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Department of Biomedical, Industrial & Human Factors Engineering
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Full-Text Articles in Engineering
Development Of Gene Regulatory Elements For Biosensing Applications, Mallory N. Bates
Development Of Gene Regulatory Elements For Biosensing Applications, Mallory N. Bates
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21% of U.S adults experienced mental illnesses in 2020. Nearly 1 in 4 active- duty military personnel showed signs of mental health conditions in 2014 [89]. Mental health can be identified in the body by different biomarkers. These biomarkers potentially could be controlled by riboswitches, which could help mental illnesses and regulate diseases. Riboswitches are desirable in these cases due to responding without affecting vital functions. Riboswitches are located in mRNA and switch “ON” or “OFF” depending on the concentration of a biomarker [13]. In this research, riboswitches were re-engineered to take a known riboswitch and control its response in …
Application Of Analogical Reasoning For Use In Visual Knowledge Extraction, Kara Lian Combs
Application Of Analogical Reasoning For Use In Visual Knowledge Extraction, Kara Lian Combs
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There is a continual push to make Artificial Intelligence (AI) as human-like as possible; however, this is a difficult task because of its inability to learn beyond its current comprehension. Analogical reasoning (AR) has been proposed as one method to achieve this goal. Current literature lacks a technical comparison on psychologically-inspired and natural-language-processing-produced AR algorithms with consistent metrics on multiple-choice word-based analogy problems. Assessment is based on “correctness” and “goodness” metrics. There is not a one-size-fits-all algorithm for all textual problems. As contribution in visual AR, a convolutional neural network (CNN) is integrated with the AR vector space model, Global …
Single-Pixel Camera Based Spatial Frequency Domain Imaging For Non-Contact Tissue Characterization, Alec M. Petrack
Single-Pixel Camera Based Spatial Frequency Domain Imaging For Non-Contact Tissue Characterization, Alec M. Petrack
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Optical imaging has demonstrated potential as a medical imaging modality for measuring tissue functionality. Recently, interest in fluorescence guided surgery has emerged from improvements in optical imaging that have allowed real-time feedback. Of the optical imaging modalities, spatial frequency domain imaging (SFDI) has gained a lot of interest. Unlike spectroscopic techniques, such as functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and frequency domain spectroscopy that measure bulk tissue properties, SFDI quantifies tissue functionality locally and wide field making it practical for clinical applications. Unfortunately, traditional SFDI systems use multi-pixel detectors, which may not exhibit ideal spectral characteristics, have limited sensitivity, be expensive, …
Global Joint Registry: Analysis Of Revision Hip Arthroplasty Data, Alicia M. Runser
Global Joint Registry: Analysis Of Revision Hip Arthroplasty Data, Alicia M. Runser
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Total hip arthroplasty (THA) has become well-known as being one of the most successful procedures with much long-term positive clinical results. However, revision surgeries are still required. The four most common failure modes for THAs, “reasons for revision”, are loosening, dislocation or instability, fracture, and infection. The goal of a hip arthroplasty register is to gather information on patients that undergo a total hip arthroplasty and factors pertaining to their surgery which may affect their outcome for future years such as the reason for revision. Analysis of this data can help with the allocation of healthcare funds and the efficacy …
Observing P300 Amplitudes In Multiple Sensory Channels Using Cognitive Probing, Cody Lee Wintermute
Observing P300 Amplitudes In Multiple Sensory Channels Using Cognitive Probing, Cody Lee Wintermute
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High cognitive workload occurs when excessive working memory resources have been deployed to resolve sensory and cognitive processing, resulting in decremented task performance. The P300 event-related potential (ERP) component has shown sensitivity to cognitive load, and it was hypothesized that an attenuated P300 amplitude could be indicative of high cognitive load. We tested this hypothesis by having eight participants complete two continual performance tasks at increasing workload levels while simultaneously performing an oddball task, evoking P300 ERPs in either the auditory or tactile sensory channel. In our experiment, electroencephalographic recordings were collected over the parietal region to observe the P300 …
Kv2.1 Channel Clustering In The Sod1-G93a Mouse Model Of Als, Joshua Christopher Harris
Kv2.1 Channel Clustering In The Sod1-G93a Mouse Model Of Als, Joshua Christopher Harris
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Kv2.1 channels mediate slow-activating K+ rectifier current within the membrane of spinal motoneurons (MNs), and they are known to co-localize with other synapses and ion channels. Although Kv2.1 channels are suggested to regulate MN excitability, little research has gone into investigating its potential contribution to MN-altered excitability in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Using the male SOD1-G93A mouse model of ALS, we examined Kv2.1 cluster area and density in lumbar MNs at four key stages of disease progression. In our experiments, MNs were separated by type via SK3 immunoreactivity in order to isolate and compare the responses of disease-resistant (slow; SK3+) …
