Engineering Commons^™

Low Temperature Plasma For The Treatment Of Epithelial Cancer Cells, Soheila Mohades

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Biomedical applications of low temperature plasmas (LTP) may lead to a paradigm shift in treating various diseases by conducting fundamental research on the effects of LTP on cells, tissues, organisms (plants, insects, and microorganisms). This is a rapidly growing interdisciplinary research field that involves engineering, physics, life sciences, and chemistry to find novel solutions for urgent medical needs. Effects of different LTP sources have shown the anti-tumor properties of plasma exposure; however, there are still many unknowns about the interaction of plasma with eukaryotic cells which must be elucidated in order to evaluate the practical potential of plasma in cancer …

Development Of An Atlas-Based Segmentation Of Cranial Nerves Using Shape-Aware Discrete Deformable Models For Neurosurgical Planning And Simulation, Sharmin Sultana

Computational Modeling & Simulation Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Twelve pairs of cranial nerves arise from the brain or brainstem and control our sensory functions such as vision, hearing, smell and taste as well as several motor functions to the head and neck including facial expressions and eye movement. Often, these cranial nerves are difficult to detect in MRI data, and thus represent problems in neurosurgery planning and simulation, due to their thin anatomical structure, in the face of low imaging resolution as well as image artifacts. As a result, they may be at risk in neurosurgical procedures around the skull base, which might have dire consequences such as …

Computational And Performance Analysis Of A Continuous Magnetophoretic Bioseparation Chip With Alternating Magnetic Fields, Matin Golozar, Majid Molki, Jeff Darabi

SIUE Faculty Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity

This paper presents the modeling and optimization of a magnetophoretic bioseparation chip for isolating cells, such as circulating tumor cells from the peripheral blood. The chip consists of a continuous-flow microfluidic platform that contains locally engineered magnetic field gradients. The high-gradient magnetic field produced by the magnets is spatially non-uniform and gives rise to an attractive force on magnetic particles flowing through a fluidic channel. Simulations of the particle–fluid transport and the magnetic force are performed to predict the trajectories and capture lengths of the particles within the fluidic channel. The computational model takes into account key forces, such as …

Plasmonic Stimulation Of Electrically Excitable Cells, Fnu Parveen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There is a compelling need for the development of new sensory and neural prosthetic devices which are capable of more precise point stimulation. Current prosthetic devices suffer from the limitation of low spatial resolution due to the non-specific stimulation characteristics of electrical stimulation, i.e., the spread of electric fields generated. We present a visible light stimulation method for modulating the firing patterns of electrically-excitable cells using surface plasmon resonance phenomena. In in-vitro studies using gold (Au) nanoparticle-coated nanoelectrodes, we show that this method (substrate coated with nanoparticles) has potential for incorporating the technology into neural stimulation prosthetics, such as cochlear …

Simulation Studies On Ecg Vector Dipole Extraction In Liquid Medium, Pratheek Michael

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

To circumvent some inherent problems in the conventional ECG, this research reinvestigates an ‘unassisted’ approach which enables ECG measurement without the placement of leads on the body. Employed in this research is a widely accepted assumption that the electrical activity of the heart may be represented, largely, by a 3-D time-varying current dipole (3D-CD). From the PhysioBank database, mECG and fECG data were obtained, and Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) was performed to estimate the time-varying Vector ECG dipole. To determine the sensing matrix responsible for transforming the activity of the 3D-CD into the potential distribution on the surface of the …

Polysaccharide Fabrication Platforms And Biocompatibility Assessment As Candidate Wound Dressing Materials, Donald C. Aduba Jr., Hu Yang

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Wound dressings are critical for wound care because they provide a physical barrier between the injury site and outside environment, preventing further damage or infection. Wound dressings also manage and even encourage the wound healing process for proper recovery. Polysaccharide biopolymers are slowly becoming popular as modern wound dressings materials because they are naturally derived, highly abundant, inexpensive, absorbent, non-toxic and non-immunogenic. Polysaccharide biopolymers have also been processed into biomimetic platforms that offer a bioactive component in wound dressings that aid the healing process. This review primarily focuses on the fabrication and biocompatibility assessment of polysaccharide materials. Specifically, fabrication platforms …

A Novel Hybrid Imaging System To Aid In Surgical Decision Making, Lawrence Yip, Madeleine Van De Kleut, Ivan Kosik, Astrid Chamson-Reig, Jeffrey Jl Carson

Western Research Forum

Background:

Breast cancer accounts for 25% of all cancer cases among women. In breast-conserving surgery, a common treatment, the tumour is excised with a healthy tissue margin. However, detection of the margin can be difficult. Current techniques to guide excision are often insufficient, and re-excision can occur up to 25% of the time.

