Engineering Commons^™

Novel Nano-Binders Treating Alzheimer’S Disease, Katie Ching, Sophie Criscione

Bioengineering Senior Theses

The objective of our project is to engineer exosomes to be an effective therapeutic agent as a possible new treatment option for the neurodegenerative disease, Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Among the various causes of AD, we are focusing on treating the pathogenesis linked to the build-up of amyloid-beta plaques in the brain, which disrupts neural connections and ultimately kills nerve cells. Currently, the most widely available treatment options for AD only provide symptomatic relief and targeting amyloid plaques in the brain is a promising new therapeutic approach in the field. Even the partial clearance of plaques could significantly improve the prognosis …

Skin Phantom Development For Electrophysiological Wearable Device Testing, Rohan Sodha, Kiet Vu, Jonathan Nguy

Bioengineering Senior Theses

This senior design project aimed to develop a skin phantom suitable for testing electrophysiological wearable devices. Our skin phantom consisted of a porous paper PDMS as the epithelial layer, initially paired with agarose gel as the tissue layer, and later with gelatin based on comparative analysis. Through rigorous experimentation and leveraging data from the IT’IS Foundation’s interactive database, we identified that gelatin exhibited superior electrical properties compared to agarose, making it a more effective medium for replicating human tissue. Our work not only validated the use of paper PDMS with both agarose and gelatin but also demonstrated that gelatin's lower …

Engineering Transcriptional Regulation For Cell-Based Therapies., Matthias Recktenwald, Evan Hutt, Leah Davis, James Macaulay, Nichole M. Daringer, Peter Galie, Mary Staehle, Sebastian Vega

Rowan-Virtua School of Translational Biomedical Engineering & Sciences Departmental Research

A major aim in the field of synthetic biology is developing tools capable of responding to user-defined inputs by activating therapeutically relevant cellular functions. Gene transcription and regulation in response to external stimuli are some of the most powerful and versatile of these cellular functions being explored. Motivated by the success of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies, transmembrane receptor-based platforms have been embraced for their ability to sense extracellular ligands and to subsequently activate intracellular signal transduction. The integration of transmembrane receptors with transcriptional activation platforms has not yet achieved its full potential. Transient expression of plasmid DNA is …

Impact-Reducing Prosthetic Liner With Variable Volume & Integrated Haptic Feedback, Luke Brothers, Gigi Schaefer, Zoe Straughn

Bioengineering Senior Theses

Transtibial amputees face challenges such as loss of proprioception and fluctuations in the size and composition of their residual limb, which can compromise comfort and mobility. This project aims to create a transtibial impact-reducing liner combined with integrated haptic feedback to enhance comfort and restore proprioceptive senses. The impact-reducing liner includes impact reduction over pressure-intolerant regions, impact redistribution over pressure-tolerant regions, and a variable volume system that dynamically adjusts to changes in the residual limb’s volume throughout the day. The haptic feedback system employs force-sensitive resistors located on various regions of the prosthetic foot. These sensors transmit via Bluetooth to …

Single Wall Carbon Nanotubes For The Detection Of Misfolded Proteins In Neuro-Degenerative Disorders, Stefanie Vining

Senior Honors Projects

Single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) are one-dimensional carbon nanomaterials made up of a singular layer of graphene. These nanotubes can be functionalized with different molecules for various bio-sensing/imaging applications. SWCNTs are unique in their ability to be used as long-term multiplexed sensors due to their photostability and ability to remain fluorescent.

This project focused on the functionalization of SWCNTs to detect misfolded proteins for early detection of neuro-degenerative diseases like Alzheimers. Currently, there is no simple way to detect these misfolded proteins and diagnose for diseases like Alzheimers, Parkinsons, or ALS, and a confirmed diagnosis can take upwards of six …

Towards A Wearable Device For Measuring Impedance Plethysmography Of The Radial Artery, Pritom Chowdhury

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

Recent advancements in bioimpedance technology have demonstrated significant promise in the application of cardiac health monitoring. This research explores the design and development of a forearm-based wearable bioimpedance device for non-invasive measurement of heart rate and respiratory rate at an accuracy level comparable to medical-grade monitors. It utilizes a tetrapolar electrode configuration to analyze bioimpedance changes in the radial artery due to blood flow.

