Measurement Of Transit Time Research Articles

Feasibility Study of a New Magnetic Resonance Imaging Mini-capsule Device to Measure Whole Gut Transit Time in Paediatric Constipation.

ABSTRACTObjective:In England, 27,500 children are referred annually to hospital with constipation. An objective measure of whole gut transit time (WGTT) could aid management. The current standard WGTT assessment, the x-ray radiopaque marker (ROM) test, gives poor definition of colonic anatomy and the radiation dose required is undesirable in children. Our objective was to develop an alternative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) WGTT measure to the x-ray ROM test and to demonstrate its initial feasibility in paediatric constipation.Methods:With the Nottingham Young Person's Advisory Group we developed a small (8 × 4 mm), inert polypropylene capsule shell filled with MRI-visible fat emulsion. The capsule can be imaged using MRI fat and water in-phase and out-of-phase imaging. Sixteen patients with constipation and 19 healthy participants aged 7 to 18 years old were recruited. Following a common ROM protocol, the participants swallowed 24 mini-capsules each day for 3 days and were imaged on days 4 and 7 using MRI. The number of successful studies (feasibility) and WGTT were assessed. Participants’ EuroQoL Visual Analogue Scale were also collected and compared between the day before the taking the first set of mini-capsules to the day after the last MRI study day.Results:The mini-capsules were imaged successfully in the colon of all participants. The WGTT was 78 ± 35 hours (mean ± standard deviation) for patients, and 36 ± 16 hours, P < 0.0001 for healthy controls. Carrying out the procedures did not change the EuroQoL Visual Analogue Scale scores before and after the procedures.Conclusions:Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Paediatric Constipation was a first-in-child feasibility study of a new medical device to measure WGTT in paediatric constipation using MRI. The study showed that the new method is feasible and is well tolerated.

Measuring the speed of gravitational waves from the first and second observing run of Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo

The speed of gravitational waves for a single observation can be measured by the time delay among gravitational-wave detectors with Bayesian inference. Then multiple measurements can be combined to produce a more accurate result. From the near simultaneous detection of gravitational waves and gamma rays originating from GW170817/GRB 170817A, the speed of gravitational wave signal was found to be the same as the the speed of the gamma rays to approximately one part in $10^{15}$. Here we present a different method of measuring the speed of gravitational waves, not based on an associated electromagnetic signal but instead by the measured transit time across a geographically separated network of detectors. While this method is far less precise, it provides an independent measurement of the speed of gravitational waves. For GW170817 a binary neutron star inspiral observed by Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo, by fixing sky localization of the source at the electromagnetic counterpart the speed of gravitational waves is constrained to 90% confidence interval (0.97c, 1.02c), where c is the speed of light in a vacuum. By combing seven BBH events and the BNS event from the second observing run of Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo, the 90% confidence interval is narrowed down to (0.97c, 1.01c). The accurate measurement of the speed of gravitational waves allows us to test the general theory of relativity. We further interpret these results within the test framework provided by the gravitational Standard-Model Extension (SME). In doing so, we obtain simultaneous constraints on 4 of the 9 nonbirefringent, nondispersive coefficients for Lorentz violation in the gravity sector of the SME and place limits on the anisotropy of the speed of gravity.

Comparative Efficacy of the Prokinetic Effects of Cisapride and Tegaserod in Equines

The aim of this study was to compare the effects of cisapride and tegaserod on intestinal smooth muscle activity in equines. Efficacy was evaluated through measurement of gastrointestinal transit time, bowel movements per day, stool weight, and bowel sounds. Drug safety was evaluated via heart rate, respiratory rate, and rectal temperature. Records were obtained throughout three periods: a control phase without treatment, a period of cisapride administration at a dose of 0.22 mg/kg, and a period of tegaserod treatment at a dose of 0.27 mg/kg. Gastrointestinal transit time, bowel movements per day, and stool weight were significantly improved on administration of both cisapride and tegaserod, as compared with the control phase. With tegaserod administration, gastrointestinal transit time accelerates more than to cisapride administration; however, no significant difference was seen in bowel movements per day and stool weight. In terms of heart rate, respiratory rate, and rectal temperature, no significant variations were seen between the three sample phases. Because of the above findings, tegaserod can be considered an effective stimulant of intestinal smooth muscle, accelerating gastrointestinal transit time in healthy horses and representing a potential therapeutic agent similar to cisapride.

