Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering Commons^™

Application Of Aspen Mads-Box Genes To Alter Reproduction And Development In Trees, Gopi Krishna Podila, Leland James Cseke, Banalata Sen, David F. Karnosky

Michigan Tech Patents

The present invention provides compositions and methods for producing a transgenic plant that exhibits altered characteristics resulting from over expression or under expression of a novel polypeptide PtM3 or its homolog PtM4. The altered characteristics resulting from over-expression include at least one of the ability to convert axillary mer- istem to floral meristem; to accelerate flowering i.e., early flowering; to increase fruit production; to increase nut production; to increase seed output; to increase branching; to increase flower production; to increase fruit yield; to increase flower yield and a combination thereof. The altered characteristics resulting from suppressed expression include at least …

Imaging Breast Adipose And Fibroglandular Tissue Molecular Signatures By Using Hybrid Mri-Guided Near-Infrared Spectral Tomography, Ben Brooksby, Brian W. Pogue, Shudong Jiang, Hamid Dehghani, Subhadra Srinivasan, Christine Kogel, Tor D. Tosteson, John Weaver, Steven P. Poplack, Keith D. Paulsen

Dartmouth Scholarship

Magnetic resonance (MR)-guided near-infrared spectral tomography was developed and used to image adipose and fibroglandular breast tissue of 11 normal female subjects, recruited under an institutional review board-approved protocol. Images of hemoglobin, oxygen saturation, water fraction, and subcellular scattering were reconstructed and show that fibroglandular fractions of both blood and water are higher than in adipose tissue. Variation in adipose and fibroglandular tissue composition between individuals was not significantly different across the scattered and dense breast categories. Combined MR and near-infrared tomography provides fundamental molecular information about these tissue types with resolution governed by MR T1 images.

A Prototype Table-Top Inverse-Geometry Volumetric Ct System, Taly Gilat Schmidt, Josh Star-Lack, N. Robert Bennett, Samuel R. Mazin, Edward G. Solomon, Rebecca Fahrig, Norbert J. Pelc

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

A table-top volumetric CT system has been implemented that is able to image a 5-cm-thick volume in one circular scan with no cone-beam artifacts. The prototype inverse-geometry CT (IGCT) scanner consists of a large-area, scanned x-ray source and a detector array that is smaller in the transverse direction. The IGCT geometry provides sufficient volumetric sampling because the source and detector have the same axial, or slice direction, extent. This paper describes the implementation of the table-top IGCT scanner, which is based on the NexRay Scanning-Beam Digital X-ray system (NexRay, Inc., Los Gatos, CA) and an investigation of the system performance. …

The Antibacterial Effects Of Zinc Ion Migration From Zinc-Based Glass Polyalkenoate Cements, D. Boyd, H. Li, D. A. Tanner, Mark R. Towler, J. G. Wall

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Zinc-based glass polyalkenoate cements have been synthesised and their potential use in orthopaedic applications investigated. Zinc ions were released from the materials in a rapid burst over the first 24 h after synthesis, with the release rate falling below detectable levels after 7 days. Cement-implanted bone samples were prepared, and the released zinc was shown, using energy dispersive X-ray analysis, to penetrate from the cement into the adjacent bone by up to 40 μm. Finally, the cements exhibited antibacterial activity against Streptococcus mutans and Actinomyces viscosus that reflected the pattern of zinc release, with the inhibition of growth greatest shortly …

Explant Analysis Of Total Disc Replacement, Paul A. Anderson, Steven M. Kurtz, Jeffrey M. Toth

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Explant analysis of human disc prostheses allow early evaluation of the host response to the prosthesis and the response of the prosthesis from the host. Furthermore, early predictions of failure and wear can be obtained. Thus far, about 2-3% of disc prostheses have been removed. Observed wear patterns are similar to that of appendicular prostheses including abrasions/scratching, burnishing, surface deformation, fatigue, and embedded debris. Chemically the polymeric components have shown little degradation in short-term implantation. In metal on metal prostheses the histologic responses consist of large numbers of metallic particles with occasional macrophages and giant cells. Only rare cases of …

Fabrication Of Aligned Nanofiber Yarns, Mats And Isolation Of Single Nanofiber In Electrospinning, Venkatesh T. Nathilvar

Theses

Electrospinning has been extensively used as an effective technique for the fabrication of submicron and nanometer scale polymeric fibers. In spite of technological advances in electrospinning, creating a highly aligned fiber structure is a tough target to be achieved because of the chaotic motion of the electrospinning jet. In this study, two different techniques have been adopted to form a highly aligned nanofibrous scaffolds. Using these methods highly aligned fiber yams and mats are produced from Cellulose Acetate (CA) in a mixed solvent of acetone and water. In both the techniques the nanofibers suspend over the gap in a highly …

Osteogenic Differentiation Of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells On Thin Film Tyrosine Derived Polycarbonates, Tamunotoyne Briggs

Theses

Mesenchymal stem cells, harvested from adult bone marrow, are promising in the field of regenerative medicine because of the vast differentiation potential into various cell lines such as: osteoblasts, chondrocytes, adipocytes, and neurons. Osteogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC) could be an important tool in the treatment of orthopedic deficiencies such as bone defects. The extent of in vitro human mesenchymal stem cell growth, adhesion, motility and differentiation into osteoblasts is a function of the material surface chemistry which is mediated by protein adsorption onto the surface. A library of tyrosine derived polycarbonates allows the tailoring of material …

Auto Detection In Autism, Gayathri Chandar

Theses

Autism is a neurobiological disorder in which, certain regions of the brain are affected. The main features of autism are impairment in communication, social interaction, language and deficit in imitation and theory of mind. Using Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), haemodynamic responses during a bilateral finger tapping task are analyzed for both autistic subjects and normal control subjects. fMRI is a noninvasive technique to image the activity of the brain related to a specific task. Generally, the active voxels in the IMRI images are detected using parametric or non-parametric statistical methods in which the fMRI response is assumed to have …

The Complex Behavior Of Poly(Dte) Carbonate And Its Blend Properties, Christopher George Elvin

Theses

Over the years a number of different polymers have been studied for bone applications. Polyesters such as the poly lactic acids (PLA), poly glycolic acids (PGA), and their copolymers have been studied intensely for bone regeneration purposes. Poly(DTE)carbonate has been found useful for bone regenerative purposes and is under review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the properties of poly(DTE)carbonate when PLLA, PLGA, and P(LcoDL)LA was blended with it. The desired outcome was to produce miscible polymer blends or significant phase shift in the blended materials which will make them at …

Automatic Detection Of Qt And Related Intervals, Divya Gowdar

Theses

The objective of this thesis is divided into two main sections: The first section comprises of the development of the algorithm for the detection of the Q wave, Tmax afld the Tend to measure the intervals such as QT, QT corrected (QTc), RT, QT_max and RT_max respectively. The second section deals with the analysis of different variabilities including heart rate variability (HRV), QT, QTc, RT, QT_max and RT_max.

Using the R wave points as reference points, the Q wave was detected by using the Differential Threshold Method (DTH). The Tmax was detected by using a …

Development Of A System To Measure Cardiac Function In The Drosophila Melanogaster Animal Model, Heather Anne Reinhardt

Theses

Previous studies have shown that several genes are evolutionarily conserved from lower organisms to man, where a number of genes have been directly linked to cardiac function and disease. The Drosophila melanogaster (Fruit Fly) has a genome similar to humans and therefore has proven to be an important animal model to study the role of genetics in cardiac function and disease development. Fruit flies are an important basic science model because of the ease with which genes can be manipulated and quickly expressed due to the short lifespan of the fly. Although standard techniques exist to affect the genome of …

Pda Based Ambulatory Pulse Oximeter, Arpita Shah

Theses

The main aim of the research was to develop an ambulatory pulse oximeter which can be used to monitor the SpO₂ heart rate (HR) and plethsymograph (PPG) waveform of a person. To achieve this, an algorithm was developed in LabVIEW 8.0 to extract the HR, SpO₂ and PPG data from a Nonin Xpod device, Nonin Medical, Inc. LabVIEW PDA software was developed to make it compatible with the PDA. LabVIEW software was also developed for sending the data to the PDA via Bluetooth Pulse Oximeter commercialized by Nonin Medical Company.

Using this algorithm, data was collected from three …

Preliminary Results For A Monocular Marker-Free Gait Measurement System, Jane Courtney, Annraoi Depaor

Articles

This paper presents results from a novel monocular marker-free gait measurement system. The system was designed for physical and occupational therapists to monitor the progress of patients through therapy. It is based on a novel human motion capture method derived from model-based tracking. Testing is performed on two monocular, sagittal-view, sample gait videos – one with both the environment and the subject’s appearance and movement restricted and one in a natural environment with unrestricted clothing and motion. Results of the modelling, tracking and analysis stages are presented along with standard gait graphs and parameters.

Desulfovibrio Desulfuricans G20 Tetraheme Cytochrome Structure At 1.5 A˚ And Cytochrome Interaction With Metal Complexes, Mrunalini Pattarkine, J J. Tanner, C A. Bottoms, Y H. Lee, Judy D. Wall

Faculty Works

The structure of the type I tetraheme cytochrome c3 from Desulfovibrio desulfuricans G20 was determined to 1.5 A˚ by X-ray crystallography. In addition to the oxidized form, the structure of the molybdate-bound form of the protein was determined from oxidized crystals soaked in sodium molybdate. Only small structural shifts were obtained with metal binding, consistent with the remarkable structural stability of this protein. In vitro experiments with pure cytochrome showed that molybdate could oxidize the reduced cytochrome, although not as rapidly as U(VI) present as uranyl acetate. Alterations in the overall conformation and thermostability of the metal-oxidized protein were investigated …

Mr Susceptibility Weighted Imaging And Its Clinical Applications, Nandita R. Shetty

Bioengineering Theses - Archive

Susceptibility Weighted Imaging (SWI) is a new T2* weighted Gradient Echo sequence that exploits the magnetic properties of tissues due to local inhomogeneities in the magnetic field. This technique was originally called 'High-Resolution Blood oxygen level dependent Venography' which, as the name suggests provides an increased visibility of the venous vasculature in the brain, including the minute vessels not seen on conventional imaging techniques. Since its potential is not restricted to venography, it was renamed 'Susceptibility Weighted Imaging ' due to its contrast mechanism being the susceptibility differences between two tissues. The essential feature in this technique is to tap …

A Novel Approach In The Detection Of Obstructive Sleep Apnea From Electrocardiogram Signals Using Neural Network Classification Of Textural Features Extracted From Time-Frequency Plots, Mohammad Alabed

Bioengineering Theses - Archive

Sleep-Disordered Breathing (SDB) is estimated to have a prevalence of 5% in middle-aged population. The population is widely thought to be under diagnosed, since the present method to detect and diagnose SDB, Nocturnal Polysomnography (NPSG), is still expensive and not accessible by most. SDB has been shown to affect the productivity and degree of life of the patient, and to have a high correlation with obesity and cognitive heart failure (CHF). Cheap and accessible means to screen the population for SDB are greatly pursued. This work presents an automatic algorithm to detect obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) events in 15-minute clips. …

Influence Of Polymer Surface Chemistry On The Recruitment Of Stem Cells In Mice, Shwetha Kamath

Bioengineering Theses - Archive

The most troublesome biological response to the implantation of bloodcontacting biomaterials is inflammation, which thereby-sets in motion a cascade of adverse host responses. If devices for therapy and drug delivery could be developed that prevent such responses from occurring altogether, a new generation of "stealth" biomaterials would be born. Such was the motivation of this project, which sought to investigate using mouse subcutaneous implantation model, the implant mediated host tissue responses to surfaces differing in their functionalities. During the course of a previous study in our laboratory, we accidentally discovered the presence of stem cells and their accumulation at the …

Characterization Of A Noninvasive, In Vivo, Microscopic Hyperspectral Imaging System For Microvascular Visualization., Bhavesh Shah

Bioengineering Theses - Archive

Instrumentation with clinical implications for imaging the human oculus was developed, based upon the hyperspectral imaging modality. The novel, non invasive, microscopic multi-modal hyperspectral imaging system, which operates in the visible as well as near infrared region, is capable of generating images illustrating spatial distribution of oxyhemoglobin contributions. The device principally comprises of a liquid crystal tunable filter and a focal plane array detector that is integrated to the slit lamp microscope. A proof of principle clinical study involving ten healthy subjects was undertaken to image the microvascular structure within the dermal tissue within the near infrared region, however these …

Design And Construction Of A Fast Spectrometer For Fourier Domain Optical Coherence Tomography, Manish Kankaria

Bioengineering Theses - Archive

A fast spectrometer capable of operating at 27.8 KHz is designed and calibrated to work in the wavelength range of 700-900 nm, to perform Fourier Domain Optical Coherence Tomography (FD-OCT). The OCT system is based on fiber-based Michelson's interferometer set up utilizing the spectrometer at the detector end. In FD-OCT system no reference scanning is necessary and hence images can be acquired at a much faster rate without any penalty to signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). A broadband Ti- sapphire source is used as input to this interferometer. Data at the rate of 60 MHz is acquired from the spectrometer using a …

Possibilities Of Glutamate-Mediated Synaptic Like Activity In Somatosensory Mechanoreceptors Such As Pacinian Corpuscles?, Kevin Kopko

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Pacinian Corpuscles (PCs) are somatosensory mechanoreceptors, composed of a central neurite, surrounded by layers of lamellae that make up the inner core, which are specialized glial cells, and fibroblast derived outer-core lamellae of the surrounding capsule. Several components specific to a chemical synapse (Vglut1, Vamp1, SNAP-23) were localized to both the neurite and the inner-core cells in feline mesenteric PCs using immunocytochemistry. However, it has long been postulated that the first synapse of the PC occurs at the dorsal column nuclei, or spinal cord, and that no classical synapse is present in the distal ending of the capsulated receptor. While …

Predictive Measures Of Tooth/Tooth Contact In Mastication, Elizabeth Klodd

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Understanding the process of mastication, or chewing, is very important in humans. Understanding the way people chew can help craniofacial repair to victims of accidents or other conditions. Stages of chewing and swallowing have been categorized; however, it is currently unknown when exactly the teeth meet during mastication. Vertical motion data were obtained from seven subjects while chewing food of different consistencies. A videofluorograph collected the data and they were manipulated in Excel to be plotted as time vs. vertical displacement for the upper incisor tooth. The first and second derivatives of these motion-time charts were taken in order to …

Vascular Tortuosity Is Culprit To Abnormal Perfusion In 9l Gliosarcoma Tumor, M. M. Darpolar, Robert C. Molthen, F. C. Wu, Kathleen M. Schmainda

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Registration Of Beta-Cit Dopamine Transporter Spect Images, Abhinay Dilip Joshi

Bioengineering Theses - Archive

This work outlines a method for quantification of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons by means of SPECT using the cocaine derivative [123I] β-CIT (123I-labelled 2β-carbomethoxy-3β-(4-iodophenyl) tropane (β-CIT))as a radiotracer which binds with high affinity to the dopamine receptors. It has been validated (1) that the calculation of a simple ratio of specific/non-specific displaceable binding during a period of binding-equilibrium in the striatum about 20 hrs after the administration of a bolus injection of the tracer gives a strong and reliable index of the binding potential of dopamine uptake sites. Previous studies [2] have shown that the dopaminergic deficit in patients with Parkinson's …

Phenotypic Differences In The Behavior Of Immortalized Human Bronchial Epithelial Cells In Three Dimensional Culture Systems, Anusha Sridharan

Bioengineering Theses - Archive

Human Bronchial Epithelial Cells (HBECS) immortalized with viral oncoproteins E6/E7, are potentially malignant due to numerous chromosomal aberrations. Recently a model system was established in which HBECS were immortalized with Cyclin-dependent-kinase-4 (Cdk4) and human Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase (hTERT). These cells were shown to have intact p53 checkpoints and had well expressed differentiation markers. HBECS are non-tumorigenic as they do not form tumors in nude mice or colonies in soft agar. The purpose of this research was to establish the differences in phenotypic behavior between HBECS immortalized with E6/E7 viral oncoproteins and HBECS immortalized with Cdk4/hTERT. A three dimensional culture model …

Development Of A Multi-Channel Handheld Probe Designed For Near Infrared Spectroscopy And An Exploration Into Its Clinical Applications, Pradheep Raman