Eye-Tracking To Evaluate Trust In Human-Atr Interaction, Samuel Francis Adelman
Eye-Tracking To Evaluate Trust In Human-Atr Interaction, Samuel Francis Adelman
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Human collaboration with targeting aids have allowed analysts to achieve a greater level of coordination and productivity in a variety of fields. This project investigates the impact that an Assisted Target Recognition (ATR) algorithm’s false alarm rate and the task Target of Interest (TOI) level has on user-system trust and use in a targeting decision task. Previous studies suggest that an increased number of false alarms in an ATR task negatively impacts analyst trust in the system. This study will further contribute to this research, aiming to provide a better framework for appropriate tolerance levels within ATR algorithms, utilizing pre-truthed …
An Approach To Cluster And Benchmark Regional Emergency Medical Service Agencies, Swetha Kondapalli
An Approach To Cluster And Benchmark Regional Emergency Medical Service Agencies, Swetha Kondapalli
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Emergency Medical Service (EMS) providers are the first responders for an injured patient on the field. Their assessment of patient injuries and determination of an appropriate hospital play a critical role in patient outcomes. A majority of states in the US have established a state-level governing body (e.g., EMS Division) that is responsible for developing and maintaining a robust EMS system throughout the state. Such divisions develop standards, accredit EMS agencies, oversee the trauma system, and support new initiatives through grants and training. But to do so, these divisions require data to enable them to first understand the similarities between …
Visual Sampling With The Eeg Alpha Oscillation, Kevin Eugene Alexander
Visual Sampling With The Eeg Alpha Oscillation, Kevin Eugene Alexander
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The posterior alpha rhythm, seen in human electroencephalograms (EEG), is posited to originate from cycling inhibitory/excitatory states of visual relay cells in the thalamus, which could result in discrete sampling of visual information. Here, we tested this hypothesis by presenting light flashes at perceptual threshold intensity through closed eyelids to 20 participants during times of spontaneous alpha oscillations. Alpha phase and amplitude were calculated relative to each individual’s retina-to-V1 conduction delay, estimated by the individuals’ C1 visual-evoked potential latency. Our results show that an additional 20.96% of stimuli are observed when afferenting at V1 during an alpha wave trough (272.41°) …
Understanding Visual Representation Of Imputed Data For Aiding Human Decision-Making, Ryan M. Thompson
Understanding Visual Representation Of Imputed Data For Aiding Human Decision-Making, Ryan M. Thompson
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The effectiveness of representing higher dimensional data on a two-dimensional visualization was required to be studied in the development of a novel data imputation method, Continuous Imputation With Association Rules (CIWAR). When the CIWAR method is used to impute missing data, the method generates additional metadata that increases each imputed data point's dimensionality. Potential use cases for CIWAR include situations where imputed data would be analyzed by individuals with little or no data analytic experience or situations where imputed data would be used to aid high-stress time-critical human decision processes. A study was conducted to assess the effect of the …
Chondroitin Sulfate Hydrogels For Total Wound Care Devices, Tushar Goswami
Chondroitin Sulfate Hydrogels For Total Wound Care Devices, Tushar Goswami
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Chondroitin sulfate (CS) is a naturally occurring bio-polymer found in areas of high cartilage in mammals. In directed applications, such as hydrogels, CS can be used to impact keratinocyte growth cycles. In this work, CS based hydrogels were utilized to accelerate wound healing and, in conjunction with a graphene sensor, monitor wound fluid pH. The hydrogels were cast onto a graphene field effect transistor (GFET) to obtain the benefits of the hydrogel wound healing capabilities, while also utilizing the pH sensitivity of the graphene. Results showed that the hydrogel caused a fivefold increase in cell size over the course of …
Retail Facility Layout Considering Shopper Path And Door Placement, Sagarkumar D. Hirpara
Retail Facility Layout Considering Shopper Path And Door Placement, Sagarkumar D. Hirpara
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The physical design of a retail store is known to influence the attitude and behavior of shoppers, in turn affecting the store’s performance. While literature in retail design has alluded to the impact of changes in department placements on impulse revenue, it has not accounted for the changes in the path of a shopper due to such modifications. Shopper path changes can alter a department’s visibility to the shoppers as they pass by, and such visibility eventually impacts that department’s impulse revenue. To address this gap, we study the retail facility layout problem by accounting for changes in the shopper …
Mechanical Stresses On Nasal Mucosa Using Nose-On-Chip Model, Zachary Edward Brooks
Mechanical Stresses On Nasal Mucosa Using Nose-On-Chip Model, Zachary Edward Brooks
