Project "Auxilia" - Jaiden's Prosthetic Arm,
2019
The University of Akron
Project "Auxilia" - Jaiden's Prosthetic Arm, Christopher Halley, Lindsay Jaros, Autumn Young
Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects
The main objective of this project was to create a prosthetic arm for a 15 year old boy named Jaiden Foden. Jaiden was born with only one fully developed limb as a result of a genetic disorder, Hanhart Syndrome II. His right arm becomes a residual limb below the elbow, but has two fingers which act in a “claw-like” movement. Jaiden’s left arm becomes a residual limb above the elbow, and his left leg becomes a residual limb above the knee. The goal of the arm was to increase Jaiden’s overall independence and to help in completing daily tasks, such …
Investigating Alternative Measures Of Functional Recovery In Rat Sciatic Nerve Injury,
2019
University of
Investigating Alternative Measures Of Functional Recovery In Rat Sciatic Nerve Injury, Mariah L. Costa, Rebecca K. Willits
Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects
There is a pressing need for advancements in peripheral nerve repair techniques and functional recovery evaluation methods. The rat sciatic nerve injury model is a well examined model for peripheral nerve repair. One measure of functional recovery after nerve damage, the sciatic functional index (SFI), fails in the presence of self-mutilation, toe contracture, and other abnormalities in gait. In this IACUC approved study, the sciatic nerve was severed in four experimental groups (n=5). The nerves were repaired with Arginylglycylaspartic acid-poly(ε-caprolactone) (RGD-PCL) peptide functionalized nanofibers, non-functionalized PCL control nanofibers, an isograft, and a negative control empty conduit. Video walking track analysis …
Fabrication And Characterization Of Nanofiber Nylon-6-Mwcnt As An Electrochemical Sensor For Sodium Ions Concentration Detection In Sweat,
2019
The University of Akron
Fabrication And Characterization Of Nanofiber Nylon-6-Mwcnt As An Electrochemical Sensor For Sodium Ions Concentration Detection In Sweat, Kelsey Mills
Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects
Fabrication and characterization nylon-6-MWCNT nanofiber as an electrochemical sensor to detect sodium ion concentrations specifically in sweat. Using contact angle to determine surface morphology and chronoamperometry testing to identify ideal sensor conditions, tests optimized parameters like weight percent of nylon or other polymers, carbon nanotube (CNT) isomer, and solution concentration to determine reproducibility of functional sensors. Utilizing the electric qualities of carbon nanotubes partnered with the sodium ion selectivity of calixarene treatment and polymers unique properties like flexibility and scalability create open an arena for optimizing sodium ion sensors for further development for functional prototypes. Morphology tests showed that the …
Design And Mechanical Characterization Of 3d Printed Gradient Porosity Poly(Propylene Fumarate) Scaffolds,
2019
The University of Akron
Design And Mechanical Characterization Of 3d Printed Gradient Porosity Poly(Propylene Fumarate) Scaffolds, Andrea Felicelli
Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects
Worldwide incidence of bone disorders and conditions, an already prevalent problem, is expected to double by 2020 from the rate in 2013 due to factors such as higher life expectancies and lower levels of physical activity. Every year in the United States, over half a million patients receive bone defect repairs, with costs greater than $2.5 billion. Current repairs are typically done with bone grafts, which are often costly and can result in added complications in the donor surgical site. Tissue engineering, a growing field that seeks to assist and enhance tissue defect repairs through the use of synthetic materials, …
The Production And Characterization Of Chitosan Based Microgels Using A Novel Microfluidic Device To Promote Cell Survival,
2019
The University of Akron
The Production And Characterization Of Chitosan Based Microgels Using A Novel Microfluidic Device To Promote Cell Survival, Kaileen Shevchuk
Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects
The purpose of this project is to synthesize and characterize perfluorocarbon modified methacrylamide chitosan (MACF) microgels produced with the use of a capillary-based microfluidic device. Since cell survival and development is highly related to particles physical properties, analysis of microgels set out to determine the particle’s physical properties. I hypothesize that the viscosity of the MACF polymer as well as the amount of photo initiator influence the physical properties of synthesized particles and as a result can generate particles with various features for cell culture in terms of shape, size, charge and swelling abilities. This hypothesis was validated through the …
Differential Microrna Expression In Barrett's Esophagus Correlates With Regulation Of Posterior Homeotic Genes,
