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Each year, 30,000 patients obtain transplants. To prevent graft rejection, immunosuppressants such as tacrolimus are prescribed. Due to tacrolimus's narrow therapeutic range, a dose that is too low places patients at risk for transplant rejection, but too high of a dose leads to kidney failure. The de facto method for

Each year, 30,000 patients obtain transplants. To prevent graft rejection, immunosuppressants such as tacrolimus are prescribed. Due to tacrolimus's narrow therapeutic range, a dose that is too low places patients at risk for transplant rejection, but too high of a dose leads to kidney failure. The de facto method for monitoring of transplant patient health is bimonthly blood draws, which are cumbersome, painful, and difficult to translate into urgently needed dosage changes in a timely manner. To improve long-term transplant survival rates, we propose a finger-prick sensor that will provide patients and healthcare providers with a measurement of tacrolimus, immune health (through IL-12), and kidney damage (through cystatin C) levels 100 times more frequently than the status quo. Additionally, patient quality of life will be improved due to reduction in time and pain associated with blood draws. Optimal binding frequencies for each marker were found. However, due to limitations with EIS, the integration of the detection of the three markers into one multimarker sensing platform has not yet been realized. To this end, impedance-time tests were run on each marker along with different antibodies, and optimal times of each marker were determined to be 17s, 6s, and 2s, for tacrolimus, cystatin c, and IL-12, respectively (n=6). The integration of impedance-time analysis with traditional EIS methodologies has the potential to enable multi-marker analysis by analyzing binding kinetics on a single electrode with respect to time. Thus, our results provide unique insight into possibilities to improve and facilitate detection of multiple markers not only for the sensor for solid organ transplant patients, but for the monitoring of patients with disease that also entail the observation of multiple markers. Furthermore, the use of impedance-time testing also provides the ability for another way to optimize accuracy/precision of marker detection because it specifies a particular time, in addition to a particular optimal binding frequency, at which to measure concentration.
ContributorsDoshi, Meera Kshitij (Author) / LaBelle, Jeffrey (Thesis director) / Steidley, Eric (Committee member) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor) / Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-05
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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
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Description
The increase of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) cases in recent war history has increased the urgency of research regarding how veterans are affected by TBIs. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of TBI on speech recognition in noise. The AzBio Sentence Test was completed for signal-to-noise

The increase of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) cases in recent war history has increased the urgency of research regarding how veterans are affected by TBIs. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of TBI on speech recognition in noise. The AzBio Sentence Test was completed for signal-to-noise ratios (S/N) from -10 dB to +15 dB for a control group of ten participants and one US military veteran with history of service-connected TBI. All participants had normal hearing sensitivity defined as thresholds of 20 dB or better at frequencies from 250-8000 Hz in addition to having tympanograms within normal limits. Comparison of the data collected on the control group versus the veteran suggested that the veteran performed worse than the majority of the control group on the AzBio Sentence Test. Further research with more participants would be beneficial to our understanding of how veterans with TBI perform on speech recognition tests in the presence of background noise.
ContributorsCorvasce, Erica Marie (Author) / Peterson, Kathleen (Thesis director) / Williams, Erica (Committee member) / Azuma, Tamiko (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Speech and Hearing Science (Contributor)
Created2015-05
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Description
Improved pancreatic cancer diagnostic technology has the potential to improve patient prognosis by increasing cancer screening rates and encouraging early detection of the cancer. To increase the sensitivity and specificity while decreasing the cost and time investment, the emerging detection method of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was tested to detect

Improved pancreatic cancer diagnostic technology has the potential to improve patient prognosis by increasing cancer screening rates and encouraging early detection of the cancer. To increase the sensitivity and specificity while decreasing the cost and time investment, the emerging detection method of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was tested to detect two pancreatic cancer specific biomarkers. The antibodies of carcinoembryonic antigen and quiescin sulfhydryl oxidase 1 were immobilized individually to gold disk electrodes and tested for binding to their respective antigens. An AC signal of varying potential and a wide frequency sweep was applied to the electrode system and the resulting imaginary impedance values were analyzed. Based off of the highest slope and R-squared values of the collected impedance values, the optimal binding frequencies of QSOX1 and CEA with their antibodies was determined to be 97.66 Hz and 17.44 Hz, respectively. EIS was also used to test for potential multimarker detection by coimmobilizing anti-CEA and anti-QSOX1 to the surface of gold disk electrodes. Each system's impedance response was correlated to the physiological concentration range of CEA and QSOX1 individually. The resulting impedance and concentration calibration curves had R-squared values of 0.78 and 0.79 for the calculated QSOX1 and CEA, respectively. Both markers showed similar trends between the calculated and actual calibration curves for each marker. The imaginary impedance output lacks two independent peaks for the distinct optimal binding frequencies of both biomarkers after signal subtraction and show a large shift in optimal frequencies. From analyzing the co-immobilization data for the calculated and experimentally determined calibration curves of CEA and QSOX1, both curves had different correlation values between imaginary impedance values and concentration. Add and subtracting the experimental and calculated co-immobilization, QSOX1, and CEA signals suggest an oversaturation of QSOX1 used during the experiments.
ContributorsMalla, Akshara (Co-author) / Murali, Keerthana (Co-author) / LaBelle, Jeffrey (Thesis director) / Lin, Chi-En (Committee member) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-05
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Description
Neuroinflammation is an important secondary injury response occurring after traumatic brain injury (TBI). Anxiety-like disorders are commonly exacerbated after TBI and are mediated through the amygdala; however, the amygdala remains understudied despite its important contribution in processing emotional and stressful stimuli. Therefore, we wanted to study neuroinflammation after experimental TBI

