Bulletin of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering (BCSEE)
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Multimodal Imaging of Prostate Cancer Targeted Gold Nanoparticle Radiosensitization
No full textThe combination of GNPs exhibiting the enhanced permeation and retention effect, a property of nanoparticles between 10-100nm that cause them to accumulate inside tumors due to the tumors’ leaky vascular and poor clearance, for tumor targeting and possessing a high atomic number to increase the local dose deposition around the GNPs make them an ideal agent in cancer therapy. However, poor elimination of off-target GNP accumulation by the reticuloendothelial system significant concerns over long-term side effects that have hindered GNPs’ clinical translation. To pave the way for clinical translation of GNPs, biodistribution optimization in GNP design and a clear understanding of in vivo GNP radiosensitization mechanisms are essential. Preclinical studies in small animal irradiators equipped with various imaging modalities offer a clinically relevant environment for radiobiology studies on GNPs. Furthermore, x-ray fluorescence computed tomography (XFCT) has garnered significant attention in recent years as a high resolution, high sensitivity imaging modality for quantitative imaging in benchtop small animal irradiator studies with GNPs. To guide future investigation of GNPs with XFCT, we demonstrated the capabilities of multimodal imaging alongside XFCT to monitor in vivo GNP biodistribution for prostate cancer targeted GNPs and to assess heterogenous intratumoral GNP distribution influences on tumor response to radiation therapy.</p
The Association of Extreme Heat on the Risk of Low Birth Weight, Stillbirth, and Gestational Age - A Meta-Analysis
No full textExposure to extreme temperatures during pregnancy has been suggested to have adverse effects on fetal health, including the risk of low birth weight, stillbirth, and small for gestational age. This meta-analysis aims to assess the association between extreme temperatures and these adverse fetal outcomes. A systematic literature search was conducted to identify relevant studies published till February 2023. Studies reporting on the association between extreme temperatures and low birth weight, stillbirth, or small gestational age were included. Data from the selected studies were pooled using random-effects models. Odds ratios (OR) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated to quantify the association. Heterogeneity among the studies was assessed using the I2 statistic. A total of 25 studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the meta-analysis. The results demonstrated a positive association between extreme temperatures and adverse fetal outcomes. The odds ratio for stillbirth was 1.56 (95% CI [1.18 to 2.06]), with a moderate level of heterogeneity observed (I2 = 90%). The odds ratio for low birth weight was 1.48 (95% CI [1.10 to 1.99]), with high heterogeneity (I2= 98.76%). For small gestational age, the odds ratio was 1.006 (95% CI [0.95 to 1.07]), with considerable heterogeneity (I2 = 97.76%). This meta-analysis provides evidence supporting the association between exposure to extreme temperatures during pregnancy and an increased risk of adverse fetal outcomes. The findings suggest that pregnant women exposed to extreme temperatures may be at higher risk of stillbirth and delivering low-birth-weight infants. The risk of infants being born small for gestational age also appears to be influenced by extreme temperatures, although to a lesser extent. These results emphasize the importance of preventive measures and public health interventions to mitigate the potential impacts of extreme temperatures on maternal and fetal health.</p
Interrogating Physiological Mechanisms of Pulsed Infrared Stimulation in the Inner Ear
No full textThe development of new diagnostics, therapeutics, and treatment paradigms for neurological disorders requires a detailed physiological, cellular, and molecular characterization of the nervous system. Recently, the development of optical techniques for neural imaging and stimulation has led to new insights and become a mainstay in neuroscience. Among the various methods developed, infrared neural stimulation has emerged as a safe, effective, and less invasive approach. In particular, the endogenous mechanisms underlying the response to pulsed infrared radiation offers new opportunities for research. As its applications expand, it is important to characterize the biophysical mechanisms and the molecular processes underlying IR– evoked responses. Here, in a model sensory system, we investigated the physiological eye movement responses evoked by infrared stimulation of the vestibular neuroepithelium and characterized the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the photothermal response. We further show that direct infrared stimulation can be a tool to investigate the unique functional morphology of the vestibular system. The results shown in this work indicate that the infrared–induced photothermal responses rely on intracellular calcium activity mediated by the thermosensitive ion channels TRPV4. We further provide evidence suggesting that the level of photosensitivity to infrared radiation varies between cellular elements of the sensory epithelium of vestibular endorgans. However, the IR-evoked activation of the VOR pathway relies on the interaction between pre and post synaptic elements. Finally, we provide evidence supporting the use of focal and multi-point infrared radiation to investigate functional differences between cellular subtypes and regions within the neuroepithelium of the otolith end organs. Overall, the work presented in this thesis reveals new findings of the sensory vestibular neuroepithelium that may prove to be essential for diagnostic and neuroprosthetic devices to treat balance-related disorders.</p
Genetically Engineered Microorganisms in Biosensing and Bioremediation
