Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering Commons^™

Detection Of Nucleotides In Hydrated Ssdna Via 2-D H-Bn Nanopore With Ionic-Liquid/Salt-Water Interface, Jungsoo Lee

Multidisciplinary Studies Theses and Dissertations

Accomplishing slow translocation speed with high sensitivity has been the greatest mission for solid-state nanopore (SSN) to electrically detect nucleobases in single-stranded DNA (ssDNA). In this study, a method to detect nucleobases in ssDNA using a SSN is introduced by considerably slowing down the translocation speed and effectively increasing its sensitivity. The ultra-thin titanium dioxide (TiO₂) coated hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) nanopore was fabricated, along with an ionic-liquid [bmim][PF₆]/2.0 M KCl aqueous (cis/trans) interfacial system, to increase both the spatial and the temporal resolutions. As the ssDNA molecules entered the nanopore, a …

Microparticle Propulsion For In Vivo Navigation, Louis Rogowski

Mechanical Engineering Research Theses and Dissertations

Microscale propulsion impacts a diverse array of fields, with simplistic microrobots allowing for novel innovations in microscale surgery and drug delivery. Propulsion at the microscale is constrained by physics, with time-reversal and geometric symmetries limiting available propulsion mechanisms. However, certain fluid environments and surface coatings allow for the propulsion of microparticles through externally applied magnetic fields. Presented here is a detailed analysis of microparticles propelling using spontaneous symmetry breaking, flagella surface coatings, and multi-modal actuation mechanisms. Spontaneous symmetry breaking in nonlinearly viscoelastic fluids is presented for the first time in literature, with two equal and opposite propulsion states existing along …

Effect Of Ambient Oxidation On Chemical Composition And Structural Properties Of Iron Nanoparticles For Hyperthermia And Medical Imaging, Adam Wesley Evans

Doctoral Dissertations

With magnetization saturation roughly twice that of iron oxide nanoparticles, metallic iron nanoparticles (also termed zero-valent iron nanoparticles) have desirable properties for use as a magnetic resonance imagining (MRI) contrast agent as well as a medium for hyperthermia treatment of cancer. Metallic iron nanoparticles, however, are difficult to synthesize and maintain due to their high degree of reactivity and proclivity for oxidation. The main goal of this study was to investigate how ambient oxidation affects the chemical composition and structural properties of metallic iron nanoparticles initially synthesized through a facile reduction reaction of iron (III) chloride with sodium borohydride. A …

The Use Of Nanoparticles And Electrospun Fibers For Intravaginal Delivery To Treat Viral And Bacterial Infections And Electrophysiological Measurements Of Synthetic Chloride Channels., Farnaz Minooei

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Female reproductive viral and bacterial infections affect millions of women worldwide. Given the diversity and magnitude of these unmet reproductive health challenges, topical administration of antiretrovirals (ARVs) and antibiotics have emerged as promising approaches to maintain and restore reproductive health. However, currently available intravaginal dosage forms often suffer from low user adherence and the need for frequent, daily administration to achieve therapeutic effect. To address these challenges, the broad goal of this research was to focus on the development of new localized nanoparticle (NP) and electrospun fiber dosage forms to prolong the delivery and enhance the efficacy of active agents …

The Effects Of Solution Condition On Virus Filtration Performance, Fnu Namila

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Virus filtration is an integral part of the downstream purification of mammalian cell culture-derived biotherapeutics to assure the viral safety of the products. Virus filtration membranes remove viruses based on a size-exclusion mechanism. Commercial parvovirus filers possess unique membrane structure and are designed to remove smaller non-enveloped parvoviruses with size 18-26 nm. However, some filters face issues, such as pre-mature fouling, the decline of filtrate flux, and reduction in virus retention. This doctoral dissertation focused on identifying the factors that influence the filtrate flux and the virus retention capability of commercial virus filters. The effects of solution pH and ionic …

Incorporation Of Lignin In Natural And Synthetic Biomaterials To Alter Mechanical And Biochemical Properties For Enhanced Wound Healing, Jorge Alfonso Belgodere