Methods:

Photoacoustic imaging is a hybrid imaging modality that combines the advantages of optical imaging and ultrasound while using safe non-ionizing light. This project involves the development of a novel imaging system with a new scanner design to overcome common limitations and provide images to aid in …

Validation Of Postural Sway Measurements Using Wii Balance Board, Zachary Meade

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Standing balance measurements, such as postural sway, are vital for determining functional ability, risk of falling and recovery of injuries. Often the need to collect data outside of the typical clinical or research setting arises. However, obtaining these measurements outside of a laboratory setting can be very difficult, as the mobility of a laboratory-grade force plate (FP) is minimal, and its cost can be upwards of $20,000. The purpose of this study is to create a cheaper alternative by validating the Wii Balance Board’s (WBB; Nintendo, Redmond, Washington, USA) ability to measure postural sway patterns. The WBB can be acquired …

On Utilizing Big Data To Assess Health Levels, Elham Rastegari

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

The general relationship between mobility/gait patterns and health conditions, has been established by many research studies. Gait patterns have been used in predicting fall incidents, assessing the movement of people with Parkinson disease and assessing gait characteristics of patients with major depression. However, not much has been reported in terms of how to utilize mobility data along with gait patterns to assess health levels and to identify early stages of certain diseases or conditions that impact mobility/gait patterns. In this project, we propose to develop a population analysis system based on recent Big Data technologies that relies on different types …

Peak Vertical Ground Reaction Force & Stance Phase Time To Assess Post-Tka Interlimb Asymmetry, Abderrahman Ouattas

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

In the US, more than 500,000 TKA surgeries are performed annually, to which 97% of those are led by OA¹. Although knee pain is diminished post-TKA, unilateral efficiency and walking asymmetry is still unresolved several years after the surgery². In fact, within a minimum of 10 years after the primary TKA, almost 50% of patients undergo a secondary TKA on the contralateral limb due to OA progression³. The purpose of this study was to determine if post-Total Knee Arthroplasty peak vertical ground reaction force (pVGRF) asymmetry could be identified using stance phase time differences …

Acl Reconstruction Results In Alterations For Force Control Variability During Multidirectional Force Production, Amelia S. Lanier

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

After anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture most will undergo reconstructive surgery. Within the first year after surgery 25% of patients will re-tear their ACL. Most of those injured attempt to return to sports which include running and cutting. The ability to produce appropriate ground reaction forces may be crucial for the successful return to sports without re-injury. Understanding stability of multidirectional ground reaction force (mGRF) production in healthy and ACL reconstructed (ACL-r) patients can lend insight to the high instance of re-injury. Typically, stability has been measured using linear analyses, but these analyses cannot capture the subtle time varying changes …

The Effects Of Walking Speed On Gait Propulsion When Wearing An Ankle-Foot Orthosis, Alli Kalina

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a cardiovascular disease that results from blockage of one or more arteries in the lower extremity. Often, patients with PAD have reduced ability to push off with the foot at the end of the gait cycle. When walking, the ankle contributes the majority of the power to propel the body into the next step. An ankle-foot orthosis (AFO) is a device that aids in ankle propulsion by increasing the energy return, thus decreasing the ankle deficit in pathological individuals. The purpose is to investigate the effect of walking speed on ankle propulsion during walking. Subjects …

Biomechanics And Imaging, Jingfeng Jiang

TechTalks

From the perspective of biomechanics, my research is multidisciplinary, bridging the gap between physiology/biology and quantitative sciences. Currently, the applications are on cancer detection and differentiation, therapeutic monitoring, staging liver fibrosis, risk assessment of aneurysm rupture, and more.

