Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering Commons^™

An In Vitro Approach To Vascular Therapeutic Testing, Shahd Ali Hasanain

Theses and Dissertations

Aortopathies refer to a broad class of pathological conditions affecting the aorta and are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the US. Specifically, aortic aneurysms and aortic dissections have diverse etiologies that are initiated by alterations in the tissue’s extracellular-matrix (ECM) proteins, namely collagen and elastin, thereby predisposing the aortic wall to weaken and rupture. Pentagalloyl glucose (PGG) has recently emerged as a non-surgical treatment to reduce the risk of dissection or rupture. PGG is a known antioxidant and anti-inflammatory which has been shown to have ECM-restorative qualities that enhance collagen and elastin’s functional properties. Prior studies using …

Pseudomyxoma Peritonei Derived Cancers: A Novel Study On Growth And Growth Suppression Utilizing Common Colorectal Cancer Agents, Raymond Kennith Bogdon

Theses and Dissertations

Pseudomyxoma peritonei is a devastating gastrointestinal disease characterized by the production of mucinous ascites within the peritoneal cavity. Historically, this condition is discovered in the advanced state due to the lack of adequate screening tests and typically presents as an enlarged abdomen and with symptoms of gastrointestinal distress. Treatment for this disease is a combination of cytoreductive surgery and heated intraperitoneal perfusion chemotherapy, but a successful operation does not guarantee full remission of this malignancy. This study focuses on 3 untested variants of PMP cancer, and 2 mucinous colorectal adenocarcinomas that had invaded into the peritoneal cavity. Clinical presentation of …

Automated Wound Segmentation And Dimension Measurement Using Rgb-D Image, Chih-Yun Pai

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Accurate pressure ulcer (PrU) measurement is critical in assessing the effectiveness of PrU treatment. The traditional measurement process is manual, subjective, and requires frequent contact with the wound. The manual measurement relies on human observation which makes the measurement inconsistent, and the frequent contact with the wound increases risk of contamination or infection. The purpose of this research was to develop an automatic Pressure Ulcer Monitoring System (PrUMS) using a depth camera to provide automated, non-contact wound measurement. In this dissertation, 1) a wound segmentation with traditional machine learning method, which combines the color classification using K-Nearest Neighbors and the …

Developing A Lab-Scale Fluidized Bed Dryer System To Enhance Rough Rice Drying Process, Kaushik Luthra

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

For more than half of the world's population, rice (Oryza sativa L.) is a staple meal. However, rice growers encounter difficulties supplying this demand, particularly in developing nations, where rice is susceptible to spoilage if the moisture content is not lowered to a safe level soon after harvest. As a result, traditional drying methods, such as sun drying and natural air drying, are commonly used by rice growers, particularly in underdeveloped nations. However, these procedures are time-consuming and can lead to rice spoilage. On the other hand, fluidized bed drying is a well-established technology that might give rice growers a …

Molecular Dynamics Simulations Of Ion Transport Through Electrically Stressed Biological Membranes, Federica Castellani

Biomedical Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The cell membrane is a selectively permeable barrier that controls the transport of ions, molecules, and other materials into and out of a cell. The manipulation of the cell membrane permeability is the basis for several biotechnological and biomedical applications, including electroporation. Electroporation (or electropermeabilization) occurs when the application of an external electric pulse causes water intrusion into the membrane interior and the formation of conductive transmembrane electropores. These electropores allow drugs, genetic material, and other normally impermeant molecules to enter a cell. Despite years of study, the complex mechanisms underlying this process are still not well understood. Molecular dynamics …

Evaluation Of Horizontal Gene Transfer Between Genetically Engineered Cyanobacteria And Gram-Negative Bacteria, Andriana Chrysovalanti Zourou

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

As the world population is increasing and societies become more technology driven, there is an imperative to develop ‘green energy’ sources to protect our planet. Cyanobacteria that have been genetically engineered to produce organic compounds that may be burnt as fuels show great potential, as they are an environmentally friendly and self-renewable, net carbon-neutral option. However, there are potential risks in the development and use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). We need to understand in advance the risks that GMOs may pose to our environment and to animal and human health. This will enable experimental procedures, containment strategies and policies …

Arhgdia Confers Selective Advantage To Dissociated Human Pluripotent Stem Cells, Marion J. Riggs, Steven D. Sheridan, Raj R. Rao

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) have generated significant interest in the scientific community based on their potential applications in regenerative medicine. However, numerous research groups have reported a propensity for genomic alterations during hPSC culture that poses concerns for basic research and clinical applications. Work from our laboratory and others has demonstrated that amplification of chromosomal regions is correlated with increased gene expression. To date, the phenotypic association of common genomic alterations remains unclear and is a cause for concern during clinical use. In this study, we focus on trisomy 17 and a list of candidate genes with increased gene …

