Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering Commons^™

A Proof Of Concept For Detection Of Palato-Lingual Contact Without Intraoral Electrodes In A Human Participant, Amitava Biswas

Master's Theses

The author of this thesis conceived and investigated an unexpected electrical signal that may not be noticed during regular electroglottography (EGG) when electrodes are conventionally placed on the anterior surface of the throat. It appears that there is a measurable electrical signal from the EGG equipment when electrodes are placed over the frontal cheek (belly of zygomatic muscle), and the tongue is elevated to contact the hard palate, or the tongue is lowered to break the contact. Therefore, this phenomenon is designated as unconventional electroglottography (UEGG, Dr. Steven Cloud, private communication, July 17, 2022).

Two distinctive patterns of waveforms were …

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 …

Identifying A Novel Ferrocene Derivative As A K-Ras Inhibitor, Kristen Marie Rehl

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Ras proteins are small GTPases that regulate cell proliferation, differentiation and survival at the plasma membrane (PM). There are three Ras isoforms ubiquitously expressed in mammalian cells: H-, N- and K-Ras. Constitutively active Ras mutations are found in ~19% of all human cancers, with ~75% of those being in K-Ras. There are K-Ras inhibitors in clinic but they only target the oncogenic K-RasG12C mutant, which only makes up a small sub-set of K-Ras-driven cancers. Thus, there still exists a need for a pan anti-K-Ras drug. Ferrocene derivatives are a class of compounds that have been shown to inhibit the growth …

Brain Morphometry From Neuroimaging As A Biomarker For Alzheimer's Disease, Nonyelum Benedicta Aniebo

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the seventh leading cause of death globally with an estimated 6.5 million Americans aged 65 and above living with Alzheimer’s dementia in 2022 and at a projected national cost of $321 billion. AD is characterized by a progressive and irreversible neurodegenerative dysfunction with clinical symptoms such as deterioration in cognition and memory loss. The Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) is a multi-site, public-private global research initiative that supports both investigation and development of treatments that slow or terminate AD progression. The study included 60 participants, comprising 30 AD and 30 control cohorts respectively. All participants were …

Calpains In The Peripheral Nerve And During Demyelination And Degeneration In Rodents, John A. Miller

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Myelin formed around axons ensures rapid and efficient action potential propagation. Disruption of myelinated axons in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) often causes nerve conduction failure, neurological symptoms and can lead to long-term disability. Calpains are calcium dependent cysteine proteases that play many roles during both normal physiology and pathogenesis. Calpain-1 (CAPN1) and calpain-2 (CAPN2) are key calpain paralogs found in the nervous system and potentially have opposing roles, with CAPN2 having a more neurodegenerative function. In the central nervous system (CNS), calpains have a role in developmental myelination as well as in the pathological demyelination of multiple sclerosis and …

Frostflex, Isaac Edmondson, Caleb Edmondson, Joey Esker, Nadine Salem

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Research has shown that the majority of heat lost during physical exercise leaves the body through the hands, feet, and the face. Our design project seeks to develop cooling glove technology to increase the rate at which heat leaves the body during recovery from physical exertion. The goal of this project was to investigate different ways in which heat absorption through various mediums can be manipulated and scaled into an adaptable, flexible design in which athletes of all levels, from recreational to professional, can improve their physical performance with the use of our gloves. Deliverables include a functional prototype, product …

Kv2.1 Dysfunction Underlies The Onset Of Symptoms In Sod1-G93a Mouse Model Of Als, Andrew J. Deutsch

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease which targets motoneurons (MNs), yet underlying disease mechanisms are not well understood. Evaluating the intrinsic excitability of MNs in ALS could lead to a better understanding of mechanisms causing neurodegeneration. The SOD1-G93A (SOD) model is the most commonly studied animal model of ALS. However, past studies have shown highly conflicting results on SOD MN excitability. Interestingly, I show that depending on the level of membrane depolarization, SOD MNs show opposite results of both hyper- and hypo-excitability. This reveals that differences in the methodology of measuring excitability can heavily impact the study results. …

Lipin1 Improves Membrane Integrity In Dystrophic Muscles Of Mdx Mice, Abdulrahman Jama

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an X-linked genetic disorder that affects 1 in 3500 male births worldwide. It is characterized by mutations in the dystrophin gene that results in the loss of functional dystrophin. Dystrophin deficiency leads to instability of the sarcolemma alongside increased inflammation, necrosis and fibrosis resulting in membrane rupture and eventual muscle fiber death. There are currently no effective treatments for DMD. Here we show that Lipin1 expression is significantly downregulated at the mRNA and protein levels in gastrocnemius muscle of mdx mice, the DMD mouse model. Lipin1 has a dual function as a phosphatidic acid phosphatase …

Dna Instability At (Attct) Microsatellites In Human Cells, Venicia Alhawach

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Microsatellites are short tandem repeats of DNA (1-9 nucleotides) that are unstable in the genome. They can expand and contract which leads to mutations and rearrangements that jeopardize genomic integrity. When encountered by a replication fork, repeats of these microsatellites can form non-B DNA structures which cause replication forks to stall and collapse eventually leading to double stranded breaks (DSBs) and replication stress. One form of repair of replication dependent DSBs happens via break induced replication (BIR), a highly mutagenic repair pathway. The main objective of this study is to understand how ATTCT pentanucleotide repeats affect replication and chromosomal instability …

Microsatellite Induced Genomic Instability And Mutagenesis Through Break Induced Replication, Rujuta Yashodhan Gadgil

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Faithful DNA replication is essential to maintain genomic integrity. Compromises in this process are among the prime causes of cancer and other genetic disorders. Among several factors that can interfere with error-free DNA replication, the formation of non-B DNA structures by microsatellite sequences is critical. Microsatellites are 1-9 bp long tandem repetitive regions that can form secondary structures like hairpins, triplex, Gquadruplex etc. and undergo expansions due to replication fork stalling to cause several diseases. Hairpin forming microsatellites have been shown to induce DNA DSBs and lead to genetic instability and mutagenesis. The goal of this study is to understand …

Manual Material Handling Lift-Assist System For Occupational Exoskeleton, Erik Goes, Daniel Guthrie, Trevor Ward

Honors Capstones

It is no secret that lifting heavy objects is one of the premier causes of workplace injury, and the modern worker needs help to remain healthy. Workers need something they always have with them that makes their work safer as well as easier; our solution is an active lift-assist exoskeleton. The proposed exoskeleton design includes a military backpack exoskeleton frame, on which two actuators pull cables attached to end effectors that the operator will be holding. This system can adjust to conform to a wide variety of operator sizes, without restricting any of their range of motion. This leads to …

Developing New Crutch Tip Design For Overall Increased Stability And Improved Movement On Different Terrains, Lauren Skinner

Honors Theses

Crutches are a mobility assistive device that are often used in various situations, such as post- surgical rehabilitation and recovery after injury. The current crutch tip design that is used on today’s crutches are often unstable and do not provide quality movement on different terrains, such as snow, ice, mud, and wet surfaces. These problems would be solved with a new tip design that could be attached to existing crutches or manufactured with the crutch itself. The team’s solution to this problem is a crutch tip with modular parts. The tip would attach to the shaft of the crutch like …

Novel Mobility Device For Conjoined Twins, Allyson Bowgren

Honors Capstones

This project provides a solution to a problem proposed by a pair of conjoined clients. With their desire to become fully independent, the clients need an improved mobility device. Being joined at the head, moving around was always difficult for them and their situation did not get any better after an accident left one of them immobile. Their current device was a decent and quick solution at the time it was first needed. However, since its conception the device quickly became obsolete, and they are now in need of a more effective device that allows them to travel easier. This …

The Interaction Of Angiotensin I And Ii On Calcified Aortic Valve Cells, Fah Sysavanh

Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Cardiovascular diseases affect the older population with limited treatments available. Aortic valve stenosis is a cardiovascular disease in which the aortic valve narrows, causing blood flow constriction and calcification.¹ The only treatment is to replace the valve, which can be costly and lead to other health complications.

The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) is a pathway that helps with maintaining cardiovascular homeostasis. Angiotensin I (ANGI) and II (ANGII) are hormones in the RAS that cause an increase in inflammation, stress, and blood pressure by binding to the Angiotensin Type 1 Receptor (AT1R).¹ Gelatin-based valve thin film (vTF) platforms were fabricated to investigate …

An Engineering And Economic Analysis Of The Implementation Of The Carbo Rock-It, Lydia Huck

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The patented Carbo Rock-It system was developed to carbonate beverages for the craft brewing industry with the goal of reducing time, cost, and environmental impacts of the carbonation process. This research field tests, models, analyzes and optimizes the engineering and economic performance of a commercial-scale Carbo Rock-It placed in production at an operating brewery (Core Brewing and Distilling Co., Springdale, AR). Field tests indicated that the Carbo Rock-It was able to successfully carbonate twelve 120 BBL batches of Scarlet Letter Seltzer to 3.0 vol/vol while meeting all beverage quality and safety requirements. The Carbo Rock-It was able to reduce carbonation …

Fbxl16 Promotes Breast Cancer Cell Growth And Diminishes Fulvestrant Responsiveness By Stabilizing Erα Protein, Krushangi Nirav Shah

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer in women. Approximately 75% of breast cancers are estrogen receptor alpha positive (ER+) and are treatable with endocrine therapies and/or CDK inhibitors. However, endocrine therapy (ET) resistance and metastasis are major obstacles in advanced ERα+ breast cancer (ER+ BCa) therapeutics. Upregulated oncogenic ERα activity plays critical role in progression of ER+ BCa. One essential mechanism of regulating ERα signaling is the ubiquitination-dependent proteasomal degradation of ERα. Owing to its direct effect on ERα degradation, fulvestrant is a first-line FDA-approved ET for metastatic and locally advanced breast cancer and a second-line drug for treatment …

Reciprocal Regulation Of Transketolase-Like 1 And Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1 Alpha In Metabolic Reprogramming And Growth Of Diffuse Midline Glioma, H3 K27m-Mutant, Christopher Andrew Waker

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Diffuse midline glioma, K27M-mutant (DMG) are intractable brain tumors, primarily occurring in the pediatric and adolescent population. Patients have a median survival of less than one year after diagnosis. A lack of therapeutic targets has been a barrier to improvement in patient survival. Irradiation therapy improves symptoms while chemotherapy and surgical intervention, for the most part, have not yet demonstrated utility for treatment. DMG are characterized by a histone H3 mutation that results in the genome-wide loss of epigenetic-repressive marks on K27 and is associated with the misexpression of genes, like Cancer/Testis antigens. A member of this group, transketolase-like 1 …

The Role Of Son In Chromatin-Mediated Gene Expression, Melissa Jordan Ward

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Gene expression in mammalian cells requires complex nuclear choreography, and there is increasing evidence that spatiotemporal organization of chromatin and nuclear compartments plays an important role in gene expression. In this dissertation, I examined the function of SON, a splicing factor with a known role in nuclear organization, in chromatin-mediated gene expression. SON association with a transcriptionally inactive U2OS 2-6-3 reporter gene array provided a useful model to study SON’s chromatin dynamics. I demonstrated that SON associates with the inactive but not the activated array, and that SON’s RNA binding domains are not necessary for that association. Second, I discovered …

Creating Reel Designs: Reflecting On Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita In The Community, Iris Layadi

Purdue Journal of Service-Learning and International Engagement

Because of its extreme rarity, the genetic disease arthrogryposis multiplex congenita (AMC) and the needs of individuals with the diagnosis are often overlooked. AMC refers to the development of nonprogressive contractures in disparate areas of the body and is characterized by decreased flexibility in joints, muscle atrophy, and developmental delays. Colton Darst, a seven-year-old boy from Indianapolis, Indiana, was born with the disorder, and since then, he has undergone numerous surgical interventions and continues to receive orthopedic therapy to reduce his physical limitations. His parents, Michael and Amber Darst, have hopes for him to regain his limbic motion and are …

Build Your Own Body Mod: Empowerment Through Prototyping And Design, Anaiss Arreola, Katherine R. Ganim

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

When you don’t have a hand, what could you have instead? This article introduces the impact of inviting youth with disabilities to learn tools and technology to design their own solutions and advocate for their own future. This approach to programming is rooted in a mindset of designing WITH, not FOR. Not only are design outcomes improved when users are incorporated into the process, but this approach has been shown to improve confidence in creating one’s own solutions. These programs include hands-on “design-your-own-body-mod” workshops, as well as a budding inclusive design consultancy led by youth with disabilities. Through this programming, …

Design For Living

DePaul Magazine

With health care increasingly moving online, DePaul has emerged as a leader in cutting-edge digital technology leveraged for the greater good. From harnessing design as a vehicle for social change to creating an app to help close racial inequity gaps in care, 21st-century advances with an eye toward Vincentian values are unfolding every day at DePaul thanks to the inventiveness and ingenuity of its faculty, staff and students.

