Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering Commons^™

Fabrication And Characterization Of Poly(Octanediol Citrate)/Gallium-Containing Bioglass Microcomposite Scaffolds, Ehsan Zeimaran, Sara Pourshahrestani, Belinda Pingguan-Murphy, Nahrizul Adib Kadri, Hussin A. Rothan, Rohana Yusof, Mark R. Towler, Ivan Djordjevic

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Bone can be affected by osteosarcomae requiring surgical excision of the tumor as part of the treatment regime. Complete removal of cancerous cells is difficult and conventionally requires the removal of a margin of safety around the tumor to offer improved patient prognosis. This work considers a novel series of composite scaffolds based on poly (octanediol citrate) (POC) impregnated with gallium-based bioglass microparticles for possible incorporation into bone following tumor removal. The objective of this research was to fabricate and characterize these scaffolds and subsequently report on their mechanical and biological properties. The porous micro composite scaffolds with various concentrations …

Nanoparticle Properties And Synthesis Effects On Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (Sers) Enhancement Factor: An Introduction, Nathan D. Israelsen, Cynthia Hanson, Elizabeth Vargis

Biological Engineering Faculty Publications

Raman spectroscopy has enabled researchers to map the specific chemical makeup of surfaces, solutions, and even cells. However, the inherent insensitivity of the technique makes it difficult to use and statistically complicated. When Raman active molecules are near gold or silver nanoparticles, the Raman intensity is significantly amplified. This phenomenon is referred to as surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). The extent of SERS enhancement is due to a variety of factors such as nanoparticle size, shape, material, and configuration. The choice of Raman reporters and protective coatings will also influence SERS enhancement. This review provides an introduction to how these factors …

Comparison Of Regular Ringer's Solution And Glucose Ringer's Solution On The Longevity Of The Hirudo Medicinalis' Retzius Cell, Nicole Arielle Peretti

Master's Theses

In 1882, Sydney Ringer, a professor of medicine at University College in London, experimented with the frog ventricle to better understand how each constituent of blood influences contraction. The ultimate goal was to create an artificial circulating fluid to use for the perfusion of isolated organs, in this case, a frog heart. Today, Ringer’s solution is still used in research for physiological studies requiring the survival and maintenance of specimens outside of their host bodies. One such example is the use of medicinal leech ganglia for electrophysiological measurements. In this thesis, I am comparing two Ringer’s solutions, original versus added …

Tracking Of Rhythmical Biomedical Signals Using The Maximum A Posteriori Adaptive Marginalized Particle Filter, Sunghan Kim, Lars Andreas Holmstrom, James Mcnames

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Biomedical signals are often rhythmical and their morphologies change slowly over time. Arterial blood pressure and electrocardiogram signals are good examples with such property. It is of great interest to extract clinically useful information such as the instantaneous frequency (i.e. heart rate) and morphological changes (e.g. pulse pressure variation) from these signals. Conventional filtering methods such as the Kalman filter are not suitable for estimating the instantaneous frequency of quasiperiodic signals due to the non-Gaussian multi-modal property of its posterior distribution. One possible alternative is particle filters that are increasingly used for nonlinear systems and non-Gaussian posterior state distributions. However, …

Immersive Visualization For Enhanced Computational Fluid Dynamics Analysis, David Quam, Timothy J. Gundert, Laura M. Ellwein, Christopher E. Larkee, Paul Hayden, Raymond Q. Migrino, Hiromasa Otake, John F. Ladisa

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Modern biomedical computer simulations produce spatiotemporal results that are often viewed at a single point in time on standard 2D displays. An immersive visualization environment (IVE) with 3D stereoscopic capability can mitigate some shortcomings of 2D displays via improved depth cues and active movement to further appreciate the spatial localization of imaging data with temporal computational fluid dynamics (CFD) results. We present a semi-automatic workflow for the import, processing, rendering, and stereoscopic visualization of high resolution, patient-specific imaging data, and CFD results in an IVE. Versatility of the workflow is highlighted with current clinical sequelae known to be influenced by …

Unambiguous Evaluation Of The Relative Photolysis Rates Of Nitro Indolinyl Protecting Groups Critical For Brain Network Studies, Richard L. Comitz, Yannick P. Ouedraogo, Nasri Nesnas

Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Faculty Publications

Nitrated indolinyl photoprotecting groups are crucial tools extensively used in the study of neuronal signal transduction. Mononitrated photolabile protecting groups have been used effectively, however, recent advances in the introduction of a second nitro group have shown improvement in the photo efficiency of neurotransmitter (agonist) release, albeit, to varying extents, depending on the assessment methods employed. An unambiguous method is discussed based on Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), which is shown to be an effective technique in the relative overall rate comparison amongst varying nitrated protecting groups. Mononitrated and dinitrated photolabile protecting groups such as CDNIGlu and MNI-Glu are used as …

A Glass Polyalkenoate Cement Carrier For Bone Morphogenetic Proteins, Adel M.F. Alhalawani, Omar Rodriguez, Declan J. Curran, Russell Co, Sean Kieran, Saad Arshad, Timothy J. Keenan, Anthony W. Wren, Gazelle Crasto, Sean A.F. Peel, Mark R. Towler

