Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering Commons^™

Nanomaterials For Cardiovascular Engineering, Roya Bagheri

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Cardiovascular diseases and disorders (i.e., those related to heart and blood vessels) are the main reasons for mortality worldwide. Nanomaterials, with their unique morphologies and properties, have a great potential for advancing cardiovascular engineering to treat diseases and disorders. In this dissertation, several cardiovascular applications of conductive nanomaterials were investigated. First, a conductive nanomaterial was explored to fabricate biohybrid nanomaterial-cardiomyocyte (CM – heart muscle cell) systems. Using Carbon Nanotube (CNT) forest as a 3D porous and conductive scaffold was investigated. The influence of the CNT forest on the viability, attachment, and spreading of CMs and their genetic information was …

Advanced Tools For Time-Resolved Imaging Of Tissue Metabolism, Arthur Petusseau

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Medical imaging is a crucial tool in diagnosing and treating diseases, and by far the most common set of tools used for point-of-care guidance between a physician and patient are optical devices. For example, visible light imaging has unique applications in endoscopy, dermatology, microscopy, and this range of devices utilize a wide range of optical signals for sensing the tissue. Fluorescence imaging has become a niche but growing methodology in medical diagnostics and treatment because of its simplicity and the ability to integrate reporter molecules, that can reveal detailed information about cellular structures, metabolism, signaling, and other biomolecular features of …

Design Of Next-Generation Neural Interfaces For Decoding The Brain, Yi Qiang

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

The primary goal of neural interface technology is to establish a connection between the nervous system and the external world by recording and modulating neural signals. Over the past few decades, microelectrode array (MEA) technology has played an essential role in the acquisition of electrophysiological signals, with impressive progress being made towards developing high-density, large-throughput, and ultra-flexible MEAs. However, despite these advancements, there remain long-standing limitations in current neural interfaces. For example, electrophysiology is limited in its ability to distinguish cell types and has limited spatial resolution due to its electrical recording nature. Furthermore, conventional neural MEAs are limited to …

Zinc Oxide Based Nanomaterials And Device Designs - For Bioenergy Harvesting, Sensing And Water Purification, Congran Jin

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Biomechanical energy harvested from the human body can power implantable electronics such as cardiac pacemakers, replacing conventional batteries and offering a lifelong energy solution. The electrical signals converted from biomechanical motions contain vital physiological information, making them suitable as a sensor to monitor one's health condition. Zinc Oxide (ZnO) is a versatile material with various intriguing properties, including piezoelectricity, photo-catalytic and piezo-catalytic properties. This thesis aims to exploit and enhance these properties of ZnO by rationally designing its nano- and micron-structures and employing them, along with other functional materials, in the development of novel biomechanical energy harvesting, water purification, and …

High Throughput Cellular Screening Technologies For Engineering Enhanced-Solubility And Deimmunized Biologics, Andrew Y. Chang

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

High throughput cell-based screening methodologies have become core development tools for the generation and engineering of various biotherapeutics. For example, SpCas9 variants for use in CRISPR-Cas9 therapeutics have been engineered for enhanced specificity using a high throughput directed evolution approach in E. coli. Additionally, antibodies are routinely discovered and engineered for high affinity binding using yeast surface display. These high throughput techniques typically involve generation of large protein libraries which require innovative screening strategies depending on the target protein’s function. In this thesis work, we describe high throughput protein library screening approaches to address recombinant biologic aggregation and immunogenicity …

Brain Activity Associated With Taste Stimulation: A Mechanism For Neuroplastic Change?, Angela M. Dietsch, Ross M. Westemeyer, Douglas H. Schultz

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Purpose: Neuroplasticity may be enhanced by increasing brain activation and bloodflow in neural regions relevant to the target behavior.We administered precisely formulated and dosed taste stimuli to determine whether the associated brain activity patterns included areas that underlie swallowing control.

Methods: Five taste stimuli (unflavored, sour, sweet-sour, lemon, and orange suspensions) were administered in timing-regulated and temperature-controlled 3 mL doses via a customized pump/tubing system to 21 healthy adults during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Whole-brain analyses of fMRI data assessed main effects of taste stimulation as well as differential effects of taste profile.

