Engineering Commons^™

Using In Vitro, In Silico, And In-Classroom Techniques To Address The Gender Data Gap In Health Care, Kelsey Watts

All Dissertations

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death worldwide in males (XY) and females (XX). Prior to menopause, females have a relative protection against serious cardiac pathologies compared to age-matched males. This phenomenon is widely attributed to the ovarian hormone estrogen. Unfortunately, hormone replacement therapy to maintain estrogen levels in postmenopausal females has overall adverse effects, and it is not recommended for long-term use or as a preventative measure for eCVDs. A major driver of CVDs, specifically heart failure, is cardiac fibrosis: the continued buildup of scar tissue that reduces the heart’s ability to pump. There are currently no …

Multi-Scale Vertebral-Kinematics Based Simulation Pipeline Of The Human Spine With Application To Spine Tissues Analysis, Mohd Jaradat

All Dissertations

This study developed an analytical tool for understanding spine tissues’ behavior in response to vertebral kinematics and spine pathology over a range of body postures. It proposed a novel pipeline of computational models based on predicting individual vertebral kinematics from measurable body-level motions, using musculoskeletal dynamics simulations to drive the vertebrae in corresponding spine FEMs.

A reformulated elastic surface node (ESN) lumbar model was developed for use in MSD simulations. The ESN model modifies the lumbar spine within an existing MSD model by removing non-physiological kinematic constraints and including elastic IVD behavior. The model was scaled using subject-specific anthropometrics and …

In Vitro Blood Clot Formation And Dissolution For Testing New Stroke-Treatment Devices, Kayla Wood, Sam E. Stephens, Feng Xu, Alshaimaa Hazaa, James C. Meek, Hanna K. Jensen, Morten O. Jensen, S. Ranil Wickramasinghe

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Strokes are among the leading causes of death worldwide. Ischemic stroke, due to plaque or other buildup blocking blood flow to the brain, is the most common type. Although ischemic stroke is treatable, current methods have severe shortcomings with high mortality rates. Clot retrieval devices, for example, can result in physically damaged vessels and death. This study aims to create blood clots that are representative of those found in vivo and demonstrate a new method of removing them. Static blood clots were formed using a 9:1 ratio of whole sheep blood and 2.45% calcium chloride solution. This mixture was heated …

Development Of A Reverse Engineered, Parameterized, And Structurally Validated Computational Model To Identify Design Parameters That Influence American Football Faceguard Performance, William Ferriell

All Dissertations

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) continues to have the greatest incidence among athletes participating in American football. The headgear design research community has focused on developing accurate computational and experimental analysis techniques to better assess the ability of headgear technology to attenuate impacts and protect athletes from TBI. Despite efforts to innovate the headgear system, minimal progress has been made to innovate the faceguard. Although the faceguard is not the primary component of the headgear system that contributes to impact attenuation, faceguard performance metrics, such as weight, structural stiffness, and visual field occlusions, have been linked to athlete safety. To improve …

Mitral Valve Tissue Engineering - A Dynamic Model For Investigating The Mechanism Of Valvular Pathology, Collin Owens

All Dissertations

Heart valve disease affects an average of 2.5% of the population in the United States. The mitral valve (MV) is the most complex of the heart’s four valves and is most associated with the disease by exhibiting altered extracellular matrix (ECM) which translates into stenosis or regurgitation. These diseases are typically degenerative in nature and can be accelerated by risk factors such as diabetes and hypertension. With diabetes and hypertension affecting 425 million and 1.39 billion people worldwide, further investigation into these risk factors is warranted. This study aims to develop and test an in vitro model of MV disease. …

Intergrader Agreement Of Foveal Cone Topography Measured Using Adaptive Optics Scanning Light Ophthalmoscopy, Niamh Wynne, Jenna A. Cava, Mina Gaffney, Heather Heitkotter, Abigail Scheidt, Jenny L. Reiniger, Jenna Grieshop, Kai Yang, Wolf M. Harmening, Robert F. Cooper, Joseph Carroll

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

The foveal cone mosaic can be directly visualized using adaptive optics scanning light ophthalmoscopy (AOSLO). Previous studies in individuals with normal vision report wide variability in the topography of the foveal cone mosaic, especially the value of peak cone density (PCD). While these studies often involve a human grader, there have been no studies examining intergrader reproducibility of foveal cone mosaic metrics. Here we re-analyzed published AOSLO foveal cone images from 44 individuals to assess the relationship between the cone density centroid (CDC) location and the location of PCD. Across 5 graders with variable experience, we found a measurement error …

Predicting Surgical Outcome In Patients With Recurrent Patellar Dislocation, Dario De Caro

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Introduction

Lateral dislocation of the patella is a common injury in active adolescents and young adults. Patients who are ultimately managed surgically have a significantly lower risk of recurrent dislocation. However, determining the optimal surgical treatment remains a challenge, with patients sometimes undergoing multiple surgeries prior to successful stabilization. The aim of this study is to computationally evaluate patients that have undergone multiple surgeries to correct for recurrent lateral patellar dislocation and predict their clinical outcome.

