Engineering Commons^™

Portable, Powerless Automation Of Valve Actuation For Microfluidic Large-Scale Integration Technology, Andrew Schmidt Mr., Matt Fitzgerald Mr., Emre Araci Mr., Connor Mcloughlin Mr.

Biomedical Engineering Western Regional Conference

Portable, powerless automation of valve actuation for microfluidic large-scale integration technology

3d Printed Microfluidics, Hua Gong, Clayton Ramstedt, Adam T. Woolley, Gregory P. Nordin

Biomedical Engineering Western Regional Conference

3D printing for microfluidic (lab-on-a-chip) devices

Ultrasonic Power Transfer For Medical Implants, Kee S. Moon, Yusuf Ozturk, Sung Q. Lee, Woosub Youm, Guun Hwang, H. W. Park

Biomedical Engineering Western Regional Conference

Wireless power transmission is an attractive alternative to low-power biomedical implants to overcome the power limitation of the primary battery. In this paper, we are presenting an efficient ultrasonic wireless power transmission system for implantable medical devices. It is known that the ultrasonic wireless power transmission has a longer power transmission distance as well as free from electromagnetic interference and absorption in the human body. In this research, an ultrasonic resonance will be applied to improve the power transmission efficiency as well as the distance.

In Vitro Antioxidant Oxidative Stress Treatment Model In Microgravity, Matt Clegg, Charles P. Harding, Taylor Clegg, Jon Takemoto, Elizabeth Vargis

Biomedical Engineering Western Regional Conference

We propose that the use of individual or a combination of antioxidants (specifically DL-alpha tocopherol phosphate disodium salt, mesobiliverdin, and L-glutathione) with astronauts in microgravity will reduce the effects of oxidative stress caused by ionizing radiation and muscular atrophy.

Modeling The Combined Effect Of Convection And Diffusion In Cross-Linked Alginate Capsules, Erik L. Risa, Sindhu Kolar Venkat, Bergren Antell, Maryam Mobed-Miremadi

Biomedical Engineering Western Regional Conference

No abstract provided.

A Model Of Gradual Dopamine Depletion In The Rat, Christine Henry, Heidi Y. Febinger, Alan Dorval

Biomedical Engineering Western Regional Conference

No abstract provided.

Heart Pump Modelling: Design Of Pulsatile Flow Phantoms, Olivia Coiado, Kevin Jones, Parker Schibel, Nicolas De Almeida

Biomedical Engineering Western Regional Conference

The purpose of this project is to build a model, which mimics physiological conditions of the human cardiovascular system in order to simulate the parameters of the human heart in vivo. For this project, it was developed a flow phantom with vessel mimicking material, as well as blood-mimicking and tissue-mimicking fluid. Phantoms in general are specifically designed objects involving dedicated biomaterials to simulate special realistic circuits of human beings. To develop the flow phantom, low-priced biomaterials for blood mimicking fluid, tissue mimicking, and vessel mimicking material was researched.

Keywords: Cardiovascular system, heart pump, modelling, pulsatile.

Molecular Modeling Of Antibody-Antigen Binding Near Solid Surfaces, Derek Bush, Thomas Knotts

Biomedical Engineering Western Regional Conference

Antibody microarrays are biosensors that have the potential to revolutionize molecular detection in medicine, scientific research, and national defense. However, current microarrays are not widely used due to problems including poor reproducibility and signal quality, unbalanced antibody performance, and cross-reactivity. Prior work in the area focused mainly on the stability of the antibody alone and not its affinity for its antigen. This presentation shows results of using molecular simulation to determine how different types of surfaces affect antigen binding to surface-tethered antibodies. The results offer an unprecedented, molecular-level view into these protein-protein-surface interactions and how to drive binding to occur.

