Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering Commons^™

Raman Spectral Variation For Human Fingernails Of Postmenopausal Women Is Dependent On Fracture Risk And Osteoporosis Status, J. R. Beattie, M. C. Caraher, N. M. Cummins, O. M. O'Driscoll, R. Eastell, S. H. Ralston, Mark R. Towler

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Patients diagnosed with osteoporosis have reported loss of fingernail resilience as the disease progresses. Keratin is the predominant protein in human nail tissue, and its structure has been postulated to be different in fingernails clipped from subjects who have sustained fragility fractures and those who have not, which may offer a window into the donor's bone health. This study was designed to qualify these differences, which may lead to the development of a novel screening tool for fracture risk. Raman spectroscopy was used to measure the fingernails of 633 postmenopausal women who presented at six fracture clinics located across the …

Cancer Cell Redirection Biomarker Discovery Using A Mutual Information Approach, Kimberly Roche, F. Alex Feltus, Jang Pyo Park, Marie-May Coissieux, Chenyan Chang, Vera B.S. Chan, Mohamed Bentires-Alj, Brian W. Booth

Publications

Introducing tumor-derived cells into normal mammary stem cell niches at a sufficiently high ratio of normal to tumorous cells causes those tumor cells to undergo a change to normal mammary phenotype and yield normal mammary progeny. This phenomenon has been termed cancer cell redirection. We have developed an in vitro model that mimics in vivo redirection of cancer cells by the normal mammary microenvironment. Using the RNA profiling data from this cellular model, we examined high-level characteristics of the normal, redirected, and tumor transcriptomes and found the global expression profiles clearly distinguish the three expression states. To identify potential redirection …

A Novel Approach To Increase Upper Extremity Active Range Of Motion For Individuals With Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Using Admittance Control, Madeline Catherine Corrigan

Dissertations

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a neuromuscular disease with a prevalence of 1 in 3,500-5,000 male births, results in progressive muscle weakness causing loss of independence and imposing the demands of costly and intrusive assistive support and personal care for daily living tasks. Upper extremity function begins to decline while ambulation is still possible and gradually progresses with time, playing a prominent role in loss of independence. Importantly, upper extremity functional limitations exist despite residual muscle strength that is insufficient to lift the arms against gravity. Presently, there exist a number of commercially available assistive devices aimed at augmenting upper extremity …

Profiling The Neurovascular Cell Interactions In Alcohol Exposure And Hiv-1 Infection, Agnieszka Agas

Theses

Alcohol use is known to exacerbate the progression of human immunodeficiency virus associated acquired immunodeficiency syndrome or HIV/AIDS in the brain, known as the NeuroAIDS. The mechanisms of this accelerated progression are still poorly understood. The purpose of my thesis is to review the parameters contributing to the co-morbid effects of alcohol in the progression of NeuroAIDS. The first aim will evaluate the exacerbating effects of alcohol on HIV-1 transmission, infection, and the role of metabolic energy imbalance during NeuroAIDS progression, which will enable me to formulate the possible mechanism for NeuroAIDS progression. The second aim will help me establish …

Experimental Study Of Bubble Rupture During Shock-Fluid Interaction, Subhalakshmi Chandrasekaran

Theses

Head injuries are associated with exposure to high energy explosive detonation. There are four distinct types of blast induced neurotrauma (BINT): 1) these caused by supersonic shock waves propagating in the atmosphere (primary), 2) high velocity impact of shrapnel and debris (secondary) 3) acceleration and deceleration of the body and collision with the solid objects in the field (tertiary) and 4) exposure to high temperature and toxic gases (quaternary). One of the mechanisms implicated in non-impact primary blast-induced traumatic brain injury (bTBI) is cavitation. It is hypothesized that cavitation can occur in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) layer, brain interstitial fluid, …

Measurement Of Finger Coordination During A Motor Learning Task, Robert Ebel

Theses

The focus of this study is to observe the changes in whole hand grasp strategy, in healthy subjects, over time in a series of isometric force control learning tasks. During a series of trials with real-time visual feedback of the five finger forces, subjects adapted their grasp strategy in order to reach the target in a time efficient manner. In early trials, it is very evident that subjects focus on controlling the force output of one finger at a time until they reach the goal. As the block of trials progresses, subjects alter their strategy to a more coordinated movement …

Review Of Assistive Devices For Electric Powered Wheelchairs Navigation, K. Arshak, D. Buckley, K. Kaneswaran

The ITB Journal

The decreasing costs of microprocessor systems and increasing range of “Smart Sensors” have led to a boom in Assistive Device Technology. The annual rate of expenditure for mobility related devices has reached $1 billion dollars in the United States alone. The industries current focus is to develop a wider range of Independent Mobility Controllers to allow, even the most severely disabled person, the ability to control an Electric Powered Wheelchair (EPW). Advances in Autonomous Robot Design have led to corresponding improvements in EPW technology. This paper outlines user interfaces and input device technologies used at present to navigate an EPW.

