Biomedical Commons^™

Towards Stable Electrochemical Sensing For Wearable Wound Monitoring, Sohini Roychoudhury

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Wearable biosensing has the tremendous advantage of providing point-of-care diagnosis and convenient therapy. In this research, methods to stabilize the electrochemical sensing response from detection of target biomolecules, Uric Acid (UA) and Xanthine, closely linked to wound healing, have been investigated. Different kinds of materials have been explored to address such detection from a wearable, healing platform. Electrochemical sensing modalities have been implemented in the detection of purine metabolites, UA and Xanthine, in the physiologically relevant ranges of the respective biomarkers. A correlation can be drawn between the concentrations of these bio-analytes and wound severity, thus offering probable quantitative insights …

Improving 3d Printed Prosthetics With Sensors And Motors, Rachel Zarin

Honors Projects

A 3D printed hand and arm prosthetic was created from the idea of adding bionic elements while keeping the cost low. It was designed based on existing models, desired functions, and materials available. A tilt sensor keeps the hand level, two motors move the wrist in two different directions, a limit switch signals the fingers to open and close, and another motor helps open and close the fingers. All sensors and motors were built on a circuit board, programmed using an Arduino, and powered by a battery. Other supporting materials include metal brackets, screws, guitar strings, elastic bands, small clamps, …

Effect Of Tcdd, An Environmental Contaminant, On Activation Of Ahr Leading To Induction Of Myeloid Derived Suppressor Cells (Mdscs) And The Ability Of Resveratrol, A Botanical, To Neutralize This Effect, Wurood Hantoosh Neamah

Theses and Dissertations

Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), is a ligand-activated transcription factor that integrates environmental, dietary, microbial and metabolic cues to control various cellular processes, such as the cell cycle, epithelial barrier function, cell migration and immune function. AhR was discovered as the receptor that binds with high affinity to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) and leads to numerous of toxicological outcomes. In the current study, we discovered a critical role played by AhR, following activation by TCDD, in modulating a variety of immunological functions through regulation of epigenetic and microbial pathways. Our data demonstrated that AhR activation triggers MDSC mobilization from bone marrow to peritoneal …

Role Of Epigenetic, Molecular And Cellular Pathways In The Regulation Of Inflammation, William James Becker

Theses and Dissertations

Dysregulated inflammation is at the heart of countless human diseases. Graft rejection is the process by which an organ from an incompatible donor is rejected by the recipient whose immune cells attack the foreign tissue. Colitis is an inflammatory disorder caused by undue chronic inflammation in the colon and rectum that can progress to cancer. Colitis incidence is on the rise, especially in developing nations and Asia; and the list of patients who need organ transplants grow by the day. Therapies for both graft rejection and colitis are limited to immunosuppressive drugs that leaves patients vulnerable to infection, heart disease, …

Epigenetic And Purinergic Regulation Of Mast Cells Mediator Release, Zahraa Abdulmohsin Mohammed

Theses and Dissertations

Mast cells (MCs) are well known for their implications in allergic reactions. They are also known to have multiple functions in the innate and adaptive immune system. Their activation plays an essential role in many aspects of physiological and pathological conditions. Allergies are considered chronic conditions that affect more than 60 million people in the U.S. These diseases are driven by the activation of MCs in response to IgE-mediated antigen, rendering these cells as targets for the management of allergies and asthma. Therefore, this research considers the understanding of their activation and the regulation of their response to be an …

Interdependent Mechanisms Of Stress Susceptibility, Julie Elaine Finnell

Theses and Dissertations

Social stress is a significant risk factor for the emergence of psychiatric disorders including depression and anxiety. While there are a number of commercially available therapeutic options for the treatment of these disorders, these treatments require weeks of continuous use to produce behavioral efficacy. It has also been suggested that these traditional therapies are only marginally effective in producing complete remission, suggesting that our understanding as it pertains to the mechanisms underlying stressinduced behavioral dysfunction is still in its infancy. In the last few years, inflammation has become a major focus in the field of stress and depression as clinical …

The Contribution Of Adipose Tissue From Ovariectomized Mice To Colon Cancer, Meredith Smith Carson

Theses and Dissertations

Obesity is considered a major public health concern worldwide due to the increased incidences of metabolic dysfunction and cancer risk. The obese state is, in part, attributable to the overconsumption of calorie-dense foods commonly seen in a standard Western diet, which aids in the progression of chronic, lowgrade inflammation. The role of estrogen varies depending on menopausal status, where estrogen deficiency coupled with increased visceral fat associated with post-menopause leads to increased secretions of pro-inflammatory adipokines and cytokines. However, the presence of estrogen in a premenopausal state has been shown to attenuate the pro-inflammatory response, which has been demonstrated when …

Astrocyte Sensitivity To Dopamine In Culture And Ex Vivo, Ashley L. Galloway

Theses and Dissertations

Dopamine is critical for processing of reward and etiology of drug addiction. Astrocytes throughout the brain express dopamine receptors, but consequences of astrocytic dopamine receptor signaling are not well established. This thesis illustrates effects of dopamine on cultured astrocytes and astrocytes in brain slices (ex vivo). In striatal cultures, extracellular dopamine triggered changes in astrocytic Ca²⁺ signaling and rapid concentration-dependent stellation of astrocytic processes that was not a result of dopamine oxidation, but instead relied on both cAMP-dependent and cAMP-independent dopamine receptor signaling. To isolate possible mechanisms underlying these structural and functional changes, whole-genome RNA sequencing was …

