| 1. |
- Seoane, Fernando, 1976-, et al.
(författare)
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Textile-Friendly Interconnection between Wearable Measurement Instrumentation and Sensorized Garments-Initial Performance Evaluation for Electrocardiogram Recordings.
- 2019
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Ingår i: Sensors. - : MDPI AG. - 1424-8220. ; 19:20
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The interconnection between hard electronics and soft textiles remains a noteworthy challenge in regard to the mass production of textile-electronic integrated products such as sensorized garments. The current solutions for this challenge usually have problems with size, flexibility, cost, or complexity of assembly. In this paper, we present a solution with a stretchable and conductive carbon nanotube (CNT)-based paste for screen printing on a textile substrate to produce interconnectors between electronic instrumentation and a sensorized garment. The prototype connectors were evaluated via electrocardiogram (ECG) recordings using a sensorized textile with integrated textile electrodes. The ECG recordings obtained using the connectors were evaluated for signal quality and heart rate detection performance in comparison to ECG recordings obtained with standard pre-gelled Ag/AgCl electrodes and direct cable connection to the ECG amplifier. The results suggest that the ECG recordings obtained with the CNT paste connector are of equivalent quality to those recorded using a silver paste connector or a direct cable and are suitable for the purpose of heart rate detection.
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| 2. |
- Stading, Mats, 1962, et al.
(författare)
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A Device that Models Human Swallowing
- 2019
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Ingår i: Dysphagia. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0179-051X .- 1432-0460. ; 34:5, s. 615-626
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- The pharynx is critical for correct swallowing, facilitating the transport of both air and food transport in a highly coordinated manner, and aberrant co-ordination causes swallowing disorders (dysphagia). In this work, an in vitro model of swallowing was designed to investigate the role of rheology in swallowing and for use as a pre-clinical tool for simulation of different routes to dysphagia. The model is based on the geometry of the human pharynx. Manometry is used for pressure measurements and ultrasonic analysis is performed to analyze the flow profiles and determine shear rate in the bolus, the latter being vital information largely missing in literature. In the fully automated model, bolus injection, epiglottis/nasopharynx movement, and ultrasound transducer positioning can be controlled. Simulation of closing of the airways and nasal cavity is modulated by the software, as is a clamping valve that simulates the upper esophageal sphincter. The actions can be timed and valves opened to different degrees, resembling pathologic swallowing conditions. To validate measurements of the velocity profile and manometry, continuous and bolus flow was performed. The respective velocity profiles demonstrated the accuracy and validity of the flow characterization necessary for determining bolus flow. A maximum bolus shear rate of 80 s−1 was noted for syrup-consistency fluids. Similarly, the manometry data acquired compared very well with clinical studies.
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| 3. |
- Sepehri, Sobhan, 1986, et al.
(författare)
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Volume-amplified magnetic bioassay integrated with microfluidic sample handling and high-Tc SQUID magnetic readout
- 2018
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Ingår i: APL Bioengineering. - : AIP Publishing. - 2473-2877. ; 2:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A bioassay based on a high-Tc superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) reading out functionalized magnetic nanoparticles (fMNPs) in a prototype microfluidic platform is presented. The target molecule recognition is based on volume amplification using padlock-probe-ligation followed by rolling circle amplification (RCA). The MNPs are functionalized with single-stranded oligonucleotides, which give a specific binding of the MNPs to the large RCA coil product, resulting in a large change in the amplitude of the imaginary part of the ac magnetic susceptibility. The RCA products from amplification of synthetic Vibrio cholera target DNA were investigated using our SQUID ac susceptibility system in microfluidic channel with an equivalent sample volume of 3 μl. From extrapolation of the linear dependence of the SQUID signal versus concentration of the RCA coils, it is found that the projected limit of detection for our system is about 1.0 e5 RCA coils (0.2e−18 mol), which is equivalent to 66 fM in the 3 μl sample volume. This ultra-high magnetic sensitivity and integration with microfluidic sample handling are critical steps towards magnetic bioassays for rapid detection of DNA and RNA targets at the point of care.
