Portable Handheld Research Articles

Efficacy of extended focused assessment with sonography for trauma using a portable handheld device for detecting hemothorax in a low resource setting; a multicenter longitudinal study

IntroductionChest trauma is one of the most important and commonest injuries that require timely diagnosis, accounting for 25–50% of trauma related deaths globally. Although CT scan is the gold standard for detection of haemothorax, it is only useful in stable patients, and remains unavailable in most hospitals in low income countries. Where available, it is very expensive. Sonography has been reported to have high accuracy and sensitivity in trauma diagnosis but is rarely used in trauma patients in low income settings in part due to lack of the sonography machines and lack of expertise among trauma care providers. Chest X-ray is the most available investigation for chest injuries in low income countries. However it is not often safe to wheel seriously injured, unstable trauma patients to X-ray rooms. This study aimed at determining the efficacy of extended focused assessment with sonography for trauma (eFAST) in detection of haemothorax using thoracostomy findings as surrogate gold standard in a low resource setting.MethodsThis was an observational longitudinal study that enrolled 104 study participants with chest trauma. Informed consent was obtained from all participants. A questionnaire was administered and eFAST, chest X-ray and tube thoracotomy were done as indicated. Data were analysed using SPSS version 22. The sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, accuracy and area under the curve were determined using thoracostomy findings as the gold standard. Ethical approval for the study was obtained from the Research and Ethics Committee of Kampala International University Western Campus REC number KIU-2021-53.ResultseFAST was found to be superior to chest X-ray with sensitivity of 96.1% versus 45.1% respectively. The accuracy was also higher for eFAST (96.4% versus 49.1%) but the specificity was the same at 100.0%. The area under the curve was higher for eFAST (0.980, P = 0.001 versus 0.725, P = 0.136). Combining eFAST and X-ray increased both sensitivity and accuracy.ConclusionThis study revealed that eFAST was more sensitive at detecting haemothorax among chest trauma patients compared to chest X-ray. All patients presenting with chest trauma should have bedside eFAST for diagnosis of haemothorax.

Accurate and early prediction of the wound healing outcome of burn injuries using the wavelet Shannon entropy of terahertz time-domain waveforms.

Severe burn injuries cause significant hypermetabolic alterations that are highly dynamic, hard to predict, and require acute and critical care. The clinical assessments of the severity of burn injuries are highly subjective and have consistently been reported to be inaccurate. Therefore, the utilization of other imaging modalities is crucial to reaching an objective and accurate burn assessment modality. We describe a non-invasive technique using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) and the wavelet packet Shannon entropy to automatically estimate the burn depth and predict the wound healing outcome of thermal burn injuries. We created 40 burn injuries of different severity grades in two porcine models using scald and contact methods of infliction. We used our THz portable handheld spectral reflection (PHASR) scanner to obtain the in vivo THz-TDS images. We used the energy to Shannon entropy ratio of the wavelet packet coefficients of the THz-TDS waveforms on day 0 to create supervised support vector machine (SVM) classification models. Histological assessments of the burn biopsies serve as the ground truth. We achieved an accuracy rate of 94.7% in predicting the wound healing outcome, as determined by histological measurement of the re-epithelialization rate on day 28 post-burn induction, using the THz-TDS measurements obtained on day 0. Furthermore, we report the accuracy rates of 89%, 87.1%, and 87.6% in automatic diagnosis of the superficial partial-thickness, deep partial-thickness, and full-thickness burns, respectively, using a multiclass SVM model. The THz PHASR scanner promises a robust, high-speed, and accurate diagnostic modality to improve the clinical triage of burns and their management.

Examination of Metal Finds from the 10th Century Cemetery of Kiskunfélegyháza (Hungary)

This case study presents the results and conclusions of chemical and metallographic analyses carried out on metal finds (gilded silver mounts, jewelry made of silver- and copper-based alloys, and iron horse fittings) found in nine graves excavated at the 10th century site of the Terjék-tanya at Kiskunfélegyháza (Hungary). The examinations were performed with portable handheld X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (ED-XRF), optical microscopy (OM) and scanning electron microscopy equipped with an energy dispersive spectroscope (SEM-EDS). Beside the determination of the chemical composition of the non-ferrous artefacts and the inclusions of the iron samples, the aim of the study was to detect traces and characteristics of different manufacturing methods such as fire gilding, forging, etc.