An ongoing aspect of this work involves the preliminary development of an embedded framework intended to integrate signal generation, acquisition, and processing within the device to achieve compact and efficient system design, anticipated to contribute to …

Surgical Navigation In Image-Guided Transoral Robotic Surgery, Yuan Shi

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Transoral robotic surgery (TORS) is a minimally invasive approach in treating head and neck cancers and has demonstrated improved surgical outcomes with reduced morbidity when compared to traditional open surgery. However, the lack of haptic feedback makes it more difficult to assess the tumor extent and locate critical structures (e.g., artery and nerves). In standard-of-care TORS, preoperative imaging is used as guidance; however, it becomes inaccurate intraoperatively: the patient’s neck is hyper-extended, surgical instruments are introduced, and soft tissues deform significantly. As a result, the surgeon is required to mentally predict intraoperative deformation, which can lead to bleeding complications and …

Finger Contracture Relief Sensorized Splint, Katia Campos, Alfonso Gonzalez, Olivia Rojas

Posters - 2024

Hand traumas may result from an accident, a burn, or even something far more common like a jammed finger. Due to the pain, the hand is immobilized and this lack of movement, in addition to the healing processes, can lead to a deformity. The specific deformity addressed in this project is a Proximal Interphalangeal Joint Flexion Contracture, which is when the middle knuckles of the fingers are stuck in a flexed position. Contractions can occur after trauma or certain illnesses. It is the shortening of muscles, tendons, skin, and nearby soft tissues that causes the joints to become very stiff. …

Redesign Of Robotic Walking Training Device To Involve Zero Gravity Capabilities And Daily Activities, Chad Ballard

Mechanical Engineering Theses

Many patients struggle with disabilities that hinder their ability to walk. This project aimed to create a leg assembly capable of variable gravity so that it could be combined with a Robotic Walking Training Device, and lead to better rehabilitation options for patients. This was accomplished by deriving equations of joint torque, creating circuit diagrams for Arduino systems, modeling leg assemblies in CAD, and finally combining it to create a working small-scale prototype. The result of the prototype testing showed accurate movement on each joint, especially the ankle and knee segments, to create virtual zero gravity. In addition to this, …

Toward Electrical Impedance Sensing Surgical Drill For Tissue Boundary Detection, Harshavardhan Devaraj

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Dental implantation is an increasingly common procedure used to treat missing teeth. However, surgical drilling to place the implant poses a high risk of injury to critical anatomy, such as inferior alveolar nerve injury or maxillary sinus perforation. A real-time surgical feedback system sensing proximity of these critical anatomy could reduce injury risks. This dissertation investigates the development of such a system that incorporates an electrical impedance sensor into the tip of a surgical drill.

A simulation framework based on finite element method (FEM) was developed to optimize the sensor as it approached a high impedance boundary. The accuracy of …

Longitudinal Changes In Diffusion Tensor Imaging In Hemodialysis Patients, Wesley T. Richerson, Brian D. Schmit, Dawn F. Wolfgram

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Introduction

Hemodialysis patients have increased white matter and gray matter pathology in the brain relative to controls based on MRI. Diffusion tensor imaging is useful in detecting differences between hemodialysis and controls but has not identified the expected longitudinal decline in hemodialysis patients. In this study we implemented specialized post-processing techniques to reduce noise to detect longitudinal changes in diffusion tensor imaging parameters and evaluated for any association with changes in cognition.

Methods

We collected anatomical and diffusion MRIs as well as cognitive testing from in-center hemodialysis patients at baseline and 1 year later. Gray matter thickness, white matter volume, …

Pulsed Electric Fields Sensitize Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus To Antibacterial Therapies And Stimulate Host Immune Responses, Alexandra E. Chittams-Miles

Biomedical Sciences Theses & Dissertations

This research explores the impact of nanosecond pulsed electric fields (nsPEF) on two fronts: their immune stimulatory effects and their potential as a novel strategy to enhance the sensitivity of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) to clinically relevant antibiotics. While pulsed electric fields have been reported to have an immune stimulatory effect, the mechanisms responsible for these effects have yet to be determined.

Our investigation addresses the rising concern of MRSA derived skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs). Consistent with other publications, we found that nsPEF alone cause modest inactivation of planktonic MRSA. We then investigated the effects of nsPEF in …

Exploring Human Aging Proteins Based On Deep Autoencoders And K-Means Clustering, Sondos M. Hammad, Mohamed Talaat Saidahmed, Elsayed A. Sallam, Reda Elbasiony

Journal of Engineering Research

Aging significantly affects human health and the overall economy, yet understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms remains limited. Among all human genes, almost three hundred and five have been linked to human aging. While certain subsets of these genes or specific aging-related genes have been extensively studied. There has been a lack of comprehensive examination encompassing the entire set of aging-related genes. Here, the main objective is to overcome understanding based on an innovative approach that combines the capabilities of deep learning. Particularly using One-Dimensional Deep AutoEncoder (1D-DAE). Followed by the K-means clustering technique as a means of unsupervised learning. …

