Development Of A Nonlinear Model For The Prediction Of Response Times Of Glucose Affinity Sensors Using Concanavalin A And Dextran And The Development Of A Differential Osmotic Glucose Affinity Sensor, Louis G. Reis

Doctoral Dissertations

With the increasing prevalence of diabetes in the United States and worldwide, blood glucose monitoring must be accurate and reliable. Current enzymatic sensors have numerous disadvantages that make them unreliable and unfavorable among patients. Recent research in glucose affinity sensors correct some of the problems that enzymatic sensors experience. Dextran and concanavalin A are two of the more common components used in glucose affinity sensors. When these sensors were first explored, a model was derived to predict the response time of a glucose affinity sensor using concanavalin A and dextran. However, the model assumed the system was linear and fell …

Probabilistic Analysis Of Wear Of Polymer Material Used In Medical Implants, V. Perel, Tarun Goswami

Biomedical, Industrial & Human Factors Engineering Faculty Publications

Probabilistic methods are applied to the study of fatigue wear of sliding surfaces. A variance of time to failure (to occurrence of maximum allowable wear depth) is evaluated as a function of a mean wear rate of normal wear and a size of wear particles. A method of estimating probability of failure-free work during a certain time interval (reliability) is presented. An effect of the bedding-in phase of wear on the reliability is taken into account. Experimental data for Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) cups of artificial hip implants is used to make numerical calculations.

Lighted Ear Curette, Kelsey Ashmore, Kaitlin Klotzle, Crysta Yamamoto, Katrina Elfrink, Cynthia Stoller

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The ear canal is a sensitive and small part of the human body that is prone to accumulate cerumen or lodge foreign bodies. In order to clean the ear canal or remove foreign bodies, three hands are required: one to brace the patient's head, one to maneuver the curette that is used to clean the ear, and one to hold a light source in order to make the small, dark area visible. Therefore, a design is needed that can allow a doctor to safely clean an ear with an instrument that only requires two hands. Furthermore, the design must have …

Design Of A Fine-Needle Aspiration Biopsy Device For Thyroid Nodules, Troy Furst, Christa Spieth, Gunnar Lovhoiden, Michael Spieth

Posters, Presentations, and Papers

While other devices currently exist to assist in FNA biopsies, none remove the repetitive whole wrist or arm movements needed to collect the sample.

Development & Validation Of An Improved Biomechanical Model For Motion Analysis, Darren Dawson

Theses

Three dimensional motion analysis systems are utilised across a number of different disciplines, including clinical gait analysis, sports performance studies and analysis of tasks of daily living. These systems utilise biomechanical models which define body segment coordinate systems and calculate kinematic and kinetic relationships about the joints between adjacent coordinate systems. In this study, a biomechanical model for general use in motion analysis was developed and validated. It was designed to improve upon the accuracy and capability of currently available models. The newly developed model utilises state of the art techniques to accurately define body segment coordinate systems. Accurate predictive …

Development Of Highly Sensitive And Selective Breathing Sensors Using Molecular Imprinted Filtering For Diabetic And Alcoholic Patients, Md. Saleh Akram Bhuiyan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Wellness sensor technology is an emerging diagnostic test research field, which mostly deal with the point of care of the patients in the recent days. Due to the lack of awareness from the patients, most diseases cannot be detected in due time. This led to worse conditions, such as diabetic and alcoholic syndrome. Therefore, many research groups have been working to develop portable sensor devices that can track serious diseases. These include diabetic and alcoholic biomarkers in breathing. These devices have very high selectivity and reliability. However, the major limitation of biomarkers is that it deals with the bio-molecular based …

Electrotransfer Of Plasmid Dna Radiosensitizes B16f10 Tumors Through Activation Of Immune Response, Monika Savarin, Urska Kamensek, Maja Cemazar, Richard Heller, Gregor Sersa

Bioelectrics Publications

Background. Tumor irradiation combined with adjuvant treatments, either vascular targeted or immunomodulatory, is under intense investigation. Gene electrotransfer of therapeutic genes is one of these approaches. The aim of this study was to determine, whether gene electrotransfer of plasmid encoding shRNA for silencing endoglin, with vascular targeted effectiveness, can radiosensitize melanoma B16F10 tumors.