Neuroinflammation is an important secondary injury response occurring after traumatic brain injury (TBI). Anxiety-like disorders are commonly exacerbated after TBI and are mediated through the amygdala; however, the amygdala remains understudied despite its important contribution in processing emotional and stressful stimuli. Therefore, we wanted to study neuroinflammation after experimental TBI using midline fluid percussion in rodent models. We assessed microglia morphology over time post-injury in two circuit related nuclei of the amygdala, the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and central amygdala of the nucleus (CeA), using skeletal analysis. We also looked at silver staining and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) to evaluate the role of neuropathology and astrocytosis to evaluate for neuroinflammation in the amygdala. We hypothesized that experimental diffuse TBI leads to microglial activation in the BLA-CeA circuitry over time post-injury due to changes in microglial morphology and increased astrocytosis in the absence of neuropathology. Microglial cell count was found to decrease in the BLA at 1 DPI before returning to sham levels by 28 DPI. No change was found in the CeA. Microglial ramification (process length/cell and endpoints/cell) was found to decrease at 1DPI compared to sham in the CeA, but not in the BLA. Silver staining and GFAP immunoreactivity did not find any evidence of neurodegeneration or activated astrocytes in the respectively. Together, these data indicate that diffuse TBI does not necessarily lead to the same microglial response in the amygdala nuclei, although an alternative mechanism for a neuroinflammatory response in the CeA likely contributes to the widespread neuronal and circuit dysfunction that occurs after TBI.
ContributorsHur, Yerin (Author) / Newbern, Jason (Thesis director) / Thomas, Theresa Currier (Committee member) / Beitchman, Joshua (Committee member) / School of Molecular Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
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Description
A point of care glucose sensor using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) with a glutaraldehyde-linked enzyme shows promise as an effective biosensor platform. This report details the characterization of various factors on optimal binding frequency (OBF) and sensor performance to better prepare the sensor for future experimentation. Utilizing a screen printed

A point of care glucose sensor using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) with a glutaraldehyde-linked enzyme shows promise as an effective biosensor platform. This report details the characterization of various factors on optimal binding frequency (OBF) and sensor performance to better prepare the sensor for future experimentation. Utilizing a screen printed carbon electrode, the necessary amount of glucose oxidase was determined to be 10 mg/mL. Binding time trials ranging from 1-3 minutes demonstrated that 1.5 minutes was the optimal binding time. This timeframe produced the strongest impedance response at each glucose concentration. Using this enzyme concentration and binding time, the native OBF of the biosensor was found to be 1.18 Hz using vector analysis. Temperature testing showed little change in OBF in sensors exposed to 4 \u00B0C through 43.3 \u00B0C. Only exposure to 60 \u00B0C resulted in rapid OBF change which was likely due to glucose oxidase becoming denatured. Humidity tests showed little change in OBF and sensor performance between sensors prepared at the humidities of 7.5%, 10.625% and 16.5% humidity. Alternatively, solutions containing common interference molecules such as uric acid, acetaminophen, and ascorbic acid resulted in a highly shifted OBF and drastically reduced signal.
ContributorsMatloff, Daniel (Co-author) / Khanwalker, Mukund (Co-author) / Johns, Jared (Co-author) / LaBelle, Jeffrey (Thesis director) / Pizziconi, Vincent (Committee member) / Lin, Chi (Committee member) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-12
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Description
As of today, there does not exist a cheap diagnostic for lactate for use in trauma centers. $671 billion are spent on trauma accidents and emergency rooms, with money focused on treatments such as YSI and ELISA, costing $1500 and $200, respectively. Gold disk electrodes were used to immobilize lactate

As of today, there does not exist a cheap diagnostic for lactate for use in trauma centers. $671 billion are spent on trauma accidents and emergency rooms, with money focused on treatments such as YSI and ELISA, costing $1500 and $200, respectively. Gold disk electrodes were used to immobilize lactate dehydrogenase and glucose oxidase, with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) used as the method for detection. Two lactate experimental runs were completed with data detailing a linear model and positive correlation for imaginary impedance and concentration, and one glucose experimental run was completed proving that a continuous system can be completed accounting for reaction and consumption using EIS, a process previously not done before.
ContributorsEltohamy, Omar Khaled (Author) / LaBelle, Jeffrey (Thesis director) / Lin, Chi-En (Committee member) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor, Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-05
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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