In-situ evaluation of the carrier mobility using Mott–Schottky-equivalent analysis in organic light emitting diodes

An equation describing the carrier accumulation in organic heterojunction devices is presented. The equation is the counterpart of the Mott–Schottky equation in semiconductor device physics, where the insulating depletion layer is replaced by the conductive space charge layer. This equation allows us to evaluate the mobility and the carrier density of the organic materials simultaneously from the analysis of the impedance spectrum using diode configurations. We tested 77 hole transporting materials developed in our company under fixed standard six layer structures. The mobilities are compared with those evaluated by the transit time measurement using impedance spectroscopy of hole only devices. The evaluated mobilities by the in-situ method have better correlation with the driving voltages than those by the conventional method based on the transit time effect.

Distinctive Pathophysiology Underlying Constipation in Parkinson's Disease: Implications for Cognitive Inefficiency.

Depression is associated with constipation within and outside Parkinson’s disease (PD). Since inefficient cognitive-processing (bradyphrenia) features in PD and an enterokinetic agent improved cognitive performance in healthy individuals, bradyphrenia may be associated with constipation. We aim to define the archetypical bowel function of PD, and its association with cognition, mood, and motor features within and outside PD. We assessed colonic transit time (oral radio-opaque markers over 6 days), bowel function and psychometric questionnaires and measures of PD facets, including bradyphrenia, in 58 participants with diagnosed PD, and 71 without (controls). The best abdominal X-ray (day 7) predictors of PD status were total retained marker count and transverse colon segmental delay. However, Rome functional constipation status complemented segmental delay better, giving good specificity (85%) but low sensitivity (56%). Transverse colon marker count appeared to be age-associated only in PD. In PD, those correctly classified by bowel dysfunction had higher depression scores (p = 0.02) and longer cognitive-processing times than the misclassified (p = 0.05). Controls misclassified as PD by bowel dysfunction had higher depression and anxiety scores than the correctly classified (p = 0.002 and 0.003, respectively), but not slower cognitive processing. Measures of motor features were independent of sub-classification by bowel function in PD and in controls. In conclusion, constipation in PD has distinct localized pathophysiology, and is associated with bradyphrenia.

Are Noninvasive Continuous Cardiac Output Monitoring Interchangeable with Esophageal Doppler?

Objective: To compare the trending ability, accuracy, and precision of non-invasive stroke volume (SV) measurement based on a bioreactance technique and measurement of the pulse wave transit time (PWTT) versus the esophageal Doppler monitoring (EDM). Materials and Methods: Two hundred twenty-seven paired measurements from 10 patients who underwent abdominal surgery under general anesthesia were included for SV measurements. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was calculated, and Bland-Altman analysis was performed to evaluate the agreement between EDM and bioreactance (EDM-bioreactance) and between EDM and PWTT (EDM-PWTT). Results: EDM-bioreactance had a correlation coefficient of 0.75 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.62 to 0.78; p&lt;0.001), bias of 0.28 ml (limits of agreement –30.92 to 31.38 ml), and percentage error of 46.82%. EDM-PWTT had a correlation coefficient of 0.48 (95% CI 0.44 to 0.72; p&lt;0.001), bias of –0.18 ml (limits of agreement –40.28 to 39.92 ml), and percentage error of 60.17%. A subgroup analysis of data from patients who underwent crystalloid loading was performed to detect the trending ability. The four-quadrant plot analysis between EDM-bioreactance and EDM-PWTT demonstrated concordance rates of 70.00% and 73.68%, respectively. Conclusion: SV measurement based on bioreactance technique and measurement of PWTT are not interchangeable with EDM. Trial registration: Thai Clinical Trials Registry, TCTR 20181217003 Keywords: Stroke volume, Cardiac output, Doppler, Perioperative care, Pulse, Time