Results: Differences in …

Increased Liver Stiffness Promotes Hepatitis B Progression By Impairing Innate Immunity In Ccl4-Induced Fibrotic Hbv+ Transgenic Mice, Grace Bybee, Youra Moeun, Weimin Wang, Kusum K. Kharbanda, Larisa Y. Poluektova, Srivatsan Kidambi, Natalia A. Osna, Murali Ganesan

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: Faculty Publications

Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection develops as an acute or chronic liver disease, which progresses from steatosis, hepatitis, and fibrosis to end-stage liver diseases such as cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). An increased stromal stiffness accompanies fibrosis in chronic liver diseases and is considered a strong predictor for disease progression. The goal of this study was to establish the mechanisms by which enhanced liver stiffness regulates HBV infectivity in the fibrotic liver tissue. Methods: For in vitro studies, HBV-transfected HepG2.2.15 cells were cultured on polydimethylsiloxane gels coated by polyelectrolyte multilayer films of 2 kPa (soft) or 24 kPa (stiff) …

Mesenchymal Stromal Cells And Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Have A Strong Synergy In Modulating Inflammation And Its Resolution, Li Han, Xinran Wu, Ou Wang, Xiao Luan, William Velander, Michael Aynardi, E. Scott Halstead, Anthony S. Bonavia, Rong Jin, Guohong Li, Yulong Li, Yong Wang, Cheng Dong, Yuguo Lei

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: Faculty Publications

Rationale: Trauma, surgery, and infection can cause severe inflammation. Both dysregulated inflammation intensity and duration can lead to significant tissue injuries, organ dysfunction, mortality, and morbidity. Anti-inflammatory drugs such as steroids and immunosuppressants can dampen inflammation intensity, but they derail inflammation resolution, compromise normal immunity, and have significant adverse effects. The natural inflammation regulator mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have high therapeutic potential because of their unique capabilities to mitigate inflammation intensity, enhance normal immunity, and accelerate inflammation resolution and tissue healing. Furthermore, clinical studies have shown that MSCs are safe and effective. However, they are not potent enough, alone, to …

Neonatal Intraocular Injection And Delivery System, Nina Treacher, Cory Ramsey, Marie Kosco, Jackson Carrell

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The proposed project is a way to deliver liquid medicine into the neonatal eye to prevent retinal detachment with lower risk for bacterial infection and drug misplacement. Currently, ophthalmologists use diabetic needles to introduce medication to the neonate eye. They estimate the injection location with hand-held calipers. This may allow the medicine to be misplaced from poor needle placement and introduce preventable error. The goal is to improve the delivery system ophthalmologists currently use by investigating ways to alter or enhance commonly used injection systems to make the procedure safer and more effective.

Making Sense Of Big (Kinematic) Data: A Comprehensive Analysis Of Movement Parameters In A Diverse Population, Naomi Wilma Nunis

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to determine how kinematic, big data can be evaluated using computational, comprehensive analysis of movement parameters in a diverse population.

METHODS

Retrospective data was collected, cleaned, and reviewed for further analysis of biomechanical movement in an active population using 3D collinear resistance loads. The active sample of the population involved in the study ranged from age 7 to 82 years old and respectively identified as active in 13 different sports. Moreover, a series of exercises were conducted by each participant across multiple sessions. Exercises were measured and recorded based on 6 distinct biometric …

Nanomaterial Payload Delivery To Central Nervous System Glia For Neural Protection And Repair, Jayant Saksena, Adelle E. Hamilton, Ryan J. Gilbert, Jonathan M. Zuidema

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Central nervous system (CNS) glia, including astrocytes, microglia, and oligodendrocytes, play prominent roles in traumatic injury and degenerative disorders. Due to their importance, active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) are being developed to modulate CNS glia in order to improve outcomes in traumatic injury and disease. While many of these APIs show promise in vitro, the majority of APIs that are systemically delivered show little penetration through the blood–brain barrier (BBB) or blood-spinal cord barrier (BSCB) and into the CNS, rendering them ineffective. Novel nanomaterials are being developed to deliver APIs into the CNS to modulate glial responses and improve outcomes in …

Modeling Of Transport In Anatomic Respiratory Airways: Applications In Targeted Drug Delivery And Airborne Pathogenic Transmissions, Mohammad Mehedi Hasan Akash

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis aims to explore the potential of improving the efficacy of drugs for treatment of viral infections by targeting the nasopharynx, which is commonly the first site of infection for many viral pathogens. Currently, intranasal sprays are used, but the standard protocol (“Current Use” or CU) results in suboptimal drug deposition at the nasopharynx. To address this issue, an “Improved Use” or, IU protocol has been proposed, which involves pointing the spray bottle at a shallower angle and aiming slightly towards the cheeks. The IU delivery is also robust to perturbations in spray direction, which highlights the practical utility …

