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- Title
- Measurement and Control of Beam Energy at the Fermilab 400 MeV Transfer Line
- Creator
- Mwaniki, Matilda W.
- Date
- 2023
- Description
-
Linac is the first machine in the Accelerator chain at Fermilab where particles are accelerated from 35 keV to 400 MeV and travel to the...
Show moreLinac is the first machine in the Accelerator chain at Fermilab where particles are accelerated from 35 keV to 400 MeV and travel to the Booster where they are stripped of the extra electrons to become protons. Tuning Linac is performed using diagnostics to ensure stable intensity and energy while minimizing uncontrolled particle loss. I have been revisiting diagnostics in the Linac in order to understand their signals and to ensure their data is reliable. I revisited Beam Loss Monitors (BLMs) for the loss data confidence. For the confidence of energy data there were two approaches. The first approach was time-of-flight measurements using Beam Position Monitors (BPMs) and beam velocity stripline pick-up that provides beam phase data. The second approach used the relation between beam position data from BPMs and dispersion values from MAD-X simulation to calculate energy. Our goal after understanding the data from the Linac diagnostics and finding the data reliable is to control the Linac parameters using Machine Learning techniques to increase the reliability and quality of beam delivered from Linac.
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- Title
- Examination of Listeria monocytogenes survival in refrigerated chopped hard-boiled eggs and deli salads containing this ingredient
- Creator
- Marathe, Aishwarya Nagesh
- Date
- 2024
- Description
-
Peeled hard-boiled eggs (HBEs) are widely favored by both consumers and food services due to their convenience. These HBEs are often chopped...
Show morePeeled hard-boiled eggs (HBEs) are widely favored by both consumers and food services due to their convenience. These HBEs are often chopped and incorporated into various dishes such as deli salads. However, recent recalls of hard-boiled eggs have brought attention to the risk of contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. Prepared HBEs are typically subjected to antibacterial treatment to maintain product safety and quality. Citric acid is a common antibacterial used in the food industry to treat the HBEs. Previous research has determined that 2% citric acid treatment is effective against L. monocytogenes on whole HBEs. This study examined the efficacy of citric acid on the reduction of L. monocytogenes on chopped HBEs and in deli salads containing chopped HBEs. HBEs were treated with 2% citric acid or water (untreated) by submersion for 24 h at 5°C. HBEs were dried for 10 min, inoculated with a 4-strain cocktail of rifampicin-resistant L. monocytogenes, at 1 (low-level inoculation) or 4 log CFU/HBE (high level-inoculation), and allowed to dry for 10 min. Low-level inoculated HBEs were chopped and stored at 5, 10, or 15°C for 28 d. High-level inoculated HBEs were chopped and stored at 5, 10, and 25°C for 14 d. Low-level inoculated HBEs were also chopped and incorporated into potato, tuna, chicken, or macaroni salad at a 1:6 ratio (HBE to other ingredients), or into egg salad at a 7:1 ratio. Salads were stored at 5, 10, or 15°C for 28 d. The presence of L. monocytogenes was determined at intervals during storage by enrichment with BLEB and/or enumerated on BHIArif throughout storage. Triplicate samples were assessed for each time point, and three independent trials were conducted. Data was analyzed by Student’s T-test, ANOVA, and Fisher’s exact test, p≤0.05. For low-level inoculated chopped HBEs, the L. monocytogenes population was significantly higher in untreated chopped HBEs (1.86±0.33 log CFU/g) as compared to treated chopped HBEs (1.47±0.27 log CFU/g) on day 14 at 15°C. On both untreated and treated chopped HBEs, there was no significant difference in the population of L. monocytogenes up to 7 d. However, from 14 d, there was a significant increase in the growth of L. monocytogenes (1.86±0.33 to 2.18±0.35 log CFU/g on untreated chopped HBEs and 1.47±0.27 to 1.94±0.47 log CFU/g for treated, respectively). For high-level inoculated HBEs, a higher L. monocytogenes growth rate was observed on untreated chopped HBEs as compared to treated chopped HBEs at 10 and 25°C. It was observed that treated chopped HBEs at 5°C took the longest to reach 1 log CFU/g increase in the L. monocytogenes population (50 d) whereas, untreated chopped HBEs at 25°C took the shortest (0.22 d). Untreated chopped HBEs showed a significantly higher population of L. monocytogenes as compared to treated chopped HBEs on 14 d at all storage temperatures. In deli salads containing chopped HBEs, potato salad showed the highest growth of L. monocytogenes after 14 d, followed by macaroni, egg, chicken, and tuna salad. The population of L. monocytogenes was the lowest in tuna salad. L. monocytogenes was present throughout the storage period at all storage temperatures. It was observed that 2% citric acid is more efficient in controlling the growth of L. monocytogenes in chopped HBEs as compared to when those HBEs are incorporated into deli salads. The findings contribute to the formulation of preventive measures and standards aimed at guaranteeing the safety of HBEs.
