Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering Commons^™

Regulation Of Δnp63Α By Tip60 Promotes Cellular Proliferation, Andrew Jared Stacy

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ΔNp63α is a p53 transcription factor family member that promotes cellular proliferation and survival. In squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), ΔNp63α overexpression is associated with poor prognosis and survival, implicating it as a proto-oncogene. Despite its importance in SCC, the mechanisms regulating ΔNp63α expression are poorly understood. We have identified the acetyltransferase TIP60 as a novel upstream regulator of ΔNp63α levels. We discovered that TIP60 regulates ΔNp63α via two mechanisms. First, TIP60 upregulates ΔNp63α mRNA levels. Moreover, pharmacological inhibition of TIP60 activity reduces ΔNp63α transcript levels, indicating that TIP60-cataltyic activity is vital to amplified transcription of ΔNp63α. Second, we have demonstrated …

Host-Parasite Interactions: Comparative Analyses Of Population Genomics, Disease-Associated Genomic Regions, And Host Use, Sara Rose Seibert

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Birds are major vectors and reservoir hosts of pathogens across our globe. Pathogens can be spread through the dispersal and seasonal movements of migratory and resident wild birds. Although biogeographic barriers have the potential to restrict completely or in part gene flow in wild birds, variation in ecological drivers of dispersal likely influences the effectiveness of these barriers amongst different species. This dissertation seeks to enhance our knowledge of Southern Hemisphere waterfowl species’ dispersal, population genomics, and disease ecology using population genomic techniques (double-digest restriction-site associated DNA sequencing (ddRADseq)) and multi-variate statistics. First, we investigated the roles of dispersal behavior …

Development Of Cellulose Acetate-Based Scaffold For Bone Tissue Engineering Applications, Ruhit Sinha

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cellulose Acetate (CA) based biomaterials are being used as substrates for bone ingrowth applications due to their nontoxic and nonirritant nature coupled with optimum morphology and stiffness. Electrospinning with additives and/or post-treatment has emerged as a viable protocol to further improve mechanical properties of CA and expand its utility. Herein, we highlight the role of potassium chloride (KCl) in association with airdrying to enhance the elastic modulus and tensile strengths of CA fibers. Salt aggregation in between fibers is observed through Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), however, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) analysis signifies the interactions between K+ ions and acetyl groups. The …

Comparison Of Hybridizing Options For Solar Heat, Biomass And Heat Storage For Electricity Generation In Spain, Cm Iftekhar Hussain, Brian Norton, Aidan Duffy

Articles

Diurnal and seasonal variations of direct solar energy circumscribe locations suitable for sole use of concentrated solar power for electricity generation, whereas to generate electricity at night and during winter months, biomass systems can be used that incur fuel expenditures and may encounter fuel supply discontinuities. Combining solar heat, biomass conversion and heat storage in a hybrid electricity generation plant may overcome the limitations of sole use of any one of these energy sources in specific geographic and/or economic conditions. In this work standalone biomass, hybrid concentrated solar power-biomass and hybrid concentrated solar power-biomass-thermal energy storage power generation systems are …

Increasing Performance Of Classifiers For Ssvep-Based Brain-Computer Interfaces Using Extension Methods, Ethan Douglas Webster

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Brain-computer interfaces (BCI) provide an alternative communication method that does not require standard physical mediums (speech, typing, etc.). These systems have been implemented to provide additional communication and control options for people with certain motor disabilities. Classification is an important part of BCI systems and consists of inferring user commands from brain activity. Supervised classification methods often achieve higher accuracy, but unsupervised classification methods are useful when training is not practical for the user. This thesis focuses on unsupervised classification algorithms used for a BCI speller application and presents extensions for two existing classifiers that improve classification accuracy and thus …

The Brain's Large-Scale Electrophysiological Signals : Fundamental Attributes And Neurosurgical Applications, Mohammad Amin N/A Nourmohammadi

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Brain’s electrophysiological signals are most certainly the ultimate source for studying the sophisticated neural network inside our cranium. The unparalleled complexity of these biosignalsis the quintessential manifestation of their underlying complicated neurophysiological processes. Studying brain signals on the cellular level provides valuable information regarding the brain’s electrophysiology on the small-scale. However, it is the remarkable network in the large-scale that gives rise to the brain’s extraordinary attributes and exceptional capabilities—perception, cognition, computation, and consciousness are all the emergent byproducts of the dynamic neuronal interactions on the network level. In this sense, the large-scale electrophysiological signals, recorded from the surface of …

Modeling, Designing And Applying Machine Learning Algorithms For Driver Drowsiness Detection, Mohsen Babaeian

