Engineering Commons^™

Drug-Loaded Chitosan Film Prepared Via Facile Solution Casting And Air-Drying Of Plain Water-Based Chitosan Solution For Ocular Drug Delivery, Boxuan Li, Juan Wang, Qin Gui, Hu Yang

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Chitosan is a nature-based polymer with low toxicity, excellent biocompatibility and biodegradability. However, the intractable solubility of chitosan in water and most conventional solvents hampers its biomedical applications. Following the dissolution method for dissolving chitosan in plain water developed by us, chitosan was dissolved in ionic liquid followed by overnight freezing at −20 °C and subsequent solvent exchange with plain water at room temperature. In this study, we fabricated a drug-carrying chitosan film via solution casting and air-drying by using the plain water-based chitosan solution. Specifically, brimonidine tartrate (BT), an antiglaucoma drug, was dissolved in the plain-water based solution and …

Investigating The Combined Effects Of Whole Body Vibration And Vestibular Stimulation On Spasticity And Dystonia In Cerebral Palsy, Peter A. Michael

Dissertations

This study identifies and addresses three voids and potential shortcomings associated with the classification, assessment and management of Cerebral Palsy (CP). These concerns should not undermine the significant advancement that has been made in this specific branch of rehabilitation, but addressing them is necessary. Cerebral Palsy is a group of motor impairments due to hypoxic-ischemic brain damage around the time of birth and very commonly manifests as excessive muscle tone and poor motor control. There are classifications within CP including spasticity and dystonia.

First, a level of discrepancy is present in the classification of CP between the clinical and research …

Biomechanical Loading Changes Between Species In Mild Blast-Induced Traumatic Brain Injury, Jose Juan Rodriguez

Dissertations

Blast-induced traumatic brain injury (bTBI) has become one of the leading injury modalities in military personnel and is considered a signature injury in veterans returning from conflicts in the Middle East. One of the main concerns in studying bTBI is translating animal experiments to clinical applications that can service veterans. Significant advances have been made using animal models in relating external shock waves to emerging neuropathophysiological and behavioral outcomes. However, it is unknown if these results are applicable to humans; and if so, can an interspecies transfer function be developed based on size, shape, and material response. This work aims …

Comparison Of Longitudinal Changes In Resting State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Between Alzheimer’S And Healthy Controls, Berk Can Yilmaz

Theses

Resting State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (rs-fMRI) is a technique that is widely used for analyzing brain function using different approaches and methods. This study involves rs-fMRI analysis of Blood Oxygenation Level Dependent (BOLD) signals acquired from Alzheimer’s disease (AD) Patients and Healthy Controls (HC). Each subject in the study had both functional and anatomical images with at least one rs-fMRI scan with their Anatomical (T1) scans. Previous rs-fMRI studies have demonstrated that AD shows differences in Amplitude of Low Frequency (<0.1 Hz) Fluctuations (ALFF), and Regional Homogeneity (ReHo) measures according to HCs.

The aim of the study is to investigate individual and group level differences using ReHo and mALFF related …

A Model For Thermal Diffusion And Local Tissue Damage From The Measurement Of Temperature In Electrosurgical Incision, Marek Vira

Theses

The extremely high temperatures applied over extremely short time intervals that are characteristic of electrosurgery result in a unique tissue damage pattern. Cesarean delivery and hysterectomy, the two most frequently performed procedures in obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN), commonly employ electrosurgical incision. While it is controversial, it has been suggested that tissue damage produced by electrosurgery could increase surgical site infection rates. While recommendations for the settings in the use of the electrosurgical unit do exist, there is no current technique for real time assessment of the viability of tissue around the site of the electrosurgical incision. Current methods for analyzing …

Cardiorespiratory Fitness Diminishes The Effects Of Age On White Matter Hyperintensity Volume, Nathan F. Johnson, Ahmed A. Bahrani, David K. Powell, Gregory A. Jicha, Brian T. Gold

Physical Therapy Faculty Publications

White matter hyperintensities (WMHs) are among the most commonly observed marker of cerebrovascular disease. Age is a key risk factor for WMH development. Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is associated with increased vessel compliance, but it remains unknown if high CRF affects WMH volume. This study explored the effects of CRF on WMH volume in community-dwelling older adults. We further tested the possibility of an interaction between CRF and age on WMH volume. Participants were 76 adults between the ages of 59 and 77 (mean age = 65.36 years, SD = 3.92) who underwent a maximal graded exercise test and structural brain …