WASP-4 Is Accelerating toward the Earth

Abstract The orbital period of the hot Jupiter WASP-4b appears to be decreasing at a rate of −8.64 ± 1.26 ms yr−1, based on transit-timing measurements spanning 12 yr. Proposed explanations for the period change include tidal orbital decay, apsidal precession, and acceleration of the system along the line of sight. To investigate further, we performed new radial-velocity measurements and speckle imaging of WASP-4. The radial-velocity data show that the system is accelerating toward the Sun at a rate of −0.0422 ± 0.0028 m s−1 day−1. The associated Doppler effect should cause the apparent period to shrink at a rate of −5.94 ± 0.39 ms yr−1, comparable to the observed rate. Thus, the observed change in the transit period is mostly or entirely produced by the line-of-sight acceleration of the system. This acceleration is probably caused by a wide-orbiting companion of mass 10–300 M Jup and orbital distance 10–100 au, based on the magnitude of the radial-velocity trend and the nondetection of any companion in the speckle images. We expect that the orbital periods of one out of three hot Jupiters will change at rates similar to WASP-4b, based on the hot-Jupiter companion statistics of Knutson et al. Continued radial-velocity monitoring of hot Jupiters is therefore essential to distinguish the effects of tidal orbital decay or apsidal precession from line-of-sight acceleration.

Data-driven model for shear wave transit time prediction for formation evaluation

Sonic well logs provide a cost-effective and efficient non-destructive tool for continuous dynamic evaluation of reservoir formations. In the exploration and production of oil and gas reservoirs, these sonic logs contain crucial information about the formation. However, shear sonic logs are not acquired in all oil and gas exploration wells. More so, many offset wells are not run with the most recent sonic logging tools capable of measuring both shear and compressional sonic transit times due to the relatively high costs of running such equipment. And in wells where they are deployed, they are run only over limited intervals of the formation. Such wells lack continuous shear wave transit time measurements along the formation. In this study, an exponential Gaussian process model is presented. The model accurately predicts the shear wave transit times in the formations which lack reliable shear wave transit time measurements. The proposed model is developed using an array of well logs, namely depth, density, porosity, gamma ray, and compressional transit time. A Monte Carlo simulation is used to quantify the proposed model uncertainty. The shear sonic transit time predictions are used to estimate some formation deformation properties, namely Young’s modulus and Poisson’s ratio of a reservoir formation. The results suggest that shear transit time can be represented and predicted by Gaussian-based process model with RMSE, R2, and MSE of 11.147, 0.99, and 124.6, respectively. The proposed model provides a reliable and cost-effective tool for oil and gas dynamic formation evaluation. The findings from this study can help for better understanding of shear transit times in formations which do not have multipole sonic logs or where data have been corrupted while logging in the Niger Delta.

The Continuing Search for Evidence of Tidal Orbital Decay of Hot Jupiters

Abstract Many of the known hot Jupiters are formally unstable to tidal orbital decay. The only hot Jupiter for which orbital decay has been directly detected is WASP-12, for which transit-timing measurements spanning more than a decade have revealed that the orbital period is decreasing at a rate of , corresponding to a reduced tidal quality factor of about 2 × 105. Here, we present a compilation of transit-timing data for WASP-12 and 11 other systems that are especially favorable for detecting orbital decay: KELT-16; WASP-18, 19, 43, 72, 103, 114, and 122; HAT-P-23; HATS-18; and OGLE-TR-56. For most of these systems we present new data that extend the time baseline over which observations have been performed. None of the systems besides WASP-12 display convincing evidence for period changes, with typical upper limits on dP/dt on the order of 10−9 or 10−10, and lower limits on the reduced tidal quality factor on the order of 105. One possible exception is WASP-19, which shows a statistically significant trend, although it may be a spurious effect of starspot activity. Further observations are encouraged.

Distal colonic transit is linked to gut microbiota diversity and microbial fermentation in humans with slow colonic transit.