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| 4. |
- Andersson, Helene, 1983, et al.
(författare)
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Effects of molecular weight on permeability and microstructure of mixed ethyl-hydroxypropyl-cellulose films
- 2013
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Ingår i: European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences. - : Elsevier BV. - 0928-0987 .- 1879-0720. ; 48:1-2, s. 240-248
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Films of ethyl cellulose (EC) and water-soluble hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) can be used for extended release coatings in oral formulations. The permeability and microstructure of free EC/HPC films with 30% w/w HPC were studied to investigate effects of EC molecular weight. Phase separation during film spraying and subsequent HPC leaching after immersion in aqueous media cause pore formation in such films. It was found that sprayed films were porous throughout the bulk of the films after water immersion. The molecular weight affected HPC leaching, pore morphology and film permeability; increasing the molecular weight resulted in decreasing permeability. A model to distinguish the major factors contributing to diffusion retardation in porous films showed that the trend in permeability was determined predominantly by factors associated with the geometry and arrangement of pores, independent of the diffusing species. The film with the highest molecular weight did, however, show an additional contribution from pore wall/permeant interactions. In addition, rapid drying and increasing molecular weight resulted in smaller pores, which suggest that phase separation kinetics affects the final microstructure of EC/HPC films. Thus, the molecular weight influences the microstructural features of pores, which are crucial for mass transport in EC/HPC films.
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| 5. |
- Sun, Fengzhen, et al.
(författare)
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Mechanical characteristics of nanocellulose-PEG bionanocomposite wound dressings in wet conditions
- 2017
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Ingår i: Journal of The Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials. - : Elsevier BV. - 1751-6161 .- 1878-0180. ; 69, s. 377-384
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Wood nanocellulose has been proposed for wound dressing applications partly based on its capability to form translucent films with good liquid absorption capabilities. Such properties are adequate for non-healing and chronic wounds where adequate management of exudates is a requirement. In addition, the translucency will allow to follow the wound development without the necessity to remove the dressing from the wound. Understanding the mechanical properties of nanocellulose films and dressings are also most important for tailoring optimizing wound dressing structures with adequate strength, conformability, porosity and exudate management. Mechanical properties are usually assessed in standard conditions (50% relative humidity, RH), which is not relevant in a wound management situation. In this study we have assessed the mechanical properties of three nanocellulose grades varying in the degree of nanofibrillation. The effect of nanofibrillation and of polyethylene glycol (PEG) addition, on the tensile strength, elongation and elastic modulus were assessed after 24 h in water and in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). The results reveal the behavior of the nanocellulose dressings after wetting and shed light into the development of mechanical properties in environments, which are relevant from a wound management point of view.
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| 6. |
- Alt Murphy, Margit, 1970, et al.
(författare)
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An upper body garment with integrated sensors for people with neurological disorders – early development and evaluation
- 2019
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Ingår i: BMC Biomedical Engineering. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2524-4426. ; 1:3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: To develop a novel wearable garment with integrated sensors for continuous monitoring of physiological and movement related variables to evaluate progression, tailor treatments and improve diagnosis in epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease and stroke. Methods: An iterative development process and evaluation of an upper body garment with integrated sensors included: identification of user needs, specification of technical and garment requirements, garment development and production as well as evaluation of garment design, functionality and usability. The project is a multidisciplinary collaboration with experts from medical, engineering, textile, and material science within the wearITmed consortium. The work was organized in regular meetings, task groups and hands-on workshops. User needs were identified using results from a mixed-methods systematic review, a focus group study and expert groups. Usability was evaluated in 19 individuals (13 controls, 6 patients with Parkinson’s disease) using semi-structured interviews and qualitative content analysis. Results: A prototype designed to monitor movements and heart rate was developed. The garment was well accepted by the users regarding design and comfort, although the users were cautious about the technology and suggested improvements. All electronic components passed a washability test. The most robust data was obtained from accelerometer and gyroscope sensors while the electrodes for heart rate registration were sensitive to motion. artefacts. The algorithm development within the wearITmed consortium has shown promising results. Conclusions: The prototype was accepted by the users. Technical improvements are needed, but preliminary data indicate that the garment has potential to be used as a tool for diagnosis and treatment selection and could provide added value for monitoring seizures in epilepsy, fluctuations in PD and activity levels in stroke. Future work aims to improve the prototype further, develop algorithms, and evaluate the functionality and usability in targeted patient groups. The potential of incorporating blood pressure and heart-rate variability monitoring will also be explored.