Lung Protection By Inhalation Of Exogenous Solubilized Extracellular Matrix, Jinglei Wu, Priya Ravikumar, Kytai Truong Nguyen, Connie C.W. Hsia, Yi Hong

Bioengineering Faculty Publications - Archive

Decellularized extracellular matrix (ECM) contains complex tissue-specific components that work in concert to promote tissue repair and constructive remodeling and has been used experimentally and clinically to accelerate epithelial wound repair, leading us to hypothesize that lung-derived ECM could mitigate acute lung injury. To explore the therapeutic potential of ECM for noninvasive delivery to the lung, we decellularized and solubilized porcine lung ECM, then characterized the composition, concentration, particle size and stability of the preparation. The ECM preparation at 3.2 mg/mL with average particle size <3 μm was tested in vitro on human A549 lung epithelial cells exposed to 95% O2 for 24 hours, and in vivo by tracheal instillation or nebulization into the lungs of rats exposed intermittently or continuously to 90% O2 for a cumulative 72 hours. Our results showed that the preparation was enriched in collagen, reduced in glycosaminoglycans, and contained various bioactive molecules. Particle size was concentration-dependent. Compared to the respective controls treated with cell culture medium in vitro or saline in vivo, ECM inhalation normalized cell survival and alveolar morphology, and reduced hyperoxia-induced apoptosis and oxidative damage. This proof-of-concept study established the methodology, feasibility and therapeutic potential of exogenous solubilized ECM for pulmonary cytoprotection, possibly as an adjunct or potentiator of conventional therapy.

Superior Performance Of Continuous Over Pulsatile Flow Ventricular Assist Devices In The Single Ventricle Circulation: A Computational Study, Tyler Schmidt, David Rosenthal, Olaf Reinhartz, Kirk Riemer, Fei He, Tain-Yen Hsia, Alison Marsden, Ethan Kung

Publications

This study compares the physiological responses of systemic-to-pulmonary shunted single ventricle patients to pulsatile and continuous flow ventricular assist devices (VADs). Performance differences between pulsatile and continuous flow VADs have been clinically observed, but the underlying mechanism remains poorly understood. Six systemic-to-pulmonary shunted single ventricle patients (mean BSA=0.30 m2) were computationally simulated using a lumped-parameter network tuned to match patient specific clinical data. A first set of simulations compared current clinical implementation of VADs in single ventricle patients. A second set modified pulsatile flow VAD settings with the goal to optimize cardiac output (CO). For all patients, the best-case continuous …

Cold Atmospheric Plasma, A Novel Promising Anti-Cancer Treatment Modality., Dayun Yan, Jonathan H Sherman, Michael Keidar

Neurological Surgery Faculty Publications

Over the past decade, cold atmospheric plasma (CAP), a near room temperature ionized gas has shown its promising application in cancer therapy. Two CAP devices, namely dielectric barrier discharge and plasma jet, show significantly anti-cancer capacity over dozens of cancer cell lines in vitro and several subcutaneous xenograft tumors in vivo. In contrast to conventional anti-cancer approaches and drugs, CAP is a selective anti-cancer treatment modality. Thus far establishing the chemical and molecular mechanism of the anti-cancer capacity of CAP is far from complete. In this review, we provide a comprehensive introduction of the basics of CAP, state of the …

Biophysical Tools To Study Cellular Mechanotransduction, Ismeel Muhamed, Farhan Chowdhury, Venkat Maruthamuthu

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

The cell membrane is the interface that volumetrically isolates cellular components from the cell's environment. Proteins embedded within and on the membrane have varied biological functions: reception of external biochemical signals, as membrane channels, amplification and regulation of chemical signals through secondary messenger molecules, controlled exocytosis, endocytosis, phagocytosis, organized recruitment and sequestration of cytosolic complex proteins, cell division processes, organization of the cytoskeleton and more. The membrane's bioelectrical role is enabled by the physiologically controlled release and accumulation of electrochemical potential modulating molecules across the membrane through specialized ion channels (e.g., Na^⁺, Ca²⁺, K^⁺ channels). …

Spatio-Temporal Patterning In Primary Motor Cortex At Movement Onset, Matthew D. Best, Aaron J. Suminski, Kazutaka Takahashi, Kevin A. Brown, Nicholas G. Hatsopoulos

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Voluntary movement initiation involves the engagement of large populations of motor cortical neurons around movement onset. Despite knowledge of the temporal dynamics that lead to movement, the spatial structure of these dynamics across the cortical surface remains unknown. In data from 4 rhesus macaques, we show that the timing of attenuation of beta frequency local field potential oscillations, a correlate of locally activated cortex, forms a spatial gradient across primary motor cortex (MI). We show that these spatio-temporal dynamics are recapitulated in the engagement order of ensembles of MI neurons. We demonstrate that these patterns are unique to movement onset …