Characterization Of Neuronal Differentiation And Activity In Human-Induced Pluripotent Neural Stem Cells, Allison Biddinger

The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

Comparison Of Machine Learning Models: Gesture Recognition Using A Multimodal Wrist Orthosis For Tetraplegics, Charlie Martin

The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research

Many tetraplegics must wear wrist braces to support paralyzed wrists and hands. However, current wrist orthoses have limited functionality to assist a person’s ability to perform typical activities of daily living other than a small pocket to hold utensils. To enhance the functionality of wrist orthoses, gesture recognition technology can be applied to control mechatronic tools attached to a novel fabricated wrist brace. Gesture recognition is a growing technology for providing touchless human-computer interaction that can be particularly useful for tetraplegics with limited upper-extremity mobility. In this study, three gesture recognition models were compared—two dynamic time-warping models and a hidden …

Bioprinted In Vitro Model Of Human Glioblastoma, Rachel Lauren Schwartz

Theses and Dissertations

Glioblastoma multiform (GBM) is one of the most aggressive forms of primary brain tumors. GBM is fast progressing and resistant to treatment, resulting in a low survival rate. Conventional 2-dimensional tissue culture models cannot fully replicate the complexities of cancer lesions that contain multiple cell types and structures (e.g. vessels composed of endothelial cells, cancer cells, normal cells, etc.) as well as an intricate scaffold of proteins comprising the extracellular matrix (ECM). In addition, animal models cannot translate into the clinical disease in patients. Thus, this study has developed a bioprintable organ-on-a-chip (OOAC) model that mimics the important ECM factors …

Rectus Femoris Hyperreflexia Contributes To Stiff-Knee Gait After Stroke, Tunc Akbas, Kyoungsoon Kim, Kathleen Doyle, Kathleen Manella, Robert Lee, Patrick Spicer, Maria Knikou, James Sulzer

Publications and Research

Background: Stiff-Knee gait (SKG) after stroke is often accompanied by decreased knee flexion angle during the swing phase. The decreased knee flexion has been hypothesized to originate from excessive quadriceps activation.However, it is unclear whether hyperreflexia plays a role in this activation. The goal of this study was to establish the relationship between quadriceps hyperreflexia and knee flexion angle during walking in post-stroke SKG.

Methods: The rectus femoris (RF) H-reflex was recorded in 10 participants with post-stroke SKG and 10 healthy controls during standing and walking at the pre-swing phase. In order to attribute the pathological neuromodulation to quadriceps muscle …

Dectin-1 Mediated Mechanical Force Generation In Candida Albicans Fungal Pathogen Recognition, Rohan Choraghe

Biomedical Engineering ETDs

Candida spp. pathogens continue to be a major health care burden with high mortality and exceeding a billion dollars in terms of healthcare cost. Candidainfection ranges from superficial dermatological infection to more serious blood stream infection in debilitated patients. One of the major lines of innate immune defense against Candidais phagocytosis. Dectin-1 is the antifungal receptor in myeloid cells responsible for most immune responses against fungi including phagocytosis. We looked into the signaling pathway coordinating this mechanical process downstream of Dectin-1. We found that Dectin-1 activation gives rise to a significant mechanical force generation mediated through RHOA-ROCK-MyosinII pathway. …

Novel Material For Advanced Tissue Regeneration, Karrer Mahdi Kadum Alghazali

Theses and Dissertations

Nerve tissue damage or failure can occur for various reasons, including infection, disease, aging, and trauma. The tissue microenvironment (extracellular matrix-ECM) plays a key role in regulating the self-renewal and recovery of damaged tissue. ECM-cell interactions govern cell migration and physiology, with biochemical and biophysical boundaries being the main factors that control ECM-cell interaction. Optimizing these boundaries for the recovering tissue will create a healthy microenvironment to support and enhance the recovery rate (1, 2). We have developed a novel, multidimensional nanocomposite system that incorporates gold nanorods (AuNRs) (aspect ratio of around 3) as an artificial ECM for cell adhesion, …

