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Full-Text Articles in Engineering

Nanosecond Pulsed Electric Fields Increase Antibiotic Susceptibility In Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, Alexandra E. Chittams-Miles, Areej Malik, Erin B. Purcell, Claudia Muratori Jan 2024

Nanosecond Pulsed Electric Fields Increase Antibiotic Susceptibility In Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, Alexandra E. Chittams-Miles, Areej Malik, Erin B. Purcell, Claudia Muratori

Bioelectrics Publications

Staphylococcus aureus is the leading cause of skin and soft-tissue infections (SSTIs). SSTIs caused by bacteria resistant to antimicrobials, such as methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), are increasing in incidence and have led to higher rates of hospitalization. In this study, we measured MRSA inactivation by nanosecond pulsed electric fields (nsPEF), a promising new cell ablation technology. Our results show that treatment with 120 pulses of 600 ns duration (28 kV/cm, 1 Hz), caused modest inactivation, indicating cellular damage. We anticipated that the perturbation created by nsPEF could increase antibiotic efficacy if nsPEF were applied as a co-treatment. To test this …


Quantification Of Antiviral Drug Tenofovir (Tfv) By Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (Sers) Using Cumulative Distribution Functions (Cdfs), Marguerite R. Butler, Jana Hrncirova, Meredith Clark, Sucharita Dutta, John B. Cooper Jan 2024

Quantification Of Antiviral Drug Tenofovir (Tfv) By Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (Sers) Using Cumulative Distribution Functions (Cdfs), Marguerite R. Butler, Jana Hrncirova, Meredith Clark, Sucharita Dutta, John B. Cooper

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is an ultrasensitive spectroscopic technique that generates signal-enhanced fingerprint vibrational spectra of small molecules. However, without rigorous control of SERS substrate active sites, geometry, surface area, or surface functionality, SERS is notoriously irreproducible, complicating the consistent quantitative analysis of small molecules. While evaporatively prepared samples yield significant SERS enhancement resulting in lower detection limits, the distribution of these enhancements along the SERS surface is inherently stochastic. Acquiring spatially resolved SERS spectra of these dried surfaces, we have shown that this enhancement is governed by a power law as a function of analyte concentration. Consequently, by definition, …


Recent Progress In Microrna Detection Using Integrated Electric Fields And Optical Detection Methods, Logeeshan Velmanickam, Dharmakeerthi Nawarathna Jan 2024

Recent Progress In Microrna Detection Using Integrated Electric Fields And Optical Detection Methods, Logeeshan Velmanickam, Dharmakeerthi Nawarathna

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Low-cost, highly-sensitivity, and minimally invasive tests for the detection and monitoring of life-threatening diseases and disorders can reduce the worldwide disease burden. Despite a number of interdisciplinary research efforts, there are still challenges remaining to be addressed, so clinically significant amounts of relevant biomarkers in body fluids can be detected with low assay cost, high sensitivity, and speed at point-of-care settings. Although the conventional proteomic technologies have shown promise, their ability to detect all levels of disease progression from early to advanced stages is limited to a limited number of diseases. One potential avenue for early diagnosis is microRNA (miRNA). …


Marineepi: A Gui-Based Matlab Toolbox To Simulate Marine Pathogen Transmission, Gorka Bidegain, Tal Ben-Horin, Eric N. Powell, John M. Klinck, Eileen E. Hofmann Jan 2023

Marineepi: A Gui-Based Matlab Toolbox To Simulate Marine Pathogen Transmission, Gorka Bidegain, Tal Ben-Horin, Eric N. Powell, John M. Klinck, Eileen E. Hofmann

CCPO Publications

The Graphical User Interface (GUI) MarineEpi is presented as a Matlab toolbox for easily (i) constructing disease transmission models for different marine host-pathogen systems, (ii) running simulations by specifying initial conditions and model parameters, and (iii) interpreting the resulting time series of the host and pathogen population dynamics. MarineEpi users can generate models for systems in which pathogen transmission occurs through contact with infected individuals (SI), contact with dead infected individuals (SID), contact with environmental pathogens released by infected individuals (SIP), and contact with environmental pathogens released by dead infected individuals (SIPD). MarineEpi is a freely available GUI that provides …


