Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Voxel-Level Absorbed Dose Calculations With A Deterministic Grid-Based Boltzmann Solver For Nuclear Medicine And The Clinical Value Of Voxel-Level Calculations, Justin Mikell

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Voxel-level absorbed dose (VLAD) is rarely calculated for nuclear medicine (NM) procedures involving unsealed sources or 90Y microspheres (YM). The current standard of practice for absorbed dose calculations in NM utilizes MIRD S-values, which 1) assume a uniform distribution in organs, 2) do not use patient specific geometry, and 3) lack a tumor model. VLADs overcome these limitations. One reason VLADs are not routinely performed is the difficulty in obtaining accurate absorbed doses in a clinically acceptable time. The deterministic grid-based Boltzmann solver (GBBS) was recently applied to radiation oncology where it was reported as fast and accurate for both …

Compounds Released From Biomass Deconstruction: Understanding Their Effect On Cellulose Enzyme Hydrolysis And Their Biological Activity, Angele Djioleu

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The effect of compounds produced during biomass pretreatment on cellulolytic enzyme was investigated. Liquid prehydrolyzates were prepared by pretreating switchgrass using 24 combinations of temperature, time, and sulfuric acid concentration based on a full factorial design. Temperature was varied from 140°C to 180°C; time ranged from 10 to 40 min; and the sulfuric acid concentrations were 0.5% or 1% (v/v). Identified products in the prehydrolyzates included xylose, glucose, hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), furfural, acetic acid, formic acid, and phenolic compounds at concentration ranging from 0 to 21.4 g/L. Pretreatment conditions significantly affected the concentrations of compounds detected in prehydrolyzates. When assayed in …

Gaussian Nonlinear Line Attractor For Learning Multidimensional Data, Theus H. Aspiras, Vijayan K. Asari, Wesam Sakla

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

The human brain’s ability to extract information from multidimensional data modeled by the Nonlinear Line Attractor (NLA), where nodes are connected by polynomial weight sets. Neuron connections in this architecture assumes complete connectivity with all other neurons, thus creating a huge web of connections. We envision that each neuron should be connected to a group of surrounding neurons with weighted connection strengths that reduces with proximity to the neuron. To develop the weighted NLA architecture, we use a Gaussian weighting strategy to model the proximity, which will also reduce the computation times significantly.

Once all data has been trained in …

Lpcoms: Towards A Low Power Wireless Smart-Shoe System For Gait Analysis In People With Disabilities, Ishmat Zerin

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Gait analysis using smart sensor technology is an important medical diagnostic process and has many applications in rehabilitation, therapy and exercise training. In this thesis, we present a low power wireless smart-shoe system (LPcomS) to analyze different functional postures and characteristics of gait while walking. We have designed and implemented a smart-shoe with a Bluetooth communication module to unobtrusively collect data using smartphone in any environment. With the design of a shoe insole equipped with four pressure sensors, the foot pressure is been collected, and those data are used to obtain accurate gait pattern of a patient. With our proposed …

Computational Approaches For Remote Monitoring Of Symptoms And Activities, Ferdaus Kawsar

Dissertations (1934 -)

We now have a unique phenomenon where significant computational power, storage, connectivity, and built-in sensors are carried by many people willingly as part of their life style; two billion people now use smart phones. Unique and innovative solutions using smart phones are motivated by rising health care cost in both the developed and developing worlds. In this work, development of a methodology for building a remote symptom monitoring system for rural people in developing countries has been explored. Design, development, deployment, and evaluation of e-ESAS is described. The system’s performance was studied by analyzing feedback from users. A smart phone …

Mobile Cloud Computing Based Non Rigid Registration For Image Guided Surgery, Arun Brahmavar Vishwanatha

Computer Science Theses & Dissertations

In this thesis we present the design and implementation of a Mobile Cloud computing platform for non-rigid registration required in Image Guided Surgery (MCIGS). MCIGS contributes in flexible, portable and accurate alignment of pre-operative brain data with intra-operative MRI, for image guided diagnosis and therapy and endoscopic skull base surgery. Improved precision of image guided therapy and specifically neurosurgery procedures is known to result in the improved prognosis for brain tumor patients. MCI GS system is tested with Physics Based Non-Rigid Registration method form ITK. Our preliminary results for brain images indicate that the proposed system over Wi-Fi can be …

Simulating The Impact Of Diet And Exercise On Blood Glucose Level For People With Type 2 Diabetes, Md Abdul Halim Sarkar

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis describes the design of a discrete-event simulator that tracks the blood glucose level and glycated hemoglobin level as a person goes through her daily diet and exercise activities. This thesis also reports results of simulations performed using the simulator that show the changes in blood glucose level and glycated hemoglobin level as a diabetic person makes specific changes to her diet/exercise routine.

