Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering Commons^™

Tibial Compression During Activities Of Daily Living In Young And Older Adults, Elijah Miles Walker

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Stress fracture, particularly in the tibia, is a growing concern among older adults (greater than 65 years). Older adults may have inherent stress fracture risk from ageing-related changes to their musculoskeletal system. Specifically, older adults reduced ankle neuromuscular function may impair their ability to attenuate repetitive compressive forces experienced during daily locomotor tasks and increase the likelihood of suffering bone damage from decreased bone tissue elasticity. Yet, it is currently unknown if older adults exhibit greater tibial compression than their younger counterparts during locomotor tasks. Purpose: This study sought to quantify tibial compression for older and younger adults when …

Integrative Physiology-Coupled Pilot-Centered Flight Simulation, Shawn C. Harrison

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Maintaining the pilot’s physiological performance envelope within the limits of human capabilities may be crucial for avoiding hazardous physiological episodes in fighter aircraft that compromise safety. The main physiological episode of interest is impaired pilot respiration, better known as hypoxia caused by a high fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO₂) at high altitudes and variation in accelerative gravitational forces (g-forces). Integrated into fighter aircraft is an Onboard Oxygen Generating System (OBOGS) developed to mitigate the necessity of gaseous and liquid oxygen cannisters [1]. OBOGS act as a life support in hypoxic environments by providing oxygen-rich air, thereby oxygenating the …

Infrastructure Development For Personalized Risk Prediction To Reduce Cardiovascular Disease In Childhood Cancer Survivors, Suman Shrestha

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Although childhood cancer survivors have lengthy life expectancies, they run the risk of experiencing long-term health issues as a result of their treatment. The most frequent non-cancerous cause of morbidity and mortality for these survivors is cardiac disease. Radiation therapy (RT) has been linked in numerous cohort studies to a higher chance of developing a late cardiac disease in these survivors, and this risk rises with higher mean heart doses and increased RT exposure to larger cardiac volumes. Since, the heart is a heterogeneous organ made up of several distinct substructures, RT dose received by the entire heart does not …

Highly Adherent Antimicrobial Coatings For Orthopedic Implants, Mikhail Bredikhin

All Dissertations

Fracture-related infections (FRIs) are the most devasting sort of complications associated with fracture fixation devices, as they lead to patients’ morbidity, prolonged hospitalization, amputations, and even death.External fixators additionally suffer from pin site infections (PSIs), which initiate at the skin entry points of the skin-metallic pin interface present in the external fixation of the damaged bones, often causing deep tissue infection and osteomyelitis. Small percutaneous pins, commonly known as Kirschner wires (K-wires), are used to treat complex fractures and deformities.They are drilled inside the diseased bone for the healing period and are left protruding outside the skin for fixation adjustments …

Seeing The Big Picture: System Architecture Trends In Endoscopy And Led-Based Hyperspectral Subsystem Intergration, Craig M. Browning

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

Early-stage colorectal lesions remain difficult to detect. Early development of neoplasia tends to be small (less than 10 mm) and flat and difficult to distinguish from surrounding mucosa. Additionally, optical diagnosis of neoplasia as benign or malignant is problematic. Low rates of detection of these lesions allow for continued growth in the colorectum and increased risk of cancer formation. Therefore, it is crucial to detect neoplasia and other non-neoplastic lesions to determine risk and guide future treatment. Technology for detection needs to enhance contrast of subtle tissue differences in the colorectum and track multiple biomarkers simultaneously. This work implements one …

Color Resolved Cherenkov Imaging Allows For Differential Signal Detection In Blood And Melanin Content, Vihan A. Wickramasinghe

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

Cherenkov imaging in radiation therapy allows a video display of the irradiation beam on the patient’s tissue, for visualization of the treatment. High energy radiation from a linear accelerator (Linac) results in the production of spectrally-continuous broadband light inside tissue due to the Cherenkov effect; this light is then attenuated by tissue features from transport and exits from the delivery site. Progress with the development of color Cherenkov imaging has opened the possibility for some level of spectroscopic imaging of the light-tissue interaction and interpretation of the specific nature of the tissue being irradiated. Generally, there is a linear relationship …

Re-Engineering Cardio-Oncology Testing Using Biomimetic Heart Slice Cultures., Jessica Miller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

