Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering Commons^™

Cementless Tibial Base Micromotion During Activities Of Daily Living, Hayden Wilson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Initial stability of cementless total knee replacement (TKR) components is directly related to long-term fixation and success, as excess motion hinders bony ingrowth. To assess implant stability, there is a need for more physiologically accurate loading conditions, incorporating forces and displacements in all 6 degrees-of-freedom found in the knee joint, as well as understanding the impact of femoral flexion on conformity of tibiofemoral articulation. Understanding how different activities of daily living generate tibial micromotion yields insight into surgical technique considerations, and rehabilitation strategies post-operatively. ASTM F3141-15, which specifies knee flexion, Internal-External moment, Medial-Lateral, Anterior-Posterior and Superior-Inferior forces during gait and …

Computational Modeling Of Transcatheter Aortic Valves, Mostafa Abbasi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is an established therapy alternative to surgical valve replacement in high-risk and intermediate-risk patients with severe aortic stenosis. Currently, although TAVR is an alternative and less-invasive treatment for high-risk and intermediate-risk patients, surgical aortic valves replacement (SAVR) was still considered as the gold standard for low-risk patients. TAVR could potentially be applied to lower-risk younger patients if the indications can be safely expanded to the patients and transcatheter aortic valve (TAV) long-term durability can match with that of surgical bioprostheses. In contrast to surgical aortic valves (SAVs), there have been limited clinical data on the …

Usa Boccia Ball Ramp For Athletes With Quadriplegia, Alissa A. Koukourikos, Matthew Lee, Nathan Bernards

Mechanical Engineering

In this report, the design process in creating an assistive device for Boccia Classification 3 (BC3) players is outlined. The initial research steps, including research into the rules of the game, capabilities of the players, and existing products is documented to show where ideas for the product stemmed from. This transitions into requirements that the sponsor requested, and preliminary designs and ideas for the product. Finally, this report explains the details of the final design, which has been analyzed for safety, ease of use, and ability to function under different conditions. The processes of manufacturing and testing will also be …

Intrinsic Regulators Of Actomyosin Contractility Engendering Pulsatile Behaviors, Qilin Yu, Jing Li, Taeyoon Kim

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Actomyosin contractility regulates various biological processes including cell migration, muscle contraction, and tissue morphogenesis. Cell cortex underlying a membrane, which is a representative actomyosin network in eukaryote cells, exhibits dynamic contractile behaviors. Interestingly, the cell cortex shows reversible aggregation of actin and myosin called pulsatile contraction in diverse cellular phenomena, such as embryogenesis and tissue morphogenesis. While contractile behaviors have been studied in several in vitro experiments and computational studies, none of them demonstrated the pulsatile contraction of actomyosin networks observed in vivo. Here, we used an agent-based computational model based on Brownian dynamics to identify factors facilitating the pulsatile …

Bacterial Motility And Its Role In Biofilm Formation, Clayton J. Culp, Arezoo M. Ardekani, Adib Ahmadzadegan

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Bacterial biofilms are known to cause millions of dollars in damage in the medical industry per year via infection of central venous catheters, urinary catheters, and mechanical heart valves. Unfortunately, there are some characteristics of biofilm formation that are yet to be fully understood. Recently much work has been done to investigate the motility characteristics of bacteria with hopes of better understanding the phenomena of biofilm formation. Still, one of the least understood stages is bacterial attachment or adhesion, a process designed to anchor bacteria in an advantageous environment. Providing a better understanding of bacterial motility near solid interfaces will …

Stretch Control Of Adipocyte Insulin Signaling, Tasneem Bouzid

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Obesity and related metabolic disorders have reached global epidemic proportions in recent decades. Excess and hypertrophic adipose tissue has been implicated in the development of various pathological diseases and disorders including Type-2 diabetes mellitus (Type-2 DM). In addition to serving as energy storage for the body, evidence also suggests that adipose tissue behaves as an endocrine organ capable of secreting bioactive cytokines known as adipokines, which mediate insulin signaling pathways in various tissues. Physical exercise has been demonstrated to positively affect insulin signaling activities potentially through increasing the secretion of insulin sensitizing adipokines and/or decreasing the secretion of pro-inflammatory insulin …

Biomechanical Testing Of An Exercise For Strengthening The Proximal Femur., Alyssa Osbourne

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Based on the principles of cutting edge bone remodeling research, a unique therapeutic exercise device was designed specifically to improve bone quality at the most critical location of the proximal femur prone to fracture: the superior-lateral femoral neck where the fracture first initiates during a fall. The exercise/device is intended to work by inducing enough strain in the bone to stimulate the body’s natural bone remodeling mechanisms to increase bone density in the proximal femur and consequently prevent a fracture from arising if a fall to the side does occur.