Biodegradable Nano-Hybrid Polymer Composite Networks For Regulating Cellular Behavior, Charles Henley Sprague

Masters Theses

Photo-crosslinkable polymeric biomaterials have emerged in the field of biomedical research to promote tissue regeneration. For example, scaffolds that can be crosslinked and hardened in situ have been known to make suitable implant alternatives. Since injectable and photo-crosslinkable biomaterials offer the advantage of being minimally invasive, they have emerged to compete with autografts, a current highly invasive method to repair diseased tissue. A series of novel photo-crosslinkable, injectable, and biodegradable nano-hybrid polymers consisting of poly(ε-caprolactone fumarate) (PCLF) and polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) has been synthesized in our laboratory via polycondensation. To engineer the material properties of the nano-hybrid networks, varied …

Multiphysics Modeling To Enhance Understanding Of Microwave Heating Of Food In Domestic Ovens, Jiajia Chen

Department of Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations and Theses

Nonuniform heating is the biggest issue in the microwave heating of prepared meals. Multiphysics based models are promising tools to improve microwave heating uniformity by properly designing the food product. However, limited availability of accurate temperature-dependent material properties, inadequate model prediction accuracy, and high computational power and complexity in model development are three gaps that greatly limited the application of these models in the food industry.

To fill in the gaps, firstly, we developed a multitemperature calibration protocol to measure temperature-dependent dielectric properties (dielectric constant and loss factor). The temperature-dependent dielectric and thermal (thermal conductivity and specific heat capacity) properties …

Scattering Correction Methods Of Infrared Spectra Using Graphics Processing Units, Asher Imtiaz

Theses and Dissertations

Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) microspectroscopy has been used for many years as a technique that provides distinctive structure-specific infrared spectra for a wide range of materials (e.g., biological (tissues, cells, bacteria, viruses), polymers, energy related, composites, minerals). The mid-infrared radiation can strongly scatter from distinct particles, with diameters ranging between 2-20 micrometer. Transmission measurements of samples (approximately 100 micrometers x 100 micrometers x 10 micrometers) with distinct particles. will be dominated by this scattering (Mie scattering). The scattering distorts the measured spectra, and the absorption spectra appear different from pure absorbance spectra. This thesis presents development and implementation of two …

A Pump Monitoring Approach To Irrigation Pumping Plant Performance Testing, William Merritt Mcdougall

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Traditionally, irrigation pumping plants have been tested using an instantaneous appraoch, which tests performance parameters over a very short time interval. Using this method, the tester measures the necessary work and energy use parameters to calculate the desired pumping plant performance values. The primary limitation of this approach is its inability to determine the season long efficiency of an irrigation pumping plant.

A new approach to evaluating irrigation pumping plant performance is the use of pump monitoring systems which use high frequency, real-time data collection and telemetry to relay information directly from the pump to the user. This method of …

Transformation Of Swine Manure And Algal Consortia To Value-Added Products, Mahmoud A. Sharara

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The swine production sector is projected to grow globally. In the past, this growth manifested itself in increased herd sizes and geographically concentrated production. Although economically sound, these trends had negative consequences on surrounding ecosystems. Over-application of manure resulted in water quality degradation, while long-term storage of manure slurries was found to promote release of potent GHG emissions. There is a need for innovative approaches for swine manure management that are compatible with current scales of production, and increasingly strict environmental regulations.

This study aims to investigate the potential for incorporating gasification as part of a novel swine manure management …

Characterization Of Low Density Intracranial Lesions Using Dual-Energy Computed Tomography, Jessica L. Nute

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Calcific and hemorrhagic foci of susceptibility are frequently encountered on routine brain MR studies. Both etiologies cause variations in local magnetic field strength, leading to dark regions on the MR images that cannot be classified. Single-energy CT (SECT) can be used to identify lesions with attenuation over 100 HU as calcific, however lesions with lower attenuation cannot be reliably identified. While calcific lesions are unlikely to cause harm, hemorrhagic lesions carry a risk of subsequent intracranial bleeding; as such, identification of hemorrhage is vital in preventing the inappropriate use of anticoagulant medications in patients with hemorrhagic lesions.