Terahertz PHASR Scanner with 2 kHz, 100 picosecond Time-Domain Trace Acquisition Rate and an Extended Field-of-View Based on a Heliostat Design.

Recently, we introduced a Portable HAndheld Spectral Reflection (PHASR) Scanner to allow THz Time-Domain Spectroscopic (THz-TDS) imaging in clinical and industrial settings using a fiber-coupled and alignment-free telecentric beam steering design. The key limitations of the version 1.0 of the PHASR Scanner were its field-of-view and speed of time-domain trace acquisition. In this paper, we address these limitations by introducing a heliostat geometry for beam scanning to achieve an extended field-of-view, and by reconfiguring the Asynchronous OPtical Sampling (ASOPS) system to perform Electronically Controlled OPtical Sampling (ECOPS) measurements. The former change improved the deflection range of the beam, while also drastically reducing the coupling of the two scanning axes, the combination of which resulted in a larger than four-fold increase in the FOV area. The latter change significantly improves the acquisition speed and frequency domain performance simultaneously by improving measurement efficiency. To accomplish this, we characterized the non-linear time-axis sampling behavior of the electro-mechanical system in the ECOPS mode. We proposed methods to model and correct the non-linear time-axis distortions and tested the performance of the high-speed ECOPS trace acquisition. Therefore, here we introduce the PHASR Scanner version 2.0, which is capable of imaging a 40×27 mm2 FOV with 2000 traces per second over a 100 picosecond TDS range. This new scanner represents a significant leap towards translating the THz-TDS technology from the lab bench to the bedside for real-time clinical imaging applications.

Trueness of 4 three-dimensional facial scanners: an in vitro study

Objective: To investigate the trueness of 4 three-dimensional (3D) facial scanners and to evaluate the applicability of their clinical use. Methods: An art head model was used as the scanning object, and it was scanned by Handyscan 3D scanner in an enclosed environment with a fixed light source to obtain the reference digital model. Three fixed 3D facial scanners (A: 3dMDface; B: Facego Pro; C: RDS Facescan) and a portable hand-held 3D facial scanner (D: Revopoint POP 2) were used to scan the art head model 10 times, and 10 models of each scan group were obtained. The face of the reference model was divided into 16 regions according to anatomy and muscle distributions in the Geomagic Wrap software with saved boundary curves of whole face and each region. The test models were also divided into 16 regions through the curves above after registered with the reference model through "Best fit" function. The root-mean-square error (RMS) of the complete test models and their segmented regions compared with the reference model and its corresponding regions were calculated by 3D comparison function. The smaller the RMS, the higher the accuracy. One-way ANOVA and SNK post-test were used for statistical analysis. Results: RMS of complete test models scanned by A, B, C, D scanners were (0.295±0.005), (0.216±0.053), (0.059±0.012) and (0.103±0.026) mm (F=123.81, P<0.001), respectively. There was significant difference between any two groups (P<0.05). For each facial region, the group D had the best trueness in nasal region, lip region, left orbital region and right orbital region [RMS were (0.079±0.032), (0.061±0.019), (0.058±0.021), (0.081±0.032) mm, respectively], while the group C had the best trueness in frontal region, left buccal region, right buccal region, left zygomatic region, right zygomatic region, left parotideomasseteric region, right parotideomasseteric region, left temporofacial region, right temporofacial region, mental region, left infraorbital region and right infraorbital region [RMS were (0.039±0.011), (0.034±0.007), (0.033±0.007), (0.066±0.023), (0.038±0.022), (0.070±0.030), (0.067±0.024), (0.063±0.029), (0.045±0.023), (0.063±0.006), (0.039±0.010), (0.046±0.008) mm, respectively]. Conclusions: On the basis of art head model scanning, although the overall average deviation between the scanning model and the reference models obtained by the four kinds of 3D facial scanners were small, the portable handheld 3D facial scanner (D) has better accuracy than the fixed 3D facial scanners (A, B, C) in the orbital area, nasal area, lip area and areas with rich features.