Evaluation Of Cold Atmospheric Plasma For The Decontamination Of Flexible Endoscopes, R. C. Hervé, Michael G. Kong, Sudhir Bhatt, Hai-Lan Chen, E. E. Comoy, J-P. Deslys, T. J. Secker, C. W. Keevil Jan 2023

Evaluation Of Cold Atmospheric Plasma For The Decontamination Of Flexible Endoscopes, R. C. Hervé, Michael G. Kong, Sudhir Bhatt, Hai-Lan Chen, E. E. Comoy, J-P. Deslys, T. J. Secker, C. W. Keevil

Bioelectrics Publications

Background: Despite adherence to standard protocols, residues including live microorganisms may remain on the various surfaces of reprocessed flexible endoscopes. Prions are infectious proteins notoriously difficult to eliminate.

Aim: We tested the potential of cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) for the decontamination of flexible endoscope various surfaces, measuring total proteins and prion-residual infectivity as an indicator of efficacy.

Methods: New PTFE endoscope channels and metal test surfaces spiked with test soil or prion-infected tissues were treated using different CAP-generating prototypes. Surfaces were then examined for the presence of residues using very sensitive fluorescence epi-microscopy. Prion residual infectivity was determined using the …


An Xai Approach For Covid-19 Detection Using Transfer Learning With X-Ray Images, Salih Sarp, Ferhat Ozgur Catak, Murat Kuzlu, Umit Cali, Huseyin Kusetogullari, Yanxiao Zhao, Gungor Ates, Ozgur Guler Jan 2023

An Xai Approach For Covid-19 Detection Using Transfer Learning With X-Ray Images, Salih Sarp, Ferhat Ozgur Catak, Murat Kuzlu, Umit Cali, Huseyin Kusetogullari, Yanxiao Zhao, Gungor Ates, Ozgur Guler

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has continued to cause severe challenges during this unprecedented time, affecting every part of daily life in terms of health, economics, and social development. There is an increasing demand for chest X-ray (CXR) scans, as pneumonia is the primary and vital complication of COVID-19. CXR is widely used as a screening tool for lung-related diseases due to its simple and relatively inexpensive application. However, these scans require expert radiologists to interpret the results for clinical decisions, i.e., diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis. The digitalization of various sectors, including healthcare, has accelerated during the pandemic, with the use …


Heart Disease Prediction Using Stacking Model With Balancing Techniques And Dimensionality Reduction, Ayesha Noor, Nadeem Javaid, Nabil Alrajeh, Babar Mansoor, Ali Khaqan, Safdar Hussain Bouk Jan 2023

Heart Disease Prediction Using Stacking Model With Balancing Techniques And Dimensionality Reduction, Ayesha Noor, Nadeem Javaid, Nabil Alrajeh, Babar Mansoor, Ali Khaqan, Safdar Hussain Bouk

School of Cybersecurity Faculty Publications

Heart disease is a serious worldwide health issue with wide-reaching effects. Since heart disease is one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide, early detection is crucial. Emerging technologies like Machine Learning (ML) are currently being actively used by the biomedical, healthcare, and health prediction industries. PaRSEL, a new stacking model is proposed in this research, that combines four classifiers, Passive Aggressive Classifier (PAC), Ridge Classifier (RC), Stochastic Gradient Descent Classifier (SGDC), and eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), at the base layer, and LogitBoost is deployed for the final predictions at the meta layer. The imbalanced and irrelevant features in the …


The Effects Of Dental Hygiene Instrument Handles On Muscle Activity Production, Jessica R. Suedbeck, Daniel Russell, Cortney Armitano Lago, Emily A. Ludwig Jan 2023

The Effects Of Dental Hygiene Instrument Handles On Muscle Activity Production, Jessica R. Suedbeck, Daniel Russell, Cortney Armitano Lago, Emily A. Ludwig

Dental Hygiene Faculty Publications

Purpose The objective of this study was to compare the effects of ten commercially available instrument handle designs’ mass and diameter on forearm muscle activity during a simulated periodontal scaling experience.