Longer colonic transit time and hard stools are associated with increased gut microbiota diversity. Here, we investigate to what extent quantitative measures of (segmental) colonic transit time were related to gut microbiota composition, microbial metabolites, and gut-related parameters in a human cross-sectional study. Using radiopaque markers, (segmental) colonic transit time (CTT) was measured in 48 lean/overweight participants with long colonic transit but without constipation. Fecal microbiota composition was determined using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Associations between gastrointestinal transit (segmental CTT and stool frequency and consistency), microbiota diversity and composition, microbial metabolites [short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), branched-chain fatty acids, and breath hydrogen], habitual diet, and gut-related host parameters [lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP) and fecal calprotectin] were investigated using univariate and multivariate approaches. Long descending (i.e., distal) colonic transit was associated with increased microbial α-diversity but not with stool consistency. Using unweighted and weighted UniFrac distance, microbiota variation was not related to (segmental) CTT but to demographics, diet, plasma LBP, and fecal calprotectin. Bray-Curtis dissimilarity related only to stool consistency. Rectosigmoid and descending colonic transit were negatively associated with fecal SCFA and plasma acetate, respectively. This study suggests that the distal colon transit may affect not only microbiota diversity but also microbial metabolism.NEW & NOTEWORTHY We extend previous findings showing that long distal colonic transit time influences microbial diversification and fermentation, whereas stool consistency is related to microbiota composition in humans with a long colonic transit. This study puts the importance of the (distal) colonic site in microbiota ecology forward, which should be considered in future therapeutic studies targeting, for instance, short-chain fatty acid production to improve metabolic health.

Imaging Measurement of Whole Gut Transit Time in Paediatric and Adult Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders: A Systematic Review and Narrative Synthesis.

Background: functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGID) are common conditions in children and adults, often associated with abnormalities of whole gut transit. Currently, transit tests can be performed using several imaging methods, including tracking of radiopaque markers, gamma scintigraphy with the use of radioisotopes, magnetic tracking methods, tracking of movement of wireless motility capsules, and emerging magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) approaches. Objectives: to review recent literature on diagnostic imaging techniques used to investigate whole gut transit in FGIDs. Methods: a systematic review was carried out. The different techniques are described briefly, with particular emphasis on contemporary literature and new developments, particularly in the field of MRI. Conclusions: emerging MRI capsule marker methods are promising new tools to study whole gut transit in FGIDs.

Intracranial venous sinus stenosis: hemodynamic assessment with two-dimensional parametric parenchymal blood flow software on digital subtraction angiography

ObjectiveIntracranial venous sinus stenosis (IVSS) is the most common finding associated with idiopathic intracranial hypertension. A pressure gradient >8–10 mm Hg across the stenosis is considered hemodynamically significant, and typically...

In vivo positron emission tomography imaging of decreased parasympathetic innervation in the gut of vagotomized patients.

Parasympathetic neuropathy is a key feature in many common disorders, including diabetes, neurological disorders, and cancers, but few objective methods exist for assessing damage to the parasympathetic nervous system, particularly in the gastrointestinal system. This study aimed to validate the use of 11 C-donepezil positron emission tomography (PET) to assess parasympathetic integrity in a group of vagotomized patients. Sixteen healthy controls and 12 patients, vagotomized due to esophagectomy, underwent 11 C-donepezil PET, measurement of colonic transit time, quantification of plasma pancreatic polypeptide (PP), and assessment of subjective long-term symptoms. Vagotomized patients had significantly decreased PET signal in the small intestine and colon compared with healthy controls (5.7 [4.4-7.9] vs 7.4 [4.5-11.3], P=.01 and 1.4 [1.1-2.1] vs 1.6 [1.4-2.4], P<.01, respectively). Vagotomized patients also displayed a significantly increased colonic transit time (2.9±0.9h vs 1.9±0.8h), P<.01 and increased volumes of the small intestine and colon (715ccm [544-1177] vs 443ccm [307-613], P<.01 and 971ccm [713-1389] vs 711ccm [486-1394], P=.01, respectively). Patients and controls did not differ in PP ratio levels after sham feeding, but PP ratio at 10minutes. after sham feeding and PET signal intensity in the small intestine was positively correlated (P=.03). We found significantly decreased 11 C-donepezil signal in the intestine of vagotomized patients, supporting that 11 C-donepezil PET is a valid measure of intestinal parasympathetic denervation.