2019
Wright State University
Differential Microrna Expression In Barrett's Esophagus Correlates With Regulation Of Posterior Homeotic Genes, Reilly June Clark
Browse all Theses and Dissertations
Barrett’s Esophagus (BE) is characterized by the appearance of an intestinal-like epithelium in the distal esophagus. The molecular mechanisms behind BE development are unknown. BE is often preceded by Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) and predisposes patients to esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). Due to the high mortality rate associated with EAC, BE patients are continuously monitored through upper endoscopy with biopsy for progression to low grade dysplasia (LGD), high grade dysplasia, and EAC. This monitoring technique poses numerous risks, so alternative surveillance and diagnostic techniques for BE pathogenesis are continually studied. microRNA biomarkers in BE pathogenesis may provide alternative means of diagnosis …
Utilizing Immunopet To Measure Tumor Response To Treatment In Breast Cancer,
2019
Wayne State University
Utilizing Immunopet To Measure Tumor Response To Treatment In Breast Cancer, Brooke Mcknight
Wayne State University Dissertations
With a broad spectrum of therapies available for treating breast cancer, the need for personalized medicine tailoring the cure according to phenotype is evident. Such an approach may be fully realized with the development of quantitative imaging technologies for disease detection, staging and diagnosis, without increasing patient burden. Immuno-positron emission tomography (PET) combines the targeted specificity of antibodies with the sensitivity of PET for whole body imaging by targeting molecular features amplified in lesions. ImmunoPET probes targeting different antigens and their utility to measure response to treatment were explored. 89Zr-trastuzumab was employed as a surrogate readout of Src inhibition after …
Comparative Kinetic Modeling Of Growth And Molecular Hydrogen Overproduction By Engineered Strains Of Thermotoga Maritima,
2019
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Comparative Kinetic Modeling Of Growth And Molecular Hydrogen Overproduction By Engineered Strains Of Thermotoga Maritima, Raghuveer Singh, Rahul Tevatia, Derrick White, Yaşar Demirel, Paul H. Blum
Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: Faculty Publications
Thermotoga maritima is an anaerobic hyperthermophilic bacterium known for its high amounts of hydrogen (H2) production. In the current study, the kinetic modeling was applied on the engineered strains of T. maritima that surpassed the natural H2 production limit. The study generated a kinetic model explaining H2 overproduction and predicted a continuous fermentation system. A Leudking-Piret equation-based model predicted that H2 production by Tma200 (0.217 mol-H2 g–1-biomass) and Tma100 (0.147 mol-H2 g–1-biomass) were higher than wild type (0.096 mol-H2 g–1 -biomass) with reduced rates of maltose utilization. …
Well-Ordered Mesoporous Silica And Bioactive Glasses: Promise For Improved Hemostasis,
2019
Missouri University of Science and Technology
Well-Ordered Mesoporous Silica And Bioactive Glasses: Promise For Improved Hemostasis, Sara Pourshahrestani, Nahrizul Adib Kadri, Ehsan Zeimaran, Mark R. Towler
Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works
Immediate control of uncontrolled bleeding and infection are essential for saving lives in both combat and civilian arenas. Inorganic well-ordered mesoporous silica and bioactive glasses have recently shown great promise for accelerating hemostasis and infection control. However, to date, there has been no comprehensive report assessing their specific mechanism of action in accelerating the hemostasis process and exerting an antibacterial effect. After providing a brief overview of the hemostasis process, this review presents a critical overview of the recently developed inorganic mesoporous silica and bioactive glass-based materials proposed for hemostatic clinical applications and specifically investigates their unique characteristics that render …
Human Islet Response To Selected Type 1 Diabetes-Associated Bacteria: A Transcriptome-Based Study,
2019
University of Nebraska Medical Center
Human Islet Response To Selected Type 1 Diabetes-Associated Bacteria: A Transcriptome-Based Study, Ahmed M. Abdellatif, Heather Jensen Smith, Robert Z. Harms, Nora Sarvetnick
Journal Articles: Regenerative Medicine
Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a chronic autoimmune disease that results from destruction of pancreatic β-cells. T1D subjects were recently shown to harbor distinct intestinal microbiome profiles. Based on these findings, the role of gut bacteria in T1D is being intensively investigated. The mechanism connecting intestinal microbial homeostasis with the development of T1D is unknown. Specific gut bacteria such as Bacteroides dorei (BD) and Ruminococcus gnavus (RG) show markedly increased abundance prior to the development of autoimmunity. One hypothesis is that these bacteria might traverse the damaged gut barrier, and their constituents elicit a response from human islets that causes …
