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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 163 records · Page 9

Tuning the interaction between propagating and localized surface plasmons for surface enhanced Raman scattering in water for biomedical and environmental applications

With a view to biomedical and environmental applications, we investigate the plasmonic properties of a rectangular gold nanodisk array in water to boost surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) effects. To control the resonance wavelengths of the surface plasmon polariton and the localized surface plasmon, their dependence on the array period and diameter in water is studied in detail using a finite difference time domain method. A good agreement is obtained between calculated resonant wavelengths and those of gold nanodisk arrays fabricated using electron beam lithography. For the optimized structure, a SERS enhancement factor of 7.8 × 10{sup 7} is achieved in water experimentally.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Facile synthesis of SiO{sub 2} nanoparticles for biomedical applications

Silica nanoparticles (SiO{sub 2} NPs) for biomedical applications have been prepared by using a facile modified Stöber-synthesis. Potassium borohydride (KBH{sub 4}) has been introduced in the synthesis procedure in order to control NP size. Several samples have been prepared varying tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) concentration, and using different process conditions (temperature, reaction time and atmosphere). In order to study the influence of the process conditions on the NP size, morphology and properties, several characterization techniques were used. Size and morphology of the as-prepared SiO{sub 2} NPs have been studied by using Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) and Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) techniques. Structural characterization was carried out by X-ray powder diffraction. To investigate the SiO{sub 2} NP fluorescence emission properties the fluorescence spectroscopy was also used.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Synthesis of superparamagnetic silica-coated magnetite nanoparticles for biomedical applications

Multifunctional superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) coated with silica are widely researched for biomedical applications such as magnetic resonance imaging, tissue repair, cell separation, hyperthermia, drug delivery, etc. In this article synthesis of magnetite (Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}) nanoparticles and their coating with SiO{sub 2} is reported. Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanoparticles were synthesized by chemical co-precipitation and it was coated with silica by hydrolysis and condensation of tetraethylorthosilicate. XRD, FTIR, TEM and VSM techniques were used to characterize bare and coated nanoparticles. Results indicated that the average size of SPIONS was 8.4 nm. X-ray diffraction patterns of silica coated SPIONS were identical to that of SPIONS confirming the inner spinal structure of SPIONS. FTIR results confirmed the binding of silica with the magnetite and the formation of the silica shell around the magnetite core. Magnetic properties of SPIONS and silica coated SPIONS are determined by VSM. They are superparamagnetic. The major conclusion drawn from this study is that the synthesis route yields stable, non-aggregated magnetite-silica core-shell nanostructures with tailored morphology and excellent magnetic properties.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗

Nonlinear aspects of acoustic radiation force in biomedical applications

In the past decade acoustic radiation force (ARF) became a powerful tool in numerous biomedical applications. ARF from a focused ultrasound beam acts as a virtual “finger” for remote probing of internal anatomical structures and obtaining diagnostic information. This presentation deals with generation of shear waves by nonlinear focused beams. Albeit the ARF has intrinsically nonlinear origin, in most cases the primary ultrasonic wave was considered in the linear approximation. In this presentation, we consider the effects of nonlinearly distorted beams on generation of shear waves by such beams.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

A nonlinear MEMS electrostatic kinetic energy harvester for human-powered biomedical devices

This article proposes a silicon-based electrostatic kinetic energy harvester with an ultra-wide operating frequency bandwidth from 1 Hz to 160 Hz. This large bandwidth is obtained, thanks to a miniature tungsten ball impacting with a movable proof mass of silicon. The motion of the silicon proof mass is confined by nonlinear elastic stoppers on the fixed part standing against two protrusions of the proof mass. The electrostatic transducer is made of interdigited-combs with a gap-closing variable capacitance that includes vertical electrets obtained by corona discharge. Below 10 Hz, the e-KEH offers 30.6 nJ per mechanical oscillation at 2 g{sub rms}, which makes it suitable for powering biomedical devices from human motion. Above 10 Hz and up to 162 Hz, the harvested power is more than 0.5 μW with a maximum of 4.5 μW at 160 Hz. The highest power of 6.6 μW is obtained without the ball at 432 Hz, in accordance with a power density of 142 μW/cm{sup 3}. We also demonstrate the charging of a 47-μF capacitor to 3.5 V used to power a battery-less wireless temperature sensor node.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Spectroscopic studies of non-thermal plasma jet at atmospheric pressure formed in low-current nonsteady-state plasmatron for biomedical applications

