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Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering Commons

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2016

Biomechanics and Biotransport

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Articles 1 - 30 of 47

Full-Text Articles in Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering

The Role Of Scapular Morphology In Reverse Shoulder Arthroplasty, Ashish Gupta Dec 2016

The Role Of Scapular Morphology In Reverse Shoulder Arthroplasty, Ashish Gupta

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Baseplate fixation in a reverse shoulder arthroplasty depends on adequate bone stock. In cases of severe glenoid bone loss and revision shoulder arthroplasty, deficiency of the glenoid vault compels the surgeon to attain screw fixation in the three columns of the scapula. The relationship of these columns demonstrated that the coracoid is closer to the lateral scapular pillar in females than in males. Significant gender dimorphism exists between the orientations of the three columns. The gender dimorphism is further evaluated by anthropometric measurements of the scapular body and the glenoid. The clinical significance lies in the ability to reconstruct the …


Functional 3-D Cellulose And Nitrocellulose Paper-Based, Microfluidic Device Utilizing Elisa Technology For The Detection/Distinction Between Hemorrhagic And Ischemic Strokes, Alicia Leanne Holler Dec 2016

Functional 3-D Cellulose And Nitrocellulose Paper-Based, Microfluidic Device Utilizing Elisa Technology For The Detection/Distinction Between Hemorrhagic And Ischemic Strokes, Alicia Leanne Holler

Master's Theses

The purpose of this thesis project is to demonstrate and evaluate an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) on a paper microfluidic device platform. The integration of ELISA technology onto paper microfluidic chips allows for a quantitative detection of stroke biomarkers, such as glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). Dye experiments were performed to confirm fluid connectivity throughout the 3D chips. Several chip and housing designs were fabricated to determine an optimal design for the microfluidic device. Once this design was finalized, development time testing was performed. The results confirmed that the paper microfluidic device could successfully route fluid throughout its channels at …


Synchronization And Random Triggering Of Lymphatic Vessel Contractions, James W. Baish, Christian Kunert, Timothy P. Padera, Lance L. Munn Dec 2016

Synchronization And Random Triggering Of Lymphatic Vessel Contractions, James W. Baish, Christian Kunert, Timothy P. Padera, Lance L. Munn

Faculty Journal Articles

The lymphatic system is responsible for transporting interstitial fluid back to the bloodstream, but unlike the cardiovascular system, lacks a centralized pump-the heart–to drive flow. Instead, each collecting lymphatic vessel can individually contract and dilate producing unidirectional flow enforced by intraluminal check valves. Due to the large number and spatial distribution of such pumps, high-level coordination would be unwieldy. This leads to the question of how each segment of lymphatic vessel responds to local signals that can contribute to the coordination of pumping on a network basis. Beginning with elementary fluid mechanics and known cellular behaviors, we show that two …


Characterization Of Molecular Communication Based On Cell Metabolism Through Mutual Information And Flux Balance Analysis, Zahmeeth Sayed Sakkaff Dec 2016

Characterization Of Molecular Communication Based On Cell Metabolism Through Mutual Information And Flux Balance Analysis, Zahmeeth Sayed Sakkaff

Department of Computer Science and Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Synthetic biology is providing novel tools to engineer cells and access the basis of their molecular information processing, including their communication channels based on chemical reactions and molecule exchange. Molecular communication is a discipline in communication engineering that studies these types of communications and ways to exploit them for novel purposes, such as the development of ubiquitous and heterogeneous communication networks to interconnect biological cells with nano and biotechnology-enabled devices, i.e., the Internet of Bio-Nano Things. One major problem in realizing these goals stands in the development of reliable techniques to control the engineered cells and their behavior from the …


Multi-Classifier Fusion Strategy For Activity And Intent Recognition Of Torso Movements, Abhijit Kadrolkar Nov 2016

Multi-Classifier Fusion Strategy For Activity And Intent Recognition Of Torso Movements, Abhijit Kadrolkar

Doctoral Dissertations

As assistive, wearable robotic devices are being developed to physically assist their users, it has become crucial to develop safe, reliable methods to coordinate the device with the intentions and motions of the wearer. This dissertation investigates the recognition of user intent during flexion and extension of the human torso in the sagittal plane to be used for control of an assistive exoskeleton for the human torso. A multi-sensor intent recognition approach is developed that combines information from surface electromyogram (sEMG) signals from the user’s muscles and inertial sensors mounted on the user’s body. Intent recognition is implemented by following …