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

It is estimated that chronic, non-healing wounds affect more than 6.5 million Americans annually, with an estimated healthcare cost beyond $14 billion. Here, we attempted to create composites of natural (collagen type I or gelatin-methacrylate) or synthetic (poly(ethylene glycol) polymers incorporating a natural plant component, lignin, to combat the costs and limitations current wound healing methods face. Three-dimensional matrices of collagen type I (Col I) are widely used in tissue engineering applications for its abundance in many tissues, bioactivity with many cell types, and excellent biocompatibility. Inspired by the structural role of lignin in plant tissue, we found that sodium …

Optimal Parameter Values For Accurate And Repeatable Nanoindentation Of Human Trabecular Bone, Stephen Matthew Kmak

Master's Theses

Nanoindentation techniques have not been standardized for use on bone tissues, making comparison of bone material properties obtained via nanoindentation across studies difficult and unreliable. This study determined a set of optimal parameter values for thermal drift correction time, dwell time, and loading rate that can be used to obtain accurate and repeatable material properties from human femoral trabecular bone through experimentation and statistical analysis. All testing was conducted using a single nanoindenter on a single trabeculae, with the assumption that material properties within the individual trabeculae were internally consistent. Parameters not of interest during this study, such as ambient …

Decellularization Of Porcine Cartilage Promotes Chondrogenic Differentiation Of Human Chondrocytes, Roxanne Nicole Stone

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Knee osteoarthritis (knee OA) is the most common type of osteoarthritis (OA) and accounts for 70% of arthritis-related hospital admissions and 23% of clinical visits. Major limitations in both the current non-surgical and surgical methods are that they only relieve pain and show no evidence for restoring natural tissue anatomy. Leaders in the field propose that a stem cell treatment approach holds promise for the regeneration of a greater proportion of hyaline-like tissue at the repair site. (Cross et al., 2014; Escobar Ivirico, Bhattacharjee, Kuyinu, Nair, & Laurencin, 2017; Helmick et al., 2008; Toh, Foldager, Pei, & Hui, 2014).

It …

Development Of Hybrid Coating Materials To Improve The Success Of Titanium Implants, Zach Gouveia

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

While titanium (Ti) and its alloys have become ubiquitous within implantology as materials to restore or augment the function of human tissues, their success is plagued by complications associated with infection and aseptic implant loosening. These two risks account for the majority of implant failures in the clinic and limit the long-term success of titanium implants in vivo. Therefore, this thesis describes the development of robust multifunctional class II organic-inorganic hybrid coating materials for titanium implants that could be used to effectively target both complications, concurrently. During this master’s work, two different coating systems were examined. First, class II …

Designing Silk Protein-Based Composite Materials With Tunable Heat Transfer And Magnetic Properties, Ye Xue

Theses and Dissertations

Renewable and biocompatible silk protein materials with desired physical properties show promising applications in biomedical field. In this work, a set of protein-based composites with desired thermal and magnetic properties, enhanced by the appropriate distribution of nanofillers in the protein matrix in both 2D-film and 1D-fiber forms was investigated. Results indicate that secondary structures of silk protein materials regenerated by a formic acid-calcium chloride method are different from those of their respective natural silk fibers. Intramolecular beta-sheet structures were found to dominate these silk films, causing these regenerated samples to be water-insoluble but more flexible than traditional silk films with …

Metal Additive Manufacturing For Fixed Dental Prostheses, Mai El Najjar

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The use of additive manufacturing (AM) in dentistry has gained momentum in recent years. However, high initial costs and uncertainty surrounding the quality of AM products are considered barriers to their use. This research compared dental substructures fabricated by AM versus conventional casting and milling.