A Novel Micro Cold Atmospheric Plasma Device For Glioblastoma Both In Vitro And In Vivo., Zhitong Chen, Hayk Simonyan, Xiaoqian Cheng, Eda Gjika, Li Lin, Jerome Canady, Jonathan H Sherman, Colin Young, Michael Keidar

Pharmacology and Physiology Faculty Publications

: Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) treatment is a rapidly expanding and emerging technology for cancer treatment. Direct CAP jet irradiation is limited to the skin and it can also be invoked as a supplement therapy during surgery as it only causes cell death in the upper three to five cell layers. However, the current cannulas from which the plasma emanates are too large for intracranial applications. To enhance efficiency and expand the applicability of the CAP method for brain tumors and reduce the gas flow rate and size of the plasma jet, a novel micro-sized CAP device (µCAP) was developed …

Decoding And Reprogramming Fungal Iterative Nonribosomal Peptide Synthetases, Daya Yu, Fuchao Xu, Shuwei Zhang, Jixun Zhan

Biological Engineering Faculty Publications

Nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs) assemble a large group of structurally and functionally diverse natural products. While the iterative catalytic mechanism of bacterial NRPSs is known, it remains unclear how fungal NRPSs create products of desired length. Here we show that fungal iterative NRPSs adopt an alternate incorporation strategy. Beauvericin and bassianolide synthetases have the same C₁-A₁-T₁-C₂-A₂-MT-T_2a-T_2b-C₃ domain organization. During catalysis, C₃ and C₂ take turns to incorporate the two biosynthetic precursors into the growing depsipeptide chain that swings between T₁ and T …

A Deterministic Model Of The Effect Of Electric Field On Chemotherapeutics Delivery Into A Tumor, Maryam Moarefian, Luke Achenie

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of The Mitochondrial Metabolism Of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Upon Differentiation, Stefanie T. Shahan

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) can be differentiated into any cell type found in the body. The derivation of a stem cell derived β cell (SC-β) capable of responding to glucose by secreting insulin was hugely significant for diabetes research and opened up the possibility of cell replacement therapy to combat this widespread disease (Pagliuca et al. 2014). The optimization of differentiation procedures such as this could improve yield, function, cost, and efficiency of a stem cell-derived product. Current approaches to improve differentiation are primarily focused on signal transduction pathways, while the metabolic state of the cells has received little …

Modeling Accommodation Control Of The Human Eye: Chromatic Aberration And Color Opponency, Agostino Gibaldi, Steven A. Cholewiak, Marty S. Banks

MODVIS Workshop

Accommodation is the process by which the eye lens changes optical power to maintain a clear retinal image as the distance to the fixated object varies. Although luminance blur has long been considered the driving feature for accommodation, it is by definition unsigned (i.e., there is no difference between the defocus of an object closer or farther than the focus distance). Nonetheless, the visual system initially accommodates in the correct direction, implying that it exploits a cue with sign information. Here, we present a model of accommodation control based on such a cue: Longitudinal Chromatic Aberration (LCA). The model relies …

A Tunable, Three-Dimensional In Vitro Culture Model Of Growth Plate Cartilage Using Alginate Hydrogel Scaffolds, Alek G. Erickson, Taylor D. Laughlin, Sarah Romereim, Catherine Sargus-Patino, Angela K. Pannier, Andrew T. Dudley

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Defining the final size and geometry of engineered tissues through precise control of the scalar and vector components of tissue growth is a necessary benchmark for regenerative medicine, but it has proved to be a significant challenge for tissue engineers. The growth plate cartilage that promotes elongation of the long bones is a good model system for studying morphogenetic mechanisms because cartilage is composed of a single cell type, the chondrocyte; chondrocytes are readily maintained in culture; and growth trajectory is predominately in a single vector. In this cartilage, growth is generated via a differentiation program that is spatially and …

Heuristics From Statistics—Modeling The Behavior And Perception Of Non-Rigid Materials, Vivian C. Paulun, Roland W. Fleming

MODVIS Workshop

No abstract provided.

Modelling Grip Point Selection In Human Precision Grip, Guido Maiello, Lina Klein, Vivian C. Paulun, Roland W. Fleming

MODVIS Workshop

No abstract provided.