Quickcough: An Instrumentational Proximal Airway Clearance Technique (Act) For Select Patients With Neuromuscular Disease (Nmd),
2019
The University of Akron
Quickcough: An Instrumentational Proximal Airway Clearance Technique (Act) For Select Patients With Neuromuscular Disease (Nmd), Sean X. Sullivan, Russell K. Catania, Madison K. Plaster, Sydney E. Kandray, Mariah Costa
Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects
Patients with neuromuscular disease (NMD) requiring tracheostomy and mechanical ventilation secondary to respiratory failure encounter increased difficulty in removing pulmonary secretions from the airways. To combat issues associated with current treatment modalities for insufficient cough efficacy (cost, poor mobility, discomfort, lack of evidence), we have developed an instrumentational proximal airway clearance technique (ACT) which augments a manual proximal ACT developed by a client with NMD. QuickCough is a 3D-printed PLA attachment to the tracheostomy apparatus which has demonstrated its ability to facilitate pressure changes necessary to increase patient’s peak cough flow (PCF) by providing a stronger exsufflation for the patient. …
Easy Adjustable Protective Helmet,
2019
The University of Akron
Easy Adjustable Protective Helmet, Ryan Balash
Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects
Akron Children’s Hospital and The University of Akron’s Biomedical Engineering Design Team Engineering Forward have paired together to improve medical adapted helmets for post-operative and disabled patients. An issue is the helmets are only produced in a couple of sizes. Also, it is a tedious process to constantly adjust the pressure on the patient’s cranium within a trial-and-error process. Engineering Forward plans to improve the effectiveness of this helmet by creating an adjustable helmet that can read the pressure on a patient’s head. The caregiver can then make the necessary adjustments to the helmet to accommodate the patient. Documents of …
Type 2 Diabetes Leads To Impairment Of Cognitive Flexibility And Disruption Of Excitable Axonal Domains In The Brain,
2019
Wright State University
Type 2 Diabetes Leads To Impairment Of Cognitive Flexibility And Disruption Of Excitable Axonal Domains In The Brain, Leonid M. Yermakov
Browse all Theses and Dissertations
Type 2 diabetes is a metabolic disease affecting millions of people around the world. Cognitive and mood impairments are among its many debilitating complications, but disease mechanism(s) remain elusive. Here, we present a series of behavioral tasks that demonstrate impairment of cognitive flexibility in db/db mice, a commonly used type 2 diabetes model. Using immunohistochemistry, we demonstrate disruption of axon initial segments (AIS) and nodes of Ranvier, excitable axonal domains regulating neuronal output, in brain regions associated with cognitive and mood impairments. Finally, we present results of exercise treatment that ameliorates AIS disruption in these animals. Establishing cognitive flexibility deficits …
Computational Simulation Of A Femoral Nail Fracture,
2019
Wright State University
Computational Simulation Of A Femoral Nail Fracture, Stephen Charles Whatley
Browse all Theses and Dissertations
Every year in the United States roughly 300,000 people over the age of 65 suffer from a hip fracture. Ninety five percent of which are the result from a fall. The resulting hip fracture can be classified into several categories of fracture. Depending on the damage the patient could be implanted with a femoral nail device to assist in their recovery. These devices can, however, have complications during recovery. In some cases, these nails can have a failure rate as high as 10%. When failure occurs, extensive investigations are needed to determine the causes of failure. These investigations involve physical …
Chondroitin Sulfate Hydrogels For Total Wound Care Devices,
2019
Wright State University
Chondroitin Sulfate Hydrogels For Total Wound Care Devices, Tushar Goswami
Browse all Theses and Dissertations
Chondroitin sulfate (CS) is a naturally occurring bio-polymer found in areas of high cartilage in mammals. In directed applications, such as hydrogels, CS can be used to impact keratinocyte growth cycles. In this work, CS based hydrogels were utilized to accelerate wound healing and, in conjunction with a graphene sensor, monitor wound fluid pH. The hydrogels were cast onto a graphene field effect transistor (GFET) to obtain the benefits of the hydrogel wound healing capabilities, while also utilizing the pH sensitivity of the graphene. Results showed that the hydrogel caused a fivefold increase in cell size over the course of …
Characterizing Basal-Like Triple Negative Breast Cancer Using Gene Expression Analysis: A Data Mining Approach,