Impedance Optimized Electric Pulses For Enhancing Cutaneous Gene Electrotransfer, Reginald Morley Atkins

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Electric field mediated gene delivery modalities have preferable safety profiles with the ability to rapidly transfect cells in vitro and in vivo with high efficiency. However, the current state of the art has relied on trial and error studies that target the average cell within a population present in treated tissue to derive electric pulse parameters. This results in fixed gene electrotransfer (GET) parameters that are not universally optimum. Slow progress towards the validation of a mechanism that explains this phenomena has also hindered its advancement in the clinic. To date, GET methods utilizing feedback control as a means to …

Porous Magnesium-Based Scaffolds For Tissue Engineering, Mostafa Yazdimamaghani, Mehdi Razavi, Daryoosh Vashaee, Keyvan Moharamzadeh, Aldo R. Boccaccini, Lobat Tayebi

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Significant amount of research efforts has been dedicated to the development of scaffolds for tissue engineering. Although at present most of the studies are focused on non-load bearing scaffolds, many scaffolds have also been investigated for hard tissue repair. In particular, metallic scaffolds are being studied for hard tissue engineering due to their suitable mechanical properties. Several biocompatible metallic materials such as stainless steels, cobalt alloys, titanium alloys, tantalum, nitinol and magnesium alloys have been commonly employed as implants in orthopedic and dental treatments. They are often used to replace and regenerate the damaged bones or to provide structural support …

A Novel Tantalum-Containing Bioglass. Part Ii. Development Of A Bioadhesive For Sternal Fixation And Repair, Adel Mf Alhalawani, Cina Mehrvar, Wendy Stone, Stephen D. Waldman, Mark R. Towler

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

With over a million median sternotomy surgeries performed worldwide every year, sternal wound complications have posed a serious risk to the affected patients. A rigid therapeutic sternal fixation device has therefore become a necessity. In this work, the incorporation of up to 0.5 mol% of tantalum pentoxide (Ta₂O₅), in exchange for zinc oxide (ZnO), into the SiO₂-ZnO-CaO-SrO-P₂O₅ glass system is presented. The effect of Ta incorporation on the physical, chemical and biological properties of the glass polyalkenoate cements (GPCs) prepared from them have been presented in this manuscript. The data obtained …

Assessment Of A Hand Exoskeleton On Proximal And Distal Training In Virtual Environments For Robot Mediated Upper Extremity Rehabilitation, Kevin Abbruzzese

Dissertations

Stroke is the leading cause of disability in the United States with approximately 800,000 cases per year. This cerebral vascular accident results in neurological impairments that reduce limb function and limit the daily independence of the individual. Evidence suggests that therapeutic interventions with repetitive motor training can aid in functional recovery of the paretic limb. Robotic rehabilitation may present an exercise intervention that can improve training and induce motor plasticity in individuals with stroke. An active (motorized) hand exoskeleton that provides support for wrist flexion/extension, abduction/adduction, pronation/supination, and finger pinch is integrated with a pre-existing 3-Degree of Freedom (DOF) haptic …

Denoising Techniques Reveal Neural Correlates Of Modulation Masking Release In Auditory Cortex, Sahil Chaubal

Theses

Hearing aids allow hearing impaired (HI) individuals to regain auditory perception in quiet settings. However, despite advances in hearing aid technology, HI individuals do not perform as well in situations with background sound as normally hearing (NH) listeners. An extensive literature demonstrates that when comparing tone detection performance in background noise, NH listeners have better thresholds when that noise is temporally modulated as compared to temporally unmodulated. However, this perceptual benefit, called Modulation Masking Release (MMR), is much reduced in HI listeners, and this is thought to be a reason for why HI listeners struggle in the presence of background …

Engineering A Fluorescent Protease Sensor For In Vivo Protein Detection, Thomas C. Kinard

Honors Scholar Theses

This report details the results of an ongoing project to engineer a mutant form of Red Fluorescent Protein (RFP) variant mCherry that acts as a real-time in vivo protease sensor. The sought-after mutant only becomes fluorescent when exposed to Tobacco Etch Virus (TEV) Protease, this system’s model protease. This will be accomplished via the insertion of the TEV Protease Recognition Site (TEV-PRS) in such a position that, before cleavage, will prevent the protein from folding to fluorescent conformation, but upon cleavage, will allow for fluorescent conformation to occur. The cylindrical structure of the protein, composed of beta-pleated sheets, contains “loops” …