Biomaterials For Local, Controlled Drug Delivery To The Injured Spinal Cord, Alexis M. Ziemba, Ryan J. Gilbert

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Affecting approximately 17,000 new people each year, spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating injury that leads to permanent paraplegia or tetraplegia. Current pharmacological approaches are limited in their ability to ameliorate this injury pathophysiology, as many are not delivered locally, for a sustained duration, or at the correct injury time point. With this review, we aim to communicate the importance of combinatorial biomaterial and pharmacological approaches that target certain aspects of the dynamically changing pathophysiology of SCI. After reviewing the pathophysiology timeline, we present experimental biomaterial approaches to provide local sustained doses of drug. In this review, we present …

Pediatric Leukemia: Diagnosis To Treatment–A Review, Samantha C. Bernard, Ehab H. Abdelsamad, Paisley A. Johnson, Daniel L. Chapman, Madhukiran Parvathaneni

Faculty Works

Leukemia is cancer of the blood and bone marrow, it is the most common cancer found in children and is found to be more than one fourth of pediatric cancers. It causes white blood cells to become abnormal and the body to become weak. This deficiency in the immune system reduces the body's ability to fight infection or simple airborne illnesses, causing extensive treatment of common pathogens and cancer treatment. The present review covers all topics, from diagnosis to treatment of pediatric leukemia, as well as the stages of growth and physiological changes throughout the process. As leukemia has a …

Toward Measuring Network Aesthetics Based On Symmetry, Zengqiang Chen, Matthias Dehmer, Frank Emmert-Streib, Abbe Mowshowitz, Yongtang Shi

Publications and Research

In this exploratory paper, we discuss quantitative graph-theoretical measures of network aesthetics. Related work in this area has typically focused on geometrical features (e.g., line crossings or edge bendiness) of drawings or visual representations of graphs which purportedly affect an observer’s perception. Here we take a very different approach, abandoning reliance on geometrical properties, and apply information-theoretic measures to abstract graphs and networks directly (rather than to their visual representaions) as a means of capturing classical appreciation of structural symmetry. Examples are used solely to motivate the approach to measurement, and to elucidate our symmetry-based mathematical theory of network aesthetics.

Mri Applications In Tissue Engineering, Shadi Othman

Science Seminar Series

Shadi Othman of the School of Engineering and Computer Science Bioengineering Program, will speak on his research on MRI applications in tissue engineering.

Effects Of Bioengineering Scaffolds Releasing Neurotrophins And Body Weight Supported Treadmill Training On H-Reflex After Spinal Cord Injury, Jaclyn Ann Witko

Theses and Dissertations

Changes in monosynaptic reflex, often used to study spasticity, has been tested through the H-reflex in spinal cord injury (SCI) patients after rehabilitation training, such as body weight support treadmill training or cycling. The combinational effects of rehabilitation training and a bioengineered scaffold on spasticity in SCI animal model have not been studied. We used a clinically relevant animal model of spinal cord moderate contusion at T9/T10 with BWSTT and the bioengineered scaffold PNIPAAm-g-PEG loaded with the growth factors BDNF/NT-3 to measure the efficiency of the combinational bioengineered approach to treat spasticity. Five animal groups were included in the study: …

Erratum To: Supplemental Vibrotactile Feedback Control Of Stabilization And Reaching Actions Of The Arm Using Limb State And Position Error Encodings, Alexis Krueger, Psiche Giannoni, Valay Shah, Maura Casadio, Robert A. Scheidt

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

The original article contained omissions mistakenly carried forward by the Production department handling this journal; these omissions related to missing ‘λ’ symbols throughout the article body, thus inaccurately representing the meaning of the associated text.

The article has now been updated to include these symbols in the appropriate sections of text to accurately reflect the conveyed implications.

Supplemental Vibrotactile Feedback Control Of Stabilization And Reaching Actions Of The Arm Using Limb State And Position Error Encodings, Alexis Krueger, Psiche Giannoni, Valay Shah, Maura Casadio, Robert A. Scheidt

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Deficits of kinesthesia (limb position and movement sensation) commonly limit sensorimotor function and its recovery after neuromotor injury. Sensory substitution technologies providing synthetic kinesthetic feedback might re-establish or enhance closed-loop control of goal-directed behaviors in people with impaired kinesthesia.

Ultrasonically Responsive Tissue Engineering Scaffolds For The Temporal Control Over Osteo-Inductive Growth Factor Delivery, Catherine Linh

Senior Honors Projects

In 2012, approximately 6.8 million people in the United States were diagnosed with orthopedic injuries or diseases. Over 500,000 people in the United States underwent bone grafting procedures, which cost 2.5 billion dollars per year and can result in complications. Polymer-based grafting scaffolds can facilitate 3D bone tissue growth in a localized, sustained manner. However, bone regeneration requires the orchestration of a sequence of events. Current scaffolds based on degradation and diffusion cannot provide sequential deliveries. We aimed to design a polymer scaffold that can release one payload diffusively at early time points, followed by ultrasonically triggered release of a …