A Biomechanical Investigation Of Scaphoid And Lunate Kinematics During Wrist Motion, Helen L. Stoesser Oct 2016

A Biomechanical Investigation Of Scaphoid And Lunate Kinematics During Wrist Motion, Helen L. Stoesser

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Carpal kinematics have been previously investigated, yet there remains no consensus regarding the relative contribution of each bone to total wrist motion. A more detailed understanding of carpal kinematics is essential in the effective diagnosis and treatment of injuries of the wrist, as many injuries manifest as an alteration in intercarpal kinematics. The scapholunate (SL) ligament is one of the most commonly injured intercarpal articulations resulting in a cascade of degenerative changes included cartilage wear and altered joint kinematics. The SL ligament is considered the primary stabilizer of the SL joint but is surrounded by a complex network of secondary …


Industrial Solid-State Energy Harvesting: Mechanisms And Examples, Matthew Kocoloski, Carl Eger, Robin Mccarty, Kevin P. Hallinan, J. Kelly Kissock Sep 2016

Industrial Solid-State Energy Harvesting: Mechanisms And Examples, Matthew Kocoloski, Carl Eger, Robin Mccarty, Kevin P. Hallinan, J. Kelly Kissock

J. Kissock

This paper explores the potential for solid-state energy harvesting in industrial applications. In contrast to traditional heat recovery, the output of solid-state devices is electricity, which can be readily used in virtually any plant. The progress in harvesting waste heat via thermoelectric and thermionic generators is described. With second law efficiencies now approaching 50% and 80% respectively, we show that these technologies are on the cusp of practical use. Finally, we present an example of energy harvesting using thermionic devices in an industrial application. The example considers energy harvesting from a furnace at a glass manufacturing facility where exhaust gases …


Continuous Isolation Of Monocytes Using A Magnetophoretic-Based Microfluidic Chip, Jeff Darabi, Chuan Guo Aug 2016

Continuous Isolation Of Monocytes Using A Magnetophoretic-Based Microfluidic Chip, Jeff Darabi, Chuan Guo

SIUE Faculty Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity

Monocytes play an important role in the immune system and are responsible for phagocytizing and degrading foreign microorganisms in the body. The isolation of monocytes is important in various immunological applications such as in-vitro culture of dendritic cells. We present a magnetophoretic-based microfluidic chip for rapid isolation of highly purified, untouched monocytes from human blood by a negative selection method. This bioseparation platform integrates several unique features into a microfluidic device, including locally engineered magnetic field gradients and a continuous flow with a buffer switching scheme to improve the performance of the cell separation process. The results indicate high monocyte …


Development Of Standard Criteria To Evaluate The Effectiveness Of Helmets At Decreasing The Risk Of Concussions, Daniel Y. Shyu, Goutham N. Sankaran, Kevin G. Mciver, Nicolas Leiva, Eric A. Nauman Aug 2016

Development Of Standard Criteria To Evaluate The Effectiveness Of Helmets At Decreasing The Risk Of Concussions, Daniel Y. Shyu, Goutham N. Sankaran, Kevin G. Mciver, Nicolas Leiva, Eric A. Nauman

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

In many sports, such as American football, accumulations of mild traumatic brain injuries have been suggested as a possible link to neurodegeneration and future mental disorders. With head impacts occurring at all levels of competition and in different sports, it is critical to develop an accurate method for quantifying the effects of head impacts and determining the efficacy of helmets. This study examines the derivation of different dimensionless numbers and ascertains the critical factors needed to predict the effects of head impacts, specifically the resulting accelerations from an impact. Given a known force of impact, parameters such as peak translation …


Ball Pressure Correlations With Peak Impact Force And The Potential For Cumulative Mtbi When Heading A Soccer Ball, Nicolas Leiva, Daniel Y. Shyu, Josh Auger, Eric Nauman Aug 2016

Ball Pressure Correlations With Peak Impact Force And The Potential For Cumulative Mtbi When Heading A Soccer Ball, Nicolas Leiva, Daniel Y. Shyu, Josh Auger, Eric Nauman

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Soccer is a unique sport in which athletes use their heads as tools for gameplay, which may ultimately cause cumulative traumatic brain injuries. Due to rising popularity of soccer in the United States alongside the increased occurrence of CTE and mTBI in other contact sports, there is a growing concern over how to keep the repetitive forces caused by heading, as low as possible. Different variables that can affect the peak force felt when heading a soccer ball can be simulated and compared with in-game data, however, this has never been properly tested before. In the present study two size …


