Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering Commons^™

Analytical Cpg Model Driven By Limb Velocity Input Generates Accurate Temporal Locomotor Dynamics, Sergiy Yakovenko, Anton Sobinov, Valeriya Gritsenko

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

The ability of vertebrates to generate rhythm within their spinal neural networks is essential for walking, running, and other rhythmic behaviors. The central pattern generator (CPG) network responsible for these behaviors is well-characterized with experimental and theoretical studies, and it can be formulated as a nonlinear dynam- ical system. The underlying mechanism responsible for locomotor behavior can be expressed as the process of leaky integration with resetting states generating appropriate phases for changing body velocity. The low-dimensional input to the CPG model generates the bilateral pattern of swing and stance modulation for each limb and is consistent with the desired …

Effects Of Water Content And Particle Size On Yield And Reactivity Of Lignite Chars Derived From Pyrolysis And Gasification, Yong Huang, Yonggang Wang, Hao Zhou, Yaxuan Gao, Deliang Xu, Lei Bai, Shu Zhang

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Water inside coal particles could potentially enhance the interior char–steam reactions during pyrolysis and gasification. This study aims to examine the effects of water contents on the char conversion during the pyrolysis and gasification of Shengli lignite. The ex-situ reactivities of chars were further analyzed by a thermo gravimetric analyzer (TGA). Under the pyrolysis condition, the increase in water contents has monotonically decreased the char yields only when the coal particles were small (μm). In contrast, the water in only large coal particles (0.9–2.0 mm) has clearly favored the increase in char conversion during the gasification condition where 50% steam …

Quantum Confined Peptide Assemblies With Tunable Visible To Near-Infrared Spectral Range, Kai Tao, Zhen Fan, Leming Sun, Pandeeswar Makam, Zhen Tian, Mark Ruegsegger, Shira Shaham-Niv, Derek Hansford, Ruth Aizen, Zui Pan, Scott Galster, Jianjie Ma, Fan Yuan, Mingsu Si, Songnan Qu, Mingjun Zhang, Ehud Gazit, Junbai Li

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Quantum confined materials have been extensively studied for photoluminescent applica- tions. Due to intrinsic limitations of low biocompatibility and challenging modulation, the utilization of conventional inorganic quantum confined photoluminescent materials in bio- imaging and bio-machine interface faces critical restrictions. Here, we present aromatic cyclo-dipeptides that dimerize into quantum dots, which serve as building blocks to further self-assemble into quantum confined supramolecular structures with diverse morphologies and photoluminescence properties. Especially, the emission can be tuned from the visible region to the near-infrared region (420 nm to 820 nm) by modulating the self-assembly process. Moreover, no obvious cytotoxic effect is observed for …

Incineration Of Nanoclay Composites Leads To Byproducts With Reduced Cellular Reactivity, Alixandra Wagner, Andrew P. White, Man Chio Tang, Sushant Agarwal, Todd A. Stueckle, Yon Rojanasakul, Rakesh K. Gupta, Carasela Zoica Dinu

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Addition of nanoclays into a polymer matrix leads to nanocomposites with enhanced properties to be used in plastics for food packaging applications. Because of the plastics’ high stored energy value, such nanocomposites make good candidates for disposal via municipal solid waste plants. However, upon disposal, increased concerns related to nanocomposites’ byproducts potential toxicity arise, especially considering that such byproducts could escape disposal filters to cause inhalation hazards. Herein, we investigated the effects that byproducts of a polymer polylactic acid-based nanocomposite containing a functionalized montmorillonite nanoclay (Cloisite 30B) could pose to human lung epithelial cells, used as a model for inhalation …

Graphene Nanoplatelets-Sericin Surface-Modified Gum Alloy For Improved Biological Response, Valentina Mitran, Valentina Dinca, Raluca Ion, Vasile D. Cojocaru, Patricia Neacsu, Cerasela Zoica Dinu, Laurentiu Rusen, Simona Brajnicov, Anca Bonciu, Maria Dinescu, Doina Raducanu, Ioan Dan

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

In this study a “Gum Metal” titanium-based alloy, Ti-31.7Nb-6.21Zr-1.4Fe-0.16O, was synthesized by melting and characterized in order to evaluate its potential for biomedical applications. The results showed that the newly developed alloy presents a very high strength, high plasticity and a low Young's modulus relative to titanium alloys currently used in medicine. For further bone implant applications, the newly synthesized alloy was surface modified with graphene nanoplatelets (GNP), sericin (SS) and graphene nanoplatelets/sericine (GNP–SS) composite films via Matrix Assisted Pulsed Laser Evaporation (MAPLE) technique. The characterization of each specimen was monitored by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), …

Navigating The “No Man's Land” Of Tki-Failed Egfr-Mutated Non– Small Cell Lung Cancer (Nsclc): A Review, Bryan Oronsky, Patrick Ma, Tony R. Reid, Pedro Cabrales, Michelle Lybeck, Arnold Oronsky, Neil Oronsky, Corey A. Carter

