Nitinol Robotic Arm, 2021 University of Southern Maine
Nitinol Robotic Arm, Brandon Cousino, Connor Sweatt
Thinking Matters Symposium
The goal of our project is to create a remotely controlled robotic arm using a nickel-titanium alloy (Nitinol) that exhibits “shape memory” tendencies and a 9-lumen tube. The arm must be able to move in all for directions (forward, left, right, backwards) with the control of a joystick and return to an upright position upon halting user input (thus requiring a two-way shape memory ability). The final product must operate without any unwanted twisting of the arm, crosstalk between the different nitinol wires due to heating, and be easily manufacturable. Easy replacement of the arm from the main mechanism is …
Mems Directional Acoustic Sensors, 2021 University of Southern Maine
Mems Directional Acoustic Sensors, Colby Damren
Thinking Matters Symposium
The purpose of my project is to test and verify two Micro-Electro-Mechanical-System (MEMS) microphones. The two MEMS devices are biomimetic microphones that imitate the eardrums of the Ormia Ochracea, a parasitic fly that listens for host crickets to lay their eggs. The MEMS microphones mimic the eardrum spacing of the Ormia Ochracea with a spacing of 1000um. This is roughly twice the opening of the Ormia Ochracea. The microphones will be tested for directionality inside a wooden box. This box will be lined with beveled foam to prevent any echo or outside noise from interfering with the results. These results …
Design, Simulation And Testing Of Biomimetic Directional Acoustic Sensors, 2021 University of Southern Maine
Design, Simulation And Testing Of Biomimetic Directional Acoustic Sensors, Brendan Francis
Thinking Matters Symposium
The Ormia ochracea, a species of parasitic fly, has become the focal point in sound localization research because of its finely tuned hearing abilities. The female of this species uses its super highly directional hearing to pinpoint the call of a host cricket, with hypersensitivity of frequency and phase difference, to reach and dispose of its eggs on the host. The goal of this study was to further the research of a previous Project in Professor Guvench’s group which implemented MEMS (Micro Electro-Mechanical System) technology on a chip to replicate these abilities. In this iteration, however, some commercially available …
Calibration Of Opensim Lifting Full-Body Model For Dynamic Simulations Of Patient-Handling Maneuvers, 2021 Hope College
Calibration Of Opensim Lifting Full-Body Model For Dynamic Simulations Of Patient-Handling Maneuvers, Barry Bait, Bridget Gagnier
20th Annual Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2021)
Manual patient-handling tasks are associated with lower-back pain and injury. Computational musculoskeletal models may determine forces on the low back, trunk muscle activation during these tasks, and provide insight on how these may result in injury. There are no publicly available models for these tasks. To determine the appropriateness of the OpenSim Full-Body Lifting Model for these tasks, this project calibrated the model with biomechanical data of simulated maneuvers performed by a test subject. Thirty-nine reflective markers were placed bilaterally on bony prominences (forehead, back of head, clavicle, sternum, C7, T10, epicondyle of humerus, styloid process, metacarpal, anterior and posterior …
Biomedical Applications And Syntheses Of Selected Anthraquinone Dyes, 2021 Liberty University
Biomedical Applications And Syntheses Of Selected Anthraquinone Dyes, Richard Sirard
Senior Honors Theses
Anthraquinones are aromatic organic compounds that have multiple applications in the biomedical field. Some anthraquinone-based compounds are used as fluorophores to contrast cell nuclei while others act as chemotherapeutic agents. However, there are not many fluorescent anthraquinone cell stains currently available. In this study, commercially available anthraquinone dyes, in addition to other dye families and compounds, were reviewed for their unique properties, advantages, and drawbacks. The development and characterization of three novel anthraquinone fluorophores revealed promising photophysical characteristics, like large Stokes shifts. One of the compounds, RBS3, was chosen for fixed and live cell staining and exhibited desirable biomedical properties. …
A Brief Bibliometric Survey Of Explainable Ai In Medical Field, 2021 Department of Electronics and Telecommunication, Symbiosis Institute of Technology, Symbiosis International( Deemed University), Lavale, Pune-412115 and Dr. Vithalrao Vikhe Patil College of Engingeering, Ahmednagar
A Brief Bibliometric Survey Of Explainable Ai In Medical Field, Nilkanth Mukund Deshpande, Shilpa Shailesh Gite
Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)
Background: This study aims to analyze the work done in the field of explainability related to artificial intelligence, especially in the medical field from 2004 onwards using the bibliometric methods.
