Matching Items (19)
Filtering by

Clear all filters

148088-Thumbnail Image.png
Description

Colorimetric assays are an important tool in point-of-care testing that offers several advantages to traditional testing methods such as rapid response times and inexpensive costs. A factor that currently limits the portability and accessibility of these assays are methods that can objectively determine the results of these assays. Current solutions

Colorimetric assays are an important tool in point-of-care testing that offers several advantages to traditional testing methods such as rapid response times and inexpensive costs. A factor that currently limits the portability and accessibility of these assays are methods that can objectively determine the results of these assays. Current solutions consist of creating a test reader that standardizes the conditions the strip is under before being measured in some way. However, this increases the cost and decreases the portability of these assays. The focus of this study is to create a machine learning algorithm that can objectively determine results of colorimetric assays under varying conditions. To ensure the flexibility of a model to several types of colorimetric assays, three models were trained on the same convolutional neural network with different datasets. The images these models are trained on consist of positive and negative images of ETG, fentanyl, and HPV Antibodies test strips taken under different lighting and background conditions. A fourth model is trained on an image set composed of all three strip types. The results from these models show it is able to predict positive and negative results to a high level of accuracy.

ContributorsFisher, Rachel (Author) / Blain Christen, Jennifer (Thesis director) / Anderson, Karen (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05
135738-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
The purpose of this research was to determine and evaluate glutamate oxidase's ability to detect levels of glutamate as part of a working sensor capable of quantifying and detecting stress within the body in the case of adverse neurological events such as traumatic brain injury. Using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS),

The purpose of this research was to determine and evaluate glutamate oxidase's ability to detect levels of glutamate as part of a working sensor capable of quantifying and detecting stress within the body in the case of adverse neurological events such as traumatic brain injury. Using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), a linear dynamic range of glutamate was detected with a slope of 36.604 z/ohm/[pg/mL], a lower detection limit at 12.417 pg/mL, correlation of 0.97, and an optimal binding frequency of 117.20 Hz. After running through a frequency sweep the binding frequency was determined based on the highest consistent reproducibility and slope. The sensor was found to be specific against literature researched non-targets glucose, albumin, and epinephrine and working in dilutions of whole blood up to a concentration of 25%. With the implementation of Nafion, the sensor had a 250% improvement in signal and 155% improvement in correlation in 90% whole blood, illustrating the promise of a working blood sensor. Future work includes longitudinal studies and utilizing mesoporous carbon as the immobilization platform and incorporating this as part of a continuous, multiplexed blood sensor with glucose oxidase.
ContributorsLam, Alexandria Nicole (Author) / LaBelle, Jeffrey (Thesis director) / Ankeny, Casey (Committee member) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
136771-Thumbnail Image.png
DescriptionMy main goal for my thesis is in conjunction with the research I started in the summer of 2010 regarding the creation of a TBI continuous-time sensor. Such goals include: characterizing the proteins in sensing targets while immobilized, while free in solution, and while in free solution in the blood.
ContributorsHaselwood, Brittney (Author) / LaBelle, Jeffrey (Thesis director) / Pizziconi, Vincent (Committee member) / Cook, Curtiss (Committee member) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2011-12
137180-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
The main objective of this research is to develop and characterize a targeted contrast agent that will recognize acute neural injury pathology (i.e. fibrin) after traumatic brain injury (TBI). Single chain fragment variable antibodies (scFv) that bind specifically to fibrin have been produced and purified. DSPE-PEG micelles have been produced

The main objective of this research is to develop and characterize a targeted contrast agent that will recognize acute neural injury pathology (i.e. fibrin) after traumatic brain injury (TBI). Single chain fragment variable antibodies (scFv) that bind specifically to fibrin have been produced and purified. DSPE-PEG micelles have been produced and the scFv has been conjugated to the surface of the micelles; this nanoparticle system will be used to overcome limitations in diagnosing TBI. The binding and imaging properties will be analyzed in the future to determine functionality of the nanoparticle system in vivo.
ContributorsRumbo, Kailey Michelle (Author) / Stabenfeldt, Sarah (Thesis director) / Kodibagkar, Vikram (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor)
Created2014-05
136253-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
The endogenous response of neural stem cell/progenitor (NPSC) recruitment to the brain injury environment following a traumatic brain injury (TBI) is currently under heavy investigation. Mechanisms controlling NPSC proliferation and migration to the brain injury environment remain unclear; however, it is thought that the vascular extracellular matrix proteins (e.g. laminin,