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- Title
- Voxel Transformer with Density-Aware Deformable Attention for 3D Object Detection
- Creator
- Kim, Taeho
- Date
- 2023
- Description
-
The Voxel Transformer (VoTr) is a prominent model in the field of 3D object detection, employing a transformer-based architecture to...
Show moreThe Voxel Transformer (VoTr) is a prominent model in the field of 3D object detection, employing a transformer-based architecture to comprehend long-range voxel relationships through self-attention. However, despite its expanded receptive field, VoTr’s flexibility is constrained by its predefined receptive field. In this paper, we present a Voxel Transformer with Density-Aware Deformable Attention (VoTr-DADA), a novel approach to 3D object detection. VoTr-DADA leverages density-guided deformable attention for a more adaptable receptive field. It efficiently identifies key areas in the input using density features, combining the strengths of both VoTr and Deformable Attention. We introduce the Density-Aware Deformable Attention (DADA) module, which is specifically designed to focus on these crucial areas while adaptively extracting more informative features. Experimental results on the KITTI dataset and the Waymo Open dataset show that our proposed method outperforms the baseline VoTr model in 3D object detection while maintaining a fast inference speed.
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- Title
- Gwendolyn Brooks receiving an honorary degree at from Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, Illinois, 1968
- Creator
- Illinois Institute of Technology
- Date
- 1968
- Description
-
Photograph of Gwendolyn Brooks, then Chicago's Poet Laureate, receiving an honorary degree from Illinois Institute of Technology. Photographer...
Show morePhotograph of Gwendolyn Brooks, then Chicago's Poet Laureate, receiving an honorary degree from Illinois Institute of Technology. Photographer unknown.
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- Office of Communications and Marketing photographs, 1905-1999
- Title
- Ekco Pool, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, Illinois, ca. 1970s
- Creator
- Illinois Institute of Technology
- Date
- 1970-1979
- Description
-
Photograph of students in Ekco Pool on the lower level of Keating Hall. Date of photograph is unknown. Date range listed is approximate.
- Collection
- Office of Communications and Marketing photographs, 1905-1999
- Title
- Exhibition announcement for the exhibit Pioneers of Abstract art at the Sidney Mishkin Gallery, Baruch College, New York, NY, 1996, verso
- Creator
- Sidney Mishkin Gallery
- Date
- 1996
- Description
-
Exhibition annoucement postcard for the exhibit Pioneers of Abstract art at the Sidney Mishkin Gallery, Baruch College, New York, NY,...
Show moreExhibition annoucement postcard for the exhibit Pioneers of Abstract art at the Sidney Mishkin Gallery, Baruch College, New York, NY, September 20-October 17, 1996. The exhibit commemorated the 60th anniversary of American Abstract Artists group, and included work from founding and current members, including Mary Henry's Verklaerte Nacht (acrylic on canvas, 1996). The recto of the card includes a detail of the frontispiece of the original 1937 American Abstract Artists portfolio.
