Undergraduate Research Day Projects
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Organized by the University of Houston Office of Undergraduate Research and Major Awards, Undergraduate Research Day is an annual event showcasing exceptional scholarship undertaken by the UH undergraduate community.
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Browsing Undergraduate Research Day Projects by Department "Biomedical Engineering, Department of"
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Item 18-Month Mobile Brain-Body Imaging (MoBI) Data Correlating with Daily Tasks: Findings in Alpha-band Frequencies(2019) Alarcon, Christian Bernard; Bellman, Devon E.Current neuroscience studies have failed to capture the progressive, long-term nature of the creative process, limiting the intricate system into single-session controlled experiments. Through the advancement of MoBI technology, we utilized context-aware documentation to monitor and record EEG data from a multimedia installation artist as she undergoes the creative process. This dataset propels brain-computer interfaces closer to real-world applications by answering the question: can EEG data from natural settings be analyzed using MoBI technology? In this 18-month longitudinal study, using a dry-electrode wireless headset a home-security camera, and a personal journaling phone app, EEG data is collected from real-world settings -- the comfort of an artist's home as she creates an art installation. Then, the data was separated by task-specific labels based off video and journal annotations. EEG and video were simultaneously recorded, resulting in over 400 hours of data. To determine the validity of the datasets, we have explored EEG findings in the alpha-band region (8-12 Hz). After scalp mapping the average EEG of the tasks, we notice a difference in alpha power from the prefrontal cortex (PFC) to the parietal region. Also, when comparing alpha power through potential baseline activities, a shift toward the parietal regions is also evident. We are working to open-source the multimodal dataset to allow others to verify findings and discover potential uses. We hope for the public EEG data to help create advances in merging brain-machine interfaces closer to the real world as wireless, wearable, non-invasive systems. This project was completed with contributions from Jesus G. Cruz-Garza from Corner University.Item A Novel Method for the Assessment of Precision Force Control in Children(2022-04-14) Ajoy, AnagaDexterity testing in children is necessary to identify developmental pathology and potentially guide treatments for a younger population, as we treat many congenital hand differences early in life. Current tests focus on time-based measures of dexterity. However, dexterity also depends on how well the forces exerted on an object (i.e. a toy) are controlled. Therefore, the current clinical tests are not sensitive to assessing the dexterity changes that occur because of development pathology or after an intervention. A test that uses both time-based measures alongside measurement of finger forces can more accurately assess pediatric dexterity. To meet this challenge, we developed a novel device to comprehensively assess the dexterity function by the total force exerted on the object in addition to trial duration. We aim to assess the interrater reliability of the device. We recruited 9 typically developing children aged 4-15 years who performed a task under 3 difficulty levels (low, medium, high) on the novel device. Two independent raters then analyzed the data, and a third researcher calculated intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). We found that the ICC (2,1) between the 2 raters (absolute agreement) was between 0.97 and 0.99 for all difficulty levels for the trial duration measure. For the total force measure, we found that the ICC (2,1) between the 2 raters was between 0.98 and 0.99. Our findings suggest that there is high interrater reliability for our new device concerning precision force control.Item Art Science AI: Neural Basis of Creativity(2022-04-14) Nelson, AvaArt Science AI intends to create a greater connection between science and art. For project Nahaul, we intended to create an AI that can visualize the thought process of an artist in real-time as the artist creates a piece within 15 minutes. Sonification is also used during the performance, utilizing different grammars of the EEG readings coming from the artist. As for the Brain on Dance Workshop, we intend to visualize and represent the intersection between art and science.Item Assessing Mouse Brain Elasticity Using Air-Pulse Based Optical Coherence Elastography(2017-10-12) Goh, Megan; Liu, Chih-Hao; Singh, Manmohan; Raghunathan, RakshaCurrent diagnostic methods are able