Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering Commons^™

Glycocalyx Mechanotransduction Mechanisms Are Involved In Renal Cancer Metastasis, Heriberto Moran, Limary M. Cancel, Peigen Huang, Sylvie Roberge, Tuoye Xu, John M. Tarbell, Lance L. Munn

Publications and Research

Mammalian cells, including cancer cells, are covered by a surface layer containing cell bound proteoglycans, glycoproteins, associated glycosaminoglycans and bound proteins that is commonly referred to as the glycocalyx. Solid tumors also have a dynamic fluid microenvironment with elevated interstitial flow. In the present work we further investigate the hypothesis that interstitial flow is sensed by the tumor glycocalyx leading to activation of cell motility and metastasis. Using a highly metastatic renal carcinoma cell line (SN12L1) and its low metastatic counterpart (SN12C) we demonstrate in vitro that the small molecule Suberoylanilide Hydroxamic Acid (SAHA) inhibits the heparan sulfate synthesis enzyme …

In Vitro Mitral Valve Model With Unrestricted Ventricular Access: Using Vacuum To Close The Valve And Enable Static Trans-Mitral Pressure, Sam E. Stephens, Alexander J. Kammien, Jacob C. Paris, Alexis P. Applequist, Neil B. Ingels, Hanna K. Jensen, Drew E. Rodgers, Charles R. Cole, Jonathan F. Wenk, Morten O. Jensen

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Current in vitro models of the left heart establish the pressure difference required to close the mitral valve by sealing and pressurizing the ventricular side of the valve, limiting important access to the subvalvular apparatus. This paper describes and evaluates a system that establishes physiological pressure differences across the valve using vacuum on the atrial side. The subvalvular apparatus is open to atmospheric pressure and accessible by tools and sensors, establishing a novel technique for experimentation on atrioventricular valves. Porcine mitral valves were excised and closed by vacuum within the atrial chamber. Images were used to document and analyze closure …

Optimizing Biomedical Discoveries As An Engine Of Culture Change In An Academic Medical Center, Anne K. Dechant, Stephen Fening, Michael Haag, William Harte, Mark R. Chance

Faculty Scholarship

Academic discovery in biomedicine is a growing enterprise with tens of billions of dollars in research funding available to universities and hospitals. Protecting and optimizing the resultant intellectual property is required in order for the discoveries to have an impact on society. To achieve that, institutions must create a multidisciplinary, collaborative system of review and support, and utilize connections to industry partners. In this study, we outline the efforts of Case Western Reserve University, coordinated through its Clinical and Translational Science Collaborative (CTSC), to promote entrepreneurial culture, and achieve goals of product development and startup formation for biomedical and population …

Toward A Multimodal Computer-Aided Diagnostic Tool For Alzheimer’S Disease Conversion, Danilo Pena, Jessika Suescun, Mya Schiess, Timothy M. Ellmore, Luca Giancardo, Alzheimer’S Disease Neuroimaging Initiative

Publications and Research

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder. It is one of the leading sources of morbidity and mortality in the aging population AD cardinal symptoms include memory and executive function impairment that profoundly alters a patient’s ability to perform activities of daily living. People with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) exhibit many of the early clinical symptoms of patients with AD and have a high chance of converting to AD in their lifetime. Diagnostic criteria rely on clinical assessment and brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Many groups are working to help automate this process to improve the clinical workflow. Current …

Stress Corrosion Analysis And Direct Cell Viability Of Biodegradable Zn-Fe-Ca Alloy In In-Vitro Conditions, Orit Avior, Noa Ben Ghedalia-Peled, Tomer Ron, Jeremy Goldman, Razi Vago, Eli Aghion

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Due to the excellent biocompatibility of Zn and Zn-based alloys, researchers have shown great interest in developing biodegradable implants based on zinc. Furthermore, zinc is an essential component of many enzymes and proteins. The human body requires ~15 mg of Zn per day, and there is minimal concern for systemic toxicity from a small zinc-based cardiovascular implant, such as an arterial stent. However, biodegradable Zn-based implants have been shown to provoke local fibrous encapsulation reactions that may isolate the implant from its surrounding environment and interfere with implant function. The development of biodegradable implants made from Zn-Fe-Ca alloy was designed …

Evaluation Of Cell-Matrix Interactions In K14+ Leader Cells On Caf-Modulated Matrix, Trey P. Redman, Jessanne Y. Lichtenberg, Priscilla Y. Hwang

Summer REU Program

No abstract provided.