Interrelation Of Thermal Stimulation With Haptic Perception, Emotion, And Memory, Mehdi Hojatmadani

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Haptics is an interdisciplinary field of science that deals with how humans perceive and respond to different sensory cues perceived through touch. Thermal haptics as a branch deals with how humans perceive the temperature sensation and respond to that. The process in which thermal perception occurs is well known to researchers. What seems missing in the literature is how temperature interacts or sometimes intervenes in other physiological and psychological aspects of our lives. In this research, a series of studies are presented where the main focus was how temperature and brain interact with each other to impede or enhance our …

Electrohydrodynamic Simulations Of Capsule Deformation Using A Dual Time-Stepping Lattice Boltzmann Scheme, Charles Leland Armstrong

Mathematics & Statistics Theses & Dissertations

Capsules are fluid-filled, elastic membranes that serve as a useful model for synthetic and biological membranes. One prominent application of capsules is their use in modeling the response of red blood cells to external forces. These models can be used to study the cell’s material properties and can also assist in the development of diagnostic equipment. In this work we develop a three dimensional model for numerical simulations of red blood cells under the combined influence of hydrodynamic and electrical forces. The red blood cell is modeled as a biconcave-shaped capsule suspended in an ambient fluid domain. Cell deformation occurs …

Stress Analysis Based On Ecg And Eeg, Eyad Talal Attar

Theses and Dissertations

Stress is a significant risk factor for various diseases such as hypertension, heart attack, stroke, and even sudden death. In many studies, stress is linked to decision making, performance, and learning. The heart rate variability (HRV) can be measured from the Electrocardiogram (ECG) and is defined as the variation of the interval between two consecutive heartbeats (heart rate). Heart rate variability is also an indicator of the balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches of the autonomic nervous system. HRV refers to variations of heart rate in a certain amount of time. Heart rate variability (HRV) is a relatively new …

Experimental And Analysis Of Electromagnetic Characterization Of Biological And Non-Biological Materials In Microwave, Millimeter-Wave, And Terahertz Frequency Bands, Nagma Vohra

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this research is to characterize the electromagnetic properties of biological and non-biological materials at terahertz (THz), millimeter-wave, and microwave frequency bands. The biological specimens are measured using the THz imaging and spectroscopy system, whereas the non-biological materials are measured using the microwave and millimeter-wave free-space system. These facilities are located in the Engineering Research Center at the University of Arkansas. The THz imaging system (TPS 3000) uses a Ti-Sapphire laser directed on the photoconductive antennas to generate a THz time domain pulse. Upon using the Fourier Transform, the spectrum of the pulsed THz signal includes frequencies from …

Printing Quality Improvement For Laser-Induced Forward Transfer Bioprinting: Numerical Modeling And Experimental Validation, Jie Qu, Chaoran Dou, Ben Xu, Jianzhi Li, Zhonghao Rao, Andrew Tsin

Manufacturing & Industrial Engineering Faculty Publications

Laser-induced-forward-transfer (LIFT)-based laser assisted bioprinting (LAB) has great advantages over other three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting techniques, such as none-contact, free of clogging, high precision, and good compatibility. In a typical LIFT based LAB process, a jet flow transfers the bioink from the ribbon to the substrate due to bioink bubble generation and collapse, and the printing quality is highly dependent on the jet flow regime (stable or unstable), so it is a great challenge to understand the connection between the jet flow and the printing outcomes. To tackle this challenge, a novel computational-fluid-dynamics (CFD)-based model was developed in this study to …

Integrative Computational Analysis Of Muscle Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Signals: Effects Of Oxygen Delivery And Blood Volume, Bhabuk Koirala

Biomedical Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is a non-invasive technology to evaluate skeletal muscle oxidative metabolism in healthy and disease states. This technology allows us to measure the dynamic response of oxygenated (Δ����������₂) and deoxygenated (Δ����������) heme group concentrations during muscle contraction. These O₂ kinetics are valuable for inferring the interplay between muscle oxygen delivery and utilization. However, the semi-quantitative nature of the NIRS signal limits its clinical application. Some of the challenges in interpreting the NIRS signal are related to the difficulties in quantifying the: 1) contribution of blood volume changes to the Δ����������₂ and Δ����������; 2) contribution …

A Portable Point-Of-Care Device Using Joule Heating And Latent Energy Storage For The Temperature Regulation Of Isothermal Nucleic Acid Amplification Tests, Aubrey Lynn Schultz