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The objective of this research was to design and fabricate a nose-on-chip device and bi-directional airflow system that models flow within the nasal cavity to investigate how airflow induced mechanical stresses impact nasal secretion rates and cytoskeletal remodeling. This research hypothesizes that the airflow induced shear stresses on the nasal mucosa will influence mucus production and the cytoskeleton of the cells. The RPMI 2650 cell line was used to model the nasal mucosa. The system was used to replicate the wall shear stresses (WSS) and wall shear forces (WSF) present in the anterior region of the nose. The WSS and …
Joint Determination Of Rack Configuration And Shelf Space Allocation To Maximize Retail Impulse Profit, Uttam Karki
Joint Determination Of Rack Configuration And Shelf Space Allocation To Maximize Retail Impulse Profit, Uttam Karki
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For brick-and-mortar retailers to be successful, it is critical for them to optimally design their rack layout and place products in order to draw attention of shoppers. Literature suggests that racks placed at acute (or obtuse) angles to the main aisle frequented by shoppers can enhance visibility of products compared to racks placed orthogonally (i.e., 90˚). Placing products with high impulse purchase potential in the resulting highly visible locations on the rack can increase shopper impulse purchases. However, placing racks at angles other than 90˚ can increase the required floor space. Additionally, while reducing the height of the racks just …
Characterizing Basal-Like Triple Negative Breast Cancer Using Gene Expression Analysis: A Data Mining Approach, Qamar Alsabi
Characterizing Basal-Like Triple Negative Breast Cancer Using Gene Expression Analysis: A Data Mining Approach, Qamar Alsabi
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Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is characterized by the absence of expression of the estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). Therefore, TNBC is unresponsive to targeted hormonal therapies, which limits treatment options to nonselective chemotherapeutic agents. Basal-like breast cancers (BLBCs) represent a subset of about 70% of TNBCs, more frequently affecting younger patients, being more prevalent in African-American women and significantly more aggressive than tumors of other molecular subtypes, with high rates of proliferation and extremely poor clinical outcomes. Proper classification of BLBCs using current pathological tools has been a major challenge. Although TNBCs have …
Monitoring Cerebral Functional Response Using Scmos-Based High Density Near Infrared Spectroscopic Imaging, Dharminder Singh Langri
Monitoring Cerebral Functional Response Using Scmos-Based High Density Near Infrared Spectroscopic Imaging, Dharminder Singh Langri
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Neurovascular coupling is an important concept that indicates the direct link between neuronal electrical firing with the vascular hemodynamic changes. Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) can measure changes in cerebral vascular parameters of oxy-hemoglobin and deoxyhemoglobin concentrations and thus can provide neuronal activity through neurovascular coupling. Currently many commercial fNIRS devices are available, but they are limited by the number of channels (usually having only 8 detectors), which can limit the sensitivity, contrast, and resolution of imaging. High-density imaging can improve sensitivity, contrast, and resolution by providing many measurements and averaging the signals originating from the target cerebral focus area …
Assessing The Role Of Polyphenols As A Vascular Protectant Against Drug Induced Vascular Injury, Anson Jacob Oommen
Assessing The Role Of Polyphenols As A Vascular Protectant Against Drug Induced Vascular Injury, Anson Jacob Oommen
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Vascular injury is identified during pre-clinical toxicity testing within certain pharmacological classes of drug candidates and induces degenerative and hyperplastic changes in endothelial (ECs) and vascular smooth muscle (VSMCs) cells. This drug-induced vascular injury has been show as a side-effect caused by various classes of drugs, including, antibacterial (e.g., azithromycin), anti-malarial (e.g., quinoline), anti-viral (e.g., anti-hepatitis C virus interferons) and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (e.g., ibuprofen), and affects normal cardiovascular function and can further lead to various cardiovascular conditions like arrhythmia, cardiac arrest, high blood pressure, and even heart attack. The search for agents capable of reducing vascular injury side-effects by …
The Development Of The Human-Automation Behavioral Interaction Task (Habit) Analysis Framework, Isabelle Catherine Baird
The Development Of The Human-Automation Behavioral Interaction Task (Habit) Analysis Framework, Isabelle Catherine Baird
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Complex systems involve the collaboration of automated agents and goal-oriented human operators in a dynamic environment, and dynamic environments required dynamic automation. The implementation of automation fundamentally changes the nature of the cognitive demands by means of changing the role of the human operator. The augmentation of operator situation awareness has become a major design objective in the development of human-automated systems. Extensive literature identified the out-of-the-loop performance problem as a human-automation interaction challenge. This thesis presents the Human-Automation Behavioral Interaction Task (HABIT) Analysis, as a novel approach to assessing human-automation interaction challenges, such as out-of-the-loop consequences. The novel framework …