Methods A convenience sample of 25 registered dental hygienists were recruited for this IRB-approved study. Ten commercially available instruments were categorized into four groups based on their masses and diameters: large diameter/light mass, small diameter/light mass, large diameter/heavy mass, and small diameter/heavy mass. Participants were randomized to four instruments with one from each group. Participants scaled with each instrument in a simulated oral environment while muscle activity was collected …


Modification Of The Tumor Microenvironment Enhances Anti-Pd-1 Immunotherapy In Metastatic Melanoma, Guilan Shi, Megan Scott, Cathryn G. Mangiamele, Richard Heller Nov 2022

Modification Of The Tumor Microenvironment Enhances Anti-Pd-1 Immunotherapy In Metastatic Melanoma, Guilan Shi, Megan Scott, Cathryn G. Mangiamele, Richard Heller

Bioelectrics Publications

Resistance to checkpoint-blockade treatments is a challenge in the clinic. Both primary and acquired resistance have become major obstacles, greatly limiting the long-lasting effects and wide application of blockade therapy. Many patients with metastatic melanoma eventually require further therapy. The absence of T-cell infiltration to the tumor site is a well-accepted contributor limiting immune checkpoint inhibitor efficacy. In this study, we combined intratumoral injection of plasmid IL-12 with electrotransfer and anti-PD-1 in metastatic B16F10 melanoma tumor model to increase tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and improve therapeutic efficacy. We showed that effective anti-tumor responses required a subset of tumor-infiltrating CD8+ and CD4 …


In Vivo Metabolic Analysis Of The Anticancer Effects Of Plasma-Activated Saline In Three Tumor Animal Models, Miao Qi, Dehui Xu, Shuai Wang, Bing Li, Sansan Peng, Qiaosong Li, Hao Zhang, Runze Fan, Hai-Lan Chen, Michael G. Kong Jan 2022

In Vivo Metabolic Analysis Of The Anticancer Effects Of Plasma-Activated Saline In Three Tumor Animal Models, Miao Qi, Dehui Xu, Shuai Wang, Bing Li, Sansan Peng, Qiaosong Li, Hao Zhang, Runze Fan, Hai-Lan Chen, Michael G. Kong

Bioelectrics Publications

In recent years, the emerging technology of cold atmospheric pressure plasma (CAP) has grown rapidly along with the many medical applications of cold plasma (e.g., cancer, skin disease, tissue repair, etc.). Plasma-activated liquids (e.g., culture media, water, or normal saline, previously exposed to plasma) are being studied as cancer treatments, and due to their advantages, many researchers prefer plasma-activated liquids as an alternative to CAP in the treatment of cancer. In this study, we showed that plasma-activated-saline (PAS) treatment significantly inhibited tumor growth, as compared with saline, in melanoma, and a low-pH environment had little effect on tumor growth in …


A Unified Health Information System Framework For Connecting Data, People, Devices, And Systems, Wu He, Justin Zuopeng Zhang, Huanmei Wu, Wenzhuo Li, Sachin Shetty Jan 2022

A Unified Health Information System Framework For Connecting Data, People, Devices, And Systems, Wu He, Justin Zuopeng Zhang, Huanmei Wu, Wenzhuo Li, Sachin Shetty

Information Technology & Decision Sciences Faculty Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic has heightened the necessity for pervasive data and system interoperability to manage healthcare information and knowledge. There is an urgent need to better understand the role of interoperability in improving the societal responses to the pandemic. This paper explores data and system interoperability, a very specific area that could contribute to fighting COVID-19. Specifically, the authors propose a unified health information system framework to connect data, systems, and devices to increase interoperability and manage healthcare information and knowledge. A blockchain-based solution is also provided as a recommendation for improving the data and system interoperability in healthcare.