to detect severe brain trauma but are unable to detect the microscopic brain injuries that regularly occur during a concussion. Our research aims to explore a potential alternative method to detect a wider range of severity in concussions through comparing the changes in the biomechanical properties of pre- and post-concussed brain tissue using optical coherence elastography (OCE). This study is a proof of concept to see if OCE can distinguish different regions within the brain based on biomechanical properties. In this study, we hope to distinguish the hippocampus, a complex structure located in the medial temporal part of the brain beneath the cerebral cortex, from the rest of the brain. Our results show that the hippocampus is softer than the cortex of the brain, which corresponds to currently available literature. In this study, we were able to show that OCE could detect differences in the biomechanical properties of different regions of the brain.Item Assessing the Vasculature Changes in Murine Fetal Brain Upon Alcohol Exposure(2017-10-12) Nguyen, Jennifer; Raghunathan, Raksha; Wu, Chen; Singh, Manmohan; Liu, Chih-HaoFetal Alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) refers to a broad spectrum of abnormalities that arise due to prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE). The severity of the abnormality depends on the amount of alcohol consumed and period of consumption during gestation. A large number of women continue to consume alcohol even during the second trimester of pregnancy, a critical period for fetal neurogenesis and angiogenesis. OCT is an optical analog of ultrasound. 3D non-invasive imaging technique with high spatial resolution. OCT has shown to be extremely useful in embryonic imaging. Speckle variance OCT (SVOCT), is a functional extension of OCT that has been used to study vasculature development in embryos. We use SVOCT, to detect vasculature changes in the embryonic brain in utero, minutes after maternal alcohol consumption. The results show that there is a decrease in fetal vessel diameter within the first 10 minutes and it persisted for 45 minutes after maternal alcohol consumption, indicating that ethanol is a possible vasoconstrictor on the fetal brain. This project was completed with contributions from Rajesh C. Miranda from the Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Texas A&M Health Science Center.Item Automation Process of 3D Scan Based Brace Design(2020-09-29) Desabhotla, Krishna Sarvani; Steele, Alexander G.; Eguren, DavidApproximately 83,700 children across the United States and 1.7 million children worldwide are affected by cerebral palsy and have limited or no walking ability. [1] Customizable exoskeletons could greatly improve rehabilitation outcomes and quality of life for children suffering from diseases such as cerebral palsy and spina bifida which limit mobility. Currently, it takes an expert 5-6 hours to create a single set of exoskeleton braces from one 3D scan imported into SolidWorks. In this project, we developed a process that enables braces created from a template 3D scan to readjust to another with minimal steps. This is critical as the braces must be modified as children grow. The process of solid modelling typically involves orienting objects, such as the braces, in reference to 3D space. Instead, by defining the braces using global variables and joint references like the hip, knee, and ankle, braces can transfer from the template scan to another scan with automatic size and orientation adjustment. The methodology of brace transfer involves changing the reference surface and joint of the template brace from one scan to another and can be done within minutes. This technique standardizes the design and drastically shortens the time it takes to create custom-fitted braces while reducing human error. Future work would expand the proof of concept to create a complete set of braces that transfers between scans. Applications for this research are not limited to exoskeletons but can be applied to any customizable 3D scan based orthotic/prosthetic. [1]https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/cp/data.htmlItem Biomechanical Effects of Custom Corneal Cross-Linking Using Optical Coherence Elastography(2018-10-18) Smith, ChristopherKeratoconus is a progressive disease of the eye which causes the cornea to become weak and thin. If untreated, it may lead to corneal deformation and impaired vision. Corneal collagen cross-linking (CXL) is a recently FDA-approved treatment for keratoconus that stiffens the cornea by the combined use of a photoactivator and exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light. Normal CXL treats a large region of the cornea; in contrast, custom CXL only treats diseased portions of the