Bioengineering Theses - Archive

Near Infrared (NIR) spectroscopy and imaging has become popular in research fields for the past 2 decades. My research focuses on the development of a handheld, multi-channel, multi-separation probe for the low-cost, compact, NIR spectroscopy (LCC-NIRS) system and also on the exploration into its possible clinical applications. The work is divided into three parts. The first part deals with the development of the multi-separation probe with source-detector separation of 3.8 cm, 3.3 cm, 3.0 cm, and 2.3 cm. The probe is designed to work as a tri-wavelength system for the LCC-NIRS, which was developed earlier, consisting of one light emitting …

High Precision Spatial And Temporal Control Of Neural Circuitry Using Semi-Automated, Multiwavelength Nanopatterning System, Nagasandhya Mitnala

Bioengineering Theses - Archive

The ideal way to manipulate neurons would be to reversibly activate and inactivate neuronal firing and thus enable a bi-directional control. Many attempts have been made in the past to have such a tool. The traditional approach for controlling neural circuits is to generate a local electric field which has been shown to be highly effective at triggering action potentials in neurons [53]. Although the timing of the electrode stimulation is very precise, its specificity and spatial control are poor. Also, silencing neuronal activity is as important as stimulating it. Ed Boyden described a protein that switches off nerve firing …

Optimization Of Methods For In-Vitro Expansion And Cryopreservation Of Mammalian Stem Cells, Harikrishnan Balachandran

Bioengineering Theses - Archive

The recent advances in the field of Tissue Engineering have given rise to the need for a tremendous quantity of cells. The search for and use of an appropriate multipotent or pluripotent stem cells in tissue engineering is an emerging concept. Mesenchymal stem cells hold a very great deal of promise because of their capacity to self-renew and to differentiate into various lineages. These cells are very low in number in the body but their in vitro expansion capacity is very unique. Taking into consideration the lack of uniform approach for expansion of these MSCs and storing these cells for …

An Investigation Into The Structure And Reactivity Of Calcium-Zinc-Silicate Ionomer Glasses Using Mas-Nmr Spectroscopy, D. Boyd, Mark R. Towler, R. V. Law, R. G. Hill

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The suitability of Glass Polyalkenoate Cements (GPCs) for orthopaedic applications is retarded by the presence in the glass phase of aluminum, a neurotoxin. Unfortunately, the aluminum ion plays an integral role in the setting process of GPCs and its absence is likely to hinder cement formation. However, the authors have previously shown that aluminum-free GPCs may be formulated based on calcium zinc silicate glasses and these novel materials exhibit significant potential as hard tissue biomaterials. However, there is no data available on the structure of these glasses. 29Si MAS-NMR, differential thermal analysis (DTA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and network crosslink density …

Transfected Cell Arrays For Assessment Of Estrogen Receptor Activation In Breast Cancer Cells, Angela K. Pannier, Zain Bengali, Eric A. Ariazi, V. Craig Jordan, Lonnie D Shea

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Presentations and White Papers

Transfected cell arrays represent a high-throughput approach to correlate gene expression with functional cell responses, based on gene delivery from a substrate that supports cell adhesion. These arrays provide the ability to express, in parallel, thousands of exogenous genes in live cells, giving real-time information on cellular physiology and gene function. While there have been advances in transfected cell arrays, improvements are needed to this technology, including increasing the cells types that can be efficiently transfected and developing better quantification and normalization methods. We have created an array using soft lithography techniques to pattern DNA-lipid complex deposition. Specifically, a mold …

Development Of Self-Assembled Monolayer-Based Cell Culture Platform Towards Fabrication Of A Three-Dimensional Bioreactor, Rajendra Kandoor Aithal

Doctoral Dissertations

The extracellular matrix (ECM) plays an important role in regulating a number of cellular properties and functions like cell differentiation, cell synthesis and degradation, cell viability and proliferation, cell function, and cell aging. Surface modification of planar substrates with self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) is a promising technique to achieve stable ECMs.

In this work, substrates such as silicon (Si), gallium arsenide (GaAs) and indium tin oxide (ITO) substrates were modified with SAMS containing amino (-NH2), methyl (-CH3), thiol (-SH) and carboxylic (-COOH) end groups and characterized using contact angle measurements, surface infrared (IR) spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Different cell …