The endogenous response of neural stem cell/progenitor (NPSC) recruitment to the brain injury environment following a traumatic brain injury (TBI) is currently under heavy investigation. Mechanisms controlling NPSC proliferation and migration to the brain injury environment remain unclear; however, it is thought that the vascular extracellular matrix proteins (e.g. laminin, fibronectin, and vitronectin) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) play a role in mediating NPSC behavior through vasophillic interactions. This project attempts to uncover potential VEGF-ECM crosstalk in mediating migration and proliferation. To investigate migration, neurospheres were seeded on ECM-coated wells supplemented with VEGF and without VEGF, and neural outgrowth was measured at days 0, 1, 3, and 8 using differential interference contrast microscopy. Furthermore, single-cell NPSCs were seeded on ECM-coated Transwell membranes with VEGF supplemented media on one side and without VEGF to look at chemotactic migration. Migrated NPSCs were visualized with DAPI nuclear stain and imaged with an inverted fluorescent microscope. To investigate NPSC proliferation, NPSCs were seeded on ECM coated plates as in the radial migration assay and visualized with EdU on day 8. Total proliferation was measured by seeding NPSCs on ECM coated 96-well plates and incubating them with MTT on days 3 and 6. Proliferation was measured using a spectrophotometer at 630nm and 570nm wavelengths. It was found that VEGF-laminin crosstalk synergistically increased radial migration, but may not play a role in chemotactic migration. Understanding the mechanisms behind VEGF-laminin crosstalk in NPSC proliferation and migration may provide crucial information for the design of stem cell transplantation therapies in the future.
ContributorsMillar-Haskell, Catherine Susan (Author) / Stabenfeldt, Sarah (Thesis director) / Addington, Caroline (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor)
Created2015-05
132413-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of disability, with approximately 1.7 million incidents reported annually. Following a TBI, patients are likely to sustain sensorimotor and cognitive impairments and are at an increased risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases later in life. Despite this, robust therapies that treat TBI neuropathology

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of disability, with approximately 1.7 million incidents reported annually. Following a TBI, patients are likely to sustain sensorimotor and cognitive impairments and are at an increased risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases later in life. Despite this, robust therapies that treat TBI neuropathology are not available in the clinic. One emerging therapeutic approach is to target epigenetic mediators that modulate a variety of molecular regulatory events acutely following injury. Specifically, previous studies demonstrated that histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi) administration following TBI reduced inflammation, enhanced functional outcomes, and was neuroprotective. Here, we evaluated a novel quisinostat-loaded PLA-PEG nanoparticle (QNP) therapy in treating TBI as modeled by a controlled cortical impact. We evaluated initial pharmacodynamics within the injured cortex via histone acetylation levels following QNP treatment. We observed that QNP administration acutely following injury increased histone acetylation specifically within the injury penumbra, as detected by Western blot analysis. Given this effect, we evaluated QNP therapeutic efficacy. We observed that QNP treatment dampened motor deficits as measured by increased rotarod latency to fall relative to blank nanoparticle- and saline-treated controls. Additionally, open field results show that QNP treatment altered locomotion following injury. These results suggest that HDACi therapies are a beneficial therapeutic strategy following neural injury and demonstrate the utility for nanoparticle formulations as a mode for HDACi delivery following TBI.
ContributorsMousa, Gergey (Author) / Stabenfeldt, Sarah (Thesis director) / Newbern, Jason (Committee member) / Sirianni, Rachael (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
Recent studies in traumatic brain injury (TBI) have found a temporal window where therapeutics on the nanometer scale can cross the blood-brain barrier and enter the parenchyma. Developing protein-based therapeutics is attractive for a number of reasons, yet, the production pipeline for high yield and consistent bioactive recombinant proteins remains

Recent studies in traumatic brain injury (TBI) have found a temporal window where therapeutics on the nanometer scale can cross the blood-brain barrier and enter the parenchyma. Developing protein-based therapeutics is attractive for a number of reasons, yet, the production pipeline for high yield and consistent bioactive recombinant proteins remains a major obstacle. Previous studies for recombinant protein production has utilized gram-negative hosts such as Escherichia coli (E. coli) due to its well-established genetics and fast growth for recombinant protein production. However, using gram-negative hosts require lysis that calls for additional optimization and also introduces endotoxins and proteases that contribute to protein degradation. This project directly addressed this issue and evaluated the potential to use a gram-positive host such as Brevibacillus choshinensis (Brevi) which does not require lysis as the proteins are expressed directly into the supernatant. This host was utilized to produce variants of Stock 11 (S11) protein as a proof-of-concept towards this methodology. Variants of S11 were synthesized using different restriction enzymes which will alter the location of protein tags that may affect production or purification. Factors such as incubation time, incubation temperature, and media were optimized for each variant of S11 using a robust design of experiments. All variants of S11 were grown using optimized parameters prior to purification via affinity chromatography. Results showed the efficiency of using Brevi as a potential host for domain antibody production in the Stabenfeldt lab. Future aims will focus on troubleshooting the purification process to optimize the protein production pipeline.
ContributorsEmbrador, Glenna Bea Rebano (Author) / Stabenfeldt, Sarah (Thesis director) / Plaisier, Christopher (Committee member) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor, Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
132852-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can result in many pathologies, one of which being coagulopathy. TBI can progress to hemorrhagic lesions and increased intercranial pressure leading to coagulopathy. The coagulopathy has been linked to poor clinical outcomes and occurs in 60% of severe TBI cases. To improve hemostasis, synthetic platelets (SPs)