Given there currently …

In Vivo Near Ir Fluorescent Imaging Of Hollow Polymeric Nanocapsules, Venkata Suresh Patthipati

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Medical Imaging has been an integral component in medical diagnosis and therapeutics. It is frequently used in conjunction with other treatment modalities and has been used for developing applications that range from cancer management to clinical practice. Nanotechnology and its applications are foreseen to have a profound impact on life sciences. Nanomaterial based imaging has a significant potential in addressing medical challenges such as tumor localization, targeted delivery of drugs and real time diagnosis and management of circulation pathology. In particular, polymer based nanoparticles are increasingly being developed as they can be customized according to the diagnostic and/or therapeutic requirements. …

Unambiguous Evaluation Of The Relative Photolysis Rates Of Nitro Indolinyl Protecting Groups Critical For Brain Network Studies, Richard L. Comitz, Yannick P. Ouedraogo, Nasri Nesnas

Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Faculty Publications

Nitrated indolinyl photoprotecting groups are crucial tools extensively used in the study of neuronal signal transduction. Mononitrated photolabile protecting groups have been used effectively, however, recent advances in the introduction of a second nitro group have shown improvement in the photo efficiency of neurotransmitter (agonist) release, albeit, to varying extents, depending on the assessment methods employed. An unambiguous method is discussed based on Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), which is shown to be an effective technique in the relative overall rate comparison amongst varying nitrated protecting groups. Mononitrated and dinitrated photolabile protecting groups such as CDNIGlu and MNI-Glu are used as …

Video-To-Video Pose And Expression Invariant Face Recognition Using Volumetric Directional Pattern, Vijayan K. Asari, Almabrok Essa

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Face recognition in video has attracted attention as a cryptic method of human identification in surveillance systems. In this paper, we propose an end-to-end video face recognition system, addressing a difficult problem of identifying human faces in video due to the presence of large variations in facial pose and expression, and poor video resolution. The proposed descriptor, named Volumetric Directional Pattern (VDP), is an oriented and multi-scale volumetric descriptor that is able to extract and fuse the information of multi frames, temporal (dynamic) information, and multiple poses and expressions of faces in input video to produce feature vectors, which are …

Person Identification From Streaming Surveillance Video Using Mid-Level Features From Joint Action-Pose Distribution, Binu M. Nair, Vijayan K. Asari

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

We propose a real time person identification algorithm for surveillance based scenarios from low-resolution streaming video, based on mid-level features extracted from the joint distribution of various types of human actions and human poses.

The proposed algorithm uses the combination of an auto-encoder based action association framework which produces per-frame probability estimates of the action being performed, and a pose recognition framework which gives per-frame body part locations.

The main focus in this manuscript is to effectively combine these per-frame action probability estimates and pose trajectories from a short temporal window to obtain mid-level features. We demonstrate that these mid-level …

Theoretical Investigation Of Intra- And Inter-Cellular Spatiotemporal Calcium Patterns In Microcirculation, Jaimit B. Parikh

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Microcirculatory vessels are lined by endothelial cells (ECs) which are surrounded by a single or multiple layer of smooth muscle cells (SMCs). Spontaneous and agonist induced spatiotemporal calcium (Ca²⁺) events are generated in ECs and SMCs, and regulated by complex bi-directional signaling between the two layers which ultimately determines the vessel tone. The contractile state of microcirculatory vessels is an important factor in the determination of vascular resistance, blood flow and blood pressure. This dissertation presents theoretical insights into some of the important and currently unresolved phenomena in microvascular tone regulation. Compartmental and continuum models of isolated EC …

Diffuse Optical Measurements Of Head And Neck Tumor Hemodynamics For Early Prediction Of Chemo-Radiation Therapy Outcomes, Lixin Dong

