Engineering Commons^™

Developing Vaccines For Neglected Diseases, Douglas Holtzman

Vaccine Technology II

No abstract provided.

Rsv Vaccine Using Recombinant F Protein?, Sophie Nallet

Vaccine Technology II

No abstract provided.

Vaccine Technology Ii: Abstracts Of Poster Presentations, The Editors

Vaccine Technology II

No abstract provided.

Magnetic Drug Targeting: Development Of A Novel Drug Delivery System For Prostate Cancer Therapy, Maham Rahimi

Bioengineering Dissertations - Archive

Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) have been attracting a great amount of attention because of their numerous applications including contrast agents in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), magnetic targeted drug carriers, and hyperthermia treatments for cancer. However, complications, including aggregation of MNPs, have limited their use in drug delivery applications. To overcome these limitations, several methods have been developed to coat magnetic particles. One method includes coating them with polymers to produce polymer/MNPs for increasing the MNP dispersion and stability. This method also increases the efficiency of loading and releasing drugs to specific locations for the treatment of various diseases including prostate cancer. …

Agarose And Methylcellulose Hydrogel Blends For Nerve Regeneration Applications, Benton C. Martin, Eric J. Minner, Sherri L. Wiseman, Rebecca L. Klank, Ryan J. Gilbert

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Trauma sustained to the central nervous system is a debilitating problem for thousands of people worldwide. Neuronal regeneration within the central nervous system is hindered by several factors, making a multi-faceted approach necessary. Two factors contributing to injury are the irregular geometry of injured sites and the absence of tissue to hold potential nerve guides and drug therapies. Biocompatible hydrogels, injectable at room temperature, that rapidly solidify at physiological temperatures (37°C) are beneficial materials that could hold nerve guidance channels in place and be loaded with therapeutic agents to aid wound healing. Our studies have shown that thermo reversible methylcellulose …

A Case-Study Based Course On "Device Evaluation And Fda Approval", Kristen O'Halloran Cardinal

Biomedical Engineering

Preclinical evaluation of new devices and therapies is an integral part of research and development in the medical device industry, and the regulatory process for FDA approval is a major driving force behind much that goes on in a company setting. A large number of graduating biomedical engineers enter this medical device industry or a related environment upon graduation from our institution. Although these engineers are equipped to address many of the technical challenges that will arise, there is currently limited formal training in or exposure to the regulatory process that is required to bring new devices to market. Knowledge …

Encapsulation And Extended Release Of Anti-Cancer Anastrozole By Stealth Nanoparticles, Kumkum Sarkar, Hu Yang

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

To improve delivery efficiency of anastrozole, we applied dendrimer-based stealth nanoparticles to encapsulate anastrozole to formulate stealth anastrozole nanoparticles. This work demonstrated that stealth nanoparticles composed of a PAMAM dendrimers core and a PEG layer could encapsulate anastrozole, hence causing improved water solubility of anastrozole. Anastrozole encapsulation depended on concentration of stealth nanoparticles and generation of dendrimer. The extended release of anastrozole was achieved. We envisioned that this highly structurally adaptable stealth nanoparticle could be further biofunctionalized to construct a targeted therapeutic delivery system for breast cancer treatment.

Bronchial Circulation Angiogenesis In The Rat Quantified With Spect And Micro-Ct, Christian Wieholt, David L. Roerig, John B. Gordon, Steven Thomas Haworth, Robert C. Molthen, Anne V. Clough

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Introduction

As pulmonary artery obstruction results in proliferation of the bronchial circulation in a variety of species, we investigated this angiogenic response using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and micro-CT.

Materials and methods

After surgical ligation of the left pulmonary artery of rats, they were imaged at 10, 20, or 40 days post-ligation. Before imaging, technetium-labeled macroaggregated albumin (^99mTc MAA) was injected into the aortic arch (IA) labeling the systemic circulation. SPECT/micro-CT imaging was performed, the image volumes were registered, and activity in the left lung via the bronchial circulation was used as a marker of bronchial …

Development Of A Cell Depositing System Using Inkjet Technology, Jason Robert Ozaeta

Master's Theses

In the past decade, advances in tissue engineering have allowed researchers to fabricate simple tissues. However, the process of creating these native tissues is a time consuming and inefficient process. A scaffold must first be fabricated then exposed to a sea of cells in the hopes of seeding. Furthermore, even though cells may have attached, more time must be spent in order to allow the cells to migrate to their ideal locations. To deal with this problem, researchers have investigated whether rapid prototyping principals could be adapted to facilitate the cell seeding process by placing cells in their respective locations …

Biomechanical And Radiographic Evaluation Of An Ovine Model For The Human Lumbar Spine, Nina E. Easley, M. Wang, Linda M. Mcgrady, Jeffrey M. Toth