Engineering Instruction, Inclusion, And Comics: Reflections From A Student Illustrator And An Instructor, Addison Totman, Sreyoshi Bhaduri, Krishna Pakala, Cherie D. Edwards, Michelle Soledad

Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper presents the opportunity gap for comics in engineering education, through reflections from a team redesigning a mechanical engineering syllabi using illustrations. To increase a sense of belonging among diverse students, the authors of this paper propose a graphic narrative focused on the curriculum of the mechanical engineering department at a large public university in Western United States. We hope that this paper addresses the underutilized and largely missed opportunity to add engagement, better conceptual understanding, and improve inclusion in engineering classrooms through incorporating visual illustrations.

Work-In-Progress: Mobile Assisted Gains Through Innovative Curriculum For Students In The Thermal-Fluids Science Course, Maeve Bakic, Krishna Pakala, Diana Bairaktarova, Devshikha Bose

Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

A learner-centered higher education ecosystem is essential to effective educational outcomes and societal advancement. Mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets, and tablet computers enable learning anytime and from any location, blurring the boundaries between formal and informal learning. When paired with effective pedagogy, mobile technologies can positively impact the teaching and learning experience for students in high-demand science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines, increasing the flexibility and ease with which they are able to pursue their education while developing their professional identities as engineers. Student retention remains a problem in STEM programs. In engineering, many students do not even …

Human Interaction With Fake News, Autumn Woodson, Sampath Jayarathna (Mentor)

Computer & Information Science: Research Experiences for Undergraduates in Disinformation Detection and Analytics

No abstract provided.

Development Of Gene Regulatory Elements For Biosensing Applications, Mallory N. Bates

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

21% of U.S adults experienced mental illnesses in 2020. Nearly 1 in 4 active- duty military personnel showed signs of mental health conditions in 2014 [89]. Mental health can be identified in the body by different biomarkers. These biomarkers potentially could be controlled by riboswitches, which could help mental illnesses and regulate diseases. Riboswitches are desirable in these cases due to responding without affecting vital functions. Riboswitches are located in mRNA and switch “ON” or “OFF” depending on the concentration of a biomarker [13]. In this research, riboswitches were re-engineered to take a known riboswitch and control its response in …

Novel Hybrid Solar Nanophotonic Distillation Membrane With Photovoltaic Module For Co-Production Of Electricity And Water, Alejandro Espejo Sanchez, Nipun Goel, Todd Otanicar

Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Solar energy utilization and desalination are both critical needs for large portions of the world facing energy and water challenges. Direct contact membrane distillation is an attractive thermally driven desalination technique that can easily be integrated with solar energy. Here we propose and experimentally demonstrate for the first time a hybrid direct contact membrane desalination plus photovoltaic device. The system utilizes partially transparent photovoltaic cells to produce electricity and pass thermal energy to the nanoparticle doped membrane to produce thermal energy at the membrane surface. A custom lab-scale direct contact membrane distillation setup characterizes the membranes fabricated off-sun and on-sun. …

Vision And Radar Steering Reduces Agricultural Sprayer Operator Stress Without Compromising Steering Performance, Travis A. Burgers, Kelly J. Vanderwerff

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

Self-propelled agricultural sprayer operators work an average of 15 h d^-1 in peak season, and steering is the task that causes the operator the most stress because of the large number of stimuli involved. Automatic guidance systems help reduce stress and fatigue for operators by allowing them to focus on tasks other than steering. Physiological signals like skin conductance (electrodermal activity, EDA) change with stress and can be used to identify stressful events. The objective of this study was to determine if using a commercially available vision and radar guidance system (VSN®, Raven Industries) reduces agricultural sprayer operators’ stress …

Structural And Hemodynamic Analysis Of Transcatheter Aortic Valves, Dong Qiu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedure has become a well-established procedure for high, intermediate-risk, and low-risk patients. However, there is limited clinical data on the TAV's long-term durability, unlike SAV devices. Computational simulations can be an alternative way to evaluate the TAV devices. This dissertation aims to conduct structural and hemodynamic analyses on the TAV devices under different conditions using computational simulation approaches.

Initially, the impact of the bicuspid aortic valve on the TAV devices was evaluated. The result indicated that the CoreValve-like supra-annular self-expandable device was likely to have increased stress and strain on the leaflet when it …

Pulmonary Valve Replacement, Mina Shafiei

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Currently, transcatheter pulmonary valve replacement (TPVR) is a well-established alternative for surgical pulmonary valve replacement (SPVR) to treat pulmonary valve disorders in patients with prior congenital heart surgery. Edwards Sapien 3 valve is a bioprosthesis originally designed for the aortic position but has been used off-label in native right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT). It is currently under clinical trial to get food and drug administration (FDA) approval.

