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IntroductionThe cerebrospinal fluid dynamics in the human brain are driven by physiological pulsations, including cardiovascular pulses and very low-frequency (< 0.1 Hz) vasomotor waves. Ultrafast functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) facilitates the simultaneous measurement of these signals from venous and arterial compartments independently with both classical venous blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) and faster arterial spin-phase contrast.MethodsIn this study, we compared the interaction of these two pulsations in awake and sleep using fMRI and peripheral fingertip photoplethysmography in both arterial and venous signals in 10 healthy subjects (5 female).ResultsSleep increased the power of brain cardiovascular pulsations, decreased peripheral pulsation, and desynchronized them. However, vasomotor waves increase power and synchronicity in both brain and peripheral signals during sleep. Peculiarly, lag between brain and peripheral vasomotor signals reversed in sleep within the default mode network. Finally, sleep synchronized cerebral arterial vasomotor waves with venous BOLD waves within distinct parasagittal brain tissue.DiscussionThese changes in power and pulsation synchrony may reflect systemic sleep-related changes in vascular control between the periphery and brain vasculature, while the increased synchrony of arterial and venous compartments may reflect increased convection of regional neurofluids in parasagittal areas in sleep.

Abstract The eye possesses a paravascular solute transport pathway that is driven by physiological pulsations, resembling the brain glymphatic pathway. We developed synchronous multimodal imaging tools aimed at measuring the driving pulsations of the human eye, using an eye-tracking functional eye camera (FEC) compatible with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for measuring eye surface pulsations. Special optics enabled integration of the FEC with MRI-compatible video ophthalmoscopy (MRcVO) for simultaneous retinal imaging along with functional eye MRI imaging (fMREye) of the BOLD (blood oxygen level dependent) contrast. Upon optimizing the fMREye parameters, we measured the power of the physiological (vasomotor, respiratory, and cardiac) eye and brain pulsations by fast Fourier transform (FFT) power analysis. The human eye pulsated in all three physiological pulse bands, most prominently in the respiratory band. The FFT power means of physiological pulsation for two adjacent slices was significantly higher than in one-slice scans (RESP1 vs. RESP2; df = 5, p = 0.045). FEC and MRcVO confirmed the respiratory pulsations at the eye surface and retina. We conclude that in addition to the known cardiovascular pulsation, the human eye also has respiratory and vasomotor pulsation mechanisms, which are now amenable to study using non-invasive multimodal imaging of eye fluidics.

Most qualitative characteristics cannot be easily reported numerically. In such cases, each product is inspected and usually divided into two conforming and nonconforming groups based on their qualitative characteristics. Since nowadays products and processes have generally several interdependent qualitative characteristics, it is necessary to use multivariate quality control methods to make the relationship between variables and their variations. To do this, the sampling of the considered qualitative characteristic is done at the specified time intervals to check the control of the process over time after drawing the considered statistic on the control chart. A common problem while sampling is measurement error. It affects the performance of control charts, impairs their ability to detect changes in the process, and increases the cost and time to search for out-of-control situations. In this paper, the effect of measurement error on the performance of the Multivariate Nonconforming Proportion (MNP) control chart has been evaluated based on the criterion of Average Run Length (ARL) for the first time. The results imply that the measurement error has a considerable impact on the performance of this chart. Also, the results indicate that if the defective items have been wrongly considered as correct items, we would have a higher ARL compared to an ideal and accurate system. On the other hand, if the system considers right items as defective, we will have a lower ARL than the ideal and accurate system. It is proved that if both errors (considering faulty items as correct ones and vice versa) occur simultaneously, the ARL will be reduced like the previous case.

Purpose: In this report the design concept and experimental evaluation of the performance of Fluo Vision have been illustrated. Materials and Methods: The Fluo Vision system designed for fluorescence concentration imaging. In order to assess the capability of the system, results of reference design have been analyzed. Results: Results of the Fluo Vision system are matched with the reference design. Conclusion: The evaluation indicated that Fluo Vision is adequate as a fluorescence imaging system for fluorescence concentration imaging.

IntroductionSleep increases brain fluid transport and the power of pulsations driving the fluids. We investigated how sleep deprivation or electrophysiologically different stages of non-rapid-eye-movement (NREM) sleep affect the human brain pulsations.MethodsFast functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was performed in healthy subjects (n = 23) with synchronous electroencephalography (EEG), that was used to verify arousal states (awake, N1 and N2 sleep). Cardiorespiratory rates were verified with physiological monitoring. Spectral power analysis assessed the strength, and spectral entropy assessed the stability of the pulsations.ResultsIn N1 sleep, the power of vasomotor (VLF < 0.1 Hz), but not cardiorespiratory pulsations, intensified after sleep deprived vs. non-sleep deprived subjects. The power of all three pulsations increased as a function of arousal state (N2 > N1 > awake) encompassing brain tissue in both sleep stages, but extra-axial CSF spaces only in N2 sleep. Spectral entropy of full band and respiratory pulsations decreased most in N2 sleep stage, while cardiac spectral entropy increased in ventricles.DiscussionIn summary, the sleep deprivation and sleep depth, both increase the power and harmonize the spectral content of human brain pulsations.