Review Of The Potential Use Of Poly (Lactic-Co-Glycolic Acid) As Scaffolds In Bone Tissue Recovery, Kushendarsyah Saptaji, Asriyanti Asriyanti, Nisa Khoiriyah, Laely Muryanti, Iwan Setiawan

Makara Journal of Science

Scaffolds are used as temporary tissue in the human body to expedite healing. Biocompatible materials play a vital role in the field of tissue engineering. Therefore, they can be used to reduce human pain as soon as possible. Polymeric materials are widely used to replicate bone tissue. Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) is a potential material for bone tissue scaffolds because of its superior properties, including compatibility with the human body. Accordingly, adding hydroxyapatite and introducing different fabrication methods can enable the production of PLGA scaffolds with good abilities to help cells grow, expand, differentiate, and proliferate. The paper reviews the current …

Development Of 3d Printed Anatomically Equivalent Thermoplastic Polyurethane Conduits For Peripheral Nerve Regeneration, Allen Zennifer M

Theses and Dissertations

Three-dimensional (3D) printing is an emerging tool for creating patient-specific tissue constructs analogous to the native tissue microarchitecture. In this study, anatomically equivalent 3D nerve conduits were developed using thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) by combining reverse engineering and material extrusion (i.e., fused deposition modelling) technique.

Printing parameters were optimized to fabricate nerve-equivalent TPU constructs. The TPU constructs printed with different infill densities supported the adhesion, proliferation, and gene expression of neuronal cells. Subcutaneous implantation of the TPU constructs for three months in rats showed neovascularization with negligible local tissue inflammatory reactions and was classified as a non-irritant biomaterial as per ISO …

Oral Administration Of Ph-Responsive Polymeric Nanoparticles Based On Zein And Their Therapeutic Potential On Cancer., Bruno Alejandro Valades-Aguilar, José Raúl Rangel-López, Jennifer Citlally Leos-Rivera, Moisés Armides Franco-Molina, María Cristina Rodríguez-Padilla, Diana Ginette Zárate-Triviño

Research Symposium

Background: Zein is a water-insoluble protein extracted from the endosperm of corn seeds, this polymer is an attractive matrix to encapsulate hydrophilic compounds because of its high proportion of hydrophobic amino acids, making it a potential smart delivery material for several treatments in the biopharmaceutical industry. nanoparticles have been used as drug delivery systems for the improvement of oral bioavailability; however, the strategies of nanoparticle obtention need the addition of stabilizers. in this study, a modified method to obtain zein nanoparticles was developed.

Methods: Zein nanoparticles (ZNps) were made by a thermal treatment and precipitated into ovalbumin at a ratio …

The Effect Of A Constitutive Formulation On Limb Flexion-Induced Stresses In The Human Femoropopliteal Artery: A Patient-Specific Study, Ali Ahmadi, Anastasia Desyatova

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

The Effect of a Constitutive Formulation on Limb Flexion-Induced Stresses in the Human Femoropopliteal Artery: a Patient-Specific Study

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) involves the development of atherosclerotic lesions that restrict the flow of blood to tissues downstream. The femoropopliteal artery (FPA) experiences complex mechanical deformations during daily activities, potentially contributing to the prevalence of PAD and unfavorable treatment outcomes. These deformations generate significant intramural stresses and strains, resulting in arterial injury, disease progression, and restenosis following treatment. Computational modeling offers a way to improve the repair of the FPA; however, the accuracy of these simulations relies on the selection of …

Engineering Nanofibers: Laboratory Characterization, Microstructural Analysis, And Image Processing Insights, Sayed Ahmadreza Razian, Mohammad Arjomandi, Kaspars Maleckis

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Polymer nanofibers have attracted high interest in a wide array of applications, including biomaterial scaffolding, textiles, sensors, reinforcement in composites, and filtration systems. Many of these applications combine nanofibers into non-woven fabrics for better properties and easier manipulation. The properties and performance of nanofiber-based fabrics are affected by various microstructure parameters, including fiber alignment, diameter, and gap sizes between the nanofibers. These structural parameters can be controlled by adjusting various process parameters during manufacturing process, but the exact process parameter-microstructure relationships vary depending on the polymer system and need to be studied individually. The goal of this study is to …

Modes Of Fracture Of Flat Bone: Fracture Direction And Stress, Nolan Wang, Mary K. Holden, Everett Baker, Nathaniel Lerch, Nate Fitch