A Study into the Effect of Mobile Device Configurations on Co-Located Collaboration using AR

The increasing availability of portable handheld mobile Augmented Reality technology is revolutionising the way digital information is embedded into the real world. As this data is embedded, it enables new forms of cross-device collaborative work. However, despite the widespread availability of handheld AR, little is known about the role that device configurations and size play on collaboration. This paper presents a study that examines how completing tasks using a simple mobile AR interface on different device sizes and configurations impacts key factors of collaboration such as collaboration strategy, behaviour, and efficacy. Our results show subtle differences between device size and configurations that have a direct influence on the way people approach tasks and interact with virtual models. We highlight key observations and strategies that people employ across different device sizes and configurations.

Rapid retrieval of cadmium and lead content from urban greenbelt zones using hyperspectral characteristic bands

Greenbelts around roads are an essential part of the ecosystem that can reduce heavy metal contamination from traffic and contribute to sustainable development. However, only limited studies have examined the rapid detection of heavy metal content in urban road greenbelt zones. In the present study, soil spectral reflectance was measured using a FieldSpec-3 portable handheld ground object spectrometer to measure cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) content from 23 roads in the municipality of Chongqing, China. After smoothing the spectral data using Savitzy-Golay (SG), the first derivative (FD), second derivative (SD), and multiple scattering correction (MSC) procedures were applied. Pearson correlation was used to select the characteristic bands. Cd and Pb amounts were inverted using multiple linear regressions (MLR), partial least squares regressions (PLS), and the backpropagation neural network models. It was found that the Cd and Pb levels in urban road greenbelt zones were higher than the soil background values. The Nemero comprehensive pollution index and potential ecological risk index indicated modest Cd and Pb contamination on sampled roads. In the Cd content inversion models, the MLR and PLS models pretreated with SG-FD provided high prediction accuracy, with determination coefficients of >0.60. For the Pb content inversion models, the PLS model processed by SG-MSC had the best prediction accuracy, with determination coefficients of >0.66. It was shown that the MLR and PLS models processed by SG-FD could be used to forecast soil Cd concentration in urban road greenbelt zones. Comparatively, the PLS model processed by SG-MSC could be used to estimate soil Pb levels. Additionally, these results demonstrate how heavy metals in urban greenbelt zones can be inverted using hyperspectral imaging globally.

Modeling retroreflectivity degradation of traffic signs using artificial neural networks

Traffic signs are vital for communicating guidance, rules, warning, and other highway agency information for safe and efficient navigation through transportation networks. Signs must be clearly detectable, readable, and understandable to fulfill their intended purpose. Poor sign visibility, particularly during nighttime, is the leading cause of fatalities worldwide. Sign retroreflectivity is one of the key measures to evaluate sign visibility conditions. It gradually deteriorates over time with sign aging, exposure, and other environmental conditions necessitating periodic sign maintenance or, ultimately, replacement when the sign retro values fall below the minimum prescribed standards. In literature, studies have mostly used traditional statistical regression models to model sign retroreflectivity as a function of available explanatory variables. Further, these studies have proposed separate retro degradation prediction models for different sign sheeting grades and colors that limit their applications for other scenarios. To fill the research gap, this study compared the performance of the linear regression method with three different architecture of the neural network namely, Feed-Forward Neural Network (FFNN), Cascade Forward Neuran Network (CFNN), and Elman neural networkNeural Network (ELMNN) for signs retro prediction with an aim to optimize sign maintenance and replacement activities and to enhance road safety. All the Neural Network models were employed with varying combinations of training algorithms, activation functions, and model parameters. Sign retro data for 539 in-service signs along selected sections of two expressways (M-1 and M-2) near the capital city of Islamabad in Pakistan were collected through portable handheld retroreflectometer GR3. Data on other sign attributes like sign ages (0, 2, 5, and 10 years), sign orientation, observation angle, sign sheeting brand, grade, and color were also acquired. Feature-based sensitivity analysis was conducted to identify the relative importance and ranking of input predictor variables. Model prediction results expressed in terms of various statistical evaluation metrics root mean square error (RMSE), mean absolute percent error (MAPE), RMSE-observation standard deviation satio (RSR), coefficient of determination (R2), Willmott's index of agreement (WIA), Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSEC), and percent bias (PBIAS) showed that all the NN models outperformed the regression technique. Comparing the NN models, ELMNN architecture with 21 neurons in the hidden layer for ‘tansig’ activation function and ‘trainlm’ training algorithm yielded better retro-prediction performance. Feature sensitivity analysis revealed that variables sign age, sheeting brand, color, and observation angle were the most sensitive variables in predicting the retro output. Findings of this study can guide the transport agencies and decision-makers for effective policy implications and sign management practices.