28% of drug withdrawal from the market are due to unforeseen disruptions in cardiomyocyte contractility and electrophysiology. The most commonly used platforms for drug testing are in vivo animal models and in vitro cell culture models. While both have been of paramount importance for the discovery and detection of many cardiotoxicities and mechanisms of action, they lack the ability to model an intact human myocardium. This work aims to establish cardiac tissue slices, which are 300-micron thin tissue sections taken from the left ventricular myocardium, as an alternative platform for cardio-oncology studies, specifically cardiotoxicity testing. Additionally, this work aims to …

The Influence Of Electrical Stimulation Pulse Frequency Of Macro-Sieve Electrode On Rat Sciatic Nerve Detection Threshold, Jingyuan Zhang

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Computational Fluid Dynamics Modeling Of Hemodialysis In Patients With An Arteriovenous Fistula, Maximilian Roth

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

With the advent of arteriovenous fistula (AVF) for use in hemodialysis, the anastomosis built for such use has become a central point of the study to understand the flow and wall shear stresses in such a system since very large wall shear stresses can lead to arterial/vein rupture. Considering the commonly used creation site of an anastomosis as connecting the radial artery to the cephalic vein, a model is created to calculate the wall shear stresses across various components of the system. The model depicts a connection of the specified vein and artery bridged together allowing the increase in blood …

Investigating Spatial Heterogeneity In Myocardial Wound Environments To Improve Therapy, Michael Potter

All Dissertations

Heart failure is a broad pathology manifestation categorized by an inability of the heart to successfully pump blood throughout the vast vessel network of the body. Within the United States, heart failure is projected to increase by approximately 46% from 2012 to 2030. Modalities of heart failure are generally related to wall mechanics that are impacted following myocardial infarction events. Interplay exists between the wall mechanics, responding cell populations, and the spatial heterogeneities in the resultant scar. This interplay directs the myocardium towards heart failure modalities governed by overly stiff or compliant states. It is essential to elucidate details underlying …

Low Resource Assay For Tracking Sars-Cov-2 In Wastewater, Julissa Van Renselaar

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Wastewater based epidemiology (WBE) allows for the tracking of nucleic acid of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater which gives the opportunity for the public and government officials to be informed about the infectivity of the virus in a community. Advances have been made in WBE that have allowed for higher performance, lower resource use, and faster turnaround time. An adapted concentration method of spin column direct extraction has yielded a proxy virus recovery of 83%, consumable cost of $2.01 per sample, and a turnaround time of 0.33 hour/sample. Other concentration methods have lower proxy virus recoveries, comparable cost, and comparable turnaround time. …

Dendrimer-Based Drug Delivery Systems: History, Challenges, And Latest Developments, Juan Wang, Boxuan Li, Li Qiu, Xin Qiao, Hu Yang

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Since the first dendrimer was reported in 1978 by Fritz Vögtle, dendrimer research has grown exponentially, from synthesis to application in the past four decades. The distinct structure characteristics of dendrimers include nanoscopic size, multi-functionalized surface, high branching, cavernous interior, and so on, making dendrimers themselves ideal drug delivery vehicles. This mini review article provides a brief overview of dendrimer's history and properties and the latest developments of dendrimers as drug delivery systems. This review focuses on the latest progress in the applications of dendrimers as drug and gene carriers, including 1) active drug release strategies to dissociate drug/gene from …

Development Of Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography System For Mouse Eye Imaging And Measurement Of Vasodilation, Yilin Li

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) is broadly known as a non-invasive technology that allows examining the retinal and choroidal vasculatures, alternative to fluorescein angiography. In this study, we have developed an optical coherence tomography (OCT) system for imaging the mouse eye. We measure the retinal thickness, which is 216.53um. We apply OCTA to characterize the quantitative change in vessel diameter and the perfusion density of the retina after the wild-type mice are administered the adenosine or inhale carbon dioxide. Comparing the images acquired one minute and 5 minutes after the injection or CO₂ inhalation with the baseline, distinct changes …

The Role Of Mri In Diagnosing Autism: A Machine Learning Perspective., Yaser Elnakieb