Implantable Sensors For Regenerative Medicine, Keat Ghee Ong

TechTalks

In vivo, real-time measurement of local environmental parameters such as strain, pressure, temperature, pH, oxygen tension and specific biomarkers can be valuable for regenerative medicine research and therapies. Wireless implantable sensors are an attractive approach for certain regenerative medicine applications due to its relative simplicity and low cost. Presented here are such two implantable sensors. The first sensor is based on a miniature wireless sensor network that can digitize physical and chemical parameters and continuously stream measurements to a nearby receiver via a 2-way communication protocol. With the incorporation of a strain gauge, this sensor platform was applied to record …

Biodegradable Zinc Vascular Implant Materials, Jeremy Goldman

TechTalks

Bioabsorbable metal stents are being developed to mitigate the long-term side effects associated with corrosion-resistant stents. A decade-long research with iron (Fe)- and magnesium (Mg)-based stent materials has concluded with little success. Fe produces a voluminous, retained oxide product in the arterial wall, whereas Mg and its alloys corrode too rapidly. A breakthrough in the field of biodegradable metallic stents was made in 2013 in our research team (Drs. Goldman – Biomedical Engineering and Drelich – Materials Science and Engineering) with the introduction of zinc (Zn) and its alloys, which are free of the flaws observed for Fe- and Mg-based …

Using A Respiratory Navigator Significantly Reduces Variability When Quantifying Left Ventricular Torsion With Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance, Sean M. Hamlet, Christopher M. Haggerty, Jonathan D. Suever, Gregory J. Wehner, Kristin N. Andres, David K. Powell, Richard J. Charnigo, Brandon K. Fornwalt

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Background: Left ventricular (LV) torsion is an important indicator of cardiac function that is limited by high inter-test variability (50% of the mean value). We hypothesized that this high inter-test variability is partly due to inconsistent breath-hold positions during serial image acquisitions, which could be significantly improved by using a respiratory navigator for cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) based quantification of LV torsion.

Methods: We assessed respiratory-related variability in measured LV torsion with two distinct experimental protocols. First, 17 volunteers were recruited for CMR with cine displacement encoding with stimulated echoes (DENSE) in which a respiratory navigator was used to measure …

Fluid Flow Characterization And In Silico Validation In A Rapid Prototyped Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Model, Dean Thomas Wampler

Master's Theses

Aortic aneurysms are the 14^th leading cause of death in the United States. Annually, abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) ruptures are responsible for 4500 deaths. There are another 45,000 repair procedures performed to prevent rupture, and of these approximately 1400 lead to deaths. With proper detection, the aneurysm may be treated using endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR). Understanding how the flow of the blood within the artery is affected by the aneurysm is important in determining the growth of the aneurysm, as well as how to properly treat the aneurysm. The goal of this project was to develop a physical construct …

Cellular Proteomes Drive Tissue-Specific Regulation Of The Heat Shock Response, Jian Ma, Christopher E. Grant, Rosemary Nadine Plagens, Lindsey N. Barrett, Karen S. Kim Guisbert, Eric Guisbert

Biomedical Engineering and Sciences Faculty Publications

The heat shock response (HSR) is a cellular stress response that senses protein misfolding and restores protein folding homeostasis, or proteostasis. We previously identified an HSR regulatory network inCaenorhabditis elegans consisting of highly conserved genes that have important cellular roles in maintaining proteostasis. Unexpectedly, the effects of these genes on the HSR are distinctly tissue-specific. Here, we explore this apparent discrepancy and find that muscle-specific regulation of the HSR by the TRiC/CCT chaperonin is not driven by an enrichment of TRiC/CCT in muscle, but rather by the levels of one of its most abundant substrates, actin. Knockdown of actin subunits …

Evaluation Of Whole-Brain Resting-State Functional Connectivity In Spinal Cord Injury - A Large-Scale Network Analysis Using Network Based Statistic, Mayank Kaushal, Akinwunmi Oni-Orisan, Gang Chen, Wenjun Li, Jack Leschke, B. Douglas Ward, Benjamin Kalinosky, Matthew D. Budde, Brian D. Schmit, Shi-Jiang Li, Viashnavi Muqeet, Shekar N. Kurpad

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Large-scale network analysis characterizes the brain as a complex network of nodes and edges to evaluate functional connectivity patterns. The utility of graph-based techniques has been demonstrated in an increasing number of restingstate functional MRI (rs-fMRI) studies in the normal and diseased brain. However, to our knowledge, graph theory has not been used to study the reorganization pattern of resting-state brain networks in patients with traumatic complete spinal cord injury (SCI). In the present analysis, we applied a graph-theoretical approach to explore changes to global brain network architecture as a result of SCI. Fifteen subjects with chronic (> 2 years) …

