The International Natural Product Sciences Taskforce (INPST) and the power of Twitter networking exemplified through #INPST hashtag analysis

Background: The development of digital technologies and the evolution of open innovation approaches have enabled the creation of diverse virtual organizations and enterprises coordinating their activities primarily online. The open innovation platform titled "International Natural Product Sciences Taskforce" (INPST) was established in 2018, to bring together in collaborative environment individuals and organizations interested in natural product scientific research, and to empower their interactions by using digital communication tools. Methods: In this work, we present a general overview of INPST activities and showcase the specific use of Twitter as a powerful networking tool that was used to host a one-week "2021 INPST Twitter Networking Event" (spanning from 31st May 2021 to 6th June 2021) based on the application of the Twitter hashtag #INPST. Results and Conclusion: The use of this hashtag during the networking event period was analyzed with Symplur Signals (https://www.symplur.com/), revealing a total of 6,036 tweets, shared by 686 users, which generated a total of 65,004,773 impressions (views of the respective tweets). This networking event's achieved high visibility and participation rate showcases a convincing example of how this social media platform can be used as a highly effective tool to host virtual Twitter-based international biomedical research events

Flow characteristics in diastolic LV filling vary significantly with different mitral valve prostheses: An in-vitro study

The non-invasive assessment of LV diastolic filling has focused particularly on determining the pattern of filling, which is altered when mitral valve prostheses are implanted. Our goal in this in-vitro study was to utilize the left heart pulsed flow simulator at CalTech to explore the impact of mitral valve design and orientation on LV filling characteristics

In-vitro comparative study by MRI and DPIV of flow through normal and thrombosed bileaflet aortic valve: Velocity and vorticity mapping and shear stress analysis

Although a proposed advantage of bileaflet mechanical valves is that if one leaflet is thrombosed shut, the second leaflet may continue to function normally, clinical experience suggests that patients with one thrombosed leaflet demonstrate impaired opening of the second leaflet and therefore, extremely high levels of wall shear stress. Our goal was to quantitatively assess the flow field generated by a thrombosed valve versus a normal bileaflet valve

Radial jet vortical events are better delineated on 3D reconstructions of flow images than on 2D color Doppler: An in vitro study with comparisons to optical visualization of flow jets

Entrainment and vortical structures are sometimes clearly visualized in longitudinal views of flowing lets by optical visualization methods. These events also occur radially around the direction of propagation. However, vortical events are often poorly visualized on color coded flow maps because of the angle-dependence of color Doppler encoded images in 2D planar views. We performed rotational 3D reconstruction of pulsatile jet flows using a a TomTec imaging system, an Interspec ATL annular array, and a customized color map to facilitate composite video transfer of subtle low velocity color dynamics into the grey scale TomTec milieu

A wearable haemodialysis device for patients with end-stage renal failure: a pilot study

Background More frequent haemodialysis can improve both survival and quality of life of patients with chronic kidney disease. However, there is little capacity in the UK to allow patients to have more frequent haemodialysis treatments in hospital and satellite haemodialysis units. New means of delivering haemodialysis are therefore required. Our aim was to assess the safety and efficiency of a wearable haemodialysis device. Methods Eight patients with end-stage kidney failure (five men, three women, mean age 51.7 [SD 13.8] years) who were established on regular haemodialysis were fitted with a wearable haemodialysis device for 4-8 h. Patients were given unfractionated heparin for anticoagulation, as they would be for standard haemodialysis. Findings There were no important cardiovascular changes and no adverse changes in serum electrolytes or acid-base balance. There was no evidence of clinically significant haemolysis in any patient. Mean blood flow was 58 . 6 (SD 11 . 7) mL/min, with a dialysate flow of 47.1 (7.8) mL/min. The mean plasma urea. clearance rate was 22.7 (5.2) mL/min and the mean plasma creatinine clearance rate was 20.7 (4-8) mL/min. Clotting of the vascular access occurred in two patients when the dose of heparin was decreased and the partial thromboplastin time returned towards the normal reference range in both of these patients. The fistula needle became dislodged in one patient, but safety mechanisms prevented blood loss, the needle was replaced, and treatment continued. Interpretation This wearable haemodialysis device shows promising safety and efficacy results, although further studies will be necessary to confirm these results

Mass spectral characterization of phloroglucinol derivatives hyperforin and adhyperforin

Active phloroglucinol constituents of Hypericum perforatum (St. John's wort) extracts, hyperforin and adhyperforin, have been studied following ion activation using tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) and complemented by accurate mass measurements. These two compounds were readily analyzed as protonated and deprotonated molecules with electrospray ionization. MS/MS and MS3 data from a quadrupole-linear ion trap tandem mass spectrometer were employed to elucidate fragmentation pathways. Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance measurements afforded excellent mass accuracies for the confirmation of elemental formulae of product ions formed via infrared multiphoton dissociation and sustained off-resonance irradiation collision-induced dissociation. Fragmentation schemes have been devised for the dissociation of hyperforin and adhyperforin in negative and positive ion modes. This information is expected to be especially valuable for the characterization of related compounds, such as degradation products, metabolites and novel synthetic analogs of hyperforin.Peer reviewed: YesNRC publication: Ye

A wearable hemofilter for continuous ambulatory ultrafiltration

Ultrafiltration is effective for treating fluid overload, but there are no suitable machines for ambulatory treatment. This study summarizes the use of a light-weight wearable continuous ambulatory ultrafiltration device consisting of a hollow fiber hemofilter, a battery operated pulsatile pump, and two micropumps to control heparin administration and ultrafiltration. Six volume-overloaded patients underwent ultrafiltration for 6 h with treatment discontinued in one patient due to a clotted catheter. Blood flow averaged 116 ml min(-1), the ultrafiltration rate ranged from 120-288 ml h(-1) with about 150 mmol of sodium removed. Blood pressure, pulse, and biochemical parameters remained stable with no significant hemolysis or complications. Our data show that the wearable hemofilter appears to be safe, effective, and practical for patients. This device could have a major impact on the quality of life of fluid-overloaded patients with heart failure. Additional studies will be needed to confirm these initial promising results

Optimal vortex formation as an index of cardiac health

Heart disease remains a leading cause of death worldwide. Previous research has indicated that the dynamics of the cardiac left ventricle (LV) during diastolic filling may play a critical role in dictating overall cardiac health. Hence, numerous studies have aimed to predict and evaluate global cardiac health based on quantitative parameters describing LV function. However, the inherent complexity of LV diastole, in its electrical, muscular, and hemodynamic processes, has prevented the development of tools to accurately predict and diagnose heart failure at early stages, when corrective measures are most effective. In this work, it is demonstrated that major aspects of cardiac function are reflected uniquely and sensitively in the optimization of vortex formation in the blood flow during early diastole, as measured by a dimensionless numerical index. This index of optimal vortex formation correlates well with existing measures of cardiac health such as the LV ejection fraction. However, unlike existing measures, this previously undescribed index does not require patient-specific information to determine numerical index values corresponding to normal function. A study of normal and pathological cardiac health in human subjects demonstrates the ability of this global index to distinguish disease states by a straightforward analysis of noninvasive LV measurements