Automatic Analysis Of Surface Electromyography Of Reflexes For Central Nervous System Inhibition During Pregnancy, Neda Parvin

Theses and Dissertations

Eclampsia is a life-threatening neurological complication (seizures or coma) of pregnancy, and represents progression of pre-eclampsia (high blood pressure and protein in the urine isolated to pregnancy). Even though the exact mechanism of pre-eclampsia and its neurological manifestations have yet to be definitively established, it is known that there is a loss of inhibitory impulses between the cerebral cortex and the spinal cord resulting in exaggerated reflexes. In this work, we establish normative measures for deep tendon reflexes (DTR) during pregnancy. We quantified the surface electromyogram (EMG) at the knee and ankle of DTRs in 279 subjects. The signals were …

Assessing Dprestin & Nadc1 (Indy) Interaction On Calcium Oxalate Crystal Formation In A Drosophila Model Of Kidney Stones, Jessica Lin

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Calcium oxalate (CaOx) accounts for >70%of kidney stones, yet why CaOx stones form is poorly understood. While several factors contribute to the stone aggregation and growth, elucidating the roles of oxalate transporters can help demystify this phenomenon. Using a Drosophila model to study the formation and inhibition of CaOx crystals in the fly Malpighian tubule (MT), oxalate transport via dPrestin—the fly Slc26a6 Cl^-/Ox^2- exchanger was studied using both electrophysiology and MT dissection with CaOx birefringence assays. Here, the fly model suffices as it recapitulates renal oxalate excretion. Additionally, the mammalian dicarboxylate transporter NaDC1 (Indy in Drosophila) …

Idiosyncratic Drug-Induced Liver Injury (Idili): Potential Mechanisms And Predictive Assays, Alexander D. Roth, Moo-Yeal Lee

Chemical & Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications

Idiosyncratic drug-induced liver injury (IDILI) is a significant source of drug recall and acute liver failure (ALF) in the United States. While current drug development processes emphasize general toxicity and drug metabolizing enzyme- (DME-) mediated toxicity, it has been challenging to develop comprehensive models for assessing complete idiosyncratic potential. In this review, we describe the enzymes and proteins that contain polymorphisms believed to contribute to IDILI, including ones that affect phase I and phase II metabolism, antioxidant enzymes, drug transporters, inflammation, and human leukocyte antigen (HLA). We then describe the various assays that have been developed to detect individual reactions …

Collective Behaviour In Video Viewing: A Thermodynamic Analysis Of Gaze Position, Kate Burleson-Lesser, Flaviano Morone, Paul Deguzman, Lucas C. Parra, Hernan Makse

Publications and Research

Videos and commercials produced for large audiences can elicit mixed opinions. We wondered whether this diversity is also reflected in the way individuals watch the videos. To answer this question, we presented 65 commercials with high production value to 25 individuals while recording their eye movements, and asked them to provide preference ratings for each video. We find that gaze positions for the most popular videos are highly correlated. To explain the correlations of eye movements, we model them as ªinteractionsº between individuals. A thermodynamic analysis of these interactions shows that they approach a ªcritical º point such that any …

The Effect Of Tgfβ-1 On Adipose-Derived Stem Cell (Asc) Ring Constructs, Ashley C. Apil

Research Opportunities for Engineering Undergraduates (ROEU) Program 2016-17

Adipose-derived Stem Cells (ASC’s) provide an optimal source for potentially graft replacing, tissue-engineered vessel constructs due to their ease of extraction and ability to be patient-specific. In order to make ASC ring constructs a more viable replacement for grafts, they need to have mechanical properties similar to native arteries, which is largely influenced by the extracellular matrix protein collagen. TGFβ-1 is known to stimulate collagen production in ASC’s, so this study explores the effect that TGFβ-1 has on the resulting thickness and tensile strength of ASC ring constructs.

The Effects Of Exercise And An Enhanced Nerve Conduit On Peripheral Nerve Injury, Anthony R. Mora

Research Opportunities for Engineering Undergraduates (ROEU) Program 2016-17

The primary objective of this effort is to quantify peripheral nerve recovery as a result of exposure to a multimodal conduit in addition to exercise. Quantification was based on behavioral data collected from a rat sciatic nerve model.