Energy Information Augmented Community-Based Energy Reduction, Kevin P. Hallinan, Harvey Enns, Stephenie Ritchey, Phil Brodrick, Nathan Lammers, Nichole Hanus, Mark Rembert, Tony Rainsberger Aug 2016

Energy Information Augmented Community-Based Energy Reduction, Kevin P. Hallinan, Harvey Enns, Stephenie Ritchey, Phil Brodrick, Nathan Lammers, Nichole Hanus, Mark Rembert, Tony Rainsberger

Harvey Enns

More than one-half of all U.S. states have instituted energy efficiency mandates requiring utilities to reduce energy use. To achieve these goals, utilities have been permitted rate structures to help them incentivize energy reduction projects. This strategy is proving to be only modestly successful in stemming energy consumption growth. By the same token, community energy reduction programs have achieved moderate to very significant energy reduction. The research described here offers an important tool to strengthen the community energy reduction efforts—by providing such efforts energy information tailored to the energy use patterns of each building occupant. The information provided most importantly …


The Role Of Mechanical Loading In Chondrocyte Signaling Pathways, Qiaoqiao Wan Aug 2016

The Role Of Mechanical Loading In Chondrocyte Signaling Pathways, Qiaoqiao Wan

Open Access Dissertations

Chondrocytes are a predominant cell type present in articular cartilage, whose integrity is jeopardized in joint degenerative diseases such as osteoarthritis (OA). In the chondrocytes of patients with OA, the elevated levels of inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin 1β (IL1β) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) have been reported. These cytokines contribute to degradation of cartilage matrix by increasing activities of proteolytic enzymes. In addition to their contribution to proteolytic enzymes, these cytokines adversely affect anabolic activity of chondrocytes by inhibiting the production of proteoglycans and type II collagen. Therefore, blocking the action of these cytokines is a potential strategy …


Fluid Flow Characterization And In Silico Validation In A Rapid Prototyped Aortic Arch Model, Alexandra Mariel Knauer Aug 2016

Fluid Flow Characterization And In Silico Validation In A Rapid Prototyped Aortic Arch Model, Alexandra Mariel Knauer

Master's Theses

Transcatheter aortic heart valve replacement (TAVR) is a procedure to replace a failing aortic valve and is becoming the new standard of care for patients that are not candidates for open-heart surgery [2]. However, this minimally invasive technique has shown to cause ischemic brain lesions, or “silent infarcts”, in 90% of TAVR patients, which can increase the patient’s risk for stroke by two to four times in future years [3]. Claret Medical Inc., a medical device company, has developed a cerebral protection system that filters and captures embolic debris released during endovascular procedures, such as TAVR. This thesis utilized CT …


A Novel Composite Material-Based Computational Model For Left Ventricle Biomechanics Simulation, Seyyed Mohammad Hassan Haddad Jul 2016

A Novel Composite Material-Based Computational Model For Left Ventricle Biomechanics Simulation, Seyyed Mohammad Hassan Haddad

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

To model cardiac mechanics effectively, various mechanical characteristics of cardiac muscle tissue including anisotropy, hyperelasticity, and tissue active contraction characteristics must be considered. Some of these features cannot be implemented using commercial finite element (FE) solvers unless additional custom-developed computer codes/subroutines are appended. Such codes/subroutines are unavailable for the research community. Accordingly, the overarching objective of this research is to develop a novel LV mechanics model which is implementable in commercial FE solvers and can be used effectively within inverse FE frameworks towards cardiac disease diagnosis and therapy. This was broken down into a number of objectives. The first objective …


Microscale Investigation Of Thermo-Fluid Transport In The Transition Fil, Region Of An Evaporating Capillary Meniscus Using A Microgravity Environment, Kenneth D. Kihm, Jeffrey S. Allen, Kevin P. Hallinan, David M. Pratt Jul 2016

Microscale Investigation Of Thermo-Fluid Transport In The Transition Fil, Region Of An Evaporating Capillary Meniscus Using A Microgravity Environment, Kenneth D. Kihm, Jeffrey S. Allen, Kevin P. Hallinan, David M. Pratt

