Publications by authors named "Nina Dempsey"
Background And Objectives: Exclusion of blood donors with hepatitis B virus (HBV) core antibodies (anti-HBc) prevents transfusion-transmitted HBV infection but can lead to significant donor loss. As isolated anti-HBc positivity does not always indicate true past HBV infection, we have investigated the effectiveness of confirmatory anti-HBc testing and the representation of rare blood groups in anti-HBc-positive donors.
Materials And Methods: Three hundred ninety-seven HBV surface antigen-negative and anti-HBc initially reactive blood donor samples were tested by five different anti-HBc assays.
Article Synopsis
- Sepsis is a serious global health issue that requires improved diagnostic methods, but traditional tests like chemiluminescence immunoassay are expensive and inefficient for quick screenings.
- Researchers developed a new immunosensor using dendritic copper nanostructures on a graphene electrode to detect the sepsis biomarker interleukin-6 (IL-6) faster and more affordably.
- This new sensor demonstrated high sensitivity and accuracy, detecting IL-6 concentrations down to 0.02 pg/mL, and performed well in human serum samples compared to standard testing methods, indicating potential for early sepsis detection.
Article Synopsis
- Biomedical Sciences undergraduate students apply biological principles in clinical case studies for patient diagnosis, introducing them to Problem Based Learning (PBL) as a new approach to enhance critical thinking.
- A downward trend in student engagement prompted the redesign of the "Blood Science" unit to focus more on PBL, aiming to improve students' performance in case study assessments.
- Findings indicate that incorporating case study activities and PBL exercises into the curriculum positively impacted student feedback, engagement, and overall learning experience during the 21/22 and 22/23 academic years.
Article Synopsis
- Platelet concentrates (PCs) were originally stored in cold temperatures, but research showed that room temperature platelets (RTP) have better recovery after transfusion, prompting a shift to room temperature storage despite cold-stored platelets (CSP) showing better immediate effectiveness during transfusion.
- Recent studies have revived interest in CSP due to their longer shelf life, reduced risk of bacterial contamination, and easier transport logistics, making them more accessible in emergency situations like on battlefields.
- The review explores the history and advantages of CSP, methods for evaluating platelet quality, and how advancements in technology could enhance our understanding of platelet metabolism for better PC storage and manufacturing.
CXR-Net: A Multitask Deep Learning Network for Explainable and Accurate Diagnosis of COVID-19 Pneumonia From Chest X-Ray Images.
IEEE J Biomed Health Inform
February 2023
Accurate and rapid detection of COVID-19 pneumonia is crucial for optimal patient treatment. Chest X-Ray (CXR) is the first-line imaging technique for COVID-19 pneumonia diagnosis as it is fast, cheap and easily accessible. Currently, many deep learning (DL) models have been proposed to detect COVID-19 pneumonia from CXR images.
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- - The use of cardiac biomarkers (CBs) like troponins and natriuretic peptides has become standard practice in diagnosing and managing cardiovascular issues, particularly acute myocardial infarctions and heart failure, with ongoing research into additional biomarkers.
- - Point-of-care (PoC) technology has been developed to allow rapid testing of CBs in emergency settings, utilizing advanced electroanalytical sensing platforms that streamline the testing process for critically ill patients.
- - This review discusses the benefits, current electrochemical techniques, and challenges in commercializing these technologies for widespread use in intensive care medicine, emphasizing the need for comprehensive analytical ranges for effective application.
Article Synopsis
- - The growing popularity of flow cytometry in heat-shock protein (HSP) research is due to its high sensitivity and ability to analyze multiple proteins across different cell types in mixed samples.
- - Flow cytometry offers significant advantages over other techniques like ELISA and Western blotting, making it the preferred method for researchers in this field.
- - The chapter details how to prepare samples for flow cytometry and provides two protocols for analyzing HSPs located on cell surfaces and inside cells.
Article Synopsis
- The treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is complicated by patients developing resistance to drugs.
- Combining lower doses of chemotherapy with treatments that enhance cell membrane fluidity can boost the effectiveness of the drugs and promote cancer cell death (apoptosis) in lab settings.
- The membrane fluidizing treatments temporarily lower anti-apoptotic Heat Shock Proteins (HSPs), making the cancer cells more sensitive to the chemotherapy and triggering changes in HSP gene expression.
Article Synopsis
- - The study explored the role of stress proteins Hsp72, Hsp90, and Hsp27 in cancer cell resistance, particularly in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients and compared their levels to healthy controls.
- - CLL patients displayed significantly higher levels of intracellular Hsp90 and Hsp27 in their lymphocytes, suggesting a correlation between these proteins and the severity of the disease.
- - The research found that the levels of extracellular Hsp72 in the serum were lower in CLL patients receiving corticosteroid treatment and that there were increased circulating T regulatory cells (Tregs) in these patients compared to controls.