Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering Commons^™

Trials And Tribulations Of Humanizing Mice For Cancer Research, Brittney Ruedlinger, Steven Warsof, Eric Feliberti, Mary Beth Hughes, Ayobami ‘Edwin’ Oshin, Chunqi Jiang, Brittany P. Lassiter, Siqi Guo, Stephen J. Beebe

The Graduate School Posters

Cancers are aggressive, evasive, and ruthless killers, claiming millions of lives every year. Cancers are heterogeneous and there is often no single, clearly defined problem as they harness and manipulate a multitude of fundamental mechanisms at the very essence of life. To investigate these mechanisms and vet potential interventive therapies, humanized mice offer a unique model as a prelude to the use of nanosecond pulse stimulation (NPS), a pulse power technology applying nanosecond duration, high electric field pulses, to ablate human tumors. Immunodeficient mouse strains, NSG and NSG-SGM3, were engrafted with human immune cells and human tumors, which would allow …

Nanoanalytical Analysis Of Bisphosphonate-Driven Alterations Of Microcalcifications Using A 3d Hydrogel System And In Vivo Mouse Model, Jessica L. Ruiz, Joshua D. Hutcheson, Luis Cardoso, Amirala Bakhshian Nik, Alexandra Condado De Abreu, Tan Pham, Fabrizio Buffolo, Sara Busatto, Stefania Frederici, Andrea Ridolfi, Masanori Aikawa, Sergio Bertazzo, Paolo Bergese, Sheldon Weinbaum, Elena Aikawa

Publications and Research

Vascular calcification predicts atherosclerotic plaque rupture and cardiovascular events. Retrospective studies of women taking bisphosphonates (BiPs), a proposed therapy for vascular calcification, showed that BiPs paradoxically increased morbidity in patients with prior acute cardiovascular events but decreased mortality in event-free patients. Calcifying extracellular vesicles (EVs), released by cells within atherosclerotic plaques, aggregate and nucleate calcification. We hypothesized that BiPs block EV aggregation and modify existing mineral growth, potentially altering microcalcification morphology and the risk of plaque rupture. Three-dimensional (3D) collagen hydrogels incubated with calcifying EVs were used to mimic fibrous cap calcification in vitro, while an ApoE−/− mouse was used …

Implementation And Evaluation Of A Baseball Pitching Program And Its Impact On Injury Prevention And Performance, Tyler Hamer

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

The purpose of this study sought to examine the efficacy of biomechanical evaluations on collegiate baseball pitchers. Through this, we seek to develop a model for identifying at-risk athletes through a longitudinal assessment of pitching mechanics spanning pre-season to post-season along with in-season tracking of pathomechanics.

The Effect Of Walking Speed And Magnitude Of Perturbation On Compensatory Responses, Farahnaz Fallah Tafti, Jenna Yentes

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Imposing a perturbation can induce an unstable condition during gait. Measuring the compensatory responses may be an accurate indicator of the ability to control stability. Responses to a perturbation can be quantified through the perturbed walking pattern deviations from an unperturbed condition. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of perturbation magnitude or speed of walking on compensatory responses to lateral perturbations during walking. Twenty healthy young participants recruited to this study and they were perturbed with the medium magnitude of perturbation, while walking on the treadmill at three different speeds (slow, preferred, and fast). They also …

Pneumonia Radiograph Diagnosis Utilizing Deep Learning Network, Wesley O'Quinn

Honors College Theses

Pneumonia is a life-threatening respiratory disease caused by bacterial infection. The goal of this study is to develop an algorithm using Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) to detect visual signals for pneumonia in medical images and make a diagnosis. Although Pneumonia is prevalent, detection and diagnosis are challenging. The deep learning network AlexNet was utilized through transfer learning. A dataset consisting of 11,318 images was used for training, and a preliminary diagnosis accuracy of 72% was achieved.