The Heat Shock Protein 90 Inhibitor, At13387, Protects The Alveolo-Capillary Barrier And Prevents Hci-Induced Chronic Lung Injury And Pulmonary Fibrosis, Ruben M.L. Colunga Biancatelli, Pavel Solopov, Christiana Dimitropoulou, Betsy Gregory, Tierney Day, John D. Catravas Jan 2022

The Heat Shock Protein 90 Inhibitor, At13387, Protects The Alveolo-Capillary Barrier And Prevents Hci-Induced Chronic Lung Injury And Pulmonary Fibrosis, Ruben M.L. Colunga Biancatelli, Pavel Solopov, Christiana Dimitropoulou, Betsy Gregory, Tierney Day, John D. Catravas

Bioelectrics Publications

Hydrochloric acid (HCl) exposure causes asthma-like conditions, reactive airways dysfunction syndrome, and pulmonary fibrosis. Heat Shock Protein 90 (HSP90) is a molecular chaperone that regulates multiple cellular processes. HSP90 inhibitors are undergoing clinical trials for cancer and are also being studied in various pre-clinical settings for their anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic effects. Here we investigated the ability of the heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) inhibitor AT13387 to prevent chronic lung injury induced by exposure to HCl in vivo and its protective role in the endothelial barrier in vitro. We instilled C57Bl/6J mice with 0.1N HCl (2 µL/g body weight, intratracheally) and …


Alcohol Increases Lung Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 Expression And Exacerbates Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Spike Protein Subunit 1–Induced Acute Lung Injury In K18-Hace2 Transgenic Mice, Pavel A. Solopov, Ruben Manuel Luciano Colunga Biancatelli, John D. Catravas Jan 2022

Alcohol Increases Lung Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 Expression And Exacerbates Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Spike Protein Subunit 1–Induced Acute Lung Injury In K18-Hace2 Transgenic Mice, Pavel A. Solopov, Ruben Manuel Luciano Colunga Biancatelli, John D. Catravas

Bioelectrics Publications

During the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, alcohol consumption increased markedly. Nearly one in four adults reported drinking more alcohol to cope with stress. Chronic alcohol abuse is now recognized as a factor complicating the course of acute respiratory distress syndrome. and increasing mortality. To investigate the mechanisms behind this interaction, we developed a combined acute respiratory distress syndrome and chronic alcohol abuse mouse model by intratracheally instilling the S1 subunit of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein (S1SP) in K18-human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) transgenic mice that express the human ACE2 receptor for SARS-CoV-2 and are kept on an …


Automatic Generation And Novel Validation Of Patient-Specific, Anatomically Inclusive Scoliosis Models For Biomechanics-Informed Surgical Planning, Austin Tapp, Michel Audette, James Bennett Apr 2021

Automatic Generation And Novel Validation Of Patient-Specific, Anatomically Inclusive Scoliosis Models For Biomechanics-Informed Surgical Planning, Austin Tapp, Michel Audette, James Bennett

College of Engineering & Technology (Batten) Posters

Scoliosis is an abnormal spinal curvature of greater than 10 degrees. Severe scoliotic deformities are addressed with highly invasive procedures: anterior or posterior spinal fusion approaches. This invasiveness is due, in part, to the constraints of current surgical planning, which utilizes computed tomography (CT) scans unable to discern spinal ligaments that are dissected to make the spine sufficiently compliant for correction. If localization of ligaments and soft tissues were achieved pre-operatively, corrective procedures could become safer and more efficient by using finite element (FE) biomechanical simulations to determine decreased incidences of ligament releases. This research aims to achieve ligament localization …


Sex-Related Differences In Murine Models Of Chemically Induced Pulmonary Fibrosis, Pavel Solopov, Ruben Manuel Luciano Colunga Biancatelli, Christiana Dimitropoulou, John D. Catravas Jan 2021

Sex-Related Differences In Murine Models Of Chemically Induced Pulmonary Fibrosis, Pavel Solopov, Ruben Manuel Luciano Colunga Biancatelli, Christiana Dimitropoulou, John D. Catravas