No full textBacteria are ubiquitous microorganisms that exhibit a diverse array of metabolic capabilities and interact with their environment through molecular signaling processes. They have the ability to perceive and respond to several types of molecules, including micronutrients such as iron, zinc, and copper, as well as quorum sensing molecules such as acyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs), autoinducing peptides (AIPs), and autoinducer-2 (AI-2), which are essential for their growth and survival. Additionally, these organisms possess the capability to degrade or transform pollutants, such as heavy metals and organic compounds, into less toxic derivatives. The aforementioned attributes render microorganisms very attractive candidates for the development of biosensors and bioremediation agents. The use of molecular biology techniques in the manipulation of bacterial genomes holds promise for enhancing their functioning and expanding their scope of utility. This dissertation comprises a series of investigations aimed at addressing various challenges related to biosensing and bioremediation. One strategy includes the use of genetically modified whole-cell bacteria capable of biosensing and reporting bioavailable copper levels.Genetically modified microbes, such as Bacillus subtilis, provide a potentially advantageous solution due to its ability to be manipulated to selectively identify copper in soil, thereby obviating the need for soil extractions and high-cost instrumentation. In a separate effort, a number of biosensors were constructed in order to detect several quorum-sensing peptides produced by B. subtilis. In the last part of this dissertation project, B. subtilis endospore display technology was used to successfully express a heterologous enzyme, L-haloacid dehalogenase (HadL), on the surface of endospores. This strategy was used for the aim of environmental bioremediation, with the particular goal of removing halogenated contaminants like 2-haloacids from contaminated water.</p
Using Ecological Momentary Assessment to Understand the Psychological Mechanisms Underlying the Premenstrual Exacerbation of Internalizing Symptoms
No full textPremenstrual symptoms are distressing and impairing for individuals and costly to society. While early work has focused on understanding premenstrual disorders as dichotomous diagnoses, these symptoms are heterogeneous within and across people, and they are dimensional, occurring on a spectrum. Furthermore, premenstrual symptoms are inherently dynamic—changing over the menstrual cycle and peaking perimenstrually. While some efforts have been made to understand the dynamics of premenstrual symptoms, two major gaps in the literature remain. First, we lack a solid understanding of the covariation among symptoms over the course of the menstrual cycle. Second, we know remarkably little about the trajectories of these symptoms, and why symptoms might take different courses. To address these gaps, a sample of female undergraduates (N=85) who reported no use of hormonal birth control and regularly occurring menstrual periods were recruited for a four month-long experience sampling study. Participants completed an electronic daily diary of premenstrual symptoms and menstrual status. First, we conducted a multilevel exploratory factor analysis of the daily diary items. We identified six distinct but correlated symptom domains at the within-person level which were affective, cognitive, interpersonal, pain, and somatic. Second, we evaluated the impact of menstrual cycle phase on each symptom domain. We found that symptoms were significantly greater in the perimenstrual phase relative to other phases in all symptom domains but that the relative severity of this effect differed across domains. Somatic symptoms exhibited greater perimenstrual phase exacerbation compared to other domains. Finally, we characterized the trajectories of each symptom domain. Results pointed to the uniqueness of each symptom domain’s trajectory. Taken together, our findings highlight the importance of investigating the differences among symptom domain trajectories and underscore the need for future research to elucidate the unique mechanisms that underly each trajectory.</p
Core-Shell Magnetoelectric Nanoparticles as a Wireless Platform for Cellular Manipulation
No full textMagnetoelectrics are a class of material defined by their highly efficient conversion of magnetic fields to electric fields and vice versa, which have a wide range of potential applications. In biological contexts, electric fields not only influence the nervous system, but they can also increase drug uptake, induce behavioral changes, and even initiate cell death. Thus, a material that can convert non-tissue-interacting magnetic fields into biologically significant electric fields, and vice versa, could have serious implications in medicine. The work presented here covers the development of nanoparticle versions of magnetoelectric materials and the adaptations necessary to use them in biological contexts, the creation of a new form of neuromodulation based on that material, and the demonstration of that neural stimulation in in vitro and in vivo studies up to primates.In this work, magnetoelectrics are fabricated at the nanoscale, using a core – shell morphology based on magnetostrictive and piezoelectric composites. Using a new, nanoscale approach to magnetoelectric (ME) effect measurement we developed, we show that the particles have ME effects two orders-of-magnitude higher than previously reported. The magnetoelectric nanoparticle (MENP) fabrication process is then optimized to produce nanoparticles that satisfy several critical criteria for biological applications, including high biocompatibility, blood-brain barrier transference, and controllable uptake time. The MENPs produced by this method have demonstrated the first ever wireless, minimally invasive neuromodulation method with spatiotemporal behavior on par with established wired electrode stimulation methods, all without genetic modification. The fundamental work here shows how to create MENPs that are useful in biological contexts, and the approach described here can be tuned to create custom MENPs for any number of biological tasks.</p
Surgical Sterilization in Childfree Women