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There is approximately 1 in every 44 children in the United States suffers from autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a disorder characterized by social and behavioral impairments. Communication difficulties, interpersonal difficulties, and behavioral difficulties are the top common symptoms. Even though symptoms can begin as early as infancy, it may take multiple visits to a pediatric specialist before an accurate diagnosis can be made. In addition, the diagnosis can be subjective, and different specialists may give different scores. There is a growing body of research suggesting differences in brain development and/or environmental and/or genetic factors contribute to autism development, but scientists …

Ultrasound Mediated Tissue Growth In Bioinspired Scaffolds, Marco Fielder

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Porous scaffolds mechanically stimulated with ultrasound are used for the treatment of bone conditions such as osteoporosis or traumatic bone injury. However, one current issue in these treatment techniques is designing a scaffold structure with a high structural integrity that also does not impede tissue growth. A larger ultrasound wave transmission would also allow more of a scaffold to receive mechanical stimulation from ultrasound. Controlling mesenchymal stem cell seeding of tissue scaffolds also has potential for developing optimal seeding patterns to maximize or control tissue growth in the scaffold based on an individual’s physiology. There is also a need for …

Evaluation Of Cellulose Nanocrystal Inks And Their Structural Characteristics For 3d Bioprinting Of Customized Scaffolds, Patrick William Kuczwara

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

3D bioprinting of biological scaffolds requires control of the physicochemical properties of each unique structures. A promising material for control of properties is hydrogels, which can help create biomimetic scaffolds with controlled spatial arrangement of materials by integrating biological materials directly into layers during the bioprinting process. Nanocellulose offers a unique combination of properties including mechanical, biomimetic, and biocompatibility. These properties offer flexibility over the types, shapes, and applications of their printed hydrogel scaffolds, (i.e., tissue, drug, encapsulation). However, 3D bioprinting of nanocellulose-based hydrogels requires high loading percentages (i.e., >10 wt%) or chemical crosslinkers (i.e., bis(acyl)phosphane oxides (BAPO)). High solid …

Fiber-Based Time-Correlated Single Photon Counting As A Method For Investigating Metabolism During Tetanic Contraction Of Skeletal Muscle, Kathryn Miller Priest

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) is a cofactor that serves to shuttle electrons during metabolic processes such as glycolysis, the tricarboxylic acid cycle, and oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) [1-5]. The reduced form of NAD, NADH, is autofluorescent, making it a measurable characteristic in the investigation of metabolic changes. The fluorescence lifetime of NADH is dependent on the state of protein binding, specifically free or bound NADH, allowing for detection of metabolic shifts between glycolysis (free NADH) and OXPHOS (bound NADH) [6-16]. Fiber-coupled time-correlated single photon counting (TCSPC) equipped with an implantable needle probe can be used to measure NADH lifetime in vivo …

Investigating The Role Of Cryptochrome Activity In Arabidopsis Plant And Blue Light Exposure In Saos-2 Cell-Mediated Mineralization, Maria Nijr Albaqami

Theses and Dissertations

Cryptochromes (CRYs) are flavoproteins that absorb blue light and are associated with the perception of electromagnetic stimuli in a variety of organisms including animals and plants. When exposed to blue light, CRYs undergo flavin redox cycles and form radical pairs intermediates that are assumed to be magnetically sensitive as predicted by the radical-pair hypothesis. However, it is unknown if CRYs fulfill the criteria to act as biological magnetosensors. In the first aim, Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings were exposed to blue light and a time-dependent weak magnetic field at radiofrequency (RF) of 7 MHz as a diagnostic tool to test the radical-pair …

Development And Validation Of A Three-Dimensional Optical Imaging System For Chest Wall Deformity Measurement, Nahom Kidane

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Congenital chest wall deformities (CWD) are malformations of the thoracic cage that become more pronounced during early adolescence. Pectus excavatum (PE) is the most common CWD, characterized by an inward depression of the sternum and adjacent costal cartilage. A cross-sectional computed tomography (CT) image is mainly used to calculate the chest thoracic indices. Physicians use the indices to quantify PE deformity, prescribe surgical or non-surgical therapies, and evaluate treatment outcomes. However, the use of CT is increasingly causing physicians to be concerned about the radiation doses administered to young patients. Furthermore, radiographic indices are an unsafe and expensive method of …