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- Mary Dill Henry Papers, 1913-2021
- Title
- Exhibition announcement for the exhibit Pioneers of Abstract art at the Sidney Mishkin Gallery, Baruch College, New York, NY, 1996, recto
- Creator
- Sidney Mishkin Gallery
- Date
- 1996
- Description
-
Exhibition annoucement postcard for the exhibit Pioneers of Abstract art at the Sidney Mishkin Gallery, Baruch College, New York, NY,...
Show moreExhibition annoucement postcard for the exhibit Pioneers of Abstract art at the Sidney Mishkin Gallery, Baruch College, New York, NY, September 20-October 17, 1996. The exhibit commemorated the 60th anniversary of American Abstract Artists group, and included work from founding and current members, including Mary Henry's Verklaerte Nacht (acrylic on canvas, 1996). The recto of the card includes a detail of the frontispiece of the original 1937 American Abstract Artists portfolio.
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- Mary Dill Henry Papers, 1913-2021
- Title
- Exhibition announcement for the exhibit Pioneers of Abstract art at the Sidney Mishkin Gallery, Baruch College, New York, NY, 1996
- Creator
- Sidney Mishkin Gallery
- Date
- 1996
- Description
-
Exhibition annoucement postcard for the exhibit Pioneers of Abstract art at the Sidney Mishkin Gallery, Baruch College, New York, NY,...
Show moreExhibition annoucement postcard for the exhibit Pioneers of Abstract art at the Sidney Mishkin Gallery, Baruch College, New York, NY, September 20-October 17, 1996. The exhibit commemorated the 60th anniversary of American Abstract Artists group, and included work from founding and current members, including Mary Henry's Verklaerte Nacht (acrylic on canvas, 1996). The recto of the card includes a detail of the frontispiece of the original 1937 American Abstract Artists portfolio.
Show less - Collection
- Mary Dill Henry Papers, 1913-2021
- Title
- Exhibition announcement for Mary Henry's show Selected Works at Whatcom Museum of History and Art, Bellingham, Washington, February 6-April 17, 1988
- Creator
- Whatcom Museum
- Date
- 1988
- Description
-
Exhibition annoucement postcard for Mary Henry's show Selected Works at Whatcom Museum of History and Art, Bellingham, Washington, February 6...
Show moreExhibition annoucement postcard for Mary Henry's show Selected Works at Whatcom Museum of History and Art, Bellingham, Washington, February 6-April 17, 1988.
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- Mary Dill Henry Papers, 1913-2021
- Title
- Robert R. McCormick Lounge, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, Ill.
- Date
- 1960-1969
- Description
-
Photograph of McCormick Lounge. The building is located at 3241 South Wabash Avenue, and was designed by Mittelbusher & Tourtelot and...
Show morePhotograph of McCormick Lounge. The building is located at 3241 South Wabash Avenue, and was designed by Mittelbusher & Tourtelot and constructed in 1959. McCormick Lounge serves as the entry point to the McCormick Student Village, which also includes the six residence halls that surround it. The 1992 renovation included work on the dining halls and common areas, as well as a new entrance. The dining hall portion of the building closed in 2003. Date of photograph is unknown. Date range listed is approximate. Photographer unknown.
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- Office of Communications and Marketing photographs, 1905-1999
- Title
- Benjamin de Brie Taylor painting the Hawk mural in Ekco Pool, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, Illinois, ca. 1980
- Date
- 1980
- Description
-
Photograph of Benjamin de Brie Taylor and an unidentified student painting the mural above Ekco Pool in Arthur Keating Hall. The mural's hawk...
Show morePhotograph of Benjamin de Brie Taylor and an unidentified student painting the mural above Ekco Pool in Arthur Keating Hall. The mural's hawk was later adopted this as the official logo of the IIT Athletic Department. Taylor was Director of the Institute of Design at IIT from 1973 to 1975, and remained on the faculty at ID until 1987. Photographer unknown. Date of photograph is unknown. Date listed is approximate.
