Publications by authors named "Robert Mushi"

Article Synopsis
  • Ebola virus persistence in survivors' semen may contribute to recent outbreaks in places like Guinea and the Democratic Republic of Congo, prompting this study of 131 male EVD survivors in Liberia.
  • The study aimed to categorize participants as "early clearers" or "late clearers" based on their EBOV detection in semen, while also collecting clinical history and conducting medical examinations.
  • Findings indicated that older age, milder initial symptoms, and specific immune markers (IgG3 levels and HLA-C*03:04 allele) were linked to longer EBOV persistence in semen, suggesting potential connections to other areas in the body where the virus might hide.
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Significance: We introduce a model for better calibration of the trapping force using an equal but oppositely directed drag force acting on a trapped red blood cell (RBC). We demonstrate this approach by studying RBCs' elastic properties from deidentified sickle cell anemia (SCA) and sickle cell trait (SCT) blood samples.

Aim: A laser trapping (LT) force was formulated and analytically calculated in a cylindrical model.

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An approach to an established technique that is potentially applicable for a more comprehensive understanding of the electrical properties of red blood cells (RBCs) is presented. Using a high-intensity gradient laser trap, RBCs can be singly trapped and consequentially ionized. The subsequent dynamics of the ionized cell allows one to calculate the charge developed and the ionization energy (IE) through a Newtonian-based analysis.

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Using a laser trap, we have studied the properties of erythrocytes from a sickle cell anemia patient (SCA) after receiving an intravenous blood transfusion, and a normal adult individual carrying normal adult hemoglobin. The hemoglobin type and quantitation assessment was carried out by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). We conducted an analysis of the size distributions of the cells.

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