Importance Of Light Activation For Plant Cryptochrome And Antibacterial Drug Delivery Strategies, Merfat Ahmed Hammad

Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this project is to investigate the benefits of applying light in different systems. In the first part, the magnetoreception process that occurs in the light activated cryptochrome of Arabidopsis Thaliana was investigated. In the second part, photo-carbon monoxide releasing molecules (photo-CORMs) were investigated for their antibacterial effect to develop biomedical strategies. Overall, this has been achieved in three different studies. The first study investigated if the forward lightdriven reaction is involved in the magnetoreception process or not in cryptochrome (CRY). To accomplish this, the plant seedlings were tested for 90 minutes as follows: 5 minutes in the …

Frequency Domain Diffuse Optics Spectroscopies For Quantitative Measurement Of Tissue Optical Properties, Sadhu Moka

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Tissue oxygen saturation, blood flow and blood volume are physiological bio-markers of tissue health. Diffuse Optical Spectroscopy(DOS) and Diffuse Correlation Spectroscopy (DCS) are two complementary approaches to measure tissue oxygen saturation and blood flow respectively. Quantitative Diffuse Optical Spectroscopy (DOS) uses multi-spectral intensities of near-infrared light that have been modulated at RF frequencies to estimate static tissue optical properties and hence concentrations of oxygenated and de-oxygenated hemoglobin. Diffuse Correlation Spectroscopy estimates tissue dynamics - i.e., blood flow, by measuring temporal intensity auto-correlation function of backscattered light diffusing through the tissue. Conventionally, DCS instruments use coherent light sources with constant intensity. …

Reducing Instrumentation Barriers Of Diffuse Correlation Spectroscopy For Low-Cost Deep Tissue Blood Flow Monitoring, Arindam Biswas

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cerebral blood flow (CBF) is a good indicator of brain health as blood carries necessary nutrients, oxygen, and metabolic byproducts. Quantitative blood flow information can be used in several clinical and therapeutic applications such as stroke detection, measuring autoregulation, evaluating brain injury, or determining neuronal activity. Over the past few decades, light-based deep tissue hemodynamic detection modalities have become popular for non-invasive CBF measurements. In particular, noninvasive Diffuse Correlation Spectroscopy (DCS), has become a tool of choice for research and clinical applications due to its depth sensitivity (>1 cm), portability, validity against other technologies such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging …

Bioactive Self-Forming Hydrogels For Biomedical Applications, Kirstene Arcuino Gultian Giddings

Theses and Dissertations

Hydrogels are soft biomaterials that feature a wide range of physical and biochemical properties. Although highly versatile, hydrogels typically require an exogeneous input (e.g., light, pH, temperature) to form, and this limits their use to conditions where a catalyst is present. The goal of this dissertation is to expand the use of catalyst-based hydrogels by developing hydrogels with independently tunable properties which gel in situ without external stimuli. This new class of hydrogels was developed by first modifying macromers with norbornene (Nor) or tetrazine (Tet) moieties. Macromers containing Nor or Tet remain liquid when dissolved, and upon mixing self-form into …

Neroimaging Of Brain Activaion Using Diffuse Optical Tomography, Jingyu Huang

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This research has two parts. The first part focuses on the use of non-invasive imaging technique, diffuse optical tomography (DOT), to study the brain activation during the stimulation in the clinical room. It further extends the application of DOT by using it to monitor the hemodynamic response during the TMS stimulation in different parameters. Diffuse optical tomography (DOT) is based on NIR light that exploits the relative transparency of biological tissue. The part two and three extends the application in the hospital for delirium patient study and arm muscle dystrophy by adding the sources and detectors to monitor the brain …

Recombinant Human Plasma Gelsolin Reverses Increased Permeability Of The Blood-Brain Barrier Induced By The Spike Protein Of The Sars-Cov-2 Virus., Łukasz Suprewicz, Kiet A Tran, Ewelina Piktel, Krzysztof Fiedoruk, Paul A Janmey, Peter Galie, Robert Bucki

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Departmental Research

BACKGROUND: Plasma gelsolin (pGSN) is an important part of the blood actin buffer that prevents negative consequences of possible F-actin deposition in the microcirculation and has various functions during host immune response. Recent reports reveal that severe COVID-19 correlates with reduced levels of pGSN. Therefore, using an in vitro system, we investigated whether pGSN could attenuate increased permeability of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) during its exposure to the portion of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein containing the receptor binding domain (S1 subunit).