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Accurate and early diagnosis of infectious diseases extremely important. Rapid diagnosis allows for effective treatment and increases the chance for recovery without complications. Additionally, the ability to test the populace frequently, swiftly, and affordably significantly aids in containing wide-scale outbreaks. In terms of specificity and sensitivity, nucleic acid amplification tests (NAAT) are one of the best options for diagnosing infectious diseases. Isothermal NAATS present a unique opportunity to create diagnostic tests deployed at a Point-of-Care (POC) level. Specifically, loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) and recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) have the potential to deliver reliable POC diagnostics in low-resource settings. When designing …

Nanomaterial-Based Biosensors For Detection Of Salmonella Typhimurium And Avian Influenza Virus H5n1 In Poultry, Xinge Xi

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This research focused on developing biosensing method and biosensing device for rapid detection of pathogens in poultry: Salmonella Typhimurium and avian influenza virus H5N1. The first part of the dissertation reports an original research on the development of a portable biosensing device for Salmonella detection. The device was designed and constructed based on a previously developed optical biosensing method, using immuno-magnetic nanoparticles to specifically capture target bacteria, and immuno-quantum dot beads to label the target bacteria for fluorescence detection. All the actions of sample mixing, magnetic separation, and fluorescence detection were controlled automatically in a disposable microfluidic chip in the …

Synthesis And Performance Testing Of Ecm Fiber Scaffolds, Cassandra Reed

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The progression of regenerative medicine has advanced the treatment of multiple illnesses and injuries throughout the years. A good example of the benefits of this research is the work that has gone into volumetric muscle loss (VML), where more than 20% of the muscle is loss. Skeletal muscle makes up 40% of the human body so a loss of that size greatly diminishes the strength, the flexibility, physiology, and quality of life of the injured individual. For that reason, various techniques are used to counteract the loss of structure and innate cellular signaling in order to circumvent that from happening. …

The Impact Of Nanopulse Treatment On The Tumor Microenvironment In Breast Cancer: Overturning The Treg Immunosuppressive Dominance, Anthony Nanajian

Biomedical Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Nanopulse treatment (NPT) is a high-power electric engineering modality that has been shown to be an effective local tumor treatment approach in multiple cancer models. Our previous studies on the orthotopic 4T1-luc breast cancer model demonstrated that NPT ablated local tumors. The treatment consequently conferred protection against a second live tumor challenge and minimized spontaneous metastasis. This study aims to understand how NPT mounts a potent immune response in a predominantly immunosuppressive tumor.

NPT changed the local and systemic dynamics of immunosuppressive cells by significantly reducing the numbers of regulatory T cells (Tregs), myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), and tumor-associated macrophages …

Endothelial Response In 2d And 3d To Doses Of Photosensitive Carbon Monoxide Releasing Molecules With Improved Activation, Nicholas Duc Huynh

Theses and Dissertations

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide in large part due to atherosclerotic obstruction of blood vessels. Limitations with current treatment approaches include restenosis in stenting and viable donor-tissue for bypass grafts, and this has motivated research combining the fields of drug delivery and tissue engineering for alternative approaches. The use of carbon monoxide as a potential therapeutic agent in the treatment of CVD has shown potential impacts on vasodilation and anti-inflammation. The goal of this study was to develop a system to elucidate the response of endothelial cells post-exposure to different concentrations of carbon monoxide releasing …

Anatomical Correlates Of Age-Related Basal Forebrain Dysfunction, Brandy Lynn Somera

Theses and Dissertations

The basal forebrain (BF) is comprised of several nuclei including the substantia innominata, medial septum, nucleus basalis and diagonal band of broca which are involved in cognitive functions including attention, motivation, and arousal. BF neurons are particularly vulnerable to dysfunction and degeneration in aged humans and, more dramatically, in diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). Age-related BF dysfunction may reflect diminished afferent regulation as well as an altered local glial environment. Our lab has previously shown reduced orexin/hypocretin innervation of BF in aging, a phenomenon that may link afferent dysfunction with altered microglial homeostasis. There is little research examining these …

What Internal Variables Affect Sensorimotor Rhythm Brain-Computer Interface (Smr-Bci) Performance?, Alex J. Horowitz, Christoph Guger, Milena Korostenskaja

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

In this review article, we aimed to create a summary of the effects of internal variables on the performance of sensorimotor rhythm-based brain computer interfaces (SMR-BCIs). SMR-BCIs can be potentially used for interfacing between the brain and devices, bypassing usual central nervous system output, such as muscle activity. The careful consideration of internal factors, affecting SMR-BCI performance, can maximize BCI application in both healthy and disabled people. Internal variables may be generalized as descriptors of the processes mainly dependent on the BCI user and/or originating within the user. The current review aimed to critically evaluate and summarize the currently accumulated …