Theses and Dissertations--Biomedical Engineering

Chemo-radiation therapy is a principal modality for the treatment of head and neck cancers, and its efficacy depends on the interaction of tumor oxygen with free radicals. In this study, we adopted a novel hybrid diffuse optical instrument combining a commercial frequency-domain tissue oximeter (Imagent) and a custom-made diffuse correlation spectroscopy (DCS) flowmeter, which allowed for simultaneous measurements of tumor blood flow and blood oxygenation. Using this hybrid instrument we continually measured tumor hemodynamic responses to chemo-radiation therapy over the treatment period of 7 weeks. We also explored monitoring dynamic tumor hemodynamic changes during radiation delivery. Blood flow data analysis …

Instrumentation And Development Of A Mass Spectrometry System For The Study Of Gas-Phase Biomolecular Ion Reactions, Ziqing Lin

Open Access Dissertations

Gas-phase reactions of biomolecular ions are highly relevant to the understanding of structures and functions of the biomolecules. Mass spectrometry is a powerful tool in investigating gas-phase ion chemistry. Various mass spectrometers have been developed to explore ion/molecule reactions, ion/ion reactions, ion/photon reactions, ion/radical reactions etc., both at atmospheric pressure and in vacuum. In-vacuum reactions have an advantage of involving pre-selecting the ions for the reactions using a mass analyzer. Over the decades, a variety of mass analyzers have been employed in the research of ion chemistry. Hybrid configurations, such as quadrupole ion trap with a time-of-flight and or a …

Burst Pressure Properties And Ex Vivo Analysis Of Alginate-Based Hydrogels For Tissue Sealant Applications, Patrick Nelson Charron

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Lung diseases, cancers, and trauma can result in injury to the connective tissue lining the lung, i.e., the pleura. Pleural injuries lead to pneumothoraxes or pleural effusions, i.e., air or fluid leaking out of the lung respectively, and potential lung collapse - an immediately life threatening condition. While several bioengineered soft tissue sealants exist on the market, there is only one sealant FDA-approved for use in pulmonary surgery. In addition, very limited techniques are presented in the literature for characterizing the burst properties of hydrogel tissue sealants. For my thesis, I proposed to develop a protocol for characterizing the burst …

Evaluation Of The Effects Of A Plasma Activated Medium On Cancer Cells, S. Mohades, M. Laroussi, J. Sears, N. Barekzi, H. Razavi

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

The interaction of low temperature plasma with liquids is a relevant topic of study to the field of plasma medicine. This is because cells and tissues are normally surrounded or covered by biological fluids. Therefore, the chemistry induced by the plasma in the aqueous state becomes crucial and usually dictates the biological outcomes. This process became even more important after the discovery that plasma activated media can be useful in killing various cancer cell lines. Here, we report on the measurements of concentrations of hydrogen peroxide, a species known to have strong biological effects, produced by application of plasma to …

Killing Adherent And Nonadherent Cancer Cells With The Plasma Pencil, Mounir Laroussi, Soheila Mohades, Nazir Barekzi

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

The application of low temperature plasmas in biology and medicine may lead to a paradigm shift in the way various diseases can be treated without serious side effects. Low temperature plasmas generated in gas mixtures that contain oxygen or air produce several chemically reactive species that have important biological implications when they interact with eukaryotic or prokaryotic cells. Here, a review of the effects of low temperature plasma generated by the plasma pencil on different cancerous cells is presented. Results indicate that plasma consistently shows a delayed killing effect that is dose dependent. In addition, there is some evidence that …

Monolithic Optofluidic Ring Resonator Lasers Created By Femtosecond Laser Nanofabrication, Hengky Chandrahalim, Qiushu Chen, Ali A. Said, Mark Dugan, Xudong Fan

Faculty Publications

We designed, fabricated, and characterized a monolithically integrated optofluidic ring resonator laser that is mechanically, thermally, and chemically robust. The entire device, including the ring resonator channel and sample delivery microfluidics, was created in a block of fused-silica glass using a 3-dimensional femtosecond laser writing process. The gain medium, composed of Rhodamine 6G (R6G) dissolved in quinoline, was flowed through the ring resonator. Lasing was achieved at a pump threshold of approximately 15 μJ/mm². Detailed analysis shows that the Q-factor of the optofluidic ring resonator is 3.3 × 10⁴, which is limited by both solvent …

Proton-Electrostatic Localization: Explaining The Bioenergetic Conundrum In Alkalophilic Bacteria, James Weifu Lee

