Engineering Commons^™

A System Dynamics Model For Simulating Ambulatory Health Care Demands, Rafael Diaz, Joshua G. Behr, Mandar Tulpule

VMASC Publications

Introduction: This article demonstrates the utility of the system dynamics approach to model and simulate US demand for ambulatory health care service both for the general population and for specific cohort subpopulations over the 5-year period, from 2003 to 2008. A system dynamics approach that is shown to meaningfully project demand for services has implications for health resource planning and for generating knowledge that is critical to assessing interventions.

Methods: The study uses a cohort-component method in combination with structural modeling to simulate ambulatory health care utilization. Data are drawn from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey and the National …

Probing Nanoparticle Interactions In Cell Culture Media, Ahmet C. Sabuncu, Janna Grubbs, Shizhi Qian, Tarek M. Abdel-Fattah, Michael W. Stacey, Ali Beskok

Bioelectrics Publications

Nanoparticle research is often performed in vitro with little emphasis on the potential role of cell culture medium. In this study, gold nanoparticle interactions with cell culture medium and two cancer cell lines (human T-cell leukemia Jurkat and human pancreatic carcinoma PANC1) were investigated. Gold nanoparticles of 10, 25, 50, and 100 nm in diameter at fixed mass concentration were tested. Size distributions and zeta potentials of gold nanoparticles suspended in deionized (DI) water and Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's Media (DMEM) supplemented with fetal calf serum (FCS) were measured using dynamic light scattering (DLS) technique. In DI water, particle size distributions …

A Preliminary Study On The Potential Of Manuka Honey And Platelet-Rich Plasma In Wound Healing, Scott A. Sell, Patricia S. Wolfe, Andrew J. Spence, Isaac A. Rodriguez, Jennifer M. Mccoll, Rebecca L. Petrella, Koyal Garg, Jeffery J. Ericksen, Gary L. Bowlin

Nursing Faculty Publications

Aim. The purpose of this study was to determine the in vitro response of cells critical to the wound healing process in culture media supplemented with a lyophilized preparation rich in growth factors (PRGF) and Manuka honey. Materials and Methods. This study utilized cell culture media supplemented with PRGF, as well as whole Manuka honey and the medical-grade Medihoney (MH), a Manuka honey product. The response of human fibroblasts (hDF), macrophages, and endothelial cells (hPMEC) was evaluated, with respect to cell proliferation, chemotaxis, collagen matrix production, and angiogenic potential, when subjected to culture with media containing PRGF, MH, Manuka honey, …

Magic From Human Regenerative Technologies -- Stem Cells, John M. Ritz

STEMPS Faculty Publications

The article discusses the developments in stem cell research and development. It mentions that through tissue engineering or regenerative medicine, many diseases are finding techniques for improvement and cure. It discusses the role of stem cells in mending the human body and the ethics associated with this technology . It is mentioned that stem cells are divided in 2 types: embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells. It includes the process of cell differentiation which determines the properties and characteristics of cells. It mentions several diseases related to sports injury, spinal cord injuries, blood and heart disorders to be to …

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 …

Brain-Computer Interfaces In Medicine, Jerry J. Shih, Dean J. Krusienski, Johnathan R. Wolpaw

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) acquire brain signals, analyze them, and translate them into commands that are relayed to output devices that carry out desired actions. BCIs do not use normal neuromuscular output pathways. The main goal of BCI is to replace or restore useful function to people disabled by neuromuscular disorders such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, cerebral palsy, stroke, or spinal cord injury. From initial demonstrations of electroenceph-alography-based spelling and single-neuron-based device control, researchers have gone on to use electroenceph-alographic, intracortical, electrocorticographic, and other brain signals for increasingly complex control of cursors, robotic arms, prostheses, wheelchairs, and other devices. Brain-computer interfaces …

Signals From Intraventricular Depth Electrodes Can Control A Brain-Computer Interface, Jerry J. Shih, Dean J. Krusienski

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

A Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) is a device that enables severely disabled people to communicate and interact with their environments using their brain waves. Most research investigating BCI in humans have used scalp-recorded electroencephalography (EEG). We have recently demonstrated that signals from intracranial electrocorticography (ECoG) and stereotactic depth electrodes (SDE) in the hippocampus can be used to control a BCI P300 Speller paradigm. We report a case in which stereotactic depth electrodes positioned in the ventricle were able to obtain viable signals for a BCI. Our results demonstrate that event-related potentials from intraventricular electrodes can be used to reliably control the …

Procedural Wound Geometry And Blood Flow Generation For Medical Training Simulators, Rifat Aras, Yuzhong Shen, Jiang Li, David R. Holmes Iii (Ed.), Kenneth H. Wong (Ed.)

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Efficient application of wound treatment procedures is vital in both emergency room and battle zone scenes. In order to train first responders for such situations, physical casualty simulation kits, which are composed of tens of individual items, are commonly used. Similar to any other training scenarios, computer simulations can be effective means for wound treatment training purposes. For immersive and high fidelity virtual reality applications, realistic 3D models are key components. However, creation of such models is a labor intensive process. In this paper, we propose a procedural wound geometry generation technique that parameterizes key simulation inputs to establish the …

A Voice-Based Automated System For Ptsd Screening And Monitoring, Roger Xu, Gang Mei, Guangfan Zhang, Pan Gao, Timothy Judkins, Michael Cannizzaro, Jiang Li, James D. Westwood (Ed.), Susan W. Westwood (Ed.), Li Felländer-Tsai (Ed.), Randy S. Haluck (Ed.), Richard A. Robb (Ed.), Steven Senger (Ed.), Kirby G. Vosburgh (Ed.)

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Comprehensive evaluation of PTSD includes diagnostic interviews, self-report testing, and physiological reactivity measures. It is often difficult and costly to diagnose PTSD due to patient access and the variability in symptoms presented. Additionally, potential patients are often reluctant to seek help due to the stigma associated with the disorder. A voice-based automated system that is able to remotely screen individuals at high risk for PTSD and monitor their symptoms during treatment has the potential to make great strides in alleviating the barriers to cost effective PTSD assessment and progress monitoring. In this paper we present a voice-based automated Tele-PTSD Monitor …