UCLA researchers in the Department of Electrical Engineering have developed a method of in-situ sweat rate monitoring, which can be integrated into wearable consumer electronics for physiological analyses.

UCLA researchers from the Department of Electrical Engineering have developed a novel sweat induction and sensing platform to achieve personalized physiological monitoring non-invasively.

UCLA researchers in the Department of Radiological Sciences have designed a new adjustable catheter system for use in embolectomy or thrombectomy procedures.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis have developed an efficient method for producing polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) from organic waste using a halophilic microorganism.

Phase locked loops are widely employed in radio, telecommunications, computers and other electronic applications. They can be used to demodulate a signal, recover a signal from a noisy communication channel, generate a stable frequency at multiples of an input frequency, or distribute precisely timed clock pulses in digital logic circuits such as microprocessors. Researchers at the University of California, Davis have invented a novel, sub-sampling phase-locked, loop (SSPLL) that uses a sub-sampling lock detector (SSLD) to monitor the harmonic selected by the SSPLL. This technology requires lower energy consumption and reduces signal noise.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis have developed a 3-D printed stamping system (the “Aggrestamp”) with the capability for in-situ production of microwells that facilitate cell aggregate formation.

Esophageal inflammatory disorders are gaining increased recognition in both adults and children. One example is eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), which is an emerging and fast-growing disorder characterized by high levels of eosinophils in the esophagus, as well as esophageal cellular changes such as basal zone hyperplasia and esophageal remodeling that includes fibrosis and smooth muscle dysfunction. These complications can lead to trouble swallowing, strictures,and food impactions. EoE is thought to be provoked, in at least a subset of patients, by food allergies or airborne allergen exposure. EoE diagnosis is often associated with other hypersensitivity disorders, including asthma, rhinitis, and other food and aeroallergen inhalant sensitivities. Diagnosis requires the finding of 15 or more eosinophils per high power field (eos/hpf) within esophageal mucosal biopsies. Although EoE is becoming more frequently diagnosed throughout developing countries, many aspects of the disease remain unclear including its etiology, natural history and optimal therapy. Symptoms of EoE often mimic those of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and include vomiting, dysphagia, pain and food impaction. In the absence of long-term treatment, up to 70-80% of adults with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) may go on to develop esophageal strictures. This disease now is likely to occur in 1 in 1000 people in the population and will have a dramatic effect on the patients’ quality of life. While there are therapies that control inflammation, not all patients respond to these therapies and continue to progress to fibrotic changes. There are currently no medical treatments to directly target esophageal fibrosis.

Heart failure (HF) is a disease of epidemic portions in the United States affecting over 6 million patients with heart failure in the US, with 400,000 new cases per year. It is the most common cause of non-elective admission to the hospital in subjects 65 yrs and older. The introduction of new drugs over the last 30 years that target pathways critical to progression of HF, along with implantable cardiac defibrillators and resynchronization devices have shown some successes, however, both the morbidity and mortality associated with heart failure remains at unacceptable levels, with as many as 30-40% of affected individuals dying within 5 years of diagnosis. Recently, preclinical and clinical trials have tested gene transfer to increase left ventricular (LV) function, especially in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction.