Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering Commons^™

Friend Or Foe? The Role Of Transforming Growth Factor-Β (Tgfβ) Signaling In Calcineurin Inhibitor-Induced Renal Damage, Adaku Uwe

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

With its incorporation into clinical practice in the early 1980s, the class of pharmacological agents known as calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs) quickly became the cornerstone of immunosuppressive therapy post-organ transplantation. However, its use is limited by irreversible kidney damage in the form of renal fibrosis. The molecular mechanism by which CNIs induce renal fibrosis remains to be better understood, and to date, there are no specific therapeutic strategies to mitigate this damage. This dilemma presents a critical need to explain mechanisms by which CNIs cause renal damage. Kidneys of patients on chronic CNI therapy show increased expression of the proinflammatory cytokine …

Simulating The Effect Of Gut Microbiome On Cancer Cell Growth Using A Microfluidic Device, Ekansh Mittal, Grace Cupp, Youngbok (Abraham) Kang

Faculty Publications - Biomedical, Mechanical, and Civil Engineering

The imbalance in the gut microbiome plays a vital role in the progression of many diseases, including cancer, due to increased inflammation in the body. Since gut microbiome-induced inflammation can serve as a novel therapeutic strategy, there is an increasing need to identify novel approaches to investigate the effect of inflammation instigated by gut microbiome on cancer cells. However, there are limited biomimetic co-culture systems that allow testing of the causal relationship of the microbiome on cancer cells. Here we developed a microfluidic chip that can simulate the interaction of the gut microbiome and cancer cells to investigate the effects …

Advanced Microstructural Characterization Of Functionally Graded Dental Ceramic Material For Materials-Informed Finishing, Angani Vigneswaran

Theses and Dissertations--Manufacturing Systems Engineering

Yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystal (Y-TZP) has gained popularity as the choice of material for dental prosthetics. Ivoclar Vivadent’s IPS e.max ZirCAD Prime dental ceramic incorporates a unique gradient technology that varies the yttria content over the thickness of the material. The top layer is composed of 5Y-TZP which is desired for its optical properties while the bottom layer is composed of a much stronger 3Y-TZP. In between the two layers, 5Y-TZP and 3Y-TZP are mixed to form a transition layer. Varying the amount of yttria allows for more esthetically pleasing translucency in the visible areas of the restoration without compromising …

High-Sensitivity Vector Bend Sensor Based On A Fiber Directional Coupler Inscribed By A Femtosecond Laser, Ke Tian, Mingyuan Zhang, Chuanzhein Zhao, Huibin Li, Shilong Li, Yuxuan Jiang, Gerald Farrell, Pengfei Wang

Articles

In this Letter, we demonstrate a high-sensitivity vector bend sensor based on a fiber directional coupler. The fiber directional coupler is composed of two parallel waveguides inscribed within a no-core fiber (NCF) by a femtosecond laser. Since the two written waveguides have closely matched refractive indices and geometries, the transmission spectrum of the fiber directional coupler possesses periodic resonant dips. Such a fiber directional coupler exhibits a good bending-dependent spectral shift response due to its asymmetric structure. Experimental results show that bending sensitivities of -97.11 nm/m-1 and 58.22 nm/m-1 are achieved for the 0° and 180° orientations in the curvature …

Expression Optimization Of The Gst-Gfp Fusion Protein Through The Alteration Of Induction Conditions, Matthew J. Vaccaro

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This research sought to determine which induction condition resulted in the greatest GST-GFP fusion protein expression. It will hopefully serve as a guide for future researchers trying to produce their own recombinant protein containing GST and GFP-tags. The CDNB Enzyme Assay was used to determine the quantity of GST-GFP fusion protein present and tested three variables: IPTG concentration, duration, and temperature of induction. The findings showed that IPTG concentration, temperature, and induction duration all had a significant impact on protein expression. Induction temperatures of 20 °C and 25 °C showed better protein expression at IPTG concentrations of 1.0 mM IPTG …

Artificial Intelligence In Dentistry : Knowledge And Perceptions Of Moroccan Students, Manal Elhijazi, Ihsane Benyahya

Health Sciences

Introduction: Artificial intelligence (AI) is a revolution in education, research and health. The aim of this study is to assess the views and perceptions of dental students regarding artificial intelligence and its impact on their future professional practice. Methods: A voluntary anonymous e-questionnaire was sent to all 4th and 5th year dental students of the Faculty of Dentistry after receiving a course on artificial intelligence. The questionnaire consisted of sections to assess students' knowledge of artificial intelligence and its possible applications in dentistry as well as ethical considerations. Statistical analysis of the data was carried out using SPSS version 23 …

Prepubertal Periodontitis In Children: For An Adequate Diagnosis And Optimal Care, F.Z. El Mouatarif, S. Chemlali, M. Hamza, J. Kissa, S. El Arabi

Health Sciences

Prepubertal periodontitis (PP) is a rare and rapid progressive condition found a young cohort of patients that results in destruction of the periodontal support of the primary dentition. Its generalized form, prepubertal periodontitis is often associated with a significant gingival tissue inflammation and fast bone loss with attachment loss leading to the tooth loss. The localized form of PP is characterized by a much more discreet inflammation and slow evolution. It can be associated with a known underlying systemic disease or may occur as part of a recognized syndrome or as an isolated finding. Different treatment modalities can be used …

Biological Parameters And The Histological Response In Rectal Cancer Treated By Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy: A Moroccan Cohort, A. Naim, N. Bouanani, F. Safini, S. Mounaime, Soumaya Rafii, L. Lachker, F. Guessous, M. Khaliss, N. Tawfiq, A. Badou

Health Sciences

Introduction: Multimodal management of rectal cancer, combining neoadjuvant Radio chemotherapy followed by total Mesorectal therapy (TME), has been shown to improve locoregional control. However, the histological response is variable independently of the initial tumor stage. Some recent data suggest the usefulness of the lymphocyte-monocyte ratio (LMR), neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) in predicting the histological response to neoadjuvant therapy. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between the complete histological response (pCR) after neoadjuvant radio chemotherapy and biological parameters (LMR, NLR and PLR) in rectal cancer patients.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: This retrospective study was conducted in three Moroccan …

Lipin1 Overexpression Ameliorates The Dystrophic Phenotype In Mdx Mice By Enhancing Myofiber Membrane Integrity, Abdullah Alshudukhi

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a severe disease characterized by a progressive muscle fiber loss. DMD affects approximately 1 in 3500 male births worldwide. Patients die at early ages due to failure of respiratory and cardiac functions. DMD is caused by mutations in dystrophin gene. Loss of dystrophin leads to disruption of the membrane integrity and necroptosis in skeletal muscles of DMD patients contributing to muscle fiber loss. Currently, effective therapies for DMD have not been established. The goal of this project is to find mechanisms that may improve muscle function/structure despite dystrophin deficiency. Our data show that the expression …

Unfolding The Link Between The Axon Initial Segment, Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress, And Cognitive Impairment In Type 2 Diabetes, Jennae Shelby

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Dementia and mild cognitive impairment are well recognized comorbidities of type 2 diabetes, termed diabetic encephalopathy, that lack in course modifying treatment options. The axon initial segment (AIS) is a critical mediator of neuronal output. Shortening of AIS length has been shown to decrease neuronal excitability and is implicated in diabetic encephalopathy. AIS shortening may be reversible, hence investigating the mechanism responsible could address this significant gap in patient care by providing new therapeutic targets. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, a cellular condition that activates the unfolded protein response has been implicated in diabetic encephalopathy. Here, using immunocytochemistry in primary mouse …

Cancer Immunotherapy: A Breakthrough In Patient Care, Abdou-Samad Kone, Nour El Imane Issam Salah, Amina Ghouzlani, Abdallah Badou

Health Sciences

Cancer is one of the world's leading causes of death. Conventional therapies, such as surgical resection, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, have improved patient management and have shown overwhelming progress. However, the incidence and mortality rates among cancer patients are still extremely high, at approximately 20,5 % and 10,6 % for both sexes, respectively. This may be due to the heterogeneity of tumors, their special microenvironment, and the development of resistance to certain conventional therapies. The concept of immunotherapy provided a new perspective on patient treatment. The interaction of tumor cells with their microenvironment depends on different factors and conditions that promote …

Data-Driven Biomedicine Investigation Of Genetic And Infectious-Based Diseases Using Omics Data And Data Science Methodologies., Diing Agany

Dissertations and Theses

The binary model of existence consists of health and disease, with health being complete physical, mental, and social well-being and disease being a pathological process. Humanity has been plagued by genetic and infectious diseases since civilization's dawn. These diseases cause changes in this model at the system biology level. Omics technologies, data science methodologies, and big data are being used to study these changes at the molecular level, leveraging biological processes' interconnectedness. Also, advanced computational methodologies are essential for efficient analytics and actionable discovery. In this dissertation, genetic and infectious-based diseases are investigated using omics data and data science methods …

Radiation Therapy Of Glioblastoma: Experience Of A Moroccan Center, Hassani Wissal, El Ayachi Zineb, Farhane Fatim-Zahra, Alami Zenab, Bouhafa Touria

Health Sciences

Background: Glioblastomas are the most frequent and aggressive primary brain tumors. Their prognosis remains bleak, despite progress in management and understanding of the different biological mechanisms. Our objective is to highlight the impact of radiotherapy in improving the management of glioblastoma through the experience of the radiotherapy department at Hassan II University Hospital. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective study analyzing the medical records of patients with glioblastoma over the period from August 2012 to January 2020. The data was analyzed using the epi-info software, therapeutic toxicities evaluated according to CTCAE V.4 scale, and overall survival estimated by the …

To Publish Or Not To Publish Phd Parts Before Its Completion Is Also An Ethical Question, Christos Melidis

Health Sciences

No Abstract for this article type.

Estimation Of Free Water-Corrected Microscopic Fractional Anisotropy., Nico J J Arezza, Tales Santini, Mohammad Omer, Corey A Baron

Medical Biophysics Publications

Water diffusion anisotropy MRI is sensitive to microstructural changes in the brain that are hallmarks of various neurological conditions. However, conventional metrics like fractional anisotropy are confounded by neuron fiber orientation dispersion, and the relatively low resolution of diffusion-weighted MRI gives rise to significant free water partial volume effects in many brain regions that are adjacent to cerebrospinal fluid. Microscopic fractional anisotropy is a recent metric that can report water diffusion anisotropy independent of neuron fiber orientation dispersion but is still susceptible to free water contamination. In this paper, we present a free water elimination (FWE) technique to estimate microscopic …

Dataset For Manuscript: Comparing Performance Of Spectral Image Analysis Approaches For Detection Of Cellular Signals In Time-Lapse Hyperspectral Imaging Fluorescence Excitation-Scanning Microscopy, Silas J. Leavesley

BioImaging and BioSystems Research

The dataset contains raw and processed hyperspectral timelapse image data that are described in the manuscript:

Parker, M., Annamdevula, N. S., Pleshinger, D., Ijaz, Z., Jalkh, J., Penn, R., Deshpande, D., Rich, T. C. & Leavesley, S. J. Comparing Performance of Spectral Image Analysis Approaches for Detection of Cellular Signals in Time-Lapse Hyperspectral Imaging Fluorescence Excitation-Scanning Microscopy. Bioengineering 10, 642 (2023).

Patient-Specific Analysis Of Aortic Hemodynamics And Wall Shear Stresses In Patients Undergoing Pediatric Bariatric Surgery Using 2d Phase-Contrast Mri, Oluwaferanmi S. Akande, Joao Soares, Nathan Hargan, Dr. Uyen Truong, Haeung Kang, David Lanning

UROP Posters

Patient-Specific Analysis of Aortic Hemodynamics and Wall Shear Stresses in Patients Undergoing Pediatric Bariatric Surgery using 2D Phase-Contrast MRI

Feranmi Akande¹ Nathan Hargan² Haesung Kang³ David Lanning³ Uyen Truong⁴ João S. Soares¹

¹ Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University

² Department of Mechanical & Nuclear Engineering, College of Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University

³ Department of Cardiology, Children’s Hospital of Richmond, Virginia Commonwealth University

Introduction: Severe obesity among today’s youth is a rising epidemic within the United States. Emerging research has linked childhood obesity with shortened life expectancy and early …

Probing Endothelial Cell Mechanics Under Disturbed Fluid Flow, Jingwen Wu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Endothelial cells, which form the inner layer of the vasculature, interact with the extracellular matrix (ECM) by exerting mechanical contractile cell-substrate stress called tractions and cell-cell stresses called intercellular stresses. This cellular mechanical behavior involves many fundamental biological processes, including cell migration, differentiation, angiogenesis, and wound healing. Also, the inner surface of the vasculature, where endothelial cells reside, is constantly exposed to various fluid flows. The most variable fluid flow regimes occur primarily within branching regions of the vasculature. Endothelial cells residing within these regions experience disturbed flow, which consists of irregular flow patterns and extreme wall shear stress gradients. …

Investigation Of Biomechanical Thresholds Of Mild To Severe Brain Injury Using An Anisotropic Visco-Hyperelastic Finite Element Head Model: Model Development And Simulation Of Impact Injury And Blast Injury, Ding Lyu

Wayne State University Dissertations

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a significant cause of death and disability in the United States, with approximately 2.5 million emergency department visits, 288,000 hospitalizations, and 56,800 deaths reported to be related to TBI. The majority of TBIs are caused by blunt impacts resulting from falls and motor vehicle crashes. The head injury criterion is the only standard used to assess the safety related to vehicles, personal protective gear, and sports equipment. A new brain injury criterion assessing rotation velocity effect was recently proposed by the US government. Unfortunately, it derivation from animal data scaled to a computer model of …

Biom 1720: Introduction To Biomedical Engineering Tools (Syllabus), Stephen Strain

Biomedical Engineering Syllabi Archive

Course Description: Use of computer tools for data analysis, presentation, documentation; introduction to programming; individual and group design projects.