This study is a comparison of the performance of Sapien 3 with surgical bioprosthetics. The in vitro tests result showed Sapien 3 experiences less degree of opening and effective orifice area in pulmonic …

Measuring Engineering Students’ Engagement In Sustainability Design Concepts, Karen Perez, Donald Plumlee

Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Within industries, governments, and accreditation organizations, there has been a push to incorporate sustainability concepts into engineering education. Universities like Boise State University (BSU) are starting to place greater emphasis on the inclusion of sustainability concepts in different engineering program curricula. As part of a project funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the BSU mechanical engineering program is integrating sustainability concepts specifically by using active learning modules (ALMs) suitable for each level of student education, progressing from freshman to senior. ALMs have shown to be more effective in improving motivation in the classroom compared to traditional learning. To measure …

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 …

Mechanotransductive Feedback Control Of Endothelial Cell Motility And Vascular Morphogenesis, Devon E. Mason, Megan Goeckel, Sebastian Vega, Pei-Hsun Wu, Dymonn Johnson, Su-Jin Heo, Denis Wirtz, Jason A. Burdick, Levi Wood, Brian Y. Chow, Amber N. Stratman, Joel D. Boerckel

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Departmental Research

Vascular morphogenesis requires persistent endothelial cell motility that is responsive to diverse and dynamic mechanical stimuli. Here, we interrogated the mechanotransductive feedback dynamics that govern endothelial cell motility and vascular morphogenesis. We show that the transcriptional regulators, YAP and TAZ, are activated by mechanical cues to transcriptionally limit cytoskeletal and focal adhesion maturation, forming a conserved mechanotransductive feedback loop that mediates human endothelial cell motility in vitro and zebrafish intersegmental vessel (ISV) morphogenesis in vivo. This feedback loop closes in 4 hours, achieving cytoskeletal equilibrium in 8 hours. Feedback loop inhibition arrested endothelial cell migration in vitro and ISV morphogenesis …

The Applications And Challenges Of The Development Of In Vitro Tumor Microenvironment Chips, Annika Johnson, Samuel Reimer, Ryan Childres, Grace Cupp, Tia C L Kohs, Owen J T Mccarty, Youngbok (Abraham) Kang

Faculty Publications - Biomedical, Mechanical, and Civil Engineering

The tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a critical, yet mechanistically elusive role in tumor development and progression, as well as drug resistance. To better understand the pathophysiology of the complex TME, a reductionist approach has been employed to create in vitro microfluidic models called “tumor chips”. Herein, we review the fabrication processes, applications, and limitations of the tumor chips currently under development for use in cancer research. Tumor chips afford capabilities for real-time observation, precise control of microenvironment factors (e.g. stromal and cellular components), and application of physiologically relevant fluid shear stresses and perturbations. Applications for tumor chips include drug screening …

Pediatric Cardiac Devices: Recent Progress And Remaining Problems, Kyle Crawford, Martine Leberge, Dan Simionescu, Naren Vyavahare

Publications

Pediatric cardiology is a field that largely relies on translation of innovation in its adult counterpart in order to improve patient outcomes and introduce new technology to the field. Few FDA-approved pediatric cardiac devices are available for clinical use, thus leading to widespread off-label use within the field. Nonetheless, adaption of devices and technology from the adult field has proven to improve patient outcomes and overall wellness. However, the diversity of congenital heart disease, in terms of basic anatomy and treatment response, continues to complicate results. The combination of diversity of anatomy and small population size make it difficult for …

Towards Fluoro-Free Interventions: Using Radial Intracardiac Ultrasound For Vascular Navigation, Hareem Nisar, Leah Groves, Leandro Cardarelli-Leite, Terry M Peters, Elvis C.S. Chen

Robarts Imaging Publications

Transcatheter cardio-vascular interventions have the advantage of patient safety,reduced surgery time, and minimal trauma to the patient's body. Transcathetherinterventions, which are performed percutaneously, suffer from the lack of direct line-of-sight with the surgical tools and the patient anatomy. Therefore, such interventionalprocedures rely heavily on image guidance for navigating towards and deliveringtherapy at the target site. Vascular navigation via the inferior vena cava (IVC), from thegroin to the heart, is an imperative part of most transcatheter cardiovascularinterventions such as valve repair surgeries and ablation therapy. Traditionally, the IVCis navigated using fluoroscopic techniques such as angiography or CT venography.These X-ray based techniques …

