TY - JOUR A1 - Grajewski, Matthias A1 - Köster, Michael A1 - Turek, Stefam T1 - Numerical analysis and implementational aspects of a new multilevel grid deformation method JF - Applied Numerical Mathematics N2 - Recently, we introduced and mathematically analysed a new method for grid deformation (Grajewski et al., 2009) [15] we call basic deformation method (BDM) here. It generalises the method proposed by Liao et al. (Bochev et al., 1996; Cai et al., 2004; Liao and Anderson, 1992) [4], [6], [20]. In this article, we employ the BDM as core of a new multilevel deformation method (MDM) which leads to vast improvements regarding robustness, accuracy and speed. We achieve this by splitting up the deformation process in a sequence of easier subproblems and by exploiting grid hierarchy. Being of optimal asymptotic complexity, we experience speed-ups up to a factor of 15 in our test cases compared to the BDM. This gives our MDM the potential for tackling large grids and time-dependent problems, where possibly the grid must be dynamically deformed once per time step according to the user's needs. Moreover, we elaborate on implementational aspects, in particular efficient grid searching, which is a key ingredient of the BDM. Y1 - 2010 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apnum.2010.03.017 SN - 0168-9274 VL - 60 IS - 8 SP - 767 EP - 781 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Arampatzis, Adamantios A1 - Peper, Andreas A1 - Bierbaum, Stefanie A1 - Albracht, Kirsten T1 - Plasticity of human Achilles tendon mechanical and morphological properties in response to cyclic strain JF - Journal of Biomechanics N2 - The purpose of the current study in combination with our previous published data (Arampatzis et al., 2007) was to examine the effects of a controlled modulation of strain magnitude and strain frequency applied to the Achilles tendon on the plasticity of tendon mechanical and morphological properties. Eleven male adults (23.9±2.2 yr) participated in the study. The participants exercised one leg at low magnitude tendon strain (2.97±0.47%), and the other leg at high tendon strain magnitude (4.72±1.08%) of similar frequency (0.5 Hz, 1 s loading, 1 s relaxation) and exercise volume (integral of the plantar flexion moment over time) for 14 weeks, 4 days per week, 5 sets per session. The exercise volume was similar to the intervention of our earlier study (0.17 Hz frequency; 3 s loading, 3 s relaxation) allowing a direct comparison of the results. Before and after the intervention ankle joint moment has been measured by a dynamometer, tendon–aponeurosis elongation by ultrasound and cross-sectional area of the Achilles tendon by magnet resonance images (MRI). We found a decrease in strain at a given tendon force, an increase in tendon–aponeurosis stiffness and tendon elastic modulus of the Achilles tendon only in the leg exercised at high strain magnitude. The cross-sectional area (CSA) of the Achilles tendon did not show any statistically significant (P>0.05) differences to the pre-exercise values in both legs. The results indicate a superior improvement in tendon properties (stiffness, elastic modulus and CSA) at the low frequency (0.17 Hz) compared to the high strain frequency (0.5 Hz) protocol. These findings provide evidence that the strain magnitude applied to the Achilles tendon should exceed the value, which occurs during habitual activities to trigger adaptational effects and that higher tendon strain duration per contraction leads to superior tendon adaptational responses. Y1 - 2010 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiomech.2010.08.014 SN - 0021-9290 VL - 43 IS - 16 SP - 3073 EP - 3079 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Aggeloussis, Nickos A1 - Giannakou, Erasmia A1 - Albracht, Kirsten A1 - Arampatzis, Adamantios T1 - Reproducibility of fascicle length and pennation angle of gastrocnemius medialis in human gait in vivo JF - Gait and Posture N2 - The purpose of the current study was to examine the reproducibility of fascicle length and pennation angle of gastrocnemius medialis while human walking. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study of the reproducibility of fascicle length and pennation angle of gastrocnemius medialis in vivo during human gait. Twelve males performed 10 gait trials on a treadmill, in 2 separate days. B-mode ultrasonography, with the ultrasound probe firmly adjusted in the transverse and frontal planes using a special cast, was used to measure the fascicle length and the pennation angle of the gastrocnemius medialis (GM). A Vicon 624 system with three cameras operating at 120 Hz was also used to record the ankle and knee joint angles. The results showed that measurements of fascicle length and pennation angle showed high reproducibility during the gait cycle, both within the same day and between different days. Moreover, the root mean square differences between the repeated waveforms of both variables were very small, compared with their ranges (fascicle length: RMS = ∼3 mm, range: 38–63 mm; pennation angle: RMS = ∼1.5°, range: 22–32°). However, their reproducibility was lower compared to the joint angles. It was found that representative data have to be derived by a wide number of gait trials (fascicle length ∼six trials, pennation angle more than 10 trials), to assure the reliability of the fascicle length and pennation angle in human gait. Y1 - 2010 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gaitpost.2009.08.249 SN - 0966-6362 VL - 31 IS - 1 SP - 73 EP - 77 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Horstmann, Marie-Therese A1 - Bialonski, Stephan A1 - Noenning, Nina A1 - Mai, Heinke A1 - Prusseit, Jens A1 - Wellmer, Jörg A1 - Hinrichs, Hermann A1 - Lehnertz, Klaus T1 - State dependent properties of epileptic brain networks: Comparative graph–theoretical