Near‐Infrared Spectroscopic Characterization of Cardiac and Renal Fibrosis in Fixed and Fresh Rat Tissue

AbstractClinical diagnosis of fibrosis is currently reliant on conventional methods. The current “gold standard” for fibrosis diagnosis is histological examination of a biopsy, which is labour intensive and requires extensive sample preparation. Here we show that a portable handheld near‐infrared spectrometer coupled with machine learning algorithms can discriminate between kidney and cardiac fibrosis in a rat model of kidney failure compared to healthy rats without kidney failure. The most significant changes in the spectra of fibrotic tissue included shifts in absorption bands at 1509, 1581, 1689 and 1725 nm attributed to collagen components. The best discrimination of fibrosis was achieved in kidney tissue (AUC=0.962), which showed a higher level of fibrosis compared to cardiac tissue (AUC=0.882). The results show the potential of the NIR spectroscopy to detect and to quantify fibrosis in the heart and kidney that in the future could be applied as an intraoperative surgical tool to guide surgical procedures.

Dual phenomenon of surface plasmon and laser optics induced EM enhancement for rapid DNA detection with semiconductor nanostructures (SiNWs/AgNPs)

Recently exploring bioanalytical instrumentation principles emphasized with combination of optics and EM fields in surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). The principles favour the rapid detection of DNA with proper fabrication of SERS sensor. 1D semiconductor nanostructures (SiNWs) functionalization with plasmonic silver nanoparticles are fabricated by PLD process and exploited for SERS detection of DNA. The DNA nucleotide bands are indexed with reference to their Raman shift as Adenine (A), Guanine (G), Cytosine (C), Thymine (T) at Raman spectral regions of 1352 cm-1, 676 cm-1, 1625 cm-1, 1441 cm-1 respectively. The finest conditions for sensitive detection of DNA were investigated and their interaction mechanism are presented. The point-to-point reproducibility measurements imprinted higher degree of concordancy. The designed SERS sensor will be definitely helpful almost in all application fields with portable handheld Raman spectrophotometer in near future.

Non-Invasive Skin Imaging Assessment of Human Stress During Head-Down Bed Rest Using a Portable Handheld Two-Photon Microscope.

Spaceflight presents a series of physiological and pathological challenges to astronauts resulting from ionizing radiation, microgravity, isolation, and other spaceflight hazards. These risks cause a series of aging-related diseases associated with increased oxidative stress and mitochondria dysfunction. The skin contains many autofluorescent substances, such as nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NAD(P)H), keratin, melanin, elastin, and collagen, which reflect physiological and pathological changes in vivo. In this study, we used a portable handheld two-photon microscope to conduct high-resolution in vivo skin imaging on volunteers during 15 days of head-down bed rest. The two-photon microscope, equipped with a flexible handheld scanning head, was used to measure two-photon excited fluorescence (TPEF) and second harmonic generation (SHG) images of the left forearm, left front chest, and forehead of volunteers. Changes in TPEF, SHG, and the extended SHG-to-AF(TPEF) aging index of the dermis (SAAID) were measured. It was found that TPEF intensity increased during bed rest and was restored to normal levels after recovery. Meanwhile, SHG increased slightly during bed rest, and the skin aging index increased. Moreover, we found the skin TPEF signals of the left forearm were significantly negatively associated with the oxidative stress marker malondialdehyde (MDA) and DNA damage marker 8-hydroxy-2′-desoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) values of subjects during head-down bed rest. Meanwhile, the SHG signals were also significantly negatively correlated with MDA and 8-OHDG. A significant negative correlation between the extended SAAID of the left chest and serum antioxidant superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels was also found. These results demonstrate that skin autofluorescence signals can reflect changes in human oxidant status. This study provides evidence for in-orbit monitoring of changes in human stress using a portable handheld two-photon microscope for skin imaging.