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

The decades-longstanding energetic conundrum of alkalophilic bacteria as to how they are able to synthesize ATP has now, for the first time, been clearly solved using the proton-electrostatics localization hypothesis. This is a major breakthrough advance in understanding proton-coupling bioenergetics over the Nobel-prize work of Peter Mitchell’s chemiosmotic theory. The widespread textbook Mitchellian proton motive force (pmf) equation has now been significantly revised. Use of the newly derived equation results in an overall pmf value (215~233 mV) that is more than 4 times larger than that (44.3 mV) calculated from the Mitchellian equation for the alkalophilic bacteria growing at pH …

Frequency Domain Ultrasound Waveform Tomography Breast Imaging, Gursharan Singh Sandhu

Wayne State University Dissertations

Ultrasound tomography is an emerging modality for imaging breast tissue for the detection of disease. Using the principles of full waveform inversion, high-resolution quantitative sound speed and attenuation maps of the breast can be created. In this thesis, we introduce some basic principles of imaging breast disease and the formalism of sound wave propagation. We present numerical methods to model acoustic wave propagation as well methods to solve the corresponding inverse problem. Numerical simulations of sound speed and attenuation reconstructions are used to assess the efficacy of the algorithm. A careful review of the preprocessing techniques needed for the successful …

Novel Incorportation Of Biomedical Engineering Algorithms (Bispectral Index Guided Or Anesthetic Concentration Guided) In Real-Time Decision Support To Prevent Intraoperative Awareness Using An Electronic Anesthesia Information Mananagement System, Amy Melanie Shanks

Wayne State University Dissertations

Background: Intraoperative awareness with explicit recall (AWR) is a feared complication of surgery that can lead to significant psychological distress. Several large prospective trials have been completed comparing two methods of monitoring anesthetic depth [minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) or electroencephalography (EEG) monitoring using the bispectral index (BIS)] for the prevention of AWR. However, these trials were conducted in high risk populations, limiting generalizability.

Research Hypothesis: Real-time decision support with Anesthesia Information Management System alerts based on a novel anesthetic concentration algorithm (incorporating the use of intravenous anesthetics) or an EEG-guided algorithm will reduce the known incidence of AWR.

Methods: First, …

Comparison Of Glucose, Fructose And Sucrose Amperometric And Thermal Sensors For Detection Of Carbohydrates In Living Plant Tissue, Scott Mcadoo

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Ecologists currently cannot test concentrations of carbohydrates in sap in vivo. Testing carbohydrates with current technology would require destructive tissue sampling. The tissue sampling involves large amounts of time and money to collect and test. Aphids are an insect that can bypass a tree’s passive immune system and feed off a phloem region for weeks. A series of enzymatic biosensors could be used to detect the concentration changes of specific carbohydrates. A calcium chelant can be added to defeat a tree’s immune system like an aphid. The detection of three carbohydrates, fructose, glucose and sucrose are involved in this study. …

Inhalable Nanocomposites And Anticancer Agents For Cancer Therapy, Nathanael A. Stocke

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

Cancer is designated as the leading cause of mortality worldwide and lung cancer is responsible for nearly 30% of all cancer related deaths. Over the last few decades mortality rates have only marginally increased and rates of recurrence remain high. These factors, among others, suggest the need for more innovative treatment modalities in lung cancer therapy. Targeted pulmonary delivery is well established for treating pulmonary diseases such as asthma and provides a promising platform for lung cancer therapy. Increasing local deposition of anticancer agents (ACAs) and reducing systemic exposure of these toxic moieties could lead to better therapeutic outcomes and …

Fabrication Of Tissue Precursors Induced By Shape-Changing Hydrogels, Olukemi O. Akintewe

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Scaffold based tissue reconstruction inherently limits regenerative capacity due to inflammatory response and limited cell migration. In contrast, scaffold-free methods promise formation of functional tissues with both reduced adverse host reactions and enhanced integration. Cell-sheet engineering is a well-known bottom-up tissue engineering approach that allows the release of intact cell sheet from a temperature responsive polymer such as poly-N-isopropylacrylamide (pNIPAAm). pNIPAAm is an ideal template for culturing cell sheets because it undergoes a sharp volume-phase transition owing to the hydrophilic and hydrophobic interaction around its lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of 32°C, a temperature close to physiological temperature. Compared to …