Silk Hydrogels Incorporated With Melanin, Anne Lutz

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Melanin is a naturally produced pigment found within the human body. Melanin is known for its ability to protect against Ultra Violet light, but also its ability to allow for mechanical protection. Making melanin a good addition to biomedical devices such as hydrogels. Silk hydrogels are weak in their load bearing capabilities but are known for their biocompatibility, biodegradability, and porosity. This makes the silk hydrogel a good material to incorporate melanin into in order to improve the mechanical properties. For the silk solution to form a solid, there must be a presence of both a catalyst and an oxidizer …

Cellular Attachment On Poly(Lactic Acid) For Use In Tissue Engineering, Stephen R. Hunter

Masters Theses

Tissue engineering is a promising new method for organ regeneration. This method can be used to repair damaged tissue, or possibly replace a fully functional organ. In summary, a biopsy is taken from a donor, isolated, then grown onto a framework resembling an organ. Once grown; it is then transplanted into the patient. Over time, the body will degrade the scaffold, leaving the organ or tissue in its place. As this scaffold is present in the body for an extended time; factors like biocompatibility, toxicity, immunogenicity, and structural stability must be researched.

Several polymers have already been researched for use …

In The Pursuit Of Assistance: A Team's Desire To Not Let A Congenital Amputation Get In A Young Boy's Way, Carl Russell Iii, Gavin Loucks, Kirsten Wozniak

Purdue Journal of Service-Learning and International Engagement

EPICS is a service-learning design program run through Purdue University. It strives to teach students design skills through providing for individuals, communities, and organizations in the surrounding area while mirroring engineering industry standards. BME (Biomedical Engineering) is a team within EPICS that strives to serve community partners through biomedical applications. William Sevick is an elementary school student with a congenital arm amputation. William and his family have been working with the BME team for the past three years designing assistive devices with the purpose of improving his actions in daily life such as eating, playing games, and riding his bike.

Protease Resistant Growth Factor Formulations For The Healing Of Chronic Wounds, Tabitha Boeringer

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Chronic wounds are those wounds which are refractory to treatment, often taking years to heal. These wounds are complex and may present with elevated protease levels, resulting in rapid degradation of growth factors, both native and augmented via treatment. This study’s focus was the development of a system to protect growth factors from protease mediated degradation.

The protective system consisted of chimeric fusion proteins developed to contain both a growth factor or known protease inhibitory peptide and an Elastin-Like-Peptide (ELP)component. The unique phase transitioning abilities of the ELP component allowed for the self-assembly of these chimeric fusion proteins into a …

Regulation Of Δnp63Α By Tip60 Promotes Cellular Proliferation, Andrew Jared Stacy

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

ΔNp63α is a p53 transcription factor family member that promotes cellular proliferation and survival. In squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), ΔNp63α overexpression is associated with poor prognosis and survival, implicating it as a proto-oncogene. Despite its importance in SCC, the mechanisms regulating ΔNp63α expression are poorly understood. We have identified the acetyltransferase TIP60 as a novel upstream regulator of ΔNp63α levels. We discovered that TIP60 regulates ΔNp63α via two mechanisms. First, TIP60 upregulates ΔNp63α mRNA levels. Moreover, pharmacological inhibition of TIP60 activity reduces ΔNp63α transcript levels, indicating that TIP60-cataltyic activity is vital to amplified transcription of ΔNp63α. Second, we have demonstrated …

Host-Parasite Interactions: Comparative Analyses Of Population Genomics, Disease-Associated Genomic Regions, And Host Use, Sara Rose Seibert

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Birds are major vectors and reservoir hosts of pathogens across our globe. Pathogens can be spread through the dispersal and seasonal movements of migratory and resident wild birds. Although biogeographic barriers have the potential to restrict completely or in part gene flow in wild birds, variation in ecological drivers of dispersal likely influences the effectiveness of these barriers amongst different species. This dissertation seeks to enhance our knowledge of Southern Hemisphere waterfowl species’ dispersal, population genomics, and disease ecology using population genomic techniques (double-digest restriction-site associated DNA sequencing (ddRADseq)) and multi-variate statistics. First, we investigated the roles of dispersal behavior …

Prosthetic Hand, Nicholas Damiani, Eric Rassavong, John Zolton

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Development of a prosthetic hand for an above-the-wrist amputee. The hand will provide flexion and extension of the wrist, fingers and thumb. The device will be customized for each individual by utilizing an medical imaging of the amputation side stump and the normal arm/wrist as the input. An integral hand/wrist and socket will be 3D printed, and actuators will be mounted to the prosthetic to provide motion. The wrist will be a mirror-image of the normal hand. Materials utilized will be selected based on the medical image intensity for different tissue types (cartilage, bone, skin, fat, etc.) and will simulate …

Prosthetic Foot/Ankle Inversion & Eversion Enhancement, Jason Wiebrecht, Maddison Grimes

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Modify a prosthetic foot/ankle, that currently has power at the ankle joint, for dorsiflexion/flexion so that it supplies power across a simulated subtalar joint, making the joint capable of inversion/eversion.