Biomedical Commons^™

Microglia Induced Neuroinflammation Through The Nlrp3 Inflammasome Following Blast Traumatic Brain Injury, Daniel Younger

Dissertations

The incidence of traumatic brain injury (TBI) among military personnel have been steadily increasing with modern conflicts. A recent RAND report estimated 320,000 service members, totaling 20% of deployed forces, suffer from TBI. However, of this population roughly 60% have not seen a medical professional specifically for TBI. Unlike the civilian population, the primary cause of TBI for active-duty military personnel is blast exposure. Blasts now account for over 70% of all US military casualties in operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation enduring freedom (OEF) and are the major cause of TBI. Among many pathological mechanisms associated with blast TBI, …

Fabrication Of Silicon Microneedles For Dermal Interstitial Fluid Extraction In Human Subjects, Caleb A. Berry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this project is to design and develop a fabrication process for silicon microneedle arrays to extract dermal interstitial fluid (ISF) from human skin. ISF is a cell- free, living tissue medium that is known to contain many of the same, clinical biomarkers of general health, stress response and immune status as in blood. However, a significant barrier to adoption of ISF as a diagnostic matrix is the lack of a rapid, minimally invasive method of access and collection for analysis. Microfabricated chips containing arrays of microneedles that can rapidly and painlessly access and collect dermal ISF for …

Admittance Method For Estimating Local Field Potentials Generated In A Multi-Scale Neuron Model Of The Hippocampus, Clayton S. Bingham, Javad Paknahad, Christopher Bc Girard, Kyle Loizos, Jean-Marie C. Bouteiller, Dong Song, Gianluca Lazzi, Theodore W. Berger

Engineering Faculty Articles and Research

Significant progress has been made toward model-based prediction of neral tissue activation in response to extracellular electrical stimulation, but challenges remain in the accurate and efficient estimation of distributed local field potentials (LFP). Analytical methods of estimating electric fields are a first-order approximation that may be suitable for model validation, but they are computationally expensive and cannot accurately capture boundary conditions in heterogeneous tissue. While there are many appropriate numerical methods of solving electric fields in neural tissue models, there isn't an established standard for mesh geometry nor a well-known rule for handling any mismatch in spatial resolution. Moreover, the …

Design And Characterization Of Low Temperature Co-Fired Ceramic Dielectric Barrier Discharge Plasma Arrays For Killing And Removing Bacterial Biofilms, Adam Croteau

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Present research at Boise State University (BSU) has demonstrated the ability of low temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) cold atmospheric pressure plasma (CAP) devices to remove bacterial biofilms on steel substrates. Although bacteria may easily be inactivated by plasma treatment, the remains of the organism are still present on the substrate. It is shown that single element DBD CAP discharge devices operating at 2100 Vrms with 5 LPM of hydrated argon gas etched P. fluorescens biofilm within a few minutes of exposure. Similarly, using an 8 element array of linear plasma discharges, etch removal of biofilm was …

Model-Based Approach For Diffuse Glioma Classification, Grading, And Patient Survival Prediction, Zeina A. Shboul

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The work in this dissertation proposes model-based approaches for molecular mutations classification of gliomas, grading based on radiomics features and genomics, and prediction of diffuse gliomas clinical outcome in overall patient survival. Diffuse gliomas are types of Central Nervous System (CNS) brain tumors that account for 25.5% of primary brain and CNS tumors and originate from the supportive glial cells. In the 2016 World Health Organization’s (WHO) criteria for CNS brain tumor, a major reclassification of the diffuse gliomas is presented based on gliomas molecular mutations and the growth behavior. Currently, the status of molecular mutations is determined by obtaining …

Validation Of Nanosecond Pulse Cancellation Using A Quadrupole Exposure System, Hollie A. Ryan

Biomedical Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Nanosecond pulsed electric fields (nsPEFs) offer a plethora of opportunities for developing integrative technologies as complements or alternatives to traditional medicine. Studies on the biological effects of nsPEFs in vitro and in vivo have revealed unique characteristics that suggest the potential for minimized risk of complications in patients, such as the ability of unipolar nsEPs to create permanent or transient pores in cell membranes that trigger localized lethal or non-lethal outcomes without consequential heating. A more recent finding was that such responses could be diminished by applying a bipolar pulse instead, a phenomenon dubbed bipolar cancellation, paving the way …

Developing And Comparing Sensor For Movement Analysis And Biofeedback, Umaiyaal Vasudevaraja

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Recent advances in the field of wearable technology are now at a peak in the sports field and the medical field. The validity, reliability, and application of such systems are still under research and yet to be revealed.