No full textBackground: Unintended pregnancies can be considered a public health problem, making contraception an important topic, specifically for the current events surrounding female healthcare. Permanent contraception as surgically sterilization is gaining popularity due to its effectivity and safety. For the purpose of this study, the term childfree will be used to refer to women who do not have children.Methods: This study evaluates the data available from women respondents in the National Survey of Family Growth (2015-2017&2017-2019) to identify and compare sociodemographic, surgical procedures, reasons, and payment method between women with/without children. A multivariable binary logistic regression model was used to identify significant sociodemographic variables of being surgically-sterile-childfree. Adjusted odds ratios and corresponding 95% confidence intervals were calculated.Results: Out of 11,695 women in NSFG-2015-2019, a sample of 1,967 women identified as surgically sterile, from which 112 were classified as surgically sterile childfree (study population), which accounted for 5.7% of the sample population. The majority identified as White (70.5%), reported being between 45-50 years-old (41.1%), never been married (42%), with graduate-school education (29.5%) and with an individual income Conclusions: The findings of this study contribute to a limited literature on a topic that does not get deserved attention. Findings suggest surgically sterile childfree women might be older than the rest of the population, might be less likely to ever be married, and more likely to have higher education.</p
Resilience Assessment and Adaptation Planning for On-Site Wastewater Management Systems to Sea-Level Rise
No full textThe escalating risks due to climate change have heightened the need to reinforce the resilience of critical infrastructure systems, particularly those essential for human well-being, such as wastewater management systems. Rising sea levels pose a significant threat to the availability of safe sanitation. To respond to these challenges, it is crucial to enhance the resilience of these systems. In this context, this dissertation investigates the adaptation of on-site wastewater treatment and disposal systems to sea-level rise risks.A novel quantitative resilience measure is developed based on the concepts of probabilistic risk assessment, deductive fault-tree analysis in particular, the measure is derived from logical conditions imperative for system survival and limiting impact propagation during and after disruptions. A comparative analysis with other measures is performed to investigate the validity and effectiveness of the proposed measure using a case study in South Florida.The resilience index is then integrated into a Mixed Integer Linear Programming adaptation decision-making model. The model decides on the economically optimal adaptation portfolio while ensuring a pre-defined minimum resilience threshold across all systems. The model considers hybrid centralized and decentralized wastewater management systems configurations.The effectiveness of the proposed model is demonstrated via a case study based on a real-world setting in the Village of Key-Biscayne, Florida. A heuristic, Clustering-Based Adaptive Decomposition (CBA-Decomp) Algorithm, is developed to solve large-size problems. A simulation-based sensitivity analysis is performed to investigate the computational performance of the proposed algorithm and derive insights on implementation pathways.</p
Traumatic Brain Injury Outcomes Among Smokers and Non-Smoker
No full textCigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable deaths in the US, as it continues to negatively impact Americans, resulting in 480,000 deaths annually. Similarly, unintentional injuries such as TBIs are the 4th leading cause of disability and death. Presently there are gaps within the literature regarding the association between TBI and current smoking status. This study aims to assess TBI outcomes among people who smoke cigarettes compared with nonsmoker. Medical record data collected from 2013-2023 retrospectively and prospectively, included demographics, smoking status, and clinical data. We assessed functional outcomes (Barthel Index and Disability Rating scales (DRS), and mortality at discharge. Mann-Whitney U, Chi-square tests, and multiple linear regression were used to evaluate study variables. Of 448 patients ,165 had smoking status established in the medical chart. Of these 165, 114 (73.1%) were nonsmokers, and 51 (30.9%) were people who smoke cigarettes. Of cigarette smokers, 82% were male, 73% were White, and 43% were non-Hispanic. There was a statistically significant difference in insurance types (pCigarette smoking has a detrimental influence on health. It could therefore be expected that PSC would have worse functional and discharge outcomes, however this small sample demonstrated paradoxical findings. Cigarette smokers who experience TBI would have worse functional outcomes at hospital discharge. Further research with a larger sample size is needed to characterize the impact of smoking on hospitalization and functional outcome at discharge in patients with TBI.</p
Exploring the Relationship Between Neighborhood Social Cohesion, Cancer Beliefs, and Cancer Risk Perceptions
No full textNeighborhood social cohesion (NSC) is commonly understood as a protective factor for health behaviors and health outcomes, specifically in the utilization of cancer screening; however, no studies have investigated the relationship between NSC and cancer beliefs or cancer risk perceptions. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate NSC in relation to cancer beliefs and cancer risk perceptions in a sample of South Florida adults using data from a cross-sectional survey of Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center’s catchment area. There was a significant association between NSC and cancer beliefs (odds ratio [OR], 95% confidence interval [CI]: = 0.79, 0.63–0.98; p=0.03); however, this association was no longer statistically significant after controlling for selected variables (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 95% CI: = 0.84; 0.65–1.09; p=0.18). There was not a significant association between NSC and cancer risk perceptions in both the univariable logistic regression model (OR, 95% CI: = 0.98, 0.72–1.34; p=0.90) and multivariable logistic regression model (aOR, 95% CI: = 1.12, 0.78–1.62; p=0.52). This is the first study to find a relationship between NSC and cancer beliefs, furthering our understanding of how the neighborhood social environment can prevent disease and promote health.</p