Cobalt-chromium alloy rectangular bars and three-unit bridge substructures were fabricated by AM, casting or milling. Bars manufactured by AM exhibited superior flexural strength, shear bond strength of porcelain coating, and Vickers hardness. Bridge substructures fabricated by AM showed similar flexural stiffness to cast, similar flexural loads at failure to milled and cast, and overall accuracy …

3d Culture Strategies For The Dynamic Expansion And Preconditioning Of Adipose-Derived Stromal Cells On Decellularized Adipose Tissue Bioscaffolds, Tim Tian Han

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Adipose tissue engineering holds promise for the development of therapeutic strategies for subcutaneous adipose tissue regeneration to treat defects resulting from congenital birth defects, invasive surgical procedures and traumatic injuries. Decellularized adipose tissue (DAT) scaffolds represent a potential off-the-shelf tissue substitute for volume augmentation. Seeding the DAT with adipose-derived stromal cells (ASCs) has been shown to enhance adipose tissue regeneration in immunocompetent animals in vivo. Although promising, this strategy is limited by low cell attachment on the DAT. As such, this thesis focused on the development of bioreactor strategies to enhance the capacity of human ASCs to stimulate angiogenesis …

Effects Of Hard-To-Soft Segment Ratios On The Synthesis And Physico-Mechanical Properties Of Polyurethane Films, Aaron C. Wilson

Mechanical Engineering Theses

Blood-contacting cardiovascular stents often induce a secondary clotting event due to unrestricted enzymatic activities. The use of hemocompatible polyurethane coatings on these implantable devices is one of the most promising methods to reduce device rejection. In this study, four commercial polyurethane films of various thicknesses and compositions were evaluated for their anticoagulation properties. Results suggested that these films exhibited excellent thermal and physico-mechanical properties while capable of increasing contact time with blood plasma by over a thousand-fold as compared to a control surface. Due to the unknown structure and composition of these commercial films, polyurethane samples were synthesized from toluene …

Pilot Study Exploring The Effect Of Targeted Cox-2 Inhibition In Macrophages Responding To Neuronal Injury; Promoting Enhanced Axonal Regeneration, Alyssa Brauckmann

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Celecoxib nanoemulsion (CXB-NE) has been developed as a macrophage targeted analgesics by Dr. Janjic and her team at Duquesne University, (Janjic et al, 2018; Liu et al, 2020; Saleem et al, 2019b; Vasudeva et al, 2014). The CXB-NE nanoemulsion carrying a Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory (NSAID) inhibitor of COX-2 activity result in a reduction in PGE2 expression in macrophages. Using CXB-NE in rats that have peripheral nerve injury constricting the sciatic nerve relieves hypersensitivity, a pain-like behavior. The treatment also decreases inflammation associated with this chronic constriction injury (Janjic et al, 2018; Saleem et al, 2019b; Stevens et al, 2019). In this …

Characterization Of Oxone Mediated Tempo-Oxidized Nano Cellulose Mixed-Matrix Membranes During Ultrafiltration And Hemodialysis, Kristyn Robling

Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The ninth leading cause of death in the United States is kidney disease, and hemodialysis is the process most commonly prescribed for treatment. It utilizes a selectively permeable membrane filter to remove toxins such as urea from the blood and retain necessary protein levels. However, traditional filters, such as cellulose triacetate, used during dialysis can be inefficient in terms of separation performance and reduction of fouling. Recent exploration of nanoparticles has resulted in the creation of Oxone Mediated TEMPO-Oxidized Nano Cellulose which has properties that are believed to increase hydrophilicity, increase tensile capacity, decrease membrane resistance and lower fouling, making …

Modified Stent Design For A Coronary Bifurcation Lesion, Abigail Nowell

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Currently, 18.2 million adults aged 20 and older are diagnosed with Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) (Benjamin et al., 2019). Stenosis is the most common intervention. However, when a patient has a bifurcated artery, treatment becomes more difficult and is often unsuccessful. This project created a new stent and balloon complex that was tested in vitro using a gel phantom artery model. Two separate prototypes have been created and tested so far, with improvements made upon each. Testing is still underway with Prototype 2.