Wireless Technologies For Implantable Devices, Bradley D. Nelson, Salil Sidharthan Karipott, Yvonne Wang, Keat Ghee Ong

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Wireless technologies are incorporated in implantable devices since at least the 1950s. With remote data collection and control of implantable devices, these wireless technologies help researchers and clinicians to better understand diseases and to improve medical treatments. Today, wireless technologies are still more commonly used for research, with limited applications in a number of clinical implantable devices. Recent development and standardization of wireless technologies present a good opportunity for their wider use in other types of implantable devices, which will significantly improve the outcomes of many diseases or injuries. This review briefly describes some common wireless technologies and modern advancements, …

Aligned Fingolimod-Releasing Electrospun Fibers Increase Dorsal Root Ganglia Neurite Extension And Decrease Schwann Cell Expression Of Promyelinating Factors, Devan L. Puhl, Jessica L. Funnell, Anthony R. D'Amato, Jonathan Bao, Dmitri V. Zagorevski, Yelena Pressman, Daniel Morone, Agnes E. Haggerty, Martin Oudega, Ryan J. Gilbert

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Researchers are investigating the use of biomaterials with aligned guidance cues, like those provided by aligned electro spun fibers, to facilitate axonal growth across critical-length peripheral nerve defects. To enhance the regenerative outcomes further, these aligned fibers can be designed to provide local, sustained release of therapeutics. The drug fingolimod improved peripheral nerve regeneration in preclinical rodent models by stimulating a pro-regenerative Schwann cell phenotype and axonal growth. However, the systemic delivery of fingolimod for nerve repair can lead to adverse effects, so it is necessary to develop a means of providing sustained delivery of fingolimod local to the injury. …

Near Simultaneous Laser Scanning Confocal And Atomic Force Microscopy (Conpokal) On Live Cells, Joree N. Sandin, Surya P. Aryal, Thomas E. Wilkop, Christopher I. Richards, Martha E. Grady

Physiology Faculty Publications

Techniques available for micro- and nano-scale mechanical characterization have exploded in the last few decades. From further development of the scanning and transmission electron microscope, to the invention of atomic force microscopy, and advances in fluorescent imaging, there have been substantial gains in technologies that enable the study of small materials. Conpokal is a portmanteau that combines confocal microscopy with atomic force microscopy (AFM), where a probe "pokes" the surface. Although each technique is extremely effective for the qualitative and/or quantitative image collection on their own, Conpokal provides the capability to test with blended fluorescence imaging and mechanical characterization. Designed …

A Review Paper: Analysis Of Weka Data Mining Techniques For Heart Disease Prediction System, Basma Jumaa Saleh, Ahmed Yousif Falih Saedi, Ali Talib Qasim Al-Aqbi, Lamees Abdalhasan Salman

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Data mining is characterized as searching for useful information through very large data sets. Some of the key and most common techniques for data mining are association rules, classification, clustering, prediction, and sequential models. For a wide range of applications, data mining techniques are used. Data mining plays a significant role in disease detection in the health care industry. The patient should be needed to detect a number of tests for the disease. However, the number of tests should be reduced by using data mining techniques. In time and performance, this reduced test plays an important role. Heart disease is …

A Brief Bibliometric Survey On Circularly Polarized Antennas For Mobile Communication, Aniket Gunjal, Abhaya Pal Singh

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This paper presents a database review on “Circularly Polarized Antennas for Mobile Communication” as it is the emerging technique used by mobile service provider because of having benefits over other types of antennas available.The polarization purity is now the major issue. In some cases due to cross polarization issue the antenna signal is cancelled at receiver side.So, it is necessary to have circularly polarized antenna to avoid this polarization issue because of change in phase of signal. The change in phase of signal is due to striking of wave on the obstacles and it slightly tilted from its direction causes …

Bacteria Analysis By Using A Supervised Machine Learning Algorithm Based On Droplet Microfluidics, Yulder Daniel Angarita

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sepsis is a major medical problem and massive resources have been invested in developing and evaluating alternative treatments. Statistics indicate that sepsis causes between one third and one half of all hospital deaths in the United States. Sepsis has a high impact on health care in the US, with direct sepsis costs in 2009 exceeding $15.4 billion. A research study found that a 1-hour delay in appropriate antimicrobial care resulted in a 7% - 10% rise in mortality. Several professional societies seek to reduce sepsis mortality by targeting the timely use of diagnostic tests and antimicrobial therapy. The diagnostic instruments …

