Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering Commons^™

Reducing Food Scarcity: The Benefits Of Urban Farming, S.A. Claudell, Emilio Mejia

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

Urban farming can enhance the lives of communities and help reduce food scarcity. This paper presents a conceptual prototype of an efficient urban farming community that can be scaled for a single apartment building or an entire community across all global geoeconomics regions, including densely populated cities and rural, developing towns and communities. When deployed in coordination with smart crop choices, local farm support, and efficient transportation then the result isn’t just sustainability, but also increasing fresh produce accessibility, optimizing nutritional value, eliminating the use of ‘forever chemicals’, reducing transportation costs, and fostering global environmental benefits.

Imagine Doris, who is …

Rattus Norvegicus As A Biological Detector Of Clandestine Remains And The Use Of Ultrasonic Vocalizations As A Locating Mechanism, Gabrielle M. Johnston

Master's Theses

In investigations, locating missing persons and clandestine remains are imperative. One way that first responder and police agencies can search for the remains is by using cadaver dogs as biological detectors. Cadaver dogs are typically used due to their olfactory sensitivity and ability to detect low concentrations of volatile organic compounds produced by biological remains. Cadaver dogs are typically chosen for their stamina, agility, and olfactory sensitivity. However, what is not taken into account often is the size of the animal and the expense of maintaining and training the animal. Cadaver dogs are typically large breeds that cannot fit in …

Trace Dna Detection Using Diamond Dye: A Recovery Technique To Yield More Dna, Leah Davis

Master's Theses

This study aspires to find a new screening approach to trace DNA recovery techniques to yield a higher quantity of trace DNA from larger items of evidence. It takes the path of visualizing trace DNA on items of evidence with potential DNA so analysts can swab a more localized area rather than attempting to recover trace DNA through the general swabbing technique currently used for trace DNA recovery. The first and second parts consisted of observing trace DNA interaction with Diamond Dye on porous and non-porous surfaces.

The third part involved applying the Diamond Dye solution by spraying it onto …

Thermotrophy Exploratory Study, James Weifu Lee

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

The question of whether environmental heat energy could be utilized as a source of energy for biological metabolism is the center of this exploratory research. In 1979, this author postulated a hypothesis for the existence of thermotrophs that could isothermally utilize environmental heat energy as a source of their energy on Earth. According to this hypothesis, the thermotrophs could be the first primitive forms of life in the early Earth environment. The chemotrophs and phototrophs that we currently are all well familiar with might have been evolved somehow from the primitive thermotrophs. Furthermore, all the organisms currently regarded as the …

Development Of A Novel Cardiac Ischemia-Reperfusion Model In The Axolotl, Jeremy Tolentino Llaniguez

Wayne State University Dissertations

The Center for Disease Control’s National Center for Health Statistics data for mortality from diseases of the heart show the age-adjusted death rate has fallen from almost 600 deaths in the 1950s to just over 190 deaths per 100,000 U.S. residents today. With the recognized limitations of pharmacotherapy of myocardial infarction (MI), cell-based therapies have been undergoing rapid development and clinical testing. However, there is still no consensus about cell types, delivery routes, dosing and treatment schedules and pretreatment conditioning of cells prior to administration. Furthermore, a fundamental question remains unanswered about the reasons for the poor capacity for myocardial …

The Role Of Gene Expression Noise In Mammalian Cell Survival, Kevin Farquhar

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Drug resistance and metastasis remain obstacles to effective cancer treatment. A major challenge contributing to this problem is cellular heterogeneity. Even in the same environment, cells with identical genomes can display cell-to-cell differences in gene expression, also known as gene expression noise. Gene expression noise can vary in magnitude in a population or in fluctuation time scales, which is influenced by gene regulatory networks.

Currently, it is unclear how gene expression noise from gene regulatory networks contributes to drug survival outcomes in mammalian cells. An isogenic cell line with a noise-modulating genetic system tuned to the same mean is required. …

Radical Social Ecology As Deep Pragmatism: A Call To The Abolition Of Systemic Dissonance And The Minimization Of Entropic Chaos, Arielle Brender

Student Theses 2015-Present

This paper aims to shed light on the dissonance caused by the superimposition of Dominant Human Systems on Natural Systems. I highlight the synthetic nature of Dominant Human Systems as egoic and linguistic phenomenon manufactured by a mere portion of the human population, which renders them inherently oppressive unto peoples and landscapes whose wisdom were barred from the design process. In pursuing a radical pragmatic approach to mending the simultaneous oppression and destruction of the human being and the earth, I highlight the necessity of minimizing entropic chaos caused by excess energy expenditure, an essential feature of systems that aim …

Nutrient Limitation Of Algal Growth In Fishery Lakes, Madeline Ludwig

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study investigated the effect of nutrient addition on algal growth in three United States Forest Service lakes for fishery management in Arkansas. In fishery managed lakes, fertilization works by manipulating algae growth, a basal food resource in lakes, to promote the growth of the fish population. For the nutrient addition experiments, water was collected from each lake in cubitainers and spiked with nutrients; the treatments included the control, nitrogen (+N), phosphorus (+P), and nitrogen and phosphorus (+N +P). When algal growth was visually observed, a water sample was collected from each cubitainer and analyzed for chlorophyll-α. The results showed …

Co-Existence Of Microbial Ecology In A Chemostat Using A Robust Feedback, Hector Puebla, Mariana Rodriguez-Jara, Margarita M. Gonzalez-Brambila, Eliseo Hernandez-Martinez, Alejandra Velasco-Perez, Ennio Piceno-Diaz

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Food Web Control And Synchronization Using A Robust Feedback, Hector Puebla, Mariana Rodriguez-Jara, Cesar S. Lopez-Monsalvo, Eliseo Hernandez-Martinez, Alejandra Velasco-Perez

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Phylogenomic Analysis Of Copepoda (Arthropoda, Crustacea) Reveals Unexpected Similarities With Earlier Proposed Morphological Phylogenies, Seong-Il Eyun

Nebraska Center for Biotechnology: Faculty and Staff Publications

Background: Copepods play a critical role in marine ecosystems but have been poorly investigated in phylogenetic studies. Morphological evidence supports the monophyly of copepods, whereas interordinal relationships continue to be debated. In particular, the phylogenetic position of the order Harpacticoida is still ambiguous and inconsistent among studies. Until now, a small number of molecular studies have been done using only a limited number or even partial genes and thus there is so far no consensus at the order-level.

Results: This study attempted to resolve phylogenetic relationships among and within four major copepod orders including Harpacticoida and the phylogenetic position of …

A Method For Measuring The Attachment Strength Of The Cestode Hymenolepis Diminuta To The Rat Intestine, Wanchuan Xie, Gábor R. Rácz, Benjamin S. Terry, Scott Lyell Gardner

Scott L. Gardner Publications

A unique adaptation of many internal parasites of mammals is their ability to stay in the intestine for extended periods of time and resist the normal peristaltic movements and forces that push and expel material. To better understand parasite adhesion behavior and replicate their attachment method in medical devices, an experiment was designed and performed using the rat tapeworm, Hymenolepis diminuta. The experiment employed a tensile test machine and a digital scale and was designed to calculate the attachment strength of the scolex to the mucosa through the change of the value of the digital scale during the tensile …

Target-Directed Biosynthetic Evolution: Redirecting Plant Evolution To Genomically Optimize A Plant’S Pharmacological Profile, Dustin Paul Brown

Theses and Dissertations--Neuroscience

The dissertation describes a novel method for plant drug discovery based on mutation and selection of plant cells. Despite the industry focus on chemical synthesis, plants remain a source of potent and complex bioactive metabolites. Many of these have evolved as defensive compounds targeted on key proteins in the CNS of herbivorous insects, for example the insect dopamine transporter (DAT). Because of homology with the human DAT protein some of these metabolites have high abuse potential, but others may be valuable in treating drug dependence. This dissertation redirects the evolution of a native Lobelia species toward metabolites with greater activity …

Were Neandertal Humeri Adapted For Spear Thrusting Or Throwing? A Finite Element Study, Michael Anthony Berthaume

Masters Theses

An ongoing debate concerning Neandertal ecology is whether or not they utilized long range weaponry. The anteroposteriorly expanded cross-section of Neandertal humeri have led some to argue they thrusted their weapons, while the rounder cross-section of Late Upper Paleolithic modern human humeri suggests they threw their weapons. We test the hypothesis that Neandertal humeri were built to resist strains engendered by thrusting rather than throwing using finite element models of one Neandertal, one Early Upper Paleolithic (EUP) human and three recent human humeri, representing a range of cross-sectional shapes and sizes. Electromyography and kinematic data and articulated skeletons were used …

Inhibition Of Bacillus Cereus Growth By Bacteriocin Producing Bacillus Subtilis Isolated From Fermented Baobab Seeds (Maari) Is Substrate Dependent, Donatien Kaboré, Dennis S. Nielsen, Hagrétoui Sawadogo-Lingan, Bréhima Diawara, Mamoudou H. Dicko Prof., Mogens Jakobsen, Line Thorsen

Pr. Mamoudou H. DICKO, PhD

Comparison Of Phenolic Compounds And Antioxidant Capacities Of Traditional Sorghum Beers With Other Alcoholic Beverages, Fatouma Abdoul-Latif, Romaric G. Bayili, Louis C. Obame, Mamoudou H. Dicko Prof.

Pr. Mamoudou H. DICKO, PhD

Thirty samples of sorghum beers “dolo” were selected from traditionally fermented household manufacturers from Burkina Faso. Dolo samples were screened for their total phenolic content, proanthocyanidins and putative antioxidant capacities, and were compared with industrial beers and wines. Total phenols were measured using the Folin-Ciocalteu method. Proanthocyanidins content were determined by the method of HCl-butanol hydrolysis. Antioxidant activities were evaluated both with 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay and by the trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) using 2,2’-azinobis(3-ethyl-benzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid radical) (ABTS•+). The average contents of total phenols and proanthocyanidins were 506 μg GAE/ml of dolo and 45 μg APE/ml of dolo, respectively. An …

Toxicity Assessment And Analgesic Activity Investigation Of Aqueous Acetone Extracts Of Sida Acuta Burn F. And Sida Cordifolia L. (Malvaceae), Medicinal Plants Of Burkina Faso, Kiessoum Konate, Adama Hilou, Raïssa Rr Aworet-Samseny, Alain Souza, Nicolas Barro, Mamoudou H. Dicko Prof., Jacques Datté, Bertrand M’Batchi

Pr. Mamoudou H. DICKO, PhD

Background Sida acuta Burn f. and Sida cordifolia L. (Malvaceae) are traditionally used in Burkina Faso to treat several ailments, mainly pains, including abdominal infections and associated diseases. Despite the extensive use of these plants in traditional health care, literature provides little information regarding their toxicity and the pharmacology. This work was therefore designed to investigate the toxicological effects of aqueous acetone extracts of Sida acuta Burn f. and Sida cordifolia L. Furthermore, their analgesic capacity was assessed, in order to assess the efficiency of the traditional use of these two medicinal plants from Burkina Faso. Method For acute toxicity …

Antibacterial Activity Against Beta- Lactamase Producing Methicillin And Ampicillin-Resistants Staphylococcus Aureus: Fractional Inhibitory Concentration Index (Fici) Determination, Kiessoun K Onate, Jacques François Mavoungou, Alexis Nicaise Lepengué, Raïssa Rr Aworet-Samseny, Adama Hilou, Mamoudou H. Dicko Prof., Bertrand M’Batchi

Pr. Mamoudou H. DICKO, PhD

The present study reports the antibacterial capacity of alkaloid compounds in combination with Methicillin and Ampicillin-resistants bacteria isolated from clinical samples. The resistance of different bacteria strains to the current antibacterial agents, their toxicity and the cost of the treatment have led to the development of natural products against the bacteria resistant infections when applied in combination with conventional antimicrobial drugs. The antibacterial assays in this study were performed by using inhibition zone diameters, MIC, MBC methods, the time-kill assay and the Fractional Inhibitory Concentration Index (FICI) determination. On the whole, fifteen Gram-positive bacterial strains (MRSA/ARSA) were used. Negative control …

Bacteriocin Formation By Dominant Aerobic Sporeformers Isolated From Traditional Maari, Donatien Kabore, Line Thorsen, Dennis Sandris Nielsen, Torben Sune Berner, Hagrétou Sawadogo-Lingani, Bréhima Diawara, Mamoudou H. Dicko Prof., Mogens Jackobsen

Pr. Mamoudou H. DICKO, PhD

The antimicrobial activity of 8 Bacillus spp. and 2 Lysinibacillus spp. representing the predominant aerobic sporeformers during traditional maari fermentations, a traditional fermented baobab seeds product fromBurkina Faso,was investigated. The antimicrobial activitywas assessed against a total of 31 indicator organisms representing various Gram-negative and positive pathogens. The screening showed that 3 Bacillus subtilis strains (B3, B122 and B222) in particular had antimicrobial activity against some Gram-positive organisms and were selected for further studies. Itwas found that the antimicrobial substances producedwere heat stable, in-sensitive to catalase, sensitive to protease and trypsin but resistant to the proteolytic action of papain and proteinase …

Acid Resistance, Bile Tolerance And Antimicrobial Properties Of Dominant Lactic Acid Bacteria Isolated From Traditional “Maari” Baobab Seeds Fermented Condiment, Donatien Kabore, Hagrétou Sawadogo-Lingani, Mamoudou H. Dicko Prof., Bréhima Diawara, Mogens Jacobsen

Pr. Mamoudou H. DICKO, PhD

Maari is a fermented food condiment obtained by spontaneous fermentation of seeds from the baobab tree (Adansonia digitata). Nine dominant lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains, isolated from traditional maari fermentation were examined for their resistance to pH 2.5, their tolerance to 0.3% bile and their antimicrobial activities against pathogenic bacteria. The agar spot test was used to screen the dominant LAB for antagonistic activity against a total of 21 indicator organisms including Bacillus cereus strains, Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes, Yersinia enterocolitica, Escherichia coli and Micrococcus luteus. It was observed that all LAB strains survived in 0.3% bile and exhibited antimicrobial …

A Review Of Baobab (Adansonia Digitata) Products: Effect Of Processing Techniques, Medicinal Properties And Uses, Donatien Kabore, Hagrétou Sawadogo-Lingani, Bréhima Diawara, Clarise Compaoré, Mamoudou H. Dicko Prof., Mogens Jacobsen

Pr. Mamoudou H. DICKO, PhD

A general literature review including the effect of processing techniques, medicinal value and uses of baobab tree is reported in this manuscript. Baobab tree has multi-purpose uses, as it produces food and non-food products such as medicines, fuel, timber, fodder. Every part of the baobab tree is reported to be useful. The seeds, leaves, roots, flowers, fruit pulp and bark of baobab are edible. Baobab leaves are used in the preparation of soup. Seeds are used as a thickening agent in soups, but they can be fermented and used as a flavouring agent or roasted and eaten as snacks. The …

Antimicrobial And Antioxidant Activities Of Essential Oil And Methanol Extract Of Matricaria Chamomilla L. From Djibouti, Fatouma M. Abdoul-Latif, Mohamed Nabil, Prosper Edou, Adwa A. Ali, Samatar O. Djama, Louis-Clément Obamé, Mamoudou H. Dicko Prof.

Pr. Mamoudou H. DICKO, PhD

The essential oil and methanol extracts of Matricaria Chamomilla L. were subjected to screening for their possible antioxidant activity by two complementary test systems, namely 2,2-diphenykpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging and β-carotene-linoleic acid assays. BHT was used as positive control in both test systems. In the DPPH test system, the IC50 values of essential oil and methanol extracts were 4.18 and 1.83 μg/ml, respectively. In the β-carotene-linoleic acid system, oxidation was effectively inhibited by M. Chamomilla, the RAA value of essential oil and methanol extracts were 12.69 and 11.37 %, respectively. When compared to BHT, the essential oil and methanol …

Biodepollution Of Wastewater Containing Phenolic Compounds From Leather Industry By Plant Peroxidases, Mamounata Diao, Nafissetou Ouedraogo, Lamine Baba-Moussa, Paul W. Savadogo, Georges N'Guessan Amani, Mamoudou H. Dicko Prof.

Pr. Mamoudou H. DICKO, PhD

This study deals with the use of peroxidases (POXs) from Allium sativum, Ipomoea batatas, Raphanus sativus and Sorghum bicolor to catalyze the degradation of free phenolic compounds as well as phenolic compounds contained in wastewater from leather industry. Secretory plant POXs were able to catalyze the oxidation of gallic acid, ferulic acid, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, pyrogallol and 1,4-tyrosol prepared in ethanol 2% (v:v). Efficiency of peroxidase catalysis depends strongly on the chemical nature of phenolic substrates and on the botanical source of the enzymes. It appeared that POX from Raphanus sativus had the highest efficiency. Results show that POXs can also …

Antimicrobial And Antioxidant Activities Of Essential Oil And Methanol Extract Of Jasminum Sambac From Djibouti, Fatou Abdoul-Latif, Prosper Edou, François Eba, Nabil Mohamed, Adwa Ali, Samatar Djama, Louis-Clément Obame, Mamoudou Hama Dicko

Pr. Mamoudou H. DICKO, PhD

The essential oil of jasminum sambac from Djibouti was subjected to screening for their possible antioxidant activity by two complementary test systems, namely DPPH free radical scavenging and beta-carotene-linoleic acid assays. Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) was used as positive control in both test systems. In the DPPH test system, the IC50 value of essential oil and methanol extract were respectively 7.43 and 2.30 μg/ml. In the beta-carotene-linoleic acid system, oxidation was effectively inhibited by Jasminum sambac, the RAA value of essential oil and methanol extract were respectively 96.6 and 93.9%. When compared to BHT, the essential oil and methanol extract had …

A Computer Science Approach To Identify And Classify Hyperactivated Spermatozoa, Norbert Kaula

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Effective Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) relies in part upon accurate but easily conducted measurements of sperm motion parameters. Several established methods are widely used to assess possible reasons for male infertility, in human and veterinary Andrology clinics. Computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA) devices quantitatively assess sperm motion parameters, which have been defined by the World Health Organization, and include the percentage of motile cells in a sample and the motion characteristics of individual cells, such as curvilinear velocity (VCL), average path velocity (VAP) and straight line velocity (VSL). However, CASA analyses fail to define hyperactive sperm motility or determine the prevalence …

Writing Research Proposal: Literature Review And Database Search, Mamoudou H. Dicko Prof.

Pr. Mamoudou H. DICKO, PhD

Food Based Approaches For A Healthy Nutrition In Africa, Mamoudou Hama Dicko

Pr. Mamoudou H. DICKO, PhD

The latest estimates of the FAO demonstrate the problems of the fight against hunger. These problems are manifested by the ever-increasing number of chronically undernourished people worldwide. Their numbers during the 1999-2001 period were estimated at about 840 million of which 798 million live in developing countries. Sub-Saharan Africa alone represented 198 million of those. In this part of Africa the prevalence of undernourishment ranges from 5-34%, causing growth retardation and insufficient weight gain among one third of the children under five years of age and resulting in a mortality of 5-15% among these children. Malnutrition resulting from undernourishment is …

Phd Thesis (Doctorat De Spécialité): Université De Ouagadougou, 1999. Dr. Mamoudou H. Dicko. Purification Et Propriétés Physico-Chimiques Des Enzymes De Curculigo Pilosa, Gladiolus Klattianus Et Boscia Senegalensis Catalysant L'Hydrolyse Des Polysaccharides (Amidon Et Béta-Glucanes), Mamoudou H. Dicko Prof.

Pr. Mamoudou H. DICKO, PhD

The objective of this study was the research of novel and inexpensive sources of polysaccharides degrading enzymes such as amylases and glucanases from local plants in order to justify their biotechnological applications. The isolation of two l3-amylases and an endo-1,3-ß-D-glucanase was reached using common protein purification methods such as buffer extraction, ammonium sulfate fractionation, ionexchange and gel filtration chromatographies. The methods used were simple and easily reproducible, suggesting the possibilfty of large-scale production. ln the crude extract of Curculigo pilosa tuber, only ß-amylase was detected as starch degrading enzyme and its activity was approximately 282 Uig of fresh material. The …

Crime, Race And Reproduction, Dorothy E. Roberts

All Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

New Phytotron Widens Scope For Research, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

A WIDE range of new experiments and greater speed and efficiency in many existing projects has been made possible by the recent completion of the Department of Agriculture phytotron at South Perth.