APPLICATION OF THE MONTE CARLO METHOD FOR THE EVALUATION OF SCATTERED RADIATION DOSE DUE TO THE USE OF HANDHELD X-RAY IN DENTISTRY.

The object of this study was to evaluate the dose of scattered radiation in the organs of the operator and assistant located in different positions within a dental room when acquiring intraoral images with a portable handheld X-ray device, using Monte Carlo simulations for recommended and traditional techniques. A typical dental installation was modeled, where the operator and assistant were placed. The beam is represented by 60-kV spectrum. Ten scenarios were simulated, representing different positions and use of the lead apron. The results of the simulations were carried out with typical parameters of the annual workload, showing significant increases in dose in the organs of the operator due to the angulation. The minimum dose in the organs of the assistant occurred when he was located 2-m away and 45° from the direction of the beam. The dose received by the operator is significantly reduced with the use apron.

Nonsubjective Assessment of Shape, Volume and Symmetry during Breast Augmentation with Handheld 3D Device.

Three-dimensional Surface Imaging (3DSI) has become a valuable tool for planning and documenting surgical procedures. Although surface scanners have allowed for a better understanding of breast shape, size, and asymmetry during patient consultation, its use has not been included in intraoperative assessment so far. Validation of the reliability of the intraoperative use of a portable handheld 3DSI equipment as a tool to evaluate morphological changes during breast augmentation surgery. The patients who underwent bilateral subpectoral breast augmentation through an inframammary incision were included in this study. Intraoperative 3DSI was performed with the Artec Eva device, allowing for visualization of the surgical area before incision, after use of breast sizers and implant, and after wound closure. Intraoperatively manual measurements of breast distances and volume changes due to known sizer and implant volumes were in comparison with digital measurements calculated from 3DSI of the surgical area. Bilateral breasts of 40 patients were 3D photographed before incision and after suture successfully. A further 108 implant sizer uses were digitally documented. There was no significant difference between manual tape measurement and digital breast distance measurement. Pre- to postoperative 3D volume change showed no significant difference to the known sizer and implant volume.

27-LB: Prevalence and Severity of Diabetic Retinopathy in African Americans with End-Stage Kidney Disease