Analysis Of Inflammation, Metabolic And Clinical Markers In Predicting Fat Mass In Hiv-Positive Males Using Artificial Neural Network, Nurul Farhah Shamsuddin

Student Works (2020-2029)

Increased inflammation has been discovered in people living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), which has been associated with the development and advancement of metabolic diseases. Immune activation and inflammation have been revealed to affect the redistribution of fat in people living with HIV (PLWH) whether the individual is on treatment with antiretroviral therapy (ART) or treatment naïve. Therefore, the assessment of body fat composition of PLWH based on markers of inflammation is important to develop keen diagnosis and prognosis of medical conditions facing by these patients, for example lipodystrophy syndrome, metabolic syndrome, dyslipidemia and diabetes mellitus. The purpose of this …

Development Of A Robust Methodology To Obtain And Assess Myogenic Precursor Cells For Their Use In Regenerative Therapies, Ricardo Lasa

Master's Theses

Peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD) is characterized by buildup of atherosclerotic plaque in peripheral arteries that leads to an occlusion that can interrupt the supply of blood to the peripheral tissue, causing downstream tissue ischemia/hypoxia. PAOD is estimated to affect over 200 million patients worldwide. Current surgical revascularization treatments can be effective in about half of the patient population, leading to a significant number of patients with no treatment options beyond pharmacological intervention and lifestyle modification. The decrease in blood flow downstream of the occlusion leads to increased blood pressure gradient in the microvasculature, specifically in vessels that connect arterial …

Biomechanical Determinants Of Shuttlecock Speed In The Forehand Jumping Smash By Elite Male Malaysian Badminton Players, Yuvaraj Ramasamy

Student Works (2020-2029)

Badminton is the fastest racket sport in the world with smash speeds reaching over 111 m/s (400 kph). This study examined the forehand jump smash in badminton using synchronised force plates and full-body motion capture to quantify contributions to shuttlecock speed through correlations. Nineteen elite male Malaysian badminton players were recorded performing forehand jump smashes with the fastest, most accurate jump smash from each player analysed. The fastest smash by each participant was on average 97 m/s with a peak of 105 m/s. A correlational analysis revealed that a faster smash speed was characterised by a more internally rotated shoulder, …

A Bisphosphonate With A Low Hydroxyapatite Binding Affinity Prevents Bone Loss In Mice After Ovariectomy And Reverses Rapidly With Treatment Cessation, Abigail A. Coffman, Jelena Basta-Pljakic, Rosa M. Guerra, Frank H. Ebetino, Mark W. Lundy, Robert J. Majeska, Mitchell B. Schaffler

Publications and Research

Bisphosphonates (BPs) are a mainstay of osteoporosis treatment; however, concerns about bone health based on oversuppression of remodeling remain. Long-term bone remodeling suppression adversely affects bone material properties with microdamage accumulation and reduced fracture toughness in animals and increases in matrix mineralization and atypical femur fractures in patients. Although a “drug holiday” from BPs to restore remodeling and improve bone quality seems reasonable, clinical BPs have long functional half-lives because of their high hydroxyapatite (HAP) binding affinities. This places a practical limit on the reversibility and effectiveness of a drug holiday. BPs with low HAP affinity and strong osteoclast inhibition …

Establishing A Mechanistic Link Between Disturbed Flow And Aneurysm Formation In A 3d Cerebral Bifurcation Model, Nesrine Bouhrira

Theses and Dissertations

The effect of disturbed flow profiles on the endothelium have been studied extensively in systemic vasculature, but less is known about the response of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) to these flow regimes. Here we investigate the effect of steady and pulsatile disturbed flow on the integrity of the BBB using a three-dimensional, perfusable bifurcation model consisting of a co-culture of endothelial cells with mural and glial cells. Experimental flow patterns predicted by computational fluid dynamics mimic in vivo flow regimes, specifically the presence of a recirculation zone immediately downstream of the bifurcation reveal periodic changes in the instantaneous shear stress …

Deep Learning-Based Breast Cancer Detection And Classification Using Histopathology Images, Ghulam Murtaza

