Laboratory and Basic Science Research Commons^™

Chitosan-Cellulose Composite For Wound Dressing Material. Part 2. Antimicrobial Activity, Blood Absorption Ability, And Biocompatibility, April L. Harkins, Simon Duri, Luther C. Kloth, Chieu D. Tran

Clinical Lab Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Chitosan (CS), a polysaccharide derived from chitin, the second most abundant polysaccharide, is widely used in the medical world because of its natural and nontoxic properties and its innate ability for antibacterial and hemostasis effects. In this study, the novel composites containing CS and cellulose (CEL) (i.e., [CEL + CS]), which we have previously synthesized using a green and totally recyclable method, were investigated for their antimicrobial activity, absorption of anticoagulated whole blood, anti-inflammatory activity through the reduction of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), and the biocompatibility with human fibroblasts. The [CEL + CS] composites were found to …

Cytotoxicity In The Age Of Nano: The Role Of Fourth Period Transition Metal Oxide Nanoparticle Physicochemical Properties, Charles C. Chusuei, Chi-Heng Wu, Shravan Mallavarapu, Fang Yao Stephen Hou, Chen-Ming Hsu, Jeffrey G. Winiarz, Robert S. Aronstam, Yue-Wern Huang

Clinical Lab Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

A clear understanding of physicochemical factors governing nanoparticle toxicity is still in its infancy. We used a systematic approach to delineate physicochemical properties of nanoparticles that govern cytotoxicity. The cytotoxicity of fourth period metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs): TiO₂, Cr₂O₃, Mn₂O₃, Fe₂O₃, NiO, CuO, and ZnO increases with the atomic number of the transition metal oxide. This trend was not cell-type specific, as observed in non-transformed human lung cells (BEAS-2B) and human bronchoalveolar carcinoma-derived cells (A549). Addition of NPs to the cell culture medium did not significantly …

Facile Synthesis, Characterization, And Antimicrobial Activity Of Cellulose-Chitosan-Hydroxyapatite Composite Material: A Potential Material For Bone Tissue Engineering, Tamutsiwa M. Mututuvari, April L. Harkins, Chieu D. Tran

Clinical Lab Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Hydroxyapatite (HAp) is often used as a bone-implant material because it is biocompatible and osteoconductive. However, HAp possesses poor rheological properties and it is inactive against disease-causing microbes. To improve these properties, we developed a green method to synthesize multifunctional composites containing: (1) cellulose (CEL) to impart mechanical strength; (2) chitosan (CS) to induce antibacterial activity thereby maintaining a microbe-free wound site; and (3) HAp. In this method, CS and CEL were co-dissolved in an ionic liquid (IL) and then regenerated from water. HAp was subsequently formed in situ by alternately soaking [CEL+CS] composites in aqueous solutions of CaCl_{2 …}

Diagnosis Of Schistosoma Mansoni Without The Stool: Comparison Of Three Diagnostic Tests To Detect Schiostosoma Mansoni Infection From Filtered Urine In Zambia, Nilanjan Lodh, James C. L. Mwansa, Mabel M. Mutengo, Clive J. Shiff

Clinical Lab Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Diagnosis for intestinal Schistosoma mansoni lacks sensitivity and is arduous to conduct. The standard diagnostic tests, Kato-Katz (KK) and circulating cathodic antigen (CCA) both lack sensitivity and with KK, require obtaining, transporting, and examining fresh stool. We compared diagnostic efficacy of KK, CCA, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect S. mansoni infection (species-specific DNA) from 89 filtered urine samples collected in Zambia. The PCR was the strongest indicator of positive cases with sensitivity and specificity of 100% in comparison to CCA (67% and 60%) and KK (50% and 100%). High positive and negative predictive values (100%) were also indicative …

Supraspinal Fatigue Is Similar In Men And Women For A Low-Force Fatiguing Contraction, Manda L. Keller, Jaclyn Pruse, Tejin Yoon, Bonnie Schlinder-Delap, April L. Harkins, Sandra K. Hunter

Clinical Lab Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Purpose: This study determined the contribution of supraspinal fatigue to the sex difference in neuromuscular fatigue for a low-intensity fatiguing contraction. Because women have greater motor responses to arousal than men, we also examined whether cortical and motor nerve stimulation, techniques used to quantify central fatigue, would alter the sex difference in muscle fatigue.

Methods: In study 1, cortical stimulation was elicited during maximal voluntary contractions (MVC) before and after a submaximal isometric contraction at 20% MVC with the elbow flexor muscles in 29 young adults (20 ± 2.6 yr, 14 men). In study 2, 10 men and 10 women …

Molecular Diagnosis Of Sexually-Transmitted Chlamydia Trachomatis In The United States, April L. Harkins, Munson Erik

Clinical Lab Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Chlamydia, with its Chlamydia trachomatis etiology, is the most common bacterial sexually transmitted infection in the United States and is often transmitted via asymptomatic individuals. This review summarizes traditional and molecular-based diagnostic modalities specific to C. trachomatis. Several commercially available, FDA-approved molecular methods to diagnose urogenital C. trachomatis infection include nucleic acid hybridization, signal amplification, polymerase chain reaction, strand displacement amplification, and transcription-mediated amplification. Molecular-based methods are rapid and reliable genital specimen screening measures, especially when applied to areas of high disease prevalence. However, clinical and analytical sensitivity for some commercial systems decreases dramatically when testing urine samples. In vitro …

Use Of Interdisciplinary Education To Foster Familiarization Among Health Professionals, Linda Jean Laatsch-Lybeck, Linda Milson, Susan E. Zimmer

Clinical Lab Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

This paper describes a pilot interdisciplinary experience between the dental hygiene and medical technology programs at Marquette University. It was designed, in part, to familiarize dental hygiene students with the medical technology profession. Comments solicited from students on the final evaluation form indicated that this pilot project was highly successful and met the objectives. Affective, multiple-choice questions on pretests and posttests showed a positive change in attitude, but this change was not statistically significant. Possible reasons for this are discussed. Benefits of this pilot project were an improved understanding of medical technology on the part of the dental hygiene students, …

Interdisciplinary Education In Dental Hygiene: A Pilot Project, Susan E. Zimmer, Linda Milson, Linda Laatsch

Clinical Lab Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

This study describes a five-hour interdisciplinary experience involving sophomore dental hygiene students, dental hygiene faculty and medical technology faculty. This experience met the objectives of interdisciplinary teaching while reinforcing and expanding on a present topic in a four-year dental hygiene curriculum.

The results of this experience are documented by pre- and post-testing and student evaluations. Statistical analysis of the test results along with student commentaries support interdisciplinary education as a viable and positive teaching approach. Student ability to correctly answer topic-related cognitive questions increased significantly while their understanding of the medical technology profession and its relationship to dental hygiene also …