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can result in many pathologies, one of which being coagulopathy. TBI can progress to hemorrhagic lesions and increased intercranial pressure leading to coagulopathy. The coagulopathy has been linked to poor clinical outcomes and occurs in 60% of severe TBI cases. To improve hemostasis, synthetic platelets (SPs) have been repurposed. SPs are composed of a poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylic-acid) microgel, conjugated with a fibrin-specific antibody and are biomimetic in their ability to deform and collapse within a fibrin matrix. The objective of this study is to diminish coagulopathy with a single, intravenous injection of SPs, and subsequently decrease neuropathologies. TBI was modeled in animal cohorts using the well-established controlled cortical impact and SPs were injected 2-3 hours post-injury. Control cohorts received no injection. Brain tissue was harvested at acute (24h) and delayed (7 days) time points post-TBI, and fluorescently imaged to quantify reactive astrocytes (GFAP+), microglial morphology and presence (Iba1+), and tissue lesion spared. SP-treatment resulted in significant reduction of GFAP expression at 7 days post-TBI. Furthermore, SP-treatment significantly reduced the percent difference from 24h to 7 days in microglia/macrophage per field compared to the control. For microglial morphology, SP-treated cohorts observed a significant percent difference in endpoints per soma from 24h to 7 days compared to untreated cohorts. However, microglial branch length significantly decreased in percent difference from 24h to 7 days when compared to the control. Finally, tissue sparing did not significantly decrease between 24h and 7 day for SP-treated cohorts as was observed in untreated cohorts, implying inhibition of delayed necrosis. Overall, these results suggest decreased neuroinflammation by 7 days, supporting SPs as potentially therapeutic post-TBI.
ContributorsTodd, Jordan Cecile (Author) / Stabenfeldt, Sarah (Thesis director) / Bharadwaj, Vimala (Committee member) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor, Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
134788-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
Concussions and traumatic brain injuries are mechanical events which can derive from no specific activity or event. However, these injuries occur often during athletic and sporting events but many athletes experiencing these symptoms go undiagnosed and continue playing without proper medical attention. The current gold standard for diagnosing athletes with

Concussions and traumatic brain injuries are mechanical events which can derive from no specific activity or event. However, these injuries occur often during athletic and sporting events but many athletes experiencing these symptoms go undiagnosed and continue playing without proper medical attention. The current gold standard for diagnosing athletes with concussions is to have medical professionals on the sidelines of events to perform qualitative standardized assessments which may not be performed frequently enough and are not specialized for each athlete. The purpose of this report is to discuss a study sanctioned by Arizona State University's Project HoneyBee and additional affiliations to validate a third-party mouth guard device product to recognize and detect force impacts blown to an athlete's head during athletic activity. Current technology in health monitoring medical devices can allow users to apply this device as an additional safety mechanism for early concussion awareness and diagnosis. This report includes the materials and methods used for experimentation, the discussion of its results, and the complications which occurred and areas for improvement during the preliminary efforts of this project. Participants in the study were five non-varsity ASU Wrestling athletes who volunteered to wear a third-party mouth guard device during sparring contact at practice. Following a needed calibration period for the devices, results were recorded both through visual observation and with the mouth guard devices using an accelerometer and gyroscope. This study provided a sound understanding for the operation and functionality of the mouth guard devices. The mouth guard devices have the capability to provide fundamental avenues of research for future investigations.
ContributorsTielke, Austin Wyatt (Author) / Ross, Heather (Thesis director) / LaBelle, Jeffrey (Committee member) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-12
Description

This thesis project focuses on the creation and assessment of the "Simple Stocks" app, a straightforward investment tool specifically developed for people who are new to investing and find it challenging to comprehend the complexities of the stock market. We identified a significant gap in the availability of easy-to-understand resources

This thesis project focuses on the creation and assessment of the "Simple Stocks" app, a straightforward investment tool specifically developed for people who are new to investing and find it challenging to comprehend the complexities of the stock market. We identified a significant gap in the availability of easy-to-understand resources and information for beginner investors, which led us to design an app that provides clear and simple data, professional advice from financial analysts, and an advanced machine learning feature to predict stock trends. The "Simple Stocks" app also incorporates a voting feature, allowing users to see what other investors think about specific stocks. This functionality not only helps users make informed decisions but also encourages a sense of community, as users can learn from each other's experiences and opinions. By creating a supportive environment, the app promotes a more approachable and enjoyable experience for those who are new to investing. Following the successful release of the "Simple Stocks'' app on the App Store, our current objectives include expanding the user base and looking into various ways to generate income. One possible approach is to collaborate with other companies and establish an advertising-based revenue model, which would benefit both parties by attracting more users and increasing profits.

ContributorsKaruppiah, Meena (Author) / Kancherla, Sohan (Co-author) / Biyani, Saloni (Co-author) / Byrne, Jared (Thesis director) / Lee, Christopher (Committee member) / Zock, Christopher (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor)
Created2023-05