Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering Commons^™

The Next-Gen Crop Nutrient Stress Identification With High-Precision Sensing Technology In Digital Agriculture, Zhihang Song, Ziling Chen, Xing Wei, Jian Jin

Graduate Industrial Research Symposium

Crop yields are facing significant losses from nutrient deficiencies. Over-fertilizing also has negative economic and environmental impacts. It is challenging to optimize fertilizing without an accurate diagnosis. Recently, plant phenotyping has demonstrated outstanding capabilities in estimating crop traits. As one of the leading technologies, LeafSpec, provides high-quality crop image data for improving phenotyping quality. In this study, novel algorithms are developed for LeafSpec to identify crop nutrient deficiencies more accurately. Combined with UAV system, this technology will bring growers a robust solution for fertilizing diagnosis and scientific crop management.

A Biochemical Necroptosis Model Explains Cell-Type-Specific Responses To Cell Death Cues, Geena V. Ildefonso, Marie Oliver Metzig, Alexander Hoffmann, Leonard A. Harris, Carlos F. Lopez

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Necroptosis is a form of regulated cell death associated with degenerative disorders, autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, and cancer. To better understand the biochemical mechanisms regulating necroptosis, we constructed a detailed computational model of tumor necrosis factor-induced necroptosis based on known molecular interactions from the literature. Intracellular protein levels, used as model inputs, were quantified using label-free mass spectrometry, and the model was calibrated using Bayesian parameter inference to experimental protein time course data from a well-established necroptosis-executing cell line. The calibrated model reproduced the dynamics of phosphorylated mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein, an established necroptosis reporter. A subsequent dynamical systems …

Prediction Of Persistent Post-Traumatic Headache With Long Short-Term Memory Networks, Todd C. Campo

Theses and Dissertations

Military members in combat situations are at a high risk for experiencing a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), often leaving them with Post-Traumatic Headache (PTH). There is currently a poor understanding of what factors predict if a patient will endure acute (short-term) PTH or Persistent PTH (PPTH). The Concussion Assessment, Research, and Education (CARE) Consortium dataset contains a variety of pre-and-post-injury concussion assessments taken by NCAA athletes and service academy cadets between 2014 and 2018. Participants in this study (n = 1769) suffered a TBI. Using this longitudinal data, three models were constructed: an LSTM model using the raw assessment scores, …

Hypoxic Incubator Control System, Marina Zellers, Jennifer Rojas, Derek Tran

Biomedical Engineering

This paper describes the functionality of the current Hypoxic Incubator, a project started by BMED graduate students Simone Helfrich and Makenzie Jones, with the objective being to redesign the device to address potential areas of improvement. The hypoxic incubator has been designed to allow for the control of the O₂, CO₂, and N₂ levels such that researchers can grow and study cell culture in hypoxic conditions; however, its efficacy and efficiency are limited by the fact that it often overshoots the desired setpoints for O₂ and CO₂ in addition to being difficult to …

Postpartum Hemorrhage Detection Device, Kaitlyn Bailey, Adrian Diaz, Alcides Caballero

Biomedical Engineering

During a cesarean section, blood loss greater than 1000 mL is classified as a hemorrhage. Quantified blood loss methods are used to detect hemorrhage, however existing methods are inaccurate and time consuming. Our proposed device is inserted vaginally during a cesarean section to collect and quantify blood lost via the cervix during and after the procedure. The device also applies light suction to the uterus, which can aid in uterus collapse and decrease the risk of postpartum hemorrhage.

Biomaterials Redesign Of Microvascular Anastomotic Coupler, Nick Glatter, Sophie Jackson, Samuel Leingang

Biomedical Engineering

The key factors in the redesign of this part include the use of biomaterials, the redesign of the part geometry to include these biomaterials, and the proposition of production scale manufacturing methods suitable for these redesigns. The choice of biodegradable material was guided by previous literature, during which we found the PLGA polymer used in similar predicate devices with a biodegradability timeline similar to our goals. The model of coupler serving as the inspiration for the redesign utilizes two very strong but bioinert materials, polyethylene, and stainless steel. These high strength materials can withstand much greater forces than the biodegradable …

Gait Analysis Device For Elderly Fall Prediction, Ryan Hahn, Claudia Miller, Evan Yakligian

Biomedical Engineering

This document serves to outline the design process and final design for our project to address elderly independent living in collaboration with Apple. Included in this document is necessary academic literature of current fall risk assessments and descriptions of the current market of wearable gait analysis devices. Based on this research and data, we then outline a plan for design, manufacturing, prototyping, and testing a device to fulfill the original prompt given by our sponsors: create a device that will increase the ability of an aging loved one to live at home safely. This device is a wearable that collects …

Early Introduction Of 3d Modeling Modules Promotes The Development Of Simulation Skills In Downstream Biomedical Engineering Curricula, Mary S. Jia, Raj R. Rao, Mostafa Elsaadany

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background

Recent advancements in additive manufacturing have made 3D design a desirable skill in combating the historically slow development of biomedical products. Due to the broad applicability of additive manufacturing to biomedical engineering, 3D design and 3D printing are attractive educational tools for biomedical engineering students. However, due to the multidisciplinary nature of biomedical engineering, finding a suitable spot in the curriculum to teach students basic and application-based skills for 3D manufacturing is difficult. Furthermore, prior training in fundamental 3D design skills may be needed to support the use of application-based supplementary content.