Agent-Based Simulation Of Artificial-Intelligence-Assisted Transfer Of Care, Paul B. Stone
Agent-Based Simulation Of Artificial-Intelligence-Assisted Transfer Of Care, Paul B. Stone
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This study demonstrates the application of Agent-Based Simulation as a potential training aid for Transfer of Care (ToC) between EMS and a hospital triage department. The specific aim was to develop a simulation to increase the efficiency and accountability of information communication during ToC to test the suitability of Agent-Based Simulation to address training requirements in complex, health provision settings. This paper focuses on the design of the training simulation, including the development of individual agents within the simulation through the user interface elements and the evaluation and verification of the prototype simulator. The primary objective is for the simulation …
Computational Simulation Of A Femoral Nail Fracture, Stephen Charles Whatley
Computational Simulation Of A Femoral Nail Fracture, Stephen Charles Whatley
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Every year in the United States roughly 300,000 people over the age of 65 suffer from a hip fracture. Ninety five percent of which are the result from a fall. The resulting hip fracture can be classified into several categories of fracture. Depending on the damage the patient could be implanted with a femoral nail device to assist in their recovery. These devices can, however, have complications during recovery. In some cases, these nails can have a failure rate as high as 10%. When failure occurs, extensive investigations are needed to determine the causes of failure. These investigations involve physical …
A Model To Optimize Major Trauma Network Considering Patient Safety, Monit D. Vaishnav
A Model To Optimize Major Trauma Network Considering Patient Safety, Monit D. Vaishnav
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Trauma is any physical injury that has the potential to cause prolonged disability and death if the appropriate level of care is not administered in a timely fashion. Existing approaches in the literature and by the American College of Surgeons (ACS) to optimize the network of trauma centers are limiting. To address this challenge, we introduce the Trauma Network Design Problem, a bi-objective mathematical model that aims at determining the optimal trauma network by minimizing the weighted sum of mistriages. We use the trauma network data from 2012 for the state of Ohio to illustrate the use of our approach …
Characterization Of In-Vivo Damage In Implantable Cardiac Devices And The Lead Residual Properties, Anmar Mahdi Salih
Characterization Of In-Vivo Damage In Implantable Cardiac Devices And The Lead Residual Properties, Anmar Mahdi Salih
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Approximately, 92.1 million patients in the US suffer from cardiovascular diseases with an estimated healthcare cost of over $300 billion; out of which at least one million patients have Cardiac Implantable Electronics Devices (CIED). CIED represented by pacemakers, Implantable Cardioversion Defibrillator (ICD), and Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy (CRT) are exposed to in-vivo damage. These damages are complex and composed on multiple levels and present challenges while assessing their combined extent. Since 2004, more than one hundred recalls were reported for cardiac devices. ICD devices had the majority with 40.8% recalls, pacemaker recall percentage was 14.5%, CRT recall percentage was12.7%, leads recalls …
Evaluation Of Consumer Drone Control Interface, Thomas William Merrell
Evaluation Of Consumer Drone Control Interface, Thomas William Merrell
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The development and use of consumer grade drones is becoming a larger part of our society for many different applications. There has been a great amount of discussion and constant review of proper operation of consumer drones including proper methods of control. In turn, regulation of such devices has been inconsistent. This study aims to better understand the effects of the three primary control interface methods (line of sight, video aided, and first-person view) on flight performance, situational awareness, and perceived mental workload of the operator. Secondarily, this study aims to provide design recommendations for future interfaces. This study shows …
Novel Auto-Calibrating Neural Motor Decoder For Robust Prosthetic Control, Andrew Earl Montgomery
Novel Auto-Calibrating Neural Motor Decoder For Robust Prosthetic Control, Andrew Earl Montgomery
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The overarching goal of this project is to develop novel neural motor decoders for prosthetic control. EMG decoders measure the activity from an intact but non-target muscle. Neural motor decoders transform the signal measured from the severed motor axons of the target muscle. A multi-scale, highly-realistic computer model of a spinal motor pool was developed (Allen & Elbasiouny, 2018) to serve as a computational platform for decoder development and testing. A firing rate-based algorithm was developed to transform the aggregate discharge of the motor pool into a command signal to control the simulated prosthetic MuJoCo hand. This algorithm was informed …
Demonstrating The Functionality And Efficacy Of Blockchain-Based System In Healthcare Using Simulation Tools, Jad S. Mubaslat