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| 7. |
- Dong, Guojun, et al.
(författare)
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Optimizing Signal Management in a Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System : A Proof-of-Concept with COVID-19 Vaccines Using Signs, Symptoms, and Natural Language Processing
- 2023
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Ingår i: Drug Safety. - : Adis. - 0114-5916 .- 1179-1942.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Introduction: The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) has already been challenged by an extreme increase in the number of individual case safety reports (ICSRs) after the market introduction of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines. Evidence from scientific literature suggests that when there is an extreme increase in the number of ICSRs recorded in spontaneous reporting databases (such as the VAERS), an accompanying increase in the number of disproportionality signals (sometimes referred to as ‘statistical alerts’) generated is expected. Objectives: The objective of this study was to develop a natural language processing (NLP)-based approach to optimize signal management by excluding disproportionality signals related to listed adverse events following immunization (AEFIs). COVID-19 vaccines were used as a proof-of-concept. Methods: The VAERS was used as a data source, and the Finding Associated Concepts with Text Analysis (FACTA+) was used to extract signs and symptoms of listed AEFIs from MEDLINE for COVID-19 vaccines. Disproportionality analyses were conducted according to guidelines and recommendations provided by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. By using signs and symptoms of listed AEFIs, we computed the proportion of disproportionality signals dismissed for COVID-19 vaccines using this approach. Nine NLP techniques, including Generative Pre-Trained Transformer 3.5 (GPT-3.5), were used to automatically retrieve Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities Preferred Terms (MedDRA PTs) from signs and symptoms extracted from FACTA+. Results: Overall, 17% of disproportionality signals for COVID-19 vaccines were dismissed as they reported signs and symptoms of listed AEFIs. Eight of nine NLP techniques used to automatically retrieve MedDRA PTs from signs and symptoms extracted from FACTA+ showed suboptimal performance. GPT-3.5 achieved an accuracy of 78% in correctly assigning MedDRA PTs. Conclusion: Our approach reduced the need for manual exclusion of disproportionality signals related to listed AEFIs and may lead to better optimization of time and resources in signal management. © 2023, The Author(s).
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| 8. |
- Fallqvist, Björn, 1985-, et al.
(författare)
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Experimental and computational assessment of F-actin influence in regulating cellular stiffness and relaxation behaviour of fibroblasts
- 2016
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Ingår i: Journal of The Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials. - : Elsevier. - 1751-6161 .- 1878-0180. ; 59, s. 168-184
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In biomechanics, a complete understanding of the structures and mechanisms that regulate cellular stiffness at a molecular level remain elusive. In this paper, we have elucidated the role of filamentous actin (F-actin) in regulating elastic and viscous properties of the cytoplasm and the nucleus. Specifically, we performed colloidal-probe atomic force microscopy (AFM) on BjhTERT fibroblast cells incubated with Latrunculin B (LatB), which results in depolymerisation of F-actin, or DMSO control. We found that the treatment with LatB not only reduced cellular stiffness, but also greatly increased the relaxation rate for the cytoplasm in the peripheral region and in the vicinity of the nucleus. We thus conclude that F-actin is a major determinant in not only providing elastic stiffness to the cell, but also in regulating its viscous behaviour. To further investigate the interdependence of different cytoskeletal networks and cell shape, we provided a computational model in a finite element framework. The computational model is based on a split strain energy function of separate cellular constituents, here assumed to be cytoskeletal components, for which a composite strain energy function was defined. We found a significant influence of cell geometry on the predicted mechanical response. Importantly, the relaxation behaviour of the cell can be characterised by a material model with two time constants that have previously been found to predict mechanical behaviour of actin and intermediate filament networks. By merely tuning two effective stiffness parameters, the model predicts experimental results in cells with a partly depolymerised actin cytoskeleton as well as in untreated control. This indicates that actin and intermediate filament networks are instrumental in providing elastic stiffness in response to applied forces, as well as governing the relaxation behaviour over shorter and longer time-scales, respectively.