Methods

Our patient cohort consisted of 16 patients with patella dislocation. Patient-specific imaging were used to create three-dimensional (3D) finite element (FE) models of …

Integrated Neuromusculoskeletal Modeling Within A Finite Element Framework To Investigate Mechanisms And Treatment Of Neurodegenerative Conditions, Victoria L. Volk

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental disorders are a group of conditions that stem from irregularities in the nervous system that lead to complications in function and movement. The goal of this work is to develop computational tools that: (1) measure the accuracy of surgical interventions in neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental conditions, and (2) integrate neural and musculoskeletal frameworks to provide a platform to better investigate neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental disorders. Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative condition projected to affect over 1.2 million people by 2030 in the US. It is caused by atypical firing patterns in the basal ganglia region of the brain …

Upstream Methods For Enhancing Engineered Curcumin Biosynthesis, Caleb D. Barton

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Curcumin is a bright orange compound with myriad applications for human health and wellness. Curcumin occurs naturally in the plant Curcuma longa (commonly known as turmeric) but must be extracted from the roots in an environmentally unfriendly fashion to obtain commercially relevant amounts of the compound. In addition, extraction of curcumin from turmeric spice yields a mixture of various curcuminoids, presenting an issue for isolating it in its pure form and complicating its use in clinical settings.

Heterologous biosynthetic production of curcumin in Escherichia coli has been used extensively as a viable alternative to plant extraction but suffers from poor …

Incorporating Immersive Learning Into Biomedical Engineering Laboratories Using Virtual Reality, Megan Wilkerson, Vitali V. Maldonado, Srikanth Sivaraman, Raj R. Rao, Mostafa Elsaadany

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background

The Covid-19 pandemic caused a sudden shift towards remote learning, moving classes to online formats. Not exempt from this switch, laboratory courses traditionally taught in-person were also moved to remote methods, costing students the opportunity to learn these skills hands-on. In order for instructors to provide course materials effectively and engagingly, non-traditional methods should be explored.

Virtual reality (VR) has become more accessible in recent years. VR simulations have been used for many years as educational tools in high-risk settings such as flight or medical simulations. Immersive VR videos implemented in a remote laboratory course could provide the students …

Performance And Fouling During Bioreactor Harvesting, Da Zhang

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Tangential flow filtration has many advantages for bioreactor harvesting as the permeate could be introduced directly to the subsequent capture step, the process is easy to scale up, and fouling of the filter is limited by the cross flow. However, membrane fouling has limited its widespread use. This is particularly problematic given the high cell densities encountered today. Here a reverse asymmetric commercial membrane, BioOptimal™ MF-SL (Asahi Kasei), where the more open surface faces the feed stream, and the tighter barrier layer faces the permeate stream, has been investigated for bioreactor harvesting. The open surface contains pores up to 40 …

Biodegradable Microneedle Patch For Delivery Of Meloxicam For Managing Pain In Cattle, David A. Castilla-Casadiego, Katherine A. Miranda-Munoz, Jesse L. Roberts, Anne D. Crowell, David Gonzalez-Nino, Dipankar Choudhury, Frank O. Aparicio-Solis, Shannon L. Servoss, Adrianne M. Rosales, Gary Prinz, Min Zou, Yuntao Zhang, Johann F. Coetzee, Lauren F. Greenlee, Jeremy Powell, Jorge Almodovar

Chemical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Microneedle patches are a promising source for transdermal diffusion of macromolecules and are designed to painlessly penetrate the skin. In this study, a biodegradable chitosan microneedle patch to deliver meloxicam for managing pain in cattle was tested. The potential of reuse of the polymeric solution to fabricate the patches, optimization of fabrication, morphological analysis of the microneedle patch and analysis of preservation of the chemical composition after sterilization were evaluated. In-vitro analysis consisted of studying in-vitro penetration mechanical properties, compression testing analysis of microneedle patch, and in-vitro drug release analysis. In-vivo studies were performed to analyze the dissolution capability of …

Fabrication And Non-Covalent Functionalization And Characterization Of Graphene-Based Devices On Novel Substrate Cadmium Trithiophosphate (Iv) — Cdps, Abayomi Omotola Omolewu