Toxicity Evaluation Of Magnetic Hyperthermia Induced By Remote Actuation Of Magnetic Nanoparticles In 3d Micrometastasic Tumor Tissue Analogs For Triple Negative Breast Cancer, Nathanael A. Stocke, Pallavi Sethi, Amar Jyoti, Ryan Chan, Susanne M. Arnold, J. Zach Hilt, Meenakshi Upreti

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

Magnetic hyperthermia as a treatment modality is acquiring increased recognition for loco-regional therapy of primary and metastatic lung malignancies by pulmonary delivery of magnetic nanoparticles (MNP). The unique characteristic of magnetic nanoparticles to induce localized hyperthermia in the presence of an alternating magnetic field (AMF) allows for preferential killing of cells at the tumor site. In this study we demonstrate the effect of hyperthermia induced by low and high dose of MNP under the influence of an AMF using 3D tumor tissue analogs (TTA) representing the micrometastatic, perfusion independent stage of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) that infiltrates the lungs. …

Evaluation Of Procedures To Quantify Solvent Retention In Electrospun Fibers And Facilitate Solvent Removal, Anthony R. D'Amato, Nicholas J. Schaub, Jesus M. Cardenas, Erich Franz, Deniz Rende, Alexis M. Ziemba, Ryan J. Gilbert

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Electro spun fiber scaffolds crafted from polyesters are studied extensively for potential tissue engineering applications. For translation of electro spun fibers into the clinic, the FDA requires analysis and quantification of any organic solvent that may be retained in the fibers since many organic solvents can negatively affect cells and tissues. If a significant amount of solvent is retained, then developing procedures for efficient solvent removal may enhance the clinical potential of these materials. In this study we use fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) to analyze solvent retention. A correlative analysis …

Quantitative Limits On Small Molecule Transport Via The Electropermeome - Measuring And Modeling Single Nanosecond Perturbations, Esin B. Sözer, Zachary A. Levine, P. Thomas Vernier

Bioelectrics Publications

The detailed molecular mechanisms underlying the permeabilization of cell membranes by pulsed electric fields (electroporation) remain obscure despite decades of investigative effort. To advance beyond descriptive schematics to the development of robust, predictive models, empirical parameters in existing models must be replaced with physics- and biology-based terms anchored in experimental observations. We report here absolute values for the uptake of YO-PRO-1, a small-molecule fluorescent indicator of membrane integrity, into cells after a single electric pulse lasting only 6 ns. We correlate these measured values, based on fluorescence microphotometry of hundreds of individual cells, with a diffusion-based geometric analysis of pore-mediated …

Mapping Tools For Measuring Gross Motor Function In Conductive Education, Jara’ Nicole Templet

Theses and Dissertations

Cerebral Palsy (CP) is a collection of disorders caused by disturbances in the developing brain before, during, or just after birth that affect the development of movement and posture resulting in limitations in activity. Two of the most widely employed gross motor function classification systems used to classify CP are the Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM) and the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS). Despite the wide use of these classification systems, neither is fully sufficient in classifying the gross motor function of a patient with CP. A newer therapy program, Conductive Education (CE) seeks to help children with CP …

Application Of Argon Plasma Technology To Hydrophobic And Hydrophilic Microdroplet Generation In Pdms Microfluidic Devices, Brennan P. Graham

Master's Theses

Abstract Application of Argon Plasma Technology to Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Microdroplet Generation in PDMS Microfluidic Devices Brennan Graham Microfluidics has gained popularity over the last decade due to the ability to replace many large, expensive laboratory processes with small handheld chips with a higher throughput due to the small channel dimensions [1]. Droplet microfluidics is the field of fluid manipulation that takes advantage of two immiscible fluids to create droplets from the geometry of the microchannels. This project includes the design of a microfluidic device that applies the results of an argon plasma surface treatment to polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) to successfully …

A Review Of The Potential Therapeutic Application Of Vagus Nerve Stimulation During Childbirth, Tanya Enderli

Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this research is to show that transcutaneous Vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) should be investigated as a possible modality for increasing endogenous release of oxytocin during childbirth. There have been many great advances made in the practice of modern obstetrics in the last century. The 1900s saw the discovery, isolation, and subsequent widespread use of the hormone oxytocin as an agent to prevent postpartum hemorrhage and to initiate or quicken labor during childbirth. There are significant risks to the fetus when synthetic oxytocin is used. While the medical administration of oxytocin during labor was being popularized, there was …