Purpose: This study aims to design and constructing the Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) hardware with the required software to collect accelerometer data for potential use in human movement studies and test the efficacy of the collected IMU accelerometer data by comparing it with the motion capture data.

Methods: In this study, the IMU sensor is coupled with the Arduino, loaded with …

17 Β-Estradiol And Phytoestrogens Attenuate Apoptotic Cell Death In Hiv-1 Tat Exposed Primary Cortical Cultures, Sheila Marie Adams

Theses and Dissertations

Despite the advent of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), neurological disorders develop in most people infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). The poor CNS delivery of anti-retrovirals allows continued virus production and renders neurons susceptible to the toxic effects of released viral proteins. The neurotoxic potential of HIV-1 viral protein Tat has been shown to include excitotoxicity, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial dysfunction leading to subsequent cell death. Thus, Tat is thought to have a key role in the pathogenesis of HIV-associated neurodegeneration. Estrogens are universally considered to be neuroprotective, as such; estrogens have positive implications in the treatment …

Expansion Microscopy: A New Approach To Microscopic Evaluation, Ashley Ferri

Theses and Dissertations

Optical microscopy resolution is limited by the wavelengths of light and the series of microscope lenses and other optical components used to create a magnified image of cell structures in a sample. Often the cell structures are smaller or closer together than the resolution limits of a light microscope. In 2015 the Boyden group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) created a sample preparation technique, expansion microscopy which involves embedding biological samples in a crosslinked, swellable, hydrogel polymer that allows for uniform physical separation of cell components so that they can subsequently be resolved by light microscopy. Using the …

Nanoelectronic Applications Of Magnetoelectric Nanostructures, Ping Wang

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The greatly increased interest in magnetoelectric materials over the last decade is due to their potential to enable next-generation multifunctional nanostructures required for revolutionizing applications spanning from energy-efficient information processing to medicine. Magnetoelectric nanomaterials offer a unique way to use a voltage to control the electron spin and, reciprocally, to use remotely controlled magnetic fields to access local intrinsic electric fields. The magnetoelectric coefficient is the most critical indicator for the magnetoelectric coupling in these nanostructures. To realize the immense potential of these materials, it is necessary to maximize the coefficient. Therefore, the goal of this PhD thesis study was …

An Improved Method For Hospital Acquired Pressure Ulcer (Hapu) Prevention, Jillian Yeager, Megan Morrissey, Julia Beekman

Honors Theses

Hospital acquired pressure ulcers (HAPUs), also called bedsores, are damage to the skin and/or underlying tissue caused by prolonged pressure on the bony areas of the body, with around 20% of pressure ulcers occurring in the heel region. Currently, the most common practice for HAPU prevention is arbitrary manual repositioning of patients by nurses every 1-2 hours. The goal of our project was to address HAPUs in the heel region of low mobility patients through an ulceration risk sensing system. Our team has created a wearable ulceration risk assessment system that combines individual patient risk data with real time pressure …

An Improved Method For Hospital Acquired Pressure Ulcer (Hapu) Prevention, Megan Morrissey, Jillian Yeager, Julia Beekman

Honors Theses

Hospital acquired pressure ulcers (HAPUs), also called bedsores, are damage to the skin and/or underlying tissue caused by prolonged pressure on the bony areas of the body, with around 20% of pressure ulcers occurring in the heel region. Currently, the most common practice for HAPU prevention is arbitrary manual repositioning of patients by nurses every 1-2 hours. The goal of our project was to address HAPUs in the heel region of low mobility patients through an ulceration risk sensing system. Our team has created a wearable ulceration risk assessment system that combines individual patient risk data with real time pressure …

Ml-Medic: A Preliminary Study Of An Interactive Visual Analysis Tool Facilitating Clinical Applications Of Machine Learning For Precision Medicine, Laura Stevens, David Kao, Jennifer Hall, Carsten Görg, Kaitlyn Abdo, Erik Linstead

Engineering Faculty Articles and Research

Accessible interactive tools that integrate machine learning methods with clinical research and reduce the programming experience required are needed to move science forward. Here, we present Machine Learning for Medical Exploration and Data-Inspired Care (ML-MEDIC), a point-and-click, interactive tool with a visual interface for facilitating machine learning and statistical analyses in clinical research. We deployed ML-MEDIC in the American Heart Association (AHA) Precision Medicine Platform to provide secure internet access and facilitate collaboration. ML-MEDIC’s efficacy for facilitating the adoption of machine learning was evaluated through two case studies in collaboration with clinical domain experts. A domain expert review was also …