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

With graphene at the center of several application areas such as sensing, circuits, high-frequency devices for communication systems, etc., it is crucial to understand how the intrinsic properties of devices made from graphene and other materials like platinum and palladium nanoparticles affect the performance of such devices for the specific application area. Many graphene-based devices for different application areas have focused mainly on the material composition of the graphene-based devices and how it affects performance parameters for the specific application. However, it would be insightful to understand how the intrinsic electrical properties of the graphene devices for different applications affect …

Modeling The Impact And Accelerating The Process Of Transitioning To A Sustainable Healthy Diet Through Decision Support Systems, Prince Agyemang

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Food production and consumption are essential in human existence, yet they are implicated in the high occurrences of preventable chronic diseases and environmental degradation. Although healthy food may not necessarily be sustainable and vice versa, there is an opportunity to make our food both healthy and sustainable. Attempts have been made to conceptualize how sustainable healthy food may be produced and consumed; however, available data suggest a rise in the prevalence of health-related and negative environmental consequences of our food supply. Thus, the transition from conceptual frameworks to implementing these concepts has not always been effective. This paper explores the …

Fluorescein Clearance Kinetics In Blood And Bile Indicates Hepatic Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury In Rats, Joohyun Kim, Yongquiang Yang, Seung-Keun Hong, Jacek Zielonka, Ranjan K. Dash, Said H. Audi, Suresh N. Kumar, Amit Joshi, Michael W. Zimmerman, Johnny C. Hong

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Quantitative measurement of the degree of hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) is crucial for developing therapeutic strategies for its treatment. We hypothesized that clearance of fluorescent dye through bile metabolism may reflect the degree of hepatic IRI. In this study, we investigated sodium fluorescein clearance kinetics in blood and bile for quantifying the degree of hepatic IRI. Warm ischemia times (WITs) of 0, 30, or 60 min followed by 1 h or 4 h of reperfusion, were applied to the median and lateral lobes of the liver in Sprague-Dawley rats. Subsequently, 2 mg/kg of sodium fluorescein was injected intravenously, and blood …

The Relationship Between Cerebrovascular Reactivity And Cerebral Oxygenation During Hemodialysis, W. T. Richerson, Brian D. Schmit, D. F. Wolfgram

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Significance Statement

Patients with ESKD have a high burden of ischemic brain lesions related to decline in cerebral blood flow during hemodialysis. Preliminary studies in patients on hemodialysis noted impairment in cerebrovascular reactivity, a mechanism that regulates cerebral perfusion. We found that lower cerebrovascular reactivity was associated with greater decrease in cerebral oxygen saturation during hemodialysis, particularly when accounting for changes in systemic BP. These results suggest that testing cerebrovascular reactivity could be relevant to characterizing risk of cerebral ischemia during hemodialysis and the potential sequelae of brain injury and cognitive impairment over time.

Background

Patients with kidney failure treated …

The Effect Of Soft Tissue And Bone Morphology On The Stresses In The Foot And Ankle, Jinhyuk Kim

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The foot and ankle interface with the ground, thus they absorb reaction forces and initiate load distribution through the body. The plantar fascia (PF) is a flexible structure that absorbs reaction forces and distributes loading across the foot. It is frequently a source of foot pain especially when people have plantar fasciitis and/or diabetes mellitus. Finite element (FE) models of the foot and ankle were created to examine the function however, the plantar fascia is frequently modeled as a 1D tension only spring, which does not represent variations caused by injury and/or disease.

As models move toward being patient specific, …

Engineering Of Ideal Systems For The Study And Direction Of Stem Cell Asymmetrical Division And Fate Determination, Martina Zamponi

Biomedical Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The cellular microenvironment varies significantly across tissues, and it is constituted by both resident cells and the macromolecules they are exposed to. Cues that the cells receive from the microenvironment, as well as the signaling transmitted to it, affect their physiology and behavior. This notion is valid in the context of stem cells, which are susceptible to biochemical and biomechanical signaling exchanged with the microenvironment, and which plays a fundamental role in establishing fate determination and cell differentiation events. The definition of the molecular mechanisms that drive stem cell asymmetrical division, and how these are modulated by microenvironmental signaling, is …

Utilization Of Finite Element Analysis Techniques For Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis Surgical Planning, Michael A. Polanco

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis, a three-dimensional deformity of the thoracolumbar spine, affects approximately 1-3% of patients ages 10-18. Surgical correction and treatment of the spinal column is a costly and high-risk task that is consistently complicated by factors such as patient-specific spinal deformities, curve flexibility, and surgeon experience. The following dissertation utilizes finite element analysis to develop a cost-effective, building-block approach by which surgical procedures and kinematic evaluations may be investigated. All studies conducted are based off a volumetric, thoracolumbar finite element (FE) model developed from computer-aided design (CAD) anatomy whose components are kinematically validated with in-vitro data. Spinal ligament stiffness …