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- Office of Communications and Marketing photographs, 1905-1999
- Title
- Two students in dormitory room, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, Illinois, ca. 1960s
- Date
- 1960-1969
- Description
-
Photographer unknown. Date of photograph is unknown. Date range listed is approximate.
- Collection
- Office of Communications and Marketing photographs, 1905-1999
- Title
- Robert R. McCormick Lounge, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, Ill.
- Creator
- Achilles, Rolf
- Date
- 1985-1986
- Description
-
Photograph of McCormick Lounge. The building is located at 3241 South Wabash Avenue, and was designed by Mittelbusher & Tourtelot and...
Show morePhotograph of McCormick Lounge. The building is located at 3241 South Wabash Avenue, and was designed by Mittelbusher & Tourtelot and constructed in 1959. McCormick Lounge serves as the entry point to the McCormick Student Village, which also includes the six residence halls that surround it. The 1992 renovation included work on the dining halls and common areas, as well as a new entrance. The dining hall portion of the building closed in 2003.
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- Mies Centennial records, 1969-1986
- Title
- Evaluating antimicrobial efficacy of GS-2 on reusable food packaging materials
- Creator
- Birje, Nupoor Prasad
- Date
- 2024
- Description
-
Packaging plays an important role in maintaining the quality and safety of fresh produce throughout storage, transportation and end-use by...
Show morePackaging plays an important role in maintaining the quality and safety of fresh produce throughout storage, transportation and end-use by consumers. Single-use packaging poses several environmental impacts; therefore use of reusable packaging is being encouraged in the fresh produce supply chain. However, the utilization of harmful chemicals and inadequate sanitation standards limit the reuse of packaging materials. To overcome these limitations, this study focuses on testing a non-toxic, water-soluble antimicrobial; GS-2 coating to facilitate the reuse of food packaging and reduce the risk of microbial contamination. In this study, the antimicrobial activity of GS-2 was evaluated against foodborne pathogens; Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella enterica on plastic and cardboard coupons at 1 h and 15 min treatment times and 0.3%, 1% and 3% concentration. These coupons were also stored at 4℃ and 90% R.H. and 18℃ and 45% R.H. inoculated on different days up to 42 d with E. coli or L. monocytogenes to study retention of activity of GS-2. Additionally, the efficacy of GS-2 to reduce transfer of bacteria from cardboard and plastic to tomato was investigated. The initial level of inoculum was 9 log CFU/surface for all experiments. Cardboard and plastic without GS-2 were used to compare the reduction of bacteria on the treated surfaces. The differences in the population of bacteria were evaluated using Student’s T-Test and ANOVA; p <0.05 was considered significant. With 3% GS-2 concentration on plastic, there was > 4.50 log CFU/surface reduction of all three bacteria in 1 h. There was a lower reduction of the population on cardboard as compared to plastic for all bacteria, the reduction obtained was 1.83, 2.65 and 3.42 log CFU/surface for E. coli, L. monocytogenes and S. enterica, respectively, in 1 h. There was no significant difference between 15 min and 1 h treatments for cardboard. Further, the highest reduction of bacteria was obtained with 3% GS-2 on plastic. For cardboard, no significant difference in population reduction was obtained for E. coli or S. enterica, with 1% or 3% GS-2. However, for L. monocytogenes there was a higher reduction with 3%. GS-2 remained active on the surface of plastic and cardboard for a period of six weeks. For cardboard, there was a lower reduction of bacteria and there was no trend in the population reduction from 0 to 42 d, with the populations remaining within a range of 4-5 log CFU/surface. There was a significant transfer of E. coli or L. monocytogenes from plastic surfaces without GS-2 to tomato at 5-6 log CFU/tomato. However, the transfer of bacteria from the GS-2-coated plastic to the tomato was below the limit of enumeration. For cardboard, the population was below the limit of enumeration, irrespective of the GS-2 coating. Based on the results, GS-2 is a promising antimicrobial that reduces the microbial load on packaging surfaces and prevents cross-contamination of fresh produce. The retention of GS-2 activity makes it suitable for reusable packaging applications.