In order to test the proposed exercise, experiments simulating the …

Human Biomechanics Ii Course Project, Abdelaziz Mohammad

Best Integrated Writing

Mohammad tested Human Arm Module PASCO ME-6807A, in order to determine some of the biomechanical characteristics, such as force, tension, instantaneous angular velocity, and acceleration vs. angular position required for various movements and arm positions in space.

A Novel Approach To Increase Upper Extremity Active Range Of Motion For Individuals With Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Using Admittance Control, Madeline Catherine Corrigan

Dissertations

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a neuromuscular disease with a prevalence of 1 in 3,500-5,000 male births, results in progressive muscle weakness causing loss of independence and imposing the demands of costly and intrusive assistive support and personal care for daily living tasks. Upper extremity function begins to decline while ambulation is still possible and gradually progresses with time, playing a prominent role in loss of independence. Importantly, upper extremity functional limitations exist despite residual muscle strength that is insufficient to lift the arms against gravity. Presently, there exist a number of commercially available assistive devices aimed at augmenting upper extremity …

A Deterministic Model Of The Effect Of Electric Field On Chemotherapeutics Delivery Into A Tumor, Maryam Moarefian, Luke Achenie

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Role Of Trpv4 In Astrocyte Extracellular Matrix Production, Abby Terlouw

Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is an alteration of brain pathology following damage of the central nervous system (CNS) by an external force. In the CNS, glial scar formation often occurs following TBI, and astrocytes are widely believed to contribute to this scar formation. While the role of astrocytes in extracellular matrix (ECM) production is known, the exact mechanism(s) for this event remain unclear. One possible method is the activation of transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4). TRPV4 is a channel protein found in the astrocyte membrane which has been shown to generate intracellular calcium ions following mechanical stimulation. Previous research …

Chemical And Physical Priming Of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells To Alter Nonviral Gene Delivery Outcomes, Tyler Kozisek, Andrew Hamann, Amy Mantz, Mathias Schubert, Eva Schubert, Angela K. Pannier

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

Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells: Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) are a multipotent cell, meaning they are able to differentiate into a more mature cell type, such as osteocytes, chondrocytes, and adipocytes, that are found in numerous tissues in the human body, such as bone marrow, fat, and muscle. Since hMSCs can be derived from adult human tissues, they do not have the same ethical concern associated with them as other stem cells, such as embryonic stem cells. Due to hMSCs multipotency and ease of obtaining, they have become one of the most widely researched stem cell types in areas such …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Design Of A Device For Measuring Bulk Fluid Flow In Spine Segments Under Tensile Loads, Tysum Ruchti, Anton Bowden

Biomedical Engineering Western Regional Conference

No abstract provided.

Effect Of Multiple Confined Compression/Stress Relaxation Cycles On Cross-Linked Alginate Pore Size., Sindhu Kolar Venkat, Erik L. Risa, Bergren Antell, Maryam Mobed-Miremadi

Biomedical Engineering Western Regional Conference

No abstract provided.

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.

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). …

Mechanical Effects Of Surgical Adhesives On Ascending Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm Replacement, Dong Qiu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ascending thoracic aortic aneurysm (aTAA) is a potentially lethal disease which grows gradually over time and may lead to aortic dissection and rupture. Currently, aTAA surgical repair using Dacron graft is a well-established treatment. In addition, surgical adhesives are frequently used in the surgeries to seal the anastomotic site. This study aims to investigate mechanical effects of four commonly used surgical adhesives, namely BioGlue, CoSeal, Crosseal, and Tisseel, on the suture site using in-vitro digital image correlation (DIC) method and finite element (FE) simulations in an ovine model. In this study, first, mechanical properties of ovine ascending aorta were obtained …

Age-Related Differences In The Lumbopelvic Kinematics During The Trunk Motions In The Anatomical Planes, Milad Vazirian

Theses and Dissertations--Biomedical Engineering

Management and control of the low back pain as an important health problem in the industrial societies necessitates to investigate how the risk of this disease is affected by aging. Since the abnormalities of the lumbopelvic kinematics are related to the existence or risk of low back injuries, the objective of this dissertation was set to find the age-related differences in lumbopelvic kinematics when performing basic trunk motions reaching to range of motion in different anatomical planes.