Student Works (2020-2029)

Cancer disease is drastically increasing worldwide over the past few years. Among all types of cancers in women, breast cancer (BrC) is the main cause of abnormal deaths. For a confident diagnosis of BrC, histopathology (Hp) images are usually suggested by the doctors. BrC detection is a diagnostic test for benign (non-cancerous) and malignant (cancerous) breast tumors (BrT). Once the BrT is diagnosed, then it needs to be classified for subtypes of benign and malignant to start specific treatment. Several studies developed BrC detection and classification models using Hp images. However, the existing models required high computational resources, long training …

Managing Vibration Training Safety By Using Knee Flexion Angle And Rating Perceived Exertion, Long-Ren Chuang, Wen-Wen Yang, Po-Ling Chang, Vincent Chiun-Fan Chen, Chiang Liu, Tzyy-Yuang Shiang

Engineering Science Faculty Publications

Whole-body vibration (WBV) is commonly applied in exercise and rehabilitation and its safety issues have been a major concern. Vibration measured using accelerometers can be used to further analyze the vibration transmissibility. Optimal bending angles and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) evaluations have not been sufficiently explored to mitigate the adverse effect. Therefore, the aims of this study were to investigate the effect of various knee flexion angles on the transmissibility to the head and knee, the RPE during WBV exposure, and the link between the transmissibility to the head and the RPE. Sixteen participants randomly performed static squats with …

Broad Kinase Inhibition Mitigates Early Neuronal Dysfunction In Tauopathy, Shon A. Koren, Matthew J. Hamm, Ryan Cloyd, Sarah N. Fontaine, Emad Chishti, Chiara Lanzillotta, Jennifer Rodriguez-Rivera, Alexandria Ingram, Michelle Bell, Sara M. Galvis-Escobar, Nicholas Zulia, Fabio Di Domenico, Duc Duong, Nicholas T. Seyfried, David K. Powell, Moriel Vandsburger, Tal Frolinger, Anika M. S. Hartz, John Koren Iii, Jeffrey M. Axten, Nicholas J. Laping, Jose F. Abisambra

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

Tauopathies are a group of more than twenty known disorders that involve progressive neurodegeneration, cognitive decline and pathological tau accumulation. Current therapeutic strategies provide only limited, late-stage symptomatic treatment. This is partly due to lack of understanding of the molecular mechanisms linking tau and cellular dysfunction, especially during the early stages of disease progression. In this study, we treated early stage tau transgenic mice with a multi-target kinase inhibitor to identify novel substrates that contribute to cognitive impairment and exhibit therapeutic potential. Drug treatment significantly ameliorated brain atrophy and cognitive function as determined by behavioral testing and a sensitive imaging …

Age And Sex Differences In Load-Induced Tibial Cortical Bone Surface Strain Maps, Alessandra Carriero, Behzad Javaheri, Neda Bassir Kazeruni, Andrew A. Pitsillides, Sandra J. Shefelbine

Publications and Research

Bone adapts its architecture to the applied load; however, it is still unclear how bone mechano-adaptation is coordinated and why potential for adaptation adjusts during the life course. Previous animal models have suggested strain as the mechanical stimulus for bone adaptation, but yet it is unknown how mouse cortical bone load-related strains vary with age and sex. In this study, full-field strain maps (at 1 N increments up to 12 N) on the bone surface were measured in young, adult, and old (aged 10, 22 weeks, and 20 months, respectively), male and female C57BL/6J mice with load applied using a …

Zein And Lignin-Based Nanoparticles As Delivery Systems: Pesticide Release And Nanoparticle Health Impact On Soybean Plants, Fallon Polette Salinas Gonzalez