A Liver-Kidney Biosubsystem, Brian J. Budnik

Bioengineering Dissertations - Archive

Each year many patients die waiting for a transplant organ to become available. Increasing the available number of transplant organs would save lives. The donor pool could be expanded if organs which are considered to be of uncertain viability could be utilized for transplantation. Currently, when there is any doubt about the viability of the organ, it is discarded. This occurs because there has been no way to confirm its viability other than to transplant it and risk the life of the recipient. Thus, many organs that are in fact good are wasted. Some might not be fully viable but …

Development Of Cancer Trap For Capturing Cancer Cells That Metastasize In The Peritoneal Cavity: A Preliminary Study, Chuka I. Okpokwasili

Bioengineering Theses - Archive

Our laboratory has recently developed an implantable device - cancer trap that can recruit and trap circulating cancer cells inside the bloodstream. Since several types of cancer cells can metastasize inside the peritoneal cavity, this study explores the possibility of using cancer traps to recruit esophageal and prostate cancer cells inside the peritoneum. Using prostate cancer and esophageal cancer cells as model cancers, this thesis shows that cancer traps can capture cancer cells inside the peritoneal space. EPO releasing traps was also shown to reduce the spread of prostate cancer as well as esophageal cancer compared to controls. Using multiple …

Blood-Brain Barrier-On-A-Chip Systems Based On 3d Printing, Cade I. Harding

Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

This research focused on the design and testing of a blood-brain barrier (BBB)-on-a-chip microfluidic device produced using 3D printing. First, COMSOL simulations were used to define dimensions of the microchannel that would most accurately replicate the flow environment imposed on the blood-brain barrier, the wall shear stress being the most important characteristic. In using COMSOL, water was used as the simulated fluid and also the testing fluid in the fabricated devices. Therefore, the microsystem is designed to produce the BBB environment using water instead of blood. The numerical simulation parameters were based on theoretical calculations performed to scale up the …

T-Cell Membrane Camouflaged Nanoparticles For Treatment Of Melanoma, Gizem Oter

Bioengineering Theses - Archive

Melanoma is one of the most aggressive skin cancers. The American Cancer Society reports that every hour, one person dies from melanoma. While there are a number of treatments currently available for melanoma (e.g. surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiation therapy), these therapies face several problems, including inadequate response rates, high toxicity, and severe side effects due to non-specific delivery of anti-cancer drugs. To improve therapeutic efficiency and reduce these limitations, a multifunctional nanoparticle has been developed. Specifically, poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs) were coated with a cellular membrane derived from the T cell hybridoma, 19LF6 endowed with a melanoma-specific anti-gp100/ …

Pairing Of Anaerobic And Aerobic Treatment Of Petroleum Wastewater, Zachary Fica

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The objective of this project was to treat petroleum refinery wastewater using a combination of anaerobic and aerobic processes, namely an Up-flow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB) reactor paired with a Rotation Algae Biofilm Reactor (RABR), respectively, to produce a treated effluent. The treatment method developed needed to produce a cost-effective and efficient way to decrease nitrogen, phosphorous, total suspended solids (TSS), and COD concentrations to below State of Utah limitations. It was demonstrated that RABR treatment was capable of reducing effluent concentrations of nitrogen, phosphorus, and TSS to State of Utah limitations. RABR treatment did not significantly reduce COD from …

Examining The Effects Of Macrophage Populations On Cancerous Tumor Growth., Grace E. Mahlbacher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The most abundant immune cell types of the tumor microenvironment macrophages recruited there by tumor-eluted factors. The role of these immune cells in tumor progression, and the interplay between tumor and immune cells is an emerging field of research with potential for novel treatment strategies. Here, a TIE2 expressing macrophage (TEM) subtype is integrated into a virtual tumor model. Within the 2D microenvironment, the TEM will differentiate from an extravasated monocyte precursor, congregate around the abluminal side of the vasculature in response to a chemoattractant gradient, secrete cytokines which favor differentiation of a separate angiogenic macrophage subtype [1]. The effects …

A Novel Mra-Based Framework For The Detection Of Changes In Cerebrovascular Blood Pressure., Yitzhak Atakilt Gebru

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: High blood pressure (HBP) affects 75 million adults and is the primary or contributing cause of mortality in 410,000 adults each year in the United States. Chronic HBP leads to cerebrovascular changes and is a significant contributor for strokes, dementia, and cognitive impairment. Non-invasive measurement of changes in cerebral vasculature and blood pressure (BP) may enable physicians to optimally treat HBP patients. This manuscript describes a method to non-invasively quantify changes in cerebral vasculature and BP using Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA) imaging.

Methods: MRA images and BP measurements were obtained from patients (n=15, M=8, F=7, Age= 49.2 …