Universal bioprocessor LDRD final report.

Microsystems pose unparalleled opportunity in the realm of real-time sample analysis for multiple applications, including Homeland Security monitoring devices, environmental monitoring, and biomedical diagnostics. The need for a universal means of processing, separating, and delivering a sample within these devices is a critical need if these systems are to receive widespread implementation in the industry and government sectors. Efficient particle separation and enrichment techniques are critical for a range of analytical functions including pathogen detection, sample preparation, high-throughput particle sorting, and biomedical diagnostics. Previously, using insulator-based dielectrophoresis (iDEP) in microfluidic glass devices, we demonstrated simultaneous particle separation and concentration. As an alternative to glass, we evaluate the performance of similar iDEP structures produced in polymer-based microdevices and their enhancement through dynamic surface coatings. There are numerous processing and operational advantages that motivate our transition to polymers such as the availability of numerous innate chemical compositions for tailoring performance, mechanical robustness, economy of scale, and ease of thermoforming and mass manufacturing. The polymer chips we have evaluated are fabricated through an injection molding process of the commercially available cyclic olefin copolymer Zeonor{reg_sign}. We demonstrate that the polymer devices achieve the same performance metrics as glass devices. Additionally, we show that the nonionic block copolymer surfactant Pluronic F127 has a strong interaction with the cyclic olefin copolymer at very low concentrations, positively impacting performance by decreasing the magnitude of the applied electric field necessary to achieve particle trapping. The presence of these dynamic surface coatings, therefore, lowers the power required to operate such devices and minimizes Joule heating. The results of this study demonstrate that polymeric microfluidic devices with surfactant coatings for insulator-based dielectrophoresis provide an affordable engineering strategy for selective particle enrichment and sorting

Comparison of Single- and Three-fraction Schedules of Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy for Peripheral Early-stage Non-Small-cell Lung Cancer.

BACKGROUND: To compare the clinical outcomes of patients with early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who had undergone either single-fraction (SF) or three-fraction (TF) stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) at a single institution during over 8-year period. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with peripherally located early-stage NSCLC who had undergone SBRT from February 2007 to November 2015 were included in the present study. SBRT was delivered without heterogeneity correction. Data were retrospectively reviewed and collected in an institutional review board-approved database. R software (version 3.3.2) was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Of 159 total lung tumors, 65 lesions received 30 Gy (median, 30 Gy) in 1 fraction, and 94 lesions received 48 to 60 Gy (median, 60 Gy) in 3 fractions. Patients with a Karnofsky performance status \u3c 80 were more common in the SF-SBRT cohort (P = .050). After a median follow-up of 22.2 and 26.2 months for the SF-SBRT and TF-SBRT cohorts, respectively (P = .29), no statistically significant difference was found in overall survival (P = .86), progression-free survival (P = .95), local failure (P = .95), nodal failure (P = .91), and distant failure (P = .49) at 24 months. At 1 and 2 years, the overall survival rates were 86.1% and 63.2% for the SF-SBRT cohort and 80.8% and 61.6% for the TF-SBRT cohort, respectively. At 1 and 2 years, the local control rates were 95.1% and 87.8% for the SF-SBRT cohort and 92.7% and 86.2% for the TF-SBRT cohort, respectively. Both regimens were well tolerated. CONCLUSION: Despite more patients with poor performance status in the SF-SBRT cohort, the SF- and TF-SBRT regimens showed no differences in clinical outcomes. SF-SBRT is now our standard approach

Dielectrophoretic particle manipulation in ridged microchannels

This work presents continuous-flow particle sorting at low applied fields (30 V/cm) using electrodeless dielectrophoresis [2-7] in ridged polymeric microstructures. Particle manipulation and sorting is critical in analysis of cellular systems and subpopulations, water monitoring, soil analysis, and colloidal synthesis. This technique is developed with a view toward sorting of cellular systems, and offers advantages over other particle processing techniques in its ability to sort particles over small (∼100 μm) spatial scales and rapid

Accelerated Decoloration of Organic Dyes from Wastewater Using Ternary Metal/g-C3N4/ZnO Nanocomposites: An Investigation of Impact of g-C3N4 Concentration and Ni and Mn Doping