Bioelectrics Publications

We developed two models of chemically induced chronic lung injury and pulmonary fibrosis in mice (intratracheally administered hydrochloric acid (HCl) and intratracheally administered nitrogen mustard (NM)) and investigated male-female differences. Female mice exhibited higher 30-day survival and less weight loss than male mice. Thirty days after the instillation of either HCl or NM, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid displayed a persistent, mild inflammatory response, but with higher white blood cell numbers and total protein content in males vs. females. Furthermore, females exhibited less collagen deposition, milder pulmonary fibrosis, and lower Ashcroft scores. After instillation of either HCl or NM, all animals displayed …


Moderate Heat-Assisted Gene Electrotransfer For Cutaneous Delivery Of A Dna Vaccine Against Hepatitis B Virus, Chelsea Edelblute, Cathryn Mangiamele, Richard Heller Jan 2021

Moderate Heat-Assisted Gene Electrotransfer For Cutaneous Delivery Of A Dna Vaccine Against Hepatitis B Virus, Chelsea Edelblute, Cathryn Mangiamele, Richard Heller

Bioelectrics Publications

An estimated 350 million people are living with chronic Hepatitis B virus (HBV) worldwide. Preventative HBV vaccination in infants has reduced the disease burden; however, insufficient immunization programs and access obstacles leave vulnerable populations at risk for infection in endemic regions. Gene electrotransfer (GET) using a noninvasive multielectrode array (MEA) provides an alternative platform for DNA vaccination in the skin. DNA vaccines are nonlive and nonreplicating and temperature stable unlike their counterparts. In addition, their simple engineering allows them to be manufactured quickly at a low cost. In the current work, we present the combination of GET and moderate heating …


Deep Neural Network Analysis Of Pathology Images With Integrated Molecular Data For Enhanced Glioma Classification And Grading, Linmin Pei, Karra A. Jones, Zeina A. Shboul, James Y. Chen, Khan M. Iftekharuddin Jan 2021

Deep Neural Network Analysis Of Pathology Images With Integrated Molecular Data For Enhanced Glioma Classification And Grading, Linmin Pei, Karra A. Jones, Zeina A. Shboul, James Y. Chen, Khan M. Iftekharuddin

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Gliomas are primary brain tumors that originate from glial cells. Classification and grading of these tumors is critical to prognosis and treatment planning. The current criteria for glioma classification in central nervous system (CNS) was introduced by World Health Organization (WHO) in 2016. This criteria for glioma classification requires the integration of histology with genomics. In 2017, the Consortium to Inform Molecular and Practical Approaches to CNS Tumor Taxonomy (cIMPACT-NOW) was established to provide up-to-date recommendations for CNS tumor classification, which in turn the WHO is expected to adopt in its upcoming edition. In this work, we propose a novel …


Thermal Analysis Of Infrared Irradiation-Assisted Nanosecond-Pulsed Tumor Ablation, James Hornef, Chelsea M. Edelblute, Karl H. Schoenbach, Richard Heller, Siqi Guo, Chunqi Jiang Jan 2020

Thermal Analysis Of Infrared Irradiation-Assisted Nanosecond-Pulsed Tumor Ablation, James Hornef, Chelsea M. Edelblute, Karl H. Schoenbach, Richard Heller, Siqi Guo, Chunqi Jiang

Bioelectrics Publications

Nanosecond Pulsed Electric Fields (nsPEF) have the potential to treat a variety of cancer types including melanoma, pancreatic and lung squamous cancers. Recent studies show that nsPEF-based cancer therapy may be improved further with the assistance of moderate heating of the target. A feedbacklooped heating system, utilizing a 980-nm fiber optic laser, was integrated into nsPEF electrodes for tumor ablation. The laser beam profile was determined to be Gaussian using a knife-edge technique. Thermal properties of the biological target were evaluated based on the treatment area, penetration depth and thermal distribution due to laser irradiation with or without nsPEF. Synergistic …


Hsp90 Inhibition And Modulation Of The Proteome: Therapeutical Implications For Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (Ipf), Ruben Manuel Luciano Colunga Biancatelli, Pavel Solopov, Betsy Gregory, John D. Catravas Jan 2020