A Radiofrequency Coil To Facilitate Task-Based Fmri Of Awake Marmosets, Kyle Gilbert, Audrey Dureux, Azadeh Jafari, Alessandro Zanini, Peter Zeman, Ravi S. Menon, Stefan Everling

Robarts Imaging Publications

Background: The small common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) is an ideal nonhuman primate for awake fMRI in ultra-high field small animal MRI scanners. However, it can often be challenging in task-based fMRI experiments to provide a robust stimulus within the MRI environment while using hardware (an RF coil and restraint system) that is compatible with awake imaging. New Method: Here we present an RF coil and restraint system that permits unimpeded access to an awake marmoset’s head subsequent to immobilization, thereby permitting the setup of peripheral devices and stimuli proximal to the head.

Results: As an example application, an …

Towards Ultrasound-Based Navigation: Deep Learning Based Ivc Lumen Segmentation From Intracardiac Echocardiography, Hareem Nisar, Patrick Carnahan, Djalal Fakim, Humayoun Akhunzada, David Hocking, Elvis Chen, Terry Peters

Robarts Imaging Publications

ascular navigation is a prerequisite to transcatheter cardiac interventions. The current standard approach to catheter navigation relies on real-time fluoroscopy, while this technique utilizes ionizing radiation and it places the interventionalist at risk for eye cataracts and cancer. The shielding equipment needed to mitigate these risks is associated with spinal issues and neck and back pain which has led towards the coining of the term "interventionalist's disc disease". A proposed alternative is to have an ultrasound-guided vascular navigation system where a catheter-based ultrasound probe scans the vessel and reconstructs the vascular roadmap, which can then be navigated by tracked guidewire …

Leveraging The Advancements In Functional Biomaterials And Scaffold Fabrication Technologies For Chronic Wound Healing Applications, Alap A. Zahid, Aishik Chakraborty, Yasmeen Shamiya, Shruthi Polla Ravi, Arghya Paul

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Publications

Exploring new avenues for clinical management of chronic wounds holds the key to eliminating socioeconomic burdens and health-related concerns associated with this silent killer. Engineered biomaterials offer great promise for repair and regeneration of chronic wounds because of their ability to deliver therapeutics, protect the wound environment, and support the skin matrices to facilitate tissue growth. This mini review presents recent advances in biomaterial functionalities for enhancing wound healing and demonstrates a move from sub-optimal methods to multi-functionalized treatment approaches. In this context, we discuss the recently reported biomaterial characteristics such as bioadhesiveness, antimicrobial properties, proangiogenic attributes, and anti-inflammatory properties …

Segmentation Of Intracranial Structures From Noncontrast Ct Images With Deep Learning, Evan Porter

Wayne State University Dissertations

Presented in this work is an investigation of the application of artificially intelligent algorithms, namely deep learning, to generate segmentations for the application in functional avoidance radiotherapy treatment planning. Specific applications of deep learning for functional avoidance include generating hippocampus segmentations from computed tomography (CT) images and generating synthetic pulmonary perfusion images from four-dimensional CT (4DCT).A single institution dataset of 390 patients treated with Gamma Knife stereotactic radiosurgery was created. From these patients, the hippocampus was manually segmented on the high-resolution MR image and used for the development of the data processing methodology and model testing. It was determined that …

Biomedical Applications Of Lanthanide Nanomaterials, For Imaging, Sensing And Therapy, Qize Zhang, Stephen O'Brien, Jan Grimm

Publications and Research

The application of nanomaterials made of rare earth elements within biomedical sciences continues to make significant progress. The rare earth elements, also called the lanthanides, play an essential role in modern life through materials and electronics. As we learn more about their utility, function, and underlying physics, we can contemplate extending their applications to biomedicine. This particularly applies to diagnosis and radiation therapy due to their relatively unique features, such as an ultra-wide Stokes shift in the luminescence, variable magnetism and potentially tunable properties, due to the library of lanthanides available and their multivalent oxidation state chemistry. The ability to …

Tunable Blood Shunt For Neonates With Complex Congenital Heart Defects, Ellen Garver, Christopher B. Rodell, Kristen Shema, Krianthan Govender, Samantha E. Cassel, Bryan Ferrick, Gabriella Kupsho, Ethan Kung, Kara L. Spiller, Randy Stevens, Amy L. Throckmorton