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This research examined the effect of biodegradable, polymeric, lignin-based nanoparticles (LNPs, 113.8±3.4, negatively charged) and zein nanoparticles (ZNP, 141.6±3.9, positively charged) on soybean plant health. The LNPs were synthesized from lignin, covalently linked to poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid by emulsion evaporation. ZNPs were synthesized by nanoprecipitation. Soybeans grown hydroponically were treated with three concentrations (0.02, 0.2, and 2 mg/ml) of NPs at 28 days after germination. The effect of ZNPs and LNPs on plant health was determined through analysis of root and stem length, chlorophyll concentration, dry biomass of roots and stem, as well as carbon, nitrogen, and micronutrient absorption after 1, …

Characteristics Study Of Carbon Fibre Material For Bioapps Romicp® Foot Prosthesis / Shen Wenhui, Shen Wenhui

Student Works (2020-2029)

In this research project, to study the characteristics of materials used in BioApps RoMicP® Foot Prothesis and improve its performance in diferrent parts which are in different positions and can withstand different types of force. The material studies is the composite including Onyx and Carbon Fiber(CF) which were utilized in markforged Mark-Two 3-D printer to produce a light foot prosthesis with high performance and low cost. To investigate the mechanical properties, samples with different CF contribution way and with different components of carbon fiber were produced. Three types of mechanical test involving tensile test, compression test and 3-point bending test …

Focused Ultrasound-Mediated Drug Delivery To The Brainstem, Dezhuang Ye

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Brainstem gliomas are tumors that occur in the brainstem, the brain region that connects the brain to the spinal cord and controls vital body functions. The critical anatomic location of the brainstem precludes surgical intervention and limits the use of invasive therapeutic techniques. Moreover, the frequently intact blood-brain barrier (BBB) of most brainstem gliomas prevents therapeutic agents from reaching the diseased site. The currently available techniques for brain drug delivery are either invasive (e.g., convection-enhanced delivery) or lack targeting to the diseased site (e.g., intranasal brain drug delivery). Novel techniques that can noninvasively overcome the BBB are critically needed for …

Three-Dimensional (3d) Reconstruction Of Computer Tomography Cardiac Images Using Visualization Toolkit (Vtk), Mohammad Zahid Zamaludin

Student Works (2020-2029)

Cardiac study proves to be important to diagnose and treat cardiovascular disease that accounts for 20% of death in the world. Three-dimensional (3D) images of the heart are important to understand its real structure, functions and physical abnormalities occurring in the tissue. The objective of this paper is to reconstruct 3D images from 2D CT Scan slices of the cardiac region of interest using Visualisation Toolkit (VTK). The Visualization Toolkit (VTK) is non-propriety software with state-of-the-art tools for 3D rendering that is easily customizable programming. 3D images are reconstructed using surface rendering technique and volume rendering technique. Volume rendering shows …

Liposomal Delivery Of Remdesivir For Localized And Targeted Treatment Of Covid-19, Anupama Melam

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Liposomal delivery of Remdesivir for localized and targeted treatment of COVID-19

COVID-19 is a serious, and in many cases lethal, disease that is caused by infection of the upper respiratory tract by the novel betacoronavirus, SARS-Cov-2 virus. This disease has a very high mortality rate and has affected the world in a global pandemic. SARS-Cov-2 binds to the ACE2 receptor via the receptor-binding domain (RBD) in the S protein. After this, the virus fuses with the cell membrane by the formation of a six-helix bundle. Thus, the S protein plays a major role in ensuring that the virus attaches to …

Targeting T Cell Glycolysis To Mitigate Graft-Versus-Host Disease, Kevin Ezhakunnel

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Hematological cancers account for nearly ten percent of cancer cases diagnosed annually in the United States. Patients who fail to respond to chemotherapy or radiotherapy must often undergo a bone marrow transplant to treat their malignancy. A significant complication following this procedure is Graft versus Host Disease (GvHD), which occurs when donor T cells mount an immune response against recipient tissues. Immunological research has highlighted the role of aberrant T cell metabolism, specifically a shift toward aerobic glycolysis, as a key driver behind the occurrence of this condition. The transcription factor FoxK1 has been revealed to be a key regulator …