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

While various species of animal models have been used in preclinical investigations of spinal implant devices to assess their biological adaptation and biomechanical performance, few studies have made comprehensive comparisons to validate their suitability of modelling the human spine. The purpose of this study was to assess essential biomechanical behaviours and disc morphology of the ovine lumbar model. Flexibility testing was conducted on the spines (L3—L4 and L4—L5) of nine skeletally matured sheep. Segmental rotation and intradiscal pressure were measured and load sharing between the intervertebral disc and posterior elements were calculated on the basis of a simplified parallel spring …

Derivation Of The Respiratory Rate Signal From A Single Lead Ecg, Murtaza M. Lakdawala

Theses

It has been long established that respiration has an influence on heart rate, and this effect is called respiratory sinus arrhythmia. As a result, two inferences can be postulated: first respiration information can be derived from cardiac activity, and second this effect offers the potential of removing the respiration effect that suppresses cardiac information which is of clinical significance. As a result of research performed at NJIT, there is a significant amount of data on exercise and heart rate recovery, but not the associated respiration signal. The motivation of this research was to compare and implement an optimal ECG derived …

Interactions Between Adult Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells And Nanofibrous Scaffolds Of Different Compositions, Lisamarie Moore

Theses

Stem cells have become increasingly important in the biomedical field because they have the potential to invade and regenerate damaged tissue. In particular, the bone marrow contains meesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) that have the capacity to differentiate into many cell lineages. The incorporation of MSCs within a multidimensional biomaterial provides a delivery vehicle to areas of injury. Natural and synthetic biomaterials can be made into scaffolds to represent different types of tissues. The ratio of synthetic to natural biomaterials in the scaffold influences the interaction with MSCs. This thesis created two different nanofibrous scaffolds by a process of electrospinning. The …

A Comparative Study Of Common Crosslinking Agents For Electrospun Collagen Scaffolds, Pallavi Masih

Theses

Cartilage injury is one of the leading causes of knee pain in the world. Over two million Americans suffer from cartilage injury every year, resulting in swelling, pain or joint impairment, causing it difficult to maintain an active life style. Synthetic grafts are used extensively to restore tissue functions. The major drawback limiting successful incorporation of synthetic grafts in body is their lower ability to integrate to natural tissue, poor biocompatibility which often results in triggering immunogenic responses, causing graft rejection. Collagen is thus studied and used excessively as a successful implantable material. The reason being that it is natural …

Process-Structure-Property Relationships Of Resorbable Desamino Tyrosine Derived Polymers : Effect Of Backbone Chemistry And Assembly On Drug Delivery, Pinar Nebol

Theses

The selection the correct biomaterial for a specific medical application plays an important role for the success of both application and the device. Since different applications require different properties, investigation and improvement of biomaterials with different properties are very important. L-tyrosine derived polymers enable the manipulation of the properties of the material by changing backbone or pendent chain structure. L-tyrosine derived polyarylate is one of the class of these materials.

This study investigates the behavior of the tyrosine derived polyarylates under in vitro conditions. The change of structure caused by incubation in phosphate buffer solution and the effect on the …

Design And Construction Of A Novel Transpalpebral Ophthalmic Tonometer, Philippe R. Moinot

Theses

Glaucoma -- a degeneration of the optic nerve- is a leading cause of blindness which is primarily caused by large fluctuations in intraocular pressure (lOP) known as diurnal variations. Because these peak in the early morning dropping off rapidly, a self administrable and inexpensive lOP home testing procedure is highly desirable. The approach contained herein -- unlike traditional Goldman applanation tonometry which requires the use of ophthalmic anesthetics and complex diagnostic equipment- describes a novel lOP measurement method consisting of concavation of the cornea or sclera through the palpebra superior by the spherical tip of an optoelectronic photodetector suspended in …

A Virtual Training Environment For Wheelchair Mounted Robot, Elizabeth Leichtnam

Theses

A model of a robotic manipulator designed to respond to different inputs from users with different skills or conditions is presented. This model can be adapted to different input variables and converted into joint angles which relate to movement in space of the manipulator's links. The algorithm allows for real time response and the features of the virtual environments (i.e., 3D design, stereoscopic vision) gives the designers the opportunity to use this model for training and usability evaluation according to the skills and different conditions that users could present.