Methods: different articles based on the topic leukemia detection were retrieved using one of the most popular database- Scopus. The articles are considered from 2004 onwards. Scopus analyzer is used for different types of analysis including documents by year, source, county and so on. There are other different analysis tools such as VOSviewer Version 1.6.15. This is used for the analysis of different units such as co-authorship, co-occurrences, citation analysis …
Differential White Blood Cell Counting, 2021 University of Connecticut
Differential White Blood Cell Counting, Gregory Austin
Honors Scholar Theses
This thesis was completed with the goal of developing a model for the detection and differentiation of 8 different classes of white blood cells. Manual differential counting can be a time consuming and laborious task that would greatly be improved by an automated system. The model created in this project was to be used to automatically determine the number of each cell type in a sample, greatly reducing the need for manual counting. The model was produced using a convolutional neural network that utilized transfer learning from MobileNet_V2, an image recognition network produced by Google. After 20 epochs of training …
Highly Branched Polymers Based On Poly(Amino Acid)S For Biomedical Application, 2021 University of Alabama in Huntsville
Highly Branched Polymers Based On Poly(Amino Acid)S For Biomedical Application, Marisa Thompson, Carmen Scholz
PRC-Affiliated Research
Polymers consisting of amino acid building blocks continue to receive consideration for biomedical applications. Since poly(amino acid)s are built from natural amino acids, the same building blocks proteins are made of, they are biocompatible, biodegradable and their degradation products are metabolizable. Some amino acids display a unique asymmetrical AB2 structure, which facilitates their ability to form branched structures. This review compares the three forms of highly branched polymeric structures: structurally highly organized dendrimers, dendrigrafts and the less organized, but readily synthesizable hyperbranched polymers. Their syntheses are reviewed and compared, methods of synthesis modulations are considered and variations on their traditional …
Highly Branched Polymers Based On Poly(Amino Acid)S For Biomedical Application, 2021 University of Alabama in Huntsville
Highly Branched Polymers Based On Poly(Amino Acid)S For Biomedical Application, Marisa Thompson, Carmen Scholz
PRC-Affiliated Research
Polymers consisting of amino acid building blocks continue to receive consideration for biomedical applications. Since poly(amino acid)s are built from natural amino acids, the same building blocks proteins are made of, they are biocompatible, biodegradable and their degradation products are metabolizable. Some amino acids display a unique asymmetrical AB2 structure, which facilitates their ability to form branched structures. This review compares the three forms of highly branched polymeric structures: structurally highly organized dendrimers, dendrigrafts and the less organized, but readily synthesizable hyperbranched polymers. Their syntheses are reviewed and compared, methods of synthesis modulations are considered and variations on their traditional …
In-Clinic Functional Measurement And Analysis Of Knee Osteoarthritis Patients Undergoing Total Knee Replacement, 2021 The University of Western Ontario
In-Clinic Functional Measurement And Analysis Of Knee Osteoarthritis Patients Undergoing Total Knee Replacement, Riley A. Bloomfield
Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository
Prevalence of osteoarthritis is increasing as individuals are remaining active later in life. Since the knee is one of the most commonly affected joints and is involved in almost all daily activities, functional impairment has a substantial impact on overall health. Despite this increase, there currently exists no disease modifying drugs or treatments. Mild cases are managed with physiotherapeutic exercises and common anti-inflammatories but surgical intervention is required for more severe disease progression.