The Importance of Extensional Rheology in Bolus Control during Swallowing

Thickened fluids are commonly used in the medical management of individuals who suffer swallowing difficulty (known as dysphagia). Previous studies have shown that the rheological properties of a liquid affect the flow behavior of the bolus in swallowing, such as pharyngeal transit time. While there is no doubt that shear rheology is a highly important factor for bolus flow, it is suspected that extensional properties of a liquid bolus also plays an important role in swallowing, due to elongation of the bolus as it flows through the oropharynx. Our aim in this work was to observe the effect of extensional viscosity on pharyngeal transit time and elongation of the bolus during swallowing. Eight samples of thickened liquid barium that were shear-controlled, but varied in extensional viscosity and two samples that were extensional-controlled, but varied in shear viscosity were swallowed by eight healthy individuals. Data were collected under lateral view of videofluoroscopy swallow study (VFSS); measures of pharyngeal transit time and the ratio of the length to the width of the bolus on the frame of Upper Esophageal Sphincter (UES) opening were taken from the VFSS recordings. It was observed that the pharyngeal transit time generally increases when the fluids are thickened to higher IDDSI consistency. Additionally, higher extensional viscosity fluids reduced the elongation of the bolus during swallowing, thus potentially reducing the risk of post-swallow residue due to bolus breakage. This study confirmed the relevance of the extensional viscosity of the bolus in swallowing.

Electronic and Software Support of a Test Time-of-Flight Meter for Neutron Spectra

A description of the operation and functional units of a test time-of-flight meter for neutron spectra for a polarized neutron reflectometer that will be installed after the neutron cold source of the IR-8 reactor neutron guide is presented. The developed electronic and software support allows measurement of the neutron transit time and, accordingly, the determination of the spectral characteristics of a neutron beam, as well as controlling the exact spatial positions of a chopper disk, diaphragm, and 3He-detector using stepper motors and controllers.

Wearable Millimeter-Wave Device for Contactless Measurement of Arterial Pulses.

Wearable monitors for measuring vital signs such as blood pressure will greatly impact the medical field. This work presents a millimeter-wave, radar-based system for performing accurate measurements of arterial pulse waveforms without contacting the region that is pulsing. Electromagnetic and radar-system simulation models are utilized to demonstrate the viability and safety of this approach. This is followed by hardware/software implementation and a study on 12 human subjects. Measured radial arterial waveforms exhibit signal strengths that are well above the noise floor of the system and a morphology that would be expected in an arterial pulse. Finally, comparison of the radar-based signals with a reference tonometer indicates a strong correlation between waveforms, as well as similar spectral signatures. The results observed suggest a millimeter-wave based approach for arterial pulse detection is very promising for future applications in pulse wave analysis and pulse transit time measurement for blood pressure tracking.

Mechanisms of Interaction of Ultrasound With Cancellous Bone: A Review.

Ultrasound is now a clinically accepted modality in the management of osteoporosis. The most common commercial clinical devices assess fracture risk from measurements of attenuation and sound speed in cancellous bone. This review discusses fundamental mechanisms underlying the interaction between ultrasound and cancellous bone. Because of its two-phase structure (mineralized trabecular network embedded in soft tissue-marrow), its anisotropy, and its inhomogeneity, cancellous bone is more difficult to characterize than most soft tissues. Experimental data for the dependencies of attenuation, sound speed, dispersion, and scattering on ultrasound frequency, bone mineral density, composition, microstructure, and mechanical properties are presented. The relative roles of absorption, scattering, and phase cancellation in determining attenuation measurements in vitro and in vivo are delineated. Common speed of sound metrics, which entail measurements of transit times of pulse leading edges (to avoid multipath interference), are greatly influenced by attenuation, dispersion, and system properties, including center frequency and bandwidth. However, a theoretical model has been shown to be effective for correction for these confounding factors in vitro and in vivo. Theoretical and phantom models are presented to elucidate why cancellous bone exhibits negative dispersion, unlike soft tissue, which exhibits positive dispersion. Signal processing methods are presented for separating "fast" and "slow" waves (predicted by poroelasticity theory and supported in cancellous bone) even when the two waves overlap in time and frequency domains. Models to explain dependencies of scattering on frequency and mean trabecular thickness are presented and compared with measurements. Anisotropy, the effect of the fluid filler medium (marrow in vivo or water in vitro), phantoms, computational modeling of ultrasound propagation, acoustic microscopy, and nonlinear properties in cancellous bone are also discussed.

