Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Electrospun Zno/Poly(Vinylidene Fluoride-Trifluoroethylene) Scaffolds For Lung Tissue Engineering, Bahareh Azimi, Mohammad Sajad Sorayani Bafqi, Alessandra Fusco, Claudio Ricci, Giuseppe Gallone, Roohollah Bagherzadeh, Giovanna Donnarumma, M. Jasim Uddin, Masoud Latifi, Andrea Lazzeri, Serena Danti

Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

Due to the morbidity and lethality of pulmonary diseases, new biomaterials and scaffolds are needed to support the regeneration of lung tissues, while ideally providing protective effects against inflammation and microbial aggression. In this study, we investigated the potential of nanocomposites of poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-trifluoroethylene) [P(VDF-TrFE)] incorporating zinc oxide (ZnO), in the form of electrospun fiber meshes for lung tissue engineering. We focused on their anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and mechano-electrical character according to different fiber mesh textures (i.e., collected at 500 rpm and 4000 rpm) and compositions: (0/100) and (20/80) w/w% ZnO/P(VDF-TrFE), plain and composite, respectively. The scaffolds were characterized in terms …

Drug Delivery In Catheterized Arterial Blood Flow With Atherosclerosis, Saulo Orizaga, Daniel N. Riahi, Jose R. Soto

School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

We study the problem of drug delivery in a catheterized artery in the presence of atherosclerosis. The problem is modeled in the context of a two-phase flow system which consists of red blood cells and blood plasma. The coupled differential equations for fluid (plasma) and particles (red cells) are solved for the relevant quantities in the reasonable limits. The drug delivery problem is modeled with a partial differential equation that is developed in terms of the drug concentration, blood plasma velocity, hematocrit value and the diffusion coefficient of the drug/fluid. A conservative-implicit finite difference scheme is develop in order to …

A Single-Center Comparison Using Exoskeleton Rehabilitation For Cerebrovascular Accidents And Traumatic Brain Injury In A Cohort Of Hispanic Patients, Lisa R. Trevino, Kristina Vatcheva, Michael E. Auer, Angela Morales, Lama M. Abdurrahman, Sarajova Viswamitra, Annelyn Torres-Reveron

School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the leading causes of disability in the United States. The EKSO GT Bionics® (EKSO®) is a robotic exoskeleton approved by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) for rehabilitation following a cerebrovascular accident (CVA or stroke) and recently received approval for use in patients with TBI. The aim of the study was to examine if the use of exoskeleton rehabilitation in patients with TBI will produce beneficial outcomes.

Methods This retrospective chart-review reports the use of the (EKSO®) robotic device in the rehabilitation of patients with TBI compared to patients with CVA. We utilized …

Mathematical Modeling Of Nonlinear Blood Glucose-Insulin Dynamics With Beta Cells Effect, Gabriela Urbina, Daniel N. Riahi, Dambaru Bhatta

School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

We consider mathematical modeling of blood glucose-insulin regulatory system with the additional effect of the secreted insulin by the pancreatic beta cells and in the presence of an external energy input to such system. Such modeling system is investigated to determine the time-dependent nonlinear dynamics that take place by the quantities, which represent the glucose and insulin concentrations in the blood, insulin action as well as in the absence or presence of secreted insulin due to the pancreatic beta cells. Using both analytical and numerical procedures, we determine such quantities versus time for both diabetes patients and normal human and …

Association Of Visceral Adipose Tissue And Subclinical Atherosclerosis In Us-Born Mexican Americans But Not First Generation Immigrants, Clarence Gill, Miryoung Lee, Kristina Vatcheva, Nahid Rianon, Beverly Smulevitz, David D. Mcpherson, Joseph B. Mccormick, Susan P. Fisher-Hoch, Susan T. Laing

School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

BACKGROUND: Excess visceral adipose tissue (VAT) is a primary driver for the cardiometabolic complications of obesity; VATassociated cardiovascular disease risk varies by race, but most studies have been done on Non-Hispanics. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical and metabolic correlates of VAT, its association with subclinical atherosclerosis, and the factors affecting this association in Mexican Americans.

METHODS AND RESULTS: Participants (n=527) were drawn from the Cameron County Hispanic Cohort (CCHC), on whom a carotid ultrasound to assess carotid intima media thickness and a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scan to assess for VAT were obtained. Those in the highest quartiles of …

Optimal Control With Manf Treatment Of Photoreceptor Degeneration, Erika T. Camacho, Suzanne Lenhart, Luis A. Melara, M. Cristina Villalobos, Stephen Wirkus

School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

People afflicted with diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa and age-related macular degeneration experience a decline in vision due to photoreceptor degeneration, which is currently unstoppable and irreversible. Currently there is no cure for diseases linked to photoreceptor degeneration. Recent experimental work showed that mesencephalic astrocyte-derived neurotrophic factor (MANF) can reduce neuron death and, in particular, photoreceptor death by reducing the number of cells that undergo apoptosis. In this work, we build on an existing system of ordinary differential equations that represent photoreceptor interactions and incorporate MANF treatment for three experimental mouse models having undergone varying degrees of photoreceptor degeneration. Using …

Electrospinning Piezoelectric Fibers For Biocompatible Devices, Bahareh Azimi, Mario Milazzo, Andrea Lazzeri, Stefano Berrettini, M. Jasim Uddin, Zhao Qin, Markus J. Buehler, Serena Danti

Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

The field of nanotechnology has been gaining great success due to its potential in developing new generations of nanoscale materials with unprecedented properties and enhanced biological responses. This is particularly exciting using nanofibers, as their mechanical and topographic characteristics can approach those found in naturally occurring biological materials. Electrospinning is a key technique to manufacture ultrafine fibers and fiber meshes with multifunctional features, such as piezoelectricity, to be available on a smaller length scale, thus comparable to subcellular scale, which makes their use increasingly appealing for biomedical applications. These include biocompatible fiber-based devices as smart scaffolds, biosensors, energy harvesters, and …

Sex And Age Differences In Prevalence And Risk Factors For Prediabetes In Mexican-Americans, Kristina Vatcheva, Belinda M. Reininger, Susan P. Fisher-Hoch, Joseph B. Mccormick

School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

AIMS:

Over 1/3 of Americans have prediabetes, while 9.4% have type 2 diabetes. The aim of our study was to estimate the prevalence of prediabetes in Mexican Americans, with known 28.2% prevalence of type 2 diabetes, by age and sex and to identify critical socio-demographic and clinical factors associated with prediabetes.

METHODS:

Data were collected between 2004 and 2017 from the Cameron County Hispanic Cohort in Texas. Weighted crude and sex- and age- stratified prevalences were calculated. Survey weighted logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify risk factors for prediabetes.

RESULTS:

The prevalence of prediabetes (32%) was slightly higher than …