Kevin Hallinan

In order to enhance the fundamental understanding of thin film evaporation and thereby improve the critical design concept for two-phase heat transfer devices, microscale heat and mass transport is to be investigated for the transition film region using state-of-the-art optical diagnostic techniques. By utilizing a microgravity environment, the length scales of the transition film region can be extended sufficiently, from submicron to micron, to probe and measure the microscale transport fields which are affected by intermolecular forces. Extension of the thin film dimensions under microgravity will be achieved by using a conical evaporator made of a thin silicon substrate under …


Nanocharacterization Of Bio-Silica Using Atomic Force And Ultrasonic Force Microscopy, Vinaypreet S. Gill, Kevin P. Hallinan, N. S. Brar Jul 2016

Nanocharacterization Of Bio-Silica Using Atomic Force And Ultrasonic Force Microscopy, Vinaypreet S. Gill, Kevin P. Hallinan, N. S. Brar

Kevin Hallinan

Nanotechnology has become central to our research efforts to fabricate relatively smaller size devices, which are more versatile than their older and larger predecessors. Silica is a very important material in this regard. Recently, a new biomimetically inspired path to silica production has been demonstrated. This processing technique was inspired from biological organisms, such as marine diatoms, which produce silica at ambient conditions and almost neutral ph with beautiful control over location and structure. Recently, several researchers have demonstrated that positional control of silica formed could be achieved by application of an electric field to locate charged enzymes responsible for …


Leveraging Students’ Passion And Creativity: Ethos At The University Of Dayton, Margaret Pinnell, Malcolm Daniels, Kevin P. Hallinan, Gretchen Berkemeier Jul 2016

Leveraging Students’ Passion And Creativity: Ethos At The University Of Dayton, Margaret Pinnell, Malcolm Daniels, Kevin P. Hallinan, Gretchen Berkemeier

Kevin Hallinan

The Engineers in Technical Humanitarian Opportunities of Service-learning (ETHOS) program was developed in the spring of 2001 by an interdisciplinary group (electrical, chemical, civil and mechanical) of undergraduate engineering students at the University of Dayton (UD). ETHOS was founded on the belief that engineers are more apt and capable to appropriately serve our world if they have an understanding of technology’s global linkage with values, culture, society, politics, and the economy. Since 2001, the ETHOS program at UD has grown and changed. From conceptualization, to implementation, to maturation and national recognition, the program has addressed challenges of academic acceptance, programmatic …


Experimental Verification Of Source Temperature Modulation Via A Thermal Switch In Thermal Energy Harvesting, Robin Mccarty, D. Monaghan, Kevin P. Hallinan, Brian Sanders Jul 2016

Experimental Verification Of Source Temperature Modulation Via A Thermal Switch In Thermal Energy Harvesting, Robin Mccarty, D. Monaghan, Kevin P. Hallinan, Brian Sanders

Kevin Hallinan

This paper provides a description of research seeking to experimentally verify the effectiveness of a thermal switch used in series with TE devices for waste heat recovery for constant and variable source heat input and for variable source thermal capacitance (mass). Using an experimental set-up comprised serially of a fixed heat source, a variable thermal resistance air gap serving as a thermal switch, a thermoelectric device and a heat sink, the time-averaged power output to power input ratios improved up to 15% and 30% respectively for constant and variable heat input in certain design space conditions. The experimental results, as …


Industrial Solid-State Energy Harvesting: Mechanisms And Examples, Matthew Kocoloski, Carl Eger, Robin Mccarty, Kevin P. Hallinan, J. Kelly Kissock Jul 2016

Industrial Solid-State Energy Harvesting: Mechanisms And Examples, Matthew Kocoloski, Carl Eger, Robin Mccarty, Kevin P. Hallinan, J. Kelly Kissock

Kevin Hallinan

This paper explores the potential for solid-state energy harvesting in industrial applications. In contrast to traditional heat recovery, the output of solid-state devices is electricity, which can be readily used in virtually any plant. The progress in harvesting waste heat via thermoelectric and thermionic generators is described. With second law efficiencies now approaching 50% and 80% respectively, we show that these technologies are on the cusp of practical use. Finally, we present an example of energy harvesting using thermionic devices in an industrial application. The example considers energy harvesting from a furnace at a glass manufacturing facility where exhaust gases …


Energy Information Augmented Community-Based Energy Reduction, Kevin P. Hallinan, Harvey Enns, Stephenie Ritchey, Phil Brodrick, Nathan Lammers, Nichole Hanus, Mark Rembert, Tony Rainsberger Jul 2016