Publications

Despite advancements in procedures and patient care, mortality rates for neonatal recipients of the Norwood procedure, a palliation for single ventricle congenital malformations, remain high due to the use of a fixed-diameter blood shunt. In this study, a new geometrically tunable blood shunt was investigated to address limitations of the current treatment paradigm (e.g., Modified Blalock-Taussig Shunt) by allowing for controlled modulation of blood flow through the shunt to accommodate physiological changes due to the patient’s growth. First, mathematical and computational cardiovascular models were established to investigate the hemodynamic requirements of growing neonatal patients with shunts and to inform design …

The Role Of Ball Backspin Alignment And Variability In Basketball Shooting Accuracy, Nathan Slegers, Dave Love

Faculty Publications - Biomedical, Mechanical, and Civil Engineering

Interaction between the shooting hand and ball at the moment a basketball is released generates a three dimensional backspin of the ball. This study is the first to investigate how characteristics of the backspin alignment and variability contribute to lateral shooting accuracy. Spin axis (SA) direction and backspin magnitude were measured on 25 shot attempts for 26 collegiate basketball players (male: n = 16, female: n = 10). The mean SA alignment, as viewed from the shooting hand side, was found to be tipped down and towards the target (p < 0.001). Standard deviations (SD) in the SA alignment were strong predictors of lateral accuracy (vertical SD: r = 0.80, p < 0.001, forward-backward SD: r = 0.51, p = 0.01), with variation in the vertical alignment being the best predictor. No significant correlation between mean SA misalignment and lateral accuracy was observed. However, intra-individual relationships between SA misalignment and lateral error revealed that individuals tended to have 0.17 degrees more misalignment for each cm of lateral error (p < 0.001, 95% CI: 0.24–0.09). These indicate that while an individual’s mean alignment may not predict lateral accuracy, improving one’s SA alignment and reducing alignment variability may increase lateral accuracy.

Examining The Effects Of Synthetic Dye Yellow No. 5 (Tartrazine) Exposure On Mouse Neuro2a Neurons In Vitro, Jenna L. Farnum

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Yellow Dye No. 5, also known as tartrazine (TRZ), is widely used[1] and has an accepted daily intake (ADI) of 0-7.5 mg/kg of body weight per day^[2]. Consuming TRZ dosages greater than the ADI can lead to reduced levels of antioxidant enzymes in the brain, chromosomal alterations, or neuronal dendritic changes, [3, 4] which can result in oxidative stress, impaired neuronal functioning and potential mutagenic effects. Within the ADI, there have been observed reductions of the copper zinc superoxide dismutase-1 (SOD1) enzyme levels.[5]We hypothesize that TRZ interacts pre-translationally inside the cell, resulting in the reduction of SOD1 mRNA. …

Mesenchymal Stromal Cell And Chondrocyte Mobility In 3d Bioprinted Hydrogel Constructs, Alesia Lokshina

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a progressive cartilage degeneration disease with a complex pathologic mechanism. Although OA has devastating effects on patient quality of life and places a significant burden on the healthcare system, no disease-modifying drugs have been found, and surgical treatment options are often unsustainable. 3D bioprinting is a novel field within tissue engineering that focuses on developing biocompatible constructs that can be implanted to replace an organ or tissue. Such constructs have a great potential to become treatments for OA. Understanding cell mobility within hydrogels could play a vital role in advancing the development of biocompatible constructs. However, due …

A Highly Conductive, Flexible, And 3d-Printable Carbon Nanotube-Elastomer Ink For Additive Bio-Manufacturing, Andy Shar, Phillip Glass, Daeha Joung Ph.D.

UROP Posters

The synthesis of a highly conductive, flexible, 3D-printable, and biocompatible ink has been of great interest in the field of bio-based additive manufacturing. Various applications include ultra-sensitive, microscale tactile sensors, patient-customizable scaffolds for cardiac and nerve tissue regeneration, and flexible electrocardiogram (ECG) electrodes. Here, a novel elastomeric carbon nanocomposite is presented consisting of amino-functionalized carbon nanotubes (CNT-NH₂) homogenously dispersed in a one-part room-temperature vulcanizing (RTV) silicone matrix. The use of acetone as a swelling solvent aids in electrical percolation through the elastomer matrix. CNT-NH₂ ratios can be tuned to fit various needs; higher tensile strength is favored …