Multiphysics Computational Model Of Fluid Flow And Mass Transport In Aneurysm, Tanja Cupac

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The abdominal aortic aneurysm is progressive, asymptomatic, and can eventually lead to rupture which is a catastrophic event leading to massive internal bleeding and possibly death. AAA cases have been characterized by the development of an intraluminal thrombus (ILT). The ILT correlates with the progression of hypoxia in the arterial wall. The extent that ILT presence reduces oxygen flux to the wall has not been quantified and there is rather a poor understanding of key parameters that can affect thrombus-mediated oxygen transport in AAA. The purpose of this study is to address this gap and to assess the effects of …

Functional Characterization Of Petiolule-Like Pulvinus (Plp) Gene In Abscission Zone Development In Medicago Truncatula And Its Application To Genetic Improvement Of Alfalfa, Juan Du, Shaoyun Lu, Maofeng Chai, Chuanen Zhou, Liang Sun, Yuhong Tang, Jin Nakashima, Jaydeep Kolape, Zhaozhu Wen, Marjan Behzadirad, Tianxiu Zhong, Juan Sun, Yunwei Zhang, Zeng-Yu Wang

Nebraska Center for Biotechnology: Faculty and Staff Publications

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is one of the most important forage crops throughout the world. Maximizing leaf retention during the haymaking process is critical for achieving superior hay quality and maintaining biomass yield. Leaf abscission process affects leaf retention. Previous studies have largely focused on the molecular mechanisms of floral organ, pedicel and seed abscission but scarcely touched on leaf and petiole abscission. This study focuses on leaf and petiole abscission in the model legume Medicago truncatula and its closely related commercial species alfalfa. By analysing the petiolule-like pulvinus (plp) mutant in M. truncatula at phenotypic level …

The Investigation Of Surface Structures On Various Pathogens And Their Interactions With The Human Immune System, Carmen M. Villalobos

Biomedical Engineering ETDs

The cell surface is the first interface the host immune system encounters and

its investigation has led to a better understanding of cellular biology and types of

pathways that pathogens target in a host cell. The cell surface has evolved to include

many functions such as manipulation of the cytoskeleton, cell signaling, membrane

trafficking, adhesion, and integration into host tissue. The pathogens of interest are

the pathogenic fungus, Candida albicans, and the parasite, Giardia lamblia and we

investigate the consequences of drug treatments on the cell surface, leading to

promising new targets.

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 …

A 3d Image-Guided System To Improve Myocardial Revascularization Decision-Making For Patients With Coronary Artery Disease, Haipeng Tang

Dissertations

OBJECTIVES. Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most common type of heart disease and kills over 360,000 people a year in the United States. Myocardial revascularization (MR) is a standard interventional treatment for patients with stable CAD. Fluoroscopy angiography is real-time anatomical imaging and routinely used to guide MR by visually estimating the percent stenosis of coronary arteries. However, a lot of patients do not benefit from the anatomical information-guided MR without functional testing. Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) is a widely used functional testing for CAD evaluation but limits to the absence of anatomical information. …

Microchannel Technology In Cancer Cell Confined-Migration Study And Its Application In Drug Screening, Qionghua Shen

Bioengineering Dissertations - Archive

PDMS-based microchannel device has been explored to extend the basic platform for three-dimensional (3D) culture models of cell motility study because of its relevant stiffness and designable shape. Moreover, it is easy to add multi-functions (physical cures and biochemical cures) to one single device and provide a more physiologically relevant context to cells migrating inside channels. As recent cell motility studies have proved that cells show different migration strategies in physiologically confined three-dimensional (3D) space compared to a two-dimensional (2D) culture system. Besides, far from unique, when cancer cells are underling the migrating stage, they show increased resistance to chemo- …

Machine Learning And Deep Learning Applications In Neuroimaging, Gowtham Krishnan Murugesan