3d Parametric Hand To Improve Prosthetic Hand Functionality, Maria C. Gerardi

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The use of prosthetics can significantly enhance an individual’s standard of living, not only offering functional advantages but psychological advantages as well. Unfortunately for children with upper limb reduction, options are limited and rejection rates are high due to a multitude of reasons including discomfort and poor functionality. This study proposes a new parametric 3D design model (Parametric Hand) with an adjustable thumb that can be easily manipulated to the uniqueness of an individual. The Parametric Hand was evaluated, both qualitatively and quantitatively, against the Flexy-Hand 2, a commonly used prosthetic hand. The results showed insignificant differences in all testing …

3-D Silk Fibroin Porous Particles Created By The Ouzo Effect For Biomedical Applications, Ashley Nicole Lamb

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Due to its high biocompatibility and biodegradability, silk fibroin – produced from

Bombyx mori (B. mori) cocoons – has been at the forefront of research for many

biomedical application formats: hydrogels, films, microspheres, and porous

sponges/scaffolding, to name a few. For drug delivery, in particular, porous particles are

desirable for their large surface area, uniform and tunable pore structure, and high

porosity. This thesis focuses on the fabrication of porous particles from silk fibroin by the

very interesting Ouzo effect. The Ouzo effect, so named because of the Greek

beverage ouzo, describes the phenomenon of an ethanol + anethole oil …

Neural Network Pruning For Ecg Arrhythmia Classification, Isaac E. Labarge

Master's Theses

Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) are a widely accepted means of solving complex classification and detection problems in imaging and speech. However, problem complexity often leads to considerable increases in computation and parameter storage costs. Many successful attempts have been made in effectively reducing these overheads by pruning and compressing large CNNs with only a slight decline in model accuracy. In this study, two pruning methods are implemented and compared on the CIFAR-10 database and an ECG arrhythmia classification task. Each pruning method employs a pruning phase interleaved with a finetuning phase. It is shown that when performing the scale-factor pruning …

Helicobacter’S Effects On Colitis/Colon Cancer And The Response To Indole 3-Carbinol, Rasha Raheem Abdulhamza Alkarkoushi

Theses and Dissertations

Enterohepatic Helicobacter (EHH) species are gram-negative bacteria, which are poorly studied. Several studies suggest that EHH species contribute to inflammatory bowel disease IBD in humans. IBD and colorectal cancer (CRC) has emerged as a public health challenge worldwide. Indole-3-carbinol (I3C) is one of the natural dietary indoles abundant in Brassica (cruciferous) vegetables. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) plays an essential role as a regulator by controlling the balance between Tregs and Th17 cells. The activation of AhR by ligands derived from food or intestinal microbiota is an essential control mechanism in that balance. Moreover, many studies showed indoles achieving chemo-preventive …

Detection Of Human Vigilance State During Locomotion Using Wearable Fnirs, Masudur R. Siddiquee

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Human vigilance is a cognitive function that requires sustained attention toward change in the environment. Human vigilance detection is a widely investigated topic which can be accomplished by various approaches. Most studies have focused on stationary vigilance detection due to the high effect of interference such as motion artifacts which are prominent in common movements such as walking. Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy is a preferred modality in vigilance detection due to the safe nature, the low cost and ease of implementation. fNIRS is not immune to motion artifact interference, and therefore human vigilance detection performance would be severely degraded when studied …

Development Of Gaussian Learning Algorithms For Early Detection Of Alzheimer's Disease, Chen Fang

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia affecting 10% of the population over the age of 65 and the growing costs in managing AD are estimated to be $259 billion, according to data reported in the 2017 by the Alzheimer's Association. Moreover, with cognitive decline, daily life of the affected persons and their families are severely impacted. Taking advantage of the diagnosis of AD and its prodromal stage of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), an early treatment may help patients preserve the quality of life and slow the progression of the disease, even though the underlying disease cannot …

Enhanced Surface Electrical Neurostimulation (Esens): A Non-Invasive Platform For Peripheral Neuromodulation, Andres Eduardo Pena

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Electrical stimulation of peripheral afferents has been used to study the sensory neural code and restore lost sensory function after amputation. Recently, implantable neural interfaces have prompted multiple breakthroughs in artificial somatosensory feedback for individuals with amputation, resulting in functional and psychological benefits. Although promising, the invasive nature of these approaches limits wide clinical applications, hindering the development of advanced neuromodulation strategies for intuitive sensory feedback. Transcutaneous (surface) stimulation is a potential non-invasive alternative. However, traditional surface stimulation methods are hampered by inadequate electrode and stimulation parameter fitting, localized discomfort, poor selectivity, and limited percept modulation.

An enhanced surface electrical …