cornea, minimizing patient exposure to harmful UV light. However, the effects of custom CXL on local corneal stiffness are not well understood. Using a porcine model, we investigated the biomechanical effects of custom CXL. Three dimensional optical coherence tomography (OCT) images of eyes were taken before and after CXL treatment and could distinguish the CXL regions from the untreated areas. To quantify the biomechanical effects of custom CXL, we used optical coherence elastography (OCE), which utilizes OCT imaging to measure air-pulse-induced displacements in the cornea. By varying the induced air pressure, the displacement as a function of applied pressures was quantified, which was a noncontact analog to traditional stiffness measurements by mechanical testing. The OCE measurements were made at points within the CXL and untreated regions. The results showed a statistically significant decrease in the air-pressure-induced displacement response in the CXL region as compared to untreated regions, indicating a significant increase in stiffness. Our work provides both qualitative and quantitative evidence that custom CXL is an effective method of inducing localized stiffening of the cornea.Item Biomechanical simulation of Pediatric Exo(2022-04-14) Sabhnani, NivritiAbout 1 in 345 children in the United States have been identified with CP, according to 2010 estimates from CDC's ADDM Network. It is essential to aid children impacted by Cerebral Palsy impacted by crouch gait to be able to walk in a more effective manner and to avoid further damage on their joints. To do so, it is important to recognize how a brace must function to ensure the user is able to walk with the correct joint angles and torque. One method of doing so is a biomechanical simulation using the software OpenSim. Opensim allows the import of various exoskeletal models obtained by scanning individuals in real life into the software and conduct simulations using that model to obtain certain values as outputs. These outputs can then be applied to developing the brace itself. The method of doing so includes a few steps using the tools in OpenSim: The scaling tools fit the model to experimental markers obtained from an experiment with children with CP. Inverse Kinematics allows the gait cycle to be observed by allowing the model to walk displaying crouch gait. The RRA tool removes any error causing residuals. The CMC tool computes muscle level excitation to derive joint angles for the exo with the device. Forward Dynamics runs the entire gait cycle with the external loads. This helps obtaining outputs such as joint angles that can be useful in bettering the device to optimize the needs of the user.Item Cardiomyopathy Progression Due to Overexpression of miRNA- 322/503(2020-09-29) Rajput, Jahnvi; Shrestha, ShreestiDilated cardiomyopathy is the leading cause of death among heart disease patients. It is characterized by a decrease in blood flow through the heart due to enlargement and weakness of the left ventricle. The miRNA, mir-322/503, was found to be increased in expression in dilated cardiomyopathy. Our lab has found that overexpression of miRNA- 322/503 in the heart using a doxycycline induced mouse model, leads to heart failure that exhibits characteristics of dilated cardiomyopathy. The main objective of this research was to monitor this heart failure progression over time. In vivo mice models were given a doxycycline diet for a month and body weight was monitored. Heart specific tissues were collected at days 0, 7, 14, 21 and 28 and stained with H&E stain. Heart stress markers were analyzed using qPCR. We found overexpression of miRNA- 322/503 leads to body weight loss, loss of cardiac function through dilation of ventricular chambers and wall thinning, increase in stress markers ANP (Atrial natriuretic peptide) and BNP (Brain natriuretic peptide), and a decrease in α-MHC (Myosin heavy chain).Item Characterizing the Prevalence and Nature of Cannabis Use Disorder and Comorbidities in Older Veterans(2022-04-14) Gandhi, SmitiThe DSM-5 defines cannabis use disorder (CUD) as continued use despite the occurrence of clinically significant physical and psychosocial issues, including tolerance and withdrawal. Cannabis use is common among US military Veterans. Over 10 percent of Veterans reported past six-month use in 2019 and 2020 (Hill, Nichter, Norman, Loflin, & Pietrzak, 2021), suggesting that many Veterans may be at risk for developing CUD. Veterans with CUD are more likely to have or develop lifetime posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, mood disorders, nicotine addiction, alcohol dependence, and suicidal thoughts (Hill, Nichter, Norman, Loflin, & Pietrzak, 2021). Co-occurring disorders are termed “comorbidities.