2019
Wright State University
Characterizing Basal-Like Triple Negative Breast Cancer Using Gene Expression Analysis: A Data Mining Approach, Qamar Alsabi
Browse all Theses and Dissertations
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is characterized by the absence of expression of the estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). Therefore, TNBC is unresponsive to targeted hormonal therapies, which limits treatment options to nonselective chemotherapeutic agents. Basal-like breast cancers (BLBCs) represent a subset of about 70% of TNBCs, more frequently affecting younger patients, being more prevalent in African-American women and significantly more aggressive than tumors of other molecular subtypes, with high rates of proliferation and extremely poor clinical outcomes. Proper classification of BLBCs using current pathological tools has been a major challenge. Although TNBCs have …
Assessing Endothelial Dysfunction Estimating The Differences Between 3 Minute And 5 Minute Reactive Hyperemia,
2019
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Assessing Endothelial Dysfunction Estimating The Differences Between 3 Minute And 5 Minute Reactive Hyperemia, Tamiko K. Saldin
Master's Theses
The purpose of this study was to define a lower standard cuff occlusion time to induce reactive hyperemia in assessing endothelial dysfunction. In this study, strong evidence was found by a novel technique that used oscillometric methods, which supported that 3 minute reactive hyperemia was sufficient to elicit a significant difference in arterial compliance from baseline. Twenty healthy Cal Poly students were assessed, (n=12 female, n=8 male) aged 22 years old with a standard deviation of 2.04 years. Arterial compliance was estimated by measuring the peak-to-peak oscillations for baseline, 3 minute reactive hyperemia, and 5 minute reactive hyperemia tests, with …
Assessment Of Access Methods For Mobile Maps For Individuals Who Are Blind Or Visually Impaired,
2019
Virginia Commonwealth University
Assessment Of Access Methods For Mobile Maps For Individuals Who Are Blind Or Visually Impaired, David Parker
Theses and Dissertations
When people go to a mall, museums, or other such locations they tend to rely on maps to find their way around. However, for people who are blind or visually impaired (BVI) maps are not easily accessible and they depend on other means, such as a guide, to get around. Research has only just begun to investigate providing maps for people who are BVI on touch screen devices. Many different types of feedback have been used: audio (sound), tactile (touch), audio-tactile, and multitouch. Some research has been conducted on the benefit of using multiple fingers (multitouch) and has found conflicting …
The Role Of Kras In Mechanosensing In Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer,
2019
Virginia Commonwealth University
The Role Of Kras In Mechanosensing In Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Krista M. Powell
Theses and Dissertations
Lung cancer is the number one cause of cancer related death worldwide, with more than 1.6 million fatalities each year. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for 80-85% of all lung cancers, with KRAS being one of the most prevalent oncogenic driver mutations. Therapeutic approaches for KRAS-mutated NSCLC have been extensively explored due to the US National Cancer Institute RAS Initiative, but methods of directly targeting KRAS or downstream effectors, such as MEK, still have poor results. Previous reports have shown that KRAS-mutated NSCLC activate distinct receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) depending on the epithelial or mesenchymal state. Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) …
Designing Biomimetic Implant Surfaces To Promote Osseointegration Under Osteoporotic Conditions By Revitalizing Mechanisms Coupling Bone Resorption To Formation,
2019
Virginia Commonwealth University
Designing Biomimetic Implant Surfaces To Promote Osseointegration Under Osteoporotic Conditions By Revitalizing Mechanisms Coupling Bone Resorption To Formation, Ethan M. Lotz
Theses and Dissertations
In cases of compromised bone remodeling like osteoporosis, insufficient osseointegration occurs and results in implant failure. Implant retention relies on proper secondary fixation, which is developed during bone remodeling. This process is disrupted in metastatic bone diseases like osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is characterized low bone mass and bone strength resulting from either accelerated osteoclast-mediated bone resorption or impaired osteoblast-mediated bone formation. These two processes are not independent phenomena. In fact, osteoporosis can be viewed as a breakdown of the cellular communication connecting bone resorption to bone formation. Because bone remodeling occurs at temporally generated specific anatomical sites and at different times, …