The optical and electrophysical characteristics of the nonequilibrium low-temperature plasma formed by a low-current nonsteady-state plasmatron are experimentally investigated in the present work. It is demonstrated that experimental data on the optical diagnostics of the plasma jet can provide a basis for the construction of a self-consistent physical and mathematical plasma model and for the creation of plasma sources with controllable electrophysical parameters intended for the generation of the required concentration of active particles. Results of spectroscopic diagnostics of plasma of the low-current nonsteady-state plasmatron confirm that the given source is efficient for the generation of charged particles and short-wavelength radiation—important plasma components for biomedical problems of an increase in the efficiency of treatment of biological tissues by charged particles. Measurement of the spatial distribution of the plasma jet potential by the probe method has demonstrated that a negative space charge is formed in the plasma jet possibly due to the formation of electronegative oxygen ions.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Ontology Development Kit: a toolkit for building, maintaining and standardizing biomedical ontologies

Similar to managing software packages, managing the ontology life cycle involves multiple complex workflows such as preparing releases, continuous quality control checking and dependency management. To manage these processes, a diverse set of tools is required, from command-line utilities to powerful ontology-engineering environmentsr. Particularly in the biomedical domain, which has developed a set of highly diverse yet inter-dependent ontologies, standardizing release practices and metadata and establishing shared quality standards are crucial to enable interoperability. The Ontology Development Kit (ODK) provides a set of standardized, customizable and automatically executable workflows, and packages all required tooling in a single Docker image. In this paper, we provide an overview of how the ODK works, show how it is used in practice and describe how we envision it driving standardization efforts in our community.

96 KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AND PRESERVATION↗

In with the old, in with the new: machine learning for time to event biomedical research

The predictive modeling literature for biomedical applications is dominated by biostatistical methods for survival analysis, and more recently some out of the box machine learning approaches. In this article, we show a presentation of a machine learning method appropriate for time-to-event modeling in the area of prostate cancer long-term disease progression. Using XGBoost adapted to long-term disease progression, we developed a predictive model for 118 788 patients with localized prostate cancer at diagnosis from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Our model accounted for patient censoring. Harrell’s c-index for our model using only features available at the time of diagnosis was 0.757 95% confidence interval [0.756, 0.757]. Our results show that machine learning methods like XGBoost can be adapted to use accelerated failure time (AFT) with censoring to model long-term risk of disease progression. Furthermore, the long median survival justifies and requires censoring. Overall, we show that an existing machine learning approach can be used for AFT outcome modeling in prostate cancer, and more generally for other chronic diseases with long observation times.

96 KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AND PRESERVATION↗

A Lakehouse Architecture for the Management and Analysis of Heterogeneous Data for Biomedical Research and Mega-biobanks

Data Lakehouse is a new paradigm in data architectures that embodies and integrates already established concepts for the systematic management of disparate, large-scale data – a data lake for heterogeneous data management, use of open standards for high-performance querying, and systematic maintenance of the data "freshness". In addition to being a new concept, the data lakehouse is also still a conceptual construct. Many projects that use the lakehouse require maturing, empirical studies, and specific implementations. In this paper, we present our implementation of the data lakehouse concept in a biomedical research and health data analytics domain, and we discuss the implementation of some unique and novel features such as support for specialized access controls in support of HIPAA regulation and IRB protocols, and support for the FAIR standard.