Demonstrating The Functionality And Efficacy Of Blockchain-Based System In Healthcare Using Simulation Tools, Jad S. Mubaslat
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Blockchain and cryptocurrencies have been a rapidly growing industry and area of academic research since Bitcoin's launch in early 2009. Blockchains have already been applied in spaces outside of finance, such as healthcare. This work explores the Bitcoin blockchain and a blockchain-based care coordination system through the use of modeling and simulation tools. Two agent based models are constructed: one to represent the Bitcoin blockchain, and a second to represent a blockchain-based care coordination system, MDChain. Insight is provided that is relevant to current issues within the Bitcoin community and predictions are made as to its future. The feasibility of …
Exploring Feedback Modalities Using Wearable Device For Complex Systems Training Programs, Layla Akilan
Exploring Feedback Modalities Using Wearable Device For Complex Systems Training Programs, Layla Akilan
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This study examined the effectiveness of a wearable device in delivering various feedback modalities in an attempt to improve performance outcomes in complex systems. Secondarily this study looked at performance when feedback type was matched to preferred learning style according to VARK Learning Styles Inventory results. Participants were required to perform system monitoring and correct for system failures through key presses. Feedback was delivered through a smart watch and was based on response time performance. Feedback modalities included visual, auditory, and haptic feedback. Subjective ratings of situation awareness and mental workload were also examined. Results indicated that auditory feedback condition …
Impact Of Noise Level On Task Performance And Workload And Correlation To Personality, Kaylee Marie Eakins
Impact Of Noise Level On Task Performance And Workload And Correlation To Personality, Kaylee Marie Eakins
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An ideal work environment supports a culture of high performance, low mental workload, and quick turnarounds. The impact of noise on three types of tasks in a lab work environment were examined while attempting to identify correlations between a subject's personality and their tolerance to noise. Neuroticism, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and extroversion correlated significantly with subjective (NASA-TLX) and physiological mental workload measures (heart rate variability and eye-tracking). The results show that task type impacts the performance, task duration, and mental workload. Although the physiological workload measures showed significant impact, the parameters standard deviation of R-R intervals and LF/HF ratio agreed with …
Augmenting Incident Command System For Improved Emergency Response, Meenakshi Nagarajan
Augmenting Incident Command System For Improved Emergency Response, Meenakshi Nagarajan
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Incident Command System provides a framework for commanders to manage an incident. However, maintaining good situation awareness in an emergency situation is often challenging to the Incident Commander. Stress may result in task fixation which may cause the commander to miss critical information and can eventually lead to poor decisions. The proposed augmented decision support system, with an integrated knowledge base, enhances the commander's decision making and situation awareness by presenting the information that may have been missed. The system has been evaluated to investigate its utility in chemical hazard scenarios. The system was used by experienced Incident Commanders to …
Coupling Of Mechanical And Electromagnetic Fields Stimulation For Bone Tissue Engineering, Alyaa I. Aldebs
Coupling Of Mechanical And Electromagnetic Fields Stimulation For Bone Tissue Engineering, Alyaa I. Aldebs
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Alternative bone regeneration strategies that do not rely on harvested tissue or exogenous growth factors and cells are badly needed. However, creating living tissue constructs that are structurally, functionally and mechanically comparable to the natural bone has been a challenge so far. A major hurdle has been recreating the bone tissue microenvironment using the appropriate combination of cells, scaffold and stimulation to direct differentiation. This project presents a bone regeneration formulation that involves the use of human adipose-derived mesenchymal stems cells (hASCs) and a 3D scaffold based on a self-assembled peptide hydrogel doped with superparamagnetic nanoparticles (NPs). Osteogenic differentiation of …
M1 To M2 Macrophage Induction Using Retinoic Acid And Mesenchymal Stem Cells Loaded On An Electrospun Pullulan/Gelatin Scaffold To Promote Healing Of Chronic Wounds, Kaivon Assani
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Modulation of macrophage polarization is required for effective tissue repair and regenerative therapies. Conversion of macrophages from inflammatory M1 to fibrotic M2 phenotype could help in diseases such as chronic wound which are stuck in inflammatory state. During the inflammatory phase, macrophages are of the inflammatory phenotype (M1) and distribute pro-inflammatory cytokines including TNF-a and IL1[beta] which are microbicidal and recruit/activate cells. In normal wound healing macrophages then switch to a fibrotic phenotype (M2) promoting wound closure by angiogenesis, and matrix deposition. Chronic wounds are a major biological and financial burden to both patients and the health care system, costing …