Hsp90 Inhibition And Modulation Of The Proteome: Therapeutical Implications For Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (Ipf), Ruben Manuel Luciano Colunga Biancatelli, Pavel Solopov, Betsy Gregory, John D. Catravas

Bioelectrics Publications

Idiopathic Pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a catastrophic disease with poor outcomes and limited pharmacological approaches. Heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) has been recently involved in the wound-healing pathological response that leads to collagen deposition in patients with IPF and its inhibition represents an exciting drug target against the development of pulmonary fibrosis. Under physiological conditions, HSP90 guarantees proteostasis through the refolding of damaged proteins and the degradation of irreversibly damaged ones. Additionally, its inhibition, by specific HSP90 inhibitors (e.g., 17 AAG, 17 DAG, and AUY-922) has proven beneficial in different preclinical models of human disease. HSP90 inhibition modulates a complex …


Electrochemical Detection Of Neurotransmitters, Saikat Banerjee, Stephanie Mccracken, Md Faruk Hossain, Gymama Slaughter Jan 2020

Electrochemical Detection Of Neurotransmitters, Saikat Banerjee, Stephanie Mccracken, Md Faruk Hossain, Gymama Slaughter

Bioelectrics Publications

Neurotransmitters are important chemical messengers in the nervous system that play a crucial role in physiological and physical health. Abnormal levels of neurotransmitters have been correlated with physical, psychotic, and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, dementia, addiction, depression, and schizophrenia. Although multiple neurotechnological approaches have been reported in the literature, the detection and monitoring of neurotransmitters in the brain remains a challenge and continues to garner significant attention. Neurotechnology that provides high-throughput, as well as fast and specific quantification of target analytes in the brain, without negatively impacting the implanted region is highly desired for the monitoring of the …


Feature-Guided Deep Radiomics For Glioblastoma Patient Survival Prediction, Zeina A. Shboul, Mahbubul Alam, Lasitha Vidyaratne, Linmin Pei, Mohamed I. Elbakary, Khan M. Iftekharuddin Jan 2019

Feature-Guided Deep Radiomics For Glioblastoma Patient Survival Prediction, Zeina A. Shboul, Mahbubul Alam, Lasitha Vidyaratne, Linmin Pei, Mohamed I. Elbakary, Khan M. Iftekharuddin

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Glioblastoma is recognized as World Health Organization (WHO) grade IV glioma with an aggressive growth pattern. The current clinical practice in diagnosis and prognosis of Glioblastoma using MRI involves multiple steps including manual tumor sizing. Accurate identification and segmentation of multiple abnormal tissues within tumor volume in MRI is essential for precise survival prediction. Manual tumor and abnormal tissue detection and sizing are tedious, and subject to inter-observer variability. Consequently, this work proposes a fully automated MRI-based glioblastoma and abnormal tissue segmentation, and survival prediction framework. The framework includes radiomics feature-guided deep neural network methods for tumor tissue segmentation; followed …


Special Collection On Electroporation-Based Therapies: A Selection Of Papers From The Second World Congress On Electroporation, Richard Heller, Rafael V. Davalos Jan 2019

Special Collection On Electroporation-Based Therapies: A Selection Of Papers From The Second World Congress On Electroporation, Richard Heller, Rafael V. Davalos

Bioelectrics Publications

No abstract provided.


Glioma Grading Using Structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging And Molecular Data, Syed M.S. Reza, Manar D. Samad, Zeina A. Shboul, Karra A. Jones, Khan M. Iftekharuddin Jan 2019

Glioma Grading Using Structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging And Molecular Data, Syed M.S. Reza, Manar D. Samad, Zeina A. Shboul, Karra A. Jones, Khan M. Iftekharuddin