â€� The prevalence of CUD is higher among younger Veterans, at 5.6 percent (Hill, Loflin, Nichter, Norman, & Pietrzak, 2021; Pedersen, Marshall, & Kurz, 2017). These younger Veterans have served in recent conflicts like Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, and New Dawn and are referred to as OEF/OIF/OND Veterans. Because existing research focuses on characterizing CUD in younger Veterans, the prevalence and nature of CUD in older Veterans are not well-understood. This research aimed to characterize CUD and comorbidities in older Veterans. CUD in older Veterans can co-occur with other substance use disorders like alcohol use disorder, cocaine use disorder, and tobacco use disorder. Although younger Veterans are more likely to have CUD and other comorbidities, older Veterans have very high rates of comorbidities, including depression and PTSD. Further investigating CUD in older Veterans with comorbidities and encouraging their recovery from CUD may significantly impact their overall health.Item Data Collection for a Longitudinal Mobile Brain-Body Imaging (MoBI) Study of the Creative Process Over the Span of 18 Months in Real-World Settings(2019) Bellman, Devon E.; Alarcon, Christian BernardUnderstanding human creativity remains one of the fundamental questions linking art, science, and engineering. Contemporary neuroscience studies investigating the brain in relation to creativity have been limited to single-session laboratory settings that fail to capture the progressive nature of the creative process in complex settings. To overcome these limitations, we deployed a combination of context-aware documentation (video and personal journal) and mobile brain-body imaging (MoBI) technology to monitor and record a Houston-based multimedia installation artist in real-world-settings. We make available the first longitudinal MoBI dataset using dry-electrode electroencephalography (EEG) as she performs label-specific tasks.Item Deep Learning Enables High-Precision Classification of Morphology of Stored Red Blood Cells(2018-10-18) Villarreal, NataliaAbout 15 million unit of stored red blood cells are transfused to nearly 5 million patients each year in the United States alone. However, the key properties of red blood cells progressively deteriorate during hypothermic storage, and this reduction in quality contributes to adverse outcomes that have been associated with blood transfusions, including serious infections and multiple organ failures. Recently, red blood cell shape (morphology) has emerged as a novel quantitative marker of the functional quality of stored blood units. Red blood cell morphology is currently measured via manual observation and classification of morphology of only ~100-200 individual cells by a technician, which is a notoriously tedious and highly subjective process. Building on prior work from Dr. Sergey Shevkoplyas’s Blood Microfluidics Lab, we trained an AlexNet Deep Learning CNN with the objective of creating a simple, robust, and automated system for high throughput microscopy that classifies heterogeneous cell morphology. The foundation of this project was successful at predicting morphological classifications with an overall low-resolution accuracy of 97.9% and an overall high-resolution accuracy of 95.3%.Item Determining the Effects of Limited Transportation on Heart Disease Risk Factor Prevalence(2023-04-13) So, AnnaAccess to transportation is an important aspect of healthcare utilization. If there is a barrier present, this can consist of long travel distances, lack of vehicle, transportation costs, and lengthy travel times are all factors which can prevent patients from seeing their provider. This often causes potential risk factors to go undiagnosed, and eventually leads to poorer health outcomes among lower-income populations and those who live in rural areas – creating a disparity. The purpose of this research aims to evaluate how access to personal vehicles and distance to healthcare facilities affects the prevalence of heart disease risk factors since the outcome for chronic heart disease can depend on proximity to the closest health facility. During this project, households that owned no vehicles or households where the number of members was greater than the number of vehicles owned were included in the study. From this point, the person trips (how often a household member travels on an average weekday) for each household and the prevalence of preventative care were used in a multivariate linear regression model to determine the correlation between trip frequency, vehicle ownership, and how often they will go to health check-ups. Statistically, the R-squared value showed that there was a very weak correlation between the variables. While lack of vehicle ownership did show some significance between preventative care