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

This study delineates the application of fractography to discern the multifaceted modes of fracture in flat bones, explicating the interplay between fracture directionality and stress states regarding the viscoelastic nature of bone. Despite the perceived brittleness, bone exhibits toughness, attributed to its intricate structure design and amalgamating properties of solid and viscous materials. This research elucidates the variegated fracture modes inherent to bone's dualistic nature by examining fracture surfaces and identifying fracture markings using stereoscopic microscopy. Our observations across seven bone specimens reveal predominant fracture patterns from top to bottom in six instances, with a singular deviation where the fracture …

La1-Xsrxcoo3 Perovskite Nanomaterial: Synthesis, Characterization, And Its Biomedical Application, Adhira Tippur, Anyet Shohag, Luke Franco, Ahmed Touhami, Swati Mohan, Mohammed Uddin

Research Symposium

Early cancer detection is paramount for effective treatment and potential cures. This research explores the application of perovskite materials, specifically Sr2+-doped Lanthanum Cobaltite (La1-xSrxCoO3) nanomaterials, in cancer detection, with a focus on rats as an experimental model. The ferroelectric nature of these materials, synthesized through a combination of sol-gel and molten-salt processes, was examined at varying Sr2+ doping levels (1-20 wt%). Rigorous characterization, employing X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy, confirmed the uniform morphology of nano cubes, laying the foundation for subsequent investigations. The magnetic properties of the perovskite nanoparticles were probed, suggesting their potential as a diagnostic tool for …

Aphid-Ant Relationships: The Role Of Cuticular Hydrocarbons And Different Chemical Stimuli In Triggeringmutualistic Behavior, Amged El-Harairy, Ahmed El-Harairy, Alaa Mahfouz

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: Faculty Publications

In ant-aphid interactions, various aphid species offer honeydew to the ant partner and increase their density by ant attendance, whilst others never attend ant species, in which case ants tend to treat them as prey. In this regard, ants should have the ability to distinguish myrmecophile aphid species from non-mutualistic species, so that mutualistic aphids will be accepted as partners rather than prey. Although ant-aphid interactions are now the focus of chemical ecology studies, the role of the different chemical stimuli in determining mutualistic interactions has not been completely clarified. Therefore, we have investigated the cuticular hydrocarbon profile of four …

Emotion Recognition As A Novel Indicator For Assessing Brain Health: A Machine Learning Approach, Nayarah Shabir, Parveen Lehana

Research Symposium

Background: Emotion is being referred to as a person’s mental state, since it relates to their ideas, feelings, and actions. There is a lot of evidence that health affects the emotion. Therefore, the nature of emotions ought to reveal the health of a person. The emotions are represented by facial expressions controlled by muscular motor actions. Brain health may affect the working of the muscles leading to the emotional changes extracted from the facial images.

Methods: A dataset of facial images annotated with matching emotion labels is the first step in using convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for facial …

Resolving The Nanoscale Structure Of Β-Sheet Peptide Self-Assemblies Using Single-Molecule Orientation–Localization Microscopy, Weiyan Zhou, Conor L. O'Neill, Tianben Ding, Oumeng Zhang, Jai S. Rudra, Matthew D. Lew

Electrical & Systems Engineering Publications and Presentations

Synthetic peptides that self-assemble into cross-β fibrils are versatile building blocks for engineered biomaterials due to their modularity and biocompatibility, but their structural and morphological similarities to amyloid species have been a long-standing concern for their translation. Further, their polymorphs are difficult to characterize using spectroscopic and imaging techniques that rely on ensemble averaging to achieve high resolution. Here, we utilize Nile red (NR), an amyloidophilic fluorogenic probe, and single-molecule orientation-localization microscopy (SMOLM) to characterize fibrils formed by the designed amphipathic enantiomers KFE8^L and KFE8^D and the pathological amyloid-beta peptide Aβ42. Importantly, NR SMOLM reveals the helical (bilayer) …

6d Single-Fluorogen Orientation-Localization Microscopy For Elucidating The Architecture Of Beta-Sheet Assemblies And Biomolecular Condensates, Tingting Wu, Weiyan Zhou, Jai S. Rudra, Rohit V. Pappu, Matthew D. Lew

Electrical & Systems Engineering Publications and Presentations

We develop six-dimensional single-molecule orientation-localization microscopy (SMOLM) to measure the 3D positions and 3D orientations simultaneously of single fluorophores. We show how careful optimization of phase and polarization modulation components can encode phase, polarization, and angular spectrum information from each fluorescence photon into a microscope’s dipole-spread function. We used the transient binding and blinking of Nile red (NR) to characterize the helical structure of fibrils formed by designed amphipathic peptides, KFE8^L and KFE8^D, and the pathological amyloid-beta peptide Aβ42. We also deployed merocyanine 540 to uncover the interfacial architectures of biomolecular condensates.