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

As the leading cause of cancer-related mortality, lung cancer is a worldwide health issue that is overwhelmingly caused by smoking. However, a substantial minority (~25%) of patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has never smoked. In these patients, activating mutations of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) are more likely, which render their tumors susceptible for a finite period to treatment with EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and confer a better prognosis than EGFR wild-type NSCLC. On progression, due to the inevitable insurgence of resistance, TKIs are generally followed by second- or third-line salvage chemotherapy until treatment failure, after …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Blue Light Poly(Β-Amino Ester)S, Nicholas John Kohrs

Theses and Dissertations--Biomedical Engineering

Volumetric muscle loss (VML) is a debilitating injury which results in full or partial loss of function. Current clinical options utilize tissue grafts and bracing to restore function. Tissue graft implantation oftentimes leads to serious complications, some of which end in graft rejection and thereby necessitate further surgeries and procedures. Polymeric scaffolds show promise as scaffolding systems due to their mechanical properties and overall degradation profiles. Scaffolds need appropriate mechanical properties, 10-60 kPa modulus, and overall degradation times, five days to two weeks, to initiate tissue regeneration. Poly(β-amino ester)s (PBAE), a class of synthetic polymers, act as a safe biocompatible …

Waste Heat Recovery From Distributed Rack-Based Fuel Cells Using Thermoelectric Generators, Khosrow Ebrahimi, Alfonso Ortega, Calvin Li, Kazuaki Yazawa, Sean James

Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Off-grid power generation has been demonstrated in data centers through the deployment of site-specific centralized power plants utilizing gas turbine or fuel cell-based power generation. Because power is centrally generated, power distribution requires a high voltage power grid within the data center with its ancillary storage and conditioning requirements and equipment. An alternative approach is a completely decentralized distributed power generation system in which fuel cells deployed within individual server racks provide power localized to that rack only. Among other advantages, such an approach also greatly increases the ability to modulate and control power to individual rack units. Because the …

Development Of A Dynamic Model And Control System For Load-Following Studies Of Supercritical Pulverized Coal Power Plants, Parikshit Sarda, Elijah Hedrick, Katherine Reynolds, Debangsu Bhattacharyya, National Energy Technology Laboratory

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Traditional energy production plants are increasingly forced to cycle their load and operate under low-load conditions in response to growth in intermittent renewable generation. A plant-wide dynamic model of a supercritical pulverized coal (SCPC) power plant has been developed in the Aspen Plus Dynamics® (APD) software environment and the impact of advanced control strategies on the transient responses of the key variables to load-following operation and disturbances can be studied. Models of various key unit operations, such as the steam turbine, are developed in Aspen Custom Modeler® (ACM) and integrated in the APD environment. A coordinated control system (CCS) is …

A 3d Cancer Cell Migration Assay On A 384-Pillar Plate With Sidewalls, Nicholas Lesh, Alexander Roth, Stephen Hong, Oju Jeon, Eben Alsberg

Undergraduate Research Posters 2018

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is an aggressive liver cancer where prognosis is heavily tied to metastasis progression. Researchers look to determine the triggers for metastasis to control its spread. The goal of this project is to determine these triggers by quantifying Hep3B cell migration on a high-throughput platform. We infected Hep3B cells with lentiviruses containing mCherry to produce stable fluorescent cells. Next, we determined the stability of growth factors in oxidized, methacrylated alginate (OMA) hydrogel by binding growth factors with methacrylated heparin sulfate (MHS) before encapsulating in OMA, printing onto the 384-pillar plate with sidewalls, and quantifying growth factor release via …

Development Of Low Frequency Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Methods And Instrumentation For Biological Applications, Laura A. Buchanan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

EPR is a powerful biophysical tool that can be used to measure tumor physiology. With the addition of magnetic field gradients, the spectral properties of paramagnetic species can be mapped. To facilitate EPR imaging, methods and instrumentation at frequencies between 250 MHz and 1 GHz were developed.

At low spin concentrations, the rapid scan background signal is often many times larger than the EPR signal of interest. To help remove the background contribution, a data acquisition procedure that takes advantage of a cross-loop resonator and bipolar power supplies was developed at 250 MHz. In this procedure, two scans are collected. …

Effects Of Backpack Type On Kinematics Of The Lower Back During Walking And Jogging, Cazmon Suri

Theses and Dissertations--Biomedical Engineering

Heavy backpacks have been suggested to have a pathogenic role in experience of low back pain among children. We have conducted a repeated-measure study to investigate the backpack-induced changes in lumbo-pelvic coordination of forty gender-balanced college age students when they walked and jogged on a treadmill with two different types of backpacks: normal and ergonomically modified. The backpack-induced changes in lumbo-pelvic coordination were larger when carrying an ergonomically modified vs. a normal backpack as well as when jogging versus walking. The larger changes in lumbo-pelvic coordination when carrying an ergonomically modified backpack were likely due to kinematic restraints imposed by …

Boundary Effects On The Locomotion Of Active Janus Particles, Marola W. Issa, Nicky R. Baumgartner