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Driver drowsiness has been a significant hazard resulting in various traffic accidents. Therefore, monitoring this condition is crucial not only in alerting drivers, but also in avoiding fatal accidents. Many research studies propose new systems to reduce the number of drowsiness-related injuries and fatalities. The ultimate goal for a drowsiness detection system is to detect the drowsiness on time and minimize the system or environment errors to avoid false readings, such as studying physiological signal processing patterns. These potentially life-saving systems must operate in a timely manner with the highest precision. Researchers proposed various methods based on driving pattern changes, …

In Vivo Data Capture Using Hssr For Calibration Of Computational Models, Thor Erik Andreassen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Computational modeling is a vital tool for understanding and evaluating healthy and unhealthy function of the musculoskeletal aspects of the human body. However, the accuracy of the musculoskeletal models depends significantly on the accuracy of the input data used to calibrate various behavioral parameters of the model. To date, most computational models have been built using generic in vitro data, mostly because of a lack of accurate and meaningful datasets from in vivo testing. The next major step in computational modeling is to create subject-specific computational models using calibration data taken from in vivo testing. The overall goal was to …

Development Of A Clinical Marker-Less Motion Capture System For Patient Monitoring, Abigail Eustace

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The ability to understand human movement is beneficial for deciding surgical procedures, tracking disease progression over time and helping with patient rehabilitation. The current gold-standard for collecting human movement is the use of 3-dimensional marker-based systems. Several studies have presented the many limitations to the current gold-standard that reduces the number of people who are able to benefit from a gait analysis. Those limitations in the current gold-standard include the requirements of large laboratory space, costly equipment, long instrumentation and collection time, and the potential for motion artifact from markers being placed on the skin. The purpose of this study …

A Longitudinal Examination Of Biomechanical Balance And Quantitative Multidomain Assessments During Recovery Following Sport-Related Concussion, Moira Kate Pyrhoda

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sport-related concussion is an inherent risk to athlete health in contact and collision sports. Both short- and long-term risks are associated with the injury. Short-term, athletes may develop post-concussion syndrome (PCS), the persistence of cognitive, physical, and emotional symptoms for weeks or months after injury. Athletes who return to play (RTP) prematurely are at increased risk for lower extremity injury and repeated concussion injuries. Long-term, history of multiple concussions have been linked to neurodegenerative diseases. Due to these risks, concussion assessments must be sensitive to the injury and useful in the diagnosis, recovery, and RTP phases of the injury.

Sideline …

Attention Strongly Modulates Reliability Of Neural Response To Naturalistic Narrative Stimuli, Jason Ki

Dissertations and Theses

Attentional engagement is a major determinant of how effectively we gather information through our senses. Alongside the sheer growth in the amount and variety of information content we are presented with through modern media, there is increased variability in the degree to which we ‘absorb’ that information. Traditional research on attention has illuminated the basic principles of sensory selection to isolated features or locations, but it provides little insight into the neural underpinnings of our attentional engagement with modern naturalistic content. Here, we show in human subjects that the reliability of an individual's neural responses with respect to a larger …

Effects Of Weak Electric Fields On Long-Term Synaptic Plasticity, Gregory Kronberg

Dissertations and Theses

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a technique where a weak direct electrical current is applied to the scalp with the goal of stimulating the brain. There is tremendous interest in the use of tDCS for treating brain disorders and improving brain function. However, the effects of tDCS have been highly variable across studies, leading to a debate over its efficacy. A major challenge is therefore to design tDCS protocols that yield predictable effects, which will require a better understanding of its basic mechanisms of action. One commonly discussed mechanism is that tDCS may alter synaptic plasticity, but the biophysics …

Mems Biosensor For Water-Immersed Application, Kun-Lin Lee

Dissertations and Theses

Although many air-based sensing mechanisms exist, not all of them can be applied in the water-based environment. In order to obtain a cell-based biosensor, the sensing method needs to be reliable and repeatable in a liquid environment. Therefore, this study is focused on transforming existing air-based sensors to water-immersed applications. This study includes two types of sensors.