Begoli, Edmon↗

Poster — Thur Eve — 24: Commissioning and preliminary measurements using an Attix-style free air ionization chamber for air kerma measurements on the BioMedical Imaging and Therapy beamlines at the Canadian Light Source

Synchrotron facilities, including the Canadian Light Source (CLS), provide opportunities for the development of novel imaging and therapy applications. A vital step progressing these applications toward clinical trials is the availability of accurate dosimetry. In this study, a refurbished Attix-style (cylindrical) free air chamber (FAC) is tested and used for preliminary air kerma measurements on the two BioMedical Imaging and Therapy (BMIT) beamlines at the CLS. The FAC consists of a telescoping chamber that relies on a difference measurement of collected charge in expanded and collapsed configurations. At the National Research Council's X-ray facility, a Victoreen Model 480 FAC was benchmarked against two primary standard FACs. The results indicated an absolute accuracy at the 0.5% level for energies between 60 and 150 kVp. A series of measurements were conducted on the small, non-uniform X-ray beams of the 05B1-1 (∼8 – 100 keV) and 05ID-2 (∼20 – 200 keV) beamlines for a variety of energies, filtrations and beam sizes. For the 05B1-1 beam with 1.1 mm of Cu filtration, recombination corrections of less than 5 % could only be achieved for field sizes no greater than 0.5 mm × 0.6 mm (corresponding to an air kerma rate of ∼ 57 Gy/min). Ionic recombination thus presents a significant challenge to obtaining accurate air kerma rate measurements using this FAC in these high intensity beams. Future work includes measurements using a smaller aperture to sample a smaller and thus more uniform beam area, as well as experimental and Monte Carlo-based investigation of correction factors.

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗

Magnetic Core/Shell Nanocomposites MgFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}/SiO{sub 2} for Biomedical Application: Synthesis and Properties

Magnetic core/shell (CS) nanocomposites (MNCs) are synthesized using a simple method, in which a magnesium ferrite nanoparticle (MgFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}) is a core, and an amorphous silicon dioxide (silica SiO{sub 2}) layer is a shell. The composition, morphology, and structure of synthesized particles are studied using X-ray diffraction, field emission electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), scattering electrophoretic photometer, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and Mössbauer spectroscopy. It is found that the MgFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}/SiO{sub 2} MNC has the core/shell structure formed by the Fe‒O–Si chemical bond. After coating with silica, the MgFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}/SiO{sub 2} MNC saturation magnetization significantly decreases in comparison with MgFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} particles without a SiO{sub 2} shell. Spherical particles agglomerated from MgFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} nanocrystallites ∼9.6 and ∼11.5 nm in size function as cores coated with SiO{sub 2} shells ∼30 and ∼50 nm thick, respectively. The total size of obtained CS MNCs is ∼200 and 300 nm, respectively. Synthesized CS MgFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}/SiO{sub 2} MNCs are very promising for biomedical applications, due to the biological compatibility of silicon dioxide, its sizes, and the fact that the Curie temperature is in the region required for hyperthermal therapy, 320 K.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗

The environment ontology: contextualising biological and biomedical entities

As biological and biomedical research increasingly reference the environmental context of the biological entities under study, the need for formalisation and standardisation of environment descriptors is growing. The Environment Ontology (ENVO; www.environmentontology.org) is a community-led, open project which seeks to provide an ontology for specifying a wide range of environments relevant to multiple life science disciplines and, through an open participation model, to accommodate the terminological requirements of all those needing to annotate data using ontology classes. This paper summarises ENVO’s motivation, content, structure, adoption, and governance approach. The ontology is available from http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/envo.owl - an OBO format version is also available by switching the file suffix to “obo”.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Construction and accessibility of a cross-species phenotype ontology along with gene annotations for biomedical research [v2; ref status: indexed, http://f1000r.es/2td]

Phenotype analyses, e.g. investigating metabolic processes, tissue formation, or organism behavior, are an important element of most biological and medical research activities. Biomedical researchers are making increased use of ontological standards and methods to capture the results of such analyses, with one focus being the comparison and analysis of phenotype information between species. We have generated a cross-species phenotype ontology for human, mouse and zebrafish that contains classes from the Human Phenotype Ontology, Mammalian Phenotype Ontology, and generated classes for zebrafish phenotypes. We also provide up-to-date annotation data connecting human genes to phenotype classes from the generated ontology. We have included the data generation pipeline into our continuous integration system ensuring stable and up-to-date releases. This article describes the data generation process and is intended to help interested researchers access both the phenotype annotation data and the associated cross-species phenotype ontology. The resource described here can be used in sophisticated semantic similarity and gene set enrichment analyses for phenotype data across species. The stable releases of this resource can be obtained from http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/hp/uberpheno/ .