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- Title
- Adaptive Learning Approach of a Domain-Aware CNN-Based Model Observer
- Creator
- Bogdanovic, Nebojsa
- Date
- 2023
- Description
-
Application of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for performing defect detection tasks and their use as model observers (MO) has become...
Show moreApplication of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for performing defect detection tasks and their use as model observers (MO) has become increasingly popular in the medical imaging field. Building upon this use of CNN MOs, we have trained the CNNs to discern between the data it was trained on, and the previously unseen images. We termed this ability domain awareness. To achieve domain awareness, we are simultaneously training a new variation of U-Net CNN to perform defect detection task, as well as to reconstruct a noisy input image. We have shown that the values of the reconstruction mean squared error can be used as a good indicator of how well the algorithm performs in the defect localization task, making a big step towards developing a domain aware CNN MO. Additionally, we have proposed an adaptive learning approach for training these algorithms, and compared them to the non-adaptive learning approach. The main results that we achieved were for the ideal observers, but we also extended these results to human observer data. We have compared different architectures of CNNs with different numbers and sizes of layers, as well as introduced data augmentation to further improve upon our results. Finally, our results show that the proposed adaptive learning approach with introduced data augmentation drastically improves upon the results of a non-adaptive approach in both human and ideal observer cases.
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- Title
- Cardiolipin Modulates the Insertion of Adsorbed Helical Amyloid Beta Peptide Into Model Mitochondrial Membranes
- Creator
- Kaczmarek, Julia A.
- Date
- 2023
- Description
-
The loss of mitochondrial phospholipid cardiolipin (CL) may play a role in both the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and its treatment...
Show moreThe loss of mitochondrial phospholipid cardiolipin (CL) may play a role in both the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and its treatment. An effector molecule of the disease, amyloid-beta (Aβ), has been observed to interact with lipid membranes, but its relevance to mitochondrial membranes containing CL remained elusive. The present study investigated if the presence of CL modulated the insertion of adsorbed helical amyloid beta (Aβ14-40) into model mitochondrial membranes, and if this effect was more pronounced for its N-terminus or C-terminus. I conducted a coarse-grained computer simulation using well-tempered metadynamics to traverse the free energy landscape that maps the translocation of Aβ14-40. Insertion into CL-containing bilayers created larger local membrane deformations and modulated the location of the transition path but had an inconclusive impact on the free energy cost of translocation. Since the generation of toxic calcium-permeable pores depends on the insertion of Aβ into the bilayer, the loss of CL seen in AD may prime the inner mitochondrial membrane for pore formation, but more research is needed to pursue this hypothesis.
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- Title
- Improving Niobium Superconducting Radio-Frequency Cavities by Studying Tantalum
- Creator
- Helfrich, Halle
- Date
- 2023
- Description
-
Niobium superconducting radio-frequency (SRF) cavities are widely used accelerating structures. Improvements in both quality factor, Q0, and...
Show moreNiobium superconducting radio-frequency (SRF) cavities are widely used accelerating structures. Improvements in both quality factor, Q0, and maximum accelerating gradient, Eacc, have been made to SRF cavities by introducing new processing techniques. These breakthroughs include processes such as nitrogen doping(N-Doping) and infusion, electrochemical polishing (EP) and High Pressure Rinsing (HPR). [1] There is still abundant opportunity to improve the cavities or, rather, the material they’re primarily composed of: niobium. A focus here is the role the native oxide of Nb plays in SRF cavity performance. The values of interest in a given cavity are its quality factor Q0, maximum accelerating gradient Eacc and surface resistance Rs . This work characterizes Nb and Ta foils prepared under identical conditions using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) to compare surface oxides and better understand RF loss mechanisms in Nb SRF cavities and qubits. It is well established that Ta qubits experience much longer coherence times than Nb qubits, which is probably due to the larger RF losses in Nb oxide. By studying Tantalum, an element similar to Niobium, the mechanisms of the losses that originate in the oxide and suboxide layers present on the surface of Nb cavities might finally be unlocked. We find noticeable differences in the oxides of Nb and Ta formed by air exposure of clean foils. In particular, Ta does not display the TaO2 suboxide in XPS, while Nb commonly shows NbO2. This suggests that suboxides are an additional contributor of RF losses. We also suggest that thin Ta film coatings of Nb SRF cavities may be a way of increasing Q0. It is in the interest of the accelerator community to fully understand the surface impurities present in Nb SRF cavities so that strategies for mitigating the effects can be proposed.