Results

We designed a SolidWorks Simulations toolkit …

Development Of Fibroblast/Endothelial Cell-Seeded Collagen Scaffolds For In Vitro Prevascularization, Daniela S. Masson-Meyers, Fahimeh Tabatabaei, Lane Steinhaus, Jeffrey M. Toth, Lobat Tayebi

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

The development of vascularized scaffolds remains one of the major challenges in tissue engineering, and co-culturing with endothelial cells is known as one of the possible approaches for this purpose. In this approach, optimization of cell culture conditions, scaffolds, and fabrication techniques is needed to develop tissue equivalents that will enable in vitro formation of a capillary network. Prevascularized equivalents will be more physiologically comparable to the native tissues and potentially prevent insufficient vascularization after implantation. This study aimed to culture human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), alone or in co-culture with fibroblasts, on collagen scaffolds prepared by simple fabrication …

Analytical Methods For Determining Connectivity Leakage In Collaboration With Meissner Filtration Products, Ennis Cuhadaroglu, Finn Mccarthy, Alvin Ng

Biomedical Engineering

The scope of our project involved choosing existing testing procedures and determining a viable sample size to determine an accurate leakage rate of single-use system connections (SUS). Another goal was to assess the effects of gamma irradiation on the material integrity of the hose barb to tubing connections.

Our key customer requirements included: being able to determine an overall leakage rate and making a repeatable testing process. The importance of these requirements was determined through our house of quality and Pugh charts. To achieve the requirements, we tested the leakage in low-pressure and high-pressure scenarios with a large enough sample …

Dendrimer And Dendrimer Gel-Derived Drug Delivery Systems: Breaking Bottlenecks Of Topical Administration Of Glaucoma Medications, Juan Wang, Boxuan Li, Uday B. Kompella, Hu Yang

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Due to high structural flexibility, multidrug carrying capability, and tunable size, dendrimers have been used as suitable carriers for ophthalmic drug delivery. Drug molecules can be either encapsulated or chemically coupled to dendrimers. the nanoscopic size, spheroidal shape, and cationic surface of Poly amidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers promote their interaction with the cornea and result in prolonged precorneal retention. Dendrimers could be further cross-linked to produce three-dimensional hydrogel networks or dendrimer hydrogels (DH). the properties of the DH can be readily adjusted to maintain both fluidity and adhesiveness, making them suitable for developing topical ocular drug formulations. Micro-/nano- sized DHs, that …

Split And Join: An Efficient Approach For Simulating Stapled Intestinal Anastomosis In Virtual Reality, Di Qi, Suvranu De

Engineering Faculty Articles and Research

Colorectal cancer is a life-threatening disease. It is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Stapled anastomosis is a rapid treatment for colorectal cancer and other intestinal diseases and has become an integral part of routine surgical practice. However, to the best of our knowledge, there is no existing work simulating intestinal anastomosis that often involves sophisticated soft tissue manipulations such as cutting and stitching. In this paper, for the first time, we propose a novel split and join approach to simulate a side-to-side stapled intestinal anastomosis in virtual reality. We mimic the intestine model using …

Microfluidic Concurrent Assessment Of Red Blood Cell Adhesion And Microcapillary Occlusion: Potential Hemorheological Biomarkers In Sickle Cell Disease, Yuncheng Man, Douglas H. Wu, Ran An, Karamoja Monchamp, Utku Goreke, Zoe Sekyonda, William J. Wulftange, Chiara Federici, Allison Bode, Lalitha V. Nayak, Umut A. Gurkan

Faculty Scholarship

Deformability and non-adherence are two fundamental functional properties of red blood cells (RBCs), which allow them to move unimpeded through the microvasculature. In sickle cell disease (SCD), polymerization of abnormal sickle hemoglobin leads to decreased deformability and increased membrane adhesiveness in RBCs. This contributes to abnormal blood vessel occlusion, which is central to the underlying pathophysiology. RBC deformability and adhesiveness are, therefore key hemorheological biomarkers in characterizing disease states as well as in evaluating novel therapeutics. To date, these important interrelated biomarkers have been assessed in distinct laboratory assays, without integration or concurrent assessment in vitro. To this end, we …

Effects Of Post-Translational Histone Modifications On Transcription Rate, Aaron Bohn

Annual Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

Development Of A Slow-Degrading Polymerized Curcumin Coating For Intracortical Microelectrodes, Alexis M. Ziemba, Mary Clare Crochiere Woodson, Jessica L. Funnell, Douglas Wich, Bailey Balouch, Deniz Rende, Dahlia N. Amato, Jonathan Bao, Ingrid Oprea, Dominica Cao, Neda Bajalo, Evon S. Ereifej, Jeffrey R. Capadona, Edmund F. Palermo, Ryan J. Gilbert