Engr 1009: Preparation For Engineering Problem Solving (Syllabus), Stephen Strain, Drew Garth

Biomedical Engineering Syllabi Archive

Course Description: Applications of algebra and trigonometry to engineering problems. Accelerated preparation for an engineering or technology major.

Biom/Biol 4110: The Science Of Medicine (Syllabus), Bradford D. Pendley

Biomedical Engineering Syllabi Archive

Course Description: Integration of fundamental principles from physics, chemistry, biology and mathematics, and applications of these principles to solve problems in medicine.

Fusarium Graminearum Effector Fgnls1 Targets Plant Nuclei To Induce Wheat Head Blight, Guixia Hao, Todd A. Naumann, Hui Chen, Guihua Bai, Susan Mccormick, Hye-Seon Kim, Bin Tian, Harold N. Trick, Michael J. Naldrett, Robert Proctor

Nebraska Center for Biotechnology: Faculty and Staff Publications

Fusarium head blight (FHB) caused by Fusarium graminearum is one of the most devastating diseases of wheat and barley worldwide. Effectors suppress host immunity and promote disease development. The genome of F. graminearum contains hundreds of effectors with unknown function. Therefore, investigations of the functions of these effectors will facilitate developing novel strategies to enhance wheat resistance to FHB. We characterized a F. graminearum effector, FgNls1, containing a signal peptide and multiple eukaryotic nuclear localization signals. A fusion protein of green fluorescent protein and FgNls1 accumulated in plant cell nucleiwhen transiently expressed in Nicotiana benthamiana. FgNls1 suppressed …

Data-Driven Biomedicine Investigation Of Genetic And Infectious-Based Diseases Using Omics Data And Data Science Methodologies., Diing De Mapior Agany

Dissertations and Theses

The binary model of existence consists of health and disease, with health being complete physical, mental, and social well-being and disease being a pathological process. Humanity has been plagued by genetic and infectious diseases since civilization's dawn. These diseases cause changes in this model at the system biology level. Omics technologies, data science methodologies, and big data are being used to study these changes at the molecular level, leveraging biological processes' interconnectedness. Also, advanced computational methodologies are essential for efficient analytics and actionable discovery. In this dissertation, genetic and infectious-based diseases are investigated using omics data and data science methods …

Gait Strategies While Walking With Discrete Perturbations On A Self-Paced Treadmill, Cesar Castano

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Introducing perturbations on a self-paced treadmill allows participants to experience uncertain environments without restricting their ability to continuously change their walking speed and kinematics. In this dissertation, I evaluated how different self-paced treadmill controller sensitivities affected gait parameters and variability on decline, level, and incline slopes. I also investigated how healthy young and older adults adjust their gait strategies when responding to perturbations of varying unpredictability and whether the changes in gait strategies remained once the perturbations were no longer present. Lastly, I evaluated how differences in gait kinematics when responding to visual and mechanical perturbations at varying frequencies. I …

Biom 3010: Medical Measurements (Syllabus), Aaryani Sajja

Biomedical Engineering Syllabi Archive

Course Description: Theory and application of major types of sensors used in biomedical engineering and clinical medicine; principles of signal processing and instrumentation, such as frequency domain analysis, operational amplifiers, and filtration.

Biom 2720: Experimental Design And Analysis For Biomedical Engineering (Syllabus), Stephen Strain

Biomedical Engineering Syllabi Archive

Course Description: Application of probability, statistics, error analysis, uncertainty in design and performance of biomedical engineering experimentation; discussion and evaluation of common experimental designs for medical device development.

Biom 4730 / Mech 4365: Biomaterials, Joel D. Bumgardner

Biomedical Engineering Syllabi Archive

Course Description: Synthetic materials and their interaction with the physiological environment; methods to design and study materials that are compatible with natural tissue.

Biom 4110(Honors)/6110: The Science Of Medicine (Syllabus), Bradford D. Pendley

Biomedical Engineering Syllabi Archive

Course Description: Integration of fundamental principles from physics, chemistry, biology and mathematics, and applications of these principles to solve problems in medicine.

Board 341: Mobile Learning In Stem: A Case Study In An Undergraduate Engineering Course, Krishna Pakala, Maeve Bakic, Diana Bairaktarova, Devshikha Bose

Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Student-centered educational system is needed for better educational outcomes. Technology enabled pedagogy has helped immensely during the pandemic times when rapid transition to remote learning was essential. This poster reports findings on year one of a two-year research study to utilize mobile technologies and a technology-enhanced curriculum to improve student engagement and learning in STEM undergraduate courses. This poster describes a quasi-experimental mixed methods study on implementing mobile devices (iPad and Pencil) and a technology-enhanced curriculum in an undergraduate thermal-fluids engineering course, a foundational engineering class.

The technology-enabled curriculum was fully integrated in the thermal-fluids course to deliver content and …