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Experimental evidence has demonstrated the ability of transient pulses of electric fields to alter mammalian cell behavior. Strategies with these pulsed electric fields (PEFs) have been developed for clinical applications in cancer therapeutics, in-vivo decellularization, and tissue regeneration. Successful implementation of these strategies involve understanding how PEFs impact the cellular structures and, hence, cell behavior. The caveat, however, is that the PEF parameter space (i.e., comprising different pulse widths, amplitudes, number of pulses) is large, and design of experiments to explore all possible combinations of pulse parameters is prohibitive from a cost and time standpoint. In this study, a scaling law based on the Ising model is introduced to understand the impact of PEFs on the outer cell lipid membrane so that an understanding developed in one PEF pulse regime may be extended to another. Combining non-Markovian Monte Carlo techniques to determine density-of-states with a novel non-equilibrium thermodynamic framework based on the principle of steepest entropy ascent, the applicability of this scaling model to predict the behavior of both thermally quenched and electrically perturbed lipid membranes is demonstrated. A comparison of the predictions made by the steepest-entropy-ascent quantum thermodynamic (SEAQT) framework to experimental data is performed to validate the robustness of this computational methodology and the resulting scaling law 

Abstract Problem-based learning (PBL) has been effectively used within BME education, though there are several challenges in its implementation within courses with larger enrollments. Furthermore, the sudden transition to online learning from the COVID-19 pandemic introduced additional challenges in creating a similar PBL experience in an online environment. Online constrained PBL was implemented through asynchronous modules and synchronous web conferencing with rotating facilitators. Overall, facilitators perceived web conferencing facilitation to be similar to in-person, but noted that students were more easily “hidden” or distracted. Students did not comment on web conferencing facilitation specifically, but indicated the transition to online PBL was smooth. Course instructors identified that a fully synchronous delivery as well as modifications of Group Meeting Minutes assignments as potential modifications for future offerings. Future work will aim to address the perceptions and effectiveness of web conferencing facilitation for PBL courses within an undergraduate BME curriculum, as web conferencing could prove to be another significant breakthrough in addressing challenges of problem-based learning courses.