Breast Density Classification Using Deep Learning, Conrad Thomas Testagrose

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Breast density screenings are an accepted means to determine a patient's predisposed risk of breast cancer development. Although the direct correlation is not fully understood, breast cancer risk increases with higher levels of mammographic breast density. Radiologists visually assess a patient's breast density using mammogram images and assign a density score based on four breast density categories outlined by the Breast Imaging and Reporting Data Systems (BI-RADS). There have been efforts to develop automated tools that assist radiologists with increasing workloads and to help reduce the intra- and inter-rater variability between radiologists. In this thesis, I explored two deep-learning-based approaches …

โครงเนื้อเยื่อกินได้ไร้ผลิตภัณฑ์จากสัตว์สำหรับเพาะเลี้ยงเนื้อเทียม : อัลจิเนต/อะกาโรส/คาร์บอกซีเมทิลเซลลูโลส, เกรียงไกร เจษฎางกูร

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

การเพาะเลี้ยงเนื้อสัตว์เป็นแนวทางในการลดทรัพยากรที่ใช้ในการผลิตเนื้อสัตว์แบบดั้งเดิม ซึ่งไม่ต้องฆ่าสัตว์และลดผลิตภัณฑ์ที่ไม่ต้องการ วิธีกระบวนการนี้ต้องการโครงเนื้อเยื่อ 3 มิติ เพื่อให้เซลล์สามารถยึดติดบนโครงสร้างและขึ้นรูปเป็นก้อนเนื้อได้ นอกจากนั้น วัสดุของโครงเนื้อเยื่อต้องไม่ทำจากสัตว์อีกด้วย วัตถุประสงค์ของการศึกษานี้เพื่อตรวจสอบสมบัติเชิงกล รีโอโลยี ความเข้ากันได้ทางชีวภาพ และการปรับปรุงพื้นผิวสำหรับการยึดเกาะของเซลล์ของไฮโดรเจล 2% w/v อัลจิเนต, 0.8% w/v อะกาโรส และ 1.5% w/v คาร์บอกซีเมทิลเซลลูโลส โครงสร้าง 3 มิติถูกพิมพ์ด้วยเงื่อนไขการพิมพ์ที่เหมาะสม การทดสอบทางรีโอโลยีและความสามารถการพิมพ์แสดงถึงไฮโดรเจลมีพฤติกรรมของของไหลที่ไม่ใช่แบบนิวโทเนียน ซึ่งเหมาะสำหรับวิธีการพิมพ์แบบอัดรีดสำหรับขึ้นรูปสามมิติ ผลการทดลองแสดงว่าไฮโดรเจลมีค่าความสามารถการพิมพ์สูงสำหรับระยะห่างระหว่างเส้นภายในโครงสร้างที่แตกต่างกัน การทดสอบรับแรงกดของชิ้นงานแสดงถึงเนื้อสัมผัสของไฮโดรเจลว่ามีความคล้ายคลึงกับความนุ่มของเนื้อหมูและเนื้อวัว ไฮโดรเจลมีอัตราการละลายต่ำในสภาวะการเพาะเลี้ยงเซลล์ การทดสอบความเป็นพิษต่อเซลล์บ่งชี้ว่าไฮโดรเจลไม่แสดงความเป็นพิษต่อเซลล์และไม่ส่งผลต่อการเพิ่มจำนวนเซลล์ ไฮโดรเจลต้องการการปรับเปลี่ยนพื้นผิวสำหรับการยึดเกาะของเซลล์เนื่องจากวัสดุไม่สนับสนุนการเจริญเติบโตและการยึดเกาะของเซลล์ ผลการทดลองแสดงว่าอัลจิเนตปรับปรุงเปปไทด์ RGD มีการยึดเกาะของเซลล์ต่ำกับทั้ง L929 และเซลล์ต้นกำเนิดกล้ามเนื้อหมู ในส่วนของการเคลือบสารละลาย Poly-L-ornithine แสดงผลลัพธ์การยึดเกาะของเซลล์ที่ดีกับ L929 แต่มีผลที่ไม่ดีสำหรับเซลล์ต้นกำเนิดกล้ามเนื้อหมู

Development Of A Vr-Based System For Detecting Strabismus In Patients With Refractive Errors, Salisa Buapong