Background and Methods: This cross-sectional study determined the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in non-Hispanic African Americans (AA) with end-stage-kidney disease (ESKD) and their impact on quality of life. A total of 95 adults with type 1 (n= 10) and type 2 (n= 85) on dialysis diabetes were assessed for DR using portable hand-held (Optomed Aurora) with artificial intelligence report with AEYE Diagnostic System (AEYE-DS) , visual acuity using a Snellen chart, and social determents of health, and standardized questionnaires (Kidney Disease Quality of Life (KDQoL) , depression screening (Patient health Questionaire-9) and food insecurity. Results: Among the 95 participants (female 51%, mean age 59.5 ±12.3 years, duration of diabetes (DM) 18.2 ± 12.0 years and duration of dialysis 4.5±3.6 years) . A total of 55% of patients had a diagnosis of (DR+) , who had a longer duration of DM (18.8±9.5 vs. 15.8±12.2 years, p=0.20 and shorter duration of dialysis (3.6±2.7 vs. 5.9±5.0 years compared to DR negative (DR-) , p=0.09. Kidney Disease Quality of Life score on symptoms/problems related to ESKD and greater effect of kidney disease in daily life were lower compared to the general US, AA population with ESKD, p &amp;lt;.0001) . DR+ had worse physical health (p: 0.09) , greater rate of severe vision impact on quality of life (p= 0.01) , similar rates below the federal poverty level per household income (25% vs. 30%) , non-statistically significantly higher Ph-Q9 depression (6.9±5.3 vs. 4.8±4.1, p=0.16) , and food insecurity scores compared to without DR (1.07±1.51 vs. 0.83±1.56, p=0.33) . Overall, the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy was 55% based on the AEYE artificial intelligence system. Diabetic retinopathy was associated with poor quality of life and physical health, higher rates of poverty, and greater impact of vision impairment on quality of life compared to DR negative. Our preliminary finding highlights the increased disease burden of DR in AAs with ESKD, indicating an alarming gap in care. Disclosure M. Egeolu: None. G. E. Umpierrez: Research Support; AstraZeneca, Dexcom, Inc., Novo Nordisk. E. Manishimwe: None. Z. E. Zabala: None. B. Moazzami: None. R. L. Caleon: None. R. J. Galindo: Advisory Panel; Sanofi, WW International, Inc., Research Support; Dexcom, Inc., Eli Lilly and Company, Novo Nordisk. J. E. Navarrete: None. A. Y. G. Gerges: None. L. Peng: None.

Non-ionizing Imaging for the Emergency Department Assessment of Pediatric Minor Head Trauma.

Minor blunt head trauma (MHT) represents a common reason for presentation to the pediatric emergency department (ED). Despite the low incidence of clinically important traumatic brain injuries (ciTBIs) following MHT, many children undergo computed tomography (CT), exposing them to the risk associated with ionizing radiation. The clinical predictions rules developed by the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN) for MHT are validated accurate tools to support decision-making about neuroimaging for these children to safely reduce CT scans. However, a few non-ionizing imaging modalities have the potential to contribute to further decrease CT use. This narrative review provides an overview of the evidence on the available non-ionizing imaging modalities that could be used in the management of children with MHT, including point of care ultrasound (POCUS) of the skull, near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) technology and rapid magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Skull ultrasound has proven an accurate bedside tool to identify the presence and characteristics of skull fractures. Portable handheld NIRS devices seem to be accurate screening tools to identify intracranial hematomas also in pediatric MHT, in selected scenarios. Both imaging modalities may have a role as adjuncts to the PECARN rule to help refine clinicians’ decision making for children at high or intermediate PECARN risk of ciTBI. Lastly, rapid MRI is emerging as a feasible and accurate alternative to CT scan both in the ED setting and when repeat imaging is needed. Advantages and downsides of each modality are discussed in detail in the review.

Portable Handheld Point-of-Care Ultrasound for Detecting Unrecognized Esophageal Intubations.

Esophageal intubations are not an uncommon occurrence in prehospital settings, occurring as high as 17%. These "never events" are associated with significant morbidity and mortality especially when unrecognized or when there is delayed recognition. Here, we review the currently available techniques for confirming endotracheal tube intubation and their limitations, and present the case for the application of portable handheld point-of-care ultrasound as an emerging technology for detection of potentially unrecognized esophageal intubations such as during cardiac arrest. We also provide algorithms for confirmation of tracheal intubation.

A cross-sectional e-survey to map clinical practice of electrocardiogram use as a screening tool in outpatient department: India office electrocardiogram e-survey

Background: Early detection of electrocardiogram (ECG) abnormalities in high risk cardiovascular patients with routine ECG screening is the need of the hour. The aim of the e-survey was to understand the use of ECG in high risk cardio-metabolically deranged patients at outpatient departments (OPDs) by Indian physicians.Methods: A cross-sectional India office ECG (IOECG) e-survey was conducted using Google form questionnaire from November 2021 to December 2021 among Indian physicians. Survey results were collected and analysed using Google form survey tool.Results: We received total of 1863 responses. The results of the survey showed that while 90% of physicians agreed to the necessity of doing 12 lead ECG of cardio-metabolically deranged patients, only 61% of all physicians could perform ECG screening in less than 40% of high risk cardio-metabolic patients mainly, due to several practical challenges. Among physicians, 40.2% physicians believed that 12 lead ECG was too time consuming, 35.8% physicians believed that the unavailability of ECG device was common reason while 27.5% physicians believed that there was a lack of trained staff. Majority of physicians (69.7%) agreed to use point of care ECG device which can be a solution for more screening of such patients whether symptomatic or asymptomatic. According to the survey, 88.7% physicians would appreciate if a portable handheld ECG device was made available to facilitate screening in their practice.Conclusions: There is a need of the portable handheld ECG device which helps physicians to screen large number of cardio-metabolically deranged patients in their busy OPDs.