Application Of Deep Learning For Medical Sciences And Epidemiology Data Analysis And Diagnostic Modeling, Somenath Chakraborty

Dissertations

Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence have made significant progress concurrent with new advancements in hardware and software technologies. Deep learning methods heavily utilize parallel computing and Graphical Processing Units(GPU). It is already used in many applications ranging from image classification, object detection, segmentation, cyber security problems and others. Deep Learning is emerging as a viable choice in dealing with today’s real-time medical problems. We need new methods and technologies in the field of Medical Science and Epidemiology for detecting and diagnosing emerging threats from new viruses such as COVID-19. The use of Artificial Intelligence in these domains is becoming more …

Development Of A Decellularized Hydrogel Composite And Its Application In A Novel Model Of Disc-Associated Low Back Pain In Female Sprague Dawley Rats, David Lillyman

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Chronic low back pain is a global socioeconomic crisis compounded by an absence of reliable, curative treatments. The predominant pathology associated with chronic low back pain is degeneration of intervertebral discs in the lumbar spine. During degeneration, nerves can sprout into the intervertebral disc tissue and be chronically subjected to inflammatory and mechanical stimuli, resulting in pain. Pain arising from the intervertebral disc, or disc-associated pain, is a complex, multi-faceted disorder which necessitates valid animal models to screen therapeutics and study pathomechanisms of pain.

While many research teams have created animal models of disc degeneration, the translation of these platforms …

Probabilistic Risk Assessment For Life Extension Of Turbine Engine Rotors, Jace A. Carter, Tarun Goswami

Biomedical, Industrial & Human Factors Engineering Faculty Publications

Maintaining the component service life beyond its historical limits requires the ability to accurately quantify component reliability and address the uncertainties in material responses. A probabilistic method for predicting the total fatigue life was developed and applied to determine the probability of failure of a Ti-6Al-4V turbine disk component. The total fatigue life incorporates a dual mechanism approach including the crack initiation life and propagation life while simultaneously determining the associated initial flaw sizes. A microstructure-based model was employed to address the uncertainties in material response and relate the crack initiation life with crack size. The propagation life was characterized …

Understanding The Role Of Antioxidant Nanoparticles In Improving The Outcome Of Secondary Injury In Traumatic Brain Injury, Aria W. Tarudji

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Following traumatic brain injury (TBI), excess reactive oxygen species (ROS) and other free radicals are released, inducing the cascade of secondary injury that exacerbate the outcomes of TBI. Antioxidant nanoparticles (ANPs) have shown promising outcomes in reducing the progression of TBI, which may be due to the higher accumulation and retention of ANPs in the injured brain. However, there is limited knowledge of: 1) antioxidant activities needed in TBI treatment, 2) correlation between longer retention, bioavailability, and target engagement with antioxidant treatments, and 3) sexual dimorphism to ANP treatments.

This dissertation assesses multiple ANPs with various scavenging activities and durations …

Validation Of Experimental And Finite Element Biomechanical Evaluation Of Human Cadaveric Mandibles, Shirish M. Ingawale, Deepak G. Krishnan, Tarun Goswami

Biomedical, Industrial & Human Factors Engineering Faculty Publications

Background: Biomechanical analysis of human mandible is important not only to understand mechanical behavior and structural properties, but also to diagnose and develop treatment options for mandibular disorders. Therefore, the objective of this research was to generate analytical and experimental data on mandibles, construct custom 3D models, and compare the analytically derived maximum strains with strain gage data in five areas of interest for each mandible. Methods: We investigated the surface strains in the cadaveric human mandibles under different configurations of cyclic compressive loads in an experimental setting and compared these experimental strain data with results derived from computational finite …

Injectable Hydrogel With Immobilized Bmp-2 Mimetic Peptide For Local Bone Regeneration, Kirstene A. Gultian, Roshni Ghandi, Kayla Decesari, Vineeth Romiyo, Emily P. Kleinbart, Kelsey Martin, Pietro M. Gentile, Tae Won B. Kim, Sebastian Vega

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Departmental Research

Osteoporosis is a disease characterized by a decrease in bone mineral density, thereby increasing the risk of sustaining a fragility fracture. Most medical therapies are systemic and do not restore bone in areas of need, leading to undesirable side effects. Injectable hydrogels can locally deliver therapeutics with spatial precision, and this study reports the development of an injectable hydrogel containing a peptide mimic of bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2). To create injectable hydrogels, hyaluronic acid was modified with norbornene (HANor) or tetrazine (HATet) which upon mixing click into covalently crosslinked Nor-Tet hydrogels. By modifying HANor macromers with methacrylates (Me), thiolated BMP-2 …