A cross-sectional study was designed where sixty asymptomatic individuals between 20–70 years old with no confounding health condition, no current or previous highly …

The Impact Of Active Aerodynamics On Motorcycles Using Computational Fluid Dynamics Simulations, Aditya Sripathi

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Motorcycles are mostly utilized by commuters whose requirements are cheap and affordable transportation from point A to point B. Motorcycles also provide means to tour various places and have a leisure time for the majority of motorcyclists. Unfortunately, with pros also come cons such as accidents which are disabling or life-taking. According to motorcycle crash statistics produced every year, the majority of motorcycle crashes are caused due to facing unexpected obstacles in the path causing collisions due to insufficient braking time. Thus, this thesis serves as a mean to overcome this issue and provide a technological solution to the world …

Computational Studies On Biomechanics Of Concussion And On Efficacy Of Football Helmets, David Labyak

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Football helmets have been used for many years to prevent head injuries to players. Over the years, the helmet design has evolved from a crude leather head covering to the more recent form fitting helmets that are seen today. The one design feature that has been common in the majority of all helmets is a hard polycarbonate shell with a foam cushion padding. The main goal of the padding layer was to reduce the amount of linear acceleration during an impact event. The one feature that has been overlooked is how stiff the padding is in rotation.

The purpose of …

Design Development And Performance Study Of A Novel Assistive Device For Mobility Of Toddlers And Children With Visual Impairments, Joowon Jun

Dissertations and Theses

Being able to see allows mankind tremendous access to learn about the world, and because so much learning comes visually, children with visual impairments are delayed in developing range of skills: learning own languages, doing activities, socializing with peers, and etc. While children with vision can do virtually all the activities and tasks for granted, children with visual impairment require different types of tools or materials to do same tasks most of time. Amongst all the disadvantages that children with visual impairment have, one of the most critical disadvantageous area that visual impairment brings to toddler is learning to walk. …

Multi-Scale Assessment Of Bone Mechanics And The Mineral Phase Of Intramuscular Bone Of Atlantic Herring Fish, Svetlana Zeveleva

Dissertations and Theses

Bone tissue is a complex composite structure made up of a soft organic phase consisting of collagen I and non-collagenous proteins, and a hard inorganic phase consisting of mineral nanoplatelets. Given it’s compositional properties, bone is a unique stiff, tough, and strong biomaterial, making it exceptionally difficult to synthesize ex vivo. While the complete hierarchical structure may change with age and population, the basic building block components of mineralized collagen fibrils, are preserved. This study uses a model of intramuscular bone of the Atlantic herring fish, which present a simple structure, and no process of remodeling.

A multi-scale approach …

The Effect Of Twist On The Mechanical Properties Of The Intervertebral Disc, Maxine Harvey-Burgess

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Introduction: Intervertebral disc (IVD) herniation is a common injury to the IVD and a frequent source of low back pain. IVD herniation occurs when the nucleus pulposus migrates through both the inter- and intralamellar matrices of the annulus fibrosus (AF). There are a number of mechanical risk factors associated with herniation, including repetitive flexion and twist. In vivo, twist combined with repetitive flexion has been associated with increased experience of low back pain and herniation. Additionally, in vitro, when repetitive flexion is combined with twist, IVD herniation occurs more easily than repetitive flexion alone. However, the mechanisms behind …

Development And Validation Of A Novel Resonant Energy Transfer (Fret) Biosensor To Measure Tensile Forces At The Linc Complex In Live Cells, Paul Arsenovic

Theses and Dissertations

There is a large body of evidence supporting the theory that cell physiology largely depends on the mechanical properties of its surroundings or micro-environment. More recently studies have shown that changes to intra-cellular mechanical properties can also have a meaningful impact on cell function and in some cases lead to the progression of ailments or disease. For example, small changes to the protein sequence of a structural nuclear envelope protein called lamin-A is known to cause a variety of neurological and musculoskeletal diseases referred to as laminopathies. Currently, there is little incite into how these mutations lead to disease progression …

An Enhanced Spring-Particle Model For Red Blood Cell Structural Mechanics: Application To The Stomatocyte–Discocyte– Echinocyte Transformation, Mingzhu Chen, Fergal Boyle

Articles

Red blood cells (RBCs) are the most abundant cellular element suspended in blood. Together with the usual biconcave-shaped RBCs, i.e., discocytes, unusual-shaped RBCs are also observed under physiological and experimental conditions, e.g., stomatocytes and echinocytes. Stomatocytes and echinocytes are formed from discocytes and in addition can revert back to being discocytes; this shape change is known as the stomatocyte–discocyte–echinocyte (SDE) transformation. To-date, limited research has been conducted on the numerical prediction of the full SDE transformation. Spring- particle RBC (SP-RBC) models are commonly used to numerically predict RBC mechanics and rheology. However, these models are incapable of predicting the full …