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Strabismus is an ophthalmic condition affecting approximately 2% to 5% of the global population, with a pediatric prevalence rate of about 2% to 4%. If left uncorrected and untreated for an extended period, it can lead to impairment of binocular vision and eventual vision loss. Thus, early detection and correction of ocular deviations are crucial in mitigating these risks. However, primary clinical tests, such as the Alternate Prism Cover Test (APCT) and the Hirschberg Test (HT), have several limitations. These include reliance on operator skills and experience, prolonged examination time, and an unbalanced range of prism diopters. Furthermore, previous studies …

Silk Fibroin-Platelet Rich Plasma Injectable Hydrogel With Controlled-Release Of Growth Factors For Knee Osteoarthritis, Suvinai Jiraboonsri

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Currently, there is no treatment that can stop the progression of osteoarthritis (OA). Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) is a promising therapy. However, significant challenges remain for the effective use of PRP in OA treatment, namely its burst-like release of growth factors and its short-acting time due to rapid synovial clearance. Silk fibroin is a safe biomaterial for drug delivery system. Therefore, in this study, Silk-Fibroin-Platelet-Rich Plasma injectable hydrogels with the ability to controllably release growth factors were developed and characterised. Two silk fibroin-platelet-rich-plasma (SF-PRP) hydrogel with silk fibroin concentrations of 1% w/v (1% SF-PRP) and 2% w/v (2% SF-PRP) were …

Development Of Molecular Imprinted Polymer Coated Single Mode-Multi Mode-Single Mode Optical Fiber Sensor For Diabetes Voc Biomarker Detection, Pannathorn Jitpratak

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This work demonstrates a molecular imprinted polymer (MIP) coated optical fiber sensor for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which is a biomarker for non-invasive diabetes diagnosis by using patient’s breath as a sample. MIP template is acetone, ethanol, and isopropanol on purpose to target these VOCs for the detection due to the ability of specific binding site in the cavity of polymer matrix achieved from template removal. A MIP coated multi-mode fiber (MMF) connected to single mode fiber (SMF) at both ends to achieve MIP coated SMS structure on purpose to enhance sensitivity due to the evanescent field emitting from MMF …

Integrated Multi-Omics Analysis Of Gut Microbiome And Host Transcriptome To Identify Novel Biomarkers For Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Jakkrit Khamjerm

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

An imbalance in gut microbiome is strongly linked to liver inflammation disease and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) via the gut-liver axis. However, the understanding of how gut microbiota interacts with the host gene expression is still limited. In this study, we aim to investigate the relationship between gut microbiome profile and transcriptomic profile in patients with HCC. In this study, 17 patients with viral-related HCC, 13 non-viral-related HCC, and 10 healthy controls were recruited. We investigated gut microbiome profile from fecal samples using 16S rRNA sequencing and host transcriptomic profile from the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) using RNA sequencing method. …

Radiomics-Based Prediction Of Radiation-Induced Hypothyroidism In Nasopharyngeal Cancer Patients, Napat Ritlumlert

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

When planning radiation therapy, late-effect complications due to radiotherapy should be considered. One of the most common complications of head and neck radiotherapy is hypothyroidism. Although clinical and dosimetry data are usually used to assess the risk of hypothyroidism after radiation for nasopharyngeal cancer, the outcome is still unsatisfactory. Medical imaging can provide additional information and increase prediction accuracy. The aim of this study was to predict hypothyroidism in patients with nasopharyngeal cancer using CT radiomics combined with clinical and dosimetric data. The study included 220 participants who were diagnosed with hypothyroidism within 2 years after radiotherapy. Manual segmentation covered …

Development Of Technetium-99m Labeled Psma For Spect Prostate Cancer Imaging, Kalapaphuk Tachatumvitoon

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Technetium-99m (Tc-99m) is the most employed radionuclide in nuclear imaging diagnosis because of its ideal physiochemical properties and ready availability. It particularly suitable for Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT), leading to cost-effective compared to other radionuclides. This study consists of two aims to expand the utilization of Tc-99m radiopharmaceutical for prostate cancer which is one of the highest incidence rates and mortality cancer among men. Currently, Tc-99m radiopharmaceutical for SPECT diagnosis is not clinically available for prostate cancer. Firstly, the new formulation for Tc-99m complexation with PSMA-617, a current ligand for radionuclide therapy of prostate cancer with lutetium-177 (Lu-177), …