Materials and methods. The murine melanoma Bl6F10 tumors, growing on the back of C57BI/6 mice, were treated by triple gene electrotransfer and irradiation. The antitumor effect was evaluated by determination of tumor growth delay and proportion of tumor free mice. Furthermore, histological analysis of tumors (necrosis, apoptosis, …

Transient Alt Activation Protects Human Primary Cells From Chromosome Instability Induced By Low Chronic Oxidative Stress, Elisa Coluzzi, Rossella Buonsante, Stefano Leone, Anthony J. Asmar, Kelley L. Miller, Daniela Cimini, Antonella Sgura

Bioelectrics Publications

Cells are often subjected to the effect of reactive oxygen species (ROS) as a result of both intracellular metabolism and exposure to exogenous factors. ROS-dependent oxidative stress can induce 8-oxodG within the GGG triplet found in the G-rich human telomeric sequence (TTAGGG), making telomeres highly susceptible to ROS-induced oxidative damage. Telomeres are nucleoprotein complexes that protect the ends of linear chromosomes and their dysfunction is believed to affect a wide range of cellular and/or organismal processes. Acute oxidative stress was shown to affect telomere integrity, but how prolonged low level oxidative stress, which may be more physiologically relevant, affects telomeres …

Electrosensitization Increases Antitumor Effectiveness Of Nanosecond Pulsed Electric Fields In Vivo, Claudia Muratori, Andrei G. Pakhomov, Loree Heller, Maura Casciola, Elena Gianulis, Sergey Grigoryev, Shu Xiao, Olga N. Pakhomova

Bioelectrics Publications

Nanosecond pulsed electric fields are emerging as a new modality for tissue and tumor ablation. We previously reported that cells exposed to pulsed electric fields develop hypersensitivity to subsequent pulsed electric field applications. This phenomenon, named electrosensitization, is evoked by splitting the pulsed electric field treatment in fractions (split-dose treatments) and causes in vitro a 2- to 3-fold increase in cytotoxicity. The aim of this study was to show the benefit of split-dose treatments for in vivo tumor ablation by nanosecond pulsed electric field. KLN 205 squamous carcinoma cells were embedded in an agarose gel or grown subcutaneously as tumors …

Nanosecond Pulsed Electric Field Induced Changes In Cell Surface Charge Density, Diganta Dutta, Xavier-Lewis Palmer, Anthony Asmar, Michael Stacey, Shizhi Qian

Bioelectrics Publications

This study reports that the surface charge density changes in Jurkat cells with the application of single 60 nanosecond pulse electric fields, using atomic force microscopy. Using an atomic force microscope tip and Jurkat cells on silica in a 0.01 M KCl ionic concentration, we were able to measure the interfacial forces, while also predicting surface charge densities of both Jurkat cell and silica surfaces. The most important finding is that the pulsing conditions varyingly reduced the cells' surface charge density. This offers a novel way in which to examine cellular effects of pulsed electric fields that may lead to …

Regulation Of The Expression And Activity Of Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase 3 (Erk3), Lobna Elkhadragy

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) are Ser/Thr kinases that regulate diverse cellular processes. Extracellular signal-regulated kinase 3 (ERK3) is an atypical MAPK that has recently gained interest for its roles in cancer. ERK3 promotes cancer cell migration, invasion and drug resistance, and its expression is upregulated in multiple cancers. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms that regulate ERK3’s expression and kinase activity. Here, we have identified the oncogenic polycomb group protein BMI1 as a positive regulator of ERK3 level in cancer cells. Mechanistically, BMI1 upregulates ERK3 expression by inhibiting the expression of the tumor suppressor microRNA (miRNA) let-7i, which …

Glycolytic Metabolism And Pregnancy Parameters In The Murine Placenta, Renee Elizabeth Albers

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The placenta is a complex and essential organ composed largely of fetal-derived cells, including several different trophoblast subtypes that work in unison to support nutrient transport to the fetus during pregnancy. Abnormal placental development can lead to pregnancy-associated disorders that often involve metabolic dysfunction. The scope of dysregulated metabolism during placental development may not be fully representative of the in vivo state in defined culture systems, such as cell lines or isolated primary cells. Thus, assessing metabolic function in intact placental tissue would provide a better assessment of placental metabolism. In this study, we describe a methodology for assaying glycolytic …

Phospholipase D: Key Player In Macrophage-Mediated Inflammation And Resolution, Ramya Ganesan