Analysis Of Blood Purification Studies On Oxone Mediated Tempo-Oxidized Nano Cellulose Mixed-Matrix Membranes, Tony Roller

Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

End-stage renal disease (ESRD) is currently the ninth leading cause of death in the United States, and of the 661,00 Americans diagnosed with ESRD, approximately 468,800 were on hemodialysis in 2016. Hemodialysis refers to a technique where a machine combined with a membrane, often referred to as an artificial kidney, is used to clean blood by removing any waste such as urea, potassium, and other smaller waste products while preserving the concentrations and integrity of cells and proteins in the blood. It has been shown in artificial blood studies that cellulose nanomaterials, like TEMPO/Oxidized cellulose nanoparticles (TOCNs), can be integrated …

Emergency Eye Simulation Model, Gavin L. Warrington, Christopher Forsyth, Lexus Morris, Natalie Ledezma

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Solostand, Hau Nhat Doan, Sydney Gray, Celina Dioso

Biomedical Engineering

The purpose of this scope of work is to highlight the progress and development of SoloStand sponsored by Derek Herrera, chief technical officer and founder of SpinalSingularity. SoloStand is an attachment to a wheelchair that will benefit paraplegics that use wheelchairs. A portable and customizable attachment to a wheelchair will allow the user to do everyday tasks without transferring into a separate standing wheelchair and travel more easily. This document outlines everything that has been done in fulfillment of our senior project requirements.

Extracellular Matrix-Derived Modular Bioscaffolds For Soft Connective Tissue Regeneration, Pascal Morissette Martin

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Human decellularized adipose tissue (DAT) represents a promising extracellular matrix (ECM) source for the development of biomaterials, with its properties conductive of angiogenesis, adipogenesis, and scaffold remodelling. This thesis sought to provide new fundamental insight into the design of ECM-derived bioscaffolds by developing novel modular biomaterials for soft connective tissue regeneration and by studying the effects of ECM composition on cell function and fate.

Initial studies explored the effects of ECM composition of pre-assembled bead foams derived from DAT or commercially-sourced bovine collagen (COL) on human wound edge dermal fibroblasts (weDFs) sourced from chronic wounds. In vitro testing under conditions …

Preparation Of Intra-Articular Drug Delivery Systems For The Treatment Of Osteoarthritis, Ian Villamagna

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative disease of the articular joints that affects over 240 million people globally. Despite its overwhelming prevalence, there is no disease modifying agent currently available to treat the disease, and many treatment options remain palliative in nature. Potentially effective treatments for OA are limited by probable systemic side effects. Intra-articular drug delivery systems present a new opportunity for the treatment of OA; encapsulated therapeutics can be injected directly into the joint, at the area of injury, thereby bypassing systemic administration and diminishing the chance for side effects. This thesis describes the research and development of novel …

Integrated Techno-Economic And Life Cycle Analyses Of Biomass Utilization For Value-Added Bioproducts In The Northeastern United States, Yuxi Wang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

A multi-stage spatial analysis was first conducted to select locations for lignocellulosic biomass-based bioproduct facility, using Geographical Information System (GIS) spatial analysis, multi-criteria analysis ranking algorithm, and social-economic assessment. A case study was developed to determine locations for lignocellulosic biorefineries using feedstocks including forest residue biomass and three energy crops for 13 states in the northeastern United States. In the entire study area, 11.1% of the counties are high-suitable, 48.8% are medium-suitable for biorefinery siting locations. A non-parametric analysis of cross-group surveys showed that preferences on biorefinery siting are homogeneous for experts in academia and industry groups, but people in …

3d Printing Of Iron Oxide Incorporated Polydimethylsiloxane Soft Magnetic Actuator, Rasoul Bayaniahangar

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Soft actuators have grown to be a topic of great scientific interest recently. As the fabrication of soft actuators with conventional microfabrication methods are tedious, expensive, and time consuming, employment of 3-D printing fabrication methods appears promising as they can simplify fabrication and reduce the production cost. Complex structures can be fabricated with 3-D printing such as helical coils can achieve actuation performances that otherwise would not be possible with simpler geometries. In this thesis development of soft magnetic helical coil actuators of iron-oxide embedded polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) was achieved with embedded 3-D printing techniques. Composites with three different weight ratios …