Characterization Of In Vivo Damage On Retrieved Total Shoulder Glenoid Liners, Eric Cheatwood, Gerard Simon, Lynn Crosby, Tarun Goswami

Biomedical, Industrial & Human Factors Engineering Faculty Publications

An attempt was made to retrieve glenoid liners from revision surgery to undertake a retrospective study to measure the resulting in vivo damage. Since the glenoid liners are circumferential, the curvature changes at every point in the component, an “assisting arm” was designed to hold the liner firmly, thus allowing accurate microscopic measurements. We characterized the damage in terms of pitting, embedded debris, complete fracture, abrasion, deformation, delamination, burnishing, grooving, and scratching that took place mutually exclusively. This study of 26 liners showed embedded debris was the most underrated damage mode found on the liners, followed by pitting and abrasion, …

Using Scratch Wound Assay To Study The Effect Of Soil Arsenic On Human Keratinocyte Cell Migration Due To Contact Exposure, Manas Warke, Laura De March, Srinivas Kannan, Madeline English, Rohan Sarkar, Rupali Datta, Smitha Rao

Michigan Tech Research Data

The scratch wound assay was performed on Human immortalized keratinocytes (HaCaT) cells to observe the effect on cell migration due to contact exposure to arsenic-contaminated Immokalee soil. The cell migration was observed through a microscope for 72 h. HaCaT cells were seeded in 48-well plate. On day 3, treatment media was added (n=8). The cells were treated with four concentrations of soil As (45, 225, 450, and 900 mg/kg) and two controls - Negative control (NC; Pure media) and control (C; 0 mg/kg soil As) for 72 h. A scratch was made using a pipette tip. The wound healing was …

Using Scratch Wound Assay To Study The Effect Of Soil Arsenic On Human Dermal Fibroblasts Cell Migration Due To Contact Exposure, Manas Warke, Laura De Marchi, Srinivas Kannan, Madeline English, Rohan Sarkar, Rupali Datta, Smitha Rao

Michigan Tech Research Data

The scratch wound assay was performed on Normal Human Primary Dermal Fibroblasts (HDFa) cells to observe the effect on cell migration due to contact exposure to arsenic-contaminated Immokalee soil. The cell migration was observed through a microscope for 72 h. HDFa cells were seeded in 48-well plate. On day 3, treatment media was added (n=8). The cells were treated with four concentrations of soil As (45, 225, 450, and 900 mg/kg) and two controls - Negative control (NC; Pure media) and control (C; 0 mg/kg soil As) for 72 h. A scratch was made using a pipette tip. The wound …

Ethanol-Induced Impacts On Nervous System Development And Dopamine Transporter Characterization In Schmidtea Mediterranea Planaria, Brennen Covely

Theses and Dissertations

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are diagnosed in 2-5% of newborns, but the biology underlying FASD is poorly understood and challenging to study with existing model organisms. A new model for FASD research is Schmidtea mediterranea (Smed) planaria. Smed have a remarkable ability to regenerate their central nervous system (CNS), and possess a well-studied, simple genome. Previous studies have shown that ethanol exposure delays this regeneration, yet this relationship is not fully understood. Here, we show that alcohol exposure affects Smed in a dose-dependent manner, eliciting characteristic withdrawal-like behaviors and impacting cognitive function. Interestingly, prior exposure does not alter subsequent …

Hyaluronic Acid: Its Versatile Use In Ocular Drug Delivery With A Specific Focus On Hyaluronic Acid-Based Polyelectrolyte Complexes., Saoirse Casey-Power, Richie Ryan, Gautam Behl, Peter Mcloughlin, Mark Byrne, Laurence Fitzhenry

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Departmental Research

Extensive research is currently being conducted into novel ocular drug delivery systems (ODDS) that are capable of surpassing the limitations associated with conventional intraocular anterior and posterior segment treatments. Nanoformulations, including those synthesised from the natural, hydrophilic glycosaminoglycan, hyaluronic acid (HA), have gained significant traction due to their enhanced intraocular permeation, longer retention times, high physiological stability, inherent biocompatibility, and biodegradability. However, conventional nanoformulation preparation methods often require large volumes of organic solvent, chemical cross-linkers, and surfactants, which can pose significant toxicity risks. We present a comprehensive, critical review of the use of HA in the field of ophthalmology and …