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- Title
- Evaluation of the efficacy of power ultrasound technology coupled with organic acids to reduce listeria monocytogenes on peaches and apples
- Creator
- Joshi, Mayura Anand
- Date
- 2024
- Description
-
Fresh fruits and vegetables are prone to microbial contamination throughout different phases of human handling, processing, transportation,...
Show moreFresh fruits and vegetables are prone to microbial contamination throughout different phases of human handling, processing, transportation, and distribution. Emerging technologies, such as power ultrasound, have received attention due to their capacity to reduce or eliminate foodborne bacterial pathogens on these commodities. Power ultrasound, when combined with certain antimicrobials, has demonstrated its effectiveness as a valuable tool for washing fresh produce. The objective of this study was to examine the effectiveness of power ultrasound combined with organic acids on the reduction of Listeria monocytogenes on fruits. In this study, peaches and apples were subjected to surface inoculation with a four-strain cocktail of L. monocytogenes and dried for 1 h. Stomacher bags, containing 225 mL of citric, lactic, or malic acids at concentrations of 1%, 2%, or 5%, were employed for treating inoculated peaches and apples. The acid treatment was used alone, or in combination with power ultrasound for 2, 5, or 10 min. Water was used for controls. Before treatment, the initial population of L. monocytogenes on apples was lower compared to the initial population on peaches, with apples showing a 1.94 log CFU/fruit reduction. Water controls demonstrated no significant log reduction in both apples and peaches. The greatest L. monocytogenes reduction on apples occurred when treated with 1% citric acid for 2 min with power ultrasound where L. monocytogenes was significantly reduced from 6.98±0.88 log CFU/fruit to 5.56±0.91 log CFU/fruit. The greatest L. monocytogenes reduction on peaches occurred when treated with 5% citric acid for 5 min with power ultrasound where L. monocytogenes was significantly reduced from 7.44±0.45 log CFU/fruit to 6.68±0.40 log CFU/fruit. Overall, the combined effect of acid and power ultrasound was more pronounced in apples than in peaches. The survival of L. monocytogenes on apples and peaches appeared to be highly dependent on the specific treatment and hurdle technology applied. The combination of ultrasound hurdle technology with acid washing has proven effective in reducing L. monocytogenes on both peaches and apples, with a more significant impact observed on apples. While acid washing is a more economical option compared to ultrasound technology, the efficiency of microorganism reduction is considerably enhanced when power ultrasound is combined with organic acids. Looking ahead, the development of cost-effective power ultrasound methods could facilitate widespread adoption of ultrasound hurdle technology in the produce industry.
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- Title
- Evaluation of the Native Microbiota and Comparative Analysis of a Known Cronobacter Sakazakii and a Newly Isolated Bacillus Cereus Strain in Powdered Infant Formula
- Creator
- Patil, Sonali Prashant
- Date
- 2024
- Description
-
There have been numerous reports of Powdered Infant Formula (PIF) recalls and outbreaks due to the absence of a kill step in the post...