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Phospholipase D (PLD) is a cell membrane remodeling and signaling protein implicated in the pathology of chronic inflammation. As PLD is also central to macrophage cell migration, we investigated the molecular basis of PLD's involvement and regulation in macrophage-initiated inflammation (atherosclerosis) and resolution. We have found that PLD is associated with signaling proteins and positively affects cell movement, phagocytosis and NADPH-initiated release of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS). We found that PLD2 but not PLD1 is important for foam cell formation that causes atherogenesis. We have also found a novel way of inducing macrophage class-switch (polarization) by PLD overexpression. PLD induces …

Proteomic Analysis Of Ischemic Stroke Blood Biomarkers, April Arnold Daubenspeck

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Stroke is a global burden that claims 6 million lives and permanently disables another 5 million each year. The risk of morbidity and mortality following stroke decreases when early diagnosis and treatment are achieved. However there is no blood test to diagnose ischemic stroke because biomarkers to date have not shown adequate sensitivity and specificity to be adopted into hospital protocols. The overall objective of this dissertation was to identify novel blood protein biomarkers of ischemic stroke. We achieved this by using a number of proteomic and statistical techniques to investigate the differential abundance of proteins in the blood of …

Making Meaning: Shifts In Meaningfulness Across Three Modeling Units, Jeannette Manger

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Recent reform calls for a more comprehensive approach to science education that positions learners as constructors of knowledge via scientific practices (NRC, 2012; Osborne, 2014). This 'practice turn' shifts from passive science learning to incorporating science actions with epistemic thinking (Duschl & Grandy, 2013; Ford & Forman, 2006; Osborne, 2014; Shouse, Schweingruber, & Duschl, 2007). Teachers are often underprepared in understanding the nuances of scientific practices, and frequently struggle with supporting students in meaningful practice engagement (Abd-El-Khalick & Akerson, 2004; Crawford, 1999; Davis, Petish, & Smithey, 2006; Duschl & Gitomer, 1997). Here, I draw upon the Berland et al. Epistemologies …

Freeze-Drying As A Novel Biofabrication Method For Achieving A Controlled Microarchitecture Within Large, Complex Natural Biomaterial Scaffolds, Claire Brougham, Tanya J. Levingstone, Nian Shen, Gerard M. Cooney, Thomas C. Flanagan, Stefan Jockenhoevel, Fergal J. O’Brien

Articles

The biofabrication of large scaffolds from natural biomaterials into complex 3D shapes with controllable microarchitecture remains a major challenge. Freeze-drying (or lyophilization) is a technique used to create bioactive scaffolds with a porous architecture and is typically only used to generate scaffolds in planar 3D geometries. Here we report the development of a new biofabrication process to form a collagen-based scaffold into a large, complex geometry which has a large height to width ratio, and a controlled porous microarchitecture. This biofabrication process was validated through the successful development of a heart valve shaped scaffold, fabricated from a collagen-glycosaminoglycan co-polymer. Notably, …

Design Of A Modular Endothelialized Platform For Vascularized Bone Regeneration, Kevin Barrett Miles

Wayne State University Dissertations

The gold standard for bone regeneration requires harvesting a piece of healthy bone from the patient through a painful procedure, but this piece of autologous bone graft contains the bone and endothelial cells required to rapidly regenerate bone in a defect. We have developed a modular bone regeneration platform, composed of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and hydroxyapatite (HAP) microgranules encapsulated in microcapsules, to replace autologous graft harvesting. The microcapsules are composed of a polyelectrolyte membrane formed by the ionic-complex reaction between chondroitin 4-sulfate (C4S) and chitosan. The specific aims of this thesis were to 1) examine the ability of C4S/HAP/chitosan …

Profiling Resistance To P450-Activated Food Carcinogens Using Toxicogenomic Approaches In Budding Yeast, Nicholas Stjohn

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The human response to environmental carcinogens, some of which require metabolic activation, is highly variable. Factors such as environment, lifestyle, and genetics all influence the rates of exposure to and ultimate bioactivation of these compounds. Genetic factors include mutations to cell-cycle regulation, cell proliferation, and DNA repair genes; however, epidemiological studies may lack significance due to inadequate patient numbers. We used budding yeast as a model organism to determine genetic susceptibility to food-associated carcinogens, including aflatoxin (AFB1) and heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs). Budding yeast does not contain P450s that activate these compounds, so expression vectors were induced that contain human …