Characteristics of Gases Emitted from Chicken Manure Wastewater and Potential Effects on Human Health

Hazardous and odorous gas emissions from chicken manure wastewater are a public preoccupation. Odor composition measurements are crucial steps to provide appropriate air pollution control measures and design strategies to minimize the human health impact. In this study, chicken manure wastewater samples were extensively analyzed in a closed system by a portable handheld gas detector to characterize the odor and chemical compositions. A portable detector was calibrated prior to sampling. The total number of 153 chemical compounds found in the chicken manure wastewater samples had various olfactory characteristics, including strong, pleasant, and odorless smells. Depending on the route of exposure, most of these chemical compounds could cause human health effects, such as irritation, burns, and severe symptoms including carcinogenic.

Supervised machine learning for automatic classification of in vivo scald and contact\xa0burn injuries using the terahertz Portable Handheld Spectral Reflection (PHASR) Scanner

We present an automatic classification strategy for early and accurate assessment of burn injuries using terahertz (THz) time-domain spectroscopic imaging. Burn injuries of different severity grades, representing superficial partial-thickness (SPT), deep partial-thickness (DPT), and full-thickness (FT) wounds, were created by a standardized porcine scald model. THz spectroscopic imaging was performed using our new fiber-coupled Portable HAndheld Spectral Reflection Scanner, incorporating a telecentric beam steering configuration and an f-theta scanning lens. ASynchronous Optical Sampling in a dual-fiber-laser THz spectrometer with 100 MHz repetition rate enabled high-speed spectroscopic measurements. Given twenty-four different samples composed of ten scald and ten contact burns and four healthy samples, supervised machine learning algorithms using THz-TDS spectra achieved areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves of 0.88, 0.93, and 0.93 when differentiating between SPT, DPT, and FT burns, respectively, as determined by independent histological assessments. These results show the potential utility of our new broadband THz PHASR Scanner for early and accurate triage of burn injuries.

Simultaneous detection of sepsis host response biomarkers in whole blood using electrochemical biosensor.

Sepsis is a silent killer, caused by a syndromic reaction of the body's immune system to an infection that is typically the ultimate pathway to mortality due to numerous infectious diseases, including COVID‐19 across the world. In the United States alone, sepsis claims 220,000 lives, with a dangerously high fatality rate between 25% and 50%. Early detection and treatment can avert 80% of sepsis mortality which is currently unavailable in most healthcare institutions. The novelty in this work is the ability to simultaneously detect eight (IL‐6, IL‐8, IL‐10, IP‐10, TRAIL, d‐dimer, CRP, and G‐CSF) heterogeneous immune response biomarkers directly in whole blood without the need for dilution or sample processing. The DETecT sepsis (Direct Electrochemical Technique Targeting Sepsis) 2.0 sensor device leverages electrochemical impedance spectroscopy as a technique to detect subtle binding interactions at the metal/semi‐conductor sensor interface and reports results within 5 min using only two drops (~100 μl) of blood. The device positively (r >0.87) correlated with lab reference standard LUMINEX for clinical translation using 40 patient samples. The developed device showed diagnostic accuracy greater than 80% (AUC >0.8) establishing excellent specific and sensitive response. Portable handheld user‐friendly feature coupled with precise quantification of immune biomarkers makes the device amenable in a versatile setting providing insights on patient's immune response. This work highlights an innovative solution of enhancing sepsis care and management in the absence of a decision support device in the continuum of sepsis care.