Show moreThere have been numerous reports of Powdered Infant Formula (PIF) recalls and outbreaks due to the absence of a kill step in the post-pasteurization processing, improper handling pre and post processing and/or reconstitution, and lack of effective sanitization and cleaning of the food contact surfaces in the manufacturing facilities. The objectives of this present study were to 1) survey and identify background microflora in commercial PIF products through microbiological analysis, 16S rRNA, and whole genome sequencing (WGS); 2) compare the survival rate of a known Cronobacter sakazakii and a newly isolated Bacillus cereus DFPST-SP1 in PIF under a humidity level of 33 ± 3% over a period of 28 d; 3) examine the relative resistance of these two strains to thermal treatments at temperatures 40, 70, and 100 °C followed by storage at room temperature (RT) for 30 min; and 4) evaluate the bactericidal effect of 70% ethanol on the two artificially deposited bacterial strains on stainless steel (SS) and plastic coupons. Three biological trials were conducted for each study. To determine whether the increase, decrease, or difference in the bacterial populations and other parameters like water activity (aw) was statistically significant, a T-test was performed (p ≤ 0.05 was considered significant). Results of 16S rRNA sequencing revealed the presence of certain bacterial species in PIF, such as Lactococcus lactis, B. cereus, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella enterica, etc. distributed across a relative abundance of >25%, <25%, and ≤3%. After the enrichment and isolation as per Bacteriological Analytical Manual (BAM), C. sakazakii or S. enterica were not detected, while colonies exhibiting a blue-green appearance resembling Listeria spp. and certain Bacillus spp. were subjected to WGS for species-level identification. The assembly_1 from formulation 1 was confirmed as B. cereus sequence type 2255 and was renamed as B. cereus DFPST-SP1 in the contribution of this thesis work. The storage study conducted on PIF inoculated with C. sakazakii and B. cereus DFPST-SP1 at 33% RH showed that there was 0.25-0.27 log CFU/g reduction towards the end of 28 d, but no significant difference was observed between the two strains. The thermal challenge study revealed that the newly isolated B. cereus strain and C. sakazakii used in this study were highly thermotolerant. Based on the sanitizer challenge study, 70% ethanol was significantly more effective in reducing populations of C. sakazakii as compared to B. cereus. Moreover, higher log reductions of C. sakazakii 587 populations on stainless steel coupons compared to plastic coupons were observed, indicating that bacteria adhere more tightly to plastic surfaces than stainless steel (SS). Overall, the findings of this study shed new light on bolstering the safety standards of PIF and highlight the need for improved cleaning and sanitization procedures within manufacturing facilities in order to ensure the safety of reconstituted PIF, thereby enhancing public health, particularly infants and neonates.
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- Title
- Ultrasound Image Guided Robot Arm for Targeted Delivery of Therapeutic Drugs and MicroRNA for Cancer Therapy
- Creator
- Nagarajan Parimala, Abishek
- Date
- 2024
- Description
-
Molecular imaging has revolutionized medical diagnostics by providing detailed insights into biological processes at the molecular level...
Show moreMolecular imaging has revolutionized medical diagnostics by providing detailed insights into biological processes at the molecular level within the living subject. Ultrasound Molecular Imaging (USMI) has emerged as a promising diagnostic imaging modality by utilizing targeted contrast agents to unveil crucial molecular information, including vascular biomarkers associated with cancer and other diseases. Despite its potential, the transition of Ultrasound Contrast Agents (UCA) from preclinical evaluation to FDA-approved clinical use faces challenges due to the short in vivo half-life of Micro-Bubbles (MBs), necessitating repeated administrations for comprehensive assessments. Moreover, conventional ultrasound imaging methods suffer from limited scanning areas and single-target focus, leading to low throughput in preclinical evaluations.This thesis addresses these challenges by proposing a robot-assisted whole-body scanning pipeline for preclinical evaluations in Ultrasound Molecular Imaging. By integrating a robotic arm into the imaging setup, this approach enhances scanning flexibility and precision, enabling scans across the entire body of a mouse. This extension of the imaging time window allows for comprehensive assessments without the need for repeated contrast agent administrations. Additionally, the ability to simultaneously scan multiple targets within the same session significantly increases the throughput of preclinical assessments, thereby improving the efficiency and reliability of Ultrasound Molecular Imaging in clinical translation.
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