Two types of virtual environments were created aiming to be used …

Radiation-Induced Osteoporosis: Bone Quantity, Architecture, And Increased Resorption Following Exposure To Ionizing Radiation, Jeffrey Willey

All Dissertations

Skeletal complications from radiation therapy have been described for breast, brain, pelvic, and blood cancers. These problems include atrophy, fractures, and osteoradionecrosis. Improved survivorship rates of cancer patients receiving radiotherapy increases the importance of understanding the causal mechanisms and long-term effects of radiation-induced bone loss. One such long-term effect is bone fractures following radiation therapy for cancer treatment. The incidence of hip fractures is significantly increased following targeted radiotherapy for cancer. This decline in bone health can have a severe impact on the patient's functional capabilities. This damage to bone following irradiation is thought to involve damage to both osteoblasts …

The Synergistic Effect Of Pulsed Electromagnetic Fields And Demineralized Bone Matrix On The Osteogenic Differentiation Of Mesenchymal Stem Cells, John Manocchio

Theses

Orthopaedic bone grafting continues to be a mainstay in the treatment of non unions and other difficult to heal bone defects. Tissue engineering strategies have focused on providing bone graft materials that are osteoconductive, osteoinductive and osteogenic in order to achieve optimal bone healing. Furthermore, electrical stimulation technologies such as pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMF) have been used to enhance the effectiveness of bone graft materials. PEMP has been shown to have a synergistic effect with BMP-2 and it was hypothesized that PEMF would have the same effect with demineralized bone matrix (DBM). In the present study human mesenchymal stem cells …

Altered Brain Activity In Autistic Children Versus Healthy Controls While Performing Simple Tasks Using Fmri, Donald Martin Adams Jr.

Theses

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies dealing with Autistic children have primarily been concerned with cognitive facial recognition. Recent studies have demonstrated that Autistic children, when compared to healthy matched controls, exhibit higher neuronal activity when identifying patterns or objects, but lower levels of activity in regards to facial recognition.

The objective of this study was to examine both facial and object recognition and compare them to simple sensorimotor tasks. All subjects were administered 5 stimuli each lasting 320 seconds. Subjects were instructed to use a button press box to identify between a Person/Object and an Arrow/Object. They were then …

Automated Multi-Well Neural Injury Device, Linda Y. Chen

Theses

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a wide spread pathological problem occurring in 1.4 million individuals every year according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. There are several types of TBI and the most prominent ones are concussion, contusion, hematoma, coup-contrecoup injury and diffuse axonal injury (DAI). The most severe type and the one that is the hardest to diagnose is DAI. DAI occurs mostly due to accidents relating to automobile, motorcycles and in some cases fall and assault, resulting in a "shearing" phenomenon of the brain. Patients with DAI can range from being, mildly injured, severely disabled …

Thermal And Morphological Analysis Of Collagen-Plla Electrospun Blends, Angana Banerjee

Theses

Electrospinning of bovine Type I collagen and Poly (L-lactic acid) produces blended nanofiber scaffolds that may have application in tissue engineering, wound dressing and drug delivery.

The goal of this research work was to produce and characterize blended nanofibers of a protein, collagen, and a synthetic polymer, poly (L-lactic acid). This study focuses on the in-depth analysis of the appearance of the structural relaxation occurring at the glass transition temperature of PLLA in the collagen-PLLA blended electrospun mats. It is speculated that occurrence of this thermal event is more prominent in PLLA with high molecular weight due to the presence …

Surface Recordings Of Evoked Field Potentials From The Cerebellum With A Flexmea Microelectrode Array, Jonathan David Groth

Theses

The cerebellum is an integral part of multijoint control. There are two input pathways to the cerebellar cortex, the mossy fiber and the climbing fiber pathways. The mossy fiber pathway forms a disynaptic input to Purkinje cells through the granular cells. This disynaptic input produces a multicomponent field potential composed of the P1, N 1, N2, N3, N4, and P3 waves. The climbing fiber input forms a monosynaptic input to the Purkinje cells and thus creates a much simpler field potential.

The mossy and climbing fiber field potentials were recorded with a FlexMEA microelectrode array from the pial surface of …

Synthesis Of Corn-Derived Carbohydrate Derivatives As Effective Multifunctional Sunscreen, Xianhong Feng

Theses

The eighty-years-old sunscreen industry is sustained by the growing incidence of skin cancer and the continual exploration of skin aging. From the UVB-induced erythema to the UVA-induced persistent pigment darkening, scientists have used versatile methods to reveal that not only does UVB damage skin but also that longer wavelengths such as UVAIL (290nm ~ 340nm) and UVAL rays (340nm ~ 400nm) trigger skin cancer, premature skin aging and immunosuppression.