A Novel Tantalum-Containing Bioglass. Part I. Structure And Solubility, Adel Mf Alhalawani, Mark R. Towler

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Bio glasses are employed for surgical augmentation in a range of hard tissue applications. Tantalum is a bioactive and biocompatible transition metal that has been used as an orthopedic medical device. It has a range of biological and physical properties that make its incorporation into ionic form into bioactive glass systems promising for various clinical applications. The work herein reports the characterization and properties of novel tantalum-containing glasses. A series of glasses based on the system 48SiO₂-(36-X)ZnO-6CaO-8SrO-2P₂O₅-XTa₂O₅ with X varying from 0 mol% (TA0) to 0.5 mol% (TA2) were synthesized. The …

Timing And Magnitude Of Lumbar Spine Contribution To Trunk Forward Bending And Backward Return In Patients With Acute Low Back Pain, Iman Shojaei, Milad Vazirian, Elizabeth G. Salt, Linda R. Van Dillen, Babak Bazrgari

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications

Alterations in the lumbo-pelvic coordination denote changes in neuromuscular control of trunk motion as well as load sharing between passive and active tissues in the lower back. Differences in timing and magnitude aspects of lumbo-pelvic coordination between patients with chronic low back pain (LBP) and asymptomatic individuals have been reported; yet, the literature on lumbo-pelvic coordination in patients with acute LBP is scant. A case-control study was conducted to explore the differences in timing and magnitude aspects of lumbo-pelvic coordination between females with (n=19) and without (n=19) acute LBP. Participants in each group completed one experimental session wherein they performed …

Directed Acyclic Graph Continuous Max-Flow Image Segmentation For Unconstrained Label Orderings, John Sh Baxter, Martin Rajchl, A. Jonathan Mcleod, Jing Yuan, Terry M. Peters

Robarts Imaging Publications

Label ordering, the specification of subset–superset relationships for segmentation labels, has been of increasing interest in image segmentation as they allow for complex regions to be represented as a collection of simple parts. Recent advances in continuous max-flow segmentation have widely expanded the possible label orderings from binary background/foreground problems to extendable frameworks in which the label ordering can be specified. This article presents Directed Acyclic Graph Max-Flow image segmentation which is flexible enough to incorporate any label ordering without constraints. This framework uses augmented Lagrangian multipliers and primal–dual optimization to develop a highly parallelized solver implemented using GPGPU. This …

Characterization And Fracture Property Of Different Strontium-Containing Borate-Based Glass Coatings For Ti6al4v Substrates, Yiming Li, Ali Matinmanesh, Declan J. Curran, Emil H. Schemitsch, Paul Zalzal, Marcello Papini, Anthony W. Wren, Mark R. Towler

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This work considered the effect of increasing Strontium ion (Sr²⁺) content on the structure of a series of glasses based on the B₂O₃-P₂O₅-CaCO₃-Na₂CO₃-TiO₂-SrCO₃ series and their resultant fracture toughness when coated onto a surgical metal substrate. Six glasses with increasing Sr²⁺ content (0 to 25 mol%) were synthesized and subsequently characterized by X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Differential Thermal Analysis (DTA) and both Magic Angle Spinning Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (MAS-NMR) and Raman Spectroscopy. These techniques confirmed that increased Sr²⁺ content induced …

The Mechanisms And Biomedical Applications Of An Nir Bodipy-Based Switchable Fluorescent Probe, Bingbing Cheng, Venugopal Bandi, Shuai Yu, Francis D’Souza, Kytai T. Nguyen, Yi Hong, Liping Tang, Baohong Yuan, Sundaresan Gobalakrishnan, William Chi-Shing Cho, Jamal Zweit

Bioengineering Faculty Publications - Archive

Highly environment-sensitive fluorophores have been desired for many biomedical applications. Because of the noninvasive operation, high sensitivity, and high specificity to the microenvironment change, they can be used as excellent probes for fluorescence sensing/imaging, cell tracking/imaging, molecular imaging for cancer, and so on (i.e., polarity, viscosity, temperature, or pH measurement). In this work, investigations of the switching mechanism of a recently reported near-infrared environment-sensitive fluorophore, ADP(CA)2, were conducted. Besides, multiple potential biomedical applications of this switchable fluorescent probe have been demonstrated, including wash-free live-cell fluorescence imaging, in vivo tissue fluorescence imaging, temperature sensing, and ultrasound-switchable fluorescence (USF) imaging. The fluorescence …