Energy Information Augmented Community-Based Energy Reduction, Kevin P. Hallinan, Harvey Enns, Stephenie Ritchey, Phil Brodrick, Nathan Lammers, Nichole Hanus, Mark Rembert, Tony Rainsberger

Kevin Hallinan

More than one-half of all U.S. states have instituted energy efficiency mandates requiring utilities to reduce energy use. To achieve these goals, utilities have been permitted rate structures to help them incentivize energy reduction projects. This strategy is proving to be only modestly successful in stemming energy consumption growth. By the same token, community energy reduction programs have achieved moderate to very significant energy reduction. The research described here offers an important tool to strengthen the community energy reduction efforts—by providing such efforts energy information tailored to the energy use patterns of each building occupant. The information provided most importantly …


Electro-Hydrodynamic Pumped Hydraulic Actuation With Application To Active Vibration Control, Ahmad Reza Kashani, Sung Kang, Kevin P. Hallinan Jul 2016

Electro-Hydrodynamic Pumped Hydraulic Actuation With Application To Active Vibration Control, Ahmad Reza Kashani, Sung Kang, Kevin P. Hallinan

Kevin Hallinan

A new type of actuation device has been conceptualized that meets the needs of both large displacement, force and bandwidth within a package more compact than currently available magnetostrictive and stack-type piezoelectric actuators of similar rating. This concept relies on micro-scale electrohydrodynamic (EHD) pumping of a dielectric liquid within small channels. Configured as an actuator, the EHD pump(s) would be used to move fluid between two reservoirs—each having a compliant membrane that interfaces to the world to provide the means to achieve vibration cancellation or micro actuation. Ordinarily limited to generating flow in macroscale applications, the EHD pump, when operating …


A Study Of The Fundamental Operations Of A Capillary Driven Heat Transfer Device In Both Normal And Low Gravity Part 1-Liquid Slug Formation In Low Gravity, Jeffrey S. Allen, Kevin P. Hallinan, Jack Lekan Jul 2016

A Study Of The Fundamental Operations Of A Capillary Driven Heat Transfer Device In Both Normal And Low Gravity Part 1-Liquid Slug Formation In Low Gravity, Jeffrey S. Allen, Kevin P. Hallinan, Jack Lekan

Kevin Hallinan

Research has been conducted to observe the operation of a capillary pumped loop (CPL) in both normal and low gravity environments in order to ascertain the causes of device failure. The failures of capillary pumped heat transport devices in low gravity; specifically; evaporator dryout, are not understood and the available data for analyzing the failures is incomplete. To observe failure in these devices an idealized experimental CPL was configured for testing in both a normal-gravity and a low-gravity environment. The experimental test loop was constructed completely of Pyrex tubing to allow for visualization of system operations. Heat was added to …


Clean Energy Infrastructure Educational Initiative, Kevin P. Hallinan, James A. Menart, Robert Gilbert Jul 2016

Clean Energy Infrastructure Educational Initiative, Kevin P. Hallinan, James A. Menart, Robert Gilbert

Kevin Hallinan

The Clean Energy Infrastructure Educational Initiative represents a collaborative effort by the University of Dayton, Wright State University and Sinclair Community College. This effort above all aimed to establish energy related programs at each of the universities while also providing outreach to the local, state-wide, and national communities. At the University of Dayton, the grant has aimed at: solidfying a newly created Master's program in Renewable and Clean Energy; helping to establish and staff a regional sustainability organization for SW Ohio. As well, as the prime grantee, the University of Dayton was responsible for ensuring curricular sharing between WSU and …


Functional Comparison Of Conventional Afos With The Dynamic Response Afo, Mitchell Ruble Jul 2016

Functional Comparison Of Conventional Afos With The Dynamic Response Afo, Mitchell Ruble

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Ankle foot orthoses (AFOs) are commonly prescribed to provide stability and foot clearance for patients with weakened or injured musculature. The Dynamic Response AFO (DRAFO) was designed to improve proprioception at heel strike. The design includes a rigid outer shell with a cut out heel and a soft inner lining; it is typically aligned in plantarflexion and may incorporate external heel wedges. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of the DRAFO design features and contrast its biomechanical function with that of conventional locked and articulating AFOs. The research hypotheses were: 1) DRAFO-assisted gait parameters (e.g. ankle …