To meet a significant demand for improved photoprotection, a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a high extinction coefficient has been desired. As part of our ongoing studies on isosorbide-cinnamate derivatives, this work have …

High-Power Low-Frequency Ultrasound: A Review Of Tissue Dissection And Ablation In Medicine And Surgery, Brendan O'Daly, Edmund Morris, Graham Gavin, John O'Byrne, Garrett Mcguinness

Articles

High-power low-frequency ultrasound in the range 20–60 kHz has wide ranging clinical applications in surgical and medical instruments for biological tissue cutting, ablation or fragmentation, and removal. Despite widespread clinical application and common device operating characteristics, there is an incomplete understanding of the mechanism of tissue failure, removal and damage. The relative contribution of cavitation, direct mechanical impact and thermal effects to each process for specific tissue types remains unclear. Different and distinct mechanisms and rates of tissue removal are observed for interaction with soft and hard tissue types. Device operating parameters known to affect the interaction include frequency, peak–peak …

Methods To Prioritize Placement Of Riparian Buffers For Improved Water Quality, M. D. Tomer, Michael G. Dosskey, Michael R. Burkart, Matthew J. Helmers, Dean E. Eisenhauer

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Agroforestry buffers in riparian zones can improve stream water quality, provided they intercept and remove contaminants from surface runoff and/or shallow groundwater. Soils, topography, surficial geology, and hydrology determine the capability of forest buffers to intercept and treat these flows. This paper describes two landscape analysis techniques for identifying and mapping locations where agroforestry buffers can effectively improve water quality. One technique employs soil survey information to rank soil map units for how effectively a buffer, when sited on them, would trap sediment from adjacent cropped fields. Results allow soil map units to be compared for relative effectiveness of buffers …

Regenerative Peripheral Neurointerfacing Of Upper Extremity Prostheses, Kshitija Garde

Bioengineering Theses - Archive

Current robotic prosthetic devices provide limited functionality to the user as they rely on gross myogenic control and lack critical sensory feedback needed for fine movement control. Interfacing the nervous system with the robotic prosthesis would facilitate amputees to control them naturally, in resemblance to the human hand. Functional neuro-electrode connections have been demonstrated in the brain and peripheral nervous system; however, gliosis, micro hemorrhages, axonopathy and excessive inflammation limit their long-term use. We evaluated the possibility of enticing peripheral nerve regeneration through a multi-electrode array with an open architecture as an alternative to enhance longevity of nerve-electrode interface. Regenerative …

Biaxial Mechanical Characterization Of Porcine Periosteum, Phillip Daniel Warren

Bioengineering Theses - Archive

Periosteum is multipotent tissue responsible for cortical bone deposition and is important in fracture repair. Research indicates the periosteum is mediated by similar mechanical signals to those that mediate bone growth and remodeling. Therefore, biaxial mechanical characterization of periosteum can be very informative, indeed. This paper presents the results of the first such examination. The porcine periosteum herein has at least three distinct layers - a cellular layer, an elastin-rich layer, and a collagen-rich layer - the latter two providing structural integrity. Not surprisingly then, the general biaxial mechanical characteristics of periosteum resemble those of other collagen and/or elastin-rich membranes. …

Release Of Hydrophobic Molecules From Polymer Micelles Into Cell Membranes Revealed By Forster Resonance Energy Transfer Imaging, Hongtao Chen, Sungwon Kim, Shuyi Wang, Kinam Park, Ji-Xin Cheng

Other Nanotechnology Publications

it is generally assumed that polymeric micelles, upon administration into the blood stream, carry drug molecules until they are taken up into cells followed by intracellular release. The current work revisits this conventional wisdom. The study using dual-labeled micelles containing fluorescently labeled copolymers and hydrophobic fluorescent probes entrapped in the polymeric micelle core showed that cellular uptake of hydrophobic probes was much faster than that of labeled copolymers. This result implies that the hydrophobic probes in the core are released from micelles in the extracellular space. Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) imaging and spectroscopy were used to monitor this process …

An Analysis Of The Performance Of Foams Used In Hurling Helmets, Keith Norris, Stephen Tiernan

Conference Papers

Abstract Head injuries can occur in most sporting activities. The seriousness of these injuries can vary greatly depending on the sport. Many sports such as American football, cricket, baseball and hurling try to reduce this risk by designing helmets that are suitable to be worn by the players. The National Standard Authority of Ireland (NSAI) has recently made great strides in this area with the introduction of the first comprehensive standard adopted for the sport I.S. 355:2006, which sets out new testing procedures that all new helmets must meet. The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) has also stated its intention to …

E-Racer, Allison Meisner

Honors Scholar Theses

The E-Racer was made for a young boy with cerebral palsy. The client cannot use his legs and control in his left arm is very limited. The client's family expressed a desire for an electric go-kart, and also for the go-kart to resemble a "normal" go-kart. To that end, the E-Racer has been outfitted with both steering wheel and joystick modes so the client can choose which control system he would like to use depending on what he is comfortable with. The E-Racer is a stock go-kart which was modified in several key ways. The electronics were drastically modified to …