Total knee replacement as a treatment for osteoarthritis is a highly successful surgery that is effective at restoring knee function and reducing pain but still requires further …
Stimulation Paradigms And Transduction Patterns For Optogenetic Intervention Of Astrocytes, 2021 Florida International University
Stimulation Paradigms And Transduction Patterns For Optogenetic Intervention Of Astrocytes, Lakshmini Balachandar
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Gliosis observed in several neurological disorders is associated with neuroinflammation and enhanced astrocytic Ca2+ levels. The inherent multicellular nature of this neuroinflammation poses challenges in deciphering the exact role of astrocytic Ca2+ signaling and whether it leads to the generation and/or exacerbation of neuroinflammation. These challenges are aggravated by the dearth of systematic characterization of a regulated method for eliciting astrocytic Ca2+ increases.
The primary goal of this dissertation is to address the lack of a characterized method by studying optogenetics for eliciting astrocytic Ca2+ increases. As part of this analysis, we aim to identify light stimulation paradigms resulting in …
Catechol-Containing Copolymers As An Active Ingredient For Denture Adhesives, 2021 The University of Western Ontario
Catechol-Containing Copolymers As An Active Ingredient For Denture Adhesives, Vincent Ying Wun Kong
Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository
Moisture inside the mouth adds challenge to making denture adhesives formulations. Some formulations have zinc to enhance adhesion on wet skin despite knowing the health hazards. Inspired by mussel foot proteins’ catechol unit’s strong underwater adhesion, nine catechol-containing copolymers (P1A-P3C) were synthesized by free radical polymerization of 3,4-dimethoxystyrene (3,4- DMS) with different styrene derivatives followed by deprotection. P1A-P3C were used to make Fn(P)-C-PBS denture adhesive formulations which had suitable shear stresses around ≥ 5 kPa satisfying ISO 10873. In-situ NMR studies of free radical polymerization of 3,4 - DMS and styrene derivatives allowed computation of their reactivity ratios showing all …
Preclinical Development Of Single Walled Carbon Nanotube-Based Optical Biosensors, 2021 University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Preclinical Development Of Single Walled Carbon Nanotube-Based Optical Biosensors, Eric M. Hofferber
Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
High resolution, long-term monitoring of key biological analytes would improve patient outcomes by providing earlier detection of disease states and improved efficacy of treatment. One class of biosensors that have gained much attention in recent years are optical biosensors. Optical probes are attractive biosensors due to their noninvasive nature of detection, as certain light can pass through tissue, water, and blood. Single walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT) are a specific type of optical biosensor that fluoresce in the near infrared range of the electromagnetic spectrum and offer unparalleled spatial and temporal resolution. SWNT have been applied as biosensors in vitro, …
Optimum Double Rhombic Flap Design For Z-Plasty, 2021 Western Michigan University
Optimum Double Rhombic Flap Design For Z-Plasty, Abdullah Khan
Honors Theses
In the medical field, especially in plastic surgery, Rhombic flap and z-plasty are common methods in surgical procedures to treat and close complex wounds of different types of injuries/surgery. Each conventional surgical method has its own pros and cons. When both conventional methods join, it would complement each other weaknesses. This senior design project purpose is to investigate the magnitude of stresses build on skin due to transposing of skin in these methods when the wound is close after the surgical procedure is done. In this project a combination of rhombic flap and z-plasty is studied which is Double Rhombic …
Extracellular Matrix-Derived Microcarriers As 3-D Cell Culture Platforms, 2021 The University of Western Ontario
Extracellular Matrix-Derived Microcarriers As 3-D Cell Culture Platforms, Anna Kornmuller
Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository
Recognizing the cell-instructive capacity of tissue-specific extracellular matrix (ECM) to direct cell attachment, proliferation and differentiation, there is a need for the development of in vitro cell culture models that reflect the complexity of the ECM to improve stem/progenitor cell expansion and lineage-commitment. This thesis focused on the development and characterization of ECM-derived microcarriers for the in vitro dynamic culture and expansion of stromal cells for cell therapy and tissue engineering applications.