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

An analysis and metric of reusable data licensing practices for biomedical resources

Data are the foundation of science, and there is an increasing focus on how data can be reused and enhanced to drive scientific discoveries. However, most seemingly “open data” do not provide legal permissions for reuse and redistribution. The inability to integrate and redistribute our collective data resources blocks innovation and stymies the creation of life-improving diagnostic and drug selection tools. To help the biomedical research and research support communities (e.g. libraries, funders, repositories, etc.) understand and navigate the data licensing landscape, the (Re)usable Data Project (RDP) assesses the licensing characteristics of data resources and how licensing behaviors impact reuse. We have created a ruleset to determine the reusability of data resources and have applied it to 56 scientific data resources (e.g. databases) to date. Here, the results show significant reuse and interoperability barriers. Inspired by game-changing projects like Creative Commons, the Wikipedia Foundation, and the Free Software movement, we hope to engage the scientific community in the discussion regarding the legal use and reuse of scientific data, including the balance of openness and how to create sustainable data resources in an increasingly competitive environment.

96 KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AND PRESERVATION↗

The Third Cognitive Revolution: The consequences and possibilities for biomedical research

The Third Cognitive Revolution has just started. It follows the ones that, first, brought us the alphabet, numbers, agriculture, and urbanization; and, second, the printing press, books, and the scientific method. The Third Cognitive Revolution (TCR) is characterized by digitalization, computers, the World Wide Web, and global research efforts. While earlier revolutions proceeded at a slow pace over centuries, the current one started only a generation ago and is changing all aspects of human society and even human biology at an unprecedented pace. This leaves little time to analyze the profound effects of these changes and to come to terms with the explosion of knowledge and opportunities that the TCR brings with it. This article explores some of the TCR's positive and some of the troublesome consequences for biomedical research and the social sciences. We focus on two problems: the risk of delaying the adoption of available knowledge and the questionable validity of much of the published literature. To address and hopefully prevent these unintended and problematic developments, we propose and discuss topics that would promote inter– and trans–disciplinary communication.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Digital Light Processing (DLP): 3D printing of polymer-based graphene oxide nanocomposites—Efficient antimicrobial material for biomedical devices

Bacterial infections are one of the major causes of surgical implant inefficiency and failure. Herein, we present a Nanocomposite (NC) produced by the addition of Poly(N-vinyl carbazole)-Graphene Oxide dispersion (PVK-GO) as a nanofiller to a commercial photopolymer acrylate resin and 3D printed as coatings via the Digital Light Processing technique. Characterization and bioassay results against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus confirmed the elevated thermomechanical properties and efficient antibacterial activity of the printed NC-based coatings. In conclusion, the present study demonstrates the fabrication and optimization of a PVK-GO-based NC and its potential utilization as a 3D-printable material for biomedical applications.

2D materials↗

University of Vermont Center for Biomedical Imaging

This grant was awarded in support of Phase 2 of the University of Vermont Center for Biomedical Imaging. Phase 2 outlined several specific aims including: The development of expertise in MRI and fMRI imaging and their applications The acquisition of peer reviewed extramural funding in support of the Center The development of a Core Imaging Advisory Board, fee structure and protocol review and approval process.

RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEAR C↗

Letter Report for Analytical Results for five Swipe Samples from the Northern Biomedical Research Facility, Muskegon Michigan

Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU), under the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) contract, received five swipe samples on December 10, 2013 from the Northern Biomedical Research Facility in Norton Shores, Michigan. The samples were analyzed for tritium and carbon-14 according to the NRC Form 303 supplied with the samples. The sample identification numbers are presented in Table 1 and the tritium and carbon-14 results are provided in Table 2. The pertinent procedure references are included with the data tables.

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