Undergraduate Research Posters 2018

Self-propelled or “active” micrometer scale particles are capable of supplying local mechanical work, necessary for microscale cargo delivery and useful in other applications within bioimaging and sensing. Research in the last decade has focused on developing, measuring, and manipulating the locomotion mechanisms of active particles in simple environments. However, many applications will be in complex environments with nearby boundaries or variations in physiochemical cues. This poster reports the directed motion of platinum coated polystyrene particles at infinite dilution in the presence of H2O2, which acts as a fuel to drive motion. A transport mechanism called “diffusiophoresis” drives motion of the …

Treatment Of Non-Epithelial Vaginal Cells From Lysyl Oxidase Like One Knockout Mice (Loxl 1) With Nanoparticles (Nps), Priya Patel

Undergraduate Research Posters 2018

Female pelvic floor dysfunction includes pelvic organ prolapse (POP) due to multiple vaginal births causing elastin strength to be reduced. Several normal functions are compromised including bladder control, fecal continence, and painful urination and many other symptoms. Currently no effective treatment is known and women seek surgical mesh implants to correct these issues which are not entirely safe nor effective. The condition of POP affects women across the world and effective treatment is sought. Varying proteins including lysyl oxidase (LOX), tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases, and matrix metalloproteinases are involved in elastin homeostasis. In this experiment, non-epithelial vaginal cells (NEVCs) retrieved …

The Role Of Synthesis Solvent In Particle Size Of Metal Organic Frameworks, Jonathan Krisak

Undergraduate Research Posters 2018

Metal organic frameworks are a class of nanoporous materials with pore sizes ranging from 0.5 to 3 nm and high surface areas (500-6000 m2/g). These materials have potential applications in industrial catalysis, separation and purification, bio-mimetics, drug delivery, semiconductors, sensors and other electronics. The aim of this study is to understand the role of solvent in control of the particle size of the final MOF product. CuBTC MOF has been used as a model MOF in this study to understand this effect. Altering the dielectric constant of solvents is a potential method of controlling the particle size. The data obtained …

Cardiovascular Biomechanical Models, Ethan Kung

Publications

Computational and in vitro methods offer powerful means to model the cardiovascular system and investigate biomechanics related to blood flow, cardiovascular tissue, and medical devices. These models can be constructed to directly describe human anatomy and physiology, and can be more highly controlled compared to animal models. Low-order models composed of lumped-parameter elements and simplified descriptions of cardiac function can capture the global physiology, while high-order models exhibiting detailed 3D anatomy and dynamics can provide highly realistic replication of biomechanical interactions in a small region of the circulation. Multiscale models offer the freedom to capture biomechanics in different regions at …

Probing The Effects Of Substrate Stiffness On Astrocytes Mechanics, Ariege Bizanti

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Astrocytes are among the most functionally diverse population of cells in the central nervous system (CNS) as they are essential to many important neurological functions including maintaining brain homeostasis, regulating the blood brain barrier, and preventing build-up of toxic substances within the brain, for example. Astrocyte importance to brain physiology and pathology has inspired a host of studies focused on understanding astrocyte behavior primarily from a biological and chemical perspective. However, a clear understanding of astrocyte dysfunction and their link to disease has been hampered by a lack of knowledge of astrocyte behavior from a biomechanical perspective. Furthermore, astrocytes (and …

Aerodynamic Design And Analysis Of A Large-Scale Stall-Regulated H-Type Vertical Axis Wind Turbine For An Offshire Floating Installation, Brian Peter Hand

PhDs

Wind energy has witnessed a consistent expansion over the past decade, especially with the move to offshore installation. There is an increasing need to further exploit superior offshore wind resources, which is pushing multi-megawatt wind turbines into deeper water locations where the current popular horizontal axis wind turbine configuration is not entirely suitable. In particular, there has been a renewed interest in the vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) configuration due to its inherent design attributes for an offshore floating application and also its potential to provide a significant reduction in the system cost of energy. However, challenges still remain as …

The Effect Of Cognitive Limb Embodiment On Vascular Physiological Response, Hala Elsir Mustafa Osman

ETD Archive

The rubber hand illusion (RHI) is a visual-tactile perceptual illusion commonly used to study body ownership. In this paradigm, a rubber hand is positioned in front of a participant, and the person’s real hand is hidden from sight behind a barrier. When the real hand and the rubber hand are stroked synchronously, individuals perceive the rubber hand as if it were their own; it becomes “embodied.” This illusory experience of body ownership is associated with multimodal integration of touch and vision. From these visual-tactile-cognitive mechanisms, we establish that our hands belong to us when what we see matches what we …

Characterizing The Effects Of High-Intensity Exercise On Balance And Gait Under Dual-Task Conditions In Parkinson’S Disease, El Iva Baron

ETD Archive

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder, characterized by four cardinal motor symptoms including bradykinesia, tremor, rigidity, and postural instability, and non-motor symptoms including cognitive impairment. Daily activities, such as walking and maintaining balance, are impacted due to impairments in motor function, and are further exacerbated with the addition of cognitive loading, or dual-tasking (DT). High-intensity exercise has demonstrated centrally-mediated improvements of PD symptoms, with additional positive effects on overall health. The goal of this project was to identify changes in dynamic balance recovery and gait function under conditions with and without increased cognitive load after a high-intensity exercise intervention …