To develop novel platforms for use in dynamic culture systems, initial work focused on applying electrospraying techniques to fabricate microcarriers from decellularized dermal tissue (DDT) and decellularized myocardial …
Handling And Manipulation Of Water- And Air- Borne Biological Samples Using Liquid-Infused Surfaces, 2021 University of Maine
Handling And Manipulation Of Water- And Air- Borne Biological Samples Using Liquid-Infused Surfaces, Daniel P. Regan
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Research on novel materials to handling water- and airborne samples for biological threats analysis is in great demand due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Work conducted on a new field of material science, called liquid-infused surfaces, demonstrate strong potential for the handling and manipulation of biological samples. As a result of the field’s infancy, only a limited number of studies have explored how liquid-infused surfaces can apply droplet manipulation strategies to address real-world problems. Presented in this dissertation are two platforms that leverage liquid-infused surfaces to address the challenges associated with handling water- and airborne biological samples. When dealing with waterborne …
Surface-Eroding Drug Delivery Films For Sequential And/Or Intermittent Release Of Psychoactive Drugs, 2021 University of Mississippi
Surface-Eroding Drug Delivery Films For Sequential And/Or Intermittent Release Of Psychoactive Drugs, Jason Price
Honors Theses
ABSTRACT JASON BLAKE PRICE: Surface-Eroding Drug Delivery Films for Sequential and/or
Intermittent Release of Psychoactive Drugs For patients with psychiatric diseases, adherence to medication schedules, medication
errors, and abuse are common issues. Promising new forms of therapy for these patients, such as micro-dosed lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), where patients receive 10-20% of a full dose every third day, present further drug delivery challenges. Sequential or intermittent release of drugs from an implanted device could ensure long-term drug compliance, automate drug dosing during the life of the implant, and eliminate potential for abuse and medication errors. To this end, we generated …
Understanding The Effect Of Adaptive Mutations On The Three-Dimensional Structure Of Rna, 2021 Duquesne University
Understanding The Effect Of Adaptive Mutations On The Three-Dimensional Structure Of Rna, Justin Cook
Undergraduate Research and Scholarship Symposium
Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are variations in the genome where one base pair can differ between individuals.1 SNPs occur throughout the genome and can correlate to a disease-state if they occur in a functional region of DNA.1According to the central dogma of molecular biology, any variation in the DNA sequence will have a direct effect on the RNA sequence and will potentially alter the identity or conformation of a protein product. A single RNA molecule, due to intramolecular base pairing, can acquire a plethora of 3-D conformations that are described by its structural ensemble. One SNP, rs12477830, which …
Project Alien, 2021 Duquesne University
Project Alien, Rebecca Mccallin, Madelyn Hoying, Alex Evans, Matthew Nestler, Karli Rae Sutton, Garett Craig, Lucia Secaia Del Cid, Alexander Guy, Rachel Fernandez, Amanda Trusiak, Paige Aley, Ingabire Gakwerere, Nina Dorfner, Maria Mosbacher, Mary Flavin, Selvin Hernandez, Audrey Steen, Benjamin Kazimer
Undergraduate Research and Scholarship Symposium
Project ALIEN is a comprehensive plan to send humans to Mars to look for life on the Martian surface while exploring the viability and adaptability of terrestrial microbes in Martian atmospheric conditions. ALIEN will use a ballistic capture trajectory to get to Mars and stay in aerostationary orbit for a 30-day surface mission, during which two surface crewmembers will perform a variety of experiments to achieve the mission’s goals of Martian microbial discovery within brines of the Gale Crater and terrestrial microbe adaptability and viability to Martian conditions. Experimentation is based on the presumption that Martian microbes are metabolically similar …
Bioprinting Alginate Structures Using The Fresh Method, 2021 Duquesne University
Bioprinting Alginate Structures Using The Fresh Method, Amanda Pellegrino
Undergraduate Research and Scholarship Symposium
Three-dimensional bioprinting is a tissue engineering and regenerative medicine technique that utilizes biomaterials to print clinically relevant scaffolds. These scaffolds are used for tissue repair and to treat disease, such as end-organ failure. The main problem with 3D bioprinting is its inability to print soft biomaterials, which collapse due to gravitational forces. In addition, the materials that can be used do not mimic native tissue’s mechanical properties and texture. To combat this, Dr Feinberg’s laboratory at Carnegie Mellon University developed the freeform reversible embedding of suspended hydrogels (FRESH) method. The FRESH method allows for soft biomaterials to be supported in …