visits, the trip frequency of a household showed inconsistent results, thus, it can be concluded that there is no relationship.Item Differential Neurovascular Plexus Innervation in the Spleen(2023-04-13) Changalpet, Alexia; Lowe, Deja; Semier, Ashley; Lloyd, DavidThe spleen functions as the main lymph organ in the body. The spleen is responsible for filtering and storing blood, making white blood cells, and fighting infections. The spleen has not been researched heavily and only recently found four splenic nerve branches (SN) present different electrophysiological activity in a study done on rats (Gonzalez-Gonzalez et al., 2021). The hypothesis that the four SNs have different patterns of innervations was based in this previous research. Viral tract tracers tagged with soluble GFP and mCherry were respectively injected into SN1 and SN3 and put through double enzymatic chromogenic staining to visualize the signals received. Results showed that differences between innervations on SN1 and SN3 can explain the results gathered from the previous study.Item Distinguishing Colon Pathologies by Optical and Mechanical Contrast using Optical Coherence Elastography and Optical Coherence Tomography(2018-10-18) Le, TrietColon pathologies including colorectal cancer (CRC) and ulcerative colitis (UC) affect nearly 200,000 people per year. Early detection of these pathologies is crucial for positive prognoses. However, screening of CRC and UC by existing diagnostic tools such as white light endoscopy and sonography is limited due to their poor resolution, depth penetration, and contrast. Hence, additional contrast, such as biomechanical properties, may be necessary for accurate early detection. Existing techniques to evaluate tissue mechanical properties lack the resolution to distinguish CRC and UC in the early disease state. Optical coherence elastography (OCE) is a functional extension of optical coherence tomography (OCT) and is capable of micrometer-scale spatial resolution and nanometer-scale displacement sensitivity, making it an effective tool to distinguish small structural and mechanical changes in healthy tissue due to disease. In this work, murine colon samples from three distinct groups: healthy, CRC, and UC were tested to assess optical and elastic properties. An OCE system was used to image elastic waves that were induced by focused air-pulses in the samples. The elastic wave group velocity and dispersion of the elastic wave were translated to the viscoelastic properties of each sample. Additionally, the structural OCT image was analyzed as another method to differentiate between healthy and diseased samples. The result showed a significant difference in elasticity between CRC and UC as compared to healthy tissue and a significant difference in optical properties (p<<.05 in two-sample T-test).Item Effect of High-Fat Diet on Systemic Lupus Erythematosus(2017-10-12) Paglicawan, LauraSystemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is chronic disease where normal tissues attacked by the body’s immune system. Discover how SLE and CVD positively impact one another as well as other influencing factors, such as lifestyle, that support this relationship. Test the hypothesis that high-dietary fat accelerates the progression of SLE as well as CVD.Item Effects of Cytokines on Blood Brain Barrier in Neuropsychiatric Systemic Lupus Erythematosus(2023-04-13) Imran, ShanzehThe blood brain barrier (BBB) is a collection of blood capillaries that coordinate a series of metabolic, physical and transport properties that regulate interactions with vascular, immune, and neural cells, enabling healthy movement of molecules between the brain and the blood brain barrier. (1) Cognitive impairments as manifestations of neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus (NPSLE) occur in almost 40% of all people with systemic lupus (SLE). (2) There are certain types of cytokines that contribute to the disruption to the blood brain barrier. However, there remains a gap in knowledge where little to no research has been done on these biomolecules in the context of NPSLE, and the mechanism by which this phenomenon happens remains unknown. This research attempted to fill in the gap and work toward identifying clear markers of BBB breach in NPSLE, and identify the serum proteins and autoantibodies present in the blood that are predictive of BBB breach in SLE. The protocol of the experiment involves preparing blood brain barrier Transwell models using media and attachment factors, before adding the bovine endothelial cells and later astrocytes. The culture was then treated with the desired cytokines and transendothelial electrical resistance (TEER) was measured across the layer to confirm the integrity and permeability of the monolayer. The