Development Of A Sonically Powered Biodegradable Nanogenerator For Bone Regeneration, Avi Patel

Honors Scholar Theses

Background: Reconstruction of bone fractures and defects remains a big challenge in orthopedic surgery. While regenerative engineering has advanced the field greatly using a combination of biomaterial scaffolds and stem cells, one matter of difficulty is inducing osteogenesis in these cells. Recent works have shown electricity’s ability to promote osteogenesis in stem cell lines when seeded in bone scaffolds; however, typical electrical stimulators are either (a) externally housed and require overcomplex percutaneous wires be connected to the implanted scaffold or (b) implanted non-degradable devices which contain toxic batteries and require invasive removal surgeries.

Objective: Here, we establish a biodegradable, piezoelectric …

Left Atrial Model, Borna Sobati, Sarah Porello, Tess Pate

Biomedical Engineering

The objective is to produce an electrophysiological model of an adult human left atrium. This model will be used to test mapping probe catheters used for locating cardiac arrhythmias against current technology used in practice. Dr. Chris Porterfield requested this model and other physicians or probe catheter manufacturers may also use this product in the future. Dr. Porterfield also discussed the possibility of future senior project groups using the model as a bench test for designing new catheter tips. The model will precisely simulate electrical behaviors of the heart in normal as well as arrhythmic conditions. Ideally, the model will …

Three-Dimensional Plasma Cell Survival Microniche In Multiple Myeloma, Katrina A. Harmon

Theses and Dissertations

Multiple myeloma (MM) is an incurable malignancy characterized by the uncontrolled proliferation of long-lived plasma cells (PCs) in the bone marrow (BM), which constitute at least 10% of BM cellularity. Normally, long-lived plasma cells make up less than 1% of BM cells. Plasma cells become neoplastic when a clonal PC population produces a monoclonal immunoglobulin protein. A diagnosis of monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) is made when there is an increase in monoclonal PCs within the BM, but less than 10%, and the patient does not present with end-organ damage, which is associated with active MM. Though not considered …

Effectiveness Of Physiological Alarm Management Strategies To Prevent Alarm Fatigue, Amy Clemens

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is limited clinical research on the effectiveness of alarm management strategies and nursing behaviors related to alarms in clinical settings. As many as 76% of physiological monitor alarms are overlooked as clinically insignificant by nursing staff. Excessive alarms may impact patient outcomes and cause cognitive overload for nurses that can result in medical errors and missed patient resuscitations. The purpose of this systematic review was to rate alarm management studies on level of evidence for interventions, nursing responses to alarms, and impact on alarm fatigue behavior. The nursing role effectiveness model guided this project. Twenty-seven studies were reviewed to …

Platelet Biology And Thrombosis: Juul E-Cigarette Exposure And 5ht2a Receptor Drug Discovery, Jean Emmanuel Montes Ramirez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

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Fabrication And Characterization Of Nanofiber Nylon-6-Mwcnt As An Electrochemical Sensor For Sodium Ions Concentration Detection In Sweat, Kelsey Mills

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Fabrication and characterization nylon-6-MWCNT nanofiber as an electrochemical sensor to detect sodium ion concentrations specifically in sweat. Using contact angle to determine surface morphology and chronoamperometry testing to identify ideal sensor conditions, tests optimized parameters like weight percent of nylon or other polymers, carbon nanotube (CNT) isomer, and solution concentration to determine reproducibility of functional sensors. Utilizing the electric qualities of carbon nanotubes partnered with the sodium ion selectivity of calixarene treatment and polymers unique properties like flexibility and scalability create open an arena for optimizing sodium ion sensors for further development for functional prototypes. Morphology tests showed that the …

Nanosecond Pulsed Electric Fields Induce Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Accompanied By Immunogenic Cell Death In Murine Models Of Lymphoma And Colorectal Cancer, Alessandra Rossi, Olga N. Pakhomova, Peter A. Mollica, Maura Casciola, Uma Mangalanathan, Andrei G. Pakhomov, Claudia Muratori

Bioelectrics Publications

Depending on the initiating stimulus, cancer cell death can be immunogenic or non-immunogenic. Inducers of immunogenic cell death (ICD) rely on endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress for the trafficking of danger signals such as calreticulin (CRT) and ATP. We found that nanosecond pulsed electric fields (nsPEF), an emerging new modality for tumor ablation, cause the activation of the ER-resident stress sensor PERK in both CT-26 colon carcinoma and EL-4 lymphoma cells. PERK activation correlates with sustained CRT exposure on the cell plasma membrane and apoptosis induction in both nsPEF-treated cell lines. Our results show that, in CT-26 cells, the activity of …

1995-2005: A Decade Of Innovation In Low Temperature Plasma And Its Applications, Mounir Laroussi

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Scientific breakthroughs tend to come in spurts when unique societal, economical, and political circumstances conspire (knowingly or unknowingly) and create an environment ripe for creativity. The field of low temperature plasma (LTP) recently experienced such an upheaval, which this paper attempts to relate in some details. There have been “roadmap” papers published before, which look towards the future of the field, but all roads start somewhere and even “new” roads are often paved over older roads that were discovered and traveled by early pioneers. With the sharp decrease in funding for fusion research in the USA in the early 1990s …