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Intracortical microelectrodes are used with brain-computer interfaces to restore lost limb function following nervous system injury. While promising, recording ability of intracortical microelectrodes diminishes over time due, in part, to neuroinflammation. As curcumin has demonstrated neuroprotection through anti-inflammatory activity, we fabricated a 300 nm-thick intracortical microelectrode coating consisting of a polyurethane copolymer of curcumin and polyethylene glycol (PEG), denoted as poly (curcumin-PEG1000 carbamate) (PCPC). The uniform PCPC coating reduced silicon wafer hardness by two orders of magnitude and readily absorbed water within minutes, demonstrating that the coating is soft and hydrophilic in nature. Using an in vitro release model, curcumin …

An Older Diabetes-Induced Mice Model For Studying Skin Wound Healing, Carlos Poblete Jara, Guilherme Nogueira, Joseane Morari, Thaís Paulino Do Prado, Renan De Medeiros Bezerra, Lício A. Velloso, William Velander, Eliana Pereira De Araújo

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: Faculty Publications

Advances in wound treatment depend on the availability of animal models that reflect key aspects of human wound healing physiology. To this date, the accepted mouse models do not reflect defects in the healing process for chronic wounds that are associated with type two diabetic skin ulcers. The long term, systemic physiologic stress that occurs in middle aged or older Type 2 diabetes patients is difficult to simulate in preclinical animal model. We have strived to incorporate the essential elements of this stress in a manageable mouse model: long term metabolic stress from obesity to include the effects of middle …

Advancing Ionomer Design To Boost Interfacial And Thin-Film Proton Conductivity Via Styrene-Calix[4]Arene-Based Ionomers, Shyambo Chatterjee, Oghenetega Allen Obewhere, Ehsan Zamani, Rajesh Keloth, Seefat Farzin, Martha D. Morton, Anandakumar Sarella, Shudipto Konika Dishari

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: Faculty Publications

Sub-micrometer-thick ion-conducting polymer (ionomer) layers often suffer from poor ionic conductivity at the substrate/catalyst interface. The weak proton conductivity makes the electrochemical reaction at the cathode of proton-exchange-membrane fuel cells sluggish. To address this, here we report on a class of polystyrene-based ionomers having sub-nanometer-sized, sulfonated macrocyclic calix[4]arene-based pendants (PS-calix). In films with thickness comparable to that of ionomer-based binder layers, the conductivity of PS-calix film (∼41 mS/cm) is ∼13 times higher than that of the current state-of-the-art ionomer, Nafion. We observe a similar improvement in proton conductivity when PS-calix interfaces with Pt nanoparticles, demonstrating the potential of PS-calix in …

Deutj: An Imagej Plugin For Improved Automatic Masking And Segmentation Of Images From Confocal Microscopy, Sunny Cui

Independent Student Projects and Publications

Due to advances in microscopic imaging, there are a plethora of biological molecules that can now be tagged and subsequentially imaged from almost any cell, organism, or tissue. However, the ability of software to analyze these images remains to be a challenge. ImageJ is open source software that allows for the processing of these images, but faces challenges when dealing with images that show weak contrast between objects of interest and background. DeutJ is an ImageJ plugin that color corrects and brightness corrects gradients that inhibit segmentation in confocal microscopy images. It can analyze hundreds of images from a given …

Formulation Of Encapsulated Nanoparticles Of Leek Extract As Antimicrobial And Anticancer Agent, Rawan Hassan Mohamed Elghanam

Theses and Dissertations

Leek extract (LEK) has broad therapeutic activity. However, plant extract use has many drawbacks, which could be resolved using nanocarriers. The purpose of this research work was to prepare chitosan nanoparticles (CS NPs) encapsulating LEK and investigate their antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anticancer activity. Gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy was used to determine the LEK components. The CS-LEK NPs were produced by tripolyphosphate (TPP) crosslinking with chitosan (CS) the ionic gelation methodology. The particle size was 331 nm, zeta potential (ZP) was 28.9 mv, polydispersity index (PDI) was 0.4, encapsulation efficiency (EE) was 65.6%, and loading capacity (LC) was 28.8 % of the …

Session 12: Active Learning To Minimize The Possible Risk From Future Epidemics, Kc Santosh

SDSU Data Science Symposium

In medical imaging informatics, for any future epidemics (e.g., Covid-19), deep learning (DL) models are of no use as they require a large dataset as they take months and even years to collect enough data (with annotations). In such a context, active learning (or human/expert-in-the-loop) is the must, where a machine can learn from the first day with minimum possible labeled data. In unsupervised learning, we propose to build pre-trained DL models that iteratively learn independently over time, where human/expert intervenes only when it makes mistakes and for only a limited data. In our work, deep features are used to …