zhang, Yutong Shen, Xue Mao, Liang Wei, Runjun Sun, Fenglei Zhou, Chengkun Liu
Summary: With the rapid development of the economy and technology, intelligent wearable devices have become part of public life. The main component of these devices, flexible sensors, have attracted widespread attention. However, traditional flexible sensors face challenges such as the need for external power supply, lack of flexibility, and sustainable power supply. In this study, structured PVDF-based composite nanofiber membranes doped with MXene and zinc oxide (ZnO) were prepared and assembled into flexible self-powered friction piezoelectric sensors. The addition of MXene and ZnO improved the piezoelectric properties of the PVDF nanofiber membranes. The structured membranes, such as double-layer, interpenetrating, or core-shell structures, further enhanced the piezoelectric properties through filler doping and structural design. Specifically, the core-shell PM/PZ nanofiber membrane-based self-powered friction piezoelectric sensor showed a linear relationship between output voltage and applied pressure, and demonstrated good piezoelectric response to bending deformation caused by human motion.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Review
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
Penny L. Hubbard L. Cristinacce, Julia E. E. Markus, Shonit Punwani, Rebecca Mills, Maria Yanez Lopez, Matthew Grech-Sollars, Fabrizio Fasano, John C. C. Waterton, Michael J. J. Thrippleton, Matt G. G. Hall, James P. B. O'Connor, Susan T. T. Francis, Ben Statton, Kevin Murphy, Po-Wah So, Harpreet Hyare
Summary: The British and Irish Chapter of the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (BIC-ISMRM) organized a workshop in Cardiff, UK, on September 7th, 2022, to discuss the translation of quantitative MR imaging and spectroscopic biomarkers into clinical applications and drug studies. Invited speakers from various backgrounds presented their perspectives and a round-table discussion was held to address key questions related to clinical translation. The findings were summarized and used as the basis for an online survey of the broader UK MR community.
MAGNETIC RESONANCE IN MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Chunyan Hu, Matthew Grech-Sollars, Ben Statton, Zhanxiong Li, Fei Gao, Gareth R. Williams, Geoff J. M. Parker, Feng-Lei Zhou
Summary: This study proposed the use of hollow polymer microfibers with variable microstructural and hydrophilic properties as building elements for axon-mimicking phantoms for diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) validation. The microfibers were made through direct jet coaxial electrospinning and were quantitatively evaluated for their porous cross-section and anisotropic orientation. The constructed axon-mimicking phantoms were tested on a clinical MR scanner, and the relationship between DTI measurements and pore size and fiber orientation was investigated. The results showed that the axon-mimicking phantoms had consistent microstructure and biologically relevant MD and FA values.
POLYMERS FOR ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES
(2023)
Review
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Hanlin Cao, Shanshan Chai, Zifang Tan, Hong Wu, Xue Mao, Liang Wei, Fenglei Zhou, Runjun Sun, Chengkun Liu
Summary: In recent decades, the rapid development of IoT and AI technologies has driven the research boom in physical sensors. Researchers in the field of advanced manufacturing have paid extensive attention to the material selection, structure design, and performance research of physical sensors. Significant technological progress has been made in physical sensors for applications in various fields such as electronic skin, biomedicine, and tissue engineering. Among various methods for preparing physical sensors, electrospun nanofibers or nanofiber membranes have shown advantages over other materials, such as nanosize effect, high specific surface area, and high porosity. This review introduces the working principles of various physical sensors and summarizes recent research progress in electrospun nanofiber-based physical sensors. Future research trends and challenges for the large-scale adoption of electrospun physical sensors are also proposed.
ACS MATERIALS LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
S. J. Eichhorn, M. Ichwan, A. J. Onyianta, R. S. Trask, A. Etale
Summary: The effect of different alkaline treatments on alpha-cellulose extraction from oil palm empty fruit bunches and subsequent cellulose nanocrystal properties are studied. Sodium hydroxide changes the native cellulose from type I to II, while potassium hydroxide maintains cellulose I. Compared to commercial cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) CNCs type I have higher aspect ratios and crystallinity index, but lower charge and thermal stability. OPEFB CNCs type II have a higher aspect ratio, but lower charge. Type I CNCs have intermediate charge and higher thermal stability, making them more suitable for processing with thermoplastic polymers. A comparison of physical properties between oil palm based CNCs, commercial, and lab-based materials is presented to explore their potential in composite applications. It is shown that using these CNCs can enhance the mode-II interlaminar fracture toughness of a carbon fibre-epoxy laminate with aligned electrospun cellulose acetate butyrate nanofibrous networks.
CARBOHYDRATE POLYMER TECHNOLOGIES AND APPLICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yutong Shen, Shanshan Chai, Qingling Zhang, Mengdi Zhang, Xue Mao, Liang Wei, Fenglei Zhou, Runjun Sun, Chengkun Liu
Summary: In this study, a fiber-based organic electrochemical transistor (FECT) was developed by incorporating MXene and PEDOT:PSS onto electrospun polyvinyl formal (PVF) nanofiber bundle, showing high sensitivity and selectivity. A wearable real-time monitoring platform was also built to detect lactate concentrations in human sweat.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Hao Wang, Hanlin Cao, Hong Wu, Qingling Zhang, Xue Mao, Liang Wei, Fenglei Zhou, Runjun Sun, Chengkun Liu
Summary: In this study, a biomass-based strain sensor was prepared using multiwalled carbon nanotubes/lignin-based carbon nanofibers. The sensor showed advantages of environmental friendliness, wide stretching range, high sensitivity, and good repeatability, indicating great potential for application in the field of smart wearables.
ACS APPLIED NANO MATERIALS
(2023)
Review
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Hao Wang, Chengkun Liu, Boyu Li, Jie Liu, Yutong Shen, Mengdi Zhang, Keyu Ji, Xue Mao, Runjun Sun, Fenglei Zhou
Summary: This paper reviews the latest research progress of carbon-based resistance strain sensors from the perspective of preparation methods, discusses the mechanical properties, effective sensing tensile range, sensitivities, and different application scenarios, and provides suggestions and prospects for producing carbon-based resistance strain sensors.
ACS APPLIED ELECTRONIC MATERIALS
(2023)