analyses of simultaneously recorded EEG and MEG JF - Clinical Neurophysiology N2 - Objective To investigate whether functional brain networks of epilepsy patients treated with antiepileptic medication differ from networks of healthy controls even during the seizure-free interval. Methods We applied different rules to construct binary and weighted networks from EEG and MEG data recorded under a resting-state eyes-open and eyes-closed condition from 21 epilepsy patients and 23 healthy controls. The average shortest path length and the clustering coefficient served as global statistical network characteristics. Results Independent on the behavioral condition, epileptic brains exhibited a more regular functional network structure. Similarly, the eyes-closed condition was characterized by a more regular functional network structure in both groups. The amount of network reorganization due to behavioral state changes was similar in both groups. Consistent findings could be achieved for networks derived from EEG but hardly from MEG recordings, and network construction rules had a rather strong impact on our findings. Conclusions Despite the locality of the investigated processes epileptic brain networks differ in their global characteristics from non-epileptic brain networks. Further methodological developments are necessary to improve the characterization of disturbed and normal functional networks. Significance An increased regularity and a diminished modulation capability appear characteristic of epileptic brain networks. Y1 - 2010 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.clinph.2009.10.013 SN - 1388-2457 VL - 121 IS - 2 SP - 172 EP - 185 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Pressler, Axel A1 - Esefeld, Katrin A1 - Scherr, Johannes A1 - Ali, Mohammad A1 - Hanssen, Henner A1 - Kotliar, Konstantin A1 - Lanzl, Ines A1 - Halle, Martin A1 - Kaemmerer, Harald A1 - Schmidt-Trucksäss, Arno A1 - Hager, Alfred T1 - Structural alterations of retinal arterioles in adults late after repair of aortic isthmic coarctation JF - The American Journal of Cardiology N2 - Patients after coarctation repair still have an increased risk of cardiovascular or cerebrovascular events. This has been explained by the persisting hypertension and alterations in the peripheral vessels. However, involvement of the central vessels such as the retinal arteries is virtually unknown. A total of 34 patients after coarctation repair (22 men and 12 women; 23 to 58 years old, age range 0 to 32 years at surgical repair) and 34 nonhypertensive controls underwent structural and functional retinal vessel analysis. Using structural analysis, the vessel diameters were measured. Using functional analysis, the endothelium-dependent vessel dilation in response to flicker light stimulation was assessed. In the patients after coarctation repair, the retinal arteriolar diameter was significantly reduced compared to that of the controls (median 182 μm, first to third quartile 171 to 197; vs 197 μm, first to third quartile 193 to 206; p <0.001). These findings were independent of the peripheral blood pressure and age at intervention. No differences were found for venules. The functional analysis findings were not different between the patients and controls (maximum dilation 3.5%, first to third quartile 2.1% to 4.5% vs 3.6%, first to third quartile 2.2% to 4.3%; p = 0.81), indicating preserved autoregulative mechanisms. In conclusion, the retinal artery diameter is reduced in patients after coarctation repair, independent of their current blood pressure level and age at intervention. As a structural marker of chronic vessel damage associated with past, current, or future hypertension, retinal arteriolar narrowing has been linked to stroke incidence. These results indicate an involvement of cerebral microcirculation in aortic coarctation, despite timely repair, and might contribute to explain the increased rate of cerebrovascular events in such patients. Y1 - 2010 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.amjcard.2009.10.070 SN - 0002-9149 VL - 105 IS - 5 SP - 740 EP - 744 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Herzog, Hans A1 - Pietrzyk, Uwe A1 - Shah, N. Jon A1 - Ziemons, Karl T1 - The current state, challenges and perspectives of MR-PET JF - Neuroimage N2 - Following the success of PET/CT during the last decade and the recent increasing proliferation of SPECT/CT, another hybrid imaging instrument has been gaining more and more interest: MR-PET. First combined, simultaneous PET and MR studies carried out in small animals demonstrated the feasibility of the new approach. Concurrently, some prototypes of an MR-PET scanner for simultaneous human brain studies have been built, their performance is being tested and preliminary applications have already been shown. Through this pioneering work, it has become clear that advances in the detector design are necessary for further optimization. Recently, the different issues related to the present state and future prospects of MR-PET were presented and discussed during an international 2-day workshop at the Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany, held after, and in conjunction with, the 2008 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium and Medical Imaging Conference in Dresden, Germany on October 27–28, 2008. The topics ranged from small animal MR-PET imaging to human MR-BrainPET imaging, new detector developments, challenges/opportunities for ultra-high field MR-PET imaging and considerations of possible future research and clinical applications. This report presents a critical summary of the contributions made to the workshop. Y1 - 2010 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2009.10.036 SN - 1053-8119 VL - 49 IS - 3 SP - 2072 EP - 2082 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER -