Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering Commons^™

Synergistic Effects Of Nanosecond Pulsed Plasma And Electric Field On Inactivation Of Pancreatic Cancer Cells In Vitro, Edwin A. Oshin, Zobia Minhas, Ruben M. L. Colunga Biancatelli, John D. Catravas, Richard Heller, Siqi Guo, Chunqi Jiang

Bioelectrics Publications

Nanosecond pulsed atmospheric pressure plasma jets (ns-APPJs) produce reactive plasma species, including charged particles and reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS), which can induce oxidative stress in biological cells. Nanosecond pulsed electric field (nsPEF) has also been found to cause permeabilization of cell membranes and induce apoptosis or cell death. Combining the treatment of ns-APPJ and nsPEF may enhance the effectiveness of cancer cell inactivation with only moderate doses of both treatments. Employing ns-APPJ powered by 9 kV, 200 ns pulses at 2 kHz and 60-nsPEF of 50 kV/cm at 1 Hz, the synergistic effects on pancreatic cancer cells (Pan02) …

Identification And Characterization Of Two Novel Kcnh2 Mutations Contributing To Long Qt Syndrome, Anthony Owusu-Mensah, Jacqueline Treat, Joyce Bernardi, Ryan Pfeiffer, Robert Goodrow, Bright Tsevi, Victoria Lam, Michel Audette, Jonathan M. Cordeiro, Makarand Deo

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

We identified two different inherited mutations in KCNH2 gene, or human ether-a-go-go related gene (hERG), which are linked to Long QT Syndrome. The first mutation was in a 1-day-old infant, whereas the second was in a 14-year-old girl. The two KCNH2 mutations were transiently transfected into either human embryonic kidney (HEK) cells or human induced pluripotent stem-cell derived cardiomyocytes. We performed associated multiscale computer simulations to elucidate the arrhythmogenic potentials of the KCNH2 mutations. Genetic screening of the first and second index patients revealed a heterozygous missense mutation in KCNH2, resulting in an amino acid change (P632L) in the …

Occlusive Membranes For Guided Regeneration Of Inflamed Tissue Defects., Woojin Choi, Utkarsh Mangal, Jin-Young Park, Ji-Yeong Kim, Taesuk Jun, Ju Won Jung, Moonhyun Choi, Sungwon Jung, Milae Lee, Ji-Yeong Na, Du Yeol Ryu, Jin Man Kim, Jae-Sung Kwon, Won-Gun Koh, Sangmin Lee, Patrick T J Hwang, Kee-Joon Lee, Ui-Won Jung, Jae-Kook Cha, Sung-Hwan Choi, Jinkee Hong

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Faculty Scholarship

Guided bone regeneration aided by the application of occlusive membranes is a promising therapy for diverse inflammatory periodontal diseases. Symbiosis, homeostasis between the host microbiome and cells, occurs in the oral environment under normal, but not pathologic, conditions. Here, we develop a symbiotically integrating occlusive membrane by mimicking the tooth enamel growth or multiple nucleation biomineralization processes. We perform human saliva and in vivo canine experiments to confirm that the symbiotically integrating occlusive membrane induces a symbiotic healing environment. Moreover, we show that the membrane exhibits tractability and enzymatic stability, maintaining the healing space during the entire guided bone regeneration …

Multiple And Consecutive Genome Editing Using I-Gonad And Breeding Enrichment Facilitates The Production Of Genetically Modified Mice, Carolina R Melo-Silva, Cory J Knudson, Lingjuan Tang, Samita Kafle, Lauren E. Springer, Jihae Choi, Christopher M. Snyder, Yajing Wang, Sangwon V. Kim, Luis J. Sigal

Department of Microbiology and Immunology Faculty Papers

Genetically modified (GM) mice are essential tools in biomedical research. Traditional methods for generating GM mice are expensive and require specialized personnel and equipment. The use of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) coupled with improved-Genome editing via Oviductal Nucleic Acids Delivery (i-GONAD) has highly increased the feasibility of producing GM mice in research laboratories. However, genetic modification in inbred mouse strains of interest such as C57BL/6 (B6) is still challenging because of their low fertility and embryo fragility. We have successfully generated multiple novel GM mouse strains in the B6 background while attempting to optimize i-GONAD. We found …

Recent Advances In Antimicrobial Peptide Hydrogels, Aryanna Copling, Maxwell Akantibila, Raaha Kumaresan, Gilbert Fleischer, Dennise Cortes, Rahul S Tripathi, Valerie J. Carabetta, Sebastian Vega

Cooper Medical School of Rowan University Faculty Scholarship

Advances in the number and type of available biomaterials have improved medical devices such as catheters, stents, pacemakers, prosthetic joints, and orthopedic devices. The introduction of a foreign material into the body comes with a risk of microbial colonization and subsequent infection. Infections of surgically implanted devices often lead to device failure, which leads to increased patient morbidity and mortality. The overuse and improper use of antimicrobials has led to an alarming rise and spread of drug-resistant infections. To overcome the problem of drug-resistant infections, novel antimicrobial biomaterials are increasingly being researched and developed. Hydrogels are a class of 3D …

Wearable Sensing System For Noninvasive Monitoring Of Intracranial Biofluid Shifts In Aerospace Applications., Jacob L Griffith, Kim Cluff, Grant M Downes, Brandon Eckerman, Subash Bhandari, Benjamin E Loflin, Ryan Becker, Fayez Alruwaili, Noor Mohammed

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Faculty Scholarship

The alteration of the hydrostatic pressure gradient in the human body has been associated with changes in human physiology, including abnormal blood flow, syncope, and visual impairment. The focus of this study was to evaluate changes in the resonant frequency of a wearable electromagnetic resonant skin patch sensor during simulated physiological changes observed in aerospace applications. Simulated microgravity was induced in eight healthy human participants (n = 8), and the implementation of lower body negative pressure (LBNP) countermeasures was induced in four healthy human participants (n = 4). The average shift in resonant frequency was -13.76 ± 6.49 MHz for …

Identification Of Proteins Involved In Cell Membrane Permeabilization By Nanosecond Electric Pulses (Nsep), Giedre Silkuniene, Uma Mangalanathan, Alessandra Rossi, Peter A. Mollica, Andrei G. Pakhomov, Olga N. Pakhomova

Bioelectrics Publications

The study was aimed at identifying endogenous proteins which assist or impede the permeabilized state in the cell membrane disrupted by nsEP (20 or 40 pulses, 300 ns width, 7 kV/cm). We employed a LentiArray CRISPR library to generate knockouts (KOs) of 316 genes encoding for membrane proteins in U937 human monocytes stably expressing Cas9 nuclease. The extent of membrane permeabilization by nsEP was measured by the uptake of Yo-Pro-1 (YP) dye and compared to sham-exposed KOs and control cells transduced with a non-targeting (scrambled) gRNA. Only two KOs, for SCNN1A and CLCA1 genes, showed a statistically significant reduction in …

Recombinant Human Plasma Gelsolin Reverses Increased Permeability Of The Blood-Brain Barrier Induced By The Spike Protein Of The Sars-Cov-2 Virus., Łukasz Suprewicz, Kiet A Tran, Ewelina Piktel, Krzysztof Fiedoruk, Paul A Janmey, Peter Galie, Robert Bucki

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Faculty Scholarship

BACKGROUND: Plasma gelsolin (pGSN) is an important part of the blood actin buffer that prevents negative consequences of possible F-actin deposition in the microcirculation and has various functions during host immune response. Recent reports reveal that severe COVID-19 correlates with reduced levels of pGSN. Therefore, using an in vitro system, we investigated whether pGSN could attenuate increased permeability of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) during its exposure to the portion of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein containing the receptor binding domain (S1 subunit).

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two- and three-dimensional models of the human BBB were constructed using the human cerebral microvascular endothelial …

Human Induced Mesenchymal Stem Cells Display Increased Sensitivity To Matrix Stiffness., Kirstene A Gultian, Roshni Gandhi, Khushi Sarin, Martina Sladkova-Faure, Matthew Zimmer, Giuseppe Maria De Peppo, Sebastian Vega

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Faculty Scholarship

The clinical translation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is limited by population heterogeneity and inconsistent responses to engineered signals. Specifically, the extent in which MSCs respond to mechanical cues varies significantly across MSC lines. Although induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have recently emerged as a novel cell source for creating highly homogeneous MSC (iMSC) lines, cellular mechanosensing of iMSCs on engineered materials with defined mechanics is not well understood. Here, we tested the mechanosensing properties of three human iMSC lines derived from iPSCs generated using a fully automated platform. Stiffness-driven changes in morphology were comparable between MSCs and iMSCs cultured …

Neuromotor Changes In Participants With A Concussion History Can Be Detected With A Custom Smartphone App, Christopher K. Rhea, Masahiro Yamada, Nikita A. Kuznetsov, Jason T. Jakiela, Chanel T. Lojacono, Scott E. Ross, F. J. Haran, Jason M. Bailie, W. Geoffrey Wright

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Neuromotor dysfunction after a concussion is common, but balance tests used to assess neuromotor dysfunction are typically subjective. Current objective balance tests are either cost- or space-prohibitive, or utilize a static balance protocol, which may mask neuromotor dysfunction due to the simplicity of the task. To address this gap, our team developed an Android-based smartphone app (portable and cost-effective) that uses the sensors in the device (objective) to record movement profiles during a stepping-in-place task (dynamic movement). The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which our custom smartphone app and protocol could discriminate neuromotor behavior between …

Investigation Of Human Adipose-Derived Stem-Cell Behavior Using A Cell-Instructive Polydopamine-Coated Gelatin-Alginate Hydrogel., Settimio Pacelli, Aparna R Chakravarti, Saman Modaresi, Siddharth Subham, Kyley Burkey, Cecilia Kurlbaum, Madeline Fang, Christopher A Neal, Adam J Mellott, Aishik Chakraborty, Arghya Paul

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Publications

Hydrogels can be fabricated and designed to exert direct control over stem cells' adhesion and differentiation. In this study, we have investigated the use of polydopamine (pDA)-treatment as a binding platform for bioactive compounds to create a versatile gelatin-alginate (Gel-Alg) hydrogel for tissue engineering applications. Precisely, pDA was used to modify the surface properties of the hydrogel and better control the adhesion and osteogenic differentiation of human adipose-derived stem cells (hASCs). pDA enabled the adsorption of different types of bioactive molecules, including a model osteoinductive drug (dexamethasone) as well as a model pro-angiogenic peptide (QK). The pDA treatment efficiently retained …

Controlled Release Of Multiple Therapeutics From Silicone Hydrogel Contact Lenses For Post-Cataract/Post-Refractive Surgery And Uveitis Treatment., Stephen A Dipasquale, Biaggio Uricoli, Matthew C Dicerbo, Thea L Brown, Mark Byrne

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Faculty Scholarship

PURPOSE: This work demonstrates seven-day controlled and extended in vitro physiological flow dual release of multiple post-ocular surgery therapeutics from extended-wear contact lenses as a dropless alternative for treatment of uveitis and corneal inflammation, pain, and infection. Lens replacement each week optimizes treatment matching patient recall time with the ability to increase or decrease dosage.

METHODS: Lenses were synthesized using molecular imprinting to create lenses with macromolecular memory for diclofenac sodium (DS) and dexamethasone sodium phosphate (DMSP), as well as bromfenac sodium (BS) and moxifloxacin (MOX). Drug uptake and release were analyzed, and physical properties were measured and compared to …

The Sars-Cov-2 Spike Protein Alters Barrier Function In 2d Static And 3d Microfluidic In-Vitro Models Of The Human Blood-Brain Barrier., Tetyana P Buzhdygan, Brandon J Deore, Abigail Baldwin-Leclair, Trent A Bullock, Hannah M Mcgary, Jana A Khan, Roshanak Razmpour, Jonathan F Hale, Peter Galie, Raghava Potula, Allison M Andrews, Servio H Ramirez

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Faculty Scholarship

As researchers across the globe have focused their attention on understanding SARS-CoV-2, the picture that is emerging is that of a virus that has serious effects on the vasculature in multiple organ systems including the cerebral vasculature. Observed effects on the central nervous system include neurological symptoms (headache, nausea, dizziness), fatal microclot formation and in rare cases encephalitis. However, our understanding of how the virus causes these mild to severe neurological symptoms and how the cerebral vasculature is impacted remains unclear. Thus, the results presented in this report explored whether deleterious outcomes from the SARS-CoV-2 viral spike protein on primary …

A Simple, Realistic Walled Phantom For Intravascular And Intracardiac Applications., Hareem Nisar, John Moore, Roberta Piazza, Efthymios Maneas, Elvis C S Chen, Terry M Peters

Robarts Imaging Publications

PURPOSE: This work aims to develop a simple, anatomically and haptically realistic vascular phantom, compatible with intravascular and intracardiac ultrasound. The low-cost, dual-layered phantom bridges the gap between traditional wall-only and wall-less phantoms by showing both the vessel wall and surrounding tissue in ultrasound imaging. This phantom can better assist clinical tool training, testing of intravascular devices, blood flow studies, and validation of algorithms for intravascular and intracardiac surgical systems.

METHODS: Polyvinyl alcohol cryogel (PVA-c) incorporating a scattering agent was used to obtain vessel and tissue-mimicking materials. Our specific design targeted the inferior vena cava and renal bifurcations which were …

Near Simultaneous Laser Scanning Confocal And Atomic Force Microscopy (Conpokal) On Live Cells, Joree N. Sandin, Surya P. Aryal, Thomas E. Wilkop, Christopher I. Richards, Martha E. Grady

Physiology Faculty Publications

Techniques available for micro- and nano-scale mechanical characterization have exploded in the last few decades. From further development of the scanning and transmission electron microscope, to the invention of atomic force microscopy, and advances in fluorescent imaging, there have been substantial gains in technologies that enable the study of small materials. Conpokal is a portmanteau that combines confocal microscopy with atomic force microscopy (AFM), where a probe "pokes" the surface. Although each technique is extremely effective for the qualitative and/or quantitative image collection on their own, Conpokal provides the capability to test with blended fluorescence imaging and mechanical characterization. Designed …

System Reliability Analysis Of The Scoliosis Disorder., Fatemeh Nouri, Seyed Hooman Ghasemi, Ji Yun Lee

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Faculty Scholarship

BACKGROUND: Scoliosis is a spine abnormal deviation, which is an idiopathic disorder among children and adolescents. As a matter of the fact, distribution of loads on the patient's spine and load-carrying capacity of the vertebral column are both random variables. Therefore, the probabilistic approach may consider as a sophisticated method to deal with this problem.

METHOD: Reliability analysis is a probabilistic-based approach to consider the uncertainties of load and resistance of the vertebral column. The main contribution of this paper is to compare the reliability level of a normal and scoliosis spinal. To do so, the numerical analyses associated with …

Microwave-Assisted And One-Step Synthesis Of Peg Passivated Fluorescent Carbon Dots From Gelatin As An Efficient Nanocarrier For Methotrexate Delivery, Nasser Arsalani, Parinaz Nezhad-Mokhtari, Esmaiel Jabbari

Faculty Publications

A green and simple process for preparing the polyethylene glycol passivated fluorescent carbon dots (CDs-PEG) have been studied by a microwave pyrolysis method, using gelatin and PEG as starting materials. This method is very effective for development of carbon-based quantum dots from gelatin with high quantum yield (QY). The synthesized CDs-PEG were found to emit blue photoluminescence (PL) with a maximum QY of 34%. At the following research, we investigated the effect of the presence of PEG on PL intensity, and the result showed that CDs-PEG becomes stronger PL properties than pure CDs from gelatin. The synthesized CDs-PEG were characterized …

Microarray Embedding/Sectioning For Parallel Analysis Of 3d Cell Spheroids., Jonathan Gabriel, David Brennan, Jennifer H Elisseeff, Vincent Beachley

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Faculty Scholarship

Three-dimensional cell spheroid models can be used to predict the effect of drugs and therapeutics and to model tissue development and regeneration. The utility of these models is enhanced by high throughput 3D spheroid culture technologies allowing researchers to efficiently culture numerous spheroids under varied experimental conditions. Detailed analysis of high throughput spheroid culture is much less efficient and generally limited to narrow outputs, such as metabolic viability. We describe a microarray approach that makes traditional histological embedding/sectioning/staining feasible for large 3D cell spheroid sample sets. Detailed methodology to apply this technology is provided. Analysis of the technique validates the …

Post-Acquisition Processing Confounds In Brain Volumetric Quantification Of White Matter Hyperintensities, Ahmed A. Bahrani, Omar M. Al-Janabi, Erin L. Abner, Shoshana H. Bardach, Richard J. Kryscio, Donna M. Wilcock, Charles D. Smith, Gregory A. Jicha

Neurology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Disparate research sites using identical or near-identical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) acquisition techniques often produce results that demonstrate significant variability regarding volumetric quantification of white matter hyperintensities (WMH) in the aging population. The sources of such variability have not previously been fully explored.

NEW METHOD: 3D FLAIR sequences from a group of randomly selected aged subjects were analyzed to identify sources-of-variability in post-acquisition processing that can be problematic when comparing WMH volumetric data across disparate sites. The methods developed focused on standardizing post-acquisition protocol processing methods to develop a protocol with less than 0.5% inter-rater variance.

RESULTS: A series …

Distinct Patterns Of Default Mode And Executive Control Network Circuitry Contribute To Present And Future Executive Function In Older Adults, Christopher A. Brown, Frederick A. Schmitt, Charles D. Smith, Brian T. Gold

Neuroscience Faculty Publications

Executive function (EF) performance in older adults has been linked with functional and structural profiles within the executive control network (ECN) and default mode network (DMN), white matter hyperintensities (WMH) burden and levels of Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology. Here, we simultaneously explored the unique contributions of these factors to baseline and longitudinal EF performance in older adults. Thirty-two cognitively normal (CN) older adults underwent neuropsychological testing at baseline and annually for three years. Neuroimaging and AD pathology measures were collected at baseline. Separate linear regression models were used to determine which of these variables predicted composite EF scores at baseline …

Diagnosing Growth In Low-Grade Gliomas With And Without Longitudinal Volume Measurements: A Retrospective Observational Study., Hassan M Fathallah-Shaykh, Andrew Deatkine, Elizabeth Coffee, Elias Khayat, Asim K Bag, Xiaosi Han, Paula Province Warren, Markus Bredel, John Fiveash, James Markert, Nidhal Carla Bouaynaya, Louis B Nabors

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Faculty Scholarship

BACKGROUND: Low-grade gliomas cause significant neurological morbidity by brain invasion. There is no universally accepted objective technique available for detection of enlargement of low-grade gliomas in the clinical setting; subjective evaluation by clinicians using visual comparison of longitudinal radiological studies is the gold standard. The aim of this study is to determine whether a computer-assisted diagnosis (CAD) method helps physicians detect earlier growth of low-grade gliomas.

METHODS AND FINDINGS: We reviewed 165 patients diagnosed with grade 2 gliomas, seen at the University of Alabama at Birmingham clinics from 1 July 2017 to 14 May 2018. MRI scans were collected during …

A Pilot Study Identifying Brain-Targeting Adaptive Immunity In Pediatric Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Patients With Acquired Brain Injury, Sterling B. Ortega, Poornima Pandiyan, Jana Windsor, Vanessa O. Torres, Uma M. Selvaraj, Amy Lee, Michael Morriss, Fenghua Tian, Lakshmi Raman, Ann M. Stowe

Neurology Faculty Publications

OBJECTIVES: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation provides short-term cardiopulmonary life support, but is associated with peripheral innate inflammation, disruptions in cerebral autoregulation, and acquired brain injury. We tested the hypothesis that extracorporeal membrane oxygenation also induces CNS-directed adaptive immune responses which may exacerbate extracorporeal membrane oxygenation-associated brain injury.

DESIGN: A single center prospective observational study.

SETTING: Pediatric and cardiac ICUs at a single tertiary care, academic center.

PATIENTS: Twenty pediatric extracorporeal membrane oxygenation patients (0-14 yr; 13 females, 7 males) and five nonextracorporeal membrane oxygenation Pediatric Logistic Organ Dysfunction score matched patients.

INTERVENTIONS: None.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Venous blood samples were …

Dynamic Light Scattering Optical Coherence Tomography To Probe Motion Of Subcellular Scatterers., Nico J J Arezza, Marjan Razani, Michael C Kolios

Medical Biophysics Publications

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is used to provide anatomical information of biological systems but can also provide functional information by characterizing the motion of intracellular structures. Dynamic light scattering OCT was performed on intact, control MCF-7 breast cancer cells and cells either treated with paclitaxel to induce apoptosis or deprived of nutrients to induce oncosis. Autocorrelations (ACs) of the temporal fluctuations of OCT intensity signals demonstrate a significant decrease in decorrelation time after 24 h in both the paclitaxel-treated and nutrient-deprived cell groups but no significant differences between the two groups. The acquired ACs were then used as input for …

Superelastic And Ph-Responsive Degradable Dendrimer Cryogels Prepared By Cryo-Aza-Michael Addition Reaction, Juan Wang, Hu Yang

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Dendrimers exhibit super atomistic features by virtue of their well-defined discrete quantized nanoscale structures. Here, we show that hyperbranched amine-terminated polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimer G4.0 reacts with linear polyethylene glycol (PEG) diacrylate (575 g/mol) via the aza-Michael addition reaction at a subzero temperature (-20 °C), namely cryo-aza-Michael addition, to form a macroporous superelastic network, i.e., dendrimer cryogel. Dendrimer cryogels exhibit biologically relevant Young's modulus, high compression elasticity and super resilience at ambient temperature. Furthermore, the dendrimer cryogels exhibit excellent rebound performance and do not show significant stress relaxation under cyclic deformation over a wide temperature range (-80 to 100 °C). The …

Distinct White Matter Changes Associated With Cerebrospinal Fluid Amyloid-Β1-42 And Hypertension, Omar M. Al-Janabi, Christopher A. Brown, Ahmed A. Bahrani, Erin L. Abner, Justin M. Barber, Brian T. Gold, Larry B. Goldstein, Richard R. Murphy, Peter T. Nelson, Nathan F. Johnson, Leslie M. Shaw, Charles D. Smith, John Q. Trojanowski, Donna M. Wilcock, Gregory A. Jicha

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology and hypertension (HTN) are risk factors for development of white matter (WM) alterations and might be independently associated with these alterations in older adults.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the independent and synergistic effects of HTN and AD pathology on WM alterations.

METHODS: Clinical measures of cerebrovascular disease risk were collected from 62 participants in University of Kentucky Alzheimer's Disease Center studies who also had cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sampling and MRI brain scans. CSF Aβ_1-42 levels were measured as a marker of AD, and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery imaging and diffusion tensor imaging were obtained to assess …

Blood Transfusions In Preterm Infants: Changes On Perfusion Index And Intermittent Hypoxemia, Katrina T. Ibonia, Henrietta S. Bada, Philip M. Westgate, Enrique Gomez Pomar, Prasad Bhandary, Abhijit R. Patwardhan, Elie G. Abu Jawdeh

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND

Red blood cell (RBC) transfusion decreases intermittent hypoxemia (IH) events beyond the first week of life. This benefit may be related to improved perfusion to the respiratory control network. Perfusion index (PI) is a perfusion measure provided by the pulse oximeter. We hypothesized that the benefit in IH after RBC transfusion is associated with an increase in PI. In addition, we assessed the value of PI and clinical measures in predicting the effect of RBC transfusion on IH.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

We prospectively enrolled infants less than 30 weeks' gestation age. PI and oxygen saturation (SpO₂) …

Walking Speed Differentially Alters Spinal Loads In Persons With Traumatic Lower Limb Amputation, Brad D. Hendershot, Iman Shojaei, Julian C. Acasio, Christopher L. Dearth, Babak Bazrgari

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications

Persons with lower limb amputation (LLA) perceive altered motions of the trunk/pelvis during activities of daily living as contributing factors for low back pain. When walking (at a singular speed), larger trunk motions among persons with vs. without LLA are associated with larger spinal loads; however, modulating walking speed is necessary in daily life and thus understanding the influences of walking speed on spinal loads in persons with LLA is of particular interest here. Three-dimensional trunk-pelvic kinematics, collected during level-ground walking at self-selected (SSW) and two controlled speeds (~1.0 and ~1.4 m/s), were obtained for seventy-eight participants: 26 with transfemoral …

Mechanical Demands On The Lower Back In Patients With Non-Chronic Low Back Pain During A Symmetric Lowering And Lifting Task, Iman Shojaei, Elizabeth G. Salt, Quenten L. Hooker, Babak Bazrgari

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications

There is limited information in the literature related to the lower back loading in patients with LBP, particularly those with non-chronic LBP. Toward addressing such a research gap, a case-control study was conducted to explore the differences in lower back mechanical loads between a group of females (n=19) with non-chronic, non-specific LBP and a group of asymptomatic females (n=19). The differences in lower back mechanical loads were determined when participants completed one symmetric lowering and lifting of a 4.5 kg load at their preferred cadence. The axial, shearing, and moment components of task demand at the time of peak moment …

A Model-Based Approach For Estimation Of Changes In Lumbar Segmental Kinematics Associated With Alterations In Trunk Muscle Forces, Iman Shojaei, Navid Arjmand, Judith R. Meakin, Babak Bazrgari

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications

The kinematics information from imaging, if combined with optimization-based biomechanical models, may provide a unique platform for personalized assessment of trunk muscle forces (TMFs). Such a method, however, is feasible only if differences in lumbar spine kinematics due to differences in TMFs can be captured by the current imaging techniques. A finite element model of the spine within an optimization procedure was used to estimate segmental kinematics of lumbar spine associated with five different sets of TMFs. Each set of TMFs was associated with a hypothetical trunk neuromuscular strategy that optimized one aspect of lower back biomechanics. For each set …

White Matter Hyperintensity Associations With Cerebral Blood Flow In Elderly Subjects Stratified By Cerebrovascular Risk, Ahmed A. Bahrani, David K. Powell, Guoqiang Yu, Eleanor S. Johnson, Gregory A. Jicha, Charles D. Smith

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications

Objective: This study aims to add clarity to the relationship between deep and periventricular brain white matter hyperintensities (WMHs), cerebral blood flow (CBF), and cerebrovascular risk in older persons. Methods: Deep white matter hyperintensity (dWMH) and periventricular white matter hyperintensity (pWMH) and regional gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) blood flow from arterial spin labeling were quantified from magnetic resonance imaging scans of 26 cognitively normal elderly subjects stratified by cerebrovascular disease (CVD) risk. Fluidattenuated inversion recovery images were acquired using a high-resolution 3-dimensional (3-D) sequence that reduced partial volume effects seen with slicebased techniques. Results: dWMHs but not …