Spectroscopic Investigation Of Radiation-Induced Reoxygenation In Radiation-Resistant Tumors, Sina Dadgar, Joel Rodriguez Troncoso, Eric R. Siegel, Natalie Curry, Robert J. Griffin, Ruud P.M. Dings, Narasimhan Rajaram

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Fractionated radiation therapy is believed to reoxygenate and subsequently radiosensitize surviving hypoxic cancer cells. Measuring tumor reoxygenation between radiation fractions could conceivably provide an early biomarker of treatment response. However, the relationship between tumor reoxygenation and local control is not well understood. We used noninvasive optical fiber-based diffuse reflectance spectroscopy to monitor radiation-induced changes in hemoglobin oxygen saturation (sO₂) in tumor xenografts grown from two head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cell lines - UM-SCC-22B and UM-SCC-47. Tumors were treated with 4 doses of 2 Gy over 2 consecutive weeks and diffuse reflectance spectra were acquired every day …

A Hybrid Gene Selection Strategy Based On Fisher And Ant Colony Optimization Algorithm For Breast Cancer Classification, Mohammed Hamim, Ismail El Moudden, Mohan D. Pant, Hicham Moutachaouik, Mustapha Hain

EVMS School of Health Professions Faculty Publications

Breast cancer poses the greatest threat to human life and especially to women's life. Despite the progress made in data mining technology in recent years, the ability to predict and diagnose such fatal diseases based on gene expression data still reveals a limited prediction performance, which may not be surprising since most of the genes in expression data are believed to be irrelevant or redundant. The dimensionality reduction process may be considered as a crucial step to analyze gene expression data, as it can reduce the high dimensionality of the breast cancer datasets, which may result into a better prediction …

Picosecond Pulsed Electric Fields And Promise In Neurodegeneration Research, Martina Zamponi, Ross Petrella, Peter A. Mollica

School of Medical Diagnostics & Translational Sciences Publications

The delivery of pulsed electric fields to biological cells for regenerative research and therapeutic applications is a field that has been widely explored. Picosecond pulsed electric fields have been shown to induce intracellular effects and directly target cell membrane proteins as well as being able to induce cell permeabilization and death by apoptosis. Additionally, ultrashort pulses can be focused and delivered in a noncontact manner for possible targeting of deep and inaccessible tissues. The unique characteristics of picosecond pulses make them a possible approach for treatment of Huntington's and Alzheimer's diseases, both characterized by progressive neuronal degeneration and death, and …

Moderate Heat-Assisted Gene Electrotransfer As A Potential Delivery Approach For Protein Replacement Therapy Through The Skin, Chelsea Edelblute, Cathryn Mangiamele, Richard Heller

Bioelectrics Publications

Gene-based approaches for protein replacement therapies have the potential to reduce the number of administrations. Our previous work demonstrated that expression could be enhanced and/or the applied voltage reduced by preheating the tissue prior to pulse administration. In the current study, we utilized our 16-pin multi-electrode array (MEA) and incorporated nine optical fibers, connected to an infrared laser, between each set of four electrodes to heat the tissue to 43 °C. For proof of principle, a guinea pig model was used to test delivery of reporter genes. We observed that when the skin was preheated, it was possible to achieve …

Moderate Heat-Assisted Gene Electrotransfer For Cutaneous Delivery Of A Dna Vaccine Against Hepatitis B Virus, Chelsea Edelblute, Cathryn Mangiamele, Richard Heller

Bioelectrics Publications

An estimated 350 million people are living with chronic Hepatitis B virus (HBV) worldwide. Preventative HBV vaccination in infants has reduced the disease burden; however, insufficient immunization programs and access obstacles leave vulnerable populations at risk for infection in endemic regions. Gene electrotransfer (GET) using a noninvasive multielectrode array (MEA) provides an alternative platform for DNA vaccination in the skin. DNA vaccines are nonlive and nonreplicating and temperature stable unlike their counterparts. In addition, their simple engineering allows them to be manufactured quickly at a low cost. In the current work, we present the combination of GET and moderate heating …