results implicate that the mechanism of the molecular basis of a blood brain barrier breach is difficult to determine in research from a co-culture of human astrocytes and bovine endothelial cells.Item Effects of Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) on Cancer Cell Proliferation and Apoptosis(2023-04-13) Bui, Amy; Chandran, SrinandhiniMesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), also known as medicinal signaling cells are known for being multi-potent. They are among the most frequently used cell types for regenerative medicine and can be found in every organ and exhibit multilineage differentiation into cell type. Due to their anticancer properties, MSCs have attracted interest in the development of anticancer therapies. Many studies have shown the beneficial effects of MSC-based therapies and its therapeutic potential in radiation oncology is a growing domain of cell therapy. Interestingly, it has also been found that MSCs can serve as vehicles for delivering targeted therapy to tumors and metastatic diseases due to their tumor-trophic properties. This study aims to further elucidate the effects of MSCs on tumor suppression and its potential in stem cell therapy.Item Electrical Resistance Measurements in a Blood-Brain-Barrier Microdevice(2021-04-01) Janvier, Abigail; Kuo, Chung-FanThe Blood-brain-barrier (BBB) is a sophisticated microvascular barrier system laying within the brain capillary vessel, which separates circulating blood from brain tissue. This barrier is to regulates the transport of essential substances in and out of the brain, thus creating an undeniable challenge for therapeutic molecules to reach the brain disease site. To study the ability of brain therapeutics to cross the BBB, there is a need to create a more realistic in vitro BBB model that can represent the in vivo microenvironment. To meet this need, the application of microfluidic systems with brain microvascular endothelial cells have shown the capacity to recapitulate key features of the BBB in vitro. To evaluate the quality of the in vitro BBB models, trans-endothelial electrical resistance (TEER) is an important characteristic that is commonly used. To obtain TEER measurements, we are interested in using two distinct types of electrodes, Ag/AgCl wires and thin gold coated straps in a microfluidic BBB model. Ag/AgCl wire electrodes will be inserted directly into the device at the inlet and outlet locations, and as a current is passed through the membrane, the Ag/AgCl wire electrodes measure the voltage. In an alternative approach, gold coated straps will be integrated into the BBB device via a sputter coater to generate a more even conducting current across the barrier. While both methods are commonly applied and viable options for the TEER measurement, this study will compare these two methods in parallel to determine which is the suitable approach.Item ELISA Validation of Novel Urine Biomarkers of Lupus Nephritis Discovered Using O-link Proximity Extension Assay(2023-04-13) Thai, NgaBackground: Lupus nephritis (LN) is the inflammation of the kidneys, leading to reduced function. A renal biopsy is currently the preferred diagnosis method, but it cannot be serially repeated for monitoring disease progression and is not optimal for early diagnosis. Urine biomarkers can be used to determine the state of the kidney, diagnose the disease, and monitor disease progression noninvasively. Objective: To determine whether urinary biomarkers discovered using O-link Proximity Extension Assay (O-link) are reliable and reproducible using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). Methods: Urine from the Hong Kong cohort was interrogated using the O-link technology for the levels of proteins that were significantly different in each step of lupus progression. On the basis of these screens, Human CXCL16, Human IGFBP-2, Human IL-1 RII, Human ICAM-2/CD102, Human FABP4/A-FABP, Human BAFF/BLyS/TNFSF13B, and Human E-selectin were selected for ELISA-based validation in an independent cohort from the University of Texas Southwestern. Results: After the determination of whether the standard proteins worked and the optimal sample dilution factor for each kit, significant differences in the protein levels of the healthy control and active renal samples. Conclusion: It has been demonstrated that O-link is a reliable method of discovering novel biomarkers of LN and the results are reproducible using ELISA screens. Through this study, we hope to find a biomarker that is an accurate and reliable measure for LN patients, with the potential of use in the necessary early detection and diagnosis of renal involvement, regular monitoring of disease activity, and long-term projections for LN.
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