Bioengineering Dissertations - Archive

Deep Learning (DL) tools have the potential to analyze large datasets and extract meaningful insights to enhance patient outcomes. Radiological images such as MRI and CT, often contain complex patterns that can be difficult and time consuming to evaluate manually. Deep learning algorithms can improve treatment decisions and patient care beyond the realm of research. The goal of this dissertation is to apply advanced deep learning methods in three distinct domains of neuroimaging, 1.fMRI Analysis, 2. MR Image Synthesis, and 3. Clinical applications in brain tumors. First, we developed a new fMRI network inference method named as BrainNET using Machine …

In Vivo Ultrasound-Switchable Fluorescence Imaging And Its Applications, Tingfeng Yao

Bioengineering Dissertations - Archive

The conventional fluorescence imaging has limited spatial resolution in centimeters-deep tissue because of the tissue’s high scattering property. Ultrasound-switchable fluorescence (USF) imaging, a new imaging technique, was recently proposed to realize high-resolution fluorescence imaging in centimeters-deep tissue. Although promising results were achieved in tissue-mimic phantoms or tissue samples, the in vivo USF imaging had not been realized so far. There were two major challenges in realizing in vivo USF imaging. First, the lack of stable near-infrared (NIR) USF contrast agents in a biological environment and the lack of data about their biodistributions. Second, the previous USF imaging systems adopted a …

The Biomechanics Of Cardiac Elastin And Its Role In Bioengineering, Sara R. Mcmahan

Bioengineering Dissertations - Archive

Elastin is an essential structural protein responsible for the elasticity of many tissues, including skin, lungs, blood vessels, and other highly dynamic tissues and organs in the body. In the heart, cardiac elastin has been largely ignored as one of the key players in heart health and functionality. In this study, we will fill the knowledge gap with novel experiments and biomechanical investigations that will allow us to understand the roles of elastin in cardiac biomechanics, as well as explore the bioengineering applications of elastin-rich cardiac tissues. For Aim 1, we performed a biomechanical and ultrastructural comparison of the elastin-rich …

Impact Of Muscular Fatigue And Its Modulation Using Transcranial Photobiomodulation (Tpbm) On The Human Brain Measured By Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (Fnirs), Elizabeth Lyde Urquhart

Bioengineering Dissertations - Archive

When performing exercise, the brain must register and simultaneously integrate input from feedforward (i.e., central command) and feedback (e.g., exercise pressor reflex) neural mechanisms to make appropriate cardiovascular adjustments to meet metabolic demands. Muscle fatigue occurs during prolonged exercise and is characterized by a reduction in force-generating capability of the muscle. Fatigue comprises of two components: central and peripheral fatigue. Peripheral fatigue is produced at or distal to the neuromuscular junction whereas, central fatigue originates in the central nervous system. However, central fatigue’s contribution to peripheral fatigue is less understood and functional neuroimaging is being investigated as a tool to …

Targeting The Oligomannose Biomarker Present On Distinct Subsets Of Non-Hodgkin Lymphomas, Butaek Lim

Bioengineering Dissertations - Archive

Subtypes of B cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas, including follicular lymphomas, have shown a unique high oligomannose presentation on their immunoglobulins that will interact with natural receptors of the innate immunity, reportedly causing stimulation and proliferation. From next generation deep sequencing of the variable heavy and light chain sequences of follicular lymphoma involved tissue sections, we identified the consensus variable sequences possessing glycosylation sites at the complementarity determining region. Using this information, we developed a cell line, referred to here as BZ, which displays the consensus variable segments as part of a surface antibody (IgM) and confirmed its presentation of high oligomannose …

Modulation Of Physiologic Responses Of Insulin Secreting Cells Using Electrical And Photostimulation, Caleb Nathaniel Liebman

Bioengineering Dissertations - Archive

Islet transplantation is a surgical procedure aimed at providing insulin independence to those suffering with Type I diabetes. Prior to implantation, a therapeutic window exists ex vivo where the cells can be treated in order to improve the procedure’s efficacy. It is well established that physical stimuli are able to affect cellular functionality. Thus the work herein is designed to elucidate the effects and mechanisms by which the insulin secreting β-cells respond to non-invasive electric field stimulation and photobiomodulation. Insulin secreting β-cells are an electrically active cell type and utilize their calcium dynamics to control insulin secretion. The calcium dynamics …