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This work considers a glass polyalkenoate cement (GPC)-based carrier for the effective delivery of bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) at an implantation site. A 0.12 CaO–0.04 SrO–0.36 ZnO–0.48 SiO₂ based glass and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA, Mw 213,000) were employed for the fabrication of the GPC. The media used for the water source in the GPC reaction was altered to produce a series of GPCs. The GPC liquid media was either 100 % distilled water with additions of albumin at 0, 2, 5 and 8 wt% of the glass content, 100 % formulation buffer (IFB), and 100 % BMP (150 µg …

Next-Generation Raman Tomography Instrument For Non-Invasive In Vivo Bone Imaging, Jennifer-Lynn H. Demers, Francis W. L. Esmonde-White, Karen A. Esmonde-White, Michael D. Morris, Brian Pogue

Dartmouth Scholarship

Combining diffuse optical tomography methods with Raman spectroscopy of tissue provides the ability for in vivo measurements of chemical and molecular characteristics, which have the potential for being useful in diagnostic imaging. In this study a system for Raman tomography was developed and tested. A third generation microCT coupled system was developed to combine 10 detection fibers and 5 excitation fibers with laser line filtering and a Cytop reference signal. Phantom measurements of hydroxyapatite concentrations from 50 to 300 mg/ml had a linear response. Fiber placement and experiment design was optimized using cadaver animals with live animal measurements acquired to …

Person Identification From Streaming Surveillance Video Using Mid-Level Features From Joint Action-Pose Distribution, Binu M. Nair, Vijayan K. Asari

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

We propose a real time person identification algorithm for surveillance based scenarios from low-resolution streaming video, based on mid-level features extracted from the joint distribution of various types of human actions and human poses.

The proposed algorithm uses the combination of an auto-encoder based action association framework which produces per-frame probability estimates of the action being performed, and a pose recognition framework which gives per-frame body part locations.

The main focus in this manuscript is to effectively combine these per-frame action probability estimates and pose trajectories from a short temporal window to obtain mid-level features. We demonstrate that these mid-level …

Effects Of Three Dry Powder Inhalers On Deposition Of Aerosolized Medicine In The Human Oral-Pharyngeal-Laryngeal Regions, Mohammed Ali

Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The dry powder inhaler (DPI) is a popular, effective and convenient drug delivery device for inhalation therapy to treat asthma. However, a large quantity (approximately 54%) of inhaled aerosols deposit in the oropharyngeal region. Deposition in this region is undesirable because it provides minimum therapeutic benefits and has adverse localized or systemic side effects. This study reports a method of examining electrostatic charge effects on deposition of three DPI aerosols (Spiriva^™ Handihaler, Advair Diskus^™, and Pulmicort^™ Turbohaler) in a cadaver-based cast of the human oral-pharyngeal-laryngeal (OPL) regions. Experimental aerosols were generated from the three commercially available …

Investigating The Solubility And Cytocompatibility Of Cao-Na2o-Sio2/Tio2 Bioactive Glasses, Anthony W. Wren, Aisling Coughlan, Courtney M. Smith, Sarah P. Hudson, Fathima R. Laffir, Mark R. Towler

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This study aims to investigate the solubility of a series of titanium (TiO₂)-containing bioactive glasses and their subsequent effect on cell viability. Five glasses were synthesized in the composition range SiO₂-Na₂O-CaO with 5 mol % of increments TiO₂ substituted for SiO₂. Glass solubility was investigated with respect to (1) exposed surface area, (2) particle size, (3) incubation time, and (4) compositional effects. Ion release profiles showed that sodium (Na⁺) presented high release rates after 1 day and were unchanged between 7 and 14 days. Calcium (Ca²⁺) release …

The Feasibility Of Imaging Myocardial Ischemic/Reperfusion Injury Using 99mTc-Labeled Duramycin In A Porcine Model, Lei Wang, Feng Wang, Wei Fang, Steven E. Johnson, Said H. Audi, Michael Zimmer, Thomas A. Holly, Daniel C. Lee, Bao Zhu, Haibo Zhu, Ming Zhao

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

When pathologically externalized, phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) is a potential surrogate marker for detecting tissue injuries. ^99mTc-labeled duramycin is a peptide-based imaging agent that binds PE with high affinity and specificity. The goal of the current study was to investigate the clearance kinetics of ^99mTc-labeled duramycin in a large animal model (normal pigs) and to assess its uptake in the heart using a pig model of myocardial ischemia–reperfusion injury.