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| 9. |
- Fu, Ying, 1964-, et al.
(författare)
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Endocytic pathway of vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 in human umbilical vein endothelial cell identified in vitro by using functionalized nontoxic fluorescent quantum dots
- 2019
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Ingår i: Sensors and actuators. B, Chemical. - : Elsevier B.V.. - 0925-4005 .- 1873-3077. ; 297
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Studies about vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM1) in tumor growth, metastasis, and angiogenesis suggest that targeting VCAM1 expression is an attractive strategy for diagnosis and anti-tumor therapy. However, the endocytic pathway of VCAM1 in vascular cells has not been well characterized. In this study we visualize the endocytic pathway of tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) induced VCAM1 in human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) in vitro using 5-carboxyfluorescein labeled VCAM1 binding peptides and fluorescent water-dispersible 3-mercaptopropionic acid (3MPA)-coated CdSe-CdS/Cd0.5Zn0.5S/ZnS core–multishell nontoxic quantum dots (3MPA-QDs) functionalized with VCAM1 binding peptides. Clear key in vitro observations are as follows: (a) 3MPA-QDs functionalized with VCAM1 binding peptides, denoted as VQDs, adhered and aggregated cumulatively to cell membrane around 2 h after VQD deposition to cell culture medium and were found in lysosomes in TNFα-treated HUVECs approximately 24 h after VQD deposition; (b) VQDs remained in TNFα-treated HUVECs for the whole 16 days of the experimental observation period; (c) quite differently, 3MPA-QDs were endocytosed then exocytosed by HUVECs via endosomes in about 24–48 h after 3MPA-QD deposition. Our study suggests that VCAM1 molecules, initially expressed on cell membrane induced by TNFα treatment, are internalized into lysosomes. This provides a novel means to deliver materials to lysosomes such as enzyme replacement therapy. Moreover, our meticulous sensing methodology of devising fluorescent nontoxic QDs advances biosensing technique for studying cellular activities in vitro and in vivo. © 2019 The Authors
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| 10. |
- Johansson, Dongni, 1988, et al.
(författare)
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Evaluation of a sensor algorithm for motor state rating in Parkinson's disease
- 2019
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Ingår i: Parkinsonism & Related Disorders. - : Elsevier BV. - 1353-8020 .- 1873-5126. ; 64:July, s. 112-117
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Introduction: A treatment response objective index (TRIS) was previously developed based on sensor data from pronation-supination tests. This study aimed to examine the performance of TRIS for medication effects in a new population sample with Parkinson's disease (PD) and its usefulness for constructing individual dose-response models. Methods: Twenty-five patients with PD performed a series of tasks throughout a levodopa challenge while wearing sensors. TRIS was used to determine motor changes in pronation-supination tests following a single levodopa dose, and was compared to clinical ratings including the Treatment Response Scale (TRS) and six sub-items of the UPDRS part III. Results: As expected, correlations between TRIS and clinical ratings were lower in the new population than in the initial study. TRIS was still significantly correlated to TRS (r(s) = 0.23, P < 0.001) with a root mean square error (RMSE) of 1.33. For the patients (n = 17) with a good levodopa response and clear motor fluctuations, a stronger correlation was found (r(s) = 0.38, RMSE = 1.29, P < 0.001). The mean TRIS increased significantly when patients went from the practically defined off to their best on state (P = 0.024). Individual dose-response models could be fitted for more participants when TRIS was used for modelling than when TRS ratings were used. Conclusion: The objective sensor index shows promise for constructing individual dose-response models, but further evaluations and retraining of the TRIS algorithm are desirable to improve its performance and to ensure its clinical effectiveness.
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