Effect Of Crosslinker Length On The Elastic And Compression Modulus Of Poly(Acrylamide) Nanocomposite Hydrogels, Josergio Zaragoza, A. Chang, Prashanth Asuri

Bioengineering

Polymer hydrogelshave shown to exhibit improved properties upon the addition of nanoparticles; however, the mechanical underpinnings behind these enhancements have not been fully elucidated. Moreover, fewer studies have focused on developing an understanding of how polymer parameters affect the nanoparticle-mediated enhancements. In this study, we investigated the elastic properties of silica nanoparticle-reinforced poly(acrylamide) hydrogels synthesized using crosslinkers of various lengths. Crosslinker length positively affected the mechanical properties of hydrogels that were synthesized with or without nanoparticles. However the degree of nanoparticle enhancement was negatively correlated to crosslinker length. Our findings enable the understanding of the respective roles of nanoparticle and …

Studying The Optimal Scheduling For Controlling Prostate Cancer Under Intermittent Androgen Suppression, Sunil K. Dhar, Hans R. Chaudhry, Bruce G. Bukiet, Zhiming Ji, Nan Gao, Thomas W. Findley

Harvard University Biostatistics Working Paper Series

This retrospective study shows that the majority of patients’ correlations between PSA and Testosterone during the on-treatment period is at least 0.90. Model-based duration calculations to control PSA levels during off-treatment are provided. There are two pairs of models. In one pair, the Generalized Linear Model and Mixed Model are both used to analyze the variability of PSA at the individual patient level by using the variable “Patient ID” as a repeated measure. In the second pair, Patient ID is not used as a repeated measure but additional baseline variables are included to analyze the variability of PSA.

C-Jun N-Terminal Kinase Inhibitory Nanotherapeutics For Regenerative Elastic Matrix Repair In Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms, Andrew T. Camardo

ETD Archive

Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) are localized expansions of the aorta wall that continue to grow until they reach a critical size and fatally rupture. This growth is driven by the chronic disruption, degradation, and subsequent loss of aortal wall elastic fibers by matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) secreted by inflammatory cells recruited to the aorta wall following an injury stimulus, and the inherent inability of vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) to naturally repair or regenerate elastic fibers. This leads to a net loss of elastic matrix and the continuing weakening of the aortal wall until eventual rupture. Current treatments seek to reinforce …

Substrate Stiffness Controls Osteoblastic And Chondrocytic Differentiation Of Mesenchymal Stem Cells Without Exogenous Stimuli, Rene Olivares-Navarrete, Erin M. Lee, Kathryn Smith, Sharon L. Hyzy, Maryam Doroudi, Joseph K. Williams, Ken Gall, Barbara D. Boyan, Zvi Schwartz

Biomedical Engineering Publications

Stem cell fate has been linked to the mechanical properties of their underlying substrate, affecting mechanoreceptors and ultimately leading to downstream biological response. Studies have used polymers to mimic the stiffness of extracellular matrix as well as of individual tissues and shown mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) could be directed along specific lineages. In this study, we examined the role of stiffness in MSC differentiation to two closely related cell phenotypes: osteoblast and chondrocyte. We prepared four methyl acrylate/methyl methacrylate (MA/MMA) polymer surfaces with elastic moduli ranging from 0.1 MPa to 310 MPa by altering monomer concentration. MSCs were cultured in …

Predictive Behavior Of A Computational Foot/Ankle Model Through Artificial Neural Networks, Ruchi D. Chande, Rosalyn Hobson Hargraves, Norma Ortiz-Robinson, Jennifer S. Wayne

Biomedical Engineering Publications

Computational models are useful tools to study the biomechanics of human joints. Their predictive performance is heavily dependent on bony anatomy and soft tissue properties. Imaging data provides anatomical requirements while approximate tissue properties are implemented from literature data, when available. We sought to improve the predictive capability of a computational foot/ankle model by optimizing its ligament stiffness inputs using feedforward and radial basis function neural networks. While the former demonstrated better performance than the latter per mean square error, both networks provided reasonable stiffness predictions for implementation into the computational model.