Stobe Photography Mapping Of Cell Membrane Potential With Nanosecond Resolution, Allen S. Kiester, Bennett L. Ibey, Zachary N. Coker, Andrei G. Pakhomov, Joel N. Bixler

Bioelectrics Publications

The ability to directly observe membrane potential charging dynamics across a full microscopic field of view is vital for understanding interactions between a biological system and a given electrical stimulus. Accurate empirical knowledge of cell membrane electrodynamics will enable validation of fundamental hypotheses posited by the single shell model, which includes the degree of voltage change across a membrane and cellular sensitivity to external electric field non-uniformity and directionality. To this end, we have developed a high-speed strobe microscopy system with a time resolution of ~ 6 ns that allows us to acquire time-sequential data for temporally repeatable events (non-injurious …

The Role Of Reactive Oxygen Species In The Immunity Induced By Nano-Pulse Stimulation, Siqi Guo, Niculina I. Burcus, Megan Scott, Yu Jing, Iurii Semenov

Bioelectrics Publications

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are byproducts of tumor cells treated with Nano-Pulse Stimulation (NPS). Recently, ROS have been suggested as a contributing factor in immunogenic cell death and T cell-mediated immunity. This research further investigated the role of NPS induced ROS in antitumor immunity. ROS production in 4T1-luc breast cancer cells was characterized using three detection reagents, namely, Amplex Red, MitoSox Red, and Dihydroethidium. The efficiency of ROS quenching was evaluated in the presence or absence of ROS scavengers and/or antioxidants. The immunogenicity of NPS treated tumor cells was assessed by ex vivo dendritic cell activation, in vivo vaccination assay …

Effect Of He Plasma Jet Versus Surface Plasma On The Metabolites Of Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cells, Dehui Xu, Ning Ning, Yujing Xu, Wenjie Xia, Hai-Lan Chen, Michael G. Kong

Bioelectrics Publications

Cold atmospheric plasma, including plasma jet and surface plasma, can promote the apoptosis of cancer cells without causing significant damage to surrounding normal cells, which was hopeful to be applied to the clinical cancer therapy. However, experimental plasma devices used directly to clinical experiments has challenges in technology and methods, especially the difference in killing tumor cells efficiency of these two common plasma sources. Therefore, it is great necessity to explore the differences in treating tumors between different plasma sources. This paper achieved good killing efficiency by using two kinds of cold atmospheric plasma generating devices, namely plasma jet and …

Mapping Of Auditory Cortical Functions Using Electrocorticography, James Robert Swift

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Communication is a dynamic process through which we translate our inner thoughts in such a way that they can be shared with another person. This complex neurological phenomenon is a key predictor of our productivity and health. When our ability to communicate is compromised, our quality of life suffers. Although numerous methods to investigate the neuroscientific underpinnings of human language exist, our understanding of this process remains incomplete. Improving our understanding of where, when, and how auditory cortical activity occurs can enhance diagnostic techniques and improve treatment methods for neurological conditions that can impact auditory processing, such as epilepsy, or …

Fmri Feature Extraction Model For Adhd Classification Using Convolutional Neural Network, Senuri De Silva, Sanuwani Udara Dayarathna, Gangani Ariyarathne, Dulani Meedeniya, Sampath Jayarathna

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Biomedical intelligence provides a predictive mechanism for the automatic diagnosis of diseases and disorders. With the advancements of computational biology, neuroimaging techniques have been used extensively in clinical data analysis. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a psychiatric disorder, with the symptomology of inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity, in which early diagnosis is crucial to prevent unwelcome outcomes. This study addresses ADHD identification using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data for the resting state brain by evaluating multiple feature extraction methods. The features of seed-based correlation (SBC), fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (fALFF), and regional homogeneity (ReHo) are comparatively applied to …