Detecting And Analyzing Trna Modification Systems And Homologs Using In Silico And Colorectal Cancer Models, Khadijah Onanuga

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

tRNA modifications can be considered epitranscriptomic signaling components that regulate translation and play integral roles in stress response pathways. As such, tRNA modification enzymes have roles in cancer etiology and potential utility as biomarkers of pathological states. For my thesis project I have used computational and wet bench approaches to study tRNA modification systems. Chapter two of my thesis deals with tRNA modification detection, as current methods are costly, time consuming, and require RNA fragmentation. I present a single-molecule-based approach for RNA modification detection, which involves in slico studies using a 5-layered graphene nanopore. Our simulations using a 1.5 nm …

การพัฒนาเครื่องพลาสมาเย็นแบบเจ็ตที่ความดันบรรยากาศสำหรับการทำให้เลือดแข็งตัว, ณัฐนพิญช์ จรูญศักดิ์

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

งานวิจัยนี้เป็นการพัฒนาเครื่องพลาสมาเย็นแบบเจ็ตที่ความดันบรรยากาศสำหรับการทำให้เลือดแข็งตัวที่ประกอบด้วย 2 ส่วนหลักคือ แหล่งจ่ายไฟฟ้าแรงดันสูงความถี่สูงชนิดกระแสสลับ แบบฟลายแบค (Fly back) ที่ควบคุมการทำงานด้วยไมโครคอนโทรลเลอร์และพลาสมาโปรบด้วยวัสดุอุปกรณ์ที่หาได้ในประเทศ โดยออกแบบให้สามารถปรับตั้งค่าความถี่และดิวตี้ไซเคิลผ่านระบบไมโครคอนโทรลเลอร์ได้ที่ความถี่ 30 35 และ 40 kHz และเปอร์เซ็นต์ดิวตี้ไซเคิล 30 40 50 และ 70 % ตามลำดับ ส่วนการปรับตั้งค่าของไฟฟ้าแรงดันสูงเป็นการปรับด้วยมือได้ตั้งแต่ 0.1 ถึง 15 kVrms จากผลการทดลองพบว่า แหล่งจ่ายไฟฟ้าแรงดันสูงความถี่สูงชนิดกระแสสลับที่พัฒนาขึ้นมีประสิทธิภาพการทำงานเท่ากับ 74.28 % การศึกษาผลกระทบของตัวแปรต่างๆต่อความยาวและอุณหภูมิของพลาสมาเจ็ต พบว่าค่าไฟฟ้าแรงดันสูง ความถี่ เปอร์เซ็นต์ดิวตี้ไซเคิล และอัตราการไหลของก๊าซอาร์กอน เป็นตัวแปรสำคัญที่ส่งผลต่อความสม่ำเสมอของเปลวพลาสมา ผลการวิเคราะห์คุณสมบัติของพลาสมาด้วยเครื่อง Optical Emission Spectroscopy (OES) พบว่า มีอุณหภูมิของอิเล็กตรอนที่ความถี่ต่างๆและที่อัตราการไหลต่างๆที่มีค่าเท่ากับ 0.43 eV และความหนาแน่นของอิเล็กตรอนของพลาสมาอยู่ในช่วง 5.46x109 – 1.74x1012 cm-3 ซึ่งสามารถระบุได้ว่าพลาสมาแบบเจ็ตที่พัฒนาขึ้นเป็นพลาสมาเย็น จากผลทดสอบการแข็งตัวของเลือดด้วยเครื่องพลาสมาเย็นแบบเจ็ตที่พัฒนาขึ้น พบว่า ที่ระยะห่างระหว่างปลายโปรบกับกระจกสไลด์ 1 เซนติเมตร พลาสมาเย็นแบบเจ็ตที่พัฒนาขึ้นสามารถทำให้เลือดที่ผสมสารต้านการแข็งตัวของเลือด EDTA ปริมาณ 2.5 µL. ให้แข็งตัวภายในเวลาประมาณ 20 วินาที ได้เร็วกว่าเลือดผสมสาร EDTA ที่ไม่ผ่านการฉายด้วยพลาสมาและเลือดผสมสาร EDTA ที่ผ่านการเป่าด้วยก๊าซอาร์กอนที่อัตราการไหลของก๊าซอาร์กอน 5 L/min