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

A glioma grading method using conventional structural magnetic resonance image (MRI) and molecular data from patients is proposed. The noninvasive grading of glioma tumors is obtained using multiple radiomic texture features including dynamic texture analysis, multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis, and multiresolution fractal Brownian motion in structural MRI. The proposed method is evaluated using two multicenter MRI datasets: (1) the brain tumor segmentation (BRATS-2017) challenge for high-grade versus low-grade (LG) and (2) the cancer imaging archive (TCIA) repository for glioblastoma (GBM) versus LG glioma grading. The grading performance using MRI is compared with that of digital pathology (DP) images in the …


Antimicrobial Efficacy And Safety Of A Novel Gas Plasma-Activated Catheter Lock Solution, Sudhir Bhatt, Poonam Mehta, Chen Chen, Dayle A. Daines, Leonard A. Mermel, Hai-Lan Chen, Michael G. Kong Aug 2018

Antimicrobial Efficacy And Safety Of A Novel Gas Plasma-Activated Catheter Lock Solution, Sudhir Bhatt, Poonam Mehta, Chen Chen, Dayle A. Daines, Leonard A. Mermel, Hai-Lan Chen, Michael G. Kong

Bioelectrics Publications

Antimicrobial lock solutions are important for prevention of microbial colonization and infection of long-term central venous catheters. We investigated the efficacy and safety of a novel antibiotic-free lock solution formed from gas plasma-activated disinfectant (PAD). Using a luminal biofilm model, viable cells of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Candida albicans in mature biofilms were reduced by 6 to 8 orders of magnitude with a PAD lock for 60 min. Subsequent 24-h incubation of PAD-treated samples resulted in no detectable regrowth of viable bacteria or fungi. As a comparison, the use of a minocycline-EDTA-ethanol lock solution for 60 …


Wild-Type P53 Enhances Endothelial Barrier Function By Mediating Rac1 Signalling And Rhoa Inhibition, Nektarios Barabutis, Christiana Dimitropoulou, Betsy Gregory, John D. Catravas Jan 2018

Wild-Type P53 Enhances Endothelial Barrier Function By Mediating Rac1 Signalling And Rhoa Inhibition, Nektarios Barabutis, Christiana Dimitropoulou, Betsy Gregory, John D. Catravas

Bioelectrics Publications

Inflammation is the major cause of endothelial barrier hyper-permeability, associated with acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome. This study reports that p53 "orchestrates" the defence of vascular endothelium against LPS, by mediating the opposing actions of Rac1 and RhoA in pulmonary tissues. Human lung microvascular endothelial cells treated with HSP90 inhibitors activated both Rac1- and P21-activated kinase, which is an essential element of vascular barrier function. 17AAG increased the phosphorylation of both LIMK and cofilin, in contrast to LPS which counteracted those effects. Mouse lung microvascular endothelial cells exposed to LPS exhibited decreased expression of phospho-cofilin. 17AAG treatment …


The Search For High-Impact Diagnostic And Management Tools For Low-And Middle-Income Countries: A Self-Powered Low-Cost Blood Pressure Measurement Device Powered By A Solid-State Vibration Energy Harvester, Onur Bilgen, John G. Kenerson, Muge Akpinar-Elci, Rebecca Hattery, Lisbet M. Hanson Aug 2015

The Search For High-Impact Diagnostic And Management Tools For Low-And Middle-Income Countries: A Self-Powered Low-Cost Blood Pressure Measurement Device Powered By A Solid-State Vibration Energy Harvester, Onur Bilgen, John G. Kenerson, Muge Akpinar-Elci, Rebecca Hattery, Lisbet M. Hanson

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

The World Health Organization has established recommendations for blood pressure measurement devices for use in low-resource venues, setting the triple A expectations of Accuracy, Affordability, and Availability. Because of issues related to training and assessment of proficiency, the pendulum has swung away from manual blood pressure devices and auscultatory techniques towards automatic oscillometric devices. As a result of power challenges in the developing world, there has also been a push towards semiautomatic devices that are not dependent on external power sources or batteries. Beyond solar solutions, disruptive technology related to solid-state vibrational energy harvesting may be the next iterative solution …


Killing Adherent And Nonadherent Cancer Cells With The Plasma Pencil, Mounir Laroussi, Soheila Mohades, Nazir Barekzi Jan 2015