Wastewater from many sectors that contains hazardous organic pollutants exacerbates environmental contamination. Consequently, outstanding photocatalytic substances that can successfully degrade hazardous substances are needed to provide pollution-free water. From this perspective, zinc oxide/g-C3N4-based composites are desirable due to their low cost, strong reactivity, and environmental friendliness. So, in the current investigation, sequences of Mn/g-C3N4/ZnO (Mn/GZ) and Ni/g-C3N4/ZnO (Ni/GZ) nanocomposites (NCs) containing different concentrations (wt.%) of g-C3N4 were made via the co-precipitation process. The chemical makeup and morphological characteristics of the produced composites were ascertained via the techniques of transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), photoluminescence (PL), and UV spectrophotometry. Methyl orange (MO) and Eriochrome Black T (EBT) dyes were used as target pollutants to assess the composite materials’ photocatalytic effectiveness. Compared to g-C3N4/ZnO and g-C3N4, the produced Mn/GZ and Ni/GZ NCs displayed better photocatalytic activity. The improved photocatalytic efficiency of the Ni/GZ and Mn/GZ NCs might be credited to synergistic interactions at the g-C3N4 and ZnO interface that result in a more efficient separation and conduction of photo-induced charges. Furthermore, the Ni/Mn atoms act as the facilitators to improve electron–hole pair separation and conduction in NCs. The nanocomposites were found to be incredibly stable, with consistently high dye decoloration efficiency over five catalytic cycles. Hence, Ni/GZ and Mn/GZ could potentially be very effective and adaptable photocatalysts for the photocatalytic decoloration of wastewater pollutants

Accelerated Decoloration of Organic Dyes from Wastewater Using Ternary Metal/g-C₃N₄/ZnO Nanocomposites: An Investigation of Impact of g-C₃N₄ Concentration and Ni and Mn Doping

Wastewater from many sectors that contains hazardous organic pollutants exacerbates environmental contamination. Consequently, outstanding photocatalytic substances that can successfully degrade hazardous substances are needed to provide pollution-free water. From this perspective, zinc oxide/g-C3N4-based composites are desirable due to their low cost, strong reactivity, and environmental friendliness. So, in the current investigation, sequences of Mn/g-C3N4/ZnO (Mn/GZ) and Ni/g-C3N4/ZnO (Ni/GZ) nanocomposites (NCs) containing different concentrations (wt.%) of g-C3N4 were made via the co-precipitation process. The chemical makeup and morphological characteristics of the produced composites were ascertained via the techniques of transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), photoluminescence (PL), and UV spectrophotometry. Methyl orange (MO) and Eriochrome Black T (EBT) dyes were used as target pollutants to assess the composite materials’ photocatalytic effectiveness. Compared to g-C3N4/ZnO and g-C3N4, the produced Mn/GZ and Ni/GZ NCs displayed better photocatalytic activity. The improved photocatalytic efficiency of the Ni/GZ and Mn/GZ NCs might be credited to synergistic interactions at the g-C3N4 and ZnO interface that result in a more efficient separation and conduction of photo-induced charges. Furthermore, the Ni/Mn atoms act as the facilitators to improve electron–hole pair separation and conduction in NCs. The nanocomposites were found to be incredibly stable, with consistently high dye decoloration efficiency over five catalytic cycles. Hence, Ni/GZ and Mn/GZ could potentially be very effective and adaptable photocatalysts for the photocatalytic decoloration of wastewater pollutants

Three- Versus Five-Fraction Regimens of Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy for Peripheral Early-Stage Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: A Two-Institution Propensity Score-Matched Analysis.

PURPOSE: To evaluate differences in outcomes of early-stage peripheral non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with either 3- or 5-fraction stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) at 2 institutions. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients diagnosed with peripherally located early-stage NSCLC who received either a median dose of 60 Gy (interquartile range [IQR], 60-60, biologically effective dose, 151-151) in 3 fractions or a median dose of 50 Gy (IQR, 50-50, biologically effective dose, 94-94) in 5 fractions were included in this study. All data were retrospectively collected and reviewed in an institutional review board-approved database. RESULTS: A total of 192 lesions in 192 patients were identified: 94 received 3-fraction SBRT and 98 received 5-fraction SBRT. Patients in the 5-fraction cohort had significantly smaller tumors (P = .0021). Larger tumor size was associated with worse overall survival (hazard ratio, 1.40, P = .0013) for all patients. A single grade 3 toxicity was reported in each cohort. A propensity score-matched cohort of 94 patients was constructed with a median follow-up of 29.3 months (IQR, 17.3-44.6) for the 3-fraction cohort and 31.0 months (IQR, 17.0-48.5) for the 5-fraction cohort (P = .84). There were no statistically significant differences between these 2 cohorts in overall survival (P = .33), progression-free survival (P = .40), local failure (P = .86), and nodal or distant failure (P = .57) at 2 years. CONCLUSION: The 3- and 5-fraction SBRT regimens for early-stage peripheral NSCLC had comparable clinical outcomes. Both regimens were well tolerated. A large tumor size was an adverse prognostic factor for worse survival