Cuffless Blood Pressure Monitoring from an Array of Wrist Bio-Impedance Sensors Using Subject-Specific Regression Models: Proof of Concept.

Continuous and beat-to-beat monitoring of blood pressure (BP), compared to office-based BP measurement, provides significant advantages in predicting future cardiovascular disease. Traditional BP measurement methods are based on a cuff, which is bulky, obtrusive and not applicable to continuous monitoring. Measurement of pulse transit time (PTT) is one of the prominent cuffless methods for continuous BP monitoring. PTT is the time taken by the pressure pulse to travel between two points in an arterial vessel, which is correlated with the BP. In this paper, we present a new cuffless BP method using an array of wrist-worn bio-impedance sensors placed on the radial and the ulnar arteries of the wrist to monitor the arterial pressure pulse from the blood volume changes at each sensor site. BP is accurately estimated by using AdaBoost regression model based on selected arterial pressure pulse features such as transit time, amplitude and slope of the pressure pulse, which are dependent on the cardiac activity and the vascular properties of the wrist arteries. A separate model is developed for each subject based on calibration data to capture the individual variations of BP parameters. In this pilot study, data was collected from 10 healthy participants with age ranges from 18 to 30 years after exercising using our custom low-noise bio-impedance sensing hardware. Post-exercise BP was accurately estimated with an average correlation coefficient and root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.77 and 2.6 mmHg for the diastolic BP and 0.86 and 3.4 mmHg for the systolic BP.

Measurement and Analysis of Local Pulse Transit Time for Emotion Recognition

Emotion recognition based on physiological parameters is a research field that pushes forward from lab settings to real-life investigations. Wearable devices facilitate this advance. However, these devices are still functionally limited compared to stationary medical devices. Our goal is to extend the capability of wearable devices by developing a method that measures the pulse transit time (PTT) locally. The PTT is an interesting parameter regarding emotion recognition. A method for local PTT measurement can be implemented using two photoplethysmography (PPG) sensors. However, this method is error-prone. In this paper, the physiological background that is presumably responsible for erroneous PPG-based PTT measurements is discussed. We present an algorithm that is capable to handle the derived physiological effects. The algorithm analyzes and compares the two PPG-signals to adapt to time-varying physiological effects. By using this algorithm, calculating and analyzing of the local PTT in the context of emotion recognition become possible. A study (n = 40) to test the algorithm and investigate the usefulness of local PTT analysis for emotion recognition in combination with other physiological signals was conducted. PTT-based parameters, which were derived from the frequency domain of the signal, showed a statistically significant (p <; 0.05) difference between induced emotional states, if calculated by the developed algorithm. Our findings indicate that parameters derived by our method are significantly affected by emotional stimuli. We suggest that this method can be used to advance emotion recognition investigations in real life as it can potentially be integrated into a single wearable device.

An empirical model for calculating uniaxial compressive strength of oil well cements from ultrasonic pulse transit time measurements

Thirty-five cement samples were tested in an Ultrasonic Cement Analyzer (UCA) at varying curing conditions and for varying curing times, and then uniaxially compressed to failure in a hydraulic press. An attempt was made, using the ultrasonic transit time data measured with a UCA and the uniaxial compressive strength data measured using a hydraulic press, to derive an empirical model capable of accurately predicting uniaxial compressive strength from the ultrasonic transit time. Using the Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm, the experimental data was fit to two models. In addition to the transit time dependence, the first model presented incorporates a term that accounts for the curing time while the second model contains terms that account for both the curing time and cement composition. The results obtained illustrate the complexity of deriving a correlation with general applicability to all well cements. The best performing model based on both curve fit error and prediction performance for the samples tested was the model that accounted only for the curing time dependency of the cement strength development rate in addition to the measured transit time, indicating that the transit time measurement history is sufficient as a tool for characterizing well cement strength development.