Single And Dual Cell Encapsulation Via Liquid Core Hydrogels Using Pico Injection, Jade Houston

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this project, a comprehensive microfluidic device, along with several interdependent subsystems, was designed and developed in SolidWorks, leveraging a combination of 3D resin printing with biocompatible resin and micromachining with polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA). The microfluidics chip integrated both passive and active components to facilitate its primary function: dual cell encapsulation via liquid core sodium alginate hydrogel droplets.

Integral to the microfluidics chip design were key features including a 5-convolution Archimedes spiral for particle sorting, a flow focusing junction for droplet generation, and a pico injector for injecting additional cells into passing droplets via the manipulation of an electric field.

An …

Temporospatial Deep Learning Strategies For Prediction Of Disease Progression In Radiology, John D. Mayfield

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

While the fields of machine learning and medicine are deeply rooted in axiomatic scientific principles, there is an element of art that makes the practice imperfect, yet innately human. As the two fields have seen the greatest overlap in their collective history, there remains a chasm between them in terms of practical translation for the patients who desire and deserve personalized medicine. As presented in this dissertation, I and my collaborators have contributed to the groundwork for future exploration of predicting disease progression by identifying signals within sequential medical imaging to provide a temporospatial relationship upon which we can make …

Blow-Spun Hybrid Pcl-Peo/Hnts Scaffolds With Enhanced Biological And Mechanical Properties, Meichen Liu

Doctoral Dissertations

With the development of technology and engineering, nanotechnology has been a multidisciplinary scientific field applied in nearly all science areas, including medicine, genetics, food industry, robotics. In this respect, nanomedicine has gained increasing attention and been a useful, effective therapy for cancer diagnosis, gene transfer, and drug delivery. To design an ideal nano drug delivery system with controlled drug releasing and improved encapsulated drug’s pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles, hydrogels and polymer composites have witnessed increased research interest during the last decades. Recently, numerous polymers have been studied to fabricate the ideal wound dressing with biocompatibility, biodegradability, porous structural, and suitable …

Selective Targeting Of Microglia By Quantum Dots And Green Synthesis Of Metal Organic Biohybrids; Applications In Dynamic Cell And Assay Systems, Navya Uppu

Doctoral Dissertations

Neurological disorders are the leading cause of physical and cognitive disability across the globe, currently affecting approximately 15% of the worldwide population. Part of the glioma microenvironment are microglia, resident immune cells of the CNS that were thought to be involved in the pathogenesis of diverse neurodegenerative diseases. Though it remains uncertain what triggers microglial activation in these disorders, targeting and tracking microglial functions using nanotools like Quantum Dots (QDs) could help us elucidate them in such neurological diseases. This research focuses on the comparative study of different QDs formulations and their selective uptake by brain microglia in primary cultures …

Development And Characterization Of Injectable, Cell-Encapsulated Chitosan-Genipin Hydrogels, Tyler R. Priddy-Arrington

Doctoral Dissertations

Over 150,000 patients undergo lower extremity amputation every year in the United States, most commonly caused by complications due to diabetes mellitus, peripheral vascular disease, and trauma. Diseased or damaged tissues that are unable to naturally repair themselves must either be fully removed or replaced, otherwise the injuries can lead to further complications such as infection or death. Tissue resection and amputation, as forms of removing damaged tissue, are not favorable to patients as they can cause pain, reduce mobility, and negatively impact quality of life. However, replacing lost or damaged tissues with donor tissues carries the risks of tissue …

Interpatient Differences In Neural Recruitment Patterns During Pudendal Nerve Stimulation – A Computational Investigation, Amolak S. Jhand, Luis C. Ruiz, Nystha Baishya, Ehsan Mirzakhalili, Gaurang Shah, Priyanka Gupta, Tim M. Bruns, Scott F. Lempka

Medical Student Research Symposium

Bladder dysfunction impairs the quality of life for millions of individuals around the world. Common causes of bladder dysfunction include aging, trauma, and neurological disorders. Due to inadequacies in conventional treatments, neuromodulation therapies to address bladder dysfunction, such as sacral nerve stimulation, have emerged. However, patient needs still remain unmet. Pudendal nerve stimulation (PNS) has recently gained clinical interest as a promising treatment for bladder dysfunction. While PNS has been extensively investigated in preclinical settings, there is a gap in our understanding of the mechanisms of action and efficacy of PNS as limited studies of PNS have been performed on …