Killing Adherent And Nonadherent Cancer Cells With The Plasma Pencil, Mounir Laroussi, Soheila Mohades, Nazir Barekzi

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

The application of low temperature plasmas in biology and medicine may lead to a paradigm shift in the way various diseases can be treated without serious side effects. Low temperature plasmas generated in gas mixtures that contain oxygen or air produce several chemically reactive species that have important biological implications when they interact with eukaryotic or prokaryotic cells. Here, a review of the effects of low temperature plasma generated by the plasma pencil on different cancerous cells is presented. Results indicate that plasma consistently shows a delayed killing effect that is dose dependent. In addition, there is some evidence that …


Autologous Platelet Rich Plasma (Platelet Gel): An Appropriate Intervention For Salvaging Cardiac Myocytes Under Oxidative Stress After Myocardial Infarction, Barbara Y. Hargrave Jan 2014

Autologous Platelet Rich Plasma (Platelet Gel): An Appropriate Intervention For Salvaging Cardiac Myocytes Under Oxidative Stress After Myocardial Infarction, Barbara Y. Hargrave

Bioelectrics Publications

Background: The prompt restoration of blood flow (reperfusion) to the ischemic myocardium after an acute myocardial infarction is critical to the survival of non damaged heart tissue. However, reperfusion is responsible for additional myocardial damage. Our objective was to investigate the role of autologous platelet rich plasma or platelet gel prepared using nanosecond pulsed electric fields (nsPEFs) in improving left ventricular mechanical function after ischemic reperfusion.

Methods: The hearts of nine adult female New Zealand White rabbits were perfused using the Langendorff model. The hearts were exposed to global ischemia for 30 min and reperfused for 60 min. The hearts …


Decorin Expression, Straw-Like Structure, And Differentiation Of Human Costal Cartilage, Michael W. Stacey, Janna Grubb, Anthony Asmar, Julie Pryor, Hani Elsayed-Ali, Ali Beskok, Diganta Dutta, Annie Fecteau, Alice Werner, Dennis A. Darby, Robert Kelly Jan 2012

Decorin Expression, Straw-Like Structure, And Differentiation Of Human Costal Cartilage, Michael W. Stacey, Janna Grubb, Anthony Asmar, Julie Pryor, Hani Elsayed-Ali, Ali Beskok, Diganta Dutta, Annie Fecteau, Alice Werner, Dennis A. Darby, Robert Kelly

Bioelectrics Publications

Costal cartilage is much understudied compared with the load-bearing cartilages. Abnormally grown costal cartilages are associated with the inherited chest wall deformities pectus excavatum and pectus carinatum resulting in sunken and pigeon chests, respectively. A lack of understanding of the ultrastructural and molecular biology of costal cartilage is a major confounder in predicting causes and outcomes of these disorders. This study analyzed the structure of marginal human costal cartilage (ribs 6-10) through scanning electron and atomic force microscopes and identified the presence of straw-like structures running longitudinally. We also demonstrated that chondrocytes tend to occur singly or as doublets and …


Automatic Diagnosis For Prostate Cancer Using Run-Length Matrix Method, Xiaoyan Sun, Shao-Hui Chuang, Jiang Li, Frederic Mckenzie, Nico Karssemeijer (Ed.), Maryellen L. Giger (Ed.) Jan 2009

Automatic Diagnosis For Prostate Cancer Using Run-Length Matrix Method, Xiaoyan Sun, Shao-Hui Chuang, Jiang Li, Frederic Mckenzie, Nico Karssemeijer (Ed.), Maryellen L. Giger (Ed.)

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death among men in US1. Quantitative assessment of prostate histology provides potential automatic classification of prostate lesions and prediction of response to therapy. Traditionally, prostate cancer diagnosis is made by the analysis of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels and histopathological images of biopsy samples under microscopes. In this application, we utilize a texture analysis method based on the run-length matrix for identifying tissue abnormalities in prostate histology. A tissue sample was collected from a radical prostatectomy, H&E fixed, and assessed by a pathologist …