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two- and three-dimensional models of the human BBB were constructed using the human cerebral microvascular endothelial …

Transcriptomic Analysis Of A 3d Blood-Brain Barrier Model Exposed To Disturbed Fluid Flow., Nesrine Bouhrira, Brandon J Deore, Kiet A Tran, Peter Galie

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Departmental Research

Cerebral aneurysms are more likely to form at bifurcations in the vasculature, where disturbed fluid is prevalent due to flow separation at sufficiently high Reynolds numbers. While previous studies have demonstrated that altered shear stress exerted by disturbed flow disrupts endothelial tight junctions, less is known about how these flow regimes alter gene expression in endothelial cells lining the blood-brain barrier. Specifically, the effect of disturbed flow on expression of genes associated with cell-cell and cell-matrix interaction, which likely mediate aneurysm formation, remains unclear. RNA sequencing of immortalized cerebral endothelial cells isolated from the lumen of a 3D blood-brain barrier …

In Vitro Models For The Study Of Liver Biology And Diseases: Advances And Limitations, Savneet Kaur, Srivatsan Kidambi, Martí Ortega-Ribera, Le Thi Thanh Thuy, Natalia Nieto, Victoria C. Cogger, Wei-Fen Xie, Frank Tacke, Jordi Gracia-Sancho

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: Faculty Publications

In vitro models of liver (patho)physiology, new technologies, and experimental approaches are progressing rapidly. Based on cell lines, induced pluripotent stem cells or primary cells derived from mouse or human liver as well as whole tissue (slices), such in vitro single- and multicellular models, including complex microfluidic organ-on-a-chip systems, provide tools to functionally understand mechanisms of liver health and disease. The International Society of Hepatic Sinusoidal Research (ISHSR) commissioned this working group to review the currently available in vitro liver models and describe the advantages and disadvantages of each in the context of evaluating their use for the study of …

Aldosterone Treatment Protects Connexin 30 And 43 Expression For Age-Related Hearing Loss, Jennifer A. Pineros Valencia

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Age-related hearing loss (ARHL), also known as presbycusis, is the number one communication disorder affecting our aged population. Connexin proteins are essential for intercellular communication throughout the human body. Mutations in connexin genes have been linked to human syndromic and nonsyndromic deafness; thus, we hypothesize changes in connexin gene and protein expression with age may be involved in the development of ARHL. In our current study, connexin mRNA gene expression for CBA/CaJ mice at different age points were examined and correlations were analyzed between the changes in gene expression and functional hearing measures, such as ABRs and DPOAEs. Moreover, we …

Genetic Code Expansion In Pseudomonas Putida Kt2440, Xinyuan He, Tian Gao, Yan Chen, Kun Liu, Jiantao Guo, Wei Niu

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: Faculty Publications

Pseudomonas putida KT2440 is an emerging microbial chassis for bio-based chemical production from renewable feedstocks and environmental bioremediation. However, tools for studying, engineering, and modulating protein complexes and biosynthetic enzymes in this organism are largely underdeveloped. Genetic code expansion for the incorporation of unnatural amino acids (unAAs) into proteins can advance such efforts and, furthermore, enable additional controls of biological processes of the strain. In this work, we established the orthogonality of two widely used archaeal tRNA synthetase and tRNA pairs in KT2440. Following the optimization of decoding systems, four unAAs were incorporated into proteins in response to a UAG …

Histone Deacetylase 4 And 5 Translocation Elicited By Microsecond Pulsed Electric Field Exposure Is Mediated By Kinase Activity., Zahra Safaei, Gary L. Thompson Iii

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Departmental Research

Electroporation-based technologies using microsecond pulsed electric field (µsPEF) exposures are established as laboratory and clinical tools that permeabilize cell membranes. We demonstrate a µsPEF bioeffect on nucleocytoplasmic import and export of enzymes that regulate genetic expression, histone deacetylases (HDAC) -4 and -5. Their μsPEF-induced nucleocytoplasmic transport depends on presence and absence of extracellular calcium ions (Ca