Microbubble Generation By Piezoelectric Transducers For Biomedical Studies, Mohammed Alkhazal Jul 2016

Microbubble Generation By Piezoelectric Transducers For Biomedical Studies, Mohammed Alkhazal

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Bubbles induced by blast waves or shocks are speculated as the major cause of damage in biological cells in mild traumatic brain injuries (TBI). Microbubble collapse was found to induce noticeable cell detachment from the cell substrate, changes in focal adhesion, and biomechanics. To better understand the bubble mechanism, a system needs to be constructed which allows clear differentiation on the impact of bubbles from that of shocks. Such a generator needs to be low profile in order to place under a microscope. A piezoelectric transducer system was designed to meet the need. The system uses either a flat or …


Prosthetic Leg Kit For Deployment In Developing Countries, Brian Murphy, Dominique Porcincula, Derek Morgan, Kendall Ruggles, Christian Aguayo Jun 2016

Prosthetic Leg Kit For Deployment In Developing Countries, Brian Murphy, Dominique Porcincula, Derek Morgan, Kendall Ruggles, Christian Aguayo

Biomedical Engineering

The World Health Organization estimates that over 30 million people require some sort of prosthetic technology. However, traditional prosthetic fitting practices take a lot of time and cost a lot of money, making them inaccessible to millions of people around the world. StandUP Worldwide is an interdisciplinary project team devoted to creating low-cost prosthetic technologies for use around the world, especially in resource poor areas. They are currently developing a low cost, below-the-knee prosthetic kit that can be easily deployed in a resource-poor area. The following presents their solution for a below-the-knee prosthetic socket, foot, and leg.


The Effects Of Obesity On Resultant Knee Joint Loads For Gait And Cycling, Juan Gutierrez-Franco Jun 2016

The Effects Of Obesity On Resultant Knee Joint Loads For Gait And Cycling, Juan Gutierrez-Franco

Master's Theses

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative disease of cartilage and bone tissue and the most common form of arthritis, accounting for US$ 10.5 billion in hospital charges in 2006. Obesity (OB) has been linked to increased risk of developing knee OA due to increased knee joint loads and varus-valgus misalignment. Walking is recommended as a weight-loss activity but it may increase risk of knee OA as OB gait increases knee loads. Cycling has been proposed as an alternative weight-loss measure, however, lack of studies comparing normal weight (NW) and OB subjects in cycling and gait hinder identification of exercises that may …


The Role Of Intrinsic Foot Muscles In Three Running Footwear Conditions, Brian T. Groener May 2016

The Role Of Intrinsic Foot Muscles In Three Running Footwear Conditions, Brian T. Groener

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Running has grown tremendously in popularity and so has running with minimalist shoes. Injuries such as plantar fasciitis (pain and inflammation of a thick band of tissue that runs across the bottom of the foot) are prevalent in runners despite efforts to design footwear to alleviate the impact of running and to reduce the number of injuries. In the past decade, minimalist running shoes have received considerable attention, causing debate amongst runners and scientists as to their utility in injury prevention. While running barefoot or in minimalist shoes reduces initial impact forces, the claim that they lower injury rates remains …


Adaptive Kernel Estimation For Enhanced Filtering And Pattern Classification Of Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Novel Techniques For Evaluating The Biomechanics And Pathologic Conditions Of The Lumbar Spine, Nicholas Vincent Battaglia May 2016

Adaptive Kernel Estimation For Enhanced Filtering And Pattern Classification Of Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Novel Techniques For Evaluating The Biomechanics And Pathologic Conditions Of The Lumbar Spine, Nicholas Vincent Battaglia

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the contribution the lumbar spine musculature has on etiological and pathogenic characteristics of low back pain and lumbar spondylosis. This endeavor necessarily required a two-step process: 1) design of an accurate post-processing method for extracting relevant information via magnetic resonance images and 2) determine pathological trends by elucidating high-dimensional datasets through multivariate pattern classification. The lumbar musculature was initially evaluated by post-processing and segmentation of magnetic resonance (MR) images of the lumbar spine, which characteristically suffer from nonlinear corruption of the signal intensity. This so called intensity inhomogeneity degrades the efficacy of traditional intensity-based segmentation algorithms. Proposed …


Wheelchair Fatigue Reducer, Aaron Miller, Dennis Andre Norfleet May 2016

Wheelchair Fatigue Reducer, Aaron Miller, Dennis Andre Norfleet

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.