Methods

The clearance and distribution of intravenously injected ^99mTc-duramycin were characterized in sham-operated animals (n = 5). In a closed chest model of myocardial ischemia, coronary occlusion was induced …

Monitoring Of Cerebellar Injury Using Micro Ecog Signals In Ketamine/Xylazine Treated Rats, Gokhan Ordek

Dissertations

Much of the cerebellar research has been conducted in anesthetized animals, particularly using ketamine/xylazine combination in rats, and yet the absolute impact of the anesthesia on the neural circuit remains unanswered . In the current study, spontaneous electrical activity and sensory evoked potentials from the cerebellar surface with chronically implanted, flexible-substrate, multielectrode arrays in rats were collected and analyzed with the motor cortex signals. The power spectra and the intercontact coherence plots of the spontaneous activity in the awake-quiet animals extended up to 800 Hz in the cerebellum and only up to 200 Hz in the motor cortex. Ketamine/xylazine anesthesia …

Developing An Insulin Producing Tissue Using Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells, Neha Mahendrakumar Jain

Dissertations

This thesis describes derivation of pancreatic insulin producing cells (IPCs) from mouse embryonic stem cells and development of three-dimensional (3D) engineered tissue system to provide physiologic culture conditions for IPCs. Upon using a previously established protocol, IPCs have been successfully derived from mouse embryonic stem cells and characterized in vitro . IPCs not only express classical markers of pancreatic beta cells but also exhibit glucose responsive behavior. Interestingly while deriving IPCs from mouse embryonic stem cells, islet endothelial cells have also been identified and successfully isolated from the culture. Derivation of a pure population of endothelial cells expressing specific markers …

Fem Of Electrospinning Compared To Inkjet Printing Model, Maikel Ghaly

Theses

Electrospinning is a process that uses electrostatic forces to produce nanofibers, or fibers in the nano scale. Nanofibers are widely used in many fields like drug delivery and tissue engineering. Nowadays, it is gaining much attention in the research community as an advantageous process. However, there are many parameters that controlnanofiber formation. This research intends to develop a model of electrospinning on the basis of an inkjet printer technique by using a computer aided simulation (COMSOL). Inkjet printing is a technique that delivers small volumes at high repetitions which can betransported by electrostatic forces through the air onto their intended …

An Electrospinning Apparatus For The Production Of Heterogeneous Scaffolds And Their Application In Cartilage Regeneration, Andrew Ryan Hollingsworth

Theses

The human body contains a vast array of soft and hard tissues, each with their own unique set of physical, chemical, mechanical, and electrical properties. It is the combination of these tissues that allows the human body to function as it does. However, these tissues are subject to wear, fatigue, and injury and thus can potentially limit the functions of the body. Therefore, tissue engineering has sought various natural and synthetic materials that can be used for fabrication of cellular scaffolds that have the ability to promote cellular attachment, proliferation, differentiation, and eventual whole tissue formation for replacement and repair …

Visualeyes 2020: A Software Suite To Integrate Instrumentation To Study The Near Triad Of Vergence, Stephen J. Lestrange

Theses

A complete instrumentation suite has been constructed for use in a randomized clinical trial to be funded from the National Institute of Health and study the underlying potential mechanism(s) of vision therapy. This suite is designed to track rotation of each eye (vergence) as well as measure the lens power of the eye's lens (accommodation). The system is designed to dissect the near triad which is composed of the pupil constriction, vergence and accommodation. The visual targets are programmed to be shown on two sets of computer screens which allowed vergence, accommodation and proximal vergence cues to be presented in …

Altered Cd161bright Cd8+ Mucosal Associated Invariant T (Mait)-Like Cell Dynamics And Increased Differentiation States Among Juvenile Type 1 Diabetics., Robert Z. Harms, Kristina M. Lorenzo, Kevin P. Corley, Monina S. Cabrera, Nora Sarvetnick

Journal Articles: Regenerative Medicine

Type 1A diabetes (T1D) is believed to be caused by immune-mediated destruction of β-cells, but the immunological basis for T1D remains controversial. Microbial diversity promotes the maturation and activation of certain immune subsets, including CD161bright CD8+ mucosal associated invariant T (MAIT) cells, and alterations in gut mucosal responses have been reported in type 1 diabetics (T1Ds). We analyzed T cell populations in peripheral blood leukocytes from juvenile T1Ds and healthy controls. We found that proportion and absolute number of MAIT cells were similar between T1Ds and controls. Furthermore, while MAIT cell proportions increased with age among healthy controls, this trend …

Transitioning The Benefits Of Algal Growth To The Byproducts Of Oil And Natural Gas Production, Alan Hodges, Tyler Gladwin, Cody Maxfield, Jonathan Wood

Research on Capitol Hill

No abstract provided.

Treating Proximal Tibial Growth Plate Injuries Using Poly(Lactic-Co-Glycolic Acid) Scaffolds, Amanda Clark, J. Zach Hilt, Todd A. Milbrandt, David A. Puleo

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications

Growth plate fractures account for nearly 18.5% of fractures in children. Depending on the type and severity of the injury, inhibited bone growth or angular deformity caused by bone forming in place of the growth plate can occur. The current treatment involves removal of the bony bar and replacing it with a filler substance, such as a free fat graft. Unfortunately, reformation of the bony bar frequently occurs, preventing the native growth plate from regenerating. The goal of this pilot study was to determine whether biodegradable scaffolds can enhance native growth plate regeneration following a simulated injury that resulted in …