First, commercial quartz resonators are used to investigate live-cell activity in water-based toxic solutions. I perform toxicity tests using quartz crystal microbalance (QCM). The QCM used in the study has a resonant frequency of 10 MHz and consists of an AT-cut quartz crystal …

Diffuse Damage Repair Mechanism In Bone, Leila Mehraban Alvandi

Dissertations and Theses

Bone microdamage is a result of fatigue, creep or ‘wear and tear’ caused by physiological activities and largely contributes to bone fragility. Bone, unlike engineered materials, has the ability to repair the microscopic cracking or microdamage through targeted, osteoclast-mediated bone remodeling. This capability is crucial for preservation of its structural integrity and quality; failure of the skeleton to effectively repair microdamage leads to accumulation of damage, which is one of the main contributors to bone fragility. Linear microcracks (50-100 µm) and diffuse damage (Dif.Dx) (sub-micron) are the two types of microdamage. Recent studies show that Dif.Dx repairs without bone remodeling, …

Titanium Nitride Nanotube Electrodes Used In Neural Signal Recording Application And Neurotransmitter Detection, Gui Chen

Wayne State University Dissertations

Electrode probes are devices widely used for stimulating and recording neural cell signals in the neuroscience field, which can convert the ion potential generated by electrochemical activities into an electronic potential that can be measured by the external instrument systems. A stable neural interface that effectively communicates with the nervous system via electrode is much important for the robust recording and the long-term monitoring of the activity of the neural signals. These probes are designed to minimize tissue damage for superior signal quality. Each probe’s mechanical, geometric, and electrical characteristics are precise and highly reproducible for consistent, high-quality results. There …

Observing P300 Amplitudes In Multiple Sensory Channels Using Cognitive Probing, Cody Lee Wintermute

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High cognitive workload occurs when excessive working memory resources have been deployed to resolve sensory and cognitive processing, resulting in decremented task performance. The P300 event-related potential (ERP) component has shown sensitivity to cognitive load, and it was hypothesized that an attenuated P300 amplitude could be indicative of high cognitive load. We tested this hypothesis by having eight participants complete two continual performance tasks at increasing workload levels while simultaneously performing an oddball task, evoking P300 ERPs in either the auditory or tactile sensory channel. In our experiment, electroencephalographic recordings were collected over the parietal region to observe the P300 …

Renca Macrobeads Inhibit Tumor Cell Growth Via Egfr Activation And Regulation Of Mef2 Isoform Expression, Prithy Caroline Martis

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Tumors are heterogeneous systems, whose growth is influenced by intrinsic properties of malignant cells, external systemic factors (i.e. immune, neural, endocrine, etc.), and the dynamic interactions between tumor cells and their microenvironment. Given the inherent complexity of cancers, combined with the continual evolution of tumors and the development of treatment resistance, a precision medicine approach may not provide an optimal clinical response. Exploring a new paradigm that focuses on regulating cancer as a system may not only control tumor progression but also address the extraordinary challenges of tumor heterogeneity and disease recurrence in order to improve clinical outcomes. As a …

Atv Dynamics And Pediatric Rider Safety, James T. Auxier Ii

Theses and Dissertations--Biomedical Engineering

It has been observed through numerous academic and governmental agency studies that pediatric all-terrain vehicle ridership carries significant risk of injury and death. While no doubt valuable to safety, the post-hoc approach employed in these studies does little to explain the why and how behind the risk factors. Furthermore, there has been no prolonged, widespread, organized, and concerted effort to reconstruct and catalog the details and causes of the large (20,000+) number of ATV-related injuries that occur each year as has been done for road-based motor vehicle accidents. This dissertation takes the opposite approach from a meta-analysis and instead examines …

Assessment Of White Matter Hyperintensity, Cerebral Blood Flow, And Cerebral Oxygenation In Older Subjects Stratified By Cerebrovascular Risk, Ahmed A. Bahrani

Theses and Dissertations--Biomedical Engineering

Objective: Cerebrovascular disease (CVD) is the fifth most common cause of mortality in the United States. Diagnosis of CVD at an early stage is critical for optimal intervention designed to prevent ongoing and future brain injury. CVD is commonly associated with abnormalities of the cerebral microvasculature leading to tissue dysfunction, neuronal injury and death, and resultant clinical symptoms, which in turn, further impacts cerebral autoregulation (CA). This series of studies aims to test the hypothesis that white matter hyperintensities (WMH) and cerebral hemodynamics (quantified by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and an by innovative hybrid near-infrared diffuse optical instrument) can be …

Effects Of A Hip Orthosis On Lumbopelvic Coordination In Individuals With And Without Low Back Pain, Colin Drury

Theses and Dissertations--Biomedical Engineering

Individuals with low back pain (LBP) demonstrate an abnormal lumbopelvic coordination compared to back-healthy individuals. This abnormal coordination presents itself as a reduction in lumbar contribution and an increase in pelvic contribution to trunk motion. This study investigated the ability of a hip orthosis to correct such an abnormal lumbo-pelvic coordination by restricting pelvic rotation and, as a result, increasing lumbar contributions. The effects of the hip orthosis on the magnitude and timing characteristics of lumbopelvic coordination were investigated in 20 patients with LBP and 20 asymptomatic controls. The orthosis significantly increased lumbar contributions by 11%, 5.42%, 4.84%, and 4.89% …