Binder Saturation, Layer Thickness, Drying Time And Their Effects On Dimensional Tolerance And Density Of Cobalt Chrome - Tricalcium Phosphate Biocomposite, John Ruprecht

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Traditional metals such as stainless steel, titanium and cobalt chrome are used in biomedical applications (implants, scaffolds, etc.) but suffer from issues such as osseointegration and compatibility with existing bone. One way to improve traditional biomaterials is to incorporate ceramics with these metals so that their mechanical properties can be similar to cortical bones. Tricalcium phosphate is such a ceramic with properties such that it can be used in the human body. This research explores the use of the Binder Jetting based additive manufacturing process to create a novel biocomposite made of cobalt chrome and tricalcium phosphate. Experiments were conducted …

Study Of Silica Nanoparticle Composite On Silica-Hydrogen Peroxide Complexations And Their Effects In Catechol Based Adhesives, Rattapol Pinnaratip

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Mussel adhesive proteins contain catechol moiety, which allows the protein to crosslinked, solidify, and adhere to surrounding surfaces even under wet conditions. Incorporating the catechol moiety into polymeric adhesive resulted in bioadhesive, which still functions under wet conditions. However, the adhesive must be oxidized in order to crosslink and adhere to surfaces. The oxidation process of catechol adhesive was proven to produce singlet oxygen, superoxide, and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). These reactive oxygen species, with lack of control, can wreak havoc to the biological system causing poor healing and undesired biological response.

Here, we studied the silica …

Bacterial Cell Wall Characterization Via Atomic Force And Confocal Microscopy, Joree Sandin

Theses and Dissertations--Mechanical Engineering

Poor oral hygiene is a severe global health issue, with about 44% of the Earth’s population suffering from untreated tooth decay, accounting for over $100 billion dollars spent on dental services per year in the United States, alone. Manual treatments, such as brushing, flossing, or swishing with antiseptic rinse are the main ways to alleviate harmful bacteria that cause these oral health problems. Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) is a group of highly antibiotic, Gram-positive bacteria that heavily contribute to oral cavities, plaque build-up, and potential loosening or loss of dental implants if a biofilm develops. Currently, the mechanism …

Artificial Synthetic Scaffolds For Tissue Engineering Application Emphasizing The Role Of Biophysical Cues, Samerender Nagam Hanumantharao

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The mechanotransduction of cells is the intrinsic ability of cells to convert the mechanical signals provided by the surrounding matrix and other cells into biochemical signals that affect several distinct processes such as tumorigenesis, wound healing, and organ formation. The use of biomaterials as an artificial scaffold for cell attachment, differentiation and proliferation provides a tool to modulate and understand the mechanotransduction pathways, develop better in vitro models and clinical remedies. The effect of topographical cues and stiffness was investigated in fibroblasts using polycaprolactone (PCL)- Polyaniline (PANI) based scaffolds that were fabricated using a self-assembly method and electrospinning. Through this …

Gravity-Drawing Flexible Silicone Filaments As Fiber Optics And Model Foldamers, Katherine Snell

CMC Senior Theses

Here, we present a method of gravity-drawing polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) silicone fibers with application as fiber optics and as model foldamers. Beginning as a viscous liquid, PDMS is cured using heat until its measured viscosity reaches 4000 mPa•s. The semi-cured elastomer is then extruded through a tube furnace to produce thin (diameters on the order of hundred micrometers) filaments with scalable lengths. PDMS is biocompatible, gas-permeable, flexible, and hydrophobic. Additionally, the PDMS surface hydrophobicity can be modified via UV exposure, O2 plasma, and corona discharge. We demonstrate the patternibility (i.e patterns of hydrophobicity) of PDMS fibers, adding complexity to potential foldamer …